When buying a new/used vehicle ...

budman3

budman3

Detail time!
... what do you look for?

Reliability?
Resale value?
Cost?
APR %?
Overall cost of ownership (maintenance, insurance, etc)?
Pure looks (design, color, etc)?
Functionality?
Status factors?
Price?
Aftermarket part availability?
Performance?
MPG?
Warranty?
Past model data/history -- Recalls, TSBs?
Country of origin?
Specific manufacturers?

I'm sure the list can go on, by all means, feel free to add to it! I just wanted to see what other people base their buying decisions off of. I've been looking around for something but nothing has really sparked my interest 100%. Every vehicle I've looked at has its pros and cons. I know what I have been basing my opinions off of, so now I want to see how other people decide. :cool: Thanks.

:dcrules
 
Listed in order of consideration with all of them being a factor.

1. Pure looks (design, color, etc)?
If I don't like the looks of it, I'm not going to buy it.

2. Reliability?
2a. Past model data/history -- Recalls, TSBs?
A vehicle is of no value to me if I can't drive it.

3. Performance?
3a. Functionality?
A vehicle has to drive and handle decently and do what it was designed to do.

4. Overall cost of ownership (maintenance, insurance, etc)?
Having to constantly dump money into a vehicle makes me feel like the manufacturer has taken advantage of me and is laughing all the way to the bank.

5. Resale value?
Not a major consideration, but still a factor. If the vehicle meets the other criteria, the resale value will probably take care of itself.
 
CharlesW said:
Listed in order of consideration with all of them being a factor.

1. Pure looks (design, color, etc)?
If I don't like the looks of it, I'm not going to buy it.

2. Reliability?
2a. Past model data/history -- Recalls, TSBs?
A vehicle is of no value to me if I can't drive it.

3. Performance?
3a. Functionality?
A vehicle has to drive and handle decently and do what it was designed to do.

4. Overall cost of ownership (maintenance, insurance, etc)?
Having to constantly dump money into a vehicle makes me feel like the manufacturer has taken advantage of me and is laughing all the way to the bank.

5. Resale value?
Not a major consideration, but still a factor. If the vehicle meets the other criteria, the resale value will probably take care of itself.
Click to expand...

Well, CharlesW beat me to it, but I would change up the order.

#1 Most important fact - What is the intended purpose of the vehicle. If I mean to pull a trailer, haul "dirty" cargo (like landscape/building materials), large cargo etc.; or I need to ferry a large number of passengers; then the best looking, most reliable, best performing, cheapest to operate small sedan/coupe with the best re-sale value is worthless.

After that I could go along with Charles' list, though re-sale value is so low down on the list that is is really a non-factor. I drive my vehicles for 7+ years and >100k miles. At that point in their lives there are very small differences in re-sale value.
 
I guess the most important factor to me would be reliability. Is the vehicle in great working order, has it been rode hard and put up wet, has the maintenance been performed at regular intervals, etc. If it's not going to last and be dependable, I think all the other options are moot. Just my $0.02.
 
Look for a car with a factory warranty that hasn't expired or if buying a used car from a new car dealer see if they include an extended warranty.Also if you buy from a new car dealer the car will be in better condtion then private sale.They have too disclose a major accident.What car were you looking at
 
I guess another one would be whether or not it had a clean Carfax report or not for used vehicles.

I still haven't narrowed down my options yet, still open minded to find 'the right car'. I really liked the '09 Fusions on paper but after driving it I wasn't too satisfied with its headroom and was kind of sluggish (AWD version).

I was looking at AWD cars due to long commutes in the winter but still have decent gas mileage in the summers. Other ones I've looked at are used, <60,000 miles, BMW X3, 330XI, Audi A4 etc. but I can't say I'm a big fan of the maintenance costs associated with these Euro vehicles. I don't need AWD, a FWD car with decent snow tires would do the trick but I think AWD would be a good thing to have. I'm tall so I'd like to have plenty of room driving which opens up the option of a SUV (GMC Envoy). I think my biggest problem is that I'm too open minded / don't need anything specific and am very picky when it comes to looks and colors of vehicles.

Thanks for the responses so far!
 
... what do you look for?

Reliability? -- Yup.
Resale value? -- Not Really.
APR %? -- No, I go thru my own bank
Overall cost of ownership (maintenance, insurance, etc)? -- Sometimes
Pure looks (design, color, etc)? -- smooth body lines and Silver or Black
Functionality? -- gotta be small with good interior room/features
Status factors? -- possibly
Price? -- under $20k
Aftermarket part availability? -- OHH YESS!
Performance? -- Needs to handle well, if not thats what the aftermarket is for.
MPG? 25mpg combined or better
Warranty? -- not really
Past model data/history -- Recalls, TSBs? depends on the severity of them.
Country of origin? Japan Basesd
Specific manufacturers? Toyota preferred, or Mitsu.
 
Here's the grandfatherly advice. :)
Don't buy something you have to talk yourself into!
When you find the vehicle you want, you will know it.
A year later, it might no longer be the vehicle you want, but at least you tried it.
If you aren't happy with it to start with, it won't usually grow on you.

I have made bad decisions and bought what I thought I wanted and then got rid of it, but I never really regretted giving it a try. One was only around for 6 weeks, another for 60 days.
 
CharlesW said:
Here's the grandfatherly advice. :)
Don't buy something you have to talk yourself into!
When you find the vehicle you want, you will know it.
A year later, it might no longer be the vehicle you want, but at least you tried it.
If you aren't happy with it to start with, it won't usually grow on you.
Click to expand...

He is so very "RIGHT" in this statement. I hate my nice knew car. IT is nice looking, fast, economical, and fun to drive. Yet... I hate that same car a year later. It is not a truck. My search is on....again!@#$:mad::wall:yay:yay:yay%
 
cwcad said:
He is so very "RIGHT" in this statement. I hate my nice knew car. IT is nice looking, fast, economical, and fun to drive. Yet... I hate that same car a year later. It is not a truck. My search is on....again!@#$:mad::wall:yay:yay:yay%
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that CW. I intentionally left out what vehicle I was looking at because it's a decision that has to make me happy, not everyone else.

Charles, once again thank you for your thoughts and advice :bigups.
 
cwcad said:
He is so very "RIGHT" in this statement. I hate my nice knew car. IT is nice looking, fast, economical, and fun to drive. Yet... I hate that same car a year later. It is not a truck. My search is on....again!@#$:mad::wall:yay:yay:yay%
Click to expand...

You're correct. I've been missing my truck too. I'm also on the lookout for a nice one. As I'm sure you are finding, there are few bargains, new or used, for pickups in Texas. :(
 
cwcad said:
He is so very "RIGHT" in this statement. I hate my nice knew car. IT is nice looking, fast, economical, and fun to drive. Yet... I hate that same car a year later. It is not a truck. My search is on....again!@#$:mad::wall:yay:yay:yay%
Click to expand...

I feel your pain :( I'm not so in love with my new truck either :notme:

budman3 said:
Sorry to hear that CW. I intentionally left out what vehicle I was looking at because it's a decision that has to make me happy, not everyone else.

Charles, once again thank you for your thoughts and advice :bigups.
Click to expand...

hey man I got a Hoe looking for a new home. She was dependable and always did her job well. She's a bit worn but has years of service left in her. :D

Mr. Clean said:
You're correct. I've been missing my truck too. I'm also on the lookout for a nice one. As I'm sure you are finding, there are few bargains, new or used, for pickups in Texas. :(
Click to expand...

I'm not in Texas but there seems to be a few trucks available :bigups
 
Poorboy said:
...I'm not in Texas but there seems to be a few trucks available :bigups
Click to expand...
Don't get me wrong. There are trucks galore in Texas, just few bargains. And I say that considering the state of the automakers world. Used trucks have always maintained high values here. You would be surprised at what some people will describe as "great (or excellent) condition". :crazy:
 
At the weekly used vehicle dealer auction here you find a lot of trucks.
Six months ago when gas was $4 a gallon, they couldn't get anything for them.
Trucks that had a wholesale book value of $15,000 wouldn't bring $10,000.

Now that gas is back down to the $2 range, the price has gone back to where it was before and higher.
You won't find any bargains in Iowa either.
 
Mr. Clean said:
You're correct. I've been missing my truck too. I'm also on the lookout for a nice one. As I'm sure you are finding, there are few bargains, new or used, for pickups in Texas. :(
Click to expand...

I have been scanning the area from Waco to San Antonio. Plenty of trucks but not the one that I want. I have this feeling that a 2003 Chevy truck will eventually be back sitting in front of my house.

It seems that I have more money than brains. At the time of the purchase of the great LITTLE car it seemed like a good idea. Because I hate it so much I think I have made my brain think that I hated it before I even purchased it. Funny how one fools themselves into doing things. Of course if I had more
brains than money(my actions show how really brain challenged I am. Not how much money I have) I would have kept the truck that I loved. money or brains be damned!

Even my wife made mention of how depressed I have been since saying good bye to my Black Truck.
 
CharlesW said:
At the weekly used vehicle dealer auction here you find a lot of trucks.
Six months ago when gas was $4 a gallon, they couldn't get anything for them.
Trucks that had a wholesale book value of $15,000 wouldn't bring $10,000.

Now that gas is back down to the $2 range, the price has gone back to where it was before and higher.
You won't find any bargains in Iowa either.
Click to expand...
Believe me, when the gas prices hit their highest here was when I started looking. I was really hoping to find a nice clean "cowboy cadillac" from someone driving one for want more than need. I came up empty. There were a number of Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Expedition etc., but I "need" a truck.

cwcad said:
I have been scanning the area from Waco to San Antonio. Plenty of trucks but not the one that I want. I have this feeling that a 2003 Chevy truck will eventually be back sitting in front of my house.

It seems that I have more money than brains. At the time of the purchase of the great LITTLE car it seemed like a good idea. Because I hate it so much I think I have made my brain think that I hated it before I even purchased it. Funny how one fools themselves into doing things. Of course if I had more
brains than money(my actions show how really brain challenged I am. Not how much money I have) I would have kept the truck that I loved. money or brains be damned!

Even my wife made mention of how depressed I have been since saying good bye to my Black Truck.
Click to expand...
Well I can tell you that wanting a black truck in Texas could mean that you have been out in the sun too long. :D And I'm not talking about the detailing side of things. ;) There seems to be alot of black trucks available in the D/FW area, though I can't recall the exact models. Are you looking for specifically '03 models? What kind of mileage limits are you considering? I've spent a lot of time on AutoTrader over the last 6 months or so.
 
Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. I've been busy with life (work, just graduated college, family, etc) and haven't had too much time for detailing lately. I do check the forums everyday though! Just a little update on the vehicle search... I finally found one ... I'll be picking it up Tuesday night. I don't want to reveal what it is until I get it (to show pics!) but feel free to guess away ... Sorry for the tease!

A few hints right off the bat:
-It's new
-It's blue
 
budman3 said:
I guess another one would be whether or not it had a clean Carfax report or not for used vehicles.

I still haven't narrowed down my options yet, still open minded to find 'the right car'. I really liked the '09 Fusions on paper but after driving it I wasn't too satisfied with its headroom and was kind of sluggish (AWD version).

I was looking at AWD cars due to long commutes in the winter but still have decent gas mileage in the summers. Other ones I've looked at are used, <60,000 miles, BMW X3, 330XI, Audi A4 etc. but I can't say I'm a big fan of the maintenance costs associated with these Euro vehicles. I don't need AWD, a FWD car with decent snow tires would do the trick but I think AWD would be a good thing to have. I'm tall so I'd like to have plenty of room driving which opens up the option of a SUV (GMC Envoy). I think my biggest problem is that I'm too open minded / don't need anything specific and am very picky when it comes to looks and colors of vehicles.

Thanks for the responses so far!
Click to expand...

SUV vehicles are far better inho going with a model from asia.The toyota and the like cars trucks and suv's seem to keep there value have less mechanical problems than the detroit stuff.If they came in a larger size for my application I would have them in a second.I hate to say it but detroit has lesser quality and more cost per mile matiance wise than a same type from Japan.The EURO stuff is all well and good if you wanna spend that kind of cash.

The quality is found in one simple step,OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR.Listen to the quality built in when you close a chevy,ford dodge door verses a toyota or honda for example.Hands down its the asian model all day long.I have no experance with a BMW or other suv but quality has to be built in.

Thats like an escalade vchevy suburban same drive train just more added bells and problems.Wood grain dash,heated cooled seats,just to name a fue.Look on ebay and see how many there are compared to the others.

Drive what you want and keep the matiance first and formost a priority and the vehicle will do the rest.Oil,tires and simple scheduled matianence things are all what seperates a long lasting car verses used vehicle to get you by.If you gotta pay for it keep it up it's not that costly in the overall picture.:yay


All vehicles are Junk,they will never add value to your pocket and they a pain in the backside when they need fixin.Sad thing is "WE ALL LOVE UM"

Yes I forgot the wash,wax,and detailing stuff...:crazy:
 
CharlesW said:
At the weekly used vehicle dealer auction here you find a lot of trucks.
Six months ago when gas was $4 a gallon, they couldn't get anything for them.
Trucks that had a wholesale book value of $15,000 wouldn't bring $10,000.

Now that gas is back down to the $2 range, the price has gone back to where it was before and higher.
You won't find any bargains in Iowa either.
Click to expand...
People seem to have a short memory I see a lot of brand new full size crew cab trucks on the road around her.

In another year we will be paying MORE for gas than the 4.25 that is was and then they will be crying the blues.

If someone has a need for a big truck fine but you see so many of those dual-lies with a empty bed and 1 person going to work when a small economy car would have made more sense.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top