OT: Used Car Advice
So my 2001 Honda Civic's transmission just bit the dust. Cost of repairs is significantly greater then the value of the car.
Any thoughts of good used vehicle makes & models? Especially anything with more then three seats, as we have two small children, with the strong potential of adding more.
there is rarely such a thing as a "good used vehicle"
but whenever you find a car with the right features, mileage, and price------set aside another grand or two------for extra repairs
once you have done that----you can end up with a pretty decent car for a lot less money than a new one
I think with all the vehicles coming off leases, and incentives for the ignorant types that think you need a new car evey 3000 miles instead of changing the oil. You can find used car deals very easily. It is a good idea to buy a carfax membership when looking, because there are some sketchy dealers out there. They are bringing "flooded" cars, salvaged titles, etc. from all over.
Plus, they say a new car loses atleast 35-40 percent value just by leaving the dealership parking lot.
While I agree with the concept of Carfax, there is another competitor for that service that offers more bang for the buck. It's called Autocheck, and you get unlimited reports for 60 days. At least that's how it was in fall 2011 when I was last looking.
Seriously? So a 2-year old vehicle that is sparkling clean, has no damage, runs like new, and is under warranty is not a "good used vehicle"?
Truth be told, I used to buy new ONLY but finally realized I was taking a beating on depreciation. Now I let someone else do that.
really awful advice, in my opinion. Used cars are a great value, particularly when you get certified. If you are looking at something older than 4 or 5 years you may have some trouble, but newer models are an excellent option.
I entered the used market for the first time three years ago with a Mariner for my wife. We had it for 2 years and couldn't have been happier. We traded it in and bought a new Town & Country when we had our second kid (because something about a used mini-van creeps me out...kids puke, etc.), but I had no qualms buying myself a used 335 last year. No issues with either car we bought used.
A great way to get to drive cars you could never afford new!
You realize new cars lose like 10-15% of their value as soon as you drive them off the lot right? Buy used. New car payments are ridiculous.
I would buy a bigger sedan or SUV for a burgeoning family. My boss has an old Lexus LS 400 or so that his family beats the heck out of. I'm a Big 3 guy, so if I'm fortunate enough to have a family down the road I will buy the Cadillac XTS and drive it forever (I have the Cadillac ATS now, similar to a BMW 3 series or Audi A4).
I have employee discounts at all of the Detroit automakers if you are interested in domestic. Being objective, it's a great time to buy a car--all automakers are pretty incredible with reliability. I'd grip a mid size SUV like Chevy Equinox, Toyota Rav 4, or Honda Pilot, the Ford Escape is nice too. They hold up great in the Winter if you live where snow is prevalent.
Just do what Consumer Reports recommends, I can hook you up with a password if you need one. They are the best unbiased arbiter of everything you need in life. Although they rated the Tesla vehicle with a perfect score--that company is comically overvalued.
Good luck!
Wait, what? You meant the other way around, right? Because Consumer Reports trashes every American make they review.
But I totally disagree with Consumer Reports handling of their auto recommendations. I have to stop myself because I guess it does work for most people. But to me a car isn't an appliance. Consumer Reports reviews your car just how they would review your toaster. If a car is an appliance to you (get from point A to point B as simply as possible) then it might work for you. And, I guess that does work for a lot of people. But for me, I find their auto reviews awful. Like I said above, C&D is the place to go for auto advice.
A Camry or Avalon would do the trick.
The Camry is a great car. The Avalon is an upgrade to the Camry with all of the goodies.
Toyota seems to think the Avalon is their performance model (paddle shifters, hilarious). You don't need a V6 in a passenger car unless you don't like money.
It's worth considering a Honda CRV. Same platform, but a lot more space, and relatively inexpensive.
The CR-V is reliable, low true cost to own, good mileage (new models even better), roomy, etc. Also, the Kea Sorento, which has a lot of room, third row option, newer models have advanced fuel management, really quiet, etc.
My advice is don't buy a used car.
would you ever sell a used car to a friend or a relative?
or would you worry about the possibility that they might become angry if somehow something broke?
If I remember correctly, they trashed the ATS (the North American Car of the Year) because of the CUE system--it's the infotainment stuff that is on all new cars. I am a PC guy and still have a blackberry phone. The CUE system is very easy for an idiot like me to use.
The review was like phenomenal car, finally a reasonable alternative to a BMW 3 series or Mercedes or whatever but the CUE system sucks.
I've had the car for 2 months and the CUE system is awesome. Anyways, I generally just used Consumer Reports but will check out another points of analysis. Never a good idea to get all your information from one source.
I pity those who just read the WSJ or the NY Times; read both and then figure out what you think.
How many chicks have you fucked in the back seat of that thing whilest on 10 mile?
I am giving up my whip here in a few months for one of those new Range Rover Sports.
Don't buy anything Urban Meyer tries to sell you.
Camry, the models before the ones where the breaks stopped working leading to gruesome death. They run forever and give you little maintenence issues.
Brakes were fine, it was a problem with the gas pedal. Those have since been recalled and replaced.
I currently have a '10 Ford Fusion w/ a 4cylinder. Good car, fantastic gas mileage, but a little rickety. I also have an '04 Trailblazer with 229,000 miles on the online 6. Thing is a beast. Finally, I got my kids a 02 Jeep Liberty.
Point is, you can absolutely find a good reliable used car. Try buying from an individual rather than a dealer. Look for someone who changed the oil religiously and has the records to back it up.
you should be looking at a Suburban or an Expedition, or a school bus.
Chevette
First off, what is the state of the Civic beside the transmission? Its engine, suspension, general interior condition, mileage, etc. You're getting shit for resale out of a 12 year old Civic as is, at this point the only question is if you can get the value of a replacement transmission out of car before something else major breaks. Not whether it is worth more than the car or not. You might want to consult with a mechanic about that.
Secondly I strongly recommend GM and Hyundai. Those are the two companies I am aware of that will provide a significant warranty on a used vehicle. With a GM product the warranty transfers with the car, if you you buy a 3 year old car that had a 5 year a warranty, you get two years of warrant. With Hyundai I believe you have to go through the Hyundai dealer for a ceritified preowner one. I'm a big fan of buying something with some warranty left and beating the hell out of to get any weak parts replaced prior to the warranty expiring.
Beyond that if you want to buy something and run it into the ground, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, GM, and Ford are all valid options. The big common factor is that their parts and repairs are normally fairly cheap due to parts commonality and how common their cars are. Your exact repair bill will vary of course, in part based on how you threated it and how the first owner treated it. The magazines that rank cost of ownerships provide a guide, but of course they're looking at aggregate data, you always run the list of getting the lemon.
You will have to decide if it's going to be the family car. If so, you'll need to throw down for a full SUV (3 rows) or minivan if you want to fit 3 kids and a wife inside.
If it's not the family car, then get whatever. Get another civic. You can fit 2 car seats in almost anything.
Dude, if you have 2 kids and you're adding at least one more, I suggest you get a minivan.
Yeah. I know. So what. A lot of people call this event "surrendering your man card". Well, let me tell you they have no wisdom.
Yes, minivans strip menof masculinity, but they make chaffeuring kids and getting groceries a lot easier on the back. And if you can afford one used or new with a functioning DVD player, it's totally worth the investment.
Good luck.
You'll probably get a dog eventually too, so yeah...minivan.
That's what 3 car garages and "Dad's toy car" is for.
Or at least, that is what I plan. Speaking of which, I need to clean the crap out of the 3rd car spot in the garage..
Hey, Daddy's Nonworking Snowblower is a step in the direction of Daddy's Toy Car.
Consumer Reports hates all American cars, with the state of the country I think everyone should at least give American cars an honest chance. The Big 3 have all come light years on quality and styling. Many of the anti-American car bias one hears are 10 year old arguments.
I find buying certified pre-owned almost as much of a waste as buying new, with a little bit less hit from depreciation.
Buying a used car isn't that hard if you follow a few tips.
A. Avoid used car dealerships both for the markup and the too-often sleazy nature of them and their willingness to hide issues with the car. (This is not always true, but it's true enough of the time.)
B. Research well beforehand, and find out what you want as well as whether there are known issues with the model. For example, if the engine has a timing belt, asking the seller/salesman when it was last changed will tell you a lot about the car and the seller in a short amount of time.
C. Insist on a pre-purchase inspection. The person who has a well-kept car won't hesitate to agree and it's the best $50-100 you'll spend buying a used car. Not only will you know if you shouldn't buy it, but you'll also have a pretty good feel for your maintenance costs over the first year or two of ownership.
In general it's about knowledge: having it, getting it, or at least making it seem like you have it. This winter we bought a '99 Passat wagon (with the proper number of pedals) for $500 under blue book. It was a two-owner car with every record, including every oil change. It came with extra wheels/tires. And it was all arranged from MI while the car was in Denver. Picked it up, drove it home, and it's been what was expected.
That was for her though, i don't drive cars made after 1991 by choice. I'm only using the '03 Civic as my winter beater because the Passat replaced it and i don't have time to find and go get something German this summer.
Life is too short to drive a boring car. Buy a Corvette.
is it really "life" that's too short?
they are cheaper than Honda Odesseys and are very reliable and good for 2 + kids. Also, since it is not an SUV, depreciation is far more, which means cheaper used.
Great family vehicle especially with 2nd row Captain's Chairs option. Lots of room (about 2cu.ft. less interior space than Yukon XL!) with up to 24 mpg/hwy. Love my 2010 Acadia...will be sad when lease is up.
In laws just go rid of their Acadia as it racked up over 5k in repairs within 1 1/2 years of ownership. Being that they are old they simply drove the thing to Meijer and back, the vehicle only had something like 15k miles when they purchased it so not sure if its representative of build quality or simply a lemon.
Never had any issues with my Acadia. Although crossover-SUVs are now considered the 21st century version of the minivan - I thoroughly enjoy it!