kuzaNot much feels better than buying a brand new car. That's how they get you. But down the road when that first attraction has worn off, you'll look at how much you actually paid for the car in payments and how much value the car has lost in as little as 2 years it will blow your mind.
Every time I see/get into my car I feel great about getting it brand new, plus I really liked the 2014 model better than the earlier ones.
The flip side is that I'm leasing, so I'll end up getting another car in a few years, but commuting 80 miles every day doesn't really afford you that option, sadly.
[quote=kuza]Not much feels better than buying a brand new car. That's how they get you. But down the road when that first attraction has worn off, you'll look at how much you actually paid for the car in payments and how much value the car has lost in as little as 2 years it will blow your mind.[/quote]
Every time I see/get into my car I feel great about getting it brand new, plus I really liked the 2014 model better than the earlier ones.
The flip side is that I'm leasing, so I'll end up getting another car in a few years, but commuting 80 miles every day doesn't really afford you that option, sadly.
TheFragilechiveDo you have any type of a budget?
My budget is pretty open. I'm not looking to spend like $700 in car payments every month, but I have a lot of breathing room to do whatever.
I would go with the Jetta TDI. Although I would prefer the GTI, you said you aren't really into cars, so the TDI would be a great fit. My uncle has one, and it drives nicely. It's not flashy, but it gets the job done with some good gas mileage.
[quote=TheFragile][quote=chive]Do you have any type of a budget?[/quote]
My budget is pretty open. I'm not looking to spend like $700 in car payments every month, but I have a lot of breathing room to do whatever.[/quote]
I would go with the Jetta TDI. Although I would prefer the GTI, you said you aren't really into cars, so the TDI would be a great fit. My uncle has one, and it drives nicely. It's not flashy, but it gets the job done with some good gas mileage.
[img]http://prod-thewantlist-static.s3.amazonaws.com/product/25989/product468x800.jpg[/img]
synchrokuzaNot much feels better than buying a brand new car. That's how they get you. But down the road when that first attraction has worn off, you'll look at how much you actually paid for the car in payments and how much value the car has lost in as little as 2 years it will blow your mind.
Every time I see/get into my car I feel great about getting it brand new, plus I really liked the 2014 model better than the earlier ones.
The flip side is that I'm leasing, so I'll end up getting another car in a few years, but commuting 80 miles every day doesn't really afford you that option, sadly.
Starting leasing cars about 7-8 years ago, and I really love it. While you never own your car, if you shop around you can really good monthly payments. Example, I called a couple places about best lease price for 2012 Chevy equinox and was getting about 300-400 for fully loaded. Which means they could knock off another 50 bucks from all those offers, went back to the first dealership we saw and told them the most we would spend was 200 a month. It took the finance guy about 3 hours of searching different ways using manufacturing discounts to come up with that price.
Also, never put ANY money down. It doesn't actually help you negotiate a better price.
[quote=synchro][quote=kuza]Not much feels better than buying a brand new car. That's how they get you. But down the road when that first attraction has worn off, you'll look at how much you actually paid for the car in payments and how much value the car has lost in as little as 2 years it will blow your mind.[/quote]
Every time I see/get into my car I feel great about getting it brand new, plus I really liked the 2014 model better than the earlier ones.
The flip side is that I'm leasing, so I'll end up getting another car in a few years, but commuting 80 miles every day doesn't really afford you that option, sadly.[/quote]
Starting leasing cars about 7-8 years ago, and I really love it. While you never own your car, if you shop around you can really good monthly payments. Example, I called a couple places about best lease price for 2012 Chevy equinox and was getting about 300-400 for fully loaded. Which means they could knock off another 50 bucks from all those offers, went back to the first dealership we saw and told them the most we would spend was 200 a month. It took the finance guy about 3 hours of searching different ways using manufacturing discounts to come up with that price.
Also, never put ANY money down. It doesn't actually help you negotiate a better price.
Putting money down helps if you walk out immediately after and go somewhere else if they refuse ;) Especially if you buy from an individual or an auction-provided used dealer.
Buying on a loan right now isn't a bad idea given how low interest rates are generally, but I have a personal aversion to making payments on things, and particularly in my state, if you don't own your car you get reamed on insurance/plates, etc so I just avoid it altogether and buy old luxury cars lol. I very nearly once bought a 1990 mercedes-benz, it even had a working parking sensor and rear-view camera, but I figured the v12 engine wouldn't really be a good idea and maintenance probably wouldn't be easy enough for me (some really fancy brands do really peculiar things).
Putting money down helps if you walk out immediately after and go somewhere else if they refuse ;) Especially if you buy from an individual or an auction-provided used dealer.
Buying on a loan right now isn't a bad idea given how low interest rates are generally, but I have a personal aversion to making payments on things, and particularly in my state, if you don't own your car you get reamed on insurance/plates, etc so I just avoid it altogether and buy old luxury cars lol. I very nearly once bought a 1990 mercedes-benz, it even had a working parking sensor and rear-view camera, but I figured the v12 engine wouldn't really be a good idea and maintenance probably wouldn't be easy enough for me (some really fancy brands do really peculiar things).
MarxistPutting money down helps if you walk out immediately after and go somewhere else if they refuse ;) Especially if you buy from an individual or an auction-provided used dealer.
Buying on a loan right now isn't a bad idea given how low interest rates are generally, but I have a personal aversion to making payments on things, and particularly in my state, if you don't own your car you get reamed on insurance/plates, etc so I just avoid it altogether and buy old luxury cars lol. I very nearly once bought a 1990 mercedes-benz, it even had a working parking sensor and rear-view camera, but I figured the v12 engine wouldn't really be a good idea and maintenance probably wouldn't be easy enough for me (some really fancy brands do really peculiar things).
There's a reason you can buy the old BMW 8 series and Mercedes S-class with the V12s for cheap.
Hint: It's because they aren't cheap after you buy them.
[quote=Marxist]Putting money down helps if you walk out immediately after and go somewhere else if they refuse ;) Especially if you buy from an individual or an auction-provided used dealer.
Buying on a loan right now isn't a bad idea given how low interest rates are generally, but I have a personal aversion to making payments on things, and particularly in my state, if you don't own your car you get reamed on insurance/plates, etc so I just avoid it altogether and buy old luxury cars lol. I very nearly once bought a 1990 mercedes-benz, it even had a working parking sensor and rear-view camera, but I figured the v12 engine wouldn't really be a good idea and maintenance probably wouldn't be easy enough for me (some really fancy brands do really peculiar things).[/quote]
There's a reason you can buy the old BMW 8 series and Mercedes S-class with the V12s for cheap.
Hint: It's because they aren't cheap after you buy them.
MarxistPutting money down helps if you walk out immediately after and go somewhere else if they refuse ;) Especially if you buy from an individual or an auction-provided used dealer.
I think he meant specifically for leasing; if you put money down on a lease, you're wasting it because money you put down can't be recovered in case you have to cancel payments or something. I don't remember the exact reasoning but, if you want to put money down on a lease, you're better off just saving it for monthly payments.
[quote=Marxist]Putting money down helps if you walk out immediately after and go somewhere else if they refuse ;) Especially if you buy from an individual or an auction-provided used dealer. [/quote]
I think he meant specifically for leasing; if you put money down on a lease, you're wasting it because money you put down can't be recovered in case you have to cancel payments or something. I don't remember the exact reasoning but, if you want to put money down on a lease, you're better off just saving it for monthly payments.
I got a brand new 2013 Ford Fusion this past summer, I love the car it's great. My one complaint about the car and Ford's in general to be honest; is that Ford sync leaves something to be desired at least when compared to a service such as OnStar. With all that said though the thing handles and rides like a champ. Would buy again.
I got a brand new 2013 Ford Fusion this past summer, I love the car it's great. My one complaint about the car and Ford's in general to be honest; is that Ford sync leaves something to be desired at least when compared to a service such as OnStar. With all that said though the thing handles and rides like a champ. Would buy again.
For your price range of 25000 and with manual opens up more doors to sport cars as well. As what others said above, GTI, FR-S, Mazda Speed3 and Ford Focus ST are all good choices. Also alternatives is the Jetta GLI, Fiesta ST. Or maybe an everyday not into performance as mentioned above Toyota Corolla. Most 4 cylinder cars should have good gas millage. Go to the car dealer and look around. Autoshows helps as well if you have one in your area. Also check out Motor Trend on youtube for videos.
For your price range of 25000 and with manual opens up more doors to sport cars as well. As what others said above, GTI, FR-S, Mazda Speed3 and Ford Focus ST are all good choices. Also alternatives is the Jetta GLI, Fiesta ST. Or maybe an everyday not into performance as mentioned above Toyota Corolla. Most 4 cylinder cars should have good gas millage. Go to the car dealer and look around. Autoshows helps as well if you have one in your area. Also check out Motor Trend on youtube for videos.
For an example, i recently got an 04 elantra GT for ~2.9 and it gets around 28-31 in the city, its pretty damn exceptional. All stock as far as i remember, doesn't look half bad either. If hatchbacks are your thing check it
http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2008/01/21/08/08/2004_hyundai_elantra_gt_hatchback-pic-30741.jpeg
When i got it, it had 99K miles on it and the clutch lets out wayy at the top(5spd, not sure if its damaged or just how the clutch is, but not normal like most clutches) and has been really reliable so far.
If you want a quick cheap car i wouldn't look past it, im satisfied with the purchased and i enjoy driving it.
For an example, i recently got an 04 elantra GT for ~2.9 and it gets around 28-31 in the city, its pretty damn exceptional. All stock as far as i remember, doesn't look half bad either. If hatchbacks are your thing check it [img]http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2008/01/21/08/08/2004_hyundai_elantra_gt_hatchback-pic-30741.jpeg[/img]
When i got it, it had 99K miles on it and the clutch lets out wayy at the top(5spd, not sure if its damaged or just how the clutch is, but not normal like most clutches) and has been really reliable so far.
If you want a quick cheap car i wouldn't look past it, im satisfied with the purchased and i enjoy driving it.
im personally a big fan of Nissan, Sentra you can get for 16k or so, or an altima for 23k/altima coupe 25k.... but im legally blind and cant drive so my opinion is invalid... :(
im personally a big fan of Nissan, Sentra you can get for 16k or so, or an altima for 23k/altima coupe 25k.... but im legally blind and cant drive so my opinion is invalid... :(
honda civic/accord manual lol
honda civic/accord manual lol
nickplusWhen i got it, it had 99K miles on it and the clutch lets out wayy at the top(5spd, not sure if its damaged or just how the clutch is, but not normal like most clutches) and has been really reliable so far.
High clutch engagement is typically indicative of a lot of wear on the clutch. When it starts slipping (which might be soon) you'll want to replace the clutch. A good way to check for slipping is to idle up to a tree (or put it in neutral and have a friend push you so you don't jack up your paint too much) then put the car in first and slowly let the clutch out. If the engine stalls your clutch is fine, if the engine keeps running you need a new clutch.
Edit: if it has a working parking brake you don't really need a tree.
[quote=nickplus]When i got it, it had 99K miles on it and the clutch lets out wayy at the top(5spd, not sure if its damaged or just how the clutch is, but not normal like most clutches) and has been really reliable so far.[/quote]
High clutch engagement is typically indicative of a lot of wear on the clutch. When it starts slipping (which might be soon) you'll want to replace the clutch. A good way to check for slipping is to idle up to a tree (or put it in neutral and have a friend push you so you don't jack up your paint too much) then put the car in first and slowly let the clutch out. If the engine stalls your clutch is fine, if the engine keeps running you need a new clutch.
Edit: if it has a working parking brake you don't really need a tree.
Unless you purchased a limited edition car like a BMW 1M, your brand new car loses 20% of its value the moment it rolls off the dealership. For a daily driver, it is much better to just buy a used civic/corolla/golf/mazda 3 and save some money for something else because honestly, the difference between a $20k daily driver and $10k is minuscule at best, in the end all you're trying to do is going from point A to point B. In my opinion, there is just simply no point to spend even more than $10,000 on a daily driver. If you're gonna dump more than $20k in a car, at least make it worth a while with a nice luxury car or a really fun sports car.
Unless you purchased a limited edition car like a BMW 1M, your brand new car loses 20% of its value the moment it rolls off the dealership. For a daily driver, it is much better to just buy a used civic/corolla/golf/mazda 3 and save some money for something else because honestly, the difference between a $20k daily driver and $10k is minuscule at best, in the end all you're trying to do is going from point A to point B. In my opinion, there is just simply no point to spend even more than $10,000 on a daily driver. If you're gonna dump more than $20k in a car, at least make it worth a while with a nice luxury car or a really fun sports car.
Get the VW gti if you want efficiency and durable german engineering!
I own a 2007 ford fusion sel and it hasn't given me any problems.
Another personal favourite is the Audi A4
Get the VW gti if you want efficiency and durable german engineering!
I own a 2007 ford fusion sel and it hasn't given me any problems.
Another personal favourite is the Audi A4
I don't recommend you to buy a brand new car but go try a few of them to get you a feel of how they drive. It's easy to test drive a car from a dealer.
I own a VW and I really like how it drives. If you can find a 2-3 years old TDI you will have a car that is cheap on gas, is fun to drive and can last 300,000 miles.
I don't recommend you to buy a brand new car but go try a few of them to get you a feel of how they drive. It's easy to test drive a car from a dealer.
I own a VW and I really like how it drives. If you can find a 2-3 years old TDI you will have a car that is cheap on gas, is fun to drive and can last 300,000 miles.
+1 to buying slightly less than new.
What type of roads will you be driving on and what part of the country are you in? If you live in the north East or up in some mountains, you will see the benefit of AWD when the winter rolls back in, especially if it is anything like this past one. Subaru is my preference, but I've heard good reviews of the Honda CR-V which will get good gas mileage.
VW, BMW, Merc, etc may have comparably high repair costs to a japanese variety, just a heads up
+1 to buying slightly less than new.
What type of roads will you be driving on and what part of the country are you in? If you live in the north East or up in some mountains, you will see the benefit of AWD when the winter rolls back in, especially if it is anything like this past one. Subaru is my preference, but I've heard good reviews of the Honda CR-V which will get good gas mileage.
VW, BMW, Merc, etc may have comparably high repair costs to a japanese variety, just a heads up
you'd probably find better answers on reddit. no joke.
you'd probably find better answers on reddit. no joke.
mattertea+1 to buying slightly less than new.
What type of roads will you be driving on and what part of the country are you in? If you live in the north East or up in some mountains, you will see the benefit of AWD when the winter rolls back in, especially if it is anything like this past one. Subaru is my preference, but I've heard good reviews of the Honda CR-V which will get good gas mileage.
VW, BMW, Merc, etc may have comparably high repair costs to a japanese variety, just a heads up
It is important to note that AWD only helps you get going and turn on poor road conditions. A front wheel drive car with a good set of snow tires will be just as safe in the snow assuming the driver has experience/knowledge in snow driving.
Subarus get pretty poor gas mileage for this day and age and don't depreciate fast enough for him to be able to buy one that he's going to want.
If you properly maintain your German vehicle it will last a very very very long time with relatively low maintenance costs. Yes the parts are more expensive but if you follow the manufacturer's recommendations they'll last just as long or longer than Japanese counterparts.
vileyou'd probably find better answers on reddit. no joke.
There really isn't a whole lot to be said that hasn't been said. VW Group's compact and midsize line are quite good, get great gas mileage, and are overall slightly more expensive than their Japanese counterparts. Mazda/Honda/Toyota also make interesting compact-midsize vehicles that get decent gas mileage (not as good as VW's TDI cars though) and are more forgiving on maintenance while having worse interiors.
[quote=mattertea]+1 to buying slightly less than new.
What type of roads will you be driving on and what part of the country are you in? If you live in the north East or up in some mountains, you will see the benefit of AWD when the winter rolls back in, especially if it is anything like this past one. Subaru is my preference, but I've heard good reviews of the Honda CR-V which will get good gas mileage.
VW, BMW, Merc, etc may have comparably high repair costs to a japanese variety, just a heads up[/quote]
It is important to note that AWD only helps you get going and turn on poor road conditions. A front wheel drive car with a good set of snow tires will be just as safe in the snow assuming the driver has experience/knowledge in snow driving.
Subarus get pretty poor gas mileage for this day and age and don't depreciate fast enough for him to be able to buy one that he's going to want.
If you properly maintain your German vehicle it will last a very very very long time with relatively low maintenance costs. Yes the parts are more expensive but if you follow the manufacturer's recommendations they'll last just as long or longer than Japanese counterparts.
[quote=vile]you'd probably find better answers on reddit. no joke.[/quote]
There really isn't a whole lot to be said that hasn't been said. VW Group's compact and midsize line are quite good, get great gas mileage, and are overall slightly more expensive than their Japanese counterparts. Mazda/Honda/Toyota also make interesting compact-midsize vehicles that get decent gas mileage (not as good as VW's TDI cars though) and are more forgiving on maintenance while having worse interiors.
-This is a nice little resource for buying used
http://i.imgur.com/ilfDWzS.jpg
-Another used car guide
http://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/1bxadu/car_buying_advice_post/
-Listen to Kuza
-My recommendation would be an older german diesel, like a 190d, Merc 300/280(s)d, Diesel Jetta, or a BMW E36/E46. The 190d is a really nice car to drive, great handling, the e36/e46 is a great car as well, and the mercedes economy diesels are nice and built like tanks (their non turbos models are extremely slow), the jetta is cheap and not as expensive to maintain but the interior and driving experience isn't even comparable. Their gasoline counterparts are nice too. Just my input, I like these cars a lot aside from the jetta.
-If for whatever reason you are looking at older Mercedes, which I doubt you will, use the price of needed maintenance in it's current state to talk the price down a little (kinda applicable to all used car purchases) and avoid the W210 chassis, hands down the worst line of cars Mercedes has ever made.
-This is a nice little resource for buying used
http://i.imgur.com/ilfDWzS.jpg
-Another used car guide
http://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/1bxadu/car_buying_advice_post/
-Listen to Kuza
-My recommendation would be an older german diesel, like a [url=http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/dscf0169-1.jpg]190d[/url], [url=http://ranwhenparkeddotnet.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/mercedes-benz-190-19.jpg]Merc 300/280(s)d[/url], Diesel Jetta, or a BMW [url=http://vehicle24.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/iuuq_NV_00xxx_SL_ebsltdpsq_SL_221nc_SL_dpn0Xpslt0ET_SK_34_SL_kqh.jpg]E36[/url]/[url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/BMW_E46_330i_ZHP.jpg]E46[/url]. The 190d is a really nice car to drive, great handling, the e36/e46 is a great car as well, and the mercedes economy diesels are nice and built like tanks (their non turbos models are extremely slow), the jetta is cheap and not as expensive to maintain but the interior and driving experience isn't even comparable. Their gasoline counterparts are nice too. Just my input, I like these cars a lot aside from the jetta.
-If for whatever reason you are looking at older Mercedes, which I doubt you will, use the price of needed maintenance in it's current state to talk the price down a little (kinda applicable to all used car purchases) and avoid the [url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Mercedes_W210_front_20080320.jpg]W210[/url] chassis, hands down the worst line of cars Mercedes has ever made.