| muranomax |
To all the good folks who read and give advise on this forum, I need some recs regarding buying a new car for my daughter who just turned 16. My daughter loves bright colors like the sunburst yellow or habanero red. I looked around for some good compact/subcompact cars and came up with a few that we will be test driving. These include Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Mazda 3. Budget is under 20G and as a dad safety and reliability is more important than the looks.(My daughter thinks I am old fashioned!) All good recs will be seriously read!
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| black03specv |
My fiance has a Scion tC. It's got a Camry engine in it so there's your reliability. Pretty sure the latest ones come with side curtain airbags and what not as well.
Plus, hers with floormats and automatic transmission came to just over $17000. It's been a great car for us so far. Only thing I would watch for when driving is that in can be a little difficult checking your blind spot. The seat is 9-way adjustable I think though so chances are you/she could find a spot that is comfortable and eliminates this issue.
We also test drove a Honda Civic and liked it equally. The newest civic line are outstanding cars. |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by black03specv
My fiance has a Scion tC. It's got a Camry engine in it so there's your reliability. Pretty sure the latest ones come with side curtain airbags and what not as well.
Plus, hers with floormats and automatic transmission came to just over $17000. It's been a great car for us so far. Only thing I would watch for when driving is that in can be a little difficult checking your blind spot. The seat is 9-way adjustable I think though so chances are you/she could find a spot that is comfortable and eliminates this issue.
We also test drove a Honda Civic and liked it equally. The newest civic line are outstanding cars.
Thanks
We looked at the Scions. I am not sure why but my daughter did not like it.I thought it was a fairly nice car. She loved the Civic and that will be on top of our list for next saturday test drive.
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| Eric L. |
| The most "useful" car out of the bunch is the Honda Fit - with the crazy foldable magic seats it fits a lot more than a car that small should hold. Also, its the best handling car of the ones you listed too, unless you meant the MAZDASPEED 3! :D :D :D |
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| Stoker |
I voted for the Honda civic, my daughter bought a 1995 civic and sold it 18 months later for the same amount she paid for it. She then bought a 03 civic SI.
She has had great reliability on both cars and great fuel economy at the same time. |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by Eric L.
The most "useful" car out of the bunch is the Honda Fit - with the crazy foldable magic seats it fits a lot more than a car that small should hold. Also, its the best handling car of the ones you listed too, unless you meant the MAZDASPEED 3! :D :D :D
Thanks Eric
That will be one of the cars we will be test driving. I am a little concerned about the safety of sub compact cars in general. I am not sure mazdaspeed 3 will be a good beginers car. Does it have automatic transmission? If it is manual, she will not want it.
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by Stoker
I voted for the Honda civic, my daughter bought a 1995 civic and sold it 18 months later for the same amount she paid for it. She then bought a 03 civic SI.
She has had great reliability on both cars and great fuel economy at the same time.
Thanks Stoker
Thats my first choice too. I have to wait till saturday to let my daughter test drive it to see if she likes it as much!
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| Stoker |
quote:
Originally posted by muranomax
Thanks Stoker
Thats my first choice too. I have to wait till saturday to let my daughter test drive it to see if she likes it as much!
Thanks
Muranomax
When I took my daughter to look for her 03 Honda she told me that she wanted a 2-door car as she did need the extra room for kids yet. I replied that I was not ready to be a grandfather yet either.
This is one of those rare occasions when Father and Daughter are on the same page. |
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| zebelkhan |
I vote for Civic, primarily from its reliability and resale value. From safety stand point, they are probably all the same.
Here is a piece of advice your daughter may not want to hear:
She is only 16, meaning she will probably drive it to school where other 16 year olds also bring their cars. That means lot's of dents, scratches, and pure damage to the exterior of the car in a relatively very short period of time. Don't go for a new car at this point.....:4: |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
I vote for Civic, primarily from its reliability and resale value. From safety stand point, they are probably all the same.
Here is a piece of advice your daughter may not want to hear:
She is only 16, meaning she will probably drive it to school where other 16 year olds also bring their cars. That means lot's of dents, scratches, and pure damage to the exterior of the car in a relatively very short period of time. Don't go for a new car at this point.....:4:
Well said Zebelkhan
That is so true. I considered a used car as well. However, the price of a used Honda civic is so close to a new one that I am better off buying a new car.Moreover this is going to be her first car, so I want her to feel good about it.
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| bob1 |
Let me pass on the advice for what I did at this stage.
I bought my son a 1990 Jeep Cherokee with 99K miles. The year was 1998 so it was 8 years old at the time of purchase.
My motivation was something built like a Sherman tank and something without a bunch of get up and go.
I always feared someone running into the econobox cars with a Ford Expedition or some other land-yacht. I think the small cars fold too easily when challenged by a 4 ton behemoth.
Anyway, I told my son the car was expected to last through college.
As of last week he had 199K and it's still running. He graduated college in 2005.
I told him to let it go, it did its job and it's now on borrowed time.
Bob1 |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by bob1
Let me pass on the advice for what I did at this stage.
I bought my son a 1990 Jeep Cherokee with 99K miles. The year was 1998 so it was 8 years old at the time of purchase.
My motivation was something built like a Sherman tank and something without a bunch of get up and go.
I always feared someone running into the econobox cars with a Ford Expedition or some other land-yacht. I think the small cars fold too easily when challenged by a 4 ton behemoth.
Anyway, I told my son the car was expected to last through college.
As of last week he had 199K and it's still running. He graduated college in 2005.
I told him to let it go, it did its job and it's now on borrowed time.
Bob1
Bob,
I took my daughter to the chrysler/Jeep dealer and had her look at some of the Jeep wranglers. She did not like the rough ride on the wrangler. At this point we are really looking at Honda civic or Fit. I also wanted to look at a basic mini cooper as well( A tad bit more than our budget but I can manage). Any thoughts on this. |
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| GripperDon |
So much that I am not really sure I can add anything usefull.
Insurance rate will be hi. Might consider that. It is a first car will it go on to college. We got our youngest son hi first car in high school and he kept it thru under grad and then half way thru Med school so it could get many years of use and a zillion miles. I do have to say I was impressed with the new Kia Sportage, lots of room, air bags all over, stick shift, DOHC good mileage, etc. and a great warranty. |
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| bob1 |
quote:
Originally posted by muranomax
Bob,
I took my daughter to the chrysler/Jeep dealer and had her look at some of the Jeep wranglers. She did not like the rough ride on the wrangler. At this point we are really looking at Honda civic or Fit. I also wanted to look at a basic mini cooper as well( A tad bit more than our budget but I can manage). Any thoughts on this.
I'll agree about the Wrangler as that is about as close as it comes to a WW-II rough riding vehicle. That was not made for comfort. It also struggles on highways to keep up with traffic. That was not designed for interstate travel.
My only concern with the Mini's and Civics are the crunch factor if they tangle with the monster SUV types on the road. They are good reliable cars otherwise.
Bob1 |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by GripperDon
So much that I am not really sure I can add anything usefull.
Insurance rate will be hi. Might consider that. It is a first car will it go on to college. We got our youngest son hi first car in high school and he kept it thru under grad and then half way thru Med school so it could get many years of use and a zillion miles. I do have to say I was impressed with the new Kia Sportage, lots of room, air bags all over, stick shift, DOHC good mileage, etc. and a great warranty.
Thanks Don
This will be the only car I will buy my daughter(Hopefully). Anything after this will be after she finishes college and at her own expense. I think we have made that very clear to my daughter and She knows that.Now! I dont know how much of a soft spot my wife has and how gullible she may be as I have seen my wife relenting on things before. You know how kids have a way of getting what they want! I remember I always used to talk to my mom quietly when my dad would not agree to certain things and somehow mom always made sure I got what I wanted!
Kia sportage! I never thought about that. I gotta look it up and maybe take a test drive.Thanks Don
Muranomax |
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| Eric L. |
quote:
Originally posted by muranomax
Thanks Eric
That will be one of the cars we will be test driving. I am a little concerned about the safety of sub compact cars in general. I am not sure mazdaspeed 3 will be a good beginers car. Does it have automatic transmission? If it is manual, she will not want it.
Thanks
Muranomax
The Mazdaspeed 3 would probably be inappropriate for your situation then - its a little wagon with a stickshift and 263hp!
One thing to consider for any car you buy your daughter, especially if it is new, is to buy a vehicle with side curtain airbags, ABS, and electronic stability control. I believe the Fit comes standard with all of it, and the others might have the side curtains, but not stability control. I might be wrong, but it doesn't hurt to check. Kids think they are invincible on the road, but I think their folks know better, and most of the time it is better to be able to avoid a collision than be involved in one. |
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| bob1 |
quote:
Originally posted by muranomax
[B]
This will be the only car I will buy my daughter(Hopefully). Anything after this will be after she finishes college and at her own expense.
One more piece of advice. Cars are an expense and this is a great time to teach the kids that there is no free lunch.
I gave my son the choice to pay his insurance or pay for repair and up keep. He took the repairs which were everything from oil to batteries and tires.
This also meant that no job means no car. That's my opinion, I don't want to say it should be everyone's but I found that when the kids have to work to earn the money, they appreciate it a bit more when they see what it takes to maintain a car.
Bob1 |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by Eric L.
One thing to consider for any car you buy your daughter, especially if it is new, is to buy a vehicle with side curtain airbags, ABS, and electronic stability control....
And a device to track where they go and how fast they go to get there.....
For a while, I monitored the GPS on my daughter's car, not for where she was going because I knew that, but for speed. Once she learned that her mom and I "somehow" find out when she breaks the law, she quit doing it and now she is a good driver.... :D |
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| Eric L. |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
And a device to track where they go and how fast they go to get there.....
For a while, I monitored the GPS on my daughter's car, not for where she was going because I knew that, but for speed. Once she learned that her mom and I "somehow" find out when she breaks the law, she quit doing it and now she is a good driver.... :D
My first car as a kid could barely break freeway speeds, so my folks never really had to worry I was going too fast. :D :D :D
Technology these days! |
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| bob1 |
Now that i have convinced my son to replace his jeep, he wants to buy my 2002 Altima. It still looks show room new and has 50K on it with brand new tires.
Now the problem I have is I want an Infiniti G-35 coupe. I don't want to spring for a new one so that just leaves me one choice.
Hey Grip, did you have one of these sitting around the garage that you can sell me?
Bob1 :2: |
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| muranomax |
Hi
I noticed on the poll there were no recommendations for the Nissan Versa. It looks good and has more space than most of the sub-compacts. Any thoughts on the Versa?
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| Corin |
I'm always amazed at how so many parents buy their kids brand new cars. Blows my mind. My MO is the first new car I've ever owned. Closest thing to new other than that was a civic hatchback with 60k miles.
For $5k you can get a decent, safe, reliable used vehicle that is perfectly fine for a 16 year old, and shows them that they don't always have to have brand new vehicles.
When I see a teenager that OWNS a brand new vehicle, I always assume that they are a spoiled brat. Once I get to know the person, I almost always find out that I was correct. |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
I'm always amazed at how so many parents buy their kids brand new cars. Blows my mind. My MO is the first new car I've ever owned. Closest thing to new other than that was a civic hatchback with 60k miles.
For $5k you can get a decent, safe, reliable used vehicle that is perfectly fine for a 16 year old, and shows them that they don't always have to have brand new vehicles.
When I see a teenager that OWNS a brand new vehicle, I always assume that they are a spoiled brat. Once I get to know the person, I almost always find out that I was correct.
Sorry to disappoint you corin. My daughter is an exceptional student. Has straight A s all throughout. Has earned a year off from high school and will be doing early college next year. I think she deserves a new car and not someone elses smelly old car.
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| GripperDon |
quote:
Originally posted by bob1
Now that i have convinced my son to replace his jeep, he wants to buy my 2002 Altima. It still looks show room new and has 50K on it with brand new tires.
Now the problem I have is I want an Infiniti G-35 coupe. I don't want to spring for a new one so that just leaves me one choice.
Hey Grip, did you have one of these sitting around the garage that you can sell me?
Bob1 :2:
However as you may have remembered I did have a G35 and it was a wonderfull car, I really liked it but is was the sedan not a coupe, Looking back, I maybe should have just kept it, but the MO's stole my heart away :) |
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| bob1 |
quote:
Originally posted by GripperDon
However as you may have remembered I did have a G35 and it was a wonderful car, I really liked it but is was the sedan not a coupe, Looking back, I maybe should have just kept it, but the MO's stole my heart away :)
I have no reason to get a new car as the Altima is still the best car I have ever owned.
It's just that my son wants it now and that gives me the opportunity to go for the G-35 coupe.
I wish I didn't like nice cars!:)
I really don't need another car payment. The Altima was paid for at delivery and I only owe 1K on the Mo. :rolleyes:
Bob1 |
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| mgthe3 |
hahahaha
for the new car I would also be steering her to the sportage...
For my son?
93 crown vic lead sled from my Dad. It only has 70k miles, drives like it's on pillows, 4 wheel anti lock brakes. Perfect interior. Decent tunes.
Hit that thing! LOL! |
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| njjoe |
bob1-
If it were my daughter/son I would select the car with the best safety rating. If two had the same top rating I would then select the one with the best reliability. Plain and simple.
-njjoe |
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| krush40 |
When I turned 16 I inherited the family minivan.
It was a sweet 1993 Plymouth Grand Voyager. It was old, slow, and beat to hell (sister had it first).
When I graduated high school 2 years later my parents paid for 1/2-3/4 of a new car for me. They were going to pay for the whole thing but I wanted a car that was out of my price range. By having the minivan first, it made me appreciate my truck more.
I drove the truck for 5 years before cutting ties with it for the Murano. I was at the point where truck was still worth something at trade in and I really didnt have a need for a truck anymore. |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by krush40
When I turned 16 I inherited the family minivan.
It was a sweet 1993 Plymouth Grand Voyager. It was old, slow, and beat to hell (sister had it first).
When I graduated high school 2 years later my parents paid for 1/2-3/4 of a new car for me. They were going to pay for the whole thing but I wanted a car that was out of my price range. By having the minivan first, it made me appreciate my truck more.
I drove the truck for 5 years before cutting ties with it for the Murano. I was at the point where truck was still worth something at trade in and I really didnt have a need for a truck anymore.
Krush
Thanks for your advice. I think hearing it from someone like you makes a lot of sense. The reason I want my daughter to have a new car is because she is such a great kid. I thought of giving my Murano or my wife's Highlander but both these are relatively new and even the trade-in value of these vehicles are much higher than the new cars we are considering. I might go for a good used vehicle but the cost of a good used car is close to that of a new one it does not make any sense buying a used car. I hope this makes sense of my predicament.
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| krush40 |
quote:
Originally posted by muranomax
Krush
Thanks for your advice. I think hearing it from someone like you makes a lot of sense. The reason I want my daughter to have a new car is because she is such a great kid. I thought of giving my Murano or my wife's Highlander but both these are relatively new and even the trade-in value of these vehicles are much higher than the new cars we are considering. I might go for a good used vehicle but the cost of a good used car is close to that of a new one it does not make any sense buying a used car. I hope this makes sense of my predicament.
Thanks
Muranomax
I agree in that you can get a new car for about the price youd be spending on a used one, at least in the cars your looking at. Plus, a new car will give you greater piece of mind in knowing that it hasnt been abused and beaten by a previous owner. |
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| GripperDon |
| The sportage is really nice for mileage and interior space and has lots of air bags and a long warranty. Besides it's cheap. |
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| njjoe |
muranomax-
Well, what did you decide?
-njjoe |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
muranomax-
Well, what did you decide?
-njjoe
We are doing the final test drive. We have narrowed the choice down to Honda Civic LX, Honda Fit Sport, Nissan Versa LS. The wild card here will be the Scion XD. I did not get to test the Mazda 3 as the 2007 models are sold out here. The 2008 models will be coming soon I believe. I will keep you guys posted.
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by GripperDon
The sportage is really nice for mileage and interior space and has lots of air bags and a long warranty. Besides it's cheap.
Thanks Don
The Sportage V6 is a good vehicle. The four banger was very noisy and struggled to keep pace. The v6 gets expensive so we had to pass the choice. I did consider it seriously after you recommended it.
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
muranomax-
Well, what did you decide?
-njjoe
Test drove the Honda Fit, Scion XD and Nissan Versa to-day. The winner is..... Nissan Versa hands down in terms of the ride,space and convenience and price. The Fit is a close second but road and engine noise was too much. Its a little bit zippier than the Versa.The Versa is so smooth I could not believe I was driving a sub-compact. It drove like a murano in every respect and so quiet inside.Great audio system with built in blue tooth! I liked it very much but I dont know how my daughter is going to like it. Its a toss up between Honda Fit and Nisssan Versa. The final decision is later to-day. Scion XD was a waste of time. Too noisy, too expensive and not well designed inside. Lots of quirky features and the engine roars like crazy when trying to accelerate. None of my family members liked it. Even my 12 year old son who is easily impressed with anything that closely resembles an automobile including the good old riding mower said he would pass it!
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
muranomax-
Well, what did you decide?
-njjoe
Joe,
The choice finally came down to Nissan Versa SL. Color we picked is red alert! My daughter and my wife had no hesitation in picking the versa over Honda Civic and Honda Fit. The Nissan dealer actually let us take the car for a weekend test drive. So I have the car in my garage right now and I have all weekend to test drive as much as I want! Having said that I think everbody is unanimous that this is the car we are going to buy. The MSRP for this particular model was 17230.00 but I am getting it for 15998.00. Thats $500 below invoice and about 1000 less than Honda fit sport and 2000 below similarly equipped Civic LX. But I am not concerned about the price difference. The main thing is we got the color, interior and all the minimum accessories we were looking for in one package at a great price . It also rides better than the Civic (Noisy engine/road noise) and the fit (road,wind noise). Honda fit is a little bit more fun to drive as it is zippier than the Versa even though it has less power than the Versa(Power to weight ratio is probably higher as the Versa weighs 300 pounds more!). Versa of course has a very high safety rating for a sub-compact and is bigger than the fit and tad bit smaller than the civic. Am I satisfied with the choice? Absolutely! Is my daughter happy with the choice? She can barely hold her breath when she talks about her new car. What about all the expert reviews that rate the Honda Fit higher than the Versa? Well! The difference between Versa and fit is very little in real terms. But both cars appeal to different groups of people. People who prefer a zippier drive will undoubtedly choose the Fit whereas people who prefer a quieter ride with more comfort will prefer the Versa. Now I have to start thinking about getting a car for my son in about.. 4 years!
I wanted to post some photos but I have no idea how to include photos in the message.
Update :Have been driving the versa on and off since yesterday. I have the whole weekend to play with it. Took it for a spin last night. Has keyless start with full remote function! Night driving is fun with the Versa. Nice headlights with good range and wide coverage. Interior can be dimmed or switched off. Managed to pair my cell phone with the blue tooth and its awesome. Hands free phone with full voice command in a sub compact! (great for the kids who get easily distracted) Decent audio with 6 speakers and a Ipod jack (have not played with it yet). This car cruises on the highway like a large sedan, 70 MPH at 2200RPM!. Overdrive can be turned off for better handling and zippier performance which I liked in the back roads that are narrow and curvy.Preliminary gas mileage estimates are 36MPG under mixed conditions over 100 mile range. Noise level is minimal at cruising speed and slight to moderate on hard acceleration. The CVT behaves like its expected where the engine revs first an then there is a surge of power that comes along a little later, something that I have gotten used to after driving the MO for the past 3 years.I parked the Versa next to the MO and my daughter quipped "I love it! Its a mini MO"(Great fan of Austin Powers)
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| GripperDon |
| A decision is a wonderfull thing to have made. |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by GripperDon
A decision is a wonderfull thing to have made.
Thanks Don
I may consider your recommendation for my son. He will need a car sooner than I think!
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by muranomax
Now I have to start thinking about getting a car for my son in about.. 4 years!
How about the "hand me down" thing most of us are used to? |
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| muranomax |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
How about the "hand me down" thing most of us are used to?
Thats one of the option in about 4 years. Unfortunately at this point because the MO is still relatively new, I had to get another vehicle.Since a good used vehicle is not that much cheaper, I can always get a new one at a great price! I dont want to buy a beat up car thats going to cause lot more headache than a new one. I believe that when you buy a used car you buy someone elses problem! A new car; now thats my problem!
Thanks
Muranomax |
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| bob1 |
quote:
Originally posted by muranomax
I believe that when you buy a used car you buy someone elses problem! A new car; now thats my problem!
Thanks
Muranomax
I had been preaching that since....forever but I have turned the tables on myself and yesterday I pulled the trigger on an Infiniti 2 door coupe 2004 with 28K miles.
It still has 1 year left on a 48 month 60000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. That was my motive on buying THIS used car. Anything wrong, I go to the dealer at no cost.
I need to post a pic on the Show Your Other Ride thread.
Also when you think of it, there are plenty of good rides that are used. Look at the lucky person that got Grip's Mod Mo.
Look at my son taking my beloved 2002 Altima with 50K miles, new tires and battery. Perfect in and out. Not even a door ding and garages every night. Looks like it did the day she rolled out of the show room.
Guess I need to update my sig and remove the Altima.
I'm happy it stays in the family. Great car!
Bob1 |
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| muranomax |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bob1
[B]
I had been preaching that since....forever but I have turned the tables on myself and yesterday I pulled the trigger on an Infiniti 2 door coupe 2004 with 28K miles.
Thanks Bob
A used car under full warranty is still good. Anything beyond that I would not buy no matter what make it is. A car is a car that will break down at some point. Thats why I got the MO with a full bumper to bumper warranty for 100000 Miles. As soon as the warranty is over it will be somebody elses problem!
Thanks
Muranomax |
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