Car shopping = anger and frustration.

i love shopping for cars always have. i would have thought the vast number of car lovers on this forum would have thought the same way but it seems like it's a chore to most of you.....i never believe the ads on CL but you never know until you get there......

cutter67 wrote: i love shopping for cars always have. i would have thought the vast number of car lovers on this forum would have thought the same way but it seems like it's a chore to most of you.....i never believe the ads on CL but you never know until you get there......

I loved it when I was 25, kid free, worked a 40 hour week, lived in the city, and was shopping for a $2k car.

I feel your frustration.

It's really remarkable how things can be hidden in pictures, isn't it? Went to look at one at a dealer that was described as wonderfull, and looked wonderful in the pictures. Carefully hidden in the shadows was the big gash down the side, and the caved in b-pillar.

Looked at an MG some years ago. The owner was raving about how pristine and rust free the car was. I'm waving at him through the floorboards. Finally stuck my arm through the gaping hole and encircled what was left of the sill. I swear, I don't think the guy could see it.

I think some of the fun of the hunt is driving a half dozen or so different examples of the same car. It really helps give you a nice comparative feel for the cars. The dogs to the gods of the same car.

What the heck, I seem to enjoy the hunt itself. In fact it was in CMS someone did an article on the types of car guys. I think I fall into the hunter category. I lose a lot of interest as soon as I bring something home. I'm always looking around for something else.

poopshovel wrote:

cutter67 wrote: i love shopping for cars always have. i would have thought the vast number of car lovers on this forum would have thought the same way but it seems like it's a chore to most of you.....i never believe the ads on CL but you never know until you get there......

I loved it when I was 25, kid free, worked a 40 hour week, lived in the city, and was shopping for a $2k car.

Sounds like it's time to do what most 40+ers have to do, buy a new vehicle that's good for the kids and about as much fun a glass of water. When you get pissed or stressed, go to your garage of toys, bang on something, rev something, and reminisce about the days of old.

I wish I was being completely sarcastic

@foxtrapper: "They ALL look good in pictures" Pop always says. It applies to a lot of things in life.

poopshovel wrote: @foxtrapper: "They ALL look good in pictures" Pop always says. It applies to a lot of things in life.

hah, mine said "they all look good at last call." he also said "so grab one and get out before the lights come on." doesn't help your car shopping, but maybe gives you a chuckle. i'm here for you, man.

Mickey Gilley got it right

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc2ekrgM7Do

Raze wrote: Sounds like it's time to do what most 40+ers have to do, buy a new vehicle that's good for the kids and about as much fun a glass of water. When you get pissed or stressed, go to your garage of toys, bang on something, rev something, and reminisce about the days of old. I wish I was being completely sarcastic

Honestly, I'm happier since I did that. I have a 2001 TDI that epitomizes a reliable and cheap DD, and bought a new 2012 Grand Caravan for the family. I don't have much time to wrench, and when I do, at least I can do it with no pressure on a car I enjoy. (A 964 these days). Of course, I still have the bad habit of constantly browsing the local classifieds for bargains.

Which reminds me - when did clean RX8's get SO cheap?

Thanks for listening to me rant. In reality, I've only looked at a couple cars, so there's really no reason for me to be so pissed. It's just rough for me given the circumstances. I don't HAVE a weekend to just run all over the state looking at a pile of different cars and hoping one is not a turd. I love living out in the country, but it makes looking for something that meets my criteria locally tough.

Anyway, mama brought up an interesting point this morning. I know it will make some here cringe and get all holier than thou with their fleet of 10 $1,000 turds, but I could rack up the miles on the Fit (which currently has 30,000 miles, and I plan on driving forever,) and we could lease her something new.

Again, I know it will make many cringe, but it is the easy button, and we've been thinking about getting her something bigger anyway. Our kid is off the charts for height, and it's a tight squeeze with Mommy and Daddy in the car. Leases are good in certain situations, and our situation (limbo as far as whether or not we're going to have another kid, whether or not we're going to stay in our house, what's going to happen regarding expanding the business in the next 3 years,) could be one of those.

I dunno.

In the meantime, I plan on going to take this for a ride next weekend, and see if it pushes the right buttons:

http://hondacarland.com/Atlanta/For-Sale/Used/Acura/TL/2006-A-SPEC-Gray-Car/15548800/

I can't stand the idea of a lease - I'd easy-button Carmax with something nearly new first. A loan is going to be similar to a lease, but probably cheaper, and you have a car to sell when you're done. They have really nice stuff, and you can compare everything very easily.

poopshovel wrote: Again, I know it will make many cringe, but it is the easy button, and we've been thinking about getting her something bigger anyway.

Nothing wrong with an easy button solution. Especially when it frees you up to do things you enjoy.

This is exactly why I always try to provide a completely honest and extremely thorough description AND price it fairly on CL...And why it generally sells for full asking price to the first person who comes to see it. I would rather have more people initially be scared off by the description, than to swindle somebody who doesn't know any better. It also prevents wasting both of our time for the people who do know what they're looking at and what to look for. Of course I suppose people who might assume it's always going to be 10x worse than described, but would have enjoyed this one as described, could miss out on it too.

Sadly, this probably puts me in with the minority of CL sellers.

OK, poop, forget the TSX, go buy this, it's under budget and is probably just as nice as what you're likely to find in a TSX, you can spend 15 minutes checking it out at your local place and you sign some crap and it's done. Bring your kids with you. I did.

http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car/default.html?AVi=29&id=9010899&N=689&D=90&zip=30301&sP=NA-10000&pD=0&pI=0&pT=400&pC=200&pB=0&No=20&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Features&Rp=R&PP=20&sV=List&CD=662+14+966+240+190+398+15+9&Q=a1ba9ab4-ed8c-4959-8819-6a00e91a0916

or skip the sedan thing, admit you have a lot of kid stuff and get this

http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car/default.html?AVi=0&id=8962304&N=689+666&D=90&sP=NA-14000&pD=0&pI=0&pT=400&pC=200&pB=0&No=0&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Features&Rp=R&PP=20&sV=List&CD=14+966+240+190+398+15+9&Q=a1ba9ab4-ed8c-4959-8819-6a00e91a0916&zip=30301&AZ=29607

tuna55 wrote: OK, poop, forget the TSX, go buy this, it's under budget and is probably just as nice as what you're likely to find in a TSX, you can spend 15 minutes checking it out at your local place and you sign some crap and it's done. Bring your kids with you. I did. http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car/default.html?AVi=29&id=9010899&N=689&D=90&zip=30301&sP=NA-10000&pD=0&pI=0&pT=400&pC=200&pB=0&No=20&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Features&Rp=R&PP=20&sV=List&CD=662+14+966+240+190+398+15+9&Q=a1ba9ab4-ed8c-4959-8819-6a00e91a0916 or skip the sedan thing, admit you have a lot of kid stuff and get this http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car/default.html?AVi=0&id=8962304&N=689+666&D=90&sP=NA-14000&pD=0&pI=0&pT=400&pC=200&pB=0&No=0&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Features&Rp=R&PP=20&sV=List&CD=14+966+240+190+398+15+9&Q=a1ba9ab4-ed8c-4959-8819-6a00e91a0916&zip=30301&AZ=29607

True on the 5. That's probably what we're likely to look at for mama. What was the first link? Says "vehicle not available."

Must have sold, here's another one - a manual Fusion...

http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car/default.html?AVi=0&id=8929668&N=689+4294966965+4294966419&D=90&zip=30301&sP=NA-12000&pD=0&pI=0&pT=400&pC=200&pB=0&No=0&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Features&Rp=R&Vp=D&PP=20&sV=List&CD=662+14+966+240+190+398+15+9&Q=a1ba9ab4-ed8c-4959-8819-6a00e91a0916

Get the 5 poopy!!!!

I'd let you drive mine if you were close so you'd have an idea before shopping.

Nathan JansenvanDoorn wrote:

Raze wrote: Sounds like it's time to do what most 40+ers have to do, buy a new vehicle that's good for the kids and about as much fun a glass of water. When you get pissed or stressed, go to your garage of toys, bang on something, rev something, and reminisce about the days of old. I wish I was being completely sarcastic

Honestly, I'm happier since I did that. I have a 2001 TDI that epitomizes a reliable and cheap DD, and bought a new 2012 Grand Caravan for the family. I don't have much time to wrench, and when I do, at least I can do it with no pressure on a car I enjoy. (A 964 these days). Of course, I still have the bad habit of constantly browsing the local classifieds for bargains. Which reminds me - when did clean RX8's get SO cheap?

RX8s are one of those things for me that are extremely hard to resist. Unfortunately i'm stuck in that weird time of year where moving my Miata for a price i like is hard, but it's also when RX8s are cheap.

ARG.

Also: Why do so many people on here have TDis? Am i missing something? Do i need one?

FYI, that 5 at CarMax is a Sport, not a Touring (cloth instead of leather, no fog lights), just like mine. It also has the optional moonroof like mine (very nice) but is missing the rear spoiler (which really changes the look for the better). Also, no roof rack (but they are easy to find if you like them).

My eyes may be deceiving me, but the driver's side looks like it's missing the rocker trim bodykit piece...

Also, that thing is nearly identical to what I paid for mine. Only I bought 2 years ago and at 79K miles. I'd make sure it wasn't hit, point out they have the trim wrong, that's high miles and a stick, and then lowball the hell out of them.

Javelin wrote: FYI, that 5 at CarMax is a Sport, not a Touring (cloth instead of leather, no fog lights), just like mine. It also has the optional moonroof like mine (very nice) but is missing the rear spoiler (which really changes the look for the better). Also, no roof rack (but they are easy to find if you like them). My eyes may be deceiving me, but the driver's side looks like it's missing the rocker trim bodykit piece... Also, that thing is nearly identical to what I paid for mine. Only I bought 2 years ago and at 79K miles. I'd make sure it wasn't hit, point out they have the trim wrong, that's high miles and a stick, and then lowball the hell out of them.

Agreed on all counts. It has pretty much been on the "Eventually, that's what we'll get" list. My only reasons for buying a new Fit rather than a new 5 (two years ago) were depreciation and the fact that I thought the whole family was going to be going to work together every day; i.e., 35mpg instead of whatever the 5 gets. Not so much of a concern now. We've stayed way ahead of depreciation on the Fit, so the answer might be to sell it, get a 5 for Mama, and the TSX or TL for me. I dunno. I need to run all the numbers. Or maybe a used 5 and I'll hang on to the Fit. I don't know. My head hurts.

Sadly, and I'll probably just go ahead and concede on this one, Mama is requesting a slushbox on her next car, and probably boring ass, dangerous ass grey on the paint. Make mine a white 5 speed on RPF01's with dark tint, please.

i remember how it use to be buying cars. i grew up in a family with 6 kids it was always a big deal when Dad would go and buy Mom a new car or the family car he always had a company car.

My father never turned a wrench on a car and was a believer that the car had to be traded in with less than 50,000 miles or he didnt get full trade in value. when the day did come all us kids had to put on our sunday best and we all went to the dealerships as a family.

Mom always got the same car model and for 3 of them they were the same color and no one knew she got a new car. the family car was the fun car to shop for because we got to give input on it and they were always wagons. i loved our 1972 olds vista cruiser wagon we kids thought the roof was so cool.

the biggest thing was the cars were always ordered never bought off the lot. We always picked them up on a saturday and made the day of it with a roadtrip to somewhere.

i have to admit a lot of the fun is gone in a lot of ways buying in cars.

Just a data point on the Mazda5 - we got one exactly like that (06 gray manual) with 10K more miles for $6500 at a dealership. Admittedly it had a significant door ding and some scratches on the rear bumper, but get the impression we got it for so little because they couldn't sell a manual minivan. I had an inspection done by a mechanic we trust and all-is-well so I don't think we ended up with a dud either.

It will serve us well as our new Mitty-mobile and race camper.