Ok, so here's the deal. Last week I brought home a new (to me) car-- the first car I've bought in almost a decade. I am overjoyed at what I managed to get.

To understand my joy at this car, you must understand that I bought my previous car new, but with absolutely nothing on it. It was a 1999 Ford Escort with no air conditioning, a manual transmission, no power steering, no power anything, and only a radio (not even a tape player). I drove that thing for 9 years, and while it still drives fine it looks and feels old, dirty, and tired.

I started looking for a new car about a year ago-- not because the old one was falling apart, but because I now make a little more money than I used to, and I would at least enjoy having some air conditioning in the summer. My plans were to spend $15 - $20k and get another Ford-- the one I had worked great for 150k miles, and showed no sign of dying. I was going to get a Ford Focus and make sure I got Sync, because I just like that kind of thing.

A friend of mine who makes quite a bit more money than I heard I was looking for a car and offered me his old car for "whatever I could afford." I jumped at the deal, and bought myself a Black 2005 Cadilac CTS with 57k miles on it for $16k. The bank where I did my financing valued the car at $22,000 (thanks, friend!).

This particular car has every option on it-- the "Sports Package," the "Luxury Package" and all the other bells and whistles. I have a DVD player, a 6 disc CD changer and navigation system built into the dash. Duel climate controls, voice activated controls, heated leather seats, powered sunroof, seats that save their settings and move back to where I want them when I get in, etc etc etc.

I'm in heaven. The car really picks up when I hit the gas pedal. The car looks good, sounds good, and impresses anyone who sits in it.

Are there better cars? I'm sure there are. But going from that old Ford Escort to this one is like going from a 1 bedroom apartment to a upper-middle class 4 bedroom home in the suburbs. I find myself looking for excuses to drive it anywhere.

Woot!

I don't have a pic, but here's a link to a review. I got the 3.8 liter 255 horsepower version, and every time it mentions some kind of option, assume I have it.

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks. ... ac-cts.htm

Congratulations. That's very exciting. A rave indeed!

Congratulations man, those Cadillacs are real nice.

so. frickin. jealous.

That's really fantastic Frib!

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Congrats on the new car. I bet you'll miss the horse and bugg...er... Escort.

Every deserves to drive a nice, reliable car.

Gratz on your pick-up.

Err... pick-up as in "picking it up". I know a Cadillac is not a truck.
It's not a truck, right?

Did he grab your shirt and say you've officially been pimped?

That being said, grats on your new car!


My car has voice controls too. The passenger side window (it's electric) doesn't roll down from the passenger side, but the driver can roll it down. When my wife drives, I say, "Window down half way, please" and it magically does it. It also has intuitive controls and can tell when I am starting to get cold and rolls it up for me. =P

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lol-- I knew someone would point that out. My family (who are not Quakers) all give me a hard time about that :p.

That said, it could be argued that finding and purchasing a car so far below its market value is good stewardship of my finances, and therefore a good application of Quaker values.

And finally, it's probably worth knowing that I simply don't go to Quaker meetings like I used to. Sad to admit .

Congrats Frib!

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"Creating Havoc and Pie Since 2001!"
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Post some Pics!

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Jake Rivers - Senex Legio
Get off my Lawn alliance

Does that thing take 93 octane?

Nope-- it is still designed for 87-- I put 89 into it though.

Nope-- it is still designed for 87-- I put 89 into it though.

Be sure to pick up the 'V' version on your next upgrade.

And no on the 93 octane question.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

Unless your car is really old and 'knocks', higher octane fuel (than required) in a modern car yields no benefit whatsoever.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

gratz Frib

*BIG LOUD COUGH* How much did you get for your stereo?

Please don't use the DVD to lure young girls into your vehicle, I don't want to hear about you on the news.

I still have the stereo-- in fact, I still have the old car. Cleaning it up to put a For Sale sign on it soon. I'll likely pull the after-market radio out and sell it separately.

Congrats, cadilacs hold up really well over time too.

I'm surprised that it has that kind of horsepower and takes 87 octane. Cars don't necessarily knock with lower octane unless you gun it. Your fuel economy just goes to shit. You can test it out yourself though, just check your MPG with 87 and 89 and put in whichever gets you more mileage. If you get more with 89 it's likely that there's some hitch in the manual that tells you higher octane is needed for the bigger engine option.

I put in the 89 because the manual said that you could run it with 87 but that higher octane would result in better mileage.

Right now with 89, I am averaging about 25 mpg on the way to and from work. No idea with 87.

All modern engines can run on lower octane thanks to computer control which will retard the timing to prevent detonation, this however results in lower fuel economy and a reduction of power.

For them to suggest the car is 'designed' for regular gas but runs better on 'plus' gas isn't wrong but isn't entirely truthful either.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

This is an age-old debate. Just for argument's sake, where do you get your information, Kuwen?

MECH4830.

An age-old debate it may be, but it's not one based on fact just people continuing to propagate misinformation.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

I'm about to get 6 months severance from a newspaper job I got laid off on, and about to get an offer somewhere else, so thinking about getting a better car for my horrid commute in ATL from the dual salary thing.

Kind of turn between a CTS, a G35 or getting a 350Z again - used to have one. Easier to convince my wife on the sedan, heh, though I did take one for the team and trade in my 2004 350Z for an SUV back when we started having kids.

Or I may get a Prius. Who knows. Your MPG at 25 kind of sways me away from getting one of those, though. I've been driving my wife's shitty saturn for 10 fucking months.

Fribur, what's your commute like? Highway/city? And how long?

My commute is 12 miles each way, almost entirely rural highway (55 mph).

Get a Mini Cooper!

As my eye turns more towards urban living and the reality of it, I can't wait to stop driving. It'll be nice to own a car if and when I need it, and having paid off both of our cars is a big boost. It's likely that I will never buy another vehicle again though if I can help it.

Thanks to the sprawl in Arizona, working in Phoenix, living in Mesa, and attending school in Tempe and far East Mesa, I was clocking in nearly 350 miles a week in my car. I am sooooo glad to be done with that.

God, don't be that guy... get a Hyundai Elantra or Civic. They're better for the environment

Congrats! That sounds like a really good deal.

People always make a point that a car is a horrible investment, that it's basically a depreciating asset on wheels......but I personally love driving, and I think a car is one of those things that if you love em, it's worth the money, as long as it makes you happy. I remember going from a crappy car to a nice one and wondering why I had waited so long to make the switch. Enjoy the AC!

I second this, people who are content to drive crappy cars make me sad.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

Orme I agreed with, but Argax I do not. There's nothing wrong with people being content to drive crappy cars. In fact, I can and would be content to drive a crappy car again. I'm simply in the middle of that natural high you get when you get something new, big, and shiny. It will wear off.

Hopefully you're not assuming that when I say crappy cars, I mean inexpensive cars. 'Good', enjoyable cars to drive can be had at virtually all price points, people just don't care enough to know and are content with mediocrity, that specifically is what makes me sad.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

In re-reading what I quoted from Nekrotic I could understand people confusing my intent, that said, I don't think cars are a bad investment.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

oops... when I said Orme I meant Nekrotic.

I have 2 crappy cars (by most standards) A 97 taurus and a 90 something LHS. They both run well, look good because I take care of them, and although we do have to make repairs from time to time, the money saved is worth it.

A car is a status symbol in our society and one I never cared for. I have had "nice" cars - and made payments. They are neat for a few months, but after a year, that shiny new wtf ever is just "my car". I get just as much pleasure from buying a 97-2000 camry (which is going to be my next car purchase probably) as somebody else would from getting a 2009 Escalade. After a year, both of us will view our ride as just "our car" - difference is, I will have several thousand more dollars in my bank account. (which I also enjoy)

I dunno, I just don't define myself by my possessions and I don't get pleasure from status symbols. I always laugh at folks stuck in the morning commute in their 40 thousand dollar cars going off to a job they hate so they can pay for the 40 thousand dollar car to sit in rush hour traffic.

Don't get me wrong though, new fancy cars are neat for folks that that sort of thing is important to - it's just not for me. /shrug

1. Reliability
2. Gas mileage
3. Features
4. Safety
5. How well it rides
6. Looks

in that order

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This is what I want, bleh maybe in a year... But i keep reading that the Auto Market is prime for picking right now.

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"Creating Havoc and Pie Since 2001!"
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Cak, get a Mini Cooper, damnit! You're not a Ford man!

My car absolutely requires 91+ octane gas...It *is*however turbocharged.

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Larreth Wolfsong (long retired)
Lanys T'vyl, Everquest

Zinky, Lvl 60 Warlock
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Maybe it's a sign I'm getting old.....when I was younger, in my 20s let's say, my list would have been nearly the same as yours.....and now when I look at your list, it looks like mine currently would be the exact opposite lol.

Funny, when I was younger (in my early-mid 20's), my list was opposite of my current list.

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lol, Gratz Frib you deserved a nice life bonus.

WTG on teh car. I just bought my first new new car in June, Pontiac G8 GT, it's great.

Gratz on your new car! I'm thinking about buying American again, but then I remember my last two USA made cars

What are your experiences w/ the G8?

Man I want a CTS... Hopefully when I'm done paying down the car I have now, they'll have a hybrid version.

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Eh, I told my wife I wanted a CTS and she made fun of me for wanting to be an old fart.

So I spent some time explaining how Cadillac is remaking its image and the CTS actually appeals to younger people. As we were walking out of the restaurant, me explaining passionately, we spot a beautiful brand new CTS, and two 100 year old women got in and drove away.

Shit!

yeah, but did she like the looks? I mean... I find myself having to explain as well, but no one says anything anymore when they get in the car, or even look at it. It's more like, "woah, that's a Cadillac?"

She's making me doubt myself. I've always liked the Infiniti G35s, I may just need to get one of those. Faster... but i don't like that it takes 93 octane. Meh.

That's what I'm driving, Jox. I love the car and have very few complaints. The gas is the biggest problem. I'm lucky to hit 20 MPG during normal driving (thx hour long rush hour commutes) and at the peak of gas prices ($4.60ish), I was paying near $90 to fill up.

I think right now I'm torn between an Infiniti G37 coupe, the sedan, or a BMW 328i. I've ruled out the Cadillac, I think.

Going to do some test driving this Friday I think.

Also not sure if i want to get one new or used. Any opinions?

why would you consider buying a used car if you can afford new and get a good deal on one?

i lease my cars, 2 yr max so i keep it fresh

I prefer buying used these days. The large depreciation you get as soon as you drive a new car off the lot makes me grimace in pain. When you buy used, at least you feel like you are paying it's worth.

As for leasing, if my driving was more consistent, I would consider it. But unfortunately, it seems like every year or so I end up taking some kind of large road trip which would put me way over on miles and make it not worth it.

LEO,

Sorry it took awhile to reply, but i check the boards once a week. The G8 is great, has the 6.0 V8 with DoD (Displacement on Demand) so at cruising speed its a four cylinder. The interior is the shit, with a big'ole screen to help manage all the electronic options, and it has a DIC (driver info center) screen right by the speedometer. I drive 38 miles one way to work, and on a tank I average as low as 19, as high as 22 MPG (mix of highway and sidestreet). There are not many options that can be added on, because it comes with most of them. The only option, technically, i got was leather seating, steering wheel, shift knob, heated seats (all one) and the GT package which is the larger engine. sticker was 33k, but it was not difficult to talk them down. Available options include sport which adds summer only 19's, and a perforated leather steering wheel, and metal accelerator and brake thingys, and the other one was sunroof. Ive had the car for 5 months or so, and at least once a month, someone asks me about it at a gas-station or store, it stands out. It is an 08 so I have the rare color, Ignition Orange, once again, sticks out.

My first dealership was Infiniti, and the salesman was a douchnozzle. I was looking at new bodystyle g35 (07,08,09). I told them how much per month for that car *as i point like a monkey*, and they just took the sticker price, added interest and taxes, and gave me a quote. I said thats great (sarcastic), how about i put down X amount of dollars down, can we get it to 400/month. They came back with 475. I laughed, told the guy he was not helping me out at all, and walked. Luxury dealers, at least in my experiences, know what they have, and maintain the mindset (if you dont buy it for sticker, someone else will), which is partially correct, but retarded, especially in the current economy.

I was thinking about the mercedes C-class (300 maybe? i dunno), but if infiniti wasnt going to deal, merc sure as hell isnt.

Im not cheap, im just a salesman, it's my job, so if I cant talk down an offer, either I'm rusty, or the othersalesman is retarded.

I found a few Bimmers at a Carmax around ATL - anyone have any experience with Carmax?

Jaffy, thanks for the great response. The auto show's here in Miami right now, and I'm going to be sure to check it out.

I do have to give props to the guys at Infiniti of the Palm Beaches for running a (mostly) clean sale. I did it all online and over the phone for the '07 G35 when it first came out. They were polite and gave me a fantastic price (roughly 10% less than anywhere else). It took longer to drive there from Miami than to close the deal. If I get another Infiniti (hi, please come out with more efficient cars, plz), I'd talk to them first.

Odds are though, it'll be the lady getting a new car before I do.

Leasing cars has to be one of the biggest scams out there, outside of "Rent to Own" places.

It is amazing to me how the American public just accepts debt as the way of life.

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not really, it's actually working out really well because i don't need to own a car in salt lake city, so when i'm done with my lease, we'll have our 1 owned car, and that's it. no payments, no insurance for that car any longer.

plus, it's fucking cool always having a new top of the line car every 2 years.

It's not quite that cut and dry, if a lease is properly negotiated your monthly payment is effectively paying for the depreciation in the vehicle month over month plus a small premium for the benefits a lease affords; namely being able to walk away after the period ends or buying the car outright for a predetermined price which may end up being less than the actual value of the vehicle.

If you poke around some, you'll find that some automakers are no longer offering leases simply because more often than not, they were getting the short end of the stick.

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark