Car advice

[colbyjack]

I know we have had car threads in the past, but I have somewhat of a unique situation that I wanted to toss out to see what everyone thought.

 

I have a 2000 Chevy Impala with 95,000 miles. Last September I had to replace the gasket, a common problem from GM vehicles from '98 to '03. Since then I have never been comfortable driving the car, having read a ton of online reviews of people sharing their horror stories with Chevy's, and in particular, the Impala. While I could drive the car longer distances, I don't trust taking it on longer road trips (2 hours +) with my family. Now it is basically a commuter vehicle, to and from work. However, it still runs well, although I know it probably is going to continue to have problems once it gets over 100,000 miiles.

 

If I trade it in now I can probably get somewhere between $2,000-3,000 for it, but that number is going to drop significantly over the next year when I do hit 100,000 miles. The car is paid off, and has been for a few years, so that's a bonus.

 

There is a used yet newer Subaru Outback with low miles I'm interested in. The vehicle was a rental car, and was stolen according to the CarFax report. It said vandalism and mild to moderate damage was sustained, but the car appears to be in excellent shape, and the original warrantly from Subaru is still in effect (3 years/36,000 miles basic, 6 years/60,000 miles drivetrain). It has nice little inside touches like heated seats and I even like the color. Due to the history, I'm fairly confident I can get a good deal on this car, since it has sat in the lot since last September and there was a note on it saying they were taking it back to auction within the next week. Not to mention, car dealers are more desparate these days.

 

However, I have a second child on the way, and at some point in the next 2-3 years I may need to get a bigger car, like a mini-van, SUV or a crossover so I can join the world of soccer moms. My other car is a CRV. If that does happen, by then, if I were to still have it, my Impala would have close to zero trade-in value, while both CRVs and Outbacks have great re-sale value and are known to last a long time.

 

So, do I drive my car into the ground as much as I can, dealing with the potential for more maintenance problems, yet without car payments, even if I can't (or choose not to) use it for any and all driving situations, or do I take advantage of the little trade-in value is still has right now and get a better, safer vehicle not only for myself, but for my family?

[bball123h]

I'm a big advocate of the drive-till-death theory. Unless you are spending $400+ monthly on repairs, you're still better off. That said, my truck just became a death machine (the bed was separating from the cab, very entertaining), and I just got a 2008 Toyota Matrix. 30+ MPG, and still plenty big for me. Every seat folds flat and has a hard surface, so I can pile a ton in there if I need to. I'd think it's plenty big for a family with younger kids. Granted it doesn't have the heated leather seats, but that wasn't really a selling point in Houston. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

The Subaru is approved of by Consumer Reports, which had a great deal to do with my purchase. http://autos.yahoo.com/co..._and_worst_used_cars.html

 

As far as trade in, I still snagged $1200 for my 97 ranger with 220,000 miles, the bed separating from the cab, tons of electrical issues (dead AC, cruise, interior lights), and rust problems. Car dealers are hurting like crazy, and that won't change anytime soon, so you can go in demanding the world. Eventually, somebody will give it to you.

 

If you run into a significant repair bill (>$1000), then I'd probably think about making a move.

[RyDogg66]

I advocate for trading in both of your vehicles and getting a newer (but used) minivan for the family, and a smaller, older used sedan for trips around town and to work. I still think my mini van is one of the best investments I have made and it makes life SO much easier when my wife can just walk into the back of the van to settle down the little ones while we are cruising. She drives it to work then and I have the Sentra for myself. My problem is that our mini van is a 1999 and the Sentra a 2007, I wish I could swap those two years and Id be much happier since we depend on the minivan more than anything else.

 

I cant imagine the CR-V, while nice and dependable and with good resale, provides you with as much room as you will need with 2 kids.

[lodiness]

I guess in my opinion, you have to ask yourself if you think it's safe for your family, and yourself to be in. I sell cars part time for my father, so this is what I have to say about your trade in. If it is just a base version, your car is worth about $3000 if it is in average condition, no dents, somewhat clean, etc but the market in these has been really bad, so don't be offended if the dealer only offers you $2000. .Without actually seeing the car, it's hard to tell. The Suburu that your looking at, if it says moderate damage probably means that they ran into some things, so small dents, keyed it, so the paint and body work probably have been done over quite a bit, but then again it should be a bit cheaper than what one in mint condition would be, if you can live with that. If you do consider buying this car, I would take it to your favorite, most trusted auto mechanic, and have them put it up on a hoist, and make sure that there isn't frame damage. I know that the Carfax report said that there was none, but better safe than sorry, and they can take a look at some other things that might be wrong with it, oil leaks, exhaust problems, etc. If you PM me the info on the Suburu, I could probably get a better idea on what you should pay. If you sell your car on your own, you should be able to get around $4500-$5500, so that might be an idea, and then you should get a better deal, by not having a trade in.

[bork]

I had planned to drive my 95 Chevy Corsica into the ground, unfortunately, that happened sooner than I expected. The car was 9 years old and around 100,000 miles at the time. Just a month after spending $700 to replace the gasket for the 4th time, the car died due to another problem. Antifreeze was leaking into the oil, and the engine was toast. At least one the mechanics gave me $200 for it, to rebuild the engine (body was great), so I didn't have to pay to get it hauled away.

 

Previously, drove my parents 1988 Olsmobile Cutlass Cierra. That one also died at around 90-100,000 miles.

 

I have a 2004 Honda Accord now and haven't had a problem yet (75,000 miles). So my vote would be to trade in the chevy and get a reliable car now. I wouldn't expect the GM car to last much longer.

[Houlie24x]

What makes you nervous about driving the Impala? Which engine do you have? If you have the 3.4 I could some what understand why you would worry, but the 3.8 is solid.

 

You would also get a lot more selling the car yourself rather than trading it in. Any reason why you want to trade it in?

[Gobias Industries]

Colby: If you had your intake replaced by a reputable mechanic, I wouldn't worry about driving it long distances. I deal with quite a few GM's, and replace nearly every intake on the 3100, 3400, and sometimes even the 3800 engine. At least in my case, I rarely see any of them back with problems. But of course, you could be one of the unlucky ones that gets hosed again.

 

If I were you, I'd probably buy something right now. Like you said, your car is going to take a hit in another 5000 miles. (As long as your car is in good condition, it won't be as bad as you'd think though.) I just looked up your car on the Milwaukee Metro Auction site and a 2000 Black Chev Impala w/ 96000 miles in above average condition just brought $2900 on 1/9.

 

Also, the dealer with the Subaru is going to take a loss very soon if he wholesales it at the auction, so you could probably get it close to that price. As long as the dealer is reputable, and there isn't any brand on the title, that sounds like a very good value if you don't mind the vehicle's history.

 

Also, car prices at the auction are slowly rising again. It hit rock bottom at about the beginning of December, and we're really kicking ourselves for not stocking up then. They're still way lower than they were in the summer, but it seems to be stabilizing a bit.

 

Cars I think you should consider: Ford is putting out some great stuff. Pretty darn close to Toyota and Honda quality for a much better price. The Escape and the Edge are really nice options if you go for an SUV or Crossover. They get good gas mileage for a 4x4, and are both approved by Consumer Reports.

[colbyjack]

I thought I wanted to drive the Impala into the ground, but the car lost power when is over-heated due to the gasket problem when I was going 55 mph on the highway. That was not fun, and I'm very glad and fortunate that my son was not in the car with me when that happened.

 

And that's one of the bigger reasons why I'm considering trading the car, is for safety. I don't mind driving it to and from work, as I actually enjoy the way the car drives/rides.

 

The reason I wouldn't sell the car privately is due to ease. I know that sounds lazy, but I really don't want to deal with it.

 

And it's the 3.4 engine.

 

Thanks to all for the feedback so far. lodiness, I'm going to PM you the details, thanks for the offer.

[mothershipconnection]

If nothing else, take the Doug Melvin approach on the Subaru. Go in and say you have no interest it in, but just want to check what the lowest they'd possibly accept is. Maybe it's a good enough deal that it wouldn't make sense to delay making a move on a new car.

 

You NEVER want to get in a situation where you need to buy a car desperately. Just keep floating low- balls and wait for someone to bite.