Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

nyccarguy

@sandman_6472 - the Tahoe really is a nice truck.  My Dad has one & my best friend has 2 (his & hers).  They love their Tahoes.  The V8 has some nice punch to it.  Fuel Economy is about equal to our Pilot.  It has a very well appointed interior.  Very smooth riding.  Runs on 87.  Free service for the 1st 24K miles, then $40 oil changes at the dealer after that.   

My parents take a road trip every summer to some beach locale in the south.  They have taken my Dad's Tahoe over my Mom's Cayenne every year.

Mr_Shiftright

I prefer the Edge for looks. Can't say the Tahoe would be "more agile" than your Yukon. More of the same I would think. I rented a Tahoe for 4 days and quite liked it, however.

stickguy

I know this is really a Chevy underneath, but it really looks much better as a SAAB. Loaded up, and nice low miles. Not a bad price, and at least the engine parts you can still find!

Looks like something that would be right up QB's alley if he didn't already have the Rover.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2008-saab-9~7x-awd_4dr_4_2i-used-14875506.html

corvette

Good suggestions, guys.

suydam said:

How about the Escape? Is the Buick Enclave too big?

The Escape is a little smaller than I would prefer. The availability of the 2.0 turbo engine in that model makes it sound pretty sporty, though. (Also, it looks like you can get a bargain on a used C-MAX Energi, but I want AWD.) Enclave/Traverse/Acadia are an option, however, it appears that the ones without navigation have a crappy, tiny backup camera in the rearview mirror, so that eliminates a lot of them from consideration.

Mr_Shiftright said:

I prefer the Edge for looks. Can't say the Tahoe would be "more agile" than your Yukon. More of the same I would think. I rented a Tahoe for 4 days and quite liked it, however.

A Tahoe (or full-size GM SUV) is not in the running due to their high resale value. I also don't like the interior on the Expedition/Navigator.

stickguy

the Edge I drove was a 2.0t. that sucker moved surprisingly well. Felt as strong as a V6.

corvette

I actually like that Trollblazer. Best looking of all the GMT-360 SUVs. The first year or two of the Saab didn't have stability control, but a 2008 would have it. I wish it was a 5.3i. By modern standards, the four speed automatic is antiquated, and there's no backup camera or parking sensors.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

I think it was someplace up near rock center.

Thanks!  That ///M2 is the real deal.  Perfectly sized, beautifully sculpted, the quad exhaust pipes, just enough subtle extras to let you know it is a genuine ///M car.  I'm sure it is a monster on the road.  

To put it in ponycar terms, the 228i is the base Mustang, the M235i is the Mach 1, and the M2 is the Boss 302

roadburner

Speaking of the 228i, I took my sons's 3er to the dealer for an Oil Service and ended up with a 228i xDrive M Sport automatic for a loaner. While it's acceptably quick(5.0 second 0-60, 13.7 second quarter mile) I'd definitely want rear wheel drive and a stick with the turbo four. Needless to say, the steering and suspension were much softer than the setup in my car but it was still a pleasant cruiser. Technology marches on however; the SiriusXM display now shows the album art of the song being played- my 2014 display only gets the album and song title in text...

nyccarguy

@Mr_Shiftright - 

http://m.repairablevehicles.com//show.aspx?vid=3286232

I know there is a lot going on besides the fact that it's a ragtop & it's black.  it is a stick, & does have low mileage;)

rny421

corvette said:

Looking at some used SUVs. Any comments on a 2012-2013 Explorer vs. Edge vs. Durango? Pricing on used Muranos is excellent, but I don't think the infotainment was updated during the model run since the previous generation was introduced in ~2009. Every review mentions poor visibility--at least Ford includes blind spot mirrors to compensate. Then again, it can't be as bad as my parents' Element. (Incidentally, the Murano is the only one of those four I would buy without an extended warranty.)

@corvette - I have a 2011 Edge Limited AWD. I looked at the Grand Cherokee too, but the GC rode a little too truck-like, and had too much road noise for me for a daily driver. The 2011 Edge is the first model year of the redesigned model. I bought it used in January 2012 with 20k miles, and have 75k miles on it now. The MyFordTouch receives criticism, and it is a little slow, but I'm used to how it works now, so it doesn't bother me. It is much more stable since the last software update three years ago.

Knock on wood, I haven't had any problems with it. I had a TSB done for an occasional rough transmission shift, and MyFordTouch software updates, but that's about it. It rides extremely well, is very quiet, and I love the panoramic sunroof. It can 25mpg highway if you stay near the speed limit, but I see more like 21/22mpg on the interstate, and 17 in mixed city. It's actually pretty quick for a heavier SUV. It does seem to eat through brakes, but that could be my driving style .

All in all, they seem to be a good deal on the used market. I plan on trading this one in for the redesigned Edge in a year or two.

28firefighter

Wife drives a 2015 Escape Titanium AWD with the 2.0T ecoboost. Love the engine and transmission pairing. I've come to loathe the handling but that could be because my DD is a GTI...

graphicguy

Bradd....thanks for the great pics.

Tahoes....owned one for a few years, previous gen. Probably one of the best vehicles I ever had grace my garage. There's nothing it couldn't do (except maybe win a cafe race with a muscle car). And, it did so without complaint. Easy and cheap to maintain, too. The prototypical ideal long trip vehicle.

@laurasdada...I'm falling more and more in love with Jags, these days.

I think I mentioned I saw an M235i convertible at the Cincinnati Auto Show. In all frankness, if they were allowed to sell it off the display, I might have bought it on the spot.

au1994

corvette said:

Looking at some used SUVs. Any comments on a 2012-2013 Explorer vs. Edge vs. Durango? Pricing on used Muranos is excellent, but I don't think the infotainment was updated during the model run since the previous generation was introduced in ~2009. Every review mentions poor visibility--at least Ford includes blind spot mirrors to compensate. Then again, it can't be as bad as my parents' Element. (Incidentally, the Murano is the only one of those four I would buy without an extended warranty.)

Looks wise, I think the JGC is a winner. Drives like what it is, an SUV. My sister had an explorer for a while and I didn't care for the driving position or visibility.

toomanyfumes

We narrowed it down to an Edge or Grand Cherokee when we were shopping for a SUV last year. I preferred the Cherokee, the wife wanted the Edge. The Lincoln dealer near us ended up location a MKX with the options we wanted, in the color combination (dark blue -gray exterior, tan interior with light wood) and certified it so we have 4 years of warranty. She's been very happy with it. Once the warranty runs out, we will either buy another CPO used vehicle (oops, the salesman insists they're pre-owned ) or I will purchase another warranty.

Mr_Shiftright

nyccarguy said:

@Mr_Shiftright - 

http://m.repairablevehicles.com//show.aspx?vid=3286232

I know there is a lot going on besides the fact that it's a ragtop & it's black.  it is a stick, & does have low mileage;)

I'm not seeing this as a viable repair at that inflated price. You should be able to buy a very nice 2003 with low miles for $25,000. This one has some very expensive body damage (and who knows what else underneath?) and is a very high risk for IMS bearing failure (odds are about 1 in 8 maybe?).

So, since $25,000 is fair price for the car, and the body damage (or an engine repair) would probably approach $20,000, I'd say the fair price for this car is around $5K--$7K.

Basically it is a parts car. With a salvage title, no Porsche buyer will touch it. Maybe some Russian mobsters will export it to Turkey, patch it up, launder the papers, and sell it in Dubai.

fintail

Been thinking about lease end again, and if I buy or not.

Here's a true high option final year (for USA) E550 - Good colors. I hope these depreciate a bit more when W213 hits the street.

Here's another high option, for lovers of brown - but no pano

And a loaded 13 in rare colors - I like "Diamond Silver", as it is actually a light blue

A high option S350 Bluetec has turned up locally - I can't do that color though, and they look better with sport package, which this lacks

The loaded ones always seem to be dark colors - parked in snow/ice

stickguy

The white 550 is nice looking. Pretty steep premium for the V8, but if that is what you want, go for it! I know if I get one it will be the base engine, which is plenty for me.

I wouldn't pay that much for a higher miles 2013, and certainly not a 2012!

breld

@nyccarguy - I believe you mentioned your 40th is tomorrow (Sunday)?

Happy Birthday! Have a wonderful day!

Michaell

Happy birthday, Bradd!

stever

Poor timing - are any dealerships open today?

graphicguy

stickguy said:

The white 550 is nice looking. Pretty steep premium for the V8, but if that is what you want, go for it! I know if I get one it will be the base engine, which is plenty for me.

I wouldn't pay that much for a higher miles 2013, and certainly not a 2012!

Stick...I agree about the '12 and '13. I do like that white one, as you pointed out. Maybe CPO with 100K warranty could be negotiated as part of the deal. I can't imagine that V8 as being cheap to fix if something goes sideways.

corvette

stever said:

Poor timing - are any dealerships open today?

CarMax is open today. Ask me how I know. 

toomanyfumes

Closed by law in Wisconsin on Sunday. Kinda nice, good day to browse without a salesman bugging you.

stickguy

closed Sundays in Jersey. Probably for the best.

Michaell

Closed in Colorado, by law. 

nyccarguy

Hi guys!  Thank-you for the birthday wishes!  40 feels pretty darn good.  There was 3" of snow on the ground in The Berkshires (MA) when I woke up this AM!

tommister2

corvette said:

stever said:

Poor timing - are any dealerships open today?

CarMax is open today. Ask me how I know. 

I'll bite- how do you know?

fintail

I won't be able to make any kind of move until the end of the year at the earliest. I would expect a good 5K or more in depreciation in that time, even at inflated dealer CPO prices. The E550 is more than the lovely twin turbo V8, those cars had a lot more standard equipment, and tend to have more oddball options. MSRP on that white car was 79K, crazy.

Those W221 Bluetecs command a marked premium over the gasoline cars, they are pretty rare. Even rarer the way I would want, high option and lighter colors.

I'd also consider a 2014 E250 Bluetec, but again, it would need to be a high option car in the right colors - high option diesels are quite uncommon.

stickguy said:

The white 550 is nice looking. Pretty steep premium for the V8, but if that is what you want, go for it! I know if I get one it will be the base engine, which is plenty for me.

I wouldn't pay that much for a higher miles 2013, and certainly not a 2012!

stickguy

I have just over a month to go until I hit a milestone: the 1/2 way mark on my lease, meaning that I am closer to giving it back than taking it home!

looks like I will hit the 18 month anniversary before I hit 10K miles. Sitting at about 9,750, and don't have any trips planned in that time. Might just make it with local running around.

I am well situated in case I find a new job with a real commute! My guess though is that someone is going to get a really good deal in December 2017 on a super clean low miles Sonata!

I even shopped for an air filter yesterday, because the original is dirtier than I expected. I am sure that is a really abnormal thing for a leasee to do. Of course, that is one part # that Walmart doesn't carry. So will probably just wait until it goes in for service again (November at this pace) and see how much they are at the parts counter at the dealer.

slorenzen

stickguy said:

I have just over a month to go until I hit a milestone: the 1/2 way mark on my lease, meaning that I am closer to giving it back than taking it home!

looks like I will hit the 18 month anniversary before I hit 10K miles. Sitting at about 9,750, and don't have any trips planned in that time. Might just make it with local running around.

I am well situated in case I find a new job with a real commute! My guess though is that someone is going to get a really good deal in December 2017 on a super clean low miles Sonata!

I even shopped for an air filter yesterday, because the original is dirtier than I expected. I am sure that is a really abnormal thing for a leasee to do. Of course, that is one part # that Walmart doesn't carry. So will probably just wait until it goes in for service again (November at this pace) and see how much they are at the parts counter at the dealer.

I have a 2006 Civic, bought new.

To this day, I have never found wipers that fit unless I go to the dealer.

Insane...

tjc78

@nyccarguy Happy Birthday!! I'm getting ever closer to 40 too, but still a child (or as the wife says!).

Sandman6472

Was surfing a bit and found the first vehicle I remember as a kid, our 1955 Chrysler New Yorker Estate Wagon. Remember getting my two fingers stuck in the front door in front of our house that we moved into in 1957. It was a beautiful blue and big. My grandpa owned a Dodge dealership so makes sense that we owned a Mopar product. Seem to remember my dad driving a two door Dodge something but things changed once the dealership was sold. Then, it was GM for many years with a couple of Lincolns thrown in the mix. we were early leaser's but back then, it was called "a company car" and was charged off to our family business. Just remember like clock work, new Cadillac Sedan De Ville's coming and going the next many years.

The Sandman

kyfdx

Most dealers are open on Sunday, here. BMW is an exception, though.

I did visit a couple of local tap rooms, today. Only one of them was open.

corvette

tommister2 said:

I'll bite- how do you know?

I'm gonna make you guys sit through the boring part of the story first. Finally got the oil life in the truck down to 1%. Took it to Valvoline Instant Oil Change, which is one of the few quickie lubes open on Sundays. This was my first ever visit to Valvoline, Jiffy Lube, etc. I was actually impressed with their work.

The horror stories that seem to abound usually involve forgetting to put oil in the engine, forgetting to install a drain plug, leaks around the oil filter, etc. You know what? They check the oil level before giving you your keys back and show you the oil level on the dipstick. They make you start the engine with the car over the pit and check for leaks. I heard them using a torque wrench on the drain plug. Hard to imagine how something could get messed up.

The upsells are irritating, though ("here's your air filter, you may want to consider replacing it soon," "are your wipers cleaning okay?"). I wanted to reply "no thanks, I'd like to trade this car in later today." To be continued...

berri

our 1955 Chrysler New Yorker Estate Wagon

Sounds like the car on those early Sky King TV shows

Michaell

When did the Accord Sport become available in real colors? Took the Outback to the local car wash today and saw a gorgeous dark blue Sport a couple cars in front of me.

Wow.

Though I'm not sure I'd like the 19" wheels, even though the roads here are in pretty decent shape.

What would I give up on this trim compared to the EX?

corvette

After the oil change, I grabbed some lunch and headed to CarMax. Had them appraise the Yukon.

Test drove a 2013 Flex. Very nice vehicle. Extremely quiet, good acceleration (with the 3.5 liter V6), smooth ride, and nice features (I drove an SEL with a package that included leather seats--it also had the blind zone alert mirrors). The side mirrors were tiny and the driving position seemed a little off to me. I guess I could have gotten used to it. Nice panoramic roof. The infotainment and the instrument cluster looked great and had a lot of useful features. I know people rip on MyFordTouch, but perhaps it was just ahead of its time. Speedometer is a little weird, starting from 0 MPH at the 6:00 point.

Tried to drive a Nissan Murano. The second-gen one listed in stock on their website had been flagged for transfer to another store and couldn't be driven. They had a 2015 (current generation model) and a 2007 (first generation model), and also a CrossCabriolet. Walking the lot, I found another one that wasn't in their system yet. A white 2012 with beige leather interior, which is an unusual color combo based on my searches (it seems like 80-90% have a black interior). It also drove very well. Probably a little more responsive than the Flex and not quite as much sound deadening (but still quiet). Driving position is good. The CVT works well in this application. It has brand new tires. Nice dual sunroofs. The beige interior looks great, and it even has the cargo cover, which a lot of used SUVs are missing or never had to begin with. Infotainment is not as good as the Ford, but it has Bluetooth (for phone calls only, not audio streaming) and a USB port which supports an iPod connection, or audio from an iPhone.

We go back in to go over the appraisal and everything on my truck checked out, except, apparently, the transmission is slipping under load. In recognition of that, the appraisal is significantly lower than I expected. But, I've known it had a transmission issue since about a month after I bought it, and have avoided driving it hard for that reason. Selling dealer (a Cadillac dealership) couldn't reproduce the problem but suggested replacing the transmission for several thousand dollars, which I declined. Briefly ponder my options--spend a couple grand having transmission rebuilt, pray that it improves resale value and that nothing else breaks; try to sell it outright to another dealer who isn't as thorough in checking out their trade-ins; fix it or not and continue driving it). CCBA logic won the day and I now have a 2012 Murano.

The entire process was painless but also fast-paced and mentally exhausting (at one point, I couldn't remember whether I had confirmed that the white Murano had AWD--it wasn't one of the cars I had looked at online). The no-haggle model eliminates one very large opportunity for the consumer to be ripped off, but they make a healthy profit at every step.

corvette

Michaell said:

What would I give up on this trim compared to the EX?

Sunroof, keyless ignition, Lanewatch, and the better infotainment system.

Michaell

corvette said:

Michaell said:

What would I give up on this trim compared to the EX?

Sunroof, keyless ignition, Lanewatch, and the better infotainment system.

Of those, the only one I really want on my next car is the keyless ignition.

stickguy

the Sport always came in some real colors. But only if you wanted an AT. In the stick model, it was something like black or dark gray only.

it really is stripped compared to an EX. Pretty much just an LX with I think power seats *when the LX had manual). I think they tweaked the equipment levels a bit with the 2016 refresh.

No sat radio either.

Oh, one other big difference. They did not lease well. I think a Sport was quite a bit more per leased out than an LX, maybe more than an EX too, at least when I was looking.

stickguy

Good luck Corvette. those always seemed comfortable when I sat in one. Should be pretty quick too.

Michaell

stickguy said:

the Sport always came in some real colors. But only if you wanted an AT. In the stick model, it was something like black or dark gray only.

it really is stripped compared to an EX. Pretty much just an LX with I think power seats *when the LX had manual). I think they tweaked the equipment levels a bit with the 2016 refresh.

No sat radio either.

Oh, one other big difference. They did not lease well. I think a Sport was quite a bit more per leased out than an LX, maybe more than an EX too, at least when I was looking.

It's all nice to talk about, but until I land a new job I'm not sure what's going to happen when my lease is up.

iluvmysephia1

Enjoy your Murano, corvette, I like the color combo goin' on there.

suydam

Congrats on the Murano. Sometimes buying quickly can land you a vehicle you really like. So far, the 2 vehicles we bought on the spur of the moment have turned out to be our favorite cars.

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

Most dealers are open on Sunday, here. BMW is an exception, though.

I did visit a couple of local tap rooms, today. Only one of them was open.

Walt....went back to Newberry's Saturday night. Had a wonderful time, as always.

To non-locals, www.newberrybroscoffee.com has a small cafe in the front, serving sandwiches. In the back is the largest selection of bourbons in the world (set up in back, as they would have done during prohibition). Neat place. Owners are wonderful host(esses). Patrons are fun.

Sundays are my day to shop for cars. Hard to do in private if the dealerships are open, but some (like BMW) are not. Mercedes isn't either. Audi is, though

au1994

Congrats on the punch, Corvette!

kyfdx

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

Most dealers are open on Sunday, here. BMW is an exception, though.

I did visit a couple of local tap rooms, today. Only one of them was open.

Walt....went back to Newberry's Saturday night. Had a wonderful time, as always.

To non-locals, www.newberrybroscoffee.com has a small cafe in the front, serving sandwiches. In the back is the largest selection of bourbons in the world (set up in back, as they would have done during prohibition). Neat place. Owners are wonderful host(esses). Patrons are fun.

Sundays are my day to shop for cars. Hard to do in private if the dealerships are open, but some (like BMW) are not. Mercedes isn't either. Audi is, though

You'll have to let me know, next time. 5 minutes from me. I can always be persuaded to meet for a drink.

kyfdx

@corvette Congrats on the Murano. Smart move dumping the transmission problem. Even better, not having to lie about it.

kyfdx

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

the Sport always came in some real colors. But only if you wanted an AT. In the stick model, it was something like black or dark gray only.

it really is stripped compared to an EX. Pretty much just an LX with I think power seats *when the LX had manual). I think they tweaked the equipment levels a bit with the 2016 refresh.

No sat radio either.

Oh, one other big difference. They did not lease well. I think a Sport was quite a bit more per leased out than an LX, maybe more than an EX too, at least when I was looking.

It's all nice to talk about, but until I land a new job I'm not sure what's going to happen when my lease is up.

Doesn't the Sport get bigger wheels with shorter sidewalls? Thought you guys hated that?

tommister2

@corvette congrats on the Murano. I know a few folks that work in corporate at Carmax. They are constantly making improvements to their processes.