New car rant

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I've been burned on 2 used cars. I bought 2 new Hondas the last 2 years for my wife and son and will keep them till the wheels fall off. I don't like buying other people's problems. They are used for a reason and you don't know their past history.
2014 Honda Accord Sport - used but was my mom's. I helped her buy a new 2-18 Accord.
2017 Honda Civic Hatchback EX-Turbo new. 12,000 miles. Someone just did a hit and run in a Church parking lot last week. $1200 to fix the front bumpwe
2019 Honda Civic Hatchback LX Turbo - new 2,000 miles
1973 Dodge Dart Sport 340 which is the only car that I still owe money on. I have the title, but paying myself back through a 401K loan. $80 deduction pay check for 1 more year.
 
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I think that it's dependent on the individual. I've personally been burned numerous times by used vehicles needing major repairs, not to mention being on a first name basis with my tow truck driver. A number of years ago I actually had to have both of my vehicles towed within 3 days of one another...not fun when you're in the middle of moving. One was a computer and the other the rear end. That was the turning point for me. If someone is able to comfortably fit the cost into their budget and choose to spend that portion of their budget on a car, more power to them. I will more than likely always have a newer vehicle as a daily driver.

Tempering expectations and doing a bit of homework is also important. I won't buy unless I'm doing very well on the deal...thus leaving more room on the back end. There's always another dealership down that road that wants your business. In addition, as alluded to earlier, there are a number of vehicles like the WRX, Tacoma, and Wrangler for example which hold their values extremely well. I've had 2x Tacomas, 2x Wranglers, and a WRX. If you're buying a new vehicle at the end of the model year with a 20% factory rebate and want to turn it over in a year or two...yeah that's going to hurt financially in most cases.
 
The last used car I bought was a nightmare !
Everything needed fixing !

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EdM said:
I am retired and drive a 2014 Tundra, a 1973 Mach 1, a 1970 Dart Swinger and a 2017 Porsche Boxster S depending on the desire. Today I am heading out to a car show in the Dart.
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Hill Country? Mom lives in Kerrville. Watch out for deer on the road!

I wrote this post after I heard Jerry Reynolds "Car Pros" talk show on a saturday morning and some guy called in about his 2014 Dodge Avenger. They got into how he was going to get out from under it with 2 years left on the payments. Get this: His payment (with less than good credit) was $525 a month, then CFC lowered it to $495. Yeah, he was going to be into this car ~36,000 bucks! The host told him the dealership should be ashamed of themselves for selling this car at that price and when he heard the mileage, 170K, he administered "Last rights" to the caller and told him to just pay it off and try and sell it. Classic case of buying a new car that would not hold value.
 
roccodart440 said:
Love Volvo's. They are tough to beat in reliability and highest in safety. And they're Swedish!
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Well not anymore. Volvo is owned by a Chinese company (Geely) and has been since 2010. Prior to that, Volvo was owned by Ford for 11 years. It hasn’t been owned by Swedish owners for 20 years but their marketing dept doesn’t advertise that fact! They want folks to think it’s still a safe, Swedish car company.
 
Actually the Volvo has improved since Geely bought it. They threw a Billion dollars into R&D.
We are the Volvo dealer here...

H22A4 said:
Well not anymore. Volvo is owned by a Chinese company (Geely) and has been since 2010. Prior to that, Volvo was owned by Ford for 11 years. It hasn’t been owned by Swedish owners for 20 years but their marketing dept doesn’t advertise that fact! They want folks to think it’s still a safe, Swedish car company.
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I love my 2018 Challenger T/A. I don't have to fix it. I just enjoy it. I also have 3 classic cars. I love them all, but I have to work on one, or the other to keep up with them. All are in good running condition. I'm just glad I was able to afford the Challenger. It wouldn't matter which car I drove, I'd still flip out if someone damaged it.
 
pishta said:
Was responding to a new car issue and it went off the rails, decided it was better to just start a new low value thread.

Id never buy a new car or truck...again. Whats the upside? You got the new car smell and a warranty that's not worth squat.
Downside: You lost 30% when you drove it off the lot. Your tied to a 60-70 $400+/month payment and you have to keep enough insurance on it to please the bank who owns it before its paid off. Soft tires on new cars aren't worth 30k miles. Your in that new 60K car or truck about 3 hours a day and your driving next to other potentially uninsured people who dont give a **** and would ding your new ride with a shopping cart as easy as blowing their nose. You worry about scratches, mud puddles, dirty boots....wary of any creak or whine or whistle and are at the mercy of the dealership to either believe you, or take your car for 4-5 days to diagnose and maybe repair it or worse, give you the green weanie and tell you its not anything they can hear or fix. Whats the next recall for? They are only tools to get me from my house to work and back, not status symbols. My fun cars are all used, or built by me. Im aware of all the cosmetic dysfunctions, and they don't bother me unless I cant fix them, ie. paint. I find squeeks, ticks and vibrations a challenge. I scoff at the new car ads on TV. The new Mercedes or Audi or whatever the Kardashians are driving nowadays parked alone at an odd angle, always with the wheels cranked to one side in front of a posh restaurant, beach or some other hip joint, when in reality there are 6 of the same cars parked in the back next to all other forms of generic econo boxes. Face it, your brand new car is not that special, not that unique...they sold 17 that day that look exactly like yours and they are all parked in the same mall parking lot, stuck in the same traffic your stuck in, driving the same speed....My paid off POS Mazda pickup is ahead of you, Hows that 50K ride smelling?. Just a rant. Been there once, never again. 2-3 years old with a nice detail service and maybe 24k on it to work out the bugs is new enough for me, and its 30% off. Just let your new teen driver who's gonna buy their first 5 year financial prison sentence, ie. a new car, in on this secret: Buy used. They will thank you.
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Gotta disagree with a lot of what you say. If you don't want to buy a new car, then don't. First, your new car does not depreciate 30 percent when you drive it off the lot. A $50K Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland does not drop to $35K. I recently bought a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. I am keeping my 2007 Grand Cherokee as my second car. New Car upsides for me:
1. I like driving a new car. It is a pleasure. If you don't enjoy it, that is fine.
2. Every time I buy a new car, it is nicer, better, more comfortable, and gets better gas mileage than the one before.
3. I like owning a car from the very beginning. I know exactly what has been done, and how well maintained the car is.
4. If you do some honest research, you will find that buying a new car and driving it 200K miles costs about the same as buying the same car used at 100K miles and driving it to 300K (including maintenance, insurance, etc.). The maintenance you will likely pay for during the last 100K miles 200K to 300K) will likely offset the difference in initial purchase price. And if the cost is about the same, I'll take the new car.

I don't 'Worry" about getting a scratch or dent. I take exceptionally good care of my cars. My 2007 Grand Cherokee could pass for a car that is only a few years old.
I disagree about your comments on tires. Unless you are buying a performance car with high performance soft tires, you are likely getting great modern radial tires with treadwear numbers above 500. We got Michelin tires on the new Jeep. I bet I get at least 60K out of them.

Overall, if you don't want to buy a new car, don't. But the rant threw out a lot of one sided arguments.

abodyjoe said:
Screw that ****. I have a 80 Mile round trip for work and I'm using a modern, reliable, good on gas and safer car for that. Even though my Honda was new it doesn't have to be new. My last Toyota was slightly used when we bought it. Think it was a year old with 3000 miles on it. Was a demo. My old cars are toys and that's all. I can't be bothered having to constantly fix the old **** if used as a daily driver. If I only worked 5 miles away it may be different but that isnt the case. I like high 30's mpg. Anything less kills me paying for gas and gas is only going to go up and make it worse.
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Agreed
 
from personal experience two vehicles that really hold value are the 2016 subaru outback and a 2017 toyota tacoma. i couldn't believe how wel lthey held value when i got rid of them.. you can go wrong with either of them...

if you are buying a car to drive well over 100k miles and plan to keep for many years then resale value really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things..
 
I retired early at 57 on the money I saved from things like not buying news cars
and excess. Everybody is different life is short and make your decisions carefully.
 
Things I don't like about new cars.
1. They do things without me telling them to do it, like lock the doors.
2. They have things that can blow up in your face and make you blind.
3. They make warning sounds when you don't have a seat belt on.
4. If a new car dies on the side of the road, I've pretty much got no idea why.
5. I have to worry about things like road rage and car jacking.
6. People don't give me the right of way and thumbs up in a new car.
7. New cars have "black" boxes that can be accessed by cops, the CIA and probably Google.
 
Harrisonm , OE tires usually wont get 50k+ due to the compound. Our car get maybe 40k if the customer drives nice... but Idaho chip seals the roads out here which probably shortens the lifespan.

Abodyjoe. The Tacoma is an anomaly in resale... people are stupid to pay near new prices for 30-40k mile cars ! The reason is some people are convinced a used car is ALWAYS a better deal ! It is a self fulfilling prophecy ! Often it is cheaper... but not always. You have to research with an open mind...
 
mbaird said:
Harrisonm , OE tires usually wont get 50k+ due to the compound. Our car get maybe 40k if the customer drives nice... but Idaho chip seals the roads out here which probably shortens the lifespan.

Abodyjoe. The Tacoma is an anomaly in resale... people are stupid to pay near new prices for 30-40k mile cars ! The reason is some people are convinced a used car is ALWAYS a better deal ! It is a self fulfilling prophecy ! Often it is cheaper... but not always. You have to research with an open mind...
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Most new car tires in my experience here in NJ don't last much more then 30-40k either.

Problem with buying used on something that holds its value ilike the Tacoma and the outback is the interest rate. Used Prices are damn close to to new and have a higher interest rate because it's used. The Tacoma that I got rid of for our GMC is on the lot for pretty much what we paid for it in 2017. It's a cream puff with only 15,000 miles in a popular package and color but it's still going on 3 years old and a new one is so close in price it's ridiculous.
 
adriver said:
Things I don't like about new cars.
1. --
2. --
3. --
4. If a new car dies on the side of the road, I've pretty much got no idea why.
5. --
6. --
7.
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You got that right. My Cam position sensor harness burned up under the sheath. no clue what the issue was...Deader that out of gas.
 
barbee6043 said:
If I won the lottery, I would just hire someone to drive me around till I get sleepy!! Pay him a big salary. With benefits! Buy everyone's lunch. OK enough!
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For me I'd pay her a big salary because she liked driving Naked because shes a drop dead knock out. Hell if your going to dream about winning the lottery you might as well dream about the woman that quits working for you to ride in the back seat.
 
Wife and I are olddddddd! well I am 71 and she is 64. I am old. Our income basically is HER rural R/E business, that is either feast or famine, and the fest comes few and far between.
She traded an old Ford 3/4 T diesel pickup in on a year old Toyoto Tacoma back in 2015. . The truck is a 2014 and she got it in 2015, she basically gave within a few tho of what a new one costs. ( before we meet). She was just figuring the payment to be less!?? Well the Toyoto is almost paid for five years old, has 90,000 mi. she wants to trade it in on a new on or a yr old one. I hate the small truck no leg room for me, I do all the driving. Ain't enough truck to really pull a trailer, but I still have my 95 Ram 3500 Cummins I bought new. 220,000 mi. Hardly ever need it.
She is convinced the Toyoto is the way to go, period.
I hate car dealers, car salesman, banks, finance companies, lawyers, politicians, China......... just shoot me!!!!
 
My daily drivers when purchased are usually about ten years old. They say around 8 years many components begin to break down, so I figure a couple of years after that period the bugs have been worked out of them already if they are still running. These older daily drivers of mine hardly ever break down for some reason. And of course, I could never afford to take them back to the dealer for service.

Yes, Dad offered to purchase me a new Dodge Durango in the year 2000 when I was still driving my 1985 Dodge Caravan (cargo edition) 5-speed, four cylinder. I said no thanks.

My wife and I did purchase a new vehicle once, a 2009 Toyota Prius. A short time later, some druggie ran into the back of it and totaled it out at traffic light.
 
pishta said:
2019 Dodge Caravan SE plus MSRP $29,800.
2019 Dodge Caravan W/same trim and 24K miles...$20,000. Damn, how does someone put 24K on a van inside a year? He drove it off the lot, then drove it around the world....and it lost 30%.
Used Dodge Grand Caravan For Sale - CarGurus
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BIG difference between losing 30% by jut driving it off the lot (as stated in original rant), and a whole year and 24,000 miles later. Apples and oranges. Also, lots of people put lots of miles on their cars.
 
harrisonm said:
BIG difference between losing 30% by jut driving it off the lot (as stated in original rant), and a whole year and 24,000 miles later. Apples and oranges. Also, lots of people put lots of miles on their cars.
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THe point is, in one year you just took a huge bath.

I used to work for a dealership in sales. The trade in prices and auction prices would make most people throw up.
 
I average 50k miles a year. My car is literally my second home so I’m going to spend the money on something that is safe, reliable, and comfortable, and comes with a great warranty. Everything else I own was bought used but if I drove my truck that much then I would be spending a ton on repairs and fuel. If I drove my Dart that much I would be flat out broke.
 
abodyjoe said:
Screw that ****. I have a 80 Mile round trip for work and I'm using a modern, reliable, good on gas and safer car for that. Even though my Honda was new it doesn't have to be new. My last Toyota was slightly used when we bought it. Think it was a year old with 3000 miles on it. Was a demo. My old cars are toys and that's all. I can't be bothered having to constantly fix the old **** if used as a daily driver. If I only worked 5 miles away it may be different but that isnt the case. I like high 30's mpg. Anything less kills me paying for gas and gas is only going to go up and make it worse.
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Saftey is a big thing for me. I bought a new car in December and I’m at 30k miles right now. I’ve had two very close calls and it helps knowing I’m in a safe vehicle compared to something that is old technology. I’ve lost two friends to car accidents. I’m doing everything I can to avoid being a statistic on a billboard.
 
doogievlg said:
Saftey is a big thing for me. I bought a new car in December and I’m at 30k miles right now. I’ve had two very close calls and it helps knowing I’m in a safe vehicle compared to something that is old technology. I’ve lost two friends to car accidents. I’m doing everything I can to avoid being a statistic on a billboard.
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sorry to hear that.

If the car has modern belts and airbags, you should be good. The next level is where they drive themselves. I've been in some of those cars and don't like it.
 
roccodart440 said:
sorry to hear that.

If the car has modern belts and airbags, you should be good. The next level is where they drive themselves. I've been in some of those cars and don't like it.
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My car has lane keeping assist and a warning that comes up when I go out of my lane. It still requires feedback on the steering wheel though. The best thing about new cars in my opinion is the ability to text and talk on the phone without taking your hands off the wheel. Too many idiots out there texting and driving and this will hopefully cut back on that.
 
Step son had a Ram 1500 eco diesel year ago, it had a antifreeze leak the dealer never could fix!!! He loved the mileage and the truck but... What good was is warranty if i stayed in the dealers garage so much!!?????/
 
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