New car suggestions?

[Atypical Liberal]

Our 13-year-old truck has finally died and it is time for a new vehicle.

We really don't want to spend much more than $200-$250 a month, which means a car of about $13,500.

We keep our cars for a long time, and I like that Kia and Hyundai have 10-year, 100,00 mile warranties.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[Taverner]

1. I have a Prius and I love it

I would love to get a Leaf, a Volt or a Tesla

[GKirk]

5. I have a Prius too

and don't see how the Volt would work for me.

It's at least $10,000 more than my Prius and with it's
limited range I could never drive it enough to make up the
difference.

[Atypical Liberal]

25. Prius is out of my price range - $450 a month.

I'm trying to stay around $250 a month.

[salin]

126. Family member bought a 3-yr old "gently used" prius -

brought the price closer to your range. Values of used Prius cars have decreased due to the controversies over the past two years. But I (owner of an 06) and family member (03) have had no problems. Gas mileage in the high 40s to 50s (mpg).

Always bought used until the Prius (bought in my 40s). Few used were available when I bought. Next car will likely be a used one - so that the depreciation kicks in. In the early Prius years there was little depreciation. Now I think it follows the pattern of other cars.

[FLAprogressive]

2. at that price you won't get much new, I would suggest buying used.

[handmade34]

3. just bought Hyundai

because of warranty... (it hurt because I wanted to buy US made)

Love the car though

[Atypical Liberal]

24. I'm considering Hyundai and Kia

I am considering both Hyundai and Kia because of their 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

However, a Mazda dealer has a "them only" lifetime powertrain warranty.

[likesmountains 52]

105. My Hyundai Sonata was built in Alabama....and I love it!

[Erose999]

4. Yaris. Great cars. Buy used.

[Juneboarder]

46. Just don't get in an accident!!

those things crumble into nothing...

http://youtu.be/NKvvL8-7X14

[Erose999]

62. Doesn't look much different from the new Ford Fiesta test. Small cars, in general, don't crash well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckmno55FeQw

[Juneboarder]

67. Yes, tell me about it...

that's more the point I was trying to make. The smaller cars really crumble in accidents. Just passing on some collision center knowledge :)

[Obamanaut]

63. No one plans them. That's why they are called, well, accidents. nt

[Juneboarder]

66. Thanks for that English 101 lesson...

I'm fully aware of what an accident is and why they call it an accident. Just saying that the Yaris crumbles in an accident versus some other cars that might hold up a wee bit better structurally. And no, this is not pro nor con when speaking in terms of buying UAW or foreign made.

[gater]

6. Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, and Ford Fiesta...

are your major choices for a new car in your payment range. Critics say the Ford is the best, but Kia and Hyundai have a better warranty... but the Ford profit stays here in the US, not so much the other brands. Edmunds.com is a good research tool.

[Atypical Liberal]

26. Thanks,

I have been using Edmunds, and found out pretty much what you said.

I'm attracted to the Kia/Hyundai warranties, but some dealerships have their own warranty deals. Some offer lifetime powertrain warranties.

[Lochloosa]

7. Buy a 1 year old car then purchase a warranty for it. You will save thousands.

But do your homework on the warranty.

[Bragi]

10. Great advice /nt

[supernova]

13. In 2006 I bought a 2002 CRV

I think I paid about $10k less than they did originally. It only had 16K miles on it at the time. I've got about 55K on it now.

[supernova]

8. HTB bought a Scion XD year before last

It's a manual and he's really happy with it. Cute little compact that comes with a ton of features.

I think his cost is something about $14K

http://www.scion.com/#/xD-images-videos

[sharesunited]

9. A Nissan Cube is a wonderful car which will fit your budget.

[Canuckistanian]

130. Or the Kia Soul

[Romulox]

11. SOLIDARITY!!!!!!11!!!!1!!

:puke:

[Atypical Liberal]

27. I don't get it?

What do you mean?

[Codeine]

29. He means buy a car built by here by a union worker.

We make a lot of noise about unions and labor and solidarity here, but in the end it's all just fucking noise. One of the most basic pro-labor decisions you can make is to by a UAW-made car, but none of you ever do.

[Atypical Liberal]

34. It call comes down to cash.

I try to be charitable when I can, but when it comes to laying out $250 a month I've got to maximize what I get for my money. If American car manufacturers would step up to the 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty like Kia and Hyundai do, it would go a long way. But having just been burned by my Ford F-150 that I put two engines in, I'm paying hard attention to warranties this time around.

[Juneboarder]

49. Build a car worth buying...

and maybe some of us would buy a UAW made car.

[DainBramaged]

55. Clueless, completely clueless and biased

there is no convincing most of you, so I choose the red x

[Juneboarder]

60. It's awfully nice to call someone clueless

right off the bat than try and see what the majority in this thread are talking about. I don't ever "ignore" people here on DU, because even though I might not agree with someone, I still like to see all opinions than just one sided opinions. If I only got one side, then what would be the point to a progressive message board?

[bluestate10]

101. Ford and Gm make cars that are affordable for the OP. The OP does not

seem interested in taking a look. Back to my beef with the Left, the inability or simple lack of discipline to walk the talk.

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Juneboarder]

73. I don't think so...

looks like there's a lot of people that feel the same way when it comes to the quality of an American made car here in this post alone.

[Name removed]

76. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bluestate10]

99. Yeah. I want to hurl too.

Read the OP and replies. Not one used the condition that the car be manufactured, or most of it's parts manufactured in the USA. A few minutes from now the same crowd will be railing on Obama about jobs and caving to the rich. And carving posters like me up for being a moderate, conscience driven capitalist. With no forward looking and cover my ass first attitude, one gets what they deserve ultimately.

[Trial_Lawyer]

149. I don't understand the bias against American made cars

No question management made some stupid decisions, but that doesn't mean every car coming out of Detroit is a POS. I think anybody who claims to support the Union movement and deplores the loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. at least should take a look at a domestic car. I know one loses a bit of snob factor in driving a Ford, but surely there is some merit to acting in line with one's purported principles.

Of course, the smartest move is to buy a used car. In the first three years, cars lose a huge percent of their value, but they are still in the early years of their life cycle. Buying used not only saves money, but it has a neutral impact on the environment. Every new car is full of metal and plastics and all sorts of other stuff that is not exactly eco friendly, whether in their extraction from the earth or after their useful life is over.

As for a warranty, you can buy extended warranties for almost any car at a reasonable price. The fact of the matter is that most cars are so well made these days that 10 years/100,000 miles is a walk in the park, unless you get a lemon. A friend whose opinion I respect advises to buy only cars with more than 100,000 miles on them, because if they will last that long, they will probably run for another 100,000 miles.

Currently I have two cars, one made in 1997 and the other in 2000. They both look and run great. One of the cars is a domestic make and I have nothing but praise for it. A great car.

Whatever you do, please take a look at the offerings from Detroit.

Cheers and good luck!

[Bragi]

12. Hyundai Santa Fe

I've had one for just over a year. I couldn't be happier with it.

[dionysus]

14. i suggest a used ford fusion for that price range.

[SoCalDem]

15. We LOVE LOVE our Kia..

It's not in the price range you quoted when bought new, but we got it at CarMax, used (w/under 20K miles) for $17K out the door
http://www.carmax.com/enus/search-results/default.html?ADc=90&N=4294966474&D=30&ASTc=amanti&zip=92553&pD=0&pI=0&pT=400&pC=200&pB=0&No=0&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Make&Rp=R&PP=20&sV=List&CD=14+966+240+190+398+9&Q=79a0251e-c7ee-4084-91db-b61abd5ce441


It had been a lease turn in, and was immaculate..even still smelled new:)

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. PRIUS! You can get a used Prius for $11-12,000 and you will be HAPPY you did.

With gas prices only going UP and they emit miniscule amounts of pollution! You can probably get a used Prius with a pre-owned warranty.

[Juneboarder]

50. Used Prius'

are having premiums tacked onto their pricetags now. Toyota is sending letters to current Prius owners asking them to consider selling them back to the dealer...

[in_cog_ni_to]

121. They'll have to take it from my cold dead hands! I'll NEVER sell my Prius. n/t

[Juneboarder]

151. LOL yea...

That seems to be the general consensus among a majority of Prius drivers :)

[DainBramaged]

58. Yup, go work for them then

[in_cog_ni_to]

122. No thanks. n/t

[frazzled]

17. Our six-year old Prius still going strong

And we have not had one major repair (frankly, not even minor) yet. Great mileage, comfortable for long and short trips, plenty of hauling room and head room. A new one costs more than $13,500. But you might check used ones or a lease (they never leased them before, but they do now).

[Initech]

18. I'm planning to get a Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Although definitely check out the Sonata - it's a very nicely styled car for not a lot of money.

[ksilvas]

19. Matrix n/t

[econoclast]

20. fascinating ....troubling ..... and very sad

I'm sure everyone here hates that corporations have sent our jobs offshore .... but no one here advocated buying a car made in America .... or ownes a car made in America.


Prius - US/Canadian content - 0% per NHTSA AALA reports
Yaris - US/Canadian content - 0% per NHTSA AALA reports
Scion - US/Canadian content - 0% per NHTSA AALA reports
Kia & Hyundai - US/Canadian content - depending on model between 1 % 7% per NHTSA AALA reports

etc etc etc

Wonder where all the good American jobs are? ..... look in your driveway. We did it to ourselves.

[Codeine]

30. Plus fucking one, dude.

These people talk the talk, but they'll never, EVER walk the walk. Ever.

[Atypical Liberal]

31. It all comes down to cash.

I've always bought American. First car was a 1976 Chevy Chevette. Second was a 1993 Mustang LX. Third was a 1995 Mustang GT. Fourth was a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country. My wife brought our 1998 Ford F150 to the marriage.

Unfortunately after putting 2 engines in the F150 (the 4.2 liter has notorious head gasket leakage problems that should have had a recall but was only recalled on fleets) I'm done sinking money into this American-made truck.

Unfortunately we really can't afford a car at all right now so I'm very price sensitive. I had just discontinued my 401K contributions to help get some debt paid off and these car payments will basically eat up that buffer. Ford and Chevy and Chrysler have cars in my price range, but they can't touch the powertrain warranty that Kia and Hyundai offer. With my last saga on engine replacements, the powertrain warranty is important to me.

Mazda has 0% financing with a $500 dealer cash bonus and the Birmingham dealership offers lifetime powertrain warranty. I want to support US industry but I have to make the best financial deal for myself, first.

[in_cog_ni_to]

37. Uhhhh....that would be WRONG. The U.S. auto makers did it to themselves.

Ever see the movie, "Who killed the Electric Car?" If not, watch it. Instead of making small, fuel efficient cars, GM makes a fucking gas guzzling Hummer. Every one of the U.S auto makers rolling out SUV after SUV...instead of hybrids or fuel efficient cars. They are STUPID and dug their own grave by building shit cars that guzzled gas and POLLUTE.

I bought an American made car ONCE. A brand spankin' new Jeep. It was the first year they had the new hard top for winter and the soft top for summer...we bought it. New off the lot. BIGGEST FREAKIN' LEMON OF A CAR WE EVER OWNED. It was in the repair shop more than it was ever on the road. The most major thing wrong with the JEEP???? You couldn't get it WET! A Jeep you couldn't get wet? That was the biggest mistake we ever made. Such a waste of money and have never purchased another American Car since. Now when people have the nerve to bitch at me about by foreign made cars...I tell them ..."if you would like to pay my auto repair bills, I'll buy an American Made car, but not until"....then they get my Junk Jeep story. :grr:

[DainBramaged]

43. Bullshit, that movie is a straw man

I've owned Chevy's ALL OF MY LIFE since 1966, and I have NEVER had any of the horror stories so many here have spewed out on these forums.


Keep buying foreign, when the jobs are gone, you'll STILL blame the Domestics

[in_cog_ni_to]

118. Well then you were LUCKY. We bought a brand spanking new JEEP

and the damn thing was a LEMON. A piece of SHIT. I honestly don't fucking care if you believe my story, but why the fuck would I lie about I car I wanted DESPERATELY? We LOVED camping, going to Colorado in the mountains and taking back roads up the mountains...the Jeep would have been PERFECT for that...if it only would run! It was a piece of JUNK. An absolute piece of JUNK.

My 2006 Prius has not had ONE repair in the 5 years we've owned it! NOT ONE! Well, I did have to have the battery replaced in my key-less entry fob a few weeks ago...even THAT worked for 5+ years. So, spare me the fucking lectures. When GM chooses to put fucking gas guzzling HUMMERS on the roads....instead of fuel efficient cars, it's their own fucking fault they went broke.

I get 40 MPG on my Prius. It's the LAST car I will ever buy. Period. No more car payments for us....and with gas heading to $5-6.00....I am fucking THRILLED I own it and happy as hell I don't drive a HUMMER or some other gas guzzling, polluting vehicle!

[defendandprotect]

144. And it's the consumers fault that American cars are inferior? Buy them anyway?

[blue_onyx]

44. Where's the RAV4 EV?

"Although 1500 RAV4 EVs were built, only about 328 were sold, with the remaining vehicles being destroyed as they came off their leases."

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/2009/163_news090424_toyota_rav4_hybrid_suv/index.html

Where's all the EVs that were produced by other companies? Funny how all the auto companies did the same thing but only GM gets criticized. People watch a documentary, think they are experts, and never bother to think beyond the info spoon-fed to them. Oh, and foreign companies make vehicles that are just as bad as the Hummer (ex: Toyota Sequoia).

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FLAprogressive]

93. +1

[in_cog_ni_to]

97. BULL. I bought American in the 70s when we had everyone screaming about

"foreign cars" and we got SCREWED. NEVER-AGAIN.

[DainBramaged]

42. NONE of them get it, or care, which is why Unions are in trouble

America doesn't give a shit about America

[Atypical Liberal]

48. All else being equal, I'll support the Unions. But all else has to be equal, first.

I will gladly support unions, but I'm not going to pay a premium to do it nor am I willing to accept a sub-standard comparable product in order to do it.

I currently have $250 a month to spend on a car. I want to get the best car I can with the best warranty for that money. All else being equal, I'll support the union-made car company. But all else has to be equal, first.

[DainBramaged]

51. Why do you even consider Union -made to be sub-standard

jesus, that's a personal insult to all of us who belong to a Union, ESPECIALLY those of us who are UAW.

Buy what you want, I don't give a shit now.

[Atypical Liberal]

80. Warranty, for starters.

Why do you even consider Union -made to be sub-standard jesus, that's a personal insult to all of us who belong to a Union, ESPECIALLY those of us who are UAW.

It wasn't meant to be an insult, I'm simply saying that I'm not going to buy a sub-standard product just to get it Union made.

All of the US manufacturers have a sub-standard warranty compared to Kia and Hyundai. US manufacturers are 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranties, while Kia and Hyundai have 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranties.

Also, I'm a bit peeved at my Union-made 1998 Ford F-150 that is on its second engine and now needs another one, which is why I'm faced with buying another car. This is due to the notorious head gasket problem with 4.2 L engines.

[DainBramaged]

116. I am not even going to try you are so badly misinformed

http://www.gm.com/vehicles/warranty/


www.ford.com

www.chrysler.com


If you can't figure it out for yourself, just put me on ignore. You are badly mistaken about your notions.

[Atypical Liberal]

127. I don't understand.

I've been researching cars all week.

Ford has a 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty, and Chrysler has 5-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Neither of these compare to Kia or Hyundai's 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Also, see my post below, not a single UAW-manufactured vehicle is within our price range anyway.

[kick-ass-bob]

156. No, look at the miles of the warranty.

Do you really drive less that 10k miles per year? The average driver goes 14k a year, so it's really a 7 year warranty.

Besides that, you should really get a used car, because it is nearly pointless to buy a new one because you'll need 3+ years of payments to not be underwater on it. And screw the additional warranty, it is a waste of money that you roll into the loan and pay interest on that as well. After your loan is paid off, keep saving your money and pay yourself so you don't have to sign a note to buy another car. 5 years of 250/month is 15,000 plus interest plus resale, so then you can buy another (better, if you want) car without the interest payment to the bank. I've paid for my last car through a bank.

[defendandprotect]

146. What would you have thought about -- rather than the "rescue" of the auto industry --

US taxpayers having turned the auto plants over to the workers in a buy-out?

Based on proviso that you build electric cars -- solar batteries? -- and that you

also converted existing cars to electric?

US could have subsidized both the manufacture and purchase -- ???

[Fuddnik]

84. It wasn't the Unions that caused the problems with US cars.

Executives and bean counters did.

Back in the '70s, I had a Ford that the frame literally rusted in half on.

I was shopping for a new pick-up in '93. I went to the auto show, where I could compare everything side by side. It seemed like every GM product I looked at had a Brazilian motor, and most of the rest was produced in Mexico. The S-10s felt like they'd fall apart if you slammed the door too hard. The Ranger was sturdier, but they were having a lot of problems with them. I wound up buying a Ford Probe GT.

[defendandprotect]

145. Rather, thought unions were in trouble because leadership was co-opted ?

Because of jobs being moved overseas -- evidently some of the best "American"

cars were only being sold overseas?

Reagan's attacks on unions -- ?

Mafia sent in to destroy unions -- ?

And, of course, Obama/Duncan are doing a job on public education and teachers' union!

[Deep13]

54. Build something worth buying then.

Ford and GM may be a lot better than they have been, but they still don't have the Japanese record of reliability over a decade or more. I cannot in good conscience recommend a small, American car to someone with modest resources.

Frankly, I'm more concerned with buying union than buying American. I have no particular reason to favor American workers over Japanese, Korean or European workers. Frankly the whole idea of nation-states has become obsolete--quaint even--in the age of multinational corporations.

In 2008 I wanted a small station wagon. The choices were extremely limited. And for American cars they were limited to one model, the Ford Focus. Sorry, but I'm not convinced that Ford has gone from making crap to good small cars in a few short years. So I bought a union-made German model. It's a German union, not UAW, but still.

[Union Scribe]

74. Did a bunch of you just wake up from comas?

Do you not see sales figures or quality ratings from this century?

[FLAprogressive]

102. No, they're just willingly buying and spouting propaganda in order to justify their choices.

[Union Scribe]

141. And when you shoot down one argument, they just move to the next one.

Usually the "well my cousin's roommate's girlfriend owned a Chevy in 1984 and..."

[Deep13]

135. Don't care about sales figures...

...and the "new" Ford and GM haven't been around long enough to establish track records. In '08, the last time I shopped for a car, Ford and Chevy still lagged behind Toyota and Honda. Now, if it were me I would seriously consider a Ford Fusion or that big Buick if I were buying today. I'm not going to starve if I have to get the car fixed. Still not sure I would buy a compact car from them. But for someone who's looking at monthly payments rather than overall cost and is limited to less than $300 per month, that means a small car that's a few years old with an excellent record for reliability. That means Honda or Toyota.

[Union Scribe]

140. Lots and lots of people think they're worth buying, get it now?

No, you don't. You change arguments and move goalposts and say anything to rationalize DESTRUCTIVE consumer decisions. The data's out there, but what are facts when you have such entrenched dogma?

[ecstatic]

59. Good point. My cars have all been foreign

but you're right. I don't have anything against American cars. The ones I like cost too much (Escalade, etc. :P)

[truebrit71]

65. What's sadder is that the American car companies shipped their jobs overseas and made SHIT products.

...don't lay all the blame on the consumer, the products have to be worth paying for, and for a long, long time American cars were nothing more than motorized shitbuckets..

[FLAprogressive]

103. And yet, the American car companies still build more cars in America AND employ more people in

America than the foriegn automakers do.

[bluestate10]

106. Yes!!! Welcome to DU. Contribute to DU. nt

[MedicalAdmin]

148. Where do I find this info.

I have a ford focus that I like alot. Ome of the best small cars i have ever had - good milage, great handling and nice options and the warantee and service were top notch.

I will be looking in a few years and local content is very important to me.

[mikeytherat]

21. Chevrolet Cruze Eco

http://www.chevrolet.com/cruze/?seo=goo_|_2008_Chevy_Retention_|_Chevy_Cruze_|_Cruze_ECO_|_chevy_cruze_eco&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Retention-Chevy-Chevy_Cruze&utm_content=Search&utm_term=chevy_cruze_eco



mikey_the_rat

[blue_onyx]

45. I hope to get a Cruze soon

Probably won't be able to afford anything new though. A used Cobalt may have to do.

[DainBramaged]

119. I LOVE my SS, and modded to the max gets 25+ COMBINED and I don't drive slow

[mikeytherat]

147. The Cobalt SS is a bad-ass little ride!

And I love the Cruze, too.

mikey_the_rat

[bluestate10]

107. US brand. The "fun crowd" would not sniff in it's direction. nt

[RamboLiberal]

22. I have a Suzuki SX4 which I really like

I added on a warranty plan which took payments to $283 a month otherwise it would've been $250.

Only down side is it doesn't get gas mileage it should for it's size. And brakes seem to wear quickly.

Otherwise it's been great and my Suzuki dealer has been great with a couple minor warranty issues.

It is the best vehicle I've ever owned for snow. Got me through Snowmaggedon last year when a lot of other vehicles in hilly Southwestern PA were stuck.

And on an icy hill this year when I got stopped by other vehicles unable to get up hill, it went right up the hill when traffic cleared.

Came with GPS, power windows & locks, cruise control, switch betwen 2wd and Awd.

I've been happy with it. When I bought it about only new vehicle in price range I wanted to pay.

[Throd]

23. American

[Codeine]

32. UAW American. No money to union-busting plants. nt

[Atypical Liberal]

33. I've always owned American

All of my vehicles (see above) have been American. But after replacing the engine twice in my F-150 I'm a little less enamored with American quality.

[haele]

39. Ford had a bad burp between 1996 and 2002. All the Ford forums back that up.

It was a management issue; they kept messing up the parts designs between the North American plants; Canadian built Fords apparently had parts that were "just off" from the US built Fords, so parts that were supposed to be cross-platform weren't. My neighbor's 2000 Ford F-150 has a one time/one year/one model only type of drive train that has been a nightmare to find reliable parts for; it's always up on blocks and he's gotten to the point he's actually cobbling together and modifying good parts to fix what goes wrong after he beats the truck up towing stuff all over creation.

Check the online forums, you'll find people talking about the common issues with the different models and years.
Ford Focus/Fusions, Taurus and Rangers built after 2003 has a very, very high reliablity rating and increasingly better gas milage; and over the last few years, the Focii and the Taurus have been looking like pretty hot cars. I've even seen Hybrid Rangers and Explorers out there, if you're interested.
I've heard some decent things about the later model Chevy Cavilier and Malibus, also.

Haele

[IcyPeas]

28. I have a Nissan Versa...

it's a hatchback - which I love - you can really pack some stuff in there and it's pretty good on gas.

[Gold Metal Flake]

35. Ford Fiesta

Look for incentives to help bring down the payment.

[HopeHoops]

36. Buy a Mac.

Hey, that just seemed appropriate.

[greenbird]

40. I bought a Nissan Versa

about 6 months ago. I'm very happy with it. Like you, I had a tight budget for a new car. It doesn't get the mileage that my Toyota Echo got (42), but I have no complaints otherwise.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Obamanaut]

47. If this thread is an indicator, not many people here put their money where

their mouth is when it comes to buying American.

I'll bet some even go to WalMart.

[DainBramaged]

53. You and I don't usually agree, I do today.

:hi:

They'll support Unions when it's beneficial to them.

[Juneboarder]

61. Generalizations and stereotypes galore... n/t

[Obamanaut]

64. You have an import, don't you. Well, there you go. nt

[Juneboarder]

69. Ask a question and don't give time for an answer before ASSuming huh? n/t

My point has been affirmed by your response. Generalizations and stereotypes galore.

[Obamanaut]

77. Ooh. Well, you do have an import, don't you. Come on, you can say it.

Your responses gave you away.

[Name removed]

75. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DainBramaged]

87. It's all BULLSHIT they don't even know what costs what or how long warranties are

They lock down my thread because the Union haters win here again.

[bluestate10]

109. It is all about calling oneself a progressive on DU. Rail against capitalist

and business people the seriously care about creating jobs for their fellow citizens. Then jump in one's 0% american content, foreign built car, drive to Macy's or Walmart to buy 100% Chinese made products, drive back home and finish the night railing against President Obama as Obama takes disciplined steps to create a green energy based economy.

[Codeine]

52. Consider used.

A three-year-old lease return is often a much better financial decision than new, and warranties often transfer.

[Brigid]

56. How about this one?

http://www.chevrolet.com/assets/pdf/en/experience/Corvette100_HeroCard.pdf

:evilgrin:

[Deep13]

57. Honda Civic coming off a 3-year lease.

Honda checks them out pretty thoroughly.

[Union Scribe]

68. Here.

http://www.uaw.org/cars

[Atypical Liberal]

82. Not a single one of these Union-made cars is in my price range.

* Buick LaCrosse starts at $26,995

* Buick Lucerne starts at $29,730

* Cadillac CTS starts at $35,165

* Cadillac DTS starts at $46,680

* Cadillac STS starts at $47,280

* Chevrolet Corvette starts at $48,950

* Chevrolet Cruze starts at $16,525

* Chevrolet Malibu starts at $21,975

* Chevrolet Volt starts at $32,780

* Chrysler Sebring starts at $20,120

* Dodge Avenger starts at $20,230

* Dodge Caliber starts at $16,880

* Dodge Viper starts at $90,255

* Ford Focus starts at $18,790

* Ford Mustang starts at $22,145

* Ford Taurus starts at $25,420

* Lincoln MKS starts at $41,500

* Mazda6 starts at $19,990

* Mitsubishi Eclipse starts at $19,499

* Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder starts at $27,999

* Mitsubishi Gallant starts at $21,599

Not a single one of these UAW-made cars is within my price range of $14,000 or less. That's sad.

[Union Scribe]

89. Buy used. It still promotes union labor.

Most new cars are not under 14K. And in general, foreign shit is typically cheaper than union-made products. In the long run, though, opting for the cheap shit = national disaster.

[FLAprogressive]

92. There aren't many Japanese/Korean cars within your price range either, and those that are are either

crappy models period or stripped down versions of decent models. You're better off buying used.

[Atypical Liberal]

131. Actually there are 19 vehicles in my price range

According to Edmunds.

[pintobean]

96. A friend of mine just bought a focus for 12,000

You can't go by the sticker.

[bluestate10]

110. The OP does not seem to want Ford. The company has changed and the Focus is a

reliable economy car.

[Atypical Liberal]

128. I'm considering the Ford Fiesta

I'm just waiting for the dealers to respond with pricing. The Fiesta is in our price range.

[Atypical Liberal]

129. I've been using Edmunds

I've been using Edmunds to figure prices.

According to Edmunds, a new 2011 S model Focus (bottom model) is actually selling in my zip code area for $16,731.

[madokie]

71. Damn buy an american car

one made here by an american company. We could use the jobs after all. I know you're talking about used but nevertheless by american

[Atypical Liberal]

83. No, I'm talking about new.

I prefer to buy new cars as we drive them until they are undriveable.

There is one US-made car in my price range - the Ford Fiesta. But they don't have as good a warranty as Kia, Hyundai, and certain Toyota and Mazda dealerships.

Also right now Mazda has 0% financing, which is a savings of $1800 over 60 months at 4.5% interest.

[Union Scribe]

90. What do you want? A stamp of approval?

You've clearly already made up your mind. I don't know what you're looking for here.

[Atypical Liberal]

132. Read the OP.

I'm looking for suggestions for new vehicles in the $14K range.

[SpankMe]

78. Scion xD

27/33 mpg. A Toyota brand. They come in at around $15k. But, if you can put up to $1000 down and find better than 6% financing, then you can hit your $250/mo mark.

[Fuddnik]

79. Is it a sin to buy a used import?

It's not like an auto workers job depends on buying a used car.

[Earth_First]

81. Probably...

:eyes:

[Cleita]

85. Why don't you look into pre-owned cars?

I was able to get a pre-owned Jeep Grand Cherokee for the same price as a new car of lesser quality ten years ago. It's still going strong with only routine maintenance and the usual replacement items like tires, batteries, etc..

[CatholicEdHead]

86. Honda Fit, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla

something with good gas mileage nowadays.

[DainBramaged]

98. Oh, those are the only cars that get good gas mileage?

sure, tiny little cars made in Japan, great choices.....

[FLAprogressive]

100. Some think that only imports can be fuel efficient thanks to propaganda (spouted even by some here)

[in_cog_ni_to]

123. Not the only fuel efficient cars, but they sure as hell are built better. n/t

[FLAprogressive]

125. another myth/lie

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/

[in_cog_ni_to]

133. No it's not a myth/lie. It's a fact from personal experience. We also own a Chrysler

300M piece of shit car. Read about it in your other thread. I know what I'm talking about.

[Union Scribe]

142. Ah yes, the "personal experience is all experience" logic.

I once bought a flat Coke. All Cokes are flat. I be a logic genius!

[in_cog_ni_to]

154. The GENIUS is...I learn from my mistakes and won't be making it again. n/t

[darkstar3]

143. Once again, reliability is important, and that link doesn't touch it.

[trud]

88. Ford

I plan on not buying another car in my lifetime, but if I were and could afford it, I'd buy an electric or hybrid. Failing that, I'd buy a Ford. Ford took no money from the government and I buy American whenever possible.

Added: there's nothing wrong with a good used car if you can't afford a new one. I drive my late Mom's 1992 Buick and keep it in good condition. Just had it repainted last year and it looks great.

[Liberalynn]

91. I have a Ford Fusion and I really like it.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

94. Kia Souls have ALOT of value for about $13000 - best bang for your buck, IMO.

The manual cheap base model gets 30 miles MPG highway, four doors with fold down rear seats, CD/MP3/Sirrius, Power doors/windows, A/C, and all safety features standard (4 wheel disc, front/side/curtain airbags, ABS, EBD, TCS, tire pressure monitor, etc...). It's like a mini SUV! And an extra $2k gets you the bigger motor and automatic tranny.

For $13,300 (often cheaper at dealerships offering promotions) that's a bargain.
Most other cars in the $12k-$13k range are really stripped down.

[flvegan]

95. $13,500 for a new car means horrible value for money.

At least where I live, that gives you the choice of only a few (albeit dreadful) options...

Hyundai Accent GLS
Kia Forte
Chevy Aveo (which is actually a Daewoo Kalos)

Consider this one more opinion that a one or two year old car might be a better idea. Good luck either way.

[Codeine]

108. This.

For that kind of dosh you're choosing between a very nice used car or a very poor new car.

[pintobean]

104. What if unions just sit out the 2012 elections

No money, no campaign work, no ads and no votes. Nothing. Instead, run ads saying support us or go on without us. Think they might gain a little respect?

I'm not advocating this; just trying to get people to think about what they are doing. We need each other, but only one side actually sees it that way and we're dying from it.

[DainBramaged]

111. As long as America can buy cheap shit at Wally World. They won't give a shit.

[pintobean]

113. I went into Wally World today

looking for something specific. I couldn't do it. My daughter and I both walked out nauseated.

[bluestate10]

114. Hail Hail. Sad, isn't it? Shows no understanding of cause and effect. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

112. Prius.

The new models are tight.

[Change Happens]

115. Local Ford had some outstanding lease deals to fit your monthly budget...

I know you said you keep them forever, but can't beat the $200 or so payment per month.

[Spider Jerusalem]

117. In your budget range? Ford Fiesta.

Decent fuel economy, and you're looking at about $250 a month in payments in you have a trade-in or $1500 down (MSRP is right at 15k with an automatic transmission and a few other things; if you don't mind a manual gearbox that's 1k less).

[Atypical Liberal]

134. I'm considering the Fiesta.

I'm waiting for the dealerships to reply on prices.

[Name removed]

120. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Shagbark Hickory]

124. Why don't you buy a used car? Toyotas and nissan have great reputation for reliability.

I have a mid nineties toyota with over 160k miles and it drives like new. The only time I had to take it in for repairs was when a rubber belt broke. Even then, it didn't leave me stranded. Strangely it drove without it!?

[Atypical Liberal]

136. Warranty

We tend to keep our cars until they are no longer drivable, so I want a warranty under as much of that time as possible. It seems like cars 1-2 years old aren't tremendously cheaper than the bottom-end cars are new, anyway.

[kick-ass-bob]

158. I posted something small about warranties elsewhere...

But I must go into more detail here. Warranties are not worth your money if you buy a new or almost new vehicle. Most are 5 years or so, which is the amount of time that you will have minimal problems with the vehicle. After that point is when parts start to wear/ break down. If you take the money you would spend on a warranty via the loan every month (lets just say $30) then when you have any non oil change/tire issues, you will have the money already to take care of it.

The dealers offer it because it is insurance, but it is a money maker for them, which means it is a money drain to you especially if you finance it as part of the car loan. You end up paying something like $2500 for 5 years of coverage when newer cars don't have significant problems. If you save that money instead, you can pay for the $1500 engine replacement 10 years down the road without even blinking.

[ddeclue]

137. Volkswagen? They are pretty reliable while relatively inexpensive...

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

138. I bought a barebones Hyundai Accent with 'clunkers

I just needed something to run around town at home since I had my Honda Accord shipped to Canada where I am working.

No complaints, although that budget could probably get you into a nicer trim.

Don't let the Detroit noise machine get to you, buying "American" in this realm gets you into a Mexican built Ford Fiesta or a Korean built Aveo (which is just shit).

[txlibdem]

139. If you drive less than 70 miles per day then it would be cheaper to get a Leaf

Seriously. My wife just bought gas for $3.75 for regular, it was $4.05 for premium. I believe that the days of using only the car payments in your decision are over. Sure you gas get a good car for $250 a month but then you will pay another $150 or more for gas each month. It's time to start thinking of total cost of ownership, not just purchase price.

If you drive more than 70 miles per day then a first generation Leaf may not be right for you (unless you live in a mild climate and never use heat or a/c). Since the Leaf is all-electric then using heat takes away the most range and a/c takes away about half as much. If you drive only in the city then the Leaf will give you over 100 miles per day, but on the highway it will be less depending on your lead foot and comfort settings. I just say 70 miles because most people will adjust their driving habits to get the positive feedback that the Leaf will give you for "taking it easy."

It looks like the only Kia or Hundai in your price range is the Kia Rio Sedan (base model, Manual trans only).
Fuel economy: 28 city/34 hwy mpg
$250 per month

Versus owning a Nissan Leaf with full amenities, auto, navigation, etc.
Fuel economy: uses 200 watt hours per mile (5 miles per kWh).
$350 per month lease with $2000 down

So all you have to do is figure how many miles you drive in a month, multiply that by the price of gas to find out how much you'd spend with the Kia.
Then divide the number of miles driven per month by 5, multiply that by the cost per kWh of your electricity at your house.

Using my wife as an example, she drives 40 miles a day, 6 days a week (including errands), so we're looking at 960 miles per month.
Kia cost per month: $128.57 city / $105.88
Leaf cost per month: $22.85

So if you total those figures you will see that driving a bottom of the line Kia costs no less to drive than a very well appointed Nissan Leaf. Of course, you want to use your own numbers for miles driven per month, the price of gas, and the cost of a kWh of electricity.

[Atypical Liberal]

152. I am very interested in the leaf

I like the Leaf. 100 mile range would be fine for me. I'm a little scared to buy a car at "real" car prices that can only go 100 miles though. In other words if it has the range of a golf cart I expect it to be priced more like a golf cart. :) Obviously it is much safer than a golf cart.

But the biggest issues is availability (they are not available here yet) and price ($25K is out of our range).

I drive 150 miles a week. I don't know what the cost of electricity is here in Huntsville.

[txlibdem]

155. Not to buy, I suggested to lease the Leaf

The lease price is $350 a month and it will drive as fast or faster than the Kia in your price range. The Leaf is a very well equipped car and drives very smooth, I'm not sure you'll think the same if you test drive both cars.

But if you're uncomfortable with an electric car that's ok. We've been conditioned for 100 years to think that fossil fuels are the way to go. Freedom to go wherever you want, they say. But at $4 a gallon, are you honestly free to go where you want? For most people, that answer is definitely no.

I am biased, I have to admit. I have a Nissan Leaf on reserve. I've done the math for my situation and the Leaf will save us money. All I can suggest is to go to youtube and search for Leaf videos. You'll see that it has plenty of get-up-and-go (no golf cart), it keeps up on the freeway, and it costs very little to run.

No oil changes. No tuneups. No gas stations. The Leaf costs less in insurance than the Kia, costs less for maintenance and repairs, even costs less to insure it (according to Edmunds). But if it doesn't fit your needs then by all means buy the car that works best for you.

[Atypical Liberal]

153. I like the leaf.

I like the Leaf. 100 mile range would be fine for me. I'm a little scared to buy a car at "real" car prices that can only go 100 miles though. In other words if it has the range of a golf cart I expect it to be priced more like a golf cart. :) Obviously it is much safer than a golf cart.

But the biggest issues is availability (they are not available here yet) and price ($25K is out of our range).

I drive 150 miles a week. I don't know what the cost of electricity is here in Huntsville.

[pintobean]

150. My best recommendation for someone like you

[NeedleCast]

157. Used Jeep Wrangler

Doesn't get good gas milage.
Doesn't have good cargo space.

Doesn't matter because it's super fun to drive.

Because the niche the occupy is small, they also retain their value very well.

[Terry in Austin]

159. Maybe consider a replacement that isn't brand new

Unless you're firm about buying brand new, there's a lot to recommend against it and a lot in favor of buying used.

Mainly, when you buy new, you take a huge depreciation hit the minute you drive it off the lot.

Buying a vehicle that's 3-6 years old can work out to be a much better deal -- quite a few makes hold their value for some time. For trucks, Nissan Frontier comes to mind, or maybe a pre-2005 Toyota Tacoma.

It's certainly more trouble to buy used, takes more research into "good years" for various makes, and there's always the dreaded risk in quality for a used vehicle; also, you're likely to be limited in your choice of color.

However, you can minimize the risk by using a "Lemonbusters" type service to vet your prospective purchases. If you're game for the extra effort and not too picky about color, this can pay off handsomely in the long run.

Good luck!