Help! I might have to buy a car...

[Kooshdakhaa]

Nothing down and $249 a month is a very good price (provided you can live with the mileage limitations).

If there is sales tax in AK, it will also apply to the monthly payments.

Keep in mind, if you lease a car, you have nothing to bring to the dealership when the lease runs out. That is, you won't have a trade, so if you are like most people, you will most likely being leasing from now on (until you get that big inheritance).

I know, I keep reading and reading about buying versus leasing. But right now the zero down and, actually it's $244/month is sounding very good. I really, really don't want to make a downpayment and am more concerned about right now, rather than three years from now when the lease ends. Although I will not be naive about what happens then. Also, maybe my 403 acres in Talkeetna, Alaska will sell and I'll be able to convert the lease to a purchaes. (Anybody want some property in Alaska?)

I keep emailing more questions to both the Hyundai salesperson and the Kia salesperson. They have an irritating habit of answering some of the questions but not answering one or two of the questions in my list. Makes me think I've hit a hot button with the questions they try to overlook.

 

[DGS49]

The lease contract will stipulate the buy-out amount on Day One, so you know what you will have to come up with at the end of the lease.

In the final month or so, you can (a) see if you can round up enough cash to buy it out, (b) take out a loan to buy it, (c) advertise it for sale at a price that is slightly higher than the buy-out, so you are covered.

It would seem logical that there would be some room to negotiate with the bank at the end of the lease, if the car isn't actually worth the buy-out value, but in my experience Banks have a firm policy against this. I guess they just don't want to start having to deal with it from every customer who is getting ready to turn in a car.

The lease payment you are being quote seems very reasonable to me. If you are a prudent, mature person, you will lease the car, and set aside a fixed amount every month, so that when the lease is up you will have some options. I would certainly never do that, but a prudent, mature person might.

 

[Pogo]

Man oh man... all this angst over contracts, leases, buyouts and tying oneself down to a monthly payment for an unknown future serve to remind me why I take a completely different approach:

1. How much do I have to spend?
2. What can I get for that amount?
3. Buy car with cash; done.

Used car buying is a lot more productive than it used to be with tracking services like CarFax and AutoCheck. I've bought my last three cars using those services and I just sold the first one, still running with 420,000 miles on it and the most reliable car I've ever had (the other two I still own).

I dunno, the whole car-payment/lease payment idea just seems like a ball and chain.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Man oh man... all this angst over contracts, leases, buyouts and tying oneself down to a monthly payment for an unknown future serve to remind me why I take a completely different approach:

1. How much do I have to spend?
2. What can I get for that amount?
3. Buy car with cash; done.

Used car buying is a lot more productive than it used to be with tracking services like CarFax and AutoCheck. I've bought my last three cars using those services and I just sold the first one, still running with 420,000 miles on it and the most reliable car I've ever had (the other two I still own).

I dunno, the whole car-payment/lease payment idea just seems like a ball and chain.

I'll tell you what's a ball and chain, Pogo. A car that is giving you a lot of trouble when you need reliable transportation. And the mechanics can't seem to fix it. And you're a woman and don't know the least fucking thing about fixing it yourself.

I went over to pick up my car at the shop this morning, they said they've been driving it all week and it is running just fine so they don't know what my problem is. When I got there I started it up and the "Low Coolant" light came on. They put some coolant in it and didn't seem to have an answer to "WHY is the coolant low?"

I told the head mechanic I was going to sell it, he asked how much and I said probably $2000. He said that's too much, he'll give me $800. I am seriously thinking about it. And you know what he's going to do, Pogo? He's going to resell it to some poor slob...he has several cars for sale in a used car lot across the street from his garage. Mind you, it only has 69,000 miles on it, somebody will think they're getting a good deal for $1500 or more.

I just want to get in my car and know that it will start and take me where I need to go, every day for several years without fail. By leasing, I can achieve that. It's becoming well worth the money. And zero down means I don't have to deplete any of my savings.

I've done what you do all my life, Pogo, buy used cars. I've never had a car payment and I've had "pretty" good luck with the cars I've bought. But now I deserve something better. I've earned some peace of mind.

 

[Pogo]

Man oh man... all this angst over contracts, leases, buyouts and tying oneself down to a monthly payment for an unknown future serve to remind me why I take a completely different approach:

1. How much do I have to spend?
2. What can I get for that amount?
3. Buy car with cash; done.

Used car buying is a lot more productive than it used to be with tracking services like CarFax and AutoCheck. I've bought my last three cars using those services and I just sold the first one, still running with 420,000 miles on it and the most reliable car I've ever had (the other two I still own).

I dunno, the whole car-payment/lease payment idea just seems like a ball and chain.

I'll tell you what's a ball and chain, Pogo. A car that is giving you a lot of trouble when you need reliable transportation. And the mechanics can't seem to fix it. And you're a woman and don't know the least fucking thing about fixing it yourself.

I went over to pick up my car at the shop this morning, they said they've been driving it all week and it is running just fine so they don't know what my problem is. When I got there I started it up and the "Low Coolant" light came on. They put some coolant in it and didn't seem to have an answer to "WHY is the coolant low?"

I told the head mechanic I was going to sell it, he asked how much and I said probably $2000. He said that's too much, he'll give me $800. I am seriously thinking about it. And you know what he's going to do, Pogo? He's going to resell it to some poor slob...he has several cars for sale in a used car lot across the street from his garage. Mind you, it only has 69,000 miles on it, somebody will think they're getting a good deal for $1500 or more.

I just want to get in my car and know that it will start and take me where I need to go, every day for several years without fail. By leasing, I can achieve that. It's becoming well worth the money. And zero down means I don't have to deplete any of my savings.

I've done what you do all my life, Pogo, buy used cars. I've never had a car payment and I've had "pretty" good luck with the cars I've bought. But now I deserve something better. I've earned some peace of mind.

Trust me Kooshdakhaa (do I have to drop your name 18 times?), reliability is my top concern in a car, although efficiency is a close second, which is why I just can't see tossing all that money on depreciation. I've had almost everything that can possibly go wrong on a car go wrong, so I've been burned by what I thought was a "pretty good" used car, more times than I care to count.

What I'm saying is that game has changed. The last few cars I bought, I know the owner's name, where he lived, how he drove, whether he had any accidents, in two out of three cases the complete repair history, whether the car was ever a lease or flood or fire or salvage or police or rental or driver ed or stolen vehicle, when it got emissions inspected, and where it was with how many miles at any point in its life. That's a lot more information than we used to get.

And of course, any car, including new, can be a lemon. That's another reason to let it age a bit -- a few years' legacy will give you a good Consumer Reports picture of the car's longevity outlook.

Anyway that's how I do it and it serves me well, a lot better than the old daze. YMMV.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

If I'm leasing I don't care if it's a lemon. They have to give me a loaner while they fix it, and if they can't fix it, they have to give me a different new car.

I do see what you're saying about buying a used car being a different game nowdays, with more information at our disposal.

Another thing...one of the first things I asked about was buying a good used car from the dealer, still under warranty. But since I need my payments to be as low as possible and little to zero down because I don't want to expend my cash on hand, leasing was a better option. For me. Right now.

But you know, Publisher's Clearing House says they have been scoping out the florist nearest to my house so they can buy a bouquet for when they come to award me my grand prize, $7000 per week for the rest of my life. And when that happens, I can have just about any car I want.

 

[MikeK]

After having a really bad time with a new 1964 Pontiac Catalina convertible I took the advice of a family friend and since then I've always bought used (low-mileage) Cadillacs rather than any new mid-range cars. And I've never had cause to regret it.

Cadillacs are very well made, reliable, comfortable, soft-riding, beautiful cars. And a clean, well-maintained, ten year-old Caddy usually looks and runs better than any year-old mid-range car.

The downside is Caddy's are powerful cars and so they burn gas, so they're not recommended for long distance commuting. And because they should be maintained by Cadillac technicians rather than local greasemonkeys it typically costs about 30% more.

But in the long run you're better off with a used Caddy than a new anything.

 

[MikeK]

If I'm leasing I don't care if it's a lemon. They have to give me a loaner while they fix it, and if they can't fix it, they have to give me a different new car.

I do see what you're saying about buying a used car being a different game nowdays, with more information at our disposal.

Another thing...one of the first things I asked about was buying a good used car from the dealer, still under warranty. But since I need my payments to be as low as possible and little to zero down because I don't want to expend my cash on hand, leasing was a better option. For me. Right now.

But you know, Publisher's Clearing House says they have been scoping out the florist nearest to my house so they can buy a bouquet for when they come to award me my grand prize, $7000 per week for the rest of my life. And when that happens, I can have just about any car I want.

Forget it. I have Publishers' Clearing House assurance that it's me. Not you!

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

If I'm leasing I don't care if it's a lemon. They have to give me a loaner while they fix it, and if they can't fix it, they have to give me a different new car.

I do see what you're saying about buying a used car being a different game nowdays, with more information at our disposal.

Another thing...one of the first things I asked about was buying a good used car from the dealer, still under warranty. But since I need my payments to be as low as possible and little to zero down because I don't want to expend my cash on hand, leasing was a better option. For me. Right now.

But you know, Publisher's Clearing House says they have been scoping out the florist nearest to my house so they can buy a bouquet for when they come to award me my grand prize, $7000 per week for the rest of my life. And when that happens, I can have just about any car I want.

Forget it. I have Publishers' Clearing House assurance that it's me. Not you!

What???!!!

 

[Wry Catcher]

My 1993 Chevy Lumina sedan is in the shop for the fourth time in the last month. It only has 69,000 miles on it, but it is 20 years old. My job is moving across town and I need dependable transportation.

I am thinking Kia Sorrento or Hyundai Santa Fe. Either purchase or lease, I guess you can get really good lease terms on a Santa Fe. Could be brand new or slightly used.

The reason I am zeroing on these cars is their awesome warranty, 10 years/100,000 miles on the power train. The Santa Fe also has a concurrent 5 year bumper to bumper warranty on all the electronics, etc. - not sure if the Sorrento also has that, but I'll be checking. And I like these tough looking little SUVs.

I've never financed a car before! Always bought older ones and paid cash, but now I want something very dependable.

Any tips or warnings of things to watch out for? Are they going to try and trick me or take advantage of me?

We always purchased cars from Hertz, used with around 30 thousand miles. We never had a problem, and we received all the records on the car.

See for example 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS with 32 thousand miles for $17,598, below:

http://www.hertzcarsales.com/Search...r=1&Distance=100mi&Makes=Hyundai&Models=Santa Fe&PostalCode=94102&&singleMakeModel=true&sorter=price&

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Well, yesterday I test drove a Kia Soul. Salesman brought it to me at my workplace, I didn't even have to go to the dealership! I was surprised, I liked it better than I thought I would. Brakes were very touchy, though, I didn't like that. But it was actually quite roomy inside for a small car.

Then he brought me over a Kia Sorento to drive and the Soul was forgotten. I loved the Sorento. The brakes were NOT touchy. The salesman explained that's because it's a much heavier vehicle.

This was the only base model Sorento they had in, however, and it was red with a light beige interior. So I'm waiting for a different color. I think I'm going to go for it.

I was kind of tense while driving the Soul, but when I got into that Sorento I felt all the tension rolling off of me. It sure did handle nicely! AWD, can be locked into four wheel drive. I think I'll put studded snow tires all around, it will be awesome this winter!!

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Kia Soul:

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Kia Sorento in red:

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

I would like to have the Titanium Silver (but I'll settle for black):

 

[percysunshine]

Also, maybe my 403 acres in Talkeetna, Alaska will sell and I'll be able to convert the lease to a purchaes. (Anybody want some property in Alaska?)

.

Got any pictures? What price range does land go for there?

 

[MikeK]

Kia Soul:

That's a nice-looking SUV.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Also, maybe my 403 acres in Talkeetna, Alaska will sell and I'll be able to convert the lease to a purchaes. (Anybody want some property in Alaska?)

.

Got any pictures? What price range does land go for there?

Here you go. Second listing down, "Private Alaskan Wilderness near Talkeetna." (Click on the picture on the left to open the listing)

Talkeetna Alaska Real Estate,Alaska recreational property,Alaska land, Alaska MLS,homes,remote cabins,land,hunting,fishing,Denali Park,lodges,King Salmon,Bears,Moose,Gold,Silver,business for sale,

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

I did it! I got a car!

They got a silver Kia Sorento in and I was ready to go for it. But the saleman called me, all full of disdain (that's how I interpreted it) and said the finance people had seen my X thousand credit card debt and the deal he'd been telling me, zero down $244 a month was out. I told him that I gave him my ssn, dob etc. so he could check all this out before and prequalify me!! What the hell is this suddenly popping up for. Later he sends me an email saying "Here's the deal. $2500 down, $279/month. No lease deals with zero down."

I'm like, fuck you. The Hyundai saleswoman had given me a price of $2000 down $261/month weeks ago, and I had discounted it because the Kia salesman was acting like he had all these great deals. The Hyundai Santa Fe was really my first choice over the Kia Sorento, but I put it aside thinking I could get a much better deal on the Sorento.

I contacted the Hyundai saleswoman and asked her to verify my credit again and had they checked EVERYTHING including my damn credit card debt. She said she would run the numbers and yes they were very thorough they would check everything. She came back with her original deal $2000 down, $261 a month, did I want to test drive? I emailed the Kia guy and told him what Hyundai said.

Then I test drove a 2013 Hundai Santa Fe Sport...and decided to go with it! The saleswoman picked me up to take me to the dealership later in the day to do the paperwork because I didn't want to drive either of my old cars over there (don't trust them). While we were driving over there, the General Manager from Kia called and said they had reconsidered and would let me have a Sorento for $2000 down and $266.50 per month. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was on my way to get the Hyundai, so I told him I'd think about it.

Anyway, that gorgeous, fat, tough little AWD SUV is out in my garage right now. I peek out there every now and then to look at it. It looks just like this one (and the picture doesn't do it justice).

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

I am so glad I got this particular vehicle, with AWD! And I am sooo glad I decided to put studded tires on it for the winter!

Yesterday, in the morning we had freezing rain. And I mean FREEZING rain. As soon as it hit a surface it was freezing so the roads were getting extremely slick. I drove to work with no problems, although I did have to go around a wreck on the route I usually take, and I was very tense the entire time because I had to exercise great caution.

Then during the day the freezing rain turned to snow. So this meant we had a nice sheet of ice with light fluffy snow on top. Extremely slippery and extremely deceptive because when you see that snow you think you'll have better traction than you would if there wasn't that sheet of ice underneath!

On my drive home, the road I usually take was shut down and I had to take a detour. There had been too many accidents and they closed the road down for the safety of the first responders who were dealing with the situation. So what is usually a 15 minute trip home took 30 minutes. 30 minutes of gripping the steering wheel very tightly and chanting, "Oh, thank God I decided to get studs! Oh, thank God I decided to get studs!"

Yep, I have not had a single moment of buyer's remorse about the vehicle I chose!

 

[HenryBHough]

What you observed was not a difference between Kia and Hyundai - they're essentially the same company. What you did see was the difference between dealers. It was a sad day when the dealership changed hands not all that long ago.