USED CAR PART : As it happens, it's academic for me. CarMax has offered to replacethe car with another identical vehicle, which I've accepted. The caris in another state and will take 7-10 days to arrive. The stronglypostive feedback that virtually everyone here offered regarding the PTCruiser went a long way in helping me decide. I thank you for that. Another factor is that I felt the dealer had done the right thing, andthe sales manager asked me to keep my business with them, and Ithought that should count for something.One other comment regarding another poster's comments on CarMax. Theysell new cars only in 3 cities - Los Angeles, Orlando, andmetro-Atlanta, where they have 2 locations. The 3 day period toreturn a car applies only to their used vehicles. The salesmanvolunteered this information before I bought the car. He reasonablypointed out that a 3 day old new car is no longer really a new car,where 3 days on used car doesn't really affect its value (assuming nodamage has been done, of course.)
USED CAR PART : Actually, the worst thing I can say about CarMax is that when theygave me the keys to the car, the tires only had about 24 psi in them. I commented on it and the salesman said "oh they're low profiletires," and me being as ignornat as I am, assumed that was a validexplanation. On the drive home, along with the oil light coming on, Ifelt the car had noticeable vibration. I assume now it was the tires(I checked the pressure when I got home.) That irked me a bit, Iwould have thought "check the oil and the tires" was just a basic partof prepping a car. In light of the engine problem, it seemedinconsequential, though thinking about it later I felt the engineproblem was probably beyond their control, while checking the tirepressure should have been just a standard part of handing the car overto a buyer. Still, that seems like small potatoes at this point. They made the original deal without the kind of psychodrama that I wasrunning into at other places, and so far at least, they've comethrough quite well in making good on a situation that I could easilyimagine having a worse outcome.
USED CAR PART : you'll only be better off with comprehensive if you have a crash worthmore than 2 grand damage to your car and that is your fault... if youplan on being a silly bugger or incompetent driver or both, getcomprehensive. personally I've found it a better option to play theodds, as a youngish driver, unless I write my car off every 2 years,comprehensive is not worth it.the big differences between the VK & VL is the motor, body shape & steering.In the VK it's the old 202 pushrod, kitted out with fuel injection in adesperate attempt to make it pass the anti-pollution regs. It's not a greatmotor, a compicated gutless & thirsty kludge. In the VL it's a 3 litreNissan OHC 6, almost the same motor as a Skyline. The difference to theSkyline motor is that GM, wanting to save some bucks, got Nissan to cheapenthe manufacturing process a bit. They left out annealing the head, amongother things. Thus *ALL* VLs have cracked their head, longditudinallythrough the cam bearings. The cure is a Repco (or other aftermarket) headexchange, which fixes the problem 100% as the used exchange heads havealready changed shape! You'll be incredibly unlucky to find a VL with theoriginal head, they all go by 140K at the latest.When Holden changed the body shape from VK to VL, they changed the frontsuspension to struts. The steering is nicer in VLs, and the wheelarches aremuch smaller inside.The VL was a better seller than the VK too, so there's more choice.
USED CAR PART : The big differences between the Calais & Berlina are the Calais headlights(cute but somewhat unreliable), the mags on the Calais (15") and the Calaishas 4W disc brakes. I'm not sure if 4W discs are standard on the Berlina.Also I think the Calais has standard cruise control, and Holden allegedlyonly made a very few Calais manuals. I think the seats are the same. Iwouldn't hold out for a Calais if I found a good Berlina...Manual vs Auto? If you want a manual you'll have to be patient, autos aremuch more common & manuals often have harder lives. The comment aboutaccelerating hard doesn't make much sense but then it was from a salesman.Slamming a car through the gears or revving it out when stone cold willdamage a car, but accelerating fast? I don't think so. Salesmen will say*ANYTHING* about a car they haven't got in stock in the hope of making youconsider what they have got. I was once told that the clutch in a manualPorsche 928 would only last 15,000 km by a salesman who had 3 dowdy autos instock. Later the same week a guy selling a manual told me the autos blow upall the time! Both comments were pure bullsh*t, made up on the spot. Myself,I'd go for the condition of the car before the transmission, but if you musthave a manual, check the syncros are okay and also the clutch.
USED CAR PART : A hidden difference between comprehensive & 3rd party is that 3rd partydoesn't build up a no claim bonus, so when you go to trade up to a 200sx orsomething else nice in a couple of years, the insurance will be gobsmackingwithout a no-claim bonus. Better to build up a bonus while you're driving acheaper car.YOUR 242GT you mean? :) Saw one a week ago and I am amazed that people actuallydrive those cars!Ahh ... but a person merely _looking_ at a MY2001 Impreza would say the same thing, would they not? :)Good car in their day, however they are starting to show signs of age.Engine and automatic g/box problems are starting to become very commonplaceand can be quite expencive to fix. Another problem is that they are easy asall hell to steal.If you can find one that has been owned by a grandpa or something, you mayhave a good car. I'd definatly get an engine imobiliser fitted though.
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