Help me save some money buying a car, please

20 years ago

Hi everyone,

Since my current car seems to have become addicted to needing repairs too frequently, I'm looking for a replacement.Current car, 1990 Dodge Colt 200 hatchback, 1.5 litre engine, standard transmission suits me just fine.

I bought it eight years ago, 87,000 mi. or so, about $2,600., now it has about 203,000 miles on it, so it doesn't owe me anything.

I prefer standard transmissions, as they get better gas mileage than automatics, and I like to coast downhill (when someone's not crawling up my exhaust pipe) and when signal lights turn yellow half a block or so ahead.

I looked at a standard sedan a while ago whose back seats fold forward, but prefer my hatchback, as I often carry son's paraphernalia for displays at festival, fairs, ribfests, etc. and can get a whole raft of stuff into the hatchback, much more than in a trunk that can be extended forward.

Don't care about air conditioning (more than about a dozen days a year).

Prefer a vehicle 5 - 7 years old, with low mileage, driven by a little old lady only on Sunday afternoons, etc.

You get the picture.

If some of you Canadians in this area know of someone with a vehicle for sale that might fit the bill, I would appreciate your letting me know.

Thanks a bunch.

I hope that you're enjoying your week - and that you have a great weekend.

ole joyful

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Comments (4)

Red_Confetti
20 years ago
Oh, Ed, it is always (no, usually!) so much fun to read your posts!

This response isn't meant to be flippant, but I thought of it when I read that you want a car "driven by a little old lady only on Sunday afternoons."

Why not make up a single-sheet poster to hang in church lobbies on the bulletin boards stating your requirements, etc. I don't mean to be gruesome, but I bet the kids (middle-age adults) of elderly folks who pass away may be looking for an easy way to sell such a vehicle that was owned by their parents... probably an older model with low mileage. Worth a try.
cowboyind
20 years ago
I agree with the idea of trying to find a car that's being sold by someone you know or someone who's known to a friend or acquaintance.

They'll probably be going for high prices right now, if anyone even is selling one, but maybe you could find a diesel VW Golf. From the way you describe your driving style and the pleasure you take in maximizing economy, that car would be a great investment for you. The Golf diesel will last a very long time with good care, and many have 5-speed transmissions.

I'd even consider buying one new if I were you. Used ones will command high prices, yet the new ones are not that bad. If you factor in that you could have it for 10+ years, it would take the place of 2 or 3 used cars that you'd go through in the same time, and you'd be saving a lot of money in fuel all the while.
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joyfulguy
Original Author
20 years ago
cowboyind,

Thank you for your thoughtful message, useful as usual.

The Golf is efficient and the owners like it. Seems to last a long time, as well. Plus the price of used ones, as with a number of small, fuel-miser vehicles, holds up well in the used vehicle market.

Actually, if fuel prices keep rising, possibly some owners could sell for more than they paid new!

Some have been saying that this may well be tha last car that I'll need to buy - even when I'm talking the age of vehicle that I mentioned above.

At age 76 - who knows - they might be right.

But my Dad drove about 2,000 mi. to visit friends in this community where he'd grown up and farmed till in his mid-40s. He drove it alone, when he was 85 - and did it in 3 days, as he usually figured to do.

And had done the year before, when I rode with him from the Canadian Prairies down here to my home in London, Ontario.

ole joyful
cowboyind
20 years ago
Thanks.

Well, if it does wind up being the last vehicle you buy, that's all the more reason to go ahead and get a new one. You've obviously done a great job of managing your finances and stretching dollars, so now why not reap the reward of your wise decisions?

Help me save some money buying a car, please

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Red_Confetti

cowboyind

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Help me save some money buying a car, please

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Red_Confetti

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