With Halloween around the corner, CarGurus investigated some discontinued car models to find whether or not there were any “zombie cars” lurking around the website. Sure enough, we discovered that while most vehicles experience a drop-off in customer interest once they’ve been discontinued, some stick around, generating plenty of interest while haunting our listing pages.
General Chat
The Luxury Market’s New Look
A car grabbed my attention from about four lengths ahead on the highway coming into downtown. A Bentley? No, it didn’t have the right rear end. A Rolls? Definitely not.
Once I got closer I realized that the car was a new Lincoln Continental and looked darn good cruising among the mass of plebeian automobiles on the highway. So good, in fact, that I had to wonder when the last time was that a Lincoln caught my attention and demanded a double-take.
Okay, in all honesty, the last time it happened was with the MKT, a crossover SUV of exceptionally unfortunate proportions. The Continental, though, turned my head for all the right reasons. Seeing that car, paired with the recent release of the Genesis luxury brand, got me thinking that the luxury market suddenly looks a lot more interesting than it did even a year ago.
The Times They Are a-Changin’
Everyone knows someone who regularly gripes about “the end” of the manual transmission, uncovered V8 engines, and our ability to get away from it all. We prefer to drive with a stick, thank you, but we know manuals aren’t always faster, cheaper, and less expensive anymore. And while we love the sound and power of a V8, a turbo four can go a lot farther on a tank of gas and lets a driver get more value out of the car’s stereo. And we think our newfound inability to really escape has more to do with smartphones and the Internet than the advance of car technology.
So we’re going to take a look at some new and different cars that mark big changes we hope all drivers can agree are positive. We’re not sure they’ll end up on as many high-schoolers’ bedroom walls as the GTO Judge and the Lamborghini Countach did, but we expect to see plenty of them on the road, and who knows which 2016 might just become a sought-after collectible to today’s hipsters.
Why I Regret Buying a Porsche
About a year ago, I bought a Porsche.
I probably should have listened to my father-in-law, who has raced Porsches and owned roughly eleven 911s. This guy has experience and told me that I’d probably regret the purchase.
“Getting an older 911 is risky,” he said. “They are expensive to maintain and repair, and there will always be something that needs to be fixed. Don’t do it. Get a Miata or something instead.”
Well, me being the defiant, brand-driven, performance type didn’t care much for that advice. So I went out and bought a 2002 Porsche 996 911 Targa. Those low-slung Porsche looks, that Stuttgart logo, and the trademark purr of a Porsche engine were all it took to convince me to sign up for more than just a couple years of Porsche payments.
I should have listened to my father-in-law.
Tesla: No Discount for You!
One of the joys of shopping for a new car is knowing that the price you see on the window sticker is just a starting point for negotiation.
It’s exciting to see how far under that MSRP your sharp negotiating skills can get you. Two thousand dollars? Four thousand? More?
Of course, the flexibility of the dealer depends on a lot of factors. Is the car in high demand or has it been sitting on the lot for months? What kind of kickbacks does the manufacturer offer? Is the vehicle a high-priced luxury pickup or an economy car?
Whatever the vehicle, consumers rarely find themselves paying the full MSRP.
That is, of course, unless they’re buying a Tesla.