Hope this is just a fun post … a distraction from doomy gloomy shit. So, here’s the deal.
Basically, we’re fucken idiots. We leased our current vehicle, a 2014 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T. (It made sense at the time for tax reasons.) Whatever. That money is a sunk cost, it’s gone. The car has only 26k miles. The payoff balance is $16k … not counting taxes, registration, and other fucken fees.
We’re not going to do it. The car is due to be returned,no exceptions, one week from today.
This time were going to buy a USED car. We’ll be paying cash. I’m fucken sick and tired of car payments. Our Max budget is $12,000. That’s where you come in.
Q: What used car would you recommend I consider?
Is the one below a good deal?
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I think your answers will not only help me … but many other folks here who buy used cars.
Reliability will be key for us. Don’t care much about gas mileage … we only drive 6k miles a year. A car with a high safety rating is also preferred.
According to a US News & World Report article, the Top 5 most reliable cars; Hyundai Genesis, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Ford Fusion, Lexus ES, Honda Accord.
According to JD Power the 5 Top most reliable brands are: Lexus, Toyota, Buick, Mercedes Benz, Hyundai.
I won’t be back until this evening. We’ll be shopping all day … actually, just looking and testing cars. Your inputs will be seriously considered!
Thank You.
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I have 3) 2005 Volvo XC90 V8’s. They actually took a Yamaha boat engine and jammed it in the car. 2 of them I bought new as leftovers while the lot was filling up with 2006’s and the 3rd I bought used. They no longer make the car in V8 and I think Volvo is Chinese owned now, Ford owned them when I bought them. I have never had one problem with any of them, they are a pretty roomy SUV and they have unbelievable power. They are AWD which everybody seems to universally dislike, but I have looked into what the common fault would be if they happen to lose AWD and it is a sleeve that costs $89, it is purposely made to chew itself up before any damage occurs to the angle drive which distributes power to the rear. I used to strictly buy BMW, but I had an illegal slam into the back of my last one doing 55mph while I was stopped at at a traffic light. It took 3 months and $28k to fix it (parts had to come from Germany), but the insurance company fixed it even though the car booked at $33K. All I could think of is the beating I would take at trade in as soon as a CarFax was ran on it, so I literally test drove every car imaginable while it was being fixed with the plan of trading it the minute it rolled out of the body shop. Loved that Volvo, still do! Plus you can fit 53) 2×4’s in them! You would be surprised the deals you can make on a leftover car(s) while the new model is filling the lot! Can’t vouch for the Volvo any longer if I am correct about the Chinese buying the car company!
what happened to the buick you had posted a picture of that was bought and paid for? You had been driving it to work no worries or payments? now this?? you knew better once but not now
The Buick is “my” car. The MB is hers.
On the way home we decided we’d garage the MB between Dec and March … just running it every few days … and drive the Buick in the snow and salt.
Also considering not driving the MB in the summer when it rains. Yeah. I’m gonna baby that bitch to death.
Suck it up and buy a Plug-In Prius like my 2012. Within your budget and you’ll never need another car. And if you remember to plug it in the first 10-14 miles are all EV. I do most of my consumer missions without the gas engine even firing up. (BTW is has heated seats).
I was thinking of a Tesla.
Thinking for about 3.4 seconds before sanity was restored.
Got back half an hour ago. I’ll bring you all up to date in separate posts.
Fascinating stories!! All the links are terrific.
I’m sure there are many people here who will be buying used cars in the next year. Your stories help not only me but, more importantly, very many others.
Thanks to all!!!!
So, the Long Island dealership is 76 miles, door-to-door.
We left at 2:30. We got home at 10:30. We spent no more than one hour at the dealership.
Seven fuckin hours to make a 152 mile trip!!!!!!!!
ADMIN! DONT YOU EVER COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR COMMUTE AGAIN!!! lol ?
Going over four Bridges and a tunnel and through Manhattan? Goddamned fuken brutal! Goddamned INSANE drivers weaving and tailgating. Potholes all over the place … I think I lost s couple fillings from all the jarring.
NYC has some very nice areas …. but, overall it’s an ugly city. It looks tired, old, and worn out. Too bad the Nazis didn’t bomb it like we did Dresden … only because it would have been rebuilt all nice and pretty and modern. Ok, I’m kidding about the bombing. I’d settle for a 9.1 earthquake. Ha!
Really? Seven hours and 152 miles to check out a used car? What are you? A masochist?
Lol That though occurred to me while crawling through Manhattan.
I’m too poor to afford an unreliable car.
It’s why my dad, who was poor when we first arrived here, bought expensive shoes, coats, etc. Quality lasts. While cheap Shir winds up costing even more by replacing it too often.
At 6k miles a year …. in 20 years it’ll have just 150k miles … just getting broken in.
My first car was a ’74 Ford Mustang II, which sucked (not a real Mustang.) It was nothing but trouble.
After that, I drove Toyotas. Then I moved up to Hondas. I had a great Accord coupe, my first real “new” car, which someone ran into the back of and totaled. Then I bought a new 1991 Honda Prelude in October 0f 1990 (with flip-up headlights, spoiler.) I still have it, it runs well, and only has 168,000 miles on it. I wouldn’t get rid of it unless a boulder fell on it and crushed it.
I highly recommend an older Toyota or Honda (especially Honda.) I don’t know about the newer cars, but the older ones are known for running well over 250,000 miles.
Ok. The Lexus IS 250.
Lovely car.But, … waaay to small for a 6’7′ Austrian Oak. Ok … Austrian fat ass. Seats are to narrow, knees touch the dash. And I don’t think mom’s wheelchair would fit in the trunk
Auf Wiedersehen. Sayonara.
Stucky, my mother drives a 1997 Buick Riviera. She bought it used. Her mechanic who does the maintenance told her she has a great car. She hasn’t had any major issues with it. It’s nice and roomy, so shouldn’t be a problem for a tall person like yourself. The Hondas and Toyotas may be too uncomfortable for you. You can check out the Rivieras and see what you think. I don’t know what other people have experienced with these cars, but my mother’s has served her well and she’s happy with it.
Oops. Saw this too late. Sorry. I owned one Riviera. Yes. It’s roomy and I liked it a lot. Buicks are great cars.
Jesus. I didn’t know. If I would’ve known you were so tall (didn’t say BIG), I would have never talked about a Fusion. And most here were recommending reliable sub compacts? That’s the proverbial ‘trying to stuff 10 lbs. of shit into a 5 lb. sack. Congrats on grabbing quality over economy w your decision.
-suds
The Malibu.
Seats are wide enough, barely. Head room sucks … have to decline the drivers seat at almost 45degrees, it seems.
Also, this is fuckin amazing.
The Carfax report was clean.
So, I sit in the car, and what’s the first thing I see? ALL the airbags have been deployed!!! Bags hanging out from the steering wheel, left and right side of dash, top and bottom! WTF???
So, the sales dude says it was a very minor accident that only required some touch-up to the bumper … no other body damage, and zero mechanical damage. Riiiight.
He says it should only cost about $1500 to fix. I ain’t no mechanic but this seems like bullshit. Pretty sure the dash and steering wheel need to be pulled. Lots of labor, right? Oh one more thing, the car wouldn’t start … not even with booster cables.
So, I made him an offer.
I thanked him for wasting my time … 35 miles south of me … and then I offered the dishonest SOBthe opportunity to suck my balls. Really. I was fucking livid!!
Did I say I wasn’t going to buy a car today?
I was wrong. We bought the MB E500. This one, right here.
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25 more pics here;
http://showroom.auction123.com/select_motor_cars_deer_park_new_york/inventory/6602/2005/WDBUF70JX5A667885.html?leadsource=Showroom|select_motor_cars_deer_park_new_york
Here are the details. I’m doing this because I told the phenomenal sales dude I would … hoping to send some referrals his way (I get no renumeration in doing so.) I’ll talk about the dealership in the next post.
The car.
— It is LITERALLY in showroom condition.
—– Not one single itsy bitsy ding or scratch anywhere to be found. Looked under the car. No rust. No grease or oil. No dirt. The inside is immaculate. It literally looks like it has NEVER been driven.
— One owner. From Oyster Bay, LI. Snowbirds. Spend half the year in Naples, Florida.
— Carfax report. 7 pages long! These retired people actually brought the car to a Mercedes dealership every 3 months, without fail for a maintenance check. All routine work … only non-routine item was some sensor. This engineering marvel has lots of sensors …. I’m fucked if Rocket Man sets off an EMP.
— Pretty loaded. Original sticker price … yeah, the previous owner saved everything …. $64, 245.
— Sales dude knocked off an additional $1000. Out the door price inc. taxes, reg, etc. …. $11,050.
— The ride? Never, ever, experienced anything like it. Soft leather seats, amazingly comfy, lots of leg, head, and hip room …. even more than my long gone Cadillac Brougham. Enormous trunk. Great power and torque. Couldn’t get it over 80mph cuz of traffic. But at 80, it felt like heaven. Quiet!! And the sound system … sounds like a Bose. More fucken electronic Gizmos than you can imagine. Many car rags call the E Class the very best of German engineering.
— The above link about car complaints …. “we don’t have many complaints about this car”. Indeed, there were just …. two. Minor ones, at that.
Sounds to me like you’ve already made up your mind.
If you mean I made up my mind BEFORE going there, you would be very very wrong.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have spent literally 20+ hours researching specific cars I was interested in … and then going to CarGurus.com carsdirect.com and ebaymotors.com looking for cars in a 100 mile radius. I would have only looked at MBs.
Cars I had on my list to actually look at; Mercedes Benz, Malibu, Lexus, Buick Lacrosse, Cadillac CTS, Hyundai Genesis, BMW 5, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Toyota Avalon.
I will admit I had a favorite … which I hoped would work out. The Mercedes. My dad has owned several, and I do love that car … it’s entire history.
Yeah, I was 90% hooked upon seeing it. Did I mention it’s in showroom condition? The test drive sealed the deal.
Good thing I made the on-the-spot decision. Only AFTER we gave the sales dude the down payment, did he tell me a former client was coming in on Sunday to purchase the car … sight unseen, and without test driving it. The dealership has that good of a reputation for selling ONLY pristine cars, both mechanically and body.
Stucky, you sound very happy with your purchase, and that’s all that matters. Hope it works out well for you.
Thanks VV!
I am not happy. I’m ecstatic.
Gotta admit big guy that now that I have seen the pics I’d pick the Benz as well.
Here’s hoping that it works out. I suppose you are following my advice after all by buying a car from an old Geezer…
Nice Ride!
Yep I’d pick that car. Just like women I have always been a sucker for good paint and fancy Headlights…
Good car for a roadtrip… once yer done at Scrabbels take a detour to Maritimes. I promise there will be no rain!
Mercedes Benz always remind me of Pensacola, when Alejandro and I would take my cousin’s old 82 Benz to the seaside for a bottle of sickeningly sweet wine in the sand. It was silver and we both felt very fancy in that car. We may or may not have always ACTED fancy in his car.
Congrats to you and the Mrs.
Snobby fuck. Where’s my Satanic Bible?
That’s how the .01 percent cruises.
Lol.
I went there wearing somewhat ratty looking jeans, scuffed work boots, a black hoody and three days beard growth.
Some one percenter! I looked like a bum.
You are a bum. Bible?
Did you get a mink wrap around and a big-brimmed white hat with that?
Correction …. I do NOT have the original sticker.
The sales dude ESTIMATED it based on the options.
He said he will call the factory to try to get it for me.
Perfect purchase Stucky!! I had a E420 I purchased in 2003, had the AMG Sport package. I drove it for 7 years and sold it to a relative, it now has 260,000 miles on it and still going.
That is how to buy a nice 12K car, let someone else take the hit on depreciation.
The Dealership.
1). They NEVER EVER purchase vehicles from an auction. All private owner, or corporate deals.
2). About 75% are one owner. Only about 5% are three owner, or more … and those are usually antique/classic cars.
3). They run Carfax on every vehicle … plus some other software which catches things Carfax does not. If there is ANY car damage, even a cheap $500 fender bender, they will not purchase the car.
4). They will not purchase a car if it had a paint job … even if it was a minor paint job to cover scratches.
5). They have a paint analyzer which they run on all cars …. it will detect any paint variations, no matter how expertly the paint is matched. Those cars with non matching paint are rejected no matter how nice they look.
6) They even check screws, nuts, and bolts looking for evidence (chipped paint) to see if the car might have issues not reported on Carfax.
7) In other words, they sell only pristine cars. The owner is fanatical about keeping customers happy. Will do just about anything within reason to make things right.
8) They do a bumper to bumper mechanical check. Anything that fails gets replaced.
9) website— http://selectmotorcar.net/selectmotors.nsf/Internet?Open
10) it’s no big deal buying from them no matter where you live. Let’s say you’re interested in a BMW 5 Series. Go to a local dealer to test drive it. If you like it, you’re good to go. I bought one car from Florida that way …. shipping it to MI was around $800 … but, I saved thousands, so it was worth it.
11). My sales dude was awesome. ZERO sales bullshit. Zero pressure. He knows he’s got a damned good product at a most reasonable price. Very few cars stay on site for more than 30 days. He doesn’t need YOU. So, he could be a prick. Yet, he’s anything but. Very nice and helpful. I even showed him my list of cars. Gave me tips on which ones could be problematic … and said some would be great choices.
12. His name is Scott Yaeger. Been there for 16 years. German guy … maybe that’s why we had such good and instant camaraderie. I asked him if he likes Yaegermeister. He loves it.
13. If you talk to him make sure you mention my name; Nick. If he doesn’t remember tell him. “the really tall dude who gave you a bottle of Yaegermeister” (I’m gonna give him a bottle to show my appreciation.)
Fuckin’ Krauts…
:~)
May as well go ‘tops’ on the gift if you appreciate the salesman that much.
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And for my next 100 comment Question of the Day: Should I shit Before or After Breakfast?
I already know the answer to that, too, but it should get some great comments! Thanks all you monkeys!
That would only get 10 – 15 responses.
Please leave 100+ QsOTD to professionals.
Dunno nuthin’ bout cars, Yaegermeister or Assault vehicles, but was lonely and wanted to join the ride to 200 posts.
Hope you are well and the car you choose runs like a raped ape.
I’ve added “raped ape” to TBP lexicography. In case you didn’t know, I self-identified as the TBP lexicographer last year some time. With no interim protests, the position is now mine until I abdicate.
Sorry for reviving this thread.
But, yesterday, I discovered that some people fill their tires with nitrogen. I just had to learn more about that. It’s interesting. Here, if you are interested.
“Clearing the Air About Nitrogen Tire Inflation”
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?gclid=CjwKCAiAhMLSBRBJEiwAlFrsTmQ3hBMxhvAX5tbVOKfKCqcZyvkmPnfd973ttwv_xxC7siOWc3f_IxoCkgYQAvD_BwE&techid=191&s_kwcid=AL!3756!3!231171456913!b!!g!!+nitrogen%20+in%20+tires&ef_id=WaGNRQAAAGbO9GdN:20180106145620:s
Stuck – nitrogen is a con. Go figure.
We almost fell for the nitrogen thing with our Tucson, but when I researched it on my phone I discovered the negatives and told the salesman No Way Jose’ we don’t want to have to find alternative places to get nitrogen in case of tire damage and we also don’t want to have to get the damn things from now until the car dies. (Although now that it is sitting here engine humming along but transmission and clutch kaput, I’m thinking there are worse things than nitrogen tires.)
Oh … I forgot to mention …. this BEAUTY was sitting about 6 cars down from the Benz …. the sales guy let me sit in it, and start it. I had a woody for more than four hours.
Very rare car. 1968 Olds 4-4-2 W30. Only 1 of 262 ever made. $70,000
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That would last until you had to drive it, hit the first patch of ice, and shit your pants. A load of excrement in your drawers will kill any erection, even Viagra induced, in a heartbeat. 1970s cars were shitboxes.
Never buy a paintjob, my old man taught me. That Olds is lovely, but in no way will it compare to the MB. It is fine for collecting, but driving is a horse of a different kettle of fish.
That is absolutely beautiful. I’m going to show it to my Nick and give him a four hour woody too. I’ll let you know details later.
“I had a woody for more than four hours”________Stucky
You should have called the “Head Nurse” to help you with that.
This is a really entertaining video at Ted Talks for word geeks.
Okay, edit… at the 8 minute mark she went full out fucking flakey, talking about how anyone can create new words by loving those words and made them real. Kookoo for Cocoa Puffs now…