I’m beginning the research process for a new/used vehicle. It needs to be the best value I can get that will last for at least the next 10 years. Currently looking at a small Honda SUV type, Honda has been our go to brand for the past 12 years and has served us well. But if you have other great reliable brand suggestions please comment on that as well. Again, would prefer small SUV type vehicle. In your opinion what used/new vehicle is the best value?( including the year of the used vehicle) What are your strategies for getting the best price from the salesperson?
Part 2: The 2010 Honda Insight we passed down to my son has 220,000 miles and its A/C just crapped out. Based on KBB and a few other car sites, its trade in value is about $2,000. With gas prices at $4.50 a gallon, it gets 45 mpg. If I were to sell it myself, I think we could get $4,000 to $5,000. Is it worth the hassle? Is there a best way to sell a used car on your own?
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Wait until the 3rd quarter of 2023. Huge wave of repos is coming. Like in 2008 Banks are moving subprime car debt, within triple A paper.
Stay away from CarJax, run by Jews, they offered me 400.00 and I got 2500.00 selling it myself. The fucking Jews love to fuck people over, it’s in their DNA.
Another TIP if you’re a greasy fucking Spic who can’t speak any English, don’t knock on peoples doors trying to ask to buy a car with your fucked up broken spic talk.
Did your daddy touch you in bad spots every day or just weekends?
What garbage can do you live in? I can only imagine there is some matching piece of shit in your life who thinks you are really intelligent. Maybe one day you’ll be promoted from assistant cum sweeper to lead cum sweeper, but I’m not so sure.
My advice?
No matter what, take any car you are considering to a trusted mechanic.
Worth every penny of what he charges.
If you like station wagons & Mercedes, I recommend Mercedes S211 (T-Model), 2006-2009 (no SBC brake), four cylinders, Diesel, no Airmatic (absolutely), < ~200K miles. Should be fine for another 200K miles. The less gimmicks the better. Ideal model = 220 CDI. There are still plenty repair shops who know this model and can repair it for a reasonable price.
Ideal for long distances.
I bought a 2022 Highlander, scumbags at dealership offered me 2500 for a 2014 Nissan Versa with 100K on it. Told him to go fuck himself and if it wasn’t for my wife, I would have walked out. Sold on FB for 5800 in 1 week. I think it was worth it.
Nothing personal against car dealers, they are shysters like so many others, casino types.
I did trade a Tacoma with a new car dealer’s used car section. I came within $500 what I could sell it myself so satisfied not taking the time. The dealer though offered me a horrible price so I just said if you want this deal, buying a nice used mini-van, I’ll take **** for the PU. He asked , “What am I going to do with it?”. I replied, “that’s your problem”.
Best time to plant a tree, or buy a car, was twenty+ years ago. Second best time to plant a tree is now.
S/car/ification is more individual than tattoos, say the scarfaces.
Sorry, but the car/t is in front of the horse now. Eric Peters writes a continuous rant about it.
This is the Honda I think Admin should consider:
I don’t think my wife would be able to get in it without a ladder.
It looks big and awesome, but can it even pull a utility tractor? How many cattle?
My SUV struggled with 8000lbs plus 16ft trailer, but it doesn’t claim to be that special and I just had to go 10 miles.
I tried pulling a ten thousand pound Kubota on a 3000 pound trailer (14,000 lb GVWR) the other day, with a Ram 1500.
Don’t ever do that.
Same setup pulls just fine with a Ram 2500 with a 6.7 Cummins Diesel. The Cummins is rated for 20,000 lb trailer capacity.
But no — we don’t go in for any of that lift crap around here. Kids do that. Men with real work to do don’t.
I’m OK with the lift and tires IF they have a purpose, other than compensating for a short dick.
But these mega lifted, coal rolling, never-seen-dirt things? No.
Chrome kings… vehicle never sees dirt get polished daily…
Was the 1500 EcoD or Hemi? Either way I think that’s too much for the 1500.
Hemi. It pulled just fine. Even braked okay with the trailer brakes. But the bumps — like rolling through an intersection — were beyond stressful. It would have been VERY easy to lose control and wipe out, and probably get run over by the tractor. Be lucky if I only killed myself.
I liked the Hemi. But I swapped her out for the 2500 Cummins that day, before I picked up the tractor. I didn’t even want to haul that girl across town to get her home with the 1500. Just so happens the Dodge dealer had a Cummins sitting there with my name on it.
Came back to pick up the tractor and the same fellas were like: What the hell did you do to the truck? Water it? IT GREW!!! One guy asked me how I got a new truck so fast. I said: This might be Texas, but I’m from New Jersey. I made em an offer!!!
Now I get to pay the diesel price, which in Texas isn’t as bad as it is everywhere else.
You running with the etorque or standard HEMI on that 1500? I can top out at 13500 all-in towing as long as it is not on highway. I would not generally go past 10,500 without etorque motor.
It was an etorque. It had a max towing capacity of 12,500. The total load put me 500 pounds over max. And it’s a tractor-loader-backhoe (M62) which is kind of a tall machine, so the center of gravity made the ride downright scary. Scared me so bad I impulse bought the 2500 Ram which, when I hauled the machine home later that day, just made me grin.
I mainly got the Rebel for off road, but it comes in handy as long as I dont over do it.
I have a 22 yo ford f150. It pulls like a champ and I will keep it til the wheels no longer turn. It doesn’t track me and I doubt it can be used against me boston brakes style. I can take it out to the pasture, load the cattle and drive off.
New cars with all the mandated crap stuck on them aren’t worth the hassle. If your ride is so bad that it’s nickel-diming you to death with repair costs then of course, look into new or newer wheels…
My Rebel hauls 11,000lbs trailer loads with no issues. That is with the 5.7L HEMI and 3.92 rear/tow package. 2500 and 3500 with 6.7L Cummins are pretty stout on the trailer loads at around 37,000lbs, but that pic is of the 6.4L HEMI gas and I have no idea as most folks in my area get the diesels on the 2500/3500s for the ranch/farm use.
I have no complaints on my Rebel towing so far.
ZFG, out.
I loved the Hemi. But I tried to pull 13,000 pounds with it, which I will be needing to do from now on periodically. The Hemi drove like a friggin Cadillac compared to the 2500, which drives like a TRUCK!!! Go figure.
My penis got smaller just looking at that.
That is innie level of compensation there.
Here. This should make your dick DISAPPEAR:
Enjoy.
Ahg! You bastard!
That is proof positive that there are way too many people with too much time on their hands and too much money to play with. Utterly useless toy.
Little boys.
Show me a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair behind the wheel of one of those things.
Never happen.
But they are fun to laugh at. And when they break down, one of us fellas with a real truck can come and give em a tow.
Not money. Credit. Too much credit.
“Since then, I’ve noticed that the settings of videos of black women engaging in weave-yanking brawls appear to have migrated more upscale from the old cliché of Chuck E. Cheese birthday parties to Spirit Airlines flights and Carnival Cruises.
I’m reminded of a story Tom Wolfe told about being invited onto a panel discussion at Princeton in 1965 with leftist intellectuals like Allen Ginsberg who went on and on about the Dark Night of Fascism Descending upon America. Wolfe, who had been reporting during that high point of American prosperity on stock car racers, surfers, kustom kar kulture, rock ’n’ roll producers, and demolition derbies, suddenly burst out: “My God, what are you talking about? We’re in the middle of a…Happiness Explosion!”
Likewise, over the past two years I’ve read countless articles about how blacks are cringing in dread of being gunned down at random by the police or having their hair brutally touched.
In reality, the anecdotes and the murder and road wreck data suggest we are in the middle of a black happiness explosion straight out of a Dave Chappelle skit about reparations day.
So…you’ve been warned.”
$75k truck with a $30k lift and it is utterly worthless for anything
but giving teenaged boys an erection. Try filling the bed with hay bales.
There isn’t enough Aleve in the world……
You should see his tow hitch. It’s got something like a four foot drop down to the ball. Brilliant engineering concept. For a hooplehead, that is.
I own a M35a2 Deuce and a half. Its not pretty, but would drag most trucks away regardless if they wanted to go with it or not. I dont have a clue how to post a pic of it.
this one costs even more than that one. But not if you bought back in those other days.
That’s just old-fashioned cool. I would drive that thing all day.
You can. I think that is a semi-production unit from a company;
https://www.legacyclassictrucks.com/p-34987-legacy-power-wagon-conversion.html
Saw a couple of videos on them and they are classic outside, modern inside amaze-mobiles.
Only $200k or so. 🙂
Mmmmmmm, P0werwagon
As for selling a car check local market sales #’s then just put on CL or another local selling space.
I do believe there will be soon a big drop in car prices and feel you want something newer to hold off another 6-12 months and feel you then will get a much better deal.
If you want a chip dependent vehicle today… you might see it parked more than on the road. Microchips made in Taiwan are having troubles making it to market…
Sold my f350 last year because it had frik’n sensors and chips everywhere. Had a battery drain, dealership took 2 days to figure out where it was coming from because sensors weren’t going to ‘sleep’ and it would change on a start and shut off. In the end it turned out to be the radio, which I never use. Will not buy a new vehicle… bought an older 95 f150, no sensors and an antitheft 5 speed are standard.
Funny thing is I sold my f350 for what I paid for it. I put some extras into it, drove it for two years, so I think I did ok. The buyer was a car lot in Spokane. When they put it on the lot they asked 20K more than they paid me and it was gone in two weeks… go figure… they have a buyer that is here every week picking up vehicles… mostly trucks.
I buy and sell through Kijiji and Craigslist.
I personally would buy nothing made after 2000. Too many ‘will go wrong eventually’ gadgets and way too complex engines. To me the sweet spot is 1996-2000. OBD2 makes diagnostics easy and the engines were fairly efficient and reliable but still simple enough to work on without $300k worth of tools. The new DI, VVT, turbo stuff is just going to be a very expensive problem down the line.
I would consider fixing the AC on the 2010 if that is all that is wrong with it. You have a vehicle you know. Anything you buy might have hidden issues.
Salesperson? I would never buy off a lot. Private sales only. But YMMV.
Also consider Bring-A-Trailer. https://bringatrailer.com/
Some crazy prices ($98k MGB) and some cheap deals. A good resto mod with a more modern engine might suit your needs and will probably appreciate rather than depreciate like a newer vehicle.
Good luck with your search.
I tend to agree with the sweet spot, but everything wears out and newer cars ARE more reliable in Some ways, and better gas MPG.. As far as smog, 1996 – 2000 USED to have relaxed OBD smog rules, but in California, they changed them in 2016 and those cars can have trouble passing now.
All vehicles have consumables. The older the vehicle the more has worn but if it was maintained properly most parts should be fine.
Better gas mileage has come at the cost of ridiculously complex engines and transmissions. Paying many dollars more now for 8 speed trans., VVT, turbo and DI, to get a few mpg more seems silly to me. Especially when the maintenance/replacement of the systems is going to cost plenty when off warranty. Hell, Ford added a port injection circuit to stop the DI problem of the intake valve carbon fouling. Two injection systems to maintain. $$$$$$$$
The big future problem I see coming is, no used cars. The cost to fix the new hyper-mileage tech is going to be far more than the 10-15y.o. cars are worth very quickly.
Smog rules can be a problem. Don’t live in California.
My Trooper was the best car I ever had.
It was built to drive any road on earth reliably.
You still see hundred of them in Africa on safari.
Completely replaced the Land Rovers.
I am regretting posting it. I am going to be bidding.
This one is a unicorn with the diesel and LHD.
Many years ago we had great success selling a truck using Autoloader. Did the transaction in a very public location. Be very careful when that much cash is involved.
Sorry, didn’t notice that autocorrect changed it from Auto Trader.
De TWELFF GAUGE AUTO LOADER…
Best to not show up for the transaction carrying an autoloader.
I do my transactions at the insurance company. Transfers papers are done there so the nice girl fills out all the paperwork while the cash changes hands in public with a witness.
Just be careful with large amounts of cash. Not for some mundane robbing you, but the police doing it.
My insurance company is in the same building as my bank so it is safe and easy for me when selling here.
Or do like I did when I sold my last motorcycle — have the potential buyer meet you at your bank — with ca$h …
It worked for me — and that was for an $18,000 motorcycle …
Stick with Honda or Toyota period, and NO dealers. My out of the box method, pick what you want and search on CL or FBmarket as many states wide as you’re willing to drive and wait. Hold out for as old as possible under 100k. There are people in situations galore and selling great things for reasons galore, but you have to be there first and ready to move. It will be clear from phone conversations who’s proud of how they took care of it and kept receipts and why they’re selling it.
For example I prepaid for and drove 100’s of miles for a van from pictures only from a RE Company in Oregon who had it parked at a hotel in Reno for their salespeople. Really was an older, lower priced, lo mi, pristine in and out score. But if local for sure have a mechanic check it out, you can also very likely find a local mechanic in the town 100’s of miles away to pay to go check it out for you, possibly be an money intermediary. I’ve made lots of odd things happen cuz I dared to ask (to CL ‘services’: “I need someone to pick up cremated ashes from…”) If you see their receipts and there’s high repetition of one place, call them to see if there’s anything major in their records.
Toyota dealer charged us $125 for PRE-Purchase inspection. When necessary repairs were taken care of they wrote off inspection fee. A dealer east of Phoenix, named after some famous racing dude.
> Honda or Toyota period, and NO dealers. Hold out for as old as possible under 100k [miles].
Exactly, I would only add “not completely ruined/messed up inside” (which becomes difficult to find over 10 years old), plus ideally “get one from a winter-/salt-free area, to avoid buying rust issues.”
But it should be noted, if you really know your way around cars, then some European models sold in large numbers 15 years ago are also feasible, as then most parts can be bought OEM instead of from the dealer. (I can recommend FCPeuro.) But I would avoid BMWs like the plague, as the models built over the last two decades have auto-fail rubber gaskets that need to be replaced every 10 years.
Whatever you do, this from my personal experience, I bought a used car through Vroom. Avoid Vroom period.
The TX AG is investigating them. Took them three months to send my license plate.
Carvana appears to be in the same sort of trouble in multiple states for very similar reasons.
Every car on the market is a Government mandated POS. FACT You just have to find the one that is not quite as shitty as the rest and hope for the best.
I moved to Ecuador when the Ayatollah Obama was reanointed in 2012 and haven’t owned a car since. I walk everyplace and if it’s raining hard I take a cab. I average a little over $10 monthly for transportation……and am in rather good shape. Imagine how much money I have saved in 10 years.
The big mistake? Not shipping that ayatollah mulatto off to ecuador …
It’s almost impossible to beat a Honda in reliability. I have a 2002 Honda that used to be my daily car before I bought the Tesla in 2017. The damn thing still runs and is the backup car. It still runs in spite of needing a ton of repairs, that I can’t even get done because my other family members keep needing to use it. It has 260k miles on it with original engine and transmission.
german diesel from before 1993 – i.e. with fully mechanical fuel injection. vw or mobenz.
Toyota is #1 in reliability and longevity.
I bought the last 4 cars from kids whose parent/s have either recently died or went in to a nursing facility.
I have been fortunate. I am in people’s homes all day and I can smell an estate sale situation. If there is a car on the premises, I ask the Realtor if it is for sale. Like I said, I’ve bought 4 cars that way. Most of the time the kids do not want to mess around with advertising the car and if a person has interest in paying anything near the real value, they want to sell immediately.
The last car I bought was a 2013 Toyota Camry with 49,0000 miles on it. I paid less than $12,000 for it and I see these cars routinely for sale on used car sites for $18,000 and in some cases even more. I pay cash and pay fast.
Another car I bought had 79,000 miles on it and I paid $500. It passed inspection and all it needed was a battery. The lady that died had no heirs. An attorney was handling her estate. I called him to inquire about the car. He said they already had plans to donate it for the tax write off. I told him he’d do the deceased better if he sold it to me for $500 which is better than the write off. He agreed and that’s how I got my daughter into her 2nd car.
Another car I bought, same way, was a 2006 Toyota Camry with 25,000 miles on it. I paid $2,400 for it. Gave it to my daughter who then totaled it about 6 months later. But we aren’t trying to rehash that story.
Toyota…I do not think you can go wrong.
2002 Toyota Camry, bought new and maintained, has a timing CHAIN instead of belt. Has 175,000 mile and runs great. I have a 1999 Subaru Forester, same thing.
Waiting for prices to come down on used trucks, I just want a beater so I can haul lumber and dirt.
Isn’t it the chain that has to be changed every 100K?
Probably not. Chains last forever. Change belts every 100k or less.
Not true. A 1976 VW Rabbit had a timing belt that never needed to be changed. Mercedes Baby-Benz around 1985 has a timing chain for which no official replacement schedule is given, but experts tell you to better replace it every 60k mls.
Modern Turbo-diesels (last two decades) have timing belts that need to be replaced less often than on such engines with timing chains. Plus you can find tons of BMW diesels 10-15 years old with blown engines because their timing chain broke.
But oddly they sell replacements.
https://www.carid.com/1976-volkswagen-rabbit-timing-belts/
So? And if you find someone selling a crankshaft for it, that also means that part needs to be replaced regularly??
(Our rabbit lived 12 years and 130k mls, before it rusted through completely, and we never had the timing belt changed.)
thats because when they break, it takes the valves with it, and sometimes a piston or head.
All of them? No manufacturer distinction or engine type? Just “Modern Turbo-diesels (last two decades)”?
But if you knew just a little more, you would know that it was not the chain that was the issue. It was the cam chain tensioners that caused the failures.
I didn’t know that (about the BMWs.) I was just telling my observation from the ad lists.
But if you knew just a little more, you would know that -generally speaking- timing belts actually better withstand pull force spikes than chains, compared to their design limits.
So you were just stating your unsubstantiated presumption as fact. Got it.
Same with,
And then this,
Because you just have to show you know fuck all again. Show your work.
Prove that “timing belts actually better withstand pull force spikes than chains” is not just more fabricated bullshit from you.
In the future, maybe you should just shut up when it comes to things you don’t know anything about. You will be called out on your bullshit a lot less often that way.
Why don’t you instead prove what I say is false? I have no duty to prove anything to dumbasses like you.
Go fuck yourself with a rusty timing chain.
So you are an idiot. He who makes the claim must back it. It is not up to me to disprove every bit of bullshit you post.
But of course, since what you posted was just bullshit, you can’t prove it. So you try to dodge when called out.
You made a counter-claim… prove it!
Confirming what I said.
You are full of shit.
Confirming you have only hot air.
Congratulations. You have moved you to #1 fuckwit on TBP, IMO.
Says the dipshit who has not the sack to back up his claims. You could show me up and prove that what you claim is true, if it was. Tough for you as what you said is bullshit and therefore all you can do is try to distract from and ignore your idiotic claims.
I eagerly await your next vapid comment as you again don’t address your bullshit claim.
Try harder to distract from the fact you cannot prove your counter-claim either.
I had read my information in a German speaking article somewhere, some years ago. It was from some engine builder (“Maschinenbauer”) who showed in his article he knows a lot about combustion engines and turbo-diesels specifically. His claim that I restated here is clearly counter-intuitive, that’s also why I memorized it.
Tried to dig it out again, as I hadn’t saved it as I didn’t expect it to become a question of life-or-death to some dipshit bigmouth, but couldn’t find it again.
Now please go fuck yourself.
So we have your word. Which has been shown to be worthless already.
Yup, you are a fuckwit. #1 fuckwit.
Not a question of life or death, a question of whether you can back your statements. You haven’t.
But your word is as good as gold, rrright?
Go ahead, back your counter-statements.
The 4.7L V8 Toyota Tudras before the bigger 5.7L engine models have a timing belt. I don’t know about V6 models.
I had a Tacoma with a timing chain so when buying a used Tundra w/50k miles I never thought about a belt.
No issues with the belt but the Tundra had 180,000 miles before a mechanic asked if I had changed the belt. Kind of a shock, uh what belt? Got ‘er done right then. Pricey maintenance cost. Toyota recommends 75K timing belt change for that PU.
It’s been another 100k+ miles but probably worth the cost as I expect the thing to possibly outlive me driving about 3-4k/yr in it. Very well maintained mechanically with fading body paint and worn leather seat on drivers side. My farm truck.
Never trust the dealer to tell the truth about the chain vs belt in his cars; the dealer always swears it’s a chain.
Agree 100%
If you can find one, a mid-80s 300D w/ <200K is recommended. Mine went 250K, no problems, until a drunk crashed into it while parked in my daughter's driveway. 28 mpg, burned 1 qt every 3,000 mi.
And they run on vegetable oil well.
the old panzers were the absolute pinnacle of cars, totally!
i had two 240D’s over the years. one was pretty rusted but was the winter beater, the other was in nicer shape. the old iron head mb diesel engines (the 636, 616, 617) are indestructible. sold them when i moved to another country, ever since i wished i’d have brought one with me. been driving mk1 and mk2 vw golf diesels since then.
the old vw’s get 50 mpg compared to the 25-28 the panzer will get, but the panzers were way more solid. the golf is still holding up though , pretty well given the abuse it takes!
I still have a 1986 Golf Diesel NA. Parked now (rot) but I drove it like I stole it from 300k miles to 500k with no repairs to engine at all. Just oil, filters and coolant changes. Never less than 50mpg. Truly awesome engines. Planning on pulling mine and making a genset.
My current auto is an ’07 VW Rabbit — bottom line model — and I’ve had only 1 issue with a sensor burning out — and, within the past year, replaced disc pads front and rear … at 120K miles.
Previous auto was an ’86 VW Golf — again, bottom line model — bought it in ’00 when it had 262K on it … almost all highway miles. At about 280K replaced the water pump — the original had failed — and about 288K replaced the alternator — also original — plus, within the next 6 years and 65K miles, replaced the CV joints once (I was replacing the 1st and only replacements on those) …
One rule is NEVER buy the first year of a new model. The next year of production after the fixes will be better 100% of the time. Maybe even wait until year 2 or 3 and check reliability stats that are actually in place by then. I screwed up that one and bought a 2013 Ford Focus and the duel clutch racing type tranny was never perfected and the demand from class action etc took forever to “fix”. Actually fix one component at a time until they caved and installed a new complete clutch system 3 years later that only kind of sort of fixed the issue.
Next rule, NEVER go shopping for a car when you really need one.
I suggest preparing that offer based on how much less the average car is sold for (easily found on-line), start below that, and never offer above that number. I suggest “I’m leaving now because you are being unreasonable, and I’m going to speak to the sales manager and explain you COULD have sold a car for this price, but didn’t and now my offer is $100 less every 5 minutes from now until I’m done and leave here.”
Something like that.
I happen to also own a 1998 Nissan Frontier, the most reliable small Nissan truck ever made, but how could I have known that when I bought it new?
Maintain what you have, prices will come down. Same goes for real estate.
You’re assuming TPTB will allow the ‘supply chain’ issues to get fixed — especially the one regarding the computer chips in ICE autos … which isn’t all that likely given the ‘climate’ we’re in for the foreseeable future (absent an all-out armed rebellion throughout the Western World) …
More than likely people needing money desperately and so they sell off assets, cheap. Been in that position once. When food or rent is needed and you have no income… toys go first, then assets after that… All these expensive vehicles will go for peanuts, especially the fuel hogs.
Anthony- The fairground property here in our county has been filled with thousands of brand new Ford pickup trucks for months on end, There are only a handful on the dealer lots. Same down in Nashvegas, thousands of brand new vehicles parked in out of the way places, while you will find only a handful on dealer lots. It’s a C-O-N-spiracy bud.
Still waiting for chips? They were parking vehicles all over the place that still needed a chip so could not be sold.
In 91 I was at a double birthday keg party for the sales manager and a salesman who worked at the same dealership.
Listening to seven or eight drunken car salesmen for four or five hours top one another on some of the sucker stories of those who wandered in, who did not know the tactics of the car salesmen’s ‘GRIND’ did not surprise me, as one of the life lesson’s my Father drilled me on was how to buy a car without out getting skinned by the professional skinners.
One of my favorite stories about my Father happened in the late 70’s. He had bought a new GM crap car (he would only buy American) and it had a parade of warranty repair problems, but the worse chronic problem was a windshield that kept leaking during rain storms.
After he had brought the car in six or seven times…all the issues were finally fixed except for the windshield. It still leaked!
When he brought it back yet another time he was at the end of his patience and got in a heated argument with the salesman over the windshield still leaking…he was eventually ushered into the Manager’s expansive office at his demanding insistence.
Once there he said the Head Skinner was sitting behind a huge desk smoking a cigarette and started to feed my Dad a condescending line of what my Dad termed as: “Pure Bullshit”.
My Dad (short, muscular, Popeye forearms with two WW2 Navy tats on each one) stood up and went to the edge of the Silk Suited Manager’s desk, leaned over and picked up a large glass astray the manager had been flicking ash into, it was almost overflowing with cigarette butts, he quickly turned it upside down right in front of the Manager and growled through clenched teeth:
“When I come back Slick…if my windshield is still leaking…I’m coming directly back in here for you.”
My Dad said they just stared at one another for a long time (The first one that talks loses).
The Managers softly said: “I’ll personally see that it is fixed.”
And it was.
Every time we were in that car and it rained my Dad would point at the windshield, grin, and say:
“Look…not a fucking drop”.
Windshields don’t get old in turkey country.
Become REALLY, REALLY good buddies with the owner/mechanic of a local independent auto repair shop. Find a local independent dealer who buys at your “local” auto auction (Mannheim, etc.). Decide on the type/model used vehicle you want (remember to check with your mechanic re parts availability and prices). Preview auctions for that type vehicle with your mechanic. When you locate a couple of possibilities engage your dealer to bid for you. Compensate your “service providers” generously for their time and expertise. Enjoy your “new” vehicle.
repair, dont replace is a start. My daughter’s Honda transmission went out. 6K to replace it with a 3 year warranty……..cant make a car payment that cheap. the engine will definitely last 3 more years too. Honda makes the best engine on the market….but the Odyssey transmissions have issues. If im on the market for another vehicle, I buy from a private party and do a thorough inspection of the drive train. If you’re not skilled enough, take it to a repair shop (not at a dealer) for a inspection. Brakes, air conditioning, cooling system, charging etc are all within my skill level, but if it wasn’t, its still cheaper to pay to repair, than buy from a car lot that could possibly have the same issues.
forgot to mention, always research potential car problems that are expensive to fix. Example, my 2002 S10 heater core (40$ part) is BURIED in the dash. a good mechanic can change it in 6-8 hours. Heater cores average 20 years life span. ECM on most vehicles are only supported (able to buy a new one) for 20 years, then its all about having to buy a “rebuilt” one if yours takes a shit. So look at the specific car forums on line before buying a car/truck that has known expensive issues. Good luck………….stay the fuck away from dealers/stealers.
I have quite a few. But I’ll give you one. If it’s an automatic transmission,and most are nowadays. Check the tranny fluid, make sure it’s clean. But then put your thump and fore finger on the dip.stick.and physically fell.the fluid to make sure that it doesn’t have any metal.shavings in it. Your tactile sense is the best way to test if the transmission is going bad. But make sure you wipe your fingers and clean your hands after.
One more. Check to see if the car has had any recalls. If the owner hasn’t, and the car has some issue you could point it out. And negotiate a lower price.
No need to mention that the manufacturer will pay to fix it.
Good stuff.
Sniff tests too. Pull the dipsticks and sniff them. If you smell gasoline in the oil, bad. If the trans fluid smells burnt, bad.
Check the brake fluid too. One vehicle I bought had what looked like chocolate milk for fluid. 150k miles and I think it was original. Changed it and everything seems fine.
Check the coolant overflow. Run your finger inside. If there is any grey/brown oilyness, beware. Could be a head gasket starting to go.
I think if you have to buy, buy new. YOY new cars up 19% used cars are up 47% I found it comical that I paid 44K for a 22 Highlander and could have sold it for 48K. I agree with buying Toyota, or Honda. They don’t have all the fancy gadgets some of the others have, but I own a car to take my fat ass to point A to B, not for a giant IPAD. I owned 3 Nissan Versas and had good luck with them, but I was just lucky.
Cheap to own and operate, but they are a French company and other than wine and cheese I ain’t buying anything from the French. Lots of good vids on youtube concerning the coming madness in the car market. What is done in haste, regret in leisure. The one phrase I have drilled into my children and grandchildren. I tell them, if you remember one thing I ever told you, remember that. It will save you soooo much heartache….
Now is a terrible time to be trying to buy a vehicle. There is a shortage of new vehicles due to chip shortage and the price of used is out of sight. A recession should put a lot of used vehicles on the market shortly.
I’m hoping for a home glut when the bodies start really puling up too.
A serious recession will happen before the bodies pile up. Initially, I expect Blackrock to buy up many of the foreclosures.
Have been extremely happy with my Toyota 4-Runner. Planning to keep it at least 10 years – I know it will last. Used an auto-broker. Very easy, no hassle, no haggle. Will not use a salesman again based on such a good experience with the broker.
Get the A/C fixed if you can. It’s usually just a seal or a gasket, and even if it is the compressor, it pencils out if that is the only thing wrong. Or you can get the recharge kit for $20 and just add refrigerant each spring. I’ve been doing that with my 2005 Jeep for the last 3 yrs. I’m a firm believer in buying new, maintaining as if the thing were a queen and driving till it really doesn’t pencil anymore.
If you really want to replace the vehicle wait 12-18 months for repos to pile up on car lots. ALL prices, new/used should come down by then. Cash is and will be king.
First get the dealer to give you a written quote for the final price of the car. Explain it must include all charges. Then start negotiating. Don’t say you will pay cash until right at the end, if they ask say you don’t know how you will pay. Dealers never want to discuss the actual price of the car and they usually make more money from the finance than the sale.
19 year old 1 ton diesel 4×4 55k miles 21 mpg no emissions junk will tow anything and has nice comfy crew cab leather seats but crank windows and manual locks. Mint condition get offers to buy it weekly. Duramax I’ll keep forever.
Pick what you are looking for and a price you will pay then be patient and willing to travel. I had to go out of state on a 4hr trip each way but it was worth it. One thing I learned is some states have mandatory warranty on used cars under a certain age.
I found the Autolist app on my phone to work very well. It searches all the car sites and notifies you when something is posted that meets your specs.
Only “thinking” about a used car. Plenty of time to look.
Right now maybe a Ford Focus. There are any number of reviews good and bad. KBB gives a plus. Probably want a car no older than 7 yrs and even the Focus that age is freaking ridiculous at least browsing internet prices.
I’ve never owned a Honda. Have owned several Toyotas , PUs and a Camry ( nice car). Other than that some Ford PUs and a Van. A new used vehicle will be a backup car mostly with 24 rt miles to town once or twice a week.
My first thought is to go with a Toyota Corolla I know a few people who’ve had them for a long long time…a decade or so.
Hey admin. Is your grease monkey good at fixing Hondas? If so buy a Honda. Is he a ford guy? Buy a ford? I was a GM tech so I buy GM. If I can’t or don’t want to fix it, I know someone who will! Look at any dealership and they have a shop! All this shit breaks. ALL OF IT! Do you have a mechanic (grease monkey) you trust? Then go with what he’s best at fixing.
Keep what you have and fix the A.C..
If you have lots of time, peruse the vehicle reviews on FarmShow magazine..
Based on the comments and this article showing why this is the worst time in history to buy a car, I’m deferring a purchase for a year or so.
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/flood-repossessed-vehicles-poised-hit-used-car-market