As an expert in buying cars, Jalopnik’s resident and professional car buyer receive e-mails. Lots of emails. I have chosen some of your questions and I will try to help you. This week we are talking about incorrect listings for the new Toyota Supras and we find an “old” but recent car.
First of all, why do I see a lot of four-cylinder oversized listed as six-cylinder cars?
I recently looked at Supras 2021 on AutoTrader and noticed a lot of 42-45k $ I6 Supras. I was excited until I read the details. Many of these dealers list Supra as a 2.0L cylinder.
Number 17 less than 300 miles from Austin, TX. Is this stupidity / ignorance or a tactic?
This is not just a problem in Texas for Supras. I did this search nationwide and found a similar model of suspiciously cheap six-cylinder cars. When the options are full, see records that look like this –
Then, after clicking on the list, see the details – and here the emphasis is on possible explanations.
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It seems that, in a way, Autotrader labels these cars as having a 2.0-liter turbo six-cylinder, when we all know it’s a four-cylinder model. If I search nationally for the six-cylinder Supras through Cars.com, then sort by the lowest price to the highest, I don’t get any fake match for the four-cylinder cars. All cars are listed correctly as Supra 3.0 models.
As for the explanation of whether these Autotrader records are “stupid / ignorant or a tactic”, it could be all of the above, but I suspect there may be some sort of error in the Autotrader system that mislabeles these machines. I contacted Autotrader to get a statement and I will update the post if I respond.
Still, is it really possible to find a modern car without a bunch of electronic features?
“I am currently driving a 2003 VUE that I bought 2 years ago and I don’t like driving an SUV. It was cheap ($ 1200 and ready for the road), but I want to drive a car again. In my life I have never had a car that was less than 10 years old and I despise all the technology I see in cars nowadays. I want a basic FWD manual (NO CVT PLZ) preferably with windows and manual locks without Bluetooth / heated seats / cameras / GPS / sunroof. I keep looking around and I don’t seem to realize how to look for vehicles that fit my criteria. I can choose all these options, but I can’t rule them out. Can you give me some guidance on where / how to go for cars that fit my preferences? Most sites have all these interesting features that I hate and I just want a simple basic car, the less electronics, the better. “
I don’t think you can buy a car made in the last four years that meets these requirements. The spare cameras have been mandated for several years and I do not know about any modern vehicle sold new in the USA that does not have electric windows. Bluetooth has been a feature of most vehicles since 2010. There are some “basic” cars that are FWD and a trans manual, but they will have some technologies and features that you don’t care about. Almost everything that has been built even somewhat recently will not meet your requirements, so you may want to plan on getting something from the early 2000s.
Do you have a riddle buying car that you need help with? Send me an email at [email protected]!