YACT: Looking for a new car, give me some options

[iamwiz82]

I would like to trade in our 99 Cherokee(worth about $8500-$9000 at the dealer, i think) for something new. Here are my options so far.

1998-2000 Jeep Wrangler - buy it cheap and use $3000 to mod it
1997-1999 Audi A4 - Suprisingly cheap for a car with 50k miles, AWD and turbo, how reliable?
1996-1997 - Audi S4 - Found one for about $15,000, beautiful car
1997-1998 - Audi A6 - Saw a really nice Champagne wagon that even i would drive
1999-2000 - VW Passat - old body style, but still damned nice
1999 - Jeep Grand Cherokee - Trying to stay in the jeep family. I6
1997-1998 - Jeep Grand Cherokee - Old body style, very cheap, i know alot about them and their engines. V8
1999-2000 - 300M - I love the looks of it, interior looks like my neon, though

What other cars?

Now here are the things:

Both Actprincess and I love Jeeps however we also love to drive long distances. If we buy a wrangler, some of our drives would become annoying because of the ride/lack of space. I really love the ability to remove tops and doors though. The Grand Cherokees are a compromise between Jeep heritage and comfort. I love the Audis we have looked at however its not a Jeep. We would be able to drive all the time in them though. Gas mileage is a plus. Currently we put about 18,000 miles on the Cherokee since June of 2002. A car with good gas mileage would help the wallet and increase our spending budget. I do not want to own a Honda, Kia, Hyundai nor a GM, all other brands are open.

Its so hard... ARGH!

My max price is about $15000 and my CU offers 4.99% interest rate for financing, BTW. This would keep payments pretty much the same as I am paying now(financed at 10% :Q.)

 

[ElFenix]

get the grand cherokee. you're not going to be happy driving something thats not a jeep.

 

[radioouman]

You have a nice car. Don't go blow a bunch of money on something that depreciates. Invest your money, or buy a house or something.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Get an S4.

 

[007bond]

Unless your Cherokee is really loaded with options and such, I think your trade in estimate at a dealer is high. Check www.kbb.com to see what they tell you for your area. I just did an estimate for a normal Cherokee (4X4, regular options) and it said trade in was less than $5,500.

 

[Lola]

Originally posted by: 007bond
Unless your Cherokee is really loaded with options and such, I think your trade in estimate at a dealer is high. Check www.kbb.com to see what they tell you for your area. I just did an estimate for a normal Cherokee (4X4, regular options) and it said trade in was less than $5,500.

its not the sport model but the classic, which is right in the middle. not full leather but some, 6 CD player, etc.

In regards to the jeep thing, you are probably right, but i just fell in love with those Audi's

 

[NutBucket]

Grand Cherokees are not good highway cars. Short wheelbase and they require constant correction to keep them going straight. My $0.02

 

[ScoobMaster]

If you want to try a non-jeep and like to remove the top:

How about a 2001 Chrysler Sebring Convertable

Bunch of detail pictures

 

[Lola]

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster
If you want to try a non-jeep and like to remove the top:

How about a 2001 Chrysler Sebring Convertable

Bunch of detail pictures

i would like a convertable, but it seems to "female" even for me!

 

[aphex]

S4 if its in good condition....

 

[sxr7171]

S4 no question. If not, consider the other Audi/VW cars you mentioned, Audi/VW owners tend to stay in the family.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: radioouman
You have a nice car. Don't go blow a bunch of money on something that depreciates. Invest your money, or buy a house or something.

Eh... at this point i'm 20 and have not even begun to think about retirement and i dont plan on it til i am out of college. I would like to enjoy what little time i have left

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: 007bond
Unless your Cherokee is really loaded with options and such, I think your trade in estimate at a dealer is high. Check www.kbb.com to see what they tell you for your area. I just did an estimate for a normal Cherokee (4X4, regular options) and it said trade in was less than $5,500.

I am going by the prices of similar Cherokees at dealers right now. I saw a good amount selling for between $11500-$14000. KBB gives me a trade in value of $8500. It had nearly every option when we bought it.

Grand Cherokees are not good highway cars. Short wheelbase and they require constant correction to keep them going straight. My $0.02

No, Grand Cherokees are long wheel base. Wranglers are SWB.


Regarding the S4, i worry about the work that will be required on it, since it is bound to have beaten on.

 

[CraigRT]

300M would work nicely..
wish you could get a new 2004 model with the 18's and everything.. those cars are totally mint.

 

[BigSmooth]

Originally posted by: ActPrincess

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster
If you want to try a non-jeep and like to remove the top:

How about a 2001 Chrysler Sebring Convertable

Bunch of detail pictures

i would like a convertable, but it seems to "female" even for me!

There are very few "masculine" convertibles out there, and most of those that are would be way too expensive.
The Sebring isn't as "feminine" as a Miata or Cabrio, though.

 

[Lola]

Originally posted by: BigSmooth

Originally posted by: ActPrincess

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster
If you want to try a non-jeep and like to remove the top:

How about a 2001 Chrysler Sebring Convertable

Bunch of detail pictures

i would like a convertable, but it seems to "female" even for me!

There are very few "masculine" convertibles out there, and most of those that are would be way too expensive.
The Sebring isn't as "feminine" as a Miata or Cabrio, though.

LOL! Very true! i want a Wrangler though because there is just a "mystique" about driving around in the heat of summer topless!

 

[Saltin]

1999-2000 - VW Passat - old body style, but still damned nice

I was looking at pretty much all the cars you listed there (and the Nissan Altima 2002-2003 SE 3.5 as well), and I ended up buying a 99 Passat GLX V6 fully loaded.

It's a beautiful car, especially the interior. The fit and finish was only matched by Audi (go figure).
The engine really wants to go too. You get a sense that it wants to cruise at somewhere like 140-160 km/hour (I'm Canadian, eh?). At the speed limit (100km), it's barely exerting itself.

It handles like a dream with minimal body roll and corners very well.

The only complaint I have so far is the cup holders, which are complete crap, but that's not a major concern for me.

Take it for a drive anyhow... you can get them reasonably priced with low mileage. Mine came straight from VW off lease. 45k sticker, I paid less than 20k.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Saltin

1999-2000 - VW Passat - old body style, but still damned nice

I was looking at pretty much all the cars you listed there (and the Nissan Altima 2002-2003 SE 3.5 as well), and I ended up buying a 99 Passat GLX V6 fully loaded.

It's a beautiful car, especially the interior. The fit and finish was only matched by Audi (go figure).
The engine really wants to go too. You get a sense that it wants to cruise at somewhere like 140-160 km/hour (I'm Canadian, eh?). At the speed limit (100km), it's barely exerting itself.

It handles like a dream with minimal body roll and corners very well.

The only complaint I have so far is the cup holders, which are complete crap, but that's not a major concern for me.

Take it for a drive anyhow... you can get them reasonably priced with low mileage. Mine came straight from VW off lease. 45k sticker, I paid less than 20k.

Looking at VW dealerships, they outrageous over price their used cars. Similar ones are priced $4000-$5000 less on autotrader.

 

[Saltin]

Yeah dude, don't buy them from VW used, buy from a used car dealer that you can trust.

I ran reports on all the cars I looked at on Carfax.com, you plug in the VIN, and out comes it's history. Ask questions at the dealer and see if his answers jibe with your info.

Take the car in to a VW dealership before you buy it and have them run an inspection. It cost me $100. Your dealer pays for anything that needs fixing.

The only benifit to buying used from VW/Audi is the extended warranty, but you can buy a good third party used car warranty for about $1700 bucks, which still comes out cheaper (or go without a warranty).

VW (at least in Canada, so I am sure in US as well), often warehouse cars coming off lease and wait untill they have about 200 or so. Then they call in used dealers and have an auction. That's how the dealership I bought from got mine. I have the original contract the guy who leased the car signed. It was worth 45k and change MSRP. I paid 18,200 at 75,000 km, and the car really doesnt look a day old.

Make sure the car is off-lease, they are almost always well maintained and serviced.

 

[conjur]

If you get a Jeep Cherokee, pay close attention to the mileage and the condition of the transmission. At 100k miles you'll need a transmission rebuild. Jeep Cherokees, Chrysler Minivans, and Chrysler Sebrings (at least convertibles) from the mid to late 90s are very prone to transmission failures.

Personally, I'd get the A4...esp. if you could find one in that Pearl White color. SWEET!

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Why not look at 97-99 Maxima GLEs? Very good for long distance trips, lots of interior room, more than enough power, and finally cheap to buy and maintain. Plus they do look pretty good.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: conjur
If you get a Jeep Cherokee, pay close attention to the mileage and the condition of the transmission. At 100k miles you'll need a transmission rebuild. Jeep Cherokees, Chrysler Minivans, and Chrysler Sebrings (at least convertibles) from the mid to late 90s are very prone to transmission failures.

Personally, I'd get the A4...esp. if you could find one in that Pearl White color. SWEET!

Sorry, but you are wrong. The AW4 in the 4.0L Cherokees is fine, if not alittle overactive when downshifting. I have a 93 Grand Cherokee with the 46RH Tranny and it is still going after 117,000 miles and about 3 dozen offroading trips. It has been submerged, lost gears 2-3-4 while in the water, and had issues with shifting while being in 4Lo, and the damned thing wont die.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: conjur
If you get a Jeep Cherokee, pay close attention to the mileage and the condition of the transmission. At 100k miles you'll need a transmission rebuild. Jeep Cherokees, Chrysler Minivans, and Chrysler Sebrings (at least convertibles) from the mid to late 90s are very prone to transmission failures.

Personally, I'd get the A4...esp. if you could find one in that Pearl White color. SWEET!

Sorry, but you are wrong. The AW4 in the 4.0L Cherokees is fine, if not alittle overactive when downshifting. I have a 93 Grand Cherokee with the 46RH Tranny and it is still going after 117,000 miles and about 3 dozen offroading trips. It has been submerged, lost gears 2-3-4 while in the water, and had issues with shifting while being in 4Lo, and the damned thing wont die.

Just going off the experiences from a transmission shop my dad worked at after he retired from G.E. The guy who runs the shop makes his living off of Chrysler transmissions. Plus, had my own rebuilt at about 110k miles.

 

[BigSmooth]

Here's an offbeat suggestion - what about Saab? The 9-5 has both a wagon and a sedan available, and you could get a '99 or even a 2000 for $15K if you look around. There's also the smaller, cheaper 9-3, which has a convertible version if you want to go that route.

They're expensive new but the depreciation is pretty bad, so they're relatively cheap used. I don't really have any experience with Saabs (although they usually get decent reviews), it's just a thought. Everyone always says you have to test-drive Saabs to see if you like them.

 

[Lola]

Originally posted by: BigSmooth
Here's an offbeat suggestion - what about Saab? The 9-5 has both a wagon and a sedan available, and you could get a '99 or even a 2000 for $15K if you look around. There's also the smaller, cheaper 9-3, which has a convertible version if you want to go that route.

They're expensive new but the depreciation is pretty bad, so they're relatively cheap used. I don't really have any experience with Saabs (although they usually get decent reviews), it's just a thought. Everyone always says you have to test-drive Saabs to see if you like them.

thats a good idea! it never really crossed our minds but...hmmm.... i like the 9-3 convertable idea!
thanks!