Automobilia etc....

#2,101
#2,101
wildnkrazykat said:
The time to buy a car is fast approaching and that gives me anxiety. Is there a best time to buy. Used vs new, anything?

I really like a Lincoln MKZ and found one a few years old at a good deal with low miles, but I can buy a new more basic vehicle for less than that, but it's not what I really want.

For you guys who buy/trade cars like its a hobby what say, you. My car is turning 13 in a few months and as bad as I don't want a car payment, her time is about up. I know I can't get anything from her at a dealership so might try to just sell it for a little cash to use toward a down payment.
One thought is to get a new/used basic vehicle and take the difference in the monthly payment and put it into savings then in 3-5 years get the car I really want.
Click to expand...

Buy 2-3 years old and you'll get a nice, new car feel for a used car price. It will also come with a warranty that will probably cover any repairs for the next 3-4 years. I know you say inexpensive but really, prices are almost the same all the way across the board, so just get a vehicle that you love. Then you won't be sick every time you make the payment. If it's $250 a month for a car you don't really like, spend $400 and love it.
 
#2,102
#2,102
wildnkrazykat said:
The time to buy a car is fast approaching and that gives me anxiety. Is there a best time to buy. Used vs new, anything?

I really like a Lincoln MKZ and found one a few years old at a good deal with low miles, but I can buy a new more basic vehicle for less than that, but it's not what I really want.

For you guys who buy/trade cars like its a hobby what say, you. My car is turning 13 in a few months and as bad as I don't want a car payment, her time is about up. I know I can't get anything from her at a dealership so might try to just sell it for a little cash to use toward a down payment.
One thought is to get a new/used basic vehicle and take the difference in the monthly payment and put it into savings then in 3-5 years get the car I really want.
Click to expand...

are you asking Lincoln to throw in Matthew Mcconaughy to sweeten the deal...

I agree with VolAllen with the plethora of leased vehicles you can find really good deals on 2-3 year old cars....

Good Luck....
hey Nerd, hook Kat up
 
#2,103
#2,103
vol_in_ar said:
Just a quick update I have 2 vehicles and have Ben in a loaner for a week

The Range Rover, I cracked the passenger side rear wheel. I have a policy on wheels and tires so I took it in all the wheels have curb rash, so the policy/co sent a wheel for the cracked one, then sent a refinisher to fix the curb rash on the other 3

They did the other 3 yesterday but when the dealership pulled out the wheel to replace the cracked one, it had a chip in it

The mini- I was driving home wed night in the interstate and lost all power and went from 80 to 0 in about 10 seconds
Turns out I have an air leak (hole) between the throttle body and the supercharger, gonna be a week before parts come in for that

Thinking about when I get them both back getting rid of them and getting a Audi Q5 diesel anyone have any experience with them
Click to expand...

Got my Range Rover back Monday...the dealer had it 6 weeks. They ended up sudbcontracting out the wheel repair (refinishing) and the key fob replacement and reprogramming...

It was a nightmare, because the dealership wasn't repairing it, they didn't care what color the refinisher did when working on the wheels....

At the end of the day, they had to replace one wheel with a new one, and the sub contractor redid the other 3 wheels twice.

they also weren't happy when I turned the loaner they gave me back in with 5,000 miles on it.
 
#2,104
#2,104
vol_in_ar said:
Got my Range Rover back Monday...the dealer had it 6 weeks. They ended up sudbcontracting out the wheel repair (refinishing) and the key fob replacement and reprogramming...

It was a nightmare, because the dealership wasn't repairing it, they didn't care what color the refinisher did when working on the wheels....

At the end of the day, they had to replace one wheel with a new one, and the sub contractor redid the other 3 wheels twice.

they also weren't happy when I turned the loaner they gave me back in with 5,000 miles on it.
Click to expand...

They should have finished repairs to your Rover in a more timely manner then.
 
#2,105
#2,105
wildnkrazykat said:
The time to buy a car is fast approaching and that gives me anxiety. Is there a best time to buy. Used vs new, anything?

I really like a Lincoln MKZ and found one a few years old at a good deal with low miles, but I can buy a new more basic vehicle for less than that, but it's not what I really want.

For you guys who buy/trade cars like its a hobby what say, you. My car is turning 13 in a few months and as bad as I don't want a car payment, her time is about up. I know I can't get anything from her at a dealership so might try to just sell it for a little cash to use toward a down payment.
One thought is to get a new/used basic vehicle and take the difference in the monthly payment and put it into savings then in 3-5 years get the car I really want.
Click to expand...

Always buy what you want ahead of buying something for the same price that might be a fraction of what you want.
 
#2,106
#2,106
wildnkrazykat said:
The time to buy a car is fast approaching and that gives me anxiety. Is there a best time to buy. Used vs new, anything?

I really like a Lincoln MKZ and found one a few years old at a good deal with low miles, but I can buy a new more basic vehicle for less than that, but it's not what I really want.

For you guys who buy/trade cars like its a hobby what say, you. My car is turning 13 in a few months and as bad as I don't want a car payment, her time is about up. I know I can't get anything from her at a dealership so might try to just sell it for a little cash to use toward a down payment.
One thought is to get a new/used basic vehicle and take the difference in the monthly payment and put it into savings then in 3-5 years get the car I really want.
Click to expand...

Towards the end of the month is always a great time to shop.

I think a lot depends on your budget. It looks like you plan to finance, which in my opinion is fine. I would recommend keeping the term length under 66 months. I am not a fan of 72 or 75 months on a pre-owned car.

My philosophy on what to get?

Get the nicest AND most reliable car you enjoy driving. Depending on your budget there are plenty of great cars that will fit a budget that you would enjoy. I recommend setting a firm monthly payment and term length budget and do not go over it. I've seen a lot of people go over their budget on a car payment and then find themselves in a bad situation down the road. I also see a lot of people go too long on a car payment on a used car and end up badly upside down.

Research the brand and reliability, ask how much their service department charges for an hour of labor. I always recommend a certified pre owned if it fits the budget. Also ask for a carfax and ask what the service department did to get the car ready for the lot. A lot of places may not tell you what they do to get the car ready, it's a bonus if they do tell you.

But always, set a monthly payment budget and a term length max and stick to it. It is very easily to start talking yourself up $10, $20, $30, $40 a month. It's never a bad idea to use a car finance calculator to figure out what the bottom line price means in terms a monthly payment. In terms of negotiations the bottom line is essential, the dealer will want you to focus only on payments.

If you know your budget I would be happy to make some recommendations.
 
Last edited:
#2,109
#2,109
Kat,

I agree with the advice you are getting. Don't buy a compromise car unless you are fine with a compromise car. Most of us in this thread are people that love cars so we choose with that in mind. Other people are fine with a car as reliable transportation. So if you are the kind of person that gets more out of a car than just reliable transportation - choose accordingly.

2 - 3 years old is a good way to go. Check Edmunds.com (or other sites) to see what the car you are looking at "should" go for. Check Autotrader and Cars.com to see what they are listed for (choose a couple hundred mile search area). All this will help you get a feel for what is reasonable to pay.

If buying a used car focus on regular dealers or large used car places (e.g. Carmax or local equivalent). Stay away from the small independent lot with 20 cars or so. Buying from private sellers is okay too and good deals can be had. If it is still under warranty and Carfax shows it clean then you are good to go.

Margins are higher on used cars than on new cars for dealers so the online price listing is definitely subject to negotiation. It all depends on what they have in it (tough to know).

Finally, if you are looking at a specific car post it here and we can help you figure a reasonable price you should pay.

Good luck.
 
#2,110
#2,110
volinbham said:
Kat,

I agree with the advice you are getting. Don't buy a compromise car unless you are fine with a compromise car. Most of us in this thread are people that love cars so we choose with that in mind. Other people are fine with a car as reliable transportation. So if you are the kind of person that gets more out of a car than just reliable transportation - choose accordingly.

2 - 3 years old is a good way to go. Check Edmunds.com (or other sites) to see what the car you are looking at "should" go for. Check Autotrader and Cars.com to see what they are listed for (choose a couple hundred mile search area). All this will help you get a feel for what is reasonable to pay.

If buying a used car focus on regular dealers or large used car places (e.g. Carmax or local equivalent). Stay away from the small independent lot with 20 cars or so. Buying from private sellers is okay too and good deals can be had. If it is still under warranty and Carfax shows it clean then you are good to go.

Margins are higher on used cars than on new cars for dealers so the online price listing is definitely subject to negotiation. It all depends on what they have in it (tough to know).

Finally, if you are looking at a specific car post it here and we can help you figure a reasonable price you should pay.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm the type who wants what I want and I'd really rather wait than to settle. This one is a few years old, low miles, color/interior/bells and whistles that I want.
Now I just need to decide if what I want is what I need or if I should wait until the spring. Part of me wants to start putting $ in savings just so I can see what it feels like to miss that much each month.

It's just a big commitment.
 
Last edited:
#2,111
#2,111
Thought the wife's X3 looked pretty sweet in this picture. Took it up to Knoxville a few weeks ago and it was pure pleasure driving through the mountains.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0578.jpg
    IMG_0578.jpg
    49.9 KB · Views: 3
#2,114
#2,114
wildnkrazykat said:
Thanks. I'm the type who wants what I want and I'd really rather wait than to settle. This one is a few years old, low miles, color/interior/bells and whistles that I want.
Now I just need to decide if what I want is what I need or if I should wait until the spring. Part of me wants to start putting $ in savings just so I can see what it feels like to miss that much each month.

It's just a big commitment.
Click to expand...

If you want our assistance on pricing the one you are looking at let us know.
 
#2,115
#2,115
volinbham said:
If you want our assistance on pricing the one you are looking at let us know.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I've looked at a quite few different websites and dealerships and it seems to be a fair deal. I may go drive it to see how it feels and then to from there. I know this sounds crazy to a lot of people but I'm not above letting it sit for a little while either. If it gets gone then something else will come around.
 
#2,116
#2,116
wildnkrazykat said:
Thanks. I've looked at a quite few different websites and dealerships and it seems to be a fair deal. I may go drive it to see how it feels and then to from there. I know this sounds crazy to a lot of people but I'm not above letting it sit for a little while either. If it gets gone then something else will come around.
Click to expand...

Best approach.
 
#2,119
#2,119
wildnkrazykat said:
Nerd, if a dealership has their "internet price" as the lowest price how much wiggle room is there to try to talk them down?
Click to expand...

It depends on a lot of factors. On a pre-owned vehicle there me be substantial room to work with from the Internet price. The biggest telltale sign is how long it has been in inventory. The longer it has been on the lot the more the price has come down.

A site like car gurus will provide detail on how long it has been in stock and of the price has changed.
 
#2,120
#2,120
Nerd-Vol said:
It depends on a lot of factors. On a pre-owned vehicle there me be substantial room to work with from the Internet price. The biggest telltale sign is how long it has been in inventory. The longer it has been on the lot the more the price has come down.

A site like car gurus will provide detail on how long it has been in stock and of the price has changed.
Click to expand...


I'm a big fan of car gurus and have no issue paying what they are asking, I guess I knew there was some wiggle room but just wanted to make sure. That's the part I will hate.
 
Last edited:
#2,121
#2,121
wildnkrazykat said:
I'm a big fan of car gurus and have no issue paying what they are asking, I guess I knew there was some wiggle room but just wanted to make sure. That's the part I will hate.
Click to expand...

Yeah, used cars can be tough. No dealer pays the same amount for the same vehicle. So a dealers bottom dollar may be a so-so deal and another dealers profitable deal may be a steal for the buyer.

I recommend checking and seeing what a car that you are interested in trades in for.
 
#2,122
#2,122
There is a Toyota dealership in Manchester that I got a nice used Low milage Camry at a good deal. Here in North Alabama they ask almost as Mitch for a used vehicle as they do for a new one.
 
#2,123
#2,123
Nerd, last question, for now. Yesterday on the test drive he asked what I wanted to be at each month and I just hedged and redirected. I feel like I shouldn't offer that number up front today, either, right? Let them run the numbers and then use that as leverage to negotiate on the sticker price?
 
#2,124
#2,124
wildnkrazykat said:
Nerd, last question, for now. Yesterday on the test drive he asked what I wanted to be at each month and I just hedged and redirected. I feel like I shouldn't offer that number up front today, either, right? Let them run the numbers and then use that as leverage to negotiate on the sticker price?
Click to expand...

Good question. The sales consultant will often want to show you a car that most closely fits your needs and your budget. I've lost many deals by having a customer drive what ended up being well over their budget and when we sat down to work on price we were miles apart. Of course by that point they had fallen in love with all the features and nothing else would do. They end up leaving disappointed, and I squandered two hours of my time.

Now of course as a sales consultant, if I show you a car that fits your budget closely, I won't have to discount as much and everyone leaves happy. The customer got a car they liked and it fit their budget, I made a sale that hopefully made me a fair commission.

So what to take from this? Remember your bottom line number. If you know what your bottom line number is, you will also know what you should pay a month at a particular term length. If you also know what kind of car you are after you will also know what to expect to pay for that vehicle.

The next time you get that question, just let them know that you are looking for a car between $1x,xxx -1x,xxxx. That way you are answering the question, but are keeping on stuff you want.
 
Last edited:
#2,125
#2,125
I'm ok with the price it's at now. Drove it yesterday and am in love. I'm ok paying the sticker price, but after they run the numbers would like to be able to say, that's xx more than I want to pay a month just to see if they'll come off the sticker.
 
New Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

Advertisement



Back
Top