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

UffDa said:
I don't think that there is a best car in the world. As the old saying goes, "If it has tires or tits, (testicles?) eventually, you will have problems."

I will say this about our Camrys. Except for when the battery died on our 15 year old Camry, it alway started and ran well. The same goes for our 1988 and 2014.
The 1988 Camry was totaled, but it had 130,000 + miles and still ran great. We sold the 2002 because we didn't need 2 cars.
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Dennis, I'll respond in here just because it's auto related:

Regarding Scotty (the person in the video) and his beloved Toyota Celica, it was obviously a joke at his expense ;)

My middle son was recently involved in a rear ending accident which was totally his fault, his second one so far. Now his car was a 2016 and it was a leased car so the insurance co decided to total it and that was that, bye bye car. This kid has been fast and loose with his credit and I'm not going to co-sign for an adult who has been somewhat irresponsible so he has to learn. That said, can't do shyte without a car so dad to the rescue, for when / if things go back to some normalcy in a few weeks or months (I have my serious doubts).

I bought a 2004 Toyota Camry XLE V6 for him with only 104K miles, through my wholesale channels. I paid more than wholesale blue book but good luck trying to get anything for wholesale "bb" for a very clean one owner San Diego trade-in formerly owned by a caring pop-pop! The V6 Camry models are not as popular as the 4cyl models but that's OK as this XLE model is really equipped like the mid level Lexus ES350 models were in the mid 2000's. That said, no modern amenity frills, no BT, no Nav, no bells & whistles and no more fidgeting while driving and keep the fooquing eyes focused upfront!

TL; DR: I agree with you apart from the tires & t*ts parts; boats are much more troublesome than those with tires anyway!
 
bluemax_1 said:
I have no doubt that there will be deals to be had, and that goes for everything including vehicles etc.
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Best to respond regarding the vehicles comment in here, ala the current state of the auto market:

Both of the biggest auto vehicles buying / selling outlets, Carvana & Vroom, are now refraining from buying autos from private sellers unless they are also trading-in. This decision due to COVID-19 and economical uncertainty has caused many of those who got into expensive and barely affordable leases who have also been temporarily laid off, to consider voluntary repo was an option, if this situation carries on well past the current 60-90 days grace periods and payment deferments.

Most Mannheim auctions and some other ones are now only operating as online only basis but despite the fact that the prices were still strong during the first week of the partial shutdown, in the hope that the COVOD-19 relief funds plus tax return refunds should result in a rush for cheaper (<10K) autos but now most dealers have adjusted to the reality that this ain't going to be any quick or easy fix and since inventories have now stagnated for a good few weeks, there are many many no sales in these online auctions because bids are no where near reserve prices which are based on pre COVID paradigm and wholesale values.

What I have stated above is based on tangible experiences and not some Internet regurgitation of someone else's writing! I have both sold a couple of private autos to Carvana & Vroom, my 2019 leased Acura being the latest one which I dumped in Feb 2020. Also, I still log into wholesale auctions under a friend's license to look and I occasionally buy. What I paid for my last 3 used autos/truck, two for my kids and one for myself, now wouldn't fetch anywhere near what I ended up paying for them plus tax & license fees which I have also paid to have registered in my name, but at least these autos are all paid for, fully owned with no loans.

These are just examples in one field of commerce which I tend to grasp and understand. There will be some serious belt tightening for a couple of years to come, at least, in most other commercial reals too. JMHO.
 
If the value of a new or slightly used auto is dropping so rapidly that a buyer is unlikely to reclaim that value, minus use, once a new car loan is paid off or when they want to exit (essentially committing to lifelong ownership or a write off) it seems leasing is the sweeter deal for personal equity. Because then you aren't committing to the total loss of value of the asset in the longrun due to market forces like this pandemic.

Casino, based on the above, would you say auto pre-virus prices were a bubble? Will we see a correction in new and used auto prices in the personal / retail market?
 
I would not necessarily call it a bubble but yes, some serious price adjustments will probably take effect for a while till the inventory glut burns through. The new / used auto markets were strong based on unprecedented and almost full employment numbers plus the Gig economy aspect of ride-sharing services. You will be surprised as to how many vehicles I see with "prior rental" disclosures and these definitely were not your Hertz / Enterprises rentals but "rental" tag attributed to Uber / LYFT / Turo to some lesser extent.

Your recent CR-V lease, at least IMO, remains as a good decision even to this date. A solid vehicle choice if you managed to squeeze out a decent deal outta Honda Financial Services who were misers prior to COVID-19. Only thing with HFS beyond this, will remain cimplementation of some serious adjustment of their very high MF (money factor).
 
duramax said:
OMG not a van !!!! Lol :)

I just really dislike working on those !!!! But with the 6.0 gas v8 they really last, like 300k +

Hey just load the van with clutter and walk away, storage complete :)
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I’ll take the vehicle banter in here Bill :)

Yes that is the exact engine (as you very well know) which came in my 1 ton model. For a 2017 model, my ban has a ton of miles and it was dirty as hell which I spent over a week to clean up with elbow grease and all but it seems to be mechanically well taken care of (previously owned by a parts store). An ugly duckling for sure but cheap enough for me to use the hack out of it and still get my $ back once I factor in the usage value.

My Toyota Tundra is an awesome truck but despite its 6.5 foot bed and a camper shell, it doesn’t really have a lot of cargo room propose for anything serious to be used to move things around. I personally like having a shell although it can be restrictive for many people. I will be putting up the Tundra up for sale soon as the used market is very hot and off the charts. I just bought myself a used MDX so I have my Pup’s transportation covered :) I don’t think that she particularly enjoyed being stuck inside that camper shell although she never ever complains. I think that she missed sitting right behind me, at times licking my ears (giving kisses) when driving together :D
 
Well Mat if the pup likes the vehicle then life is good :)
I agree with what you’ve been saying in regards to auto prices , sales , etc.
I still go to dealer only auctions, with friends who hold a license. All I can say is things have changed a lot !!!!!
 
Same here Bill; I no longer hold my own license but use the log-in credentials of a couple of dealer friends who I have very high mutual trust with, to buy whatever I want through online dealer only auctions. Manheim and a couple of other ones are still following very strict COVID-19 protocols, i.e, no dealers trotting the lanes on the day of the auction.

Since I do not even have a salesperson's license, I can not physically go to the auctions but I can login at my computer using their signing in credentials. If I land something, I transfer fund$ to their bank and then pay the CA tax & DMV to receive title. I usually also spiff a few hundred for those friends who incidentally never ask for anything. Currently the auction prices could frankly as high as some private party prices but then again the condition report is right there and I don't have to drive miles to waste my time with sellers misrepresenting their for-sale vehicles!
 
Thinking about buying a new vehicle sometime. Was going to do it next year, but might do it sooner on a 0% rate while they have them.

I don't "need" the car right now. I have my 2007 Xterra paid off long ago wirh 150,000 miles on it. Wife drives a 1ton e350 (luckily her work is only .25 of a mile.

I drive 40 miles a day. Thinking of getting an all wheel drive wagon that gets 2x the gas milage as my old Xterra.

Have been looking at Subaru, but don't love the continuously variable transmission. They seem to be pep robbers.

Mazda CX5 in all wheel drive is less $$, and has better driving manners (has beat out all the other compact awd subs several years in a row), but less cargo space and worse gas milage.

I'm planning in passing the old xterra to my son next year. He has his learners permit.

I need something that also has rails to put a canoe on, hatch back for the dog, and room for the wife and kids.... but mostly the gas milage being better what I currently drive would be nice.

0% apr would save me a few grand over the life of the loan.

I've never leased before. But I've never bought a new car either. Closest was a 6000 miles new..



I've owend Hyundai and loved them too. I have about 8 family members that drive them too.

Exceptional warranty.
 
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We have had two Subaru outbacks in the past 5 years and they have been great cars. The newest one has a stiffer chassis, upgraded suspension and a turbocharged 4 cylinder. The AWD is the best their is. Make sure you don't get the vase engine, it's fine, just not a lot of power. That's why we traded it in for the 6cyl.

If you have any questions about them, let me know.
 
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Jo and I have an outback 3.6. It is our fourth outback In 20 years.

Jo uses it to pull my 3/4 ton two-wheel drive Chevy with locking rear axle and muddies when I get stuck. The Subaru really does have fantastic four-wheel drive, I've taken it places I would never take a regular road car. I took the one we had before this down through the woods to my deer stand on my mom's farm which is not somewhere you would normally take a car. A tractor is borderline. That said, it is a Subaru which means it is a little bit flaky. The electronic center console was replaced under warranty but I'm not sure I trust it in the long term. The one we had before this suffered the dreaded head gasket failure common to Subarus of that era. The first two Subarus we got about 200,000 mi on them. That one I think died around 160 000. I do tend to flog the shit out of my cars though. They all see their red lines regularly.

The CVT transmission has been fine it doesn't bother me. I think they executed it better than others. 0 to 60 around 7 seconds I think. This is the 6 cylinder. it isn't quick but it's not too slow. Fuel mileage isn't great.

It's a good car Jo likes it fine. Good but maybe not great.
 
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Nathan the Machinist said:
Jo and I have an outback 3.6. It is our fourth outback In 20 years.

Jo uses it to pull my 3/4 ton two-wheel drive Chevy with locking rear axle and muddies when I get stuck. The Subaru really does have fantastic four-wheel drive, I've taken it places I would never take a regular road car. I took the one we had before this down through the woods to my deer stand on my mom's farm which is not somewhere you would normally take a car. A tractor is borderline. That said, it is a Subaru which means it is a little bit flaky. The electronic center console was replaced under warranty but I'm not sure I trust it in the long term. The one we had before this suffered the dreaded head gasket failure common to Subarus of that era. The first two Subarus we got about 200,000 mi on them. That one I think died around 160 000. I do tend to flog the shit out of my cars though. They all see their red lines regularly.

The CVT transmission has been fine it doesn't bother me. I think they executed it better than others. 0 to 60 around 7 seconds I think. This is the 6 cylinder. it isn't quick but it's not too slow. Fuel mileage isn't great.

It's a good car Jo likes it fine. Good but maybe not great.
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What year is your latest one?
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
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The Subaru really does have fantastic four-wheel drive, I've taken it places I would never take a regular road car...
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Subaru makes great AWD small / midsize vehicles (the Ascent is a full size SUV which also scores well) which are suited to many rougher roads and climates, hence why you see so many of then here our west in CO / OR / WA and so on. Subaru integrates a very good symmetrical AWD system with their various powertrains which perform really well in most situations. However for those who are on the extreme side of 4-wheeling, there is only one brand and that is TOYOTA. I am certainly no Toyota fanboy but gotta give credit where and when it is deserved when it comes to the most extreme off-roading demands and capabilities. In the mid-size truck world, the Tacoma is the reigning monarch and has been so for many, many years. The Tundra is a full-size BEAST but there are others out there which will give the Tundra a good run for the money but nothing really comes close to a properly set up Tacoma as long as constant towing/hauling is not high on the agenda.

A really good one to keep an eye out for is the now defunct FJ Cruiser. I don't like the way which it rides on highways much because of the shorter wheelbase and the body on frame design (much like the now antiquated looking 5th Gen 4Runner) but if your business is to go up and down rough & touch terrain like a burro (a pony in your case) not much else beats these Toyotas.
 
unwisefool said:
What year is your latest one?
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2018. Last of the 3.6.

They went to a 2.5 turbo that is better in every meaningful way on paper, but I personally prefer a big old aspirated engine in something like this. I know the turbos have gotten really good and reliable, but I'm a little set in my ways.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
2018. Last of the 3.6.

They went to a 2.5 turbo that is better in every meaningful way on paper, but I personally prefer a big old aspirated engine in something like this. I know the turbos have gotten really good and reliable, but I'm a little set in my ways.
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Yeah that's the same year as my 3.6. I think 2019 was the last year for it though, the new 4 turbo was introduced for the 2020 model year. I will say the 2020's ride and handle really nicely.
 
Casinostocks said:
Subaru makes great AWD small / midsize vehicles (the Ascent is a full size SUV which also scores well) which are suited to many rougher roads and climates, hence why you see so many of then here our west in CO / OR / WA and so on. Subaru integrates a very good symmetrical AWD system with their various powertrains which perform really well in most situations. However for those who are on the extreme side of 4-wheeling, there is only one brand and that is TOYOTA. I am certainly no Toyota fanboy but gotta give credit where and when it is deserved when it comes to the most extreme off-roading demands and capabilities. In the mid-size truck world, the Tacoma is the reigning monarch and has been so for many, many years. The Tundra is a full-size BEAST but there are others out there which will give the Tundra a good run for the money but nothing really comes close to a properly set up Tacoma as long as constant towing/hauling is not high on the agenda.

A really good one to keep an eye out for is the now defunct FJ Cruiser. I don't like the way which it rides on highways much because of the shorter wheelbase and the body on frame design (much like the now antiquated looking 5th Gen 4Runner) but if your business is to go up and down rough & touch terrain like a burro (a pony in your case) not much else beats these Toyotas.
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I hear the new Bronco has some serious offroading chops. Be interesting to see when the time comes. But I don't think we will buy another Ford unless it's an F150. Just have had too many problems with them over the years.
 
Just to be clear, I was referring to the body on chassis being considered as an antiquated design as opposed to the unibody designs, which most modern SUVs incorporate these days. The 5th Gen 4Runners like yours definitely ride better on roads as compared to FJ Cruisers which have shorter wheelbase. The Limited and the Night Shade editions packed with more creature comfort features ride a bit nicer on roads with their 20" rims but as an overall road / off road vehicle, I'd take the less tricked out 4WD 4Runner models. TRD Pro models are awesome but 55K+ or so for a new one before any other after-market mods, gets to be much!

ETA: despite the antiquated epithet, 4Runners keep their value much better than any other competitor and sell faster than any other. So there is always that, i.e, the high consumer demand and high confidence!
 
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