Looking for a "new" used car

L

LightngSVT

New member
So seems my wife will be getting a promotion, the new decision she'll be managing will require about a 100 mile daily round trip commute. Her current car is a '10 Mountaineer lease, between the mileage and the miles it wont work. She's not getting my 330i unless I get an M3 (now THERE'S an idea!!!! :yo:). So time to look for a small, efficient car but I want something half way decent and at least a little bit fun to drive. Id really like to see something that can get 35MPG or more on the highway with a manual trans.



She really wants a Fiat 500 (Fiat is the parent company to her employer) and to be honest I like them too. But Im on the fence about spending $17-20K (before emp discount) and a car that will see a ton of miles. I like the Fiesta too, very nice car but underpowered, but its going to be in the same price range with a few options. Ideally something is the $5000 range would be perfect, what would be some good options in that $4000 - 7500 price range?
 
LightngSVT- That'd be a big change, from a Mountaineer to a Fiat 500 :eek: Those little things seem kinda cool (I'd want the Abarth version that's soon to come), and yeah, even the new Fiesta seems like a neat little ride (gee, see how I keep saying "little"), but I can't quite shake the "flimsy tin can" thought :think:
 
Well with your budget, you won't be able to get much of a "new" used car. You can get a used car with 80K+ on the odometer. I know there are some Dodge Calipers floating around for $6,000-$8,000 and get upwards of 30MPG. An older Chevy Cavalier? ford Focus? I mean the market is saturated with cheap used cars right now and due to the 100 mile round trip daily, some might not be the right pick.



The new Chevy Cruz is a slick, cheap and fuel efficient vehicle. If you want reliable and affordable transportation, you might end up paying more out of pocket.



I'm not one to recommend foreign vehicles, as I stick with what my country produced for a decade: Domestic! But there are those CHEAP foreign jobs that get good gas mileage out there. That might be a good option.



Whichever you choose, good luck!
 
bigltc said:
fiat 500 with a high mileage lease = happy wife
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I agree!



The new little Fiat is actually quite nice and fun to drive. I rented one in Europe and loved it.
 
VW's with the TDI should get in that range no problem but they are hard to find and the resale is pretty high. The VW 2.0TFSI can get in the lower 30's if you keep the speed reasonable.
 
Ive got a Dodge Caliber(bought new though) and its been a great car.I have a 5-speed though, and if your looking to go automatic, the only automatic on the caliber is a CVT. The brand that dodge uses blows, and ive seen numerous people on forums having to have their transmissions replaced(JATCO recommends replacement v.s. fixing their transmissions)



That being said, buying a new car for me was worth the amount of money i lost on it initially. I got a brand new car that no one else beat on, a warranty(lifetime powertrain too).



If you consider that you are going to pay a higher interest rate on a used car vs. new, it might be worth your time to look at some cheap new cars. You might just wind up paying the same, or more for used v.s. buying new.



I bought my caliber, base model(with a/c, and upgraded suspension and actual rims(and not steelies) for 16k out the door. I also added gap insurance(which is a must on a brand new car) and my payments wound up coming to 285 a month.



So, for under 300 bucks a month, i drove away from the dealer driving a brand new car. Now, true i didnt get all the options i wanted, but i wanted a new car, and being the second year of production, buying a year old car just didnt make sense to me. All depends on what you're looking for though.



If you are really insistent on buying used, i would say stick with something at least two years or older. Most of the time, cars loose the majority of their value within the first two years or so, but the "retail" price wont change that much. Better to get something that has already depreciated if you are going to go the used route.
 
As a used car salesman, I could offer advice here but 99% of what I'd say would be pointless. Why?



So seems my wife will be getting a promotion, the new decision she'll be managing will require about a 100 mile daily round trip commute. Her current car is a '10 Mountaineer lease, between the mileage and the miles it wont work. She's not getting my 330i unless I get an M3 (now THERE'S an idea!!!! ). So time to look for a small, efficient car but I want something half way decent and at least a little bit fun to drive. Id really like to see something that can get 35MPG or more on the highway with a manual trans.



She really wants a Fiat 500 (Fiat is the parent company to her employer) and to be honest I like them too. But Im on the fence about spending $17-20K (before emp discount) and a car that will see a ton of miles. I like the Fiesta too, very nice car but underpowered, but its going to be in the same price range with a few options. Ideally something is the $5000 range would be perfect, what would be some good options in that $4000 - 7500 price range?
Click to expand...



Two glaring things jump out at me here - - - - what your wife likes and what you like. If she's got the money and the commute, get her whatever she wants. Why not let her have what she likes?



I seriously doubt she will want to go from a $30,000+ luxo SUV to a $5000 clunker...... and drive it 100 miles a day! If you aggressively pursuing this option, how does this impact your marital bliss?



Anyway... just my unmarried guy's POV. Good luck on whatever you decide. Post a couple of pics when you get the new ride all detailed up.
 
bretfraz said:
As a used car salesman..
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Hey, I didn't know that! Reading your advice that followed, you're one of the GOOD used car salesmen! That bit about what the wife really likes/wants/needs was great :xyxthumbs I like to imagine you gently steering couples in the right direction, but I bet that's not always easy with some guys being, well, the way they are.



Anyway... just my unmarried guy's POV...
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Heh heh, plenty of married guys could learn something from that POV.
 
bretfraz said:
As a used car salesman, I could offer advice here but 99% of what I'd say would be pointless. Why?







Two glaring things jump out at me here - - - - what your wife likes and what you like. If she's got the money and the commute, get her whatever she wants. Why not let her have what she likes?



I seriously doubt she will want to go from a $30,000+ luxo SUV to a $5000 clunker...... and drive it 100 miles a day! If you aggressively pursuing this option, how does this impact your marital bliss?



Anyway... just my unmarried guy's POV. Good luck on whatever you decide. Post a couple of pics when you get the new ride all detailed up.
Click to expand...



Wow, that is wise advice!
 
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