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Smart Shopper What's the best vehicle for my needs?
1145 messages, Last post on Sep 17, 2009 at 12:59 PM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
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Replying to: cccompson (Sep 03, 2006 5:52 pm) tidester, host |
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Replying to: xxavxx (Sep 03, 2006 3:22 pm) Though for 8 or 9k you should be able to get a very nice vehicle that should much longer than 3-5 years. Also, since you are new to car buying...I would take an experienced person with you. Mark-up is high on used cars, so do your homework so you don't overpay. Cute? Whatever you find that is cute and reliable should work. Good luck.
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Replying to: jipster (Sep 04, 2006 1:13 pm) About present mileage - I've read that the average is 12,000 per year but how many more miles are too many on any given vehicle? I'm reading up on several different makes and models ranging from '99 to '05. But, my mother is coming with me to the auto sale but I want to be prepared and have an idea of the vehicles I'd want and have all of my research in order. Thanks in advance, Angel. |
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Replying to: xxavxx (Sep 04, 2006 2:37 pm) Our credit union has those sales. These cars are not particularly good deals. The fact of the matter is that for high-quality, high-mpg cars, the demand on the used side is so high that you don't really save anything per mile or per month by buying them two or even five years old. The cost is lower, the repairs/maintenance are more, the insurance is the same (!), and the car will die N years earlier. Believe me, I've worked this out up one side and down the other... I've had plenty of great used-car deals, but (i) I kinda know what I'm doing, and (ii) I've had some clunkers in the mix, too. Some of my best deals and my cheapest cars for the long run were the ones I bought new. This goes for your Corollas and Nissan pickups. Cadillacs are different. But what you want is something that currently 40% of all buyers are looking for. What do you think that has done to prices? Good luck, -Mathias
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Replying to: steine13 (Sep 04, 2006 6:44 pm) I would buy a new car if I had the money to do so but I'm only being given $10,000 and $10,000 only to work with. Because, to be quite honest I originally wanted a new Yaris but was told that since the value rapidly decreases on new vehicles I would not be able to get one and the fact that it was a little more than my given budget it was a no go. If, I could figure out a way to work a deal to acquire any of the newer vehicles within my budget I would. That's why I'm here 
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Replying to: xxavxx (Sep 04, 2006 6:57 pm) Take out a loan, then. Put down $8, bank $2 for emergencies or whatever, and build your credit with an $8 or $9 loan over 5 years at $180/month or so. I hate loans myself. To such an extent that last year, I paid off a 0% loan a few months early. That's how much I disliked having a monthly payment. But sometimes it's the best way to go. This business with "value rapidly decreases on new vehicles" is baloney, esp. for high-mpg vehicles like the Yaris. If that were the case, you'd be able to get the $14 hatchback as a one-year old car (i.e. an '06) with 9k miles for $10k. But you can't. Neither can I. I bought a 2004 Pontiac Vibe in late '03 for $15,500 and sold it 30 months and 27k miles later for $11,500. That's $4 depreciation for almost three years... with full warranty etc. IOW $133/month for the best 30 months out of that car. You want a Taurus, I agree, get a used one. But the nice, clean, low-mileage Civics/Corollas/Mazda3's are of the can't-find-them, can't-get-them variety, and when you do find one, it's $2 off th price of a new one. Go ahead, try it out. If I sound like I'm preaching, it's cuz I have heard the "loses 30% of its value when you drive away" myth one too many times. 30% off sticker, maybe... but more like 10% off street price. Anybody who thinks they can do better buying used from a dealer is in for a surprise. Trust me on this, I've done it every which way and even made money on used cars. But I have on occasion lost a piece of skin, too. -Mathias |
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Replying to: xxavxx (Sep 04, 2006 2:37 pm) Some people like getting high mileage vehicles because they can get then for thousands less than a comparable car with average miles. If that person only drives about 6k-7k miles a year...it can be a very good value getting say a 3 year old car with 60k miles. You get a car with plenty of mileage left on it...maybe save a thousand or two due to the high mileage depreciation.
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I am trying to find a good second car that will serve my needs for under $5000. Basically, what I want is something which will keep rolling for another 80-100k miles with a minimum of repair costs. My three requirements for the car are: A/C, cruise control, and automatic transmission. Beyond that, I'm open to just about anything. Any suggestions?
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Replying to: enkephalin (Sep 05, 2006 4:22 pm)
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Replying to: cccompson (Sep 05, 2006 5:13 pm) Just avoid the Supercharged ones. You don't need to the extra maintance of the SC motor or the reduced MPG. Possible vehicles would be. Pontiac Bonneville(MY personal favorite) Buick Park Avenue Oldsmobile 98
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