Finance car advice - ghetto fabulous style

[REWahoo]

If I had just gotten that water pump fixed, I probably could've gotten many more years out of that car. But I just wanted something that was newer, lower mileage, with more options, a working a/c, and a nicer stereo.

And just maybe you also wanted something to reliably transport you somewhere, which is the basic purpose of a car. If you can't reasonably depend on it working when you need it, you've really wasted your money.

Reliability is worth paying for (within reason, of course ).

 

[73ss454]

Andre,

You should have put Historical plates on the Chrysler and paid antique insurance at a fraction of the regular insurance costs.  That would have saved you a few hundred extra.

Did you take it to any car shows!

 

[Andre1969]

Here in Maryland a car has to be 25 years old to get historic plates, and I got rid of my Newport before then. However, I missed that big lug, and in late 2001 found a 1979 New Yorker (same basic car but more luxurious and with a bigger engine) on eBay and bought it. As soon as it qualified for historic plates I jumped at it! Prices just went up, but I think historic tags are only like $53.00 for 2 years. For regular tags it would've been around $190. As soon as I get my garage built, I'm going to put antique insurance on it, which will save me around $350 per year. Their only caveat is that the car has to be kept in a garage when not in use. I take it up to the Chrysler show at Carlisle. I did take the Newport up there in '97, and I think in '98 too. So it must've been later in the summer than I thought when my water pump went out.

 

[SteveR]

Forbes.com has an article on Car Turkeys for 2006 featuring the to ten worst cars for sales this year. Many are down 40-50% for the year. Sounds like you could get nice new car for a lot less as dealers will want to dump these before the end of the year.

http://www.forbes.com/2005/11/11/cx_dl_1114featslide.html

 

[WanderALot]

Ah, we've got some time to decide, but basically we have a short list at this point:

Used Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe
Used or new Honda Civic
Used from rental agency Chevy Cobalt

Hey Laurence, I think I was the one who suggested a Cobalt in an earlier post, but
take a look at this link:

http://autos.msn.com/advice/CRArt.aspx?contentid=4023544&src=LP Passenger

 

[laurence]

Ouch. Chevy Cobalt. Thanks!

 

[Andre1969]

Sometimes you have to take those Consumer Reports ratings with a grain of salt. Rating a car as "least reliable" doesn't necessarily mean it's a piece of junk, just that there are other cars out there that are better. It's kind of like calling your kid stupid because he "only" scored a 98 on a test when all the other kids scored 100 (or more because they got the extra credit question right!)

Without seeing the actual reliability results, these labels are meaningless. And cars in general are close enough in reliability these days that the difference between "much better than average", "better than average", and "average" is almost meaningless. And even cars in the high end of "worse than average" really aren't that much lower than the "much better than average" category.

 

[maggieddd]

right, they might not be a complete junk, but it also tells you that you have other choices for the same amount of money that might be slightly better. So why settle for less when you can have more for the same amount.

 

[Andre1969]

Well, settling for a car that's a bit less reliable than another is not necessarily settling for less overall. It depends on what your needs and wants are. For example, I've checked out various small cars, and found that I can't even fit in a Civic, Sentra, or Focus. The '06 Civic might be different, though, since it's been redesigned. I can fit in a Corolla, but the seating position is still awkward. You really need to be built like an ape, with long arms and short legs to fit well in that car. So basically, that leaves the Mazda3, Cobalt, and Neon in small cars. Well, reliability isn't so hot on the Neon, but I'm surprised that evidently it's better than the Cobalt! I fit geat in the Neon, but they're a bit underpowered with the 2.0. The Cobalt's 2.2 Ecotech is actually pretty gutsy. And I don't know much about the Mazda3...I kinda like them, but I think they're a bit pricey. I fit well in one, though, and I also fit well in the Cobalt.

So in my case, the Cobalt wouldn't be settling for less. It just depends on what your needs are, and how well the car would fit them. For me, a Sentra, Civic, Focus, or Corolla would be the inferior product.

Basically, the point is, don't base everything on Consumer Reports reliability ratings. You may end up with a car that you hate.

 

[haha]

Be careful. The Neon really is a piece of junk.

Ha

 

[Andre1969]

Yeah, I know, Ha. Being a long-time Chrysler fan, I'm pretty disapointed with the Neon. One thing that really irritates me is that, of all the small cars out there, I actually fit best in the Neon! I just wish Chrysler would've put more effort into it. Like a few more bucks into the interior...I don't know how they managed this, but somehow they figured out how to make cloth feel worse to the touch than hard plastic! And they're not that fuel efficient, I don't think they score very well in crash tests, and reliability isn't so hot.

About 9 years ago, I came close to buying a Neon. I was driving a '68 Dart at the time, delivering pizzas, and one dark and stormy night it died on me at a traffic light. I almost got rear-ended by someone who came up behind me not paying attention. I pushed it off the road, walked back to the store, and called it a night. Called my uncle to come pick me up. I was so pissed that I was planning on asking my grandmother is she'd co-sign on a loan for a new Neon with me.

And damn if that Dart didn't start right back up once my uncle came out to get me! Drove home no trouble at all. Next day I was messing around with it...turns out it was just the points had burnt up and would occasionally stick together, making the whole car just die at random. So for something like $2.98, I was back on the road. And as it turns out, Neons were really bad back in the 90's, so it probably ended up being for the best.

And BTW, Grandmom refused to co-sign with me, although she said she'd lend me the money. I guess even Grandma knew enough that she didn't want her name on a Neon!

 

[maggieddd]

Well, settling for a car that's a bit less reliable than another is not necessarily settling for less overall.  It depends on what your needs and wants are.  For example, I've checked out various small cars, and found that I can't even fit in a Civic, Sentra, or Focus.  The '06 Civic might be different, though, since it's been redesigned.  I can fit in a Corolla, but the seating position is still awkward.  You really need to be built like an ape, with long arms and short legs to fit well in that car.  So basically, that leaves the Mazda3, Cobalt, and Neon in small cars.  Well, reliability isn't so hot on the Neon, but I'm surprised that evidently it's better than the Cobalt!  I fit geat in the Neon, but they're a bit underpowered with the 2.0.  The Cobalt's 2.2 Ecotech is actually pretty gutsy.  And I don't know much about the Mazda3...I kinda like them, but I think they're a bit pricey.  I fit well in one, though, and I also fit well in the Cobalt.

So in my case, the Cobalt wouldn't be settling for less.  It just depends on what your needs are, and how well the car would fit them.  For me, a Sentra, Civic, Focus, or Corolla would be the inferior product.

Basically, the point is, don't base everything on Consumer Reports reliability ratings.  You may end up with a car that you hate.

Perhaps you are shapped oddly not the rest of the people who fit in the wide array of all other cars and not just the Neon.  But since you are a Chrysler fan that would explain why your choices are so limted.  And it seems like the power of a car is more important to you than the reliabilty after your comfort.  Yes, you need to feel comfortable in your car and I can see that perhaps the smaller Japanese car might not be as comfortable to an overweight or extremely tall person until you actually go to a luxury models, but I think there are better choices than a Cobalt and Neon. You get what you pay for and good luck with your repairs.

 

[haha]

Yeah, I know, Ha.  Being a long-time Chrysler fan, I'm pretty disapointed with the Neon.  One thing that really irritates me is that, of all the small cars out there, I actually fit best in the Neon! 

Andre, a good small car that seems to be fine for tall men is the Subaru Impreza. It is a small car, but not exactly a cheap car. Very nice though, and excellent safety and durability ratings. I just test drove one, and the salesman was 6'3 and he fit fine as both driver and passenger.

Ha

 

[vic]

I can fit in a Corolla, but the seating position is still awkward. You really need to be built like an ape, with long arms and short legs to fit well in that car.

Mmmmm, I don't think that I am either built or look like an 'ape'. Most Corolla driver seem to be fairly normal looking people to me. Have you tried adjusting the seat to overcome this problem?

V

 

[Andre1969]

HaHa, it's been awhile since I've tried out an Impreza, but I've sat in the larger Legacy and found it to be horribly cramped inside. Still, a larger car doesn't always equate to a roomier car inside.

As for the Corolla, the awkward seating position is actually a common issue. For taller drivers, with the seat all the way back, the steering wheel is positioned far enough away, if a bit low, but there's just not enough legroom. The pedals are still too close. It almost feels like driving a bumper car. Theoretically, they could make the seat travel further back which would address the legroom issue, but then the steering wheel, which was positioned just fine before, would now be too far out of reach unless you really leaned forward.

My uncle has an '03 Corolla, so I've had experience with this car. It actually is a vast improvement over the previous generation, which was a torture chamber in comparison. Oddly, the passenger seating position is pretty comfortable, and in the back seat it's not that bad. So it's almost a better passenger car than it is a driver's car!

 

[brewer12345]

Andre, a good small car that seems to be fine for tall men is the Subaru Impreza. It is a small car, but not exactly a cheap car. Very nice though, and excellent safety and durability ratings. I just test drove one, and the salesman was 6'3 and he fit fine as both driver and passenger.

Ha

Yeah, but for a couple thousand more you might as well go with the Legacy.

 

[maggieddd]

HaHa, it's been awhile since I've tried out an Impreza, but I've sat in the larger Legacy and found it to be horribly cramped inside.  Still, a larger car doesn't always equate to a roomier car inside.

As for the Corolla, the awkward seating position is actually a common issue.  For taller drivers, with the seat all the way back, the steering wheel is positioned far enough away, if a bit low, but there's just not enough legroom.  The pedals are still too close.  It almost feels like driving a bumper car.  Theoretically, they could make the seat travel further back which would address the legroom issue, but then the steering wheel, which was positioned just fine before, would now be too far out of reach unless you really leaned forward.

My uncle has an '03 Corolla, so I've had experience with this car.  It actually is a vast improvement over the previous generation, which was a torture chamber in comparison.  Oddly, the passenger seating position is pretty comfortable, and in the back seat it's not that bad.  So it's almost a better passenger car than it is a driver's car! 

torture chamber? you must be really strangely shaped.

 

[Andre1969]

No, not really. Just fairly tall, and raised on big cars and pickup trucks.

 

[tozz]

I wonder if this is a Toyota thing, or perhaps a legacy of the early days when Japanese cars were designed for 5'5" Asians. My Toyota Prius forces me to drive with my arms almost fully extended. Annoying, actually.

I can fit in a Corolla, but the seating position is still awkward.  You really need to be built like an ape, with long arms and short legs to fit well in that car. 

 

[maggieddd]

raised on big cars and pickup trucks.

that could be a problem

 

[maggieddd]

I wonder if this is a Toyota thing, or perhaps a legacy of the early days when Japanese cars were designed for 5'5" Asians.  My Toyota Prius forces me to drive with my arms almost fully extended.  Annoying, actually.

the Corolla seat is more adjustable than the one in a Prius

 

[Andre1969]

Tozz, I've noticed that the Camry seems to have a bit of an awkward driving position as well, so maybe it IS a Toyota thing! I can get the seat of an Accord or Altima positioned to where I have plenty of room, but not the Camry. It's still a bit short in legroom, but the steering wheel seems positioned a bit better.

Toyota did seem to get it right with the Avalon, though.

Also, which Prius do you have, Tozz? First-generation or second? A friend of mine has a second-gen Prius. I've never driven it, but as a passenger it feels pretty comfy.

 

[tozz]

2nd generation, Andre.  Yes, the interior is quite roomy--especially rear legroom.  A couple of the local taxi companies are even trying them out for commercial service.  Dunno what the verdict is, yet. 

I just wish I knew why they placed the steering wheel so far from the driver.  You would figure that all the ergonomic standards would be pretty well settled by now.  I get no relief in my Sprinter-based motor home either.  That comes equiped with a non-adjustable Ralph Cramden style horizonal steering wheel.  How sweet it is.

 

[brewer12345]

2nd generation, Andre.  Yes, the interior is quite roomy--especially rear legroom.  A couple of the local taxi companies are even trying them out for commercial service.  Dunno what the verdict is, yet. 

I just wish I knew why they placed the steering wheel so far from the driver.  You would figure that all the ergonomic standards would be pretty well settled by now.  I get no relief in my Sprinter-based motor home either.  That comes equiped with a non-adjustable Ralph Cramden style horizonal steering wheel.  How sweet it is. 

How is the Sprinter home working out? Not too small?

 

[haha]

Yeah, but for a couple thousand more you might as well go with the Legacy.

I guess I have to recheck. I am looking at wagons, and it appeared to me that the cheapest Legacy is still almost $7000 more than the Impreza.

Ha