People who know things about cars

[Shannacore]

http://www.beavertoyota.com/inventory-details/title/santa-fe-nm-serving-albuquerque-used-2010-kia-forte/vehicleid/514799874-873545

y/n?

Budget is <$15k

Everything else in the ABQ area has been a lot more expensive with much more wear and tear.

I've never owned a car so I don't want my first purchase to be anything nutso. Something to get me through grad school that will allow me to drive home to Colorado every month or so.

[TxRanjahs]

Mmm beaver

[gotrocks]

do not.
buy.
a kia.

I've heard in recent years they have improved, however, i still wouldn't take the chance. If you want something that will last, and you obviously do, buy a toyota or honda.

There are other solid cars out there, but those are really the only two brands that are 90ish% reliable. obviously, every car has the potential for problems, but those are less hit-and-miss than the alternatives. It shouldn't be *that* hard to find one for under 15k.

obviously the less miles the better, but its hard to go wrong with either at any mileage.

**edit**

if you need additional help, feel free to post other finds in this thread or in a PM.

[Shannacore]

I guess some more general questions would be better:

What are some top things to look for when buying a used car? Obviously low mileage, but other than that I don't really know where else to start.

@Gotrocks - That's a bummer. There's a lot of cheap Kia's in the area, but it sounds like there might be a reason they're so cheap! There are lots of cars in the state <$15k, I am just naive to what's what, I suppose. Plus I'm being a *little* picky on aesthetics - If you're going to drop that much money you should like what you're buying, right??

What brands are notoriously reliable? I've heard good things about Subaru. Even used Subaru's seem to be really expensive though.

[Shannacore]

Must have read over the part where you mentioned toyota and honda. Will keep that in mind!

[Shannacore]

Car (http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tab=photos&paId=480892964&recnum=&listingId=101148886&paId=480892964&listingRecNum=23&criteria=sf1Dir%3dASC%26stkTyp%3dU%26bsId%3d20217% 26rd%3d100%26crSrtFlds%3dstkTypId-feedSegId-yrId-bsId%26zc%3d87102%26rn%3d0%26PMmt%3d0-0-0%26stkTypId%3d28881%26sf2Dir%3dASC%26sf1Nm%3dpric e%26yrId%3d27381%26sf2Nm%3dmiles%26isDealerGroupin g%3dfalse%26rpp%3d50%26feedSegId%3d28705&tracktype=usedcc&pageNumber=&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE&certifiedOnly=false&&aff=national) ??

A little over my price range but I am willing to be flexible. If all goes as planned I will have about $13k to put down.

[sulious]

Car (http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tab=photos&paId=480892964&recnum=&listingId=101148886&paId=480892964&listingRecNum=23&criteria=sf1Dir%3dASC%26stkTyp%3dU%26bsId%3d20217% 26rd%3d100%26crSrtFlds%3dstkTypId-feedSegId-yrId-bsId%26zc%3d87102%26rn%3d0%26PMmt%3d0-0-0%26stkTypId%3d28881%26sf2Dir%3dASC%26sf1Nm%3dpric e%26yrId%3d27381%26sf2Nm%3dmiles%26isDealerGroupin g%3dfalse%26rpp%3d50%26feedSegId%3d28705&tracktype=usedcc&pageNumber=&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE&certifiedOnly=false&&aff=national) ??

A little over my price range but I am willing to be flexible. If all goes as planned I will have about $13k to put down.

http://www.edmunds.com/mazda/cx-7/2010/consumer-reviews.html

[Ephirith]

Please don't take loans to buy a car you can't afford, just buy a cheaper car. Cars are not investments.

[Massive Marc]

My first car was a Delta 88 LOL. Just get something that gets you from point A to point B until youre done school and have a decent job. Then buy whatever the fuck you want.

As said earlier, look towards toyota, VW or honda. they all have decent shelf lives.

[OforOppression]

My grandma lives out in the boonies and has a Toyota Tundra that has lasted her 14 years.

good stuff.

[Arclyte]

Don't pretend like you know shit about cars diggles. On the rare occasion your fat ass leaves your dim hovel, you need to be rolled down the street like the blueberry girl from charlie and the chocolate factory

[Shannacore]

Boyfriend's parents have access to Consumer Reports, so I guess I'll check those frequently. Pretty reliable, right?

[Chippy]

Yes, that is a pretty accurate source of information.

[Raavak]

get a used Honda Accord
they seem to run forever and get good gas mileage

[Slave]

Cars are stupid, save your money. A car is transportation, period.
Your not going to get a "whip ride" for 15K anyways so your smarter purchase would be to find a granny car to buy off some senior.

For example I bought my 90's Buick for $1500 off some granny that only used it to go to the groceries store once a week.

It had 24k miles when I bought it 8 years ago and has about 60k now. No payments, no major maintenance, no rust. I plan on driving it till it rots.
Look in the traditional newspaper classifieds, ask friends and coworkers, stay away from dealerships.

Look for Buicks, Grand Marquis, Taurus etc...
:-)

My first car was a Delta 88 LOL. Just get something that gets you from point A to point B until youre done school and have a decent job. Then buy whatever the fuck you want.


Please don't take loans to buy a car you can't afford, just buy a cheaper car. Cars are not investments.

You would be better off buying 10 granny cars and driving them around until they got 1 problem on them and then leaving them on the side of the road. Except that's crazy, right? So just get one and fix it up or buy a new (USED) car as needed, whichever is cheaper.

12,000 dollars for a first car is absurd.

Get something with A/C, Heat, radio, working driver side window, and low miles for under $1200 and you can't go wrong.

I am 35 years old and I have never owned a car model later than 1989. My insurance payment is under $35 a month.

The Falcon, my 1989 Buick LeSabre, is like a couch on wheels that gets 25mpg and cost me $700. It has under 100,000m.

[Knuckle]

Honda, Nissan, Toyota.
That's if you want a vehicle that will last and provide excellent fuel economy.

[Zogimer]

Honda, Nissan, Toyota.
That's if you want a vehicle that will last and provide excellent fuel economy.

Boring, boring unless you've got a crazy budget for thier sport cars, boring.

Get something fun to drive, like a used Miata.

[Myth]

A lot of good points on here. Regardless of what you buy you will at some point need a mechanic. If you already have one, ask them for their opinion because they will be the one working on your car.

If you are going to have it maintained/repaired by a stealership, then purchase your car at one you trust.

Always, always, have your potential used car purchase checked out by a mechanic you trust. Any dealer worth their shit will allow you to take the car for a few hours (leaving your license/current car as collateral). Getting your future car on a lift and looked at by someone who knows WTF they are doing is huge. Personal story, my current car was listed for 11,995. I took it to my uncles shop, put it on the lift and found it was in an accident (front passenger bumper bracket was bent). I was able to haggle price down to 9995 because of this. No big deal, it's just a bumper bracket but dealer knew, did not tell me about it, and it wasn't on the carfax report.

Moral of story, get your car checked by a 3rd party.

[gotrocks]

Moral of story, get your car checked by a 3rd party.

this is extremely good advice.

also,

get a used Honda Accord

this is the sweet spot, honda accords will, quite literally, run forever, even if you treat them like absolute shit. I know this from personal (anecdotal) experience.

[Auvdar]

I got a 03 Hyundai Elantra new for around 12k that I was able to pay off in a few years. Have had almost zero problems with it, with basic maintenance. Has a lot of miles on it now (just about 150k) since I would drive to Seattle a lot. Still runs great and gets around 32-34 MPG now.

My Dad also had a Hyundai from the 90's, thing still runs decent. They aren't powerhouse cars, but everyone I know who has had one says they are hard to kill. Plus they are cheap.

Next car choice would be a used Subaru Legacy.

[gotrocks]

that reminds me, within the last decade or so hyundai has actually become a decent car company. From what i've heard their models run fairly well for a long time.

I didn't mention them because they don't have that 20+ year proven life expectancy that a honda or toyota have.

Also, as several people have stated, subaru's are good as well. I just don't think they're on the same level of reliability as the previous stated makes.

Lastly, american cars are, for the most part, unfortunate piles of shit. Depending on what model you buy you're not even guaranteed to find cheap parts (with a shining exception being mopar cars... mostly dodge made vehicles... but those arent that reliable either). The ford taurus is a good exception though, that thing is a trooper.

its funny though, because everything is so hit-and-miss. I owned a '05 dodge neon SRT and it worked wonderfully for many years. Only had one problem (a fucking cam shaft sensor that was fucking with my fuel mixture ratio... was pretty bad), and oddly enough the dodge dealership was the only place i took it to that knew what was wrong (even my own mechanic flat out told me he didnt know what the problem was), and they fixed it for a decent price.

im rambling now, but my original points are still valid :D

[Myth]

This thread now has this song stuck in my head. Thanks...
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cNyk3USDVco

[Knuckle]

Boring, boring unless you've got a crazy budget for thier sport cars, boring.

Get something fun to drive, like a used Miata.

shes talking about getting a fucking kia sedan and you are calling nissan/honda/toyota boring? honda civics and sentras with the right badging are as fun as you want them to be and within her budget.

[TempleOfLife]

mad he still gives trollina his hard earned attention

[Autotune]

get a used Honda Accord
they seem to run forever and get good gas mileage

seriously, get you like a mid 90s for cheap and it will run and run and run.

Also, a toyota corolla mid 90s will be about the same (my grandmother had one that went over 300k on the same engine and it was still running fine (think they tranny was rebuilt around 225k or so)


They are usually pretty cheap when you buy them used and they will save you on gas as well.

About the only other car I know that are like these is the Geo Metro or Chevy Sprint, they get around 40-50mpg and generally don't give problems.

[Shannacore]

Drove the Dean's Ford Fusion to a few meeting today. Was a really smooth ride. Any thoughts on Fords?

[Shannacore]

yes Ford Fusion and Focus are really nice cars, my ex had a new one with the sync feature, was fun.

You should buy a new one from the dealership and spend all your monthly income on your car note, insurance, apartment rent, student loans, cable, Internet, food and birth control.

Or lease one, why not?
It's good for the economy.

I don't live in an apartment and I don't have student loan payments for another 3 years. And my health insurance covers my no-baby meds.

[Autotune]

I don't live in an apartment and I don't have student loan payments for another 3 years. And my health insurance covers my no-baby meds.

You going to have that car paid off in 3 years?

[Sirken]

Tralina, i'd keep looking.

for 17k you can get something much nicer.

much older

made of steel and american muscle

http://www.carsforsale.com/used_cars_for_sale/1967_Chevrolet_Camaro_149240393_5


i payed 16k for mine (67 camaro SS), but had to replace the motor for the windshield wipers, and sadly mine is sporting a 350 instead of the 396. paint yours factory blue, give it white RS stripes (even though its not an RS) and then we'll match. power steering is for sissies.

also have had my 03 trailblazer since december of 02. may i suggest to everyone to NEVER buy a brand new car off the lot. worst mistake / waste of money ever.

that said,

"Chevy, like a rock!"

[Lexical]

get a lambo.

[gotrocks]

Tralina, i'd keep looking.

for 17k you can get something much nicer.

much older

made of steel and american muscle

http://www.carsforsale.com/used_cars_for_sale/1967_Chevrolet_Camaro_149240393_5


i payed 16k for mine (67 camaro SS), but had to replace the motor for the windshield wipers, and sadly mine is sporting a 350 instead of the 396. paint yours factory blue, give it white RS stripes (even though its not an RS) and then we'll match. power steering is for sissies.

also have had my 03 trailblazer since december of 02. may i suggest to everyone to NEVER buy a brand new car off the lot. worst mistake / waste of money ever.

that said,

"Chevy, like a rock!"


LOL sirken, anyone asking for advice on what car to buy can *not* handle american muscle.

you know this, man. quit flexin =P

[Bill Tetley]

Cars are stupid, save your money. A car is transportation, period.

I find that most people that say this either don't drive a lot or don't make enough money/shitty credit to get a decent car. Cars are more than just a mode of transportation...

Life is short, ignore these people telling you to get a beater. If you have a steady job, get a nice/newer car you can afford to make payments on. Despite creating debt making payments on a car will show creditors you're reliable in the future. You've mentioned you don't have anything to pay off so it's not a bad idea to build some credit especially when you're in your 20s... it will be good further down the road.

As for what car to buy? As mentioned Honda & Toyota are pretty much a no-brainer for reliability. Check out the new models to find a few you like then scale down in years to meet your price range.

Never buy the car for the price listed, scale down the cost by $1-2k. They take your offer to the "manager" who typically says no way but will come back with lower price for the car. Take $500 off that price and send them back. If they can't meet what you want to pay then leave. They like to claim "We have 3 other people wanting to buy this car." But most of the time that is bullshit... they will call you soon enough with a good offer for the car. Keep in mind there are "fees" at the end of buying a car at a dealership that can go up to $400+, make sure that is in your budget.

Avoid getting a loan from the dealership if possible... credit unions give out the best loans as far as I'm concerned. I have two loans right now both 1.99% apr. Get approved for an amount over what you want to pay for the car. Once you find the car at the price you want then go back to the credit union for a check to buy the car from the dealer.

Buying a car is fun! Screw robbing some old lady of her shitty grocery trolley...

[Ephirith]

I find that most people that say this either don't drive a lot or don't make enough money/shitty credit to get a decent car. Cars are more than just a mode of transportation...

Life is short, ignore these people telling you to get a beater. If you have a steady job, get a nice/newer car you can afford to make payments on. Despite creating debt making payments on a car will show creditors you're reliable in the future. You've mentioned you don't have anything to pay off so it's not a bad idea to build some credit especially when you're in your 20s... it will be good further down the road.

So basically make terrible financial decisions because.... YOLO? You don't need to pay loans to build credit, you can do that just fine by paying rent and using 2-3 credit cards and paying them off 100% every month.

This individual is going to be paying student loans in 3 years as well, and probably doesn't make any more than the median annual income. If having a shiny car makes you feel special and successful, even if you can't afford it without taking risks and neglecting savings and investments, that's the exact attitude which generally underlies foreclosures and repossessions.

[gotrocks]

Never buy the car for the price listed, scale down the cost by $1-2k. They take your offer to the "manager" who typically says no way but will come back with lower price for the car. Take $500 off that price and send them back. If they can't meet what you want to pay then leave. They like to claim "We have 3 other people wanting to buy this car." But most of the time that is bullshit... they will call you soon enough with a good offer for the car. Keep in mind there are "fees" at the end of buying a car at a dealership that can go up to $400+, make sure that is in your budget.


this is excellent advice when buying a car from a dealership..

coming from someone who's worked all sorts of sales in his life (from retail on up to high commission cold calls), do this, it will work.

100% of the salesmen you meet are about closing the deal. right now. they will say *anything* to make that happen.

we're fucking bastards and we all know it. I want out of the industry for this reason.

[Bill Tetley]

So basically make terrible financial decisions because.... YOLO? You don't need to pay loans to build credit, you can do that just fine by paying rent and using 2-3 credit cards and paying them off 100% every month.

This individual is going to be paying student loans in 3 years as well, and probably doesn't make any more than the median annual income. If having a shiny car makes you feel special and successful, even if you can't afford it without taking risks and neglecting savings and investments, that's the exact attitude which generally underlies foreclosures and repossessions.

I base my post only off what I know. >17k budget, no current bills.

As I stated you will need job security and to be able to afford the payments. It's only a terrible financial decision if you can't afford it. If they can't afford it, how would I know? You obviously know more about this person than me.

But if you can afford it, why buy a junker? Yes, YOLO.

[Shannacore]

Never buy the car for the price listed, scale down the cost by $1-2k. They take your offer to the "manager" who typically says no way but will come back with lower price for the car. Take $500 off that price and send them back. If they can't meet what you want to pay then leave. They like to claim "We have 3 other people wanting to buy this car." But most of the time that is bullshit... they will call you soon enough with a good offer for the car. Keep in mind there are "fees" at the end of buying a car at a dealership that can go up to $400+, make sure that is in your budget.

Avoid getting a loan from the dealership if possible... credit unions give out the best loans as far as I'm concerned. I have two loans right now both 1.99% apr.

The haggling part I'm definitely worried about. I am not a very pushy person! I'm probably perfect prey for those salesperson folks.

As for the loan, I will definitely go through my credit union. They have a really great program for first time car buyers where as long as you purchase a model that's between 09'-'11 then you qualify for 0% for up to 84 months. (No I would not take an 84 month loan out).

You just here to brag, or what bitch?

You don't have more reliable people in your life (preferrably your REAL LIFE) from whom to seek advice?

Bragging about what? Yeah dude, I am totally stoked that my dad died and now I have a handful of money.

+ What makes you think I haven't consulted people in my RL? Nothing wrong with seeking a number of opinions imo

[Lexical]

srsly tho, get the lambo

[Zogimer]

The haggling part I'm definitely worried about. I am not a very pushy person! I'm probably perfect prey for those salesperson folks.


If you don't want to haggle then:

1. Know exactly which car you want, most dealers have them listed online, you can literally find one you like and write down the VIN#'s of candidate cars.
2. Look up the car's true value (found on recent sales) on http://www.edmunds.com/new-cars/, make sure you get the exact trim/options of the car you found to make sure you've got your fact right.
3. Call up the dealership and ask to speak to their Internet Sales Manager. Tell him you've know exactly the Car Model/Trim in mind and you're calling the nearby dealers to see which one will give you the best price. This way the guy knows you know how much car is worth AND the fact that he has to give you a good price or other dealers will get you to bite instead.

Used that method last time I bought a new car, the first dealer gave me a great price & was honest. He wasn't honest later when my gf went to him to check out cars because she didn't know what she wanted and didn't know what it's actual value was, so I know the guy isn't just honest by nature.

There's other tricks like picking the right time of month/year when they might need some extra sales to meet their quotas but I don't remember those details now.

Also watch out with the "after-sales" process where they offer other random stuff like extra security systems and paint coatings, etc as an extra on the loan. You don't know how much that stuff is really worth and they will rip you off there.

[Lexical]

lambo salesmen will always give you a fair price.

[Prince]

why spend 15k on shitbox can when u can spend 10k on equally awful shitbox and have 5k left over for booze

[Swish]

If having a shiny car makes you feel special and successful, even if you can't afford it without taking risks and neglecting savings and investments, that's the exact attitude which generally underlies foreclosures and repossessions.

Well I hate to agree but I know a girl who bought a shiny car, and then met a guy, got pregnant, stopped working, couldn't afford the repayments and had to phone her parents to bail her out (which they did, but she owes them the rest).

Not saying this will happen to Tralina of course, but if there's student loans involved I'd be very wary of living beyond my means. That said, if you're sure you can afford $15,000 or $17,000 (never be tempted to add a "k" and shorten it, the reality is in the zeros)... go nuts, enjoy!

Also, Kia have a terrible reputation in the UK as well... just sayin'

[gotrocks]

The haggling part I'm definitely worried about. I am not a very pushy person! I'm probably perfect prey for those salesperson folks.



Can you bring someone with you? or do what someone above me said, do the online thing and don't back down.

I can tell you from personal experience when I see/hear women in sales I instantly think dollar signs. In general they are much easier to get to "yes", and thats a bad thing for you as the consumer. A good salesman is a very dangerous thing.

Also, buying a car at the end of any month is usually a good idea. This is when they *really* want to meet or exceed their goal, and will push the bottom line down to make a sale. A very good friend of mine (who is also in sales at the same company as me) used this tactic when buying his last two cars, and got a fat chunk of change knocked off the price of his car. Keep in mind, however, that he's been in sales for 2 decades, and the dealership had *no* idea who they were up against (IMO selling cars is no where even close to the same league as cold calling high commission sales and closing a deal in an hour on the first phone call)

tl;dr, i highly recommend bringing someone with some sales saavy in with you. You will get a better deal. a good salesmen will spot his own kind from a mile away, and is more willing to negotiate, because he knows the other guy knows how it works, and will flat out walk away if the right deal isnt made.

also, sorry to hear about your dad. thats never easy. good luck, and as always, ignore the trolls.

[TempleOfLife]

You say you a gangsta
But you neva pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta
And you need to stop frontin'
Go to the dealership
But you never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time
And you ain't got nothin'


Damn homie, in high school you was the man, homie
What the fuck happened you?
I got the sickest vendetta, when it come to the chedda
***** you play with my paper, you gonna meet my beretta
Now shorty think I'ma sweat her, sippin on amoretta
I'm livin once then deada, I know I can do betta'
She look good but I know she after my chedda
She tryin' to get in my pockets, homie and I ain't gonna let her
Be easy, start some bullshit, you get your whole crew wet
We're in the club doing the same old two step
Gorilla Unit cuz they say we bugged out
Cuz we don't go nowhere without toast we thugged out

[Bohab]

Hmm when I was 22/23 each month I had a car loan on a $11k car for $230 a month, $370 rent ($1.1k between 3 people), $80 credit card payment, $240 student loan payment, split cable bill, electronic, heat, grocery's, smoked an 8th a week and went to bars nearly every night. Think I was only making $12.50 an hour at the time. It's not impossible when you make shit money...

[Shannacore]

My student loans are a 0% whatever-I-can-handle kind of thing. They are not a concern for me in the scope of my financial future. My monthly bills are <$1000, the rest is play money. Right now, I'm in a financially stable spot to make a purchase like this.

People keep telling me to buy a house instead. LOLNO.

[Prince]

why spend 15k on shitbox can when u can spend 10k on equally awful shitbox and have 5k left over for booze

[Shannacore]

why is buying a house a "LOLNO"?

home prices are probably never going to be lower than right now, you could put your 15k into an investment that will most likely raise in value and create equity.

Or you could buy a car that is worth LOLNOthing by the time you pay it off.

Just be smart and buy a house that is already rock bottom cheap and rent-able in the future, like near your campus,

but I get the impression that your not really here to listen to any advice anyways.

I would probably put the money into a savings account for a rainy day, what happens if you get pregnant or decide to get married? How you going to pay for that? What happens if you come across a business opportunity or investment? How about putting it into a retirement fund or your future child's college fund? etc..

What happens if you get hospitalized and can't work or go to school? What happens if you graduate and can't find a job and the student loans start rolling in? Don't laugh it is happening to a lot of grads today.

I already have a job that I can live "comfortably" on. I'm not worried about being unemployed any time soon. I don't want to buy a house because I'm not going to be in New Mexico forever. Once my Masters is over I am thinking about pursuing a PhD in Denver or Chicago.

[visage]

I already have a job that I can live "comfortably" on. I'm not worried about being unemployed any time soon. I don't want to buy a house because I'm not going to be in New Mexico forever. Once my Masters is over I am thinking about pursuing a PhD in Denver or Chicago.

Why you got to lie to kiick it Shanna?

[SamwiseRed]

Why you got to lie to kiick it Shanna?

why do gays always try to pick fights with girls?

[visage]

why do gays always try to pick fights with girls?

http://i47.tinypic.com/8yyeko.jpg

[Lexical]

why do gays always try to pick fights with girls?

Why is no one getting a lambo?

[Lexical]

that's what you call an investment house, when you move you hire a property manager to rent the house and landlord for you.

So, what cars are you thinking of now?

Dredge... this sounds like a terrible idea.

[MasterShake]

One school of thought is to buy appreciating assets (like land, house, etc), and rent depreciating assets. If you plan to drop all that money buying a car you are only going to use through grad school anyway, you should consider a lease on a brand new car that you really like.

Why buy a $15,000 used car that is going to lose value during school, when you could just lease (rent) a car that you really like that is brand new for about the same price of the used car's depreciation. Do not buy depreciating assets unless you are okay with keeping it long enough to justify the "investment."

Most people don't think about leasing because it seems more complicated and they don't want to learn about it, but I've leased more cars than I've bought and it works for me. I suggest doing as much independent research as you can and ask people for help with specific questions. You can PM me if you want.

Just remember that once you spend the money and sign the paperwork, you better be happy with your decision. No matter what you buy, you are going to lose money if you try to sell it within the first 1-3 years of ownership unless you are playing the private market and know what you're doing.

[fishingme]

One school of thought is to buy appreciating assets (like land, house, etc), and rent depreciating assets. If you plan to drop all that money buying a car you are only going to use through grad school anyway, you should consider a lease on a brand new car that you really like.

Why buy a $15,000 used car that is going to lose value during school, when you could just lease (rent) a car that you really like that is brand new for about the same price of the used car's depreciation. Do not buy depreciating assets unless you are okay with keeping it long enough to justify the "investment."

Most people don't think about leasing because it seems more complicated and they don't want to learn about it, but I've leased more cars than I've bought and it works for me. I suggest doing as much independent research as you can and ask people for help with specific questions. You can PM me if you want.

Just remember that once you spend the money and sign the paperwork, you better be happy with your decision. No matter what you buy, you are going to lose money if you try to sell it within the first 1-3 years of ownership unless you are playing the private market and know what you're doing.

this is why i would buy a WRX, they do not devalue much

[gotrocks]

Personally shanna, i wouldn't spend the whole 15k. I'd try to drop ~10 and put the other 5 away somewhere for unexpected expenses (specifically ones that have to do with the car... i always have at least a grand put away somewhere *JUST* for my car in case something happens to it)

also, no one buys a car with the intention of selling it later to make money... it's just not possible, regardless of what you buy. *maybe* if you buy a cheap used car with low miles, but thats rare.

[Lexical]

Personally shanna, i wouldn't spend the whole 15k. I'd try to drop ~10 and put the other 5 away somewhere for unexpected expenses (specifically ones that have to do with the car... i always have at least a grand put away somewhere *JUST* for my car in case something happens to it)

also, no one buys a car with the intention of selling it later to make money... it's just not possible, regardless of what you buy. *maybe* if you buy a cheap used car with low miles, but thats rare.

TL/DR: buy a lambo.

[gotrocks]

TL/DR: buy a lambo.

exactly. :D

**edit**

you can actually easily buy an old lambo for that much, btw.

its just gonna run like shit, look like shit, and in general just be shit. Same with any high end sports car ( including ferrari's and porsche's)

[Lexical]

just get the damn lambo shanna.

[Shannacore]

I bought a brand spanking new car. After we haggled, it was only $1500 more than the 2011 version.


Photos tomorrow.

[Lexical]

It better be a god damn lambo.

[gotrocks]

I bought a brand spanking new car. After we haggled, it was only $1500 more than the 2011 version.


Photos tomorrow.

whatd you buy??

oh god i hope after all this its not a fucking kia or some other POS.

[Shannacore]

whatd you buy??

oh god i hope after all this its not a fucking kia or some other POS.

It's a 2013 Kia. Consumer Reports gave it really high marks, unlike its predecessors. Among other car review websites, it has a really good rating. Haven't read much of anything bad about the 2013 Kia models (aside from them lying about their MPG).

[Lexical]

you are dead to me Shanna.

[gotrocks]

It's a 2013 Kia. Consumer Reports gave it really high marks, unlike its predecessors. Among other car review websites, it has a really good rating. Haven't read much of anything bad about the 2013 Kia models (aside from them lying about their MPG).

shiit...

the problem is, it may have high marks, but you have *no* idea how long it's going to last, and neither do they. It just hasnt been out long enough.

Like i said, i *have* heard that recently kia turned up their game, and that their cars run longer, and more reliably but... there's just no way to tell at this point.

I'm not saying it was a bad idea, im just hoping that you dont run into any problems down the road. Please, please, please shanna put aside 1-2k just incase something goes wrong. the last thing you want is to have it break down and not have something set aside to fix it.

Hope it works out for you! how much did you pay?

[Shannacore]

shiit...

the problem is, it may have high marks, but you have *no* idea how long it's going to last, and neither do they. It just hasnt been out long enough.

Like i said, i *have* heard that recently kia turned up their game, and that their cars run longer, and more reliably but... there's just no way to tell at this point.

I'm not saying it was a bad idea, im just hoping that you dont run into any problems down the road. Please, please, please shanna put aside 1-2k just incase something goes wrong. the last thing you want is to have it break down and not have something set aside to fix it.

Hope it works out for you! how much did you pay?

Total was around $15k, which is just what I wanted to spend. Put down well over half, and still have ~4k in the bank. I really, really like it!

[gotrocks]

Total was around $15k, which is just what I wanted to spend. Put down well over half, and still have ~4k in the bank. I really, really like it!

glad you're happy, just praying you dont have problems down the road.

I'm sure it'll be fine, ive just heard far too many horror stories to buy a new car that isnt made by a company i trust implicitly.

[Trinidy]

Total was around $15k, which is just what I wanted to spend. Put down well over half, and still have ~4k in the bank. I really, really like it!


This is all that matters... For what its worth I refuse to sell my car even though my husband has been trying to get me to get a new one for awhile. I love my car, and its paid off.

I know next to nothing about cars, but I know ALOT about money.

My car payments on my Acura was $500 a month. When it got paid off i saved that money.

When things break on it, it costs me about $1500 or so... on occasion more. but think of this. Thats 3-4 months of car payments. And my car only needed that work maybe once a year... still cheeper than the a new car on payments.

Keep it if you like it. Forget everything else. If/when it breaks, fix it.... continue to use it until you READY for your next car.

[Shannacore]

http://yfrog.com/oeq11oozj WOOP

[Autotune]

Just think, if you spent 4k on the car you could have the "over-half" in the bank.

[Shannacore]

Oh, looks the like previous pic posted didn't work.

http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/774567_4591458459217_1131982016_o.jpg

[Zadrian]

I heard this one comes with hamsters standard.

[MrSparkle001]

Oh man is that the car from that annoying dancing squirrels commercial? Or hamsters, whatever, who cares anyway.

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[gotrocks]

it's got a built in GPS function that directs you to the nearest Rave party.

omg your last two comments have me cracking the fuck up.

too funny.

[Shannacore]

Yes I have the car from the hamster commercials. NEVER gonna live that one down!!

[MrSparkle001]

It's not the car that's bad, it's the damned commercials.

[Hasbinlulz]

It was absolutely the smartest thing you could have done to buy a new car. Don't crash it.

[Shannacore]

It was absolutely the smartest thing you could have done to buy a new car. Don't crash it.

Not sure if srs

[Lexical]

Not sure if srs

Hint: He isn't.

[Raavak]

the best thing about new cars is the warranty gets you everything fixed for free for years

[Froglok]

It was absolutely the smartest thing you could have done to buy a new car. Don't crash it.

except she didn't buy a new car, she bought a Kia.

Don't have the patience to read all this crap, but was this another one of those, I'm a girl on the internet looking for advice (attention from people) so I'm going to make a thread asking for help but in the end ignore everything people told me threads?

[Massive Marc]

except she didn't buy a new car, she bought a Kia.

Don't have the patience to read all this crap, but was this another one of those, I'm a girl on the internet looking for advice (attention from people) so I'm going to make a thread asking for help but in the end ignore everything people told me threads?

Has she every posted anything other then that ?

[Shannacore]

except she didn't buy a new car, she bought a Kia.

Don't have the patience to read all this crap, but was this another one of those, I'm a girl on the internet looking for advice (attention from people) so I'm going to make a thread asking for help but in the end ignore everything people told me threads?

It was a recommendation by one or two people. Just because I post an inquiry doesn't mean that the responses from these forums is the #1 superduper best response and there is no way I should consider anything else ever. It was a conversation point.

Are you disagreeing with Consumer Reports? 'Cause I am p. sure that's a highly credible source.

[Prince]

why spend 15k on shitbox can when u can spend 10k on equally awful shitbox and have 5k left over for booze

[Shannacore]

I have approximately $4k left over for booze k?!

[Prince]

that $1k difference would have bought a lot of malt liquor

[Froglok]

that $1k difference would have bought a lot of malt liquor

about 10 bottles of 15 year old scotch, now THAT is actually a good ride