4 doors at least a V6. So, in tryng to stay within a certain price range, there are several options. My question is this....go for a higher end car (CTS, BMW, Infinity) that's gonna be a bit older (2001-2004) have a good amount of miles on it....or a newer (2003-2006) mid-range (Sonata, Accord, Camry) car with lower miles?
I actually just faced that same decision. I was looking at a 2004 CTS loaded with 36k on it, and I decided to buy a 2008 Malibu with most everything on it. I decided it was better to have a warrenty because loaded cars have alot that can go wrong, and plus the Malibu drove much better than the CTS, AND it had a paddle shifter I really like. I'm really happy with my decision and I really like my new car. I traded in my 2003 Trailblazer LTZ that was getting 15mpg for my new car that gets me 25.
Are you going to trade something? If so is your trade payed off or not?
you failed to mention your budget or price range as well.
no trade and i didn't fail to mention it because this thread is about buying a newer car with less miles vs a little older, little more miles but nicer car...not about which kind of car i can get for the money. bUT....because you're so interested...i'm trying to not go over 17k.
Id go with a newer Honda if you can get it. If not the 6's pictured above are nice as well.
I'd go with a Land Rover Freelander. V6 and 5 doors go-anywhere car, with the right badge.
I'm just going to mention it for s sake. I don't know if you're trying to secure a daily driver or not but I just picked up a third car for driving every couple of days and the weekends, its probably been one of my best investments to date. There are a ton of Chevelle's from the early 70's along with plenty of mid 70's Corvettes that are priced in the 12-18k range that are in great condition that would hold way more long term value than anything newer. Parts are a dime a dozen and these vehicles are a breeze to work on or have worked on. Cost effective with extremely low maintence. I don't know what it is about older muscle cars that have people thinking that they cost a fortune to keep up. Its quite the opposite.
With a budget of 17k I'd be pressed to recommend the older luxury route. If you stretch your budget to 21-22 I'd go BMW in a heartbeat. Seems like the 325i's a few years old with reasonable milage are pulling right around 20k. I've owned two in the past and they've both been my most reliable vehicles to date. Only promblem is they're a bit expensive to work on if you have no warranty.
Don't forget to negotiate drive out price not sale price if you're buying from a dealer. Also hit your bank up first vs. doing an application at a dealership just don't let the dealership know you've secured your own financing if you go that route.
Is that Mazda6 MPS?
I'm also a big fan of the Altima. I know two people with Altimas that are nearing 100k milage and have had very little maintence on them.
I only asked your price range because it would be hard to find an older luxury under 20k that wasnt a project type car.
For your budget id honestly go with something reliable and new like a corolla or a nissan sentra.
Uhhhh plain and low miles. Only poor people are impressed by "Luxury" cars. It's only baller when you can pay for it in cash all at once. Until then, just get a DD beater that can get the job done.
Hondas Last forever! Get a new Civic
The newer Accords are pretty darn nice. I had a friend who drove a Honda that had 150K miles on it for two years without changing the oil.
My sister had one and it SUCKED. I believe they stopped making them now too.
Accord's are always a safe bet. You get a long run from them, they have a relatively good resale value and they are reliable.
BORIIIIIIINGGGGGG.
Freelander's the best.
why do you want a car that will last forever normally after4-5 years you don't want it anyways. Lease a car you want, never worry about a warranty running out, pay 11k total for a 35k car, rather than 40k for a 35k car. Don't buy something that decreases in value the second you drive it off the lot. Lease a car you are happy to drive
I second that. Lease a Ferrari or a Lambo.
Leasing cars is much smarter than buying them. I used to sell cars in college and it was funny, the people with no money insisted on buying a car and the wealthy people with good jobs were the ones that leased. There is only one reason to buy a car: to drive it for 6-15 years and run the crap out of it. Unless you are buying some kind of exotic, your car will not increase in value. Most people take out a 5 year loan, pay it off and decide they want a new car. Here is a little example off the top of my head, say you are looking at a $30,000 car.
Buy the car for $540 a month for 60 months, and you end up paying 32400 for a 30k car (note: these arn't even exact figures, they will probably be higher anyway)
Lease the same car for 325 a month for 36 months you end up paying $11,700 for the car, and if you don't like it you are not obligated to keep it, sell it, or anything...you just drop it off and wave goodbye.
plus if you buy, you are risking 2 years of having to pay for things that go bad,....not with a lease
Just lease it, end up paying 11k over the life of the lease and get a new cars when you are done. The payments are lower, you don't have to worry about GAP insurance, you are under warranty throughout the life of the lease in most cases, and did I mention you save a ton
Last edited by Thunder Dan; 02-26-2008 at 02:49 PM.
i got one of these on valentines day
it has a 2.4 i-VTEC - 205 horsepower - 5-Speed with Sequential SportShift - bluetooth & navigation - fully loaded - averaging 24mpg - sticker price was $31K - dealer discounted it down to $27K
This is very true and something i have always tried to convince my family about.
There is no sense investing money in a depreciating asset, much like you wouldnt want to buy stock that you knew would loose 60% of its value over 5 years...Leasing is always the best option, especially with all of the insane incentives alot of the automakers give on leases.
Just be smart and realistic about your mileage restrictions, and you are good to go.
I also used to sell toyota's for about a year.
I'd go with a used Honda or Acura if you want to go used. If you go new, well, I have heard the Malibu's are nice, but don't know how much they cost.
yeah most people think leasing is a dirty word, but it's actually much much smarter if you only drive about 15k miles a year. People just like to know that they own something because it makes them feel worthwhile and good, but I would never buy a car...heck driving it around the lot or the town streets isn't enough to let me know if I love the car, I don't want to buy something for 30k that I just drove around the lot....because if I end up hating it, guess what, I'm stuck with it, and in 90% of cases I will end up owing more than it is worth.
Tips from someone that sold cars:
- Buy GAP insurance.. should be mandatory
- Lease a car
- if you have to buy..never take a loan out for more than 5 years
-never have to pay on a car that has over 100k miles (do the math if you take a 3 year loan out on a car with 80k miles...it is a bad idea)
-Buy Gap insurance
-if you lease don't say you drive 12k miles if you really drive 15k
-buy GAP insurance
I just got a new Malibu, it's sticker was 26k (fully loaded LTZ) which was very reasonable, I'm very happy with it so far but only have 700 miles on it. I leased it for 39mo
Last edited by Thunder Dan; 02-26-2008 at 03:09 PM.
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