Car buying dilemma--*&^*$&#^&%#^$@!!!!

[GreenPartyVoter]

Ford Explorer, 20,000 miles, $9000

My hubby thinks that is just too good to pass up. I'd rather have a Subaru or something better on gas (and smaller and easier for me to learn to drive on), but Americredit will only finance cars with under 50,000 miles on them. That means any Subaru in our price range will have WAY too many miles on them for us to be able to buy.

This really sucks. We want to buy a responsible vehicle, but because we've got bad credit (bankruptcy) we are only "allowed" to buy cars that people get rid of because they are gas guzzlers.

BLAH!!!!

Thanks for listening to my rant! :)


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An open letter to John Kerry, John Edwards, and the DNC:
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/OpenLetter.htm

[NMDemDist2]

1. don't buy a ford, they are the roll over kings remember? n/t

[Hawkeye-X]

2. Look into Toyota Echo

I know it's small, but DAMN, it's a good gas-efficient cars.

You might want to check this out:

http://www.car-buying-tips.us/fuel-efficient-vehicles.html

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. They are a bit expensive though, aren't they?

[ewagner]

3. We have an Explorer

and yeah, the 'round town mileage sucks. But that's not why we bought it.

Winter roads in Wisconsin leave much to be desired and the heavy, 4WD Explorer has been a godsend a couple of times.

Also, we make at least one trip a year to Florida and there is a certain sense of security in driving down I-65 in the Explorer as opposed to my Mazda Protege'. When mixing on the interstate with so many candidates for the Darwin Award the Explorer comes in handy.

[Spinzonner]

4. Well, if you're worried about the public perception

of you being a 'responsible' auto owner is primary I cant say to much, but if you're mainly concerned about cost you need to consider the cost of ownership, not strictly of fuel. If you can get a good price on the vehicle that can compensate for more expensive fuel costs when amortized over the period of ownership.

Now that, of course, assumes a certain rationality to future pricing and availability.

So don't downgrade the value solely on the gas-guzzler consideration. It's possible you might get an overall decent deal on the basis of someone else's attitude.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Well, I have to admit the number of miles on it sounds great

and leads me to think this is a car that could last us as long as ten years.

But I do worry, that if the gas costs are too high it will turn out costing us as much monthly as the newer little subarus once the gas money is factored in. (Hubby is a computer repairman so he's driving from appointment to appointment all day long.)

[Cybergata]

6. I'm sorry to be mean,

but how can a person named greenpartyvoter have a SUV?

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Well I did say I don't want one, but we have to have a vehicle

and if that's all we can afford, then we don't have much choice. :(

--------------------------------------------------------
An open letter to John Kerry, John Edwards, and the DNC:
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/OpenLetter.htm

[Spinzonner]

7. If he's using the vehicle for business

then he should keep careful records and examine the tax laws because some (partial) vehicle costs, including operation and acquistition should be deductible as a business expense. Even if he's not self employed there should be either business allowance/reimbursements or employee business expenses.

I'm not a accountant, lawyer, or otherwise so consult your professional advisor ...

And you may want to cosnider the value of the larger vehicle to his use in business in terms of carrying capacity.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Well, that's what we were thinking. We are replacing

a Dodge caravan which has been a lemon ever since we bought it, 2 engines ago! We aren't opposed to getting another minivan, but it won't be a Dodge caravan for sure.

Subarus have good space, as do SUVs, though if I had to have one I'd rather have a Honda CRX.

I ought to ask him about keeping track of his milage for deductible purposes. I don't think he has been doing that.

[Digit]

16. Me, too!

My Dodge Caravan experience:
First, it was the transmission.
Then, it was the engine that blew when on a long trip, stranding me.
The final straw was when the "new" transmission went once again, 250 miles from home.
I purchased a used Honda with low mileage 9 years ago.
I still have the car, and it has been wonderfully reliable with a mere 111,000 miles on it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. Oh, man. Getting stranded is the worst :^( Glad you

found a better vehicle. So far the only brand we've ever had zero trouble with have been the smaller and mid-size Toyota pickups.

[Mel]

10. buy a diesel

and convert it into a greasel! http://www.greasel.com/

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. I'd consider it if we can find one. Again, we are constrained

by the fact that there has to be a low milage and low price. I am hoping I can talk hubby into waiting and looking around to see what vehicles might show up in the next few months, rather than sign 6 years of his life away on the first one to pass by.

[leftyandproud]

12. Do this...

Get a 94-96 ford escort for around $2500-4k

Cheap, reliable, good gas mileage.

If your engine dies, you can find a new one at a junk yard for around $700.00 Just find a car that got totalled from the rear. I did this rather than buying another car when my engine died, and I've been using it with no problems for several years now. If you have no money, $9k is way too much to pay for a car, especially a gas guzzler with $2.00 gasoline.

[Old and In the Way]

13. Damn green thing to do, too!

Recycling older vehicles, even if they aren't the politically correct, says a hell of a lot of energy over buying a new car.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. That's what I'd like to do, but there is no way we can get any chunk of

change that size. That's why we're stuck with buying a more expensive vehicle, because it can be financed for about $250 a month.

It sounds like hubby really wants this explorer, and I don't begrudge him wanting a four wheel drive vehicle in the winter. Maine roads can be treacherous.

But I plan on getting from him, in writing *l*, that when his old toyota truck dies in the next couple of years _I_ will get to choose the replacement. Maybe a little Toyota Corolla or something like that.

[leftyandproud]

21. please...

if you can finance a $9000 car for $250/mo, you could finance a $3k car for around $99 a month. Don't make excuses. Getting a decent (and smaller) used car will save you money on payments and a LOT on gas.

[Digit]

18. What about renting? eom

[Poiuyt]

19. What about leasing?

If it's for business, I believe you can deduct all of the payments as a business expense.

[Corgigal]

20. how long ago did you file for bankruptcy?

I had to file 5 years ago and I applied here and got financing at 11 percent.

http://www.capitaloneautofinance.com/Public/Home/Default.aspx

Then I took the printout to the Ford Dealership and got 10 percent so I could purchase my college graduate daughter her first new car.
If you get financing at one place it's very likely that another place will pick you up. Keep shopping and use one against the other.