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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: plekto (Jul 04, 2009 10:44 am) That's a pretty general statement (in "final" dollars?) but I still think that, with reasonable assumptions below, your math is way off. A 20k (ignoring inflation) car every 5 years over 50 years of driving would be 200k, not 500k. Sure, some buy much more expensive cars, but others buy cheaper ones and/or keep them longer. BTW, I am not disputing your thesis that buying used (for most, not all cars) is (much) cheaper in the long run - I mostly follow it.
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Replying to: asafonov (Jul 13, 2009 1:50 pm) I don't think so. It costs about 30 cents per mile (conservatively) to run a car so at 14,000 miles per year you're up to $4,200 a year on top of your $5,000 per year just for the price of the car. 50×$9,200 = $450,000 then add a few more frills or expenses and you're easily up to a half million. That's why a lot of people drive their cars into the ground or stick with "preowned."  tidester, host SUVs and Smart Shopper
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Replying to: tidester (Jul 13, 2009 7:40 pm) On older cars, I've typically spent 8-13 cents per mile on repairs and maintenance, while when they are new (the first 40-50,000 miles or so) it is more like 2-4 cents per mile for that.
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Jul 13, 2009 8:06 pm) I don't figure it. That's from published data. Depending on the source, 30 cents per mile is on the low side. The IRS has numbers as high as 55 cents per mile and many businesses will reimburse employees at about the same rate for driving expenses related to business trips when using their private cars. tidester, host SUVs and Smart Shopper
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Replying to: lhy (Jul 13, 2009 1:21 pm) My method to flush is take off the lower radiator hose. Drain. Refill with water completely. Run till warm and fully circulating (lower radiator hose starts to be warm). Drain. Refill and run. Drain. Refill with 6 quarts of new coolant to get a 50/50 mixture (I believe the system holds 13 quarts. There also is a plastic drain plug low on the radiator that can be opened. I prefer easy access and use the lower radiator hose. |
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I'm looking for a car, preferably a recent model used one to avoid that early depreciation hit. I'm with a lot of people these days in that I want something that doesn't exist. So I need to make compromises. I have a family of four with two young kids, so I'd like: * a least a little sportiness and style * reasonable power and torque, at least on the level of my current '99 Passat sedan. (turbo torque with hp pushing 200) * cargo space, doesn't have to be van or SUV levels, but not much less than what my Passat has now. * appealing interior that doesn't feel cheap and bland * the kind of car that can be comfortable for all day rides when traveling * reasonable reliability. I'm willing to get something less reliable than a Lexus if I like it, but don't want something likely to be in the shop every other week. * solid gas mileage, preferably lowish emission levels. This is where big tradeoffs occur. I'd love Prius mileage and clean emissions, but it won't do as a car. Same for gas engine cars that get great mileage because they lack power and usually comfort and style. At the same time, I don't want to get a car that gets 23/14 either. Something that gets 27+ on the freeway would be fine for now. I can pay as much as  30K if it's just right, but I'd rather not. And I'd like to be able to turn it around in a couple years without losing half the value if it's at that price. My bias is towards a car like an Audi A4, though it's a tad small. But I love them. I drove a two year old BMW 528i recently and was blown away, but it's probably too pricey and I fear the costs down the line if I keep it long term or the continuing depreciation if I sell it in a few years. Plus, it's probably not the ideal car for a family with young kids and a wife who tends to use the car for extraneous, disorganized storage. OTOH, a recent trip to a Nissan dealer disappointed me. Something like an Altima is too bland and boring for me. I drove a mid-90s Mitsubishi Galant for quite awhile after buying it new and liked it, but don't want to repeat that sort of experience. I want more character. The Toyota Versa is too bland for me, too, as are most Toyotas. I like the Jetta TDI as a torquey performer with VW/Audi character and great mileage. But though I've had good luck with my Passat, I fear VW quality issues and it doesn't feel like it would be comfortable for the family as a vacation car. Actually, the Passat or Passat Wagon might be ideal in a lot of ways, but I've been there and done that. The 6 cylinder RAV4 is useful, but devoid of much character. I like the Hyundai Genesis, but am hesitant to buy this early in its lifespan and my wife finds it to be a little big for her. So it's all tradeoffs, as usual. I'd love to get suggestions here on cars to consider. |
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Replying to: maigre (Jul 14, 2009 9:21 am) I don't get too hung-up on quality issues. My '00 Jetta TDI had less problems over 180k miles than our Honda has in 50k....so I'll take my chances and get what I like. Like you said, there's going to be trade-offs no matter what. I know anytime I've traded Ho-hum and reliable for what I really wanted....I was disappointed. You'll constantly be thinking about what you really wanted and saying "oh well, this one is reliable" or even better it won't be as reliable as you expected and you'll really be kicking yourself. I like to set myself up to be surprised in a good way! I'd go for the 5-series BMW myself as a familiy vehicle.....get one certified and you'll be good to go for a couple years anyway.
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Replying to: sebring95 (Jul 14, 2009 10:35 am) The BMW was sensational. At 14 cu. ft. the trunk is a bit small, but it's almost rectangular, doesn't have the nooks and crannies and/or corners that other trunks tend to. So it's a more efficient use of the space than, for example, my bigger Passat trunk. My biggest concern there is simply the cost. I priced 2006 and 2007 models here with the mileage we'd likely have and the continuing depreciation makes me think it's just too much money, especially now in this economy. If it's going to depreciate that much, I might just as well lease a new Audi. I like the BMW more, but the A4 is terrific and at least I could walk away if it doesn't seem worth keeping at the end of the lease. And I feel like that's too much money to eat over a three year period... |
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Replying to: lhy (Jul 13, 2009 1:21 pm) Peak Global Lifetime Coolant. Not sure how the chemical composition compares to Dexcool, though. |
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Replying to: maigre (Jul 14, 2009 9:21 am)
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