So, back stories.
I have ankle problems. More with my left than right ankle.. They're hereditary, and no amount of physical therapy or exercise will make them go away. I still walk, I still exercise, and I have mostly good days.
This means that on a bad commute, I end up limping into my office. The few times I've driven my Mini to WDW lately, I've had to take a day to rest my ankle.
Beyond that, my Mini - while perfectly reliable so far - is about to hit its first very expensive service interval. Because BMW.
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I financed the Mini, and am not upside down on my loan. If I were to trade it in, I'd end up with $4k in equity. And my grandmother has gifted me $10k towards a new car purchase - per her rules, I cannot use the money for anything else.
So I've been looking at the following 4 cars with automatic transmissions. They are 4 very different cars. Here they are:
1- CPO 2018 VW GTI S.
Pro: Price, CPO warranty removes fears of VW reliability (if I buy it , I'd have full warranty until 2025). FUN.
Con: Base model GTI with the lowest equipment level of all cars I'm considering.
2- CPO 2015 Infiniti Q50 3.7
Pro: Fun to drive, decent equipment level, it's a Z with 4 doors
Con: Known reliability issues with the tech options, I hate their infotainment system
3- CPO 2015 Lexus CT200h
Pro: Lexus reliability, fuel efficient, very inexpensive, decently equipped, hybrid (so free access to car pool lanes)
Con: SLOW (so so so slow), Cramped rear seat
4- CPO 2015/6 Hyundai Genesis 3.8
Pro: Reliable, most well equipped car here. Hyundai badges have been replaced with Genesis badges. Super awesome warranty.
Con: Dealing with Hyundai dealers (not the snob factor, but IME Hyundai dealers like to play games), ridiculous depreciation - even as a used car. Thirstiest of the cars I'm looking at. Possibly too big in size to easily adjust to after my Mini
I have ankle problems. More with my left than right ankle.. They're hereditary, and no amount of physical therapy or exercise will make them go away. I still walk, I still exercise, and I have mostly good days.
This means that on a bad commute, I end up limping into my office. The few times I've driven my Mini to WDW lately, I've had to take a day to rest my ankle.
Beyond that, my Mini - while perfectly reliable so far - is about to hit its first very expensive service interval. Because BMW.
------------------------
I financed the Mini, and am not upside down on my loan. If I were to trade it in, I'd end up with $4k in equity. And my grandmother has gifted me $10k towards a new car purchase - per her rules, I cannot use the money for anything else.
So I've been looking at the following 4 cars with automatic transmissions. They are 4 very different cars. Here they are:
1- CPO 2018 VW GTI S.
Pro: Price, CPO warranty removes fears of VW reliability (if I buy it , I'd have full warranty until 2025). FUN.
Con: Base model GTI with the lowest equipment level of all cars I'm considering.
2- CPO 2015 Infiniti Q50 3.7
Pro: Fun to drive, decent equipment level, it's a Z with 4 doors
Con: Known reliability issues with the tech options, I hate their infotainment system
3- CPO 2015 Lexus CT200h
Pro: Lexus reliability, fuel efficient, very inexpensive, decently equipped, hybrid (so free access to car pool lanes)
Con: SLOW (so so so slow), Cramped rear seat
4- CPO 2015/6 Hyundai Genesis 3.8
Pro: Reliable, most well equipped car here. Hyundai badges have been replaced with Genesis badges. Super awesome warranty.
Con: Dealing with Hyundai dealers (not the snob factor, but IME Hyundai dealers like to play games), ridiculous depreciation - even as a used car. Thirstiest of the cars I'm looking at. Possibly too big in size to easily adjust to after my Mini