Where do I start? Buying a car
Jul 21st 2014, 4:23 am
#46
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 39
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
Faced the same dilemma some years ago. And then of late was employed as Controller of a motor dealership so I have some knowledge.
"Cheap" means something else here. There is no MOT equivalent in most States so cheap here would most times would not get you on the road in the UK. A crock of ****
Forget the haters, there is nothing wrong with gas guzzlers. It is depreciation that costs you dearly not fuel costs.
And where 60000 miles might be considered high in the UK... Bah humbug...2-300000 is considered high in the Midwest. we measure our journeys in hours and not miles.
I started with a Honda CRV brand new from a Honda dealer on interest free credit. I got 70% of its value back 3 years later. I now own a Honda Pilot, fully loaded, gets 22 to the gallon on a good day and I can haul stuff behind. 150,000 miles so far and not a problem.
Ok...so you got here to the US. FFsake live a little and forget the limp wristed UK green credentials.
"Cheap" means something else here. There is no MOT equivalent in most States so cheap here would most times would not get you on the road in the UK. A crock of ****
Forget the haters, there is nothing wrong with gas guzzlers. It is depreciation that costs you dearly not fuel costs.
And where 60000 miles might be considered high in the UK... Bah humbug...2-300000 is considered high in the Midwest. we measure our journeys in hours and not miles.
I started with a Honda CRV brand new from a Honda dealer on interest free credit. I got 70% of its value back 3 years later. I now own a Honda Pilot, fully loaded, gets 22 to the gallon on a good day and I can haul stuff behind. 150,000 miles so far and not a problem.
Ok...so you got here to the US. FFsake live a little and forget the limp wristed UK green credentials.
Jul 21st 2014, 2:09 pm
#48
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: "LA LA Land"
Posts: 2,448
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
....you do say in another thread you're not trying to be contentious. Presumably, given this irresponsible drivel, you've changed your mind.
Jul 21st 2014, 3:09 pm
#49
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,309
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
Forget the haters, there is nothing wrong with gas guzzlers. It is depreciation that costs you dearly not fuel costs.
And where 60000 miles might be considered high in the UK... Bah humbug...2-300000 is considered high in the Midwest. we measure our journeys in hours and not miles.
FFsake live a little and forget the limp wristed UK green credentials.
And where 60000 miles might be considered high in the UK... Bah humbug...2-300000 is considered high in the Midwest. we measure our journeys in hours and not miles.
FFsake live a little and forget the limp wristed UK green credentials.
Then again, there is the absolute cost. Even if you are to recover more when you sell at 3 years, you have still laid out more in total. So I suppose the cost to the individual (+ cost to the environement) will be higher any way with the guzzlers.
Jul 21st 2014, 3:30 pm
#50
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
If we forget about the green issue for a minute - it is an interesting calculation. If we were to assume say 500000 miles per year, I wonder what the difference in petrol would cost over 3 years for a gas guzzler vs a smallish sedan and how much their difference/depreciation in sale value would be 3 years later.
Then again, there is the absolute cost. Even if you are to recover more when you sell at 3 years, you have still laid out more in total. So I suppose the cost to the individual (+ cost to the environment) will be higher any way with the guzzlers.
Then again, there is the absolute cost. Even if you are to recover more when you sell at 3 years, you have still laid out more in total. So I suppose the cost to the individual (+ cost to the environment) will be higher any way with the guzzlers.
Conversely if you buy a five year old car the depreciation will be negligible compared to the cost of fuel. My 11½ year old Honda has now virtually zero depreciation. Despite being perfectly drivable and looking in fair shape for a car with 273,000 miles on it, as a trade-in it would likely be worth little more than scrap.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jul 21st 2014 at 3:33 pm.
Jul 21st 2014, 6:37 pm
#53
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 10,678
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, few credit cards gave rewards on purchases but the GM Card (MasterCard) gave a 5% rewards towards the purchase of a GM vehicle. I didn't think I'd buy a GM car, except possibly a corvette, but got the GM Card anyway.
In 1996, my son's car broke down and I looked at Geo Prizms (same as a Toyota Corolla with a different body style) which had a MSRP of $11,500 but were on sale for $8,600 since I believe GM was phasing out the Geo Prizms to make Chevy Prizms. We went to the dealer and bought one and had another $2,600 off due to the rewards on my GM card. The dealer called GM to get the amount of the rewards on my card and gave an immediate rebate.
For the $6,000, my son used that car for the next 8 years.
Toyota and GM used to assemble the Corollas and Prizms at the NUMMI plant in Fremont CA which is now owned by Tesla for building their cars.
In 1996, my son's car broke down and I looked at Geo Prizms (same as a Toyota Corolla with a different body style) which had a MSRP of $11,500 but were on sale for $8,600 since I believe GM was phasing out the Geo Prizms to make Chevy Prizms. We went to the dealer and bought one and had another $2,600 off due to the rewards on my GM card. The dealer called GM to get the amount of the rewards on my card and gave an immediate rebate.
For the $6,000, my son used that car for the next 8 years.
Toyota and GM used to assemble the Corollas and Prizms at the NUMMI plant in Fremont CA which is now owned by Tesla for building their cars.
Last edited by Michael; Jul 21st 2014 at 6:53 pm.
Jul 21st 2014, 10:01 pm
#57
Deep in the woods of CT
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,002
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
Jul 21st 2014, 10:32 pm
#58
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
We arrived at the moon last summer, and we're now on the return leg. 
Last edited by Pulaski; Jul 21st 2014 at 10:35 pm.
Jul 21st 2014, 10:44 pm
#59
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: "LA LA Land"
Posts: 2,448
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
Moonbeam!
Jul 21st 2014, 10:51 pm
#60
Deep in the woods of CT
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,002
Re: Where do I start? Buying a car
That reminds me of the old Isetta! BMW Isetta for Sale | Hemmings Motor News