Venting. Cars

With winter here started looking for a car for the kid. He rode his motorcycle all year after the old car was sold. Of course winter in Colorado is cold. Time for a beater car. Nothing fancy. Just something 4w/awd, stick and usable in winter for a few years. Just want something that won?t explode or freak out like new cars do.
Colorado used car prices are nuts. $5k for a 200,000mi car/truck, and not sure if it makes it through winter.
Weekend listings that want to sell that day on Sunday , and usually do. So better bring cash. Econo boxes beat to crap. CVT transmissions that are just before the mileage they blow up ? runs perfect, needs nothing ?. Or my favorite: title was lost.

It?s a sellers market. I get it. But just frustrating as hell.

You can thank Cash-for-Clunkers for eliminating two generations of starter cars.

I have started planning for my own kid to drive in three years. Same as you, I've had sticker shock. I've decided I'm probably going to buy a fleet vehicle at work. Most of the pool cars are four door sedans that get retired around the 80K mile mark for tax purposes. I know they are clean and have had a maintenance schedule performed. Meant reframing my acceptable price range from $5-7K to $10-12K, which was a tough hill to get over mentally, but I figure with two years to set aside some cash, it won't be the end of the world. And it will beat accidentally buying a flood salvage car or something ragged out by the previous owner.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JohnnyEgo

I have started planning for my own kid to drive in three years. Same as you, I've had sticker shock. I've decided I'm probably going to buy a fleet vehicle at work. Most of the pool cars are four door sedans that get retired around the 80K mile mark for tax purposes. I know they are clean and have had a maintenance schedule performed. Meant reframing my acceptable price range from $5-7K to $10-12K, which was a tough hill to get over mentally, but I figure with two years to set aside some cash, it won't be the end of the world. And it will beat accidentally buying a flood salvage car or something ragged out by the previous owner.

---

This is where my wife and I try to prevent ourselves from saying, "do you regret not having kids"? Yep, every chance we get. Apologies to our parents.
We do regret not being able to help in this, though.

Meh. Be glad you aren?t looking for a decent, low mileage pickup truck. I?ve literally paid less for a house.

Avoid used car dealers if you can.

In another thread I mentioned some of the shenanigans I have witnessed a few greaseball dealers pulling off.

It's a dirty, dirty business.

New car dealers are much better. I never saw anything shady at the few I have worked at.

I have 6 years before my oldest starts driving. I have an 89 F150 for him to learn on and drive. It needs some work, but he and I will be doing the work so he has a vested interest in it. My next oldest will be getting his soon, he has 8 years before he is driving. I found a 92 K5 Blazer that I should be getting in the next few weeks. After motor and tranny, it has no rust and only one dent. We live a couple miles up a dirt road, so 4x4 is required.

The optimistic side of me kind of smiles knowing my thirteen year old vehicle may be worth more than I paid for it eight years ago. Plus, I was considering selling my wife?s vehicle a couple of years ago and was hoping to get $2500 for it. Looks like it would be a bargain for someone at twice that much today.

I traded a 5 year old imprezza for a 22 wrx. Dealer gave me the sticker price of the imprezza when it was new. MSRP on the wrx. Saw my car listed for $500 more than they gave me on trade.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by .455_Hunter

You can thank Cash-for-Clunkers for eliminating two generations of starter cars.

---

Yep. Totally. Add the dollars depreciation. Add chip shortage. Add new trucks going for close to $100k.

Best part is the youngest needs a car in April. So there is another car purchase soon.

Will probably step up a bit in price in hopes to minimize the repair times. (Will do my own work, or he will but don?t want crazy repairs in winter ). What?s funny now is that an older Audi AWD car is starting to look reasonable.