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Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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Comments

  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,817
    I know there are many that will disagree, but I've had better luck with Michelin tires than any other brand. They have all worn well, and been good performers. They are expensive, (the model on my Buick is close to $250/tire) but money well spent.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,359
    I have the feeling that I'm going to get what I pay for with these Michelins. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    I've always liked Michelins too - ran them on the W126 and E55, they just felt and looked right. Not cheap, but usually good quality. C43 had a new set of Yokohamas when I bought it - something about the design seemed to make them susceptible to tramlining, which drove me nuts.

    Speaking of tires, I am ordering a set of these for the old car this week - a pain for the wallet, but long overdue - tires on the car now date from the second Clinton administration.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    When I bought the tires for the ION on Saturday, I asked them about replacements for the CX-7 (235-55/19).

    Best bet would be a Pirelli tire at $211 each. $987 with mounting and balancing. The OEM Bridgestone Duelers have 28K on them; tire guy thought we might get another 5K before they needed to be replaced.

    Wife mentioned yesterday that they felt "odd" - of course, we had a quick 1-2" of snow yesterday so that might have contributed to the feeling.

    Wife is talking more and more about the Juke. A former co-worker of hers just got one last week. Her new boss drives a Prius, and another co-worker at her new job recently traded in a Land Rover for something smaller and more fuel efficient.

    I think the cost of filling up the CX-7 with premium all the time will get old for her. I'm going to keep close track of the MPG for her .. last tank was below 19 MPG.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    I've always had good luck with Michelin tires. Currently have Michelin MTX S/2's on my Expedition and they've been great. I've got about 48k miles on them and they still have well over 1/2 of the original tread depth. Honestly, they are just now starting to show signs of wear.

    But there is no free lunch. These Michelins do ride firmer and aren't quite as good in the snow as the OEM Continentals. I did get 68k miles out of those, and could have gone longer.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,817
    I think they will look really nice on your Benz. Please post up some pics, when you get them mounted.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,863
    Well, like I said, just needs to be cleaned every 50k or so. Just another maintenance item, IMHO. However, I have heard that meth injection can help the cause. That's that last mod I haven't purchased yet.

    There is an extended warranty on the turbos/wastegates from BMW on my car. I'm not sure what years it covers. I have a feeling only the '08s since the '09 switched to single turbo. In any case, turbos don't scare me one bit. Before I bought my first turbo car (s70 T5), I was quite hesitant ... but after my trouble free experience with that... and all my turbos since then... I'm not the least bit concerned.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    but long overdue - tires on the car now date from the second Clinton administration.

    Good move, tires definitely go bad with age and I wouldn't trust any tire being that old. You're saving yourself some potential grief by replacing them.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    it seems that no one has solved the intake valve deposit issue

    Toyota has - they use both port- and direct-injection, combined. So the fresh fuel acts as a solvent to rinse out exhaust gasses that get recirculated.

    It's funny, compare reliability for the IS250 (DI only) to the IS350 (Port + DI), it's night and day. Folks on club lexus will tell you to buy the latter.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    They don't have any cracks or obvious rot, but are are pretty worn, especially with some now (hopefully) repaired uneven wear issues on the front. But as I might drive it a mere 1K miles/yr now, it was hard to justify sinking a grand into it. It's time now - when I took it in to have the suspension repaired and aligned, they even put "needs new tires" on the bill, and highlighted it in yellow :shades:
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    I will for sure. I am looking forward to it, I think the car will look amazing with correct style tires. The narrow whitewalls technically aren't correct, as MB used wide whites through the 1964 model year.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,229
    I have had good wear with Michelins. It seems like they last longer than competing tires. If you have irregular wear causing noise issues, cross rotating the tires can help prevent that issue if you don't have directional tires. That way, each tire spends some time in all four positions, which can help prevent irregular wear from forming.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    A reporter would like to speak to a recent car buyer who purchased a car despite a bad credit report. If you have a ding on your credit report, but were still able to secure a car loan, and you would like to share your story, please send your daytime contact info no later than Wednesday, noon PT/3 p.m. ET to [email protected].

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    Speaking of tires, I just ordered a set - found a west coast seller who also had decent prices. Claimed delivery could be by the end of the week, so next week I might have them installed. I even ordered a spare, to replace the bias ply tire that is probably older than me (but not original to the car).
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,863
    I ordered 2 new front tires for the bimmer's summer set. Because I set such extreme negative camber, it chewed through the edges of the runflats pretty quick. I have the all-seasons on now (of course) and pushed my camber back. Figure what I should do is dial back in the negative once at the track.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    Years ago, the fintail had camber issues and would eat up front tires in under 5K miles. The kingpins were worn - I lucked out and won a set on ebay for like $75, and that problem was solved. I had it in the shop last week for an alignment, and they replaced a tie rod end and steering part. This apparently solved all issues and it aligned perfectly. I am kind of geeked to see how it will look.
  • jpp75jpp75 Member Posts: 1,535
    Yeah those will look good on it, a nice contrast with the color of the car too. How many miles do you have on the car itself?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    A reporter would like to speak to a recent car buyer who purchased an American brand car, like Ford or GM, after owning a Japanese brand car. If you would like to share your story, please send your daytime contact info to [email protected] no later than Tuesday, 3/5/13 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382
    funny, but I have only had 2 cars where the tires wore out prematurely (actually, 3 including my Accord) and all 3 were OEM Michelins.

    and it was not just alignment type wear, they ran out of tread. My Odyssey tires were practically bald at 30K, but the replacements (yokohamas) still had decent tread when I sold it with 74K on it.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,948
    edited March 2013
    Had this on the 1st Ft. Myers run as I didn't see the Mustang convertible my buddy had secured for me...damn! Someone else grabbed it by the time I got ready to claim my prize. It was a perfect top down day also. But the 200 is a fine driver with it's 17" rolling stock. Smooth and even when I had to pass another vehicle at 90+ miles, it rode perfectly smooth...and it was very comfortable. Another guy had the upmarket 200 with the 18" tires and I bet it drove just as smooth. Got a Stang vert for the 2nd run but just as we were about to roll out, it was canceled as Ft. Myers called and said they had no more room until the morning. We're scheduled for a double Ft. Myers run in the a m if all goes according to plan. Hopefully my Stang will be right where I left it so I can motor topless. Have my hat all ready since the top of my head is losing it's coverage and I don't want to burn it too much!

    This job is the coolest!

    The Happy Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    edited March 2013
    The old car has a few miles on it - around 255K, I think (there's a 13 year records gap from 1976-89 that coincides with either a 13K or 113K mileage gap, so it's that or 155). But they were so overbuilt of such durable materials, that it looks and feels like a lot less.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288
    In any case, turbos don't scare me one bit. Before I bought my first turbo car (s70 T5), I was quite hesitant ... but after my trouble free experience with that... and all my turbos since then... I'm not the least bit concerned.

    Well, I'm on my third turbo car(T-Bird Turbo Coupe, Volvo 740 Turbo, Mazdaspeed 3) so I'm not all that averse to them- even though the MS3's went south at @26,000 miles. I just know how hot they get on the track, and it is an added layer of complexity.
    Anyway, it's a moot point as 135i M Sport sold today...

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    And boomcheck you're spot on with the comment about being the customer the want (need), but they definitely aren't appealing to that demographic.

    I'm in my mid 30s, married, with a child. Wife and I have decent incomes. We like german cars probably more than anything. Right now we have our 07 BMW 328i that my wife drives, an 01 Acura MDX, and an 04 Toyota Echo. Both the MDX and Echo are for sale, and will probably be replaced by another BMW unless I score a deal on a used car that I can drive for a bit and make money on when I sell it.

    When we were looking for a second car to lease or finance about a year and a half ago a Buick was not on our list whatsoever. There are just so many other better choices in terms of brands and models that a Buick would probably be on the bottom of my long list of cars to consider. We went with a different route, prefering not to tie up money in payments or a huge pruchase price only to be hit with depreciation later on. So now I just buy older cars and if I spend less than $300/month on depreciation AND maintenance then I feel like I'm ahead. Most times I end up making money in the end on whatever I drive which is a bonus for me :D

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Congrats, Boom. I have to think you have successfully convinced Q out of a Maserati. You've certainly convinced me.

    That wasn't my intention. They're nice cars to drive but not when it comes to maintenance.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • jpp75jpp75 Member Posts: 1,535
    It definitely doesn't look like it has that many on it from the pics you've posted. Growing up I remember seeing a mid 70's model that had over 225k on the clock and still looked and sounded fine, this would have been in the early 90's or so. I remember being amazed as I hadn't seen a car with over 200k on the odometer before.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    edited March 2013
    Being a west coast car has also helped it age well.

    I've seen MB diesels with 400K++ odomoter readings, but I can't vouch for how much work was needed to get it to that level. The cars from before the 70s have 5 digit odometers, so mileage proof becomes an issue.
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    CCBA'ers:

    I'm still searching for my Forester replacement, and nothing is really floating my boat right now. I'm thinking of trying a short term 2-year lease. I guess after 13 years of ownership on my primary car, there's nothing out there I want to commit to for that long again. I know it's not the cheapest way to own a car and some people like to refer to them as 'fleeces' etc, but I'm thinking it might be right for me, this time. I even cleaned out my garage so that I can keep it inside, and in better shape.

    Is there a central website that shows which leases are the best in term of either incentives or artificially high residuals?
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,817
    edited March 2013
    None that I know of.

    Since I'm a Chronic Car Leaser I always browse the lease discussions here on Edmunds. You can get a feel for what looks good.

    From what I've seen Nissan and Infiniti are usually good leases with low MFs and high residuals.

    Right now with interest rates being so low to start with I would think that most any car that you can get a 50-55% (3 yr) residual should be a nice lease. This is of course assuming you can get a good purchase price near invoice.

    Since you are looking short term, I also would browse Swap a Lease and Lease Trader. I am constantly intrigued by these sites. Be warned, the good deals (where someone put a lot down) get swiped up quickly.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,863
    Oh, don't worry. You didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,863
    I second looking at those lease trade sites. I've seen some good deals.

    As far as 2-year leases being bad... that's just an untrue blanket statement. I've seen some 2-year deals that are so heavily subsidized that it makes better sense than buying or leasing longer. 2 examples that come to mind are my BIL's mazda3 from a few years back, and my current Nissan Leaf.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,229
    edited March 2013
    "Is there a central website that shows which leases are the best in term of either incentives or artificially high residuals?"

    http://www.ridewithg.com

    He has some sort of scoring system for lease deals. The residual on the GLI I bought wasn't that attractive (low 50% range for 36 months, IIRC), so I financed it.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    OK, so the wife wants to look into purchasing a Juke. SL trim level, AWD with CVT. Color preference is 1) Metallic Bronze; 2) Silver; 3) Gun Metallic

    Next step is to have her take a look at the car and drive it to see if she likes it. Her new office is only a mile or two from a Nissan dealer. She's agreed to meet me at the dealer after work tonight, so I jump online to see what they have in stock.

    Nothing! Lots of units "in transit". So, I use the "chat" feature of the dealer's website (they are an AutoNation dealer) to see if I can get an answer quicker.

    Nope - I get a automated email saying I'll hear from the Internet Dept within the next 24 hours.

    Guess I'll have to go old school and pick up the phone.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382
    The Sunday paper (I know, old school) also works just fine. Whenever a maker is running heavily subsidized leases (or specials like 0/0/0) every dealer seems to feature them in their ads. Not to mention the endless TV commercials!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382
    how quaint. But not gonna hurt you.

    even if they don't have brand new stock, see if they have any on the used side. I don't think that it has changed enough since released that it would not give you a good feel as to if it would work.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Update - I went to the specific dealer website rather than the "Go Dealers" (Auto Nation brand name here in Denver) website and found our number one choice in stock.

    Checked on insurance ... about $45 cheaper per year than the CX-7, so that's a wash.

    Need to determine if premium is "required" or "recommended" for the Juke. With a small, direct-injected turbo, I suspect it will be required.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    We say "Premium unleaded (recommended)".
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288
    Try to steer your bride into this Juke:

    image

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    edited March 2013
    Yeah, the NISMO version. She's not really the "Fast 'n' Furious" type, if you know what I mean.

    Only 9 more HP?

    And, the summer only rubber would be a killer when the snow falls here in Colorado.

    From a features point of view, about the only thing she's giving up with the Juke are the HID headlights, the telescoping steering wheel, and power seats.

    Oh, and a fair bit of interior space. 4" less rear legroom, 1/3 luggage capacity (30 cu ft in the Mazda, 10 in the Juke).

    Everything else she's got on the CX-7 - Bluetooth, sunroof, heated seats, nav, backup camera - are now available on the Juke.

    In fact, the Juke has Sirius/XM traffic available - she might be able to use that for the driving that she'll be doing.

    Hopefully, she'll get a chance to look it over and drive it today. I'm concerned that she won't like the CVT. Or the rear spoiler.

    Related note - the co-worker who got rid of the Land Rover bought a Forrester.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,863
    That is really really disappointing.
    I hoped they'd get somewhere in the same ballpark as this one. But 197hp? That's not even the same planet.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If it is a long drive in the convertible bring not just a hat but also ear plugs, that reduces fatigue.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dealers are getting 2014 Foresters now. The 2 closest dealers have 2 each.

    Was it you who was waiting to see those?
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    Ah that was me (looking for them). I'll check the local stock! Thanks! If I go the Forester route I'll want to go full boat loaded, although I could do without the turbo.
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    I've been looking at the Juke too, and I like it ... it's a tad too small for me, but one thing I'd be concerned about is the mileage ... if you look at fuelly the average was about 30, but then I noticed that includes the diesel version which we cannot get. I wonder if real world mpg would be more like 25 ... fine, but not a whole lot more the 19, especially if you have to use PUG.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    2013 or 2014?

    One member ordered one but I haven't heard of anyone taking delivery yet.

    Good luck with the wheeling and dealing.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Wifey loves her 09 Limited, as loaded as the non turbos came at the time.

    They offer a LOT more options now. You can go hog crazy.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    2013 or 2014?

    My guess is that it's a '13.

    We will see how it goes tonight .. it's possible the daughter will be with us to evaluate the back seat. The Juke would still fill the "family car" role for when the 3 of us travel together.

    I, too, am concerned about the MPG, and, more importantly, the fact that the AWD version has an 11.8 gallon fuel tank (FWD has 13.2 gallon tank). At 30 MPG you're looking at around 300 miles per tank.

    The CX-7 has a 16 gallon tank, so if you fill up once a week @ $4/gal (PUG), you're saving about $16.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited March 2013
    Hmm, your daughter may complain about the tight space.

    My advice? Stay out of it if they argue about that. ;)

    The small gas tank in the Miata is an annoyance.
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    Thanks guys!

    that "ridewithg" website is neat, thanks! The lease swapper sites are neat, but I wonder how you ensure yourself that the previous owners didn't damage the car that you end up being on the hook for at least end? Has anybody here ever tried it?
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,817
    edited March 2013
    If I was using that site I would certainly try and stay pretty local so I could check the car out. Before I leased the LaCrosse I was looking on there pretty often and was ready to contact a seller about an MKS with a really low payment for the MSRP and when I went back it was gone.

    I guess you could also email the seller asking for hi-res pictures. There isn't really any gamble mechanically as it will be under warranty.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • breldbreld Member Posts: 6,697
    At least from the pictures, I'm really liking the new 2014 Forester. I'll be checking them out when they become more available.

    I did end up listing the 530i - I did so at a really high asking price, figuring that if I found the buyer who really wants that specific car, it'd be a good deal. And if not, then I just hang onto it.

    Good luck with the Juke shopping this evening Michael - I assume it's Go Nissan down on Arapahoe? That's just down the road from my work - I could come down and cheer you on to making the purchase :D .

    2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2024 Corvette - 2024 BMW X5 - 2023 Tesla Model Y

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