New or Used: Shawn of the Dead

Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang
by Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang

Shawn writes:

I am in the process of helping one of my female friends purchase a new car. The problem is, she has no idea what she wants! This is a fairly urgent matter too, because she is currently driving a high mileage 2003 Buick Century, which has been overheating with alarming frequency. The repairs it needs do not make financial sense at this point.

Anyway, the price range that she is looking in is between $15,000 and $25,000 Canadian. Some cars we have already looked at new, are a 2011 Scion Tc, a 2011 Ford Fiesta SES, a 2011 Honda Civic SE, and a 2011 Mazda3 Sport GS. Some cars we have looked at used are a 2007 Ford Fusion SEL w/2.3L, a 2007 VW Jetta 2.5L with Lux pack, and I am trying to convince her to look at a 2007 Lexus IS250 AWD. (Canadian winters rule out anything rear wheel drive).

Of the new cars she test drove, she loved the look of the Tc, the ambient lighting and refinement of the Fiesta, the gauges of the Civic, and the practicality and refinement of the 3. Of the used cars, she really liked the Jetta, because she found it to be luxurious, although she has said that the Fusion drove the best.

Based on all this, I have determined that she is looking for something refined, sporty and practical. Is a used 2007 Lexus IS250 AWD not her best bet? Reliability is also of concern here, so this rules out anyone suggesting a used WRX or 3 series. I feel like the Lexus has done the bulk of its depreciating, and is in another league in terms of refinement and reliability. What do you think? Am I forgetting something we should be considering? Don’t say Matrix/Corolla, because she has said that it looks like “a Grandma car”.

Best and Brightest, your help is needed ASAP! Her car is about to kick the bucket!

Sajeev Answers:

This isn’t necessarily a gender-specific thing, but men helping women with cars has the potential to seriously piss off the woman and/or get the man in an unplanned automotive commitment. Or perhaps expectations of a marriage proposal? Don’t ask how I know that.

But I digress. The Fusion’s driving demeanor and value proposition is perfect; find the cleanest example with the most options and a motivated seller. And do not look back, for she doesn’t want the Lexus IS. And why would she? Average mileage with AWD and premium fuel, higher insurance rates (probably) and more expensive wear items (tires) are very likely.

Lastly, a secret a few of my shenanigan-savvy friends noticed after a few (intentionally short) weeks of Internet dating: stick with cars that she wants, lest you wish to be her, um, SugarDaddy.

Steve Answers:

What are the repair costs? Your friend would be surprised how little it costs to replace the 3.8L on that Buick. The junkyards across this fair continent have millions of perfectly good engines and at least a thousand or so should fit your girlfriend’s ride. That engine has been in an awful lot of vehicles.

I’ve found that www.car-part.com is the easiest interface for consumers to use. But virtually all of these places will have locators that can track down a low mileage engine for the Regal. Given that this Buick is still one of the younger vehicles on the road (8 vs. 10+), and that these cars aren’t exactly known to be abused, a good engine for it is a no-brainer. Your friend would be way better off in every respect spending $1000 to $1500 on a new engine and keeping the rest invested.

One other thing. You may want to help her on the repair front. Some shops will see a young and inexperienced person and begin calculating the monthly yacht payments. A few calls over the phone. Perhaps a referral or two, can all go a long way in keeping the costs reasonable and the installation up to snuff.

Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to mehta@ttac.com, and let TTAC’s collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder.

Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang
Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang

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  • BigDuke6 BigDuke6 on Jan 18, 2011
    Canadian winters rule out anything rear wheel drive. Says who? :) 86er I'm with you on that.... One of the best winter cars I had was a Nissan 240SX (rear drive with LSD) and snow tires on all four corners. Handled like a rallye car, and I never got stuck In Southern Ontario winters.
  • Trucky McTruckface Trucky McTruckface on Jan 18, 2011

    I'd tell her to get the Civic and call it a day. I wouldn't wish a Volkswagen on my enemy. And don't try selling someone who's clearly not the big into cars (come on, she's driving a Century) on some overpriced, used premium car. Or telling everyone and their brother they need an all-wheel-drive, manual-shift, turbodiesel sport wagon. Give practical advice, don't try putting people into your ideal car. Also, I can't believe how many people here would put a new engine in what is probably a completely ragged-out Buick. Of course it's cheaper, but at some point you just start throwing good money after bad. You're still left with an old, not-dependable car. If they're interested in a new vehicle and can afford it, let 'em do it. Personally, engine or transmission failure is where I throw in the towel on a vehicle.

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