I need your opinions on a car.....LONG...

S

swhtech

New member
I may be forced to sell my TL in the very near future. The reason is that my wife is no longer working, because she is caring for our 3 month old twins. So, we are down to a single salary. Also, we are quickly running out of space in our condo, and we are looking to buy a house. We currently have a loan on the TL, and a lease on the MDX. The TL is $400/month on a 60 month loan, that has 2 years paid off....owe about $13,500. The MDX is $550/month, and we have no options to get out of that lease. The TL is a 2000 with Nav, rear spoiler with about 50K miles. I would like to get my car payment down to $200/month. I figure the TL is worth between 18.5K - 19.5K, private sale. That nets me about 5K - 6K for a down payment. To get the $200/month payment, I would finance between 10K - 11K....so I could look at something between 15K - 18K for a car. So, here are my requirements. I drive between 50-60 miles per day, mostly highway. I need a comfortable seat (bad back), V6, reliable, auto, Power window, locks, etc, 2 or 4 door, handles fairly well, and is quick (doesn't need to be FAST), and is COOL (not a hyundai or Kia). Would like the possibility of adding some aftermarket parts, but not a big deal. I usually buy used, so I am not against that. What are your recommendations for a car in that price range...new or used....Thanks guys and gals!!
 
Most bang for the buck on the market right now. You can get a fully loaded 2.5 S or SE for about 18k. Used 2002's and 01's will get you at about $13-$14k. Great car, good price, nice looking. If you can buy from a Nissan 1st Dealerhsip. You wont be disappointed.
 
I don't think you are going to like these cars all that much. As your situation improves you'll want to get a TL again (or something like it). Besides, you'll want to put together a better package for your loan application:



1) Sell the TL, make your $5K cash

2) Have a beer and lament the TL and what a great deal that guy just got from you

3) Buy the best used Accord you can get for $5K

4) Go to the bank and apply for the mortgage

5) You just approved for a bigger loan, or a better rate, or both--you did well! :up

6) Drive the beater for a year

7) Trade in the beater for the nice new car of your choice

8) A year has passed; you now have a beautiful house and brand new car; life is good!



It's all about strategy!!! My 2 cents...
 
Take a look at the Mazda Protege5. I bought mine in Aug. and love it.



Only comes in a 4-banger. It is semi-quick, though.



Other than that, looks cool, handles very well(Has Miata Suspension set-up)



4-door hatch-back holds lots of stuff(I have a 15-month old)-you will need space with twins! (Congrats, BTW)



Brand-new 2002, full of options, inc. sun roof, criuse con., cd, pwr windows/locks, I paid 17,200 out the door, 0% interest for 4 yrs.



Red ones shine up real nice, too.;)



Look in the members gallery for pictures if you want...http://www.autopia.org/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=3767&cat=500&thumb=1



DomZ
 
If you can give me all the details on the TL I'll ask some car wholesaling friends what its worth at auction.



I need:



Color in and out

options

overall condition

any accidents or major repairs

location of car



LMK if you're interested in this kind of info.
 
I would get a 1998-2001 Accord V6, LX or EX. If you get the EX, you'll be right at home minus a few ameneties. Think of it as 90% TL/CL for a lower price.
 
I would consider a slightly used VW Jetta, Volvo S40, or a new Hyundai Elantra. They're reliable, fairly quick, and well equipped. All three (particularily the Volvo and Hyundai) have some of the best front seats I've ever sat on.



Figure about $12K for the Jetta and the Elantra, and $16K for the S40.
 
I agree wit bw. Hyundai or Kia would be great. There cheap, fuel efficent, and realible. One place you might wana check when shoping for a used car is enterprise. They sell there old rentals out at a fair price.
 
Two vehicles. Honda Accord which is more or less a less luxurious TL or a Nissan Altima (cheap looking dash though). I had these two in consideration as a car for the parents. Finally went with the Accord EX V6 as the interior was much better. You can't go wrong with either and the price is right also!
 
Get the Maxima. The Altima is a nice car, but has wicked torque steer and a cheap looking interior. With the popularity of the Altima, you can likely pick up a Maxima of the same year with similar mileage for about the same price, possibly even less.



I can't recommend the V6 Accord because their transmissions are notorious for failure. In fact, Honda had to extend the warranty on them (including TLs and CLs) to 100,000 miles. Once you get past 100k miles, you are looking at $2500-3000 for a rebuild if it goes out. As much as I like my Accord (an older 4 cylinder model), no way would I purchase a 98-02 V6 model.
 
Scottwax said:
Get the Maxima. The Altima is a nice car, but has wicked torque steer and a cheap looking interior. With the popularity of the Altima, you can likely pick up a Maxima of the same year with similar mileage for about the same price, possibly even less.



I can't recommend the V6 Accord because their transmissions are notorious for failure. In fact, Honda had to extend the warranty on them (including TLs and CLs) to 100,000 miles. Once you get past 100k miles, you are looking at $2500-3000 for a rebuild if it goes out. As much as I like my Accord (an older 4 cylinder model), no way would I purchase a 98-02 V6 model.
Click to expand...



The Maxima would be my personal choice (I had a black 1995 Maxima SE until it got totalled last year) as it is excellent in performance and interior appointments for the price but I believe it is beyond the price range being looked at. Unless of course, a decent used one of say year 1999-2001 or so were to be available.
 
It seems like a big effort and loss to save $200/mo. I like BoxsterCharlie's idea. You'll want to get down to one car payment (or none) at the time of getting that new mortgage. Buying a cheap ($5k or less) vehicle is a good idea. They don't depreciate much. A $5k car may only be worth $4500 a year later with 20k more miles. A year after the new house when you get another raise, then you can consider selling the old car and getting a new one if it is in the budget.
 
From a financial standpoint, I like the idea of selling the TL, and taking the proceeds and buying a car outright (no loan). This frees up $400/month, which would be a huge help. I quickly looked at cars.com, and I see a few 2000 Hyundai Elantra's for about 6K with 45-50K miles. I would try and buy the newest car I could get, with the lowest miles. I just need to swallow my pride and be okay with driving a Hyundai, and not a TL. But, I am young, and I know I have the rest of my life to drive a nice car.

I guess I will talk with my wife and see what she thinks. And I still have the MDX to drive on the weekends, if the wife will let me!! Thanks for your opinions, and any recommendations on cars for about 5-6K would be helpful!



Thanks everyone!!
 
A friend of mine was looking for a good car in the same price range. His commute is about 70 miles round trip and mostly highway. He wanted a bigger car that was comfortable, despite prefering sporty cars with good handling. He ended up looking for cars with the GM 3.8L Series II engine. Bonneville, 97+ Grand Prix, Buicks, Olds 88, etc. He found a 95 Bonneville with 50k miles in Texas (lives in Michigan) for $4500 I think. Great car! Looks in good shape and low miles. 30mpg highway mileage because of the torque and tall gearing. He could drive it for a couple years, 40k miles and still get $3000 for it at least.



If you like the imports, I'd look for an Accord/Camry. Obviously the about the same size. You have the right idea, newest/lowest miles you can find for the budget. And you are right, you'll have the wife's nice MDX for any time you two go places together so you don't always give up the nice luxury.



FWIW, check out www.bankrate.com with a lot of nice calculators to figure out how much lenders are willing to give you. Maybe you don't have to sell the TL. That site also has a lot of great financial advice.



I think you are making the right choice. In a year or two, when you're fully accustomed to the new house/payment, I'm sure you'll be able to get the car you want again.



Aaron
 
Just a thought,although the main reason is the types that I drive and sell,Toyota Camry S.E. for the 4 door,semi sporty,and extremely reliable.If you want to stay with a coupe,research the Solara too.Very good on both in Consumers Reports,and with the twins you will still have room,and most importantly in this case safety.
 
I agree with Boxter_Charlie, too. $5000 should get you a very reliable used car.



If you are on a $5000 budget, a domestic is a really good bet. $5000 should get you a domestic in good condition with fairly low miles. It'll be more reliable than a Kia or a Hyundai, and if it does break, it'll be cheaper to fix. A $5000 Camry or Accord, while reliable, will set you back a lot more if you need to repair it. I would recommend a Buick Century or Regal (surprisingly nice cars), a Chevrolet Impala if you can find one, or a Malibu. Another SUV is also an option; Jeep Cherokees (but not Grand Cherokees) and Ford Explorers are also good; I'd stay away from the Blazer.
 
When I was looking at the '02 Maxima, I looked at the Altima as an alternate. However, when it came right down to price, I wound up sticking with the Max because the costs between the two were similar and, as Scott Said, the interior of the Maxima looked much better.



You might be able to find a decent deal on some '02 SEs. However, if you are looking at an '01, stay away from the Anniversary Edition because some places are commanding a higher premium for those (You'd be better off getting an '02) since they are quite rare.



If you get an '02, make sure that the Transverse Link Recall was done on the vehicle. Also, make sure that the Accelerator Stopper Recall was done on the vehicle as well. Also, you might want to consider getting some security bolts to protect your HIDs.



If you have any questions, PM me.
 
The Volvo S40 new, goes for about 25k, you should be able to find a used 2001 or 2000 model for under 17k. I would expect a 2000 S40 w/ all options (FWD, leather, turbo I-4, sunroof, premium sound, 15 inch alloys, and maybe even some wood trim) and around 40k miles for about 15.5k.



Volvo has some DAMN good financing plans too. I reccomend having a look at your local dealer.



If you want to upgrade from the TL, but go a little bit older... for around 14k you can get a 96-97 850R



2003 Volvo S40 for 22k (Click)



That is a VERY good deal on an '03 S40, its brand new, also this dealer is about 5 miles from my house, it has been my family's Volvo dealer since '93. They have never let us down. I would be

glad to go take a look at a car for you if you were interested.



Isnt it amazing what you can get for under $20k now?



Let us know what you decide, and good luck!
 
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