Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

xwesx

andres3 said:

The Focus RS is supposed to be AWD, similar to the Golf R and WRX/STi.

It is the Honda Type R that decided to go with FWD.

Sorry; I changed focus without clarifying. I meant that I would not consider one of the FWD variants, such as the Civic or the ST, at this point.

benjaminh

Congrats on the Type R. Sharp.+++ How is it to drive?

nyccarguy

I can't wait to hear @breld's 1st impressions as well as his long term comments:  "Well, it has been 2 full weeks with the Type R..."

roadburner

qbrozen said:

roadburner said:

Speaking of shelbys, my local guy now has one. Love this color.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2008-ford-mustang-2dr_coupe_shelby_gt500-used-16754800.html

Beautiful car, but not especially quick; a 2015 GT with the Performance package is about one second faster 0-60 and in the 1/4 mile. The brakes and steering are also average at best..

I think you may be mixing your specs. They are virtually equal in performance (4.3 secs in the gt500 and 4.4 in the gt). Still an impressive feat for the 2015, however, since it gives up 65 ponies to the gt500.

Except that car isn't a GT500, it's a Shelby GT with a bolt-on Paxton blower. The Shelby GTs were little more than a regular GT with the Ford "Racing" sport suspension and a cold air intake.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

You know, I've seen a few Focus RS (Foci?) in the "wannabe subaru blue" color. They just don't do ANYTHING for me. From what I gather, they aren't cheap either. I happen to like what FORD did with the "standard issue" FOCUS ST

I lost interest in the RS when I learned it was slower than my 2er; the teething issues I've read about confirmed my decision.

stickguy

I am no expert, but the ad does say actual shelby GT. that isn't a 500?

qbrozen

roadburner said:

roadburner said:

Speaking of shelbys, my local guy now has one. Love this color. http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2008-ford-mustang-2dr_coupe_shelby_gt500-used-16754800.html

Beautiful car, but not especially quick; a 2015 GT with the Performance package is about one second faster 0-60 and in the 1/4 mile. The brakes and steering are also average at best..

I think you may be mixing your specs. They are virtually equal in performance (4.3 secs in the gt500 and 4.4 in the gt). Still an impressive feat for the 2015, however, since it gives up 65 ponies to the gt500.

Except that car isn't a GT500, it's a Shelby GT with a bolt-on Paxton blower. The Shelby GTs were little more than a regular GT with the Ford "Racing" sport suspension and a cold air intake.

Ah. I just trusted they listed it correctly. But I think you are right. I plugged the VIN into Manheim and it came up plain old GT.

qbrozen

Can't seem to edit my post.

anyway, it does have shelby's sig on the glovebox, so color me confused.

Ok, found a VIN decoder. It is a 300hp 4.6L Shelby GT coupe in stock form. As RB said, apparently has an aftermarket blower. Wonder what the output is. Anyway, I don't think it is worth what they think it is worth.

breld

I got to drive the Type R home from work, then out to dinner and back. So not too many miles, but enough to start getting a feel for the vehicle. It's wonderful.

• Acceleration - I'm not pushing it very hard at this point, but it always feels "eager" in any gear. Definitely feels more responsive than the GTI (which it should, but I always thought the GTI itself was a very quick car). Maybe this means I'm not as good a driver as some, but I really dig the rev-matching feature on downshifts.
  
• Handling - the few times I did accelerate a bit hard, it feels very stable, as indicated in the reviews. 306 hp to the front wheels should be a recipe for crazy torque steer, but Honda seems to have implemented enough gadgetry to almost nullify it. I took one curvy off-ramp fairly fast, but it didn't feel like it. The car is very buttoned down to the point of making the driver feel very confident - one review stated the Type R makes you feel like a better driver. I'd agree with that. As expected from Honda, the shifter has a great feel.
  
• Comfort - no doubt it's a firmer ride than pretty much any other car I've had, but not dramatically so compared to, let's say, my 335i xdrive or even the GTI. Given the car's intentions and those crazy 30 series tires, I'm surprised at how composed it is on even slightly rough roads.
  
• Interior - the sport seats are amazing. There's a nice color display within the instrument panel where you can choose various information to be displayed (music, navigation, etc.). I can't say anything about the main head unit, as it needs to be reset or something (I'll take it to the dealer in the morning).
  
• Aesthetics - okay, I'm really liking the overall look of the car. It's distinctive and looks purposeful. That wing is obnoxious, but actually finishes off the look of the hatchback well. All my opinion of course.
  

fintail

Good luck with the Type R. I'd fear it would be stolen in about 5 minutes in my region, and I don't know if I want the attention

stickguy

I told my son about it today (and this was after he mentioned that his new obsession is a RS3 instead of just a plain old S3), and he made a comment that it was too outrageous (something like that) for him. Must be an old 26! Made a good point, that Breld went from understated (GTI) to overstated here!

tbirdmarco

@breld nice first inpreshians of your new type R so far! shore the wife will have an new car with in the munth! to as whell!

nyccarguy

roadburner said:

nyccarguy said:

You know, I've seen a few Focus RS (Foci?) in the "wannabe subaru blue" color. They just don't do ANYTHING for me. From what I gather, they aren't cheap either. I happen to like what FORD did with the "standard issue" FOCUS ST

I lost interest in the RS when I learned it was slower than my 2er; the teething issues I've read about confirmed my decision.

As I said, they aren't cheap either. If I'm going to spend that kind of money on a Blue Oval product, it is going to have a V8 and RWD.

Mr_Shiftright

They aren't cheap, that's for s

stickguy said:

I told my son about it today (and this was after he mentioned that his new obsession is a RS3 instead of just a plain old S3), and he made a comment that it was too outrageous (something like that) for him. Must be an old 26! Made a good point, that Breld went from understated (GTI) to overstated here!

He might enjoy THIS VIDEO

It's a RS 3 vs A45 AMG vs Civic Type R vs Golf R vs Focus RS - DRAG & ROLLING RACE | Head-to-Head.

Any blind guesses who wins?

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

He might enjoy THIS VIDEO

It's a RS 3 vs A45 AMG vs Civic Type R vs Golf R vs Focus RS - DRAG & ROLLING RACE | Head-to-Head.

Any blind guesses who wins?

"And it appears the Type R took the Golf R right at the line by the smallest bit of garish bumpertry."

LOL I immediately thought about Cars when Lightning McQueen sticks his tongue out to tie the race at the start of the movie.

Mr_Shiftright

That was funny. The Type R, being both FWD and a stickshift, got off the line a bit slowly on the dead-stop drag race, but did better on the rolling race. Of course, the cars with automatic, AWD , launch control AND more HP had a pretty big advantage here.

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

That was funny. The Type R, being both FWD and a stickshift, got off the line a bit slowly on the dead-stop drag race, but did better on the rolling race. Of course, the cars with automatic, AWD , launch control AND more HP had a pretty big advantage here.

Yes, if anything, I would say that the AMG probably performed a little worse than I would have expected, but the others did as the numbers would suggest.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

They aren't cheap, that's for s

stickguy said:

I told my son about it today (and this was after he mentioned that his new obsession is a RS3 instead of just a plain old S3), and he made a comment that it was too outrageous (something like that) for him. Must be an old 26! Made a good point, that Breld went from understated (GTI) to overstated here!

He might enjoy THIS VIDEO

It's a RS 3 vs A45 AMG vs Civic Type R vs Golf R vs Focus RS - DRAG & ROLLING RACE | Head-to-Head.

Any blind guesses who wins?

The 400 HP RS 3; that's a no-brainer winner winner chicken dinner. The rest is hard to say. The Golf R/TTS really needs a Stage 1 tune to come alive. Actually, almost all Audi products are pretty much meant to be stage 1 tuned.

benjaminh

Car and Driver also likes the Type R, saying...

"Celestial chassis tuning, nearly perfect powertrain, the comfiest sport seats ever."

Although they also say....

"Over-the-top styling, innocuous exhaust note, infotainment may cause crying."

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-honda-civic-type-r-in-depth-model-review

breld

Yeah, the styling of the Type R is polarizing to say the least. When I first saw pictures, I didn't think I'd be able to get over its garish wing and other aesthetics. But as much as I appreciate and like more classic styling often found on the German brands I've had, I also have a soft spot for what I would term as Fast 'n Furious Japanese styling. And when I saw a Type R in person, I just thought it all "worked."

All the dealer markups going on right now hide the fact that it is actually priced well (in my opinion). It's about as much as a loaded GTI or WRX, but is at least a half step up in performance, holding its own against the Golf R, STI and Focus RS, despite having two less driven wheels. Accordingly, it's priced thousands less than those AWD models.

qbrozen

i don't even know, what features does it come with? Nav? Power seat? Heated seats?

graphicguy

breld said:

I LOVE IT!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHEsE9yN2CY

ab348

Man, the RS3 is a beast. The Benz is much more of a hot rod than I ever realized. Surprised the Golf R was such a slug.

stickguy

I wish we still got the hatch version like that.

ab348

benjaminh said:

Car and Driver also likes the Type R, saying...

"Celestial chassis tuning, nearly perfect powertrain, the comfiest sport seats ever."

Although they also say....

"Over-the-top styling, innocuous exhaust note, infotainment may cause crying."

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-honda-civic-type-r-in-depth-model-review

Well, you need to remember that they never met a Honda they didn't love.

stickguy

I hope the Accord has good upgrades on the infotech side. I think there is a new iteration rolling out and the Accord should have upgrades over the Civic stuff.

ab348

I want to like the new Accord and objectively it sounds like a big step up from the existing one. But the thought of seeing myself pretty much every block I travel is really unappealing. I dunno how new Civic owners (wildly popular here) put up with it.

imidazol97

benjaminh said:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-honda-civic-type-r-in-depth-model-review

That review is big on adjectives but low on quantitative description.

cdnpinhead

Gotta love those rocket exhaust panels in the rear. With the appropriate package, they're functional, as many hope and more assume.

breld

qbrozen said:

i don't even know, what features does it come with? Nav? Power seat? Heated seats?

It's equipped okay, but not great.

Pretty good on the infotainment side - navigation, Apple Carplay (and the Android equivalent), decent upgraded stereo.

No power or heated seats, though the seats themselves are quite an upgrade.

No sunroof.

None of the upgraded suite of safety features, other than a backup camera if you even count that. Oddly, it doesn't even have that Lanewatch feature that every Honda seems to have, where there's a camera projecting the right side of the vehicle when you signal that way.

It does have the "comfort access" (to use BMW terms) keyless system.

Come to think of it, the upgrades most definitely are mostly limited to performance related ones - wheels, tires, seats, drivetrain, etc.

breld

I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. I was gonna pass on the clear bra, but this morning I noticed a small rock chip on the hood already, so I called the tint guy and asked to add the clear bra too!

That was also a nice excuse to stop by the Honda dealer to get some touch-up paint. It's fun stopping by the dealership these days with a Type R!

My first stop was this morning to have them check out why the infotainment system won't boot up. Based on their diagnostics, they have to replace the GPS antenna. Now, I think the Kentucky dealer tripped something up while they were installing the interior illumination kits, but still, let's keep this in mind next time we start criticizing VWs for their electrical gremlins!

Michaell

breld said:

I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. I was gonna pass on the clear bra, but this morning I noticed a small rock chip on the hood already, so I called the tint guy and asked to add the clear bra too!

That was also a nice excuse to stop by the Honda dealer to get some touch-up paint. It's fun stopping by the dealership these days with a Type R!

My first stop was this morning to have them check out why the infotainment system won't boot up. Based on their diagnostics, they have to replace the GPS antenna. Now, I think the Kentucky dealer tripped something up while they were installing the interior illumination kits, but still, let's keep this in mind next time we start criticizing VWs for their electrical gremlins!

Which dealer did you go to - the one by your house or the one by work?

Michaell

For our tri-state folks

breld

Michaell said:

breld said:

I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. I was gonna pass on the clear bra, but this morning I noticed a small rock chip on the hood already, so I called the tint guy and asked to add the clear bra too!

That was also a nice excuse to stop by the Honda dealer to get some touch-up paint. It's fun stopping by the dealership these days with a Type R!

My first stop was this morning to have them check out why the infotainment system won't boot up. Based on their diagnostics, they have to replace the GPS antenna. Now, I think the Kentucky dealer tripped something up while they were installing the interior illumination kits, but still, let's keep this in mind next time we start criticizing VWs for their electrical gremlins!

Which dealer did you go to - the one by your house or the one by work?

Well, this morning, I went to Autonation on 104th, since it was on my way after dropping my stepson off with his caretaker. Then this afternoon, we went to Schomp to check out some X5's, so stopped in the Honda shop to get the touch-up paint.

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. I was gonna pass on the clear bra, but this morning I noticed a small rock chip on the hood already, so I called the tint guy and asked to add the clear bra too!

That was also a nice excuse to stop by the Honda dealer to get some touch-up paint. It's fun stopping by the dealership these days with a Type R!

My first stop was this morning to have them check out why the infotainment system won't boot up. Based on their diagnostics, they have to replace the GPS antenna. Now, I think the Kentucky dealer tripped something up while they were installing the interior illumination kits, but still, let's keep this in mind next time we start criticizing VWs for their electrical gremlins!

Which dealer did you go to - the one by your house or the one by work?

Well, this morning, I went to Autonation on 104th, since it was on my way after dropping my stepson off with his caretaker. Then this afternoon, we went to Schomp to check out some X5's, so stopped in the Honda shop to get the touch-up paint.

And you were the center of attention at both?

breld

This morning for sure - or not exactly "me" but the car. I went into the waiting room which had a window into the service area and everyone was crowding around the Type R.

Schomp was a bit busier - they guy who helped me get the touch-up paint came out to check out the color on the Type R.

tbirdmarco

@Michaell nice reading above! thank you for posting! my weekend starts now. going to upstate new York to see my older brother and little neeses tomoro night!

tbirdmarco

@breld nice nice sounds like you had an nice morning! how did your wife like what she did test drive! any mor test drives this afternoon? have to find an woman like your wife who is really in to cars big time just like me! nice on getting the type R windos tinted tomero!

stickguy

Paging Fintail! Black not my favorite color, but for some reason, I am really attracted to this one. like the interior. Are these solid cars? Or am I just more nuts than normal?

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2008-mercedes~benz-e~class-e350_4dr_sedan_sport_3_5l_4matic-used-16657202.html

tbirdmarco

@stickguy sounds like nice Benze high miles when things will start going rong like on most cars near that kind of milage!

fintail

I'd want a good PPI before diving into it, but if it checks out, not bad. This is near the end of that platform run, and a lot of the bugs that were around in 03-04 were gone by then. It won't be like running a Civic, but it shouldn't break the bank if it has been maintained.

Nice that it's an actual leather car advertised as such - dealers are fooled by Tex more than anyone. I miss the blue glass, too.

stickguy said:

Paging Fintail! Black not my favorite color, but for some reason, I am really attracted to this one. like the interior. Are these solid cars? Or am I just more nuts than normal?

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2008-mercedes~benz-e~class-e350_4dr_sedan_sport_3_5l_4matic-used-16657202.html

carnaught

@breld, looks like a lot of fun. Congrats and enjoy it!

corvette

Made an appointment for the Mustang to have the Claymore mine airbag replaced a week from Saturday. I was surprised the dealer had a tech qualified to do an airbag replacement working on a Saturday.

They're also going to drain and fill the coolant. I think Ford only specifies "changing" the coolant after six years, then every three years thereafter. I take that to mean they only are thinking about a drain and fill. If they wanted a flush, the new stuff should be good for six years, just like the factory fill. Besides, I probably won't keep it longer than three years!

nyccarguy

I dropped the Q40 in for its 1st service tonight.  Drove off in a 2017 QX60 AWD loaner (Infiniti's version of the Pathfinder).  Reviews to follow.  I did snap a few pics tonight.

nyccarguy

While I'll be the 1st to admit that my post will be nowhere nearly as exciting as @breld's initial impressions of his Civic Type R, it doesn't cost me anything to post so I'll type away.

After configuring my loaner online, I am currently driving a 2017 QX60 3.5 AWD with a CVT transmission.  It is equipped with the Premium Package (Bose 13 speaker radio, heated steering wheel, a key that remembers who drove last, and the entry/exit assist), The Premium Plus Package (Navigation, Voice Recognition, Around view Monitor), & 20" wheel & tire package (I think.  I'll check for sure tomorrow).  Total MSRP was $51,500.  Definitely not cheap.

Let's begin the review on a positive note.  There is a lot to like about this 3 row SUV.  The Hermosa Blue paint job looks great!  It also shows off the QX60's chrome accents nicely.  The exterior definitely works.  Infiniti designers went for bold and they did a nice job.  You will not lose this SUV in a parking lot like my Polished Metal Metallic Pilot.

The ride is incredibly smooth and compliant, even with the dubs at all 4 corners.  The QX60 would make an excellent open road cruiser.  

The interior is gorgeous.  Front Seats are thickly bolstered and extremely roomy.  Stitching on top
of the dash, along the door panel, and even on the shifter are very luxurious touches.  There is lots of storage and extra USB Ports everywhere.

The Tech works amazingly well.  I was able to pair my phone with just a few, short, voice commands while sitting at a traffic light.

Power is well matched to the vehicle.  It could use a touch more pickup, but it isn't slow.  

The front is very wide & spacious as is the 2nd row.  3rd row passengers get the shaft.  If the 2nd row is slid back all the way, it butts up against the 3rd row.  

Visibility isnt the greatest.  Thick A Pillars and a raked windshield make outward visibility difficult.  Rear visibility is hard too.  Make sure the 3rd row headrests are down otherwise you can see out the back by closing your eyes.

A small nit to pick has do with the backup/around view cams.  The backup lights aren't aimed well or bright enough.  

fintail

I still have a lot of snark about how the Pathfinder moved from being a legit SUV to being a glorified minivan.

New woes in my friend's car buying story - his MKZ threw a blinking check engine light yesterday. Apparently that's the bad one, and it is now at a dealer - he has a Fusion plug in loaner car. He was going to head out to the Issaquah Lincoln dealer this weekend to check any deals, but now maybe that will be delayed.

corvette

The Shaker stereo in the Mustang is pretty muddy sounding. Haven't tweaked the bass / treble from default yet, but I'm wondering if it was that way when new or if the speakers have dry rotted after six years. I'm guessing the latter, as the target demographic would want a good stereo. 

The Bose in the Tahoe is great by comparison. 

breld

Driving a used QX60 was what led me to the Durango. I just didn't think it drove very well - not engaging at all. I would attribute a lot of that to the CVT, though maybe it's something you get used to. I drove a 60k mile V6 Durango immediately after that and there was no question in my mind which was more enjoyable to drive. And overall interior quality seemed a step behind other luxury competitors.

Having said that, the QX60 still catches my eye and once in awhile I do wonder if I would had I given it more of a chance whether I would have ended up liking it. They don't seem to hold their value that well, so on the used market it is certainly more of an attractive option.

breld

Wife and I went to Carmax to get an appraisal on the barely used Beetle, just to see if it was even palatable to consider trading out for an X5 so quickly.

So, paid $23k for it brand new a scant couple months ago (if that?), and Carmax offered $21k. I'm not scoffing at $2k, but I can totally stomach that.

We're X5 shopping Saturday!

nyccarguy

breld said:

Driving a used QX60 was what led me to the Durango. I just didn't think it drove very well - not engaging at all. I would attribute a lot of that to the CVT, though maybe it's something you get used to. I drove a 60k mile V6 Durango immediately after that and there was no question in my mind which was more enjoyable to drive. And overall interior quality seemed a step behind other luxury competitors. Having said that, the QX60 still catches my eye and once in awhile I do wonder if I would had I given it more of a chance whether I would have ended up liking it. They don't seem to hold their value that well, so on the used market it is certainly more of an attractive option.

I just can't see any reason I would purchase this over an MDX or CPO MB GL.  

Enough about me though, how's the Type R today?