U.S. used-car glut is a dealer’s dream, automakers’ nightmare

Reuters ^

[taxcontrol]

This year I am going to be in the market for a 1 - 2 year old car for my college aged kid. Needs to be VERY reliable.

Any Freeper recommendations? or warnings?

So far I have heard Chevy Cruze, Subaru, Ford Focus, Honda Civic.

[hapnHal]

Well here is one you won’t believe.
I own a 2002 Ford F150 Truck with over 900,000 miles that’s right over 900,000 miles and still going strong !!
Had to put a transmission, rear end and wheel bearings and other small parts, engine no !
Hell NO, I won’t sell it.

[ebshumidors]

As a hobby, I regularly buy and fix up cars. There is a sweet spot where you can get a 10 yr old car for $500 to $1000. I’ll rebuild the engine or trans and get everything working and sell it for around $3500. I currently have a 2004 Pontiac Vibe that I rebuilt the engine on that I bought for $650 and will sell for $3000. Nice car, everything will work and last someone a long time. I also have a 2001 BMW 330i in my driveway that I paid $1k for. Runs rough. It needs a coolant pipe and vacuum leaks sorted out. A couple of hundred in parts and it’ll sell for an easy $3500.

[Mechanicos]

Just had a Door replaced on a 2016 Nissan Frontier, Ins paid 1800 plus for it with painting. Can’t Bondo them anymore, the metal is too thin, will crack quick.

[dragonblustar]

We were looking at buying a used American car. I have a Kia that’s seven years old. When new, the Kia Borrego cost $35,000 now we are lucky to get $9,000 for it.

We looked at some American cars that are nearly 6 years old and the dealer wanted $22,OOO for a GMC Arcadia. The inside of that SUV was not as nice as the Kia. The paneling was thin and flimsy.

Then we started looking at new American cars and could not get over the sticker shock. Since when did SUVS jump to the $50,000 range?!?!

I’ll stick with my Kia.

[cyclotic]

We have 3 Vibe’s in the family. 150,000 to 275,000 miles. All run well. Mine is 275K and still has the original clutch

[wally_bert]

Parts for CJ series jeep aren’t cheap either.

[wally_bert]

I do what I can on my collection of old vehicles.

Facilities are my big killer. I have a carport and a building that needs some work done but it’s not mine but I don’t have to pay the rent.

[ebshumidors]

I have a 2006 that I bought new and a 2003 GT that I paid $1k for and it only needed a clutch. Great, under-rated cars. I toured the NUMMI plant where they were made and went out and bought the 2006 new. They’re basically Corolla wagons.

[ebshumidors]

I do it in my garage here in suburbia. The wife gets miffed when I’m taking up both bays, though.

[SamAdams76]

I buy to own so I feed into the used car stockpile. Once my cars are paid off (usually four years or sometimes five), I trade them in for something new. I don't run my cars until the wheels fall off. Some say that's financially dumb but I don't care. I'm fastidious about my cars. I don't eat in them and I don't like taking on used cars that has somebody else's food stains. Also, I don't want to pay maintenance for somebody else's bad habits. For example, I almost never need brake work done because I downshift as much as possible to slow down and go very easy on the brakes. I go four years most of the time on the original brake pads.

I get the oil changed every 6,000 miles, get a couple full tuneups and change the tires once after maybe 50 or 60 thousand miles and then it's on to a new car.

Yeah, I probably pay more in the long run than "running until the wheels fall off" but have much less hassle.

[editor-surveyor]

.
The only part of the “used car glut” that is a dealer’s dream is pickups and standard size SUVs.

The tiny bubble cars are everyone’s nightmare, especially after Trump guts CAFE standards, and gives a true standard of total efficiency, rather than the useless MPG.
.

[headstamp 2]

The one thing I’d like to have is a lift. Can’t rent the bays around here anymore.

[ebshumidors]

Ha! I just bought another 03 with 196k and a knocking engine for $300! Picking it up next week.

[ebshumidors]

After my youngest is off to college next year, we’re moving and getting one and a detached shop.

[Oatka]

Best of all, we own it and no loan.

I sa a bumper sticker on an older car that mirrored yours and mine's attitude: "Out of Date, But Out of Debt".

[stars & stripes forever]

I like the older model Escape’s shape better than the new ones. It has larger windows. There isn’t a reflection of the dashboard on the front window when the sun is out. It seems to have more space up front, and best of all, it has large beverage holders.

[mfish13]

In 2002, what engine did you put in it?? V 8? Congrats on 900K.

[Balding_Eagle]

South of Colorado Springs, just north of the NASCAR race track, there are tens of thousands of cars parked. Tens of thousands. They built the parking lot to hold tens of thousands more. I couldn’t tell if they are new cars are Barely Used Cars

[mfish13]

I meant, what engine came with it and did you buy it new?