My last 'new' car for the next 20 years{I hope}

[Larro Darro]

Three years ago we sold our 2000 Alero. I was driving my truck, and only putting 500 or 600 miles per year on the car. Plus my DW's cousin needed a car. It was a great car, and had about 60K on it. Ever since she has been gone, I've been car shopping. We were looking for a current year, low mileage Camry at a good price. The guy who teaches the Taekwondo class where I work had just become a dealer, so he was looking online for me. He found some pretty good deals, but none that made me want to buy. He is also a farmer, and taking care of his peanuts was keeping him away from the rental car auctions, where the best deals can be found.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I was on a used car thread over on Tractorbynet.com, my other time wasting site. I mentioned what I was looking for and a fellow from Chicago said that he knew of a good deal. He sent me the link in a PM, so I checked it out. A dealer in Indiana had a 13 Camry LE with 2414 miles for $17.7K. That was too cheap unless something was wrong with it. I looked at the Carfax, and it showed the car had been leased less than 2 months before it was sold at auction. I called my dealer friend and he got in touch with the dealer in Indiana. We found out it had been rear ended, and the man had replaced the bumper cover and touched up the paint. I was glad to hear this. There have been some problems with power steering on Camry's and I was worried it was something like that.

I told my friend to go ahead with it if the shipping and his fee would be less than $2K. As it turned out, the cheapest we could get the car shipped was $871 and his fee was $1.5K. But there is a law in Indiana that says unless you are a dealer, your feet have to be on the ground in the state to buy a car there. It was still a good deal, and I couldn't go drive it home.

So 2 weeks ago today I put $17.8K in an escrow account. The next day I wired 17.7K to the dealer in Indiana. He was going to overnight the title to us, but it took a couple of days to get here. Two LONG days, let me tell you. Then the wait was for the shippers. The contract with them said they would pick the car up on Saturday and have it to my friends house by noon today. {his 'dealership' is a 12X12 building on his farm. Florida law says he has to have a commercial building and it has to be bonded. It doesn't say how big it has to be}

We ran into a small problem with the tag because of his dealer stuff. This was the first car he had sold as a dealer, so it was OJT for him. {For years he had been buying cars and trucks, driving them a year, then selling them} The tax collector is a childhood friend of mine, and she hooked us up with a temp tag. My friend will have to drive to Tallahassee in the morning to get a 4 digit number they can't tell him over the phone. We will get the regular tag as soon as he gets back tomorrow.

Now for the car.

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[Larro Darro]

With DW retiring in 3 1/2 years, we are trying to buy all the big ticket items we will need for the next five or ten years before her income in gone. We try to save most of her pay each month and live on mine. Today we spent about 4 1/2 or 5 months' worth of savings.

Here are the numbers.

17700 sale price
1062 6% sales tax
75 some sort of fee
1500 local dealer's fee
871 shipping
7.5 temp tag

21215.5 total cost of car.

The real tag will cost a couple hundred bucks.

If we can keep her running for 20 years, that is just over 1K per, plus gas and insurance. We won't mention repairs.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larro Darro With DW retiring in 3 1/2 years, we are trying to buy all the big ticket items we will need for the next five or ten years before her income in gone. ...

?

How does spending $XX,XXX now versus later change anything for the better? If you wait, you can invest more time in finding deals, spending now just means replacements come sooner, risk of loss etc.

Income now and spend, now versus income now and save now and spend later - it's all money. Spending it earlier than needed does not seem wise to me.

I've heard this from others, but it seems like short term thinking to me. For ER, you need long term thinking.

-ERD50

[Ready]

Congratulations on the new car purchase!

I'm curious, after factoring in any shipping and other costs, how much do you think you saved compared to buying a comparable gently used car locally?

[Larro Darro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready Congratulations on the new car purchase! I'm curious, after factoring in any shipping and other costs, how much do you think you saved compared to buying a comparable gently used car locally?

All the ones I saw had at least 12K miles on them. They were $22-24K before tax. I had been looking for a while and this was the best deal I had seen yet. Unless there has been some kind of fender bender, you don't see the really low miles. Most are at the end of a one year lease. And I have bought cars that way and got good service out of them. But I was going to hold out for low miles and low price. I had been three years without a car, so a few more months wasn't going to kill me.

[Larro Darro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 ? How does spending $XX,XXX now versus later change anything for the better? If you wait, you can invest more time in finding deals, spending now just means replacements come sooner, risk of loss etc. Income now and spend, now versus income now and save now and spend later - it's all money. Spending it earlier than needed does not seem wise to me. I've heard this from others, but it seems like short term thinking to me. For ER, you need long term thinking. -ERD50

What you say is true. A dollar now or a dollar then. It is just easier to write a big check when you know you will have the savings replaced in a few months. If we had waited a few more years, we would have paid more for a slightly used car. So I think the gain on the money saved would be a wash with the higher car prices. And we needed a car now.

The other reason, while not making money sense, is fuel economy. I don't put a lot of miles on my Tacoma, but the fuel mileage will be better in the Camry. I am hoping the DW wants to drive the new one pretty often, and I can drive the Prius some. It is good to have a truck for when you need it, but going to get a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk is work for a car.

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larro Darro All the ones I saw had at least 12K miles on them. They were $22-24K before tax. I had been looking for a while and this was the best deal I had seen yet. Unless there has been some kind of fender bender, you don't see the really low miles. Most are at the end of a one year lease. And I have bought cars that way and got good service out of them. But I was going to hold out for low miles and low price. I had been three years without a car, so a few more months wasn't going to kill me.

Sounds like you got a good deal. Patience paid off for you! Well done.

[scrabbler1]

When I was preparing my ER plan in late 2006 and early 2007, I was wondering how to include a likely new car into it if I had to replace it after I figured I would ER in late 2008. My existing car was nearly 16 years old (I bought it used, a former rental car with the balance of the factory warranty still applicable) and beginning to have some problems. Those problems grew a lot in early 2007 so I had to replace the car. One good thing about having to replace the car in 2007 instead of 2008 is that it forced me to sell off some of my stock mutual fund shares at a gain instead of selling something at a loss to pay for a new car in 2008.

The car I have now, a 2007 Corolla, I expect to last me at least 16 years. I don't drive it much, maybe 3,000 miles a year, so I have only 21k miles on it so far. In 12 years from now maybe I'll have 60k miles on it.

[Larro Darro]

A couple of years ago when a SUV backed into my DW's Prius, she drove a rental Corolla for a week while it was getting repaired. She loved it, and we included Corolla's in our search to begin with. I liked the better fuel mileage, but I have back pain, and the seat in the Corolla hurt me after a short drive. The DW was still sold on them until we looked at the used ones at Panama City Toyota. When we go out with my sister and BIL, the ladies end up in the back seat. DW sat in the back seat of a 12 Corolla and didn't like the leg room.

Like you, we don't put a lot of miles on cars. When the DW retires, I will drive the Prius to work. That will help keep the miles low on the Camry. If the deer will stay on the side of the road, I don't see a problem with it lasting 20 years.

[Larro Darro]

DW just called. They got the tag straightened out. My dealer did have the number with him yesterday, he just didn't know what he was looking for. Next time he will.

Doing the title and 2 year tag cost $230.

[Avalon]

Very nice car. And you wont have to deal with the somewhat costly maintenance bill for a timing belt at ~100K miles. Toyota went to chains on those engines in 2002.

[HFWR]

I have a 1.5yo Prius that I'm hoping will last another ten years or so, which would make me 69-ish. So maybe one more car after that to take me to 80 or so. Will have to wait until then to decide if (a) I still need to be driving, and (b) I'm still alive, before contemplating whether I'll need another...

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR I have a 1.5yo Prius that I'm hoping will last another ten years or so, which would make me 69-ish. So maybe one more car after that to take me to 80 or so. Will have to wait until then to decide if (a) I still need to be driving, and (b) I'm still alive, before contemplating whether I'll need another...

I'm counting on self driving cars being available by the time I'm 80 - with waterproof seats.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover I'm counting on self driving cars being available by the time I'm 80 - with waterproof seats.

[Larro Darro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR I have a 1.5yo Prius that I'm hoping will last another ten years or so, which would make me 69-ish. So maybe one more car after that to take me to 80 or so. Will have to wait until then to decide if (a) I still need to be driving, and (b) I'm still alive, before contemplating whether I'll need another...

DW's 05 Prius is still going strong. If the deer would stop running in front of her, and folks stop backing into her in the parking lot at the courthouse, there is no telling how long it will last. The only other problem we have had is when Mocha, our chocolate lab chewed up the wiring harness.

[Larro Darro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon Very nice car. And you wont have to deal with the somewhat costly maintenance bill for a timing belt at ~100K miles. Toyota went to chains on those engines in 2002.

I found out today when I called Marianna Toyota to schedule an oil change, they use full synthetic oil now. You only change the oil ever 10K. I like that. I went ahead and made the appointment so they can rotate the tires and put a missing clip in the bumper cover.

Edit: When my DW rode in her cousin's Avalon, she wanted one because of the backup camera. But we quickly saw we were not going to find as sweet a deal on one of them as a Camry.

[Avalon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larro Darro I found out today when I called Marianna Toyota to schedule an oil change, they use full synthetic oil now. You only change the oil ever 10K. I like that. I went ahead and made the appointment so they can rotate the tires and put a missing clip in the bumper cover.

Your owners manual should state what weight oil is called for. If it's 0W-20, the dealer will/should use a synthetic oil produced by Mobil and labeled as genuine Toyota synthetic oil, according to Toyota. It's my understanding that all other weights are non synthetics produced by Mobil for Toyota, and labeled as genuine Toyota oil.
From Toyota:
http://www.toyota.com/owners/web/pag...2&partNo=part9

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larro Darro Edit: When my DW rode in her cousin's Avalon, she wanted one because of the backup camera. But we quickly saw we were not going to find as sweet a deal on one of them as a Camry.

I recently purchased a used Avalon limited with ~6K miles. It's, by far, the nicest car I've ever owned. The 2GR-FE V-6 engine is quite impressive. The recommended oil weight is 5W-30. I prefer, and am using, a full synthetic 5W-30.

[Larro Darro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon I recently purchased a used Avalon limited with ~6K miles. It's, by far, the nicest car I've ever owned. The 2GR-FE V-6 engine is quite impressive. The recommended oil weight is 5W-30. I prefer, and am using, a full synthetic 5W-30.

DW has traveled to training conferences all over Florida with the SOE from the next county over in her Avalon. The duel heating/cooling is nice since one is hot and the other cold. The lady didn't run the last time, but the girl who got elected also has an Avalon. So DW is still riding in style.

[Blazerdude20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larro Darro I found out today when I called Marianna Toyota to schedule an oil change, they use full synthetic oil now. You only change the oil ever 10K. I like that. I went ahead and made the appointment so they can rotate the tires and put a missing clip in the bumper cover. Edit: When my DW rode in her cousin's Avalon, she wanted one because of the backup camera. But we quickly saw we were not going to find as sweet a deal on one of them as a Camry.

Larro Darro,

If your DW really would like the backup camera you can DIY with a parts package from your dealer... You can also pay most dealers to install it for you. It's only a couple hours of work for a DIY. Here's a how to video from YouTube.

http://youtu.be/nWr8c--s87g

[ikonomore]

How come you couldn't just buy the car from the original dealer?
I'm confused about what your dealer friend did for $1500.

Thanks,
J