The insanity of the car market....

[K20C]

We have 3 cars, all paid for. We will them drive them until they die or we do.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

I must say you seem like you cracked the code on how to make money on the most deprecating asset anyone can buy.

Yeah - I cracked the code, now the "code" is cracking me

[imwjl]

Tesla cut prices again - 2 cuts within the past month. Now the Model Y versions are priced where we felt they should have been when we were actively shopping.

Depending on one's miles driven per year, a Model 3 at current pricing would cost less than an Accord hybrid but outright purchase price is close.

I'm letting my wife know but I doubt we'll budge from status quo.

[Earl49]

Glad to be out of the car-buying market these days. With a 2019 Forester and a 2016 F150 (both paid for) we are set for my foreseeable remaining lifetime. We have always bought new and maintained our vehicles well, so getting 15 years and 150K+ miles from a car is normal for us. I am driving even more carefully of late because losing a vehicle to an accident would hurt.

[RP]

Originally Posted by K20C

We have 3 cars, all paid for. We will them drive them until they die or we do.

That's my plan for my 2016 Honda CRV.

[imwjl]

A whole lot of news this week makes the title of the thread perfect.

For the matter of lease and financing, people who actually have money can get noticeable returns from a savings account. Same time Apple remains sort of in the car game, they got a step closer to being in the banking game.

The big auto show in Shanghai is really interesting on many levels. Take it as a reminder of how much of a distant 2nd the USA is in auto sales and European and Brexit customers behind that. Several very interesting new vehicles were announced. How many of the SUV haters would be thinking China is the place for great new sedans to be announced LOL. Tesla is absent.

The Tesla earnings and 2nd price cut in a month with fast availability could continue changing the game. Without any tax matters or subsidies a Model Y price is competitive against other CarUV/SUV. A Model 3 is priced close to a nicely done Accord or Camry. Both will be less expensive to own for the people doing commutes that are very common.

What I did not see yet that is personal interest is rumors on more ute types coming or Ford's EV version of the Maverick.

All the news has me feeling I made a perfect move with some repairs and tire purchases. That will get a good life from what we have while the new stuff in queue comes to market.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by K20C

We have 3 cars, all paid for. We will them drive them until they die or we do.

Originally Posted by RP

That's my plan for my 2016 Honda CRV.

Yep, I have a 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 that I bought two years ago March 23rd. I have put 13,000 miles on it in those two years. I'm 72 years old. I don't see myself ever buying another truck. We also have a 2014 Ford Escape that we have done several epic road trips in though. I think that one will have to be replaced eventually as my wife does not like the ride of the truck on long trips.

I wanted to buy a travel trailer to pull behind the truck and go out on the road with it, but she said that didn't appeal to her as much as a nice hotel with a bar and restaurant.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by rllink

Yep, I have a 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 that I bought two years ago March 23rd. I have put 13,000 miles on it in those two years. I'm 72 years old. I don't see myself ever buying another truck. We also have a 2014 Ford Escape that we have done several epic road trips in though. I think that one will have to be replaced eventually as my wife does not like the ride of the truck on long trips.

I wanted to buy a travel trailer to pull behind the truck and go out on the road with it, but she said that didn't appeal to her as much as a nice hotel with a bar and restaurant.

My wife would agree with yours 100%.

We have a 2016 Kia Optima and a 2018 Kia Sorento. Both are paid for and have been since we bought them. Neither one has 50k miles on them and they are both like new.
I told my wife when we bought the Sorento, the next car we buy will likely be our last. Looks like that has probably already happened.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by RP

That's my plan for my 2016 Honda CRV.

I drive a 2006 CRV with 212k+ miles. Bought it for $500 and put about $850 on parts and i did all the labor. Now I have a car with new AC compressor, new starter, new front end, and with an engine that doesn’t smoke, and transmission that still shifts like butter. Wouldn’t surprise me if it goes for another 200k miles. They’re great reliable cars.

[KenL]

Originally Posted by fitness1

No kidding - it's Honda number 17, and the best driving car I've owned.

I currently own Hondas #12 and 13. A Pilot and a Ridgeline.

We just got home a couple hours ago from a 10-day road trip in the Pilot. Central Colorado to St. Louis, all over that town for 5 days, and then back to Colorado.

That vehicle ran like a swiss watch, as expected. Never missed a beat. Hard to beat a Honda. Got below-average gas mileage across Kansas, both ways, due to howling winds.

And it just turned over 50k this morning. Can't beat a Honda. Not the sexiest car there ever was, but the older I get, the less I care about that.

[imwjl]

It's still an interesting market now with a mix of old problems joining new ones.

We did some test drives this past weekend because some awaited vehicles are in stock and coming. The Stellantis dealer across from Toyota was quite a contrast. The Toyota lots are not so empty anymore but some models still have a big wait. Huge incentives still have some new 2023 Jeeps on the lot. You still have huge waits to get a Sienna van but $ thousands of incentives have many of the Chryslers waiting across the street.

It looks like we have peak pickup truck where fancy versions of those (except new Tacoma) now have incentives and inventory.

Not on dealer lots but with or without rebates Model Y are nearing 1/2 original price were auto news seems to support there's a Musk factor hurting sales.

It was interesting to finally drive the new Toyota powertrain in a pickup, and my wife was really pleased to know a station wagon is coming. Toyota's Crown Estate in the rest of the world will be Crown Signia in the US.

Part of this was about I might retire and redevelop a property this summer so we looked at 4 door pickups. They were mostly a mix of off putting and overkill. None had truly nice rear seating and even full-sized ones have a pretty short bed. If that occurs I will seek a basic pickup with long bed or continue renting dual axle trailers when needed.

Sadly, no one in the family liked my idea of an AWD full-sized van that could do people carry and some sleep in and have good tow capacity.

[zuzu]

We bought a 2017 Buick Envision from Carmax in 2021 and brother, I sure am glad we bought the maximum service plan! Don't get me wrong, mechanically speaking we have zero complaints, great mileage, drives good, etc., turn the key and go. But it has had some sort of body/climate, power window, seat belt, radio, etc., etc., problem almost continually since we got it. I think it was the first car on the American market built totally in China, and the interior quality is nothing like what you would expect from a car with "Buick" on it. But, it's paid for, Carmax has fixed all the issues every time, and does run great.

My 2007 Mazda 3 with 267,000 miles on it runs great also. Everything on it works and I can list every repair ever done to it; tires, brakes, 2 batteries, oil changes, and caught a rock to the windshield last summer and had to have it replaced, needs a half-quart of oil every 5th fill up. Made in Japan.

[The Watchman]

My Toyota dealer told me that there is still a shortage because they cant get enough trucks/truck drivers to bring the cars in from the west coast.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by The Watchman

My Toyota dealer told me that there is still a shortage because they cant get enough trucks/truck drivers to bring the cars in from the west coast.

I would not be so sure about that. Trains do most of that, and most of Toyota big sellers come from center of US, Ontario and more from Mexico now. Also, drivers are no longer in such short supply.

Our closest dealer just shared his internal or private screens. The west coast facilities that were holding new gen Tacomas now have those in dealer inventory. The first of the hybrid versions are now in queue.

Last week auto news said Ford did the Toyota style of careful release and 140,000 new generation Rangers will ship now. I sure hope that helps cut all the recall and quality issues.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

..... snip .....
My wife and I adhere to the philosophy of not paying interest to anyone…for anything.

..... snip ......

I'm the same. Debt is just expensive money. Haven't had a loan for a car since, maybe, 1993.

We have a Spanish bank company here in the UK who pay us handsomely for having a current account, and have just offered me more cashback and interest for holding less cash.

I have a credit card which costs me nothing, and an AMEX Charge Card which pays me.

My Honda CRV will be ten years old in November, and I'd "like" a flashy new car but I really don't "need" one as long as this one keeps going. even though it has 33k on the clock !!!