Any new cars/SUVs under $30K worth getting?
- Thread starter Quattro Pete
- Start date
Thanks.
Around here, $15K doesn't get you much... Mirage, Fiesta, Spark, or Sentra. Otherwise, ton of miles and little to no warranty left.
Car parts die of old age too. That's why a 1993 Ford Taurus, even with low mileage is only worth slightly less than $4000, and that's in this market. A year from now if the market normalizes that same car will probably be worth $1000 - $1500
For most non DIY types, a 20+ year old vehicle is something that they won't even consider, without regard to the mileage.
Yet people think nothing about spending $1,000 on replacing the head gaskets on a $300 Explorer of similar vintage. Go figure.
I'm thinking that's a DIY job, and if not the car gets junked. Not everybody is handy like us and thinks like us.Yet people think nothing about spending $1,000 on replacing the head gaskets on a $300 Explorer of similar vintage. Go figure.
Many of the CUVs/SUVs have giant wheels as well, so it really isn't an advantage. In fact it might be worse since the wheels cost a lot more. I still think a GTI is probably the best replacement.
True, but at least there are some. Crosstrek Sport for example comes with 225/60/17 tires. Looks like it might be the most rugged option to handle winter beater/DD duty, alas, it's a pretty old design, old tech. But maybe that's good...
Finding a GTI these days is quite a challenge, wheel/tire issue aside.
I'm also looking at Taos, but I'm seeing lots of complaints of jerky DSG trans, and of course it's not going to be anywhere as fun as a GTI. But I do like the extra interior space and more ground clearance.
Read the whole thread and I'm going to piggyback a little bit.
Have a 12 year old Navigator I'd probably replace under the right circumstances, which incidentally are pretty close to yours. Under $30K and new. There's just always something wrong with the Navigator, usually multiple things wrong with it. I'm at the point I'd rather take it to someone else to work on, but the cost is daunting. Right now, it needs something with the ABS system (ABS pump is $600), the back glass release won't lock (who knows how much $), and the passenger front door actuator has gone (cheap to DIY but a messy pain with the glue and taking everything apart and so forth). Also needs brakes and a transmission flush, it's been 2 years since the last flush. I'm suspecting the master cylinder is going bad also ($200 plus my time), braking force seems unusually high and the brakes have been flushed and bled previously. The fuel economy is of course terrible, but what else is new. My wife would be thrilled if I got rid of it, she hates losing family time to garage time.
I love the room and the commanding view of the road but constantly replacing parts is getting a little tiresome. It's really kind of turning into a basket case with the work it needs. I need to take a week off of work just to get it where it needs to be, I think. I do have over 300 hours of vacation time banked so I think that's the one thing that's probably in favor of keeping it.
I think out of all the options listed so far for new, I'd probably choose the Passat SE at $26K, but my motivations are different than yours. For one I'm 6'7" and biased towards most legroom, and live in Texas and drive on pavement only so don't really care worry about ground clearance or going out of my way to protect the rims, the rims will look like new after 5 years as long as the sun doesn't make the painted portions fade.
A lot of the small SUV/CUV aren't really that great on legroom in my experience, however, I'm happy to be proven wrong by a model I haven't tried. The big CUVs that are comfortable don't meet the price range.
Unlike you, I would probably consider a 2-3 year old model for under $20K but only if it lived in the South or other non-snow location it's whole life. People generally like West Coast cars but for me it's a no if it's been to the Sierra/Cascades and has a bunch of rock chips from the pea gravel they use for traction out on the Left coast.
Have a 12 year old Navigator I'd probably replace under the right circumstances, which incidentally are pretty close to yours. Under $30K and new. There's just always something wrong with the Navigator, usually multiple things wrong with it. I'm at the point I'd rather take it to someone else to work on, but the cost is daunting. Right now, it needs something with the ABS system (ABS pump is $600), the back glass release won't lock (who knows how much $), and the passenger front door actuator has gone (cheap to DIY but a messy pain with the glue and taking everything apart and so forth). Also needs brakes and a transmission flush, it's been 2 years since the last flush. I'm suspecting the master cylinder is going bad also ($200 plus my time), braking force seems unusually high and the brakes have been flushed and bled previously. The fuel economy is of course terrible, but what else is new. My wife would be thrilled if I got rid of it, she hates losing family time to garage time.
I love the room and the commanding view of the road but constantly replacing parts is getting a little tiresome. It's really kind of turning into a basket case with the work it needs. I need to take a week off of work just to get it where it needs to be, I think. I do have over 300 hours of vacation time banked so I think that's the one thing that's probably in favor of keeping it.
I think out of all the options listed so far for new, I'd probably choose the Passat SE at $26K, but my motivations are different than yours. For one I'm 6'7" and biased towards most legroom, and live in Texas and drive on pavement only so don't really care worry about ground clearance or going out of my way to protect the rims, the rims will look like new after 5 years as long as the sun doesn't make the painted portions fade.
A lot of the small SUV/CUV aren't really that great on legroom in my experience, however, I'm happy to be proven wrong by a model I haven't tried. The big CUVs that are comfortable don't meet the price range.
Unlike you, I would probably consider a 2-3 year old model for under $20K but only if it lived in the South or other non-snow location it's whole life. People generally like West Coast cars but for me it's a no if it's been to the Sierra/Cascades and has a bunch of rock chips from the pea gravel they use for traction out on the Left coast.
I'm not ruling it out, but the closest new one to me is 1,200 miles away.
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Yeah, but cars normally come with low profile tires which are more prone to pothole damage. I don't see that so much on CUV's/SUV's.
It depends on the options for that particular vehicle, but the local mom and pop tire shop guy had a lot to say about all the bent/cracked wheels he replaces on newer trucks and SUVs, some of them at over $1000 a pop. When I was there getting my tires mounted on the BMW he had a newer Grand Cherokee with a cracked 20" wheel. Why a Grand Cherokee needs a 20" wheel is beyond me, it probably rides like garbage too. I can notice a big difference on my car just switching between my 225/45R17 summer tires and my 205/55R16 winters both in ride and the weight of the wheels.
Whoops a doodle. That's my bad.
I would like to apologize to anyone I have offended.
I'd spend the extra $$$ and get the turbo version, but the OP didn't say it had to be fun...
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Deleted
Gti is probably about the safest bet however getting one and at a reasonable price will be the hard part.
