Topic: Cars (Read 10650 times)

Draco · « **on:** December 03, 2003, 12:11:20 am »

I'm hoping to get as many opinions and bits of advice as I can about buying a car.

Towelie · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2003, 03:12:50 am »

If you want a decent car that will have a resale value not measured in pesos, then don't get a Kia! They may have warranties, but they don't cover a replacement car when it's in the shop. The local Kia dealership has over a week waiting list to get into the repair shop. And to top it off, those things are underpowered.

For some consumer reviews on vehicles, check out this site...

http://www.carsurvey.org/

Check this site out to figure market values of certain cars...

http://kbb.com/

For buying tips, check out...

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/used.htm

And before you decide to buy it, ALWAYS check this...

http://www.carfax.com

And just a few other sources to read...

http://www.epinions.com

http://www.internetautoguide.com

This should cover what you need to know. Good luck. And don't forget to figure in FULL COVERAGE insurance if you finance. Also remember to do your own credit check first so you will know what to expect. Banks have been better at loans than trying the damn car lots or worse, buy here pay here lots! At BHPH lots, the downpayment that you make covers THEIR costs and then the rest is gravy for them. And they have a longgg line of tricks to pull to hide problems, so get your car checked FIRST! And always stick them for some warranty, or else they usually aren't kosher. And be carefull if trying to do a trade in, most places will rip you off and make you think your getting a reduced price on those, so don't tell them you are trading untill AFTER you negotiated price. But, you are better off selling your current vehicle to somebody else than to one of these blood suckers! Alot of them get your car for free in these deals, make you think you're getting a great deal, and then they just polish it up and resale it with a huge profit since it's a free care for them anyways.

I am not BSing about Kia, I know several people that regretted them and two of them had the dealer buy them back as lemons. Only my mother in law is happy with her Kia even though she has had it in the dealer's shop four times that I know of over the last year. I know there are some happy Kia owners out there, but there seems to be an awfull lot that aren't.

I could go on, but these sites should cover it, I' m tired and somebody else will fill in the gaps and a proud Kia owner will probably try and sell us a Kia and show us pictures of theirs. Well if you have had good luck with a Kia, then great. I don't wish bad luck on Kia owners (except for my mother in law). But I just know alot are unhappy with them and so I pass the word on. Know I am going to go pass out in bed...

***EDITED FOR GRAMMAR REFERING TO KIA REPAIR SERVICE WAIT TIME*** Goodnight

James_Smith · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2003, 07:36:18 am »

Right. Buying a new car, or an older one? And what kind of car are you in the market for?

Scott Allen Abfalter · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2003, 08:03:29 am »

Yeah, we need more info to give good advice.

For a new and inexpensive car, I'd recommend the Saturn. I have two of them (a 4-door for the wife and a 2-door for myself) and we are very happy with them. We've had two Saturns before the current ones. Very reliable, and pretty inexpensive.

I also like the no-haggle, fixed-price type sales that they do: You don't have to negotiate with the salesman, their prices are fixed and you either decide you want to buy it, or not.

About the only thing I could complain about is that they are not ulttra-quiet on the inside. But I think a lot of low-end cars are like that, it's not like it's a luxury car or anything.

Barabbas · « **Reply #4 on:** December 03, 2003, 09:09:30 am »

MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!
MAZDA RX-8!!!

Here a pic of my '7.....

762 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2003, 09:52:08 am »

I agree on the Saturn. I owned a '96 SL1 before I 0wn3d it, LOL. Nice little car, great handling.

KOTH-Steel Claw · « **Reply #6 on:** December 03, 2003, 11:15:36 am »

Married w/children , married or single? If you have a serious girl or are married, do not buy a babe magnet car. If you are married w/children I would recommend an old Dodge.

Tremok · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2003, 11:35:26 am »

Quote:

MAZDA RX-8!!!

No self-respecting red-blooded meat eating American will buy a sports car that has a micromight lawnmower engine.

Tus · « **Reply #9 on:** December 03, 2003, 02:53:31 pm »

I would suggest maybe getting a neon if ya don't mind small cars. I had me a 95 sports coup, damned thing got nearly 39 mile to the gallon on the highway

(25-29 around town) hell ya.

V/R

Tus · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2003, 07:20:36 pm »

it might have been because it was a standard, but i'm dead serious, i had that thing for a year and a half, not a problem (bad o2 sensor but thats it) before i had to sell it so i could pay entrance fees

. It was a damn fun car to drive, it would do exactly what ya wanted it to do with no problem. Hell, i managed to get over 100 with that 4 banger.... but you didn't hear me say that

The best thing ya can do is do some research, decide what ya need it for (are you busing or are ya going to and fro from work or maybe you travel for your job...) now a days the biggest factor i would consider above all else is gas milage, which is one reason why i liked that car alot. having to pay at most 20 bucks a month for gas wasn't to bad by me.

anyways, good luck

V/R

Tus

EE · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2003, 08:16:48 pm »

Stay away from hyundai as well, they are as bad if not worse then kia.

I would suggest buying Acura, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Mazda or Toyota. My opinion those are the best car companies out there within the normal persons price range. I am not a fan of ugly ass american cars, though the concept mustang looks nice.

also, if you buy out of the auto-trader, make sure to look at the sellers ID and take down their infomation, just so you dont get stuck with a stolen car like I did and no way to finger the person.

Draco · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2003, 09:54:50 pm »

This will be my first car, right now I just need something to get me to and from work. At this time that distance is about a ten min walk, but that will be changing by a great distance within a year. So I figured I would start looking for a car before I needed one. I would like to start with one of those new hybrids, but it isn't something I'm completely attached to. I would like to get something relatively new. I would be willing to go as high as $20k, but only if it is indeed a good car that I can hang on to for a while.

Towelie · « **Reply #15 on:** December 03, 2003, 10:36:35 pm »

I would recommend a used car for a first car. A car just coming back from a lease is usually good. Mainly saying this because of the depreciation factor, and the chances of having an accident in your first car (depending on yor drving experience). A car coming back off a lease should have low milage and a good maintenance record, and is already broken in. Chances are any bugs would also have been shaken out (if any). And you should be able to get it with a warranty.

Little side note, short trips are bad for a vehicle. It never gets up to operating temp and your engine will get carbon build up fast. If you do use it like this, it's good to take it out and open it up a little bit when you can. It takes a while for an engine to truly heat up all the way depending on if it's aluminum or cast iron (yes they still make cast iron blocks). At least 20 minutes I would say for average engines.

If you are after reliability, Honda or maybe a Toyota. But they are more difficult and costly to repair when things do go wrong. I stick to larger, American cars for comfort and safety. And when things go wrong, it's usually minor and easy to fix. When they get over 200k miles is when I start to worry about major problems. But even then, good maintenance will help prevent those.

J'inn · « **Reply #16 on:** December 03, 2003, 10:46:56 pm »

Here's my picks for ya . . . .

Honda Accord. Used. At least 2 years and 30-45K miles of warranty left. Civics are good too but a little cramped if you're over 6 feet like me.

A Camry would be a safe bet too.

You "might" be able to find a good Ford F-150 or a Ranger for that amount too, if you want a truck.

If you go for a car without a warranty (a mistake IMHO) make sure it is one that is cheap to repair. I've had several German cars. Once the warranty goes, it gets ugly. They may not break down much but when they do it's a wallet raping experiance.

I have a friend with a Prius BTW (a Hybrid). She loves it and I was surprised at the room inside of it.

Draco · « **Reply #18 on:** December 04, 2003, 04:45:45 pm »

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all that has been said.

News:

Topic: Cars (Read 10650 times) var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};

Draco

Towelie

James_Smith

Scott Allen Abfalter

Barabbas

762

KOTH-Steel Claw

Tremok

James_Smith

Tus

Towelie

Tus

Tremok

EE

Draco

Towelie

J'inn

Barabbas

Draco

EE

Topic: Cars (Read 10650 times)