Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

rayainsw · June 2016

My 2007 Corvette was an automatic.
I accept the criticism often aimed at my choice.
Though a coupe, the roof section could be removed.
I put over 30,000 miles on it in 2 years -
it was my DD.
- Ray
Content with my choice there...

Mr_Shiftright · June 2016

I think an automatic Corvette makes much more sense. I mean, look at all the supercars now--they are ditching the 3rd pedal.

kyfdx · June 2016

stickguy said:
I imagine you gotta real try hard to flip one of those

Leaving the paved surface is the key. You can flip just about anything, once you are off the road.

I got to wring that car out for about 45 minutes, one day. A combination of back roads and freeways. It was a blast! 505 HP

stickguy · June 2016

Not a bad looking CPO ATS. Kinda strippo but turbo AWD. No cue at least! But also no moonroof. Not sure of price though.

http://www.armencadillac.com/VehicleDetails/certified-2013-Cadillac-ATS-2.0L_I4_AWD-Plymouth_Meeting-PA/2730300623

nyccarguy · June 2016

What does a C5 like that cross the block at? $20K - $22K? Does that one have the removable roof panel?

graphicguy · June 2016

stickguy said:
Not a bad looking CPO ATS. Kinda strippo but turbo AWD. No cue at least! But also no moonroof. Not sure of price though.

http://www.armencadillac.com/VehicleDetails/certified-2013-Cadillac-ATS-2.0L_I4_AWD-Plymouth_Meeting-PA/2730300623

That would be a whole lot of fun for a not a bad amount of money. Although, that's the 2.0T before they bumped up the torque by about 35 lb/ft.

stever · June 2016

My sister flipped a car decades ago - classic case of inattentive driving. She dropped two wheels onto the shoulder and cut too quickly to get back on the asphalt and "caught the curb". I think that one was a Honda.

fintail · June 2016

Those are the people who make me want to only want to ride a motorcycle on the track.

ab348 · June 2016

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:
Not a bad looking CPO ATS. Kinda strippo but turbo AWD. No cue at least! But also no moonroof. Not sure of price though.

http://www.armencadillac.com/VehicleDetails/certified-2013-Cadillac-ATS-2.0L_I4_AWD-Plymouth_Meeting-PA/2730300623
That would be a whole lot of fun for a not a bad amount of money. Although, that's the 2.0T before they bumped up the torque by about 35 lb/ft.

It's the same engine as I have in my '14 and the torque upgrade was questioned at the time as being just a restatement of numbers given that apparently the tuners found no change in the mapping of the engine management software between '14 and '15. It is nicely potent in mine. However as a relatively early build some of those engines had issues with internal engine problems, typically piston/ring failure, though it should still be under warranty.

That one is in probably the least attractive paint color IMO . I considered that interior when I was getting mine and was turned off by the abundance of black used, especially the headliner, and I understand it is fairly uncommon to find. But if the colors suit the buyer, it should be a fun ride.

au1994 · June 2016

I don't criticize anyone's choice for an an automatic. As noted the new ones are better than a stick performance wise but it comes to personal choice. I just don't want to row gears in Atlanta traffic.

If I ever pick up an MG or the like as a fun car, different story...

jpp75 · June 2016

breld said:
Here's the downside (well, one of them) of owning more cars than you need:

Just paid $450 for a repair on the son's caretaker's van we bought. Technically it is hers, but 1) considering we only bought it for her at the beginning of the year and 2) it was just sitting in her parking lot unused, we thought it best to pay for the repair.
$450 for a side view mirror that didn't hold up to the garage door as my wife backed the Sedona - go figure.
$250 deductible for cracked windshield on the X5.
Mini Cooper needs at least two new tires (which are actually quite cheap on that base model) and apparently new brake pads.
Got that ding taken out of the S4 recently - at least that was covered by the dent protection package I bought.
I think we'll definitely sell off the X5 soon. As much as I like it, it is sort of redundant in our fleet with the minivan.

Still considering "downgrading" the S4 to something like a GTI or maybe even a Golf wagon for the sake of accelerating car debt payoff. But that only works if you're happy with the replacement.

Not exactly a downgrade (at least cost-wise), but still eyeing that M-sport 328 wagon, and now another dealer has a similarly equipped 428 gran coupe (CPO) available for about the same price as the wagon. Hmmm....

I call dibs on the X5

Sandman6472 · June 2016

Got to drive another Infiniti Q50 yesterday and really liked it. It was the "2.0t" version, had a badge on the side, and while driving it, had a feeling it was a turbo. No "turbo lag" that I could feel which was a pleasant surprise, just a seem less burst of power which was fun! Have heard Infiniti's are pretty thirsty and do remember the Altima and Sentra that we owned weren't that fuel efficient. But, the Q50 is a nice package and really fun to drive, just hope it's not priced too high.

The Sandman

jpp75 · June 2016

fintail said:
192K out of a head gasket seems reasonable to me, a lot better than some other engines (ahem, Ford 3.8 et al).

Subaru can do no wrong in the Seattle area. They could make gaskets out of paper-mache and people here would line up. Slap on a "coexist", yin yang, or "bark less wag more" sticker, and you are set. Bonus points for roof rack on all year, esp if you don't ski. It's a solid lifestyle brand.

The 1988 Lincoln Continental we had suffered from the head gasket issue that plagued those 3.8 engines. I think it happened around 120k....but so many other things had failed on that POS it was just another drop in the bucket.

fintail · June 2016

My mom had a 93 Taurus 3.8 that puked up a head gasket at 80K. She wasn't thrilled. It was pretty OK otherwise though, I don't recall anything being done other than struts, but it has been many years ago.

henryn · June 2016

I am considering a major reshuffling of the fleet. Now that I’ve sold the 2006 DTS, I have only the 2015 F150 Supercrew. Which is a great truck, but is rather big to be fitting into tiny spaces in parking garages.

I had a 2016 Town and Country as a rental for about 10 days, while the Cadillac was in the shop last month. I rather liked the minivan, and I’m thinking I wouldn’t mind having one. Fits pretty easily into the parking garage, and I fit well inside the minivan (not always the case with me).

The Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna hold resale value so high, you would have to be, well, practically mentally deficient even thinking about buying a recent model used one. What I could do here would be to trade the F150 for a new Odyssey or Sienna, and then pick up a used truck for somewhere in the neighborhood of $8 to $10k. The older truck would be for junk hauling, runs to Home Depot, etc.

Alternatively, I could keep the F150, and buy a used Chrysler Town and Country. Those do not hold resale values, there are some excellent deals in the used market. The problem there is, all of the recent model used ones are ex rental vehicles, and they appear to have had a very hard life.

Hmmm….

And there is the Kia Soul. That would make a great daily driver, back and forth to work in heavy traffic, fitting in the parking garage with ease. And thus keeping the F150 for fun, weekend trips, and trips to Home Depot.

I think I may try to rent a Soul for a week, or at least a long weekend. Get a better feel than what you can get on a test drive.

stever · June 2016

If you get the minivan, you likely won't have much use for the pickup. At least I wouldn't but I don't mind tossing garbage or manure in the back of mine. And it's a Dodge, so there's that.

corvette · June 2016

Look at the VW Routan. I think the last couple model years had the 3.6L Pentastar V6.

Did Andre1969 repair his Park Avenue? I thought he was looking for a replacement a while back.

fintail · June 2016

Some pics of the new car, now that I have it cleaned up. One of those colors that really changes with the ambient light - a medium blue in the sun, to dark in a garage. I think this car may be the only E250 with this exact spec, it's really unusual.

sda · June 2016

fintail said:
Some pics of the new car, now that I have it cleaned up. One of those colors that really changes with the ambient light - a medium blue in the sun, to dark in a garage. I think this car may be the only E250 with this exact spec, it's really unusual.

That is a really sharp looking car with an equally stunning color combo.

28firefighter · June 2016

Beautiful ride, @fintail. I love the interior color, especially. I'll keep an eye out for you when I'm out on the east side!

stever · June 2016

Very nice, love the color.

How many times have you detailed the interior now?

stickguy · June 2016

Nice looking E class there.

Henry, look at a Ridgeline. might work out for you. still a PU, but no where near as bulky as an F150. Like an Odyssey, with the rear roof cut off!

tjc78 · June 2016

Awesome color combo, I really like that.

My 3.8 in a 93 Taurus LX popped the head gasket at around 80k too. Had an extended warranty thank goodness.

ab348 · June 2016

That blue paint is gorgeous. What is the name again?

I like the interior too. The open-pore wood trim looks wonderful. Certainly not a color combo a dealer would order for stock. Nice score!

nyccarguy · June 2016

@fintail - your car is gorgeous! I love the color combination! That's full leather, not MB text, right? Stunning interior color! Is that RWD or 4Matic?

breld · June 2016

@fintail - agree with everyone else; I love that color combo!

Couple of interesting VW notes:

2017 GTI will be available in a new "Sport" trim, which comes with the PP and Lighting Package, as well as some other features like keyless entry over the "S" trim, and keeps the plaid cloth. If I read correctly, the PP will come standard on all models other than the base S.
4motion will be available on the base "S" sportwagen, with the choice of 6-speed manual or DSG. The Alltrak will also be made available with the 6-speed manual on the "S" and "SE" models. AWD, manual transmission wagons - thumbs up to VW.

berri · June 2016

Henryn - nothing wrong with a minivan. Way more room and flex than a crossover and usually at a decent discount as well. I owned several when we had kids at home and have rented them on occasions. Actually thinking about going back to one.

jpp75 · June 2016

fintail said:
My mom had a 93 Taurus 3.8 that puked up a head gasket at 80K. She wasn't thrilled. It was pretty OK otherwise though, I don't recall anything being done other than struts, but it has been many years ago.

Our Lincoln was plagued with A/C problems, mostly the o-rings that let the refrigerant escape but there was also a clutch issue that wouldn't engage the compressor so it worked sporadically. A few other electrical issues (voltage regulator, digital dash failures, etc.) made it even worse.

jpp75 · June 2016

@fintail What a great looking car! Congratulations on a great purchase.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2016

Dr. Fintail, the rear compartment has been sterilized, and you may operate now!

fintail · June 2016

Thanks all. It really is an unusual color and combination. It's 4Matic, full leather. Didn't need to detail the interior more than a good wipedown, but the exterior needed a little clay work and some good wax, and I'd rather do it myself than have the detailers hurry through it. If the car ages well, it might be one to buy after the lease.

Don't come over here today, 28firefighter - lots of weekend construction here, Bellevue is even more of a mess than usual - the closure at NE 8th and 120th is especially bad. When I hit the road in a bit, I'll be headed the other direction.

fintail · June 2016

I think by the time the head gasket went, the AC was also lukewarm. She didn't care though, the car was long out of warranty. Maybe not a coincidence, it was her last Ford, now she's a Toyota convert.

jpp5862 said:

Our Lincoln was plagued with A/C problems, mostly the o-rings that let the refrigerant escape but there was also a clutch issue that wouldn't engage the compressor so it worked sporadically. A few other electrical issues (voltage regulator, digital dash failures, etc.) made it even worse.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2016

I"m taking a break from shopping for BMW roadster. I'll sit out a few rounds until the Craigslist dealer shuffles all the cards. I keep getting dealt black cars with automatic transmissions, or silver ones with a manual transmission and a salvage title. What are the odds? It's kinda spooky. I think the problem is my price point, which I thought was a quite reasonable $12,500. Could be a California thing. Drop tops get used up out here.

28firefighter · June 2016

breld said:
@fintail - agree with everyone else; I love that color combo!

Couple of interesting VW notes:

2017 GTI will be available in a new "Sport" trim, which comes with the PP and Lighting Package, as well as some other features like keyless entry over the "S" trim, and keeps the plaid cloth. If I read correctly, the PP will come standard on all models other than the base S.
4motion will be available on the base "S" sportwagen, with the choice of 6-speed manual or DSG. The Alltrak will also be made available with the 6-speed manual on the "S" and "SE" models. AWD, manual transmission wagons - thumbs up to VW.

I'm curious to see how they price the Sport trim. I think it is equipped perfectly for most people and would be the most highly sought after trim, if priced right.

28firefighter · June 2016

fintail said:

Don't come over here today, 28firefighter - lots of weekend construction here, Bellevue is even more of a mess than usual - the closure at NE 8th and 120th is especially bad. When I hit the road in a bit, I'll be headed the other direction.

Definitely not today. I've also been staying north of Seattle to avoid the traffic from the concerts, Soccer Game and Pride Parade. Beautiful day though so I washed and waxed the car. The dog helped, too. And by helped, I mean she slept on the driveway and then took credit for my work.

nyccarguy · June 2016

Lookin good

Sandman6472 · June 2016

Ended up getting the color keyed metal door edge guards for my Golf...color keyed in the Silk Blue color and definitely help when parking in the garage. Many times the wife parks her A3 a bit on my side so if I do happen to tap her car opening my front door, does no damage. One of the clear plastic ones that her salesman got for her has already fallen off and is gone to highway heaven. The other three are a bit discolored now and look ratty so think she's going to do what I did. Thought I could get the rubberized ones that we used to get but seems that VW doesn't stock them, only the metal ones. Worth the price to me and looks decent.
20K service went off without a hitch and have decided to stick with the 87 octane and live with the lag whenever it happens. Very happy with it still!

The Sandman

Sandman6472 · June 2016

Was driving a car the other day, forgot now what make, the other day with the push button start. When I turned it off, it went a bit wonky on me and kept starting and stoping for about a minute even while I kept pushing the button to turn it off again. Was pretty weird and the other guy in the car saw what was happening and couldn't believe it. It finally cut off and that was that but surprised me a bit. Come to think of it, think it was a Nissan Altima. Was just a bit weird and decided that maybe I should be happy my '15 Golf doesn't have this feature. It did become a standard feature on the '16 Golf SE and SEL according to the brochure I picked up. Sat in a '16 model and saw where they put the aux/usb port and liked it. Wish mine had it also but did get around not having the usb port thanks to Stick and his suggestion. Would've liked the aux input just in case I wanted to use my iPod but am keeping my Sirius/XM subscription as of now, so no problem.

The Sandman

stickguy · June 2016

I wonder if you were somehow turning it back on without realizing it? just tap the button and let it should down instead of double tapping.

tjc78 · June 2016

I had two cars with keyless ignition. Never a problem, except somehow my wife managed to lock her keys/fob in the car, which with keyless should be impossible as the doors should automatically unlock. I could never duplicate it when I attempted to.

toomanyfumes · June 2016

My wife has done that on the Lincoln. Tap the button to shut the car off, the radio is still on, so sometimes she will push it again. Now her foot is off the brake so it goes into accessory mode. I guess once you walk away with the fob it should shut down. I don't mind using the key for the Mustang but it's nice not to have to dig them out of your pocket.

stickguy · June 2016

tommy, I have done that in the Acura. forget a step (like putting it in park) and can't seem to get it off, so I have actually turned it back on, just to turn it off again.

On my Sonata, the radio keeps playing until you open a door. That takes some getting used to!

as for locking the keys in, on the Hyundai at least, it yells at you (that car likes to yell at me), and you can't lock it with the button. Have to use the fob. And that is when there is another fob on the outside of the car (like when my wife wants to leave her purse in the trunk). I am not quite sure what would happen if I tried to lock the fob in the car, without having the other one in registering distance.

sda · June 2016

28firefighter said:

fintail said:

Don't come over here today, 28firefighter - lots of weekend construction here, Bellevue is even more of a mess than usual - the closure at NE 8th and 120th is especially bad. When I hit the road in a bit, I'll be headed the other direction.
Definitely not today. I've also been staying north of Seattle to avoid the traffic from the concerts, Soccer Game and Pride Parade. Beautiful day though so I washed and waxed the car. The dog helped, too. And by helped, I mean she slept on the driveway and then took credit for my work.

Your GTI looks great with the contrast between the white exterior and dark tinted windows. What a sweet looking pup.

sda · June 2016

stickguy said:
tommy, I have done that in the Acura. forget a step (like putting it in park) and can't seem to get it off, so I have actually turned it back on, just to turn it off again.

On my Sonata, the radio keeps playing until you open a door. That takes some getting used to!

as for locking the keys in, on the Hyundai at least, it yells at you (that car likes to yell at me), and you can't lock it with the button. Have to use the fob. And that is when there is another fob on the outside of the car (like when my wife wants to leave her purse in the trunk). I am not quite sure what would happen if I tried to lock the fob in the car, without having the other one in registering distance.

My wife put her purse in the trunk of the Accord and the car would fuss each time I tried to lock it. Then I realized her key fob to the Accord was in her purse, so that prevented me from locking it. I retrieved her keys, now two sets in my pocket, and locked the car. I would think there is a work around in this type situation but haven't pursued it.

stickguy · June 2016

Did you try using your keyfob to lock it? that works on my Acura. seems to be the "are you sure you want to do this?" override.

ab348 · June 2016

The way manufacturers try to design keyless entry systems is supposed to be idiot-proof. But as I posted elsewhere a couple of weeks ago, sometimes we are bigger idiots than they counted upon:

Locking myself in the ATS

rayainsw · June 2016

Fintail -
VERY nice looking !
- Ray
Enjoy !!!

stever · June 2016

ab348 said:
The way manufacturers try to design keyless entry systems is supposed to be idiot-proof. But as I posted elsewhere a couple of weeks ago, sometimes we are bigger idiots than they counted upon:

I missed that one @ab348 - seems like something the NHTSA (or whatever your version is called) should be notified of.

henryn · June 2016

stever said:
If you get the minivan, you likely won't have much use for the pickup. At least I wouldn't but I don't mind tossing garbage or manure in the back of mine. And it's a Dodge, so there's that.

Now that I wouldn't do! You will not catch me hauling garbage or manure inside any vehicle. That's what they made pickup trucks for.

stickguy said:

Henry, look at a Ridgeline. might work out for you. still a PU, but no where near as bulky as an F150. Like an Odyssey, with the rear roof cut off!

They didn't make Ridgelines for the last couple of years, and I haven't seen any 2017 models yet. Truecar doesn't even have pricing for them yet. And aren't they actually made from a Pilot rather than the Odyssey? (Not that it matters.)

corvette · June 2016

Wow, it seems like NHTSA would require either a mechanical lock switch on the inside, or a design that unlocks the door when you pull the lever from the inside (VW/Audi, and some others don't have mechanical lock switches anymore but have the latter design).

The power door locks on my late grandmother's car malfunctioned and, if memory serves, she had to call the fire department out to help her get out of the car. There was a mechanical unlock switch above the door handle that she never knew existed because she always just hit the unlock button on the door. (She wasn't dense and was actually somewhat mechanically knowledgable, so it could happen to anybody.)

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