Would this be a wise decision?

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Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
any car loan is a bad investment


Maybe so, but some people don't have the luxury of paying cash.

If I don't have the cash, then I don't buy it. Instead, I keep driving what I have until I do have save up the cash. It's really not that hard to do. It just takes some self discipline. You can do it.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
any car loan is a bad investment


Maybe so, but some people don't have the luxury of paying cash.

If I don't have the cash, then I don't buy it. Instead, I keep driving what I have until I do have save up the cash. It's really not that hard to do. It just takes some self discipline. You can do it.
smile.gif



Thanks for the advice.
 
I find it funny everybody comes out of the woodwork when someone mentions buying a VW. True there are some bad apples in the bunch, but it's just like any other make nowadays. Would I advise you trading the Honda for a VW... nope. The newer generation is bloated and uninspiring, not even fun to drive, unlike my MK5 which is a unique character on its own. Far as trouble free service, that's a good question on a VW. It is the 2.5, so there is not much to go wrong. Had mine for 2 years and nothing but oil changes, a battery, and some wipers. It is low miles for its age; it just clicked over 63K last week (it will need a new flywheel come end of summer however...). I'd pass, especially if your Accord is paid off. Fix it and drive it.
 
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Originally Posted By: Delta
I find it funny everybody comes out of the woodwork when someone mentions buying a VW. True there are some bad apples in the bunch, but it's just like any other make nowadays. Would I advise you trading the Honda for a VW... nope. The newer generation is bloated and uninspiring, not even fun to drive, unlike my MK5 which is a unique character on its own. Far as trouble free service, that's a good question on a VW. It is the 2.5, so there is not much to go wrong. Had mine for 2 years and nothing but oil changes, a battery, and some wipers. It is low miles for its age; it just clicked over 63K last week (it will need a new flywheel come end of summer however...). I'd pass, especially if your Accord is paid off. Fix it and drive it.


Thats not the case in my experience. I have driven two different Jettas in the current generation. The 2.5 with the auto and rear torsion beam, and the 1.8T auto with fully independent suspension. Both are fun cars to drive, but the 1.8T certainly has the advantage. I don't like the transmission programming though. Its odd and clunky at times.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Delta
it just clicked over 63K last week

Your sig says 85K.
smile.gif



Hardly broken in (or down) either way.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Delta
it just clicked over 63K last week

Your sig says 85K.
smile.gif



Hah, oops. Tablet > Me. The Equinox has 85.
 
I see that the lesson we should all take away is Don't feed the kids this week and walk to work while you are saving enough money to pay cash for your next car!
 
Originally Posted By: SeaJay
I see that the lesson we should all take away is Don't feed the kids this week and walk to work while you are saving enough money to pay cash for your next car!

Jump to conclusions much? Nobody said that. If you're making money, you should be able to save some. And he already has a decent car, so he does not need to walk.
 
The AC compressor is leaking and you're looking for a new car? Am I reading this right?

Dude your're a BITOG member. FIX YOUR CAR!

If you owned my poor Jeep, she would have been traded long ago.. LOL.
 
What is trouble free? Cripes, my Camry has not been trouble free, and we have had only for four years. Ok, so it has been only one brake pad, but still. My Tundra has been no better. The VW, well, no surprise there. I am not sure what trouble free means. Zero repairs outside of maintance? Repairs that might be deemed age appropriate?

There are people who do not change motor oil, at all. They consider it a "trouble."

You have three vehicles. Just fix whatever is broken, that is cheaper. Unless if you are convinced that the Accord is somehow a problem vehicle with poorly designed parts.
 
Originally Posted By: Olas
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
any car loan is a bad investment


LOL Really?



Yes really. If the sticker price on a new car is 20k and you take a loan to pay for it you're paying interest on the loan, whilst the car is devaluing.

Let's assume 10%, you'll pay back 22k on a car that listed at 20. Consider that as soon as you drive it away it loses 20 - 30% of its value.

So you'd happily pay 22k for a car worth 15 or 16?

All loans are bad ideas, only one I ever took was my mortgage


I do not understand. If you paid cash for $20k car, would it have more value than one you financed, after a month or a year of ownership? If you had to do a firesale would the same loss in value not exist?
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
the big ticket items have been a starter ($600)


Wait, am I reading this right? You paid $600 for a starter?

WT-F. I changed a starter in a gas station parking lot for less than $150.

Anyways, on the more general topic, I would NEVER give up a Honda for a VW. It's got a new transmission in it, you're solid. A/C compressors aren't that hard to work on. Buy a Haynes manual and tear into it.

We're always here for support
smile.gif
 
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Some of the Hondas seem to eat ac. We got rid of our 2001 Civic partially because it needed a whole new ac system. Ok, cheaper than a new car, but still a big bill.

In fairness to Nick a starter is like an hour on my car; battery has to be removed. On a New Beetle who knows what else. A $250 starter plus a couple hours labor, $600 seems high but not outrageous. A quick look at the place I order parts from shows one starter at $190 and the other at $275.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Some of the Hondas seem to eat ac. We got rid of our 2001 Civic partially because it needed a whole new ac system. Ok, cheaper than a new car, but still a big bill.

In fairness to Nick a starter is like an hour on my car; battery has to be removed. On a New Beetle who knows what else. A $250 starter plus a couple hours labor, $600 seems high but not outrageous. A quick look at the place I order parts from shows one starter at $190 and the other at $275.
It needed a starter when my aunt owned the car, and it was a dealer maintained car. I don't have the receipt for it but I think I remember it being around $600. Next time I'm in the dealer I'll have them print it out. According to parts.vw.com it's $375 for the starter but there's a $75 core charge.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
The AC compressor is leaking and you're looking for a new car? Am I reading this right?

Dude your're a BITOG member. FIX YOUR CAR!

If you owned my poor Jeep, she would have been traded long ago.. LOL.




The possibly leaking AC is not the reason I would trade it, I love my Accord. I Just happened to come across what looked to be a good deal, and I wanted everyone's advice on that, and I thank all of you for it!
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24


The possibly leaking AC is not the reason I would trade it, I love my Accord. I Just happened to come across what looked to be a good deal, and I wanted everyone's advice on that, and I thank all of you for it!


I wouldn't even try and repair the leak, as long as the compressor oil is not leaking, only the refrigerant I would just keep refiling the system when it needs it, probably once a year. Cheap to DIY too.

As for the VW, I wouldn't discount it because it is a VW, as my
96 VW Golf has been significantly more trouble free than my 94 Honda
Accord, and both have about the same miles and have both been well cared for. The VW has needed nothing except basic service, the Honda has needed a new radiator and distributor because of an oil leak.

I would be concerned about a USED VW because you don't know how it has been treated or cared for. Unless it was a private sale from a person I know and trusted I would not buy from a business.
 
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Originally Posted By: gregk24


The possibly leaking AC is not the reason I would trade it, I love my Accord. I Just happened to come across what looked to be a good deal, and I wanted everyone's advice on that, and I thank all of you for it!


I wouldn't even try and repair the leak, as long as the compressor oil is not leaking, only the refrigerant I would just keep refiling the system when it needs it, probably once a year. Cheap to DIY too.

As for the VW, I wouldn't discount it because it is a VW, as my
96 VW Golf has been significantly more trouble free than my 94 Honda
Accord, and both have about the same miles and have both been well cared for. The VW has needed nothing except basic service, the Honda has needed a new radiator and distributor because of an oil leak.

I would be concerned about a USED VW because you don't know how it has been treated or cared for. Unless it was a private sale from a person I know and trusted I would not buy from a business.


How can you tell if its oil vs freon? I would like to know, I thought they were a mixture. I just know the compressor is covered in some form of fluid, be it oil, or freon.
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24


How can you tell if its oil vs freon? I would like to know, I thought they were a mixture. I just know the compressor is covered in some form of fluid, be it oil, or freon.


Actually depending on the leak size it might only be leaking refrigerant with a slight oily residue around the leak (o ring) if the leak larger it will also leak a significant amount of PAG oil. Usually the PAG oil in modern cars will be tinted (even from the factory) with dye (usually lime yellow colored).


A small refrigerant leak only needs refill of r134a from time to time.
 
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Originally Posted By: gregk24


How can you tell if its oil vs freon? I would like to know, I thought they were a mixture. I just know the compressor is covered in some form of fluid, be it oil, or freon.


Actually depending on the leak size it might only be leaking refrigerant with a slight oily residue around the leak (o ring) if the leak larger it will also leak a significant amount of PAG oil. Usually the PAG oil in modern cars will be tinted (even from the factory) with dye (usually lime yellow colored).


A small refrigerant leak only needs refill of r134a from time to time.


Ok, well the color appears to be lime yellowish, I couldn't really detect any smell either. So is that the oil? or Freon?
 
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