I hate looking for used cars

[MrCoffee]

I hate it. Oh how I hate it.

MrsCoffee wants to use the insurance money to pay cash for something and lose the car payment. I'm fine with the idea, but there was less insurance money than I'd hoped and it's looking like the 8-10 year old/100K and higher mileage is what we're looking at.

Ugh.

[redqueen]

1. Are there any classic cars you like?

New cars do lose so much value the moment you drive them off the lot.

[MrCoffee]

2. Not really...we need more of a family workhorse

We don't do much driving, but I want something that's not going to leave MrsCoffee, LittleCoffee and BabyCoffee stranded by the side of the road.


She wants a Volvo wagon :eyes:

[redqueen]

6. Aren't those kinda pricey?

You know you could probably get a killer deal on a new one... it being almost time for them to have to pay taxes on inventory and everything.

[MrCoffee]

16. A new one is over $30,000

Not gonna happen.


Well, not until after 1/28, anyway. :woohoo:

[Midlodemocrat]

18. And, what happens then, pray tell?

:hide:

[MrCoffee]

19. I'll take "shut your cake hole" for $2000

[Midlodemocrat]

21. What is MrCoffee buying a Volvo, Alex?

[flvegan]

Nigerian prince mails him a big check, I'll bet.

:eyes:

[MrCoffee]

26. Hey, I'm the Named Beneficiary, bub.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

[Midlodemocrat]

28. *taps foot*

waiting for the Trebeck and your mother comments from flvegan. He never disappoints.

[flvegan]

30. Your mother likes to smoke my pipe, Trebek.

[MrCoffee]

31. I'm so using that

[Midlodemocrat]

37. Posted at the same time I posted my *taps foot* post.

You never disappoint.

:rofl:

[flvegan]

41. Number 1 DU draft pick in 2004, baby.

[Midlodemocrat]

27. Shit. He better mail one to me, first.

[Schema Thing]

3. I love it, and I'm good at it

this is a great time to be buying a used car.


Be sure to buy from an individual. Or if not, steel yourself and play hardball with a used car dealer - they will make deals right now. Most people pay thousands more than they need to for a car.


Let me know what you're interested in when you get specific, and I'll tell you what you ought to pay for it.

[MrCoffee]

17. Thanks...I'm looking at one from a private seller tonight

If he hasn't sold it this afternoon.

He's asking 6, but I think 5 cash might sway him.

[Midlodemocrat]

34. $5000??? Holy crap, dude take it!!!!

Seriously. $5000 is a great deal for a Volvo. Hopefully, MrsC will like it.

[MrCoffee]

36. I'm going to offer 5000...he's asking 6

I'm hoping LittleCoffee will turn on the charm.

[Midlodemocrat]

40. Make sure you change her diaper before hand.

I understand people hate that kind of thing.

Good luck. I had the red Midlovan for sale for $6500, and I took $5800 two years ago when the economy was doing pretty well. I bet he'll take it.

[MrCoffee]

45. She's 4 years old...she can change her own diaper, thank you.

Quite advanced for her age.

[Midlodemocrat]

4. Definitely check the safety ratings. You've got two in car seats,

so that is key. My new van has the new child seat anchors, (only 5 years too late):eyes:

Looking for a van?

[MrCoffee]

5. She has her heart set on a Volvo wagon

sheesh...


Although, I drove a 15 year old Volvo in law school and that thing was a champ. Ran like a dream and rode like Grandma's couch. Late-80's luxury style, baby!

[Midlodemocrat]

11. A friend of mine just ditched hers.

It was 7 years old and the repairs got to be more than a car payment. She ended up with a new Honda Odyssey.

She loved the Volvo, until the repairs started.

[MrCoffee]

14. Thanks for the boost of confidence, Midlo

I'll give you MrsCoffee's email address...you tell her that.

[Midlodemocrat]

15. Just trying to spare you needless pain, friend.

That, and coinage.

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

7. LATCH isn't really all that great.

It's not any safer than a proper belt install, and while it's supposed to be easier/more idiot proof, in practice it generally isn't.

As long as the car's new enough to have tether anchors and shoulder belts for all rear passengers he'll be fine, and any Volvo wagon that isn't totally ancient would.

[MrCoffee]

8. I had a 2006 with LATCH, and never used it

I tried to install the car seats with LATCH and wasn't entirely sure I had them right, so I abandoned it and just used the shoulder belts to install the car seats.


They worked great when MrsCoffee got T-boned.

[LeftyMom]

9. Some seats actually crash test a little better with lap/shoulder belts vs LATCH.

Did your insurer reimburse you for the car seats? Most manufacturers will issue you a letter saying that they shouldn't be reused after an accident if you call and ask, since they can't promise they're still safe.

[MrCoffee]

13. Fortunately, we have a spare

LittleCoffee moved into a "booster" seat about a month before the accident, and since it's not much more than a glorified phone book just to raise her up in the seat so that the shoulder belt fits properly, it's fine.

BabyCoffee is big enough for her old toddler seat (which was not in the accident), so his infant seat which was in the accident is going bye-bye.

[LeftyMom]

22. That's good.

Yeah, the booster should be fine (no real stresses since it doesn't actually restrain the kid) but getting rid of a crashed harnessed seat is a good idea. What you might want to do is call your local seat check program and see if they want it for training purposes. I know that some programs take crashed seats that aren't otherwise usable and use them to train people in doing proper installations.

[MrCoffee]

38. That's a really good idea...it'll just sit in the garage, otherwise.

[Midlodemocrat]

10. I would be concerned about a car that needed

car seat 'locking clips' because they're not wildly sold anymore.

Tethers are a huge issue as well.

I think the reason LATCH is good is because most people don't install the seats properly. I can't tell you how many cars I've passed over the years with an infant facing forward. Makes me crazy.

[LeftyMom]

12. That's true. A lot of seats have them integrated though.

I know all of the Britax harnessed seats (except the Husky/Regent, which is big enough it generally uses the whole belt) have locking clips built onto the seat, not just for sliding belts but for helping to keep the whole thing tight and stable. I'm a huge fan of their seats. They're expensive, but totally worth in in my experience.

[musiclawyer]

20. Try Carsdirect

I have good succes eith them re newe cars and they have a good used car network. My oen rule of thumb--back for buck--buying new: american is as good as japanese or korean now a days and better than german. (of course if you have special needs like AWD or wagons, there are exceptions)

But buying used, anything made after 2000 go Korean. Their cars are just as good, if not more reliable, than anything else, but Hyundais and Kias depreciate faster and thus are a better value as used cars (probably because of legacy bad reputation from the 90's, though such reputation is fading from memory now).

[MrCoffee]

24. Not having a car payment is very attractive right now

Which is why we're looking at used rides.

I've always been much more comfortable buying a new car just for the peace of mind. It's my weirdness showing through.

[Midlodemocrat]

32. Same with MrMidlo. All of our family cars have been new.

THe only used one is the one we bought for TM. We bought it from a friend who had all the maintenance records and honestly, she doesn't drive very much anyway.

When you look at how much you lose by buying new, I think we were idiots.

[flvegan]

23. You know that if you're not buying new from GM, you're the anti-Christ, right?

[Midlodemocrat]

25. Those POS cars?

:hide:

[MrCoffee]

29. Waaaaa...I loved my new (to me, bought in 06) Chevy!

It was a schweet ride, man. Now it's resting comfortably in a junkyard somewhere, and I'm sweating bullets over a used car.

[flvegan]

33. You had

an HHR, right?

[MrCoffee]

35. I did...le sigh

I'd recommend them to anybody. Would love a new one.

[flvegan]

39. They make a slick SS model now, too.

I love the Nomad/Panel wagon look it kind of has.

Obviously held up well in the accident as well.

[MrCoffee]

42. It did everything you want a car to do in a side impact collision

Other than a little seat belt burn on BabyCoffee's neck and some soreness in MrsCoffee's neck/shoulders, everyone walked away.

And I could haul anything in that bad boy. 8' 2x4's, a half cord of firewood...it was a beast.


The SS models are NICE.

[Midlodemocrat]

43. I thought she was driving a Sienna?

I must have misread something. So glad everyone is okay, though.

[MrCoffee]

47. A Toyota?!?!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


No, seriously...

[Midlodemocrat]

48. You are a good American!

Until you buy that Volvo.

:patriot:

[LeftyMom]

49. Doesn't Ford own them?

[MrCoffee]

50. Beat me to it!!!

:rofl:

[flvegan]

52. Not built by UAW members, douchebag.

If Volvo was okay, he might as well buy a friggin Mazda.

[LeftyMom]

53. Only if he hates whales, Captain Ahab.

[MrCoffee]

55. Mazda? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

What am I, a 16 year old girl?

[kentauros]

44. You need a used car dealership like this one:

"We blow the living shit out of high prices at New Deal Used Cars!"

:rofl:

[MrCoffee]

46. We blew the shit out of that overpriced motherfucker!

LMFAO

[Mike 03]

51. If it's any consolation, there has probably never ever been a better time to look for

a used car. Or for that matter, even a new car. They are stacked up for miles, cars atop of cars, on offloaded ports on both coasts.

[MrCoffee]

54. That was my first argument for a new car...MrsCoffee wasn't buying it for a second.

[GOPisEvil]

56. I think you should grab this one!!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/ctd/954538446.html

:)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

57. OMG!!!

That's a hoot!! It's worth at LEAST 50 cents. Maybe.

Feel that SURGE OF POWER!

Same era as the "Greenhouse on Wheels" AMC (Rambler) Pacer!!

:rofl: :rofl: