Posted on 06/21/2014 10:04:44 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
The days when a bare-bones "stripper" car came with vinyl seats, rubber floor mats and no air conditioning are long gone.
Today, convenience and cold air come standard for all models, along with a long list of niceties that were once the sole domain of the loaded vehicle. A base Chevy Spark, as one example, offers aluminum wheels, ten standard airbags, power windows — even six months of OnStar service, in case you lock your keys in the car. On the surface, the new car market is offering better values than ever.
There is just one small problem with nearly all entry-level models of the modern day: You can't ever find em', and when you do, they usually come loaded with surprises. We may learn about that teaser of a price from the manufacturer's advertising, or the dealer supposedly suffering a bone-headed overstocking whose pain can be your gain. But actually finding that car is another matter entirely.
Recently, I searched for an absolute bare bones 2014 Nissan Versa S, base model. How many were there for the genuine manufacturer's drive-out price of under $13,000 in metro Atlanta? One. Just a single car to serve a metropolitan population of six million people.
Two weeks ago I walked over to a Mitsubishi dealer near Myrtle Beach, S.C. There were 20 Mirages on the lot, and out of those 20, there was one basic car with that ever so rare five-speed manual. The price: $12,500, before a whopping $1,995 surcharge for window tint. The old days of stain guards for carpeting and VIN etchings on the windows have been replaced with $700 processing fees, $800 destination charges, and $2,000 aftermarket trim packages with low-quality leather and fake wood made out of real plastic.
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
All things considered, I got a good end-of-year deal and also bought a long-term service contract from the dealer which not only pays all basic service needs for many years, but also is transferable to my heir if I should croak first. Now, keeping the maintenance schedule is a breeze. They send me an email when it is time and I can make an appointment online. The car's dashboard even starts reminding me about 500 miles before time for the next checkup.
Paid cash and saved on interest as well; which will be fine unless we suddenly have a huge spike of inflation.
me too. I miss my Dodge Dart.
I recently bought a 2002 Mazda Tribute with 76k miles on it in almost new like condition. Front seats had just a bit of wear. Paid $4,000 for it and it has everything but leather and a sun roof. I live in the Houston area, and a sun roof might be usable 3-5 days per year.
It had a salvage title, but only because the front bumper needed replacing. Now has a good title and the repairs were made before I bought.
Bought it off craigslist and had it inspected by a company that specializes in buyer inspections. Off a dealer lot, it would have cost at least $2,000 more.
I always liked the GM cars which had the little AC vent centered under the steering wheel. We always called them (genitalia) coolers.
I was going to say that I recall as a kid some old cars - by 1960s standards - that had a floor starter switch, but they were considered laughably obsolete while the dimmer switch on the floor was up-to-date. I still recall frantically doing the "dimmer switch stomp" trying to hit that thing as oncoming traffic was flashing their highs at me… and how it became such a small target at the wrong time was one of life's little mysteries.
Mr. niteowl 77
High-tech gizmos in the new cars — be careful what you wish for.
Buyers of new cars are having more problems with them during the first three months of ownership than they did at this time last year because of the cars’ complicated technology systems, a new survey said today (June 18, 2014.)
The “initial quality study” released by J.D. Power, a market research and analysis firm, showed that the problems experienced by vehicle owners increased by about three percent over the year, largely because of the increased sophistication of the high-tech systems consumers demand in their cars but also find hard to use.
“Automakers are trying to give consumers the new features and technology they want without introducing additional quality problems into their vehicles,” said J.D. Power vice president David Sargent. “However, almost all automakers are struggling to do this flawlessly with some consumers indicating that the technology is hard to understand, difficult to use, or simply does not always works as designed.”
high beam floor switch.
That would be 20-year-old car. Story didn't make much sense otherwise.
Certain Mennonite Brethren communities are good markets for all black...no flash cars.
i actually got an offer in the mail, to us, from a local dealer, wanting to buy our 2006 vehicle, as they are looking for several of our model to sell. tore it up.
Now that's funny!
Heck, I can remember when the starter was on the floor.
I wondered if there was anything left to pansy-fy on a Jeep after the Germans got done with it but Fiat is probably willing to give it a shot.
I’ll keep my ‘80 CJ with no top, no doors, manual trans and drain plugs in the floor.
craigslist is where to find good used cars. gotta research and deal but there are good ones out there.
My 07 Infiniti has 24k..
My boyfriend, (now hubby) came down to Louisiana from New Hampshire with a brand new Ford Ranger, no A/C. After a few years, he traded it in for a new truck, but I often wondered if the dealership realized that they got a truck with no air, which is unheard of in Louisiana.
Oh man, I’d forgotten about that. Very cool! Of course today it would be considered racist.
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