Hypothetical Vehicle Purchase

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Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by spasm3
Silverado with LS v-8. Might pay a bit more to buy, but easy to work on, pretty reliable, lots of parts, easy to work on. AND resale is higher than most vehicles when you are done with it, even with high miles, they sell.


I second this. But maybe something like a trailblazer if you don't want a truck. Absolutely bulletproof engine, transmissions aren't bad as long as you don't abuse them. Parts galore and cheap. Decent fuel economy for a v8.

I miss our truck....


I work a lot of GMT360 Trailblazers & Envoy's.....Get a Tahoe or a Yukon if you're set on a SUV! Just about everything on a GMT360 is tougher to work on than a fullsize GMT800/GMT900. Not to mention chassis electrical problems associated with the GMT360.
 
Originally Posted by parshisa
Honda civic


Agarb, I think you forgot to ask one of the most important questions, arguable even #1: cost to insure. This is where the Honda Civic falls down- it has one of the highest theft and accident statistics of any car. Small, cheap cars are proportionally more expensive to insure, and the younger the driver the worse it gets. State Farm used to publish a book on accident risk ratios of various cars, and the Civic, Dodge Neon, Chevy Cobalt were at the very high end of costs relative to value. I myself have a Saturn Ion Redline, which is very similar to the Chevy Cobalt SS. However the Cobalt was typically 50-100% more expensive to insure.

You mentioned a new driver, so my advice is to factor insurance into your equation.
 
Originally Posted by agarb
Let's assume you want to purchase a 5-10 year old vehicle for a new driver within the following parameters:

1. Lowest total cost of ownership.

2. High availability of aftermarket and repair parts from junk yards.

3. Ease of maintenance and repair. Especially for somebody that doesn't have a professional shop and full line of specialty tools but who tries to do as much work as possible themselves. (For instance, I routinely do brake and suspension work, also replaced a Hyundai beta timing belt and swapped a manual tranny in a Ford Focus.)

4. A good online source of information (forums, etc.) that can be used to research various maintenance and repair tasks the may arise over the remaining life of the vehicle.

5. Above average reliability.

6. Creature comforts and "fun-to-drive" are not considerations.


Somewhere high on this list should be the car's safety rating, important for a new driver.
 
Originally Posted by AZjeff
Originally Posted by agarb
Let's assume you want to purchase a 5-10 year old vehicle for a new driver within the following parameters:

1. Lowest total cost of ownership.

2. High availability of aftermarket and repair parts from junk yards.

3. Ease of maintenance and repair. Especially for somebody that doesn't have a professional shop and full line of specialty tools but who tries to do as much work as possible themselves. (For instance, I routinely do brake and suspension work, also replaced a Hyundai beta timing belt and swapped a manual tranny in a Ford Focus.)

4. A good online source of information (forums, etc.) that can be used to research various maintenance and repair tasks the may arise over the remaining life of the vehicle.

5. Above average reliability.

6. Creature comforts and "fun-to-drive" are not considerations.


Somewhere high on this list should be the car's safety rating, important for a new driver.

Piggy-backing on this:
-all around visibility
-safety
-local cost to insure

-Ford Fusion
-Kia Soul
-low on the most steal list
-mid-size sedan or CUV (safety for a new driver)
 
Toyota Corolla. That is the lowest cost of ownership when you consider reliability, replacement parts, INSURANCE COST, fuel economy and yes, depreciation. If you are looking at low cost of ownership should not be looking at a V8 anything. Corolla are very easy to work on too. It also has a timing chain so no scheduled maintenance in that area. Plenty of room under the hood.

As for Tacoma frames rusting, there was a Toyota recall on affected vehicles, and either the entire frame was replaced, or if there was just light surface rust it was sandblasted and Toyota did it complete inside- and outside the frame rustproofing. I had my Tundra done by Toyota when the car was already 9 years old after I bought it used. Now 7 years later and there is not a bit of rust on the frame. You are better off to get one that was recalled than to get one that was not recalled.
 
Ford Fusion. If it's been well maintained all you should need to replace is a few interior door handles as they are a weak point.

I would avoid the Chevy Trailblazer. Most of those I ran through the shop for used vehicle conditioning ended up being wholesaled due to the cost to repair numerous electrical issues.
 
5-speed Mk3 or newer Ford Focus. Parts share between the escape/fiesta and the garbage DCT made all focus' resale value plummet so you can find a good condition one on the cheap. The 2.0L engine and 5-speed MTX75 has been out forever too.
 
Get on cargurus.com and start searching . Last 3 cars we have purchased have been located on the internet . Last one was about 2 years ago . 2006 Buick Lacrosse 36,000 miles $ 6,250 out the door , in great shape . Was local . But the previous two were ~ 125 miles away .

Love the Buick . Purchased it for a road car , to visit family , out of town . Comfortable , good ride , sufficient interior room , decent gas mileage . ( on trips , we often spend more money on meals than gas . )

At our age , if we have to purchase another car , will defiantly shop for another Buick . Or a Ford or another GM vehicle . No " foreign " vehicles .
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
2006-10 Hyundai Sonata 4 cylinder.
1. $2-3K
2. plenty of wrecked ones in the junkyard
4. Paper FSM on Ebay occasionally
5. Sold a 2006 with 292,000 miles and running great


Yes, also the Kia Optima of the same Genre.

In fact, you can even go a few years newer than that ^^ and still get Excellent condition ones for a very good price.
 
As far as reliability goes, you can't go wrong with Toyota, but you can buy an American car that's just as good without paying the "Toyota tax." But one nice thing about Toyota is...
Originally Posted by agarb
3. Ease of maintenance and repair. Especially for somebody that doesn't have a professional shop and full line of specialty tools but who tries to do as much work as possible themselves. (For instance, I routinely do brake and suspension work, also replaced a Hyundai beta timing belt and swapped a manual tranny in a Ford Focus.)

4. A good online source of information (forums, etc.) that can be used to research various maintenance and repair tasks the may arise over the remaining life of the vehicle.

...the easy access to factory service information. You can buy a 2-day subscription to TechStream for $20, which gives you all of the factory service info, repair procedures, TSBs, every wiring diagram for the car, etc.
 
I don't think there is any such thing as a Toyota tax. Used cars sold by individuals or dealers have a certain price. Trade in your Ford at a dealer and see what they offer for it, or heaven forbid total your used Ford in a collision and see what the insurance company writes you a check for.
 
Originally Posted by wdn
I don't think there is any such thing as a Toyota tax. Used cars sold by individuals or dealers have a certain price. Trade in your Ford at a dealer and see what they offer for it, or heaven forbid total your used Ford in a collision and see what the insurance company writes you a check for.


That right there is toyota tax.
 
Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Get on cargurus.com and start searching . Last 3 cars we have purchased have been located on the internet . Last one was about 2 years ago . 2006 Buick Lacrosse 36,000 miles $ 6,250 out the door , in great shape . Was local . But the previous two were ~ 125 miles away .

Love the Buick . Purchased it for a road car , to visit family , out of town . Comfortable , good ride , sufficient interior room , decent gas mileage . ( on trips , we often spend more money on meals than gas . )

At our age , if we have to purchase another car , will defiantly shop for another Buick . Or a Ford or another GM vehicle . No " foreign " vehicles .

The only problem with this is no young kid wants to be seen in a Buick
banana2.gif
 
How is the going price on the free market a Toyota tax? Cars are worth what they are worth and no more, just like an ounce of gold is worth more than an ounce of silver.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
But which is heavier? An ounce of gold or an ounce of feathers?


Double trick question. An ounce of gold is heavier.

That's because feathers are weighed in normal (avoirdupois) ounces of 28.35 grams per ounce. Gold and other precious metals are weighed in Troy ounces, 31.1 grams per ounce.

Now, if you said a Troy ounce of feathers and a Troy ounce of gold, they would be the same weight.
 
Originally Posted by wdn
Cars are worth what they are worth and no more....

The general rule is when I'm buying, things are worth a lot. When I'm selling they aren't worth much. Doesn't matter what - the same rule applies.
 
Surprised at all the Toyota love. Had to make sure I was still on BITOG.
 
For a new driver:

-cheap
-safe
-easy to drive


Statistics say they will wreck it. I vote an older Honda Accord with the 2.4L or a Camry.
 
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