Auto Purchase - Advice weclome

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cjr3559

cjr3559

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cjr3559
I'm in the market for a new or used car. I've had three cars in my life.

At 16 I received a 1985 Nissan Sentra with 33,000 miles and drove it until the timing belt broke at 98,000 and repairing the damaged engine was worth more than the car.

Next I owned a 1993 Acura Integra and drove it for 10 years and 130,000 miles. Excellent car, kind of underpowered compared to today's standards. Got involved in an accident 8 years into ownership and it never drove the same afterward. Also the passenger amenities started to fail after 7+ years but the engine would have gone at least another 100,000.

I currently own an '03 Mazda Protégé 5. Got it new and it has 130,000 trouble free miles. Extremely inexpensive to fix, and it's been well maintained its entire life. Only problem is rust is starting to creep in. Plus, I've outgrown it and am ready for something a little more spacious.

So here are the candidates, all new models except where noted:

  • Honda Accord EX
  • Mazda6
  • Hyundai Sonata
  • Chrysler 200S
  • 2012 Audi A4 Premium with 41,000 miles

The used Audi is my favorite. My only concern is long term reliability. I usually keep cars for a while, so it's no doubt I will keep it for 6 years and 100,000. It's Audi Certified pre-owned with warranty, but I've never had a car with complicated electrical. Am I asking for trouble over the term of my ownership? Any of the new cars on my list (except possibly the Chrysler) are expected to be maintenance and trouble free for at least 5 years with average wear/tear. I've had such good fortune with all my vehicles, and while I really want the Audi, I'm kind of stepping out of my comfort zone.

Play it safe or "you only live once"?
 
The Audi is the best value for money because it's used. Chrysler? No. The sonata is a good choice, but new it will be inefficient in terms of cost. Same with the Mazda 6 and the Honda.

You need to add some used cars to your list in a big way. Check out the Infiniti g's. TSX is also still a good option.
 
I think it's perhaps unrealistic to assume that a brand new car will give you 5 years of trouble-free motoring. As Danoff said, the loss you make buying a new car, makes buying used a sensible financial option in the long run. Especially if it means you can afford something more interesting.
 
Mikeybc
How much warranty left on the Audi ?
Click to expand...

This is where it gets a little complicated. Certified Audis get 6 years/100,000 silver coverage from the original in-service date (Feb 2012 in this case). The silver coverage is free but you can pay extra to lengthen to 7-8 years/120,000 or pay up to get gold, gold plus, or platinum coverage. The car has 41,000 miles.

I need to ask how much the extended and upgraded warranties cost in my next stop back. Without going into too much detail, the silver coverage to Feb 2018/100,000 seems adequate.

I am planning on financing for 66 months but antcipate paying off the loan ahead of schedule by a number of months.
 
If think if you can negotiate a good price with silver or gold coverage and are comfortable with the routine maintenance costs (if they're any different ) then I'd say its worth a try, it will deprecate less in the next couple years or so than a new car will, so you'll take less of a hit if you grow to hate the car and want to get rid if it.

Also I'd try and get the maintenance/service records if possible to see if there's been any past problems.
 

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