New car / automobile buying & leasing tips for CPK'ers

[unwisefool]

Nathan, glad that Abigail seems to be OK after the second Camry getting rear ended and totaled but if you are now thinking a more robust and sturdy chassis as opposed o your typical Toyota / Honda / Nissan / Hyundai models for a college bound young girl, you will also have to consider reliability issues when Abby is out of the nest. Being around you and Jo who are technically minded parents, she may have picked up a lot of secondary knowledge about how machines operate but if you have similar characters to the females in my family who exclaimed stuff like, "check and change oil? why? doesn't it tell me when the oil is empty?" then watch out! My own daughter was driving an older Mercedes M-Class while going to school and living in another city which resulted in nothing but major PTSD for me and a whole bunch of expenses, headache and heartache. I did go the route of sturdiness vs reliability and although the script was not flipped on me to assess otherwise, I know that unless there is a technically knowledgeable guy around, a younger female driving an older and more complex car could be asking for a host of other problems. If you go this route, at least make sure that Abby gets the best plan which AAA offers (Platinum IIRC).

ETA: I would recommend a slightly older Subaru over Audi, Jags, etc... Unless Jo is itching to get into a brand new 2023 Outback to give Abby her hand-me-down

Those are just ok suggestions. I'd suggest something more along the lines of this:

 

[Standard78]

Those are just ok suggestions. I'd suggest something more along the lines of this:View attachment 2005057

You know damn well that Nathan and Mark would be painted up as Braveheart doing doughnuts on the compound in that thing while Abby waits patiently inside the house shaking her head and wondering why grown men act like children around military equipment.

 

[unwisefool]

You know damn well that Nathan and Mark would be painted up as Braveheart doing doughnuts on the compound in that thing while Abby waits patiently inside the house shaking her head and wondering why grown men act like children around military equipment.

Well they would logically need to test it out first. For safety...

 

[Jsega51]

Please have her come total my wife’s Subaru!! She will bake you any dessert you want.

 

[Casinostocks]

The SnugTop campershell was finally installed today after a 3+ months wait period from order phase to final installation (long story this one, suffice to say that SnugTop eff'd up big time and ended up giving me a satisfactory credit to go ahead with completion of the order). In the meantime, I just bought a small cheap Jeep as my pup-mobil so we may not even need to put the bed topper to test on any maiden voyage any time soon! Oh welp, looks more complete to me as I don't really need an open truck bed any way:

 

[yoko]

The SnugTop campershell was finally installed today after a 3+ months wait period from order phase to final installation (long story this one, suffice to say that SnugTop eff'd up big time and ended up giving me a satisfactory credit to go ahead with completion of the order). In the meantime, I just bought a small cheap Jeep as my pup-mobil so we may not even need to put the bed topper to test on any maiden voyage any time soon! Oh welp, looks more complete to me as I don't really need an open truck bed any way:

View attachment 2022663

View attachment 2022664

I like the look sir!

 

[Casinostocks]

Oh, I totally spaced out on why I was posting in this thread apart from being proud of my paint defective campershell! Needless to say that car prices are sliding downwards, even accelerating down on some makes. new 2023 Tacomas (we are talking 4 x 4, not even bothering with 2WD) can be had for up to 2500 off MSRP if you know where/how to look for deals, more or les the same with 4Runners (exclusions any TRD Pro models, those are still over MSRP). These days if you get the urge for new and walk into a dealership who tries to sell you something over MSRP, just laugh at their faces and then walk out. Even in this high interest rates climate, some manufacturer's are offering low interest deals to those with FICO > 780. Toyota Financial rates on 4Runner even with excellent credit is just HORRIBLE (~7.34% 60 months!) so those with excellent credit score and the ability to show proof of income, just go and shop for better rates at a local credit union.

Used car prices are also down, as Manheim's (the auctions) used car price index has slipped over 10% and is still sliding. Later model commuter type cars with good gas economy are still holding strong if < $20K. CARVANA looks as if they are going to go BK, same with VROOM. Just don't buy from them and do not sell to them. CARMAX is solid and will survive. TESLA? Haha! (as in paying well over sticker days are over).

 

[Casinostocks]

Time for some NYD chuckle. Some may have already seen this incident but the objective is not to make fun of RAM Truck owners. However, it is very crucial to know your trucks recommended payload and the kind of tolerances which you "may"get away with. From my days when I used to sell trucks, I remember that the best kind of set up for this type of on-bed camper was a 1-Ton, long(set)bed and single cab with the lightest yet most powerful engine and drivetrain which you could muster for this type of set up if that is what you'd want. Otherwise just learn to tow it behind you. I don't think that Mr. Pavel has much of a claim against the manufacturer in this case.

https://www.carscoops.com/2022/12/an-eagle-cap-camper-snapped-a-ram-3500-dually-in-half-to-the-tune-of-17000/



ETA: I just noticed the posted comments in the tail end of the article. Some folks are brutal!

 

[Grenock]

Time for some NYD chuckle. Some may have already seen this incident but the objective is not to make fun of RAM Truck owners. However, it is very crucial to know your trucks recommended payload and the kind of tolerances which you "may"get away with. From my days when I used to sell trucks, I remember that the best kind of set up for this type of on-bed camper was a 1-Ton, long(set)bed and single cab with the lightest yet most powerful engine and drivetrain which you could muster for this type of set up if that is what you'd want. Otherwise just learn to tow it behind you. I don't think that Mr. Pavel has much of a claim against the manufacturer in this case.

https://www.carscoops.com/2022/12/an-eagle-cap-camper-snapped-a-ram-3500-dually-in-half-to-the-tune-of-17000/

View attachment 2032549

ETA: I just noticed the posted comments in the tail end of the article. Some folks are brutal!

Obvious opportunity to Dodge bash set aside, that guy is an idiot. He destroyed that truck with his crippling stupidity.

 

[Jsega51]

My wife and I went and checked out a 2018 VW Golf SE with just over 18k miles. Gave it a test ride and she liked it. Offer for her 2013 Subaru Forester with 160k miles was $1500 lol. The dealer the VW was at said they normally wouldn’t even take her car in trade but their offer was enough to cover the taxes on the VW.

I hate that Subaru! I do think we could list it for sale at $4k or something, it would make someone a great first car because even with all the issues it’s had, it really does seem like you can run it hard and not care about it much fixing it as you go.

 

[Casinostocks]

My wife and I went and checked out a 2018 VW Golf SE with just over 18k miles. Gave it a test ride and she liked it. Offer for her 2013 Subaru Forester with 160k miles was $1500 lol. The dealer the VW was at said they normally wouldn’t even take her car in trade but their offer was enough to cover the taxes on the VW.

I hate that Subaru! I do think we could list it for sale at $4k or something, it would make someone a great first car because even with all the issues it’s had, it really does seem like you can run it hard and not care about it much fixing it as you go.

They are not offering you $1500 out of the goodness of their hearts! I dunno how things are in your neck of the woods but down here in Cali, today's $5K is the old 2.5-3K meaning that for that $um does someone get a reasonably reliable beater to show up for work tomorrow if their entire livelihood depended on it? I know that your Subaru is bedeviled but does it do that for someone who is desperate to get to work and has little cash (today's money) to spend? If you loo around, battered up sites like Carvana and even Carmax very rarely have cars decent cars under $10K any more! Most of their cars at higher interest rates which are just your average runoff the mill commuter buckets are in the 16.9K - 19.9K range which are the typical under $10K vehicles before the whole Covid debacle. GLWS.

 

[Jsega51]

I know that your Subaru is bedeviled but does it do that for someone who is desperate to get to work and has little cash (today's money) to spend?

Yeah it would, the expensive things like the cam chain and tensioners, plus the camshaft sensors have been replaced, wheel bearings etc. so it should be pretty sound for someone needing a car under $5k. I equate it to our Cutco knives. She can beat it up and throw it in the dishwasher but it needs a little TLC every few months lol.

 

[dericdesmond]

Tacoma is my “realistic” dream truck. That green/bronze combo is the shizniddlebam Loved my old blacks on the 21 I traded. Initially iffy about bronze but multiple compliments since has me feeling better about em

 

[unwisefool]

Tacoma is my “realistic” dream truck. That green/bronze combo is the shizniddlebam Loved my old blacks on the 21 I traded. Initially iffy about bronze but multiple compliments since has me feeling better about em
View attachment 2059470

Pretty soon you will need to trade that in for a wagon or minivan!

 

[madcap_magician]

Thanks Casinostocks for the tips in this thread, I just bought out my fortuitously timed lease on a 2020 Honda Accord LX with a residual of $14,800 that I leased right before the pandemic shutdown. Came back 5k under my lease mileage allotment and a free $8k in equity on what KBB now says is a $22,000 car. Even my trade-in value exceeds the residual I actually had. Dealership was calling me for a year and a half trying to wheedle me into returning it to them.

It's weird at 36, but it's the first car I actually leased and bought entirely on my own.

 

[dericdesmond]

Pretty soon you will need to trade that in for a wagon or minivan!

Those new hybrid siennas are surprisingly big pimpin

 

[Casinostocks]

Thanks Casinostocks for the tips in this thread, I just bought out my fortuitously timed lease on a 2020 Honda Accord LX with a residual of $14,800 that I leased right before the pandemic shutdown. Came back 5k under my lease mileage allotment and a free $8k in equity on what KBB now says is a $22,000 car. Even my trade-in value exceeds the residual I actually had. Dealership was calling me for a year and a half trying to wheedle me into returning it to them.

It's weird at 36, but it's the first car I actually leased and bought entirely on my own.

Glad to be of help. Almost any major capital expenditure just before the pandemic or at the very outset of it with all the FUD back when, makes a person seem like a financial genius in today's money! Including hoarding CPKs

 

[Casinostocks]

Tacoma is my “realistic” dream truck. That green/bronze combo is the shizniddlebam Loved my old blacks on the 21 I traded. Initially iffy about bronze but multiple compliments since has me feeling better about em
View attachment 2059470

That model is a factory set up which was only limited to the Tacoma Trail Edition (basically a glorified SR5). The bronze accents including the TRD Pro type of wheels and the TOYOTA heritage grille. Sadly the color Army Green has been discontinued in the 2023 Trail Editions but not quite sure about the other models such as TRD Off-Road and the TRD Sport.

If anyone is considering a souped-up Tacoma, this is what I would do now: get a long-bed SR5 4WD (alas the Trail only came in short-bed) at the $38K+ and then have the dealer to the legit Toyota upgrade kit for the $2.5K which they charge (kinda like the Pro shocks lifting the front by 2" and the rear by 1.1"). None of the expensive aftermarket stuff with the exception of your own choice of wheels and beefier off-road tires such as the KO2s. I got what I got because I wanted the locking rear diff which the regular SR5 doesn't offer in addition to the standard 4WD. For that reason, I was limited to the 1" front end lift and the .5" back lift by factory, also losing 1 foot in bed length (SB only!). What I have is "off road lite" because I don't care for the fancy features such as Crawl and all the other electronic assistances that the fancier TRD Pro and TRD Off-Road versions can offer. A Southern Cali mall-hauler doesn't need any of those other fanciful schticks!

 

[yoko]

Heads up

There's been multiple new body style Ford escapes in my shop that have the check strap (little bar that holds your door open) mount inside the door completely break off

 

[Box_Opener]

Glad to be of help. Almost any major capital expenditure just before the pandemic or at the very outset of it with all the FUD back when, makes a person seem like a financial genius in today's money! Including hoarding CPKs

My wife and I bought our apartment in NYC during the first few months of the pandemic (after searching for almost two years). I can can confirm that I am occasionally considered to be shrewd with my money even though I have bought far, far too many knives for this to be true.