In the market for my first car...

david0tey

david0tey

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The 2003 GMC (my parents car) that I have been driving seems to be on its last legs. Aside from the radio not working and the car making every sound you can think of under the hood, it is coming up on 210,000 miles. I am now working full time and about to graduate from college so I think its time to move on. I have my eyes set on an F-150. I have found some interesting ones on Carmax but was wondering if anyone had any experience with them.

Here is the listing that interests me the most. I love the interior of the King Ranch models. http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car...0-ab5b23217248&Ep=search:results:results page

Going to LA to pick it up is inconvenient but I can't find any in the area that interest me and seem worth the price. 20K seems like a good deal for a King Ranch model with less than 70K miles. Any advice for a first time buyer?
 
The ford f150 s are great trucks. Have no idea what it's worth,you can't go wrong with the 150.
 
Feeling rich eh? We've all been there. My advice buy an old early 90's F-150 cash and stay free.
 
david0tey said:
The 2003 GMC (my parents car) that I have been driving seems to be on its last legs. Aside from the radio not working and the car making every sound you can think of under the hood, it is coming up on 210,000 miles. I am now working full time and about to graduate from college so I think its time to move on. I have my eyes set on an F-150. I have found some interesting ones on Carmax but was wondering if anyone had any experience with them.

Here is the listing that interests me the most. I love the interior of the King Ranch models. http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car...0-ab5b23217248&Ep=search:results:results page

Going to LA to pick it up is inconvenient but I can't find any in the area that interest me and seem worth the price. 20K seems like a good deal for a King Ranch model with less than 70K miles. Any advice for a first time buyer?
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Do you need a truck? How often? How far is your daily commute?
 
Henning said:
Do you need a truck? How often? How far is your daily commute?
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I'll admit I probably don't need a truck. I like F-150's, plain and simple. Does that make the most financial sense? Probably not. But the gas mileage I am getting now is actually worse than that of a newer F-150. My commute is very short from home to work. However, I won't be at this job for more than another year or two so in the future, who knows?
 
First, that's a good-looking truck.

That's an awful long drive, unless you enjoy that kind of travel. I've driven to TN a couple of times when I found the vehicle I HAD to have, and those seemed like long enough drives at just a few hundred miles.

You should be able to find a truck about like this much closer to home for close to the same price. Keep us posted on what you decide to go for.
 
Carmax will ship it to a carmax that is close to you for far less than it will cost you to go get it. That's kind of their "thing".

I have a 2001 F150 Lariat edition that I don't mind but I'm absolutely not in love with. It really dances the quality line in pretty much every aspect, it seems. It's not very often that there isn't something on it I'm fixing.
 
david0tey said:
I'll admit I probably don't need a truck. I like F-150's, plain and simple. Does that make the most financial sense? Probably not. But the gas mileage I am getting now is actually worse than that of a newer F-150. My commute is very short from home to work. However, I won't be at this job for more than another year or two so in the future, who knows?
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Get something that gets 40mpg or better or MiEV if you are mostly local and get a few year old truck to have in reserve.
 
I was in a similar place about 2 years ago- old truck rusting out around me and having frequent issues. I had already hung onto it for the past 2 or 3 years trying to get just a little more out of it knowing it might go at any time.

To save money I started out looking at used trucks, I quickly discovered it was nearly impossible to find a deal on a used pickup. Ended up buying a new F-150 XLT 4x4, paid roughly $30k for it. The nice thing about new is you can go into a dealership and have them order a truck from the factory equipped the way you want it. If you run into a dealership that won't do this or tries to charge you extra, go to another dealer. The other nice thing about new is the warranty, no repairs for typically the next 3 years are on you.

New or used they will probably press you hard to buy an extended service plan/warranty/whatever they call it. They are pressing hard because this is pure profit for them, very few people actually make a claim on these things. Turn it down and pocket the money against future repairs that may or may not happen.

I also would advise against a car loan. If this means you have to go with something a little older than you wanted, I would just do that. Cars are not an investment they are an expense and the interest you pay on a loan is just throwing money down the drain. That said, I did finance my F-150 for about a year because they gave me an extra rebate on it for doing so, I had to keep the loan for so long to get the rebate so I did and just paid off the balance in the end.

0% financing always comes with a catch... usually not a good deal unless you happen to know you can pay it off before they jack up the interest rate.

New cars/trucks- do research and find out the invoice price. The dealer makes a profit from various incentives from the manufacturer selling at invoice. Invoice should be the maximum amount you are willing to pay, if the dealer insists on more go to a different dealer.

Don't be afraid to walk away, there will be another one for sale. Know what the fair price/what you're willing to pay is before even making a phone call. Kelly Blue Book is overpriced. One of the better resources I've found is to use ebay motors and look for "completed listings" which will show what a vehicle actually sold for.
 
Also for something so far away, I'd take a look at the MPG of the vehicle and divide that from the miles you'll need to drive it home and multiply it by the average price of gas.

+ the cost of getting yourself out there and your time.

Don't forget to factor that expense into the price.
 
david0tey said:
The 2003 GMC (my parents car) that I have been driving seems to be on its last legs. Aside from the radio not working and the car making every sound you can think of under the hood, it is coming up on 210,000 miles.
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Sounds like it wasn't well taken care of.
 
Carmax isn't the cheapest but they are the easiest brick and mortar place to buy.
 
Never cared much for most American truck designs.

I vastly prefer Toyotas, though they tend to hold their value into ridiculously old age.

Headed up to my buddies to snatch up an '87 4X4 yota with a bad four speed in it. Gonna install the new (used) tranny with a new clutch kit and flip it. The off road set out here goes nuts for an old Toyota 4X4 with a straight axle, I suspect I'll make a good buck on it.
 
Skyscraper said:
Never cared much for most American truck designs.

I vastly prefer Toyotas, though they tend to hold their value into ridiculously old age.

Headed up to my buddies to snatch up an '87 4X4 yota with a bad four speed in it. Gonna install the new (used) tranny with a new clutch kit and flip it. The off road set out here goes nuts for an old Toyota 4X4 with a straight axle, I suspect I'll make a good buck on it.
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Horrible fuel economy though, as is the nature for pickups.
 
david0tey said:
The 2003 GMC (my parents car) that I have been driving seems to be on its last legs. Aside from the radio not working and the car making every sound you can think of under the hood, it is coming up on 210,000 miles. I am now working full time and about to graduate from college so I think its time to move on. I have my eyes set on an F-150. I have found some interesting ones on Carmax but was wondering if anyone had any experience with them.

Here is the listing that interests me the most. I love the interior of the King Ranch models. http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car...0-ab5b23217248&Ep=search:results:results page

Going to LA to pick it up is inconvenient but I can't find any in the area that interest me and seem worth the price. 20K seems like a good deal for a King Ranch model with less than 70K miles. Any advice for a first time buyer?
Click to expand...

Help me to understand this. You say you have driven your parents car into the ground, and now your looking to buy a new car for yourself?

-John
 
John Baker said:
Help me to understand this. You say you have driven your parents car into the ground, and now your looking to buy a new car for yourself?

-John
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:confused: Not uncommon in the slightest. Lots of parents give their kid one of the family vehicles as a first car.
 
Henning said:
:confused: Not uncommon in the slightest. Lots of parents give their kid one of the family vehicles as a first car.
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This is what happened with most kids I grew up around. Usually the old family sedan or a grandparent's old car that was barely worth the trade-in value.
 
I drive a '97 F-150 with 265,000 miles on it. The Triton OHC Aluminum engine can be a problem if not maintained, but the mileage on mine speaks for itself.
I have been a part of 7 vehicle purchases from Carmax, including family and friends who bought sometimes on my advice, with very pleasing results each time.
 
cowman said:
This is what happened with most kids I grew up around. Usually the old family sedan or a grandparent's old car that was barely worth the trade-in value.
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Yeah, the trade in in 2 years will be the same, if it survives. I usually buy end of life vehicles for $700-$900s and drive them another couple of years doing absolutely nothing except tires, brake pads, and fuel; I top off the oil as necessary. In the end I can get a minimum of $450 in any condition from the junkers who text me all the time lol, they'll even come get it from the side of the road.
 
That price seems outrageous for a 2006.

I've got a lot of miles driving a company-owed 2011 F-150 4x2 Extended Cab Ecoboost XLT. The Ecoboost is a nice engine if you're not doing a lot of towing. 21-22 mpg on the highway, and not too bad around town. The XLT interior in '11 was really nice, and everyone in the company wanted that truck for the long road trips.

That said, if you're not really needing a pickup, they all suck down a lot of fuel and are a b!tch to park, so I'd get something smaller and rent a truck when you really need it.
 
cowman said:
This is what happened with most kids I grew up around. Usually the old family sedan or a grandparent's old car that was barely worth the trade-in value.
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Yup. I got my grandparents 1993 Ford Taurus as my first car. It reeked of mothballs because my grandfather thought he had rats living in the car. Naturally the reasonable response is to put mothballs anywhere you could stuff them. It blew a head gasket after a year and wasn't worth it to fix (cost more than the car was worth), and then my parents gave me my dads 2007 Civic. It's been a good car so far, no issues and I just hit 150k.

If I was going to buy a car today, it would not be a truck.
 
Henning said:
Yeah, the trade in in 2 years will be the same, if it survives. I usually buy end of life vehicles for $700-$900s and drive them another couple of years doing absolutely nothing except tires, brake pads, and fuel; I top off the oil as necessary. In the end I can get a minimum of $450 in any condition from the junkers who text me all the time lol, they'll even come get it from the side of the road.
Click to expand...

In my case I was allowed to use the old family sedan, my dad bought a new vehicle. The only problem with this arrangement was he was constantly taking the old car out as to "not put miles on the new one" which I couldn't drive.

Well, for a 16 year old who lived on a farm with no friends within walking distance this was an intolerable situation of course. I attempted to get a fast food job but he wouldn't sign the permission form I needed as a minor because (his words) it was stupid for me to get a job and I needed to concentrate on my studies. I did have another job mowing a cemetery but that was an every other weekend thing and didn't get me enough money for a car.

A few arguments back and forth later, and I ended up with my own car in my own name that I took care of myself... even older than the old family sedan of course. My dad could be odd about some things to say the least...
 
Driving across the country to pick up an old F-150 seems like a very odd excercise to me, but then considering that I fly a little airplane for no discernable reason, who am I to judge.
 
I've purchased basically all my vehicles on Craigslist and have found you can get a better (ie: lower mileage and better condition) vehicle at a lower price than used car places. However, it helps to be patient and mechanically inclined (ie: not 'certified used').

Also, I purchased a full size pickup, then a couple years later it made no sense to commute to work in it anymore as after a few years of that the gas difference would have paid for a more gas friendly used car. It's nice to have a pickup (I tow and use the bed for stuff) but it's not used very often at all. If I didn't own it already, I would probably just rent a pickup when needed (rental agency or relayrides.com, etc).
 
Buy a radio from Crutchfield and truck on with what you have. My Chevy Avalanche is about to hit 268k miles.
 
Henning said:
Horrible fuel economy though, as is the nature for pickups.
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Yep, I prefer four cylinder coupes, more fun and better fuel economy. For guys who like to off road drive (very common around here), fuel economy doesn't seem to matter much and you're sure not gonna hit the mud pits in an economy car. Completely wasted toyota 4x4's made in the 80's can still go for several thousand out here at least.
 
It's a good looking truck, but you will pay two premiums on it, one for it being a King Ranch, they bring stupid money and another for buying it from Carmax. They have good inventory and a nationwide network, but they don't offer that at no cost. ;) I have nothing against Carmax, they just aren't the cheapest place to buy a vehicle. IF I were looking to spend $20K on a Ford 4X4 truck, I would look at a much newer XLT, you'll have cloth interior etc, but you can probably find a 2008-2010 model with good miles for the same amount of money. :D Heck you might even find it at Carmax. ;) I don't think I would fly across the country to buy a 2006 model truck unless it was a steal and clearly this one isn't underpriced.
 
John Baker said:
Help me to understand this. You say you have driven your parents car into the ground, and now your looking to buy a new car for yourself?

-John
Click to expand...

I was the third child to have it. My three sisters drove it into the ground and then gave it me for the last year. It actually runs fine, just needs new engine mounts (the cause of all the noise). I have a sister coming back into the country who has laid claim to it. It's just time for my "own" car.
 
david0tey said:
I was the third child to have it. My three sisters drove it into the ground and then gave it me for the last year. It actually runs fine, just needs new engine mounts (the cause of all the noise). I have a sister coming back into the country who has laid claim to it. It's just time for my "own" car.
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Put a set of motor mounts in it for your sister, it's an afternoon's work with a floor jack and basic tools.
 
Henning said:
Put a set of motor mounts in it for your sister, it's an afternoon's work with a floor jack and basic tools.
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Well, the negativity that I'm hearing is making me rethink this. :sad: Maybe I'll just save up for a new truck a few years down the road.
 
david0tey said:
Well, the negativity that I'm hearing is making me rethink this. :sad: Maybe I'll just save up for a new truck a few years down the road.
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Meh, there's always someone who's going to be negative. I always though of the perfect image of the Internet is the prehistorics beating on the monolith in 2001. Do what you know is right regardless, unless of course this sister used to be mean to you...:lol:;)
 
Sorry to be the Debbie downer, but advice for a college grad to overspend on a truck isn't something I want on my conscience.

Advice is advice. If it was cheerleading they would call it cheerleading. My kid is graduating from college in a few months too and we are shopping for houses, not shiny cars. You do the math.
 
docmirror said:
Sorry to be the Debbie downer, but advice for a college grad to overspend on a truck isn't something I want on my conscience.

Advice is advice. If it was cheerleading they would call it cheerleading. My kid is graduating from college in a few months too and we are shopping for houses, not shiny cars. You do the math.
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That's why I'm going for the 20K used one and not the 50K new one.:lol:
 
If we always did the practical thing, there wouldn't be any private airplane owners.

But the practical thing is usually to spend as little on cars as you can...
 
david0tey said:
That's why I'm going for the 20K used one and not the 50K new one.:lol:
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OK, let me make this a little more personal. After leaving the armed forces, and starting college, I was working part time while I went to classes. My cars consisted of: Freshman year - VW beetle. It was the same one I had as a teen. Junior/sr year - Fiat 850 coupe. When I graduated, I started buying houses. Still drove the Fiat, saved enough to buy a broken Citabria.
 
What are you towing/hauling that requires a truck ? Do you have a large yard to take care of, building a barn ?
 
N747JB said:
It's a good looking truck, but you will pay two premiums on it, one for it being a King Ranch, they bring stupid money and another for buying it from Carmax. They have good inventory and a nationwide network, but they don't offer that at no cost. ;) I have nothing against Carmax, they just aren't the cheapest place to buy a vehicle. IF I were looking to spend $20K on a Ford 4X4 truck, I would look at a much newer XLT, you'll have cloth interior etc, but you can probably find a 2008-2010 model with good miles for the same amount of money. :D Heck you might even find it at Carmax. ;) I don't think I would fly across the country to buy a 2006 model truck unless it was a steal and clearly this one isn't underpriced.
Click to expand...

Couldn't he get a new 2wd reg cab for $20k?? Rather than spending that on a used one.
 
N747JB said:
It's a good looking truck, but you will pay two premiums on it, one for it being a King Ranch, they bring stupid money and another for buying it from Carmax. They have good inventory and a nationwide network, but they don't offer that at no cost. ;) I have nothing against Carmax, they just aren't the cheapest place to buy a vehicle. IF I were looking to spend $20K on a Ford 4X4 truck, I would look at a much newer XLT, you'll have cloth interior etc, but you can probably find a 2008-2010 model with good miles for the same amount of money. :D Heck you might even find it at Carmax. ;) I don't think I would fly across the country to buy a 2006 model truck unless it was a steal and clearly this one isn't underpriced.
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To the OP...............


:yes::yes:..

Listen to this guy.....

It isn't his first rodeo...:no:....;)
 
us AAirways said:
Couldn't he get a new 2wd reg cab for $20k?? Rather than spending that on a used one.
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Might find a new 13, a 14 would probably be $22K or so. Depends on where he lives the incentives are based on the buyers zip code. :rolleyes:
 
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