Black car, black rims, black low-profile tires with a red accent stripe.
Posted on 06/21/2014 10:04:44 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
The days when a bare-bones "stripper" car came with vinyl seats, rubber floor mats and no air conditioning are long gone.
Today, convenience and cold air come standard for all models, along with a long list of niceties that were once the sole domain of the loaded vehicle. A base Chevy Spark, as one example, offers aluminum wheels, ten standard airbags, power windows — even six months of OnStar service, in case you lock your keys in the car. On the surface, the new car market is offering better values than ever.
There is just one small problem with nearly all entry-level models of the modern day: You can't ever find em', and when you do, they usually come loaded with surprises. We may learn about that teaser of a price from the manufacturer's advertising, or the dealer supposedly suffering a bone-headed overstocking whose pain can be your gain. But actually finding that car is another matter entirely.
Recently, I searched for an absolute bare bones 2014 Nissan Versa S, base model. How many were there for the genuine manufacturer's drive-out price of under $13,000 in metro Atlanta? One. Just a single car to serve a metropolitan population of six million people.
Two weeks ago I walked over to a Mitsubishi dealer near Myrtle Beach, S.C. There were 20 Mirages on the lot, and out of those 20, there was one basic car with that ever so rare five-speed manual. The price: $12,500, before a whopping $1,995 surcharge for window tint. The old days of stain guards for carpeting and VIN etchings on the windows have been replaced with $700 processing fees, $800 destination charges, and $2,000 aftermarket trim packages with low-quality leather and fake wood made out of real plastic.
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
Wow. I thought I was the only one with an ejector seat...
Black car, black rims, black low-profile tires with a red accent stripe.
Do you really mean 27,000 miles since 2000, or do you mean 270,000 miles?
Do you really mean 27,000 miles since 2000, or do you mean 270,000 miles?
(Sorry, Mears -- I directed the question inaccurately to you in my last post.)
I was given a choice of $1000 off or 0% interest and went with Door Number One to get it all over with. My 20-year-old '96 Toyota sedan had already had so many things replaced -- transmission, catalytic conveter, window motor, side mirror, main belt -- but things were starting to dry out, like the engine mounting gasket, which meant tolerating a vibration all the time and doing without a self-retracting car aerial after kids broke it off, things like that which would have cost more to repair than than they would have been worth.
I never minded a certain amount of exterior wear because it made the car less attractive to thieves; but I never let it get so bad that if I were stopped for speeding, I would look like an irresponsible driver to the cop. So paint wear was ok, but big dents or bumper scrapes were not; and after those lovely young Amish men trashed the car with their fists and feet becasue they thought it would be fun to terrorize a little old white lady at a stop light, I had to choose whether to get a junker title or a new car, and the choice was fairly simple.
Now I'm having little old lady problems being barely able to see over the new dashboard, even with better seat control options on this car, but nothing a couple of lawn chair cushions haven't been able to fix.
You got the steal of a lifetime.
I like that look.my v-max had it.
“Now I’m having little old lady problems...”
Boy, oh boy..I sure know what you are talking about! Everything I sat in made me feel like Edith Ann. I prefer to think that everyone has raised their dashboard heights...not that I have become a piece of shrink-dink.lol
I was forced into trading last week due to high mileage (256,000) and wanting to have a relatively new vehicle paid for before I retire. I sincerely hope this new one will last. I hate the whole car buying process and the prices are appalling. I’m still a little on the depressed side thinking about having a payment.
I bought a 2003 Honda Accord LX 4 door 4cyl model this past May. It added up to almost $10,000 after taxes & fees were included (paint not perfect but close). 11 year old car! $10 grand! Doing a 3 year loan. Runs great and I expect to keep it for years past my last payment. BTW do not get the 6cyl version as the transmission is bad.
I searched for others in the same year as anything newer was too expensive for 3 year loans and only found some private sellers at lower prices but the cars were sketchy.
Nothing cheap anymore. A co-worker spent a month looking for a car and would not spend more then $2,000. He found some foreign car no longer being made from the late 90’s. No radio, speakers were pulled out, A/C he had to get fixed. Tailights mostly not working. He was out most of the day last week as his car broke down....
Here is a barebones Mini. The driver walked away.
Meanwhile you get in a minor crash you end up in a hospital if you are lucky.
Guerlain Chicherit Jump for world record but crash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOmO0RKN9ww
Just for your viewing pleasure: Ken Block driving an obstacle course.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUO-lPubXeI
My step son borrowed my truck a few ago and told me there was no dimmer switch. I had to laugh.
No typo... it's right around 27,000.
So you can’t accidentally pop it into park or reverse going down the road at 60mph.”
Wonder how I made it driving almost 50 years before somebody “decided” I couldn’t possibly do so unless I had them.
I had a 69 Dart with the slant six 225. You pumped the rubber washer peddle that was next the the high beam switch with your left foot.
I remember another thing about that 69 Dart. If you had the car off with no key in the ignition,pushed on the brake, turned on the flasher and directional signal at the same time the AM radio would play.
I once listened the Red Sox game back in 1972(I was 13,Sox playing on west coast). We were camping in Maine. My parents were sleeping in the tent and snoring, I could not sleep and went to the car and started playing around with the controls.
Cool. I’d love to have that, only shiny, and not flat black.
“Wonder how I made it driving almost 50 years before somebody “decided” I couldn’t possibly do so unless I had them.”
It’s a conspiracy to eliminate Darwin Awards. Smart people don’t need to worry about it, but the stupid ones cock it up for everybody.
Heh, I remember when the starter was on the floor next to the accelerator pedal, and you had to double clutch between gears.
I like A/C, reclining seats, tilt steering wheels and side mirrors on BOTH sides of the car. Everything else is negotiable although my wife and I prefer manual transmissions.
My girl just turned 30 last weekend with another 50k miles before she hits half a million. I gave her a 30 year birthday present and waxed her from top to bottom. I hadn’t waxed her in about 5 years and was still finishing up the older wax I had from around ‘95. When I ran out, I went out to buy some more, but am having a hard time finding regular car wax,...the type in a tub with a sponge-like applicator you rub in and let set till it drys, then buff it down.
I don’t know if everybody is out, or if I’m just getting old and they don’t make it anymore.
I asked the salesman, telling him my plight and he responded he knew just how I felt, because he was transgender and hadn’t waxed in a long time and didn’t know which way to turn.
I think the next set of auto parts I need, I’ll just go to the junk yard.
Bought a new car and truck last year.
My 15 year old 1998 Dodge Ram had 49,900 miles on it and my wife's 2000 Chrysler LHS had 23,000 miles on it.
It was just time to get some new rolling iron :)
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