I am in the position to spend more possibly, I'll know in the next weeks.
Suggestions for car buying
by FlyingHighNow 54 Replies latest jw friends
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nancy drew
I'm looking at the mazda 3
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ThomasCovenant
Whatever you do, do not listen to what any former disgruntled owners have to say about a particular model.
Best advice is just read the sales literature from the manufacturer.
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Finkelstein
The Toyota Corolla is a good choice as one poster pointed out and maintenance should be low over the years.
Try for a 2000 it should be in your price range.
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Lied2NoMore
I used to be in car repair and was once a certified master auto tech...my advise?
Do not buy a used audi ..volvo...bmw...saab...pick a car that has been in production a long time...a car that has sold to millions of buyers....reason? Parts to repair are plentiful...cheaper....and mechanics have more experience with cars they see alot meaning less chance for errors while fixing..
Dont buy anything supercharged...turbo..all wheel drive...4 wheel drive is ok...the above mentioned cars will have you in the poor house when they need repairs
my two pennies worth
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RubaDub
I am not sure of the amount you drive each year, but it you don't drive alot then a larger car that gets poorer gas mileage may be something to consider since the price may be significantly less. If you factor in the lower cost with the amout of extra gas you would use, the larger car may in the long run be a bargain.
Also, consider cars that are not particularly popular with younger, affluent people (Buick comes to mind, at least here in South Florida). I'm sure I could find a 7-8 year old low mileage Buick that was likely driven by a blue-hair (retiree) for $5,000 or less.
If you take the car on a test drive on a highway, pull into the left passing lane, drive 25 miles per hour below the speed limit. If the left turn signal automatically turns on and the brake lights flash on every mile or two for no apparent reason, you know you have a winner. Buy it.
Rub a Dub
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Simon
I agree with Lied2NoMore and would steer clear of luxury brands however much of a bargain they may appear. You can get serious top-end luxury cars for very little but it's because maintenance on them is very expensive. Top gear did some good episodes on this where they got well spec'd Mercedes and BMWs for very little but there advice was that while you could buy a Rolls for 10k, "for god's sake ... don't!"
However, old, cheap cars can be just as bad and always going wrong. Sometimes spending a little more on something newer but proven is cheaper because of the meaintenance and gas that you'll save.
So yes, something that has had a long production run and bought by lots of people should at least be at the lower-end for maintenance costs and the original selling points were normally things like economy and safety. Maybe go for the lower spec models where there are less things to stop working and more of the money goes on the basic mechanics.
A Toyota or Honda with a tripple-O driver* - it will never have been over 25mph
* tripple-O: old asian lady driver ... Old + Oriental + Ovaries
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FlyingHighNow
I love it. Triple O. I'm 55 and I admit, I go 78 when I should be going 70, sometimes. I am careful in other ways. I don't tailgate and I give lots of room before I come to a stop. Thank you, everyone. Keep the ideas coming. I am taking it all in. I have a little time since I am waiting for the money, but hopefully within January. If not, then definitely February. We are buried in snow, so no car shopping for now, except on line.
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Simon
We are buried in snow, so no car shopping for now, except on line
Ooh, that is quite a factor! Maybe a small SUV or crossover would be good to think about - something with ground clearance and maybe 4wd?
At least factor in some snow tires - they make a phenomenal difference to winter driving. I think it was Quebec where something like 80% of accidents involved the 20% of cars that didn't have winter tires (before they made them mandatory). I'd never go back to *not* having them and they cost no more in the long run (because the summer tires last longer - you're still only wearing out one set at any given time). You just have to buy an extra set up front though.
Even the cheapest crappiest winter tires are better than the best all-seasons in snow.
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JeffT
Re: snow and four wheel drive.
If you buy a four wheel drive learn to drive it (if you don't already know). A number of years ago we drove to my in laws for Thanksgiving in a snow storm. I started keeping track of cars in the ditch just as we started up the mountains. Fifty miles later I lost count at 24, 21 of which were four wheel drives.