I Have To Decide About A Minivan Soon

Discussion in 'Automotive' started by Yvonne Smith, Jan 15, 2018.

  1. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    As I have sometimes mentioned, our old stationwagon is on its last legs (and barely that !), and I worry every time we go anywhere, and we try not to ever go more than a few miles away from home, unless absolutely necessary.
    The plan has been to get the Ford Ranger running good, repair what we can of the stationwagon, and then sell it, and get a cheap compact car for running around, and the pickup for Bobby’s work vehicle and carting his tools around in.
    When we talked with Robin last week, she said that a friend that she has known and worked with for many years is going to sell his 1998 Toyota minivan, and she asked me if I wanted it. She said that it has always had the best of care, runs great, and would be a much safer vehicle for us.
    This is all true; but here is the problem...... we do not have the money for the minivan and Robin wants to buy it for us, and I feel bad about having her do that because she already helps me so VERY much.
    I told her we could sell both of the vehicles we have now and pay her at least most of the money that way, and she totally refused that, saying that she wants to buy the car for us.
    I know that it would be a much safer vehicle for me to drive, and we can sell the station wagon and then use the Ranger for Bobby’s tools as planned, and keep the minivan as a nice looking daily-driver, and not a ugly work vehicle.
    Robin said that if we want the van, she will get it for me when she gets her income tax back in a month or so, and I have to decide what to tell her so she can let her friend know that she is going to buy the van, or tell him to go ahead and sell it elsewhere if we do not take it.
     
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  2. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I have no idea on the price of the van, so can't really say....but if your sweet daughter offered then I think you should take it.

    Your car won't last and this good deal won't be around forever...so you gotta jump while the fire is hot.

    My kids helped me buy my new car in 2012.

    My son pitched in $2,500 and my son in law pitched in $2,500 for the down payment...and that left monthly payments of $260 a month.

    Son sends me $100...daughter gives me $100 and the $60 I pay...5 yr loan and paid off this July.
     
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  3. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I looked up the KBB for that year of Toyota minivan, and buying from a private party, the average was about $1500, but the prices of actual vans for sale went from $1000-$3000, depending on the van.
    The owner was thinking about selling it a couple of years ago, and he was asking $2500 for it back then; so it should be at least several hundred dollars cheaper by now.
    Our old car could die at any minute, Chrissy ! It sputs and sputters, and about chokes if I have to step on the gas hard for some reason. I won’t even drive it anywhere by myself for fear of being alone and stranded somewhere.
    I know we really need a safer vehicle, it is just hard to accept the help from Robin.
     
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  4. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    @Yvonne Smith , the minivan is twenty years old. That's pretty old for a vehicle. I know that Toyotas will last practically forever but, I dunno....... :confused: Twenty years? I'd ask her to find out the miles on it. Have her mechanic give it a good going over. It's wonderful of her to offer to buy it for you but it would be a shame for her to spend her money on it and have it break down shortly.
     
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  5. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    What a wonderful daughter you have to want to gift you and Bobby with that minivan. Unless you don't want a well cared for minivan I would tell Robin thank you so much and accept her gift to you two. Since it is pretty old you might want to put some money aside from the sale of your old vehicles in case of emergency repairs and use some for Bobby's tools.

    Your daughter loves and appreciates you @Yvonne Smith. Let her do what she can for you, you did the same for her when you were able to I'm sure. And I know all of you will feel better in a safer vehicle.
     
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  6. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Yvonne Smith
    IMO, the Toyota is far and away a superior choice to any Chrysler-built van. Just my two cents.....
    Frank
     
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  7. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    You must be a mind-reader, @Frank Sanoica ! How on earth did you know that I really like Chrysler’s, and have longed for a PT Cruiser or even the Town and Country minivan ?
    But I agree with you, a Toyota will last almost forever, and the only other vehicle that I think might be close is the Subaru. I would love to have the Subaru Baja; but that is beside the point.
     
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  8. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Yvonne Smith
    I made the remark about Chrysler products based on my first-hand knowledge of the travails which befell our neighbor in MO. He had over the years owned several Plymouth and Dodge minivans, and repaire time revealed several crucial facts: the Chrysler dealer in Rolla was unable to deduce the trouble, and my own investigations underhood revealed that the engines used were of Mitsubishi manufacture. They chose, as an example of extremely poor Engineering judgement, to use a flashing beam of light conveyed through a tiny "window" to provide the computer with instantaneous crankshaft position data. Guess what happened on our dirt road when his wife drove to and from work? Dirty window, no data. Took a long time to find that one, which the Chrysler dealer had failed to observe. Wouldn't you think he'd know? Simple problem to fix, deucedly difficult problem to diagnose.
    Frank
     
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  9. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    My Honey and I had a Chrysler Town and Country van and when we took our trip to Colorado years ago our rental was a PT Cruiser. We enjoyed both of these vehicles while we had them and when it was time to get another vehicle I looked at a few PT Cruiser's...but the research I did on them wasn't very promising for them.

    The main problem with our Town and Country in the last few years we had it was that it would start locking and unlocking itself 24/7 which ran the battery down and which the mechanics could do nothing about. Doing some online research we learned out to disconnect the fuse or whatever it was that controlled this and from then on we had to manually unlock the front doors, etc. A minor inconvenience for us since everything else ran smoothly.
     
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  10. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    @Yvonne Smith my son paid off my auto loan even when I said no. I only had a few more months to go but he insisted. . When I saved enough money from babysitting I paid him back and he said are you sure it's okay to do that? and I said I would have to pay it anyway so yeah I'm sure.

    We are fortunate to have children that look out for us.
     
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  11. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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  12. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    We have talked about it, and it seems like the most sensible decision for me to make. Robin will feel better knowing that we are driving a safer car, and I know that her friend would not even think of selling it to her if there were any issues that he knew of. They have known each other for almost 30 years and worked together when they were both in the military, so this is one of her best friends.
    I went out to get the car today and pick up Evelyn so we could go to Kroger in the warmer weather, and discovered that I have a flat tire on the car; so Bobby will have to look at it and see if it just needs aired up or maybe has picked up a nail somehow.
    Grocery shopping is going to have to sit for another day or two, until we can get the tire fixed again.
     
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  13. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    @Yvonne Smith Will y'all have to pay for title transfer, and taxes, etc. on the car?

    I know when we moved back here from Florida we had to pay fees for changing these things over to Louisiana and it wasn't cheap.
     
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  14. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    When we sell the old stationwagon, we will have money so we can change the title on the minivan. Since it is a gift, I should not have to pay a tax like you do when you buy one, and it is old enough that it will license at the lowest rate. I can transfer the tags from the wagon to the minivan.
     
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  15. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    Oh Lord...the things you guys have to pay taxes for in the USA which we don't...but I'm pleased you've got safer car Yvonne
     
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