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What's the best vehicle for my needs?

1145 messages,  Last post on Sep 17, 2009 at 12:59 PM

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#974 of 1145 Re: I need help finding a car that my daughter can afford [morin2] by morin2 Jul 04, 2009 (7:44 am)
Replying to: morin2 (Jul 04, 2009 6:50 am) I forgot to add something that is almost a given - Have the used car examined by a mechanic before you even begin to negotiate. Otherwise, you do not have the information you need for a negotiation. The $50-$100 spent on a mechanical inspection is the best investment you can ever make. Just ask the people who are writing in to "Ask the Community" here at Edmunds with questions about their "as-is" used car purchases that break down on their drives home. That's a tough and expensive lesson. Replies to this message: plekto (Jul 04, 2009 10:44 am) asafonov (Jul 13, 2009 1:50 pm) tidester (Jul 13, 2009 7:40 pm) and 4 more...
#975 of 1145 Re: Having rented a couple of cars I was looking at... [demigawd] by qbrozen Jul 04, 2009 (10:32 am)
Replying to: demigawd (Jul 02, 2009 9:20 am) You mentioned that Volvo's geartronic is not the fastest reacting - what woud you say is a faster reacting one?   Well, for one, the G35. I've read about many others, but haven't driven them. The zf 6-speed auto found in cars such as the 335i, corvette, and camaro, to name a few, is supposed to be very very good.   As for trying out the other volvos, as the other poster said, just get yerself to a dealer and try them on for size.
#976 of 1145 Re: family vehicle [carstryke] by qbrozen Jul 04, 2009 (10:33 am)
Replying to: carstryke (Jul 02, 2009 3:34 pm) fezo beat me to it. Mazda5 sounds like what you are looking for. Although you may feel it is technically a minivan. (OK, it technically is, but you don't have to tell anyone)
#977 of 1145 Re: I need help finding a car that my daughter can afford [plekto] by jeffyscott Jul 04, 2009 (10:38 am)
Replying to: plekto (Jul 04, 2009 6:02 am) That minivan getting rear-ended was pretty bad, but I wonder how bad getting hit by a "lorrie" would be in a sedan (and what about a hatchback, such as the, #1 in europe, golf?). It'd have been interesting if they'd have done a comparison.
#978 of 1145 Re: I need help finding a car that my daughter can afford [morin2] by plekto Jul 04, 2009 (10:44 am)
Replying to: morin2 (Jul 04, 2009 7:44 am) I forgot to mention my own personal list of vehicles:   81 Buick Regal - slow but impossible to kill. 84 Buick Regal - same exact car, different dash. Died in accident. 75 Volvo 164E - bulletproof and simple. No smog. 81 Dodge Colt/Mitsubishi Mirage. Indestructible but slow as a slug. 87 Buick LeSabre - transmission finally gave out so tossed it. 90 Volvo 240. Loved this car. Sold eventually as I wanted something better. 67 Mercedes 230S. This was it. Lovely car. Would still have it if the *entire* engine didn't need replacing at $4-6K. 87 4Runner. 380K on the odometer. Can't kill it - repels yuppies. (plus a bunch of smaller stuff and motorcycles)   I've never bought anything new. Either classic or 5-8 years old at the time. Sure stuff breaks, but nothing bad.   The average person spends half a million dollars in their lifetime if they do nothing but buy new cars all the time. I won't likely spend 1/5th that.   What are thr criteria? Also, will she drive manual(anyone can learn - that's not an issue, really). I've spent less maintaining my 5 vehicles with manuals so far than even ONE of my Buicks' automatics. This is the easiest way to keep a car running for cheap. And it's a good skill to learn.(plus a turn-on to guys she might date later on - heh)   *** As for the crash test - you'll notice that the 2nd row was fine since it was past the crumple zone. If the seats have headrests, it's very rare to have major injuries in a rear collision in a sedan.(if RWD, the rear axle is about as good as an engine block in stopping further crumpling) At worst, they get pushed forward into the front seats which are padded. Maybe break their legs at worst. But 6 inches from the back like a lot of 3rd rows are... yeah... way too close. Get a full size van or SUV if you really need to carry 6 or more people. Replies to this message: asafonov (Jul 13, 2009 1:50 pm) tidester (Jul 13, 2009 7:40 pm) jeffyscott (Jul 13, 2009 8:06 pm) and 3 more...
#979 of 1145 Re: Turbocharged cars [demigawd] by jchan2 Jul 04, 2009 (4:42 pm)
Replying to: demigawd (Jun 24, 2009 11:33 am) If you're going to consider a Volvo, I also have to throw in a suggestion for a Saab.   Yes, the '03-'05 9-3s had some rather troubling reliability problems, but the ancient 9-5 has been pretty solidly reliable after about 2003, and in your price range, you might be able to get into an '06 9-3 if you really wanted to.   Sure, they're not AWD/4WD, but they are FWD and known as decent snow cars. Avoid the V6 on the 9-5 (2004 and up models were 4 cylinder only) and you should be good to go...   Generally, all Saabs depreciate like crazy because on the new end they are discounted like crazy since they are (in my opinion) overpriced on the new end.   You might also consider a Saab 9-2X, which was basically just a rebadged Subaru Impreza. Given that you're looking in Chicagoland (if I recall correctly) you should be able to find plenty of Saabs, although the 9-2X can be rather difficult to find since it was never really popular to begin with.
#980 of 1145 Re: I need help finding a car that my daughter can afford [jeffyscott] by fritzi2 Jul 05, 2009 (10:42 pm)
Replying to: jeffyscott (Jul 04, 2009 4:26 am) Thanks everyone. These are really great suggestions. She has a friend who is a mechanic who has offered to not only go with her but make any repairs that she needs free of charge. The problem is finding a used car with the money she has and it's not much, believe me. I just don't understand why a bank is willing to finance her for 18 months at 12.5% when the loan is over $9,000 but ups the interest rate to 24% when the loan amount is only $6,000. Each way the payments are $100.00/mo over what she can reasonably afford to pay. I have to respect the kid in that she refuses to go over what she knows she can afford. Unfortunately, we don't have an extra car for her to use so it looks like I will be driving her to and from work for a while. Since she only works about 3 miles from home, she is toying with buying a used Vespa for the commute during the summer. If nothing else, please keep us in your prayers. Replies to this message: jeffyscott (Jul 06, 2009 6:13 am) morin2 (Jul 06, 2009 3:12 pm) erniesdad (Jul 08, 2009 7:17 am) dtownfb (Jul 09, 2009 8:01 am)
#981 of 1145 Re: I need help finding a car that my daughter can afford [fritzi2] by jeffyscott Jul 06, 2009 (6:13 am)
Replying to: fritzi2 (Jul 05, 2009 10:42 pm) Unless she has a bad credit rating, both those rates seem very high. The highest used auto loan rate my credit union is showing is 8.4%, that rate applies to '94 to '99 models. (Even credit card from my credit union are "only" at 6-14% interest rates)   Another possibility...I see chase and citi offering 0% for 12 months on some credit cards. I'm sure there are other deals like that out there. Also with my existing credit cards I often get "checks" that have promotional rates of 0% or close to it. These deals are never worth it to me, as they have transaction fees of 3-5%, but something like that might work for her, if she gets such offers and has a high enough limit on the card, and is careful to be sure she can pay it off in the allotted time.
#982 of 1145 Re: I need help finding a car that my daughter can afford [fritzi2] by morin2 Jul 06, 2009 (3:12 pm)
Replying to: fritzi2 (Jul 05, 2009 10:42 pm) Did you say 3 miles or was that a typo? If my one way commute was 3 and not 54 miles, I would walk it or ride a bike. I walk about 3 miles at lunchtime for exercise. Would walking these 3 miles take her through dangerous neighborhoods or across highways? I'm an old fart of 54, but even I can walk a measured mile in 15-16 minutes.
#983 of 1145 Re: I need help finding a car that my daughter can afford [fritzi2] by erniesdad Jul 08, 2009 (7:17 am)
Replying to: fritzi2 (Jul 05, 2009 10:42 pm) 3 Miles? Honestly, get a bicycle. $500 can get an excellent commuter bike that can be ridden in street clothes with nice wide tires. for a comfortable ride. Get a quality lock(kryptonite ulock or something similar), and she can save the money on gas and insurance to save up for a better car later. 3 miles is less than 20 minutes ride time, even on a slow bike with a slow rider, in difficult terrain.

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