Author Topic: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to  (Read 4378 times)

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« on: October 17, 2017, 08:42:24 AM »
So on my way to pick up my son Friday my car had an unexpected breakdown. I was on the expressway and my accelerator cable came undone/broke, still unclear how it happened. The car was at wide open throttle and was redlining until I got it to the shoulder and shut it off. I had to call my wife who had a doctor appointment. She picked up our son and cancelled her appointment. It was rush hour and I was way too close to traffic moving 70+ MPH to really diagnose the problem. If it hadn't happened on the expressway I probably would have zip tied it together and used some of my MacGyver skills. Anyway, I had it towed to my trusted mechanic. I do the majority of work on my vehicle but send it to him when I just don't have the time. He and I both looked at it when it was towed over and noticed the the throttle body seemed to be sticking and thought that was the issue. He pushed it back and the car idled fine. I left it at his shop so he could look at it over the weekend and he noticed that the throttle cable wasn't even connected to the pedal. He had to order a new one from Chevy since none of the parts stores stocked them. Hopefully the new throttle cable comes in today and I get my car back this afternoon.

So that's my breakdown story. The car might need a new throttle body and/or a new cable. I don't expect it to cost me too much either way. A new throttle body is only about $200 or so. The issue is my wife is now afraid to drive the car and there are times that she drives it, though rarely. She is also concerned about the safety of having our son in the car. The car is an '03 Cavalier with about 263k on it. I strongly dislike the car and always have. She bought it new when she was in college and I started driving it about 7 years ago due to her being pregnant and having trouble getting in and out of the car and me having a 140 mile a day commute. No longer have that long of a commute, thankfully. But my commute is still too far out of my comfort zone to bike.

My wife wants me to get a new car badly. She wants me to get something that is fun and that we love. I always owned manual transmission cars before we were married and she is finally willing to learn how to drive one so we could share the car. We are very soon paying off the rest of our very low interest, low payment student loans and the only other debt we have is our mortgage. We rented a screaming orange Dodge Challenger R/T, very un-mustachian I know. This was rented just so I could get to work today and because if I had to rent a car I was not getting stuck with another Aveo with roll down windows.  She loves the car and wants something FUN!

Okay, long story I know. Here's the rest of the backstory. We've dealt with a ton of loss this year and I think that the fun car is a distraction for her and is something that gets her mind off of things. I am a car guy and I am really loving the Challenger right now and really have been wanting a Focus ST, still fun but probably more practical since we do live in the midwest and have to deal with snow. But I am the one that deals with the finances and I hate debt!! I have been trying to keep the hated car until the wheels fell off and then maybe purchase something with cash. I only have enough free cash currently to buy a $5000  car without dipping into the emergency fund and she doesn't want that. Frankly, if I'm just buying another cheap used car why not keep the one that I know the history?

So, should I give in and buy a FUN car that I really enjoy? Or should I continue the debt free life?? BTW, either way I'm on my way to an early(ish) retirement.

frugaliknowit

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1686
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2017, 08:49:54 AM »
Don't do anything without your wife agreeing to it.  Have another talk with her.  Maybe meet her "part way" (a newish efficient fun car?).


Nick_Miller

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1655
  • Location: A sprawling estate with one of those cool circular driveways in the front!
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2017, 08:54:25 AM »
Well, in my opinion, it all comes down to your last line. "BTW, either way I'm on my way to an early(ish) retirement."  What's your financial situation? What's your net worth? If you're on your way to FIRE, how many years? How big a dent in your finances would a new(ish) car represent?

How much would the new(ish) car cost, anyway?

slappy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1453
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2017, 08:57:38 AM »
With 263k on a Cavalier, I think that car has served its time. Can you keep it a while longer while focusing saving for a newer car? 

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2017, 08:59:26 AM »
Don't do anything without your wife agreeing to it.  Have another talk with her.  Maybe meet her "part way" (a newish efficient fun car?).

I think that's the problem. She's the one that's pushing me to get the newish car. I'm the hesitant one.

acroy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1697
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Dallas TX
    • SWAMI
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2017, 09:03:25 AM »
10yr old Miata or Prius.
take your pick. Both reliable, both do what they are intended to do, very well.
Enjoy ;)

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2017, 09:03:58 AM »
With 263k on a Cavalier, I think that car has served its time. Can you keep it a while longer while focusing saving for a newer car?

:) I think you're right on it serving it's time. It has been a trouble free 263k as well. Who knew an economy car built by Chevy during a time that they were not doing well financially would have lasted this long. I could definitely keep it longer. I was actually waiting until something major went wrong with the engine or transmission and it would end up costing me more to fix than it is worth. Although at this point that'll come the next time I need to put on new tires so that may not be a good measuring stick.

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2017, 09:07:38 AM »
10yr old Miata or Prius.
take your pick. Both reliable, both do what they are intended to do, very well.
Enjoy ;)

Funny you should mention the vehicles you do. I've been wanting a Miata and they are fun, reliable,and only around $5000 for a ten year old in good condition. Only downside, no back seat for my son. Instead of the Prius though, I've been looking at Volts. Cheap for a used, reliable, and up to 38 miles on pure electric before the engine even kicks in. I could actually get both of those for less than the Challenger.

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2017, 09:13:50 AM »
Well, in my opinion, it all comes down to your last line. "BTW, either way I'm on my way to an early(ish) retirement."  What's your financial situation? What's your net worth? If you're on your way to FIRE, how many years? How big a dent in your finances would a new(ish) car represent?

How much would the new(ish) car cost, anyway?

I figure I'm still about 18 years until I'm comfortable with FIRE. Not a huge dent since I just paid off about half of my student loans. So the payment I was making to them would go to the car. But I was thinking of putting that money towards our retirement accounts. So I guess it's lost opportunity. If I could cut that 18 years down significantly, like maybe in half, I'd drive a Yugo.

I'm looking at 15 - 20k for the newish car.

I think you make the strongest argument for not buying a newer car. I keep thinking about how much money that extra $300/month or so could make me if I put it to work instead.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2017, 09:16:36 AM by Dr.Jeckyl »

RWD

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6499
  • Location: Arizona
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2017, 09:42:12 AM »
There's a huge difference between a 2003 Cavalier with 263k miles (~$1k value) and a $5k used car. A $5k used car should be a huge step up in performance and reliability. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a fun car either. The Miata has been mentioned already. There are also other nice vehicles in the ~$5k price range like the Nissan 350Z, Toyota MR2, various Lexus/Infiniti/Acura, etc.

Laura33

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3460
  • Location: Mid-Atlantic
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2017, 10:09:54 AM »
This is clearly an emotional issue more than a financial one.  Your car is demonstrably safe -- safer now in one respect, as it will soon have a brand-spanky-new throttle body or cable.  And yet given what you say about your losses this year, I am not at all surprised that your wife is drawing the line and saying "I won't lose you too."*

Given the emotional and relationship issues, I am not going to encourage you to hang on to what is clearly a perfectly safe and reliable car (at least considering its age).  Your wife is dealing with a lot of shit, so this is probably not the hill you want to die on.

At the same time, you don't want to get into a habit of fixing emotional problems by throwing money at consumer goods.  Have you and your wife seen a counselor or therapist to deal with the losses?  Do you have a support network that can help with practical things to get you through (food/kid pickups/etc.) or just to give you an opportunity to go out and blow off some steam?  That would be step one for me.  Everyone needs a little help some time, so make sure you guys are getting what you need to deal with the actual issues.  Otherwise, you are just throwing your money away on a symptom without dealing with the real cause.

If you are getting the help you need and are just in that period where you're working on it but it's not better yet, then I think it's ok to add a little pure fun to your life.  I think this is one of the things that tends to go away when you are dealing with tough shit, because you get so bogged down in dealing with all of the extra stuff along with everyday life, and you don't have the energy to go out and just do something frivolous.  But the first step here is making time for fun things that don't cost $20K!!  Rent a ridiculous movie (Monty Python, Mel Brooks, or whatever floats your particular boat).  Buy Jiffy Pop, just because it's awesome fun to watch the little metal dome unfurl.  Go to a park and play frisbee or fly a kite, especially if you're bad at it.  Play hooky and go see a matinee.  Etc. 

Now, car: I am a car girl.  I love driving.  It is perfectly reasonable to want a car that is fun to drive.  But you don't need to spend $20K to do it.  If you like the Focus ST, what about an older model?  There are a bunch of hot hatchbacks and the like that have been in production for a decade or more; I'd bet if you are patient and look hard, you can find one for a reasonable price.

In the meantime, if you're a little short of what you need to get the make/model/year you want, why don't you just sock away your extra cash towards a car fund?  Make a deal with your wife:  you will trade in the Chevy and get something sportier, but you're going to pay cash for it, and towards that end you will divert $X of your $Y monthy savings into a car fund until that fund is sufficient to cover the (older/used/still peppy) car.  In the interim, you have a cheap car that is still perfectly drivable -- and you can work on the therapy and free fun, and maybe buy yourself a few months to see if it's really about the car or if the car is just a substitute for something else that's missing.

*I also dumped a car after it blew up on me in a parking lot -- yeah, ok, it was just the radiator expansion tank, but it sounded like a bomb went off and dented the hood, and I realized that if that had happened on I-95, the kids and I could both be dead.  I justified it because the guy at the shop told me about all the other stuff that was going to require thousands more dollars within the next year.  But, really, there was just no fucking way I was putting my kids back in that car.  Totally emotional decision.

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2017, 10:11:38 AM »
There's a huge difference between a 2003 Cavalier with 263k miles (~$1k value) and a $5k used car. A $5k used car should be a huge step up in performance and reliability. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a fun car either. The Miata has been mentioned already. There are also other nice vehicles in the ~$5k price range like the Nissan 350Z, Toyota MR2, various Lexus/Infiniti/Acura, etc.

Arghhhh...you make too much sense. Although, I will say that I have a unicorn (reliable Cavalier). You make great points for getting rid of the car. I figured everyone here would face punch me and tell me to keep the Cav or ride a bike.

You mention some awesome options, one of which may earn a spot in the garage while the daily driver sits outside in the weather. I could just get a 240Z but I wouldn't want to drive that in the salt and snow. 350Z is nice but then I remembered the G35/G37 were about the same thing, could be had with a manual and had back seats. Back seat is kinda important for the little guy. He's only 6 and it'll be a few years until he can ride up front with airbags. I could keep the Cav as the winter beater and get something to drive the other 6 months of the year but then again the wife wants me to quit driving the Cav altogether. So perhaps, back to the Mazda 3 sport w/manual or the Focus ST...

I'm really heading down the rabbit hole now. Who knew there were so many car enthusiasts on this site.

RWD

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6499
  • Location: Arizona
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2017, 10:35:09 AM »
The G35/G37 is also available as a four door, for even more practicality. Unfortunately fuel economy isn't its strong suit (expect ~25% more fuel consumption compared to your Cavalier). The Focus (and especially Focus ST) is not a reliable vehicle. The Mazda 3 is a nice balance of practicality and sportiness.

Another thing to think about is crash worthiness. Even if your Cavalier is unicornly reliable it still has atrocious crash ratings, even compared to other 2003 vehicles.

Goldielocks

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7062
  • Location: BC
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2017, 10:39:26 AM »
Because you have the car skills, you are the ideal person to be driving an older car.  My car story is that I had a tie-rod break on my wheel, while driving on the highway at 80 kmph, and by the time I got off the off ramp, the wheel was sitting at 30' off vertical.   Basically the wheel fell off my car at 80 kmph. 

I had a baby seat in the back of that car (no baby with me at the time), and I drove in winter conditions.   We towed it, fixed it, and I drove it for another year.   

You should not be scared of small mechanical issues, and you will need to add a towing budget and not use that car when arriving on time is essential (e.g client meetings).  Your thought to wait until a $1k repair while quickly saving money was the right one.

Yep - lots and lots of emotional reasons to drive a fun car.   Mainly having to do with your wife's emotions.   I give in to my husband a lot when it comes to everyday money, but have never given in on what is a reasonable car purchase for us, after our first mistake where we bought our equivalent of a FUN! car ($34k, 1 year old vehicle on car loan). 

The big 3 in financial management are called that because they drive a lot of your success when you optimize, but also because you can be locked into them with minimal ability to change that spend (due to habit, contracts and loans)-- Housing, Car/ Transportation, Food.  If you focus on driving down the monthly expenses for these three things, it is much easier for the rest to fall into line.

Do not get a car that you need a loan for.   Cash only, my friend.

  My two bits to you and your wife -- find an activity that is very FUN, but maybe a touch pricey, you would not normally do, and go do it together a few times instead.  Spend $1000 if you must.  You will be far further ahead financially than taking a loan out for a car.   


Having a car loan is miserable.  NOT FUN! 

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2017, 10:43:07 AM »
If you are getting the help you need and are just in that period where you're working on it but it's not better yet, then I think it's ok to add a little pure fun to your life.  I think this is one of the things that tends to go away when you are dealing with tough shit, because you get so bogged down in dealing with all of the extra stuff along with everyday life, and you don't have the energy to go out and just do something frivolous.  But the first step here is making time for fun things that don't cost $20K!!  Rent a ridiculous movie (Monty Python, Mel Brooks, or whatever floats your particular boat).  Buy Jiffy Pop, just because it's awesome fun to watch the little metal dome unfurl.  Go to a park and play frisbee or fly a kite, especially if you're bad at it.  Play hooky and go see a matinee.  Etc. 

Now, car: I am a car girl.  I love driving.  It is perfectly reasonable to want a car that is fun to drive.  But you don't need to spend $20K to do it.  If you like the Focus ST, what about an older model?  There are a bunch of hot hatchbacks and the like that have been in production for a decade or more; I'd bet if you are patient and look hard, you can find one for a reasonable price.

You hit the nail on the head with the entirety of your post. We are at step one with the therapist and are working on the losses we've had this past year and are for the most part slowly moving in a positive direction. We do need to take more time for ourselves though and maybe leave the little guy with a sitter so we can be us. We are stuck in the monotony of daily life right now. Get up, go to work, take kid to school, come home, cook dinner, homework, soccer practice, clean house, etc... You are absolutely right about the pure FUN. I've been taking more time to do things I enjoy like hiking. The little man loves it too. And I've been trying to take some time to hang out with friends more. Plus, we have put some energy toward decorating for Halloween. The wife and I are in the middle of finishing the Delorean for the little guys Halloween costume. He's Marty.

I like your idea about the waiting a few months. We probably need some time to make this decision. Mainly because, it is more of an emotional decision right now than a practical one. I didn't really think of it that way before. Thank you, sometimes when you're in the midst of things you can't really see underlying issues and I really think you are right.

But the cars: I have always enjoyed driving and I think some of that enjoyment went away when all we had was automatic commuter cars. Not that my previous cars were great. They were mostly A to B cars but at least they had a manual. I would go on long drives just to think sometimes and it always helped. I have been wanting a Focus ST for a while and the prices on one a few years old aren't unreasonable. Or even a Mazda Speed3.

Thanks again for the reply!!

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #15 on: October 17, 2017, 10:50:17 AM »
The G35/G37 is also available as a four door, for even more practicality. Unfortunately fuel economy isn't its strong suit (expect ~25% more fuel consumption compared to your Cavalier). The Focus (and especially Focus ST) is not a reliable vehicle. The Mazda 3 is a nice balance of practicality and sportiness.

Another thing to think about is crash worthiness. Even if your Cavalier is unicornly reliable it still has atrocious crash ratings, even compared to other 2003 vehicles.

True about the crash ratings. That's one reason I didn't like my wife driving it and I only have my son in it occasionally.

The Mazda 3 has great crash ratings and better fuel economy than what I have now. Plus I can have it in a hatchback. Right now I can barely hold a couple bags of groceries in the Cav. Plus the Mazda's interior is beautifully designed and doesn't look like it was designed by a kindergartner like my Cav or the Focus. Heck, in my Cav I have to move my coffee to change the HVAC settings.

The only Mazda 3 issue I'm having right now, other than the lack of a new Speed3 model, is finding a reasonably priced hatchback with a stick. The ones I'm finding are going for a couple thousand less than a brand new one. And the brand new one is almost the same cost once you consider the rebates and 0% APR for the 2017 model. Plus the dealer down the road has one in stock.

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #16 on: October 17, 2017, 11:02:24 AM »
Because you have the car skills, you are the ideal person to be driving an older car.  My car story is that I had a tie-rod break on my wheel, while driving on the highway at 80 kmph, and by the time I got off the off ramp, the wheel was sitting at 30' off vertical.   Basically the wheel fell off my car at 80 kmph. 

I had a baby seat in the back of that car (no baby with me at the time), and I drove in winter conditions.   We towed it, fixed it, and I drove it for another year.   

You should not be scared of small mechanical issues, and you will need to add a towing budget and not use that car when arriving on time is essential (e.g client meetings).  Your thought to wait until a $1k repair while quickly saving money was the right one.

Yep - lots and lots of emotional reasons to drive a fun car.   Mainly having to do with your wife's emotions.   I give in to my husband a lot when it comes to everyday money, but have never given in on what is a reasonable car purchase for us, after our first mistake where we bought our equivalent of a FUN! car ($34k, 1 year old vehicle on car loan). 

The big 3 in financial management are called that because they drive a lot of your success when you optimize, but also because you can be locked into them with minimal ability to change that spend (due to habit, contracts and loans)-- Housing, Car/ Transportation, Food.  If you focus on driving down the monthly expenses for these three things, it is much easier for the rest to fall into line.

Do not get a car that you need a loan for.   Cash only, my friend.

  My two bits to you and your wife -- find an activity that is very FUN, but maybe a touch pricey, you would not normally do, and go do it together a few times instead.  Spend $1000 if you must.  You will be far further ahead financially than taking a loan out for a car.   


Having a car loan is miserable.  NOT FUN!

Yikes!!! I've never had a tie rod give out on me. Although my wife's car destroys them every couple of years. I have had a wheel come off on the expressway but that is a fun story for another day.

Towing budget is pretty simple. It's about $5 every 6 months added to my insurance for roadside assistance.

You are absolutely right about the FUN activities. I would rather spend money taking a vacation than having a car payment. I've had them, hated them, and regretted them both times.

Cash is king. The biggest reason that I would prefer to pay in cash is because "what if". What if, my wife or I lost our jobs. What if, there was some other financial issue that arose. Even with one of us working we could still pay the mortgage and with very little cutting (other than retirement accounts) we'd be fine. It's great to not worry about those things.

The more I think of it. I may work to convince the wife to pay off the remainder of the student loans we have and then reconsider using the cash we have to buy a replacement.

RWD

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6499
  • Location: Arizona
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2017, 11:17:36 AM »
The only Mazda 3 issue I'm having right now, other than the lack of a new Speed3 model, is finding a reasonably priced hatchback with a stick. The ones I'm finding are going for a couple thousand less than a brand new one. And the brand new one is almost the same cost once you consider the rebates and 0% APR for the 2017 model. Plus the dealer down the road has one in stock.

Hatchback, manual Mazda 3s do exist for $5k: Autotrader examples.

[edited to shorten link]
« Last Edit: October 17, 2017, 11:28:40 AM by RWD »

Laura33

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3460
  • Location: Mid-Atlantic
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #18 on: October 17, 2017, 11:24:32 AM »
You are absolutely right about the pure FUN. I've been taking more time to do things I enjoy like hiking. The little man loves it too. And I've been trying to take some time to hang out with friends more.

Glad to hear you guys are working through this.  One more question:  what is your wife doing for fun?  It is not at all unusual for the "caretaker" to focus on helping other people get better and take time off and otherwise get what they need, until they themselves crash and burn.  When we were in a similar situation -- I had gotten through the first "barely functional" part but was still struggling to adjust to the "new normal" -- the urge to just throw our whole lives away and run away was almost overwhelming at times.  I still remember how powerfully frustrated and angry and bored I was, thinking this is all there is?  I needed to do something to shake things up, to shake ME up, to find something other than depression and drudgery, to remind myself that there is still laughter and joy and fun and love, and that even if I couldn't really feel it yet, to know that it would come back.  Luckily, I didn't actually blow up my life, but even years later I remember how intensely I wanted to.  So if your wife isn't taking the initiative to find time for herself, please take it for her and find ways to take her out, or arrange for some of her friends to come by and take her out for a drink, or whatever.  Just something.

Also, lovelovelove Mazda3.  I feel your pain on the automatic -- my last car was an automatic, and I swear a part of my brain went to sleep and didn't wake up until I finally got a stick back.  It is very, very hard to find sticks on the used market, and this is a royally crappy time to be shopping for used cars in general, because of the limited inventory as a result of the hurricane.  So you should plan for it to take some time to find the right car at the right price.  But, again, I think that's a feature, not a bug.

Good luck and sending good thoughts to both of you.

JLee

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7509

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #20 on: October 18, 2017, 08:05:06 AM »
The only Mazda 3 issue I'm having right now, other than the lack of a new Speed3 model, is finding a reasonably priced hatchback with a stick. The ones I'm finding are going for a couple thousand less than a brand new one. And the brand new one is almost the same cost once you consider the rebates and 0% APR for the 2017 model. Plus the dealer down the road has one in stock.

Hatchback, manual Mazda 3s do exist for $5k: Autotrader examples.

[edited to shorten link]

Thanks for the link. I changed the zip to mine and the closest was 284 miles away :). Which is a little hard to believe. I may need to be a little less picky.

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #21 on: October 18, 2017, 08:13:15 AM »
You are absolutely right about the pure FUN. I've been taking more time to do things I enjoy like hiking. The little man loves it too. And I've been trying to take some time to hang out with friends more.

Glad to hear you guys are working through this.  One more question:  what is your wife doing for fun?

Also, lovelovelove Mazda3.  I feel your pain on the automatic -- my last car was an automatic, and I swear a part of my brain went to sleep and didn't wake up until I finally got a stick back.  It is very, very hard to find sticks on the used market, and this is a royally crappy time to be shopping for used cars in general, because of the limited inventory as a result of the hurricane.  So you should plan for it to take some time to find the right car at the right price.  But, again, I think that's a feature, not a bug.

Good luck and sending good thoughts to both of you.

I've taken some PTO from work so the wife can go to a music conference where she will be with some of her old friends from college. She's a music teacher so that fits into her personal development and she'll be able to get away from the little guy and I for a weekend and have some fun. I do need to get her out more though. She's definitely the one that is hurting.


Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #22 on: October 18, 2017, 08:33:19 AM »
**UPDATE**

So I got my Cav back yesterday. My mechanic dropped it off at my work and it only cost $100 for the part and the labor. He's awesome!! I wanted to appease the wife and decided I would stop at a couple of stealerships on my way home. I stopped at the Mazda dealer near my work and they only had one used Mazda 3 manual and it was a sedan. They also had a Focus ST that the guy was giving me the old "what can I do to get you to buy this today" line on. The ST had a weird barely audible tick so good price but I'd bet this was something that would bite me. I then went down the road to CarMax and they didn't really have much that I liked.

So here's the kicker...I called my wife and let her know I was going to be a little late coming home due to stopping at CarMax. While on the phone with her I noticed that my brake pedal was getting lower and lower. It felt like my brakes locked while I was stopping at about 5 MPH and the brake light came on. I let her go and pulled into the CarMax at the next light. I looked under the car and saw brake fluid leaking under the rear of the car. After I left the CarMax I pulled next door into the Lowe's parking lot and looked under the vehicle. My brake lines are rusted and one popped somewhere. I couldn't crawl far enough under the car to see where it broke. I called my mechanic and let him know I was having it towed back to him. He apologized, but it totally wasn't his fault. It was driving fine when he drove it to me and it was driving fine for the first few miles of me driving it. Our guess is that they brake line let go when I slammed the brakes hard on the expressway and it just took a few stoplights to drain the fluid.

So now my wife is really pushing for that newer car. I will admit that I've said I'll drive it until it isn't reliable to get me to work and it is getting that way. Most days I can roll into work late/leave early but the next three days I'm covering for a manager that is on PTO and I have to get to work early and I'll be leaving pretty late. So now I'm in a pickle of renting a car and convincing the wife that the car is okay. This is getting harder since I've only been able to drive it about 5 miles before the next breakdown. I thought it would be months before anything popped up again and I could ease her mind. But no go. She jokingly (or not so jokingly) claims that it tried to kill me twice and she isn't giving it another chance.

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #23 on: October 18, 2017, 08:36:08 AM »
Manual transmission Honda Fit?

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2007-honda-fit-sport-long-term-road-test

I have a strange affection for the fit and my wife hates it. I went to the Chicago Car Show a few years ago and played with it. I'm a big fan of the space and configurations to make things "Fit".

Dr.Jeckyl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 142
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #24 on: October 18, 2017, 08:40:41 AM »
The G35/G37 is also available as a four door, for even more practicality. Unfortunately fuel economy isn't its strong suit (expect ~25% more fuel consumption compared to your Cavalier). The Focus (and especially Focus ST) is not a reliable vehicle. The Mazda 3 is a nice balance of practicality and sportiness.

Another thing to think about is crash worthiness. Even if your Cavalier is unicornly reliable it still has atrocious crash ratings, even compared to other 2003 vehicles.

So I looked at the reliability link you sent me and I literally had to chuckle because the Cavalier is listed as one of the most reliable vehicles. I will admit I still see a ton of them on the road even though the last of them rolled off the assembly line 12 years ago.

lbmustache

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 926
Re: Should I buy a new(er) car? - Convince me not to
« Reply #25 on: October 18, 2017, 09:42:58 AM »
Manual transmission Honda Fit?

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2007-honda-fit-sport-long-term-road-test

I have a strange affection for the fit and my wife hates it. I went to the Chicago Car Show a few years ago and played with it. I'm a big fan of the space and configurations to make things "Fit".

I have the Honda HR-V (it is available in a manual, although I have the CVT) which is just a jumbo Fit. Has the same "magic seats" and has a TON OF ROOM. Plus, Honda reliability (knock on wood). Your wife might like it better than the Fit. I can get 40mpg on the highway.

The bad news is that this is a newer car (only released in 2015) so finding used ones may be a bit difficult, but it looks like you can find some manual ones around ~$15k.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/Honda/HR-V/Costa+Mesa+CA-92626?zip=92626&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&firstRecord=0&endYear=2018&modelCodeList=HONHRV&makeCodeList=HONDA&searchRadius=0&transmissionCodes=MAN