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In the market for a car... where do I start researching?

13

Posts

  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    it's not so much learning the mechanics of driving a manual that I fear as it is getting one and then realizing four weeks later that I'm tired of it, for a daily 20 mile commute

  • Garlic BreadGarlic Bread i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a Registered User, Disagreeable regular
    I dunno if a manual would work well for me because sometimes I drive with no hands

  • TossrockTossrock too weird to live too rare to dieRegistered User regular
    yeah, manual is not so fun in traffic, that's for sure

    going up windy mountain roads though, it's a blast!

    sig.png
  • MysstMysst King Monkey of Hedonism IslandRegistered User regular
    Keith wrote:
    I dunno if a manual would work well for me because sometimes I drive with no hands

    put your keys in the goddamn bowl

    ikbUJdU.jpg
  • Garlic BreadGarlic Bread i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a Registered User, Disagreeable regular
    Mysst wrote:
    Keith wrote:
    I dunno if a manual would work well for me because sometimes I drive with no hands

    put your keys in the goddamn bowl

    Look, sometimes sleeping at the wheel is the only nap time I get

  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    My Mazda 3 is an automatic but it has a "shift mode" thing which has a mind of its own

    and sometimes enjoys ignoring your request to change gear without any real indication that it has ignored you other than flashing a light that is out of your field of view

  • thedude_frombaywatchthedude_frombaywatch Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    I have bad credit too. They would only offer me a high monthly with down payment. This seams reasonable because of my credit but what I didn't know was how much actual power you have in this situation. Don't let your credit be the reason you choose to pay more. Don't guilt yourself into taking an expensive car. You deal with them like your score is a perfect 800. Who cares, what's important is they need to find a bank that will take that Finance or Lease on your car.

    They will try their hardest to find a bank that will whether your credit is 200 or 800. They want to sell you that car. So don't let your guilt get you to agree to paying more for something just because you feel you should. Don't, I can't say that enough.

    Most likely they'll try to get you Financing/Loan through a bank. It might take some time to get that done and they know that. What they'll do is something called "On the Spot Financing" they'll let you drive that car off the lot after you sign the contract that you'd agree on.

    Take it home and you may get calls about your Job, income, etc. This could take weeks to get a bank to approve it but eventually they will.

    This affords you two things.

    -You get to drive the car around for nothing for a bit. Take it to work. get a feel for it.
    -Ability to return it if you have buyers remorse. (ill explain in a minute about this one)

    In California there's no Cooling off period. So, once you sign that contract it's over. No going back. But, there's is a way out and it's through the "On the spot financing"

    If they let you drive off the lot without the financing done and it takes a couple of days to get the bank to approve. You'll need to send copies of proof your income, references, etc

    If you find out after driving the car for a couple of days you don't want it you can chooseto do nothing. Not cooperating with the process. Don't give them anything.

    They will be forced to return the car and break the contract. That's how I got out of my last cars contract when I felt a little remorse.

    They took it back, I went there to sign the papers to break the contract and walked away. A week later after doing research and ready to go back in I went back to the dealer and found the car I drove a week before. It was wasn't New on the lot instead it was Pre Owned and 3k cheaper!
    I know there's 800 miles on it but I drove those 800 miles so I know it's in good condition. I took that car with the same deal as I had agreed to before but cheaper monthly and a little down payment but the car was cheaper overall.



    Now I own a New Lancer 2011 and something I learned is that never go car shopping without knowing what you want already in the back of your pocket. If you go in just to window shop that's a mistake because dealers will keep you for hours. Do a lot of searching on Craigslist, Manufacturer web sites, and models, etc.

    Find one you like and visit that dealer at the end of the day after window shopping others on the row. Drive a bunch of cars for free get a feel for them. I love my new car but damn I wish I got it in another color other than silver.

    Also, go in with the "College Student" approach. You're poor. No down payment, 200 month. That's all you can afford. They'll try their damnest to get that for you. And if they can't and start asking for a little down payment you push harder you don't have it. I swear they will make it happen.

    If you're like me, you feel like a douche for putting them through all this and you'll just try to be nice to appease them but you can't take that route. You'll never see these people again after you drive off. They know this and you should know this.

    When you get to the point where the Manager has to tell you this is all we can do. Without x down or paying more a month this won't work and you feel like you've exhausted all avenues here that's when you walk away and go home and think about it.

    TIPS:
    -Write everything down on PAPER. They gave you a deal yesterday? You'll have a copy of the deal on paper. They'll forget about everything.

    -Show other dealers the deal you got at X Dealership and show them this is what you want.

    -For me, I never buy the car on the first day. Go through the process I explained above and go home and think about it. Sleep on it. If you wake up and feel good. Go back and do some more searching and if you don't like anything go back to that dealer and show him the deal from yesterday and they'll take it.

    thedude_frombaywatch on
    xbl tag: Dynamis King
    MineCraft: Menetherin
    Steam: Vloeza_SE++

  • Garlic BreadGarlic Bread i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a Registered User, Disagreeable regular
    That seems...unethical

  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    most of it seems like decent common sense, but I don't know much about credit ratings

  • redfenixredfenix Aka'd as rfix Registered User regular
    Well, i agree with a lot of that, the not settling necessarily on the first trip out, at the least
    i'm certainly not sure on the intentional contract breaking

  • thedude_frombaywatchthedude_frombaywatch Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Well I guess. I guess a lot of my own personal experience got mixed up there. I had to learn the hard way my first time out on my own. Just don't wish that on anyone is all.

    thedude_frombaywatch on
    xbl tag: Dynamis King
    MineCraft: Menetherin
    Steam: Vloeza_SE++

  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Rolo wrote:
    most of it seems like decent common sense, but I don't know much about credit ratings

    oh wait never mind I misread the entire contract thing

    yeah I'm not so sure about that

    Brolo on
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited January 2012
    thedude's advice: screw floor salesman out of his commission (because I'm sure he's a fat cat), waste the dealerships time, then buy the exact same car after they're forced to mark it down because someone cheated them down to below factory invoice

    Jasconius on
  • thedude_frombaywatchthedude_frombaywatch Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Not sure what got into me.

    thedude_frombaywatch on
    xbl tag: Dynamis King
    MineCraft: Menetherin
    Steam: Vloeza_SE++

  • TossrockTossrock too weird to live too rare to dieRegistered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Intentionally breaking contract is kind of iffy but it's definitely a good idea to make them sweat and then walk away. When I bought my car I looked around at several dealerships, got pretty close to buying one at one place but then didn't because the mileage was too high. Ended up getting the same model from a different place. A few days later, the guys from the first dealership call me up and say they're prepared to offer me a Special Deal.

    So yeah, the natural instinct (at least for me) is to be nice to them, but being nice can cost you a lot of money. Unless you're under some kind of extremely tight time constraint, wait it out and see if they soften up. Remember, cars are an extremely elastic good.

    Tossrock on
    sig.png
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited January 2012
    If you tell a dealership what you want to pay monthly, they will make it happen if at all possible.

    When I bought my car, I told them basically "I'm wasn't really planning on buying today, but if you can get me to X a month with no money down, I'll consider it", and they knocked 3k off the sticker and gave me the bluebook for excellent on my trade-in even though frankly it was probably just "Good" with a major accident in its history.

    You tell them what you make, what your credit is, etc, and they are generally pretty good at telling you yes or no without actually pulling your credit

    Just do all the math at home first so you know what number to spout.

    To me the biggest thing to remember is that GAP and warranties also cost big money, so remember them when estimating the price of the car you are projecting a payment for. I think GAP and extended warranty on a 23k car ended up being around 3.5k for me.

    Jasconius on
  • LiiyaLiiya Registered User regular
    Tossrock wrote:
    Learning stick isn't that hard.

    Its just a lot of practice.

    I won't be able to afford a car for a long time, at least, afford one and be able to move out in the future. My insurance as a new driver, the price of petrol and maintaining it is too high! So it'll be a while until I can get one. Which is a shame.

  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    Learning stick is really just learning first gear

    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • HellaJeffHellaJeff FAB FRESH RAIIINBOOWWWWWRegistered User regular
    Staleghoti wrote:
    Learning stick is really just learning first gear

    unless you want good mileage

    I love my '79 rabbit

  • Viscount IslandsViscount Islands [INSERT SoKo HERE] ...it was the summer of my lifeRegistered User regular
    Staleghoti wrote:
    Learning stick is really just learning first gear

    This is fairly true.

    Learn how to manipulate the clutch well in first gear and you're 70% the way there.

    I want to do with you
    What spring does with the cherry trees.
  • SliderSlider Registered User regular
    I'm looking for a new car, too. The spam that I have to sift through on craigslist is massive and trying to find something decent in Arizona is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

  • zucchinizucchini robothero pretty much amazingRegistered User regular
  • A Dabble Of TheloniusA Dabble Of Thelonius It has been a doozy of a dayRegistered User regular
    Jasconius wrote:
    thedude's advice: screw floor salesman out of his commission (because I'm sure he's a fat cat), waste the dealerships time, then buy the exact same car after they're forced to mark it down because someone cheated them down to below factory invoice

    Listen. Car salesmen are scum. Car dealerships are sucking pits of ripoff. Other than the contract thing, thedude gives good advice.

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    Steam - Talon Valdez :Blizz - Talonious#1860 : Xbox Live & LoL - Talonious Monk @TaloniousMonk Hail Satan
  • Garlic BreadGarlic Bread i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a Registered User, Disagreeable regular
    how's the hunt going, @redfenix ?

  • IpseDixitIpseDixit Treat me like a pirate And give me that bootyRegistered User regular
    Nobody touched on this really, but GAP insurance is a very good idea.

    Nothing sucks more than totaling your car and realizing that "Hey I owe more for this car than what it's actually worth"

    ipsesignew.jpg
    Flickr - PSN ID - IamTetsuo - Steam
  • George Fornby GrillGeorge Fornby Grill ...Like Clockwork Registered User regular
    Stick: owns

    Stick in a place with a lot of stoplights: kill me

  • redfenixredfenix Aka'd as rfix Registered User regular
    Keith wrote:
    how's the hunt going, @redfenix ?

    savin' money
    It'll be a while, but now I actually know some things!

  • Garlic BreadGarlic Bread i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a Registered User, Disagreeable regular
    redfenix wrote:
    Keith wrote:
    how's the hunt going, @redfenix ?

    savin' money
    It'll be a while, but now I actually know some things!

    if you get a motorcycle I call dibs on the sidecar

  • IpseDixitIpseDixit Treat me like a pirate And give me that bootyRegistered User regular
    Speaking of motorcycles

    My manager, trainer, and both of the other new hires at my work all ride motorcycles. This is not helping the fact I have really wanted a motorcycle since forever.

    So now I'm looking at Ninja 250's 500's and 650's.

    The only thing that has stopped me is the fact that the only parking at my apartment is street parking.

    ipsesignew.jpg
    Flickr - PSN ID - IamTetsuo - Steam
  • BarcardiBarcardi All the Wizards Under A Rock: AfganistanRegistered User regular
    Watch top gear then choose a cheaply priced sports car based on that show.

    Expect it to last about a week.

  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    I wouldn't recommend it

    but I got my current car at an auction.

    Got it for about half what a used car dealer would charge, so to fix the "minimal" problems still kept me under budget.

    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • IpseDixitIpseDixit Treat me like a pirate And give me that bootyRegistered User regular
    Buying a car at auction is a pretty big gamble

    Best case somebody got pulled over and arrested and you're buying their impounded car

    Worst case is you're buying a car that broke down on the freeway and somebody decided to abandon it, right after they fucked and murdered a hooker in the back seat

    If you're handy buying cars from a salvage lot can be a good deal. But in most states you need a special liscence in order to purchase a salvage vehicle

    ipsesignew.jpg
    Flickr - PSN ID - IamTetsuo - Steam
  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    Speaking of cars, holy shit the 2013 fusion looks freaking good

    detroit-new-ford-fusion.jpg

    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • msuitepyonmsuitepyon Registered User regular
    edited February 2012
    Staleghoti wrote: »
    Speaking of cars, holy shit the 2013 fusion looks freaking good

    detroit-new-ford-fusion.jpg

    Saw this at the Detroit Auto Show ihadtheweirdestboner.

    I don't normally like Ford cars, but damn it, it looked good. Plus the rental Fusion I had was just absolutely fun to drive.

    msuitepyon on
  • The GeekThe Geek Oh-Two Crew, Omeganaut Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Meh.

    BLM - ACAB
  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Don't forget the

    Car_Fox.png

  • ThreeCubedThreeCubed Grandma Winky's fat ankles Registered User regular
    Get a Ford Aspire.

    No one's said that yet, right?

    EyQGd.jpg
  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    I will sell you my Mercury Tracer for $10,000

  • Garlic BreadGarlic Bread i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a Registered User, Disagreeable regular
    I will sell you Raijin's Mercury Tracer for $12,000

  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    $15,000!!!

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