Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

oldfarmer50 · October 2012

"...keyed the right side..."

I know how you feel. It's more than the damage, it's that someone violated YOUR stuff. A very primitive visceral feeling.

xwesx · October 2012

It seems we went from CCBA to CABA, but I'm for following the route of this conversation!

Our W/D set is fairly young compared to what some of you have reported, being purchased & installed as soon as I had our plumbing finished in July of 2004. The set was a bottom-of-the-line (no frills), front-loading, high-efficiency Kenmore. Ours is used heavily, though, having used cloth diapers with two children (one of whom was a real PITA with the bathroom training). Now that we're away from that, I think we are down to six or seven loads a week.

Recently, though, our washer has become increasingly noisy during the spin cycle, leading me to believe that the bearings are likely on their way out. I'm not ready for a new set yet! I think we paid about $900 for this pair back in '04, and some brief research on replacements makes me think I'll be in for upward of $1,000 for a new front-loading washer. The dryer has its own set of problems, but it still drys the clothes well.

I can't even compare the laundering experience using a front loader versus the top loading machine we had when I was a kid. I'd say the clothes take half as long to dry (45 min vs. 90 min for a heavy load) simply because the washer spins the water out of them so much more effectively.

stever · October 2012

I had a full size stack set in Anchorage, front loading Frigidaire. Had lousy reviews but worked fine. About got a hernia moving it in. Got a new scratch and dent front loader washer in Boise; don't remember the brand (GE?). It weighed a ton too. The old set that came with the current house walks all over the basement, so I'm guessing there's no concrete blocks in the bottom like the new ones.

And yeah, we had some tearing of clothes initially until we figured that you really need to do all loads with the full tub selection.

I'd probably buy whatever is currently on sale per Fatwallet.

And that's another reason I won't be a chronic car buyer - the old minivan is so useful for hauling stuff like this around. I can fit a washer and a dryer inside at the same time and it'll hold a frig with the hatch closed. Who wants to ding up a nice new van hauling appliances around?

(sort of topical, LOL).

xwesx · October 2012

I completely agree - vans are immensely useful! I'd still have my Grand Caravan if it weren't for that electrical gremlin. I'm still frustrated about that.

As it is, I cannot justify buying another van because we don't "need" it, and fuel economy is ~50% of my Fiesta. It doesn't make any sense. I'm sure I'll miss it on our next trip, though!

akangl · October 2012

I completely agree - vans are immensely useful!

They may be useful, but considering I've had 2 altercations with minivans since 2011 I'm terrified of the darn things!! I park as far away from them as I can.

stickguy · October 2012

now that we downsized from an Odyssey to a compact SUV, the wife and I have the space to travel conversation quite often. I already know when we go for a week at the short it will require 2 cars (assuming, of course, the shore is still there next summer!), but that is fine since it is only about 50 miles.

Christmas though, that is going to be interesting. Something is going to have to be left behind!

to be fair, a couple weeks ago we went to NY for a christening. 3 of us, with a normal amount of luggage and extra crap, plus a big bag of apples we picked and a bunch of pumpkins. All that fit fine. Plus, we took 2 people to the airport, so going to 5 people (tons of room for everyone, the backseat in the RDX is cavernous) with their luggage and carryons too, now that was packed! Not much view out the back window.

would have been a big non-issue in the odyssey, but my theory is, if we can make it fit the 1-2 times a year we need it, then it is big enough the rest of the year!

though I do think about getting some kind of PU (not a 1/2 ton, something odd like a car/truck hybrid say) as my spare car someday.

xwesx · October 2012

Trailer hitch with a cargo tray. It makes a HUGE difference for cargo capacity and has negligible impact on fuel economy. ~$250 total investment, maybe an hour of install time, and you're set!

xwesx · October 2012

Well, there is that. :P

I had one close call when we owned the van... a pickup rear-ended us on an icy road when we slowed for a left-turner in front of us. To be fair, it was an incredibly icy road and we did have to brake hard, so I couldn't really hold it against him (the difference was that I had studs and he didn't). Thankfully, our bumpers connected, the weather was relatively warm (~20 degrees), and there was no damage apparent to my van, with the only "damage" on his truck being his license plate being nearly torn off the bumper.

So, we called it good and went on our ways.

Let's see... my other run-in was with a pickup as well. Mr. Psycho. It's a good thing I'm not terrified of them, though, or I'd simply have to leave Alaska!

xwesx · October 2012

Well, gosh. "One close call" isn't exactly true, but I digress (further).

ronsteve · October 2012

Can't speak for the new generation XC70, especially the T6, but my '06 V70 has served quite well as it just clicked past 104K miles. It's been mostly trouble-free, with only 3 unscheduled maintenance visits in 5+ years, all for nuisance problems.

Practicality IS its strongest suit for a cyclist, as either one of my bikes lays down just right in the cargo area with the seats folded down. Getting two back there might require some creativity, however.

Seats are awesome and I do enjoy the low-rpm boost of the Volvo turbo. Just wish it wasn't so de-tuned in the low gears.

graphicguy · October 2012

breld....I've never been in the market for a Volvo. My older sister had two of them (one a 240, the other a newer one that was a model I can't remember). She had great luck with both, exceeding 150K miles.

Now, she's got a Jag, which she's had no problems with in over 120K miles. She's looking at Volvos again. She said Volvo has gone the BMW route and covers all maintenance (along with warranty) for the first 5 years of ownership.

Only thing I can say is that they do have very comfy seats, at least they felt that way the few times I've sat in them at car shows.

But, just as I like my women, I've always preferred the very fast, high maintenance sort of cars. :P

jayrider · October 2012

The new volvos are great cars and apparently much better in reliability. The first year depreciation however is catastrophic. Check on line search engines for cpo models --- you could save thousands.

Sandman6472 · October 2012

I was all set to trade my '06 Civic for a S40 a couple years back due to my severe lower spine problems but frankly, the seats weren't all that great, so I passed. I had heard that Volvo seats were the best of almost any car maker but was so underwhelmed...got a great cushion from the Relax The Back store and just kept my Civic. Looking back, and after having a long talk with my mechanic, it was the best decision to not trade.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

jayrider · October 2012

the seats on the 2013 Altima are pretty impressive. Sat in a leather one and it felt about as good as it can get for my back and posterior.

stickguy · October 2012

Sandy, I know we have had this discussion in the past, but the S40 seats are different then the bigger models (like the S60/V70) which have the traditional thrones. The 40 seats are a bit smaller and harder.

I never liked them, until I bought a 2007 S40. They are actually very comfortable, and very good on a long trip. Just not quite as cushy or wide.

might help that I have the leather instead of the hi-tech fabric they used. Or maybe they are just broken in now!

The new Volvos still have fantastic seats.

breld · October 2012

Thanks for all the feedback on the XC70. It's still very much on the list for my brother, along with the Allroad and 3-series wagon. Despite starting out as a longshot, I think he's probably going to end up with the Volvo, due to it's great functionality. Plus, FWIW, he thinks it's a bit less pretentious than the BMW or Audi (he's probably right).

But, I think he's so intrigued with the 3-series right now that he'll end up putting off the decision.

ateixeira · October 2012

Neighbor just bought a CPO Traverse, a handsome granite metallic color. Spent high 20s for a mid-level model, well equipped, a couple of years old.

Meanwhile, a close friend went to Fitzgerald Buick and picked up an Enclave, but not the 2013 refresh.

Paid $42k (mama-mia) but it's really nice. Pearl white color, leather package, Navi in the dash (smallish screen though), backup cam, twin moonroofs. Very plush, soft seats, and I like the fabric wrapped A- and B-pillars. Definitely nicer materials than the Traverse.

He traded a Chevy TrailBlazer and got $7k for it, so the net was $35k. Then he added an extended warranty and financed the whole kit and kaboodle for 6 years.

Seems like a long loan but he got a 9 year bumper to bumper OEM warranty, so he should be good, I just hope he likes it.

Funny thing is he felt VERY self conscious about driving a Buick, in his mind an old man's car. I said no worries that stereotype is slowly breaking. Oddly I think I liked the Enclave more than he did, and his wife sorta put pressure on him to get something nicer and more expensive than he had planned.

stickguy · October 2012

his wife sorta put pressure on him to get something nicer and more expensive than he had planned.

I know that feeling...

robbieg · November 2012

I don't mind the Enclave but boy are those things expensive.

Frequently, I see 2012 Traverse LTs with decent miles and AWD for roughly 25000. I think this is a nice deal but the same car new is over 30,000.

ateixeira · November 2012

My friend got an ex-Enterprise rental, which is a bit risky IMHO. Like buying a bed from a motel, lots of people have used it.

gouldn · November 2012

I just got back from a nice vacation to Hawaii (the big island) and rented a Chevy Sonic. Surprisingly this was the LTZ (surprised to get the high trim level on a rental). It was an automatic (of course) and had the 1.8.

This unit had 23k on it, and 23k of rental miles should probably be measured in dog years on a rental ... but the interior was as good as new. The car handled quite well and felt more powerful than I'd expect for a 1.8 litre with a A/T. I think the car would have been downright sporty with a m/t. The interior was snappy with two tone plastic dash and leather seats. The ambient lighting at night was kind of cool ... much nicer than my 01 Forester .. I guess things have improved in general.

When I think back on the Chevy Cavaliers, and Luminas I've rented, and how awful GM small cars used to be, I have to say things are getting better.

gouldn · November 2012

"Like buying a bed from a motel, lots of people have used it."

Ewww ... but true

tjc78 · November 2012

But we have a top loading Maytag with no agitator. The first one out of the box was a dud, but the second one has been great. It fits a truckload of clothes and seems to clean them well.

kyfdx · November 2012

Thanks for sharing that.... not sure what all this car talk is about..

stickguy · November 2012

picked up a rental today for a business trip. a 2012 Malibu LT. sounds like a 4 cyl. Not that bad of an interior, and in the 1 mile drive home the driving dynamics seemed OK, but not thinking I am ever putting one of these on my shopping list!

akangl · November 2012

The kid is in California and his car is headed that way. Of course he can't wait for it to get there, poor car going from 10 degrees to 80 degrees. He was ready to get out of Alaska and on with his life. Naturally I had to give him the lecture on taking good care of the car.....to which he said "I know mom, I know". Gonna miss having him around.

The GMC goes into the body shop on Monday, should have it back in a few days. In the meantime I get the Yaris, although I was offered a rental, but I'd rather have a car with winter tires on it. Glad I was able to get the truck in before the major snow hits and the body shops get slammed.

Kirstie_H · November 2012

A reporter is looking for a recent car buyer whose car's sunroof/moonroof feature was a big factor in their purchase decision. Please send your daytime contact info to smar@edmunds.com no later than Monday, November 5, 2012 at 5 p.m. Pacific.

qbrozen · November 2012

Oh, stickguy, a reporter is looking for you. :P

ateixeira · November 2012

They could write the entire article about him.

akangl · November 2012

Ha, I had to look through the entire inventory of 2012-2013 Ford Focus stock in the state of Alaska to find one with a sunroof and manual transmission for hubby. That was fun.....

stickguy · November 2012

why, just because I refuse to buy a "real" car without one?

jpp75 · November 2012

I posted a while back about a couple of 2002 Pathfinders I found online and got nostalgic for my old one, as I said the only car I've ever loved. A local dealer had one here, 135,000 miles on it, exactly what I had in mind except the color was silver instead of the greyish/brown I had before. I drove it a couple of times, had it checked out and made the purchase last week. $6,000 for a little bit of nostalgia and a vehicle I genuinely love driving, plus it helps with Home Depot runs, the dog, and keeps miles off the Inifiniti, which not surprisingly has hardly moved the last few days.

Overall I'm really impressed with the Pathfinder, it was a one owner, bought and serviced at a Nissan dealer here. In decent shape for a 10, going on 11, year old vehicle. I'm sure it will service me well for around town driving. Now on to what to do with the G37 when the lease is up at the end of next year.........

stever · November 2012

Maybe someone in here is helping someone who fits the request?

A reporter would like to speak with a recent buyer or current car shopper who stayed on the sidelines or was turned down for a car loan during the recession and has since returned to market or is about to buy. If you fit this description and would like to speak to a reporter, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than noon PT/3 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 7, 2012.

(Congrats jpp5862!)

qbrozen · November 2012

whatever makes you happy.

breld · November 2012

I dropped off my A5 yesterday at the dealership to have the window trim replaced (they had agreed to do that when I bought it, and just now got the parts in) and the service advisor asked if I'd like them to go ahead and perform the routine maintenance, even though it'd be a bit early. I declined, figuring I'd just wait until it was needed, but then asked how much I should expect it to be. He replied that there would be no cost since my car had the "Audi Care" prepaid maintenance plan. :surprise:

I guess the original owner had purchased the plan and it stays with the car. Usually the surprises at the service department go the other way.

jayrider · November 2012

You need to check what they would have charged you for the work if it wasn't pre-paid. Inquiring minds are interested.

breld · November 2012

Yeah - I'll ask when I pick it up today.

By the way, they gave me a fancy new A6 as a loaner car and I am really impressed. I can see why it's been winning comparison tests. It has a great balance between sport and comfort - something that BMW seems to have lost a bit with their new 5'er.

ateixeira · November 2012

Who says no free lunch? :shades:

breld · November 2012

Seems a little slow around here, so I thought I'd go ahead and share my "almost" CCBA punch.

So I turned 40 this past Sunday, and my wife suggested that instead of having some party, we go on a road trip, just the two of us. So we took the A5 down to Dallas, where we have a friend we hadn't visited in awhile. On Friday, when he was working, my wife and I thought, "Hey, we should check out the Dallas BMW dealerships."

Well, the thought was that they would have primarily RWD 3-series (which they did), which in turn would raise the likelihood of finding a manual transmission (which they sort of did, barely).

Anyhow, a Fort Worth dealership had a new 328i, minimially equipped but with the "right" equipment - manual trannie, sport package, moonroof and heated seats. We didn't have much time to spend at the dealership, since we had to meet our friend for dinner (I suppose that's why we drove all the way down there :P ), but I ended up negotiating over the phone with the BMW dealer that evening. I say negotiating, but they came out right away that they would sell the 328i at invoice less any incentives. So, invoice (about $40,900) less $750 BMW loyalty, less $1,000 USAA incentive and another $1,000 for BMW incentives. About $38k for a new 328i? I was game, but not surprisingly their trade offer on the A5 was a bit low (their offer on the BMW stood whether I traded or not).

We discussed going by the dealership in person Saturday morning before heading back to Denver, just to see if they'd come up on the trade if we were there in person, but I decided I wasn't confident enough about the whole thing to go through the hassle. So we headed up north through beautiful Oklahoma and Kansas, en route back to Denver.

breld · November 2012

My wife, bless her heart, loves driving and was happy to take shifts on the way down to Dallas. Well, she doesn't really like driving behind semis, so as we were passing one, quite speedily, a police car coming the other way tags us and drives over the median to pull us over.

93 in a 70 mph zone. The cop was awfully polite about it (probably due a bit to how quickly my wife pulled over, and way over to the side of the road as consideration for the cop) - he even said he'd get everything written up quickly so we could be on our way, to which my wife wittingly replied "well, not too quickly right, 'cause the speed limit is 70."

$250 fine! Looking at the ticket, at least there was one more price bracket above ours. My wife had said she thought she was safe 'cause we were just coming up on the outskirts of a small town :confuse: . I suppose she thought they'd be more "in" the town.

It didn't take long after that before she said she wasn't having fun anymore and that I could drive.

stever · November 2012

Ouch. I was going 75 in a 70 yesterday on the Interstate when a cop I didn't see at all in the rearview passed me. I eased off on the cruise a couple of mph for a while. On the other side of Flint toward Port Huron, lots of people were going 80.

Y'all should shop for a minivan. Something about a bigger target makes cops give you a pass.

akangl · November 2012

93 in a 70 mph zone
$250 fine!

Have you beat by a long shot! July 10, 2010.....87 in a 65 $196 + expired tags $150, July 30, 2010.......70 in a 45 $310 fine! Needless to say that was an expensive month, all of those with the '07 Pilot.

Only one ticket since then, December 12, 2011.....68 in a 45 $286 fine. That was with the '11 F-150. For me it seems like bigger vehicles get me into trouble, lots of trouble. Or maybe it's my lead foot and ball bearing ankle......I have slowed down, my driver's license can't take any more points if I want to keep it.

I did get pulled over one time in a small Texas town, alaska plates, alaska dl, coming back from the ER with my daughter the day after we got there. I didn't realize the speed limit dropped from 65 to 55 to 45 to 30 so quickly and I was doing 65 in a 30 at 2 am. Never saw the speed limit sign or the cop. He pulled me over and I explained, he wrote me a warning and told me to slow down coming into town.

nyccarguy · November 2012

Just "built my own" X1 Xdrive 35i with leatherette & heated seats. MSRP of under $40K for 300 hp/300 lb ft torque! Yummy!

mark156 · November 2012

I'm going to jinx myself. The last time I got a speeding ticket was in 1985 while driving my sister's Ford conversion van in Mississippi. I'm not even sure of the speed overage as it was so long ago. :sick:

I had one parking ticket in 1997 after my meter ran out on a rainy Los Angeles afternoon.... boy, those meter maids must do a stake-out looking for the very second the meter turns red.

My saving grace is driving with the cruise control on 99% of the time, especially in the city. It's like second nature to me.

Mark156

stever · November 2012

If you are in the process of car shopping, using online forums and tools and plan to visit a dealer soon, a reporter would like to hear from you. Please email PR@edmunds.com by Tuesday, November 13, 2012 and provide a few lines about your experience so far.

(I love posting these "are you car shopping?" requests in this discussion.

)

michaellno · November 2012

My saving grace is driving with the cruise control on 99% of the time, especially in the city. It's like second nature to me.

My last ticket was a year or so ago while delivering pizzas. Failed to make a complete stop at a stop sign. $120 fine plus a $40 contribution to the "victims assistance fund" for the city - $160 total.

Last speeding ticket was a year or two before that. I think it was something like 74 in a 65, but since I was polite to the officer he knocked it down to 69. IIRC, the cost of the ticket was under $100.

Now that I'm driving more in town, I find myself following the speed limit (and other traffic laws) more closely ... a ticket will wipe out a week's worth of tips.

So, like Mark, I use the cruise control even when I'm in town.

qbrozen · November 2012

Mine would come to $43,995.
Alpine White M sportline with coral red leather and premium package.

For some reason, I can't figure out how to get heated seats on there. When I try to add them, it downgrades me from M Sportline to Sportline. Strange.

ateixeira · November 2012

Minivans are indeed nearly invisible to cops.

Drove to Florida once with my little brother, when I napped he started flying. We got to Jekyll Island about an hour earlier than I had projected.

I didn't ask....

rayainsw · November 2012

I have not had a ticket for anything but speeding in well over 20 years.

I drove a red Corvette [ every traffic cop seemed to pay very close attention to that car ] for over 30,000 miles without a ticket. And I will admit that I did exceed the posted limit  on occasion.

My last ticket was before I moved here from NC. Officer caught me on radar  I was just not paying attention. 50 in a 40, as I recall. I pulled over, turned off the car, lowered the window and rested both hands on top of the steering wheel.

Cop: License and registration.

Me: gave him my license and registration.

Cop goes back to his vehicle. Writes ticket. Walks back up to my window, hands me the ticket and my license and registration. Walks back to his vehicle and pulls away.

A literal one liner.

I paid the fine and moved out of state shortly thereafter.

- Ray

Business transaction  with no negotiation . . .

houdini1 · November 2012

I was stopped about 5 years ago on the outskirts of a small town. The road was 2 lane, curvy and heavily wooded. I came around a curve and a cop was shooting with his radar and flagged me over.

He asked me if I knew how fast I was going. I said yessir, about 45 mph. He got a shocked look on his face and asked me if I knew the speed limit. I said yessir, 35 mph.

He then proceeded to give me a warning and told me to slow down a little. He said most people would deny, deny, deny, and argue with him. He said he usually let the honest ones off with a warning and saved his tickets for those who argued.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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