In 35 years I have never bought a new car and probably never will. Aside from growing up penyless, I just never could deal with the idea of the car depreciating so fast. I also always pay cash for my cars (including my $11,000 mustang) and could never get over the idea of having a car payment. The price of cars have gone through the roof way outpacing wages. When I graduated from highshchool there were tons of good cars you could get new for 5K-10K.

I hear a lot of coworkers say they HAD to get something new for their wives safety. I dont but into that arguement. I have had lots of cars go to about 200k miles without ever leaving me on the side of the road. I have known people in new cars have the tranny go too!

Some people argue that the cost of repair for a 100K + mile car is too much. BS again, even an occasional major repair bill will average out much less than a monthly payment. The truth of the matter is, todays cars can go WELL beyond 100K or even 200K with usually little more than a bad alternator or water pump (truth be known, those parts go bad by desighn due to planned odsolesence to give the owning the fear that their cars are getting old. They can plan when a bearing goes bad almost to the day). The idustry would like Americans to continue freaking out over the 100k mile mark though.

I will add that I am glad that people buy them because it drives the economy and gives me a constant supply of cheap used cars.

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Winner of the "peoples Choice award" for supreme advocate for the people!

I'm not "always right", it just seems that way

Spelling is for kids! I think you got the point!2001).]

[This message has been edited by Fordman50 (edited 07-30-2001).]

...will do???

I personally have nothing against used, but I recently boguht a new car...

Why? Reliability. I cannot rely on a 10-30 yearold mustang to get me to work and back everyday without a hiccup now and again.

And there are saftey/comfort features available in a new car that are not available in a used car (well more than 3-4 years old at least...)

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Manu Narayan

[This message has been edited by Fordman50 (edited 07-30-2001).]

Well at least you sound open minded about used cars. All my coworkers think that Im insane for making good money and "allowing" my wife to drive an 11 year old Taurus with 185,000 miles on it. The industry has convinced them that their cars will die at 100k.

BTW, what comfort idems does your new stang have that my 94 doesnt? Mine has a vert http://discussanything.com/Ubb/wink.gif

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Winner of the "peoples Choice award" for supreme advocate for the people!

I'm not "always right", it just seems that way

Spelling is for kids! I think you got the point!

Nothing wrong with a used car. Trying to get one right now myself. An 87-92 mustang 5.0 http://discussanything.com/Ubb/smile.gif

My dad on the other hand has only bought new cars and is having a very hard time with this idea of a used car. He doesn't understand why I'd rather have the mustang than the 99 civic si I currently drive. I wanted the 5.0 when i got the si but he wouldn't get it for me b/c it was used and american. What kinda reason is that? http://discussanything.com/Ubb/tongue.gif


[This message has been edited by Kail (edited 07-31-2001).]

WTF!!??? I need to talk to your dad!!! Peaople like that PISS ME OFF!

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Winner of the "peoples Choice award" for supreme advocate for the people!

I'm not "always right", it just seems that way

Spelling is for kids! I think you got the point!

[This message has been edited by Fordman50 (edited 07-31-2001).]

Oh, I am definately open to used cars. I plan on owning a classic stang, and a 95 cobra at some point in my life.

Ian, I have cupholders that work :-).

I have traction control! That is a BIG plus, has made my rear end not shake wildly many a time ;-) In dash CD6 changer. Digital capability for speedo, tach, oil pressure, etc.

There are a few things. But the stnags are a bad example because they've been carried over so much. Compare a 01 taurus to a 94 and you have a world of difference. From the traction control, to the stability features, to their advanced protection system.

And honestly cars DO have a limited life span, UNLESS you are willing to maintain them properly and know something about cars. Fact is most peolpe DON'T maintain them properly, and dont' know how to work on them...

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Manu Narayan

Why would you want a 95 Cobra when you new GT is; lighter, more powerful and faster? I know this for a fact.

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Winner of the "peoples Choice award" for supreme advocate for the people!

I'm not "always right", it just seems that way

Spelling is for kids! I think you got the point!

The beauty of the Musatng is that there are so many aftermarket replacement parts. One problem with the older ones, with my 86 anyway, is rust. I got some at the door bottoms, near the sunroof and along the bottom of the rear window.

Well, it depends a lot on the type of car. Ive no problem with a used commuter/economy vehicle. I'm more wary with performance cars, especially lower-priced models like Mustangs & Camaros. The potential for abuse is much higher. For all I know the guy could've taken off the slicks & nitrous bottle when he got back from the dragstrip and traded in the next day.

[This message has been edited by Dest98 (edited 08-03-2001).]

Snouter--Rust isnt an issue for us in the civilized world http://discussanything.com/Ubb/wink.gif Yankee!

Dest, why do you care? If get get on old stang, I try to get it cheap and plan on spending money and time on it anyway. Half the fun with a car like that is upgrading everything that is worn out in it. Besides, if you do things like check the wheel wells for rubber, check the battle boxes and chasis for cracks, and do a compression test you should have a good idea of the condition of the car.

Anytime anything breaks on my cars I look at as an OPPERTUNITY to do an upgrade http://discussanything.com/Ubb/wink.gif

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Winner of the "peoples Choice award" for supreme advocate for the people!

I'm not "always right", it just seems that way

Spelling is for kids! I think you got the point!

See Ian for YOU that is the fun of owning a car...

For a lot of people (me) that is the PROBLEM with buying a used car. I don't wanna HAVE to do any upgrading. I don't want to be stuck without a car for X amount of days while I put in a new tranny. (also, for those of us tech challenged, it gets expensive!)

Regarding the 95 cobra, I meant 93! :-)

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Manu Narayan

Originally posted by Fordman50:
WTF!!??? I need to talk to your dad!!! Peaople like that PISS ME OFF!


Ian, do you consider yourself to be a typical american? And with that I (for just this time) am not talking about you people all be overweight Jerry Springer guests, but instead i'm more aiming about you guys being chauvenistic beyond reason and basically arrogant thinking you're the best, even though you know little about the rest of the world. Well, I know you for one have travelled the world, but apart from that....

You seem to just explode pretty much if someone mentions something anti-america or so. That just really puzzles me. I don't understand how someone can feel so strongly about a country. Coz after all, a country is basically just the government and a lot of rules. And yours is only a few hundred years old. It's barely got any history compared to pretty much the rest of the world...

[This message has been edited by tam (edited 08-03-2001).]

ahhhh 93 is better. I was talking about an old performance car, not a daily driver

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Winner of the "peoples Choice award" for supreme advocate for the people!

I'm not "always right", it just seems that way

Spelling is for kids! I think you got the point!

Originally posted by tam:
Ian, do you consider yourself to be a typical american? And with that I (for just this time) am not talking about you people all be overweight Jerry Springer guests, but instead i'm more aiming about you guys being chauvenistic beyond reason and basically arrogant thinking you're the best, even though you know little about the rest of the world. Well, I know you for one have travelled the world, but apart from that....

You seem to just explode pretty much if someone mentions something anti-america or so. That just really puzzles me. I don't understand how someone can feel so strongly about a country. Coz after all, a country is basically just the government and a lot of rules. And yours is only a few hundred years old. It's barely got any history compared to pretty much the rest of the world...

[This message has been edited by tam (edited 08-03-2001).]

slam time eh? No, I am prolly not typical at all. My thinking is deff NOT middle class or middle of the road. I do NOT think America makes the best cars either. I just think its good for our economy to buy US and the the "ave American" is wronly biased and closed minded against US cars. In fact, the point of that quote you posted had little to do with the fact that it was a Honda and more to do with the fact that his dad only likes new cars. Hell one of the best cars I ever had was a Peugot!

Arogant? Perhaps. I am easily discusted with the view points of "average American's" They tend to be wasteful, spoiled, misguided, selfish, ect. I am proud NOT to be typical in these ways. I think you have seriously misread me. While I have not seen the world to the extent that you have, for an American I would be considered well traveled. I have hardly seen a place on vacation that I would rather live more than where I live now. That is to say, I have seen lots of great places

Im not this close minded, red meat eating, springer watching, trailor park living guy you may think. Actually I am a long way off. Rather I like to consider myself a renisisance (sp?) man (If I can coming for a land of no history) I would like to remind my fellow citizens of our recently forgotten traditional American values like: the fact that we DO still make nice cars, US jobs should never be taken for granted, thrifteness is a wise and prudent thing, and believe it or not the US really is one of the best places to live in terms of freedom, opertunity, quality of life, ect. Whats wrong with being a little patriotic? It has become SO old fashion and out of vogue and un-PC to be patriotic (for "nonrednecks"), that I have felt compelled to pick up the flag and stand as a reminder for those who dont remember these things. To tell the truth, with my economic background, political hist and Hippie parents, I am an a very unlikely canidate to champion such a cause and have such "old fashioned values. I was close to my grandmother though. She was a WWII vet and a defense worker her whole life. I learned my brand of patriotism from her. I acknolege that th US is but one little stop on the map but its MY spot and I love it. If that wrong or ignorant than yes Tam, I am both. I am hopelessly out of step with middle-class America and the stemming tide of globalism and I feel good about it if not frustrated.


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Winner of the "peoples Choice award" for supreme advocate for the people!

I'm not "always right", it just seems that way

Spelling is for kids! I think you got the point!

Originally posted by Snouter:
I got some at the door bottoms, near the sunroof and along the bottom of the rear window.
So its a pretty safe bet that you'll be removing those to go along with your rear and passenger seats. By the time you're finished with the doors, sunroof and rear window, your car will be pushing like 2200lbs.

Ian, I wasn't slamming you, and I know you're no Springer-guest. I was just wondering if you considered yourself typically american. If you 'are' arrogant, but have the arguments to back it up, it's not a bad thing. It's just that a lot of your countrymen are arrogant out of ignorance, and that just irks me.

I havent seen much of the US to form a balanced opinion, but I do like the place. I'm not anti-american (in fact, I want to move there) but I DO have problems with some of the views and attitudes of the people. But as long as there's intelligent people too, I'll do fine... So I'll just stay away from Texas or Louisiana, or wherever those Springer folk come from (sorry Princess, I didnt mean you http://discussanything.com/Ubb/wink.gif)

I have to agree with Fordman. I doubt I'll ever own anything new.

1. Depreciation.

2. Insurance. Save ALOT of money alone by just carrying liability only. When I consider the amount I have saved over the years by paying cash, and liability insurace, it has more than paid for a new car.

3. Financing. Now you can get 6-10 year payment plans. Add up the interest alone, and figure you bought said car twice.

4. Styling. Quite frankly, there have been VERY FEW cars made in the '90s that have been appealing from a styling aspect.

5. Complexity. Newer cars are more complex, therefore increasing the possibility of something going wrong, and likewise increasing the cost of repairs.

Also, I do agree, the idea of a car being dead at 100k is a myth. I drove an '87 Mustng GT nearly 4000 miles non-stop from coast to coast, and the car performed flawlessly... considering it had 127k on the clock. Neighbor of mine has a Toyota pickup with 700k miles!!!

Then again, my family has owned several new cars, and each and every one of them had to go in for something major by 30k miles.... either a defect that showed up later, or a factory recall...

And honestly cars DO have a limited life span, UNLESS you are willing to maintain them properly and know something about cars. Fact is most peolpe DON'T maintain them properly, and dont' know how to work on them...

Unfortuneately, that is where most of our emissions problems come from, amongst other things. Not high performance cars, but people who don't want to be bothered with the upkeep. Or as the slogan goes "Pay a little now, or a lot later".



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Artist formerly known as Reindeer

I don't particularly see what's wrong with buying new. It's all about buying what you WANT. For example, say someone wants a mod motor Mustang GT and they want it to go fast...they'd naturally buy a newer 99-01 model because it provides you with a better base with which to build from. Get where I'm coming from?

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You can sleep in your racecar, but you can't race your house!