10 things

[doug]

10 things you shouldn't buy new http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com....aspx?GT1=8473

and i would add Pachislo and Pachinko's to the list

[slotter]

Good list, and I agree.

[luckydog]

Lets see?????

New pachinko $2,000.00

Slightly used 2 year old pachinko $66.00

Do the math

[Sid]

I agree with some dont agree with others...

I dont buy the car one... id rather spend the extra money and know i have it new then saving a small amount to buy a second hand model even just a few years old...

New is New.... used with a High price item is a crap shoot...


Snake eyes you lose...

[luckydog]

My son wanted to buy a useed Honda Civic 2 years old with 24,000 miles, I told him that he didn't klnow how it was driven and he would need tires and battery soon and a new car for him would be better.

He bought a new one for about $3,000.00 more than the used one

[slothappy144]

My son wanted to buy a useed Honda Civic 2 years old with 24,000 miles, I told him that he didn't klnow how it was driven and he would need tires and battery soon and a new car for him would be better.

He bought a new one for about $3,000.00 more than the used one

Not bad, but he could have bought many tires and batteris and a few Pachi with the 3 large.

[Sid]

yes but for 3 grand he could have been stuck with a clunker, that was totally ratbagged.. Then he'd be kicking himself in the butt for not spending the extra 3 grand..

and a question to ponder... How many people will trade in a perfectly good 2 year old car? I know i wouldnt it.. think about it.. youve had a car for 2 years its not done you wrong your happy with it, its not needing constant repairs etc and you decide to sell it?.. doesnt make much sense...

but if youve driven the heck out of it, its caused you nothing but problems etc etc. then your gonna wanna get rid of it after 2 years...

there are times when saving yourself money makes sense and other times when putting the hand a little deeper into the pocket is the right thing to do..

sure there are exceptions to the rule, but how many grannies/doctors are really out there that only drove the car to church and to the supermarket and the rest of the time had it stored in a warm garage...

[slothappy144]

Your point is well taken and rings of the truth. It would cost more than $3000 to replace cluth + tranny or motor if it was abused. Personally I would have been able to tell if it was in that bad shape. My (wifes) latest vehicle was purchased off the showroom floor.
3 grand is not hardly the depreciation that I had the minute that we drove it off the showroom floor. but the Wife did not want a used vehicle.

I work with a guy who is selling his perfectly good 2 year old Honda Civic, to get a Hybrid. This guy is nuts but he is selling it to his dad. So it does happen in rare cases.

[luckydog]

My older son is a teacher and not good at all with any kind of repairs, he wouldn't know the difference between a good running car and bad one.

so it was the best choice in his case, plus it was his first new car

I talked him thru replacing a flush assemby on a toilet over the phone.
a 5 min. job for me, almost an hour for him

[slothappy144]

This was the reasoning for the wife she travels for work and needed a reliable vehicle to drive that I did not need to work on. She is unable to fix anything either.
I on the other hand refuse to get stranded and drove from Ohio, to my home using a coat hanger for a gas pedal, yank and go. Once up to speed I used the cruise control.
This sounds hillbilly but I needed to get home.

[Angry_Radish]

I'm about to be buying a newer car finally (for reasons you may have read about in another thread), and have been running into the same dilemma.
On one hand, I can get a brand new car, and the factory warranty and peace of mind that goes with it. On the other hand though, I know you lose so much value just driving off the lot, and there are some nice used cars out there.
I'm thinking of looking for a lease return, or maybe a used car with a factory warranty remaining, any thoughts?
I figure since I'm looking for an econobox in the 10-13k range, it would hopefully rule out the "kiddy" sport cars that get beaten up so much.

[Sid]

This was the reasoning for the wife she travels for work and needed a reliable vehicle to drive that I did not need to work on. She is unable to fix anything either.
I on the other hand refuse to get stranded and drove from Ohio, to my home using a coat hanger for a gas pedal, yank and go. Once up to speed I used the cruise control.
This sounds hillbilly but I needed to get home.

Fuel cable once snapped on my VW bug, at the gas peddle, managed to attach the fuel cable back to the peddle using a visegrip...it was fun driving with the new visegrip peddle.

[logicprobe]

I've had good luck buying used cars that come off fleet, rental, or leases. There's a dealer near here that specializes in cars like that, and sells around 1000 per month between their 3 lots.

OF COURSE, I always drove them first and gave them some basic testing and close listening. I've rejected quite a few before I found the ones that felt and sounded right. You can't do that with a new car.

And I'll always look for one that has maintenance records available, if possible. Fleets and rentals often take care of their cars BETTER than "normal" people.

And I always make sure that it has at LEAST one year of factory warranty remaining. The manufacturer will then offer YOU an extension when that is ending.

The last fleet car that I bought (Olds Alero for the wife) was one year old, two years of warranty left, and 10,000 miles on it. I bought it for around $6000 less than the original dealer invoice amount.

So, I just figured someone paid me 60 cents per mile to use my car.
No problem... as long as they properly maintained it.

[Angry_Radish]

Fuel cable once snapped on my VW bug, at the gas peddle, managed to attach the fuel cable back to the peddle using a visegrip...it was fun driving with the new visegrip peddle.

I had the same thing happen to me when I had my beetle (a '59!) Pain the butt routing the throttle cable through that tube!

On the subject of vice-grips though, I had an old pickup that decided to blow a brake line on the front right when I was driving to work.
I ended up vice-gripping the line, and duct taped the vicegrips to the inner wheelwell. Pulled to the left something fierce when braking, but hey, it got me home! :-)

I should get extra points or something for that, not only rigging it with vice-grips, but using duct tape all in the same "repair"

[slotter]

I should get extra points or something for that, not only rigging it with vice-grips, but using duct tape all in the same "repair"

If only you'd used some WD-40 in this fix, then you'd be eligible for extra points.

[luckydog]

The last car I bought was 2 years old and 23,000 miles, still had some factory warrentee left and a lot cheaper than new, I took it for 2 differnet test drives before buying it.

i put 30,000 miles in the last 5 years on it and only replaced battery, tires and thermostat

6,000 miles a year is average for a retired guy

[slothappy144]

Fuel cable once snapped on my VW bug, at the gas peddle, managed to attach the fuel cable back to the peddle using a visegrip...it was fun driving with the new visegrip peddle.

Man after my own heart! I had an uncle who could drive across coutry in a 20 year old beater as long as he had duct tape, vice grips, and a roll or bailing wire. oh and a hammer and some wd-40.

LD, I put about 30k (on my trucks) a year running between job sites, and vacationing. I have 2 trucks, 1 dump truck, goldwing, and my baby 1966 Olds 98 convertable. my old Pathfinder I had over 300k and it still had great air conditioning.

[dattia]

I guess I'm going to get hit over the head for this, but my car is leased. I know it is not very economical, but I never go over the mileage and I get a new car every two years. It works for me, I have never had a car in for anything other than inspection in the last ten years and my husband doesn't worry when I am on the road with the kids.

[slothappy144]

Hey someone has to lease a car otherwise Logicprobe would have to buy new!

[doug]

If you don't go over the mileage it is not always a bad deal me i put 50,000 a year, i get them 2 to 3 years old and drive them till the weal's fall off