Car shopping...

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Oct 23 2005, 7:54 am
In response to RaeKwon
RaeKwon wrote:
Kunark wrote:
I am shopping for a car right now, it will definately be a used car, I won't be able to afford anything over used.


Wouldn't that make it cheaper if it was 'over used'?


I think he means "I won't be able to afford anything above a used car."

I've had many of those $100 beaters, they don't last long at all (a day or two).

A day or two? Ouch.

~Kujila
Oct 23 2005, 8:21 am
In response to Teh Governator
<font color="#0014B6">Teh Governator babbles:
That's an opinion, not a fact. I have a car that was made before Honda, Toyota, or Nissan existed & it drives & runs perfectly. Now, that's craftsmanship for ya.</font>

speaking of fact, I am in serious doubt that you have a car that was made/built prior to Toyota's first car (1935-36). Honda got into cars in the late 50's, and were in the scooter industry from the 30's i believe. Nissan is an offshoot of Datsun (eventually dropping the Datsun name in the early 70's), and they started auto-production in 1911.

you got some kind of mint condition Model A Ford? as far as i know the early Fords from 1903-1908 are in museums.

:p
Oct 23 2005, 6:15 pm
In response to digitalmouse
Ok, it may not be before their very first model but, I can safely ask, whose is still running? =P
Oct 23 2005, 6:20 pm
In response to RaeKwon
It's Raekwon...haven't heard from him in forever...welcome back.

Hiead
Oct 26 2005, 1:37 am
Kunark wrote:
I am shopping for a car right now, it will definately be a used car, I won't be able to afford anything over used.


Are you sure about that? Have you actually looked into financing and all that sort of stuff? A lot of people just assume they can't afford a new car because they don't have $25,000 in their bank account.
I'm guessing you have, but if you haven't it's worth really looking into. You end up paying a car loan off for the next five years, but it's a constant price that you can prepare for and at the end of the five years you'll have something to show for it that is still worth a fair amount.
As opposed to the second hand car where everytime your savings start looking healthy a mystery part breaks and you need to get $500 on half an hours notice. You pay $500 for a $200 job because you need the part and you need it now. Then in five years you have to sell it for scrap metal and find the cash to buy another second hand pile of junk.
Oct 26 2005, 2:20 am
In response to DarkView
Buying a new car makes no sense because of deprecation.

You can get a decent used Toyota or such for around $7,000 that will last you years.

IN MY OPINION

~Kujila
Oct 26 2005, 2:47 am
Get an Audi.

very dependable.

I have a good friend that has an Audi from 1992. which he bought used from a dealership for nearly 3 grand... of course he still paying it off... (he bought it like a year ago...)
Yet he doesn't make alot of money...

NEVER had any problems. Never a flat tire, engine never gave out anything. except these:

only problem is that he has a huge scratch on the side of car. and 3 out of like 5 speakers blew out on him... not bad I say... should be getting it fixed soon.
Oct 26 2005, 3:43 am
In response to Kujila
Kujila wrote:
Buying a new car makes no sense because of deprecation.

I don't get what you mean. It makes no sense because it will be worth less after time? I hate to break it to you, but you're going to run that Toyota down to the point where it's barely worth selling. =P
At least when you sell a new car you'll probably get a deposite on the next step up (ie, if you buy a $20,000 car when it comes time to sell it you'll get a good head start on a $30,000 car).
Usually a second hand car is worth less than it costs before you buy it. You pay $7,000 for it then find out the engine is about to go so you over-pay for the engine and you have to pay for the new one.
It's not always a matter of people trying to rip you off, old stuff just breaks. It even happens with the good deals.


At the point where a first hand car is usually sold and becomes a second hand car there's one or two good years left in it, five annoyingly bad ones and two where you'd rather shoot yourself than drive it.
With a new car the new car smell will go away but it'll always be a good drive (unless you hold onto it too long).
Oct 26 2005, 5:54 am
In response to DarkView
I'd look into that stuff normally, but I am losing my job because it is a temperary position at the end of december, so I have to use it to earn enough money to buy the car and not have payments for it, and buy insurance/gas for it for the next half-year since I will be trying vigerously to finish school instead of spend all my time in the workplace.

If I were to get a new car, heh, I definately wouldn't pay 25 grand for it, I think that's a little bit of a bad deal. You drive it for a year and it's already depreciated horribly, and it's still the same ol' car. A new car of an older model? Maybe, but I don't know if they do that. I do know that they have very nice Mustangs for around 8k-10k and I definately wouldn't mind having one of those, and with a decent job it wouldn't take TOO long to pay off.

I'm not going to be one of those people who buy a lot of crap that they can't afford, though, so I better hold off on buying a fairly new Mustang until I get a steady, decent paying job. I'll have to be paying for an apartment soon as well.
Oct 26 2005, 6:37 am
In response to Kunark
The only mustang worth buying these days is the re-designed 2005's and up anyways. Unless your talking about a fastback from the 60's, then thats different =)

-S2k

P.S. Logan has a Mustang, Kunark. Haha
Oct 26 2005, 6:44 am
In response to Stealth 2k
Stealth 2k wrote:
The only mustang worth buying these days is the re-designed 2005's and up anyways. Unless your talking about a fastback from the 60's, then thats different =)

-S2k

P.S. Logan has a Mustang, Kunark. Haha


That's because good things happen to good people, right? ;-)
Oct 27 2005, 3:32 pm
I have a '98 Plymouth Neon, and have to advise against getting one (counter to someone else's recommendation on this thread). My car has recurring problems with the central computer and the emissions system, which vanish every time the car is brought into the shop (can't fix what you can't see).

They might have worked the kinks out in the newer Chrysler Neons, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. You can read about a wide variety of problems with the head gasket on the 'net, too, though fortunately I haven't had any trouble of that sort.


If you're looking for a quality, dependable foreign car, then I would recommend either a Mitsubishi or a Honda, based on testimony from friends. Honda Civic specifically. It's one of the most popular cars in North America for a reason: excellent mileage, good handling, power for when you need it, and a price that hasn't seemed to have changed according to demand (that is, it's affordable -- unless you rice it out ;-P).
Oct 27 2005, 4:49 pm
In response to Jtgibson
Jtgibson wrote:
I have a '98 Plymouth Neon, and have to advise against getting one (counter to someone else's recommendation on this thread). My car has recurring problems with the central computer and the emissions system, which vanish every time the car is brought into the shop (can't fix what you can't see).

I happen to work at a Dodge dealership as a mechanic - though I'm not a particular fan of 4-cyl's, it's still a good dependable car with decent powerbands & gas mileage. Who ever had your car before you obviously didn't keep up regular maintenance as they should've. Remember folks, when we say change your oil every 3,000 miles, change it! Here's some other tips: you lose gas efficiency when your tires are low on pressure, worn out, etc...

They might have worked the kinks out in the newer Chrysler Neons, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. You can read about a wide variety of problems with the head gasket on the 'net, too, though fortunately I haven't had any trouble of that sort.


If you're looking for a quality crappy/ugly, dependable junky foreign car, then I would recommend either a Mitsubishi or a Honda, based on testimony from friends. Honda Civic specifically. It's one of the most popular cars in North America for a couple of reasons: excellent mileage [if you consider 36 mpg good, the new Vette gets 37 & it has 500 HP] , good handling [Compared to what?], power for when you need it [Woah, I'd like to know where they're hiding all that power], and a price that hasn't seemed to have changed according to demand (that is, it's affordable -- unless you rice it out ;-P).
Oct 27 2005, 8:08 pm
[link]

I'm buying Stealth's old car.
Oct 28 2005, 1:05 pm
In response to DarkView
Yeah, as I said, I'll be watching this thread since it applies to me as well. I'm probably looking for a used car at $1,000 tops. And that would be if I could save up enough from work at any given time to pay it off instantly. My family's financial situation isn't exactly the best, so if I were to talk my mom into taking out a loan that I would pay for, and I went and lost my job, we'd be screwed(even more so).

If I did get a car on payments, I doubt I'd go any higher than 7k....definitely nowhere near 25k. As a matter of fact, there's a car nearby selling for about 7.5k, so I may talk to the owners if anything's wrong with it and what kind of payment system I could get in.

Hiead
Oct 28 2005, 6:01 pm
In response to Teh Governator
Your person vendetta against foreign cars has no basis in reality =P


IN MY OPINION =D


~Kujila
Oct 29 2005, 2:15 pm
In response to Kujila
Kujila wrote:
Your person vendetta against foreign cars has no basis in reality =P


IN MY OPINION =D


~Kujila

It's not against foreign cars. Just anything that's Korean, Japanese, Asian, French, etc...other than that I like German & some British vehicles, along with Italian & other european brands.
Oct 29 2005, 3:16 pm (Edited on Oct 29 2005, 3:31 pm)
In response to Teh Governator
I happen to work at a Dodge dealership as a mechanic - though I'm not a particular fan of 4-cyl's, it's still a good dependable car with decent powerbands & gas mileage. Who ever had your car before you obviously didn't keep up regular maintenance as they should've. Remember folks, when we say change your oil every 3,000 miles, change it! Here's some other tips: you lose gas efficiency when your tires are low on pressure, worn out, etc...

*nods* But even so, this problem materialised about a year after I got the car, and I was diligent with maintenance. We still haul it into the shop every few months for a lube/oil/filter change, and I give her a weekly check and/or top-off of fluids (as any driver should ;-)), plus a bi-weekly check of all lights and signals. My Haynes manual is my friend.

I can attest to the gas mileage for sure. It's good that way. But the other problems have made me a bit sour.

Perhaps when I have a decent amount of disposable income and a more guaranteed job, I'll start payments on a shiny new Infiniti G35.


As for the snide margin notes...

* Honda cars are extremely reliable, look just fine, and are quiet-running.

* 195 HP is quite a bit better than my Neon, and my friends mention how my Neon has decent kick for a 145 HP SOHC 2.0L, but isn't comparable. I've never actually test-driven a Civic personally, though.

* I doubt that 500HP/37MPG tag comes cheap.
Oct 30 2005, 6:38 am
In response to Teh Governator
Alright =)

I still disagree, though, sorry if I was a little harsh in my previous post.

~Kujila
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