$ Buying a Car General - Eight thousand dollars for a 2005 Subaru Baja?

[ChompChomp]

I'm a middle aged lady who absolutely cannot handle anything truly spicy so I'm probably just going to end up with another Camry or whatever is the Lexus equivalent. Sigh. Why can't they make those cars look just a little cooler?

I might be biased, but the Mercedes-Benz C300 (W205) looks pretty sexy, can putter around town with some pluck, and can be had for well under $20,000. Maybe $13,000 depending on the mileage and history.

Generic 3/4 shot:



Side profile. Aggressive, yet refined.


3/4 backside w/ AMG line trim (NSFW):



Image driving that around for under $20k. One of the sexiest sedans ever, IMHO.

One item of note that the ride can be a bit firm if you go with larger wheels, but that can be true about any car. Also, aim for a 4MATIC, which is full time all-wheel drive and a good option if you live in an area with mixed weather.

 

[TheTitKoker]

I might be biased, but the Mercedes-Benz C300 (W205) looks pretty sexy, can putter around town with some pluck, and can be had for well under $20,000. Maybe $13,000 depending on the mileage and history.

One item of note that the ride can be a bit firm if you go with larger wheels, but that can be true about any car. Also, aim for a 4MATIC, which is full time all-wheel drive and a good option if you live in an area with mixed weather.

Maybe a decade ago. Now - that'll come with a slew of modern Benz electrical gremlins or decent water damage for $13k. Almost same deal with any euro trash cars that haven't properly appreciated by now - there's always a solid reason why.

 

[seri0us]

One of the sexiest sedans ever, IMHO.

It absolutely is but what does the maintenance cost

 

[guidmaker]

Learn how to conduct yourself so the F&I cunt doesn't even bother trying to sell you any of his crap. Can stick his menu up his ass.

Get pre-approved with a credit union or look up manufacturer incentives for loans, they have them even for used (certified pre-owned only). Don't mention any of that until after negotiating on a price.

The only thing that matters is price and interest rate.

 

[TheTitKoker]

It absolutely is but what does the maintenance cost

Like 2 unborns and a toddler each oil change.

 

[BeardedWall]

I bought a new Toyota and it made paying taxes a pleasant experience. But even the fucks at Toyota actually SOLD me one.

I was shopping between a Honda, Mazda cx, and Toyota corolla cross. Not high end but I have cash in hand.. ready to go.

Honda and Mazda could NOT get their shit together, at any agency, for any reason.
"We dont have any"
"Fine can I have one made"
"Yes but only with deposit"
"Okay here's the deposit"
"Okay but we dont get to pick the color or trim"
"Okay how can I pick those"
"We have to have your financing"
"Okay I can pay cash or finance"
"Okay great how's your credit"
"Amazing"
"Okay fill out this financing"
"Fine here"
"It's is amazing great! You are approved! Everything is in order! But we dont have any and wont get any. Sorry".

What blew my mind is they didnt even show me anything else.. like they were just like naw we dont have any and hang up.

Im holding approved financing in hand for YOUR dealership. I want a Blue car.. no one could do anything.

I hope the whole industry goes bankrupt.

 

[whatsreelanymore]

my method is, search the cheapest cars around me then google the common problems and how to diagnose them, also learn to spot km fraud or if the car had accidents.

 

[The Hardest R]

I hope the whole industry goes bankrupt.

They want you to buy one of the options on the lot because they have KPIs that require sales turnover targets for their existing stock. Buying a car you want but will take three months to deliver doesn’t help them now but if they steer you to buying something on the lot today, it helps their internal KPI targets immensely.

 

[VargReallyDidNothingWrong]

Image driving that around for under $20k. One of the sexiest sedans ever, IMHO.

Yeah you'll have to imagine it because that rolling Check Engine light will be in the shop getting fixed more often than actually driving down the road.

Paying 20 grand for the privilege of owning a third-hand 15 year old Mercedes Benz is insane

 

[sodaboard]

so my car got fucked and i need a new (used) one, looking at a 2015 civic for about $7700 since they've never outright died on me or had anything really fucked with them. it has just under 180K miles and had a minor accident in the front grill from what i assume is hitting a deer. it's been listed for 2+ months and had several prices drops, will go visit the dealer next week to check it in person to make sure there's nothing they're hiding. i don't drive too often and put on maybe 3000 miles/year. kbb says it's $22 lower than the average price good deal or cough up more for something better?

 

[Mister Fister]

Maybe a decade ago. Now - that'll come with a slew of modern Benz electrical gremlins or decent water damage for $13k. Almost same deal with any euro trash cars that haven't properly appreciated by now - there's always a solid reason why.

If you can’t afford a new Mercedes you can’t afford a used one. I am saying this as a BMW owner. (Same shit).

 

[TheTitKoker]

so my car got fucked and i need a new (used) one, looking at a 2015 civic for about $7700 since they've never outright died on me or had anything really fucked with them. it has just under 180K miles and had a minor accident in the front grill from what i assume is hitting a deer. it's been listed for 2+ months and had several prices drops, will go visit the dealer next week to check it in person to make sure there's nothing they're hiding. i don't drive too often and put on maybe 3000 miles/year. kbb says it's $22 lower than the average price good deal or cough up more for something better?

Realistically that thing is $2-4k tops my guy. Do not buy from dealers as best you can. If it had like 18k miles and it's a 10 year old Civic, then sure, 7-10k might have been fair. Plus it has an accident too.

 

[Two Hands]

Realistically that thing is $2-4k tops my guy. Do not buy from dealers as best you can. If it had like 18k miles and it's a 10 year old Civic, then sure, 7-10k might have been fair. Plus it has an accident too.

This would've been $2-4k had prices remained about the same since 2017 and not been inflated to high hell after 2020.

 

[Squishie PP]

Eventually we will have to resort to jailbreaking some of the newer cars.
It is possible. Difficult, but possible: https://icanhack.nl/blog/vw-part1/

 

[TheTitKoker]

This would've been $2-4k had prices remained about the same since 2017 and not been inflated to high hell after 2020.

You can still find private sales, but you absolutely cannot be automotive illeterate to avoid getting a lemon. We're ironically making a full circle to a century ago when people with know how save a ton and get ahead while mindless masses are shafted for every step.

Eventually we will have to resort to jailbreaking some of the newer cars.
It is possible. Difficult, but possible: https://icanhack.nl/blog/vw-part1/

And that's just disgusting. Hopefully more people start waking up and saving old gold from bring scrapped and we enter a civillized Mad Max era while corporations burn if they insist on pushing their bullshit onto people.

 

[Fascist Kirk]

I was looking at used prics on craiglsist last month and was shocked at the prices for 300k mile clunker POS, I have a about half a dozen old running or simple fix and running POS myself. I just sold my 1989 Brnnco 2 for 10k dollars! hahahahahaha it was my grandpa's ride and a hand me down to me when he died. and its a Gas guzzling No power POS. I am going to hell for getting 10k.

I feel so bad for people looking for cheap rides out there, cause an ass hole like me is going to bank off your situation.

 

[NoReturn]

I was looking at used prics on craiglsist last month and was shocked at the prices for 300k mile clunker POS, I have a about half a dozen old running or simple fix and running POS myself. I just sold my 1989 Brnnco 2 for 10k dollars! hahahahahaha it was my grandpa's ride and a hand me down to me when he died. and its a Gas guzzling No power POS. I am going to hell for getting 10k.

I feel so bad for people looking for cheap rides out there, cause an ass hole like me is going to bank off your situation.

Thanks, Obama.

 

[TheTitKoker]

Thanks, Obama.

If Bamallama paid chinks to invent and spread corona 6 years ago as well as push all car mfgs strictly into enshittification under guise of safety or emissions.....but alas.

 

[creamy]

Can't quote, but the post by Althalus on page 2 is excellent advice for normal people in need of transportation.

my method is, search the cheapest cars around me then google the common problems and how to diagnose them

This is the advanced method, except I believe there is more to this method than searching by cheapest.

If you are buying a used vehicle, you should intend on keeping it for as long as possible, and you want to buy the nicest example possible in accordance with budgetary constraints. You want to be familiar with the issues that that make and model is prone to, and you should be able to ask the previous owner if the problems have been addressed in order to assess a proper price for the vehicle. In addition, you should be able to spot signs of shoddy repairs; both mechanical and bodywork. You should buy models that attract fastidious owners, this means old people cars, performance oriented cars, or cars that attract autists (VW TDI, Mazda, Swedish makes (only if you are masochistic)). Just make sure that it hasn't been abused by some mongoloid that has managed to get a hold of it.

You should not deal with retards that know nothing about what they are selling unless you want to lowball the fuck out of them and roll the dice on a possible turd, unless you know something that they don't.

I just sold my 1989 Brnnco 2 for 10k dollars! hahahahahaha

and I love to flip them

Brown hands typed these posts.

 

[Fascist Kirk]

Thanks, Obama.

The Standards on Vehicles got extremely shitty under Obama, but they was getting extremely shitty under Bush Jr too, Remember cash for clunkers?

I still drive 2 F350 7.3 L Diesels one a 1999 with 400k miles on it and going strong, the Other a 2002 Dually with 280k Miles going strong. They don;t require Emissions standards put into place like Exaust Cleaning, and because of that they last for ever. and an Autistic non spelling Hillbilly like me can get inside and maintain it change out Water pumps Alternators Starters basic wear and tear maintenance with out tripping an insanely over complicated computer system.

My back yard looks Like a you pull it instead of selling old shit I just park it till I feel like fixing it. I still got a 1993 Suburban that I get drunk and 4 by with Old shit lasts for ever and its cheap.

Newsest thing i bought, I bought a 2024 Silverado Deisel 1 ton for my gig business and its a pos and I regret buying it.

and after that the newest thing I bought was 2015 Ford Escape and that was a fucking lemming. I am not buying new shit ever again unless they pay me to take it and offer one hell of a power train warranty.

The Newest thing I bought was a 2011 Ford Escape and what a pile of shit that was never doing that again