Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

suydam · January 2016

This is going to sound crazy, but have you looked at the Sonic? It seems like an ideal pizza car! Good mpg and numbers might work with your trade.

Michaell · January 2016

suydam said:
This is going to sound crazy, but have you looked at the Sonic? It seems like an ideal pizza car! Good mpg and numbers might work with your trade.

Except the Sonic doesn't lease real well, compared to the other models.

qbrozen · January 2016

Michaell said:

Mr_Shiftright said:
How bad is this wheel and door "rash" you spoke of? Is it worth tidying up?
Not severe ... I suppose you could call it normal wear and tear after 26 months and 38,000 miles.

I wouldn't call any damage normal wear and tear, but maybe I'm anal.

roadburner · January 2016

nyccarguy said:
I definitely agree with the interesting automotive times assessment - I just built a 2016 Camaro 1SS online. 8 Speed Automatic, Magnetic Ride Control, Slick Top, 455 hp V8 - factory claimed 4.0 seconds 0-60 mph time with a sticker price of $40,485.

I'm sure @roadburner would go for the 6 speed stick & the $3,100 Performance Brake Upgrade package.

I priced out a Camaro SS, and the with the absolute minimum of options I could tolerate it still came to around $44k.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2016

Won't they beat you up on that "wear and tear??

fintail · January 2016

For lease damage, I think MB uses the "credit card rule" - if it fits under a credit card, they are pretty forgiving. I think if you lease another car, they become very forgiving.

nyccarguy · January 2016

In my head I keep going around & around about what the next punch could be. CPO G37xS (low to mid $20K) or Q50 S AWD (low $30K), maybe a new Regal GS AWD for the same money as that Q50. I don't think is be scared of a CPO IS350 F Sport AWD with its trick adaptive suspension (mid to high $30K) and unlimited mileage warranty (3 years old - 40K miles). Then I keep coming back to what makes sense (besides keeping the Legacy), a new WRX Limited CVT.

stickguy · January 2016

check back when it's paid off!

Heresy, I know.

actually the best part of the leasing business. Guaranteed to be in the market after not too long, with no guilt attached!

though good thing I have 22 months left. If I needed to buy now, I might have a nervous breakdown trying to figure out what to get, then trying to find it!

Sandman6472 · January 2016

Please Mike, no Sonic or Spark! These have to be two of the worst vehicles on the planet and luckily Hertz is phasing them out. A short story...we had a Spark come in with a thumping noise and another driver refused to drive it. My old boss was a bit lazy and wouldn't have to towed to the maintenance place so he told me to take it there. Not knowing what my co-worker heard and complained about, started driving it towards I-75 and heard the thumping noise. I call in and my boss says see if you can nurse it up there after I tell him this vehicle should be towed. Get onto I-75 and stay in the far right lane going about 60 or so, a bit unsafe but trying to do as he said. About 8 minutes go by and I hear a big bang, I loose most control and I see body parts and tire go flying all around me. Pull over as fast as I can and get out and see the front bumper obliterated and the front right tire in shreds.
Call the boss and they come and tow the vehicle. I'm a bit shook up and pissed and become downright angry when I heard about the first driver refusing to drive it. He put me in an unnecessary dangerous position which I told him really stunk. Few weeks later, bill comes and it's to the tune of close to $1200.00 damage to the Spark.
Had to drive a 2015 Spark today and it was a dismal experience...first one we've had in awhile and found a Sonic on our lot later on today. But both are sub-par vehicles and need to be put down once and for all! Think I'd rather buy any used vehicle over the Spark/Sonic vehicles to be honest. And totally agree that a look at the Encore is called for here if in fact you really want to use the GM points...in the right colors and alloys, it is a sharp little vehicle and I'd have no problem owning one if I didn't like the Golf so much. In fact, I was very close to getting one or a Verano back in 2013 and if the numbers had been right, I'd be driving either one right now. Unfortunately, both Buick dealers I went to didn't try negotiating harder with me and they let me walk though one of them finally called back and agreed to the deal a couple of days after I had the Tucson in our garage. Told him he was a few days late and he should've listened to my deal when he had the chance because I told him I was serious with my numbers. Three days later he calls me but it was just too late!!

The Sandman

Sandman6472 · January 2016

Guess what I am trying to say here is...don't settle, don't do it because you will be unhappy everytime you walk into the garage. And trust me, driving something you really don't like is torture of the worst kind for folks like us in here. Nothing worse than having to drive something you just don't like...and that feeling only goes away once the vehicle is gone for good. Been there, done that and hate to see someone else do the same thing as I did. I should've just kept my Civic a little longer. Hated to have to say it, but my wife was right about the whole deal though I'd never tell her that! I should've listened!!! Just because you have the points doesn't mean you have to use them.

The Sandman

stickguy · January 2016

well, in this case, Michael has to get a new car this year anyway. So just talking about doing it a few months early because it makes financial sense.

Sandman6472 · January 2016

But it only makes financial sense on a vehicle he likes somewhat, doing it on a vehicle he can barely tolerate ain't worth it. Might as well try and extend the current lease another year possibly and the choices might be better then. Just a thought that no one else has thrown into the mix yet and one that might make a bit of sense!

The Sandman

berri · January 2016

Malibu's aren't really bad cars though. Pretty comfortable.

Sandman6472 · January 2016

I've liked the one's I've driven at work and hear the 2016 is even better...could be a good d d but just not sure he's very passionate about it. But, it will fulfill all needs and be comfortable while doing pizza runs. Wait and see what the final numbers and think the answer will be pretty obvious at that point. For the right price, it could be a pretty decent deal and a way to get into a larger ride. And again, it's only a 2 year commitment. Glad this is one decision I don't have to make!

The Sandman

berri · January 2016

...and I'm sure Michaell is enjoying all the ~~fun~~ stress

corvette · January 2016

fintail said:
For lease damage, I think MB uses the "credit card rule" - if it fits under a credit card, they are pretty forgiving.

From my experience when I leased an A4, I think Audi uses the "you scratch it, you buy it" rule. A few inches of curb rash on one wheel, and a tiny amount of curb rash on another. I was assured that the inspection that was done prior to lease turn-in was not a final determination of what was owed. Of course, when I got the final bill, they dinged me for both of them, plus the lease disposition fee. I did not lease another Audi.

Some of their vehicles are nice, but I have experienced the wrath of VW's poor dealer network (at least in this part of the country) on numerous occasions. I can't help but feel some schadenfreude when I read about their recent troubles with diesel engines.

corvette · January 2016

sandman_6472 said:

Please Mike, no Sonic or Spark! These have to be two of the worst vehicles on the planet and luckily Hertz is phasing them out. A short story...

Sandy, be careful out there and don't put your life at risk for your employer! I have third-hand knowledge about a case locally where someone rented a car from a rental company (rental agency and brand of vehicle not explicitly disclosed, but I have made my own assumptions). The renter called the rental agency to complain that the brakes were not working properly and it needed to be towed. Sleazeball rental agency told him they couldn't get a tow and suggested he keep driving it, so he did. Brakes failed completely and he plowed through a red light, which resulted in a fatal crash.

js06gv · January 2016

Michaell said:
Can't sleep. Too much on my mind.

So, back to last night. Had some free time, so I went to the local Chevy dealer to look at what my GM points could get me.

Three possibilities - Cruze, Trax or Malibu (Limited). I've rented a Cruze and the entry/exit is a bit low for me, what with all the getting in and out of my car I do for the pizza job. Scratch that.

The Trax is a nice little package, but the lease deals on them are adequate at best. Not off the list, but not at the top of it, either.

Which leaves the Malibu (Limited). This is the "old" Malibu carried over to 2016 - the one that everyone complains as having a small back seat for the class. But, with over $4000 of lease cash to go with my $4000 of GM Points, it makes for a compelling deal.

So, which trim level? The LT has most of what I want, and the Convenience Package adds power seats, rear view camera, remote start (not push button start). Dealer has, I dunno, over a dozen equipped this way on the lot, in exactly three colors - white with tan interior, or silver or black with black interior.

The test drive was done on all surface streets - that's a majority of the driving I do. The car is quite nice. 197 HP from the 2.5L engine, and the 6-speed auto is smooth. It is equipped with the stop/start technology, but I never noticed it on the test drive - it was either disabled or so unobtrusive that I never noticed it. One small nit - the transmission is equipped with a "manu-matic" feature, but its controlled through a rocker switch on top of the gear level. Odd and would take some getting used to.

The ride was nice - given that it's bigger and heavier than my E-GT, I can't say I'm surprised by this. I'm getting older and I'm just not sure how "firm" I want the suspension to be.

Interior materials were OK - at this price point I'm not expecting luxury. It is equipped with MyLink, so there is a touch screen interface for the audio system. It is missing heated seats compared to my E-GT, but that's about it. Bluetooth audio, USB port, XM - all the infotainment options are there. Back seat is small, but the specs say it has a couple more inches of legroom as compared to the Hyundai. Big trunk.

MPG is not great for a mid-size sedan - 24/34. E-GT is rated at 27/37 and I'm just a tick under 28 MPG in the 2 years I've owned it. However, the Malibu does have an 18.5 gallon tank, so even with less MPG I'm still likely to get more miles per tank - about 100 or so, if my calculations are correct.

Back at the dealership, the salesperson asks if I want to run some numbers. Sure, why not. Sales Manager comes in and we talk about my GM points - I left my printout at home, so it's hard to prove I have as many as I do.

Turns out the 24 month lease term is best - lower MF. If I roll the tax obligation on the $9000 of incentives into the cap cost, he quoted me a payment of about $125/mo + tax. I need to get the hard numbers from them; when I plug it all into my lease calculator, I get something like $22/mo, so there are some costs I'm not factoring into the deal.

This excludes any negative equity I may have from the Hyundai - we talked about it, but I had no research ready to go into any detail.

Wife is ambivalent about the whole thing, and I'm still on the fence. I'm going to call Hyundai Finance and get a payoff, and I've asked q for a trade value on the Hyundai so I have the numbers handy. I may take it to CarMax as well and get them to put a trade value on it. If I'm too upside-down I may just hold off (every $1000 of negative equity would add about $40/mo to my pre-tax lease payment).

It's an appliance, and it doesn't move me all that much, but it's new and it's cheap (at the moment). And, it's only 24 months, which means I'd be back in the market sooner that I originally thought - and that's never a bad thing here at CCBA.

Opinions welcome.

I have a couple current style Malibus in the fleet at work. They drive well for an appliance, and while the rear seat is skimpy there is a ton of room up front to get comfortable.

Doubtful the start-stop feature was working without you noticing it. The car shudders with a thunk when the engine restarts. Annoying. It can't be turned off, but I've read there are ways to defeat it when coming to a stop.

Michaell · January 2016

Thanks to all for the feedback and opinions. No response to the email I sent yesterday asking for some clarification on the numbers. I figure if they want to sell me a car, they can answer my questions to my satisfaction.

I'm in no hurry. Points don't expire until the end of February, lease is not up until October / November. And, lots of Chevrolet dealers to choose from here in Denver.

I might hit the Buick dealer to look at the Encore.

I'm not stressed about any of this - if it happens, it happens. If not, then my E-GT is perfectly serviceable until the lease is up.

Regarding the "wear and tear" - that would only apply if I were to turn in my car at lease end. If it's a straight trade, then the trade value would be affected, but it's not like my car was driven in the south side of Chicago for two years.

carnaught · January 2016

corvette said:

fintail said:
For lease damage, I think MB uses the "credit card rule" - if it fits under a credit card, they are pretty forgiving.
From my experience when I leased an A4, I think Audi uses the "you scratch it, you buy it" rule. A few inches of curb rash on one wheel, and a tiny amount of curb rash on another. I was assured that the inspection that was done prior to lease turn-in was not a final determination of what was owed. Of course, when I got the final bill, they dinged me for both of them, plus the lease disposition fee. I did not lease another Audi.........

Yeah, the problem with most leases is that if you don't lease again they ding you on cosmetic and slight damage, plus that disposition fee of $350-500. The beauty of my Encore lease is no disposition fee, plus free maintenance , OnStar, and XM for the lease period.

kyfdx · January 2016

Michaell said:
Thanks to all for the feedback and opinions. No response to the email I sent yesterday asking for some clarification on the numbers. I figure if they want to sell me a car, they can answer my questions to my satisfaction.

I'm in no hurry. Points don't expire until the end of February, lease is not up until October / November. And, lots of Chevrolet dealers to choose from here in Denver.

I might hit the Buick dealer to look at the Encore.

I'm not stressed about any of this - if it happens, it happens. If not, then my E-GT is perfectly serviceable until the lease is up.

Regarding the "wear and tear" - that would only apply if I were to turn in my car at lease end. If it's a straight trade, then the trade value would be affected, but it's not like my car was driven in the south side of Chicago for two years.

So.. how much GM dollars do you have, without the bump up? Is it $4000 or ZERO?

fintail · January 2016

I wonder if they would have gone easier on you if you were getting another car. When I turned in my prior MB for the current lease, they didn't even look at the under bumper scrape that I caused via a poor road surface. The rest of the car was close to pristine though, as I am careful with my cars.

I always called the VW service experience 'revenge for 1945'. Maybe the recent drama is karma for revenge. VW is handling it poorly, too.

corvette said:

From my experience when I leased an A4, I think Audi uses the "you scratch it, you buy it" rule. A few inches of curb rash on one wheel, and a tiny amount of curb rash on another. I was assured that the inspection that was done prior to lease turn-in was not a final determination of what was owed. Of course, when I got the final bill, they dinged me for both of them, plus the lease disposition fee. I did not lease another Audi.

Some of their vehicles are nice, but I have experienced the wrath of VW's poor dealer network (at least in this part of the country) on numerous occasions. I can't help but feel some schadenfreude when I read about their recent troubles with diesel engines.

Michaell · January 2016

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:
Thanks to all for the feedback and opinions. No response to the email I sent yesterday asking for some clarification on the numbers. I figure if they want to sell me a car, they can answer my questions to my satisfaction.

I'm in no hurry. Points don't expire until the end of February, lease is not up until October / November. And, lots of Chevrolet dealers to choose from here in Denver.

I might hit the Buick dealer to look at the Encore.

I'm not stressed about any of this - if it happens, it happens. If not, then my E-GT is perfectly serviceable until the lease is up.

Regarding the "wear and tear" - that would only apply if I were to turn in my car at lease end. If it's a straight trade, then the trade value would be affected, but it's not like my car was driven in the south side of Chicago for two years.
So.. how much GM dollars do you have, without the bump up? Is it $4000 or ZERO?

1200 "regular" points, and 3000 bonus points.

Michaell · January 2016

Oh, dear:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/01/hammer-time-real-cost-car-guy/#more-1251169

Mr_Shiftright · January 2016

quote from the article:

" I think it’s just a terrible shame that we can’t marry the ease of use of yesterday with the technologies of today."

I think I just heard opportunity knocking... can Henry Ford come back from the grave....er....in a more palatable form, please?

This makes me want to reconsider shopping for a used Porsche Carrera and start looking at 1965 Triumph Spitfires, or 1970 Fiat 124s, cars you can fix with a monkeywrench and pieces of metal and string you find on the side of the road. (which might have come from other Triumph Spitfires and Fiat 124s---okay, point well taken).

rayainsw · January 2016

I had a 1969 Fiat 124.
- Ray
Never goin' back THERE ....

Mr_Shiftright · January 2016

It helps when working on the wiring if you were born Italian. I bet you never knew that concepts like "negative ground" were actually negotiable in the world of physics did you?

slorenzen · January 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
It helps when working on the wiring if you were born Italian. I bet you never knew that concepts like "negative ground" were actually negotiable in the world of physics did you?

If you go with the British stuff, don't forget to have a stock of the Lucas Smoke Replacement...

http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm

Mr_Shiftright · January 2016

Old British cars are about as complicated as a Vermont Wood Stove.

andres3 · January 2016

breld said:
Yup - S4 is still there, so that certainly fills the fun car category.

Pretty easy transaction. Based on the values I looked up, I offered a straight trade; we ended up at $500.

Nice low mile 2012 X5 35d. Deep sea blue over oyster, sport package, nav, comfort access, parking sensors. 30k miles.

How many miles did the S3 have when sold/traded?

Michaell · January 2016

The saga on the Malibu continues.

I got a call from the sales person today. Turns out there is an additional $1000 incentive that will stack with the lease cash and GM points. Great!

So, plugging in all the numbers, I have a payment of about $79.50/mo with tax. They quoted me $125/mo before tax.

I've asked the sales person to get with the manager and tell me the net cap cost they are using for the lease. I've got $17,103 (invoice price less incentives plus dealer fee and taxes due on the incentives).

It's also possible they are inflating the money factor used in the lease. They don't know I have access to that number.

They wanted me to come back down to the dealership to do this. Told them that they won't see me until we get this reconciled, at which point I might come down and talk about the trade in.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2016

Maybe the residual is set too high and they have to make the profit on the payment interest.

carnaught · January 2016

Michaell, forgive me for missing this...are you talking 2015 or '16 Malibu?

breld · January 2016

andres3 said:

breld said:
Yup - S4 is still there, so that certainly fills the fun car category.

Pretty easy transaction. Based on the values I looked up, I offered a straight trade; we ended up at $500.

Nice low mile 2012 X5 35d. Deep sea blue over oyster, sport package, nav, comfort access, parking sensors. 30k miles.

How many miles did the S3 have when sold/traded?

8,700 miles.

Michaell · January 2016

carnaught said:
Michaell, forgive me for missing this...are you talking 2015 or '16 Malibu?

I am talking about the 2016 Malibu "Limited", which is the old body style.

Michaell · January 2016

Sales manager called back .. I missed the acquisition fee ($595) and his invoice price is about $450 higher than what I found on Edmunds.

So, we are much closer now. May go in on Saturday to have them look over the trade. I have a feeling they will low ball me on it, which will cause the lease payment to go way up and make the whole deal unattractive. Overall, I'd like something around $175/mo before tax (around $190 total).

Granted, that's not much of a savings over the E-GT at $225/mo, but I'd get to drive a new car for 24 months and then do the whole thing over again.

imidazol97 · January 2016

sandman_6472 said:

I hear a big bang, I loose most control and I see body parts and tire go flying all around me. Pull over as fast as I can and get out and see the front bumper obliterated and the front right tire in shreds.The Sandman

Sounds like that was a tire problem. Not a problem with the vehicle.

abacomike · January 2016

How many of you remember some of these electronics companies who at one time or another produced TV's in the 1950's:

Sylvania, Philco, Admiral, Dumont and DuMont, RCA, Curtis Mathes, Emerson, Fisher, GE, Gold Star, Lloyd's, Magnavox, Marantz, Motorola, Muntz, Packard Bell, Westinghouse and Zenith.

I was reading an article on early manufacturers of television, many of which are no longer around. I remember all of them. But now, the Japanese manufacturers are prevalent.

ab348 · January 2016

I remember growing up we had a Philco, Admiral, DuMont, RCA (several) and Westinghouse TV. I still have a Marantz cassette deck I bought in 1982.

Gold Star is still around, known now as LG.

xwesx · January 2016

breld said:
8,700 miles.

There was a time when I couldn't understand where super-low-mile used cars even originated. Then, I started participating in this forum.

xwesx · January 2016

abacomike said:
How many of you remember some of these electronics companies who at one time or another produced TV's in the 1950's:

Sylvania, Philco, Admiral, Dumont and DuMont, RCA, Curtis Mathes, Emerson, Fisher, GE, Gold Star, Lloyd's, Magnavox, Marantz, Motorola, Muntz, Packard Bell, Westinghouse and Zenith.

I was reading an article on early manufacturers of television, many of which are no longer around. I remember all of them. But now, the Japanese manufacturers are prevalent.

Yes, absolutely! We had an old Westinghouse "tube" TV until 1991 when it finally just gave up. My dad, who was an ET (electronics tech) for a long, long time, was unable to source parts for it any longer, so we replaced it with a "modern" 31" Magnavox television. Wow! That was a nearly indescribable experience. Television watching in my household went WAY up after that!

The only names I do not recognize are DuMont, Lloyd's, Marantz, and Muntz. We had something from most of those other brands in my house at one time or another. We had a massive RCA console television from the 1960's. It had a little TV in the middle (maybe around 20"?) with speakers build into the sides, a record player above the left side, and, on the right, the tuner/eight-track and a cubby for LPs (now known as "vinyl").

Crazy tech, that stuff.

xwesx · January 2016

I keep forgetting to mention this, but I've seen many an automotive test mule on the roads this winter. I've seen a three-pack of VWs and Fords, as well as what looked to be a Nissan Murano this morning, but with most of the [non-permissible content removed] and nose covered up with camo. The other rigs were heavily camouflaged, but this one was mostly as-is with just these parts covered, which makes me think it is a mid-cycle refresh.

Anyway, always fun to see these.

stickguy · January 2016

a lot of those TV names are still around, though I am sure all just stuck on the same generic units made in Korea or China by the same company.

Muntz made TVs too? MadMan Muntz of car fame?

Dumont I remember from old TV shows like I love Lucy.

corvette · January 2016

abacomike said:
How many of you remember some of these electronics companies who at one time or another produced TV's in the 1950's...

That was before my time. I remember having NEC and Toshiba televisions, both of which no longer manufacture them. We had Sony TVs and computer monitors at a time when they made a superior product (they had the Trinitron tube when nobody else did). Now Sony is the same as anyone else. Most recently, had a Mitsubishi DLP television. They no longer make those, either.

On the automotive side, I think my parents had a Datsun at one time. They had three used and two new Pontiacs (also a defunct brand). I had one used and one new Pontiac.

stickguy · January 2016

Michael, still sounds like a good deal. if you can trade even up, get into a nicer car, and drop your payment, makes sense. Only reason not to is if you think come November, you can get as good or better car, for even less money (plus the $350 in payment savings and I assume avoiding another $350 in termination fee to return it).

also, given the mileage you are getting up to, you might dodge spending some money on the GT. Heck, the way you go through them, another set of tires!

plus only 24 months. You will be back in the market, pretty much as soon as you get it home!

bachorb · January 2016

Hey guys - TL;DR version - help me think of ways to convince my wife to let me get a new car

Full version - I have a 2008 Toyota Yaris S sedan with 135k on it. It is in good shape and was fully paid off long ago. I recently changed jobs and am driving 50 miles a day and am realizing I could use a smoother, quieter, and slightly sportier car. I do a lot of bike racing and we also got a dog not too long ago, so we could use a little more room . We're thinking along the lines of a Mazda3 hatchback, VW Golf, or a Subaru Impreza Wagon.

I am trying to convince my wife that we should just trade the Yaris in before the wheels fall off so we can get the best trade-in value. She is of the mind that any car you own you have to drive until the wheels fall off because when you get a new car, you acquire debt, and debt always equals bad no matter what.

Right now I am spending $1.5-2k per year on repairs (most recently needed a new water pump and brake rotors). My economic argument is that with the amount I'm spending on repairs right now, if I trade the car in my monthly payment would only be in the $200-300 range (we have perfect credit) and would be saving on random repair headaches.

Are there any other good economic arguments you guys can think of for me?

Alternatively, I could always just "forget" to put the car in park at the top of a hill with a body of water at the bottom. Man wouldn't that be tragic....

Sandman6472 · January 2016

Watching a 27" tubed Sylvania in the family room right now...have gotten the o k to go out and purchase that 50" Samsung I've been checking out for awhile but just can't do it as the old one works. Also have a 19" Sharp the kids won in a bowling tournament years ago not being used so hard to justify the expense. I realize that Super Bowl weekend is the optimum time to purchase but still mulling this over. If I do drop the hammer, will just give to my oldest to donate since she's the social media person for the Palm Beach Goodwill. Just have to make the decision on this which isn't coming easy right now.
Did own a Datsun way back in the day, an ex-rental 1980 210 hatch, maroon over black with 17k when I got in after the '76 Isuzu Opel I got used in '77 just did a Regan on me. Every week something else imploded on that beast and the bottom line was the auto tranny falling out in pieces as I got on to I-95 in West Palm Beach after my first day of orientation at the Post Office. Making the turn and accelerating, I hear pieces of metal falling out under me, the dash all lit up and the vehicle just dying right there. Just something one needs on their first day on a new job 20 some miles from home. Luckily my dad stepped up and helped me make it all go away, eventually.
Ah, being broke, starting a new career and having major vehicular issues. Within a couple of months, the Isuzu was gone with the Datsun taking it's place. The good old days!!!

The Sandman

stever · January 2016

Liked this quote in your link @Michaell -"the majority of folks who look at cars as an unfortunate intermission between doing the things that they really want to do.

Go to the park? It’s a 20 minute drive. A visit downtown? 35 minutes."

roadburner · January 2016

bachorb said:
Right now I am spending $1.5-2k per year on repairs (most recently needed a new water pump and brake rotors).

Wow; I think I've spent more than that annually once or twice-at most-in ten years and 166k miles of ownership of our 2004 X3 2.5i.

qbrozen · January 2016

abacomike said:

How many of you remember some of these electronics companies who at one time or another produced TV's in the 1950's:

Sylvania, Philco, Admiral, Dumont and DuMont, RCA, Curtis Mathes, Emerson, Fisher, GE, Gold Star, Lloyd's, Magnavox, Marantz, Motorola, Muntz, Packard Bell, Westinghouse and Zenith.

I was reading an article on early manufacturers of television, many of which are no longer around. I remember all of them. But now, the Japanese manufacturers are prevalent.

I know several of those became the bargain basement brand garbage. When I worked at Walgreens in the early '90s, you could find a Sylvania, Emerson, or Gold Star TV in our seasonal aisle around back to school time, along with a Fisher stereo.

I did not know all of those put their names on TVs, such as Philco, Motorolla, and Pac Bell.

the TV had longest growing up was a Zenith console. I want to say it was a 27".

I have a 37" Westinghouse LCD on my wall right now, by the way. It was just retired to the basement gym this past weekend, as a matter of fact, when I picked up an open-box Sharp 43" 1080p LED from Best Buy for $240.

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