ThermonMermon

Hey guys...been doing the whole Hertz on demand thing on the weekends, and its starting to add up. Im considering pulling the trigger on a car in Manhattan and street parking it. I already gathered insurance quotes, and it isnt nearly as bad as I anticipated ($100/mo for any Mini).

Dont want to buy. Dont have to love the thing to the point that ill cave and spend $500/mo to lot it.

So what are your thoughts? Manual only, $300 at zero down. Could be a civic too, at $200/mo range. I am finding out that Mini leases are REALLY poor. Looking for a small frame car with good utility. This will also be used as a dog hauler, as we are dying to adopt, and want/need a car to do so.

Mini Cooper and Cooper S
Mini Paceman S
Mini Countryman S
Leftover 2013 C30 (discontinued 2014)
Volvo T5 (found a 319/mo lease, and could get in manual possibly)
Honda Fit??
Mazda3??


Let's please not turn this into a NYC thing for theft, buy vs lease, cost of parking, etc. etc. just looking for reccs.

Thanks!

Mr Marco

Speed 3

Sarlacc

Leasing a car and parking it on the street in NYC for its life...why don't you just kick yourself in the nuts and throw your wallet in the trash instead.

Go buy a used beater car...or look in to ZIPcar.

charliemike

Agreed. Leasing in NYC sounds like a recipe for disaster.

That said, I would look to see what a Fiat 500 Abarth leases for ... Can't be more than $300 a month. The car is only $22k.

ThermonMermon

Im using hertz on demand..which is similar (better IMO) than zip. Im averaging $100/weekend, and i use it probably 3 weekends/mo. additionally, im limited to hourly use. need a car for monthly weekend trips to boston...

im on board with leasing, just trying to find the best option. already sold a beater a year ago, and have made the decision to not go that route. i live in UES in a quiet neighborhood, so not worried too much with basic bumper badgers. hell, my coworker just leased an S4 and street parks it in a similar neighborhood.

...would like mazda 3, but cannot stand the looks, at all. would love an A3, but they are discontinued.

how are the honda options?

neuronbob

For your situation, a 5MT Fit Sport would be PERFECT.

And cheap to buy. I know you said you don't want to, but I have to say it.

Lots of room for such a little car, no one wants to steal it, good looking, awesome shifter, great gas mileage.

Lease prices are currently reasonable, too, at least here in Cleveland.

ThermonMermon

went to website...AWESOME utility. 117 hp is a huge con though. should test drive one. thanks.

Jakes_tl

I know 117 hp doesn't sound good at all but when you drive one they seem to have decent power for what it is.

ThermonMermon

no sunroof, damnit.

manual + sunroof apparently cannot be had on Fit, versa, mazda 3, crosstek, tiguan, you name it...only really some germans

think its boiled down to MINIs and the Honda Fit.

00TL-P3.2

Haven't driven one, but my first though was a '14 Mazda3 6MT. Though I've heard the 2.0 (no 2.5 available with the 6MT yet) is a little down on power.
Probably fine in town, I'm sure. When I drove an auto CX-5 with the 2.0, it only really felt lacking when getting on the highway.

UKwrath33

Speed 3 for sure is my vote. Or maybe Focus ST? I like the new Mazda 3's but the hatchback, sans the grill, is a step back in my opinion in that body style and while the 2.5s is fun, there's no manual. At my local dealers they're whoring out the old 13's, even the Speed's so I'm sure you could get a lot off of the MSRP price.

McCollins23

Fiesta St also comes to mind, little cheaper and a little smaller.

charliemike

Totally forgot about the Fiesta ST. Can definitely get a manual and sunroof on that car.

Damn, Ford is leasing the ST for $200/mo for 24 months with 10% and the usuals ... At least in my area.

That might even be worth me looking at for a second car ...

neuronbob

Test drove one. It feels more powerful than it is. Honda still has a way of making plebeian transport more fun that it really should be.

Well....there IS a supercharger available for the Fit.
And springs.....

Mod that puppy up!

ThermonMermon

http://www.ford.com/cars/focus/trim/st5door/

no joke, this is one of the worst leases i have seen...rolling in the down payment is $350/mo, $0 down for a $23,625 Ford ST. You could negotiate a newly modeled IS250 December to remember for $350, $0 down, and that's a $38,xxx vehicle.

charliemike

The Focus obviously has no incentives from Ford Motor Credit behind it.

The Fiesta ST, on the other hand, is $200/mo according to their website.

Sarlacc

187/mos....3k down...yuck

though the fiesta ST has been intriguing me for a couple months now.

ThermonMermon

...that's 3k down on a 24 month lease...calc the monthly payment and its barely lower than financing

ThermonMermon

A HA

Veloster Turbo is real cheap and one premium package covers everything youd want, including leather pinstripe seats, navi, and pano roof. 0-60 in 6.8. also is offered in matte grey paint for no charge...sure it leases better than a mini cooper s.

Hapa DC5

Veloster, 500, or Fiesta in that order.

Chief F1 Fan

charliemike

You don't want the matte paint. Requires hand washing.

ThermonMermon

my leasing broker's company car is EXACTLY what im looking for. will be pulling the trigger on this shortly, unless for whatever reason, i back out of deciding to get a car.

2013 cooper s manual - $325/mo, 1 year old, 3k miles, with 24 months and 27k miles remaining. spotless. only ~$500 to get into it.

xenon, black housing, black wheels, panoramic roof, armrest, etc etc. new from dealership would be mid 400s with 3k upfront.

what do you guys think?? seems like a no brainer.

charliemike

If you think that the lease payment, parking, insurance, and gas are all going to be less than what you pay to day-rent a car from Hertz then it sounds like a good idea.

Sarlacc

Leasing a used car?

dead brainer

I lease a loaded toyota highlander SE...for $330 a month all in....I put nothing down, just turned in a Prius a year early (had no equity in it...dealer jus knew they would be able to flip it)

ThermonMermon

hertz is 300/mo, 3 saturdays a month. with BS jetta TDI that smells like crap.

mini is $325/mo, insurance is a couple ticks under $100/mo. parking is free with 2x weekly spot change.

i think the enjoyment of a manual cooper s is >>> the 2x weekly spot change and additional $150-200/mo expense. plus it puts me in a position to adopt a dog, which is priceless.

charliemike

It's your money but it sounds like this is the way you want to go.

The only thing I can think of regarding Sarlaac's example is that in NYC it may not be as cheap to lease.

But if he's right, you might be paying too much.

ThermonMermon

for sure. i could get another lexus IS250 for 349/mo with possibly nothing down after negotiation...there are many cars i could get for ~325/mo nothing down...but are they what im looking for? probably not.

325/mo for a mini doesnt sound great...but talk to some mini dealers, add some options, and its pretty astonishing how much it costs to lease a new one.

cost for fun, i suppose.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Okay then just do it.

ThermonMermon

thanks, guys

Sarlacc

Ken1997TL

Buy my wife's CR-Z, it's a manual

Sarlacc

That wasn't long...now what are you getting?

Ken1997TL

She wants a Mini.. still..

Even supercharging this car won't stop her.

Sarlacc

once you finally break free of the honda world...your brain is going to melt

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Ooh. Then OP can get that Mini and trade with Ken's CRZ.

/thread.

RPhilMan1

Did you contact Shoofin?

neuronbob

^^^^

ThermonMermon

didnt want to bug him until i am fully onboard with the idea of street parking...all set with the idea of this exact model car though.

going to test out the street parking with a friends car for a few days. or scope out the area for a week or two.

one side street sweepers no parking for 90 min window 11am-12:30pm (Mon/Weds), and the other side is the same time (Thurs/Fri). We both would not be home for lunch to switch sides. We are usually out for work at 8 and back at 10 or 11. Which means we would need to switch sides at 10/11pm at night, two or three times a week. nobody is moving spots at the time, so you are stuck cherry picking spots that others cant fit into. hence the MINI. i would also be the designator spot switcher, cuz she could barely drive, let alone drive. this is would be my toy.

garages go for 1,200 (central park east) to 800/mo (UES) to 500/mo (Yorkville) to 300/mo (open air in harlem). and there are waiting lists for all of them. i would never consider any of those options. so it all comes down to street parking.

Aman

I would never want to live in NYC with a car.