Car died - getting a new (used) one!

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Svenman87 United States. Jul 31 2013 21:48. Posts 4636

Ha well some of you may recall a blog i posted last year about getting a brand new car that was quite sporty ( http://www.liquidpoker.net/blog/viewblog.php?id=1056440 ) after more deliberation and some insight from fellow LP'ers I decided to hold off on buying a new "fancy" car and stick with the one I have until it dies which I'll replace it with another used reliable auto. ( http://www.liquidpoker.net/blog/viewblog.php?id=1057641 )

The car that FINALLY died (tranny went) was quite the car. She was a 1994 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale - aka the boat on wheels. Bought the car when I was 15 for 2500 off of a family friend when it only had 40,000 (old guy lived in florida - basically took it to get groceries and that was it). After years of a few hundred bucks here and there it has finally gotten to the point of the repair is worth more than the car, not to mention I was having more and more issues every 10,000 miles or so - made it up to ~167,500 miles which is okay in my books.

Cars I'm currently looking at is low mileage 2007-2012 affordable midsize cars with decent gas mileage - things like the Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord in the price range of up to 18k - the only option I'd love to have again (havent had it in about 5 years with my current car) is A/C!

I was looking at hybrid's but the pricing and resale value is still pretty bad to where there's a good chance I don't make up the difference in price vs the gas mileage savings during the lifetime of the car. Not to mention the batteries would need replacing once or twice which is an extra 2k into the hybrid's cost people don't think about.

I'll keep you all informed on what my 'baller' ass gets. Depending on financing options I may just attempt to pay cash, but if there's a sweet deal with a low apr that will help me increase my credit score even more I might do that as well.

If you guys have any other options for potential cars I should be looking into as well please let me know ^_^

Take care LP

Also last weekend went to the cabin and Bagels had a great time, so much so he needed to take about 50 naps in between running around everywhere and playing with some other dogs.

0 votes

Last edit: 31/07/2013 22:02

thewh00sel This user is a quality poster

United States. Aug 01 2013 00:16. Posts 2734

Same article I linked last time: Top ten cars for smart people - Mr. Money Mustache Most of the cars are more the "small" category than the midsized. I own a 2009 Honda Fit myself which I really like and is ranked at the top in consumer reports in terms of reliability. Paid close to 14k after taxes for it a year and a half ago from a dealer with ~40k miles I think. Could probably find a better deal now a year later, or via craigslist or whatever. The car has a lot of cargo space and is a rewarding car to drive in manual as far as economy cars go. Also been getting 37MPG since I started tracking fillups .
If I were choosing from the cars on your list I'd probably go Camry just bc in terms of cars 10 years and older I believe there are more camrys than any other car on the road.

A government is the most dangerous threat to man’s rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims. - Ayn Rand

GoTuNk Chile. Aug 01 2013 02:20. Posts 2860

Prolly not best for you, but this is the most awesome car I've owned. It's carried up to 1.5 tons from city to city at 140km/h without problems, has been crashed from multiple directions and still has better gas/mileage than my parents mazda 3. Its the diesel version.

I call it Marius

Last edit: 01/08/2013 02:29

Svenman87 United States. Aug 01 2013 08:29. Posts 4636

I wouldn't mind a small car, but it's tough to have a small car in Minnesota without some good snow tires and roads that aren't always plowed near where you live

re-read the Mr Money Mustache blog as well, and I think I'm taking some key points from him, the cars I'm potentially looking at all have good mpg as well as they're relatively cheap a few years old.

Although I've also been looking at like old Honda's and Toyota's as well - toss 5k down and have a car with 100k miles that are known to last until 250k+

The72o Zimbabwe. Aug 01 2013 12:00. Posts 6112

Ford Fusion?;O
My friend who owns car-rent company had few fusions and he said it was the worst car ever lol. Focus>>>>Fusion

A Hard Way to Make an Easy Living

thewh00sel This user is a quality poster

United States. Aug 02 2013 02:10. Posts 2734

The 07-09 suziki sx4 sounds like a good fit for what you're looking for. It has 4wd and is lightweight with good MPG for a 4wd vehicle (24/30). And is on the top 10 list in the article. Also Subaru Outbacks will go forever, have 4wd and are a blast to drive.

A government is the most dangerous threat to man’s rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims. - Ayn Rand

goose58 United States. Aug 03 2013 14:09. Posts 871

A few things I can add:

-Black cars have higher resale values. If you plan on reselling in the future.
-ALWAYS get a used car checked out by an independent mechanic; obvious but important.
-When making an offer on a car, find any flaws in the vehicle and voice them out loud. This will help when you are negotiating.
-Check online for common problems for the car you are looking at. For example, some cars have higher % of having transmission failures, etc.