Caught between a Civic and hard place

BirchyBoy

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I bought my '17 Hatchback LX new in April and have put 6,500 miles on it. The car has been trouble-free, just not the driver that backed into the driver's door or the 20' pine branch that fell against the rear driver's side door. It's going into the body shop in a few weeks to take care of the branch damage ($1,100). The first accident ($3,3oo) was resolved in May.

The car is exactly what I wanted when I bought it. It's got great styling, plenty of power for commuting and is a great place for the dogs to ride around. The issue is that I also want a Jeep Wrangler, a lowered RWD Tahoe, a pickup truck and a car like this. Also, I'm not commuting any longer and the dogs are in Denver for the next 18 months; I'm in Atlanta right now. I will never have all of those, but can't stop thinking about driving something different. I wouldn't be thinking quite so much if it was a manual instead of the CVT.

The car is paid for but I'd get killed on the trade-in value. I paid 22k for it, and it's paid for, and would consider trading it in if the deal was right. To me, right is about $19k, but my guess is that I'd get at most $16k on a trade.

Not sure why I'm putting this up here, other than I'm bored and have been looking at CarGurus and TrueCar too much. I'm headed to an RV show tomorrow. Maybe I'll take care of my boredom by getting a different motorhome :) Probably not....
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inv4zn

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I donno how your state works, but here in BC, if you trade it into a dealer you only pay sales tax on the difference between the value or the new car and the value of the trade.

So for example if you get a 30K car, and your sales tax is 10%, without the trade in you'd be paying $3k in tax.
But they give you 16K for the Civic, and now you're only paying $1.4K tax.

Smth to consider, if you didn't already know.
 
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BirchyBoy

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I donno how your state works, but here in BC, if you trade it into a dealer you only pay sales tax on the difference between the value or the new car and the value of the trade.

So for example if you get a 30K car, and your sales tax is 10%, without the trade in you'd be paying $3k in tax.
But they give you 16K for the Civic, and now you're only paying $1.4K tax.

Smth to consider, if you didn't already know.
Thanks. It's the same here. I'd save 7.5% in tag fees on the trade value. That is something to consider
 

charleswrivers

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Thanks. It's the same here. I'd save 7.5% in tag fees on the trade value. That is something to consider
That was actually the deciding factor in doing a trade vice attempting a private party sale on my '15 Si. By doing a trade at KBB 'good' condition, the tax saving pretty much equalled savings equivalent to selling at the private party sale good condition price.
 

Froz3nTundra

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I got $19k when I traded in my '17 Sport Hatch (6MT) with 14k miles on it, you just have to do your shopping right. Not sure if you'd get $19k for an LX but you might get $18k.
 


Froz3nTundra

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You got rid of the car that you so prominently list in your Cars section of your profile? I just turned 10k on a LX Hatch and loving the gas mileage and power and looks, it is sporty as hiel!
I haven't been on this site in like a month lol, I'll happily update my profile...
 

Astray50

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Just a bit of a possible way as a change in mindset/different perspective. Suppose you trade it in after year 2 of ownership, you could probably think of it as a short-term lease even though you've technically paid off the car and own it. At least that way, you'll have more time to consider what your options are and have something planned out. :hmm:
 

WhiteCivicSi

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I donno how your state works, but here in BC, if you trade it into a dealer you only pay sales tax on the difference between the value or the new car and the value of the trade.

So for example if you get a 30K car, and your sales tax is 10%, without the trade in you'd be paying $3k in tax.
But they give you 16K for the Civic, and now you're only paying $1.4K tax.

Smth to consider, if you didn't already know.
That only makes sense tho. They're technically buying the car from you so they have to pay the taxes on their purchase. Then your buying a car from them, so you need to pay those taxes on the new car. The amount of taxes opposite the difference of the two will simply cancel by nature of the math.
 

inv4zn

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That only makes sense tho. They're technically buying the car from you so they have to pay the taxes on their purchase. Then your buying a car from them, so you need to pay those taxes on the new car. The amount of taxes opposite the difference of the two will simply cancel by nature of the math.
Yes and no.

Some provinces/states work differently - here in BC, the tax write-off is a bit of a "perk" given to dealerships, through lobbying I would assume.

A lot of jurisdictions don't pay tax on used vehicles, as the tax was paid for that particular vehicle by whomever bought it brand new.
 
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BirchyBoy

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Just a bit of a possible way as a change in mindset/different perspective. Suppose you trade it in after year 2 of ownership, you could probably think of it as a short-term lease even though you've technically paid off the car and own it. At least that way, you'll have more time to consider what your options are and have something planned out. :hmm:
Thanks. I'm fickle and never settled down with cars. I could trade this and get something I want today, then be bored in another 3 months. Every day I see something I like more..an RC 350 or a Cayman, sometimes a Mustang, etc. It always boils down to money - I want "cool" cars but then get nervous about maintenance costs, etc. I chose this car over a certified BMW 1 series due to expected repair costs, etc. I'm kind of kicking myself. But then, it would have been a 128 because of my perceived issues with the 135's.
 


CIVICSPORT

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Keep your car. i've jumped between many vehicles thinking something better was out there.. long story short there isnt, there is always a trade off somewhere. The jeep wrangler will guzzle gas, they are awful for road trips, your lowered Tahoe... i dont need to explain why thats a bad idea....and the pick up you likely wont use as a pickup ever. Atleast wait it out another year IMO
 

georgewny

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Thanks. I'm fickle and never settled down with cars. I could trade this and get something I want today, then be bored in another 3 months. Every day I see something I like more..an RC 350 or a Cayman, sometimes a Mustang, etc. It always boils down to money - I want "cool" cars but then get nervous about maintenance costs, etc. I chose this car over a certified BMW 1 series due to expected repair costs, etc. I'm kind of kicking myself. But then, it would have been a 128 because of my perceived issues with the 135's.
Hey Birch
If you make the switch to a used BMW, make damn sure you get a CPO car with the extended BMW warranty. The cost of owner ship of a BMW vs any Honda is huge, factoring in MPG, insurance, maintenance costs that much higher then Honda. And if you don't have a BMW extended warranty the BMW will hit your bank account worse than a lawyer of your x-wife!
But on the high side... Ultimate driving machine... A 135 Bimmer is a freakin AWESOME Beast! the perfect fix for an adrenaline junkie.
If money is a major concern, stay clear of the Germans!
Good luck on which ever way you decide to go.
 
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BirchyBoy

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Hey Birch
If you make the switch to a used BMW, make damn sure you get a CPO car with the extended BMW warranty. The cost of owner ship of a BMW vs any Honda is huge, factoring in MPG, insurance, maintenance costs that much higher then Honda. And if you don't have a BMW extended warranty the BMW will hit your bank account worse than a lawyer of your x-wife!
But on the high side... Ultimate driving machine... A 135 Bimmer is a freakin AWESOME Beast! the perfect fix for an adrenaline junkie.
If money is a major concern, stay clear of the Germans!
Good luck on which ever way you decide to go.
I drove a CPO '15 228i with the 6 speed manual and the M Track Package. Pretty damn near what I want. 26k miles with the 5 year unlimited mileage warranty. Pretty sure the cost of tires would become an issue. If it had been a color combo other than black on black it likely would be in the garage tonight. I'd love to find a white or blue car with brown leather.

I tried a 428i as well but liked my Civic more. I didn't even drive it a half mile. Also took an A5 for a spin too. Awesome car for my wife but not what I want. I had hoped to try a TT but there aren't any in my price range ($25k). They did have an S3 but it was outside my comfort range for price so I didn't drive it.
 

georgewny

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I drove a CPO '15 228i with the 6 speed manual and the M Track Package. Pretty damn near what I want. 26k miles with the 5 year unlimited mileage warranty. Pretty sure the cost of tires would become an issue. If it had been a color combo other than black on black it likely would be in the garage tonight. I'd love to find a white or blue car with brown leather.

I tried a 428i as well but liked my Civic more. I didn't even drive it a half mile. Also took an A5 for a spin too. Awesome car for my wife but not what I want. I had hoped to try a TT but there aren't any in my price range ($25k). They did have an S3 but it was outside my comfort range for price so I didn't drive it.
Totally agree, during my days of hunting for a fun car, the BMW 320 & 328 did nothing for me. It wasn't till I drove the 335xi did the fun factor skyrocket. Tires are a concern too, BMW's run on run flat tires, so they ride harder and cost more too. Some switch back to normal tires, and if you opt to have a spare with the normal tires, say goodbye to any usable storage space in the trunk. Also agree about your thoughts on the Audi TT, wonderfully fun car and on the pricey side as well.
My 2011 335xi's CPO warranty ended this past December, I think I'll hold on the car trade it in at the end of 2018 for another newer CPO BMW, probably a 2 series. To give you a idea of costs, the water pump went on the 335 two months before my warranty expired... the part cost about $800.00 and a god awful amount for labor on top of that too!!! Very very very expensive cars to own when there out of warranty. Am hoping I can coast through the next 11 months with minimal costs.
For myself, I'd consider the Civic Type R, but just can't get past the look of that rear spoiler, just seems like Honda got a great deal on some surplus gym equiptment and bolted them on the rear. It's probably are great for aerodynamics and handlings, but the look it creates just does not appeal to me. So the Si would be on my radar. But both of them are north of your target price. I know a local dealer by me has several left over 2017 Si's that they are offering outstanding lease or purchase options on... It would be fun to have a stick car with some balls again vs automatic.
Hey Birch, keep us in the loop, would like to know if you decide to trade in your civic, what you end up getting and more importantly why you made that choice. It should be interesting
Good luck and have fun!
 
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BirchyBoy

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Had I gone with a manual from the get-go, I may not be in this predicament, but they were scarce in NC. My gut instinct was to not get a BMW a year ago and I probably should stick with that. I'm going to go drive an SI next weekend, but I really like the hatchback and but don't want to spend the money on a CTR.

I'm going to look into the cost of some wheels with better tires and maybe some lowering springs to improve the handling. I can always go with a tuner as long as I don't try and go past the limits of the CVT; I don't want to run into trouble with the warranty. I could probably get it to be 90% of what I "want" for under $3k, far less than the cost to lose value on the trade AND go with a more expensive car. One issue with that plan is I don't have a place for the OEM wheels or tires in my apartment :(
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