Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

explorerx4

@marco,
I'm in software. Normally it can be somewhat chaotic, but it's kind of at another level right now.
Hopefully, it will calm down soon.

@driver100,
Thanks for passing on the message from your dad. I was hoping it would be more uplifting, though.

oldfarmer50

robertfl said:

When I look at the Edmunds True Market Value Pricing I see a line that says "Customer Cash Adjusted True Market Value". What is that exactly? Is that the price I should pay if I am paying with cash rather than getting a car loan?

I think that's the fair value after deducting any rebates. While that's an average of what others have paid a good negotiator can often do better. Has nothing to do with form of payment.

tbirdmarco

@driver100 that is quite the story above good for him doing so whell! he seames to drive so little that byeing his current leesed car sounds like the way to go!

tbirdmarco

@explorerx4 O cool!

tbirdmarco

@oldfarmer50 agreed with you posted above!

tbirdmarco

@abacomike glad you salved the problem with your phone! good to no have to try doing that next time my phone freazes up!

tbirdmarco

@iluv see wht deal can be worked on on the new car of your choice if any when you can!

tbirdmarco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9O0q4AwK1E

driver100

explorerx4 said:

@marco,
I'm in software. Normally it can be somewhat chaotic, but it's kind of at another level right now.
Hopefully, it will calm down soon.

@driver100,
Thanks for passing on the message from your dad. I was hoping it would be more uplifting, though.

Sorry, it won't solve the problem, but, when you find work is extremely frustrating.......remember those words....if it was fun, they wouldn't pay me for doing it.....got me through many bad times.

driver100

Marcothecarguy1986 said:

@driver100 that is quite the story above good for him doing so whell! he seames to drive so little that byeing his current leesed car sounds like the way to go!

He is a minimalist...has a nice apartment but all things he bought used or were given to him. He tries to drive as little as possible. He doesn't have a TV, but he loves computers and Star Wars....you get the picture.

The incredible thing is, he will be paying $9000 for a car with less than 7000 miles on it by the end of the lease....this car could easily last 10 years.

It was a bit of a risk getting locked into a lease, but, it allowed him to have a reliable car for his new business. It is using the system to your advantage.

tbirdmarco

@driver100 yes do get the pickture! worked in his faver leesing! cool that he is in to computers and Starwors!

tbirdmarco

@driver100 don't put on the TV as much as I used to mor on hear on edmans or doing what ever elce on the computer! or phone!

driver100

Marco...I sure wouldn't invest in a cable company these days. Netflix and Prime have changed TV viewing completely....no comparison. All we use regular TV for is to get some local news and weather, and sports.

abacomike

We all talk about our experiences buying cars here on this forum.  In reality, everything about the activities and processes we undertake are much like a “flowchart” that follows a carefully developed plan of attack.  After all, if you really know the ins and outs of car-buying, then you are fully aware that buying a car is similar in nature to an offensive set of maneuvers aimed at all out war with a very capable foe - the car dealership.

The processes I mentioned above include, but are by no means limited to, investigation (which car you want to buy), research (what do the pros say about the car I want to buy?), laboratory tests (demo driving the cars I like), narrowing the choices based upon research and investigation and testing, price research and trade valuation research, establishing a price threshold, negotiating for the threshold price at a dealership(s) and finally the decision on when where and how I want to buy the car.

First of all, 2-weeks before I got the car I had no intention of getting a new car!  I was very satisfied with the 740i.  But as all of you know, I am ALWAYS looking.  You know the saying, “...when you stop looking, you must be dead...!”

Prior to getting my new car, I read all about the S Class vehicle, especially the newly introduced S450 with the bi-turbo V6.  I discovered that the 2018 had just undergone a refresh in design and technology, as well.  I read all the reviews of the car and viewed 8-10 videos on YouTube where the car was physically introduced by many drivers.  I visited the Mercedes website and built a car to my liking.  I went on Edmunds and built the car again, making notes about MSRP and invoice pricing.

I contacted my local dealer and they got back to me with an unacceptable offer (2K discount off MSRP and $53,000 for my trade).  I then called the Orlando dealership and spoke several times with the salesman my brother dealt with when he bought his S550 Coupe in October.  After a lot of phone an email communications, he was able to offer me $55,000 for my trade and a price of $97,000 (MSRP was $105,795).  That was the best I could get, so I put getting a new car on the back burner - cost was the main reason I stopped researching.  Remember, I had not yet driven the S450 because I was not comfortable with what I would have to dole out.

About 2 weeks later, I had finished my morning walk but did not feel like going straight home.  So I decided to go up to Palm Beach and test drive the S450.  The salesman was one of your typical “what do we have to do to earn your business today” idiots, but after 15 minutes, he located an S450 that had just come in from the port with pretty much how I had priced it and in Selenite Gray, which I liked.  I drove the car off the lot and onto the interstate - that was all I needed to convince me I had to get one.

Rather than deal with the salesman, I took out one of my old business cards as sales manager at Infiniti and asked to speak to the General Sales Manager.  I introduced my self to him and told him I wanted $57,000 for my trade and a selling price of $96,000 for the $105,595 MSRP S450.  I said that included the USAA fleet incentive.

20 minutes later he came back with $56,000 for my trade ($1800 over Manheim wholesale) and $96,250 as a selling price for the S450.  The deal was there - now I needed to negotiate financing with the finance manager.  In the end, it was the finance manager who was responsible for my getting the car.  Rather than pull money out of the bank and take out a loan for $35,000, he showed me the benefits of leasing the car.  The residual after 36 months/12,000 miles a year, was just over $58,000.  They paid off my trade ($21,800), used $24,500 as a cap cost reduction, refunded $8,200 to me for the remaining equity, and came up with a monthly payment of $621, tax included.  There was no tax on the $24,500 cap cost reduction because I used the trade as payment, not cash.

That was the full story of my recent car-buying experience.  

pensfan83

Staying true to my name and enjoying a game with #1son

driver100

Mike, well laid out story. I am just curious what really hit you, when you drove the S450. I mean, you were pretty happy with your 740, but, there must have been some major points that meant a lot to you.

When I traded in my 2012 BMW 535 I probably would have tried another 535. That was when 2015s were about to come out.....but, there was very little change from a 2012 to a 2015. I had my favorite color, so I would have to order the same colors - it would be like buying a new car, that was almost the same.

I tried an Audi A6 and though it got rave reviews the interior looked pretty stark. Interior colors were dull. I didn't like the sitting position, Driving it was OK, but, it just felt like another car...in fact I liked my 2012 535 more.

I kind of gave up on Mercedes, I wasn't impressed when I bought the 2012 BMW. My wife and I thought we should at least check it out, since I wasn't interested in the 535 or A6. As soon as we sat in it we knew we liked it.......best seating and vision by far. My wife especially, could put the passenger seat up and she could see out nicely. It was finished off much nicer and the colors looked alive...not dull. Then driving it.....the BMW handles well, especially cornering, the engine feels more powerful.........but, the Mercedes felt like it was a perfect fit. We both liked the built in GPS/media screen. I liked that the roof was higher and the seats were more chair like. I knew from the time I sat in it......it was perfect for me.

driver100

(I am getting as bad as JM with long posts......next one will be shorter)

jmonroe

driver100 said:

(I am getting as bad as JM with long posts......next one will be shorter)

While you're at it, try some better content. :@

jmonroe

abacomike

driver100 said:

Mike, well laid out story. I am just curious what really hit you, when you drove the S450. I mean, you were pretty happy with your 740, but, there must have been some major points that meant a lot to you. When I traded in my 2012 BMW 535 I probably would have tried another 535. That was when 2015s were about to come out.....but, there was very little change from a 2012 to a 2015. I had my favorite color, so I would have to order the same colors - it would be like buying a new car, that was almost the same. I tried an Audi A6 and though it got rave reviews the interior looked pretty stark. Interior colors were dull. I didn't like the sitting position, Driving it was OK, but, it just felt like another car...in fact I liked my 2012 535 more. I kind of gave up on Mercedes, I wasn't impressed when I bought the 2012 BMW. My wife and I thought we should at least check it out, since I wasn't interested in the 535 or A6. As soon as we sat in it we knew we liked it.......best seating and vision by far. My wife especially, could put the passenger seat up and she could see out nicely. It was finished off much nicer and the colors looked alive...not dull. Then driving it.....the BMW handles well, especially cornering, the engine feels more powerful.........but, the Mercedes felt like it was a perfect fit. We both liked the built in GPS/media screen. I liked that the roof was higher and the seats were more chair like. I knew from the time I sat in it......it was perfect for me.

Luxurious - plain and simple - and a wondrous ride.

qbrozen

I can add microwave repair to my resume now.

it decided to quit while we had dinner guests last weekend. I took it apart and found a blown fuse. Ran to home depot, picked up a couple, came home, popped it in, put it all back together, turned the breaker back on, went to test it and it immediately blew the fuse again.

wife reminded me we have the home warranty so I reached out to them. They decided to exercise their whimp clause and reimburse me up to $150 rather than attempt a repair. This is a wall microwave and oven combination, so $150 aint getting me nowhere. I offered to the wife that we take this opportunity to make some changes that she wants, which includes swapping for a double wall oven and separate microwave. I needed to keep the budget low, though, so she declined and asked that I fix it.

So I shopped around and found a set of door switches, new door spring (I found one was broken when I disassembled the unit), and a high-voltage capacitor. My research and testing led me to believe the capacitor was the likely culprit, but since I had $150 to use up, I got the switches, too. Add in rush shipping and the bill came to $148.50.

Parts arrived last night. Today, I shut off the breaker again, took the unit apart, removed the microwave portion, disassembled, replaced, reassembled, and turned the power back on. So far, so good!

stickguy

that would be one more thing on the list of items I would not try. With my luck I would somehow nuke myself and end up glowing in the dark.

I did replace the wipers on the Acura yesterday though. So that is something.

venture

stickguy said:

that would be one more thing on the list of items I would not try. With my luck I would somehow nuke myself and end up glowing in the dark.

I did replace the wipers on the Acura yesterday though. So that is something.

Me too. I can do a lot of things, but appliance repair sure isn't one of them. My hats off to Q though.

qbrozen

The microwave worried me a little due to the very high voltage, but I lived through it. Other appliances like washer and dryer, fridge (other than the sealed system), and dishwasher are all pretty easy. Youtube how-to videos are a wonderful thing.

iluvmysephia1

driver100-thanks for the support. I like the idea, too. It's an uphill battle convincing the other half it's a great idea, though.

tjc78

qbrozen said:

The microwave worried me a little due to the very high voltage, but I lived through it. Other appliances like washer and dryer, fridge (other than the sealed system), and dishwasher are all pretty easy. Youtube how-to videos are a wonderful thing.

My son decided to jump on our bed and pull the chain right out of the ceiling fan (fan stuck on high) so had to wire that in and the other day had the dishwasher pulled out because something got passed the filter/chopper and clogged the drain hose.  

I figure both repairs saved at least $300.  Wife is always like “just call someone” my answer is it’s already broken, let me have a shot first! 

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I can add microwave repair to my resume now.

it decided to quit while we had dinner guests last weekend. I took it apart and found a blown fuse. Ran to home depot, picked up a couple, came home, popped it in, put it all back together, turned the breaker back on, went to test it and it immediately blew the fuse again.

wife reminded me we have the home warranty so I reached out to them. They decided to exercise their whimp clause and reimburse me up to $150 rather than attempt a repair. This is a wall microwave and oven combination, so $150 aint getting me nowhere. I offered to the wife that we take this opportunity to make some changes that she wants, which includes swapping for a double wall oven and separate microwave. I needed to keep the budget low, though, so she declined and asked that I fix it.

So I shopped around and found a set of door switches, new door spring (I found one was broken when I disassembled the unit), and a high-voltage capacitor. My research and testing led me to believe the capacitor was the likely culprit, but since I had $150 to use up, I got the switches, too. Add in rush shipping and the bill came to $148.50.

Parts arrived last night. Today, I shut off the breaker again, took the unit apart, removed the microwave portion, disassembled, replaced, reassembled, and turned the power back on. So far, so good!

IN that vein can you tell me if they still sell universal remotes? The one that came with our Philips TV gave up on us. Last one I got at Radio Shack so I'm rusty on where to get one.

stickguy

Walmart still has them.

I also like the idea of that it is already broken, so likely won't make it worse. Though sometimes that leads to something fixable becoming unfixable. So I usually reserve that for stuff we plan to replace anyway, so really nothing to lose.

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

IN that vein can you tell me if they still sell universal remotes? The one that came with our Philips TV gave up on us. Last one I got at Radio Shack so I'm rusty on where to get one.

Various stores sell different ones with different numbers of auxiliary components you can program a button to operate.

Another is to look at the model number on the remote, search on Ebay for a used one or even New Old Stock and buy one that way.

Did the whole unit quit or are certain buttons failing because the "rubber" contacts on the back side aren't conducting electricity when pressed? Usually the "5" goes first on different touchpads I have.

Also, do you have other remotes where the TV slot can be programmed to operate the Phillips TV you have? E.g., a remote for a VCR or DVD player? You can find instruction manuals for those on the internet which tell how to program that remote's button for the TV and other electronics.

driver100

qbrozen said:

The microwave worried me a little due to the very high voltage, but I lived through it. Other appliances like washer and dryer, fridge (other than the sealed system), and dishwasher are all pretty easy. Youtube how-to videos are a wonderful thing.

I am afraid to change light bulbs.

That was quite a feat....fixing a microwave.

If there is a story on the national news about some guy nuking himself with a microwave we will say....I know that guy.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I can add microwave repair to my resume now.

it decided to quit while we had dinner guests last weekend. I took it apart and found a blown fuse. Ran to home depot, picked up a couple, came home, popped it in, put it all back together, turned the breaker back on, went to test it and it immediately blew the fuse again.

wife reminded me we have the home warranty so I reached out to them. They decided to exercise their whimp clause and reimburse me up to $150 rather than attempt a repair. This is a wall microwave and oven combination, so $150 aint getting me nowhere. I offered to the wife that we take this opportunity to make some changes that she wants, which includes swapping for a double wall oven and separate microwave. I needed to keep the budget low, though, so she declined and asked that I fix it.

So I shopped around and found a set of door switches, new door spring (I found one was broken when I disassembled the unit), and a high-voltage capacitor. My research and testing led me to believe the capacitor was the likely culprit, but since I had $150 to use up, I got the switches, too. Add in rush shipping and the bill came to $148.50.

Parts arrived last night. Today, I shut off the breaker again, took the unit apart, removed the microwave portion, disassembled, replaced, reassembled, and turned the power back on. So far, so good!

IN that vein can you tell me if they still sell universal remotes? The one that came with our Philips TV gave up on us. Last one I got at Radio Shack so I'm rusty on where to get one.

Also, check out amazon.com. Even if you don't buy one there you will see what is available. I like the fact they have ratings, they will answer your questions, there are customer reviews, you will see dozens if not hundreds of models....it would take you 5 years to find that many choices in a store. You have to have minimum computer skills but we buy more and more on amazon.

tbirdmarco

@driver100 so happy that yootoob and amazon exzest! and other means on the net! all tho for me yootoob to follo sumthing on fixing sum thing big would be tricky! has to be very iscriptave!

tbirdmarco

whent to see an minny consert last night came home close to 2 in the morning! think one of the longest I have bin to the name of the band was zbria from 1970s and 1980s whent with my aunt and cuzian was an fun time alws good just getting out cant still fully hear so chore on this computer but that is ok. had an nice birger and frize around 1 sumthing this morning since did not get an chance for dinner before the consert! also love going to see country musick conserts to!

driver100

Last concert I went to was Frankie Valli - what a nice guy, and what a story from being a teenage jerk to making it to the top.
Once saw Cher at Caesars Palace LV. We were in about the 10th balcony up and she was the size of an ant...but, there was a video screen behind her. Some woman in front of me kept standing and dancing around with her fingers pointing up to the roof...I felt like pushing her over the balcony, but her husband looked like a Green Bay linebacker.
I once went to the Grand Ole Opry...not my favorite music but a great show and the entertainers are genuine real people, and very talented, and the audience is the warmest and friendliest group you can find. Great place to go if you want something to do on Christmas eve....lots of people there with no family or who would rather not see family at Christmas time.

tbirdmarco

@driver100 agree no nead for cable or any companys like that these days!

tbirdmarco

@qbrozen nice nice grate job! you are quite the handy man! witch is an real good thing!

tbirdmarco

@abacomike injoyed reading your story on how you got your current ride! good advice you all have in hear!

imidazol97

.

houdini1

abacomike said:

We all talk about our experiences buying cars here on this forum.  In reality, everything about the activities and processes we undertake are much like a “flowchart” that follows a carefully developed plan of attack.  After all, if you really know the ins and outs of car-buying, then you are fully aware that buying a car is similar in nature to an offensive set of maneuvers aimed at all out war with a very capable foe - the car dealership.

The processes I mentioned above include, but are by no means limited to, investigation (which car you want to buy), research (what do the pros say about the car I want to buy?), laboratory tests (demo driving the cars I like), narrowing the choices based upon research and investigation and testing, price research and trade valuation research, establishing a price threshold, negotiating for the threshold price at a dealership(s) and finally the decision on when where and how I want to buy the car.

First of all, 2-weeks before I got the car I had no intention of getting a new car!  I was very satisfied with the 740i.  But as all of you know, I am ALWAYS looking.  You know the saying, “...when you stop looking, you must be dead...!”

Prior to getting my new car, I read all about the S Class vehicle, especially the newly introduced S450 with the bi-turbo V6.  I discovered that the 2018 had just undergone a refresh in design and technology, as well.  I read all the reviews of the car and viewed 8-10 videos on YouTube where the car was physically introduced by many drivers.  I visited the Mercedes website and built a car to my liking.  I went on Edmunds and built the car again, making notes about MSRP and invoice pricing.

I contacted my local dealer and they got back to me with an unacceptable offer (2K discount off MSRP and $53,000 for my trade).  I then called the Orlando dealership and spoke several times with the salesman my brother dealt with when he bought his S550 Coupe in October.  After a lot of phone an email communications, he was able to offer me $55,000 for my trade and a price of $97,000 (MSRP was $105,795).  That was the best I could get, so I put getting a new car on the back burner - cost was the main reason I stopped researching.  Remember, I had not yet driven the S450 because I was not comfortable with what I would have to dole out.

About 2 weeks later, I had finished my morning walk but did not feel like going straight home.  So I decided to go up to Palm Beach and test drive the S450.  The salesman was one of your typical “what do we have to do to earn your business today” idiots, but after 15 minutes, he located an S450 that had just come in from the port with pretty much how I had priced it and in Selenite Gray, which I liked.  I drove the car off the lot and onto the interstate - that was all I needed to convince me I had to get one.

Rather than deal with the salesman, I took out one of my old business cards as sales manager at Infiniti and asked to speak to the General Sales Manager.  I introduced my self to him and told him I wanted $57,000 for my trade and a selling price of $96,000 for the $105,595 MSRP S450.  I said that included the USAA fleet incentive.

20 minutes later he came back with $56,000 for my trade ($1800 over Manheim wholesale) and $96,250 as a selling price for the S450.  The deal was there - now I needed to negotiate financing with the finance manager.  In the end, it was the finance manager who was responsible for my getting the car.  Rather than pull money out of the bank and take out a loan for $35,000, he showed me the benefits of leasing the car.  The residual after 36 months/12,000 miles a year, was just over $58,000.  They paid off my trade ($21,800), used $24,500 as a cap cost reduction, refunded $8,200 to me for the remaining equity, and came up with a monthly payment of $621, tax included.  There was no tax on the $24,500 cap cost reduction because I used the trade as payment, not cash.

That was the full story of my recent car-buying experience.  

Mike, that is a nice, rational, well laid out plan. That is very similar to my initial plan when car shopping, but I usually end up like all those Mike Tyson opponents who had a plan to beat Tyson when he was in his prime. Tyson said, yes, they have a plan, but the plan changes once they get hit. Then the plan is just to survive !

imidazol97

abacomike said:

We all talk about our experiences ....That was the full story of my recent car-buying experience.  

Where does the CT6 fit into this saga?

tjc78

How can you all say that cable is dying?  Homes still need internet and with kids you need all the entertainment you can get.  

We have a top tier package with Comcast, Netflix, and Amazon prime.   Comcast allows you to login to Netflix accounts and stream right through their interface. 

As much as we stream stuff I don’t think I could give regular cable for mews and sports.  

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

We all talk about our experiences ....That was the full story of my recent car-buying experience.  

Where does the CT6 fit into this saga?

That was part of “always looking - not dead yet” approach to my life.  I looked, tested, not trading the 740i for that particular car.  In fact, there were only two cars I would trade the 740i for - a Rolls Royce Ghost II ( way over my ability to afford) and an S Class Mercedes (also over my ability to buy but affordable as a lease)! 

driver100

I was just reading a review of Nelson DeMilles new book called the Cuban Affair. This reviewer had this to say in part...which I found enlightening;

Remember the pictures of classic (pre-1959) American cars used as taxis? They may appear (good from afar but far from good) to be beautifully restored relics of the past but inside they resemble Cuba herself. Anything and everything of any value is scavenged and used efficiently. That beautiful 1957 Chevy you saw a picture of may be propelled by a marine engine with a Hyundai transmission. It looks good from the outside but inside she isn't anything like what she appears to be. And so goes Cuba. There are genuinely beautiful places to see in Cuba but they are surrounded by rotting old buildings that have suffered from time and disrepair. Take off her makeup and all you see is squalor

The review ends with;
Nelson DeMille writes in his typical engaging style that hardly lets a paragraph go by without injecting some appropriate humor. He is sarcastic, cynical, and yet realistic in dealing with characters who have been christened under fire.

DeMilles The Gold Coast was one of the best books I have read.

driver100

tjc78 said:

How can you all say that cable is dying?  Homes still need internet and with kids you need all the entertainment you can get.  

We have a top tier package with Comcast, Netflix, and Amazon prime.   Comcast allows you to login to Netflix accounts and stream right through their interface. 

As much as we stream stuff I don’t think I could give regular cable for mews and sports.  

Subscription numbers for cable are dropping. Many millennials are not watching regular TV. They also don't read newspapers. Another thing many don't have any more is a landline phone. And, many of them don't care about cars.

isellhondas

qbrozen said:

I can add microwave repair to my resume now.

it decided to quit while we had dinner guests last weekend. I took it apart and found a blown fuse. Ran to home depot, picked up a couple, came home, popped it in, put it all back together, turned the breaker back on, went to test it and it immediately blew the fuse again.

wife reminded me we have the home warranty so I reached out to them. They decided to exercise their whimp clause and reimburse me up to $150 rather than attempt a repair. This is a wall microwave and oven combination, so $150 aint getting me nowhere. I offered to the wife that we take this opportunity to make some changes that she wants, which includes swapping for a double wall oven and separate microwave. I needed to keep the budget low, though, so she declined and asked that I fix it.

So I shopped around and found a set of door switches, new door spring (I found one was broken when I disassembled the unit), and a high-voltage capacitor. My research and testing led me to believe the capacitor was the likely culprit, but since I had $150 to use up, I got the switches, too. Add in rush shipping and the bill came to $148.50.

Parts arrived last night. Today, I shut off the breaker again, took the unit apart, removed the microwave portion, disassembled, replaced, reassembled, and turned the power back on. So far, so good!

Good job! More than I would have tried to tackle. You have to watch those capacitors! They hold current and can deliver a nasty shock long after the appliance has been turned off. I speak from experience!

isellhondas

driver100 said:

tjc78 said:

How can you all say that cable is dying?  Homes still need internet and with kids you need all the entertainment you can get.  

We have a top tier package with Comcast, Netflix, and Amazon prime.   Comcast allows you to login to Netflix accounts and stream right through their interface. 

As much as we stream stuff I don’t think I could give regular cable for mews and sports.  

Subscription numbers for cable are dropping. Many millennials are not watching regular TV. They also don't read newspapers. Another thing many don't have any more is a landline phone. And, many of them don't care about cars.

Very true. Newspapers are dying on the vine. The Seattle Times is up to 125.00 for three months now. When I delivered the L.A. Times it was 2.50 per month. A few years ago to be sure!

Mr_Shiftright

driver100 said:

(I am getting as bad as JM with long posts......next one will be shorter)

BZZZZT! 286 words. Penalty box.

oldfarmer50

Wow what a scam.

Got the remote at Wally World for 10 bucks but what I realized is you're really paying for the little sheet of codes that come with the instructions. If I had the codes I could have use one of the old remotes laying around. Next time I'll just look them up on line.

Lesson learned.

stickguy

that is what the internet is for. If it bothers you that much, put it back in the package and return it.

stickguy

Mike, nice story. I have come to the conclusion that the more time I spend researching/planning a car purchase, the more likely I am to screw it up. I know this sounds counter-intuitive.

I think the problem is, the extra analysis takes the emotional component out of the equation, and replaces it with practicality (for lack of a better word). So basically you fall in love with something, then talk yourself out of it and settle for something else, which doesn't always end you up with something that truly pushes your buttons.

On an impulse buy, you end up with something that just pushed all your buttons. Always a chance you have a problem with functionality (say getting a Corvette when you have 2 kids), but if you are smart enough to make sure it covers the basic need, not that much of a risk.

abacomike

stickguy said:

Mike, nice story. I have come to the conclusion that the more time I spend researching/planning a car purchase, the more likely I am to screw it up. I know this sounds counter-intuitive. I think the problem is, the extra analysis takes the emotional component out of the equation, and replaces it with practicality (for lack of a better word). So basically you fall in love with something, then talk yourself out of it and settle for something else, which doesn't always end you up with something that truly pushes your buttons. On an impulse buy, you end up with something that just pushed all your buttons. Always a chance you have a problem with functionality (say getting a Corvette when you have 2 kids), but if you are smart enough to make sure it covers the basic need, not that much of a risk.

Interesting analysis, stick.  The S450 was an impulsive buy, but I had already done all the research weeks prior to my test-driving the exact vehicle I would have been happy with.  

Why and how was this an “impulsive” buy?  The test-drive convinces me that this was the car for me and a smart finance manager made the decision easy for me.  The two activities within 60 minutes (test-drive and then the presentation of a lease as a solution) is what caused me to make that impulsive decision.

Remember, I drove to the dealership to satisfy my curiosity about the new S450, not to buy one!