[Karaya One]

Tammy and I have been looking for a new sled for Kayla and the current pricing has me spinning.

You can buy a NEW Civic or Focus for 13K.

On-line, dealers have used ones going for between 9-13K with upwards of 50K miles on them.

I was hoping to spend about 4K on this ride for her. She wants a Focus, stick with a CD. There are a ton of them out there, but all the dealers want huge money for them.

Am I nuts? Why is used car pricing so out of whack???

[RandyO]

if yer lookin to get a dependable cage for $4k, get an 18 year old BMW 3 series with 190,000 miles

[SEVENSGT]

Originally posted by Karaya One
Tammy and I have been looking for a new sled for Kayla and the current pricing has me spinning.

You can buy a NEW Civic or Focus for 13K.

On-line, dealers have used ones going for between 9-13K with upwards of 50K miles on them.

I was hoping to spend about 4K on this ride for her. She wants a Focus, stick with a CD. There are a ton of them out there, but all the dealers want huge money for them.

Am I nuts? Why is used car pricing so out of whack???

try and look for local car auctions, some of the cars are bankowned and sell for short money, and sometimes you can get in without a dealers license

[benVFR]

I have an 01 Focus ZX3 with 50k miles.

I just happened to check the KBB values yesterday, it was ~$4000 trade, ~$7000 retail, so those prices do sound out of whack. I only paid like $11.5k for it new.

My dad & brother were just trying to find a used car for my brother to buy last month and had the same result... people seem to want way too much. (Especially dealers)

Good luck...

AFAIK almost all Focuses have a CD player. You would probably want an 02 or newer. By 01 most of the problems had been resolved but mine did still have one recall. Most of the options are probably useless.. it is a simple car, keep it simple, although you may want to check, mine is a base model, there is no rear disc brakes, no ABS, and no traction control if that is a concern.

[cbrf41999]

I think the cars you are seeing go for more are loaded up on options models. Look at your want ads, and smaller lots for cheaper transportation.

[OreoGitorio]

Originally posted by RandyO
if yer lookin to get a dependable cage for $4k, get an 18 year old BMW 3 series with 190,000 miles

YES DOOOD!!!! that's exactly what i've been tryin to tell people & it's exactly what i've got... '87 325 w/ 191k miles... 5spd, Clarion CD, everything i need, cept more power & A/C i'd take my car ANYDAY over a Ford Fukus or Civic

[cbrf41999]

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search...odel=&x=59&y=5

[OreoGitorio]

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search...del=&x=74&y=14

8)

old BMW's.... find a nice one & u can't go wrong. I might buy my dad's '95 525i w/ over 160k miles to replace my car.... I'll let you know if i do & sell mine... i'd sell mine for 2 grand.

[ancosta]

As a former Ford owner (2x SVT Contour, 1x 5.0 mustang) I can say that Fords lose a shitload of value over the 1-5 year timeframe. Trucks are an exception, as are maybe Cobras, etc.

The Focus will be a newer car for the money, the Civic older but odds are cheaper to own over time.

I will never buy another new Ford as far as I can see at this point for the following reasons:

1) Unless you literally drive it into the ground you get raped in depreciation.

2) The dealership experience has sucked 99% of the time for me.

3) While every Ford I've owned was more or less bulletproof and took a solid flogging, it came with more than it's share of rattles, shoddy workmanship, cheap materials, etc.

I am not saying that Fords are the worst car and Honda is the best, I'm just saying there are better (and worse) $4k cars to be had out there than a Focus, IMHO.

My pecking order for a 4k small FWD get-around-town car if longevity, value over time and reliability are the goals:

Honda (civic)
Toyota (Corolla)
Nissan (Sentra)
Mazda (Protoge)
VW (golf)
Hyundai (Elantra)
Ford (Focus)
Chrysler (Neon)
GM (Cavalier...ugh)

Good luck!

[Karaya One]

We got back from the test drive.

1999 Toyota Corolla CE 4 door . PW PL Cruise Tilt AC, AM/FM casette, 5-speed, 33K miles. Local trade to Ragsdale Chevy.

Super clean one owner non-smoker.

$6600.00.

We are putting $1500.00 towards this venture and am waiting for word if they will finance her.

I feel a lot better with a Honda or Toyota than a Focus if she needs to keep it for 200K.

[SSearchVT]

The Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are sure bets as long as they haven't been beaten. Both engine designs have been around for years. If you don't get service records you can trust change out the timing belts as soon as you can. They are good for about 60k miles, then it is a crap shoot. As they are interference engines it gets ugly quick if they break. The Honda can be done in about 2.5 hours in a driveway with hand tools, and shouldn't take a real mechanic more than 2 hours with an impact gun to get the main pulley off. Good Luck...

[ancosta]

I think that's a good choice...a dependable car with low mileage that someone else ate the depreciation on. That car will probably cost under $1500 a year to own & maintain if taken care of and driven for several years. Good luck!

Originally posted by Karaya One
We got back from the test drive.

1999 Toyota Corolla CE 4 door . PW PL Cruise Tilt AC, AM/FM casette, 5-speed, 33K miles. Local trade to Ragsdale Chevy.

Super clean one owner non-smoker.

$6600.00.

We are putting $1500.00 towards this venture and am waiting for word if they will finance her.

I feel a lot better with a Honda or Toyota than a Focus if she needs to keep it for 200K.

[SprintPoser]

The Toyota would be a great choioce, as she can rice it out easily.

I can help her fabricate a nice big wing out of the plywood I have down cellar, and I have a few leftover coffee cans to fashion a new muffler. With some of the interior latex white paint to dress up the windshield with a nice big "COROLLA", she'll be the envy of all the Civic drivers.

[Karaya One]

And then we need to go to Autozone and get a set of those fake plastic SPINNERS!!!!

[theothersean]

My favorite is the huge rear wing on front wheel drive cars. Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it.
On a side note I think buying a vehicle is a crap shoot no matter what, I have heard horror stories and nothing but praise about the same model of vehicle, all depends on what day of the week it was made and the alignment of the stars on that day or any other stuff you believe in. I guess the best you can do is buy it from a dealer close or atleast convient to you so when it needs service you don't have to go out of your way to get it.

[ssg]

SD - congrats, you won't be displeased. That's also a pretty fair deal as well for that car.

[richw]

JUst put

Mobil 1 in the Toyota and you can get burried in it.

[mikeb]

Originally posted by SprintPoser
The Toyota would be a great choioce, as she can rice it out easily.

I can help her fabricate a nice big wing out of the plywood I have down cellar, and I have a few leftover coffee cans to fashion a new muffler. With some of the interior latex white paint to dress up the windshield with a nice big "COROLLA", she'll be the envy of all the Civic drivers.

don't forget the "R" at the end of corolla.

btw nice buy, good car, should last a long time.

[benVFR]

Originally posted by theothersean
My favorite is the huge rear wing on front wheel drive cars. Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it.

You mean just like those rear wheel drive vehicles with front spoilers and/or air dams?

[Karaya One]

That's right - front wings and RWD never works!

[ssg]

Originally posted by richw
JUst put

Mobil 1 in the Toyota and you can get burried in it.

...even if you forget to refill the oil and drive it for about 3.5 weeks to Boston and back.