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Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

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Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#61

Post by auxym »

keepamovin wrote: post #29

This does look cool. I think it's valid to have an app for a normally infrequent activity that is high cost and hard to undo. Thanks for making! Tangentially, does anyone have advice on a good medium capacity, medium price utility vehicle? I'm thinking F150, because it seems like the Levi's of trucks (common, reliable, not particularly fancy, old brand, big), but I don't know much.

I'm really not a "truck guy", but it seems to me from the outside that the price of the F150 and similar pick-ups has been really jacked up since they are now a "status symbol" in many areas. Plus, the standard bed is super small and can't even fit a 4x8 flat.

If I were switching occupation to a plumber (or something) and looking for a work vehicle, I'd be strongly considering closed vans like Transit, Sprinter or Nissan NV. Or a plain old minivan as some have suggested. I hear many of them can fit a 4x8 with seats removed.

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#62

Post by auxym »

xyst wrote: post #34
lnsru wrote: post #19

I didn’t check the proposition. But is there a problem for this solution? Every car brand has an online community for every model. Every community has a forum and checklist with all the possible problems. Also most people know some car guy to ask the basics.

yes, it’s called getting an independent opinion from your trusted mechanic. Some used cars can appear “fine” on the surface, but once a mechanic looks under the hood (ie, under carriage inspection, checking for recalls, oil check). A used car I found online in Ohio looked perfect but paid a mechanic to check it out. Turns out the under carriage was rotted to hell. Which is honestly typical for cars in the rust belt (…

Yep, I live in eastern Canada, and cars here typically don't reach end-of-life due to engine mileage, but due to the frame eventually being too rusted.

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#63

Post by [deleted] »

auxym wrote: post #61
keepamovin wrote: post #29

This does look cool. I think it's valid to have an app for a normally infrequent activity that is high cost and hard to undo. Thanks for making! Tangentially, does anyone have advice on a good medium capacity, medium price utility vehicle? I'm thinking F150, because it seems like the Levi's of trucks (common, reliable, not particularly fancy, old brand, big), but I don't know much.

I'm really not a "truck guy", but it seems to me from the outside that the price of the F150 and similar pick-ups has been really jacked up since they are now a "status symbol" in many areas. Plus, the standard bed is super small and can't even fit a 4x8 flat. If I were switching occupation to a plumber (or something) and looking for a work vehicle, I'd be strongly considering closed vans like Transit, Sprinter or Ni…

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#64

Post by keepamovin »

relaxing wrote: post #48
keepamovin wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is good to know, thank you! But not very useful advice hahaha! :)

What’s not useful? You didn’t say what kind of utility you’re looking to get out your vehicle. Do you need to haul a bunch of equipment, or loads of mulch, or go off-road in the weekends?

I guess that’s fair enough, I didn’t say that. I suppose I was looking more for something like: I bought this, I like it because that, but it is bad because of some other thing.

I haven’t really specced it out, I just like the aesthetic. But I suppose: off road, some equipment (bikes, etc), can sleep in it.

Btw cool username !!! Haha :)

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#65

Post by addaon »

natch wrote: post #58
r00fus wrote: post #55

I'm actually about to buy a car (having thoroughly examined various models by renting on Turo) so this is very timely! For EVs, it seems the largest question is with the EV battery. Is there any way that anyone knows how to determine the health of the EV battery consistently across make/models?

The charger network is the largest question. And who will give you 1% financing also helps. And which car has 320 miles range for $32,000 after EV tax credit and gas savings.

What does "after … gas savings" mean? Is there some way to actually get spendable money here, or is this basically the same as saying my yacht was free because I saved so much money on not buying a bigger yacht?

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#66

Post by sandworm101 »

addaon wrote: post #65
natch wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The charger network is the largest question. And who will give you 1% financing also helps. And which car has 320 miles range for $32,000 after EV tax credit and gas savings.

What does "after … gas savings" mean? Is there some way to actually get spendable money here, or is this basically the same as saying my yacht was free because I saved so much money on not buying a bigger yacht?

There is/was an idea that lenders would be open to larger loans for EV cars as buyers would face reduced running costs, as opposed to a IC car. That largely hasn't materialized. Lifetime running costs of EVs just aren't as low as expected, particularly in the used car market. Getting anything fixed on a 10+yo EV is hit-or-miss in terms of cost.

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#67

Post by r00fus »

natch wrote: post #58
r00fus wrote: post #55

I'm actually about to buy a car (having thoroughly examined various models by renting on Turo) so this is very timely! For EVs, it seems the largest question is with the EV battery. Is there any way that anyone knows how to determine the health of the EV battery consistently across make/models?

The charger network is the largest question. And who will give you 1% financing also helps. And which car has 320 miles range for $32,000 after EV tax credit and gas savings.

So I did evaluate the Tesla MY and IMHO I'm not impressed. Note: it is a decent car. We have high standards however. There are a lot of "features" on the car that require additional engineering just to bypass.

Example1: windows on the doors don't have a full frame (looks nice, but not functionally different than a standard door frame). This requires engineering to lower the window when closing then push it back up. Also kids in the back closing doors is really noisy.

Example2: the full moonroof is really really hot. This causes the car (black interior is default) to heat up incredibly on warm days (also passengers in back complained their head was too warm) So Tesla created pet mode to keep the car from becoming inhabitable for the first few minutes - but that uses energy.

Example3: games can prevent the car from going into Drive mode. That's just silly - let the game expire, the car needing to move is far more important (for a vehicle!).

All of these examples aren't showstoppers but the decision framework that resulted in them really make me concerned so we've removed this from our buy list. We also evaluated the ID4, EV6, Leaf, Ariya and Ioniq5. So far the winner is the EV6 (ventilated seats!) and the Leaf (but the battery/charging situation is disqualifying).

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#68

Post by keepamovin »

akgerber wrote: post #54
keepamovin wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alright, I hear you about this...I will consider. I will try to keep in mind the "cool minivans" that I saw in HK and that were a status symbol. Good to know haha! :) I just love trucks so much hahaha! :)

The car market in the US is pretty much designed to rip off people who fear minivan stigma & instead buy extortionately-priced pickup trucks that often don't even have a big enough bed to carry plywood or drywall.

Hahah, this is a great point. good to understand the meta dynamics. This is why I ask in HN!!! Hehehe :)

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#69

Post by keepamovin »

auxym wrote: post #61
keepamovin wrote: post #29

This does look cool. I think it's valid to have an app for a normally infrequent activity that is high cost and hard to undo. Thanks for making! Tangentially, does anyone have advice on a good medium capacity, medium price utility vehicle? I'm thinking F150, because it seems like the Levi's of trucks (common, reliable, not particularly fancy, old brand, big), but I don't know much.

I'm really not a "truck guy", but it seems to me from the outside that the price of the F150 and similar pick-ups has been really jacked up since they are now a "status symbol" in many areas. Plus, the standard bed is super small and can't even fit a 4x8 flat. If I were switching occupation to a plumber (or something) and looking for a work vehicle, I'd be strongly considering closed vans like Transit, Sprinter or Ni…

Okay, thank you. What is a 4x8? Is that the truck bed? Why is that important?? ha :)

Re: Show HN: CarCheck – Car Buying Checklist App

#70

Post by natch »

addaon wrote: post #65
natch wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The charger network is the largest question. And who will give you 1% financing also helps. And which car has 320 miles range for $32,000 after EV tax credit and gas savings.

What does "after … gas savings" mean? Is there some way to actually get spendable money here, or is this basically the same as saying my yacht was free because I saved so much money on not buying a bigger yacht?

Hahahaha it's a little like that except here the cheaper yacht is better.

(Dons serious hat) Since many people in our context (this thread) would consider a car something they might buy (as opposed to a yacht, I hope you would agree), to the extent that it is a purchase they are going to do anyway, for the not insignificant subset that's going to buy a new car, it's not a bad thing to save roughly $12,000 on said purchase while getting a car that's less smelly, more roomy, faster, more fun, and more safe.

If "roughly" doesn't work for you, the exact amount can be calculated during checkout at better EV purchase websites by putting in your local electricity cost, local gas cost, etc. if that's what you're asking.

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