Another car question

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Another Georgian here (Marietta) and we love, love, love Athens! You are lucky to get to live there - it is such a great city! Our son just graduated from uga with his masters degree, and he hates to leave!

Our friends daughter bought a used Kia small suv from car max for $5000 a couple years back. She has been very pleased!

Good luck to you!

Hi! I actually work at UGA but live 2 counties away.

I just posted about my daughter and her Soul, she loves it.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I think $3100 is about on par for what that car is worth. I know it stinks, but if you shop carefully you can get another one with lower miles for probably around $5000, or a similar car.

Don't lease. They're financial money pits. If you've got plenty of disposable income and don't mind spending extra, then there's nothing wrong with it. But if finances are tight, leasing is a bad idea.

Thanks for your opinion; it gives me some comfort.

We have pre-qualified with our bank for 3.89% interest as long as we spend over $4000. I think that's a good rate? We could try for the 0% financing thing but I don't think we have the credit scores for that.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Do you have a Hertz Car Sales lot near you? They likely will have most of the reliable brands, most still under factory warranty, for below Blue Book.

Not that I know of, but I'll check. Thanks!

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Maybe not a big comfy car...but certainly drives well and comfortable enough.. My Father who is in his early 90's (still driving).. needed a car 2 years to the month.. I was able to get him a new base Corolla for a little under 16K out the door. I bought an Avalon from the same dealer and Manager a few months earlier so I had a relationship with them.. but I don't know if that made a huge difference or not. The car has more features than his mid line accord from 2001. It will also hold its value... My question would be if you are putting that many miles on a car why would you want a big car that will cost you more in gas and a much bigger loss because of the miles...your husband should get that as he drives a lot less miles and you can be comfortable on weekends. on a side note I also had the somewhat smaller Toyota can't remember the name for a rent a car once in Florida and it was comfortable and drove well.. I did drive it from Orlando to West Palm beach.

My husband already DOES have the big comfy . . . truck! It's a full size, 4 door truck that just kind of glides along. We prefer it for trips because it sits up high.

I still have a bad taste in my mouth re Toyota because of the airbag fiasco. I know it spread to other brands as well, but they knew about it first and said nothing.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Also, just a general observation - DANG used car prices are hefty. I had heard on the news, when I was blissfully unaware of car sales, that there was much more demand for used cars than supply and therefore prices were higher. Sheesh. There is only a few thousand dollars difference between new and used of the same make/model.

 

[Klayfish]

My daughter has a 2012 or so Soul and loves it. She keeps it in eco-drive, therefore a snail has more pickup, but she does love it. US News & WR says it's the 2018 best basic car for the money.

I have fallen in internet-love with a pink Chevy Spark, but hooo weeee, that thing is small. Not quite as small as the Honda Fit, but near.

I have an irrational fear of Hondas because of some kind of chain that will need replacing, that costs $2K last time I heard. On other brands whatever it does is not a chain like on Hondas, is my understanding.

OK, a few things I'd add here.

Do yourself a favor and walk away from any thoughts of a Spark. You can do better...far better. As for size, the Spark is actually smaller than the Fit....much smaller. The Fit is not only physically bigger, but is considered one of the most efficient uses of interior space in the industry. The room inside the Fit is astounding...we had one.

Yes, your fear of Honda is irrational, very much so. I can only presume you're thinking of a timing chain. All cars have either a timing chain or a timing belt. Honda uses a mix, depending on what model and what year/engine. However, there is no known issue with Honda belts or chains. In fact, Honda builds pretty much the most reliable vehicles on the planet, bar none. If a car has a timing belt...whether Honda, Toyota, Mazda or any brand, it will need replacing at some point. Belts are wear items but there's nothing special, troublesome or expensive about Honda's belts...in fact they'll likely last longer than most. So I'd put that fear of Honda aside, there's no reason for it.

Same for Toyota. The airbag issue is the supplier Takata, not Toyota. It effected Toyota, Honda, BMW, Chevy, you name it. Toyota, like Honda, builds the most reliable cars out there. Really, Honda and Toyota are at the head of the class when it comes to solid, reliable cars...better than anyone else out there. If you need solid transportation, you're tying one hand behind your back by discounting Toyota and Honda (especially for reasons that really have no factual basis).

If you like the Soul, I would highly recommend one. Hyundai and Kia are fantastic values. They aren't quite as refined as Honda and Toyota, but their cars are packed with features for a good value (especially used) and are quite reliable. We've had a Kia for 11 straight years now, and I just got rid of a Hyundai which I really liked (Elantra). The Soul would be a good buy.

Used car prices aren't all that high...in fact they're pretty stable, if not slightly declining. You just need to know how to find a good deal.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

After much soul-searching, I believe what I'm going to do is buy my daughter's used Soul.

She is out of college now with a good job and has wanted to trade up, but hasn't had a really good reason to do so. Initially she wanted to buy ME a new car and as wonderful a gesture as that is, I put my foot firmly down. So I'm going to pay her what the insurance company gives me for my car, and still have no car payment, and she gets a new car. WIN WIN.

She's the most awesome human, for many many reasons, and I'm very grateful to be able to buy a car that I know has been well maintained with low mileage and new tires.

Thanks everyone for letting me vent, and offering me sympathy and advice.

 

[kymom99]

After much soul-searching, I believe what I'm going to do is buy my daughter's used Soul.

She is out of college now with a good job and has wanted to trade up, but hasn't had a really good reason to do so. Initially she wanted to buy ME a new car and as wonderful a gesture as that is, I put my foot firmly down. So I'm going to pay her what the insurance company gives me for my car, and still have no car payment, and she gets a new car. WIN WIN.

She's the most awesome human, for many many reasons, and I'm very grateful to be able to buy a car that I know has been well maintained with low mileage and new tires.

Thanks everyone for letting me vent, and offering me sympathy and advice.

Perfect!