YSSMAN's Infinite Crisis: Blackest Night (Post #816)

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It really does, but that whole "affordability" thing is usually a problem. A friend of mine has a W210 E320 and he loves it, I liked it a lot too, but I really don't need anything too fancy. I'd say the Subaru interior is "fancy" enough:

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I've gotta give one a good look over. I'll take a wagon or a sedan (I'm really falling in love with the H6 Outback Sedans), I'm not too picky. I just have to see what the market can get me... That, and have the money.

1) The Jetta has to get fixed first. Don't know what it is, or how much it will cost
2) I'll likely put a "FOR SALE" sign in the window and see if there are any buyers... Depends on how much this repair costs me
3) Sell it, hopefully, and sit on the cash for a bit (maybe?). Then I'll look into getting something newer

I think its good that I'm pretty much set on the Subaru route, but the fact that I've got to take care of some bills first always takes prime consideration. After taxes, I'll have a much better idea of what I can/cannot afford. With the promotion I received at work, I get an extra $80 I can have in my pocket every paycheck, but that doesn't work out to much with the bills I'm already paying on.

EDIT: Jesus, does that thing have OnStar? I forgot that Subaru (and Acura? Volkswagen did too, I think...) had a partnership with GM on that for a while...
 
YSS, what about this underrated Subby?

baja.jpg


I REALLY love these. Especially in black on black leather trim. Its just about the best of all worlds. Saloon+SUV+Truck
 
It's your money, and your decision. :)

Just throwing out a somewhat cheap, bulletproof option. The MB is $5,995. not a bad alternative.

I think a Subaru would be much more fun to drive than a 300E. Plus, they are easier to find with a manual. 👍


But I think they are better at rusting than the 300E.:dunce:
 
JCE
Volvo S60 2.5T AWD. AWD Turbo Volvo FTW!
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I personally liked that car until a couple of days ago when I drag raced one - my six-year-old 190-horsepower automatic A4 handily defeated it. T5 or bust.

ON THE OUTBACK: I'm from Colorado, the land of the Outback. An ex had the H6 wagon, same generation; LL Bean Edition if I remember correctly. That six-cylinder engine has 210 horsepower and feels like about 150 because the 4-speed automatic it runs its power through dulls the HELL out of it. I've never driven an automobile with so much power that FELT LIKE so little power.
 
OK, I did a little research, the American searching system sucks, you have to enter a ZIP code to be able to search. How the hell would I know what zip codes there are, I'm from Oz. Anyway, it seems you could get an Audi A4, that'd be good wouldn't it? I even seen one A6. All under $10k. Nice interiors too I imagine and AWD to get through the snow. Get an Audi.

PS- There weren't any GM AWD cars, it's a shame you have snow. See here in Australia by mid day you can be quite warm in Winter, never any snow in Queensland. Do you need AWD?

Edit: Seen a Jaguar X Type as well is in that category.

Edit: Also just seen a Cadillac CTS 2003 for $10k. It's RWD but a good car right?

Edit: Pontiac Grand Am Sedan? Maybe they were crap I dunno.

Edit: You said that you don't want a Saab 9-3 right? Oh well, there's plenty of them. Pontiac Firebird 6cyls too, but that doesn't fit your criteria.
 
JCE
YSS, what about this underrated Subby?

baja.jpg


I REALLY love these. Especially in black on black leather trim. Its just about the best of all worlds. Saloon+SUV+Truck
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The Baja pretty much failed in the US market though, Subaru gave it the wrong engine to start with and colour scheme (who the hell thought yellow and silver went together?) to compete with the Sport Trac and the larger Avalanche. I think I've maybe seen two in Michigan since 2003 when it was introduced and I've taken a picture of them both times because they are so rare. Also I don't even remember seeing one on a lot or being advertised. The people who did know about it thought it was ugly as sin and went ahead and bought the Sport Trac or the less then thrilling S-10 Crew Cab.

The only thing the Baja has going for it was that is got decent fuel mileage and still could sort of tow 2000lbs, which equated to being able to pull a small boat decently.

If you want something that looks like a Legacy then buy a Legacy, if you want a less then practical truck, the Sport Trac is it.
 
nd 4 holden spd
OK, I did a little research, the American searching system sucks, you have to enter a ZIP code to be able to search. How the hell would I know what zip codes there are, I'm from Oz.
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:odd: Is Google that foreign a concept to you? I search for cars on UK AutoTrader from time to time - just find a ZIP on Google and you're good to go.

As for the A4, before we get into questions of characteristic Audi reliability, let me state: I've now had mine for almost exactly nine months, and in that time I've put 19,000 miles on it. Only two things have broken: an air-conditioning motor ($400 including labor at the dealer) and the keyless remote ($400 including labor at the dealer). That means excluding gas and depreciation, cost per mile has been $0.04. I'm all over that. Just find a good one and you're all set.

(admittedly there has been some elective maintenance including some stuff - like an expensive timing belt - that would need replacement eventually... but only $800 worth of stuff has broken in 19,000 miles - the rental company I worked for this summer would've killed for that on a new car, let alone on a six-year-old three-owner German one)
 
n78001441_30353904_5558.jpg

JENNA IS DEAD: RIP 1996-2008​

I got the phone call about ten minutes ago from the transmission shop that its something internal and requires a total replacement of the transmission (after I spent $1000 getting a new clutch nearly three months ago). I simply refuse to spend another $2600 (worth more than the value of the car) on a refurbished transmission.

So, I'm left with a dillemma: Sell it privately for $1500 or so (everything else works fine and is nearly-new), or take it to a dealer and trade it in and hope to get a fair amount of cash out of it. I'm going to call the local Subaru dealer in a few minutes to check on the status of one of their used cars.

4S3BH675927642250_4.JPG


They've got a 2002 Outback Wagon for $9995, and I may be able to talk them down a little bit on the price. Thing is, there is 104K on the clock, and that may be a bit too much.

4S3BH686917624031_1.jpg


They have another one on the other side of town for the same price, a year older, but it doesn't have the mileage listed.

It all doesn't make me particularly happy, but I'll survive I suppose. I've been wanting a new car for a while now, so we'll see what happens. I have to have surgery done in a few hours too, so everything is just so backed up, and yeah...

*sigh*

Oh well...

EDIT:

...If I'm feeling alright when I get out of the hospital, I'm going to stop at one of my little VW shops and see what I can get there. I saw a four door GTI there the other day, but didn't see a price in the window. I don't know if I can handle $10K with all of my other bills and stuff, so yeah, looks like I'll be borrowing the Grand Prix and Camry for the next week or two...
 
Drat! But I told you it was internal...:sly:. The threaded cones--which are what keeps it in gear, but also allows it to come out--were probably shot. Unless they actually gave a reason other than that, in which I'd be interested.

But hey, getting a new car is awesome in a sucky way. And that first Outback has a little dent on the driver's door and some damage on the bottom of the front bumper. Try and find yourself something with a 1.8T maybe?
 
Sorry to hear about the Jetta. Going for a Subby is definately the way to go. I like Outbacks, they are fantastic cars with very good build quality.
 
You probably know this, but just don't buy whatever car comes along, you'll end up hating it. Also, you probably know this too, don't buy a car above your means, if you are worried about being able to pay for it, don't do it.

[/common sense]
 
I'm sorry to hear about the Jetta. Good luck finding a replacement.

If Outbacks aren't in very high demand, talk to the dealer. You might be able to get them to fix the body damage free, and it they really want it off the lot you might be able to talk them down a bit due to lack of care or something. We did it with our car, and that is a car that probably would have been off the lot in the next couple days.

And make sure you ask or look around about the head gasket repairs for that model. It is a known problem with the Outbacks of the later generation, and I don't know if they would have fixed the problem for the next generation. I would say that there is a good chance you have a $2,000 to $3,000 repair coming down the road, unless it's already been dealt with. And it'll be $500 if you can do the work yourself.
 
My parents've got an 02 Outback. It's got great utility value, but it isn't the most trouble-free car in the world. It's not totally problematic and a major PITA, but it isn't the picture of perfect health either. No major problems as of yet (like the mentioned head gasket fix) but it does have random little issues like a malfunctioning MAF sensor etc. It won't leave you stranded roadside, but are still problems. The brakes are also pretty crappy.
 
Can't you find a S/H transmission to get you by? There must be some low mileage crunched Golfs/Jettas about.

Anyhow. If you're going new, A4 would be worth a look if you like AWD. But Subarus are interesting. I found them an acquired taste - I took a UK spec '99 Impreza Turbo with ~260hp around the Nurburgring, and they just struck me as twitchy. I'm used to being able to adjust my entry line on brakes (as most FWDers can) and the Scoob was just too twitchy to make it a fun pastime. I ended up forcing the pukka racing driver rhythm, brake hard straight, sidestep and balance throttle, turn, clip, power. Of course, once you're into the apex, it's mash away, the tail can do what it likes most of the time, and when it does step around, you're a wrist flick away from oversteer heroics. I preferred my Golf Rallye, which let you do all of the above - if you wanted to pitch the nose into the corner, you did, and the back would just hang on until you squirted the throttle, and if you were careless about that, it never really punished you. Add a flick, and out the back came - as long as it was a tad greasy. Getting out there in the dry meant you were travelling very quickly, and were probably about to run out of talent.

Funny how these things don't always translate from the game, huh?

Go testdrive a Legacy and Outback first. Then have a play in some other stuff, and one of those has to be the ubiquitous 3-series BMW, if only to say you drove one.

Shouldn't you be able to find an early C5 Vette for $10k nowadays? :D
 
And the insurance on a Vette would be through the roof.
 
Example:
Corvette Forum
1998 c5 Clean title. $10999 San jose, Ca. FIRE SALE

Currently sitting @ 139k miles. I am still in love with this car, but it needs to go, there is nothing wrong with the car at all. Runs extremely strong. amanjeetsingh2004@yahoo.com... I will post new pics of it by weekend.

for pics
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Been for sale for a looong time, hence the 3k reduction.

They're out there. :)
 
Venari
Example:


Been for sale for a looong time, hence the 3k reduction.

They're out there. :)
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That thing is amazing for it's price. Too bad about the auto, but wow....What a price.
 
I talked with Dad and Grandpa for a short bit this afternoon while in the hospital, and it looks like we're just going to tow the Jetta home and try to sell it there. A friend of ours owns a small VW shop, so I may try to sell it to him and see what I can get for it. Logic states that if he fixes the minor issues with the car, he could probably push it back out the door for $3000 or more (I payed $2500 for it in 2005).

We have enough cars and trucks in our family to the point where if I need a ride, I can get one. I'm going to wait a few days to recover from this and then see what I can do. I want to test-drive the Subarus first (Dad likes the Subaru ideas), but I also want to stay somewhat loyal to my VW love and check out the small local dealer a few blocks away.

I'm not looking for something immediately, but I'll need a car sooner than later. I'm setting my goals at about $8000, but I'm willing to go up to $10,000 if they can give me a good interest rate. Just going to put around town and have a look at the used dealer lots, and as always, keep an eye out on the internet too.

The boss would probably sell me his 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, but its not quite what I want, so we'll see what happens.

So yeah, I'll keep ya'all updated. I'm leaning towards the Subaru lineup (if I like driving them), but otherwise, I'm open to most options. I'd like to have a car thats mildly "exciting" in some regard, and I found some really nice VWs this afternoon (two MKIV Wolfsburgs and a GTI), but yeah... I'm not looking to settle too soon.
 
Joey D
What might I ask is a fire sale?
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A fire sale is when a store has a fire and although their merchandise isn't burned to a crisp, it still has been smoked so it can't be sold at regular price. It's like a bankruptcy sale but not because of going bust.

It's become a term used for selling something for real cheap.
 
I'm probably going to go to that dealer that has the Michigan State ones and look at the GTI, but for a brief moment, give a look at the P71s. If I'm going to get a big car, I'm going to get something a bit more nice/sporty... That, and my brother is looking to replace his Camry with one, so it would be kinda weird having two in the driveway.

I probably should be more upset that my car is broken/dead/etc, but I'm really not. I don't look forward to having another car payment, but I've been looking to get a new car for quite a while, so this is my opportunity to get it. Worse comes to worse, I'll end up with some boring American sedan for a while... But I'd generally prefer to stay away from that.
 
YSSMAN
I'm probably going to go to that dealer that has the Michigan State ones and look at the GTI, but for a brief moment, give a look at the P71s. If I'm going to get a big car, I'm going to get something a bit more nice/sporty... That, and my brother is looking to replace his Camry with one, so it would be kinda weird having two in the driveway.
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That sir would scream LAW ENFORCEMENT. :D You would never get vandalized or burglerized. :lol:

I probably should be more upset that my car is broken/dead/etc, but I'm really not. I don't look forward to having another car payment, but I've been looking to get a new car for quite a while, so this is my opportunity to get it. Worse comes to worse, I'll end up with some boring American sedan for a while... But I'd generally prefer to stay away from that.
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I am sort of in the same boat in terms of not wanting a car payment--but sometimes you need to get ahead of the game and start so you can finish it. And in this case pay the new car off. I thought you were thoroughly attached to your Jetta? I'd be upset something fierce if my Camaro died.

I'd --> :(
 
I loved my Jetta to death, its probably one of the best cars I've ever driven, and very likely, one of the favorite cars that my family has ever owned. Getting it for the absolute steal of $2500 (its worth about $2200 with a functional transmission), it only made things better. I liked the look, the drive, the stiff but smooth/isolated ride, and the overall "down to Earth" dynamics with the very direct steering and shifting.

It really pains me to be without her, I loved her so much. It just isn't the same thing driving the Grand Prix or the Camry (especially the Camry). I'd love to find a car that gives me a similar feeling, and its my guess that only another VW, maybe a Subaru, or some uber-expensive German can replicate it.

I'm actually rather interested in a Mazda 6i as well. I recall seeing one at the local Nissan dealer not too long ago with an $8000-ish sticker in the window. It had an automatic (boo hiss), but it has the manual override... Best of all, it had the dual exhaust and the body kit, which leads me to believe that it had the sport suspension as an option.

I'd take something like that. Gets the same gas mileage as the car I already have, and it sure as hell will carry a lot more while its at it...
 
The Mazda6 won't be cheap to buy, but it will be a very good car inside and out. That and since it is a Mazda it has cool written all over it. "zoom zoom" anyone?
 

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