YACT

[nakedfrog]

Mercury Marauder?

 

[MonkeyK]

Originally posted by: notfred
I still don't get why someone who's dropping $30k on a car cares if it gets 20mpg or 30 mpg.

60 months financing on a 30k car, with no interest, is $500/month.

Gas at $2.25/gallon, 1000 miles/month at 20 mpg: $112.50/month
Gas at $2.25/gallon, 1000 miles/month at 30 mpg: $75/month

Money saved on gas/month by getting the car with better mileage: $37.50

Savings as a percentage of cost of car+gas: 6%
If you include full coverage insurance, that drops down to 5% or less.
If you include the cost of financing, it's even less, probably not above 4%.

So, you have a 20% price margin as far as the car you can afford ($25k to $30k) but you're concerned about a 4% increase in costs due to gas mileage? I just don't get that.

Cause it's not all about the money? If it was, I would be looking for the cheapest car that I can stand.

My wife's one input into the car selection is that it should get at least as good mileage as our 2000 Contour V6. Her reasoning (and I can see it) is that we vote for what we want car companies to do with our money. Buying cars with better mileage tells the car companies that mileage is important.

That and the warm fuzzy feeling that I get from reducing my impact on the environment.

 

[MonkeyK]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input, you've given me some info to consider. Right now its between

-a fully loaded Mazda6
-a fully loaded Honda Accord
-a fully loaded Volvo C40
-a minimally equiped Volvo C60

 

[BigSmooth]

I really like the Mazda 6 for value in this segment. The extra storage of the hatch or wagon would be great if you have kids and they're still reasonably fun to drive. I'd go for a V6 wagon myself, but the 4-cyl hatch would get slightly better gas mileage.

 

[AU Tiger]

How often do you trade in? Mazdas usually do not hold their value well.

 

[Stark]

volvo V50 (in dealers next month)

I'm selling my TDI Golf and buying one around christmas time.

second choice for me was mazda 6 sportwagon

 

[nakedfrog]

In that case, go Mazda6.

 

[GeneValgene]

Originally posted by: MonkeyK
Oooo, looks like I could get a V6 Accord with a navigation system for < 30K.

i think this is a great option. a fully loaded accord, with metal trim and navigation, looks sweet.

 

[MonkeyK]

Originally posted by: AU Tiger
How often do you trade in? Mazdas usually do not hold their value well.

Not very often, this car is actually replacing a '97 Contour so that makes it 8 years this time around.

 

[MonkeyK]

AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

So I get home and start to talk cars with my wife and she tells me that for some reason she thinks a car should cost $15K!

This after just telling me the night before that she wanted to target 25K-30K!

On the other hand, it kind of makes it easier to buy a car since there are not many options at 15K...

 

[Kroze]

Can't go wrong with Honda &amp; their 4 cylinders workhorse. Plus their reliability rating is top notch.

I think Honda perfected the 4 cylinders segment out of all the car makers.

 

[gunblade]

Originally posted by: MonkeyK
AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

So I get home and start to talk cars with my wife and she tells me that for some reason she thinks a car should cost $15K!

This after just telling me the night before that she wanted to target 25K-30K!

On the other hand, it kind of makes it easier to buy a car since there are not many options at 15K...

I think with your ford discount, you should be able to get mazda 6 i4 reasonalby equipped.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Kroze
Can't go wrong with Honda &amp; their 4 cylinders workhorse. Plus their reliability rating is top notch.

I think Honda perfected the 4 cylinders segment out of all the car makers.

I'm biased towards Toyota myself.

Granted, their econoboxes are boring, but there is NOTHING else wrong with them. Even more reliable than Honda (though once you get up there in reliability, the differences are minimal)

 

[OS]

buy an accord LX i4. They are about 18k invoice, which is pretty easy to get. I have one and gas mileage is great. I see 30 mpg in mixed driving.

The V6 is a waste if you are not one to drive hard. The current I4 is already as fast as the previous generation V6.

 

[Kroze]

I hate working on domestic cars from my personal experience working in a very high volume auto mechanic shop. I think they hire some of the dumbest engineers i've could've imagined.

Everything is a lot more difficult to replaced &amp; get to. I swear i wanted to beat them on the spot if i see them on the street and introduced themselves as engineer for makers such as Cadillac, Chevy, Ford etc...


Ever do a tune up on some of those older models V8 Cadi? it's like impossible trying to get to the 4 spark plugs that's facing the damn firewall since it's like 1 inch of clearance from the engine and the damn wall!