October 2007, bought two 2007 Corolla's from the Daytona Dealership (unloading their loaner fleet). The 2007's were rated 40/mpg Hwy, and I'm still getting it. Paid $13,500, traded in my piece of **** and SO's nice gas guzzler Chrysler sedan. Paid them off pretty quick, so no car payments, and they each now have about 40k on them. Okay, I kinda pulled a fake out pretending we were trading in my ****box, then at the last minute said well what if we gave you the other car - how much would you give me then? Then, after almost getting what I wanted, said what if we traded in both to buy two. Half way home (the salesman had to come with me to get my car), the guy turns to me and says wait - did you intend to get 2 cars when you walked in? LMAO! "Oh no, it just kind of happened." (I am so evil, even SO didn't know what I was doing, cause he has no poker face)

In the mail today, (this weekend only) St. Augustine Toyota is offering over book to trade in for new. $11,173! Not giving up my gas mileage (I don't think they are still rated 40/mpg), nor do I want a car payment. The kicker is if you sign, there is also a bonus prize something, up to $4,900 cash (stop in to see what), plus a scratch and win up to $10k.

This is insane......

This is not the first time I have been offered ridiculous bucks for the 2007 Corolla's. I guess it's the gas mileage, and they know they are perfectly maintained with low mileage. Mine is always ready to jump in and drive to NY in a heart beat, which has happened almost every year, but it's been nothing but basic maintenance and tires.

I bought these intending to keep them for over 100k miles. (I usually go at least 150k, except for the last transaction, where I just wanted to unload the gas guzzlers, and those cars were NY mileage, whereas FL wear and tear is a spit).

I think I'm good. :D But it just seems the dealerships are trying to buy these back since I bought them, and the offer gets better every year. I just don't get how they can make a profit on them for what they offer me.

Maybe for kicks I'll take a drive to St. Augustine this weekend - just to tease them. hee hee.

It's also CHEAP.

Cheap being the operative word here.

My Mom has an ancient Olds that is, in my opinion, a total piece of ****. Why? It doesn't turn worth a damn which makes it a real pain in the ass in modern parking lots, and it has massive blind spots making it a pain in the ass to drive in traffic. It's also a gas guzzler. OTOH, it doesn't appear to be fixing to give up the ghost any time soon with zillions of miles on it with next to nil in repairs.

So does piece of **** mean: A pain in the ass to drive? A constant repair bill? Body parts rusting away to nothing? Sagging doors? Faulty transmissions?

All of the above, but your a woman and think it's cute and you for the money so you will use everything you can to tell yourself it's a rational and wise purchase, now rush on down to your local within 10 miles of your house used car lot and negotiate a "great" deal. Be sure and tell all your friends what a great deal you got and how you took the salesman /dealership(send them there to:). Buyers like you paid for my house and cars and put bread on my table for 12+ years and I hope you never change. Enjoy your PT, I'm sure you'll look cute in it.

Oh right, bring sex into you idiot.

I need a standard. For some reason there are a whole bunch of standard cruisers around in my price range. I can't rush out beyond local, because I DON'T HAVE A ****ING CAR.

And you didn't even bother to answer the question, apparently you were too busy getting your sexist rocks off.

On ignore you moron.

Want to know how I meet my wife? "uped" her on the car lot and decapitated her, 4 pound(that's $4000) front end profit on a $12000 car plus made a few points on the back end.(a home run) She made 1 payment and i made the next 6 then paid it of in one check stroke. That $1300 commission cost me $4000+ over what I could have bought that car for. I should have let her steal it.

Starvingartist

My brother owns a PT cruiser...It is a money pit..everything that can go wrong has gone wrong on his POS. It only has 115K miles on it and it feels and sounds like it its going to come apart at the seams any moment when you are driving on the Highway.

If you are near central Ohio though I am sure he will give you a good price on it....
Let me Know....

I did answer.... "all of the above"

1lumpor2 wrote..

Want to know how I meet my wife? "uped" her on the car lot and decapitated her, 4 pound(that's $4000) front end profit on a $12000 car plus made a few points on the back end.(a home run)

Ample demonstration of why auto salespeople enjoy their stellar reputation. You ADMIT to that ****?

Damn.

Aha, a money pit. That's the type info I want. Any specifics? Mechanical? Electrical? Body?

*ignoring the smartass bits.

Starving, I don't know anything about PT Cruisers, but I just typed "PT Cruiser problems" into Google. Holy cow, if just half of that is correct, I'd avoid the car like the plague. Consistent problems I see seem to be pretty wide ranging. Transmission, electrical, constant overheating, consuming a quart of oil every 500 miles, and the list goes on and on. This car sounds like a bone fide, all-around Epic Detroit Lemon. <shudder>

Yeah, I've been googling every car I've been looking at for stuff like that. Seems there isn't a car out there that doesn't have problems.

I'm not sure I can tell which is worse, going by a google search though. And if you go out to that specific cars forum (they ALL have them lol) you'll find a bunch of people who have owned multiples of them and never had beyond normal maintenance issues.

Honda Civic issues: http://www.autos.com/car-buying/7-honda-....

This is kind of an interesting site, I don't think they have enough numbers to get a good idea, but I like the way they present the information.

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Chrysler/PT....
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic....
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Coro....
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Mazda/Prote....

Quote:

Seems there isn't a car out there that doesn't have problems.

Bingo! I know a young man who bought a 2001 Toyota Celica early last summer while he was working for us as an intern because his parents own Toyotas and have always had good luck with them, and they are supposedly the most reliable brand. Early this summer, shortly after he came to work for us full time, the engine died. It would turn over, but sounded absolutely horrible, like it had no oil in it, but it did. My guess is it's all sludged up and the oil wasn't getting where it needed to go. Moral: Buying a Honda or Toyota is not a guarantee that you won't have problems.

-Uwe-

Using that site for info on cars relibity Daewoo is one of the best car makers out there.
http://m.carcomplaints.com/Daewoo/

Why do you think that is?

http://www.mississippi.org/index.php?id=....

Used car salesmen have a lot of tricks to make it appear to be a health engine to casual observation. It can go as far as putting 50 weight oil in to make it stop knocking.

One thing they almost never do/check that you can in a matter of seconds to see how the engine has been treated specifically in reference to oil changes:

Take the oil filler cap off. Stick your finger inside the valve cover, bend it around and try to scrape the inside of the valve cover where you normally can't see.

If your finger comes away clean or with clean looking oil on it and the metal feels smooth - more than likely it's been well maintained oil change wise. If it comes away with black junk on it, run away.

I have seen used car salesman clean or buy new oil filler caps as well as spray solvent into the hole so what you can see LOOKS clean. They almost never bother with up inside were you can reach with a finger.

This isn't AS true with diesel motors as with gas. It's even more important with turbo gas motors.

And he'll yes All cars have problems. Toyota has sold over 30 million Corollas world wide. You think maybe a few had problems? But as a percentage they are very good. No car is a guarantee of having no problems, but a PT is a guarantee of having problems. But hey it's cute, so who cares?

It's definitely kind of a crap shoot. Which is why I lean towards cheap. If it only cost me $2K and dies on me, I'm not out much!

At $2K, I can also afford some repairs on it.

Etc.

You posted PTs you were looking at that were priced at $4 and 5k. Here you'll like this and it's not a pos:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-Pont....

My mom took my sister to get a used car. paid $5100 for a 2001 ford taurus with 168k miles. I told them they were nuts for going to a used dealer.

The advertised price was $5000. I told them to go buy a $3500-4000 honda civic. The dealer brought the price down to $4600, but when it came time to sign the papers there was a $500 "admin fee", so the price was $5100.

That car still runs? Amazing. Soon to be F.O.R.D.

The Taurus is pretty decent car. But $5k for a ten year old car with over a buck fifty on it is insane. I got a pretty similar one, a 2000 with 164k miles on it for free. Had a noise in the front end. I ended up selling it to a good friend of mine's sister who needed wheels for $300. Two years, 40k plus more miles and an accident in which the insurance company wanted to total it, it's still on the road.

1lumpor, what are your thoughts on late model ex-rentals? Rental company must at least keep up on oil changes right?

Cars that are former rental cars have been drove pretty hard for the most part, they also seem to have tons of dings in the paint, always a bunch on the rear bumber and trunk(suitcase loading). A lot of people will redline a rental just to see what's it's got. Now all that said used rentals can be bought cheap, the car I sold my wife the day I met her was a former rental with 29,000 miles. Kept it until 70,000 with no troubles. Also cars that are common fleet cars...Ford taurus, Pontiac G6, Dodge Caliber and such go down in value pretty fast so they can be a bargin, ESPECIALLY if you get a car that is a common rent a car model BUT was not a rent a car itself.

I live in Boston, MA. I'm in the market for a used 2006 Lexus is250. I haven't been able to find one I like in my area. I broadened my search to the entire New England and NY area and I did find a few listings I liked. But I have never purchased from an out of state seller before. Do you guys have any advice so I don't get screwed?

We do it often but the pain is paying cash and leaving it there till you come back with plate
We often bring the cash and a tow truck so there are no surprises

I have bought 4 out of state cars, from private parties, and wholesalers. Paid 2 in cash and 2 in certified checks. I never leave the car there, I bring a plate from 1 of my other cars or a plate that has not expired from a car I just sold and use that plate to get home and plan on not being pulled over, if I ever was pulled over, I've got a title and a bill of sale from that day with me.