Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

breld

Alright - you asked for it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1mig3672851009j/Car List.xlsx?dl=0

I was going to hide or delete the cost information, but hey, we tend to share that on a purchase by purchase basis here anyway. So there you go.

tbirdmarco

@roadburner hear you!

tbirdmarco

@jpp5862 glad you all had an good time car shopping! this past weekend!

tbirdmarco

@qbrozen one thing on that car fax for that xc90 that bafales me is the spark plug change reprograming of stuff they all do that from time to time! but don't look at this one look at other exzampales!

tbirdmarco

@breld nice nice!

tbirdmarco

@breld would look at other xc90s what bafales me is y wher spark plugs changed so early!

tifighter

I'll admit to an ownership spreadsheet too. But I never know how to count spouse cars.

fintail

I think the 3rd gen TL was peak Acura. That and the mid 90s era were highs of brand relevancy, at least IMO.

stickguy

3rd gen was 2005-2010? Yeah, those were fantastic.

ab348

The @breld spreadsheet is interesting.

Right/left arrow keys move it sideways on a PC.

The Beetle seems to have been so quickly in and out of the inventory that it didn't make the list. What's the story on the '64 Land Rover?

qbrozen

stickguy said:

ah, yes. Did not see that the first time. Very complete. Just curious, what is the significance of the rows highlighted in pink?

Oh, that denotes vehicles primarily driven by the wife.

qbrozen

ab348 said:

The @breld spreadsheet is interesting. Right/left arrow keys move it sideways on a PC. The Beetle seems to have been so quickly in and out of the inventory that it didn't make the list. What's the story on the '64 Land Rover?

I happened upon that Land Rover sitting unused and neglected in the yard of my father's shop when I was a teenager. I bought it from the landlord for $250. It sat in my parents' yard for a few years and I never found the time nor money to do anything with it. Sold it online for $2k

tbirdmarco

@qbrozen interesting! on the story on that 1960s landrover!

carnaught

My name is Carnaught, and I’m a car-aholic (everybody: “hello Carnaught”).
Punch pics. coming later today.

corvette

I drove the 2002 Park Avenue Ultra I posted about in RWTIV the other day. Drives very good for a 15 year old car, but it has more scrapes and dings than I remember, so I’ll reduce the asking price accordingly. The supercharged 3800 is much less thrashy than I remember (my late grandfather owned the predecessor to this car, a 1998 model—same body style in the same color, and it seemed less refined). Perhaps they made some improvements between model years. Obviously, you feel none of the bumps in the road in that thing.  I think 2002 was the last year of the Park Ave before they put the tacky portals on them. 

xwesx

I must say, @breld and @qbrozen, I like your spreadsheets! I keep spreadsheets on my cars, but I don't have one of my cars! Good history, for sure, and prevents time from fogging the ol' memory.

laurasdada

fintail said:

I think the 3rd gen TL was peak Acura. That and the mid 90s era were highs of brand relevancy, at least IMO.

And 4th gen TL was beak Acura.

Loved my '05 Abyss Blue TL. The dealer to whom I traded it for the Jaguar XK said that it was in such nice shape that he actually kept it off his lot, sold it to his best friend!

qbrozen

xwesx said:

I must say, @breld and @qbrozen, I like your spreadsheets! I keep spreadsheets on my cars, but I don't have one of my cars! Good history, for sure, and prevents time from fogging the ol' memory.

wish i had pics of all so i could add those. oh well.

elias

not sure if i can catch up on the 500 postings i've missed here, but ........
OOPS i did it again. 2017 chevy cruze diesel LT stickshift, with heated steering wheel. including spare wheel+tire (see below). OTD $17100, including $1300 GM card rebate and $1000 GM card round-up. its probably new car #25 or 35, over the decades. Garage is too full. 2005 GTO stickshift has 141k and is in great shape , will go to my eldest son and his wife and my grandson(!).
2015 non-gas-guzzler chevy SS has 31k miles now. There is no spare wheel in that car, and we regretted its absence on the cars 4th long distance cruise (boston to MN). I had brought a spare front tire but it did not help... Gotta carry a spare rear tire and a spare front tire, since there is no spare wheel. Before my next drive to california in that car, I'll probably buy a spare wheel & jack kit from tire-rack.

tbirdmarco

@carnaught congrads on the punch! glad you wher able to get it done and all did work out cant wate to hear all about how it whent down and what car you did end up getting! and seeing the picks!

tbirdmarco

@elias congrads on the new car punch! that ss sounds nice and that GTO you have nice my isterinlaws steep dad has one he got used back in 2009 with 12k on it stick shift red don't evan think he put 500 miles on it since than rairly drives it shame! what other cars do you have in the fleet? and welcome to the group!

elias

thanks Marco! Aside from the diesel Cruze & Australian Chevy SS + GTO (not red) , the current fleet has a 2016 sonic turbo stickshift for my better half, and 2001 corolla for my youngest son (3 speed slushbox!). Corolla stories: The kid has run it with nearly zero oil for days or weeks at a time. The tire dude at tire store had raced his 2001 corolla on dirttrack and swore he refilled crankcase with 100% water intentionally for weeks and kept racing it before it finally stopped running.

xwesx

Very nice, Elias! I've been considering the possibility of a diesel GM at some point after I dispose of the Q7. Given the typical depreciation on GM vehicles, I'll likely go with something a little used.

corvette

elias, congrats on the punch! Couldn't you get a spare wheel + tire in whatever is the larger size (probably rear) in the Chevy SS and just carry that? I assume it would fit the front in a pinch.

stickguy

I imagine the Cruz will get some pretty impressive MPG. but at least around here, diesel is expensive again, running as much or more as PUG.

tbirdmarco

@elias you are welcome! that is quite the fleet! wow cool that your son was able to do that with his carola! bye the way the GTO is an 2006 left it out of the posting above!

graphicguy

@elias......congrats on the punch!

graphicguy

laurasdada said:

fintail said:

I think the 3rd gen TL was peak Acura. That and the mid 90s era were highs of brand relevancy, at least IMO.

And 4th gen TL was beak Acura.

Loved my '05 Abyss Blue TL. The dealer to whom I traded it for the Jaguar XK said that it was in such nice shape that he actually kept it off his lot, sold it to his best friend!

My first Acura was an ‘05 TL, too. Good car....loved it. Always found I liked the way they drive, handle, perform and the way they were styled. Matter of fact, I was probably the only person alive who liked the “beak” styling.

They’ve come a long way. The first time I put Acuras on my radar was probably back in the early ‘90s, when a friend of my late Father’s showed me his new Legend Coupe. I thought it was stunning and was unlike any other luxury car I had ever seen or been in.....in a GOOD way!

I know lots of Acura fans would love them to bring back the Legend (vs the never did sell well RL).

roadburner

graphicguy said:

@elias......congrats on the punch!

Ditto!

au1994

@carnaught...did I miss the details of your punch?

@elias...congrats on the Cruze. Nice looking small car offering from GM

kyfdx

graphicguy said:

@elias......congrats on the punch!

Congrats! I think the Cruze is a great looking car. Diesel stickshift is very cool.

Michaell

@elias - congrats on the punch! Nice addition to the fleet.

@corvette - with two months left in the year, where do we stand?

ab348

We are still waiting for the @carnaught announcement.

iluvmysephia1

Elias - how is your wife liking her '16 Chevy Sonic turbo stick shift? I was looking at Sonic's several months ago.

corvette

I think we’re at 42 for the year. 

Michaell

corvette said:

I think we’re at 42 for the year. 

Yikes!

When it comes time to make guesses for 2018, I keep thinking that this will be the year where folks stand pat. And then, they don't.

andres3

xwesx said:

kyfdx said:

If by "audacity", you mean "criminal behavior", then yes... they stuck it to them.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Again, doesn't make sense that they threw them a bone for 7% of the vehicles at the owners' expense.

So, let's see if I can get through the rest of these...

@sda - I like it, but would never have bought it as a keeper. It has a fantastic engine slapped on a ho-hum body that makes for a terrible SUV. It's basically a large sedan that weighs 50% more. No thanks. I would rather get back my ROI on the Passat (currently tied up in this) and get it reinvested. Besides, it makes me a little nervous about the DEF system that I already had to replace under the settlement warranty... I doubt my subarctic climate is kind on that system with all the freeze/thaw cycles.

@Marcothecarguy1986 - Weather is nice currently. It's a little under freezing, with "freezing rain" forecast for the next couple of days. We were down to about zero for a week or so, which makes this stuff feel balmy. AND, another reason to not keep the Q7: I love driving on slick roads! The Q7 does not share my enthusiasm. The stability control is highly invasive, and turning it off makes it just slightly less invasive.

And, probably the best reason to get rid of it: I promised my wife (before we even bought it) that it would go regardless of the settlement outcome. I know her expectation has not changed!

In Audi's I've owned, you can turn "off" the ESP to make the lawyers happy, or you can really turn it off. In order to do the latter, you have to press and hold the ESP Off button for 2 to 3 seconds without letting go. You should see on the dash "ESP OFF" with some additional notation to the what I call "half-off setting." I think this only works if the ESP is on when you start the process.

Mr_Shiftright

I'm working with friends helping them buy a 2018 Civic Sedan, and for the life of me I cannot find this specific info:

If you buy an LX you get blind spot monitoring, but when you add Honda Sensing, blind spot isn't on the list. Would Honda really make you jump up a trim level, or have to order Lane Watch, after you added Honda Sensing?

andres3

benjaminh said:

@stickguy Congrats! Amazing price for an impressive car. Glad you get to enjoy driving again. Taking corners with a little bit of speed is fun if your car can handle it....

Apparently some find driving a car that can't "handle it" fun as well. Makes them feel like a masterful driver or something. I'm not getting that feeling from the Kia Optima. I've kept it on the road, but I don't find having to use more skills at lower speeds all that fun. Maybe I need an snap over-steering monster.

Maybe something old that earned a reputation for being a Widow-maker.

xwesx

andres3 said:

In Audi's I've owned, you can turn "off" the ESP to make the lawyers happy, or you can really turn it off. In order to do the latter, you have to press and hold the ESP Off button for 2 to 3 seconds without letting go. You should see on the dash "ESP OFF" with some additional notation to the what I call "half-off setting." I think this only works if the ESP is on when you start the process.

Thank you for the insight, Andres! I'll check it out when I'm next in the seat.

andres3

breld said:

graphicguy said:

breld said:

@pensfan83 and @graphicguy -

I've been asked for some advice from a friend who is looking to surprise her husband with a TLX A-Spec, and curious what your thoughts are since it's the same car as you two recently acquired.

Here are the initial offers from the dealership (in NC), which I assume are well-padded (as an initial offer):

MSRP: $44,409
Sale Price: $40,884

Lease offer at 36 months/10k miles:

$422/month w/$5k due at signing (includes 1st month's pmt and NC registration)
$511/month w/$2k due at signing

Not sure how much that registration is, but obviously my first piece of advice will be to avoid the upfront payment.

Apparently, there is an additional $2,000 incentive to lease vs. finance.

I'll check into all of it too, but thought I'd at least get your initial thoughts.

Thanks!

Breld.....separating the trade amount (Q50) I was at $43K, all in...taxes, tags, registration, etc. So, I figure purchase price was somewhere near $40K, give or take, IIRC.

I don’t have my worksheet anymore, otherwise I could tell you the exact deal.

Michael can help on the lease side, as I don’t know what incentives are going on there.

Thanks! I've told her to target around $39k or so. Given they're looking at the FWD version (I initially thought all A-Specs were AWD), that should be attainable - figuring invoice less incentives plus a modest margin.

Our friend is looking to surprise her husband, who hasn't had a new car since he bought a first-gen Solara, which was a bright red that he loved. So, a red over red TLX will be an incredible treat.

The AWD version will make all the horses much more usable. I think Acura missed the mark by offering an A-Spec without SH-AWD. I suppose some just want the "looks."

andres3

graphicguy said:

@pensfan83 ...I think around $40K is the price on an A-Spec SH AWD version, before taxes and tags.
@breld.....the FWD version should come in well under $40K. I think $39K should be very “doable”.

I also think it depends on the part of the country. I have a friend in the Bay Area who says he can’t touch one for under $43K.

Stick...can’t remember if I did a congrats for the punch....but CONGRATS!

I think car dealerships in the Bay Area and LA area of CA can be snobby when it comes to maintaining high car prices. Even San Diego. It's all about finding a dealer that is willing to deal.

stickguy

Shifty, the 2017 civic LX doesn't have BLIS. I doubt hey added for 2018. Maybe it has one of those mirrors with a blind spot triangle? And pretty sure the most you can get on any model is lane watch.

But, would need to find 2018 specs to make sure.

corvette

Mr_Shiftright said:

I'm working with friends helping them buy a 2018 Civic Sedan, and for the life of me I cannot find this specific info: If you buy an LX you get blind spot monitoring, but when you add Honda Sensing, blind spot isn't on the list. Would Honda really make you jump up a trim level, or have to order Lane Watch, after you added Honda Sensing?

I’m on Honda’s website and don’t see BLIS listed as a feature on the 2018 Civic. 

Mr_Shiftright

So I guess Honda thinks Lane Watch is a replacement for BLIS.

stickguy

Yes they do. They new accord switched though.

Mr_Shiftright

The Civic is same-o same-o 2017 or 2018. You might as well buy a '17 if you can get a good deal on one.

andres3

sandman_6472 said:

I broke my passenger side mirror last month and the price to fix the damage is ridiculous! Went to VW and a couple of body shops and all prices were within dollars of each other. Seems they all must get the part from, you guessed it, VW! Absolutely crazy. Only the one I'm going with said if I paid it upfront, they'd get it in and paint it before they actually need my vehicle. This way, I won't have to rent another vehicle for a day or two, it'll take a few hours to complete if all goes according to plan. Sounds good to me!!!

The Sandman

The Audi S4 Aluminum Housing Side Mirror cover retails for $500 so it's a $600 job installed at CA rates. They obviously build some profit into those side mirrors!

andres3

Michaell said:

When I leased my Elantra GT, i pre purchased the maintenance, as I was still delivering pizza and putting a lot of miles on the car. I followed the 3750 schedule.

Am meeting up with @jpp5862 and @breld this morning - breakfast first, then some test drives. @jpp5862 wants to test drive the RR Velar and (maybe) the Volvo V90. I'll try out the Elantra Sport and, if there is time, the 2018 Accord.

The first three dealers are within a mile of so of each other; the Honda dealer is a few miles from them.

On a lease why would anyone follow the "severe" schedule if it isn't required by the lease agreement? What is absolutely required on a lease? Does severe or regular schedule get left up to the owner's honor system? I was told the 1.6T in the Optima had a 5K mile interval for oil changes, period, no exceptions. Well, one exception, to do the first oil change at 3K, then every 5K miles thereafter.

Sandman6472

Our Honda location got a bunch of new Accords in yesterday. A few had a chrome strip on the rear fender which looked nice. Saw a Sport model without one but prefer one with it. The EX model seems to be the sweet spot of the lineup. Too bad it's just too big for my needs! Think it'll give the new Camry a run for the money and like them both honestly.
Ordered the new mirror today and paid for it so it'll be all painted when I bring it in for installation. Said it'll take about 4 hours to install it all. Just totally annoying, the whole situation and an expense I really don't need right now. With the wedding bills, the new mirror and the property tax bill in the mail today, an expensive month for the Sandman household. Looking to work some extra hours going forward to add back to the savings account.
Looking to finally dump AT&T for our cell phone service. They really sick and looking to go with T-mobile and that over 55 Plan. Really time to spin the girls off on their own already and just might do that within the next few months. Would be nice for them to get together and put us on a plan they cover but that has to come from them. I'm done covering things for everyone already!!!

The Sandman