As noted before, this is a terrible time to buy. Prices for new and used are for the most part very inflated.
So before you do that, I’d get some recommendations on a reputable local non-dealer mechanic or two and get some alternate quotes on the work. The cost on a job like that is labor, and independents change much less per labor hour than the dealers.
Plus if you trade in the Escape with the dead animal in it, you will get killed on trade-in value. If you decide you really want/need a new car, get the Escape fixed first to protect the trade in value.
Note: Because used car prices are inflated, trade in values should also be higher. You should shop around on trade ins because the market is hot. The easy button is car max, but many other places will give you a quote on what they would pay.
I had some dead mice and a nest in our minivan’s ventilation. It smelled for a while and went away. I ended up having out mechanic investigate it and he was able to access the blower fan and vent from our glove box. Cleaned it all out and disinfected it. The costs were minor, like an hour or two of labor.
Near future? No. 2021 is a write-off for new car buying because of the chip shortage. Anyone with time to sit on the sidelines should stay on the sidelines for the rest of the year.
This is what I’ve concluded to as well. Hence why I am paying a smidge over $800 for new front and rear brakes / rotors in 3 weeks. (55k miles on the originals, northeast winters / rusted all the things)
Yep. I’ve driven past the defunct NASCAR track where there are thousands upon thousands of new Ford F-250s just sitting there, waiting for a guy in a golf cart to bring the One Chip to them so they can be sold. Maybe late 2022 it gets normalish.
They say used car prices are starting to tip to the downward slide a bit, but yeah, right now is the worst time to buy that pretty much anyone can remember. Doesn’t mean you can’t get a decent deal–pricing is going to vary a lot depending on location, dealer inventory, and how flexible you are about buying whatever is available. A lot of folks are travelling quite a ways to find dealers who will sell them something they want for a remotely reasonable price, too.
I’m guessing though that the crappier the car the easier it is to get one still…
Far too late discovering this topic, but just to add to the Mazda recommendation… I’ve owned a bunch of them (2000 MX-5, 2003 Mazda 6, 2015 Mazda 6, 2021 CX-30, and a couple half-Mazdas, a Fiat 124 and Ford Probe) and they’ve all been rock-solid. As opposed to my Nissan Altima, which sent me screaming back to Mazda.
My CX-30 is fantastic. Awesome interior and literally the best factory audio system I’ve ever heard for about 30K. And it drives like a car, not like an SUV.
If this is replacing pads/rotors only, $800 seems high for most normal vehicles.
If the calipers need to be replaced/rebuilt due to significant rust, then $800 is good.
I live in the south so we do not see rust like this, but $800 would make me seek a second opinion.
I’ll add to the Honda reviews. I got my 2007 Accord (standard transmission, no frills) at 70,000 miles, and while it’s got less oomph than the 1997 Nissan Maxima I had before, it’s much better for long haul road trips, which I used to do all the time. I had to do some moderate maintenance around 150,000 miles (spark plugs, valves, transmission fluid, probably something else engine-y I don’t understand) that my mechanic deemed fairly standard for that mileage. Something wonky started happening just recently with the engine around 200,000 miles, but it made it a long way where I felt comfortable doing 12+ hour road trips, often through 110+ desert heat.
I’m probably going to go with a Subaru next, so I can get up to the mountains in the snow, although Toyota’s hybrid AWD SUV is intriguing.
Both the Focus ST and the Fiesta ST were cool. I had an older FoST, and it was a bargain hot hatch that did the job and was fun. Pity Ford decided to abandon everything but trucks, SUVs, and EVs. Well, and Mustangs, which I actually like, and would probably own one if I could stomach RWD in the winter.
I wonder about the new ones. I was on a business trip two years ago and rented a base model Mustang, and everything about it felt worse than my Focus. The steering was bizarrely heavy, the interior seemed cheaper, I don’t know what the deal is, but I’d take my Focus all day long. My Focus steers like a scalpel.
Rental cars are generally dreadful in my experience, though I’ve never rented one of the performance models that some places have. The difference between a base 'Stang and something like a Mach 1 or GT350, or even a GT, can be pretty significant, though I’ll admit it’s been a while since I’ve been in one.
Still, on paper at least the higher-tier Mustangs and Camaros too are really appealing, though the Chevy’s feel too big and I’m not thrilled with the view out of the cabin (cars look wicked cool though). If I could do a RWD daily driver year-round, some form of RWD would be on the table. If not one of the pony cars then there are still a goodly number of manual-transmission options, though those are shrinking fast in the affordable realm.
Yeah I’d do my own if time allowed and I had a proper lift. I’ll be working while waiting at the dealer, lol. Sometimes you just gotta let the pro’s do the work.
Looks great! I am late to the thread, but we are a Honda family and I have had two Civics over the last 25 years. We also really like our HR-V that is AWD and a great choice for someone who is looking for a basic hatch/crossover with flexible storage (it has the Honda Fit-style system where the seats can fold in multiple ways).
