I sold my truck last year and bought a minivan due to my familial expansion packs arriving. It kicks ass, but it's gone often.
I sold my girl's car last year, since, well, it sucked. Now I'm stranded at times which irks me.
My goal: Looking for a reliable, good local travel car that can be bought or leased for about 250 or under or around 8k cash. I'm easy, regarding whether its new or old. Nothing from the dawn of time, though, that'll nickel and dime me.
Soooo, taking suggestions. Any super sweet deals or leases out there?
Sooo, I'm looking for a car...
Moderator: Dictators in Training
I'd look for an 02-03 Civic. Those things last forever, have great gas mileage and require little maintenance.
leah wrote:i am forever grateful to my gym teacher for drilling that skill into me during drivers' ed
leah wrote:isn't the only difference the length? i feel like it would take too long to smoke something that long, ha.
Buy A 2004-2006 Ford Focus sedan, not the hatchback or anything that makes it look like a volvo or what not. They are cheap, 5ish grand for one that has about 20 thousand miles on it or so. Can buy it cheap and they last quite a while, resell value is about the same as they are going to be more in demand when gas prices continue to suffice.
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Re: Sooo, I'm looking for a car...
lyion wrote:I sold my truck last year and bought a minivan due to my familial expansion packs arriving. It kicks ass, but it's gone often.
I sold my girl's car last year, since, well, it sucked. Now I'm stranded at times which irks me.
My goal: Looking for a reliable, good local travel car that can be bought or leased for about 250 or under or around 8k cash. I'm easy, regarding whether its new or old. Nothing from the dawn of time, though, that'll nickel and dime me.
Soooo, taking suggestions. Any super sweet deals or leases out there?
Im driving a 87 Toyota. 200.00 new alternator, and only uses a quart every 500 miles. On the bright side noone will steal the fucker.
leah wrote:Tacks wrote:Saturn is about the same thing as a Chevy Cobalt, same crap, different name.
oh sad panda. :\ they look good and aren't too expensive, but if it's not a good-quality car then i guess i should forget about it. damn.
what's the story on leasing?
Leasing depends on the state. It's great here in CA, it's not so great in other places. Basically it's a long term car rental. There's a mileage guideline but all maintenance is paid for by the dealer. After you complete your leasing terms you have the option of a large balloon payment (usually half the price of the car?) to own the car entirely or you can renew your lease and get a different car at a better rate.
In CA it's great cuz I can lease a Porsche Cayman S at the same price as it would cost me to own a Honda Accord, get all my maintenance paid for and after 2 years (provided I kept my mileage in check which I barely fall into that range in 2 years) I could pay slightly more and get a 911 Turbo.
leah wrote:i am forever grateful to my gym teacher for drilling that skill into me during drivers' ed
leah wrote:isn't the only difference the length? i feel like it would take too long to smoke something that long, ha.
Nope, they are just known to make little mistakes, like overfilling or underfilling you on oil (which happens a LOT more than you would think). If you do go to Jiffy Lube or wherever, afterwards just take a few minutes when you get home to check your oil level and filter (to make sure they even changed it, the one around here has been known to fuck people that way too and not even put a new filter on) See, when they put oil back in your tank, they dont use bottles like we would, they use a 55 gallon drum with a pump on it. So they really dont even measure it, just guess. I had a buddy come out one time with only 1 quart back in the damn tank 
A buddy of mine went to Jiffy a couple years ago and they checked his rear end fluid and never put the fucking fill cap back on. After the fluid bubbled its way out and his rear end locked up in the middle of the road.
Its ok I guess if you know to be careful and check everything they did when you get home, just check it.
They are ripoff artists too, they charge like 40 bucks to change your damn air filter here. You can buy one at the store for 19.99 and it takes all of 15 seconds to change.
Which reminds me too I guess, on the subject of air filters. If you want to make a small investment that will be good for your vehicle and help gas mileage another mile per gallon or so, invest in a K&N Air intake, the one that replaces your filter box and everything. $350 or so. Gives your engine more air and cleaner air.
A buddy of mine went to Jiffy a couple years ago and they checked his rear end fluid and never put the fucking fill cap back on. After the fluid bubbled its way out and his rear end locked up in the middle of the road.
Its ok I guess if you know to be careful and check everything they did when you get home, just check it.
They are ripoff artists too, they charge like 40 bucks to change your damn air filter here. You can buy one at the store for 19.99 and it takes all of 15 seconds to change.
Which reminds me too I guess, on the subject of air filters. If you want to make a small investment that will be good for your vehicle and help gas mileage another mile per gallon or so, invest in a K&N Air intake, the one that replaces your filter box and everything. $350 or so. Gives your engine more air and cleaner air.
Yeah I'm pretty much a lease guy from now on.
You pay less for a better car and what people don't realize is, most people who buy cars behave like people who lease cars. Meaning they buy the car, drive it for three years and then go back to the dealership and trade it in toward the value of another car. So you pretty much just leased your car, the only difference being your monthly payments were drastically higher.
And if you go over your miles they typically don't charge you if you trade it in to the same dealership for the same make. Like if I go 5k over on my Nissan, they wont charge me so long as I get another nissan, which I probably will. And even still, if you go to toyota they will probably just buy your lease out if you agree to go into a lease with them.
I used to fear the lease but it's great for people who don't plan on either buying the car outright or buying a car, paying it off and driving the same car for another 5-10 years. I would never want the same car for that long anyway.
You pay less for a better car and what people don't realize is, most people who buy cars behave like people who lease cars. Meaning they buy the car, drive it for three years and then go back to the dealership and trade it in toward the value of another car. So you pretty much just leased your car, the only difference being your monthly payments were drastically higher.
And if you go over your miles they typically don't charge you if you trade it in to the same dealership for the same make. Like if I go 5k over on my Nissan, they wont charge me so long as I get another nissan, which I probably will. And even still, if you go to toyota they will probably just buy your lease out if you agree to go into a lease with them.
I used to fear the lease but it's great for people who don't plan on either buying the car outright or buying a car, paying it off and driving the same car for another 5-10 years. I would never want the same car for that long anyway.
Nope, they are just known to make little mistakes, like overfilling or underfilling you on oil (which happens a LOT more than you would think). If you do go to Jiffy Lube or wherever, afterwards just take a few minutes when you get home to check your oil level and filter (to make sure they even changed it, the one around here has been known to fuck people that way too and not even put a new filter on) See, when they put oil back in your tank, they dont use bottles like we would, they use a 55 gallon drum with a pump on it. So they really dont even measure it, just guess. I had a buddy come out one time with only 1 quart back in the damn tank
A buddy of mine went to Jiffy a couple years ago and they checked his rear end fluid and never put the fucking fill cap back on. After the fluid bubbled its way out and his rear end locked up in the middle of the road.
Its ok I guess if you know to be careful and check everything they did when you get home, just check it.
They are ripoff artists too, they charge like 40 bucks to change your damn air filter here. You can buy one at the store for 19.99 and it takes all of 15 seconds to change.
Which reminds me too I guess, on the subject of air filters. If you want to make a small investment that will be good for your vehicle and help gas mileage another mile per gallon or so, invest in a K&N Air intake, the one that replaces your filter box and everything. $350 or so. Gives your engine more air and cleaner air.
I go to Splash car wash/oil change center. The only reason I go there is because I get a free carwash after haha. But when they are finished with the oil the tell me to start the car, then turn it off and they pull the stick out and show it to me. I don't know if the level changes much from the time they show it to me to the time i drive it home but I will check next time.
And yeah, they do charge alot for the filters. If it's really dirty I just tell them to put it back in and I buy another and replace it myself.