Author Topic: Wife needs a new (to her) car  (Read 7918 times)

Bettis

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Wife needs a new (to her) car
« on: May 23, 2016, 11:12:41 AM »
My wife's car, a 2003 Ford Focus, is on its last legs and we are planning to get her a newer car.  We have a ~2 yr old and are trying for another child so that needs to be considered.  Although she is not a car person, she seems to be fixated on the Toyota Rav4.  It seems like these are pretty pricey ($12K for a 2007 on Worcester Craigslist!)

I assume we need to 1) Keep searching and 2) Broaden her horizons.  I'm in the camp that figures we could make any car work but I want to compromise a bit, as long as it's affordable.

I'm not a car person either so I don't know what are suitable cars to compare.  I'm not sure what our budget is but I definitely want to keep it 4 figures.  We are in Massachusetts in between Providence RI, Boston, and Worcester so there should be a lot of options.

I asked her if she could make a list of the things she really wants in a car so that it will help us consider other possibilities and this is what she has come up with(sorry for the lack of specifics):

Roomy inside
Leather seats(heated if possible)
Sun roof
Large trunk
4wd or whatever is good in snow....
Good on gas
Low mileage (I mentioned 60K miles and she seemed okay with that since she'll only be putting on 5-7K/yr)

Before I go on too long, let me actually ask a question.  What types of cars should we be looking at and realistically, what price range should I expect to pay?

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2016, 11:20:22 AM »
The Takata airbag recall's sidelining of my car sent me on a recent car-looking binge and I was most excited by the C-Max Energi. You can get a 2013 for just over $10k, but as it was a new design they had lots of issues with those, which spooked my wife. I think most were resolved under warranty but you should determine your comfort level yourself. It feels enormous inside and seems to hit most of your requirements except the 4WD, but I think MMM has an entire article about how you don't actually need that.

ketchup

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2016, 11:35:05 AM »
"Roomy inside" and "large trunk" are vague enough to let you trick yourself into buying something bigger than you really need.

Figure out your worst-case scenario of most people/stuff you'll have to fit (be specific).  Then ask yourself how often that will actually be necessary.  If 5% of the time you need to haul a bunch more stuff/people, get what fits your needs 95% of the time and rent a bigger car once in a while when you need it.

Do you have a car too?  If so, what do you drive?  If you're concerned about space, a two-car couple can optimize so one of the cars is bigger, but the other can remain small and efficient.  My girlfriend and I have this setup.  We have a large station wagon and a tiny subcompact.  I commute in the subcompact, and the wagon only gets driven when we absolutely need the cargo room (which is often enough to justify owning it in the first place).

Leather, sunroof, etc.  Fine fine, most cars are available with those options if you absolutely want them.

As far as "4wd or whatever is good in snow...."  A normal front-wheel-drive car with decent snow tires will outperform a 4WD car with all-season tires in the winter.  If you're concerned about snow performance, get a second set of wheels with snow tires on them, and switch them out for the winter months (you can do it yourself or have a tire shop do the switch).  The extra cost of snow tires is pretty low, as your primary tires then last longer due to less use.  4WD is a performance feature, not a safety feature.  If you're driving on paved roads with less than a foot of unplowed snow, you don't need it.

Quantify "good on gas."  25MPG is good for a pickup truck, 90MPG is good for a motorcycle.  Try for 35+MPG.  The gains past that don't net you as much as it seems as they are nonlinear (going from 20 to 30MPG saves you more money on gas than going from 35 to 60MPG).

Unless you have a reason not to, the standard recommendation of Japanese compacts/hatchbacks probably applies.  Civic/Fit/Corolla/Matrix/Vibe/etc.

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2016, 12:31:39 PM »
Roomy and large trunk are definitely way too vague, I agree.  I know we want to be able to fit 2 strollers in the trunk, 2 carseats in the back, and have room to bring luggage for a vacation.  If we drive someone somewhere, the backseat should have enough room to fit this person along with the car seats.  I'm worried about being tricked into larger than we need.  I think she tends to look at every possibility and assumes the car has to satisfy all of them.

I drive an 09 Kia Optima which is basically just used for when I go to work.  It's not roomy enough for her to consider this "the big car" but I assume most people reading this would consider it a decent size.  She isn't into the MMM lifestyle but she isn't a big spender either so that creates a little disconnect.

The 4wd is likely just stuff she heard is good for snow.  We are in New England so we get lots of snow but we don't drive on unpaved or unplowed roads so I doubt this is much of an issue.

Good on gas likely means what she was getting before or better (27 city, she isn't on highway much).  This was more of a point I've brought up a few times in the past so maybe she's trying to win my support here :)

We have looked at hatchbacks at the local CarMax and they aren't roomy enough for her.  Plus Carmax prices did not seem very good.  I think she prefers the long, deep trunk style vs the taller, less long hatchback style.  The jogging stroller we have seems to be what she thinks of for comparison purposes.  Her Focus has a pretty deep trunk which she doesn't mind so i don't see the big deal.  I just want to be sure I communicate properly without just shutting down everything she wants. 

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2016, 03:19:04 AM »
What about an ex-fleet Camry or Fusion or similar?

Or a Subaru?

Chances are a 3-5 year old Camry will be a decent amount cheaper than the equivalent SUV.

Jeremy E.

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2016, 03:31:58 AM »
Here are some cars I would recommend,
2010 Nissan Versa Hatchback - MPG 26C/31H, price w/40k miles around $7,000
2011 Nissan Leaf (Electric) - Price w/40k miles around $8,500
2011 Kia Forte Hatchbacks - MPG 25C/34H, price w/40k miles around $9,000
2010 Pontiac Vibe - MPG 26C/32H, price w/40k miles around $9,500
2010 Honda Fit -  MPG 27C/33H, price w/40k miles around $9,500

aperture

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2016, 03:41:42 AM »
Dedicated snow tires on front-wheel drive is superior to 4-wheel drive with all seasons for stopping in snow & ice.
For us, number one issue comfort issue with toddlers in car is how easy/hard it is to put them in car seats.
Leather seats will clean much better than cloth seats (may be an issue with kids and ice cream cones, vomit, dropped gummy bears etc.)
Side impact air bags are another good thing to look for. Safety is an illusion, but airbags have saved many 10,000s of lives.
Happy hunting, -Ap

Tjat

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2016, 06:31:27 AM »
FWIW my wife has a 2014 Rav4 with a carseat. My take is the car drives very well and is moderately comfortable. However, the "trunk" doesn't really store much, particularly with even one stroller back there. I'm also 6'3 and the carseat does slightly restrict the driver's seat motion for me.

The hatchbacks probably offer similar utility. Not a car guy either, but maybe a Mazda 6 or Outback?

Chranstronaut

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2016, 06:46:13 AM »
Dedicated snow tires on front-wheel drive is superior to 4-wheel drive with all seasons for stopping in snow & ice.

Yes! If you buy basic snow tires online from a place like tirerack, you can have them delivered straight to your house pre-mounted on affordable steel wheels.  That way you can swap them out yourself at home, and store your off-season wheels and tires in the basement or garage.  Easy Peasy, no trip to the shop to get them mounted twice a year.

I also drive a 2003 Focus, but I have the wagon.  Is there anything she particularly likes or dislikes about her current car?

I've tried to bench mark a few other cars against my Focus for my own future replacement car.  I've found that the 1st gen Focus excels in having tons of rear seat leg room and a very tight turning radius, but average gas mileage of newer vehicles seems to have improved.  The wagon has ridiculously huge cargo space - seriously it's insane.

Crossover SUVs like the Rav4 are essentially modern replacements for the station wagon with worse fuel economy and handling.  You're never going to take it off road, so what you're really gaining is some extra visibility at a high seat location and possibly cargo room over a mid-size sedan, while costing yourself extra gas and ride comfort/maneuverability/cabin noise.

I'd recommend a good mid-size sedan or station wagon if you can find one.  I slightly caution against Subarus only because they tend to be more poorly packaged in the engine bay if you will work on it yourself, and they can be a little overpriced for their age.  However, they are work horses and the Forester has a lot of cargo space (but pretty meh MPG).  I'd probably recommend the same as the other posters, something hatchback like a Vibe, C-max or Mazda 5, or the usual Japanese mid-size sedans.  If going the hatchback route, check out the trade off between cargo bed length and rear leg room -- it can vary a lot between cars of similar external size.

Jouer

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2016, 07:00:40 AM »
How about a Hyundai Elantra Touring? They drive like a compact but have an extended hatch-back area so are roomy like a wagon. My wife and I have one and we love it. TONS of space in the hatch back. We've gone camping and put all our stuff in the hatch while our giant dog sits in the back seat.

Lots of room for two car seats in the back. Certainly roomie inside the main part of the car and the cargo area.

You might not be able to get leather seats though. Ours has heated seats and sunroof but no leather. They stopped making these in 2012 which makes me sad. Once ours is done (lots of years left yet), we need to figure out a different car. We keep scoping other cars on the road but none of them have the hatch space like the Touring. 

oh - this thing is a tank in the Canadian winter with proper winter tires.

Fishinshawn

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2016, 10:39:21 AM »
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/19/top-10-cars-for-smart-people/

I really want to get a pontiac vibe/toyota matrix, but would also consider a prius hatchback, the scion XA or XB would also be great choices. The backseats folding down absolutely flat and having that huge plastic surface it creates is what draws me the most to the vibe/matrix.  Well that and the 30+mpg in combo that can be had for under $5000...

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2016, 05:12:18 PM »
So we finally got a chance to check out cars and out of everything we looked at, my wife liked a 2009 Honda Accord with 70k miles for 13800 after all fees but before a minor trade in.  I don't expect more than 500 bucks for an 03 Focus that does not run well.  Link is below.

http://www.patriotsubaruofna.com/used/Honda/2009-Honda-Accord-North-Attleboro-Massachusetts-a26415a70a0e0a171a7ccb06a7269315.htm?searchDepth=4:84

We did find a Rav4 on Craigslist at a similar price point linked below that we can visit the dealer this week.

http://www.cheyennemotors.net/2007_Toyota_RAV4_Worcester_MA_262634392.veh

It's more than I want to spend since my initial budget was in the 4 figures.  We can pay cash even at the 13k but we only half-max a 401k with 1 maxed roth ira so I feel like it's too much to spend on a vehicle.

Anyone have an opinion on the 2 cars I linked or an opinion on me?  Maybe I am overreacting on the price.  I'm trying not to be cheap but it's really hard to part with 5 figures since FI isn't much more than a dream at this point.

Syonyk

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2016, 07:31:06 PM »
Let's rewind a second.

How is a 2003 car on it's last legs?  By an average 12k miles/yr, it's only got 150k or so on it - that shouldn't be worn out.
 
Salt and rust?

Mechanical issues?

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2016, 09:23:52 PM »
It's got about 140k on it.  She had a starter installed by Circuit City years ago and it seemed to cause a bunch of problems.  The car will not start with the key, only the starter button.  After it starts, there is a clicking sound where if she doesn't hit the starter button again, it will try to restart.  She's afraid the thing will explode.  I don't know if there is actual danger but I'd feel awful if something bad happened because I was being cheap.

I did tell her to just get the starter removed but there is an additional problem where there is a heavy pulsing when she has to slow down and stop (such as a stop light) which sometimes causes the car to stop dead.  It restarts with the starter.  Pulsing makes me think brakes but they were recently done and did not fix that issue.  We've tried mechanics ànd each has not found anything that needs fixing. 

Goldielocks

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2016, 10:20:04 PM »
Unless you and your wife are highly committed to keeping a preschooler in a stroller, it is highly unlikely that you will need to fit two strollers.  My two were about the same age apart, and I generally wore one child, while the other was in the stoller.  or the older one would stand / hold on to the stroller with the young one in it.

+1 for snow tires being better than 4 wheel drive for snow (other than when you are pushing snow deeper than your front bumper).

Take a good look at the Toyota Camry's..  there is a bit more room in the rear seat (good if the driver is tall), and a spacious trunk. 
It also is SO. MUCH.NICER. to drive than the Rav4 on longer drives (Rav4 is a bouncy short wheelbase).   

Oh, and the leather in Camry's is much higher quality that that in the RAV4 recent models.

Or,  what about a Volkswagen Toureg?  (heh heh), that fits all your stated criteria, and I am sure she would like it, even if your wallet doesn't.

Syonyk

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2016, 11:16:09 PM »
It's got about 140k on it.  She had a starter installed by Circuit City years ago and it seemed to cause a bunch of problems.  The car will not start with the key, only the starter button.  After it starts, there is a clicking sound where if she doesn't hit the starter button again, it will try to restart.  She's afraid the thing will explode.  I don't know if there is actual danger but I'd feel awful if something bad happened because I was being cheap.

I assume you mean "remote starter" and not the actual starter?  If it's not working correctly, get yourself a wiring diagram, rip it out, and fix it.  Or get a shop to take it out.  It's probably a bad connection in the ignition harness at this point - should be easy enough to find and fix if it's never starting with the key.

Quote
I did tell her to just get the starter removed but there is an additional problem where there is a heavy pulsing when she has to slow down and stop (such as a stop light) which sometimes causes the car to stop dead.  It restarts with the starter.  Pulsing makes me think brakes but they were recently done and did not fix that issue.

Pulsing is usually deposits on the rotors, which a typical brake job (pads and slide pin lubrication) won't resolve.  You either need to turn the rotors (rare to find a place that can do it anymore), replace them (the common solution), or go out and heat the brakes up to even out the pad material deposit.  Generally, pulsing in the brakes is caused by a driver keeping heavy pressure on the brakes after the vehicle has come to a stop.  It transfers pad material to the rotors unevenly, and things get worse from there.

If it's been happening for a long while, there's not much you can do but replace the rotors.

The engine dying coming to a stop is likely an issue with the idle air control valve sticking.  Toss an OBDII scanner on it and see if it's got any codes - engine computers usually know something's wrong long before they'll throw a malfunction light.

Quote
We've tried mechanics ànd each has not found anything that needs fixing.

These seem fairly trivial issues for a competent mechanic familiar with the vehicle to resolve.

If your wife wants a new car, I can't argue with that.  But the issues you list don't seem to justify getting rid of a perfectly good vehicle that needs a weekend's worth of work and $500 in parts.

sleepyguy

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #16 on: May 31, 2016, 04:34:44 AM »
Besides from the "good on gas" (although not horrible) part, I would recommend a 100,000km-120,000km Forester?  Why that mileage range?  That's when you generally see if the car will have issues with head gaskets (expensive fix).

That said it checks all the boxes of your requirements and the 2009-2011 models are pretty fair priced.

We have a 2009 2.5x LTD and it's had no major issues.  Head gaskets seem to be holding up and we're at about 150000km on it.


Also I agree with this below...


hese seem fairly trivial issues for a competent mechanic familiar with the vehicle to resolve.

If your wife wants a new car, I can't argue with that.  But the issues you list don't seem to justify getting rid of a perfectly good vehicle that needs a weekend's worth of work and $500 in parts.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2016, 04:37:09 AM by sleepyguy »

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #17 on: May 31, 2016, 07:58:20 AM »
It's got about 140k on it.  She had a starter installed by Circuit City years ago and it seemed to cause a bunch of problems.  The car will not start with the key, only the starter button.  After it starts, there is a clicking sound where if she doesn't hit the starter button again, it will try to restart.  She's afraid the thing will explode.  I don't know if there is actual danger but I'd feel awful if something bad happened because I was being cheap.

I assume you mean "remote starter" and not the actual starter?  If it's not working correctly, get yourself a wiring diagram, rip it out, and fix it.  Or get a shop to take it out.  It's probably a bad connection in the ignition harness at this point - should be easy enough to find and fix if it's never starting with the key.

Quote
I did tell her to just get the starter removed but there is an additional problem where there is a heavy pulsing when she has to slow down and stop (such as a stop light) which sometimes causes the car to stop dead.  It restarts with the starter.  Pulsing makes me think brakes but they were recently done and did not fix that issue.

Pulsing is usually deposits on the rotors, which a typical brake job (pads and slide pin lubrication) won't resolve.  You either need to turn the rotors (rare to find a place that can do it anymore), replace them (the common solution), or go out and heat the brakes up to even out the pad material deposit.  Generally, pulsing in the brakes is caused by a driver keeping heavy pressure on the brakes after the vehicle has come to a stop.  It transfers pad material to the rotors unevenly, and things get worse from there.

If it's been happening for a long while, there's not much you can do but replace the rotors.

The engine dying coming to a stop is likely an issue with the idle air control valve sticking.  Toss an OBDII scanner on it and see if it's got any codes - engine computers usually know something's wrong long before they'll throw a malfunction light.

Quote
We've tried mechanics ànd each has not found anything that needs fixing.

These seem fairly trivial issues for a competent mechanic familiar with the vehicle to resolve.

If your wife wants a new car, I can't argue with that.  But the issues you list don't seem to justify getting rid of a perfectly good vehicle that needs a weekend's worth of work and $500 in parts.

Yes, sorry I did mean remote starter.  Apparently it does occasionally start with the key but not often.  The only time it will never start with the key is at the stop light situation when it shuts off and the dashboard lights all come on.  I've driven with her quite a few times but have never seen the issue for myself.

The brakes and rotors were done a few months back and the pulsing problem occurred both before and after.  She doesn't think it's the brakes or rotors based on what she feels but neither of us are mechanically inclined.

Is the OBDII scanner the thing they use at AutoZone?  I don't have one of my own... or any car tools really :(

I don't think I'll be able to convince her to not go for the new car and she is(surprisingly) leaning towards the Accord.  Reading that the Rav 4 isn't great on long drives is good to know since she normally doesn't like SUVs for that reason.

The Accord has about 70k miles with 1 owner, looks great and drove great on the test drive.  Yesterday was the first day (since last year) that we've actually gone to any lots to look at cars.  I'm pretty adamant about sticking to a four figure budget and not making a quick decision but I typically do a whole lot of analysis paralysis and then get worn down into spending more than I want.  I was up about half the night thinking how I should navigate through this.

lbmustache

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #18 on: May 31, 2016, 10:51:49 AM »
Why don't you find a slightly older Accord/slightly more miles for $9xxx? A 2008 (same body style as the one you picked) with around ~100k should be around that price.

slschierer

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #19 on: May 31, 2016, 11:05:20 AM »
I drive a Honda Accord.  We have two children:  a 5 year old and a 3 year old.  My husband is also tall (6 foot 3) and has no complaints.  The trunk is spacious, and the MPG is great!  We average about 33 MPG.  It's a great car and should really last.  We actually don't have leather on this car.  It's the first car I've owned (willingly, lol) without leather.  I thought I needed leather in order to keep clean up easy with the kids, but I was wrong.  We have had no issues keeping the seats clean.  I've been driving it for a year and a half now with no complaints.

NoStacheOhio

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #20 on: May 31, 2016, 12:46:36 PM »
When you say "pulsing" do you mean the brake pedal pulses, or the engine revs fluctuate in a rhythmic and abnormal way? My wife used to have a Monte Carlo that would sort of rev up and down at idle and low revs, sometimes stalling. We were reasonably sure it was an electrical problem (previous owner's stereo install), but never got it nailed down, and the car wasn't worth sinking the time/money into fixing.

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #21 on: June 01, 2016, 07:09:24 AM »
When you say "pulsing" do you mean the brake pedal pulses, or the engine revs fluctuate in a rhythmic and abnormal way? My wife used to have a Monte Carlo that would sort of rev up and down at idle and low revs, sometimes stalling. We were reasonably sure it was an electrical problem (previous owner's stereo install), but never got it nailed down, and the car wasn't worth sinking the time/money into fixing.

It has yet to happen when I am in the car with her but she claims it is not the brake pedal.  I wouldn't be surprised if it is an electrical problem because of that damn remote starter.  We're gonna check a few small lots in town to see if they have anything worth test driving.  Hopefully she'll get the remote starter removed since maybe that will clear the problems up and keep the car running another year but I think the inevitable car purchase will be coming soon :-/

StarBright

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #22 on: June 01, 2016, 07:47:23 AM »
When you say "pulsing" do you mean the brake pedal pulses, or the engine revs fluctuate in a rhythmic and abnormal way? My wife used to have a Monte Carlo that would sort of rev up and down at idle and low revs, sometimes stalling. We were reasonably sure it was an electrical problem (previous owner's stereo install), but never got it nailed down, and the car wasn't worth sinking the time/money into fixing.

It has yet to happen when I am in the car with her but she claims it is not the brake pedal.  I wouldn't be surprised if it is an electrical problem because of that damn remote starter.  We're gonna check a few small lots in town to see if they have anything worth test driving.  Hopefully she'll get the remote starter removed since maybe that will clear the problems up and keep the car running another year but I think the inevitable car purchase will be coming soon :-/

We had something similar to what NoStacheOhio describes in our 2003 Honda CRV recently. It turned out to be a carboned up transmission plate affecting the idling motor. We paid about a hundred bucks for them to clean it up and the issue has improved greatly (though still happens occasionally when we run the AC on high- we just turn it down).

If it happens again we'll replace the idling motor as well which should be a few hundred bucks with labor.


ubermich

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #23 on: June 01, 2016, 09:35:48 PM »
Are there any schools in your area with an automotive technology program?  We diagnose cars like yours all the time and customers just make donations to the program (which pays for tool kits for kids who get internships in the field).

To me it sounds like Syonyk pretty much nailed it.  The only things I would add are:
The ignition not functioning correctly may be due to Circuit City installing a "chip holder" which is basically a plastic box with a chip programmed to match the chip in your key.  On some cars the anti-theft system reads both the chip in the holder and the one in the key and it causes problems because the system (rightly) thinks it's being tampered with.  As an experiment, when the ignition clicks is the steering wheel free to turn or does it lock and unlock with the clicking?

If the rotors are good (and the shop didn't just throw new brake pads on the old rotors without machining them), then the "pulsation" may actually be the engine revving due to a faulty Idle Air Control valve (which, as Syonyk noted can also cause the car to stall).  This usually sets a code and Check Engine Light but can also be verified by controlling the valve with a good scantool and reading the engine data.

Properly diagnosing the car over the interwebs is futile, but a diagnosis fee to a reputable shop or school would be much cheaper than a new car and could save you huge $$$$.

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #24 on: June 02, 2016, 07:13:15 AM »
I do know that Circuit City used her spare key to install the remote starter.  I'm not sure if the steering wheel is free to turn but she hasn't mentioned that it locks at all.  Her check engine light does come on when it stalls but when she restarts the car, it goes away.

Unfortunately, and I'm wicked embarrassed to even post this, but we went back to the dealer last night and put a deposit on the Accord.  I let myself get talked into it even though we got them down quite a bit on the price.  Doesn't matter though, it's still $12,400 for a car 8 model years old and I feel sick about it.

Overall, we'll be okay.  FIRE wasn't in our near future anyway.  Under Dave Ramsey rules(maybe not optimal but it's quicker than posting a case study), we'd still be on Baby Step 6 even after paying cash for the car.  We just don't have that extra slush fund anymore that I've been using for the minor emergencies and to work that mortgage down fast.  On a positive note, my wife now knows that shit is on(in a non threatening way) when it comes to being frugal.  She wasn't a big spender before but this is a way to get her on board.

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #25 on: June 02, 2016, 07:22:33 AM »
We have a 16-year-old Accord with 278k miles.  Cost per mile so far is $.38 includes cost of car, insurance, gas, oil, repairs, etc.  Yesterday it went in for a repair because the starter quit.  Sounds like you have a good 8 more years on your "new" Accord.

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #26 on: June 02, 2016, 09:33:41 AM »
That's good to hear.  Online reviews(Edmunds I believe) seem to give that model and year 4 out of 5 stars.  The car looks like it was treated well.  Supposedly, (I know, grain of salt here) it was an older couple that didn't even go out in the snow with it.  The service records look good via the CarFax and it seemed to go 8-10k miles per year consistently.  We figure she will put 7k miles per year on it based on the last 5 years of Focus driving.  If it lasts 10 years, that will bring the mileage comparable to what the Focus has currently (140K).  I'd expect it to go longer but we have no garage and are in snowy/road salty New England  so i think anything more would be gravy.  The insurance is only going up $11/mth by replacing cars AND adding back the collision and comprehensive.

Re-reading what I wrote above sounds like a lot of rationalization so feel free to face punch.

MayDay

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #27 on: June 02, 2016, 10:35:12 AM »
We got lucky and gifted a minivan, but if it dies, we'll likely get a Camry or accord for our big car.

2 kids, and having that much bigger back seat is awesome. CVt's, rav4, etc have just as narrow a back seat as a civic/focus/etc.

When I looked at the various wagonprices/hatchback prices and fuel economy, none were as good a bargain as a accord or Camry.

The trunks are huge, plenty big enough for lots o baby gear.

NoStacheOhio

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #28 on: June 02, 2016, 12:28:17 PM »
Re-reading what I wrote above sounds like a lot of rationalization so feel free to face punch.

I think face-punching a gently used, 8-year-old Honda Accord would be a bit excessive ...

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #29 on: June 02, 2016, 12:40:29 PM »
Re-reading what I wrote above sounds like a lot of rationalization so feel free to face punch.

I think face-punching a gently used, 8-year-old Honda Accord would be a bit excessive ...

Thanks.  I think I get caught up on bare bones living (Our income isn't exactly 6 figures) so spending $12.4K on a car is like a punch in the gut.  We just need to ramp up the savings rate a bit to play catch up.  We were at 41% over the last year including mortgage principal so I'd like to set a goal of 50% over the balance of 2016.

Reddleman

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #30 on: June 06, 2016, 08:33:29 PM »
I'd second the Vibe/Matrix- very trouble free overall and mpg works here too. Camry/Accord are also no-brainers. 

Although I hate to say it, you might actually want to consider a mini-van.  Well, only one actually.  Any 2004-on Toyota Sienna would be a decent choice.  Check on the room, comfort, and reliability.  Most other mini-vans of the era had huge problems with transmissions (Honda Odyssey and Dodge/Plymouth) or random gremlins (Nissan).  The Siennas do much better with higher mileage and actually can get mid 20s in city/highway mixed driving. Plenty of room, comfortable, and with snow tires will manage just fine.

A 2005-2006 one owner with good maintenance records should be well under $9k. 

Bettis

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #31 on: June 07, 2016, 07:41:50 AM »
A little late to the party :)  but thanks for the recommendation.  Funny thing is, I had a minivan as my first car.  My dad bought it new in 1992 ('93 Caravan) and I kept it running until 2010.  Only had 110K miles on it but it was pretty much rotted from the New England winters. 

tonycar17

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Re: Wife needs a new (to her) car
« Reply #32 on: June 07, 2016, 09:00:18 AM »
We are a two car family......car 1 is a minivan that we got when our 2d child was born 6 years ago.  Totally talked ourselves into something we did not need.  I love the minivan because it has tons of space and really drives nice, but it certainly was never a "need".

Second car is a 2012 Toyota Camry SE that we bought used last year for cash.  We love this car - really smooth ride and has a really large trunk - we have no problems with hauling both kids and stuff.  Mileage is great as well - we run about 30MPG and we drive almost exclusively in the city.  Cannot recommend this car enough.

When we get rid of the minivan, we will look at another sedan in the Camry or Accord family.

TC

 

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