2

12/1/2008 9:34:59 PM

halp t-dub, reccoment me a vehical, then i will go out and buy something else!!!!!!!!!!!!

12/1/2008 9:46:24 PM

^ain't that the truth

12/1/2008 9:56:03 PM

HALP!!! Which car should I buy? 350z or S2000?

...
So I ended up with a Ford Ranger Edge package.

12/1/2008 9:57:32 PM

HELP! TWW! I'm looking to buy my first motorcycle...I found a good deal on a 1-year old R1. It's a little more than I really should pay, but I'll take a bigger loan than I intended and make it happen. Also, I've never owned a motorcycle, but I had a dirtbike when I was a kid, and I rode my friend's Nighthawk one time a couple years ago. Will I be ok with a 1000cc sportbike?


-NO! WAYYYY TOO MUCH BIKE. IT WILL MANHANDLE YOU, AND SEVERELY HAMPER YOUR ABILITY TO LEARN HOW TO RIDE WELL, ASSUMING YOU DON'T WRECK IT, WHICH IS ALMOST A CERTAINTY.

-HEY DUDE, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND SPEND 1/3 AS MUCH ON AN OLDER, LESS POWERFUL BIKE. IT'LL KEEP YOU BUSY FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND YOU WON'T FEEL AS BAD WHEN YOU DROP IT IN A PARKING LOT.

-HEY, TAKE IT FROM ME...I'VE RIDDEN A LONG TIME AND BEEN IN A COUPLE OF WRECKS. BUDGET FOR GOOD GEAR FIRST--THAT'S YOUR #1 PRIORITY...THEN GET A REASONABLE (I.E., SEVERAL YEAR OLD 600, TOPS) FIRST MOTORCYCLE.



Ehhh, I think I'll be ok with the R1...I don't want to let this deal go...plus, I'm 220 lbs! An SV650 just isn't going to be enough, and I don't want to be bored with it in 6 months. I'll be fine--I'll just be careful with the throttle, and I won't ride it hard.


Whatever, dumbass. No point in arguing with you if your mind's made up.

I'll go ahead and say "I TOLD YOU SO" now, just to get it out of the way.

Why'd you even bother to ask what the people who know what they're talking about think?



FUCK! I trashed my new R1! ...and man, road rash hurts like hell when they scrub it out in the ER!

12/1/2008 10:27:14 PM

plan to test drive
toyta matrix
honda fit
honda civic si
mazda tribute
mazda 3 or 6 hatchback
ford escape
any subaru wagon
nissan versa
pontiac vibe

looking online i found a 2009 mitsubishi lancer with not quite 1500 miles for $14775.
http://www.crownhondacharlotte.com/Preowned-Inventory.aspx?InventoryId=26086960 (hopefully the link works)
blue book says the car should be priced around $16-$17k is this some kind of trick? i'll have to add it to my list of cars to check out.

[Edited on December 2, 2008 at 7:52 AM. Reason : lancer]

12/2/2008 7:33:26 AM

Quote :

"2002-2005 Civic Si. Hatchback functionality. Notably quicker than a normal Civic or the Fit. Far better handling. Much nicer seats. Runs on regular octane gas. Still gets 30+ mpg on the highway."

I'm pretty certain this will be my next DD. They are below 10 grand frequently. They sport an anemic engine but its a daily driver, who cares. This or an RSX type s.

12/2/2008 8:14:00 AM

Personally I think you need to look for the lowest mileage 1995 Accord wagon you can find.

^The K20 is anemic? I would put it differently and say the I-VETECKKKK does a pretty good job at moving the Si 'bus' around.

[Edited on December 2, 2008 at 8:19 AM. Reason : lol]

12/2/2008 8:16:43 AM

integra gs-r FTW

12/2/2008 8:17:11 AM

Quote :

"Personally I think you need to look for the lowest mileage 1995 Accord wagon you can find."

is this directed to me? because i'm not buying anything from the 90s.. '06 and higher is what i'd prefer. i might go for an '05 if the milage is super low.

12/2/2008 8:26:24 AM

^^

160hp is pretty low.

12/2/2008 8:26:36 AM

Quote :

"I'm pretty certain this will be my next DD. They are below 10 grand frequently."

Yeah, I've seen some 2002's in the $9000 range with less than 70k miles. I've got to sell a car or two first, but I'm pretty seriously thinking about snapping up the next one that comes along in that price range. I'm probably going to be driving to Florida in February so I'll probably do it before then if I do. Add a trailer hitch and a set of roof racks and it'll be a great bike/snowboard hauler too.

12/2/2008 12:04:46 PM

^^it has about the same hp as the civic si.

12/2/2008 4:35:06 PM

Quote :

"is this directed to me? because i'm not buying anything from the 90s.. '06 and higher is what i'd prefer. i might go for an '05 if the milage is super low. "

Yeah its directed at you, its a super roomy and reliable car that will save you THOUSANDS of dollars. Nearly any mechanic in the world knows all about them, parts are cheap, and I will buy it from you when you come back in 6 months.

12/2/2008 8:29:31 PM

this is true

12/2/2008 8:44:21 PM

Quote :

"These things look like a turd, but I'm thinking of getting one for myself and slapping some roof racks on it. Would make a great commuter/weekend road tripper."

roof rack? have fun lowering your highway mpg by around 10%

12/2/2008 11:12:12 PM

12/2/2008 11:54:42 PM

Quote :

"my list toyota matrix honda fit mazda tribute ford escape mazda 6 hatchback any kind of subaru nissan versa"

Out of those, you will not like the Fit.

I would go look at an 05 Ford Escape Hybrid. Good gas mileage, it'll fit all your shit going down there, and it will have pretty good resale value down the road.

The Matrix would also work well for you

And a Subaru Impreza Outback Sport (05-06) will be well within your price range and it's a super reliable car with plenty of room.

12/3/2008 12:43:42 AM

^ you're the first person i've heard say i wouldn't like the fit. i guess i'll see when i test drive it, i've just heard so many great things about it, and there are articles everywhere raving about it.

i've been a little skeptical about fords, but i like the tribute a lot and the escape is pretty much the same thing. i'm a big fan of subaru, so i'm pretty excited to try some of those out.

thanks for your help

Quote :

"and I will buy it from you when you come back in 6 months."

thanks, but i would like to buy something i can keep around for a while. if i see one for sale though, i'll let you know

12/3/2008 7:46:15 AM

The Escape Hybrid is junk. It fails any functionality as an SUV (crappy offroad, small cargo area) and doesn't get better gas mileage than some of the other cars you have listed.

Its a joke to have a 4000lb SUV with next to no rear seat legroom.

12/3/2008 9:08:59 AM

mazda 3 hatch isnt too bad.

12/3/2008 9:23:30 AM

Quote :

"Its a joke to have a 4000lb SUV with next to no rear seat legroom."

we're not all giants dude. I love the escape (says the 5'6" dude)

12/3/2008 9:24:42 AM

i have a friend that has an escape and loves it... he's gotta be close to 6'

i rode in the back and didn't notice a lack of leg room... of course i'm 5'1" so i would be comfortable in the back of a coupe

12/3/2008 12:18:05 PM

^^I'm stating that the packaging of that vehicle is horrible. Why the hell would anyone want a largish, definitely heavy vehicle when countless other vehicles can get the job done, and done better in a lighter smaller package?

And whereas I'm 6'2" I have had a small hatchback for the better part of a decade so I know a few things about interior space.

12/3/2008 12:43:01 PM

^^I'm stating that the packaging of that vehicle is horrible. Why the hell would anyone want a largish, definitely heavy vehicle when countless other vehicles can get the job done, and done better in a lighter smaller package?

And whereas I'm 6'2" I have had a small hatchback for the better part of a decade so I know a few things about interior space.

12/3/2008 12:46:44 PM

will you still feel the same way when you post that again in 1 minute?

12/3/2008 12:48:28 PM

ford escape weighs less than a volvo V70, and only 200# more than a WRX wagon. 28mpg isnt horrible for the 4banger manual. I know people can do more with less, but c'mon, its not terrible

12/3/2008 12:51:05 PM

TKE-Teg: Just because a vehicle doesn't work FOR YOU, doesn't make it worthless.

The escape hybrid is a damn good small SUV. It's got TONS of room for hauling people and shit, it's pretty safe, it gets EXCELLENT fuel economy (it was the only 25+mpg SUV on the market until the Toyota Highlander Hybrid hit), and it actually looks pretty damn good.

I know several people who own them, and they all, without exception, love them.

12/3/2008 5:38:53 PM

12/3/2008 5:53:56 PM

^^I'm not talking about it working for me. I suppose you could say my experience is limited, and maybe the Escape hybrid taxi was modified in some way that is not typical of an average Escape hybrid, but the interior space was ridiculously small. Is the trunk not a lot smaller b/c of batteries? If not I dunno what I'm thinking...

article in the WSJ on the Fit:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122608623013409143.html

Quote :

"A Candidate for Best Car on Road Honda Fit's $15,220 base price and stellar mileage make for an econobox to remember * By JEFF SABATINI If there's a silver lining to this global economic meltdown, it must be driving by gas stations advertising regular unleaded for $1.98 a gallon. I haven't seen prices this low in almost two years. On the other hand, the effect was less dramatic in the car I was driving last week: the 2009 Honda Fit, with which I averaged 32 miles a gallon. While conventional wisdom says that cheap gas should damp enthusiasm for a compact fuel-sipper, I'm not going to be deterred. The Fit is unquestionably my favorite car, a vehicle that's the best all-around transportation available from any auto maker at any price. So let's put aside those 32 mpgs during my week in the Fit, forget about the 40-plus mpgs I saw in steady highway driving and make a case for this exceptional econobox above and beyond fuel economy. Because for not a lot of money, the Fit is a whole lot of fun to drive, a prudent choice rather than a penalty box..."

[Edited on December 3, 2008 at 6:14 PM. Reason : ha]

12/3/2008 6:11:24 PM

Oh, don't get me wrong, I *LOVE* the fit. It's another car that I've heard nothing but glowing reviews on, and nothing but love from the people I know who have one.

I just stated that, in my opinion, based on her list of vehicles to look at, the Fit doesn't fit. It's a relatively small commuter car, that won't have the room that any of her other choices would for people and storage.

The Fit has 15cf of cargo space. The Escape 27cf with the seats up, and 65 with the back seats folded down flat. The Outback Impreza sport has 62 with seats down, 44 for the 07-08 models. The matrix has 20cf with seats up, 62 with seats down.

It's just a different class of car from all the others she is looking at.

12/3/2008 7:01:42 PM

The Fit gets shitty gas mileage considering how small and useless it is.

12/3/2008 7:03:38 PM

volvo c30 turbo diesel 1.8 gets 52mpg.... blows the fit out of the water.

12/3/2008 7:09:33 PM

The Matrix/Vibe gets over 30mpg highway and you can carry an appliance in the back, or on the roof rack, or tow a trailer. Seems like a much more useful vehicle.

12/3/2008 7:30:46 PM

^^^^The Fit has 21 sq ft of cargo space behind the rear seats, where's your figure from? The Fit can top 40mpg on the highway.

Volvo C30 turbodiesel?! Sign me up, but I haven't heard anything about that being for sale in the US...yet.

12/4/2008 12:17:02 AM

^http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=122688

Even at 20, it has 1/3 to 1/2 the cargo space of the other cars she mentioned. And you can't tow anything with it. Also has no option for a roof rack, which nearly every other car mentioned has.

The Escape gets 33-36mph highway, in real life. And upper 20's city. The Subaru gets close to 30 highway (27-28), Matrix is about the same.

12/4/2008 3:16:29 AM

i can tell you that a small SUV is less accommodating then a small hatchback.

nothing is worse then a gigantic boat that still cant seat 4, or haul anything in the "trunk"

36mpg highway in a vehicle that large is no joke though!

12/4/2008 7:30:19 AM

I am seeing more and more fits on the road these days...

and speaking of gas prices...I had to do a double take yesterday because I put 93 at 2.03/gallon. so i double and triple checked that I was in fact putting premium lol

12/4/2008 10:47:29 AM

Prices still seem to be falling, or at least holding. The day after thanksgiving I filled up at the Sheetz in Mebane on my way back to Raleigh--$1.93 for premium. Of course, they're always about 5 cents lower than the Greensboro stations and at least 10 lower than Raleigh, but...

If it drops to where regular is below $1.50/gallon, we'll reach something I was sure I'd never see again. Doubt it will drop that much farther, but you never know.

12/4/2008 11:45:38 AM

yeah, i heard the price per barrel was going up, but still below $50, so i was surprised to see prices at the pump continue to fall.

i'm going test driving tomorrow. i'm pretty excited, but i'll also be happy when it's over. i just dread the whole car-buying process. plus i hate most car salesmen. hopefully they won't be as mean and angry as i've seen in the past.

12/4/2008 1:59:22 PM

all you have to do is hold your ground, and dont settle


my buddy, who bought an escape actually, refused to pay an extra $25 (or something like that) at the dealership. I absolutely enjoyed being a fly on the wall with taht conversation.

12/4/2008 2:02:26 PM

well i read somewhere that dealerships will try to charge as much as $600 for a "preparation fee" or some shit like that. where all they do is take the plastic wrap off and make sure everything is attached correctly, and it usually only takes a couple hours. the article continued to say that some dealerships have the fee permanently written on their receipts even though they know very well that it's a bullshit fee.

12/4/2008 2:07:30 PM

Many car salesmen are pushy assholes, but not always. If you get one you don't like, don't be afraid to tell them to buzz off and find another salesperson, or leave that dealership and go somewhere else. You're not looking for anything incredibly uncommon, so you shouldn't be locked into one or two dealerships to find what you want. You could consider carmax, most of their salespeople aren't very pushy IMO and they're known for making the buying process pretty painless, but you'll probably pay a little more than you would elsewhere.

Read this if you've got a few minutes (beware: long)--it's pretty good. http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html

12/4/2008 3:50:18 PM

cool, thanks

anyone in the charlotte area want to go car shopping with me tomorrow

12/4/2008 3:55:02 PM

I, too, may be test driving a potential new purchase this weekend


GL with your test driving.

12/4/2008 4:17:59 PM

oh cool gl to you too

12/4/2008 7:35:56 PM

i found a 2004 mazda6 hatchback. i went back today to purchase my new vehicle but apparently the mazda dealership isn't open on sundays

anyway, as long as it's still available i plan on swinging by monday afternoon. i'll post pics later because i know you people are dying to see my new car

for anyone who cares about my opinion:
i test drove the honda fit and wasn't particularly impressed. i could feel the lack of power compared to other cars i drove.

the nissan versa was ok, but wasn't as comfortable as any of the mazdas i drove. the only reason i would buy the versa was because of the 7 year/60k mile warranty... the thing that really pissed me off though was that the nissan dealer on independence blvd tried to sell me an '07 versa for 14,995.. while the nissan dealer on south blvd wanted to sell me the same thing, fewer miles, cleaner interior for 10,900.. whatever..

i sat in some SUVs but they felt too huge for me. i really like the matrix, but i couldn't afford what i really wanted in it and i didn't want to settle on base model.

i didn't test drive any subarus because i knew i would fall in love with something i couldn't afford and i didn't want to deal with the heartbreak

12/7/2008 9:38:42 PM

Quote :

"i test drove the honda fit and wasn't particularly impressed. i could feel the lack of power"

I drove one last night and that was my EXACT impression.

12/7/2008 9:48:47 PM

my wife and i just bought a 2007 mazda3 with about 17k miles on it here in charlotte. We really like it (we got the sedan not the 5 door) and from our impression, salesman are more willing to bargain now than before.

12/8/2008 9:56:39 AM

Quote :

"well i read somewhere that dealerships will try to charge as much as $600 for a "preparation fee" or some shit like that. where all they do is take the plastic wrap off and make sure everything is attached correctly, and it usually only takes a couple hours. the article continued to say that some dealerships have the fee permanently written on their receipts even though they know very well that it's a bullshit fee."

Yeah, when I bought my car on Saturday the dealership had a documents processing and application fee or some shit. It was $595. I just dealt with it though, b/c I got my car for almost $5000 below Kelly Blue Book value. Dealerships are desparate to sell anything, especially a convertible in mid-December

12/8/2008 11:40:19 AM