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I would grab the honda civi that may be available and may not be...seller undecided for 2500 but 13 years old as it has 110 on and I know they can go for 20 years as theatre gypsey,s great experience demonstrates.
Of course honda and Toyota are the best but they are way more than 12 k out the door.
I am listening guys though to all your opinions...they are helpful.
Thanks guys.....taking it all on.
Ok so we buy cash....no finance....so no debt but we use some savings up.
Kharing......you don,t like the spark...actually we are sold on the sonic now or even the cruze.....they are offering 4500 off on the cruze but thanks for drawing my attention to the good chance they will claw it back...will call the two dealers and check out be door price.
Sounds to me like your time of research & thinking has almost drawn to a close.
Got buy one of these cars. Get the best deal you can on it, and be happy. Good luck!
II have to wonder why Nissans are traded in with such low mileage. I thought they were supposed to be good cars..
Two common possibilities. Some people just automatically trade every couple of years. And, a lot of late model used cars come off rental fleets. Or, if it's about three years old, a returned lease.
IMO a jeep was not the best car to judge by, as their reliability is not the best. When I bought my Acura with 33,000 miles, it came with the balance of factory warranty, and for my own peace of mind I bought an extended warranty as well. This was 9 years ago, and I am still driving that car that I paid $13,000 for, it has 289,000 miles now. I bought it from a place called Auto Lenders which I think is only in NJ, but there are other companies that work the same (Car Max is another) - they sell only one-owner vehicles that have come off lease, and it was no-haggle. When this car finally goes I will definitely go back to them. I don't know why you feel used cars must come from Craiglist, there are plenty you can get with warranties. Do your homework though, if you had looked on Consumer Reports list of recommended used cars, you would NOT have found that jeep on there.
$3k off what?? Anyone with a modest knowledge of automotive-related accounting knows that a substantial amount of the book value of a "new" car disappears the minute it's driven off the dealer's property.
I like "disposable cars" -- common models of Ford, Chevy or Dodge produced in sufficient quantities that parts will be easy to find and most independent mechanics will have had some experience with them. Those used for a year or so as rentals are likely thave been driven responsibly by most users, and there's penty of mileage left. Why pay the "fool" price??
$3k off what?? Anyone with a modest knowledge of automotive-related accounting knows that a substantial amount of the book value of a "new" car disappears the minute it's driven off the dealer's property.
I like "disposable cars" -- common models of Ford, Chevy or Dodge produced in sufficient quantities that parts will be easy to find and most independent mechanics will have had some experience with them. Those used for a year or so as rentals are likely thave been driven responsibly by most users, and there's penty of mileage left. Why pay the "fool" price??
As far as disposable cars go, BMW's are some of the best cars that aren't made to last.
Don't base your decision on the dealers' Labor Day screamer ads "$XXXX OFF this weekend only!!" They'l lmark it up just so they can take off thousands so you can feel like you got a good deal. Research the invoice and then figure out the Out The Door price you'd pay and shop it.
If the $3,000 is a dealer incentive, there's no rush. They will give it to you any time if you push. If it's an automaker incentive like a rebate, that might have a time limit. Automakers publish their rebates, so you should be able to figure out whether or not it is legit. Keep in mind if the price break is a rebate, you still have to pay taxes on the full amount. I'm betting the $3K is off the MSRP, and no one with any sense pays MSRP for a car, ever (except if they buy a Saturn, since those are fixed-price). The automaker has all kinds of incentives for dealers, so rest assured even if you pay "invoice" for the car they have made money on the deal.
Do compare prices between dealers. When you buy a new car, you are buying a commodity. Any dealer that sells the make will be able to get it for you. The car will be the same no matter where you buy it. Playing dealers off against one another is one of the few advantages a buyer has over a dealer.
It's very easy to read, written for the automobile layman and even entertaining. And it will save you a bundle.
Remember what I said in the other thread... A dealer wants as much money as they can get for the car, and they have a lot of experience in selling and negotiation techniques. Most people BUY a car at most every few years. Dealers SELL cars every day. They will use your relative inexperience against you, if they can. But if you do your homework and go into the process with your eyes open, you can come out on top.
A bit off topic but.. "a light came up and we had to pay to diagnose"
Places like Autozone will scan your computer and tell you what the check engine could mean for free.. I always do this. Sometimes it's something easy like a gas cap
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