Today after my '84 T-bird took a shiznit for the second time in a week, I decided to start thinking seriously about buying a new car. I love these cars and they're great fun, but I need a car I can rely on and not have to be concerned about what part is going to fall off or break next. I'll keep the 80's cars to play around with, not to rely on. Being that every car I've owned has been at least 11 years old, often times older, I have NO idea what to do when it comes to buying a brand new car. I'm thinking I can afford a $15k car, maybe something a little more, bt $20k is the maximum I'm betting that I can afford. I bring in about $700 a month and my only regular expense is my cell phone, which never exceeds $50. This makes me think I can spare $250 - $300 a month. My mother even said she'd help with the monthly payments if need be (her Focus is almost paid off). At this moment I have a credit card bill that needs paid off. It's never been late and until now have paid the full balance every month.
I looked at a couple car lots today. I'm probably not going to get a Ford, only because they have nothing new that really interests me. I'm definitely not getting a truck or an SUV (unless I can afford a small-ish one that's still 4wd). I'd rather not get a Focus, the Five Hundred and Crown Vic are WAY too expensive, and a Mustang... well, I couldn't even afford a V6. I did look at a Nissan lot today and on the way back to the car I noticed a nice Sentra SE-R with a ton of options for $20k. (Sunroof, 6-speed, RF 9-speaker audio, 17" wheels) This is sort of at the top of my price range, but the car has stuck in my mind all day long. Anyway, I'm sure I'll get infatuated over a ton more cars before this is all said and done. So, I know some of you have new cars and have words of advice to offer, so let me know where to start.
OK, lets start with some more specifics on the financial status. How much are you willing to/able to use as a down payment? How long of a payment plan would be good for you (4 yr loan or 5 yr loan)? How's your driving record so far? And the clincher because insurance companies love to bone new clients with new cars: Have you had insurance IN YOUR NAME for 3 years or more? I'm not saying have you been covered under someone else's policy, but have you had your own insurance?
With your age and the fact that you live in the northeast US I'd have to say the Nissan Sentra SE-R will leave you stretched tight between payments and insurance even if you put down $5k. I don't know ALL your specifics, but if I were you I would bring that cieling down to about $12K.
Yikes! Quite a reality check. I'd have to say a big NO on that insurance question, so that probably hurts my status even more. I figured the SE-R was quite a pipe dream, but man. With a jump start from the income tax refund I'mma try to start saving some extra money for a down payment if I need one. (I know occasionally you'll hear about Zero Down at certain dealers, then again, that's probably for those "qualified" buyers). Lemme recap those questions:
Down Payment: Nothing at this moment, but if I try, I could save $2k or so in a few months, I bet.
Loan: Not sure on the loan, longer ones leave me with smaller payments but I end up paying more in total, correct? If I'm getting a new car, then I"d have to say 5 years. But, at this point I'm seriously considering a lightly-used "certified" used car. Definitelty 2001+, thoguh.
Driving Record: 100% Clean for the past year and I'm betting no wrecks in the past 1.5 to 2. I'd have to check, but the last wreck I was involved in was in Jan of '03 I think. Other than that just a ticket or two. I did have a couple wrecks waaay at the beginning of my driving career, but that's been a few good years. Dunno if you're familiar with Ohio's points system, but if you are, I have between 2 and 4 points on my license. It's a 12 point system where, at 12 points you lose it for a good long while. Various offenses warrant various penalties. Racing, for example is either a 6 or a 12 point-er, real serious. Most wrecks are 2 points, etc.
Insurance: Nope... been on parents policy since forever. :disappoin
The idea of a "new-used" car is looking better and better.
The longer the loan, the lower the monthly payments, hoever the more you will pay overall.
As far as the points system, its basically the same in NY. If you take a defensive driving course willl that remove some points? You can remove up to 4 at a time in NY (can be done once every three years) and the course will get you a 10% deduction on the liability portion of your car insurance, about 5% overall if you have full collision.
DONT HURT ME!
You need cheap reliable basic transportation right? get a cavalier or sunfire *ducks* cheap to buy, cheap to repair, cheap to drive, and decent quality. Around here you can grab a '02-03 for less than $7000 CDN still with warranty and if you get the urge to modify *cringe* there is an aftermarket for them...
I recently convinced my parents to buy an cavalier over another hyundai :hick: and they couldnt be happier (I havnt been able to convince them to let me drive it.... yet :D ) yeah theyre like belly buttons how often do you see them broke down on the side of the road?
DONT HURT ME!
Meh. I'm trying not to be picky, but I will say no to the Cavalier. The things used to be made about 40 miles from here. I can sit in one spot in the parking deck at school and count 10 of them. They're way too overpopulated around here. I'm actually looking more and more at imports rather than domestics. I'm also considering used cars more and more. The VW GTI has recently caught my fancy. My mother used to have a '97 with a regular 2.0. These 1.8T cars are looking mighty shagy to me. (I can't escape the Tarbo!)
I'd look at something like a Hyundai Tiburon or Accent. Yes, it's a Hyundai, but you can't argue with a 10 year/100k warranty!
Insurance companies generally go back 6-7 years when looking for things like accidents and infractions. Before you commit to buy anything I would strongly suggest that you call a few insurance companies as ask for quotes. Just pick a car out of thin air and ask them what it would cost you to insure it. Be honest when they ask about accidents, tickets, etc because if you don't tell them about something they WILL find out about it, and they WILL increase your premiums (or drop you altogether). With acouple of accidents and tickets you might find that insurance costs more than the car!
Go with a Hyudai Tiburon. That's what I did. I just turned 20 in February, have only been working for 6 months, was on my parents car insurance, had no down payment and little established credit. I managed to get mine for around $15,000 and a loan through Hyundai. Granted it is not the GT V-6 with every option, but it's options are everything you need and a little more. Working part time, I have no problem making the car payment or car insurance payment. The only thing that sucks is that the monthly insurance is more than my car payment and I have a clean record with no accidents or tickets. I think I have to talk to my agent to see if I can get that lowered. The car is reliable as reliable can be, is easy on gas, looks better than the competition in it's price range(IMO), and attracts more "attention" than the cougar did.
This is mine
(http://img189.exs.cx/img189/6831/tiburon17nn.jpg)
You are in the same boat I was in. You love your fox car but it is too much of a hassel to drive and repair every week. So get something new and enjoy the T-Bird on the weekends and such. Besides if you don't drive it every day, you don't have to worry if you decide to tear the engine down on saturday to have it back together to drive on monday.
the 1.8t is awesome in those lil volkswagons, my dude just paid like 14k for a wolfsburg edition jetta with the 1.8t in it and the other day I got to drive it and I must say, if I had test drove one of those before I did the truck, the truck would have been out of the question. That jetta was pretty quick, quiet and he said he gettin great gas mileage, much more than the 12mpg im gettin with the truck that I paid 14k for.
Well, it was listed for 19k on the lot, after a test drive and a bout 24 hours of some negotiating and doing my homework I told them I didnt wanna pay more than 16k total (taxes title etc) I didnt care if it was 15999 as long as its under 16 concider it sold. I told them that because I had looked up the value a dealer could sell it for on kbb.com which ended up being like 13900 and knew that if I got them to keep the total under 16 that I would get the truck for around 14.5k and they would still be makin a small profit.(do your homework) He calls me back and tells me they can do that. Keep in mind that thats over 4500 less than what they were asking and most people if they even get the dealer to come down only get them to come down about 1-2 grand less so, do your homework. Neways, after dropping 6grand a 5 year loan at a fixed 5.?%apr im paying just a hair over 180 a month and my insurance is 80. Im 23 and have been on my own insurance policy since I was 18 and driving record has been (knock on wood) clean for about 4 years.
Hopefully some of that helps you out with your decision and coming down to a pretty accurate estimate of about what you can afford. Personally, even though I am not out for buying a new car right now. I get bored and look at an autotrader, drive around and look at cars, or even just check some out on eBay.
But by personal experience 2002 is looking like a great year right now, you can snag up alot of one owner 2002's right now with low or close to average mileage. I just found my mother a 2002 Dodge Intrepid with 18k on her for 10 grand and that car is f'ing awesome! Great gas mileage, absolutely love the style, interior is really comfy but with a few blind spots you have to get used to, easily get used to with driving a cougar. Thats nothing...LMAO!!! Not saying that you must start looking at some intrepids but just using that as an example. Start checking out stuff like 2002 grand prix's, intrepids, sebrings, stratus(especially the r/t's) and even eclipse gt's(the drop top) are really cool. Most people dont realize how cool those cars actually are until they test drive one or end up going for a ride in one. Hope any of this :bs: can help, lol. If you ever have any questions and catch me online, feel free to send an im my way..TTUL!!! :D
My sister makes about $1200 a month. She owns a 98 Taurus and just stole a 2001 Mustang GT Convertible for 14,000. The Taurus is about $70 a month after a refinance, and the mustang is about $270 on a 6 year. Insurance is 1000 every 6 months for both cars. the downpayment on the mustang was 100 cause my family has known theres for ages. plus, we've already bought about 10 vehicles from them. and plus my uncle bought a $17,000 2002 f150 fx4 the same day.
Was gonna say the same thing,buy an 02,03 with warranty and save half the price of new.
Especially on a stang as everybody wants the 05 so the older style sells for dirt cheap.
Being that I can't possibly bear to own anything else except RWD and V8, I would have to reccomend you get a 1996-1997 4.6L T-bird/Cougar.
BAR-NONE- that was THE most reliable car I have EVER owned. I drove it everyday for 3 years and sold it with 185K miles on it (bought it with 62K on it). Sold it to a guy at my job who has over 200K miles on it now and drives it 160 mi/day round trip. I replaced nothing on that car except regular wear and tear items (hoses, plugs, wires, filters, fluids, brakes). I would suggest that you try to find one that still has less than 80K miles on it. Replace the 4 rear IRS bushings (10 minute job), get an external tranny cooler and a SCT chip and you'll have a powerful, rock-solid and surprisingly fuel efficient driver. Most cars have had the plastic intake manifold break already so you shouldn't have to worry about that. I've never had a half-shaft or ball-joint go bad, and I even towed up to 2K lbs with it on numerous occasions and never had any problems (especially after the 3.73's) The car was a TANK. You can get a very nice, low mileage T-bird Sport or XR7 (30th editions are VERY nice) for about 5K. I wish that my '98 LSC was even half as solid as that car was.
Please, do NOT buy a Tiburon. They look good, but that's where it stops. The things are imposible to work on, have a blind spot second only to the New Beetle, and even the V6 GT sucks monkey balls when you try to get moving. The biggest dissapointment I've had behind the wheel yet, and I used to own a three cylinder Subey. I've gotten more fun out of an '80s Sprint.
You know, the Pontiac Solstice is around the $20 mark. :deal:
And which one in the NB would you be referring to? Since my birds are both down right now I've been driving my mom's 98 NB 5 speed (not terrible to drive, I've driven sluggier cars) and anything that has to do with going left (turns, big curves) just SUCKS! I have this monstrous A piller and a giganto mirror attached to that and I can't see over there at all.
Brian, I think you see why I got pissed off and almost bought that stang (would have if ford cooperated... oh well, their loss). Bottom line is you need decent daily transport. I'm ok for the summer, but come fall I need to figure stuff out again. If you can do it, go for it, peace of mind is worth a monthly payment.
Unless you buy brand new and get something that the warranty outlasts the payments, monthly payments do not necessarily buy peace of mind. The only car I ever made payments on was a nearly new '91 T-Bird, and on top of the monthly payments I had to replace the front upper ball joints, the head gaskets, then 8 months later the crankshaft, and finally the ignition switch caught fire and left me stranded hundreds of miles from home. All of the other cars/trucks I've owned, even the shiznitty 300,000-mile 4-cyl Cherokee and the current 300,000 mile V6 Dakota 4X4 were paid for and all were more reliable than that Thunderbird. Because of that car I'll never own any V6 MN12 again, even SC's and supercharged XR7's, even if it was offered for free.
Even a brand new car is not a 100% guarantee against breaking down. New car dealerships have repair shops and roadside assistance for a reason. Cars are machines and they do break down.
Personally there is nothing on my car that could break that would make monthly payments worth it. I just spent $450 replacing the fuel tank, sending unit and alternator last month. That's one car payment. And it's the only one I've made on the car in two years of ownership except the purchase price. I've spent other money on it ($300 for custom true duals, $50 for rims, $200 for tires to fit those rims, $300 for a Kenwood stereo) but all of that money was upgrades, not repairs. I took a perfectly good 40k-mile original exhaust off for my dual exhaust, and I replaced four brand new 14" tires that were on it when I bought it when I put the 15" 10-holes on. Even if the engine was to fall out of it I could put an HO in there for less than $500, and if something really drastic were to happen I could throw it away and get another car. Can't do that when you're making payments...
Crystal, I know you blowed up the 85 TC, but what happened to the Sport?
Oh if I put a battery in it it'd start up and go, but it kinda looks like this at the moment but without the drivers side fender
(http://ferdbird.com/misc/garage/carnose.jpg)
get a s-10 they suit many needs you can haul things better than a focus ;) they are gooooooood on gas and their customizable
Oh yeah, I know where you're coming from. My old '87 Sport during a fender transplant:
You should look at the Big 3 and what they have to offer in certified used. When I was looking I saw MANY 2003-2004 Taurus, Impala, Camry & Altimas starting for 10 to 13 grand. I just happened to buy a new 2005 Bonneville, but in looking, I looked at Crown Vic, 500, Grand Marq, Montego, LeSabre, 300, Accord, Maxima, Avalon & the big Hyundai. I got the best price overall on the Bonneville (because of it's last year) and I had $2K in GM Card earnings over & above the rebates. I almost went to Ford with the Crown Vic LX, however the 2 Ford dealers I visited were jerks and they BOTH lowballed my trade. Ford & L/M wouldn't deal much off list on the 500 & Montego, same story with Chrysler & the 300. The imports wouldn't deal much off list either. I drove a 300C, FAAST car, very solid and well built, surprisingly! As far as the foreign dealers, after visiting 2 Toyota, 1 Honda, 1 Nissan & 1 Hyundai store...you can have them with all their fancy talk, fancy buildings and fancy people, they also don't deal for . I do see why Toyota & Honda sell so many units, their arrogant pitches about their "perfect product" (preceived quality) is really convincing to the uninformed. For the money and cheap insurance go with a certified used Taurus or Impala, not much on looks, but they are cheap to insure, great on gas and comfy!
Well, I doubt this is going to be very coherent, but i'd like to blurt out a few ideas that might help (in no particular order):
- I'd agree with Paul on this one. Definitely aim towards the lower end of your range, cause being stuck with a monthly payment that ends up being more than you can afford would really suck. Definitely keep a "comfort cushion."
- Definitely make sure you get a no questions, no hassles warranty whether it's a new car or certified used. Maybe do a little research and talk to people who've had to have major work done under warranty to see which dealerships will honor their word so your life is less hassled.
- Look at the Mazda 3!! No one's mentioned it, but that car is solid. And it's part Ford too ;)
- When I bought my Acura new, I ended up paying 14,000 even after all was said and done. For me, that worked out to about 260/mo. over 5 years at 6.99% APR. Insurance was about 200 every 6 months. At the time I was earning about 800/mo., and I gotta say it was pretty tight. Even though on paper I should have been in good condition, somehow my money always got away from me.
- What about a small pickup? You could lug stuff around too. I think those 4 cyl. Rangers get some insanely good gas mileage, and you could bring back oversized goodies for the T-birds. Besides, you could get a killer deal on one seeing as how they're just wasting away on dealer lots (same goes for those 1.8 Jettas from last year's model run).
- If you end up splurging for a car, I'd get the bigger model instead of the more accessorized one. My parents got their Accord LX new for just over 19k, which is almost what those high trim Civics are running. It gets a little bit less gas mileage (29/34 is still good though), but the safety and depreciation advantages seem worth it.
Anyways, I agree with you on the new(er) car thing. If it came down to just keeping one car, it would be my RSX no questions asked. It really makes life alot easier when you have a car that you can drive without a second thought. Stressing out about every noise and non-working options such as heat/AC/power windows can really make life suck sometimes. It especially sucks when those unexpected repairs pop up. At least this way you'll always know how much you'll be spending.
Well! That was quite a spiel. Good luck and let us know what happens.
Once i get another job im looking into some focus's because with these gas prices my cats gonna bleed me dry on gas alone, and i love the focus,my dad has an 05 and for the few times he has let me drive it its great on gas.
Well, so far I've test driven a Nissan Sentra 1.8S and I really didn't like it too much. With an auto it seemed gutless, and it was a bit too small insdie. Today I took a Hyundai Elantra GT(second smallest model, yay!). It's a bit more roomy, 5-speed, leather, CD, pretty much loaded except for a sunroof. With current rebates and $1k down I'd be paying between $260 and $280 a month, which isn't too bad. Took the car for a drive and I loved it. On wednesday I'm going to go look at Neon's and see what they're like, but I dunno. Of all the stuff I've looked at so far, I really like the Elantra. I came in expecting to be able to afford just a Accent, but the guy showed me the Elantra and I liked it a ton better. Plus, as a couple others stated, you can't beat Hyundai's warranty. 10/100 on the powertrain. My search continues though. I'll probably be waiting a month or two to take any real action because I have a credit card bill to pay off and I need to save up money for a down payment (my income tax refund will help with this).
It sounds like you really need to think small and save money. I'd buy a 1-3 year old car, depreciation is a good thing ya know. Avoid VWs, parts are pricey and they aren't that reliable. Not a great car for someone on a budget.
A 2-3 year old Taurus with the duratec would be fun and practical, if you put SHO swaybars and stuff like that. If you really wanna save money, get a used Tiburon with that great warranty. They are nice cars too. I'd also recommend a 2002 Cougar, they are real fun, have real nice plastics inside and look pretty conservative these days.
I was just gonna mention neons. I just seen an 05 neon today at work, black with the chrome I think 17" wheels and it looked great. doesnt look so much like a girls car and the things are twice the size the first neons. But im tellin ya you can get a 2000-02 used car financed just as easy as any new car and be much more affordable, especially insurance wise...
Don't get me wrong here but if you want a really trustworthy car, go new. I'm not saying that every new car is perfect because I know some that have been in and out of the dealer for stupid problems. However, you never know what you'll be getting into with a used car. It doesn't matter if it is 2 years old or 10 years old. My dad bought a 2001 Ram with 40,000 miles at our local friendly Dodge dealer. The motor blew up and the dealer wouldn't do anything for him because he went beyond their 3 month used car warrenty. We also had a 93 t-bird that was bought used at a ford dealer. It was said to have never been wrecked and after we had it for about a year, it washiznit by a deer and the body shop recognized signs that the car was wrecked before and on further investigation, we found that it was. Beware with used car dealerships. Those at a normal ford, dodge dealer etc with a body shop, can get damaged cars and fix them. Because the dealer thats selling it fixed it, it may not show up on the vehicle history report. Definately stay away from some of those privately owned used car dealers. They could do a shoddy job to fix a car to just make money on it without putting money into it. You will not know the history of the used car you are buying unless you personally know the seller and there is no point in buying someone elses problems. Just because I went with a Hyundai or other people suggest it, doesn't mean you have to go that direction. I'm extremely satisfied with my purchase and I will be the first to admit that the Tiburon is not a performer. It's slower than my mom's 99 Malibu with the 4 cylinder. But it IS very dependable transportation and the design of it is very nice. My dealer was very nice to work with and worked hard to get the best deal possible as far as financing etc. I knew what I wanted when I went in so no other car was an option. My sister has a 2002 Neon and loves it to death. So far it has 60,000 miles with no problems. The truth is that I wanted a Grand Prix in the worst way. I found a 2002 with 30,000 miles on it in February at a used car lot fully loaded and It was just a hair less than what I payed for my Hyundai. But after listening to lectures from my mom on our past experiences with used cars and so on, I'm glad I made the decision I made. I'm not saying that every used car is bad, but I just have the mind set that you really can't go wrong with new. Sorry for the rant. Good Luck.
I dunno... that Elantra is still on my mind. I just really like the thought of a NEW car. I dunno. I guess I'll have time to think about it.
2005 Hyundai Tiburon SE with a roof.
I sell these. Call me on how to get a steal.
Send email to Cougars_2_go@yahoo.com
I'm with the used car people. My brother just bought an '04 Stratus coupe for his wife. It's got only 13,000 miles, the remainder of the factory warranty, and they got it for $13,000. A new one costs $21,000. So in only one year and 13,000 miles it has depreciated 1/3rd of its value. But it has a 2.4V6, decent power, and gets 34mpg on the highway.
Hmmm, you Non-New people don't give up. Ok, then, fine, I'll look at used cars. I guess at least this way I can get a car that I wouldn't be able to afford new. I just don't know about financing.. I'm hoping I don't end up paying out the arse, that's all. I guess I'll shift focus over to used cars now. The Taurus does sound good to me... I have to get a car that I won't be tempted to mod heavily (a V8 SHO did creep into my mind, but after thier cam sprocket fiasco, I'm not willing to chanece it).
You won't be sorry buying used as long as you get a "certified" car from a dealership. Certified cars are usually either lease returns or fleet cars, and warranty is warranty. This way somebody else pays the depreciation. Just be sure to get a warranty that lasts as long as your payments (this applies to new cars as well).
Taurii look horribly boring, but if I could find one with a sunroof (possible?) and not in that old-person gold color then I'd go for it. Might even be able to afford a CrownVic/GrandMarqus. This reminds me.. what it considered low mileage for an 02-04 car? I'm thinking I wanna get something with 20k on it, not much more. Is 30k really considered low miles, too?
Generally, 12k/yr is what manufacturers consider normal useage, which is why most leases and warranties reflect this (3 years, 36k miles)
Used Taurii = mucho bang for the buck. Its a good car to buy initially and build your credit on. I'd get one 2+ years old, the depreciation really kicks in then. Buying a 1 year old certified one may be the same monthly payment as a new one because of awesome new car financing.
Check them all out and do what you feel is best. Probably the best thing about a new car is that you get to be the first to break it. If you go used, find one in the best condition possible. Still have to be careful even with some of those certified cars. People that leased a car may have thought that since they would only have the car for a while, no need to take full care of it. It may have only 20,000 miles but those may be 20,000 really hard miles. No point in getting one and spending $ on a car that is scratched or dinged and whatnot. By the way, our local Ford dealer rented out some tauruses. My dad rented one with the DOHC and that thing was right quick. But again it was a rental and I'm sure we weren't the only ones to run it really hard and burn. . . ahem. . . rubber. Can't say that transaxle was going to last as long as it should. Sure enough a couple months later that car sat on the used lot as a certified used car. For some "certified" may just mean that the car appears to have an accident free history and is in safe running condition. Just be careful.
Yeah, you're not kidding about "first to break it". Dropped an intake valve on the first day of owning my brand new V6 Daytona.
http://www.intellichoice.com/top10/Top_List/year/2005/list/Lowest%20Repair
How about a brand new 2005 Tiburon V-6 6-speed top of the line trim for $17K before your state tax and tag fee?
That's a great car especially with the rebates and financing you get with new cars.
But how many other cars do you have? Can you afford to play with/insure them at the same time with a $17,000 note? Buy a used car. You'll be amazed at what $8-10,000 will buy these days. Save money for the other cars, or just put it in an IRA or something.
Oh, and I've never seen much luck in owning a Chrysler, avoid the Neons like the plague. I think its either a Ford, a Toyota, a Honda, or a Hyundai in your future.
! Wish you hadn't said that. My girlfriend's mom just called and said because her father, as well as a friend of the family had worked for Chrysler, I'd be able to get a significant discount on a new Chrysler vehicle.
Oh, and also... the insurance thing. If I get a new car, the '84 TC will be coming off the insurance and during the summertime it will only be the new car plus the '85 T-bird. In the winter, I'll be taking the '85 T-bird off totally, in that I'd rather not drive a mostly rust-free car in the ohio winter.
Does it come with bullet holes in the hood?
Nope, not even that bad, I guess. The dealership that's doing it doesn't have any cars I really want, but I'm guessing they could get one I wanted? I dunno if they'd really do that much work on a $14k car, but I guess I'll just have to see. I'll give it a try, but what's the problem with Neons? I know I've seen a lot of older ones in horrible shape, but I'd guess that by now the cars have been refined somewhat.
Ok, I officially give up. I can't buy a car, simple as that. Almost had one the other day and it turns out my credit sucks too bad (score of 677) to get a car loan. I guess it's time to get my bike out.
We sell to people with that type of credit all the time. By the way, I need to call you on those new 04 Tibs we have.
Even if you could get one, don't buy a new car. It's just too expensive.
Also, do NOT buy a Chrysler. As it has been said before, they are terrible cars. I've driven a lot of them and hated every single one.
Want proof? Do a search for "Chrysler" and "lemon"... :D
Not to mention the oil problems the newer 2.0 neons have been having.
Uh oh, newer as in 03+ and stuff? If so, I might be glad that didn't work out.
Ok, so if not anything new... how about something like this?
http://forums.tccoa.com/showthread.php?t=61788
EDIT: Ok... maybe not. I read through some old posts and he mentions a "weak transmission" which wasn't anywhere in the description of the car. I'm so disgusted with this whole thing. Mabye I should just buy the $800 Mustang I was offered and live life with a low credit score.
No offense to those of you with hyndais but my best friend bought one brand new just for the fact that it was cheap and the warranty was great. He has already had a new motor and the second one is ready to go any time. It's not like he drives hard either...he just puts on a lot of miles. Yeah his might be a lemon but from what I've seen its just not worth your time unless you want to be broke down a lot. Also there is no way that car will be around in 15 years.
Are there lemon laws in your state? I think here in MD, if you take the car into the dealer to get the same thing fixed like 2 or more times and the problem is still not fixed, the vehicle can be declared a lemon by law meaning the dealer has to replace the car or give you a refund. This is for new cars but I'm not sure of all the ins and outs and what the deal is for used cars.
Well... *sigh* I'm sure I'll take a lot of for this. Even more than Karl and his Tibby, but I bought an '05 Neon SXT. (I KNOW Zach will hate me for sure, now) I got the car for $11,970 and that adds up to a payment I can afford. It's a 5-speed, medium red metallic color (called Inferno Red, I believe). Basically same color as my 2 t-birds. I'm picking up the car tommorow morning, I had it brought in from another dealer because the place I went had no stick shift cars in stock. I was surprised at thier willingness to do this, and I'm grateful. I've heard nothing but bad things about auto tranny cars.
Ready for the really sick part? I've even been looking into Neon aftermarket parts, Yikes! I'm sure I wont' do anything to it for quite a long time, though, because it's definitely going to take some getting used to, making these payments and all. Anyway, I thought I would finally close this thread up and let eveyone know I got it all worked out.
*Dons flame suit and waits for the onslaught*
Anything beyond a little bit of teasing over it really isn't necessary. None of us are paying your payments for you, or driving you to work, or anything like that.. so we have no real say in what you drive.
Having said that.. when are you going to join the Neons-in-pantyhose crowd..? :p
Doo' teh pant33hoz mod is teh kewle$+ evAr.
Congratulations on the pruchase and best of luck with it!
BTW, my sister has an 02 Neon SXT. 50,000 miles and no problems. It's been a great car so far and yeah stay away from the pantyhose please.