What is your philosophy on cars...when to trade in...do you wait until you drive a car into the ground or should you trade it in when it still has value to buy a new car? I know they depreciate like crazy. but yeah, what.
I buy used cars only, between $5-$8k. As for the old beaters, I always seem to run into somebody (friend/inlaw/whatever) willing to take it off my hands. I tend to cut bargain deals because I hate having to list stuff and have strangers wander into my home to look at my stuff. I've never sold a car for more than $2000, because by the time I'm tired of it it just ain't worth more than that. Car payments are for chumps.
Never trade them in. You can always sell them for more than what the dealer gives you in trade-in. Me, I usually keep my cars a long time - but that's because I buy them because I do my research , I like them and I find that my research was right - so I do not stop liking them as time go on. I have owned my Miata since 1996, for example.
What is funny about driving a Miata? There are more Miatas road racing every weekend in the US than any other car... I have started my "racing" hobby in that Miata and for 4 years it was my #1 race car - until I replaced it with a Lotus 7 in 2000. I now have 2 cars that are my "go to" race cars - one for the track and one for the dirt, but I still keep my Miata - it is a fantastic car.
My general philosophy is when you start paying more in unexpected repair bills, continually, than it would cost for a new car payment and piece of mind, it is time for a new car. I would rather pay an expected bill for a dependable vehicle, than to drive praying to the dark ones that my vehicle is actually going to get me to my destination without breaking down.
shit, i trade my cars in every 2-3 years. I should probably lease. Looking to buy a 2010 or 2011 STI in August, getting out of a VW R32.
yes, i have learned never buy a car thats 1 year old - those payments were a bitch. Next car that I will buy will probably be 4 years old. By then the payments won't be so bad.
Trade your car in if you are desperate to get rid of it, or it has some sort of horrible, hidden fault and you have moral issues selling it to someone. I recently sold my 05 Subaru Legacy GT for $17,000. It blue booked at like 17,400. A dealer offered my around 13k on the trade. It took me about 4-6 weeks to sell. I bought an 06 SRT8 Grand Cherokee. 450 HP, 0-60 in 4 seconds flat and the quarter mile in the mid 12s. Unnecessary/Impractical yes... but the fun factor outweighs everything else.
I will have to admit when I read Miata, I kinda laughed too. Do you wear a skirt while you drive it? I will tell you NOT to lease. I just did for the past 4 years and kinda wish i hadn't. There were no out of pocket expenses, but I now have nothing to show for it. I recently bought a 4 year old car and love it. Slightly used is the way to go......... just like my women!
Yes, I wear a skirt when I drive it. I am proud of my Scottish heritage. Ye have a problem with that laddy?
Something tells me that if you got to go around a race track in a properly driven Miata you are going to be squealing like Recardo Petrese's wife... [video=youtube;oIhGJyLR6TI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIhGJyLR6TI&feature=related[/video]
When in the market for my next wheels I usually look for something that has 80,000+ miles. I take the prospect to a mechanic and make sure of a few basics (never been in a major accident, good compression in the cylinders, no red flags). I'm all about function over style currently I've an 1988 4x4 Toyota van for weekends and a 98 Honda Civic for everyday... both have been great though the van was stolen (and recovered) 3 times STOMP
Recardo Petrese's wife sure has perky tits in that video. Momma mia! I did research after my last Mazda 626 and went for a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. GM built the 3800 series motor for over 20 years. It has dependability, fuel economy and power. I love the motor in my GTP along with the ported Eaton Supercharger that i modified.
why sorry? to each their own. I'm into outdoorsy stuff (backpacking, biking, snowboarding, fly fishing) so my vehicles need to facilitate those types of adventures. Though I'm sort of bummed that I'll miss crushing the Nugs, I'm leaving on a short backpacking/fly fishing trip later today going up the Kings River east of Fresno. The Civic is perfect as it's both economical to drive the 5 hours each way and reliable. Plus, leaving a flashy car at a trailhead isn't a good idea... thieves suck STOMP
