[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by VPSuchin

Could somebody provide some tips on how buying a car works in an out of state situation with a trade-in, using your own financing? I have only bought cars locally so going getting paperwork and going back to the dealership multiple times was not an issue.

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

DCU usually sends a check for the pre-approved amount. You have to fill in the exact amount at the dealership while purchasing with the exact amount which will become your "loan amount".

My experience with DCU was different.

I got a loan approval for Car 1 at 25k. I ended up buying Car 2 for 20k (but this 20k was within their limit for that particular car).

I finalized the deal with the dealer (Honda of Stevens Creek) and told my SA that I have a pre-approved loan with DCU. The dealer gave me some papers that I had to upload on DCU's website; once they were approved, DCU sent them a check for the exact amount the dealer requested.

note: The dealer mentioned that this process has to be completed within 4 business days and if not, they'd apply a loan at their company rate.

[studentonwheels]

Originally Posted by devil_klm

Hi All, I will be shifting to Chicago by end of next month end. Hopefully there will not be any issues during my visa stamping. My family will be shifting few months later. Meanwhile I will get the driving license and raise fund for a decent pre worshiped car. After going through the threads and suggestions from friends, the cars which are good in terms of cheaper maintenance and resale value are Civic and Corolla. I do have some questions to those stay in same area.
1) Does the American brands are costly to maintain and fetch lesser resale value compared to Japanese brands?
2) Other than Honda and Toyota what are the common Japanese brands there?
3) What are the points to be considered while going for a used one? How to identify cars which are affected by flood?
4) Procedure for ownership transfer?
5) How easy to get used to the left-hand drive. Any suggestion for a good driving school for Indian drivers

1. American brands are picking up for reliability. The Chevy Malibu is a really nice car to consider, or a Chevy Cruze. I would stay away from Chrysler/Dodge. Japanese brands are bland in comparison. If you plan on getting a newer car, go the 'Certified Pre-Owned' route. These are a special group of cars from a dealership that have been inspected more strictly and are refurbished before selling. They're 2-3 years old and include a warranty. Remember: Repairs in the US are VERY costly because of labor.
2. Nissan and Mazda are the most common. I own a Nissan Altima. I highly recommend looking at Nissans and if you like more driver involvement, check out the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6.
3. The US has a really cool system of VIN(Vehicle Identification Number) ID's. You can get what's known as a Carfax or a VINcheck report that tells you the maintenance and service history of a used car. Like I mentioned above, if you're going the Used route, Certified Pre-owned or a Used Japanese car checked at a reliable mechanic is the way to go. If a car is damaged or does not have a clean title, the Carfax report will tell you this.
4. The local DOT websites have forms you can fill out. You basically fill out a 'Bill of Sale' with the person you are buying the car from and take it to your local DMV(Department of Motor vehicles) for your title and plates.
5. I took a few weeks. Driving classes are expensive. I would take a buddy along with me and practice on some suburban or empty county roads. Merging on interstates can be challenging at first, but highway driving can be far easier, given the plethora of rules you have to follow in the city. You have dedicated lanes, need to learn whom to yield to and when, and NEVER to horn at or cut someone off in traffic unless you have to.
Good luck

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by studentonwheels

he most common. I own a Nissan Altima. I highly recommend looking at Nissans and if you like more driver involvement, check out the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6.

While I may agree on Mazda's being more driver involved, it is the first time in many years that I have heard someone talk about Nissan and driving fun together. If Toyota makes snooze mobiles, Nissan does it worse IMO. They start with putting CVTs in every car - while CVTs does wonders to fuel economy, driving these cars in anything but steady traffic gives you the full-time company of engine droning to deal with. Also, CRs reliability reports have not shown Nissan in good light over the last few years - they maybe better than FCA, but everything else from Japan does better.

[studentonwheels]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

While I may agree on Mazda's being more driver involved, it is the first time in many years that I have heard someone talk about Nissan and driving fun together.

I think you missed out the 'and' I meant to say Mazda for driving dynamics. The last time Nissan made fun to drive cars was the 2006 Altima.
That being said, Nissan pretty much gets the job done when it comes to CVT's. I find their Xtronic CVT more responsive than the earth dreams CVT's on Honda's. But that's only a personal opinion

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by studentonwheels

I think you missed out the 'and' I meant to say Mazda for driving dynamics. The last time Nissan made fun to drive cars was the 2006 Altima.
That being said, Nissan pretty much gets the job done when it comes to CVT's. I find their Xtronic CVT more responsive than the earth dreams CVT's on Honda's. But that's only a personal opinion

Ok - now that is agreeable
They have been making CVTs the longest, pretty much. They better be the best at it. Honda at least doesn't put the CVT on more powerful engines (I don't think any of the V6 accords or pilots or ridgeline have a CVT). Subaru has CVT on the WRX, a sport tuned CVT at that - Not sure what that means.

[jalajprakash]

Hey Guys!

Currently living in East Lansing, MI but about to graduate in May and was planning to road trip from the East coast to the West coast and then turning in my lease in California and flying off to India. Wondering if you guys have any suggestions for spots I should hit on my way. What I have planned so far is this

https://www.myscenicdrives.com/road-...f-cc90425f8f30

Will be using my Ford Fusion and I've got 32000 miles left on the lease so no worries there.

[Activ8]

All this talk of finance and out of state buying reminded me of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U2eDJnwz_s

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by studentonwheels

The last time Nissan made fun to drive cars was the 2006 Altima.

The GTR and the 370z disagrees.

[Cesc]

Originally Posted by jalajprakash

Hey Guys!

Currently living in East Lansing, MI but about to graduate in May and was planning to road trip from the East coast to the West coast and then turning in my lease in California and flying off to India. Wondering if you guys have any suggestions for spots I should hit on my way. What I have planned so far is this

https://www.myscenicdrives.com/road-...f-cc90425f8f30

Will be using my Ford Fusion and I've got 32000 miles left on the lease so no worries there.

Few things based on some of these routes I have traveled:

a) The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is great. There is a B&B right at the east end of that bridge at Cape Charles. Right on the bay - may be a good spot for a night halt.

b) Skyline drive that runs through Shenandoah may not be a very scenic drive at that time of the year. Fall is the best time to do that drive. Not clear if you intend to do the whole 105 miles of it - if yes then keep in mind that the speed limit is 35 and it will take you over 3 hours to complete. IMO not the best return on your time for May.

c) On the LA to SF leg - why not take CA SR1 that runs along the ocean? That is a slower but a much much better drive. Excellent places for staying the night as well on that route - Monterey and San Luis Obispo being two of them.

And 32000 miles left on the lease?? You left your car in hibernation for the past few years?

[jalajprakash]

Originally Posted by Cesc

Few things based on some of these routes I have traveled:

a) The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is great. There is a B&B right at the east end of that bridge at Cape Charles. Right on the bay - may be a good spot for a night halt.
b) Skyline drive that runs through Shenandoah at that time of the year may not be a very scenic drive. Fall is the best time to do that drive. Not clear if you intend to do the whole 105 miles of it - if yes then keep in mind that the speed limit is 35 and it will take you over 3 hours to complete. IMO not the best return on your time for May.
c) On the LA to SF leg - why not take CA SR1 that runs along the ocean? That is a slower but a much much better drive. Excellent places for staying the night as well on that route - Monterey and San Luis Obispo being two of them.

And 32000 miles left on the lease?? You left your car in hibernation for the past few years?

Thank you for your suggestions! I will try to incorporate them in my trip. I have set aside a month for the trip so no hurries and always the more scenic and fun route.

As for my lease, I grossly overestimated both the miles I would be driving and the amount of time I would be in the States. I leased the car for 15,000 miles per year for 3 years in May of 2015. Somehow, I surprised myself and am graduating in 4 years with my Bachelors in Mech. E (average is around 4.8 years), so technically the car still has another year left but since I am leaving, I'm probably just going to turn it in. Another option would be to sell and transfer the lease to a friend who can make use of it but still exploring that option.

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by jalajprakash

I'm probably just going to turn it in. Another option would be to sell and transfer the lease to a friend who can make use of it but still exploring that option.

I don't think you can turn in a leased car early. Try swapalease.com

How much is the monthly amt on the lease? i might be intrested

[jalajprakash]

Originally Posted by Jomz

I don't think you can turn in a leased car early. Try swapalease.com

How much is the monthly amt on the lease? i might be intrested

I paid the full lease amount at the beginning of the lease so I guess it doesn't really matter to them when the car gets turned in.

I looked into swapalease.com and at $1,000/month to put my car on there, is just too damn expensive and considering my unique situation with monthly payments completed, I'm not sure how many people would understand that.

I paid $11,000 at the beginning of the lease and was looking to get $3,500 lump after which it can be transferred to it's new owner, and the new owner owes nothing to Ford.

[Cesc]

Originally Posted by jalajprakash

I paid $11,000 at the beginning of the lease and was looking to get $3,500 lump after which it can be transferred to it's new owner, and the new owner owes nothing to Ford.

That looks like a fair ask but if you are looking to unload the car soon then maybe drop the price a bit. In true American fashion maybe you can ask for $2,999. Current 2017 lease offers for Fusion SE with tech package are in the range of 260-270 bucks which equates to $3,100-$3,200 per year. At 2,999 your car should be pretty lucrative for a someone looking at a Fusion lease.

[jalajprakash]

Originally Posted by Cesc

That looks like a fair ask but if you are looking to unload the car soon then maybe drop the price a bit. In true American fashion maybe you can maybe ask for $2,999. Current 2017 lease offers for Fusion SE with tech package are in the range of 260-270 bucks which equates to $3,100-$3,200 per year. At 2,999 your car should be pretty lucrative for a someone looking at a Fusion lease.

I did just look at Ford Fusion prices to quote these numbers. The $3,100-$3,200 you're talking about include a down payment of approximately $2500 and the term usually has to be longer than 12 months to get that price. For driving a 2017 Ford Fusion SE for one year for 19,000 miles would be closer to 410/month. So even at $3,500 it's a very good deal.

[Cesc]

I must have missed the fine print then. It looked as if only $257 was due at signing based on the link below:

http://www.ford.com/cars/fusion/2017...s/?gnav=vhpnav

I guess you still have time to dispose of the car so you can take your call based on the interest you are getting at your current asking price.