Top 5 Reasons To Buy A New Car

[bowtieguy]

http://autos.aol.com/article/reasons-to-buy-a-new-car

i've got the top 5 why not to:

5)avoid interest paid above the value of the car
4)lower insurance costs
3)gas prices(avoiding a monthly payment in addition to high gas prices)
2)lesser depreciation(who cares if my $1500 civic depreciates?)
1)the peace of actually owning the vehicle presently driven

to the author's credit, he does say "if" you can afford a new car.

[theholycow]

Top reason for everybody other than me to buy a new car: So there will be more used cars on the market for me.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I've been kicking around the idea of getting a late model used car, or a new car. One of the models I'm looking at is available with 60 month 0% financing.

[bowtieguy]

yes, the 0% interest and the 100k warranty deals are tempting. altho i advocate buying used, i must admit buying new, if it's budget feasible, is the best way to go.

nothing like driving a car w/ no mystery issues to deal with. of course, i'd want to own the car AT LEAST 5 years beyond being paid for.

[theholycow]

I've bought new cars and I don't expect to do so again unless I have money to spare after making my payments (or preferably, after paying cash unless it is 0%).

I hate worrying about preserving the warranty. I hate the first dent/ding/damage. I hate the higher cost of insurance. I hate driving on the latest technology that hasn't had billions of consumer-miles driven on it (not for fear of safety, just worry that there will be downtime fixing it). I hate scheduling and waiting for dealer service appointments.

If I had plenty of extra money I could ignore the warranty at will, paying for the luxury of not dealing with warranties.

I used to prefer new because then I know the vehicle's driving/service history but I'm much more comfortable with the idea of my car needing repairs now. Still, I really love that toxic New Car Smell. If I ever get filthy rich, I'll be humble about a lot of things but I'll always drive new vehicles just for the smell.

[jadziasman]

Refuting.

5) Pay with cash (yes, that's still allowed and dealers are surprised when you can!)
4) Negligible insurance cost differential between new and 5 year old car for collision. For liability and personal injury - no difference at all and maybe more since you don't have the latest airbags and good crash scores.
3) see 5)
2) can't refute this one.
1) see 5)

And.......

No one is impressed (except you) that you save $$$$ by driving a P.O.S.

I knew a guy who religiously placed a beat up car cover over his P.O.S. at work. His co-workers were not impressed. Laughed behind his back instead.

If you must buy used, get a late model car with a high odometer reading. People will be impressed and they won't know you didn't pay alot for this muffler.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Yeah, I could just about pay cash for a decent used model (~$10-$12K). A new model would run me about $500/mo for the next 5 years (with 0% interest and a modest down payment). That would also slow down my plans to fix up Rusty and the BWH. Although I can afford new, I'm still leaning towards used, simply to free up my cash flow for other vehicle projects (BWH and Rusty again)

[bobc455]

Originally Posted by jadziasman

{snip}
And.......

No one is impressed (except you) that you save $$$$ by driving a P.O.S.

If I want to pick up girls, then I'd worry about that. I'm already married, though, and my wife is impressed by other attributes. And I'd rather have money for fun vacations or my hobbies.

I know some people feel that it's important to impress people with a car, but unless that car is a Ferrari, Lamborghini, *maybe* a $250k mercedes, a classic car, etc., I'm not impressed. People think their scions or fancy subarus or celica GTs are impressive- not to me.

By the way, a group of my friends recently had the following discussion:
"If you won the lottery, and you could buy three of any car, what would they be? Your three cars would be for the following:
1) A family car (i.e. a large Mercedes sedan, perhaps)
2) Something that goes incredibly fast
3) Something that is incredibly eye-catching (i.e. a Laborghini diablo, etc.)" (this would be the "impressive" car)

- Bob C.

[bowtieguy]

agreed Bob...100%

refute the refute...

a)paying cash is not synonymous with POS.
b)there is a significant difference in collision cost between a financed and owned vehicle-no matter the age.
c)if one worries about imagine, he/she is a victim of things owning them rather than they owning things.

besides, bought cheap enough, a POS can be repaired/painted

[jadziasman]

I bought my very last POS nearly two years ago. A 2004 Chevy Malibu Classic with the 2.2L mill.

It was a good deal at $3500 for a five year old car with 100K miles on it.

However.......

Since I've owned it,

I had a new fuel pump installed.

(which ended up costing me dearly since I did not get the car towed home so I could replace it myself. Yes, this was my choice but with only two cars at the time I needed something that wifey could drive while I still drove my trusty 1992 Honda Civic - which never left me stranded BTW.)

I needed to replace the Classic's transmission pan gasket and in the middle of winter too. Not a high cost repair but still a pain to do when the garage floor is a toasty 25?F.

I've had to replace the front brake pads on the Classic twice (wifey drives like Jackie Stewart). And the brakes on GM's don't seem to last very long if they're used.

Some would consider Yoda a POS but for me it's a new car compared to the VX I drove for five years. Yoda will achieve POS status when the traction battery dies. So far, no sign of obvious degradation of the big battery.

I also own a 2010 Nissan Versa. Very nice to have a new, very reliable car that I wouldn't be afraid to drive to Cal-I-Forn-I-A if I had to.

I liked my VX's very much but the it seemed the last one always needed something to be repaired/replaced every other week.

Much better to have new or nearly new (when you can afford it).

[BEEF]

wait, collision isn't different. it is just required on the vehicle you owe on. I personally would keep full coverage as long as the car is valued at $3k or higher. you never know when the mess might hit the fan. hitting a deer with no comprehensive sucks.

also I really like the lotus exigue. not really that fast or really that expensive (for the WOW car). I have actually thought about financing my mid life crisis now and saving to get a car like that....then life tends to hit me.

[bowtieguy]

found this...The Festiva speaking of impressing people...or not. these older members certainly get it!

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by jadziasman

I bought my very last POS nearly two years ago. A 2004 Chevy Malibu Classic with the 2.2L mill.

It was a good deal at $3500 for a five year old car with 100K miles on it.

However.......

Since I've owned it,

I had a new fuel pump installed.

(which ended up costing me dearly since I did not get the car towed home so I could replace it myself. Yes, this was my choice but with only two cars at the time I needed something that wifey could drive while I still drove my trusty 1992 Honda Civic - which never left me stranded BTW.)

I needed to replace the Classic's transmission pan gasket and in the middle of winter too. Not a high cost repair but still a pain to do when the garage floor is a toasty 25?F.

I've had to replace the front brake pads on the Classic twice (wifey drives like Jackie Stewart). And the brakes on GM's don't seem to last very long if they're used.

Some would consider Yoda a POS but for me it's a new car compared to the VX I drove for five years. Yoda will achieve POS status when the traction battery dies. So far, no sign of obvious degradation of the big battery.

I also own a 2010 Nissan Versa. Very nice to have a new, very reliable car that I wouldn't be afraid to drive to Cal-I-Forn-I-A if I had to.

I liked my VX's very much but the it seemed the last one always needed something to be repaired/replaced every other week.

Much better to have new or nearly new (when you can afford it).

yea some GM brakes love to get eaten but others seem to last a very long time. I remember my dad having to change out the pads on our 77 capreece several times in a 5 year span it seems while my s10 ive never had to and they still look great. (been 9 years that ive owned it, never had have to change em, about 62K miles) now the rubber hoses well i fear thier gettin worn out...

my personal reasons not to buy new:

new cars look like crap and fit into one of 2 categories: easter egg or electric razor and sound like one

yes the inevitable door ding or hail dent on the new car sucks, s10's collected a few of each over the years

like someone else said, the technology is tried and true and usually pretty fail resistant, if it does find a forum or Google and 30,000 other people have had the same problem so easy to fix

junkyard parts hunting is SO much easier on old cars (ive nearly turned my base base work truck model s10 into an s10 with nearly every option that was available for maybe $300)

the more rust and dents the better, noone will park close to you in fear you will door ding them or they will have to rub up against your mobile tetinus shot machine

ive noticed the crappier the car as long as everything still works to keep it legal cops leave it alone because they dont believe you have much money to pay any tickets, or if its known in the history books as one of the top 10 worst cars produced they laugh at you when you break the law (going 85mph in a chevette flying in front of a cop taking radar and all you see is they take a 2nd look at their radar gun and start laughing and pointing at you...)

[JoeBob]

Egads!...a 2001 car would be an upgrade for me! I'm still driving a 1991 car!

One point...they mention that 2011 cars are quieter...are they really any quieter than 2001 cars were when they were new? Or 1991 cars, or 1961 cars, for that matter?

[Jay2TheRescue]

I don't know. My 1998 V8 4x4 with 175,000 miles runs so quiet you can't hear it running from 10 feet away. I don't think you can ask for a vehicle to be any quieter than that.

[theholycow]

Quieter means more than what you hear standing outside it while it idles. There's interior isolation from engine noise, road noise, wind noise, tire noise; there's exterior reduction in those same things at speed, too.

I do believe that interior at-speed noise is quieter than ever in most vehicles, when compared to comparable vehicles of yesteryear. There's more attention to details like little whooshes and whistles, there's more soundproofing, etc. It's not universal but it's a pretty strong trend. They have to, to stay competitive.

[VetteOwner]

yea, my moms 97 tarus had a little engine rumble but i like hearing the engine, my 95 truck can hear everythign from inside... 80 chevette well i can hear every bug hit the grille it seems haha

her 07 fusion is relatively quiet unless you get on it., our 96 aerostar i kinda loud.

but my 02 blazer all i hear is tire noise, im planning to put a louder exhaust on it so i can hear it (manual trans) i shift by ear so i need to hear/feel something...

[msweatherhead]

my reason is why change when your gas mpg is so good, 97 civic HX,363,500 miles runs like new 578mi/11.46 gal. ,558/10.94. Great car

[bowtieguy]

this article circulated it's way back thru AOL, and addressing THEIR reasons, not mine(5 reasons not to), is still worth discussion...

their five in short, with my response:
1)economy...already got more than most new cars
2)power...don't need it
3)safety...half sustained: i don't have the latest safety features, but i've got my "safer than most" driving experience
4)tech...got a radio; do i REALLY need an on board ipod and such?
5)comfort and design...got enough for my taste already

[Jay2TheRescue]

I'm still shopping... IF I can write it off on my taxes I will buy new, if not then I will get a late model used vehicle.

However, I drove my nephew's 1999 Cavalier Z24 the other day, and was very impressed. Was peppy, rode & handled nice, and after I had charged the a/c I think he could store ice cream in that car.

[bowtieguy]

yup! that car had/has the camaro(v6) engine. i had a 91 RS w/ hatch. oh the people i surprised off the line w/ an otherwise unassuming "station wagon!"

i wish i would have kept fuel logs back then!

[Scott]

After owning my forcus for the last two years, I'm practically ready to wear animals skins, fall off the grid, grow my own food, and sell hand made candles. I just fixed the PCV, took the whole thing apart, and now I have a diner plate size puddle of water underneath it. Two years ago I replaced all the hoses at 300 bucks. Now I have a leak between the fire wall and engine. It's 20 outside and I have to crawl under the thing and find the leak. My previous Corolla ad MR2 had nothing but electrical problems and I'm tired of it.

I'm planning on getting a VW Beetle and with a distributor and header change will get 31 mpg. I'm not even going to install an electronic ignition. Points last 30k in a bug.

New cars are heavy, you get to make a payment each month, your insurance goes up, and you still get the same mileage as a Beetle. I also have my eye out for an old Mercedes Diesel.

The smog laws will get worse next year in California, making it easier to fail, costing you money. Will it get as bad as Japan? At 45,000 miles, you have to replace the engine?

I'm tired of every commercial being an add for a new car, locking you in debt for the rest of your life, with a house you can barely afford.

For all these reasons, I can see no reason to buy a new car.

[Ford Man]

Last time I bought a new car was when I bought my '97 Escort LX wagon. At the time we were living in NC had small children and my parents living in KY so I wanted something dependable to make the trip in a few times a year. I looked at used and new and was able to buy new almost as cheap as I could buy a 1-2 year old used Escort with 30-40K miles. At the time Ford had a credit card that gave 5% rebate toward the purchase of a new Ford for every purchase made using the card. I had one of those cards and used it for my daily purchases and had accumulated about $1700 worth of rebates on top of the savings I got by negotiating my best deal. I couldn't have used the rebates on a used car. The credit card didn't have any annual fees and I always paid it off at the end of the month so there was no interest on my purchases. I paid cash and was out the door for about $9300. I still have the '97 and it now has 32K miles, about the same number of miles a used one would have had at the time of purchase. If I'd bought used it would probably now have about 65-70K miles. If I ever wear out some of my higher mileage cars and the '97 starts getting several miles I may buy another new car, but until that time I'll keep the '97 and use it basically for longer trips. Since I like to have a more dependable low mileage car for longer trips if I bought used for this purpose I'd just be having to buy them more often so maybe not saving anything in the long run. I carried collision/comprehensive for about the first 3 years of ownership which I'd have probably done on a 1-2 year old used car. At the rate I've put the miles on the '97 if I continue at this rate I'll be about 85 years old when it reaches 100K miles. I'll probably not even consider replacing it until it's got at least 100K miles. It stays in the garage most of the time so when it's cleaned up it still looks and runs as good as a new car. I didn't buy new to impress anyone it just seemed the way to go at the time and would do it all over again under the same circumstances. As most of you know from my '88 Escort with 518,500 miles I drive cars until they wear out so this one is in the family for the duration.

[Suarez83]

Hm...Is there really a number of reasons for buying a new vehicle?))) I always thought it's only your desire and income to play the main parts in this question)) Anyway, the list of reasons looks quite reasonable...Though I think that when my time for buying a car comes, I'll forget all the advice))

[JanGeo]

Originally Posted by bobc455

I know some people feel that it's important to impress people with a car, but unless that car is a Ferrari, Lamborghini, *maybe* a $250k mercedes, a classic car, etc., I'm not impressed. People think their scions or fancy subarus or celica GTs are impressive- not to me.

- Bob C.

Hey Bob I hope you are not putting me in this Scion category! I just like my xB because it has AC that gets cold in 10 seconds and handles well and can fit 4 adults with 5 bags of luggage in comfort and still get over 40mpg in a head wind like I did after you put those two $65 pirelli tires on last Sunday. Not to mention it is about the greenest car made due to simple engineering, a proven motor design used in other models and low budget advertising. It was the third and final year in production for that style body and engine and has had no recalls. I got it for function not style but I just happen to keep it clean and shiny because it did cost a good chunk of change and my friends like to ride to and from the airport in something the dog didn't get fur all over.
This is my third and possible last new car I have bought in my lifetime and I hope to make it last a good long time until I can build the sleek all wheel drive 4 motor direct drive 800 HP electric monster car my partner and I have been designing.

[bobc455]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

Hey Bob I hope you are not putting me in this Scion category!

I was thinking the little 2-door coupe thingy. Not yours.

Yours is cool and impressive for other reasons. (But let's face it - not exactly a chick magnet for cruising the strip...)

-Bob C.

[JanGeo]

Originally Posted by bobc455

I was thinking the little 2-door coupe thingy. Not yours.

Yours is cool and impressive for other reasons. (But let's face it - not exactly a chick magnet for cruising the strip...)

-Bob C.

Yeah the tC is a bit lame unless it gets a turbo and then it screams, but my toaster does turn a lot of heads and not from a sweet sounding exhaust note. You should have heard the guys in the body shop " ooooh the xB " when they found out it was mine, keeping it very clean makes a good impression. If you ever saw my office you would wonder how I keep my car so clean . . . But anyway the body shop made a mess of it and stunk it up with a dirty soapy rag on all the door panels, I had to literally spray the panels with water to clean off the film they left and no more new car small after 5 years. Took it out last night in the light rain, yeah those Pirelli P4 tires are definitely much quieter that the stock Goodyear LS tires.

[JanGeo]

Ok guys and any gals? My girlfriend found a 1999 1/2 Golf TDI looks good but we are talking 13 years and 135k miles for $5800 . . . I do not think a diesel is for her but it seems a bit high according to edmunds, and yeah it's green with sunroof and leather seats. Whaddathink?