car advice - Page 3

WickedLou9 · 05-08-2008, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

I'd buy a bmw if it was the right car. I woudln't buy it so I could tell people I drive a bmw.

My sister has had two VWs for years and they were both reliable.

I'll check that out, thanks

this is typical

vs Honda Accord

A_C_E · 05-08-2008, 10:58 AM

The Audi build quality is still a little better than the VW, though. Not much better, but better nonetheless.

WickedLou9 · 05-08-2008, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by A_C_E

The Audi build quality is still a little better than the VW, though. Not much better, but better nonetheless.

2006 and 2007 seem OK. But that makes sense because they aren't 3 years old yet. :0 ONce you get back to the 2005 it starts to drop off. 2003 and back is all total crap falling apart.

David Octavius · 05-08-2008, 12:38 PM

Lexus vehicles seems to get decent gas mileage (they also have hybrid models) and their reliability is always at or near the top

Ardentfrost · 05-08-2008, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

Next time we go to lunch when you tell me "I have enough money for a hamburger" I'm going to say "oh, then you have enough for a steak!" Does that make sense?

You're buying a luxury item. No one buys luxury items and bitches about the cost of upkeep of that luxury item. If they do, then they needn't be buying the luxury item.

Although, 30-35k is low-end luxury. Again, I thought you were bitching about the mpg on a $50k car. The people who are out there buying the high end Mercedes cars couldn't give two shits about the cost of gas.

If you REALLY care about mpg, you go for diesel, hybrids, and/or lighter vehicles. If what you want and can afford is luxury, then mpg isn't REALLY a factor (though they do have diesel higher-end cars). Most of those cars get similar mpg. And the difference between 26 and 23 mpg isn't going to affect your decision when the resulting yearly gas cost difference is $300 (or less than 1% of the cost of the car).

WickedLou9 · 05-08-2008, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

You're buying a luxury item. No one buys luxury items and bitches about the cost of upkeep of that luxury item. If they do, then they needn't be buying the luxury item.

Although, 30-35k is low-end luxury. Again, I thought you were bitching about the mpg on a $50k car. The people who are out there buying the high end Mercedes cars couldn't give two shits about the cost of gas.

If you REALLY care about mpg, you go for diesel, hybrids, and/or lighter vehicles. If what you want and can afford is luxury, then mpg isn't REALLY a factor (though they do have diesel higher-end cars). Most of those cars get similar mpg. And the difference between 26 and 23 mpg isn't going to affect your decision when the resulting yearly gas cost difference is $300 (or less than 1% of the cost of the car).

Diesel isn't even great anymore. The high fuel milage is offset by Diesel being over 4.00 a gallon.

7960 · 05-08-2008, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

You're buying a luxury item. No one buys luxury items and bitches about the cost of upkeep of that luxury item. If they do, then they needn't be buying the luxury item.

I'm not making this an ecology or carbon footprint issue, this is just the example that keeps coming to mind.

We talk about global warming and whether you believe man contributes or not it's pretty much universal that if there's a clean way and a dirty way to do something we should do it the clean way. So I'm buying a car and there's a low mileage one and a higher mileage one and you're giving me shit because you think "the car is expensive so why care about mileage?" and I'm saying mileage matters because (using your numbers) I'd save $2k/year in gas.

I just don't get your thinking. Whether the car is $15k or $50k, gas prices aren't going down so why not look for and buy the higher mileage car? Just because I'm buying a car (any priced car) doesn't mean I want to also tack on an additional $2k/year for more gas than I need to buy. Using your logic if I buy a luxury car I shouldn't worry about spending an additional $10k on it over the next 5 years. Luxury or not, that money is not insignificant.

JaJae · 05-08-2008, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

I'm not making this an ecology or carbon footprint issue, this is just the example that keeps coming to mind.

We talk about global warming and whether you believe man contributes or not it's pretty much universal that if there's a clean way and a dirty way to do something we should do it the clean way. So I'm buying a car and there's a low mileage one and a higher mileage one and you're giving me shit because you think "the car is expensive so why care about mileage?" and I'm saying mileage matters because (using your numbers) I'd save $2k/year in gas.

I just don't get your thinking. Whether the car is $15k or $50k, gas prices aren't going down so why not look for and buy the higher mileage car? Just because I'm buying a car (any priced car) doesn't mean I want to also tack on an additional $2k/year for more gas than I need to buy. Using your logic if I buy a luxury car I shouldn't worry about spending an additional $10k on it over the next 5 years. Luxury or not, that money is not insignificant.

Yea, I don't get the logic either. That's like saying you shouldn't consider a high maintenance costs as a factor either when buying a car. Or the insurance costs. Or your interest rate. Or this or that.. All of this adds up.

If the car costs $15k, $35k or $50k you should consider reliability, insurance, maintenance, fuel costs, down payment (trade in values), interest rates, etc into your purchase. It all matters and greatly effects the bottom line figure. Any person looking to make a responsible purchase would consider all of these things.

WickedLou9 · 05-08-2008, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

Yea, I don't get the logic either. That's like saying you shouldn't consider a high maintenance costs as a factor either when buying a car. Or the insurance costs. Or your interest rate. Or this or that.. All of this adds up.

If the car costs $15k, $35k or $50k you should consider reliability, insurance, maintenance, fuel costs, down payment (trade in values), interest rates, etc into your purchase. It all matters and greatly effects the bottom line figure. Any person looking to make a responsible purchase would consider all of these things.

Mostly because it's relative to your other choices right? Better fuel milage than another 35k car. maybe one 35k car gets 18mpg and another gets 26mpg. WHy would you spend MORE on a similar car? You aren't going to consider a Honda Fit and a Lexus LS430 at the same time. First you choose a catagory of car that suits your needs and then you compare the cars in that catagory. that's why those things still matter.

Ardentfrost · 05-08-2008, 03:30 PM

All I'm saying is that in the class of car you're looking at, you've already made a mpg choice of mid-20's because that's what they get. If you were like "hmm, I dunno if I should get a $25k SUV or a $25k Hybrid" then we'd be talking about added cost of gas.

In the type of car you're looking at, the mpg doesn't matter. There simply isn't a wide spread of mpg's. You might see an outlier, like that diesel car I pointed at earlier in the thread, but with your other criteria I doubt the mpgs are going to matter to you. Because with how you have outlined the car you're looking for, mpg's DO NOT MATTER.

And @Lou who thinks Diesel isn't a viable option: Diesel costs $4.10 on avg right now, $0.50 more than regular unleaded. Comparable diesel cars get 10+ mpgs more than regular gas cars. If the numbers are comparing 30 mpg to 40 mpg, the gas guy is paying $0.12 per mile and the diesel guy is paying $0.10 per mile (I use those numbers because it's roughly the situation of me and a guy I work with who drives a diesel Jetta).

I drive 350 miles per work week so that means I'm paying $7 more every week that I would be with a diesel, or $364 annually.

Diesel is still viable. It costs more because of the demand generated by their better fuel economy.

WickedLou9 · 05-08-2008, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

All I'm saying is that in the class of car you're looking at, you've already made a mpg choice of mid-20's because that's what they get. If you were like "hmm, I dunno if I should get a $25k SUV or a $25k Hybrid" then we'd be talking about added cost of gas.

In the type of car you're looking at, the mpg doesn't matter. There simply isn't a wide spread of mpg's. You might see an outlier, like that diesel car I pointed at earlier in the thread, but with your other criteria I doubt the mpgs are going to matter to you. Because with how you have outlined the car you're looking for, mpg's DO NOT MATTER.

And @Lou who thinks Diesel isn't a viable option: Diesel costs $4.10 on avg right now, $0.50 more than regular unleaded. Comparable diesel cars get 10+ mpgs more than regular gas cars. If the numbers are comparing 30 mpg to 40 mpg, the gas guy is paying $0.12 per mile and the diesel guy is paying $0.10 per mile (I use those numbers because it's roughly the situation of me and a guy I work with who drives a diesel Jetta).

I drive 350 miles per work week so that means I'm paying $7 more every week that I would be with a diesel, or $364 annually.

Diesel is still viable. It costs more because of the demand generated by their better fuel economy.

Yeah I guess. It's just not as much of a difference as it used to be. Plus diesel is less "green". You aren't polluting any less. The fuel is more dense. You put out just as much carbon in a diesel than you do with gasoline.

7960 · 05-08-2008, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

Mostly because it's relative to your other choices right? Better fuel milage than another 35k car. maybe one 35k car gets 18mpg and another gets 26mpg. WHy would you spend MORE on a similar car? You aren't going to consider a Honda Fit and a Lexus LS430 at the same time. First you choose a catagory of car that suits your needs and then you compare the cars in that catagory. that's why those things still matter.

ding ding ding

Two cars fit the bill and cost the same. One gets 18 and one gets 26......why buy the 18mpg one? Logic so far says "because you're buying a $35k car so money must not be an issue."

JaJae · 05-08-2008, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

Mostly because it's relative to your other choices right? Better fuel milage than another 35k car. maybe one 35k car gets 18mpg and another gets 26mpg. WHy would you spend MORE on a similar car? You aren't going to consider a Honda Fit and a Lexus LS430 at the same time. First you choose a catagory of car that suits your needs and then you compare the cars in that catagory. that's why those things still matter.

That's like saying you shouldn't factor energy efficiency on a home if you're spending X amount of dollars. I'm just really having trouble with that logic.

kombayn · 05-09-2008, 12:48 AM

Check out the new Ford Focus, my boss has it and for a cheaper car, it has a nice style that comes off professional with the right color or a Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, I'm sure she would like it since she had an SUV to begin with. Anyways, Acura's are really nice overall and it's the Honda's higher-end models. Honda's have great shelf life.

7960 · 05-09-2008, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by kombayn

Check out the new Ford Focus,

Hmm................. isn't that an escort?

Anyways, Acura's are really nice overall and it's the Honda's higher-end models. Honda's have great shelf life.

I've had two hondas (CR-V and a prelude Si.......I loved that prelude). I'll definitely check out acura. Thanks,

Ardentfrost · 05-09-2008, 07:29 AM

He's not looking at cars with 18 mpg. He's looking at mid-level luxury sedans. If MPG were a factor to him, he'd also be looking at lighter cars.

WickedLou9 · 05-09-2008, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by JaJae

That's like saying you shouldn't factor energy efficiency on a home if you're spending X amount of dollars. I'm just really having trouble with that logic.

That's not what I am saying. I am saying that if you decide you want a certain type of home with a certain price, you will then compare homes in that catagory and the relative efficiency of each one and you will choose the best home in that catagory. If I am looking at million dollar mansions, I am not going to go buy a duplex instead because it's more energry efficient than my mansion.... But if I am looking at two mansions, and one is all energy star with tripple pane glass and foam insulation and solar panels. etc... and the other choice has nothing like that... and they are similar in price.. I'll go to the one that is more energy efficient.

7960 · 05-09-2008, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

He's not looking at cars with 18 mpg. He's looking at mid-level luxury sedans. If MPG were a factor to him, he'd also be looking at lighter cars.

I'm looking at a range of cars that gets from 18-ish to 28-ish and am picking from the 25-28mpg range exactly because given the choice of cars in that range I want one that isn't going to cost more for fuel.

And "lighter cars" seems to be some kind of euphemism for "honda civic" and that's not what she wants.

7960 · 05-09-2008, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

That's not what I am saying. I am saying that if you decide you want a certain type of home with a certain price, you will then compare homes in that catagory and the relative efficiency of each one and you will choose the best home in that catagory. If I am looking at million dollar mansions, I am not going to go buy a duplex instead because it's more energry efficient than my mansion.... But if I am looking at two mansions, and one is all energy star with tripple pane glass and foam insulation and solar panels. etc... and the other choice has nothing like that... and they are similar in price.. I'll go to the one that is more energy efficient.

Beautifully said.

Expect someone to reply "but if you're buying a mansion then the money to heat it isn't an issue." Apparently some of the people in this thread have never heard of a budget.

JaJae · 05-09-2008, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

That's not what I am saying. I am saying that if you decide you want a certain type of home with a certain price, you will then compare homes in that catagory and the relative efficiency of each one and you will choose the best home in that catagory. If I am looking at million dollar mansions, I am not going to go buy a duplex instead because it's more energry efficient than my mansion.... But if I am looking at two mansions, and one is all energy star with tripple pane glass and foam insulation and solar panels. etc... and the other choice has nothing like that... and they are similar in price.. I'll go to the one that is more energy efficient.

I must have misunderstood you. I agree with this.