to buy new or used car?

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Shakespeare
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Re: to buy new or used car?

Post by Shakespeare »

Turbos don't get the mileage benefits claimed unless you change your driving.

The trouble with turbos: Why fuel economy can be worse, not better - The Globe and Mail

Go with a CVT instead.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Shakespeare wrote: 02 Aug 2017 23:21 Go with a CVT instead.
I agree driving habits need to change to make a turbo more fuel efficient, but CVTs are not for everyone either. They have their own personalities with some lag of their own as the computer seeks to balance all the input factors to deliver the right torque.

At least on our Nissan Pathfinder, I sometimes find engine speed rev up more than it needs too with a bit of lag until the transmission delivers the torque to the wheels. Maybe that vehicle is too big for a CVT. In any event, I much prefer the hard downshifts of conventional auto transmissions to provide a sudden surge of power to the wheels when i punch it and I won't buy a CVT again. I do acknowledge it delivers horsepower in the most efficient way with better fuel mileage than its competitors in that segment.
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Shakespeare
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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I believe the engine speedup is deliberate to deliver more torque. My Forester does the same thing.

Added: I can put hard shifts in the Forester but don't normally drive it that way except during steep hill descents.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Shakespeare wrote: 02 Aug 2017 23:48 I believe the engine speedup is deliberate to deliver more torque. My Forester does the same thing.

Added: I can put hard shifts in the Forester but don't normally drive it that way except during steep hill descents.
I have a Honda Odyessey 2016 and it delivers 34 MPG highway. Nothing sexy but a great overall vehicle. I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla with 260 k and it gets about 41 MPG highway. My only beef with the Corolla is the need for a little better acceleration. Based on what I know I will be avoiding a turbo charged vehicle when I buy the next vehicle.Another point about turbo's is their reliability if you keep your vehicle for lengthy periods of time. They start having problems when you get 100k or more.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Thegipper wrote: 03 Aug 2017 10:32 Based on what I know I will be avoiding a turbo charged vehicle when I buy the next vehicle.Another point about turbo's is their reliability if you keep your vehicle for lengthy periods of time. They start having problems when you get 100k or more.
Depends on the maker and their history and expertise with the technology. A friend has a Subaru Impreza WRX with a turbo that has over 250,000km on it. No problems at all in terms of repairs and Subaru has been doing turbos since forever.

The turbo lag is stunning though. I borrowed it for a few weeks when I was between vehicles. I would be on the QEW and put my foot down and nothing would happen for about 1.5 seconds. Then it would literally JUMP forward and take off like a greyhound with its ass on fire. All in all a scary little go-cart of a thing.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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2018 Honda Accord Vs 2018 Toyota Camry: Quick Drive Comparison

No more V6 in the Accord :(
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Koogie wrote: 03 Aug 2017 10:51
Thegipper wrote: 03 Aug 2017 10:32 Based on what I know I will be avoiding a turbo charged vehicle when I buy the next vehicle.Another point about turbo's is their reliability if you keep your vehicle for lengthy periods of time. They start having problems when you get 100k or more.
Depends on the maker and their history and expertise with the technology. A friend has a Subaru Impreza WRX with a turbo that has over 250,000km on it. No problems at all in terms of repairs and Subaru has been doing turbos since forever.

The turbo lag is stunning though. I borrowed it for a few weeks when I was between vehicles. I would be on the QEW and put my foot down and nothing would happen for about 1.5 seconds. Then it would literally JUMP forward and take off like a greyhound with its ass on fire. All in all a scary little go-cart of a thing.
Fuel consumption in my experience depends on how one drives a turbocharged car. I have a Golf GTI 2 litre with turbo & dual clutch system and it routinely gets 31 mpg in the city. It starts developing excellent torque at about 1500 rpm and yes, then acceleration from that point onwards can have you hanging onto the wheel - the description of a greyhound with its ass on fire is very apt :D .
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Re: to buy new or used car?

Post by Insomniac »

Oh no! Big sales tax increase coming on new luxury cars. BC residents better buy one soon to avoid the tax.

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-budge ... -sales-tax
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Guess that will drive up the demand (and prices) on used Porsches, Jags, etc. within BC. That is what I will now be looking to do to stay under the $125k threshold.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Well, it certainly pays to do your homework. My sister wanted to replace a 2005 CR-V with something similar, but used and less than 50000 km. A search via Autotrader as well as checking dealer sites revealed several options, the best of which was a 2016 Forester coming off lease, as well as a 3L Outlander and several Rogues and Edges. But the Forester was listed at one price at the dealer's site and a $3K lower price on Autotrader. An evening reconnaissance after dealer close allowed several candidates to be viewed.

The next day (Saturday) we visited the dealer with the Forester. I took with me the file of printouts with the list of 9 candidates printed on the front and allowed the salesman see that I had it. I also mentioned that the Forester had two prices and at his request gave him the exact lower price, although I said I did not want to talk money at that time.

We went for the test drive and my sister liked the car. The salesman checked with the manager and said the lower price would be honoured. So we bought it.

You just don't find 2 year old Foresters coming off lease at a good price. :lol:
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Shakespeare wrote: 12 Jun 2018 19:41 You just don't find 2 year old Foresters coming off lease at a good price. :lol:
Actually you can at this time of the year. A few years ago DW was shopping for a used Forester and we couldn't understand why the asking price was below the average from websites and the dealer was willing to bargain lower. A friend who sells Toyotas told us spring and early summer is when most leased cars come back and each dealer has a maximum for the number of used cars it wants. As it nears that point the dealer will take just about any offer that contains at least some profit.

I just bought a 2018 Forester Touring that had been used as a courtesy car for 10 months. Had 9,000 km. With no pdi it cost $3,000-$4,000 less than a virgin '18 and was priced about $1,000 below the average for a 2017 with equivalent mileage.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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ISTM that if a coming-off-lease car is a good deal for the buyer it is a bad deal for the sod who leased it. :rofl:
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Shakespeare wrote: 13 Jun 2018 11:56 ISTM that if a coming-off-lease car is a good deal for the buyer it is a bad deal for the sod who leased it. :rofl:
Or it was a matter of operating convenience as part of a business and could be a win-win. Leasing for business purposes is clean and devoid of accounting record keeping.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Been out of the car market for a number of years but circumstances change. I kept a review of a 2014 Forrester a couple of years back. Have just located a Used 2018 Forrester 2.5i Touring CVT with 16257 KM at a dealer thru AutoTrader coming off rental. The Edmunds review gives the 2018 generally high marks but for the following says
driving position: 2/5 "The driver's seat is almost uncomfortably high and can't be lowered to a position that makes most drivers happy. Because of that, the dashboard and all of its controls, as well as the steering wheel, sit quite low"

ease of use:2/5 "Only the climate controls and a few of the buttons on the steering wheel are straightforward. Between the two multifunction and center touchscreen, there's redundant information, mismatched graphics and too many menus"

No idea if the emailed offer of $33k including taxes is a good price or not and if it is worth my while to take the GO Train to Oakville to test drive it.

Any comments from you car buffs appreciated. I would ask my son who is quite knowledgeable about cars but today is not a good time as his wife is about to deliver their 3rd child (and my 3rd grand daughter).
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Many of those things are personal preferences. Nothing substitutes being in the driver's seat and operating it.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Some of us shorter folks like the high seating. :wink:
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Re: to buy new or used car?

Post by IdOp »

CROCKD wrote: 13 Jun 2018 15:47...if it is worth my while to take the GO Train to Oakville to test drive it.
You could go to a local dealer and test-drive a similar vehicle. If something like the seating is a no-go for you, that should show it. If it seems good, then go to Oakville.

As for controls and touchscreens, as AltaRed said it's personal preference. In my case, I played around with them at first, but then set them how I like and rarely touch them. Sort of like how the controls on a computer monitor tend to be "used".
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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CROCKD wrote: 13 Jun 2018 15:47 No idea if the emailed offer of $33k including taxes is a good price or not and if it is worth my while to take the GO Train to Oakville to test drive it.
VMR says average retail price for a 2017 in that mileage bracket is just under $30,000 so $33 all in looks good. My 2018 Touring CVT, also classed as a rental, had 9600 km and was priced at $29,995 plus tax. I bargained off another $500. FYI: Subaru is launching a fully redesigned Forester in August so dealers might be eager to clear out '17s and '18s.

DW bought a '17 last year and at first I was surprised by how high the seat was. At first it felt like driving a van, but I got used to it quickly and that has not been an issue with my '18. Subaru did a lousy job of designing the HVAC controls. I groused a lot but got used to them after a few weeks. FWIW, I've seen no difference between my 2018 and DW's 2017 except for the optional Eyesight safety package she got. We both had the dealer set the console screen with the simplest display: Outside temp, digital time, average gas consumption. Plus, for some reason, an analog clock. There are many other settings with a lot of useless info.

As others have suggested, do a test drive locally before heading out to Oakville.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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I notice that a number of people here have bought a Forester touring. I wonder if i might ask why this seems to be such a popular car here? I am in the market and there is a 2018 touring near me advertised for 32,800. It is a demonstrator with 3300 km. Although in the advertising they seem to say that i could only have delivery in september. It looks like a nice car and has good reviews. Any other features that attracted people?
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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gouthro wrote: 18 Jun 2018 20:39 I notice that a number of people here have bought a Forester touring. I wonder if i might ask why this seems to be such a popular car here? I am in the market and there is a 2018 touring near me advertised for 32,800. It is a demonstrator with 3300 km. Although in the advertising they seem to say that i could only have delivery in september. It looks like a nice car and has good reviews. Any other features that attracted people?
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I have looked at the Subaru lineup. I am a tall person and when I compare them to the equivalent Toyota or Honda they seem smaller by a fair degree and they are pricey. When I check CR it's hard to find better reliability and fuel economy then Toyota. I have been driving Toyota and Honda vehicles for 30 years without a complaint. I am currently driving a Honda Odyessy it is quiet , it is roomy ad according to my calculations it does about 33 miles per imperial gallon highway.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

Post by Shakespeare »

Subarus have full-time AWD which is useful in snowy\hilly winter conditions. I still remember being almost unable to climb a hill in a 1992 Camry. Headroom is better if you don't get a sunroof.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Shakespeare wrote: 19 Jun 2018 21:18 Subarus have full-time AWD which is useful in snowy\hilly winter conditions. I still remember being almost unable to climb a hill in a 1992 Camry. Headroom is better if you don't get a sunroof.
They had it long before anyone else did and that is part of the reputation. Back in the mid-80s, my boss lived in Evergreen quite a ways up in the Rockies above Denver and his little Subaru got him to/from work every day.

That said, a lot of vehicles have AWD these days. My 2007 Infiniti M35X has it and it has served me well from time to time too. That is all we will buy these days, either AWD or a select-o-switch offering that option.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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That said, a lot of vehicles have AWD these days
True, but not always full-time. My 2003 CR-V was FWD until the front wheels slipped.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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Yes, good point.
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Re: to buy new or used car?

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AltaRed wrote: 19 Jun 2018 22:08
Shakespeare wrote: 19 Jun 2018 21:18 Subarus have full-time AWD which is useful in snowy\hilly winter conditions. I still remember being almost unable to climb a hill in a 1992 Camry. Headroom is better if you don't get a sunroof.
They had it long before anyone else did and that is part of the reputation. Back in the mid-80s, my boss lived in Evergreen quite a ways up in the Rockies above Denver and his little Subaru got him to/from work every day.

That said, a lot of vehicles have AWD these days. My 2007 Infiniti M35X has it and it has served me well from time to time too. That is all we will buy these days, either AWD or a select-o-switch offering that option.
I had a 2006 Honda Ridgeline with AWD and was a great vehicle. I really miss that vehicle. At one time the teachers and professors liked Volvos. They have watched to Subarus.
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