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I have to go buy a new used car Saturday., got it!
robsguns
Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
I drove my wife's car today, we went to Rolla, and its not shifting right from a dead stop. We have to use, or were going to use, this car as our primary means of child transportation and wife transportation to North Carolina in 3 weeks. Its an 89 Ford Tempo, with 162,000 miles on it, and I dont see the point in fixing a thing on it, even though its got no bad points, its just getting old. So I have been thinking about going into Marshfield Saturday and picking up a 2001 Ford Taurus, they have 2 of them with less than 27,000 miles on them, with pretty much everything I need on them, air conditioning is all I really need these days. The price on both of them is 11,970, kicking myself for missing a better deal a month ago. Does anyone have any horror stories about the Taurus in the 2001 models, think this is a good price? No I havent checked the blue book value, but I think its pretty close to what it should be, besides, a 2002 goes for 20,000. I really need some encouragement here, or something. I've been driving the same car, the Maverick, for 16 years, and I just dont like the idea of getting ripped off buying a piece of expensive crap. I have to bring a crowbar to get my wallet out when it comes to buying cars, if you know what I mean. Help me out here if you can.
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
Edited by - robsguns on 08/10/2002 21:48:30
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
Edited by - robsguns on 08/10/2002 21:48:30
Comments
Rule #3, never buy a car you dont need when you still need that truck you've been wanting.
Rule #4, never buy a new car, buy used and get an extended warranty, saves a lot of money.
If I keep this up I'll talk myself out of buyin' the car.....
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
Will270win@nraonline.com
AlleninAlaska
Free men are not equal and equal men are not free
Woods
When I buy a new one, I drive it until it's dead. With the new ones (2003's) costing about 4% more it made sense to me to buy a 2002.
Besides that, I don't like buying someone else's troubles in a used car --- extended warranties don't cover everything and they're just too expensive.
Reminds me of a story I once heard about rental cars. A friend that's a TV producer was making commercials years ago, and Hertz was his best account. They were using the slogan "Hertz Puts You In The Driver's Seat", and used a boom to place the driver in a convertible.
Well, this time Hertz sent a hardtop to film in the commercial, and no one knew what to do --- the crew, actor, grips and everyone was in Arizona ready to film. A grip said he could fix it, got a torch and cut the top off the car. They touched it up with spray paint, shot the commercial, then the grip welded the top back on, and painted it with spray paint. They then turned the car back into Hertz!
The moral of the story is: you never know what's happened to a rental or program car!
Jim
"De Oppresso Liber"
Edited by - Jungle Jim on 08/10/2002 00:31:36
I'm cheap, cheap, cheap. Explorers arent.
Jim,
Thanks, now I'm really full of confidence. I'll be sure to look for any funny looking lines on the roof of the cars I look at.
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
Remember...It's better to be judged by 12, than be carried by 6!!
SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
MMMMMM GET a 2.5ton army surplus Half-track
It will match your personality perfectly......
JD
400 million cows can't be wrong ( EAT GRASS !!! )
must have wife, at least 2 kids under 8yrs & the dog with you.
dont let anybody in the family bath for a couple days or shave
the night before every body drinks beer, eats boiled eggs & beans for supper, eat hardy. make sure the dog gets a good roll in the week old garbage.
saturday morning bright & early
stop by store get kids ice cream and choc. candy
drive up in a pickup
send the kids with the ice cream to meet the nice salesman.
introduce yourself & the little woman, as you both pass gas
pull the dog off the salesmans leg, give kids the dog leash
tell the salesman you still owe $4000 on that 77 pickup your driving.
select the car you want, offer $10,000 below sticker
and you want $6000 for your 77 pickup with 300,000 miles on it
huh he wont deal - call in the kids & dog for reinforcement, keep passing gas!
the salesman & the sales mgr. at his point will do anything to get rid of you.
make your best deal, with no trade, on a finance deal, then pay cash!
you can most always sell you old car to a private party for more than double what the dealer will give you.
if you worked it right, you bought the car for $125 over factory invoice (dealer cost), and you took away their profit by paying cash.
god i love buying cars!, the game, the excitement, play with their minds, beat em up!
walte
edmunds.com
i have been around the car business for 25+ years, mostly as a mechanic or manger
basic transportation:
the best value on the market is the domestic saturn coupe under $13k new.
imports, the kia, 10yr/100,000 mile warranty, $7500, put a 100,000 miles on it then trash it.
most everybody is doing the zero intrest deals
semper fi, do or die
walte
You've got some good answers here already (I especially like IAMACLONE_2's negotiating tactics).
Somewhat more specific to your question (hope I'm not too late): I have a '99 Taurus SE; bought it earlier this year; 42,000 mi.; $7500 (private party sale).
It's a basic transportation car--nothing I get excited about. I had an "odd" problem; the starter just burned itself out; it was easy to get to--it's right upfront, but the replacement (rebuilt) was $200! (Not many parts in the "system" yet; in another 6 or 7 years the starter will probably be $70.)
I also was getting a "ghost wipe" of the windshield blades--they just come on for no reason. The dealer said the problem was in the "multi-switch", controling the blades, turn signals, etc. The switch is about $90 and it looks like it will be "a pain" to get to (dealer labor would have been about $200!), so I just wired a "master switch" for the wipers, I flick that first to turn on the wipers.
There are other "design flaws"--you open the trunk after a rain and water drips/runs from the trunk lid into the trunk; don't park under any trees when the leaves are falling, the leaves pack themselves down around the windshield, doors and trunk lid--the "aerodynmic design" really directs them into all the "seams"; the seating is poor if you're tall; you sit really low in the car (my neighbor asked me--he had considered getting a Taurus--"How do you like driving with your butt dragging on the ground?").
Overall it's not bad; I've only put about 8000 miles on it so far--just basic transportation.
On the Tempo, have you tried the full trans. fluid system "flush" yet? I'm no trans. expert, but have heard that all new fluid can solve some problems.
"Just my opinion."
I'm quite happy with the purchase. Paid 11,988 and got a 6.5% rate, good enough for me, as I'll be paying it off quite early anyway. I've decided I'm quite happy with the car. Its got everything I havent had before in a car that I desired, and doesnt have a lot of things my other cars had, that I wished I didnt have. The car has power, is quite noise free, rides very nice, great body support in its seats, plenty of leg room for me, and I'm 72" tall. It has power seats, power pedals(didnt need that), power mirrors, plenty of trunk space(cavernous), cup holders everywhere, enough safety restraints for 6 passengers, nice 16" tires that are brand new by the way, center mounted gas tank, dual vanity mirrors, a/c, all the normal amenities and I purchased a 36,000 mile 3year extended warranty covering anything that can cost a bunch of money. It doesnt have a scratch on it, ding, or anything. It has great cruising abilities, cruise control is so cool after going 16 years without it. I figure after the wife wears it out some it'll be a great hunting car, just gotta figure out how to put a lift kit on it and a fording stack, he, he, he!
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
Boomer
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
"It was like that when I got here".
Right now is a great time to buy used. I did a little research before buying mine. I noticed that it seemed most of the vehicles in the 2001 year were losing value very fast, not sure as to the reasons for this, but it wasnt limited to a particular model. Anyone who has bought a car new is screwed if they get rid of it. I've always said never buy new, and I stand by that, especially after buying this car. Can you imagine buying a vehicle for 20,000.00 and the very next year its only worth 12,000.00??? Go buy a one year old 4x4 and consider yourself smarter for buying it used, I will when I get my 4x4 in North Carolina.
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC