[infotech58]

Does anyone know of an area map or list of neighborhoods in Toronto (or GTA) with lower than average auto insurance quotes? Quote for my current address is 270$ per month and for another neighborhood (davisville avenue and yonge st) is 170$ per month. I am planning to move to a different apartment/condo in 2-3 months and would have to keep this attribute in mind while searching for apartment/condo.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by infotech58

Does anyone know of an area map or list of neighborhoods in Toronto (or GTA) with lower than average auto insurance quotes? Quote for my current address is 270$ per month and for another neighborhood (davisville avenue and yonge st) is 170$ per month. I am planning to move to a different apartment/condo in 2-3 months and would have to keep this attribute in mind while searching for apartment/condo.

Midtown/Downtown Toronto has lower rates. In general, the more tony the neighbourhood, the lower the rate. Didn't realize the difference will be this huge though! Oakville also has significantly cheaper insurance as compared to most other GTA areas.

Best bet would be to short-list a few based on your commute and try belairdirect for comparative quotes.

[AstaAddict]

Dear Folks,

I'm moving to Chicago in a month's time and would need help in finalizing a used car for my daily commute. I'm visiting the States for the first time and it would also be my first time driving a left hand drive vehicle(though i have been driving in India for 10 years now). I would like to present the following information & questions which would help everyone understand my situation & requirements..

• Completely unaware of the prices of new/used cars in USA.
• What range of miles on the ODO should I consider as a good buy? E.g. should i go for something which says 190k miles? Will this be a peace of mind investment? What should be the max limit of ODO reading beyond which I should not consider a vehicle.
• I intend to keep my first buy for quite sometime i.e. for a year at least hence less visits to the garage is preferred.
• Most importantly, what brand should be considered. Do American makes incur high maintenance costs as compared to the Japs or the Koreans?
• How do I verify the service history? How can I know what parts have been changed?
• Can the ODO reading be tampered?
• I prefer a sedan to start with.
• "Rebuilt Title" means its an accidental car which was declared a total loss. Is this understanding correct? Should this be considered as a choice?
• Negotiation & bargaining tips appreciated

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by AstaAddict

I'm moving to Chicago in a month's time and would need help in finalizing a used car for my daily commute.[/list]

First and foremost - would you be living and working in downtown Chicago or within CTA connectivity range? If that is the case, you can definitely put off your car search for a few months, and decide what works best for you based on your commute/circumstances.

Once you figure that out, you probably need to learn a little bit of driving, a couple of driving lessons would definitely help - but that is entirely up to you - just to familiarize with rules and regulations and driving manners in the US vs in India, where you have driven for 10 years.

Coming to the getting the car part, you haven't really mentioned a budget - do you have some $ amount in mind? Because your choices squarely depend on how much are you willing to spend. If you are just trying to get a beater car for a year, the 190k mile car is ok, as long as it was well maintained. I would stay away from salvage and flood damage etc. because as easy as it was for you to acquire the car at a low price, it would be super difficult to sell that car off, when you decide to. Regarding reliability and maintenance costs, it purely depends on the exact car you end up getting - you could buy a Toyota Corolla with very little miles yet spend a lot on maintenance. How well did the previous owners maintain the car, that decides how much of maintenance you need to put in.

[NinadJoshi]

@AstaAddict, as a first suggestion, go through this entire thread at your convenience ALL your questions have been answered multiple number of times via similar queries from members over the past few years.

The questions you have posed in your posting are too broad in scope so it is difficult to make any direct suggestions on them right away. Begin your homework by visiting Autotrader.com, Cars.com, KBB.com, Edmunds.com. These are quite rich sites. A few days on these sites will give you a pretty good idea of the US used car market. After you have shortlisted a few makes/models, shoot your list of preferred vehicles here and I am sure experienced patrons will then dive in with their suggestions.

Given that you are an experienced driver, I'd suggest to not be so defensive with your vehicle search. You are in a car buyers paradise here, so enjoy the shopping There is something for everyone.

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by AstaAddict

Dear Folks,

I'm moving to Chicago in a month's time and would need help in finalizing a used car for my daily commute. I'm visiting the States for the first time and it would also be my first time driving a left hand drive vehicle(though i have been driving in India for 10 years now). I would like to present the following information & questions which would help everyone understand my situation & requirements.

If you want to keep the car for a year or more depending on how much you are willing to spend, try to get a low mileage.
You can pull CARFAX or AutoCheck reports to check for history of cars.

Are you going to work in the suburbs or downtown?

[AstaAddict]

Thanks for your revert Vineet. I would be living in Des Plaines & my work area would be Downtown & Lincolnshire. This would be my daily commute route for a year atleast.
I would definitely need to take up a few lessons & subsequently apply for a driving license.


My budget would be ranging between $3000 to $6000. Even I would stay away from salvage and flood damage etc. because selling it off would pose problems. The number of owners would also be a negative factor.

Your advice on the Corolla definitely gives me a better idea on the maintenance part.
Any tips on the manufacturing year? Should i go for something which is 2002 make but is well maintained? Will this pose a problem while selling it off?

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by AstaAddict

Thanks for your revert Vineet. I would be living in Des Plaines & my work area would be Downtown & Lincolnshire.
Your advice on the Corolla definitely gives me a better idea on the maintenance part.

Getting to downtown from DP should be easy - you have UP - NW Metra line that goes through there - try and be as close to the train line as possible. If you are going to be more in Lincolnshire than in Downtown (like 4 days of a week), I would suggest moving closer to Lincolnshire - unless you have a particular reason to be in DP. The days you have to get to downtown, you can definitely hop on to a train from a lot of different places. Traffic and winter driving - you cannot avoid, but you can definitely try to reduce.

Don't get hung up on a brand/car as yet - I would suggest doing some more online research, coming here and then looking up some cars and driving them. 6000$ max should give you a few options - I know my good friend got a 2003 Corolla for 6k last year - had about 130k miles. That should be roughly what you can get for that price.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

6000$ max should give you a few options - I know my good friend got a 2003 Corolla for 6k last year - had about 130k miles. That should be roughly what you can get for that price.

I'm curious as this price for the Corolla had me going Isn't $6K too high for a 2003 Corolla with 130k on the ODO?
The last time I bought a car in US, Connecticut, it was in 2011 and I got a 2003 Altima with ~95K on ODO for $6.5K which seemed par for course as I didn't haggle at all.

I agree with the general view though for @AstaAddict that $6K will provide some options. Des Plaines has good Metra connectivity and the PACE buses will help in getting to the station. Although I would not be too hung up on living in DP especially if work is far off. We stayed in Des Plaines for a few months as my office was close by at Rosemont, but commuting from that area to far off places by car is a pain during rush hour mainly due to the numerous rail crossings leading to huge traffic jams.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by gomzi

I'm curious as this price for the Corolla had me going Isn't $6K too high for a 2003 Corolla with 130k on the ODO?
The last time I bought a car in US, Connecticut, it was in 2011 and I got a 2003 Altima with ~95K on ODO for $6.5K which seemed par for course as I didn't haggle at all.

Well I was surprised too - but almost every dealer and private seller in the Milwaukee area was quoting similar prices for Corolla from that year. I think it's just the market dynamics.

[Technocrat]

Actually Corolla & Civic retain resale better than say Camry/Accord/Altima.

Reason being, cheaper parts, Better FE & good resale.

[josejoseph]

US Govt. will make reverse cameras mandatory in all new vehicles starting from May 2018. Here is more info on this - http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/31/auto...acing-cameras/

[georgesraju]

Recently I was surprised to see small stretches of rust appearing near the edge of the roof where it meets the rear windshield on my 2009 Altima. Isn't it too ealry for a 2009 car to start rusting, that too on the roof? Please suggest what to do to keep it in check.

Thanks.

[NinadJoshi]

Find Nissan;s customer care number from the user booklet and get a case-ticket started with Nissan to see if they can direct you to a dealer. There is a 60 month corrosion/rust warranty on most Nissan vehicles (which is usually for the first buyer only, but no harm in trying because they will sometimes entertain genuine concerns).

If Nissan refuses (which it might in the first attempt), then your only alternative would be to have it fixed from your own pocket.

[vineethvazhayil]

Tesla, Toyota and VW have teamed up to request NHTSA to make external mirrors non mandatory in cars to aid better aerodynamic profile. Read on

Tesla and alliance seeks US law change

Electronics and cameras are slowly replacing everything. Convenience wins.