Automobile to Newport?

[xltn]

I'd recommend not buying new, and definitely don't go to the used car lots near the bases (if you're non-prior, you'll hear more about these lots at OCS, which target servicemembers with predatory deals and usually advertise things like 'Financing for E-1 and up!"). Get certified pre-owned, either straight from a dealer or from something like USAA's car buying service. Look for something a few years old, you'll be looking at fleet vehicles and leased cars in great condition. Let someone else take the hit on depreciation.

DO NOT go to used car dealers near your base. I had 1 kid in my last unit, he got tricked into buying a used mustang. His interest was almost 30%. Apparently, he got so excited about the car, and did not read the contract. Listen to Tycho.

 

[Fronch]

DO NOT go to used car dealers near your base. I had 1 kid in my last unit, he got tricked into buying a used mustang. His interest was almost 30%. Apparently, he got so excited about the car, and did not read the contract. Listen to Tycho.

Yeah, it's pretty awful. I visited my enlisted friend while he was in basic at Great Lakes, and I was amazed at all the payday lenders, used car dealerships, and pawn shops near the base.

 

[Kayeshorter]

I paid my way through 4 years of college by working as a new and used car salesman at a Ford Dealership, and I'm back at the dealership until I go to training (currently typing this on my work computer looking out at rows of new cars!). PM me if you have any questions or want advice about car sales, auto loans, car depreciation, leases, etc, I'd be happy to give you some pro tips or advice when it comes to that sort of thing

 

[utswimmer37]

if you can snag 0%-0.9% with a new auto what are the drawbacks? I have a more than ideal vehicle right now that serves my current needs, with equity in it too, but once I hit the road for all those PCS moves would like a reliable truck someone else hasn't already beaten up. I fear the unknowns with used vehicles and the lack of a substantial warranty.

(and I thought we were supposed to piss away our ensign checks and start the saving once we hit o-2?)

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

if you can snag 0%-0.9% with a new auto what are the drawbacks? I have a more than ideal vehicle right now that serves my current needs, with equity in it too, but once I hit the road for all those PCS moves would like a reliable truck someone else hasn't already beaten up. I fear the unknowns with used vehicles and the lack of a substantial warranty.

(and I thought we were supposed to piss away our ensign checks and start the saving once we hit o-2?)

Mostly the big tradeoff with financing a new vehicle is the big hit you take on depreciation. It's often said that the car loses 25% as soon as it's driven off the dealership lot, so if you're buying new, you kinda have to drive the wheels off it to get the most from your money. Of course, the tradeoff with buying used to avoid depreciation is that you don't get the warranty. The middle ground would be buying "certified pre-owned" (meaning the manufacturer gives it a thorough inspection, makes sure there are no big issues, and puts it back on sale), since that can come with a limited manufacturer's warranty (if you get it straight from the dealer), or one of those protection plan dealies, where it's like "maintenance insurance," you pay a little up front and if something goes wrong during the protected period they'll fix it. Of the two, the CPO manufacturer's warranty is usually the better deal (that's certified pre-owned, not Chief Petty Officer).
I have a 2011 Ram 1500 Tradesman, which is pretty sweet. Hemi V8 and a regular cab, so it's light and powerful (390 bhp, 408 ft-lbs). It can only seat two (or two and a half, if I'm ever heading to the bar with Tyrion Lannister or something), so if you need more passenger space, look elsewhere. It can tow just under 10,000 pounds (or haul however much you can fit in the back), and when it's unloaded, it's quick as hell (the very similar '09 Ram R/T regular cab did 0-60 in under 6 seconds). If you're looking for a family somewhere down the road, spring for a crew cab or a quad cab. And if you do get a new one, they're coming out with a diesel, which would save you some gas on those cross-country moves.
The other name, of course, would be F-150, since they've been making them forever, so they're getting pretty good at it, which means the more recent used ones will still have a lot of life in them. If you can get one that's like 2 or 3 years old, they're the ones coming off leases, which usually means they're in pretty good shape. Again, certified pre-owned and a manufacturer's warranty would be ideal in this case. I just noticed Kayeshorter works for Ford, so he can probably tell you more about that.
Also, if this isn't what you're already doing, compare your offers to what's available through USAA's car buying service. Always shop around when buying a car, and always haggle. The worst he can say is "no."
And let's be real, we don't need to start saving until we hit O-3 at least

 

[BusyBee604]

(and I thought we were supposed to piss away our ensign checks and start the saving once we hit o-2?)

It takes fiscal discipline! If you piss away your ENS checks, you'll probably piss away your post promotion checks as well... it's addictive!
BzB

 

[Fronch]

... Trucks ...

I've had three Honda Civics over the past 17 years and I have zero complaints. They're relatively cheap and very reliable. I bought new, but Tycho_Brohe makes some good points about new vs. pre-owned.

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

I've had three Honda Civics over the past 17 years and I have zero complaints. They're relatively cheap and very reliable. I bought new, but Tycho_Brohe makes some good points about new vs. pre-owned.

He'd mentioned he was thinking about a truck for the PCS's. But yeah, like the F-150, they've been making the Civic forever, so they're very reliable. Plus it looks like the new ones are made in, among other places, Indiana, which brings up another point.

If you're set on buying US, do some double-checking. I was looking at the American truck manufacturers, but didn't realize that my Ram was actually made in Saltillo. Meanwhile, foreign autos have started making them here. If you make the drive from Newport to Florida on I-95, you'll see a huge Kia plant somewhere along the way, and VW's making the Passat in Chattanooga.

 

[Fronch]

He'd mentioned he was thinking about a truck for the PCS's. But yeah, like the F-150, they've been making the Civic forever, so they're very reliable. Plus it looks like the new ones are made in, among other places, Indiana, which brings up another point.

Yeah, mine was manufactured in the states. When I bought it, I had said to myself that I was either going to buy American or another Civic. I just didn't like the feel of any of the Fords/Chevys that I test-drove. Plus, they made the Civic a lot roomier in recent years. I'm 6'3" and I don't feel cramped in it, and it's a 4 door to boot.

 

[Kayeshorter]

Tycho hit the nail on the head, and normally when buying a new car you take huge hit as soon as you drive it off the lot. Certified Pre-Owned is a great compromise, where you can buy a used car that still comes with a new car warranty. The CPO Fords come with a 7 year 100k mile powertrain warranty, and it's got pretty decent coverage.

The one exception to this is advertisements. You'd be surprised how good of a deal a lot of these labor day/4th of july sale ads are. On average my dealership loses about $4,000 on every new car they advertise in the paper. Of course they try to make this loss up by selling you additional warranties and accessories, and giving you way too little for your trade in, but if you can get to the dealership early, ad in hand, with no trade in, and refuse all of the additional stuff they'll try to "throw in", then you can really steal a new car.

I would say if you really want to have a new truck, the best thing you can do is to scan your local paper near a holiday or major sales event, and then show up early the first day of the sale and demand to see the exact car being advertised for the low price. Don't trade your car in, even though they might calculate "factory trade in cash allowance" as part of the deal, you're ALWAYS better off selling it yourself. Then, refuse all of the additional stuff the sales manager or finance manager will try to "throw in". Read everything that you sign carefully, and if possible, organize financing through your credit union or bank. Some dealerships will only finance advertised units at higher interest rates to try and recoup some of their lost profit.

I have to say, please don't take this new car buying advice and then use it on ME

 

[Kayeshorter]

Oh and as for Ford trucks, I have to say that I think that Ford's trucks are superior to their cars and SUVs. I would buy a Ford truck. That being said, there's a lot of hype over these new "Ecoboost" (read: turbocharged) V6 F-150's. Yes, the advertised MPG is 21mpg highway, and the truck tows like a diesel truck (it really is fantastic for towing), but in all honesty my customers have been getting MPG that is comparable to the 5.0 v8, somewhere between 15 and 17 MPG. If you're going to buy an F-150, go with the decades old 5.0 V8 and save yourself the trouble of having to deal with Turbo issues or whatever issues might arise in the years to come, because the turbo V6 is still relatively new technology.

 

[utswimmer37]

Oh and as for Ford trucks, I have to say that I think that Ford's trucks are superior to their cars and SUVs. I would buy a Ford truck. That being said, there's a lot of hype over these new "Ecoboost" (read: turbocharged) V6 F-150's. Yes, the advertised MPG is 21mpg highway, and the truck tows like a diesel truck (it really is fantastic for towing), but in all honesty my customers have been getting MPG that is comparable to the 5.0 v8, somewhere between 15 and 17 MPG. If you're going to buy an F-150, go with the decades old 5.0 V8 and save yourself the trouble of having to deal with Turbo issues or whatever issues might arise in the years to come, because the turbo V6 is still relatively new technology.

I'm waiting on the 2015 to see what these weight reductions do for the MPG. I was planning on pursuing this regardless so not that far of a reach for me too. I'll plan on running that beast till it dies and if I make it through this gamut it'll definitely come in handy for moves and life in general. Memorial weekend 2015 I'll probably pull the trigger. Until then the I'll take the 48 MPG out of the Golf TDI (great for newport drive).

Thanks for the insight guys.

 

[vladivostok391]

My two cents...

Pre-owned from a reputable (read: branded) dealership all the way baby. New...? Eh... I've bought new and pre-owned. Simple point is, it's a car. Point A to Point B. Don't get me wrong, you'll have great memories with it, and new cars are awesome, but end of the day, you'll rarely be in it on a regular basis (minus your commute). All you need is A/C, stereo and aux jack. Save your $$$ for better things like beer or an iPad... Or just beer.

(Been rockin' an '06 Chevy Impala since 2010 and love it)

 

[JDtoSupply]

My two cents...

Pre-owned from a reputable (read: branded) dealership all the way baby. New...? Eh... I've bought new and pre-owned. Simple point is, it's a car. Point A to Point B. Don't get me wrong, you'll have great memories with it, and new cars are awesome, but end of the day, you'll rarely be in it on a regular basis (minus your commute). All you need is A/C, stereo and aux jack. Save your $$$ for better things like beer or an iPad... Or just beer.

(Been rockin' an '06 Chevy Impala since 2010 and love it)

Been rolling around in my '06 RAV4 since 2009. The wife has an '05 Camry. Given the sorry state of student loans we both owe, some days I think we'll be buried in these cars.

 

[Flash]

...Ensignmobile...EDIT: Also consider getting something like a pick-up or SUV with a hitch and lots of cargo space, a PCS-mobile so you can do all your moves yourself. You'll make quite a chunk of change doing HHG moves without having to hire movers or get a U-Haul.....

Ensignmobiles are not supposed to be practical, quit trying to bring sense into the process.