Need some car recommendations please

ioreks_mom

we are getting a 1999 honda accord next week. it is my dh's uncle's car. we are buying it from him for 1500. it was just in the garage to see what needs to be repaired - if anything - before we get it. all it needs are the brake lines fixed. that is really awesome. i would say that it shows that hondas are reliable cars.

good luck with your search.

i keep seeing commercials on tv for something called car fax. maybe you could get a report from them on the grand prix?

hulkamaniac

Guy with the Grand Prix has decided to stop responding to e-mails. I have no clue if he's already sold the car, is simply away from his computer or what. I hate when people post just an e-mail address and then refuse to respond to their e-mails. At least have the courtesy of telling people that the car has been sold or is no longer on the market.

zimandtakandgrrandmimi

hulk any car you get you want to have a pre purchase inspection done by a reliable mechanic.

you want them to check the timing belt(if its not a timing chain) brakes, pads, rotors especially and then the rest of the stuff in general. get a quote on whatever repairs it needs. you can use that as a bargaining chip. if they refuse to allow you to get a prepurchase then dont buy the car.

ask the seller for a maintenance history and if they havent kept up with the regular maintenance of the car i wouldnt buy it.

hulkamaniac

That's not what I meant. I've seen people (and know people) who drive brand new cars for a year or two, then trade them in for another car. They've constantly got a big car payment or a lease (which is even worse) and they're not saving a thing. They're basically driving their retirement money/kids college fund/vacation money, etc......

I do admit it sounds too good to be true. I'm fairly certain there is a catch somewhere. I'm one of those guys who has to know where the catch is. If I smell a scam, I like to go along with it far enough to figure out where the scam is. I haven't seen that from this guy yet. I have no idea what his game is, but I really want to find out. Perhaps I can scam the scammer? I doubt it, but I always like to try.

They hold their value too well for me. I'm seeing 4 year old Civics with well over 100k on them selling for $12-13k.

I met a guy once who hated Hondas. He's the only one I've ever met who felt that way. This guy legitimately felt that all foreign cars were woefully inferior to American cars. He honestly felt that to the point where he would almost fight someone who would dare say that a Civic was better than a car put out by GM.

MonicaBH

I upsized from a 1995 Honda Civic to a 2002 Subaru Outback. I loved my Civic, and I love my Outback. I sold my Civic to my mom for $1800 (I think). It had 175K miles on it, maybe, and still runs like a freaking champ.

The Outback is not so big that I feel engulfed by it, but it's big enough that I can pack up a couple of (big) dogs comfortably (no crates). It gets ~22 mpg in the city and roughly 28 on the highway. It's not as good as the 32-35 mpg I got in the Civic, but it's roomier and that's what I was looking for. Also, the insurance is CHEAP on it. Subaru has a good reputation for quality. I bought the car with 89K miles on it in January 2008 and it now has 115K and still running well. I've had one minor electrical problem (my front and rear windshield wipers became possessed) but that's it. I think I paid $8600 when I bought it from a used car dealership. Most of the maintenance paperwork was still in the glove compartment from the previous owner who had it the entire time.

The one thing that I think sucks about the Outback is the wind noise. It's AWFUL. And if you have passengers in the back seat (which I rarely, if ever, do) it is kind of cramped. My boyfriend thinks the driver's seat is too small. Those are really the only negatives I can come up with. So far, other than the possessed windshield wipers, I've only had to do maintenance stuff on it.

Inga

Alright you might think me nuts but have you looked at a Pontiac Vibe? I mean, I know it is not like the others you have looked at but it is a really practical car for dog owners. It is great on gas, the back seats fold down to leave a LOT of room for dogs. I have had 1 St. Bernard and 2 Rotties in there. NOT in crates though. Yours could easily fit in crates. The front seat also folds on the passenger side so you can haul 2x4's or other 8 foot long items. It may not be cool but... it is practical. I traded my Grand Prix in for one and have been happy with it thus far.

FilleBelle

I, too, feel that you can't go wrong with a Honda. I drove a brand new Honda Fit off the lot for $18,000 in 2007. I love it as a car and I love it as a dog carrier. It gets great gas mileage (30+ mpg), handles well, and comes with a couple of decent extras (mp# player, auxilery input, paddle shifters). It looks a little bit like a clown car, but I've also had people describe it as "sporty." I can fold the back seats down, I can fold the seat portion of the back seats up to fit tall items on the floor of the car, and I can fold all the seats flat to create this large carpeted floor across the entire car.

My first car was a second-hand 1995 Ford Mustang convertible. It was red and I looked hot in it, but I will probably never buy a Ford again.

.308

A car is like anything else for sale. It's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

However, I'd guess most cars in general lose thier value once you drive it off the car lot. More miles, in general, less value. Personally, I've never owned a new car in my life.

Some people however do have the money to have fun. Take a ride in a 911 and you'll see what fun can be

As others mentioned, hard to beat a Toyota or Honda. Parts available most anywhere, and most mechanics know the cars because there is so many of them out there.

For myself, I'd stay away from a used Pontiac (pastic always seemed so cheap in the interior) or Oldsmobile.

hulkamaniac

I've owned one in my life and regretted buying it. I once calculated that I lost so much money it was the same as me tossing a $100 bill out the window on the way to work every Monday for the first 3-4 years of having the car. It was ridiculous.

I have the money, but I'm a cheapskate and a tightwad which is why I have the money in the first place. I loathe parting with cash, at least when it's on myself. I'm a huge Star Wars nut. There's going to be a concert about 3 hours drive from here in a few weeks that will feature a live orchestra playing the music from Star Wars while scenes from the movie play on a huge screen overhead. The show will also feature an exhibit of props from the show. Cost is $50 (plus gas to get there of course). I'm too cheap to pop for the tickets even though I would absolutely love to go. I just can't bring myself to spend the money.

And I've been in a ride in a cop car before. I determined cops don't know how to drive. Not sure what your point is.

There's no question they're good quality cars. They're just expensive.

My car I had before this one was a used Pontiac and I loved it. Worked great until I flooded out the engine in a couple of feet of water. I'd buy one again and not think twice if it was a good deal and a good car.

.308

Buy a new car, get 300k miles out of it with normal mantinence costs, and you probably have not wasted your money. Personally, I look at the Hondas and Toyotas with less than 100k that have had the timing belt changed for a good price. No maintence done on the car, I subtract the price of the maintence it will need shortly to determine if its a good value.

Having money is a relative term. For some, 10k in the bank is a lot, for others it's not much. Bottom line, when you're dead, you aint taking it with you.

A Ford or Chrysler is not my idea of a "fine ride". Do 130mph in a decent German automobile and you will feel the difference. Kind of like going over a 40' waterfall.

My father bought a new Pontiac. Got 100k out of it and he got rid of it. He'll never buy another one again. Talked him into a V6 Honda Accord Coupe and he absolutely loves it. Ironic, my dad has money, but doesn't want to part with it as well (he's 75). I told him he's going to die sooner or later and he can't take it with him, buy what you can afford and have some fun (and I'll admit, different circumstances for someone younger).

hulkamaniac

The way I see it, you can buy a 2-3 yr old car and someone else has already taken the butt kicking on depreciation. You get it for half of what it was new more or less. I do see your point though.

You can't take it with you, but you can pass it on to some kid who's currently walking around and make their life a lot easier. That's the way I look at it anyway. I save, save, save. I sometimes think I do it to the extreme. I look at my grandparents (who are multi-millionaires) and they have money because of how they've saved. Yet when I go to see them, they never want to go to see anything with me because they've gone once and don't want to spend the money to go again. I offer to pay for them and they don't want me to spend the money. So I go alone which makes no sense. They're too cheap to pay to see the same thing twice. I think they miss out on some stuff (like spending time with their grandson) because they won't fork over the money even though they have it. (They just bought a 2010 Prius and paid cash for it, but they can't pop for a $15 ticket to a tourist attraction to go with their grandkid. I don't get it.)

I've driven luxury cars even better build mi-tier cars before. You can definitely tell the difference I don't deny that. Is it worth paying extra for that difference? For me it's not. For others it is and that's fine.

You kind of sound like my dad. He's telling me to keep my current car and just buy a second one. It just makes no sense for one person to have two cars and seems somewhat decadent to me. I can't bring myself to do it.

.308

Thats why you run them till their dead.

My parents put a roof over my head, and growing up, looking back, never lead a "lavish" lifestyle, but I NEVER needed for anything (funny enough, growing up, my cousin who got everything is now less stable money wise than myself, and you could say that about most of my cousins). I tell my dad I'm a grown man and can take care of myself. He (my dad) worked all his life and saved his money. He deserves to have fun and spend it before he's gone (mom left this world some years ago).

When my dad comes back from Montana or Alaska from his fly fishing trips and I see the smile on his face, that is worth more than any money could buy when he's gone from this world.

Two used cars makes perfect sense. I had a VW golf with 200k on it along with a pick up truck with over 100k on it, and I didn't lead a very decadent life IMO when I had those vehicles.

Ironically enough, now that I'm married, I still have a used truck and car (different vehicles though).

One car has to go to the shop, you still have the other to drive. Also gives you time to look for a deal on another used car when one takes a crap (you have the other one to drive and aren't forced to buy a car because you have no wheels).

One reason why money can't buy happiness.

I'm not saying to party your money away, but at least live with what you can spend without going broke. Everyone has the same amount of money to spend when they're dead.

Laurelin

Personally I'd go with Honda or Toyota. I haven't had a Toyota (I've had a Lexus though) but we've had a lot of Hondas. I can't say a bad thing about them honestly.

The only car I've had that I truly hated was our Pontiac. It was one problem after another and it got sold really fast.

harrise

I sold cars for a decade before my will to live was crushed. I found that when dealing with someone such as yourself, all I had to do was recommend a minivan. That was usually enough to get them thinking about what they REALLY wanted from a vehicle. A van will do it all. I take mine up four wheel drive trails for hiking, I moved with it (4' x 8' load area with 4' of height), it holds up to seven dogs or seven people, gets dented without a care from me, it has 90k without a repair (except the seat belts Sioux ate), there's millions of them so parts are cheap, people hate them so the price is cheap, almost all have five star crash ratings, cops don't see them, line of sight is better than a compact and that's just the beginning. I LOVE my minivan and I will always have one.

But if your looking for an appliance, the import sedan segment will fit the bill.

*I'm part of the "I will never own a Honda/Toyota crowd".*

hulkamaniac

[QUOTE=.308;635181]Thats why you run them till their dead.[quote]

You still take the butt kicking up front though.

In principle, I agree with you. In practice, I can't spend money on myself. Just can't do it.

This is why I love to spend money on other people, just not myself.

It still feels like a waste of money to me. Like I've got a car that spends 50% of it's time not being driven because I'm driving the other vehicle. I don't know.

I think there are two people in this world. People like me and people like you. If I was married to someone like you, I'd probably be happier because I'd have someone to make me spend my money every once in a while. I just can't do it though. It grates at me and makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

.308

Living in the mountains of WV and upstate New York, 4 wheel drive was a given, particularly with the outdoor sports I loved. Made no sense to put more miles on a 4X4 truck than I had to for work (gas mileage as well). Between the pickup and VW, I spent no more than 20k for two dependable vehicles (people will spend that amount for one new car). Truck got upgraded (bigger) when I got married, and the VW finally died after going over 300k on the odometer.

Keep in mind, I bought a used VW in 2001 with 22k on it, and 8 years later when it died, it had close to 325k on it. That's mileage not including what I put on the truck.

However, I knew the VW would have issues around 300k. We had time, looked for another vehicle, and found a great deal on a Toyota Avalon with under 70k on it for less than $9k. Then we actually had 3 cars. Guess what though, the VW died. However, I was prepared for this and already had a car in the driveway for some time.

I've been in the position where I was single, only owned one used vehicle, and have that vehicle in the shop for a week or so trying to get it fixed. Pain in the butt either for waiting trying to score another vehicle, or pain because the dealer is bending you over to get the car done in a couple of days.

General rule of thumb, never buy something when you absolutely need to have it.

Just curious to where you draw the line. You need food and shelter.

Cars vary on quality, ride and performance. The key is to get the most value for your money for the product you're looking for that will suite your needs. One simple rule when buying is to buy last year models sitting on the lot instead of next year models just coming out.

Loved it when my dad and I went out looking for a new car. He didn't want to spend more than 13k on a new car LOL. He spent 23k on a brand new Honda Accord Coupe, fully loaded (sun roof heated, leather seats...) with a V6 engine. Not cheap, but a good deal on a quality car. Most importantly, he thanks me for spending his money because he absolutely loves the car

Note, he could absolutely afford this car. His comment to me when I told him he'd probably end up spending more than 13k on a new car was that he didn't want to spend the money. I asked him why. He told me that he felt uncomfortable spending more money than 13k on ANY car. I asked him if he could still live his lifestyle (fishing trips...) if he spent more than 13k on a car, and he said yes. I just told him that he probably had a good 5-8 years left in his life before he would be dead, and I would be pissed if he didn't have a car that he really wanted just because he wanted to save money for me when he kicked the bucket.

My dad was like that up until age 74 or so. Bought that Accord and as mentioned, he loves it.

hulkamaniac

Your situation is a little different than mine as it sounds like you used the truck as a hunting/outdoors vehicle and the VW to get around town. I have no need for a utility vehicle like that and even if I did, I would classify it as an extra for my situation.

Yes, but I don't live in a huge, fancy house (although I could afford one). I live in a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath home in a middle to lower class neighborhood. I don't earn a whole lot, but I probably out-earn all the neighbors in the immediate surrounding. I can't remember the last time I ate at a restaurant nicer than McD's or similar fast food and I only eat there once or twice a week. I typically eat at home and cook meals that I can cook cheaply. For me, I budget $100 a month on groceries and usually spend right around that. I don't go overboard.

Well, I've got 50 years or so to go then.

.308

Have to laugh, we sound alot alike. Although before I got married I did have what some would consider a decent salary, I never owned a bed or TV in my life, the only piece of furniture I owned was my EMS folding chair, and the only think I kept in the kitchen was a 24 pack of Ramen noodles and mac and cheese that I could boil (never dated that much because I was so busy, but man, if any girls did come over, they weren't impressed too much)

However, I did spend money to travel and to have adventure. If I wanted to hit some big rivers in Idaho/Montana or snowboard in Colorado, or hike in Alaska or Utah, I went. The money I spent "bought" me memories that are priceless and I actually lived my life.

Elana55

A car is the worst investment you can make. You put money in it to own it and money to maintain it and no matter what it goes down in value. I too spend as little as I can. I buy something that is good and checked out like Zim said. I check too. Let me see the rust situation and the brakes thank you and look under there for leaks.

I would recommend only one thing for sure DO NOT BUY ANYTHING MADE BY GM OR CHRYSLER. I have owned cars for over 35 years and always bought American.. and it is a maintenance misery. Do not buy ANY used GM vehicle with an Antitheft system. It WILL go bad and fixing will set you back anywhere from $500 to $1500. Been there and done that.

I had a Hyundai and it was great but then I wrecked it avoiding a deer. I replaced it with a used Saturn.. and yup.. just over a year and the Anti Theft system cost me $550 to fix so the car would not go down the road randomly beeping and flashing its lights. The last Antitheft system to fail the car stopped running altogether (refused to recognize the key chip) and that was a $1500 repair.

Other GM Failures include two auto tranny failures (this floors me.. I am not hard on cars). One tranny failure was on Belt Hill outside of Belt, MT and I ended up with a one way rental home to NY (Yes, fixing the tranny was more $$). Two truck head gaskets (88/89 PU trucks), Front Springs (tail piece broke off) at 60K miles on the Saturn, Engine replacements on two vehicles, almost an engine replacement on another (due to a design flaw in the Series 2 3.8 V6 Engine that filled the engine with antifreeze), Engine replacments or almost replacement all on vehcles less than 100k and one at less than 50k due to design materials. The less than 50k replacement was a short block..

These all on vehicles that were maintained well (scheduled maintenance every 3k miles and tranny maintenance ever 50k miles or as manual recommended), not driven hard (no fast starts or stops and never driven over 65MPH and mostly under 55MPH). GM and I are done. Then there is the Chrysler story.. and it is similar and sad.. and they cannot build an auto tranny to save their souls... Only place I know that STOCKS tranny's is the Chrysler dealer and the tranny goes just about 5k miles after the warranty ends.

Hyundai Elantra Staion Wagon with a standard trranny will go a long way. Keep on the timing belt and schedule maintenance.

Of course, the best is a Civic or Corrolla unless you want to get even bigger but as you note the price is right there. Of course, so is resale value (tho I run cars until death do us part so it is of little consequence).

hulkamaniac

I'm half tempted now to just buy a beater. I keep looking and if I buy a beater, I can pay off the 2nd mortgage on my house. (I got an 80/20 mortgage and the 2nd one is bad. This was back in my stupid days.) If I buy a $1000 or $2000 car, I can make enough profit off my current car to pay off the mortgage, then I can save up to buy a decent $4-5k car.