Buying a new/used car.

[stonefiend]

I've always bought new cars (a 4runner and 2 tacomas) in the past or have leased them. I'm looking at all sorts of options, but fuel economy, reliability and practicality are (or should be) my focus.

I know the depreciation of new cars is high, but I'm willing to live with that for a reliable ride configured to my personal specs.

I've never bought used before, and don't want to get ripped off. I see some crazy deals on craigslist that are tempting but probably too good to be true.

I'm looking at a few models:

1. As the super-economical practical choice, the Honda FIT seems to fit. Good gas, flat folding rear seats to haul mondo pads and bicycles. For the size of the ride, the interior is surprisingly spacious. I can see this car being good in the city as well as some mountain. I would lease or finance this $16k ride, but more than likely lease for $150/mo for 3 yrs. I could probably pay cash for this thing in another 8 months or so, but I have a feeling I'd get tired of it and sell it for far less than I paid.

2. My second option is the subaru outback, though the wrx is very tempting. This rig is great for getting out to the mountains and windy roads, which I'm constantly driving. Definitely a different price point at ~$26k, but I'd probably drive either into the ground as the "my car".

3. This is where I start dreaming and forget about reliability, practicality and just want a fly rig (because life's short mang). A $7000 down on a used M3 with a $500 monthly payment would get me in a ride that is fully capable of looking better than my face and making me feel like a god before I drift it into a redwood tree. About the same price as the subies, but are high maintenance, less practical and doesn't match my economy studio. It's still my dream car. This is more my penis talking than my brain.

There are many options to choose from in the used car market, but I don't trust the way people drive cars like m3's, wrx's and other similar rides i'm looking at in the used market. Another way to go about it would be to buy a disposable old civic for $5000 and roll it for a few years 'till i part it out or something.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[RockPharmer]

love my S4 Avant. bought used. hard to find though. all the same concerns as with the M3, but with pad-carrying capacity. car continues to make me smile despite the high maintenence. sometimes the drive home is the highlight of the day. practical wagon, impractical 4.2L v8.

[leaverbiner]

cars are a huge dilemma - we want so much and can derive such joy, but anyone with any brains realizes that strictly from an economic standpoint they are a waste of $$.

I have managed to hold onto and keep running at little or no cost a 1999 Jeep grand Cherokee Laredo (200k on the odo) this certainly is a way to free up options for the other rides in the family, but I still struggle with spending large amounts of cash or my monthly pay checks on what I really want.

I splurged on my wife's car 2.5 years ago - BMW 330 convertible, and as RockPharmer attests, a few minutes in that thing can really melt away a lot of stress. However, this car would not be even remotely serviceable if we did nto have 2 other vehicles that could get through winters in the Northeast.

If snow, ice and rugged terrain are not a real concern, then go with your heart/dick - if they are, go with the middle ground, a subie with some options or a used a4 wagon with some giddy-up!

[600#gorilla]

i have two climber friends that own a honda fit.

one of them is a boulderer and he loves the car.

i drove it once on the freeway and had to pay attention to not go too far over the speed limit.

also, the car is far bigger on the inside than it would appear from the outside.

why does anybody that's not trying to get easily impressed (by material wealth) pussy need a BMW?

i say get an old RV and tow a honda fit behind it!

plus, those FIATs look cool.

(welll, that is if they prove to be better than their "Fix It Again, Tony" ancestors.)

[slim]

The fit is a great economical choice if you require cargo space.

The WRX is a huge liability if bought used. One shitty tune or stupid modification can spell doom for piston rings and crowns. They are susceptible to head gasket issues and warped heads if oil runs low or coolant runs hot. I'd get a NEW wrx, or get one certified off the lot so you have the peace of mind. Tires for my car run about $750-1200 mounted and balanced, and lets face it, you are going to want nice stickies on the car, or what's the point of the fun car? Brake pads are 100-250 depending on brand. I buy the 100 dollar sets. You can do a LOT of the maintenance yourself, but plugs are a BITCH to get to.

The M3 is a nice car for sure... One that I also covet. If I was to buy a car now that I don't need the utility, I'd get the M3 for sure. I think buying a used M3 is FAR safer than a used WRX. The motors are very reliable. They aren't cheap to tune, which means the average teenager can't afford to modify one, so it's not the dirty little whore the WRX is in that respect. Not cheap to maintain, true, but truly a classic car. The only real scary surprise is the Vanos units can fail on E46 and later models, and the fix can often total up to $10k. Yikes. But I tell ya what.

But seriously if you keep one-upping yourself looking at an M3 you'd have to consider a 911 in that price range. Fuck utility.

But seriously, just get the Fit and pay that bitch off. With $5+ gas on the horizon do you really want to be paying off your sexy german sport sedan gulping premium and not able to go skiing because of the payment on that bitch?

[600#gorilla]

totally what he said.

911 and lose the wife.

fit and keep her.

[Ikefromla]

Love the WRX. Go with the new WRX wagon. Obviously.



$27,495

Our '06 fit 4 pads, a cooler, plus climbing and camping gear for two people for a month in Hueco.

[joy]

a skier/dude who tends to live out of the car considering an m3? unless you have a backup vehicle, that sounds pretty dumb. i guess the better question would be, what are you going to be doing with yourself over the next year or two+?

[slim]

I guess my question is would you be man enough to buy an M3, park it on the street every day, beat the shit out of it, drive it through road salt and over city potholes, and lose your ass on it when you try to sell it in 2 years because you can't afford it? I'm not saying you can't afford it... You could be dealing coke for all I know.

Seriously the used civic isn't a shabby option. But yeah. What are you trying to do with the next few years? Paying off cars sucks. Especially expensive ones (I presume).

Other decent sporty drivers cars for cheap, some with very little utility...

Golf GTI
Civic SI
Integra GSR
Prelude SH
Toyota MR2
Mini Cooper S

Also, I mean an m3 is your dream car... But when reality sets in a 328i handles pretty damn nice and has a snazzy interior and probably pulls just as much tail as the m3. Are you HARD up enough for an M that you wouldn't drive a lesser 3??

[Tronic]

Cheaper car, nicer bikes.

[stonefiend]

I drove the Fit today. I called the place asking for a dark blue sport Fit in manual... ride my bike to the dealership and all they had was a fucking automatic. The salesman was saying "the paddle shifters give you more control and with modern tech.. the gas is the same". i called bs. Drove the car anyhow.. drives great for what it's worth.. would have bought it if the fucker didn't lie.

I'd been looking at 3..i class and the m3 series as well. The Mom who learned how to drive a stick and drives a 300 class bmw to the store definitely has my attention, even if I have to repaint it.

What will I be doing over the next 2 years? Bust my ass.. live through the apocalypse.. drive into the sunset of cosmic dust in my Honda fit/civic, or M3. My problem is, I've driven both.. and fuck, I'd take a 2 hour drive in a m3 over a year+ of reliability from a civic or fit. Again, that's my dick, you know?

My brain tells me to be optimistic and "we're all gonna live forever and hella happy... so get what's most practical and reliable because epic shit sucks". Hence i'd bought Toyotas in the past... and i'll say, tacomas may be sexier for my demographic than the m3 (imagine a black m3 trying to get to the buttermilks in a snowstorm).. Jaime's right there. That being said, I'd also like to enjoy what's left of the concrete funscape. Roads are noticeably degrading day by day due to lack of funding. Anyway, my junk is fighting my brain.. I've done the math and either option could balance out evenly considering the depreciation of new cars.

I guess the main thing is, I don't really NEED a car. I just don't like being stuck in the bay area. Bars bore me now. I want to hit up mendocino, tahoe or yosemite sunny day on a whim with a grin on my face as I downshift into 2nd around a 20mph corner, giving it gas out of the turn as the rear end re-aligns.

If my dick and brain were to unite.. you get a subaru outback, but for some dumbass reason, they seem a bit croc dundee with a boot in the toilet factor to me.. like an "all-mountain ski". well, shit.. maybe that's what i need..

[stonefiend]

I found this rig on CL for a really good price [img http://s1089.photobucket.com/albums/i35 ... t%3D10.jpg /img]. gonna check it out tomorrows.

[stonefiend]

I found this rig on CL for a really good price http://s1089.photobucket.com/albums/i35 ... t%3D10.jpg . gonna check it out tomorrows.

[600#gorilla]

that audi is still just a stationwagon.

you know this is whatyou really want....

[RockPharmer]

hawt

[Lox]

Some things are timeless classics:

[slim]

Whatever you do DONT BUY A TURBO AUDI OUT OF WARRANTY.

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

Run away as FAST as you can.

If you are MUST buy an Audi, get the one rockpharmer has. The FSI V8 is a much better engine than that 2.7L. It will cost you way less down the road. The 2.7 has TWO turbos and downpipes to replace when they go bad, and the thing blows coil packs ALL THE TIME. The V8 is naturally aspirated, well designed, pulls strong up top, and is generally a more exciting drive.

[slim]

Porsche fans HATE the 996 body style because it has no round headlights and is the first "heathen" (water pumper) version of the 911. This makes for an interesting value in a superb drivers car. They are fucking ROCK BOTTOM cheap.

SACK THE FUCK UP BITCH:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ctd/2280412047.html

IF YOU NEED AWD BUY THE C4 VERSION:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2278687316.html

You can put a bike rack on that little sucker. You can put a pad on a roof rack. You can make it work. I'd take that shit over some crappy beat to hell and back Audi that somebody just pulled a turbo kit off of.

$20k and under 100k miles? YOU WIN.

[elblat]

Cheaper car, nicer bikes.

The path to happiness.

[leaverbiner]

Cheaper car, cleaner hookers.

The path to happiness.

Fixed