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I looked at a 2010 Chevrolet HHR LS with 27,000 miles on it. The only thing a VIN check shows is that it was a rental.
He offered it to me for $12,500 cash.
I looked online at new 2010 ones and apparently there is a $4000 rebate effective until May, but even with the rebate the new ones would still be a little out of my price range, certainly more than $12,500.

I'm thinking about the HHR, but still haven't decided. At least I'll still have my old car to drive(when it gets its new engine anyway) until I decide what other car to get.

The car salesman called me today.
I test drove a Ford Focus, then discussed my likes and dislikes of the car with the salesman.
When I said I would keep looking around to see if I could find something else that I like, I appreciated that he didn't try pressuring me to get the car or anything. He just said he'd let me know if they got anything else in that he thought I'd be interested and offered a handshake. Then I was on my way.
I couldn't find any good place to put a gun in the Focus either.
Anybody know of a car designed specifically for concealing a firearm?

gregthehand wrote:Your probably right. A lot just don't follow up though. I hate the ones that just keep following up though. Paying cash used to get you a better deal but not so much anymore. I think the only time I would finance one is with 0% financing but nobody will do that on a used car so it probably won't happen.

Don't the salesmen get more commission if they make more profit on the car?

gregthehand wrote:I went from a car note to a cash car and I'm happy with the decision. After being debt free when it comes to cars I'll never have a car note again. I got a VW Jetta with the TDI diesel motor. It gets great mileage but to be honest I wish I had just gotten a Toyota or something like that. The VWs are really strange to work on and nothing seems to be set up like what we are used to. I got a good price on it but right after I bought it I had to spend $2000 on replacing all the coolant lines, fuel lines, water pump, timing belt, and some gaskets. So my $3500 car went to a $5500 car. Ok I could deal with that. Next my dang fuel pump went out. To get a rebuilt one the best price I found for just the pump was $1400! So then after about $350 worth of labor my car now cost me over $7k! After all that I'm still happy with no note. My car is now making some vibration sound when I brake lightly. Not when the car is heated up and going at highway speeds just low speeds. Anyhow I think my next one will be a Toyota or a Honda. But not until I put as many miles as I can on this one.

Whatever I decide to get, I'll make sure there is no car note.
Maybe that's why the car salesman I talked to yesterday when I looked at a Ford Focus never called me like he said he would. With no trade in, no monthly payments and no interest rate, he'd only have one number to play around with.

Kythas wrote:

AJ80 wrote:

Zoomie wrote:Your engine blew up. That is now a sunk cost. Suppose its worth 4K to you and it would cost 3K to fix. If you could get more than 1K for the car in its current condition, sell it and buy something else. If you can't get more than 1K for it (in this hypothetical situation), then fix the car you have. Economics 101.

The original estimate for a new engine was higher than the actual cost. It will only be $1750.

If that's the case, and this would give you a few more years out of the car, it's the route I'd go in your shoes.

It looks like I'll be driving my old car again, but I'll keep looking for a newer car as well, but I'll definitely not be in a big hurry.
I did look at a 2009 Ford Focus for 11k-12k and I'll look at a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu tomorrow, although I'm not really seriously considering the Malibu since it would probably cost about the same as the Focus and doesn't have as good gas mileage.

Zoomie wrote:Your engine blew up. That is now a sunk cost. Suppose its worth 4K to you and it would cost 3K to fix. If you could get more than 1K for the car in its current condition, sell it and buy something else. If you can't get more than 1K for it (in this hypothetical situation), then fix the car you have. Economics 101.

The original estimate for a new engine was higher than the actual cost. It will only be $1750.

Thanks for all the advice.
I can put off buying for a while.

I looked at one car today and plan on looking at more over the next few weeks.

The one I looked at was a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder convertible with 33k miles on it for $10,995. I asked if I did decide on it, if it would help take some off the price if I just paid cash and he said it would.

I really didn't see much room for my guns in it though, and being a convertible, unless I got a lock box, my handgun wouldn't be very secure in it and I saw no room for a lock box either.

I'll definitely consider surprise_i'm_armed's advice and everyone else's advice too.

Carry-a-Kimber wrote:I would say sell it, and use the $3,000 you would spend on the engine overhaul on a decent used car. You don't wanna put $3k into a car worth maybe $4k.

It was actually just a little over $4k when I bought it used a couple of years ago. I got it with the $4k insurance money from my other car that got totaled on October 1, 2008 when someone pulled out in front of me. It had 90k miles on it when I got it, now it has ~150k.

If I did keep the car and get it repaired, I'm sure repairs would become more frequently needed as it gets older, so i just don't know if it would cost more to keep getting the same car repaired, even if it is $3k, to keep getting used cars every time one needs major repairs or just get a new one that would likely not need any major repairs for a while. I wouldn't have payments with any of those options, but I just don't know which is more feasible in my situation since I'm saving long term toward the purchase of a house and I'd rather just pick the option that costs the least long term.

I'm also considering gas mileage in my decision since I drive 400-500 miles every week. A new or a newer used car would probably be more fuel efficient than anything I could get for $3k-$4k, but would the gas mileage and warranty for any repairs really make up the difference long term? I have no idea.

I'm leaning toward trying to find a really good deal on a used vehicle, based partly on the advice you all have given above, but still am not completely decided.
I don't necessarily need to make a decision hastily since I can get rides, borrow cars, etc until I replace it, but the sooner I do decide, the sooner I can quit inconveniencing others with my transportation needs.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll continue to pray about it until i'm comfortable with whatever decision I come to.

Feel free to keep offering advice! I appreciate it.

My car started have engine troubles on the way to work today.
My engine =

It's a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire and it has a blown head gasket along with various other engine damage. It does still run, but has very little power and can't even get up to 70mph anymore. It makes all kinds of rattly noises now too.

As far as I know, everything else is still good on it, well, except the anti-lock breaks... and the check engine light... that's been on for months... and ignored for months...

I wonder what kind of gas mileage I'd get if I just kept driving it in its current state.

Anybody have suggestions for a new one, a used one, or should I just pay possibly $3,000+ to have it repaired?