The Automobile Thread

I own a 2.4L Tacoma with 5-speed manual. The shoes on my drum brakes are original factory-installed parts going on 285k miles. Since I bought the truck new in 2004, I had to replace the front pads twice already, as well as three sets of tires, three sets of headlamps, one windshield, and one ignition coil....that's about it besides regular spark plug and fluid changes. (until now since I jinxed the damn thing. Somebody ring a bell!)
 
Rumpled said:
I saw a couple Rivian in the wild recently.
Both with camouflaged wraps.
Look better to me than the Tesla truck, and seem to be closer to production.
I think one could suit my needs, except for maybe long road trips.
Cost, of course, is also a factor.

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67k sticker is a lot, but after 9k of tax rebates, gas savings, and no oil changes, it’s totally in line with how crazy expensive the Dinosaur burning options are.

As for range, the big battery option is supposed to do OC to Vegas nonstop...we will know soon enough.
 
Still waiting on my insurance settlement (just finished my physical therapy a couple weeks ago). But I just can't get excited enough about anything out there, other than a Miata, that I want to buy (but won't because it just isn't practical). I tried to talk myself into buying something, but I can't. So I will wait for my settlement and either buy a beater, or a motorcycle.
 
Did someone say impractical...?

url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Farchive%2F2x2cyclesmotorcyclebicyclerack.jpg
 
Sidewalk said:
Still waiting on my insurance settlement (just finished my physical therapy a couple weeks ago). But I just can't get excited enough about anything out there, other than a Miata, that I want to buy (but won't because it just isn't practical). I tried to talk myself into buying something, but I can't. So I will wait for my settlement and either buy a beater, or a motorcycle.
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But there's a receiver hitch for the Miata....

https://trackdogracing.com/hd-hitch.aspx
 
Rumpled said:
I saw a couple Rivian in the wild recently.
Both with camouflaged wraps.
Look better to me than the Tesla truck, and seem to be closer to production.
I think one could suit my needs, except for maybe long road trips.
Cost, of course, is also a factor.

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I saw one of those an hour ago in Laguna. I wasn't sure what it was. Thanks for telling me. I will now rush out and buy one.
 
herzalot said:
I saw one of those an hour ago in Laguna. I wasn't sure what it was. Thanks for telling me. I will now rush out and buy one.
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Don’t rush out quite yet. :RoflmaoThey aren’t delivering to customers until next month, and they’re sold out through this year at least. I’m expecting Newport Beach Land Rover to take a big sales hit once these start rolling around in big numbers.
 
DangerDirtyD said:
I own a 2.4L Tacoma with 5-speed manual. The shoes on my drum brakes are original factory-installed parts going on 285k miles. Since I bought the truck new in 2004, I had to replace the front pads twice already, as well as three sets of tires, three sets of headlamps, one windshield, and one ignition coil....that's about it besides regular spark plug and fluid changes. (until now since I jinxed the damn thing. Somebody ring a bell!)
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TOYOTA QUALITY and DURABILITY, mic dropped
 
buggravy said:
The way that cars are taxed in CA I feel like financing a car and selling at the end of the term makes little sense compared to a lease.
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You pay higher taxes on a lease than on a financed car. Just sayin'.

On a 36 month lease you're typically going to be paying sales tax on 50% capital reduction plus financing fees. So bare minimum you are paying taxes on the financing, which you wouldn't be doing with a purchase. Then there is the question of that whole "capital reduction" thang. Because of the accelerated depreciation built into the lease, you are paying taxes on the most expensive timeframe of car ownership. Even assuming you have a 15K per year lease, and you drive 100% of the annual limit, that still assumes that half the value of the car is gone in 45K miles - and you paid taxes on it. It is not uncommon to have a 12K or even 10K annual lease (in terms of mileage allowable) which makes things even worse. So you could find yourself paying sales tax on half the value of the car PLUS sales tax on the financing for 30K miles.

And don't forget - the sales tax is calculated on the sale before incentives and rebates.
 
BonsaiNut said:
You could just buy a Tesla. Tires and brakes and that's it. And because of regenerative braking, brake pads last... 100K miles? More?

And since my time isn't free... don't forget the 10-15 minutes of your life that you save every time you drive past a gas
Startion station.[/QUOTE
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Then add in the hours spent at a charger waiting for it to fill with electrons because you don't have a garage, or the garage isn't big enough to park it in.

And I don't know but my impression is an app is needed to use the charger. Which requires you to have a smart phone and carry it. My phone isn't always with me.

We are considering electric, but it appears that these are viable concerns.
 
BonsaiNut said:
You could just buy a Tesla. Tires and brakes and that's it. And because of regenerative braking, brake pads last... 100K miles? More?

And since my time isn't free... don't forget the 10-15 minutes of your life that you save every time you drive past a gas station.
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My prius brakes, first brake pad change at 140K. I don't wait in gas lines because I don't go when there are lines.
 
BonsaiNut said:
You pay higher taxes on a lease than on a financed car. Just sayin'.

On a 36 month lease you're typically going to be paying sales tax on 50% capital reduction plus financing fees. So bare minimum you are paying taxes on the financing, which you wouldn't be doing with a purchase. Then there is the question of that whole "capital reduction" thang. Because of the accelerated depreciation built into the lease, you are paying taxes on the most expensive timeframe of car ownership. Even assuming you have a 15K per year lease, and you drive 100% of the annual limit, that still assumes that half the value of the car is gone in 45K miles - and you paid taxes on it. It is not uncommon to have a 12K or even 10K annual lease (in terms of mileage allowable) which makes things even worse. So you could find yourself paying sales tax on half the value of the car PLUS sales tax on the financing for 30K miles.

And don't forget - the sales tax is calculated on the sale before incentives and rebates.
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But if it's a 100% business write-off, then who gives a... :)
 
Danimal said:
Then add in the hours spent at a charger waiting for it to fill with electrons because you don't have a garage, or the garage isn't big enough to park it in.

And I don't know but my impression is an app is needed to use the charger. Which requires you to have a smart phone and carry it. My phone isn't always with me.

We are considering electric, but it appears that these are viable concerns.
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Well, I agree with the garage thing, but as far as the room the charger takes... it doesn't take ANY room. Just room to plug the cable into the wall. And if you have a very small garage, you can just have the car pull in and pull out by itself without having to try to squeeze in while it is inside the garage. No, you don't need an app to use the charger, however you CAN use an app if you want to communicate with your car, for example, from the living room. Don't forget -no emissions- so you can sit in the garage with your car "on" and listen to music, cruise the Internet, check traffic, whatever. My wife's car sends her email notices when it needs service, she schedules it on her app, and Tesla sends the service guys out to the house. So far all she has needed is an auxiliary battery replaced, and all the work was under warranty.

Then again, when we lived in SoCal we had solar panels, so the electricity to charge the car was relatively inexpensive, even considering the cost of the panels. When we drove her Tesla from OC to NC, all the charging along the way was free - she has lifetime free charging at any Tesla charger. We just made sure we stayed at hotels that had chargers in the parking lot so we started each day with a full charge. The route-mapping takes into consideration the driving conditions, your speed, etc, and guides you automatically to the charger down the road where you will need to charge. It even tells you how many chargers are available in real time... though we never had a problem with all the chargers being used - except in SoCal where they need to add more chargers given the number of cars on the road.
 
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Cyclotourist said:
Did someone say impractical...?

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Friend of mine had a set up like that on his Ninja 250. He also recently hit a deer on his newer motorcycle on his way to an XC race (and still raced). Bare in mind he was faster at Laguna Seca on his 250 than most people on a 600 or 1000 (former AMA pro). But that just doesn't sound fun to me. I do need a motorcycle again though...

Runs with Scissors said:
But there's a receiver hitch for the Miata....

https://trackdogracing.com/hd-hitch.aspx
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Doesn't ADDING weight feel like a sin?

Something to consider though. THough I was hoping for something with ground clearance for remote trail access (more for running though). But I can never make up my mind what I want :facepalm:


scan said:
TOYOTA QUALITY and DURABILITY, mic dropped
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I don't know if it is a reputable source, but Repairpal.com lists the cost of ownership for a Tacoma at the same for a Wrangler. Various reports I have read have shown that the "quality" has dropped and they are just surfing on an old reputation.
 
BonsaiNut said:
You pay higher taxes on a lease than on a financed car. Just sayin'.

On a 36 month lease you're typically going to be paying sales tax on 50% capital reduction plus financing fees. So bare minimum you are paying taxes on the financing, which you wouldn't be doing with a purchase. Then there is the question of that whole "capital reduction" thang. Because of the accelerated depreciation built into the lease, you are paying taxes on the most expensive timeframe of car ownership. Even assuming you have a 15K per year lease, and you drive 100% of the annual limit, that still assumes that half the value of the car is gone in 45K miles - and you paid taxes on it. It is not uncommon to have a 12K or even 10K annual lease (in terms of mileage allowable) which makes things even worse. So you could find yourself paying sales tax on half the value of the car PLUS sales tax on the financing for 30K miles.

And don't forget - the sales tax is calculated on the sale before incentives and rebates.
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Maybe a higher tax rate (effectively), but not actually higher taxes?

I think about it pretty simplistically. Say you lease a car with a $60K MSRP, agreed upon sale price of $55K, and residual of $30K, you're paying sales tax on $25K, regardless of whether you do 36 equal payments, a $25K 1-pay, or a cap reduction + 36 months of lower payments. Obviously there's money factor/interest in there. If you finance, or even pay cash for the same car at the same price, and sell it after the same amount of time/mileage, you're paying sales tax on $55K. At 10ish% that's a hefty chunk of change. My comment was more about how in many (perhaps most) states, when you trade in a car you only pay sales tax on the balance due over and above your trade-in, as opposed to paying tax on the full sale price of the car regardless of trade-in value here in CA.
 
I think I just gave a car salesman an aneurysm....

I was honest, up-front, and said here's what I can get from Carmax, here's why you need to work with me; here's my requirements.

I have a service appointment at the targeted dealership next Friday. This should be interesting - the time to negotiate/buy a car is when you don't actually need one.
 
Car dealers....be firm and ready to walk out....assume they will try and rip you off if not up front than when you hit the finance guy. Even if paying cash.
I lost all love for dealers and savor the moments I have a reason to be difficult and nasty. Once you settle on a car you're wasting time negotiating/taking to a sales guy. The real work starts with finance/ payment. That's when you negotiate.
 
Danimal said:
Car dealers....be firm and ready to walk out....assume they will try and rip you off if not up front than when you hit the finance guy. Even if paying cash.
I lost all love for dealers and savor the moments I have a reason to be difficult and nasty. Once you settle on a car you're wasting time negotiating/taking to a sales guy. The real work starts with finance/ payment. That's when you negotiate.
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But here's where you really start - know the MSRP. Know the DMV cost (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/registration-fees/) - the fees are ridiculous, but public - and know the fees the dealer will charge. I have yet to step foot in the showroom, and have in writing what they want. The rest (tax, title, registration) I have at my fingertips and printed out.

The only variable at this point is the change to the asking price, which drives the sales tax. Other than that, it's not important and is only a few dollars. The APR is a given. :cool:
 
Runs with Scissors said:
But here's where you really start - know the MSRP. Know the DMV cost (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/registration-fees/) - the fees are ridiculous, but public - and know the fees the dealer will charge. I have yet to step foot in the showroom, and have in writing what they want. The rest (tax, title, registration) I have at my fingertips and printed out.

The only variable at this point is the change to the asking price, which drives the sales tax. Other than that, it's not important and is only a few dollars. The APR is a given. :cool:
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What you mention is the first step but don't forget auto insurance. That can vary tremendously from car to car and recurring whether the car is paid cash or not.
 
Danimal said:
Car dealers....be firm and ready to walk out....assume they will try and rip you off if not up front than when you hit the finance guy. Even if paying cash.
I lost all love for dealers and savor the moments I have a reason to be difficult and nasty. Once you settle on a car you're wasting time negotiating/taking to a sales guy. The real work starts with finance/ payment. That's when you negotiate.
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I’m not one to chisel the last nickel out of the deal. Many moons ago I walked out on a deal, and spent another 20 hours negotiating with the next guy to get my $250. Not the best use of my time...

The guy I dealt with at Simpson Chevrolet in 2018 assumed I couldn’t do math.

The service manager at Irvine Subaru assumed that I didn’t realize that oil is an incompressible fluid.

One nice thing about some of the luxury brands I’ve dealt with is that they seem to assume you’re able to read. They still charge way too much, but they’re more up front about it, and offer you a complimentary espresso and a more thorough car wash.
 
tick said:
One nice thing about some of the luxury brands I’ve dealt with is that they seem to assume you’re able to read. They still charge way too much, but they’re more up front about it, and offer you a complimentary espresso and a more thorough car wash.
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I literally L'edOL.

For a while, the head mechanic at Newport Audi was a parent of a student at my school. Damn did I get treated well - no BS on price, AND a great espresso. They had me tagged as a VIP - so no matter who pulled up my ticket, I was treated like royalty. Sadly, Newport Audi is no more. Just Bentley and Porsche. Still in the family, but the wealthier, more entitled siblings.
 
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herzalot said:
I literally L'edOL.

For a while, the head mechanic at Newport Audi was a parent of a student at my school. Damn did I get treated well - no BS on price, AND a great espresso. Sadly, Newport Audi is no more. Just Bentley and Porsche. Still in the family, but the wealthier, more entitled siblings.
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My cousin is the service manager at a Land Rover dealer. One side of my brain wants to score a great deal, the other side listens to his stories and sees how busy he is—not exactly the Maytag repairman.
 
Danimal said:
Car dealers....be firm and ready to walk out....assume they will try and rip you off if not up front than when you hit the finance guy. Even if paying cash.
I lost all love for dealers and savor the moments I have a reason to be difficult and nasty. Once you settle on a car you're wasting time negotiating/taking to a sales guy. The real work starts with finance/ payment. That's when you negotiate.
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You're basically just ensuring that you have a terrible time every time you walk into a dealership. Maybe I've just been lucky, but most of my car buying experiences over the years have been largely pleasant. Now that I'm on the other side I just laugh when I see people come in all aggro and salty. They're pretty much guaranteed to leave the same way, without a car.
 
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