Just bought Mitsubishi Eclipse basic RS for $24,000. Good Deal? (1 Viewer)

[John Garcia]

LOL.

 

[Philip_G]

DSM (Mitsu) has had more than their share of problems with the previous turbo Eclipses. These motors were crap, the most common problem seems to be head gaskets and cam "walk" because the bearings were not up to the task. I can't comment on the EVO though, because I have only heard good things about it.

lol head over to a DSM board and search for crankwalk. It's rampant. I for one would never own one of them.

 

[John Garcia]

oops, sorry, crank walk not cam. :b

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Thanks for the explanation, Philip. I did not know that such a thing as "gap insurance" existed. After hearing the explanation, I can see why I never heard of it -- this is something I would never buy. If a salesmen did try to offer it to me in the past, I probably just shut him down before he ever used the term "gap".

 

[John Garcia]

I got gap on my last car because it was a model witch is highly sought after by thieves, and the dealer offered it for around $300, otherwise I would have said no. I put a lot down though, so I suppose it really wasn't necessary. After a few months of depreciation, it isn't really worth it.

 

[Philip_G]

oops, sorry, crank walk not cam.

salright!

technically it's crankshaft end play and all engines do it to some extent, but the ricers dub it crankwalk. Supposedly on the mutsu blocks there's a little "tit" that sticks out, and if the crank walks far enough it hits and breaks it, then the motor ceases to run

[/my limited knowledge of mitsu engines]

aaaaaaanywho, back on topic, I wouldn't have bought the gap insurance or extended warranty, but that's just me. Also would have bitched about the destination charges. But like people said, you own the car, go enjoy it.

 

[Raul_H]

Well a family member of mine recently bought a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta with the following features for around $24,300

1.8L Turbo engine

Grey leather interior

17 in. rims and tires

Sports suspension

Power everything

Power moonroof

Heated seats

Monsoon stereo system w/cdplayer

It's a beautiful automobile. This was from Mckenna Volkswagen here in Los Angeles.

My Brother has also purchased a 2000 Passat, 2001 Jetta, and a 2001 Golf from them as well.

I am currently looking into getting a Volkswagen Golf from them myself as they offer really great deals. I am just saving up for a Oettinger body kit and some rims at the moment.

 

[Brad_V]

The '95+ DSMs will crankwalk, but most reports of it are only from people who modded the cars with more horsepower and heavier clutches. I don't think stockers have had much crankwalk problems at all. Those cars are probably beat on less too, of course. It's possible it can be traced back to Mitsu using different oil squirters on them, but the exact cause is still uncertain. Seems like '97+ DSMs have less crankwalk, and that might be attributed to those years also having a different parts number for the block, so maybe they changed something.

Miatas and I think some years of Porsche Boxters crankwalk, too, so it's nothing new in the world of automobiles.

Aside from the crankwalk problem on some later years, aside from the bad batch of timing belts that went out for a few months back in '91 that forever after made people think the engine tossed timing belts left and right, and the unfortunate fact that Mitsu mechanics were clueless on the cars for five+ years, the 4g63 is one mofo of a motor. 450+hp on the stock internals has been done for years. A '90-92 turbo DSM is still one of the best performance deals of the last decade. And the Evo next year will show that once again.

Back to prices... $24k for a new Eclipse... the previous generation was $24k-26k, and that was with a turbo and AWD, and the inflated price in later years over what they used to cost (a '91 was around $18.5k) that that looked to be a major reason why they went the safer/cheaper route now. I wouldn't pay $24k for a 3rd-gen Eclipse, but as long as the car is enjoyable, that's what counts.

 

[Brad_V]

DSM (Mitsu) has had more than their share of problems with the previous turbo Eclipses. These motors were crap, the most common problem seems to be head gaskets and cam "walk"

I just saw that part above. Crankwalk on later years, yes, but head gasket problems, no way. You can pound the piss out of a stock head gasket with 25 pounds of boost and 400+hp (11psi and 200hp stock) and the head gasket won't blow unless you run it lean. Hmmm, unless you're talking about the wimpy Dodge Neon motor some years got.

The main problem with the Talons and Eclipses over the years is that the Mitsu mechanics were either not trained on how to fix them or they were simply too damn dumb to fix them. DSM'ers are a big reason why dealers finally learned how to change a timing belt properly, as well as fix other things.

I just noticed the new $24k Eclipse in question in this thread is the 4-cylinder version. That's a bit for a 4-cylinder Eclipse. (sorry.)

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I think $24k for a 4 cylinder Eclipse is a little high, too. I just paid $23k for a 2002 Nissan Altima 3.5SE with a 240Hp V6, lots of standard equipment and a power moonroof.

 

[Philip Hamm]

I am just saving up for a Oettinger body kit and some rims at the moment.

Oh no. Don't do it, man! Body kits look INCREDIBLY STUPID to 99% of the other drivers on the road. Every time I see a car with any type of body kit on it I point and laugh at how stupid it looks, as does everyone I know. No offense, but the car looks fine from the factory. Some tasteful wheels I can understand, but body kits ALWAYS look "tacked-on" and bad, no matter how much money was spent.
BTW Chris, to be brutally honest I think you got taken for a ride so to speak. Next time spend some time reading up on www.edmunds.com before buying a car. Look on the bright side, at least you're not stuck in a lease! Enjoy your new car!
And rent the movie "Suckers" it's really funny about the car business.

 

[John Garcia]

Chris shouldn't have needed to go to Edmunds to find out what should have been known inside and out by someone who is a former car salesperson. (sorry man, but it's true)

Some tasteful wheels I can understand, but body kits ALWAYS look "tacked-on" and bad, no matter how much money was spent.

Agreed. I prefer the sleeper look. Stick with suspension and motor parts. How does a body kit actually benefit you? It doesn't add anything to the car beyond appearance.

 

[Chris_Anders]

Ok people. I love my car. I'm going to leave it at that. And I will be refinancing it before I have to start doing monthly payments. By that Time I will have saved more in the next nine months on interest alone than what I could have got a car for less money and had to pay payments right away. So, all in all, I feel that is somewhat of a justification.

Garcia: Understand that having been a salesman I KNOW how customers act when they come in. I didn't want to be one of those. I got my graduation rebate, plus some extras in the finance section. But damnit!! I didn't want to sit there and fight for 5 hours about the stinkin' price of the car when in reality it would have affected the monthly payments by no more than 40$ per month, maybe less. I'll pay that.

So know, I did not get taken for a ride as you might say. I knew what I was in for, and I wanted that EXACT car. It was the one. I started this thread because I was curious what you all thought, and I appreciate the honesty. I think that even a former car salesman can be a little jittery after making his first big financial purchase of his life. So, a thread like this is to be expected.

And to all those considering getting one. Baby, is it ever a sweet ride. I've gotten so many compliments it ridiculous. I had it washed the other day and it was right next to a brand new BMW and the people washing my car ignored the BMW and were talking about "how pretty" the Eclipse is. Ahhhhh yes, pure bliss for a new car owner.

 

[Philip_G]

So know, I did not get taken for a ride as you might say. I knew what I was in for, and I wanted that EXACT car. It was the one.

sorry, but right there you knew you were in to get hosed.

 

[John Garcia]

sorry, but right there you knew you were in to get hosed.

Yep. Rule #1 when buying a car - NEVER have your heart set on exactly what you want, and you certainly NEVER let the salesperson know "It's the one".
$40 over 60 months is $2400 in your pocket, not including interest - that's a lot of money...
How would refinancing help you if you are financing the same amount, since you have to pay off the old loan? If you want to re-fi with the same bank, there are usually restrictions. I don't get that one.
Oh well, there's only one way to learn, and that is by experience. I remember buing my first brand new car too. Damn it was a good time.

 

[Chris_Anders]

I will refinance through a credit union. And when I do, I will pay out $4-$5 thousand cash when I do so my monthly payments will be lower(I have $2000 saved already). I should get a lower interest rate with a credit union as well.

I didn't let the sales person know it was the one I wanted. I know better than that. I kept that piece of info to myself.

As a side note, I bought this car the day after my old one broke. I was tired as hell of fixing that damn thing, and it would have cost more to fix than what it was worth. I had an 85 BMW 325e with 350,000 miles. Yes, you read that right. So as you can imagine, i'm pretty happy right now.

PS. Those washing my car were for a Cancer patient research foundation. So what you said there wasn't the nicest thing in the world.

 

[John Garcia]

I will refinance through a credit union. And when I do, I will pay out $4-$5 thousand cash when I do so my monthly payments will be lower(I have $2000 saved already). I should get a lower interest rate with a credit union as well.

Ahhh, see, that makes much more sense.

 

[Chris_Anders]

So we are finally in some kind of agreement. You are a tough cookie Garcia
Yeah, I guess i should have told the complete story right off the bat. Hehe.

 

[Kelley_B]

John Garcia,

Believe me I plan to look at both cars evenly. I almost bought a WRX a few weeks ago, but I have wanted an EVO for a real long time, years....and with the EVO finally coming out I think I need to atleast drive it before I decide on something else.

 

[Paul O]

I don't want to be mean but you were a car salesman and you paid $2200 for something called "Dealer Invoice", $1300 for gap insurance, $750 for free rental insurance ($750 hardly qualifies as "Free"). In my opinion yes you were "taken" and in the biblical sense too.

* Dealer Invoice is not something you pay for, its what the dealer paid for the car. The difference between Dealer Invoice and MSRP is more or less the profit the dealership makes from the sale of the vehicle.

*Gap insurance could be useful but 1300 bucks is too much for a car with an MSRP of 18K. I would have passed entirely, if your car gets damaged you have insurance (hopefully) with a deductible. The likelihood of the car getting totalled and written off so that GAP insurance comes into play isnt high but then again i don't know how you drive.

*Rental Insurance is a low cost option on your insurance policy ( i think i pay a couple of bucks every six months). If your car is out of service and its not your fault the others insurance policy should pay. A new car should go 4-5 years without a major breakdown. Nevertheless $750 would be a good start to an investment program and could appreciate to quite a bit in 4 years.

Sorry, you asked for opinions - but I think based on your situation where it sounds like your not rolling around in spare money you may be able to cancel some of these "insurance" items as states usually have laws that allow unused portions of insurance policies to be refunded to you.

and BTW based on your other After Hours Thread a Lexus Owner may be a snob but he probably didnt pay that much more for his Lexus than you did for your Mits.