I Hate Buying a Car

[FreakinA]

No offense, but who cares what you drive? It's a car, they have four wheels and get you from point A to point B, that's all they are for, the rest is just to fluff egos.

People always say that untill they get a nice car. I did the same.

 

[springer]

Yeah mine has 40000km and the 09 is a beautiful car, as long as I can get another 5 years out of it I am happy. Those Toyota engines are awesome, lol. The 2009 has very little GM product on it, I would say it is 95% Toyota.

thats because it is a Toyota matrix. Very little cosmetic changes and they are made or were made on the same line.

I just bought a 2007 Dodge Charger for $8800. Wifes company car and we have the option to buy them out before they go to auction. I buy a new car every 10 -12 years my latest is the 2007 Ram diesel. My last was a 1998 GMC Savanna Van . Only problem with it in 10 years the wiper motor went and the drivers window motor.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

My theory on cars is to spend less than $400, or more than $10,000. The middle ground just doesn't make sense to me. With a super cheap car, you drive it into the ground and buy a new one every year or so (hopefully longer). With a nice car, you drive it and maintain it so the maintenance cost are almost zero. Of course with the nice car, you have to pay for it.

IMO, buying in the middle ground is where you pay a lot of money for the car (over $1-2k), then you have stuff breaking pretty regularly and costing over a grand a year anyway. They just don't make sense to me. Maybe I have had the worst luck in the world, but none-the-less that is my stance.

 

[david_42]

No offense, but who cares what you drive?

No one but me and the greyhounds. Not into nice, but junkers are junkers. I'd rather spend a little more and get something that will still be running next week.

 

[cubbies]

I also find myself buying cars that are around 3-5 years old and then just driving them until they are requiring major repairs. I have never really understood the point of buying new cars, when I can buy the model that is 2-3 years older, and essentially the same car for about 40% less. If someone wants to do that and get the warranty and all that, more power to ya, but it just is not for me. And I would not ever buy a $500 car. That is just asking for problems.

My current car is a '97 Infiniti I30 that I bought in 2003 with 80,000 miles on it. I paid it off over two years ago and at 161,xxx it is still running like a top. The only things I have had to do to it other than the basics like tires and pads and such is a new starter ($300) and a new rotor and caliper ($400). Well worth it considering I haven't had a car payment for almost two and a half years.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

My current car is a '97 Infiniti I30 that I bought in 2003 with 80,000 miles on it. I paid it off over two years ago and at 161,xxx it is still running like a top. The only things I have had to do to it other than the basics like tires and pads and such is a new starter ($300) and a new rotor and caliper ($400). Well worth it considering I haven't had a car payment for almost two and a half years.

I hate you. If I were to buy that same car, I guarantee it would blow the tranny, get a leak in the coolant system, then the exhaust would fall off. That car is exactly what I will never buy again. Bad luck with cars runs in my family though... no amount of service and preventative maintenance seems to help us. That is why I buy newer cars now and stay the H away from 100,000 miles on anything I am buying.

 

[TexLaw]

You know, I really don't hate buying a car. It's not something I do very often, but it's just a business deal. Go in there and act like it's a business deal. Have your price in mind.


TL

 

[ibbones]

I'm looking for another car. My 1986 Honda Accord has a slipping tranny and the front axle is broke. The front tires rub on the back of the fender well.
I am another that a car is a car. I just need to get from point A to point B. I am looking for one of those $1,000.00 cars that will last me two or three years and then you have to give them away to get rid of them.
Also, my motorcycle is my main transportation so a car for me is a secondary and we also have my wifes car to go places.

 

[Skins_Brew]

Do you have carmax near you? They are not in every state but quite a few. We got my wife a 06 Honda Pilot for less then KBB and so far its been a great care. You can get a warranty too (which we got) that pretty much protects the entire car for like 3 years. My car was totaled about two weeks ago so I will be going to carmax tomorrow or thursday to hopefully purchase a dodge charger (Hemi!)

 

[MBasile]

All I'll say is that I LOVE my Subaru and I will continue to buy Subaru (barring unfortunate circumstances in the market in the future).

 

[CodeRage]

Do you have carmax near you? They are not in every state but quite a few. We got my wife a 06 Honda Pilot for less then KBB and so far its been a great care. You can get a warranty too (which we got) that pretty much protects the entire car for like 3 years. My car was totaled about two weeks ago so I will be going to carmax tomorrow or thursday to hopefully purchase a dodge charger (Hemi!)

I used to buy through carmax but I have since learned that you can get a much better deal through a dealer, better yet, private party. private party isnt so bad, the dealer you just have to know how to play the game.

This guy has got 140k on it and runs like a top and it was free . Good maintenance will keep a car alive a loooooong time.

 

[WIP]

OH! I love that car...

 

[Buford]

I'm still debating on what I'm going to get. I looked at a 2010 Hyundai Elantra Blue and did in fact try driving it around the parking lot even though I have next to no experience with a stick and it's been over a decade since I was in one. I sputtered and stalled a bunch of times (several times in a row from not realizing I was in 3rd instead of 1st - the throw on the stick is short enough it's hard to tell visually), and I'm jerky as hell starting off, but I did manage to loop around a few times and reverse up an incline in the thing. I definitely need more practice if I want to get that thing out of the lot onto an actual road, though.

Other problem is my wife is against it because she doesn't believe she'd ever be able to learn stick in case an instance comes up where she'd have to drive my car. I think that's bollocks, it just takes practice. I figure that if you already know how to drive, learning stick shouldn't be too bad as long as you go into it knowing that you're going to be terrible until you get the hang of it. Just have to practice for a while in an empty parking lot to figure out where the clutch grabs and when to give it gas; knowing how it works is one thing but getting the feel and just knowing when to do the steps is the hard part.. The herky-jerky of my attempts to start in 1st (since I SUCK at it right now) scared the crap out of her though. Her other issue is having to use two feet; at least in my case I've always used two feet to drive auto (just obviously with left to brake instead of clutch - my first car would stall at stoplights AND/OR roll backwards even being an auto so you always needed your foot on the gas) and back in my teens I used a lawn tractor with a clutch.

I'm mainly looking at a stick because #1 it's cheaper, and #2 I think stick is kinda neat and I feel that I SHOULD know how to drive one properly. Definitely need practice before I'd have any confidence in my ability with it though. is it a macho thing? I guess maybe it is, but it's just something I'd like to do, and if I'm buying the thing I want to get something I actually want.

 

[springer]

I used to buy through carmax but I have since learned that you can get a much better deal through a dealer, better yet, private party. private party isnt so bad, the dealer you just have to know how to play the game.

This guy has got 140k on it and runs like a top and it was free . Good maintenance will keep a car alive a loooooong time.

you got that right had this car since 1984 .....

I am pretty sure I can get more than I paid for her

this one since 1977 or 78

I just bought a 2007 Charger from the lease company that does handles the company cars for my wifes company paid $8800. KBB is about 13k

 

[DrMaddVibe]

CARMAX...no haggle pricing.

 

[JVD_X]

I hate buying cars, as well. Only had 6 in 37 years. #4 went to one of those charity places three years ago, not because I was done with it at 204,000 miles; but because I moved to Oregon and California could not send me a copy of the title. "No record" Bought it there and it was registered there for 15 years!

My van, I bought new in 2004. The 4x4 I bought last Fall is an '86. Just needed something that can handle a bit of snow, but it's been great for tossing firewood, hay, dirt and gravel in. Has some odd noises in it, but only $1100, who cares?

Great... tell them you want the property taxes back.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Do you have carmax near you? They are not in every state but quite a few. We got my wife a 06 Honda Pilot for less then KBB and so far its been a great care. You can get a warranty too (which we got) that pretty much protects the entire car for like 3 years. My car was totaled about two weeks ago so I will be going to carmax tomorrow or thursday to hopefully purchase a dodge charger (Hemi!)

This guy has a great deal on some diamond rings for you...

http://www.kesslersdiamonds.com/



I don't mean offense, but these places are literally robbing you blind and you are letting them do it with a grin on your face.

 

[Buford]

My dad recommended to stay away from Carmax (he's a retired mechanic, used to work at a Chrysler dealership), but what in particular is bad about Carmax?

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Carmax:

Every car we sell has a low, no-haggle price

Great, no-haggle pricing! They must have great deals!

Kesslers:

Fair and honest bottom-line pricing everyday of the year. You never have to wait for a sale or haggle for the best price.

Trust them, why wouldn't they give you the best deal in the industry???

...........................

Basically, they tell people they are getting a good deal. People believe them, and pay whatever they want without a second thought. It is a great business plan... for the business.

I didn't look that closely at Carmax for my current car, just long enough to see it was not the cheapest at all. Kesslers on the other hand, I did just for fun. Half the ring for the money and a "self-certified" diamond... Again, same business model.

If you hate haggling and can't deal with it or are very bad at it, then these places make sense. They don't jack up the prices (except the diamond place) and you don't have to deal with people. If that situation isn't for you, you can pay a bit more for the service of getting the same car for a bit more money with no haggling.