I live in northern Virginia, and due to some weird circumstances, I am going to purchase (100% financed) a new car from a dealership in Missouri and drive it back home. What do I need to know?
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posted by nitsuj
on May 19, 2013 -
4 answers
I purchased a 2012 Ford Focus and it has been having performance issues that the dealer doesn't want try and fix. Should I risk aggravating the dealer and try to activate Ohio's lemon law or seek some other form of recourse?
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posted by charred husk
on May 14, 2013 -
13 answers
I reply to a fair number of L.A. travel questions here and many of the answers (including mine) often contain dire warnings about traffic. This happens even if traffic isn't directly related to the question being asked.
So, visitors to our fair city, how bad was the traffic
really, and what information/advice can I give to newbie LA tourists who drive?
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posted by Room 641-A
on Apr 29, 2013 -
60 answers
There is a mechanic in a city nearby who restores and sells (and maintains) first-generation Honda Insights. Most of the cars his shop produces have a salvage title. He offers exclusive repair and maintenance service to purchasers. I've done a lot of reading and talking to people about this car—a trusted coworker owns one of his restorations—and I'm pretty much convinced that I want what seems to be one of the most over-engineered, fuel-efficient, cool little cars ever made. So what am I missing?
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posted by carsonb
on Apr 28, 2013 -
17 answers
My SO and I have a 1999 Lexus ES 300 with low miles (ca. 80K). We use it mostly on the weekend for errands. The car is in more or less good driving condition, but parking on the streets and Boston winters are taking their toll cosmetically. Dealership recommended $5100 in repairs on its recent checkup--nearly the value of the car--and we're wondering which repairs are worthwhile, which are overpriced and should be done elsewhere, and which can be skipped.
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posted by Calamity Jen
on Mar 5, 2013 -
20 answers
I need a car. I'm poor. I've never bought a car before, and it's been a long time since anyone in my family has bought one. Need guidance. How do you buy a car?
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posted by royalsong
on Feb 28, 2013 -
15 answers
I love my car. It is reliable, trustworthy, and it has carried me safely through at least one rather hairy situation. Best of all, it was cheap. When I touch the dashboard, I remember the thrill of the negotiation process, and even the salesman's sweaty palm as we shook hands on a price thousands of dollars lower than what my friend paid for the exact same model.
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posted by wolfdreams01
on Jan 30, 2013 -
21 answers
It's time for me to get a new car. I'm leaning towards a smaller car. What should I get?
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posted by reenum
on Jan 21, 2013 -
55 answers
What resources are available to accurately assess a car or truck's performance in specific situations? I'm interested in knowing how different makes and models stack up in stop-and-go traffic or poorly-maintained roads, and it seems every review site ignores or spends little time on situations like these.
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posted by CancerMan
on Jan 18, 2013 -
7 answers
I just want reliable, reasonable non-AAA roadside assistance, but thus far I've been thwarted on the "reliable and reasonable" part. C'mon, hasn't competition made this happen yet? I'm not a big fan of AAA's well-known lobbying activities, and even if I made peace with the politics, their relentless direct-mail campaign has put them on my shit list forever.
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posted by desuetude
on Jan 14, 2013 -
11 answers
Car-filter: how useful are dynamic / adaptive headlights (the ones that swivel when you turn)? Why do they appear to be going out of fashion?
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posted by meowzilla
on Dec 23, 2012 -
5 answers
How much extra safety would a crash helmet offer a highway driver wearing a seatbelt?
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posted by Egg Shen
on Dec 5, 2012 -
16 answers
I have a 4 yo and another on the way. We camp a lot. We have a VW jetta wagon, but it's getting cramped and we need something bigger. I like the Mazda 5 but my wife thinks it's "too minivan looking." ANy suggestions for maxi-wagons that have that third row of seating that can fold down into cargo space? We do not want an SUV but may have to consider something on the small end of the SUV range ... and we're hoping not to spend more than 24k. Used/new/prev lease all are options.
posted by luriete
on Jul 30, 2012 -
22 answers
What do I need to be thinking or asking about when I go for a test drive of some new cars?
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posted by marylynn
on Jun 12, 2012 -
20 answers
My car's brake pedal slowly depresses almost all the way to the floor while my foot is resting on it at a stoplight. It never used to do this. What's going on?
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posted by killdevil
on May 27, 2012 -
30 answers
Got in a car accident, car is damaged on the driver side door so that I can't open it or roll down the window. I need to roll down the window to swipe a parking pass to get into a garage, so what should I do?
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posted by symbollocks
on Jan 10, 2012 -
22 answers
Looking purchase new car. What are my purchase options to build credit and advantage me for future business/home loans?
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posted by goalyeehah
on Aug 30, 2011 -
7 answers
Is there a safety difference between the car-only lane and the car/truck/bus lane on the NJ Turnpike? Any other strategic difference?
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posted by scblackman
on Aug 13, 2011 -
5 answers
Help me decide how to finance my vehicle purchases. I need to get two cars for my family. Could be new, could be used. I want both of these cars to have very high safety ratings. Everything else doesn't really matter. I could pay cash for two new cars, but that just seems stupid to do on a depreciating asset. Is the best course of action to find two used, yet reasonably new cars and pay cash? What if we like having new cars? Should we just lease two new vehicles? I have read that the best course of action is to buy a used car and drive it into the ground. That's great, but what if I leave the country again in 5 years. And do I really want to be driving around in a
Hooptie in ten years. How do I approach the whole buy new / used, lease issue.
posted by jasondigitized
on Aug 10, 2011 -
16 answers
I want to buy a vintage vespa (pre-1970) and I keep seeing a lot of sites selling them out of Vietnam and other parts of Asia.
Does anyone have experience with buying them from one of the websites? Am I better off buying a junker and getting it restored locally? Also - what are the licensing requirements for a Vespa in Massachusetts?
posted by joshuamcginnis
on Jul 26, 2011 -
14 answers
Are you an automotive engineer? Do you design engine control module firmware? Do you know or love someone who does? How is that firmware actually written?
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posted by TheNewWazoo
on Apr 9, 2011 -
17 answers
I have a 1979 Ford F100, which once belonged to my father. Since he passed away, it's served as a backup vehicle for an array of relatives, and now it's my turn. Yesterday, I got into the truck and turned the key, and I heard a single "clunk" (not a click-click-click), as if something started moving and then froze up. I tried again, with the same result. The next time, I got a kind of whirring sound, like something spinning free. It's a continuous whirring, rather than a series of attempts to catch. Lights and radio work fine. Jumping it didn't help. I didn't try to roll it off, because I'm loathe to leave it at the bottom of the hill in my slighty sketchy neighborhood; I'll probably try that this weekend, when I can get some help. The battery is relatively new. It started easily up until yesterday.
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posted by steambadger
on Mar 15, 2011 -
10 answers
Would you buy this used Toyota Corolla? I've got a line on a 1997 Corolla with 150k on the engine, but the transmission was replaced five years ago (after dying at 125k) with a used transmission from
JapanDirect. That transmission now has ~75k on it, in addition to whatever it had before it was installed. I'm having my mechanic look at the car this week, but have no idea if any of this is a warning sign. Is JapanDirect reliable, in your experience? Would you buy a used car with a replacement transmission?
posted by mediareport
on Jan 23, 2011 -
14 answers
My wife and I are considering buying a used 2007 Nissan Versa SL Sedan here in Canada. It has 19 000 km on it, and the pretax price is $13 000. Should we buy it? If you have experience with this vehicle, or are generally car-savvy, we would love your input.
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posted by Alvy Ampersand
on Dec 18, 2010 -
20 answers
What's the science underlying increasingly severe "blood alcohol" laws, particularly with regard to "good" drivers?
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posted by philip-random
on Nov 15, 2010 -
17 answers
I've just pulled off the incredibly suave move of sideswiping one of my cars while parking the other. Is there anything I should know before calling my insurance company?
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posted by lost_cause
on Nov 7, 2010 -
12 answers
Should I keep my car with me and pay insurance for nearly a year of non-use, lease it, or sell it and hope to buy another one afterward?
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posted by ramenopres
on Nov 3, 2010 -
10 answers
