What vehicle do you drive?

Sanrith Descartes said:

I know, they essentially don't care about the lower tier market at all.

Click to expand...

Yes, correct. Between the 4 big German brands, MB has been the most expensive, historically, and haven't competed all that well in the lower tiers anyway.

Mahes said:

I am having a difficult time trying to figure out whether or not to wait a few more months before buying a new truck. All indications would show that New vehicles might go down as both inventory and Interest rates increase. The problem is that inflation is also still going up. That will increase the eventual costs for making the vehicle.

So, should I start looking around now, or wait until at least summer? Thankfully we did not trade in the Honda when we bought my wife's Subaru back in 2019( Fucking great timing on that purchase and trade-in decision), so I am not obligated to purchase right now.

Click to expand...

I’d wait until after tax return season if you can. People juiced up with a cash infusion are going to buy and after that I expect car purchase will decline massively.

I was reading that May might be a good point to start looking. That would be a couple of months past returns and the month revolves around show room vehicles and such for current year.

Mahes said:

I was reading that May might be a good point to start looking. That would be a couple of months past returns and the month revolves around show room vehicles and such for current year.

Click to expand...

Before the Wuhanic Plague and recent car market shenanigans the winter months were the lowest prices of the year (from what I had seen when I had Manheim access). The sportier the car, the larger the fluctuation between winter and summer. Now days, there probably isn't enough data for anyone to really guess what prices will do, with much accuracy. Presumably, this is causing havoc with a lot a dealers around the nation too. As it's difficult to manage your margins when you can't reliably predict prices.

At the least, an informed buyer is much more difficult to be taken advantage of, so you can always start pricing out vehicles across the country now and have 3+ months of data to compare, when going to buy. If you are looking at a bunch of different models, it also helps to narrow things down and be knowledgeable on 2 or 3 options.

It is close to impossible to get a "good deal" from a dealer, but you can make sure you get a "fair price," with enough research.

The only good deals are used cars from a personal sale or dealer auction (if you happen to know someone with a license to buy from Manheim).

BrutulTM said:

My last used car I went to literally like 20 dealerships and used car lots. I had pretty specific requirements based on research I had done with regard to price, mileage, and features. Dealer shopping was a complete waste of time. They didn't have what I wanted but wasted hours trying to talk me into buying something that they did have. Used Car lots were much better but still didn't find a match. Finally found exactly what I wanted on Craigslist a couple of months after the dealership blitz and it's worked out great. If you have time, personal sale is the way to go. I also have a theory that people who love their cars and take immaculate care of them are more likely to sell them themselves too. I have bought two cars from private sellers and they were both spotless and had complete maintenance records etc.

Click to expand...

Another good indicator is looking at the seller's house/property/garage. People who keep those in top condition generally also keep their vehicles up, too. I was flipping through CL and noticed a 5 y/o Ford SUV with 70k+ miles. As new in and out and full records. House/lawn/garage completely spotless. Not my cup of tea but it was in perfect shape.

I always sell my vehicles, never trade in. It is only a minor pain compared to making a whole lot more money on the sale. A sale or three and that money starts to stack pretty high.

I have to go dealership route for a SUV I want. Almost none are ever FSBO. Not a big deal because this is dead time for them and I am getting a solid deal even after shipping.

Ishad said:

I had to buy a car because some dickhead blew a red light and totaled my car. Good news is insurance paid me $3k more than what the dealer was offering me on a trade in. The only reason I got the car I wanted is someone had ordered the same model I wanted and couldn’t get financing for it.

Rates are fucked for auto loans. I got 4.1% on 48 months. They originally came out with 6.5% at 72 months.

Click to expand...

We basically decided to pay cash out of our farm expenses savings and just pay it back to ourselves at 1% interest. Just lucky to have the scratch to not be stuck at these rates.

This really bums me out, I was lucky enough to get to go to the US one before it was shutdown as well.

Drove by this boosted 370z on a small lot by chance. looks clean but risky as hell. been in an accident and between here and Texas you see nothing but sketchy 370s with engine swaps or otherwise poor running after being molested by Mexican riders.

If i hadn't just got my mustang I'd have flirted with it. though sounds like wife vaguely interested in it over miata which we havnt locked into yet

Hekotat said:

This really bums me out, I was lucky enough to get to go to the US one before it was shutdown as well.

Town Shuts Down Long-Running VW GTI Worthersee Show Over Crowds, Climate Change

After 40 years of VW enthusiasts meeting at Lake Wörthersee in Austria, the annual event was shut down due to climate change.

www.thedrive.com

Click to expand...

"Due to climate change". Ho-lee shit, what a load of garbage. That many people gathering in a space once per year adds fuck-all to the "climate change". Fucking Europe is so far up its own ass with bullshit politics and made up crisis....