Car suggestion:

In the spirit of the gas price debate, would anyone care to offer me a suggestion or two? I have an '01 Explorer that's in real good condition and I still owe around 3.5k on it. I want to dump it as soon as possible without having to compound loans on vehicles.

I was thinking of leasing, but I'm not sure of the ins and outs of it. If I were to offer my car in a trade toward a lease, do you think they would use that as the down payment and the first few months lease payment?

What kind of car would you suggest bearing in mind fuel efficiency and appearance. I don't need anything fancy, but my friend just bought a blue Corolla and it's a total chick car.

Please suggest away b/c I want to do this ASAP and you guys give the best advice out of anyone ever D

DMo, I'm sure you hate me at this point after that Prescription Drug rant we both went on, but hopefully we're still cool D Your advice is usually the best out of anyone's haha.

if you're selling your car over fuel efficiency I recommend you run some numbers first. See how much $$ you will lose selling that car, and buying a new one. Figure out how much you'd save on gas based on how often you drive. See if it will even save you any money in the long run. I thought about doing the same thing but then found out it wasn't worth it in my case.

1.) Sell car
2.) Buy bike
3.) ????
4.) Profit
5.) Exercise
6.) No more being fat
7.) Win

I traded in my '00 jetta VR6 for around $4000 after tax savings.
Basically my engine light came on and it was around $2000 to fix so I went to the Nissan dealership and leased an '08 Altima.

The Jetta covered my down payment, first month, and everything else associated with initial lease fees. I walked out of there with a new car and not paying anything other than the NYS DMV fee for the license plate change or whatever it is.

My payments are $199 a month for 39 months at 12,000 a year.
I'm not at all worried about going over mileage so thats why a lease works for me.
Plus, I'm covered under the warranty the entire time if something craps up.

As far as gas, my jetta used to eat up gas like crazy b/c it was a VR6.
Nissan says the altima gets an average 23 city and 31 highway.
Plus, now that I don't have a Jetta I can put in the 87 octane instead of the 93 octane for my Jetta.

I recommend you figure out what the main purpose of your car is for. Then shop around and kbb your car so you get an idea of the trade in value and start shopping around.

Fat? Who's fat?

I'm trying to gain weight, not lose it. I hate your idea hahaha.

Yeah, Justin, I'm going to check out some numbers over the next few days, but I've been reading a few articles and granted, some of it is probably just pessimistic "what if's" but if some of these clowns are right, $7 gas over the next few years isn't out of the question, and at that point, eating a few thousand now will become lucrative in the long run.

We're cool. I don't generally disown someone just because I have a disagreement with them, heated or otherwise. At least not until it becomes a recurring pattern. ;)

You have to be careful with leasing, it isn't for everybody. But if you're okay with

(a) not being able to customize your vehicle in any way (including aftermarket stereo installation unless you can replace the factory unit without a trace)
(b) drive less than 12-15K miles per year
(c) don't mind the fact that you're essentially renting a car for 3-4 years and building no equity or ownership whatsoever

then leasing might be for you. The major benefits of leasing (to some people) is that your major repairs are covered (sometimes even your routine maintenance) and you get to drive a new vehicle every few years.

Personally, leasing would never work for me. Aside from me just not being comfortable with not "owning" a vehicle and having the ability to decide how long I keep it and what I do with it, there's the very practical issue of me driving at least 20K miles per year.

[quote8da3a0cb5a="samz465"]I traded in my '00 jetta VR6 for around $4000 after tax savings.
Basically my engine light came on and it was around $2000 to fix so I went to the Nissan dealership and leased an '08 Altima.

The Jetta covered my down payment, first month, and everything else associated with initial lease fees. I walked out of there with a new car and not paying anything other than the NYS DMV fee for the license plate change or whatever it is.

My payments are $199 a month for 39 months at 12,000 a year.
I'm not at all worried about going over mileage so thats why a lease works for me.
Plus, I'm covered under the warranty the entire time if something craps up.

As far as gas, my jetta used to eat up gas like crazy b/c it was a VR6.
Nissan says the altima gets an average 23 city and 31 highway.
Plus, now that I don't have a Jetta I can put in the 87 octane instead of the 93 octane for my Jetta.

I recommend you figure out what the main purpose of your car is for. Then shop around and kbb your car so you get an idea of the trade in value and start shopping around.[/quote8da3a0cb5a]

cool. that's the kind of info i was looking for. people's leasing experience and the numbers behind it. that was awesome. that helped me out, thanks a lot samad D

[quote3568afea63="dmorris68"]We're cool. I don't generally disown someone just because I have a disagreement with them, heated or otherwise. At least not until it becomes a recurring pattern. ;)

You have to be careful with leasing, it isn't for everybody. But if you're okay with

(a) not being able to customize your vehicle in any way (including aftermarket stereo installation unless you can replace the factory unit without a trace)
(b) drive less than 12-15K miles per year
(c) don't mind the fact that you're essentially renting a car for 3-4 years and building no equity or ownership whatsoever

then leasing might be for you. The major benefits of leasing (to some people) is that your major repairs are covered (sometimes even your routine maintenance) and you get to drive a new vehicle every few years.

Personally, leasing would never work for me. Aside from me just not being comfortable with not "owning" a vehicle and having the ability to decide how long I keep it and what I do with it, there's the very practical issue of me driving at least 20K miles per year.[/quote3568afea63]

nice, eh.... then don't go back to that thread hahaha D

yeah, see my theory behind leasing is that everyone takes great pride in owning their car, but the way I see it, and God have I been wrong before, you are basically working to own a depreciating piece of metal that, by the time you pay it off, is worth way less than you just paid for it. That's why I've always preached to buy property rather than rent because houses go up in value every year, and that's why I bought a house at 20 years old.

But the things you've mentioned are cool with me, I don't think I'd put more than 12k on it, and car repairs on the house would be huge for me. $200 a month, with no car repairs and less money on gas would be a huge incentive. That and I am so not interested in modifying cars it's unbelievable haha. So I guess that means that leasing is for me. Cool, thanks for the help as always D

lease is waste of money... at least that's what I think.

interesting comment from BankRate.com that's insanely relevant to your question

[quote5d1a8708f0]
[b5d1a8708f0]Trading in gas guzzler may cost you[/b5d1a8708f0]
Like a lot of people, you may be watching the price at the pump soar and wondering whether it's time to dump your current, less-than-efficient SUV, truck or car.

It's tempting to simply haul your 15 miles-per-gallon vehicle down to the dealership and drive out in something that gets 30 mpg or more. But that may not be smart, at least from a financial point of view.

People thinking of going this route need to take several factors into account.

For starters, your gas guzzler is worth considerably less as a trade-in than it was even six months ago. By some estimates, the value of used sport utility vehicles has dropped more than 20 percent since January.

Even if your current car is paid for, you're likely to incur new monthly payments on that fuel-efficient replacement.

Finally, it could take years to realize actual savings at the pump when other factors are taken into consideration.

[b5d1a8708f0]Here's an example[/b5d1a8708f0]

Suppose you have a two-wheel-drive 2001 Ford Expedition XLT. According to Edmunds.com, it is worth about $5,700 as a trade-in and gets about 16 mpg in city driving, although most owners of that model know real-world mileage is less than that.

At $3.70 a gallon for regular fuel, it costs about $97 to fill the Expedition's 26-gallon tank.

To cut that bill, the Expedition owner is looking at a two-wheel-drive 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, which can likely be bought (assuming reasonable options on board) for about $28,000, plus taxes, title fees, etc.

The Escape Hybrid promises to deliver about 32 mpg in normal driving, double what the 2001 Expedition delivers. A fill-up of the Escape's 15-gallon tank at $3.70 a gallon would cost about $55.

[b5d1a8708f0]But what are the real savings?[/b5d1a8708f0]

Assuming you own the Expedition free and clear and use the trade-in value as your down payment -- and cover the sales taxes and other fees in cash -- the Escape will come with a loan for about $22,300. At current rates, financing for 60 months means a monthly payment of about $439.

So let's add up the costs for a year

It costs about $3,500 to keep it filled with gasoline, assuming prices stay at about $3.70. If they go to $4 a gallon, the bill will be about $3,750.

In the new Escape, your annual fuel bill, assuming the same mileage and $3.70 a gallon, would be about $1,730, a savings of about $1,770 a year.

But the new Escape will cost you $5,268 in payments, not counting out-of-pocket fees and the value of the Expedition used at trade-in.

Even after factoring in the one-time federal tax credit that comes with an Escape Hybrid, swapping a serviceable gas-guzzler for a more fuel-efficient new vehicle is unlikely to provide a financial benefit for five years, when the new vehicle is paid off.

Of course, there are reasons to get a more fuel-efficient vehicle the go beyond bottom-line economics. They include concern for the environment and helping to reduce our oil imports.

And if it's simply just time for a new vehicle -- the old one is worn out, or you've budgeted to trade vehicles at this time anyway -- then by all means it would be foolish to not consider something that gets considerably better fuel mileage.

But if your prime motivator is the sticker shock at the gas pump, act with caution. While a new vehicle may help you save at the pump, it can significantly increase your overall costs.
[/quote5d1a8708f0]

All that said, that's a consideration for buying a new car. You could find a nice early 2000s Civic for $5-8K and and save some of the upfront costs, but, then you're looking at repair costs in the future. Anyway, food for thought.

I'm buying a 00 Yamaha R6 within the week. Partially because gas is 3.89 here atm but mostly because I've wanted a bike really bad the last 2 years. Could always go this route and keep your truck too.

wow. doyl that article kicked ass. that couldn't have been more tailored to fit this situation haha. I appreciate it D

anywho, i still make payments on my explorer to the tune of 150 a month.... if I traded that in for the down payment, and got something cheap with a payment of $200 a month, I would still be saving far more in gas. I'm not looking at anything expensive like they were talking about either. I'm thinking something easy like a camry or a civic.

But with that said, I appreciate that point of view, and it's giving me more to think about D

I recommend a chevy malibu, I have an 06 and getting about 34 miles to the gallon

Hondas are good too. I get 31 MPG highway and its a 97. I got it at 72000 miles and am at 105000 with no major repairs yet.

)

The reason the lease worked out so well for me was because my Jetta was costing me $2000 in repairs that I didn't feel like spending.
I was in almost car shopping mode anyway and thats why it was perfect timing.

[quoteea098cde13="zr2152"]Hondas are good too. I get 31 MPG highway and its a 97. I got it at 72000 miles and am at 105000 with no major repairs yet.

)[/quoteea098cde13]

hope you've replaced the timing belt by 105K miles

[quote40ea64be02="doylnea"][quote40ea64be02="zr2152"]Hondas are good too. I get 31 MPG highway and its a 97. I got it at 72000 miles and am at 105000 with no major repairs yet.

)[/quote40ea64be02]

hope you've replaced the timing belt by 105K miles[/quote40ea64be02]

I believed it was replaced before I got it.

[quote09aa422c16="zr2152"][quote09aa422c16="doylnea"][quote09aa422c16="zr2152"]Hondas are good too. I get 31 MPG highway and its a 97. I got it at 72000 miles and am at 105000 with no major repairs yet.

)[/quote09aa422c16]

hope you've replaced the timing belt by 105K miles[/quote09aa422c16]

I believed it was replaced before I got it.[/quote09aa422c16]
You might want to make sure. 72K is a bit early to be replacing a timing belt unless it had a problem. Typical schedule with Japanese imports is around 90K or so. If it hasn't, I'd be budgeting for a change pretty soon. While it's semi-expensive as far as preventative maintenance goes (my Sequoia's cost me about $450), if it breaks then you're probably buying a new engine. These small, aluminum block engines with captive belts tend to get shredded on the inside when the timing belt breaks.

To clarify, Honda engines are interference engines. If the timing belt breaks, then the valves crash into the pistons and cause major damage, and by major damage I mean, your engine is all but ruined. My experience with Hondas suggests that you're looking at closer to $1K to replace the timing belt (and water pump). You should replace the water pump, because it's a ~$40 part, but if it fails, you have to remove the entire timing belt assembly to repair the problem.

[quote9818b99b9a="doylnea"]To clarify, Honda engines are interference engines. If the timing belt breaks, then the valves crash into the pistons and cause major damage, and by major damage I mean, your engine is all but ruined. My experience with Hondas suggests that you're looking at closer to $1K to replace the timing belt (and water pump). You should replace the water pump, because it's a ~$40 part, but if it fails, you have to remove the entire timing belt assembly to repair the problem.[/quote9818b99b9a]

Water pumps are a common problem. If the Japanese make the most efficient cars in the world, can't they put the damn water pump in a more convenient location?

Yeah, I replaced my water pump when I had my timing belt replaced too, and my total was just a few bucks shy of $1K. However I did have several other things done at the time -- oil change, tune-up (new plugs, injector cleaning), coolant flush, new alternator belt, etc. IIRC just the TB+WP would have been around $750 maybe.

I'm surprised to hear that Honda wants $1K for the same repair on a much smaller vehicle, but then again I can see how those tiny engine compartments are a helluva lot harder to work around. Makes me a bit more glad I bought my daughter a 2008 Civic instead of the used ones we were first looking at. ) By the time she needs it done, she can pay for it herself.

[quoted8916e8c9a="dmorris68"]By the time she needs it done, she can pay for it herself.[/quoted8916e8c9a]
wow. hahaha. that just cracked me up D

I'm trying to get a quote from a private mechanic to replace my TB -- I have about 93k miles on it. I'll have to save up this summer ?

[quote418fddbfd5="ajasax"]I'm trying to get a quote from a private mechanic to replace my TB -- I have about 93k miles on it. I'll have to save up this summer ?[/quote418fddbfd5]
A private mechanic will liprobablyli be a lot cheaper than the dealer. Dealer labor costs are ridiculous, but I trust them more with my vehicles since I don't know a good mechanic -- we have a lot of bad ones around here.

Replacing the timing belt is easy, if you're mechanically inclined, it's just time-consuming. If you buy the Haynes manual, or find a copy of the service manual for your car, you can replace the timing belt, seals, and water pump for $200 in parts. Book labor rate on the job is about 6 hours, IIRC, so you're paying labor costs mostly.

I'm very mechanically inclined... but I lihateli greasemonkey work. I'll take apart/rebuild/rewire electrical circuits, electronics, and computers all day long for the fun of it, but when it comes to getting greasy (or doing plumbing) I stopped doing my own work when I started earning enough to pay someone to do it for me. )

I remember my last major mechanical DIY project years ago when we were poor. It wasn't a car but a broken down washing machine. With 3 young children and an OCD wife, washing was critical and laundromats were prohibitively expensive. I couldn't afford to pay someone to do it so I found a local sympathetic repair shop owner who sold me the parts and walked me through the repair myself (it was almost a complete overhaul). It took me about 3 days (late nights, since I had a job all day) to get the thing rebuilt, and I swore then that as soon as I could afford it I would not work on my own mechanical stuff again. I don't even change my own oil anymore.

I wasn't responding to you Dmo, but instead to ajasax.

I do a good bit of the work on my own car now, partly because I enjoy it, partly because it's cheaper. Once I have a garage with an extra stall though, I'll likely buy an old MG to tear down and restore over a couple of years as a project.

I was actually thinking of buying the Haynes manual and TB kit to replace it myself, but from what I've understood it's just out of reach of the tinkering DIYer. I'm competent enough to change my own oil, but I've gotten several discouragements on this wink

I would suggest an H2 for you.

http//www.pteam.net/newhummer.jpg[" alt=""/imgd6e54f5be8]

yea baby!

lol, no, H1 all the way.
gets even worse mileage.

go to edmunds.com and i think the other is car.com or cars.com (or was it caranddriver.com?), you can see all the cars in a certain category and get ratings, prices, all that. that's what i used when i bought mine.