Carsuck

[scheky]

Dale - It sounds like it's time for you to buy yourself the best car you want that you can afford. Take the keys to all the remaining cars, put them on the table, step out of the room and let the rest of your family work it out.

You'll be Daddy forever, but your term as the "Decider" is winding down.

This sounds like really good advice to me.

Then again, I have no kids and five ferrets, so my endorsement may not mean much.

For what it's worth, I think the amount you of worry and effort you're putting into this speaks well of you as a parent.

--James

I don't know James. As a previous owner of five of the little woozles myself, you could easily follow the same advice. Sure, your ferrets would have no interest in the cars...but those keys....hrm....

[I.D.10-t]

Give up your car and get a motorcycle.

Perhaps an old BMW boxer with a matte green paint job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My current sig.
<p align="center">"A good many dramatic situations begin with screaming."~Barbarella</p>

Edited to include my current signature so that scheky's post will make sense after I change my sig line.

[scheky]

Id, that quote in your sig is just plain WRONG. That's likely the second worst movie I've ever sat through (Wing Commander was the worst).

Oh the HUMANITY...

Now back to the thread....

[burnsbyrne]

We haven't out and out bought cars for our kids (2 boys, 26 and 30) but I have co-signed for a car, student loans and a mortgage. But we live in an inner ring suburb that is very walkable and has good public transportation. I can't imagine the pressure suburban and sub-suburban parents go through trying to provide transportation for their kids. My hat's off to you, Dale.
In terms of your exact question, I live in the same general area as FJohnSharp and I've seen the same in regards to Honda and Toyota prices. My wife and I went to find a late model used Toyota and after looking at nearly every car on the lot she decided on a 2007 Corolla. It ended up not a whole lot more expensive than the used ones and came with all kinds of warranty stuff. You can probably get yourself a new Yaris for a good price.
Mike

[mutepointe]

Dale, you daughters may already have ideas and comments too. Here's a true story from the child's perspective:

My brother the priest is 4 years older than me. So, every time something happened to me, something better happened to him. When I graduated from grade school, he graduated from high school. When I graduated from high school, he graduated from college. When I graduated from college, he became a deacon. I waited 2 years after he was ordained to get married.

When he graduated from college, my parents got him a car, it was a Ford Duster. When I graduated from college, they gave me that car and bought him a nice newer car. Somehow my parents thought a car that was 4 years older was fair. At the time, I was too blind with excitement to have a car to realize that I was slighted.

[Whistlin'Dixie]

My father sold me his car, a Ford Fairlane, for $100 back in the day.... I loved that car and drove it into the ground.

I have been juggling cars with my sons for awhile now.
We used the '91 Dodge minivan until it just about fell apart, no son of mine had trouble feeling "uncool" driving it around. Au contrare, they could pack lots of friends in it.

My second son took all his lifetime savings out of his savings account this past fall and found a nice car at a local car dealer for $5000, which he paid for. They were very nice to him, walked him thru the purchase, treated him right (my husband went with him)

My first son got my BELOVED Solara ( which I paid off so he wouldn't have to pay a high insurance premium) because his work life is currently in transition, and he needs the help. He's also living at home right now.
My third son drives the Solara when he is home from college and needs a car.

I bought myself an '06 Acura. It's a nice car, but I still like my Solara better.

I guess my point is, that Andy was able to find a nice car for about $5000, nothing that anyone would want to steal, and he's really happy with it. And it's paid for.

Please don't suggest Dale ride a motorcycle in Birmingham traffic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dale]

Dale, have you tried a "hooptie" on them? Honestly, since it's something they are getting for free, look into the cheap cars that will need occasional work.

I bought an old Audi for around 1k that looked so-so, but needed a total of about $500 put into it for the two years I drove it. Because it wasn't the prettiest thing on the planet, it was never high on the "to break into" list. Heck, nobody would have considered stealing it even if I left the keys in it. It was pretty reliable though, and served the purpose.

I know you want your children to have the best. It's a natural urge for all of us parents. However, sometimes getting something lesser is best in the long run for everybody.

Just a thought.

Thanks. Here's my history with wheels for the daughters.

In 1998, 6 months after being licensed, bought oldest daughter a 93 Toyota Corolla. She paid about 40% of the price from her own funds from part time job. This car was in the family 9 years until it was murdered 2 weeks ago in Indianapolis. She drove it until about 2002, at which time, because of the time she was spending on the interstate, we purchased her a used 1999 Saab. Then she didn't really need a car for 3 years. During that time, my wife's minivan got totalled and so she drove the old Corolla until this year, at which time we bought her a used 2002 Corolla. We moved the Saab down to the youngest daughter who is driving it now.

Then in 2000, the middle daughter needed something to drive. My aunt could no longer drive and sold me her 1995 Plymouth Acclaim cheap. A basic transportation car if ever seen one. Unbearably ugly. My daughter drove it for a couple of years and bravely tolerated a lot of abuse from her friends. Then, we traded it for a 2000 Saturn Sl2 which is still in the family.

So, the Saab stays with the youngest daughter. The Saturn, which now has 110k miles, goes with my oldest daughter to Indianapolis. My Echo goes to the middle daughter. And whatever car I purchase will be for me to drive.

[Dale]

Ok. Bought a 2008 Corolla. Feeling pretty good about it. I really like Toyotas (this is my fourth). Because it's the end of the model year, the end of the calendar year, and the end of the body style (due for a major update in the 09s), I got it at a good price.

So, that's done. Thanks to all for some really helpful advice.

The real villain in this piece, not counting the people that broke into the car that triggered all of this, is our crazy American dependence on automobiles. We are paying/will pay the price for not investing in adequate public transportation in this country. But, that's probably a discussion for another forum!

[buddhu]

Good for you, Dale.

You should see the cr*p some people dish out on Mandolincafe about "buying American". We don't get quite so much illogical ranting about buying British any more over here, but then we have little manufacturing industry left.

My car is Japanese. It's a small-engine 4x4. A Suzuki Jimny. If I can ever afford another new car, I'd buy another Jimny in the blink of an eye. 4x4s don't have to be 3 or 4 litre monsters.

When I used to work in a UK GM plant, the biggest worry they had was that they would never equal Toyota's quality control standards. The concerns were justified.

[jim stone]

Go ahead, go ahead.
Blame it on America!

I want a Porsche so bad....

[buddhu]

Go ahead, go ahead.
Blame it on America!...

Eh?

[dfernandez77]

I like fuel-efficient cars.

Here you go Dale:
http://smartusa.com/

[cowtime]

Glad to see you did what you should. You get the choice car and the rest deal with what's left. I'm a Toyota fan too. We've gone through a bunch and they have all been reliable- which is all I ask.

When I saw your post I first thought of advice I heard on "Car Talk" for someone who lived in an area where cars tended to be crime victims- Get one that runs good but looks like crap, the older and more cosmetically messed up the better. Your daughter might want to drive through some mud holes and not wash it ever to up the odds.

(I've got a single nephew who moved up there a couple of months ago...., grad of Va Tech, manages a gym, former eagle scout..... )

[ketida]

(I've got a single nephew who moved up there a couple of months ago...., grad of Va Tech, manages a gym, former eagle scout..... )

Is that matchmaking I hear???

[cowtime]

(I've got a single nephew who moved up there a couple of months ago...., grad of Va Tech, manages a gym, former eagle scout..... )

Is that matchmaking I hear???

Just call me "Yenta".