Car Market going forward (5 Viewers)

[culdeus]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

 

[Sullie]

Raised in a family that doesn't believe in car payments. Driving a used 2015 Honda Civic around the northern US for the last 5 years. Got it at 26K miles, up to 88K. It has been economical, but man alive..... it's eating away at my soul this snowy winter.

I could really use a pick-me-up....

Enter an ad for an 2004 F-150 with 200K miles on it Asking $4,000 OBO. Checks all the boxes for what you would like to see in a CL ad for a very high mileage vehicle (single owner, cosmetic defects well documented, affluent part of town). Appears to have potential for "good" fair condition that's in the neighborhood of $1K below KBB private party at their full asking price.

If I check it out and it runs as well as can be expected, just how bad of an idea would it be to shell out $3800 on something like this? I mean, is there any chance I could have good luck, get 30-40K miles and a few years out of it? Or would it just be an instant and unrelenting cash drain from the moment of purchase at that kind of mileage? I would never throw away $5K with that kind of mileage, but.... I might be open to gambling if it's checking in below $4K. Something like this is probably the only avenue in which someone like me might actually own a truck in my life. Is this as bad of an idea as I'm thinking it probably is?

STOP! Do your homework on this please. I own a 2021 V8 Ford F-150 so I'm not a hater or any of that non-sense, I love the hell out of my F-150, I love trucks in general (this is my 2nd) but I think it's important you understand what you're buying. The 2004-2013 5.4l 3V engine can be problematic so you need to learn and understand why this is. It's not some yahoo from the internet spouting off about his anecdotal experience, there are proven problems with that engine. Please don't take my word for it though, google it, duck duck go it, whatever search engine you use. The 5.4l 2V was a fantastic engine that I think debuted in 1997. However, starting in 2004 Ford went from 2V to 3V and from everything I've researched, from 2004 to 2009 there ware A LOT of problems that cropped up, it seems like I still see SOME issues from 2010-2013 which would still give me pause. Again, please don't take my word for it, do your homework first.

Examples :
Car Wizard 1
Car Wizard 2
Car Wizard 3
More

 

[matttyl]

Always been a used car guy. Currently have a 2012 toyota rav4 and a 2013 Chevy Tahoe (something to tow 5k pound camper). No car payment in a few years now and live that part - but this past year or so noticed PP taxes go up on them and most recently auto insurance rates went up steeply due to increase prices in the used car market. How long will those that last?

 

[In The Zone]

Was talking to my second cousin a couple of months ago and he gave my sister and I this card.

Million Mile Mercedes


He contacted MB and they had no interest in his car.

 

[MTskibum]

Raised in a family that doesn't believe in car payments. Driving a used 2015 Honda Civic around the northern US for the last 5 years. Got it at 26K miles, up to 88K. It has been economical, but man alive..... it's eating away at my soul this snowy winter.

I could really use a pick-me-up....

Enter an ad for an 2004 F-150 with 200K miles on it Asking $4,000 OBO. Checks all the boxes for what you would like to see in a CL ad for a very high mileage vehicle (single owner, cosmetic defects well documented, affluent part of town). Appears to have potential for "good" fair condition that's in the neighborhood of $1K below KBB private party at their full asking price.

If I check it out and it runs as well as can be expected, just how bad of an idea would it be to shell out $3800 on something like this? I mean, is there any chance I could have good luck, get 30-40K miles and a few years out of it? Or would it just be an instant and unrelenting cash drain from the moment of purchase at that kind of mileage? I would never throw away $5K with that kind of mileage, but.... I might be open to gambling if it's checking in below $4K. Something like this is probably the only avenue in which someone like me might actually own a truck in my life. Is this as bad of an idea as I'm thinking it probably is?

If you want an old/cheap full size truck i would stick with toyota. Those first generation tundra's were tanks, incidentally also one of 2 vehicles I have had over 200k miles without issue.

You could be fine with that vehicle though, my brother has close to 250k on his old f150 and is not being nickled and dimed on it.

 

[pollardsvision]

Raised in a family that doesn't believe in car payments. Driving a used 2015 Honda Civic around the northern US for the last 5 years. Got it at 26K miles, up to 88K. It has been economical, but man alive..... it's eating away at my soul this snowy winter.

I could really use a pick-me-up....

Enter an ad for an 2004 F-150 with 200K miles on it Asking $4,000 OBO. Checks all the boxes for what you would like to see in a CL ad for a very high mileage vehicle (single owner, cosmetic defects well documented, affluent part of town). Appears to have potential for "good" fair condition that's in the neighborhood of $1K below KBB private party at their full asking price.

If I check it out and it runs as well as can be expected, just how bad of an idea would it be to shell out $3800 on something like this? I mean, is there any chance I could have good luck, get 30-40K miles and a few years out of it? Or would it just be an instant and unrelenting cash drain from the moment of purchase at that kind of mileage? I would never throw away $5K with that kind of mileage, but.... I might be open to gambling if it's checking in below $4K. Something like this is probably the only avenue in which someone like me might actually own a truck in my life. Is this as bad of an idea as I'm thinking it probably is?

If you want an old/cheap full size truck i would stick with toyota. Those first generation tundra's were tanks, incidentally also one of 2 vehicles I have had over 200k miles without issue.

You could be fine with that vehicle though, my brother has close to 250k on his old f150 and is not being nickled and dimed on it.

Agreed. Although the market for used Toyota trucks and 4Runners is a particularly wild one. On the rare occasion that somebody actually wants to sell one.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Raised in a family that doesn't believe in car payments. Driving a used 2015 Honda Civic around the northern US for the last 5 years. Got it at 26K miles, up to 88K. It has been economical, but man alive..... it's eating away at my soul this snowy winter.

I could really use a pick-me-up....

Enter an ad for an 2004 F-150 with 200K miles on it Asking $4,000 OBO. Checks all the boxes for what you would like to see in a CL ad for a very high mileage vehicle (single owner, cosmetic defects well documented, affluent part of town). Appears to have potential for "good" fair condition that's in the neighborhood of $1K below KBB private party at their full asking price.

If I check it out and it runs as well as can be expected, just how bad of an idea would it be to shell out $3800 on something like this? I mean, is there any chance I could have good luck, get 30-40K miles and a few years out of it? Or would it just be an instant and unrelenting cash drain from the moment of purchase at that kind of mileage? I would never throw away $5K with that kind of mileage, but.... I might be open to gambling if it's checking in below $4K. Something like this is probably the only avenue in which someone like me might actually own a truck in my life. Is this as bad of an idea as I'm thinking it probably is?

If you want an old/cheap full size truck i would stick with toyota. Those first generation tundra's were tanks, incidentally also one of 2 vehicles I have had over 200k miles without issue.

You could be fine with that vehicle though, my brother has close to 250k on his old f150 and is not being nickled and dimed on it.

Agreed. Although the market for used Toyota trucks and 4Runners is a particularly wild one. On the rare occasion that somebody actually wants to sell one.

The young man who sells me weed was giddy when he found a first gen Tacoma with 8k miles for cheap (IIRC he said $12k).

Uses it for just dirt bikes. Lol. Super smart kid. Doesn't flash his money around and has a degree and full time job.

I’m so proud of him.

 

[stbugs]

Auto repairs: 1st of all this thread made me realize it's far better to have some repairs done on my car or some preventative maintenance I had been holding off and rather than try to chase down a good deal on a used car or even a new EV since I was romancing that idea, and just prefer to hang on to what i have and fix some things up. Maybe I will sell this old Volvo for more than i thought I could but then I still have to find a new car to purchase or flip into.

I was holding off on new tires, 4 BF Goodrich out the door with tax and everything almost $900 which seemed high to me. I thought normal tires on a 4 door sedan should be in the $600 range but maybe I'm fooling myself. Michelin were almost $1,100 for 4 new tires. But still, this pales in comparison to purchasing a new car right now or a used-new car.

I also did some recon work and the best deal I could find that I felt was worth the money was a 2020/2021 S60, 10K miles on a big dealer lot in WPB and they had lowered the asking price to $27,999 or $28k which for a car with super low miles, still a little high but wasn't as outlandish as I was expecting. More miles, maybe around $25k-$26k, still a nice ride vs any new car under $30k, much rather shop the used market.

Toyo45k-$660, BFGood65k-$825, Michelin-$1,050 and Continental about the same as Michelin
Prices are 4 tires and all the tax, mounting and any other jargon they can squeeze in there

I don't know where you're looking for tires, but Discount Tire is the best place to go for price and service. Can't recommend a place any more highly than them.

I usually always use Costco for tires. Since I have 4 cars under my roof now it sure seems like I am always buying tires. I don’t think we have a car that doesn’t get 10k+ miles per year. My RX needs new tires soon and Costco has Michelin’s at $150 off 4 tires this month. I’ve looked around and when adding in road hazard and install, it always comes out cheaper but they don’t have the full set of options. I’ve had to use the road hazard 3 times in the past couple years so it has saved me some cash as 2 we’re almost brand new.

I will say that tires are way more than they used to be and Costco used to have every part of the install included but I’ve noticed a small install charge on the last set we got.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

Raised in a family that doesn't believe in car payments. Driving a used 2015 Honda Civic around the northern US for the last 5 years. Got it at 26K miles, up to 88K. It has been economical, but man alive..... it's eating away at my soul this snowy winter.

I could really use a pick-me-up....

Enter an ad for an 2004 F-150 with 200K miles on it Asking $4,000 OBO. Checks all the boxes for what you would like to see in a CL ad for a very high mileage vehicle (single owner, cosmetic defects well documented, affluent part of town). Appears to have potential for "good" fair condition that's in the neighborhood of $1K below KBB private party at their full asking price.

If I check it out and it runs as well as can be expected, just how bad of an idea would it be to shell out $3800 on something like this? I mean, is there any chance I could have good luck, get 30-40K miles and a few years out of it? Or would it just be an instant and unrelenting cash drain from the moment of purchase at that kind of mileage? I would never throw away $5K with that kind of mileage, but.... I might be open to gambling if it's checking in below $4K. Something like this is probably the only avenue in which someone like me might actually own a truck in my life. Is this as bad of an idea as I'm thinking it probably is?

STOP! Do your homework on this please. I own a 2021 V8 Ford F-150 so I'm not a hater or any of that non-sense, I love the hell out of my F-150, I love trucks in general (this is my 2nd) but I think it's important you understand what you're buying. The 2004-2013 5.4l 3V engine can be problematic so you need to learn and understand why this is. It's not some yahoo from the internet spouting off about his anecdotal experience, there are proven problems with that engine. Please don't take my word for it though, google it, duck duck go it, whatever search engine you use. The 5.4l 2V was a fantastic engine that I think debuted in 1997. However, starting in 2004 Ford went from 2V to 3V and from everything I've researched, from 2004 to 2009 there ware A LOT of problems that cropped up, it seems like I still see SOME issues from 2010-2013 which would still give me pause. Again, please don't take my word for it, do your homework first.

Examples :
Car Wizard 1
Car Wizard 2
Car Wizard 3
More

Really good advice and a really good youtube channel here. Looks like I found the #1 lemon year in a series of years for the F-150. Just another case of getting what you pay for, if something seems like too good of a deal, etc...

Unfortunately, it brings me back to the reality that I really don't need a truck for my purposes, nor should I be shelling out $8-12K for a quality high mileage one. I used to rely heavily on my parents old SUV if I ever needed to move something bulky. That option disappeared, but I can always rent from Menards or Home Depot by the hour for the few times I need something.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Auto repairs: 1st of all this thread made me realize it's far better to have some repairs done on my car or some preventative maintenance I had been holding off and rather than try to chase down a good deal on a used car or even a new EV since I was romancing that idea, and just prefer to hang on to what i have and fix some things up. Maybe I will sell this old Volvo for more than i thought I could but then I still have to find a new car to purchase or flip into.

I was holding off on new tires, 4 BF Goodrich out the door with tax and everything almost $900 which seemed high to me. I thought normal tires on a 4 door sedan should be in the $600 range but maybe I'm fooling myself. Michelin were almost $1,100 for 4 new tires. But still, this pales in comparison to purchasing a new car right now or a used-new car.

I also did some recon work and the best deal I could find that I felt was worth the money was a 2020/2021 S60, 10K miles on a big dealer lot in WPB and they had lowered the asking price to $27,999 or $28k which for a car with super low miles, still a little high but wasn't as outlandish as I was expecting. More miles, maybe around $25k-$26k, still a nice ride vs any new car under $30k, much rather shop the used market.

Toyo45k-$660, BFGood65k-$825, Michelin-$1,050 and Continental about the same as Michelin
Prices are 4 tires and all the tax, mounting and any other jargon they can squeeze in there

I don't know where you're looking for tires, but Discount Tire is the best place to go for price and service. Can't recommend a place any more highly than them.

I usually always use Costco for tires. Since I have 4 cars under my roof now it sure seems like I am always buying tires. I don’t think we have a car that doesn’t get 10k+ miles per year. My RX needs new tires soon and Costco has Michelin’s at $150 off 4 tires this month. I’ve looked around and when adding in road hazard and install, it always comes out cheaper but they don’t have the full set of options. I’ve had to use the road hazard 3 times in the past couple years so it has saved me some cash as 2 we’re almost brand new.

I will say that tires are way more than they used to be and Costco used to have every part of the install included but I’ve noticed a small install charge on the last set we got.

Discount Tire will match any price. And I find their service to be far more flexible and reliable.

 

[stbugs]

Auto repairs: 1st of all this thread made me realize it's far better to have some repairs done on my car or some preventative maintenance I had been holding off and rather than try to chase down a good deal on a used car or even a new EV since I was romancing that idea, and just prefer to hang on to what i have and fix some things up. Maybe I will sell this old Volvo for more than i thought I could but then I still have to find a new car to purchase or flip into.

I was holding off on new tires, 4 BF Goodrich out the door with tax and everything almost $900 which seemed high to me. I thought normal tires on a 4 door sedan should be in the $600 range but maybe I'm fooling myself. Michelin were almost $1,100 for 4 new tires. But still, this pales in comparison to purchasing a new car right now or a used-new car.

I also did some recon work and the best deal I could find that I felt was worth the money was a 2020/2021 S60, 10K miles on a big dealer lot in WPB and they had lowered the asking price to $27,999 or $28k which for a car with super low miles, still a little high but wasn't as outlandish as I was expecting. More miles, maybe around $25k-$26k, still a nice ride vs any new car under $30k, much rather shop the used market.

Toyo45k-$660, BFGood65k-$825, Michelin-$1,050 and Continental about the same as Michelin
Prices are 4 tires and all the tax, mounting and any other jargon they can squeeze in there

I don't know where you're looking for tires, but Discount Tire is the best place to go for price and service. Can't recommend a place any more highly than them.

I usually always use Costco for tires. Since I have 4 cars under my roof now it sure seems like I am always buying tires. I don’t think we have a car that doesn’t get 10k+ miles per year. My RX needs new tires soon and Costco has Michelin’s at $150 off 4 tires this month. I’ve looked around and when adding in road hazard and install, it always comes out cheaper but they don’t have the full set of options. I’ve had to use the road hazard 3 times in the past couple years so it has saved me some cash as 2 we’re almost brand new.

I will say that tires are way more than they used to be and Costco used to have every part of the install included but I’ve noticed a small install charge on the last set we got.

Discount Tire will match any price. And I find their service to be far more flexible and reliable.

The tires are about the same prices including installation with one difference. Costco includes a free prorated road hazard warranty and Discount Tire charges $170ish with no prorating based on the ones I looked at. I haven’t needed it more than once yet on a set. The $170 is almost 1 tire’s cost so I think I’m better off with the free prorated one. Never had a problem with Costco’s service and they are building a new one closer to us too. I just setup an appointment and shop while I wait.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

MoP Jr

-He's a lot better at this than I am. He also has a Grandfather that works on cars and trucks, about 4-5 years ago his Papa got him a 2003 Ford Ranger when he returned to Florida after HS, rebuilt engine and the shell was $1,000-$1,500 and then you add up all the things to make it run well and they likely invested $3k and it has 210,000 miles on it now. My son buys things to go on the truck, it almost looks brand new and he takes good care of it.

-He's buying a new truck but that's relative. His papa was able to locate and secure a Ford Explorer Sport Trac(he's a ford guy) as I think they call them, 4 doors on this one, short truck bed but he doesn't haul a lot of stuff, $2k for the truck, think it's '07 or '09, another $2k for the rebuilt engine or engine and the rebuild job it takes his papa. 135,000 miles, beautiful coat of white paint doesn't seem to have a lot of chips or dents, etc...and he is selling the Ranger, he already has someone that wants to give him almost $7k for the old Ranger, i told him take $5k or $6k since he didn't pay a lot for it and he's way gotten his money's worth out of it.

23 yrs old and NO CAR PAYMENTS ever in his life.
He's saved up quite a bit of money and is looking to get pre-approved to buy a home next week.
I'm kind of proud of him. Also jealous, I was in my 30s before I could ever think about buying a home. We attack Zillow and Realtor.com together where he's at in Pinellas County, not a lot of deals for young people looking to be come first time homebuyers. I've been trying to teach him about 203k rehab loans, that's how my wife and I purchased our first home. That's a different topic all together but it's funny how being wise or saving money in one area can lead to an opportunity to invest in another area.

 

[Hawks64]

Auto repairs: 1st of all this thread made me realize it's far better to have some repairs done on my car or some preventative maintenance I had been holding off and rather than try to chase down a good deal on a used car or even a new EV since I was romancing that idea, and just prefer to hang on to what i have and fix some things up. Maybe I will sell this old Volvo for more than i thought I could but then I still have to find a new car to purchase or flip into.

I was holding off on new tires, 4 BF Goodrich out the door with tax and everything almost $900 which seemed high to me. I thought normal tires on a 4 door sedan should be in the $600 range but maybe I'm fooling myself. Michelin were almost $1,100 for 4 new tires. But still, this pales in comparison to purchasing a new car right now or a used-new car.

I also did some recon work and the best deal I could find that I felt was worth the money was a 2020/2021 S60, 10K miles on a big dealer lot in WPB and they had lowered the asking price to $27,999 or $28k which for a car with super low miles, still a little high but wasn't as outlandish as I was expecting. More miles, maybe around $25k-$26k, still a nice ride vs any new car under $30k, much rather shop the used market.

Toyo45k-$660, BFGood65k-$825, Michelin-$1,050 and Continental about the same as Michelin
Prices are 4 tires and all the tax, mounting and any other jargon they can squeeze in there

I don't know where you're looking for tires, but Discount Tire is the best place to go for price and service. Can't recommend a place any more highly than them.

I think TireRack.com coupled with a local partner is the best from a price perspective.

 

[pollardsvision]

Raised in a family that doesn't believe in car payments. Driving a used 2015 Honda Civic around the northern US for the last 5 years. Got it at 26K miles, up to 88K. It has been economical, but man alive..... it's eating away at my soul this snowy winter.

I could really use a pick-me-up....

Enter an ad for an 2004 F-150 with 200K miles on it Asking $4,000 OBO. Checks all the boxes for what you would like to see in a CL ad for a very high mileage vehicle (single owner, cosmetic defects well documented, affluent part of town). Appears to have potential for "good" fair condition that's in the neighborhood of $1K below KBB private party at their full asking price.

If I check it out and it runs as well as can be expected, just how bad of an idea would it be to shell out $3800 on something like this? I mean, is there any chance I could have good luck, get 30-40K miles and a few years out of it? Or would it just be an instant and unrelenting cash drain from the moment of purchase at that kind of mileage? I would never throw away $5K with that kind of mileage, but.... I might be open to gambling if it's checking in below $4K. Something like this is probably the only avenue in which someone like me might actually own a truck in my life. Is this as bad of an idea as I'm thinking it probably is?

STOP! Do your homework on this please. I own a 2021 V8 Ford F-150 so I'm not a hater or any of that non-sense, I love the hell out of my F-150, I love trucks in general (this is my 2nd) but I think it's important you understand what you're buying. The 2004-2013 5.4l 3V engine can be problematic so you need to learn and understand why this is. It's not some yahoo from the internet spouting off about his anecdotal experience, there are proven problems with that engine. Please don't take my word for it though, google it, duck duck go it, whatever search engine you use. The 5.4l 2V was a fantastic engine that I think debuted in 1997. However, starting in 2004 Ford went from 2V to 3V and from everything I've researched, from 2004 to 2009 there ware A LOT of problems that cropped up, it seems like I still see SOME issues from 2010-2013 which would still give me pause. Again, please don't take my word for it, do your homework first.

Examples :
Car Wizard 1
Car Wizard 2
Car Wizard 3
More

Really good advice and a really good youtube channel here. Looks like I found the #1 lemon year in a series of years for the F-150. Just another case of getting what you pay for, if something seems like too good of a deal, etc...

Unfortunately, it brings me back to the reality that I really don't need a truck for my purposes, nor should I be shelling out $8-12K for a quality high mileage one. I used to rely heavily on my parents old SUV if I ever needed to move something bulky. That option disappeared, but I can always rent from Menards or Home Depot by the hour for the few times I need something.

For a cheap alternatives to a truck, an old minivan, Subaru, or even 4 door hatchback would solve the needs for most people hauling the occasional bulky item.
A trailer hitch and small trailer would solve almost all the needs (assuming the loads aren't crazy).

And the hardware store rental you mention is probably the better option.

Car dearlerships make a lot money on the guy that needs possibly to haul a couch or some lumber every 3 years, and convinces himself that a $70K truck is the only solution.

 

[massraider]

Car dearlerships make a lot money on the guy that needs possibly to haul a couch or some lumber every 3 years, and convinces himself that a $70K truck is the only solution.

It's amazing.

Really tho, vast majority of pickup truck owners who don't use them for work, they just like them. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Sullie]

Car dearlerships make a lot money on the guy that needs possibly to haul a couch or some lumber every 3 years, and convinces himself that a $70K truck is the only solution.

It's amazing.

Really tho, vast majority of pickup truck owners who don't use them for work, they just like them. Nothing wrong with that.

This is where I'm at. I owned a 2005 Subaru Outback XT Limited 5-speed that I purchased new in 2006. It was amazing at everything, it could haul almost anything but I still needed to rent a pickup now and then and almost every time I rented a pickup truck, I got the itch more and more to get one. So, I spoiled myself with my F-150. Do I need it? Absolutely not. Is it way over the top? Yes. Did I pay too much for it? Absolutely! Am I over indulging myself? 100% Does it give me a massive chubby every time I glance at it? Yes, yes it does. I'm gonna be honest here, I love the living hell out of my truck and I NEVER, EVER, EVER wanted a pickup truck until a few years ago. I thought they made sense for people in the trades, people on job sites, people with trailers, boats, RV's. Why in the hell would some dork in the suburbs need a mall rated 4x4 tarted up pickup truck? I have no idea but I love the ever living hell out of it.

One thing I will say and I think people should digest this. Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota and perhaps Nissan (I don't know) but I am certain that the Americans plus Toyota sell way more trucks/suv's than cars, way, way more. So what? I mean who cares and what does that have to do with anything? If I'm a vehicle manufacturer and I sell more trucks/suv's than cars then where I am putting all my R&D, money and investing most of my money, technology and putting my best engineers? Trucks and SUV's naturally. I haven't been impressed with a new sedan in years but almost every time I look at a new SUV or truck my socks are blown off. Just leaving that there for people to think about.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

Well, the first part (Texas) I can't speak for, no idea about laws there. But as far as buying a Toyota (or even Lexus, same thing, just higher end as you know -- the goal here is getting good value, a car that will last longer than most while also needing less maintenance). Also, a car that hasn't been driven into the ground by a younger, likely aggressive driver who also may have lapsed with proper maintenance.

Buy a one-owner car -- preferably Japanese-made -- from someone over 50 (older the better). Low mileage will cost you of course, and there are sharks to fight with for those, but worth it in the long run. But even with the higher mileage ones (easier to acquire), the limited wear from the owner all those years makes them great deals. And those type of owners very likely took better care of their cars. Those things will go another 100,000 and cost little along the way.

Having combed every site out there for used cars about 4 - 6 years ago, (for the wife, 2 kids and myself), I actually found it pretty easy to "profile" or cess out, whatever you want to call it, on previous owners of the cars. It takes some leg-work but you can absolutely narrow it down. And often fairly quickly in many cases, by just getting the seller on the horn. Or, just meeting them. And when you start asking questions and whatnot, you can tell if they're full of it. It's actually pretty easy, imo. And also have a mechanic nearby already set up to look over the car for you. Very well worth the money, especially compared to what you are about to spend. I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. I had mechanics find stuff I never wold've found and likely saved me nightmares and for sure, a bunch of money.

Such a simple, yet super important aspect, that people don't take the time to do. I have a one story that is too long to tell but holy crap, did the mechanic find something that no buyer ever would've noticed/found.

The cars we've ended up with have been great deals. Except for maybe mine, which I love anyway. It just costs more for maintenance than I was hoping for. But I also knew that going in.

So yeah, it was fairly easy to find older owners of reliable cars (Toyotas imo, and Hondas as well) that will last for a LONG time, with low maintenance costs. It just takes more time and patience. And a larger market to pick through also helps of course.

 

[pollardsvision]

Car dearlerships make a lot money on the guy that needs possibly to haul a couch or some lumber every 3 years, and convinces himself that a $70K truck is the only solution.

It's amazing.

Really tho, vast majority of pickup truck owners who don't use them for work, they just like them. Nothing wrong with that.

Absolutely. With cars and anything else, buy what you like and tell everybody else to kiss your ***.

 

[pollardsvision]

Car dearlerships make a lot money on the guy that needs possibly to haul a couch or some lumber every 3 years, and convinces himself that a $70K truck is the only solution.

It's amazing.

Really tho, vast majority of pickup truck owners who don't use them for work, they just like them. Nothing wrong with that.

This is where I'm at. I owned a 2005 Subaru Outback XT Limited 5-speed that I purchased new in 2006. It was amazing at everything, it could haul almost anything but I still needed to rent a pickup now and then and almost every time I rented a pickup truck, I got the itch more and more to get one. So, I spoiled myself with my F-150. Do I need it? Absolutely not. Is it way over the top? Yes. Did I pay too much for it? Absolutely! Am I over indulging myself? 100% Does it give me a massive chubby every time I glance at it? Yes, yes it does. I'm gonna be honest here, I love the living hell out of my truck and I NEVER, EVER, EVER wanted a pickup truck until a few years ago. I thought they made sense for people in the trades, people on job sites, people with trailers, boats, RV's. Why in the hell would some dork in the suburbs need a mall rated 4x4 tarted up pickup truck? I have no idea but I love the ever living hell out of it.

One thing I will say and I think people should digest this. Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota and perhaps Nissan (I don't know) but I am certain that the Americans plus Toyota sell way more trucks/suv's than cars, way, way more. So what? I mean who cares and what does that have to do with anything? If I'm a vehicle manufacturer and I sell more trucks/suv's than cars there where am I putting all my R&D, money and investing most of my money, technology and putting my best engineers? I haven't been impressed with a new sedan in years but almost every time I look at a new SUV or truck my socks are blown off. Just leaving that there for people to think about.

Nice.

On the R&D thing, I'm pretty sure Ford (absolutely), Chrysler, and GM got out of the Sedan market altogether. Only car Ford makes at all is the Mustang. Basically the same at GM and Chrysler (Camaro/Charger/sports cars only).

A combination of the sedan market drying up and not being able to make a sedan that doesn't suck. Think of all the different garbage sedans that have come out of Detroit over the last 40 years, and the Camry and Accord just keep chugging along.

As you say, could be they just never put the R&D money into it because they didn't see the point.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I have pickup and I while I love it, Im not sure I would ever get another one. Id rather have that bed area covered and carpeted and I could still haul everything Im going to ever haul going forward. (As long as I can fit a 8x4 sheet of plywood/drwyall Im good.)

 

[MTskibum]

I have pickup and I while I love it, Im not sure I would ever get another one. Id rather have that bed area covered and carpeted and I could still haul everything Im going to ever haul going forward. (As long as I can fit a 8x4 sheet of plywood/drwyall Im good.)

This is my situation as well, I need a tow vehicle but not a pickup.

However, as expensive as pickups are the SUV built on the same platform is usually 10-15k more: tundra compared to Sequoia, Silverado compared to suburban, Tacoma compared to 4runner, etc.

That extra 3rd row seat is not worth the money imo, my wife already has a pilot with a 3rd row.

 

[culdeus]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

Well, the first part (Texas) I can't speak for, no idea about laws there. But as far as buying a Toyota (or even Lexus, same thing, just higher end as you know -- the goal here is getting good value, a car that will last longer than most while also needing less maintenance). Also, a car that hasn't been driven into the ground by a younger, likely aggressive driver who also may have lapsed with proper maintenance.

Buy a one-owner car -- preferably Japanese-made -- from someone over 50 (older the better). Low mileage will cost you of course, and there are sharks to fight with for those, but worth it in the long run. But even with the higher mileage ones (easier to acquire), the limited wear from the owner all those years makes them great deals. And those type of owners very likely took better care of their cars. Those things will go another 100,000 and cost little along the way.

Having combed every site out there for used cars about 4 - 6 years ago, (for the wife, 2 kids and myself), I actually found it pretty easy to "profile" or cess out, whatever you want to call it, on previous owners of the cars. It takes some leg-work but you can absolutely narrow it down. And often fairly quickly in many cases, by just getting the seller on the horn. Or, just meeting them. And when you start asking questions and whatnot, you can tell if they're full of it. It's actually pretty easy, imo. And also have a mechanic nearby already set up to look over the car for you. Very well worth the money, especially compared to what you are about to spend. I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. I had mechanics find stuff I never wold've found and likely saved me nightmares and for sure, a bunch of money.

Such a simple, yet super important aspect, that people don't take the time to do. I have a one story that is too long to tell but holy crap, did the mechanic find something that no buyer ever would've noticed/found.

The cars we've ended up with have been great deals. Except for maybe mine, which I love anyway. It just costs more for maintenance than I was hoping for. But I also knew that going in.

So yeah, it was fairly easy to find older owners of reliable cars (Toyotas imo, and Hondas as well) that will last for a LONG time, with low maintenance costs. It just takes more time and patience. And a larger market to pick through also helps of course.

I mean I get this but would challenge this information as boomer stuff. Japan hasn't really innovated in a decade. Quality of most other major makers has dramatically caught up.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

they had lowered the asking price to $27,999 or $28k which for a car with super low miles, still a little high but wasn't as outlandish as I was expecting.

LOL at the one dollar range there.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

Well, the first part (Texas) I can't speak for, no idea about laws there. But as far as buying a Toyota (or even Lexus, same thing, just higher end as you know -- the goal here is getting good value, a car that will last longer than most while also needing less maintenance). Also, a car that hasn't been driven into the ground by a younger, likely aggressive driver who also may have lapsed with proper maintenance.

Buy a one-owner car -- preferably Japanese-made -- from someone over 50 (older the better). Low mileage will cost you of course, and there are sharks to fight with for those, but worth it in the long run. But even with the higher mileage ones (easier to acquire), the limited wear from the owner all those years makes them great deals. And those type of owners very likely took better care of their cars. Those things will go another 100,000 and cost little along the way.

Having combed every site out there for used cars about 4 - 6 years ago, (for the wife, 2 kids and myself), I actually found it pretty easy to "profile" or cess out, whatever you want to call it, on previous owners of the cars. It takes some leg-work but you can absolutely narrow it down. And often fairly quickly in many cases, by just getting the seller on the horn. Or, just meeting them. And when you start asking questions and whatnot, you can tell if they're full of it. It's actually pretty easy, imo. And also have a mechanic nearby already set up to look over the car for you. Very well worth the money, especially compared to what you are about to spend. I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. I had mechanics find stuff I never wold've found and likely saved me nightmares and for sure, a bunch of money.

Such a simple, yet super important aspect, that people don't take the time to do. I have a one story that is too long to tell but holy crap, did the mechanic find something that no buyer ever would've noticed/found.

The cars we've ended up with have been great deals. Except for maybe mine, which I love anyway. It just costs more for maintenance than I was hoping for. But I also knew that going in.

So yeah, it was fairly easy to find older owners of reliable cars (Toyotas imo, and Hondas as well) that will last for a LONG time, with low maintenance costs. It just takes more time and patience. And a larger market to pick through also helps of course.

I mean I get this but would challenge this information as boomer stuff. Japan hasn't really innovated in a decade. Quality of most other major makers has dramatically caught up.

You could also say Japan hasn't really innovated in a decade -- which I'm not totally sure what that means, exactly -- because they got it down.

I mean just look at resale value. There's good reason they're not cheap. They last longer, with less maintenance. Still built better and last longer. And most built in America, last I checked, but can't confirm that and don't feel like digging it up. Just know that if I'm throwing down that kind of coin, then best built, longest-lasting, most reliable, lowest maintenance, are all at the top of my list.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

Well, the first part (Texas) I can't speak for, no idea about laws there. But as far as buying a Toyota (or even Lexus, same thing, just higher end as you know -- the goal here is getting good value, a car that will last longer than most while also needing less maintenance). Also, a car that hasn't been driven into the ground by a younger, likely aggressive driver who also may have lapsed with proper maintenance.

Buy a one-owner car -- preferably Japanese-made -- from someone over 50 (older the better). Low mileage will cost you of course, and there are sharks to fight with for those, but worth it in the long run. But even with the higher mileage ones (easier to acquire), the limited wear from the owner all those years makes them great deals. And those type of owners very likely took better care of their cars. Those things will go another 100,000 and cost little along the way.

Having combed every site out there for used cars about 4 - 6 years ago, (for the wife, 2 kids and myself), I actually found it pretty easy to "profile" or cess out, whatever you want to call it, on previous owners of the cars. It takes some leg-work but you can absolutely narrow it down. And often fairly quickly in many cases, by just getting the seller on the horn. Or, just meeting them. And when you start asking questions and whatnot, you can tell if they're full of it. It's actually pretty easy, imo. And also have a mechanic nearby already set up to look over the car for you. Very well worth the money, especially compared to what you are about to spend. I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. I had mechanics find stuff I never wold've found and likely saved me nightmares and for sure, a bunch of money.

Such a simple, yet super important aspect, that people don't take the time to do. I have a one story that is too long to tell but holy crap, did the mechanic find something that no buyer ever would've noticed/found.

The cars we've ended up with have been great deals. Except for maybe mine, which I love anyway. It just costs more for maintenance than I was hoping for. But I also knew that going in.

So yeah, it was fairly easy to find older owners of reliable cars (Toyotas imo, and Hondas as well) that will last for a LONG time, with low maintenance costs. It just takes more time and patience. And a larger market to pick through also helps of course.

I mean I get this but would challenge this information as boomer stuff. Japan hasn't really innovated in a decade. Quality of most other major makers has dramatically caught up.

To be fair you don’t have to innovate when you’ve been making dope cars since the 80s.

I’ve owned 7 Japanese made cars in my life. The only maintenance I’ve had had to do was change the oil, battery, break pads and eventually the mufflers/exhaust. We beat the snot out of those cars. I had a 84 accord manually that I drove for 4 years that I redlined every gear, every time everywhere I went. (I was young). The only negative I have is that the body panels are usually pretty weak. You can make a dent just by pressing on the panels with only your finger.

I’ve owned 4 American made cars, replaced the engine in 3 of them.
Off the top of my head I personally replaced a brake booster, a few calipers, transfercase another brake booster , radiators, fuel line, A/C condenser, it’s just goes on and on.

I’d buy another Tahoe, maybe.

Looking at used Subarus for the youngest daughter.

 

[nightmare]

How many of you guys bagging on pickups have ever ridden in one?
Newer pickups ride as good or better then most everything else
and they have good(not great) gas mileage.

 

[pollardsvision]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

Well, the first part (Texas) I can't speak for, no idea about laws there. But as far as buying a Toyota (or even Lexus, same thing, just higher end as you know -- the goal here is getting good value, a car that will last longer than most while also needing less maintenance). Also, a car that hasn't been driven into the ground by a younger, likely aggressive driver who also may have lapsed with proper maintenance.

Buy a one-owner car -- preferably Japanese-made -- from someone over 50 (older the better). Low mileage will cost you of course, and there are sharks to fight with for those, but worth it in the long run. But even with the higher mileage ones (easier to acquire), the limited wear from the owner all those years makes them great deals. And those type of owners very likely took better care of their cars. Those things will go another 100,000 and cost little along the way.

Having combed every site out there for used cars about 4 - 6 years ago, (for the wife, 2 kids and myself), I actually found it pretty easy to "profile" or cess out, whatever you want to call it, on previous owners of the cars. It takes some leg-work but you can absolutely narrow it down. And often fairly quickly in many cases, by just getting the seller on the horn. Or, just meeting them. And when you start asking questions and whatnot, you can tell if they're full of it. It's actually pretty easy, imo. And also have a mechanic nearby already set up to look over the car for you. Very well worth the money, especially compared to what you are about to spend. I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. I had mechanics find stuff I never wold've found and likely saved me nightmares and for sure, a bunch of money.

Such a simple, yet super important aspect, that people don't take the time to do. I have a one story that is too long to tell but holy crap, did the mechanic find something that no buyer ever would've noticed/found.

The cars we've ended up with have been great deals. Except for maybe mine, which I love anyway. It just costs more for maintenance than I was hoping for. But I also knew that going in.

So yeah, it was fairly easy to find older owners of reliable cars (Toyotas imo, and Hondas as well) that will last for a LONG time, with low maintenance costs. It just takes more time and patience. And a larger market to pick through also helps of course.

I mean I get this but would challenge this information as boomer stuff. Japan hasn't really innovated in a decade. Quality of most other major makers has dramatically caught up.

Liking old Japanese cars is a boomer thing? We must be hanging out with very different boomers.

As a generation, they coined the term "rice burner" when Toyota/Honda dared to sell anything other than a 2-door 18 foot car that got 7 miles per gallon.
These days, I'd guess they are still far more likely to be driving American made vehicles. It ain't 25 year old's buying Buick's and Chevy Equinox's (Equini?)

Japanese car snobbery is more of a Gen X/Millenial thing, I would think.

 

[Buckna]

Pre-mid 2000’s Japanese vehicles were bullet proof, but manufacturers (Toyota specifically) leaned hard into globalization and cost cutting around ‘07 or so in a bid for market share and profits. Because of tariffs, a lot of manufacturing/assembly also got moved out of Japan as well which also degraded quality (sorry UAW members.) I’m not quite as sure the Americans caught up so much as globalization and desire for stock prices caused a lot of international car companies to backslide. You’re better off researching individual models and years than just assuming “oh I can just buy a used Camry and I’m golden” anymore. Quality can vary massively even between build/assembly plants for the same model. And I say this as someone still tooling around in a 20 year old Tacoma.

 

[MTskibum]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

Well, the first part (Texas) I can't speak for, no idea about laws there. But as far as buying a Toyota (or even Lexus, same thing, just higher end as you know -- the goal here is getting good value, a car that will last longer than most while also needing less maintenance). Also, a car that hasn't been driven into the ground by a younger, likely aggressive driver who also may have lapsed with proper maintenance.

Buy a one-owner car -- preferably Japanese-made -- from someone over 50 (older the better). Low mileage will cost you of course, and there are sharks to fight with for those, but worth it in the long run. But even with the higher mileage ones (easier to acquire), the limited wear from the owner all those years makes them great deals. And those type of owners very likely took better care of their cars. Those things will go another 100,000 and cost little along the way.

Having combed every site out there for used cars about 4 - 6 years ago, (for the wife, 2 kids and myself), I actually found it pretty easy to "profile" or cess out, whatever you want to call it, on previous owners of the cars. It takes some leg-work but you can absolutely narrow it down. And often fairly quickly in many cases, by just getting the seller on the horn. Or, just meeting them. And when you start asking questions and whatnot, you can tell if they're full of it. It's actually pretty easy, imo. And also have a mechanic nearby already set up to look over the car for you. Very well worth the money, especially compared to what you are about to spend. I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. I had mechanics find stuff I never wold've found and likely saved me nightmares and for sure, a bunch of money.

Such a simple, yet super important aspect, that people don't take the time to do. I have a one story that is too long to tell but holy crap, did the mechanic find something that no buyer ever would've noticed/found.

The cars we've ended up with have been great deals. Except for maybe mine, which I love anyway. It just costs more for maintenance than I was hoping for. But I also knew that going in.

So yeah, it was fairly easy to find older owners of reliable cars (Toyotas imo, and Hondas as well) that will last for a LONG time, with low maintenance costs. It just takes more time and patience. And a larger market to pick through also helps of course.

I mean I get this but would challenge this information as boomer stuff. Japan hasn't really innovated in a decade. Quality of most other major makers has dramatically caught up.

Liking old Japanese cars is a boomer thing? We must be hanging out with very different boomers.

As a generation, they coined the term "rice burner" when Toyota/Honda dared to sell anything other than a 2-door 18 foot car that got 7 miles per gallon.
These days, I'd guess they are still far more likely to be driving American made vehicles. It ain't 25 year old's buying Buick's and Chevy Equinox's (Equini?)

Japanese car snobbery is more of a Gen X/Millenial thing, I would think.

My parents are mid 60s and they have a Toyota and Lexus and my inlaws are early 70s with a Honda and Toyota.

I know plenty of old people driving Toyotas and Hondas.


According to CarMax Toyota buyers are older than average. Yes Buick and Cadillac top the list, however they have such small production compared to either Toyota or Lexus that there are more old people driving Toyotas than Buicks and Cadillacs combined.

https://www.carmax.com/articles/which-car-brands-have-oldest-youngest-buyers

 

[pollardsvision]

Any used Toyota/Lexus from someone over 50 with around 50K (100K if you really want a deal), preferably female, who's selling it because it's time for a "new" car. Like getting her nails done.

This will crush the minutia of what type or month you should be buying a used car, in the long run. Total no-brainer.

Private party sales in Texas are basically for **** cans. You get to write off your used car in trade to reduce tax. It's a giveaway to the dealership. You sure as hell don't get to shop for Lexus by demographics of the owner

Well, the first part (Texas) I can't speak for, no idea about laws there. But as far as buying a Toyota (or even Lexus, same thing, just higher end as you know -- the goal here is getting good value, a car that will last longer than most while also needing less maintenance). Also, a car that hasn't been driven into the ground by a younger, likely aggressive driver who also may have lapsed with proper maintenance.

Buy a one-owner car -- preferably Japanese-made -- from someone over 50 (older the better). Low mileage will cost you of course, and there are sharks to fight with for those, but worth it in the long run. But even with the higher mileage ones (easier to acquire), the limited wear from the owner all those years makes them great deals. And those type of owners very likely took better care of their cars. Those things will go another 100,000 and cost little along the way.

Having combed every site out there for used cars about 4 - 6 years ago, (for the wife, 2 kids and myself), I actually found it pretty easy to "profile" or cess out, whatever you want to call it, on previous owners of the cars. It takes some leg-work but you can absolutely narrow it down. And often fairly quickly in many cases, by just getting the seller on the horn. Or, just meeting them. And when you start asking questions and whatnot, you can tell if they're full of it. It's actually pretty easy, imo. And also have a mechanic nearby already set up to look over the car for you. Very well worth the money, especially compared to what you are about to spend. I can't believe everyone doesn't do this. I had mechanics find stuff I never wold've found and likely saved me nightmares and for sure, a bunch of money.

Such a simple, yet super important aspect, that people don't take the time to do. I have a one story that is too long to tell but holy crap, did the mechanic find something that no buyer ever would've noticed/found.

The cars we've ended up with have been great deals. Except for maybe mine, which I love anyway. It just costs more for maintenance than I was hoping for. But I also knew that going in.

So yeah, it was fairly easy to find older owners of reliable cars (Toyotas imo, and Hondas as well) that will last for a LONG time, with low maintenance costs. It just takes more time and patience. And a larger market to pick through also helps of course.

I mean I get this but would challenge this information as boomer stuff. Japan hasn't really innovated in a decade. Quality of most other major makers has dramatically caught up.

Liking old Japanese cars is a boomer thing? We must be hanging out with very different boomers.

As a generation, they coined the term "rice burner" when Toyota/Honda dared to sell anything other than a 2-door 18 foot car that got 7 miles per gallon.
These days, I'd guess they are still far more likely to be driving American made vehicles. It ain't 25 year old's buying Buick's and Chevy Equinox's (Equini?)

Japanese car snobbery is more of a Gen X/Millenial thing, I would think.

My parents are mid 60s and they have a Toyota and Lexus and my inlaws are early 70s with a Honda and Toyota.

I know plenty of old people driving Toyotas and Hondas.


According to CarMax Toyota buyers are older than average. Yes Buick and Cadillac top the list, however they have such small production compared to either Toyota or Lexus that there are more old people driving Toyotas than Buicks and Cadillacs combined.

https://www.carmax.com/articles/which-car-brands-have-oldest-youngest-buyers

I wasn't saying that old people don't buy Japanese cars. Just that I have a hard time seeing Boomers leading the charge on Japanese car snobbery.

The thing I notice old people driving most these days is crossovers, and Toyota/Honda/Nissan seem to have great market share there. Which would make sense, as many crossovers are essentially hatchback sedans that are easier on the knees to get in and out of.

Old folks like sedans too. Which of course you can't get out of Detroit anymore.

Boomers are more likely to need smaller vehicles. It's less likely they are looking for a Suburban or Sierra Denali. Going to point them towards Japanese brands by default.

 

[massraider]

Boomers are more likely to need smaller vehicles.

But do they want them.

I fell like Boomers are minivan people. Small sample size, as I don't spend too much time with many Boomers.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

All I know is I know a lot of guys with trucks, for over 30 years now, including myself (until recently), and there is no comparison with Toyotas to American. I'd love to be wrong on that but between seeing it, resale values, and talking to mechanics about it, I'm more than convinced. Whatever "catching up" Ford or Chevy has not taken place, beyond bells and whistles. You ask the guys that know (unbiased mechanics) if they had one last truck to buy; the decision would be between a Tacoma and a Tundra. One thing it wouldn't be, is an American-made truck. They don't compare, LONG-TERM. What manufacturer would you go with if you had one to buy for a decade or more?

But if you want it and it makes you feel better driving it, then who cares. Just know that the quality/value of American trucks is still not there. I'm not buying the "narrowed-gap" argument, at all. This is what you get for building trucks that [weren't] "built to last". The irony is off the charts. So those same companies that trusted you with a lot of your money, also made sure you would be in need to buy another one sooner than later. So no, I don't have loyalty BS to companies like that.

Next to your purchase of a home, this kind of money on a vehicle is a huge investment. So you should buy "American" because it makes me feel patriotic? LOL. They could make long-lasting, lower maintenance trucks in a heartbeat, if they really cared about the consumer. And LONG ago. But no.

Also, and this could be changed by now, but last time I checked, a LOT of the Japanese trucks were assembled in America. I know my Tundra was (in Tennessee). Conversely, aren't a lot of American parts of USA vehicles / trucks bought in Mexico and other countries? I have no idea on any recent info, but that used to be true. It's funny, how the "Big 3" truck-maker's commercials will always sell it as otherwise. And the fish will bite.

But go check and see where your truck is actually made and where its parts are coming from, if it's really important to you. Some commercial with our flag on it doesn't mean a thing.

 

[pollardsvision]

Boomers are more likely to need smaller vehicles.

But do they want them.

I fell like Boomers are minivan people. Small sample size, as I don't spend too much time with many Boomers.

Another type of vehicle mostly made by Japanese manufacturers now.

It makes sense for boomers to be buying a lot of Japanese vehicles.

 

[sho nuff]

On Japanese cars....Ive had mostly Honda or Toyotas and have had very good luck with them. (Civic then CRV...and an Odyssey) The money pit has been the used Escape we bought from some family that I drove for a little bit until our oldest totaled the CRV.
At that point, the Escape became what he would drive (as it was very cheap to purchase when we did).
When searching for a car last April/May...I spoke often to our mechanic (guy has been great to us and was happy to give advice and take a look at anything we bought if buying used).
His advice was to stick towards Hondas and Toyotas if we wanted to see him less. Even had a family friend getting rid of a Nissan Altima that, once he heard the year told us to avoid unless we wanted to be replacing a transmission in the next couple years. Asked about a few things outside of Honda and Toyota. Things that seem to get decent reliability ratings and he would tell us the ups and downs with them. When we found the Camry and took it to him...his words were along the line of "I won't tell you to buy this, not knowing the price...but it would be a solid car for years to come". And it has been great over the last year for sure (for an 11 year old car that may become what my daughter drives when she gets her license next year).

It was less snobbery with me...and more of a making sure with a used car I get something I know will continue to last...and with new, the same thing and keeping a pretty strong resale value as well. (Though, we typically drive cars til they die or one of us kills them).

 

[Tick]

Another piece is how EVs fit into the dealership model with the service department as a major profit center. If EVs require less maintenance and the type of maintenance is different, can dealers adapt and still meet customer demands?

I think right now, it works the other way - I have an EV, and only take it to the dealership because nobody else seems to know how to service them.

 

[Tick]

Another piece is how EVs fit into the dealership model with the service department as a major profit center. If EVs require less maintenance and the type of maintenance is different, can dealers adapt and still meet customer demands?

Do we have data on that? Do EVs really require less maintenance and repairs?

Except Tesla, of course.

Fewer oil changes

 

[Tick]

Another piece is how EVs fit into the dealership model with the service department as a major profit center. If EVs require less maintenance and the type of maintenance is different, can dealers adapt and still meet customer demands?

Do we have data on that? Do EVs really require less maintenance and repairs?

Except Tesla, of course.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-repair-maintenance/pay-less-for-vehicle-maintenance-with-an-ev/

Survey results involving hundreds of thousands of CR members show that EV and plug-in hybrid drivers pay half as much to repair and maintain their vehicles. Consumers who purchase an electric car can expect to save an average of $4,600 in repair and maintenance costs over the life of the vehicle compared with a gasoline-powered car, CR's study shows.

The article is from 2020, but I doubt much has changed.

For sure the service departments will see EV owners less frequently, and have fewer high-profit preventative maintenance things to perform on EVs. No oil changes ever. No flush/fill radiators, belts and hoses, tune ups/spark plugs. Heck, the entire cooling, fuel, intake and exhaust systems don't exist on EVs. That's a lot of stuff that can never go bad. I believe tires will be needed a little more frequently, but brakes less frequently on EVs.

That's pretty cool. IMO, I think the sweet spot for vehicles right now is PHEVs, but this is definitely a big plus for full EVs.

I have an EV, and early on I was thinking plug-in hybrid EV might be a better choice... but a buddy has one and it's always got problems. It has everything that can go wrong on gas cars and on EVs in one package. It's just one guy's experience, and I haven't looked at statistics, but it made look past the best-of-both-worlds side at the downside as well.

 

[Tick]

I'm still driving the first car I ever owned, 2007 Honda Fit. Only 115k miles.

I have a 2009 that was the first new car I've bought. Only reason I'm not driving it is the 17 year old has it. Amazing hauling car - 150k on it and still going strong. The ultimate would be a PHEV version of it. Of course, we can't get a new one at all anymore.

You would not believe the **** I have hauled with that thing. Latest one was 8 16 ft. 2x4s. Who needs an F150?

Dude, I have hauled all sorts of thing in my Fit. It's insane how much interior space it has and how flexible the seating is. You give up road noise and back seat comfort for that space flexibility, but hot damn the Honda engineers knew what they were doing there.

I would love a PHEV version (or even a full EV) of this car. My only complaint has been that the bumpers are crappy and don't hold up to the beating of city parking as well as I'd like.

I loved my 07 Fit. That car could hold ridiculous amounts/shapes of stuff with the rear seat flexibility. I could always throw 2 mountain bikes in the back. Loud as hell to drive, but a great car even in the snow. I assumed I'd buy another one last year but they stopped making them.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Pre-mid 2000’s Japanese vehicles were bullet proof, but manufacturers (Toyota specifically) leaned hard into globalization and cost cutting around ‘07 or so in a bid for market share and profits. Because of tariffs, a lot of manufacturing/assembly also got moved out of Japan as well which also degraded quality (sorry UAW members.) I’m not quite as sure the Americans caught up so much as globalization and desire for stock prices caused a lot of international car companies to backslide. You’re better off researching individual models and years than just assuming “oh I can just buy a used Camry and I’m golden” anymore. Quality can vary massively even between build/assembly plants for the same model. And I say this as someone still tooling around in a 20 year old Tacoma.

So which Toyota would you buy? Like what years/range do you think the best Tacos were made?

And if you had any other cars that you thought had prime "windows" for purchase, I'd love to know which ones they were. I'm talking any manufacturer, although preferably mid-size (SUV) and trucks.

Thanks!

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Where is this "snobbery" thing on Japanese cars coming from? That's hilarious. We aren't talking Porsches or Ferraris. They simply have a good reputation of reliability and getting more than what you pay for compared to the competition. Going back to what has worked best for you is "snobbery?".

Again, resale speaks volumes. So do mechanics. Neither have anything to do with "snobbery". LOL. If anything, the peculiar/funny part of car loyalty or whatever you want to call it is Americans refusal to buy anything but the "Big 3". Now that is ironic and funny just the same. And also not snobbery?

 

[pollardsvision]

Where is this "snobbery" thing on Japanese cars coming from? That's hilarious. We aren't talking Porsches or Ferraris. They simply have a good reputation of reliability and getting more than what you pay for compared to the competition. Going back to what has worked best for you is "snobbery?".

Again, resale speaks volumes. So do mechanics. Neither have anything to do with "snobbery". LOL. If anything, the peculiar/funny part of car loyalty or whatever you want to call it is Americans refusal to buy anything but the "Big 3". Now that is ironic and funny just the same. And also not snobbery!

I used the term snobbery. I agree with you.
I didn't mean it in the typical way. Sort of jokingly.

And I would call myself a Japanese car snob. Again, my 3 vehicles range from 1997-2003, so I don't mean snob in the normal sense.

I prefer Japanese cars because their values seem to align with mine. Good long-term value without the fluff.

 

[the moops]

We drive a 2008 Toyota Camry hybrid, and a 2015 Dodge Caravan. The Caravan is generally mine for hauling kids and stuff, although the wife drives it when she has to shuttle kids or if the weather is lousy. The Camry has been a great car. Was gifted to us from my father in law 7 or 8 years ago, have maybe sunk $1000 into it since then. It has almost 200,000 mils on it. He warned us that it would need a new battery at some point - and well, that day has come. Almost 5K for a new one installed. Car needs struts as well.

So - she lived a good life. We are ready to move on, but now we gotta move fast, for the car is undrivable and we aren't gonna sink $7200 into it.

We had been debating an EV, or hyrbid. And well, now we gotta make a move. If this has been discussed, can someone point me to a good spot? But we are looking to spend less than 30K or so. Used or new. Looking at Hyundai Kona EV or Chevy Bolt EV, or RAV4 hybrid, or I don't know. Really like the Ioniq 5 but don't think we wanna spend that much.

Anyone got some strong feelings with some solid data to back it up on what we should get? I lean EV for it will work really well with our commutes (less than 10 miles each) and amount of times we need to drive over 200 miles (very infrequently) and locations of charging stations at our work.

 

[RCon]

Have a Honda CR-V with 60K miles on it. No issues, runs fine. I probably drive it less than 5K miles a year. Have an upcoming teen driver. Starting next year, the teen will likely need to drive back and forth to extracurricular activity, four times a week, 50 miles round trip. Unfortunately, this would mean teen drives to school early AM, drives straight to activity, drives home at 5:30pm, meaning the car would be gone all day. A used EV seems ideal, right? Teen uses it for activity, I use it for local driving on weekends, and I keep the CR-V for trips and what not.

 

[Mookie]

Even though my wife loves the "fit" of her 2017 Subaru Outback (this is her 4th Subaru spanning the past 30 years), I think I'm finally getting her to realize that it's not a good car. No hybrid or plug in option, super noisy on the highway, glitchy entertainment, and most of all, a dead battery whenever we leave it parked for more than 4 days (4 times in the past year - 3 of those when car was in airport parking). Aside from telling us they'd be happy to sell us a new battery, Subaru has no interest in fixing the problem. Maybe it's time for us to move on while we can still get some money out of the car.

 

[Gamma1210]

Even though my wife loves the "fit" of her 2017 Subaru Outback (this is her 4th Subaru spanning the past 30 years), I think I'm finally getting her to realize that it's not a good car. No hybrid or plug in option, super noisy on the highway, glitchy entertainment, and most of all, a dead battery whenever we leave it parked for more than 4 days (4 times in the past year - 3 of those when car was in airport parking). Aside from telling us they'd be happy to sell us a new battery, Subaru has no interest in fixing the problem. Maybe it's time for us to move on while we can still get some money out of the car.

So no idea if this is the issue, but I had an old car where this was the issue. It turned out the glove compartment light wasn't going out when it was closed and slowly draining the battery. Took forever to figure out, but if you put a multimeter across the battery you can see if there is a pull on it while off and then pull each fuse one by one until the voltage drops. Took the bulb out of the glove compartment and it was fine.

 

[FBG26]

Even though my wife loves the "fit" of her 2017 Subaru Outback (this is her 4th Subaru spanning the past 30 years), I think I'm finally getting her to realize that it's not a good car. No hybrid or plug in option, super noisy on the highway, glitchy entertainment, and most of all, a dead battery whenever we leave it parked for more than 4 days (4 times in the past year - 3 of those when car was in airport parking). Aside from telling us they'd be happy to sell us a new battery, Subaru has no interest in fixing the problem. Maybe it's time for us to move on while we can still get some money out of the car.

So no idea if this is the issue, but I had an old car where this was the issue. It turned out the glove compartment light wasn't going out when it was closed and slowly draining the battery. Took forever to figure out, but if you put a multimeter across the battery you can see if there is a pull on it while off and then pull each fuse one by one until the voltage drops. Took the bulb out of the glove compartment and it was fine.

I had the same issue, but with the trunk light in my sedan. Of course the light is supposed to be on when you open the trunk so I didn't figure it out until I had the back seat down one time and realized the trunk light was still on.

 

[Sullie]

Even though my wife loves the "fit" of her 2017 Subaru Outback (this is her 4th Subaru spanning the past 30 years), I think I'm finally getting her to realize that it's not a good car. No hybrid or plug in option, super noisy on the highway, glitchy entertainment, and most of all, a dead battery whenever we leave it parked for more than 4 days (4 times in the past year - 3 of those when car was in airport parking). Aside from telling us they'd be happy to sell us a new battery, Subaru has no interest in fixing the problem. Maybe it's time for us to move on while we can still get some money out of the car.

I found this video where he talks about this happening and many other Subie owners have chimed in. He recommends a quick fix with a carabiner and a $99 jump pack in case you get stranded. I bought the same jump pack for my son to stash in our 2008 Accord (which is his to use.) And finally someone in the comment section recommends upgrading to a group 24 or 34 battery with more CCA's than the oem battery. Here's a LOT of information here on the Outback forums, turns out this is a pretty common problem.

 

[pollardsvision]

Gonna put this here because I don't know where else to put it.....I know many of you (us) old farts will appreciate.

Been watching a lot of station wagon history videos. Great cars that are basically extinct, and that sucks.

Anyway, one of the station wagon predecessors was the canopy truck. Basically the same as a depot hack. Both with the long chassis and the big wooden bodies. Truck was more cargo area while the depot hack added more passenger seating.

One of the big canopy truck manufacturers back in the 1920's was a man by the name of Ransom Eli Olds. REO for short. His best selling model was called the Speed Wagon.

In 1967, Neal Doughty was taking a History of Transportation class at the University of Illinois. One day the professor had REO Speedwagon written on the chalkboard.

There ya go. I've been wondering my whole life where the name came from. It all comes back the glorious station wagon.

 

[Tick]

We drive a 2008 Toyota Camry hybrid, and a 2015 Dodge Caravan. The Caravan is generally mine for hauling kids and stuff, although the wife drives it when she has to shuttle kids or if the weather is lousy. The Camry has been a great car. Was gifted to us from my father in law 7 or 8 years ago, have maybe sunk $1000 into it since then. It has almost 200,000 mils on it. He warned us that it would need a new battery at some point - and well, that day has come. Almost 5K for a new one installed. Car needs struts as well.

So - she lived a good life. We are ready to move on, but now we gotta move fast, for the car is undrivable and we aren't gonna sink $7200 into it.

We had been debating an EV, or hyrbid. And well, now we gotta make a move. If this has been discussed, can someone point me to a good spot? But we are looking to spend less than 30K or so. Used or new. Looking at Hyundai Kona EV or Chevy Bolt EV, or RAV4 hybrid, or I don't know. Really like the Ioniq 5 but don't think we wanna spend that much.

Anyone got some strong feelings with some solid data to back it up on what we should get? I lean EV for it will work really well with our commutes (less than 10 miles each) and amount of times we need to drive over 200 miles (very infrequently) and locations of charging stations at our work.

Probably best to get Consumer Reports - they have an EV section. Here's Motor Trend's article.

Also, make sure you know which makes still get the $7500 tax credit (note: it changed this year and the US manufacturers are back in play).

Also, plan on getting a charger installed at home ASAP. Essentially, an electrician installs a 240 V welding outlet, and you plug in a charging unit with a cord you use to recharge. Here's an article on the major options. You can get tax credits for that also - ask your electric company for details. My utility required one with wifi to get the rebate (I got the ChargePoint). These take something like 8 hours to go from 0-80%.

In public, the thing to know is that there are two types of DC fast chargers: 1) Tesla and 2) Everyone else. If you get something other than a Tesla, you can't use Tesla chargers. Maybe you can with an adapter or something, but I don't have an adapter. Using an AC charger in public isn't really feasible, since they're so slow. At work, it would be fine, but not on a road trip.

 

[Faust]

Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership
Just in:

Used car prices officially increased 2.5% in January.

The *largest* month-over-month percentage increase since end of 2021.

https://twitter.com/guydealership/status/1622963119390703617?s=21

Is this seasonal?

Somewhat.

But there are other factors that indicate a hotter-than-normal market.

For example:

https://twitter.com/guydealership/status/1622965466128957442?s=21

According to Manheim:

The average daily sales conversion rate (all cars) increased to 59.4% and was above normal for this time of year.

For context, the daily sales conversion rate averaged 57.7% in January 2019.

This indicates that sellers have more pricing power at auctions.

https://twitter.com/guydealership/status/1622965467869503489?s=21

Reminder that this refers to Wholesale prices — What dealers pay at auctions.

It can take 30-60+ days before this shows up in Retail prices.

https://twitter.com/guydealership/status/1622966844461293573?s=21