Help finding my son a new car
 

My sons 2000 Ford Explorer front wheel completely froze up and destroyed the brakes and there is a problem with the rear axle too. Repair cost is over $1000 and I'm not paying that. Time to look at a new car for him.

Who were the resident dealers on this site again?

Here are the cars he is looking at. Any opinions would be great as I have had it with car shopping these last few years.

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...3293/overview/
http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...3293/overview/
http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...4780/overview/
http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...57067/overview
http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...4677/overview/

Volkswagen Jetta would be the best out of those choices.

Jetta or galant out of those.

I am selling my car shortly. It's a 2001 Toyota in great shape with 100k miles. I'll give you one hell of a deal.

Find an older Subarjew.

How old is this kid and why does he need such a nice car???

I hear there is a guy in Montana looking to make a sweet deal on a used Mustang. Some douchebag from Arizons is trying to bend him over on the deal. You should call him and outbid this guy. His number is 1-800-LEW-SUCKS.

He is taking out his own loan so it isn't really my call. He is turning 19 soon.

:clap:

Is there something he is looking for specifically? Are these the choices he has nailed down?

I'd PM Hometeam.

Nissan or ford. If you're not set on either I would choose the best value. If one has lower miles, warranty, records etc.

I bet the Volkswagen will have the highest cost of ownership overall.

Why are you trying to sabotage what little fun I can have?!?!

And Guru, there's a guy on here specializing in putting large red bows are cars and presenting them as gifts. Kind of like that Lexus commercial. PM me and I'll get your his contact info so you can do something nice like this for your son. when you pick up his car.

do you mean it will have the most problems?

Those are all horrid choices.

ROFL. I put a much smaller bow around something else for Valentine's Day. For some reason she wasn't as excited as when she received her Lexus.

Volkswagen's are notorious fixers. Especially the Jetta. My wife had a fairly new one when she was younger and she said it was needing something fixed all the time. Curious how these selections were chosen? There's plenty more out there for this price range than those selections.

Well I wouldn't be excited if I only received a present for 2 pumps and 5 seconds either.

For now, I'm letting him run his own show. If I see something I think is better I'll be sending it on to him to consider.

I loathe car shopping and am really ticked we are doing it again already. I have yet to meet a car dealer that didn't leave me thinking I got shafted.

Don't buy a ford ROFL

He's in for a shock when he finds out he is paying for his own insurance policy.

LMAO

Buy something from Hometeam, and if he screws you over at least we can neg rep him into oblivion.

I rented a Jetta for a weekend one time. I drove the everloving shit out of that car. I liked it. Had a little speed and nice handling. I like the look.

I wouldn't want to see the repair/maintenance bill though. German parts and all.

Actually, my roommate's girlfriend has a Jetta. She seems to like it.

My dad had a Galant at one point and I never heard him complain.

Jetta's a nice car but has a German premium when it comes to repairs.

The Focus isn't a bad car.

I would stay away from the Galant because Mitsu has been struggling and may not make it as an auto manufacturer in the US.

Sentra wouldn't be bad either.

http://www.hewittmotorco.net/2002-Bu...9/Details.aspx

FWIW..Spotted this yesterday. Looks pretty nice. Lynn is a decent guy to deal with also. I've bought 2 trucks from him. My B-I-L and sister bought a 2012 Impala from him last year. They told him I sent them for a look and he he gave them about $1000 off with his returning customer discount.

I saw that one yesterday also.

Nice car. I actually owned one the same color with another hundred grand. Was checking the market. Sold it this morning.

Man. I'm not a fan of any of those. I'd be looking for older with low miles. That will help with price and insurance.

Max Motors just bought the Ford Dealership in Harrisonville. They also own Ford, Dodge, Jeep in Butler and Full line GM in Nevada. They are known for giving some hellish deals and they do a ton of sales online. Id bet they work some deals to get the new dealership up and running hard.

Mancow

Wait a 19 year old dude is picking out his own car and THOSE are the ones he picks?!

He was around last week. Signs are going up and they are hiring

19 And a car payment? No dice kid, get your ass in school and drive a nice used beater like all 19 year old people.

How much does he have saved? His insurance premium bump is going to be more than potential fuel and maintenance savings compared to 10-15 year old beater that is liability only. He needs a Dave Ramsey special....

Yeah, well, we went the route with the last vehicle and it was a damn money pit.

I can see your point. Just picked up a small truck for the kid and I just couldn't justify the difference in price when it was never going to be more than 30 miles from the house. Plus it isn't in a garage so it would never look better than the day we got it.

...get him a classic VW Bug 67-69

You bought an exploder.

Man, I'm going to hate every minute of this. I wish I could just let him search for his own car but I have to make sure he is getting a good car at a good price. Something we failed at with his explorer. We thought it was a good car and got a great price but the brakes seized up and the something on the back axle broke. over 1200 in repair. Not worth it.

If you cant afford a 1000 for repairs now, stay away from Volkswagen.

Focus is the best choice.

but if he can afford a 10k car, why not a lil more for a new 14 focus?
http://www.kansascityford.com/mobile...86475890,d.eXY

you can probably get a lil cheaper and full warranties for him.

He can BARELY afford a 10k car plus insurance. Thats his ceiling. He only has a part time job and all.

Can he drive a manual transmission? Looking at these same cars with a manual transmission will save you about 2 grand. Not to mention they are less likely to have any transmission problems and if they do its alot cheaper to fix. Id stay away from the focus. They dont hold resale value like the vw or nissan will. Nissans cvt transmissions are hit or miss. i think the vw is the best deal. People keep saying the parts and labor are more expensive, but thats only true if your getting work done at the dealer with factory vw parts. Parts stores have generics for vw just like every other car in the world.

The plan is for whatever car he gets to last at least 5 years or more. Resale value really isn't a consideration.

Didn't you just post a thread about this awhile back?

If that is his ceiling he would be better off going a couple grand cheaper..like it was said earlier a manual transmission would be best..just my thoughts but crowding the limit on what you can afford is never a good choice..talk him into giving himself so space and it will be a little less stressful

If you can find an S10 or Sonoma those trucks run forever..a Chevy Tracker..just about any Toyota Corolla or Camery..Ford Rangers aren't bad buy they can be hit or miss as far as a good one..a Ford ****us is a good one

http://m.autotrader.com/cars-for-sal...esultCount=208

Here is a link to pickups within 25 miles of KC with under 100000 and under $10000

Oh, I plan to talk him into something less expensive. Especially since it will be parked outside 24/7. Trucks are out of the question though. He isn't interested.

He found this. I talked him out of it.

http://topeka.craigslist.org/cto/4900142952.html

The insurance on that would be high and the MPG sucks.

That is a good plan in my opinion..ok so no trucks..that is cool..just not used to teenage boys not wanting a pickup is the only reason I said anything..what is he looking for in the car

Good gas mileage
Around $10000 or under
Low miles as possible

Does he want automatic or manual
Any certain color
Any certain car that he really likes
2 door or 4 (4 door insurance is cheaper if I remember right)
Has he looked into hatchback cars any

Lot's of bad advice in this thread. Have any of the CP mechanics weighed in.

On that list I would go with the Ford or Nissan. VW is known for needing constant repairs. I don't know about the new models but I have a couple of work friends who have 08 Focuses and they have been very solid cars. Also, they are great on gas mileage.

I don't know what a 2001 Jaguar normally would go for, but I'm guessing that's a scam. That car is probably worth a lot more than $4500 because it only has 68000 miles.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...90988898&Log=0

Boom Lincoln Continental with all the bells and whistles=panty dropper with room in the backseat to make Guru in to Grandpa

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...90584409&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...92547049&Log=0

SUVs
Toyota Highlander Hybrid (2008-09), Honda Pilot (2009-10)


If you want a midsized, three-row SUV with the best fuel economy possible, look no further than the Highlander Hybrid. At 24 mpg overall, it matches the fuel economy of many smaller SUVs and even some midsized sedans. It has a sumptuous interior and a smooth ride. The Pilot delivers sharper handling, and its comfortable third row brings the seating to eight.


ummm just no..I've got an 08 Highlander hybrid and it gets about 14-15 mpg. I hate it that they advertise those mpg's and it never acheives it. Also I own a Prius and it gets 30-40 mpg. Close to 30 in the winter and close to 40 in the summer. I have never had above 40 mpg on a tank of gas, not once even brand new.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/ctd/4877052068.html

Told you on FB, they are rock solid.

This.

67-69 VW Bug.

good gas mileage
EASY to work on
every part under the sun available.

who doesnt want a good ole ford fucus for a car.

get the jetta.

Hard to find

true, they are getting harder to find but they are out there...you have to be patient... pristine '69 around the corner from me for 3k

Heh, when my son was 19 he bought a car that was eight years newer than mine and six years newer than my wife's. Still can't figure out how that is even possible.

So he is taking out a loan for 10k?

well yeah. I stated as such a couple times in this thread already. :thumb:

EDIT

lets rephrase, he is taking out a loan UP TO 10k. It will only be for the amount of what he buys.

Good gas mileage
Around $10000 or under
Low miles as possible
automatic
4 door
he isn't fond of a hatchback but if it lowers the insurance a little more he will consider it.

The main goals are to keep the insurance, price and miles low.

Kind of surprised that hometeam hasn't chimed in.

I know I've told other this, but look into the Mazda 3. It's fun to drive but it isn't fast (peace of mind for a parent). It's pretty reliable and maintenance is easy (except for the ****ing cabin air filter but once you've done it once it goes much quicker).

We've got about 90k on the odemeter for our 2008 and it has only needed recall work (well I had to change a lower control arm because of the horrendous potholes on the freeway here).

I just purchased a "new to me" vehicle last week after almost two months of shopping and research.

I would steer away from the Jetta and the Galant. From what i've gathered, the Mitsu will start showing its age sooner than later. It's the cheapest build quality of those you listed.

I really liked the VW's....then i did my research. They're apparently very underpowered for the weight of the car, and they cheaped out the quality of that generation of Jetta compared to years past in order to slot it below their new Passat and CC.

Couple that with the fact that VW's are more expensive to maintain than their American or Jap counterparts, i ruled it out.

Of the cars you listed, the Ford Focus has by far the best reviews. I was very close to purchasing one, even though i can't stand the idea of driving a Focus. It's just a thing i have against the Focus, but from everything i can find, it's suppose to be an outstanding car.

It comes loaded with tech features, has good quality reviews and is supposedly a blast to drive with a good, peppy motor and agile handling.

IIRC, the Focus is the top rated compact car in the market right now, even beating out long time favorites like the Civic and Corolla.

The Mitsu and the VW however, are near the bottom of their class.

I would recommend he look into a 2009+ Mazda 6, though.

The Mazda 6 is safe, affordable, stylish and sporty. From the research i did, it's the best new-ish car you can find around 10K. From a performance & reliabilty standpoint, it shits all over the VW and Galant.

I almost pulled the trigger on one, but opted for a CX-7 instead (more space to hall shit in).

I've heard great things about the 3 as well.

Other cars to consider:

2011 + Hyundai Sonata...if you look, you can find them between 10-12K. I test drove one and it's an outstanding car for the price.

2011+ Hyundai Elantra....

The problem with older cars is that the banks want a higher APR on them and aren't as willing to give a long term loan, thus increasing your monthly cost.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/4897932936.html

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/ctd/4904489178.html

No effing way. Jags are notorious PoS.

I had to fight off the kid inside me to not buy an 2008-2009 BMW 328I or a Mercedes CL200.

You could pick those cars up for less than 10K all day long and i considered it.

Then I researched the cost to replace the parts that will almost certainly fail at some point.

BMW 3 Series water pump? $700 ****ing dollars.

Thermostat? Almost $300. And that's WITH my shop discount.

Water pump on the Mazda i bought? $250

Thermostat? A little more than a $100.

Pretty much the end of that fantasy....

Doubt it's a scam. Just like the entry level Mercedes and BMW's, they depreciate quickly because they often have extremely costly repair bills.

You can find 08-09 Jags that are under 10K

Cool cars to drive im sure.....until something breaks.

damn....this is exactly why I love my straight six in the 65 Chevy Van

This. Pre-Ford era Jaguars were great cars. After Ford bought them, they went to shit.

One of my formerly good friends in KC has a family shop that focuses on Jaguars. Those things will cost you a ****ing fortune to fix and they always need to be fixed.

Edit: Now that the Indian car company owns them, they're supposedly becoming good cars again but they're out of your price range and there needs to be a few years before we know how well the turn around has worked.

A lot less headaches to deal with for sure, and way cheaper/easier to work on.

Like i told my wife, "The more features and tech the car has, the more stuff to break and go wrong".

Also, the 05-08 Mazda 6's might serve him real well too, and you can find those for under $7K.

I really advocate newer sonatas. Those are great cars. Especially on a budget. Chances are it'll still be under warranty.

Salvage title on the Honda.

Won't be under warranty if you're buying pre-owned. The warranty doesn't transfer over to the 2nd owner.

I did my research on it as it was 1 of my 3 finalists when i bought this Mazda i have now.

I do agree though, it's a really nice car. I was impressed after i test drove a '11 model with 60K on the odometer.

It's just a 4-banger, but it's direct injected and feels more peppy than its specs would suggest. It also has a really nice, techy interior. It's big and spacious, it's a lot of car for the price.

That's ****ing shitty! They've much improved their vehicles and I believe the Sonata is a poor man's Benz. Thanks for the info though.