dude, thats my car
 

So a few months back my wife pulls her voodoo over me or something
and gets me to buy a NEW CAR (yeah im an idiot)
BONUS it was done inside city limits/ YAY SALES TAX
Then it turns out the economy tanked and its now worth NEW
almost fivegrand less them my current balance. :headshake .

But now when I get into arguments with my wife over other things
I KEEP BRING THIS UP> our parents told us to wait for the car.
WE WOULD BE IDIOTS FOR GETTING A NEW CAR.
should i trade it in for a different one and hope for a reduction or credit
or will i be forever upside down on this stupid
nicely made foreign hunk of metal and plastic.

I am really fine taking the bus and dont see why she clings to the damn thing.
I guess im to green or something, as i dont see why we need these death traps.
I wouldnt actually mind if it just went POOF! one day
except id probally have to pay them at this point to take it.
IDEAS? helpful suggestions to influence the misses?

pretty sure "THEY" are watching me
so paying someone to steal it is out of the question.

being upside down in your car is the american way.

trading it in in hopes of reducing your payment almost never works.

let's have some details.

what kind of a car is it specifically, and what do you owe......and did you buy gap insurance?

WTF do you care if some piece of paper says you're upside down? You still have it, you're still driving it. Just pretend you don't know what the "street value" of it is. Do you throw away all your clothes when the department store puts them on sale a few weeks later too?

awww snap

One of the useful things my dad taught me is to never buy a brand-new car unless you're into throwing away $5000 by driving a block.

That, and the inexplicable habit of trading in the almost-new car for another new car every couple of years, are two American habits I will never understand... it makes no financial sense whatsoever, it's inexplicable! Is it stupidity? Vanity? What is the appeal of purposefully losing money on that scale? Can anyone explain this?

I agree. I've always said "buy two years old and about 30k miles...it's already depreciated by driving it off the lot, but you didn't eat that money, and any problems have probably already been discovered." Actual words may vary. ;)

I haven't had a car payment since, like, 1995. I will again, soon, as my car has almost had it, but I'm looking at hondas about 2 years old.

if you are going to keep the car for 10 years+, then why not get exactly what you want and know that it's got no pre existing issues? if you're going to want a new one in 3, you should either pay cash for a used one or lease a new one if you have to have new.

My grandfather's philosophy was that every used car on the market is on the market because the previous owner thought there was something wrong with it and didn't want it any more. Why would you buy a car from someone when they don't want it any more?

I don't completely agree with his philosophy, but he has a good point. You just have to figure out what is "wrong" with the used car you are buying and if that "wrong" thing is something you can live with. But every used car has something "wrong" with it from the perspective of the previous owner.

That was the advice in Consumer's Reports way back when Mrs. Dar and I first got married. Buy new, run the wheels off it. It's worked pretty well for us so far.

I'd take LJ's advice on buying a car any day (unless he was selling it ... :cool:) ;).

I'm with dar. I prefer my cars to be virgins when I get 'em.

I don't think so: a lot of people just think they have to have the newest car on the market all the time. Keep up with the JOhanssens, or something.

My younger sis-in-law and I were talking about this, she's a "new car every three years" person and though I can see her perspective I think it's a waste of money. She does make the point that she is in her car a good amount of the time so she's going to make sure she's happy...but you can do the same thing with a one or two year old car. Between the two of them they have great income, so I guess it doesn't matter to them. Plus she's in sales (and hugely successful) and always gets good deals because she knows the game.

My Honda was 2 years/30k when I bought it, paid it off in 3 years, and had another 10 of good use. My current car is an always paid off clunker, and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg in depreciation.

It's the brand new cars you can't be sure of issues. Recall this, recall that...oops, we put the brakes on wrong, sorry we didn't notice before it shipped.

"but but...I look so GOOD in this car, and everyone is envious." ;)

I agree. I am 40 (in July) and only had three vehicles my whole life. The first I bought used. The last two were bought brand new at the dealership. I like the fact that it does not have any mileage on it and, if something is wrong with it, I have the whole factory warranty behind me.

Then again, I drive the living piss out of them. I had the last new vehicle I bought for 11 years and my current car for the last 9. I plan on getting a new vehicle next year because it is starting to nickle and dime me to death. My nickle and dime, I mean $1600 last year and $1000 this year. That's a hell of a down payment on a new car.

You can probably expect the car to cost you about $1500 on average a year in maintenance costs from now on. But $1500 a year for a car is a bargain. That's $125 a month. You can't get any new car for that kind of money. Buying a new car is about wanting that new car smell, not about good financial sense. It's virtually always better to keep an old car running than to buy a new one.

A LOT of newer used cars are on the market, especially at the dealer's lot, because the previous buyer couldn't afford the car payment anymore. Additionally, a lot of them are on the market because the previous owner is one of those "trade 'em in every three years" types. Then there are the cars that were leased for a couple of years. The only thing wrong with them from the previous owner's perspective is that they weren't "new enough" anymore.

Every car has something wrong with it, or will have something wrong with it... buying new is no guarantee that it won't need constant repairs. My neighbor's new car is in the shop more than my 20-year-old monster... plus my monster gets better gas mileage than most new cars.

Call me frugal, call me cheap, call me whatever... I just don't get the new car appeal. It seems like throwing away money.

Oops, I see Shawnee already said it... I should have read the whole thread first!

In general I would agree, especially with the cars that are 4 or 5 years old, enough for problems to start kicking in. But you'll often find cars on the lot that are only 1 or 2 years old, because it was a lease and the person just decided not to renew. (The whole concept of leasing a new car seems insanely foolish to me, but hey, I appreciate that other people do it I guess.)

I've been driving shitty used cars my whole life... eventually, inevitably starting down the road of throwing countless dollars down an endless pit (how long do you keep getting it fixed, how soon before you roll it off a cliff and get another?), periodically at the mercy of some unknown, untrusted mechanic, periodically wondering whether the former owner knew full well about the mechanical issues and that's why he sold it (and simultaneously pondering the ethics of doing the same thing to the next guy). I've had quite enough of that. I have other things to worry about.

My latest purchase is a brand-new Honda, fresh from the factory. I will have every service done at the dealership where it was purchased, thus removing all complexity from the equation. I will drive this vehicle for many, many, many years to come. I will get every last use out of this vehicle. My kids will drive it. When it stops moving, I will scavenge it for parts. Then I will scavenge it for scrap metal.

The way I see it you have two choices in life, with all purchases: buy a series of cheap, shitty, ten dollar items which last a month, so that you spend $120 a year, or buy ONE good $50 item which lasts ten years. In this example, you save $1150 over ten years by spending "more" for a good product.

A Honda doesn't need to be brand new to be a great purchase. One or two years old, same car pretty much. You've lost your 1150 just driving it off the lot.

But yeah, hondas will run forever.

I thought this until I realized that I had spent more than the value of the entire vehicle on repairs on said vehicle. Essentially, I could have bought a whole "new" used vehicle with all that repair money. But, what would be wrong with that one? More money spent. How much money does one spend on a series of old, shitty vehicles before just STOPPING that whole process and getting ONE good, NEW vehicle?

Nothing, as long as you realize you won't actually drive it forever like you say you will. In about 8-10 years, it's going to be that same shitty used car, needing repairs every month, just as if you'd bought it from someone else. But I fully agree, at some point the repairs become a losing game.

Maybe. Maybe. Or maybe not. Maybe. Or maybe I have to spend more than $1150 in repairs. You know what? I don't have the time or patience to have my transportation be a freaking roulette spin every time I turn the key. I need my vehicle to reliably transport me to work so I can earn money, every day. Hoping that it will probably run pretty good :::fingers crossed::: is not good enough.

Maybe that previous owner, that nice older gentlemen, had a crackhead grandson who snuck the thing out and drove around in first gear all day. Who knows? "Good" cars aren't immune to shitty owners/borrowers.

Wrong. It will be a well-kept, well-maintained older vehicle. I will know the history of any issues it has ever had. I will have the information to make those decisions.

I hear ya brother. My vehicle is killing me, but I can't seem to make myself be ready to take the plunge of a car payment, and the looking for a car, and the deciding on the car, and the haggling over the car (for which my sis-in-law will be in tow because I'd just say "Oh, it costs that? OK") and all of that.

I also see the point that you don't have a clue how the previous owner drove it, and seemingly good parts could be on the edge...with carfax you can find some things out, but not everything.

I don't know. I've also looked at the Honda Fit, which would have to be new, but I also know I will drive it until it dies, like I do every car.

Heh, when my last Honda died, I called my mechanic to find out the verdict. His office manager was like "Um, hang on, let me get Mark." It was like she was getting the doctor to deliver the news. Mark was like "Oh, man, I hate to tell you this (Shawnee) but it's bad..." He knew I loved that thing.

But... new vehicles need quite a bit of money in annual maintenance as well, and on top of that you have a big car payment. I'm skeptical.. but then, I'm on my second car, I'm 38, and I bought the thing for $500 and then put about $2k into getting it as perfect as an older car can be. So, $2500, and I'm in the same boat in terms of knowing exactly what's been wrong with it, because I basically had it rebuilt. Then, no car payments, $400/year insurance, about $100/month in maintenance over the last eight years, and it's just now needing major repair, and I'm thinking about getting a newer model... mostly because the interior door panels are starting to fall apart, and you can't buy them new anymore.

We had our Accord for 22yrs. It was a wonderful reliable car for most of that time. Even at the end we only had to have major work done every year or so.

We only gave it away when I was worried about the darlets driving it.

08 Hyundai accent (good as new except the passanger door is a bit beat up)
11,853.59 (@13.5APR) about 335 monthy payment
ten year warrenty was the seller,
i never even changed the oil myself
(tho in my defence, she drives it more then i do)

misses says yes, but all i remember is the unemployment coverage

Hay-zeus Creesto. I forget what it's like to have questionable credit.

We bought new because the 0% interest rate made the payment the same as what a used (2yr old off lease) one would go for.

yeah i have a bad habbit of not paying doctor bills.

I don't think I could ever bring myself to pay more than $8000 for a car. Can get a nice '98 Volvo V70 for $8000.

yeah...you're going to be driving that for a while yet. so you'd.. better get used to the idea.

might as well get xm radio back

People *buy* on emotion, and justify on facts. Here are some facts:

• Getting around costs money
• Value is a relative term

There's an abundance of values associated with cars, new and used.

• new and shiny
• reliability
• operating cost
• new car smell
• depreciation
• appearance
• comfort
• performance
• availability
• practicality
• image
• etc etc etc

Someone faced with a car buying decision might consider and rank any or all of these factors or many others. What *value* each of these factors has varies from person to person. And then there's the cost/benefit consideration that is inevitably included. I might *want* champagne, but the budget says beer. NOT WHILE DRIVING OFFICER!

And of course, we all rank these values differently and then go on to present them as facts to support our position. Thankfully, I can cross off my bucket list "buy a new car". I see no need whatsoever to repeat that experience.

Real patriots will ask tw for instructions.

Bwahahahaha

If I was going to buy a used car it would probably be an old Volvo. Hondas last forever because of design finesse; Volvos last forever because they are an indestructible tank.

I traded a puppy for a car and they gave me $1500 and they spent $1200 to fix the shocks, brakes, tranny, fluids etc. I thought it was great deal. I figure I have no payments so if I have to spend any money on this car it will be less than car payments. I think I am becoming a chrome-aholic though I did put a new grille on the front cheaply but I look at it like its an old car it needed a new set of choppers. ;)

I think I'd go Jeep Wrangler

I think I will take one of these as my next demo:

http://www.lewisautoworld.com/html/i...san%20cube.jpg

That thing is just begging to be converted to one giant subwoofer enclosure. You could literally bounce down the road.

Looks like it is made by fisher price.

:lol:

Poor LJ will never be the same Case and CF since you "dissed" his dream car! ;)

Jim, I saw heaps of those in Japan ... I fear you may face some, ah, "size issues".

Maybe you could rip out the driver's seat and drive from the back seat. Have to shift the speakers, though...

Flint, I hope you vanity search this. How's your '08 or '09 Honda treating you these days? I just stumbled across this old thread searching for something.

I've since changed my views, and think used cars are the way to go. New cars are just too expensive, and if you are careful, you can find a decent used car.

Have you kept up with the Honda maintenance? Do you still love it, or have you moved on?

I'd modify that to "...if you are patient...".

Popdigr looked for another car for over a year:

2003 Park Avenue, one owner, 32,000 miles, literally every fucking button you ever heard of. Dude bought it new, got fatally sick less than a year later, and never drove it again. Popdigr got it so cheap, it was a sin.

By the way, estate sales are where it's at for good low mileage used cars.

Hey, what do ya know, Baby's in my driveway!!

Sky rockets in flight!!

I worked with a guy that bought a new top of the line Buick ('cause his wife wouldn't let him buy a Caddy), and traded it in every 2 years with less than 10k miles.

That was the "American Way" for lots of people just a few years ago.

(But back then Ford was building crappy cars, and the foreign
manufacturer's began gettting more market share due to quality control.)

My fore-bearers would buy new, run the wheels off them, then stick it out behind the barn because a lot of the parts were the same on a 10 year newer car of the same make. Then Detroit got clever and nothing was interchangeable.

I remember guys coming into the speed shop wanting to price a ring and pinion for a Mopar. I'd tell they to crawl under it and find out what rear it had, because for several years no matter which model or engine or trans, it might be any of three different rears. Fords, you needed the serial number because they'd change parts in the middle of the year.:facepalm:

I hate that kind of crap. Thank MBAs. It's about making money, not making you happy or making your life easier and by extension, building customer loyalty.

[/get off my damn lawn, you kids!]

My 08 Honda drives like a dream, and my 02 Honda still gets the job done.

My next car puchase will probably be another new Honda.

Although...I was given pause to think about this when a guy who worked for me bought a pre-owned Lexus. Here's the deal: a 10-year old Lexus has enough Consumer Reports reviews for you to know that it will go X number of miles with only standard maintenance--if there were any systems that were going to break down within X number of miles, it would have already happened (to the people who put more miles on in a shorter time) and you'd be able to get that information. So I can see that, given a certain model of car, with enough years under its belt (since production) to form historical data; and given that you can find a low mileage car of that model, you can reasonably predict what the next X number of miles is going to look like.

Yeah. When we bought our used Camry, I was also including Lexuses in our search results for used cars, but my wife nixed them. Apparently, we are not the kind of people who will drive a Lexus. It was fine with me. They all get poor gas mileage since the engines are all huge.

Your wife is right. Everyone secretly thinks Lexus drivers are douchebags. I won't let Mr. Clod get one either.

The thing that attracted me to them is that they are just Toyotas, but they have leather seats. And in my looking at used cars, I saw that leather seats were generally stain free, while upholstered seats usually had stains. We were fortunate that we found a stain free upholstered car.

But the douchebag factor is real, and it's silly to have a huge engine when a moderately sized one will move the car just fine with less gas.

Go to your room.

I've never been happier than when I first drove my 6. I might be even happier with a V8. Passing around here requires a tumescent engine.

lol @ tumescent engine