Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I bought a really nice, clean, almost-new looking 17 year old car for right around $3000.
It was literally owned by an old lady who only drove it to church, the grocery store and back.
The state decided that at 92 her eyesight had gotten too bad for her to be driving and she sold it.
If you are patient and are willing to wait for the deals you can find stuff like this.
The first thing he tried was "what would you say if I could put you in your dream car today?" To which I replied, "I don't dream about cars, I just drive them." He looked a bit startled, then tried a different tactic from the book...
The car selling industry in the US is one huge scam, which many, maybe most, Americans buy into. Let them knock themselves out by chasing the latest, that just results in a larger selection of used cars for you.
yes i walked into a car dealer last month and wanted a car for 5000. he then pushed me into a new car thats 22k and told me payments will be about 330 a month with 5000 down. and i told him i dont want to do that, and he just looked at me like im cheap, and said that 330 is nothing per month.
at any rate its hard for me to break out of what im used to my whole life in terms of cars to drive. what i drive doesnt look good in the job or around people i know, and people i meet.
You are doing it exactly right. If you need more factual validation, google up the average annual cost of owning a car.
I once bought a car from a used car lot. I had never done this before, but I was looking for a specific make and model, and it wasn't showing up in private ads. So I armed myself by reading a book called 'Don't Get Taken Every Time' by Remar Sutton, who had worked as a used car salesman. The sales tactics he described were so off-the-wall, I was sure he had cherry-picked bad examples. Nope, the salesman I encountered seemed like he had read the book too, as a sales manual, because he tried *every single* tactic in the book. I couldn't believe it. I tried to derail him to get him to deal straight with me, but it was no use, he was a robot.
The first thing he tried was "what would you say if I could put you in your dream car today?" To which I replied, "I don't dream about cars, I just drive them." He looked a bit startled, then tried a different tactic from the book...
The car selling industry in the US is one huge scam, which many, maybe most, Americans buy into. Let them knock themselves out by chasing the latest, that just results in a larger selection of used cars for you.
I would have said something like "my dream car is the one that has the smallest Net Present Value of cost of ownership including the initial cost to purchase the vehicle."
yes i walked into a car dealer last month and wanted a car for 5000. he then pushed me into a new car thats 22k and told me payments will be about 330 a month with 5000 down. and i told him i dont want to do that, and he just looked at me like im cheap, and said that 330 is nothing per month.
If he doesn't want to sell you a car, there are plenty of others who will. That poor sod is probably in debt up to his eyeballs. You're not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by civic94
at any rate its hard for me to break out of what im used to my whole life in terms of cars to drive. what i drive doesnt look good in the job or around people i know, and people i meet.
For $5K, you can find a decent looking car.
It is possible that you are overestimating the extent to which people look down on you because of your car. As long as you keep it clean and waxed, seems to me that people will assume you could buy better but just prefer to spend your money elsewhere. The vast majority of Americans know they can't afford everything they want, and they know that others can't either.
I would have said something like "my dream car is the one that has the smallest Net Present Value of cost of ownership including the initial cost to purchase the vehicle."
LOL! I don't think he would have understood all the big words...
I bought a really nice, clean, almost-new looking 17 year old car for right around $3000.
It was literally owned by an old lady who only drove it to church, the grocery store and back.
The state decided that at 92 her eyesight had gotten too bad for her to be driving and she sold it.
If you are patient and are willing to wait for the deals you can find stuff like this.
Totally true. Except for that one car, I've always bought privately, and have been very satisfied.
Pay cash. Have a very good idea of how you are going to use your car and buy one that fits those needs. Study Consumer Reports Used Car Guide. Remember people often get rid of cars because their mechanic tells them "if you're going to sell her, do it now, because she's gonna need $1000 worth of work in the next year or so." Include that $1000 in your budget for the car.
Get religion about oil changes and the like. Just about any car that hasn't been abused will last 200,000K miles before it needs a new engine or transmission.
yes i walked into a car dealer last month and wanted a car for 5000. he then pushed me into a new car thats 22k and told me payments will be about 330 a month with 5000 down. and i told him i dont want to do that, and he just looked at me like im cheap, and said that 330 is nothing per month.
$5,000 down AND $330 a Month? That sounds like a really terrible deal to me. New cars are just about the worst investment you can make.
I have always purchased used cars in the $3-5,000 range and don't drive hoopties. People actually admire my used car haha (2003 Acura TL that was $5,000).
$5,000 down AND $330 a Month? That sounds like a really terrible deal to me. New cars are just about the worst investment you can make.
I have always purchased used cars in the $3-5,000 range and don't drive hoopties. People actually admire my used car haha (2003 Acura TL that was $5,000).
Research beforehand which cars the dealer has and tell them you only want to look at the ones you pre-picked.
Around here - used cars just aren't a good value. You can get a 2-3 year old compact or subcompact, with 50,000 miles for $1000-$2000 more than new ...
Plus, with used cars, you really don't know what the previous owner(s) put them through.
I'd try to find a base model Versa/Spark/Mirage and drive it for the next 10 years. Cheap, good mileage, roomy inside.
It is possible that you are overestimating the extent to which people look down on you because of your car. As long as you keep it clean and waxed, seems to me that people will assume you could buy better but just prefer to spend your money elsewhere. The vast majority of Americans know they can't afford everything they want, and they know that others can't either.
for 5k i can only get a decent looking car with high miles, im looking at a 02+ camry and 03+ accord and around here for 5000 it will be at least 180k miles if there is no damage at all.
It looks like i will just get a 97 Camry with problems for 1000, fix it and just drive it. im just so used to it and i dont like to lose money. I like not having payments and having money in the bank.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
