Car buying or Car Business Questions

[bcartervol98]

As someone who has run Auto Dealerships for near 20 years I would like to just throw it out there that if you have any questions or have been wondering anything about how the business works, I will give you a honest answer you will most likely not get elsewhere. Just tossing that out there if anyone is shopping for a car or anything, I can help save you money lol. This would especially apply to GM models since I have access to every invoice of every new GM vehicle in the US.

[Tam]

Thanks for the offer, B! We'll probably take you up on it sometime down the road. The SO is currently looking at a preowned Silverado sometime this coming year or so. We're definitely a GM family.

Oh! I have a question already. Why is it next to impossible to find a manual transmission on trucks anymore? Unless you're buying a one ton or a huge truck everything comes only in automatic.

[Aquatroy]

Because Americans are lazy.....my truck (Tundra) has a stick, 5 speeds, and a clutch

[Tam]

Because Americans are lazy.....my truck (Tundra) has a stick, 5 speeds, and a clutch

Personally, I prefer a manual transmission because I get so much more control of the vehicle that way. Unfortunately, I just can't push on a clutch for very long after I broke the arch in my left foot. On cold days it's just too painful.

[wizard46304]

I just bought a Nissan with a 5 speed manual. First manual I've had in about 20 years. Driving to work the other morning, I had cruise set and was coming to a light and popped it out of gear to slow down. Yeah I don't recommend doing that.

[mcquinn]

Just got my retirement sled a year ago.Buy the offlease vehicles,saves you quite a bit and you still get the remainder of the warranty.Dodge mini vans rock.

[bcartervol98]

I can count on one hand the number of requests I have had for a manual transmission in a full size truck in the last year, it's just a complete lack of sufficient demand to justify production.

Off lease vehicles are in reality no different than any other pre-owned vehicle that is a one owner. "Off Lease, Program Cars, Factory Demo, etc..." are all terms to build value and be able to get a little more for them. Imo in the long run I would rather have a one owner pre-ownedvehicle that was owned instead of leased. People tend to follow maintenance schedules more closely when they buy since a lease customer will be turning the car back in and doesn't have to worry about long term reliability. I know I go above and beyond to take care of my wife's Denali we bought but my Terrain I lease, I do bare minimum maintenance required to keep the warranty active.

[Aquatroy]

I can count on one hand the number of requests I have had for a manual transmission in a full size truck in the last year, it's just a complete lack of sufficient demand to justify production.

Found my Tundra used one owner three years ago, it's a 04 and only had 29k, I was a third vehicle in the previous owners stable and only got used for Home depot runs and camping with the kids. I saw it in the backlot before they even detailed it, saw that stick shift and had to have it. After owning two automatic Tundras this one is the best by far, now she's 10 years old and just turned 50k. I will never sell her....

[ThatCarGuyDFW]

I have had two MINI Coopers. A 2009 and a 2012 model. Same "generation" technically but the 2012 was the facelifted version of what I had in 09. The 09 had an auto box in it and my current 12 has a 6 speed manual. The performance gain is breath taking between an auto Cooper and a manual Cooper. In my time working as a tech in MINI dealerships I saw many more manuals than I did autos.

[dannyk]

You say Mini but technically they're a BMW.

I had an early Mini before BMW got there mitts on them I could never work out why the rev counter was in front of the driver and the speedo was in the middle of the dash ?

[Aquatroy]

So is it true you can only fit 11 clowns in a mini..and that's why they don't drive them?!Lol

[ThatCarGuyDFW]

So is it true you can only fit 11 clowns in a mini..and that's why they don't drive them?!Lol

I dunno about that but I have been able to use the back seat for......stuff.

[mcquinn]

Mine didn't require much maintenance during the 30,000 miles they put on it. And I saved $15,000.00 off of what a new one would cost.

[bcartervol98]

So is it true you can only fit 11 clowns in a mini..and that's why they don't drive them?!Lol

I have a lot of Mini jokes but none appropriate for mass consumption lol.

[Aquatroy]

How bout for mini consumption AAAAAAAAAA

[spydre]

I can count on one hand the number of requests I have had for a manual transmission in a full size truck in the last year, it's just a complete lack of sufficient demand to justify production.

Off lease vehicles are in reality no different than any other pre-owned vehicle that is a one owner. "Off Lease, Program Cars, Factory Demo, etc..." are all terms to build value and be able to get a little more for them. Imo in the long run I would rather have a one owner pre-ownedvehicle that was owned instead of leased. People tend to follow maintenance schedules more closely when they buy since a lease customer will be turning the car back in and doesn't have to worry about long term reliability. I know I go above and beyond to take care of my wife's Denali we bought but my Terrain I lease, I do bare minimum maintenance required to keep the warranty active.

I know my mom's leased Taurus wasn't in very good shape when we turned it in. We used to ONLY lease cars for credit reasons. We had a mustang.....and that wasn't in very good shape when we turned it in - but it had been leased once before to our neighbor.

My mom's Taurus was leased (1/2 way through the lease we bought our first new car that I remember), and remember, it was the ultimate definition of a family car. At various points, it was driven by five different people, including me. At one point in time, the trunk gasket leaked (that may have been fixed), there was damage to the side of it where mom hugged a telephone pole, I believe the shielding to the cat converter was loose (but I couldn't swear to it, she may have fixed it at some point in time, but I don't remember it), um, and I think some other stuff - that was 20 years ago, but it also went through me learning how to drive a stick, lol! When she turned it in, it was the guy who goes over the leased cars on turn in and says what YOU have to pay for and what the dealership covers - well, other than the fact that they went over the mileage and had to pay for the extra mileage, I think. Can't remember if they still were going over mileage on my mom's car. But dad wasn't any easier on cars he owned (just ask my sister, who just bought his van). Mom's better.

I dunno about that but I have been able to use the back seat for......stuff.

Welll, I was gonna ask a question, but that really depends on positioning. And I don't wanna know.

I DO know that at one point in time, with all three of us kids living at home, after I graduated high school, we must have driven our neighbors absotivelyposolutely NUTS. FIVE CARS to find spots to park. And at that time, we weren't using the garage. Mom and Dad do now, but they generally only need one car at a time since it's just them and they are retired now.

When I drove my Subaru Justy (ah, haven't heard that name in a long time), I could squeeze in the driveway behind whoever was parked there, but it was just as frequent that we'd be parallel parked all down the curb at the front of property (not blocking the mailbox), and have one car we had to park in front of the neighbor's property. Luckily, the neighbor across the street was understanding, and allowed this.

Appreciate the offer, Brian Carter. But we are currently under loan on our Ford....Fusion(?) - sorry, can't remember the model because I don't drive. And truthfully, when we have cars, we keep them until they won't go anymore, or until they get totaled - okay, the last time a car was totaled a semi decided they wanted to be in our lane (we were on our way to a funeral, no less, a family funeral, so they held the funeral until our ride could get there and pick us up). Fusion is only two years old, so I suspect we'll be keeping it for a while, lol. But it always helps to have a friend in the know to ask questions of.