Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

28firefighter · June 2016

My sister is starting to slowly look and she absolutely loved the new Civic. We drove a Civic Touring and I'll be the first to admit that I was really impressed.

I'm not a huge fan of larger sedans (except the Charger R/T), so for a smaller secondary sedan it would be at the top of the list.

stickguy · June 2016

I spent a month working in Des Moines about 10 years ago, and a friend from college lived there for a while. I was actually pretty impressed. Nice area, and easy to imagine living there.

houdini1 · June 2016

ab348 said:
The Lexus RC has a paint that I really like - I'd call it a light gray or dark silver metallic. It looks really good and seems unique, though I don't know the name for it. So many grays are either too dark or look muddy.

That is probably Atomic Silver. I like it too.

jpp75 · June 2016

slorenzen said:
A 20 year old Civic DX with 260K on it, and he got $1600??!!??

I was shocked too, I think they only paid $1000 for it a year and a half ago, but he priced it on CL and got lots of interest. It ran fine and didn't have any mechanical needs, so I guess it was worth it to someone. As they say a car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

jpp75 · June 2016

stickguy said:
I like the TLX. on a big discount new, or a sweet deal slightly used, it hits the sweet spot for me. I like the size,it is well equipped, sporty enough, probably rock solid reliable, and manageable cost. Comfy interior and seats too.

just an all around nice package.

I agree, I've never drive the 4-cyl but I'd be OK with it.

fintail · June 2016

Stopped by the MB dealer to get a keyfob battery, spotted a 2017 E-class that I had to examine, chatted up a sales manager who I dealt with in my past two leases, and I mentioned my pull forward time was approaching, and that I am considering what to do. MB apparently now has a 5 month pull forward deal, maybe due to unsold W212s. I am 2 months away from qualifying for that. However, I am still unsure if I want to lease again or buy a used one, as resale for some later model cars I would consider continues to plummet, making them affordable.

He offered me a car, apparently a special order that was never collected, as he knows I like the unusual. 2016 E250 Bluetec 4matic, loaded - has everything but Distronic/drivers assist. Pretty rare options for a diesel - leather, ventilated seats, pano, lighting, parktronic, lane tracking, keyless go, etc. 69.4K sticker. Lease offer was 3K out of pocket and about 640/month for 36 months/10K. However, I think I can do better than this, at least 50/month less, or no more than 1500 out of pocket. The car is Indigo Blue with a brown leather interior and brown open pore wood, an unusual and attractive combination. (their site could use better pics)

>

I might make a lowball offer, but I am not going to press it, I don't need a new car, and I still have a couple big road trips planned in the current one to consume some unused lease miles.

stickguy · June 2016

love those colors, even though the pics don't show well.

speaking of a Blue Benz, was out with wife today walking across a parking lot. a red TLX pulled in, so I pointed it out. she said it was nice, but doesn't like the red. Then I saw a new style C class parked a row over (pointed away, so we were looking at the butt). I pointed to that one, and she said "oooh, I wouldn't mind one of those". Dark blue with Beige guts. Sharp looking.

stickguy · June 2016

speaking of miles, if my driving needs don't change, I may be taking a lap of the country to use up some of the lease miles on mine!

fintail · June 2016

I could probably do that. I have about 3K miles in potential road trips planned in the next 4 months, and I will still be well under limit even after that. I could get away with a 7500/year lease, but I like to have extra just in case.

Blue on beige is an excellent combination.

stickguy · June 2016

blue on beige is an easy sell to the wife. I really want to get the brown interior. Some of those (including the one I saw at Audi and MB) were really snazzy.

nyccarguy · June 2016

stickguy said:
speaking of miles, if my driving needs don't change, I may be taking a lap of the country to use up some of the lease miles on mine!

You and I could swap cars for a while.

nyccarguy · June 2016

@jpp5862 - I was thinking of you today. I saw a black on beige Touregs parked at the beach. It's a nice SUV. Don't see them all that often.

corvette · June 2016

That E250 looks nice. Not a bad lease price, I think, although I would want 0 down instead of $3,000. The nav screen is a little small. The blue looks more like charcoal grey.

I kind of have a thing for the Tesla Model S, just need to triple or quadruple my income to make it feasible.

fintail · June 2016

Yeah, 3500 out of pocket is too much. If I could get a sign and drive or equivalent, I might go for it. That, or compensate with a lower payment. The nav is effectively the same as when the car debuted for the 2010 model year. It is a nice HD display, but it is small compared to many newer cars. The 2017 model has one twice that size.

Model S the way I would want it would approach 100K and they don't lease well, if I could swing that, I might as well go a little more and get an S-class, which isn't the newest thing anymore but is still a fantastic car.

I like a lighter color interior, black is dreary and kind of common. I am single and rarely have more than 1 passenger, so dirt doesn't worry me. I like the light grey interior in my current car, it brightens up the cabin and compensates for the lack of pano.

stickguy · June 2016

I was thinking of letting my son drive one for a while next year. his lease ends in February, and from January thru May I am going to have the Sonota and Jetta sitting here not getting much use (Princess is doing a term abroad that semester). But probably won't.

stickguy · June 2016

right now, the fluid short list for next car (assuming I have a budget, and this could be, depending on car, new to 2 years old) is:

C class
TLX
ES 350 Lexus
Mazda 6
Civic

corvette · June 2016

fintail, you are more frugal than I would be with the options on the Model S. I just configured one for $102,750 on a 90D and $122,750 on a P90D--both with Autopilot, subzero package, high amperage charger, and pano roof, plus upgraded wheels, paint, seats, and wood trim.

Choosing between that and an S-class would be a toss-up for me. I agree that the Tesla doesn't lease well, but I'm not sure the S-class does either, judging by the numbers I saw on Mercedes' website.

fintail · June 2016

The Tesla option prices appear higher than I assumed. For 120K I could spend another 10K or so and get an S-class coupe, which is one of the most elegant and posh cars on the market - not much less style and presence than a Bentley, but significantly less expensive. I also suspect it is easier to negotiate on a MB lease, especially in the second half of the calendar year.

nyccarguy · June 2016

@fintail - I feel that way about a 911. Every time I see an awesome car in the 90 - 120K price range, I look at it and say: "this thing is awesome, but if I ever have the money for it i will not be detoured from the Porsche dealership."

akangl · June 2016

Well, it seems my son has caught the bug. He's back from Italy (long story but involves a soon to be ex). Anyway, he's been commuting to the base on a bike, 25 miles round trip and finally decided he needed a car. He sold his '14 Focus ST before he went to Italy, still has his '96 Firebird but its broke down up near Travis AFB. He has a buddy that's going to fix it and sell it for him. He had a Fiat of some assort in Italy, sold it before he left. Prior to all these, he had a '95 Escort as his first car and a '12 Elantra.

This brings us to this week. He told me he bought a car.......not from a dealership, I asked if it was CL, he said no. He went to an auto auction in San Diego (where he lives now). Honestly, I cringed but the kid does have a pretty good eye for a nice car. He said he scoped out a couple decent trucks, a Colorado and a Dakota, figured he'd grab one of those. Then a 2005 Mazda RX-8 came across the block and he decided to bid on it. He paid $3500 for it, its clean and in good shape, clean title, car fax (I pulled one after he bought it, terrified at what I would find), and a 3 owner car. Its a Shinka edition, 6-spd manual, leather, sunroof, 140k miles.

He said it runs good, but has a few issues. He ran it to the shop after he picked it up at the auction, needs brakes and the rear main is leaking. He took it in to have the rear main fixed and found the clutch was burnt up, thankfully the shop is only charging him parts for that and no extra labor. Stereo had a blown fuse and the a/c compressor is shot. Not too horrible for an auction car. I know he could easily sell it if its a stinker like the bird is, although the bird had help from that soon to be ex.

When I saw the pics of the RX-8 I can't say as I blame the kid for grabbing it, its beautiful!

tommister2 · June 2016

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree @akangl ... congrats!

kyfdx · June 2016

nyccarguy said:
@fintail - I feel that way about a 911. Every time I see an awesome car in the 90 - 120K price range, I look at it and say: "this thing is awesome, but if I ever have the money for it i will not be detoured from the Porsche dealership."

Every 911 I see is more in the $105K-$120K range... hard to find one in the $90Ks any more.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2016

Hope the RX8 works out for him. Always like that car. He paid about retail for one with some needs but once he goes through it he'll know what he has, and can probably lift its grade from "average" to "good" and get more $$$ for it should he sell, and get back what he put in. Rear main and clutch are buddies so very smart to do both at once. The AC could be pricey so that has to be approached carefully. If the compressor is seized, that's not a good prognosis for the rest of the system.

graphicguy · June 2016

Those RX8s had weak A/C to begin with. And they suck as much oil as they do gas.

Fun cars if he understands their quirks. Motor has all of 9 moving parts, but is finicky as hell. Burn only premium in it.

Tell him to blip the throttle a couple of times before shutting it down That minimizes the chance of unburnt fuel in the rotary chambers to keep it from flooding. If it floods, he'll have to tow it as it won't start without physically removing the fuel in the rotart chambers.

With that kind of mileage, have the rotary seals checked, too. A little oil seeps through them, which is normal. But, if they are leaking, it doesn't take long for things to go sideways very quickly, and nothing but a complete overhaul will get it running.

But, when they're running right, they're a blast to drive.

stickguy · June 2016

it's San Diego. Should be fine without AC out there!

stickguy · June 2016

this could be a fun car. Nice color combo, well optioned I think, and the correct number of pedals. Not sure about the price, but I always think they are too high.

http://www.eimports4less.com/detail-2013-bmw-3_series-certified_328xi_xdrive_awd_coupe_m_sport_6_spd_navi-used-14540389.html

roadburner · June 2016

A stick and a naturally aspirated engine make for a great long-term ownership prospect.

houdini1 · June 2016

Dustin Johnson wins U.S. Open. Very proud of him !

fintail · June 2016

Count me in for a punch.

After about an hour of negotiating, I was able to get a good deal. I beat my goal to take $50/month off the original offer (I think I left the papers at the dealer, don't remember it down to the penny) and paid less out of pocket too , not bad with a 69.4K sticker. They residualize the prepaid maintenance weirdly too, so I was able to get 2 years at half or less than the normal price - it's a 36 month lease (probably a 5 month pull forward like now), so I am guaranteed to use it. I drove the car and fell for it, the purring little turbodiesel is very smooth and you can feel the torque, the mechanical feel is charming in a way, maybe it reminds me of the old car. The color combo is nice and the options are interesting and rare - I suspect the amount of identically configured cars is a very small number. I am claying it and waxing it tonight - have to take the car in to have the dashcam swapped next week. A couple pics when still at the dealer:

berri · June 2016

Diesel, that's a big 10-4 buddy - just kidding. Nice looking car. Can't quite tell from the two pics, probably the lighting, but is that grey with a hint of blue in the color?

corvette · June 2016

Nice! Congrats on the punch, we're now at 13 for the year. Sounds like a good deal.

fintail · June 2016

Thanks

Yes, it's a kind of a blue grey color (factory color name - "Indigo Blue"), it looks much lighter in the sun than indoors. I think it will be a moderate chore to maintain, but one of those colors that will really shine when freshly cleaned.

The interior is quite pretty too, with the brown open pore wood. I will get better pics when I have time and find good natural light.

Michaell · June 2016

Congrats on the punch! Sharp wheels and a sharp deal.

roadburner · June 2016

fintail said:
Count me in for a punch.

After about an hour of negotiating, I was able to get a good deal. I beat my goal to take $50/month off the original offer (I think I left the papers at the dealer, don't remember it down to the penny) and paid less out of pocket too , not bad with a 69.4K sticker. They residualize the prepaid maintenance weirdly too, so I was able to get 2 years at half or less than the normal price - it's a 36 month lease (probably a 5 month pull forward like now), so I am guaranteed to use it. I drove the car and fell for it, the purring little turbodiesel is very smooth and you can feel the torque, the mechanical feel is charming in a way, maybe it reminds me of the old car. The color combo is nice and the options are interesting and rare - I suspect the amount of identically configured cars is a very small number. I am claying it and waxing it tonight - have to take the car in to have the dashcam swapped next week. A couple pics when still at the dealer:

Congrats!

nyccarguy · June 2016

Congrats on the diesel punch @fintail! I love the color combination!

corvette · June 2016

BTW, I'm planning a trip to the Pacific NW (Vancouver / Seattle / Portland / maybe Eugene). Any suggestions for sights to see?

stickguy · June 2016

well, you can go check out Fins new and old cars.

stickguy · June 2016

nice looking car. I would not mind one that looks like that, but not sure I want to do diesel.

nyccarguy · June 2016

nyccarguy · June 2016

I saw the above A4 in my travels today. Very nice!

stickguy · June 2016

get one. we need the punches.

Michaell · June 2016

I'm still planning on a punch later this year ... I think.

Things are progressing on the job front .. starting to talk to some HR folks, and have had a couple of calls with hiring managers. Had a good one on Friday .. next step is for me to come into the office and "meet the team". Not sure if this is a casual visit or a group interview. Supposed to happen week after next.

The bad news? The office is on the other side of Denver. If you put downtown Denver at the center of a clock, I live at about 4:30-5 on the dial; the office is at 11. 43 miles if I go the (semi) direct route, and 58 miles if I take the toll road that @breld uses daily. Google Maps tells me it's only 5 minutes difference in travel time.

The good news? After 3-6 months of daily trips to the office, I could work from home and only go into the office once or twice a week.

Anyway, was chatting with the wife about this, and since the job (if it's offered to me) would be a cut in pay, my car budget would be slashed as well. Not sure if I would lease again, given that I'm already over miles with 4+ months left on the current lease.

The choice du jour is the Scion iA. Lots to be found around $15K, and it comes pretty well loaded. And, 40+ MPG on the highway. Thinking I might go with a stick this time; everything I've read about the transmission tells me it's a good one, as you'd expect from Mazda.

nyccarguy · June 2016

This looked nice until I saw it rides on 21" wheels. Those cant be cheap!

28firefighter · June 2016

Congrats, @fintail!

stickguy · June 2016

wheels IMO are out of control. all about style at the expense of functionality and practicality.

Living in the bombed out NE part of the country, really points out the silliness.

fintail · June 2016

Thanks all.

Visiting the PNW...tons to see, one could spend a long time seeing it all. Depends on interests I guess, there are interesting cities, mountains, beaches, forests, even deserts not too far away. If visiting for the first time, I would get the famous touristy stuff out of the way. A few days in each city should cover a lot.

stickguy · June 2016

good luck Michael. Back in the recession when I got downsized, I worked on a contract a few times (about 10 months total) over in the Western Burbs of Philly (Valley Forge area). From where I live, that meant driving through Philly, which is a mess. There were no good options (and a free moving toll road? I would have done that). About 45 miles each way. Could make it in 55 minutes, if I hit the road by 6:10 AM and got lucky. A good day, 1-1.5 hours home (and that meant leaving office at 3:45). My record, on a rainy Friday, was 2.5 hours. Just, wore me out (was sick at the time too). Miss the job, don't miss the drive!

Not sure an ia is the best option, but your call! something like Sonata could be way more pleasant overall, even at the expense of 5-10 MPG!

Michaell · June 2016

stickguy said:
good luck Michael. Back in the recession when I got downsized, I worked on a contract a few times (about 10 months total) over in the Western Burbs of Philly (Valley Forge area). From where I live, that meant driving through Philly, which is a mess. There were no good options (and a free moving toll road? I would have done that). About 45 miles each way. Could make it in 55 minutes, if I hit the road by 6:10 AM and got lucky. A good day, 1-1.5 hours home (and that meant leaving office at 3:45). My record, on a rainy Friday, was 2.5 hours. Just, wore me out (was sick at the time too). Miss the job, don't miss the drive!

Not sure an ia is the best option, but your call! something like Sonata could be way more pleasant overall, even at the expense of 5-10 MPG!

Having spent time in Philly / South Jersey a lot over the years, I cannot begin to think how tough that drive is you've described.

And yeah, a bigger car would be more comfortable. But, when the budget is $200, give or take, that doesn't leave a lot of options.

But, one step at a time. E-GT has something like 46,400 miles - the extra delivery shifts are adding to the total pretty quickly.

rayainsw · June 2016

Stickguy -
Congratulations of the MB punch!

Sandman6472 · June 2016

Fin, great vehicle.
Mike, I drive 58 miles roundtrip 3 days a week and I hate it but no openings in the office where I live, maybe 5 miles or so. Am getting about 28 hours/week in those three days so I am happy. Don't want full time and working those 28 and my pension is what I was making when I was a full time letter carrier so am pleased. Once I'm out, I want to stay all day because of the distance and the expenses to get there.
Figuring on working till the end of 2018 at this point and then re-retire as I'm sure by then, my body will be more than ready. Speaking of work...the expressway is calling my name! Later.

The Sandman

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