well after trying to secure financing for this car for 12 days, the deal finally went south. I still owe too much on my Cobalt to even think of getting rid of it. The credit union i go through would finance the car, but not the $3100 left after the trade in allowance. The 3rd party financing offered by the dealer was atrocious. Double digit interest rates on a car? I'm not going down that road again. On top of that, they weren't going to honor the discounts I was eligble for (GM loyalty and International Paper employee) as well as telling the credit they were only going to give 6k for my Cobalt instead of the agreed upon 7k... it's just been a clusterfuck so far.

i don't remember buying a car being this much bullshit?

sorry to hear, Sam. It's a big old money making scheme now. Maybe you've had good luck up to this point, but every dealer I've been to is full of swindlers or dicks who ignore you. I'm amazed they stay in business.

what is this i dont even....

yeah... double post. weird.

When I was back in New York, Sam, I noticed the same thing. I was the wingman for my grandfather when he bought his Buick Rendezvous from Mangino Buick in Ballston Spa, and it was funny because in the pass-the-paper back and forth crap, it got down to a $300 dollar difference; the salesmen was trying to basically say "if you don't like it leave, but Mr. Mangino himself walked over and said "Oh, thats a good price, we will take it!"

Right now, getting decent financing for nearly anything is a clusterfuck unless you have a 700 or higher credit score, which means you owe everybody everything and pay every bill on time or before it's due and have never made ONE late payment in your ENTIRE life.

Mostly because we're on the verge of yet another financial meltdown because of stupid shit the banks are doing in Europe.

Watch the markets, the interest rates and who is and isn't getting car and home loans. If you owe a ridiculous amount of money, like enough to have to work two or three double shifts a week just to pay the bills and live on ramen noodles and rice, you can get credit for decent rates.

I'm just the opposite, I don't owe anyone everything and pay cash for nearly everything and I can't get a 200 dollar limit on a Visa credit card.

Posted by Shael Right now, getting decent financing for nearly anything is a clusterfuck unless you have a 700 or higher credit score, which means you owe everybody everything and pay every bill on time or before it's due and have never made ONE late payment in your ENTIRE life. Mostly because we're on the verge of yet another financial meltdown because of stupid shit the banks are doing in Europe. Watch the markets, the interest rates and who is and isn't getting car and home loans. If you owe a ridiculous amount of money, like enough to have to work two or three double shifts a week just to pay the bills and live on ramen noodles and rice, you can get credit for decent rates. I'm just the opposite, I don't owe anyone everything and pay cash for nearly everything and I can't get a 200 dollar limit on a Visa credit card.

I've taken advice from my father where he said once you can get a gas credit card from ANY gas chain, get it and then just start charging gas to it. Its a easy way to build credit and since I have taken his advice, I can pretty much get credit anywhere I needed. I think my credit score right now is 692, but thats because I have I think $200 in debt on my credit card I use for "OH SHIT" type of stuff.

Edit: its 592!

I don't believe I will ever purchase a new car. It gets difficult to get something nice and full of character without a loan though. Paying cash in full for a considerable amount of car takes patience that many of us motorheads don't posses. So, we seem to be part of two categories. Junk car after junk car, or in debt up to your ears and feel like you'll never pay off that nice car you have.

Sad days.

Posted by Lord Awesome I don't believe I will ever purchase a new car. It gets difficult to get something nice and full of character without a loan though. Paying cash in full for a considerable amount of car takes patience that many of us motorheads don't posses. So, we seem to be part of two categories. Junk car after junk car, or in debt up to your ears and feel like you'll never pay off that nice car you have. Sad days.

Exactly.

I did one great thing though...when I quit smoking, I started putting most of the money I spent on cigarettes away every week. I was spending for two of us, me and my mother, something close to 300 dollars a week.

I usually can save a couple thousand dollars in a couple months. If I want to work a little overtime, less time than that.

Posted by Lord Awesome I don't believe I will ever purchase a new car. It gets difficult to get something nice and full of character without a loan though. Paying cash in full for a considerable amount of car takes patience that many of us motorheads don't posses. So, we seem to be part of two categories. Junk car after junk car, or in debt up to your ears and feel like you'll never pay off that nice car you have. Sad days.

the operator in B Crew where I work does this. He bought his 2011 GMC 2500 truck and 2013 Volkswagen Golf GTi with cash. Him and his wife save everything.

Per my friend who is a salesman here in Portland now at a GM dealer, he says most new cars are selling either from cash or a line of credit from their credit union or other sources. Interestingly he says a lot of businesses are buying vehicles in fleet sales via GM credit.

i drove a friends 350Z the other day and I really liked the car. It had, well I can't really put my finger on what it had, but it felt connected. I loved the way the car sat and drove, loved the interior... so I started calling around different Nissan dealers feeling out the availability of the car and the pricing. Observation one: Nissan salesmen are peckerheads. Observation two: If you aren't interested in buying a Versa, Leaf, Titan or Altima, they don't want to talk to you.
i started searching inventories around my area... not one 370Z anywhere.

At least I can get a Camaro with no hassle.

That seems weird, the mark up on a Z would be a few hundred more percent than a Sentra or Clio. Maybe a new model is coming up, 380Z? If you wait a year or two, might get a great deal on a 350 or 370... Or look now for a 350, unless the 370 has big improvements? I don't know these models.

Side note: Seems odd how few 2012 Beetles are on the road around here. I've seen maybe 3 since they came out. Somethings not working.

Looked in the showroom, but didn't drive. Kind of big, kind of okay, but I didn't see the point. (Probably a good car in many ways though).

The back slope seems more humpy '40 Ford than VW. Maybe the retro beetle thing has runs it's course. I don't mind the New Beetle, but the huge dash never felt right. Massive loss of interior space, just to have a short hood. And so different than the original Beetle, which literally had a 2 inch dash thickness, if that.

Still I'd buy one in minute if cheap, manual, prefer TDI. There's a sport model which will likely be worth a lot down the road. Would avoid '98 the first year.

The New Beetle probably has an inflated value, unlike the more practical Golf. Although we know Bandi has connections to get them at probably 60% off wholesale...

Posted by A. Lien The New Beetle probably has an inflated value, unlike the more practical Golf. Although we know Bandi has connections to get them at probably 60% off wholesale...

They're pretty worthless actually... people see them as a chick car. I absolutely love them, even if they DO have a horrible dash.




...I dunno. 641,000 km and I'm still pretty satisfied with mine


The 2012s have finally started selling, I didn't see any for almost 6 months but I'm up to about 2 a day. The diesel comes out in a couple weeks and I'm sure that'll pick sales up a lot.

what is it about the Z-car that dealers are allergic to? I called 10 dealers here in New York, Vermont and even New Hampshire and no one the coupe. One dealer had a roadster (which I'm not keen on). Then when I asked when they might be getting inventory, the asked if I was interested in a Sentra or an Altima or a Maxima? Sorry, but no...

I know you guys are going to put several snide comments after this post, but at least when I look at a Chevrolet, they've the fucking thing in stock and won't try to sell me a fucking sedan.

Posted by Samurai what is it about the Z-car that dealers are allergic to? I called 10 dealers here in New York, Vermont and even New Hampshire and no one the coupe. One dealer had a roadster (which I'm not keen on). Then when I asked when they might be getting inventory, the asked if I was interested in a Sentra or an Altima or a Maxima? Sorry, but no... I know you guys are going to put several snide comments after this post, but at least when I look at a Chevrolet, they've the fucking thing in stock and won't try to sell me a fucking sedan.

I remember with Grandfather back in 2004, we got a runaround when we went to a Ford dealer when he was interested in a Explorer; they kept trying to up sell him on a Expedition or an F250; he got so annoyed with the sales goon he said "Look, I don't think you know what an Explorer looks like!"

Old school salesmen were hilarious, too bad so many fell for their routine though.
Some still play the game. You could clearly state I want... with a standard transmission. Then he starts to work on why I want a manual. Then tries to sell something completely different. I know they need to sell, but it's the trained manipulation, and game they make of it that gets me. After a while it actually becomes amusing. Some realtors are even worse, higher stakes.

New Beetle, chick car or not, as is my Appliance convertible, if reliable, could be a decent second car. It's been said before, but if VW only did a retro bus, they would really sell. The California prototype would have done the trick.

Posted by A. Lien Old school salesmen were hilarious, too bad so many fell for their routine though. Some still play the game. You could clearly state I want... with a standard transmission. Then he starts to work on why I want a manual. Then tries to sell something completely different. I know they need to sell, but it's the trained manipulation, and game they make of it that gets me. After a while it actually becomes amusing. Some realtors are even worse, higher stakes. New Beetle, chick car or not, as is my Appliance convertible, if reliable, could be a decent second car. It's been said before, but if VW only did a retro bus, they would really sell. The California prototype would have done the trick.

I'm picturing Eugene Levy pulling the switcher roo on Clark Griswold...

^ This. It crushed me to see the Vista Cruiser murdered, but what a great film. I don't know if Levy's eyes are semi crossed or whatever in real life, what a character.

Posted by A. Lien ^ This. It crushed me to see the Vista Cruiser murdered, but what a great film. I don't know if Levy's eyes are semi crossed or whatever in real life, what a character.

i remember one time my father when i was a kid wanted to look at a used caravan at the local ford dealer... the salesman had us sit in every aerostar on the lot and even worked on his sales pitch to my mom who didnt drive... we eventually did get an aerostar and i lost my virginity in it but wasnt from that dealer!

you guys remember when I ordered that Cobalt in late 2004 and the dealer changed the order on me?

that was an object lesson in dealers. That's why I am pretty much a peckerhead to salesmen.
i don't trust none of them.