OT: buying cars

[Muggles]

I'm pretty sure I'm not Emma! I've driven a Kia Soul before. LOL

[Ron]

And if you buy a used Kia, you get 5 years or 60,000 miles warranty as long as that hasn't been exceeded. 2 year old Kia with 20,000 miles on it and you still get a better warranty than a brand new Chevy which in 3 years 36,000.

[notbob]

Ha! I was waiting for someone to throw the 'Vette into the fray. ;)

My step-father had a '63 Stingray and a '65 Stingray (convertibles). Both were total pigs! I know, I drove 'em. I once read a claim that the frame of yer avg Corvette was heavier than a Caddy's frame. I was never able to confirm/deny it, but it sure felt like it was true.

When I watched a super modified(?) race at Leguna Seca (70s), a hand-full of alum bodied race modded Stingrays ran dead last behind a pack of 30 Porsches. Oh, except for the two factory AMX's that held a solid 15th and 16th place throughout the race. At least, until both suffered engine failure near the end (still ahead of the 'vettes).

Hard to recall exactly who won, but I recall a Volvo 144, a BMW 2002, and an AMC Gremlin dicing it up for first place in the stock production class. The Gremlin and the other two were way out in front of a mostly Beemer pack. If racing Laguna Seca (Monteray, CA) is not "sporty" enough for you, then you misunderstand the meaning of the term.

nb

[Ron]

You said;

"My first rides in "sports cars" were an MGA and a Jag Mk I. Hard to say which was more "sporty". Both were infinitely more sporty than any US iron of that time."

Infinitely more sporty than the Corvette, an American made sports car?

I don't know how you can even consider a Jag MK 4-door sled as "sporty". The MG MGA was produced from 1955 to 1962. So I don't even know what a '63 and '65 Vette has do with anything. Although I've driven several second generation Corvettes and I like them. Their biggest problem (for me anyway) is if you are topping them out the front end gets really light, likes it's ready for takeoff. Not at all a comfortable feeling.

We aren't talking about racing.

BTW, my father owned almost every year of Corvette from 1953 to 1997, so I love Corvettes. The 2015 Corvette is absolutely awesome. Wish I could afford one. My favorite classic Corvette is the '63 split window. My dad owned a couple of them. Again, wish I could afford one now at their current prices.

To each his own. You dislike Vettes, I don't.

[clare]

Well, since the Isabella was introduced in 1954, comparing it tp an early Corvette would make as much sense. Or a Tbird

[rbowman]

I'd gotten curious and looked up some of the old performance tests. My Yaris does better than any of the common sports cars as far as acceleration and top speed.

I've got the feeling it could eat their lunch on the track too.

[rbowman]

I tried one on once. It didn't fit. I don't dislike them but I couldn't see spending money on something that wasn't comfortable.

When Pontiac came out with the Fiero I went back to the dealership where I'd bought a Firebird a couple of years earlier. The salesman I bought the 'Bird from yelled across the showroom floor "They don't make that in your size!" He was right.

[sms]

If you buy vehicles with poor reliability then the extended warranty might make sense. I have never had any vehicle where the repair costs during the extended warranty period exceeded what the cost of the warranty would have been.

I bought something similar to an extended warranty once. For a while, my AAA (CSAA) was offering "All Risks" insurance which was an add-on that covered repairs with a small deductible. I had purchased it because I was driving a VW. I think it was $100 per year. It paid for itself big time when I needed a new gearbox just out of warranty. There was also one other big repair that I had done under that policy. They foolishly did not exclude wear items other than tires. They cancelled my policy after two repairs. They no longer offer that add-on as far as I know.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Most red blooded American teenage boys wanted a Corvette. Some of us still do, but once I get in it, I'm not so sure I can get out of it these days. I really like the new ones. If I had the money, I'd even pay the $5000 for the option of building my own engine.

My favorite is still the '58. I did not like the C-4 series at all. Bland.

[Tekkie®]

Ashton Crusher posted for all of us...

Like anything else price IS negotiable. I tend to stay with the makers warranty because the dealer can easily be reimbursed while a third party allows you to take to another mechanic they will have check coverage...

[Tekkie®]

Ron posted for all of us...

In PA. I can't even get in my steep driveway without it. I used to be in emergency services and it was handy quite a few times-driving in fields to assess a crash victim bouncing off a pole. Setting up an LZ.

[Tekkie®]

Uncle Monster posted for all of us...

O come on... you KNOW she wants the plastic daisy's on the antenna.

[Ed Pawlowski]

An article in the paper this morning said that 55% of those with aftermarket warranties never use them. They also state that many that do find lots of loopholes in coverage.

The $100 a year Ashton Crusher states seems rather low, but I've not shopped for them. Sounds rather cheap to insure a $20,000 item.

[rbowman]

That goes without saying. They don't push aftermarket warranties so hard because they're losing money. It's a lottery; a few winners and a lot of losers. I don't play the lottery.

[Ashton Crusher]

I think it's more like $120 a year. Still chump change on a per year basis since it eliminates any concern AND any big expenses and keeps me from having to do the work myself, which I would without the warranty. With it I just go to the dealer, let him call the warranty company and it's fixed. The warranty company paid $1000 for repairs I could have done myself for $200 if I don't pay myself anything. So I paid $1400 for the warranty and I've already recouped $1000. If I never have another claim I'm only out the remaining $400 and I've still got over three more years of coverage and 40,000 miles to go. I have no doubt that before it expires I will be getting new front struts and any other worn out front end parts because those front struts almost always are leaking oil by that amount of miles and as struts they are covered, if they were just shocks they wouldn't be. That's easily going to run $500 and I'll have recovered all my investment.

I would guess that many people who never make a claim are the kind of people who buy a new car every 3 years and shouldn't have bought a warranty because the manufacturers warranty already had them covered. But that finance guy at the dealership makes his money and bonus by selling people stuff they don't need.... And I bet a lot of those people don't even remember they bought an extended warranty.

[Ashton Crusher]

I generally agree with you but of the new cars I've bought with extended warranties I've recouped around 80% of what I paid. So I've really only "wasted" maybe $300 per car on average. That's spread over at least 5 years of actual coverage when you discount the time of the manufacturers coverage. So 300/5 is effectively only $60 a year wasted for compete freedom from any worry of something expensive breaking or the hassle of repairing it myself to save money. What else could I better spend the $60 a year on.