I Think

if you opt for a volvo or a saab, I will hafta disown you.

just sayin'...

I saw a Jaguar by the entrance to my subdivision for $2500. 'Course I likely would have to buy a tow truck to get it around.

maybe we could make a pedal car outta it...

Put a lawn mower motor in it. You'll get real good mileage.

The body actually looks nice.

That's what our son did when he bought his car, and even had a mechanic look at it, but he ended up having to replace the engine for $4 grand.

BTW, triple A has a good inspection station at their branches.

It's a matter of luck, buying used cars, but I don't have another option. Unless I win the Power Ball, that is, and then I will buy two or three new ones.

Saabs, and Volvos? Rilly? What do have against Edgar?

We have to give back the loaner today. There are some cars we will be checking out later in the afternoon.

I think I will dig up oleanders on the job today. We going to plant new ones.

check maintenance and repair costs and get back to us.

unless you have a volvo-saab mechanic in the family...

It's ok. I don't have any Volvos or Saabs on the radar.

Turns out, oleanders are not that difficult to dislodge. They have a mat of roots and some longer, woody, ones. I dug up some yesterday. All I had to do was dig a few shovels of dirt, then put a wrecking bar under the root mat. Pried them up enough to make the big roots visible, which I cut with a sawsall. and then lifted them right out of the ground. Haven't moved any away, to the dumpster, yet. They are heavy.

Reliability is one aspect of desirability of a used car. Affordability and Cost to own over a longer period of time is another. On that score many on the list you provided fail. Saab and Volvo fail the affordability...as they cost more to maintain and are trickier to find parts for and reasonably priced mechanics.

By the way, Saab is no longer in business in USA.

I like oleanders for many reasons, including the big ones, variety Queen Anne, as fire barriers - but in California they are in a lot of trouble from a bacterial disease spread by the glassy winged sharpshooter. I don't know if this is still true or not, since I haven't lived there or paid attention to whether that was somehow resolved for about seven years now. Says in Sunset Western Gardens (my western plant go-to bible, that there is no cure and that the disease is already serious in Arizona and Texas as well. But the book may be out of date in that regard.

Adds, you might ask at whatever state agriculture agency you've got going in Texas, or some other experts.

Did you notice the paucity of US made cars on CI's list?

Would you be one of those ignorant mechanics?

Those are certainly important considerations in buying a used car, and there's no argument there. But they are listed as the 100 most reliable cars. That's not to say there are others with higher ratings that don't have the problems associated with repair, maintenance, and parts. The Japanese cars are pretty safe buys because they are all in the top 10.

There are so many transactions in this field that it is pretty safe to say that value for money is more or less the same, whatever the car,among established respectable dealers.

To say otherwise is a criticism of capitalism and market operations.

Going to other dealers deserves all it gets.

The oleanders are at the apartments. Some are woody and straggly looking. Others are dead or half dead. To be honest, all I want to do is plant new ones and let management take it from there. - But, I remember when oleanders along hiways were still new in parts of California.

edgar, One more thought about finding a used car. Sometimes, you can find a real good deal in the want ads. Some people just want to get rid of a car for personal reasons, and will sell it at a very reasonable price. You might want to check out your local newspaper ads.

A couple of years ago, we sold a 1970's Honda for $300. The buyer got a real good deal, because the tires were almost new, and the engine was still in good shape. Just some small dings on the body.

We are using Craig's list right now.

I took off yesterday to drive mrs edgarblythe to see the doctor. He gave her some pills for her arthritis. She had banged her knee and was concerned because the soreness would not go away.