Thinking of buying a car

[frank 2,144]

I have a 2004 Mazda RX-8. It died on me last week. The mechanic thinks it needs a new engine. He suggests I have that done at a dealership if I want to keep the car. I haven't called them yet, but he thinks the total would be something like $7,000 for a new engine, maybe a couple thousand less if we could find a used one. I really like the car and want to keep it, but even with a new engine, the car is only worth $4,000-$5,000. The engine would be new, but everything else would have 85,000 miles on it.

 

I am looking at cars online and found a 2011 Mustang with under 12,000 miles for about $13,000, which is a little under the blue book. I wonder why it has so few miles on it in 8 years. I have seen pictures of the car and it looks good. It is about 2 hours from here, so it would be next Saturday before I could check it out.

 

Advice?

[MDC 5,890]

I think you’re going to enjoy it - MUCH faster than walking or biking.

[mmmmm...beer 691]

Sux's works on them all.  See's them all come into his shop.  What lasts, what breaks down soonest, and cost the most to fix, etc.  Says all cars suck except Toyota, Honda, and Lexus pretty much.  Rarely see them, when they do not overly hard or expensive to fix.  Quality is just much much better.  Took his advice last time and got a Camry for the wifes commuter last year.

[sderk 1,040]

42 minutes ago, frank said:

I have a 2004 Mazda RX-8. It died on me last week. The mechanic thinks it needs a new engine. He suggests I have that done at a dealership if I want to keep the car. I haven't called them yet, but he thinks the total would be something like $7,000 for a new engine, maybe a couple thousand less if we could find a used one. I really like the car and want to keep it, but even with a new engine, the car is only worth $4,000-$5,000. The engine would be new, but everything else would have 85,000 miles on it.

 

I am looking at cars online and found a 2011 Mustang with under 12,000 miles for about $13,000, which is a little under the blue book. I wonder why it has so few miles on it in 8 years. I have seen pictures of the car and it looks good. It is about 2 hours from here, so it would be next Saturday before I could check it out.

 

Advice?

Just understand your investment. Not a stock money growth type thing, but rather a need that allows you to live your life and get to your job, etc...

Some years back, I needed a new car and didn't want to spend a lot. I picked a reliable model that I knew wasn't a desired car by those that were in the market on a daily basis. Got a Mercury Grand Marquis with about 40,000 miles on it, single owner, but also had been driven about 8-10k a year. So it wasn't sitting in a garage for a couple years. Paid 7k for it, and kept it for about 6 years and never had an issue. It was an 8 cylinder and I paid more in gas, but it was sweet even though I was driving an "old man's car". And my friends did joke about that. That was not a popular model but I knew it had a good history and it produced like a champ. 

I forget the name of the website I used to find it, along with the history etc... Maybe cars.com?  I knew what I wanted and I did not rush into anything. You have more urgency it seems. Anyway. Good luck dude.     

[Strike 3,968]

39 minutes ago, frank said:

I have a 2004 Mazda RX-8. It died on me last week. The mechanic thinks it needs a new engine. He suggests I have that done at a dealership if I want to keep the car. I haven't called them yet, but he thinks the total would be something like $7,000 for a new engine, maybe a couple thousand less if we could find a used one. I really like the car and want to keep it, but even with a new engine, the car is only worth $4,000-$5,000. The engine would be new, but everything else would have 85,000 miles on it.

 

I am looking at cars online and found a 2011 Mustang with under 12,000 miles for about $13,000, which is a little under the blue book. I wonder why it has so few miles on it in 8 years. I have seen pictures of the car and it looks good. It is about 2 hours from here, so it would be next Saturday before I could check it out.

 

Advice?

My Mustang, which I got in May 2017, has about 3k miles on it.  It's a toy.  I have a 4runner for daily driving.  Maybe this wasn't the person's daily driver either.  Not sure how you drive your RX-8 but I'd rather have that than a 2011 Mustang personally.  And 85k on a Japanese car is nothing, especially if you're putting a new engine in it.

[frank 2,144]

I drove the RX8 about 3700 miles/year. Just back and forth 2.5 miles to work. I have been told that you should really drive it fast and at high rpms at least occasionally, which I didn't do. It had about 5100 miles when I bought it in 2010. Whichever car I have will be my daily driver.

I'm going to call the dealership tomorrow to check the price on replacing the engine. The dealership is about an hour away and I would have to get the car towed there. I also thought about getting a second opinion on the car in town.

 

Correction, 51,000 miles, not 5,100.

[sderk 1,040]

2 minutes ago, frank said:

I drove the RX8 about 3700 miles/year. Just back and forth 2.5 miles to work. I have been told that you should really drive it fast and at high rpms at least occasionally, which I didn't do. It had about 5100 miles when I bought it in 2010. Whichever car I have will be my daily driver.

I'm going to call the dealership tomorrow to check the price on replacing the engine. The dealership is about an hour away and I would have to get the car towed there. I also thought about getting a second opinion on the car in town.

Hell yeah you have to hit the highway a few times a month for a some miles.

[shotsup 832]

I’m about to become a mini van driver. I only drive about 20 miles per day to the subway. (Round trip)

Buying the wife a new car (not sure what yet) and was going to give son the mini van. He doesn’t want it and said he’d pay for his own car. 

Turns out he’d take my Altima. So I get the Caravan and he gets the Altima. 

Im a sucka 

[TimmySmith 2,782]

First off, congrats you found a car more impractical than the Mazda. Actually that's all I got.

[Drizzay 645]

Zoom zoom

[RLLD 3,455]

What are your requirements?

What are your desires to have in terms of features?

I recently bought an Accord based on mostly simple desires along the lines of economy and features, but I had been researching for maybe 8 months before my engine died in my car, so I was ready to move on it.

[frank 2,144]

1 hour ago, Ray Lewis's Limo Driver said:

What are your requirements?

What are your desires to have in terms of features?

I recently bought an Accord based on mostly simple desires along the lines of economy and features, but I had been researching for maybe 8 months before my engine died in my car, so I was ready to move on it.

I really just need something to get back and forth to work. The RX8 gets such bad mileage that we would always take the truck out of town. Although if I did get the Mustang, I would use it for out of town too. Both the RX8 and the Mustang are pretty inexpensive for what you are getting. The reason I am looking at the Mustang is that the cheapest cars I have found that I thought were reasonable were around $9-10,000. Those were cars I didn’t like as much with between 10,000-40,000 more miles. I figured an extrao 4K or so for a cool car with really low miles was worth it. It seems silly to get it as a daily driver, but it is around 13k for a car with about 12,000 miles. 

[shotsup 832]

Get the Mustang 

[RLLD 3,455]

2 minutes ago, frank said:

I really just need something to get back and forth to work. The RX8 gets such bad mileage that we would always take the truck out of town. Although if I did get the Mustang, I would use it for out of town too. Both the RX8 and the Mustang are pretty inexpensive for what you are getting. The reason I am looking at the Mustang is that the cheapest cars I have found that I thought were reasonable were around $9-10,000. Those were cars I didn’t like as much with between 10,000-40,000 more miles. I figured an extrao 4K or so for a cool car with really low miles was worth it. It seems silly to get it as a daily driver, but it is around 13k for a car with about 12,000 miles. 

Consider hybrid.   But mostly if you face alot of traffic, which is where it wins the biggest. Also, hybrids have a ton of acceleration which can be fun.

I am mostly highway so I favored the smaller, turbocharged, Honda engine  because i take it pretty easy on the road, so i can get just about 40mpg.  Plus it came with a range of features that made commuting much more comfortable as well.

One of the other key aspects was ongoing maintenance, which should be next to nothing, whereas every domestic build I have every had needed an awful lot of it....

[Mookz 1,287]

And how will you be paying for said car? 

[Kanil 519]

16 hours ago, mmmmm...beer said:

Sux's works on them all.  See's them all come into his shop.  What lasts, what breaks down soonest, and cost the most to fix, etc.  Says all cars suck except Toyota, Honda, and Lexus pretty much.  Rarely see them, when they do not overly hard or expensive to fix.  Quality is just much much better.  Took his advice last time and got a Camry for the wifes commuter last year.

I have a cousin that's been a mechanic for 25 years now who says the same thing.  The last 3 cars my wife and I have had have been Toyotas.  I don't see us moving from them anytime soon.

[frank 2,144]

39 minutes ago, Mookz said:

And how will you be paying for said car? 

Straight cash homie. 

[edjr 5,563]

Buy new and buy often

[RLLD 3,455]

18 minutes ago, edjr said:

Buy new and buy often

And only ever lease certain models, like anything Range Rover  

[listen2me 23 1,541]

Any one have or had a mazda 6?

 

[RLLD 3,455]

2 minutes ago, listen2me 23 said:

Any one have or had a mazda 6?

 

Isn't the "thing" with mazda the rotary engine, which gets really high RPM's making them a blast to drive?

[vuduchile 1,941]

8 minutes ago, Ray Lewis's Limo Driver said:

Isn't the "thing" with mazda the rotary engine, which gets really high RPM's making them a blast to drive?

I loved my RX-7 when I had it. Not only was it fast, but it handled like a dream.  

I was doing 80-85 on a stretch of TX highway when a truck dropped a couple of boxes in the road in front of me.  I swerved one way,  then back again, without braking, straightened out and just kept cruising.  The ash didn't even fall off my cig.  

[Strike 3,968]

1 hour ago, Ray Lewis's Limo Driver said:

Isn't the "thing" with mazda the rotary engine, which gets really high RPM's making them a blast to drive?

AFAIK the only cars Mazda has made with the rotary are the RX-7 and RX-8.  All their other vehicles use more conventional engines, although they have one in the works that is going to be kind of a hybrid between Diesel and internal combustion that should be interesting. 

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

21 hours ago, mmmmm...beer said:

Sux's works on them all.  See's them all come into his shop.  What lasts, what breaks down soonest, and cost the most to fix, etc.  Says all cars suck except Toyota, Honda, and Lexus pretty much.  Rarely see them, when they do not overly hard or expensive to fix.  Quality is just much much better.  Took his advice last time and got a Camry for the wifes commuter last year.

He also focks cats. 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,633]

Lease. AOC and the libtards are getting rid of cars in a few years. 

[Dragan187 7]

I would get a second opinion on that blown engine diagnosis. This aint the 1970s when a car's life expectancy was 100K and engines start blowing up. Unless you have abused the vehicle and not performed maintenance on it, cars (even those made in 2004) should not be blowing engines. Side note: Stay away from that mustang. Mustangs and Camaros suck in the snow. My 16 year old drives a mustang and its useless with a couple of inches of snow on the ground. Get a Cadillac DTS if you wanna be cool. They can be had for about 10 grand and is not  a chick car/ kid car like the ford Mustang.

[frank 2,144]

Called the dealership, they aren’t rebuilding /replacing anymore. Thanks a lot Mazda!

They referred me to a shop near them that can do it. He says they will come pick my car up for $100 and check it out for $85, which is waived if they do the work. He says engine rebuild will be about $2800. 

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

I love this generation of body style from Mustang. Yeah, it kind of is a chick sports car, but its still nice. I assume it's nice whether mostly by you? In the snow the are horrible

[Strike 3,968]

5 minutes ago, frank said:

Called the dealership, they aren’t rebuilding /replacing anymore. Thanks a lot Mazda!

They referred me to a shop near them that can do it. He says they will come pick my car up for $100 and check it out for $85, which is waived if they do the work. He says engine rebuild will be about $2800. 

If I were in your position I'd get the thing rebuilt for $2800 if that's needed.  But, I"m an RX-8 fan so I'm biased.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

9 minutes ago, frank said:

Called the dealership, they aren’t rebuilding /replacing anymore. Thanks a lot Mazda!

They referred me to a shop near them that can do it. He says they will come pick my car up for $100 and check it out for $85, which is waived if they do the work. He says engine rebuild will be about $2800. 

7k sounds way too high. 2800 sounds a bit low

[Hardcore troubadour 12,633]

I like the newer Camaros over the Mustangs. 

[Strike 3,968]

Just now, Hardcore troubadour said:

I like the newer Camaros over the Mustangs. 

You're crazy.  The newer Camaros look like crap, and their interiors are as bad as they've always been.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,633]

10 minutes ago, Strike said:

You're crazy.  The newer Camaros look like crap, and their interiors are as bad as they've always been.

What can I say? I like them better. They look more masculine. 

[bandrus1 413]

I drove one of the newer body Camaro and the windshield seems so small

[Strike 3,968]

24 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

What can I say? I like them better. They look more masculine. 

Yeah Ok.  That's why Chevy can't give them away.  

https://www.motor1.com/news/265489/ford-mustang-chevy-camaro-sales/

Check this out and tell me it's not masculine:

 

 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,633]

10 minutes ago, Strike said:

Yeah Ok.  That's why Chevy can't give them away.  

https://www.motor1.com/news/265489/ford-mustang-chevy-camaro-sales/

Check this out and tell me it's not masculine:

 

 

That's the Cobra, right? 

[Strike 3,968]

38 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

That's the Cobra, right? 

Uh, can't read the title?  LOL.  It's a Shelby GT350.

[frank 2,144]

1 hour ago, Frozenbeernuts said:

7k sounds way too high. 2800 sounds a bit low

7k was the local mechanic’s guess of what the dealership would charge to put in a new engine. 

2800 is for a different mechanic to rebuild it. I’m pretty sure I am going to go with the rebuild. I really want to keep the car if I can. 

[MTSkiBum 1,594]

I had 1 engine rebuild, it was on my tundra. I hemorrhaged money after that repair. I would have came out ahead junking it for no money.

 

I paid 4500 initially, but had multiple 4 figure repairs pretty quickly.

[Strike 3,968]

9 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said:

I had 1 engine rebuild, it was on my tundra. I hemorrhaged money after that repair. I would have came out ahead junking it for no money.

 

I paid 4500 initially, but had multiple 4 figure repairs pretty quickly.

I wouldn't have an engine rebuilt unless it came with a warranty.