Comments on AUTOSAVANT - Used Cars: Used Car Bargains - November 2008

anon, I hear you talkin'. Your specific examples:T...

2008-08-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

anon, I hear you talkin'. Your specific examples:

There is no doubt (or shouldn't be, anyway) that a used BMW 7-Series is going to cost you a lot more than a used Ford Taurus or a used Honda Accord, same vintage.

You must pay to play, just like in the rest of life.

The Saab 9-5, on the other hand is not too bad an actor. CR dings it, but, you know, if you buy your cars solely from the ratings in Consumer Reports, you're in the wrong place anyway.

If CR is your bible, then just buy a Honda every time you need a car - doesn't matter which one or what it looks like or how it drives. And that's not a knock against Honda, because I think they make great machinery, with superb engineering and fit and finish quality.

Back to the subject at hand - concerning your suggestion that I show how much weight I give to reliability when I factor it into my recommendation of a model as a good used car buy, I don't have a statistical construct I push cars through. My recommendations are based on a blend of my knowledge of the new car models, the secondary (used) market prices, and the relative durability of those cars at 2, 3, 4, 5 years old, etc.

I don't weight the reliability attributes as heavily as CR, but neither do I give them short shrift. And that's on every vehicle, not just the two you mention.

I suppose how much faith you put in our recommendations here at Autosavant is a consequence of whether or not we seem to have a clue about what we're talking about.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for the compliment and the feedback - I'm sorry my reply took so long.

Brendan Moore

Great job on the new list. I am a bit concerned t...

2008-07-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Great job on the new list. I am a bit concerned though on criteria as some of your pick seem to conflict with the top consumer mags reliability rankings. For example, my 02 Saab 9 5 was in the shop too many times when brand new and is not well regarded by CR. Also the 7 series BMW. I don't know anyone who has that much free time on their hands. Many of your other picks, I feel, can make the above average bar one might set for reliability. Perhaps some indication of how heavily you weight reliability versus the other parameters would be useful. In the end, though, it is nice to see this type of view on the used auto market. Well done.

You might think that a turbocharged four-cylinder ...

2008-06-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

You might think that a turbocharged four-cylinder sport sedan with loads of luxury equipment would be doing pretty well in today's $4 a gallon environment, but I am here to tell you the Saab 9-3 is still available for a song on dealers lots. I am picking mine up this weekend and it is a loaded 2006 Saab 9-3 with 20,800 miles on it and I am buying it for $3800 under NADA retail book value.

Robert - It's coming right up. We're going to add ...

2008-06-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

Robert - It's coming right up. We're going to add some vehicles and take some vehicles away. Obviously the used Focus (as one example) is no longer a bargain since they're going above book everywhere now, and just about every SUV made is a bargain in the used car market now. Look for the changes in the next few days.

- Autosavant

Perhaps its time to redo this list (which was crea...

2008-06-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

Perhaps its time to redo this list (which was created for the large part,in 2006-7)to reflect the dramatic changes in the industry, and in people needs since May's systemic market shifts and $4.00+ gas. Your lead story today is speaks to this tidal shift...I would think this Autosavant section should reflect this new reality we are all living...

You are absolutely killing me on the used 7-Series...

2008-05-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

You are absolutely killing me on the used 7-Series. It needs to stay on the DL. If more people know about it then there will less used models for me to cherry-pick from when I buy my next BMW Seven (used, of course).

I usually don’t read about cars in the media becau...

2008-05-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

I usually don’t read about cars in the media because so many magazine editors are actually stupid, ignorant, and tend to kiss Japanese behind, I have found your site to offer information that is actually true. That’s what made me read more than just the specks.

Keep up the good work.

I also want to say that recent GM models like the G6 or even that last body style Malibu are a tremendous value.

I also put a vote in for the BUicks.

2008-02-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

I also put a vote in for the BUicks.

The BMW 8-Series are just incredible bargains, old...

2008-01-28T17:07:00.000-08:00

The BMW 8-Series are just incredible bargains, older cars or not.

I am completely with you on the Buicks. Great cars...

2008-01-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

I am completely with you on the Buicks. Great cars and so cheap as used cars. So cheap!

I picked up a 2004 Crossfire from a rental car com...

2007-11-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

I picked up a 2004 Crossfire from a rental car compnay and it was cheap, considering the kind of car you get. No problems so far after 10000 miles.

Great Website! One comment on BMW: the model year...

2007-10-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Great Website!

One comment on BMW: the model years of 2000 and plus or minus a year or two had major and often unsolvable electrical problems. An excellent mechanic told me this holds true for the the 3 and 7 series because they all share most of the same electrical stuff. Our 528Ti with 60k mi on it (a 30k mi CPO car) has been to the dealer 6 times this year, and we have stuffed $5k into it in repairs. Hey this thing has spent more time in the dealer's garage then our own! No question, runs great when it runs - but kinda reminds me of Windows98.

I picked up a Mitsu Diamante with very low miles f...

2007-10-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

I picked up a Mitsu Diamante with very low miles for $1700 under loan value last month. Great car as a used car buy.

You are killing me here! The secret of the 7-Serie...

2007-10-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

You are killing me here! The secret of the 7-Series needs to stay with the devotees of the used 7-Series.

I concur on the Buicks, great used car bargains al...

2007-10-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

I concur on the Buicks, great used car bargains all across the lineup. So cheap as used cars and very, very good quality. Much better than the other GM makes.

I can vouch for the Saabs. My wife and I both hav...

2007-10-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

I can vouch for the Saabs. My wife and I both have 9-3 Arcs. Mine is a 2003 bought in 2006, hers is a 2004 bought in 2007, both with around 40,000 miles. We got them for around $15k each.

Here's what you get for your $15k:
210hp
35MPG highway
300-watt, 13-speaker sound system with steering-wheel controls nad iPod jack
Auto up-down windows
Excellent alarm
Heated seats
Headlamp washers
Power front seats and mirrors w/ memory control
Leather and wood
Dual-zone climate control

I could go on ... but there's one more: These cars were certified, so we also have bumper-to-bumper warranties, with loaners and roadside assist, up to 100,000 miles ... You can't beat that in the near-luxury market.

As far as the Aurora goes, there's nothing increde...

2007-08-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

As far as the Aurora goes, there's nothing incredebly wrong with the V6 model. The 3.5 is also part of the Northstar family (it's nicknamed the "Shortstar"), so even if you don't get the power, you're still getting the same engine characteristics, and as most Oldsmobile Intrigues were sold with the same V6, parts would be about as rare as for the V8.