i need a new car/truck

[spidergoolash]

our truck is 13 years old and held together with duct tape. i don't want to buy another used piece of sh*t and i can't afford a new car/truck. does anybody have any pros/cons/opinions on leasing? it's really the only thing i can afford to do right now ...

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"

[bigmac]

IMHO leasing sucks:( Try finding a used car/truck you really like, then spend the cash to fix it up:) I have Porsche tastes with a Chevy budget. I bought a 94 Z-28 and have a really awesome car for less than $20000. If you pick something that you really like, you'll find the cash to see your vision come around:)

[Edited by bigmac @ May 17, 2000 (edited 1 time)]

[bigmac]

By the way don't buy Ford:) Only kidding ..trying to get some type of interaction between members. Because we all know chevys go and fords just (rhymes w/go) Check it out...http://www.inchoate.com/bmr/cc2.htm fourth time has to be a charm.

[Edited by bigmac @ May 17, 2000 (edited 4 times)]

[bigmac]

I really need to learn to post better. I tried (4times). You all have to excuse me, it's been a real tramatic day for me ......at least. So when you rip me a new a$$hole about the ford deal be civil.....this isn't the place:) Only kiding A.F.U(Naturally Wired)

[spidergoolash]

don't worry, i won't be reaming you a new a$$**** anytime soon.

yeah, we bought our truck for $700 and dumped about $1,400 into it to get it up and running. we even replaced the gas tank. it's got about 150,000 miles on it and it's been puffing a lot of oil lately, but if i could just hold onto it for 1-2 more years ...

this board rocks and there are a lot of great people here. it's just that none of us are ever on at the same time. i'm here throughout the day and others during the wee hours of the morning. can't wait til they get the chat room schedule figured out ... woo-HAAA ...

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"

[spidergoolash]

http://www.inchoate.com/bmr/cc2.htm

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"

[liltaz]

There are a few places you can look online that have great car prices. I don't know what kinds of cars you're interested in. Are you only looking for a truck? Do you want a passenger car or something like that?

I have a friends who has a Kia Sephia and they love it. They've never had a single problem with it.

Toyota Corollas are also wonderful small sedans that are fairly inexpensive.

To look for a used car, try a few of these places you see on TV. Autotrader.com, I can't think of anymore right now...I think there's also a lemoncheck.com where you can put the VIN in and it will give you that car's history of repair and problems.

[spidergoolash]

my husband wants a truck, but i'd rather have a small car. i was looking into the saturns a while back. don't know if they're any good or not ...

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"

[liltaz]

I've heard Saturns are great cars. Everyone I know who's had one has been happy.

[bilgepump]

I just bought a 2001 saturn and I love it!

It might help us if we knew how much you were willing to spend. I normally don't recommend leasing because you always have to worry about mileage and keeping the car in perfect condition so the dealer won't charge extra. It just feels like you're borrowing someone elses car (which you are).

-bp

[spidergoolash]

i was thinking in the range of about $10,000-15,000 for a new car. can't go any higher than that or else the payments will be off the wall. can you get anything decent for this price?

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"

[bilgepump]

I think you could probably get a Kia for that much. They have pricing information on their website.

-bp

[spidergoolash]

thanxz peoples. will check all this out ...

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"

[Alyth]

I had a saturn for 5 years and it did very well. and the LS series got top ranking for crash tests scores. They are concidered to be one of the safest cars ...again for midsize cars. and the compacts are still doing pretty good :) They are also coming out with an SUV or a minivan soon but they would probably be expensive :p I'd recomend them!! As far as leasing goes, it doesn't do you any good if you drive alot or plan to keep it for a while. It'll cost you more in the long run and they really charge it up with any scratch or stain on the leased cars. I'd recomend buying (financing if you need to but pay on time or that'll cost you more than leasing it would be!!) Good luck on your search :)

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Don't play leap frog with a unicorn

[Dukota]

I have always bought chevys but they just aren't making what I need right now. I just bought a 2000 F250 Supercab (4 full doors) 4wheel drive with the turbo diesel and I love it. A little pricey but so far well worth it. I highly recommend it.

[liltaz]

You can also get a Corolla for that price.

[spidergoolash]

hmmm ... more ideas. yes, corollas are very reliable too are they not? i owned a ford escort not so long ago and man, that thing sucked. it broke down twice a year. the transmission dropped out of it at 30,000 miles. i've heard they're made better now, but i wouldn't touch one ever again.

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"

[liltaz]

we have a corolla (my boyfriend has one and I live with him). It's a 95 with nearly 100,000 miles on it and it's had VERY little trouble. He rarely gets its check ups on time and it's done just dandy.

[torvus]

Hmm, I picked up a Chevy S-10 for $12K in '98, and I haven't had a single problem with it. My fiancee picked up a Honda Accord around the same time (we hadn't met at that point) for just around the same price. Best advice for going to a car dealer is either shortly before they close, shortly before they get a new shipment in, or shortly before the next year's model comes out. They will be so itching to make a deal that you won't have a problem. This usually works better if you go to a place that works on commission. Turn that around on them. Usually the best time is about 15 minutes before they close. No way they're going to kick you out if they think they have a remote chance of making a sale. Also, bring a blue book. You can make sure they aren't ripping you off that way. You with a credit union? They might be able to help you out in financing a new car. Remember, this is your money and their time, not the other way around.

[nootch]

I think I must've checked MSN CarPoint (http://carpoint.msn.com/home/New.asp) a million times before finally buying my new car last month! It gives you a price breakdown of the new car you want, and lets you add options, while giving you both the MSRP and Dealer Invoice of said car & options. They also have stuff for used cars but I haven't really explored that aspect of the site. What I did was call around and ask the dealers if they had the car I wanted (I was very specific about the colors & options I wanted), while most of them didn't have it on the lot they almost all said "but come on down and we're sure we can find you one", whereas one gentleman got my number and called me back 20 minutes later saying he'd found the car I want and I could have it by the next day. I ended up driving 3 hours away from my home to deal with him (and I am so glad that I did!), especially after the way I was treated at the dealer closest to me (it's a long story, but basically as I was leaving he said "you'll be back." And I'll admit he was right, except I went back in my new car I'd purchased elsewhere). The point is, you want to be comfortable with the sales person.

Also, the longer a particular car has been sitting on the lot, the more you can negotiate the price, so try to drive by the dealer every once in a while and see what they've got. Certain colors/options sell faster than others, thus, aren't as negotiable. Whew, sorry for such a long-winded post, but I just recently went through all this myself. :) Good luck!

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"Should I call you Logan, WeaponX?"

[spidergoolash]

figured i'd bump this up since i'm in the market again. i've been seriously checking out websites. i *really* like the honda civic ex 2-dr. coupe. i also like the toyota corollas, but haven't looked into them as much.

anybody own a civic? :D

feel free to share.

[meezercat]

I had a Civic for 4 years...I really enjoyed it, but for my next one went to a Neon because it was a lot less expensive, and for me it turned out to be a bonus because my fiance does all the work on it now.

My mom has had a Civic for 2 years and absolutely loves it! She has the coupe, I had a sedan.

Nice cars, not much wind, engine or road noise especially for a less expensive car...good gas mileage (and they recommend you use the cheap gas). They're actually not as roomy inside as my Neon, but they don't feel too cramped either.

One thing to know about - air conditioning in Hondas is a dealer installed option *only* and is extremely expensive. Also, a little weird thing is that when you turn on the defrost you have to manually turn on the AC to get it actually working.

Oh - and in winter, I didn't get heat nearly as quickly as I do in my Neon...

[Diesel]

FWIW, I'm absolutely elated with my Impala.
The Malibu seems to be a smaller version of the Impala in many aspects, and cheaper too, so maybe it's worth checking out.

One of my former coworkers had a Civic. While it was fairly cheap in price, I found it to be VERY tiny and cramped. While that's not unusual for someone my size, I found it even more cramped than some other cars I'd been in. Even my mom's old Cavalier was roomier than the Civic.

[jourgenson]

A woman in my office just bought a civic, and her father bought one at the same time. She loves it. She's only had it for about a week so I'll have to see what she feels like after driving it for a while.

The new Toyota Matrix certainly looks interesting. As does the gas/electric hybrid Prius, also by Toyota. My Grandma keeps saying she's going to buy a Prius.

[spidergoolash]

Originally posted by hermanm
air conditioning in Hondas is a dealer installed option *only* and is extremely expensive.

i figured as much. heck, i don't even need a/c. i hate it :lol:

[spidergoolash]

autoweb.com is the best site i've found so far to research cars :)