New Cars

"JasonStern911" (JasonStern911) 01/17/2020 at 19:31 • Filed to: None

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Just some random thoughts in case it helps anyone...

A non-car-guy work friend was having car problems and asked me to find him a new car. Naturally, I found him some some awesome used cars, and he immediately declined saying he wants to buy a new car. Single, 30, not a car guy, wants something that will last, doesn’t want to spend a lot.

So naturally that restricts things to Japanese manufacturers. My instinct was to go Rav4, but holy crap! MSRP on base model Rav4s are now $25k! Auto makers bitch that sales are down, and yet even mediocre cars start at over $20k. Yeah. So I had to actually put some effort into looking into new cars.

If cost is your primary concern but you want a lot of tech, the Nissan Kicks is incredible value. Under $19k gets you Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning, and Rear Automatic Braking. But it also only comes with a CVT transmission, which until proven wrong, gives it a knock over a proven manual transmission.

What I ultimately recommended was a base model, 2.0L, naturally aspirated, manual transmission, AWD, Subaru Impreza Wagon with a luggage rack. Came in at just over $20k. Great value for an incredibly practical car. Can go on ski trips, haul his stuff 99% of the time, carry a reasonable amount of people, reasonable fuel economy, timing chain so hopefully no forced maintenance there, hopefully doesn’t blow head gaskets with the revised engine, etc.

But since he likes anime, I got to play the Initial D supah dorifto technique game. Last time I was in the market for a new car, the FR-S/BRZ/86 was just about to be released. And if they would have released it at a $20k price point, I would have bit. Instead, it came out at $25k MSRP, which allowed me to justify buying my 996 which I love and has been a great idea so far. Since then, the price has floated up slowly to $27k for a base model. Cool car, but the specs aren’t that different from the $20k Impreza. Really makes me think that Toyota and Subaru really dropped the ball on the FR-S/BRZ/86, as they could have gotten 90% of the performance and feel from a car based off of an existing Subaru or Toyota chassis, just with different body panels and a RWD versus FWD/AWD configuration. 90% wouldn’t have been as cool of a car, but if you could price it 20%+ cheaper, it would probably sell a lot more.

Meanwhile you have the Jalopnik hated 370Z. Yes it is dated, and yes “Your Dad’s 370Z” is your 370Z. But for $3k more than the beloved 86 ($1300 than the beloved BRZ), you can get a 3.5L V6 RWD sports car with an extra 130+ HP . Hate on Nissan all you want, but the Z has become the car equivalent of a KLR650. Dated, but the lack of changes carries over into reduced production costs which carries over into a lower MSRP.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > JasonStern911 01/17/2020 at 19:59

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Dude should probably just buy a Camry. 

Captain of the Enterprise > JasonStern911 01/17/2020 at 20:00

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I don’t think I could justify an 86 unless it was used and well  under 10k so that it would just be a fun car. 

daender > JasonStern911 01/17/2020 at 20:12

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CPO Camry or Corolla?  Maybe not new-new but new with a lot left in the warranty!

WRXforScience > JasonStern911 01/17/2020 at 20:48

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Inflation’s a bitch. Cars cost more because money is worth less. Over the last 20 years, inflation has made the costs of goods rise approximately 50%, so today’s $30k car was a $20k car 20 years ago.

The 370z launched in 2009, inflation since then has been about 20%, which would make a $25k car then cost $30k today.

The average new car price in the US last year was $37k! Every time I look at new car prices, I realize that I’ve become old and that my perspective has shifted (I’m 35). Maybe, you’ve become old too.

I paid $24,600 for my 2014 BRZ in October of 2014 (MSRP was over $30k since it had every option available at the time), MSRP is a suggested retail price and isn’t always representative of actual final sale price.

I’ve also never driven or ridden in a Nissan and not come away disappointed. I was actually excited about the 370z when it came out, until I drove one at an autox. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > daender 01/17/2020 at 23:07

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CPO Corolla hatch would work just fine for pretty much every single person in the world.

Under_Score > JasonStern911 01/18/2020 at 08:39

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Plenty of SR (top trim) Kicks in the $19,000’s new. Definitely a better value than a lot of other new cars. I see them everywhere around here.

Also, if he’s an anime fan, the Kicks looks like a k ei car!

JasonStern911 > daender 01/18/2020 at 14:08

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Not my money, not my choice . There’s a cherry Accord coupe with 28k miles for $10k. SO MUCH better value. Some people just don’t understand how many hours they’re going to spend working a job in order to pay for the things they spend money on. /sigh

JasonStern911 > WRXforScience 01/18/2020 at 14:13

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Yeah, I’ve become old. And eventually I’ll dump a lot of cash in preventative maintenance on my 996 only to realize it’s not a lot of cash at all compared to replacing it.

Inflation is fine as long as wages keep up. But the only reason I am making more now than a decade ago was because of promotions, which brings additional job responsibilities.

Haven’t actually dr iven a 370Z, but the G37 was a significant step up over the G35/ 350Z. Sure, the 370Z is dated in 2020, but a refresh would jack the price up another ~ $10k.

JasonStern911 > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/18/2020 at 14:15

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How is a $24/2 5k MSRP base model Camry $4/ 5k better than an AWD Impreza wagon?

JasonStern911 > Captain of the Enterprise 01/18/2020 at 14:20

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30k-60k seems to be the sweet spot on the depreciation curve for the used market.