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.
One of the best buys I ever made
Fast?
next to a schwinn 12 speed
As long as it's got a cop motor, cop shocks, etc. just make sure the lighter works
Tough to answer without budget constraints. What do you value in a car, How much do you enjoy driving?
This is true for recent models 2011 on, because the 3 and 5 series redesigns were pretty underwhelming while Audi's own redesign of the A4 and A6 were absolutely stunning. If he's looking at used he's probably gonna end up with a 2010 or older so the BMWs are still as good a pick as the Audis.
This of course is also just my opinion. My wife convinced me we needed a new car last year so we got a 2012 A6 and I will say it is by far the best car I've ever owned, my only regret is that we didn't step up to the A7.
Care to define "late" on the Nismo's? I have basically scratched anything up until 07 off my list as I have read about a multitude of problems with those years.
I have been looking at 08 on up Murano's and Maximas and while the CVTs seem to be hit/miss at least Nissan pushed out the warranty to 120k.
German car ownership is a labor of love. I'm very leary of nice German cars after the mid-90's when they stopped engineering great cars and started engineering how many doo-dads with control modules they could stuff into something. Also, the e30 is the last BMW i truly love for styling so i'll just keep buying those.
Small car for two + two-three.
OP Would get an SUV...Escape/Explore/Cruze/Rav4/Pathfinder/Sorento/SantaFe whatever.
I have a 2006 330i sedan, so I was able to avoid a lot of the HPFP failures that the turbo 335 had. That being said, my CPO saved me a couple grand. I also ditched the run flat tires because of rough ride and replacement cost. I'm at 114,000 and she still runs great. I am now crossing my fingers and knocking on wood.
I don't enjoy my Kia Sorento. It takes me, my wife, and my dog (80# Bernese) from point A to point B while reasonably comfortable. And I can haul a ton of crap in it as well.
Depends on the purpose of the car, I guess.
LOL'd at "...with a strong potential of adding more." Are you bragging about how strong your swimmers are, or what?
I work for an automotive supplier so I never buy foreign, but I am amazed at how long my daughter's used Honda Civic has lasted.
lol. Not a bragging statement... just that my wife has made it very clear "she is not done" when it comes to having kids.
Is that better or worse than if she'd said "we are not done"?
your wife 'is not done' when it comes to having kids. they are a blessing.
It may be worth it in the end to spend the money to keep the ole girl running another 3 years or so instead of incur a new car payment.
If you have worries about other aspects of the car then of shop around.
When our intrigue got destroyed by a rogue wheel/tire missile on the highway I bought a 99 Camry with 200k miles on it.
Everything about it was great. Ran like a dream perfect leather interior. Now it's got 240k miles and we've not had one problem. Paid 2800$ cash out the door from a dealership. My second Camry and ill own more in the future I'm sure.
mileage @ 50+, solid, well-built, reasonable price, run forever and ever. best mileage years are '01 to '03. I had an '02 that was high 50's mpg in the summer, 50 in the winter (different fuel). Sold it with >210K miles on it and it was still running perfectly. bought an '06 at auction for $5K because it was a bit bigger and was pretty nice with stereo, sun roof, etc. this one only gets mid-high 40's mpg, but a great riding, solid, quiet car.
Agreed. The Jetta SportWagen is a good looking car. I've got a 2010 Golf TDI, and while the mileage isn't quite 50+, when it's not freezing outside I get a solid 40 and change around town, high 40s on the highway. I've only had mine a few months, but from everything I've heard, the engine will long outlast the rest of the car if taken care of properly. Doesn't hurt that at the moment diesel is cheaper than gas as well!
Fun to drive, torquey (sp?) even at relatively low RPMs so passing on the highway almost feels too easy, and the JSW has a TON of space. Also, since the diesels are a little rarer in the states, they supposedly hold their value pretty well.
That said, you can't really go wrong with a Camry or a Civic if they have enough space for you.
models (they actually didn't make a 2007 diesel due to fuel changes) is that they won't burn bio-diesel. thats how we power our car/truck/tractor in the non-winter months. otherwise they are excellent cars.
I was curious why you would reference the Camry as a suitable replacement for the Accord instead of some other manufacturer's car (foreign or domestic). Is it a Japanese manufacturer thing?
Funny, I would've pointed you toward something like a Honda. I've been a GM guy all my life. I like buying American, but mostly because I maintain/repair them myself and parts are (were) cheap. In the future though, I'll be looking in the neighborhood of of a certified used Toyota, Honda or Nissan (or their luxury variants), or maybe a BMW or Mercedes if I can find a crazy good deal. Sad to say it, but with the exceptions of possibly some Cadillacs or Lincolns, I don't think domestic companies are keeping up with the quality of foreign cars anymore. Not only that, but the domestics are becoming much less domestic and the foreigns are less and less foreign.
First, I'll agree that the lines are quite blurred between "Foreign" and "Domestic" at this point. Again, I work for a worldwide auto supplier so I see lots of it firsthand.
That said, when it comes to quality, all I will say is do your research and drive multiple vehicles. Most preconceptions aren't valid anymore. I'd say that the new wave of Ford/GM/Chrysler vehicles are up to par with most of the competition, especially for the price.
I personally drive a German car (when I bought 4 doors and 3 pedal configurations didn't exist elsewhere) and will probably buy another when it's time, but not without doign lots of research and spending time in vehicle. If you're thinking Camry, drive a Mazda 6, Fusion, and Malibu. See what works for you, what you like, and your budget.
Honestly all automakers make decent cars now. Save for the penalty boxes, all cars nowadays are built using the most modern manufacturing processes and controls. They can't afford not to. Gone are the days when assembly line workers would hammer misshapen panels to fit.
Ford's cars are all basically designed in Europe now (fusion, fiesta, focus, escape, cmax are all originally Ford Europe's designs). So are Chrysler's, they took Fiat's platforms for their cars. GM's making less drastic moves but their mechanicals are as reliable today as they were years ago (car may have rusted to dust but the engine runs smoothly).
To the OP, I think you should look at some wagons, or even minivans. There was just a user's review on the cmax, basically said it's a fine car but he would've preferred the Passat TDI. http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/2013-ford-c-max-the-not-jalopnik-review-510999801
As an aside, I would go to VW keeping in mind that their electrical systems are notorious for their undiagnosable errors and some of their suspension components such as control arms and joints are weak. Caveat emptor and so forth.
You really need to be looking at something that will hold your whole potential family. So look at wagons and minivans.
While the building process might be indistinguishable between foreign and domestic, the materials certainly aren't. You'll still get better materials in a European car than you will in an American. I say this despite owning a '10 Challenger. While I wouldn't be able to get equal performance in a Euro car for the money, the interior quality would be much better.
2010 Chevy Malibu.. Runs great, good mgh, and Looks nice.. I went with the LTZ because I wanted a V 6, but the base model still isnt bad and got good reviews from Consumers Report.. Best of Luck
I currently am a used car salesman in Kalamazoo, MI
Here's my information
269 488 0000 ext 102
My cell number is 269 599 9525.
Call me if you have any questions.
I work for an Auto Supplier and my favorite place for vehicle research is Car and Driver. They're Ann Arbor based, but they also have a great buyers' guide: http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/
For used cars, depending on your budget etc I can make recommendations, but if you're looking for more kids, don't hate on minivans. They may not be sexy, but they're amazingly practical and if you're like 96% of SUV buyers, a minivan will have all the capability you need.