Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

Do you agree with this Car Buying Advice from Quora?

Question: Is there a car that makes sense to buy brand new instead of used or CPO?

Answer: Yes, there actually is one. The Subaru Outback. Read on before you refute this assertion:

Virtually every car depreciates tremendously during its first two years. In most cases you’d be foolish, purely in economic terms, to buy something brand-new. Lucky thing the decision to purchase a car is rarely based on economics, or new cars simply wouldn’t be sold.

But the Outback is different. It retained an astounding percentage of its sticker price even after several years. You’d have to wait until an Outback had been on the road four or five years to see the kind of depreciation most cars get in the first two. I used to marvel. They’d have 70,000 or 80,000 miles at that point, and still they would be selling for about two-thirds of the sticker price. With that kind of mileage, most other cars would be about half, or even less.

How come? Well, they’re well-made, for one thing. Lithe on the road, with superior weight distribution and an all-wheel drive system that performed better than any car in its price class. But I think the real reason is that they lasted unlike any other car. Or at least that’s what people said. You expect most modern cars to be on their last legs somewhere between 180,000 and 200,000 miles — mostly because once cars get past 120,000 miles or so, owners become reluctant to spend on upkeep.

But the Subaru's have a rep for lasting to 300K and even beyond. The Outback is the most desirable model — especially the totally tricked-out ones with the leather seats and the whole nine yards. The Subaru salespeople attribute this to Subaru’s unique “pancake engine,” in which the cylinders lay flat rather than in a “V” configuration. They said that kept the oil from draining out when the car is not in use, so cold starts can't hurt it.

Don't know if any if that is true of a Subaru in particular but I am inclined to buy new, be damned the economics. Besides, the smell of a new car, especially the smell of the leather upholstery, is too intoxicating and addictive to do otherwise.

That's an interesting concept but if a pancake configuration made that much difference why does Honda with a V engine have the same reputation?

Mr_Shiftright

300K and beyond? Well sure. I could keep a Yugo on the road for a million miles. Just give me Warren Buffett's checkbook and Jay Leno's mechanics.

I'm not fond of such hyperbole. Let's just play the statistical average, not the outliers.

jmonroe

Michaell said:

bwia said:

Do you agree with this Car Buying Advice from Quora?

Question: Is there a car that makes sense to buy brand new instead of used or CPO?

Answer: Yes, there actually is one. The Subaru Outback. Read on before you refute this assertion:

Virtually every car depreciates tremendously during its first two years. In most cases you’d be foolish, purely in economic terms, to buy something brand-new. Lucky thing the decision to purchase a car is rarely based on economics, or new cars simply wouldn’t be sold.

But the Outback is different. It retained an astounding percentage of its sticker price even after several years. You’d have to wait until an Outback had been on the road four or five years to see the kind of depreciation most cars get in the first two. I used to marvel. They’d have 70,000 or 80,000 miles at that point, and still they would be selling for about two-thirds of the sticker price. With that kind of mileage, most other cars would be about half, or even less.

How come? Well, they’re well-made, for one thing. Lithe on the road, with superior weight distribution and an all-wheel drive system that performed better than any car in its price class. But I think the real reason is that they lasted unlike any other car. Or at least that’s what people said. You expect most modern cars to be on their last legs somewhere between 180,000 and 200,000 miles — mostly because once cars get past 120,000 miles or so, owners become reluctant to spend on upkeep.

But the Subaru's have a rep for lasting to 300K and even beyond. The Outback is the most desirable model — especially the totally tricked-out ones with the leather seats and the whole nine yards. The Subaru salespeople attribute this to Subaru’s unique “pancake engine,” in which the cylinders lay flat rather than in a “V” configuration. They said that kept the oil from draining out when the car is not in use, so cold starts can't hurt it.

Don't know if any if that is true of a Subaru in particular but I am inclined to buy new, be damned the economics. Besides, the smell of a new car, especially the smell of the leather upholstery, is too intoxicating and addictive to do otherwise.

I'll agree with that, but I own an Outback, so I'm biased. And, the market for used Subarus is crazy high here in Colorado.

I owe about $28K on ours, and Edmunds shows the trade in value at $25K, and private party selling price at $27K.

I did take it into CarMax just over a year ago - when I was in the process of getting laid off - and they hit it at $30K then.

I often joke about Mrs. j's 2012 Legacy Limited with the H6 cylinder engine (now with less than 28K miles) being a "grocery getter". But in all honesty, all things considered, I don't know if you could buy a better "grocery getter".

jmonroe

roadburner

bwia said:

Don't know if any if that is true of a Subaru in particular but I am inclined to buy new, be damned the economics. Besides, the smell of a new car, especially the smell of the leather upholstery, is too intoxicating and addictive to do otherwise.

Well, the 2014 CPO M235i I bought in January 2016 looked and drove like a new one. In fact, everyone I showed it to assumed it was a new car. I bought it for about the same price as a new fully optioned V6 Camry.
Yeah, that was a tough call...

ab348

That advice from Quora is about as worthless as most everything else on Quora. It really is a frightening site in that it shows how dumb, herd-like and misinformed so many people are.

28firefighter

ab348 said:

That advice from Quora is about as worthless as most everything else on Quora. It really is a frightening site in that it shows how dumb, herd-like and misinformed so many people are.

That site makes me cry for the future.

abacomike

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

Since 2 Subaru's are on my very short list to replace my Fusion (the WRX and the Legacy 3.6R), just for giggles I called Subaru of America today and asked if they had any kind of loyalty offer. The guy on the phone put me on hold to talk to his supervisor (like talking to the sales manager?).

When he came back on the phone after a minute or two he said they are going to send a coupon for $1,000 off on a new Subaru lease or purchase. He said to negotiate my best deal the give then coupon to the dealer for an additional $1,000 off.

I just looked at my email and there it is.

Nice.

Wow, they either really want to move some iron or you said the magic word. Did they ask you any pre qualifying questions or was your simple inquiry enough?

The guy asked for a VIN. I happened to have the letters they sent trying to get me to buy extended warranties. They had the VIN. He could see that I have bought 5 Subaru's and still own 2 of them.

Being a natural cynic don't you think they put a notice in their dealer system so anywhere you go they will know you have that $1000 hold card? I would be interested as to how that will effect the store's willingness to deal.

I would not be surprised at all. The money comes from Subaru Corporate though, not from the dealer; so there is a remote chance that doesn't happen.

No way to know for sure other than to send in jMonroe without the coupon and compare his deal to yours.

JMonroe will get the $1000 discount.....without a coupon!

You're probably right but I always want more. Just trying not to leave too much money on the table.

jmonroe

A little birdie told me that not only do you not want to leave too much money on the table - you actually leave the dealership with the table in tow! Gotta love ya, jmonroe, gotta love ya!

nyccarguy

There are certain vehicles out there that seem to defy the laws of depreciation where it does make more sense to buy it new.  I couldn't be happier with my current 328 horsepower CPO 2015 Infiniti Q40 AWD.  4 months ago I bought it for about the same price as I paid for the 175 horsepower 2015 Legacy I traded it in for.

abacomike

Just lost power - 3000+ customers affected.  Won't have power restored until 6:00 PM or later.  Outside temperature is 95 degrees.  Not the best time to be without electricity.  Might have to go down to the car to charge my phone later.  Ugh!!  

abacomike

Just got back from seeing the surgeon.  Tentatively scheduled surgery for August 29th as an outpatient at the hospital.  He thinks it's benign but will know more when he sees it during surgery.  I won't be under general anesthesia- it will be local injection and "twilight" anesthesia like when you have a colonoscopy.  Since it is intruding on my nerve, he has to use microscopic instrument aids so he does not damage the nerve.

Never a dull moment.  

oldfarmer50

Mr_Shiftright said:

300K and beyond? Well sure. I could keep a Yugo on the road for a million miles. Just give me Warren Buffett's checkbook and Jay Leno's mechanics.

I'm not fond of such hyperbole. Let's just play the statistical average, not the outliers.

True. That 2001 Neon I posted with 210k miles is proof of that.

Speaking of statically averages, I must have mentioned Mustangs too much because the ad in the sidebar is telling me that 92% of all Mustangs are still on the road. They must be counting the side of the road and the ditches too.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

bwia said:

Don't know if any if that is true of a Subaru in particular but I am inclined to buy new, be damned the economics. Besides, the smell of a new car, especially the smell of the leather upholstery, is too intoxicating and addictive to do otherwise.

Well, the 2014 CPO M235i I bought in January 2016 looked and drove like a new one. In fact, everyone I showed it to assumed it was a new car. I bought it for about the same price as a new fully optioned V6 Camry.
Yeah, that was a tough call...

I'd love to know the secret to buying a good high performance used car. I just assume if the owner is selling it, it's been beat. Trying to find a car that has been owned by an Edmunds OCD poster is hard.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

Driver, the image is (was?) in theory rugged, active, stuff like that. Think of how many people have needs that fit perfectly with a minivan, but would never, ever get one because of what it "said" about them.

Stick, I agree with you....there is definitely a rugged, active, tough kind of image associated with SUVs. I think it makes people feel more powerful too....as in don't mess with me, I have a big SUV. Then there are the Jeep drivers who think they are indestructable....they go out in the first snowfall and think they can't skid off the road, and they forget even though they have AWD, the center of gravity is not the same as in a car.....they end up in the ditch!

I wonder if there is a correlation between anatomical sizes and truck sizes?  Would make for a more than interesting poll or survey - dontchathink?!  

I am a Canadian....much too polite to mention that factor.

But when you are in Tampa, you might see it more humorous than when you're in Toronto!

You must be bilingual, when you talk to a Canadian you spell Canadian.....humoroUs.

Actually, we are in Ellicottville N.Y. for our tennis weekend so you can write me in American. Severe weather in the Northeast, possible hail. :@

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

Just lost power - 3000+ customers affected.  Won't have power restored until 6:00 PM or later.  Outside temperature is 95 degrees.  Not the best time to be without electricity.  Might have to go down to the car to charge my phone later.  Ugh!!  

Turn on the AC too. The Outer Banks lost power this week when a crew drove a drill through power lines. Are you having bad storms or incompetent workers?

bwia

abacomike said:

@BuickLaCrosse

I was reading in the Auto Section of our daily newspaper (Sun Sentinel) this morning that GM is about to discontinue the Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Impala beginning the 2019 model year. Just as I finally found a reason to begin loving GM once again after many years, they pull the rug out from under me.

The Buick LaCrosse is priced perfectly in the mid-market range of many buyers ($38,000 - $45,000). The car has great styling and the interior looks superb with the exception of the headroom in the rear seat. Why in the world would GM pull such a great looking and performing automobile from their lineup? I have no answer - maybe one of you guys has some rationale for this one.

The ax will fall on six models - Chevy Impala, Volt and Sonic; Cadillac CT-6, XTS and the Buick Lacrosse - that is six models in all, but the Regal and Cascada are not far behind . These cars have one thing in common, no *emotional* styling. On the other hand, it's kind of hard to make these large boats stylish. It's like designing dresses for plus size women, no matter how talented the designer the outcome will never look as good as a size 4.

On related news, the Germany luxury brands were cited for collusion. Audi, Daimler, BMW and Porsche are said to have conspired to keep prices artificially high. OPEC tried that, now look at what has happened to oil prices. Karma is a lady canine.

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

Just lost power - 3000+ customers affected.  Won't have power restored until 6:00 PM or later.  Outside temperature is 95 degrees.  Not the best time to be without electricity.  Might have to go down to the car to charge my phone later.  Ugh!!  

Turn on the AC too. The Outer Banks lost power this week when a crew drove a drill through power lines. Are you having bad storms or incompetent workers?

No storms today - incompetency most likely!

Mr_Shiftright

The Germans are the Masters of the Option List. It's really a bravado performance.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

bwia said:

Don't know if any if that is true of a Subaru in particular but I am inclined to buy new, be damned the economics. Besides, the smell of a new car, especially the smell of the leather upholstery, is too intoxicating and addictive to do otherwise.

Well, the 2014 CPO M235i I bought in January 2016 looked and drove like a new one. In fact, everyone I showed it to assumed it was a new car. I bought it for about the same price as a new fully optioned V6 Camry.
Yeah, that was a tough call...

I'd love to know the secret to buying a good high performance used car. I just assume if the owner is selling it, it's been beat. Trying to find a car that has been owned by an Edmunds OCD poster is hard.

In 1992 I bought a 36,000 mile E24 M6 with no PPI and no warranty whatsoever. It all depends on your comfort level. That said, I mentioned the Boss 302 I looked at where the idiot owner had replaced the driveshafr and exhaust for drag racing. I tend to see more late model domestic cars and Japanese cars with sketchy modifications than I do with BMWs, If I was looking at a BMW that had Dinan or M Performance parts installed it wouldn't bother me one bit. Ditto for a Mustang GT with a dealer installed Ford Racing power pack, suspension, or exhaust.

ab348

bwia said:

The ax will fall on six models - Chevy Impala, Volt and Sonic; Cadillac CT-6, XTS and the Buick Lacrosse - that is six models in all, but the Regal and Cascada are not far behind.

Johan, the boss of Cadillac, denies the CT6 is going anywhere. Impala, Lacrosse and XTS are the same platform and so they will all go at the same time. Haven't heard anything before about the Volt going away. New Regal is just rolling out for 2018 so I don't see that going away soon either.

Meanwhile the XTS is rolling out a refreshed look this model year. Nice-looking car.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

The Outer Banks lost power this week when a crew drove a drill through power lines. Are you having bad storms or incompetent workers?

We have the latter. This morning Bell, the biggest telecom in Canada, lost all service in the eastern half of the country - cell, landline, TV, and business computer nets - because (as it turns out) a worker somewhere in Quebec severed a fiber op cable. Bell has the lion's share of the market but other carriers use Bell's network and they went down as well. Apparently just a single cable being lost brought it all down. If that proves to be true it is frightening that such a large network could be designed in such a way where redundancy seemed not to be taken into consideration.

Here it showed itself as all cell and text being down, landlines were knocked out meaning 911 did not work fully, businesses that used distributed computer networks could not operate, and most of the banks had to close because they could not access records, which meant no cash was available for withdrawal. Even flights out of Halifax and other airports were grounded because nobody could use the airline computer systems. Many businesses lost POS transaction processing capability too. I was out to buy groceries when it happened but had to cut it short because I was only carrying $25 cash. Overall, it was down for a bit over 3 hours. Just remarkable.

olliesam3

Hi Guys,

I am coming up to the end of my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited lease. I loved the car and am just considering buying it out (I don't want to lease another one cause I heard it is due for a redesign soon). I got a really good deal on it (pay $420/mo with $0 due at signing for a $42k MSRP vehlice).

Anyone else have any suggestions on what other SUV's are out there that have really good lease deals? I recently got quoted a Infiniti QX60 for $489/mo with $0 at signing - $55k MSRP, so that seems like a steal. Just not sure how I feel about that vehicle.

Any other suggestions for SUVs around $500/month with $0 down? Also, I am in the NY tristate area.

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

abacomike said:

@BuickLaCrosse

I was reading in the Auto Section of our daily newspaper (Sun Sentinel) this morning that GM is about to discontinue the Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Impala beginning the 2019 model year. Just as I finally found a reason to begin loving GM once again after many years, they pull the rug out from under me.

The Buick LaCrosse is priced perfectly in the mid-market range of many buyers ($38,000 - $45,000). The car has great styling and the interior looks superb with the exception of the headroom in the rear seat. Why in the world would GM pull such a great looking and performing automobile from their lineup? I have no answer - maybe one of you guys has some rationale for this one.

The ax will fall on six models - Chevy Impala, Volt and Sonic; Cadillac CT-6, XTS and the Buick Lacrosse - that is six models in all, but the Regal and Cascada are not far behind . These cars have one thing in common, no *emotional* styling. On the other hand, it's kind of hard to make these large boats stylish. It's like designing dresses for plus size women, no matter how talented the designer the outcome will never look as good as a size 4.

On related news, the Germany luxury brands were cited for collusion. Audi, Daimler, BMW and Porsche are said to have conspired to keep prices artificially high. OPEC tried that, now look at what has happened to oil prices. Karma is a lady canine.

Hard to make big boats stylish? They did it during the 60s. What's the problem? For what it's worth I thought the big Buick and Chevy were very stylish. The Malibu was almost as big and looked similar. Perhaps they didn't differiante them enough.

You say the Volt gets the axe too? That's a shocker.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The Outer Banks lost power this week when a crew drove a drill through power lines. Are you having bad storms or incompetent workers?

We have the latter. This morning Bell, the biggest telecom in Canada, lost all service in the eastern half of the country - cell, landline, TV, and business computer nets - because (as it turns out) a worker somewhere in Quebec severed a fiber op cable. Bell has the lion's share of the market but other carriers use Bell's network and they went down as well. Apparently just a single cable being lost brought it all down. If that proves to be true it is frightening that such a large network could be designed in such a way where redundancy seemed not to be taken into consideration.

Here it showed itself as all cell and text being down, landlines were knocked out meaning 911 did not work fully, businesses that used distributed computer networks could not operate, and most of the banks had to close because they could not access records, which meant no cash was available for withdrawal. Even flights out of Halifax and other airports were grounded because nobody could use the airline computer systems. Many businesses lost POS transaction processing capability too. I was out to buy groceries when it happened but had to cut it short because I was only carrying $25 cash. Overall, it was down for a bit over 3 hours. Just remarkable.

Sometimes it's nice to be a dinosaur. No cell? No problem. No credit card? I use cash about 99% of the time. The only problem would be an inability to pontificate to my Edmunds friends and many of them would probably find thst a blessing.

houdini1

driver100 said:

houdini1".

Saw a couple of days ago where Barnes & Noble was looking for a buyer. Most in the book biz are having a tough time. Thank Amazon/Kindle, etc.

I am the worlds best buyer....of books! I have been retired for about 6 years now and I would truly make the worst possible employee they could find. I have no motivation to work, I can play tennis and/or pickleball everyday, read a few newspapers, read my book, watch a bit of Netflix (the British mysteries are incredible, try Broadchurch, Happy Valley, The Fall or Scott and Bailey). I wouldn't hire me, playing all day long takes up all my time.

I know the book industry inside out and I know what people like to read. Maybe I would go to them if they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. That is unlikely because Amazon is going to take over the world....the day is coming...just to stay on topic, when Amazon will be selling cars.

You misunderstood. B&N is looking to sell their business to someone else, not to hire someone to buy books. They are looking for a buyer to buy their business !!

cdnpinhead

oldfarmer50 said:

You say the Volt gets the axe too? That's a shocker.

Very nicely put, especially if it was intended.

oldfarmer50

cdnpinhead said:

oldfarmer50 said:

You say the Volt gets the axe too? That's a shocker.

Very nicely put, especially if it was intended.

Ha ha, pun not intended. What I meant was that I thought GM was fully committed to that technology. Could it be with changing political winds GM rethought the economics?

bwia

oldfarmer50 said:

You say the Volt gets the axe too? That's a shocker.

Very nicely put, especially if it was intended.

Ha ha, pun not intended. What I meant was that I thought GM was fully committed to that technology. Could it be with changing political winds GM rethought the economics?

The all electric Bolt with a 230+ mile  range makes the Volt redundant. 

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6l0BiGUiW2I

Mr_Shiftright

You think? Isn't the Bolt still like a Hyundai but with a 6 gallon gas tank?

explorerx4

Bad drivers are not restricted to one type of vehicle.
Today leaving work, I come to a stop sign.
There is a minivan sitting at the other stop sign when I get there.
I wait about 5 seconds and go. They then go also.
Could have intimidated them with my all black pickup, but decide to let them go ahead of me.
They then drive at about human running speed looking at something on the dash, just like they were doing when I saw them originally.
The next light is green and we can make it if they step up their speed to normal.
Of course, we didn't make it.
Light turns green, they sit there futzing around, not looking at the light.
After a few seconds, I give them a quick honk and they start moving at human running speed again.
The next light is green, so I blew by them making some turbo and tire noise.
Missed that light, too, but at least I am ahead of them.
I'm going right, but there is a no right on red sign, so I wait.
The car behind them has the right turn sign on.
I take the right and can see behind me for 10 seconds or so.
Never see either one of them again.

suydam

The Bolt is all electric. No gas. 
Volt will stay until a replacement vehicle, maybe a crossover version, somewhere around  2022. 

roadburner

For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

300K and beyond? Well sure. I could keep a Yugo on the road for a million miles. Just give me Warren Buffett's checkbook and Jay Leno's mechanics.

I'm not fond of such hyperbole. Let's just play the statistical average, not the outliers.

True. That 2001 Neon I posted with 210k miles is proof of that.

Speaking of statically averages, I must have mentioned Mustangs too much because the ad in the sidebar is telling me that 92% of all Mustangs are still on the road. They must be counting the side of the road and the ditches too.

I think they mean "the parts" are strewn all over the road.

driver100

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

houdini1".

Saw a couple of days ago where Barnes & Noble was looking for a buyer. Most in the book biz are having a tough time. Thank Amazon/Kindle, etc.

I am the worlds best buyer....of books! I have been retired for about 6 years now and I would truly make the worst possible employee they could find. I have no motivation to work, I can play tennis and/or pickleball everyday, read a few newspapers, read my book, watch a bit of Netflix (the British mysteries are incredible, try Broadchurch, Happy Valley, The Fall or Scott and Bailey). I wouldn't hire me, playing all day long takes up all my time.

I know the book industry inside out and I know what people like to read. Maybe I would go to them if they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. That is unlikely because Amazon is going to take over the world....the day is coming...just to stay on topic, when Amazon will be selling cars.

You misunderstood. B&N is looking to sell their business to someone else, not to hire someone to buy books. They are looking for a buyer to buy their business !!

Oh, in that case forget it. The book business is not the place to be, unless you are Amazon. Good luck to B & N, traditional bookstore business is going the way of the dinosaur.

tjc78

olliesam3 said:

Hi Guys,

I am coming up to the end of my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited lease. I loved the car and am just considering buying it out (I don't want to lease another one cause I heard it is due for a redesign soon). I got a really good deal on it (pay $420/mo with $0 due at signing for a $42k MSRP vehlice).

Anyone else have any suggestions on what other SUV's are out there that have really good lease deals? I recently got quoted a Infiniti QX60 for $489/mo with $0 at signing - $55k MSRP, so that seems like a steal. Just not sure how I feel about that vehicle.

Any other suggestions for SUVs around $500/month with $0 down? Also, I am in the NY tristate area.

I've been following the lease boards here and relative to MSRP the QX seems to be the best lease deal on 45k+ SUVs at the moment.

ab348

roadburner said:

For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

Of course, the synthetic is what probably caused the gasket to leak.

abacomike

olliesam3 said:

Hi Guys, I am coming up to the end of my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited lease. I loved the car and am just considering buying it out (I don't want to lease another one cause I heard it is due for a redesign soon). I got a really good deal on it (pay $420/mo with $0 due at signing for a $42k MSRP vehlice). Anyone else have any suggestions on what other SUV's are out there that have really good lease deals? I recently got quoted a Infiniti QX60 for $489/mo with $0 at signing - $55k MSRP, so that seems like a steal. Just not sure how I feel about that vehicle. Any other suggestions for SUVs around $500/month with $0 down? Also, I am in the NY tristate area.

Infiniti products are quite good - their quality control is exceptional and their engines are built like tanks.  I heartily recommend the Infiniti.

Mr_Shiftright

suydam said:

The Bolt is all electric. No gas. 
Volt will stay until a replacement vehicle, maybe a crossover version, somewhere around  2022. 

No, I meant the range is LIKE a car with a 6 gallon gas tank.

Mr_Shiftright

driver100 said:

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

houdini1".

Saw a couple of days ago where Barnes & Noble was looking for a buyer. Most in the book biz are having a tough time. Thank Amazon/Kindle, etc.

I am the worlds best buyer....of books! I have been retired for about 6 years now and I would truly make the worst possible employee they could find. I have no motivation to work, I can play tennis and/or pickleball everyday, read a few newspapers, read my book, watch a bit of Netflix (the British mysteries are incredible, try Broadchurch, Happy Valley, The Fall or Scott and Bailey). I wouldn't hire me, playing all day long takes up all my time.

I know the book industry inside out and I know what people like to read. Maybe I would go to them if they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. That is unlikely because Amazon is going to take over the world....the day is coming...just to stay on topic, when Amazon will be selling cars.

You misunderstood. B&N is looking to sell their business to someone else, not to hire someone to buy books. They are looking for a buyer to buy their business !!

Oh, in that case forget it. The book business is not the place to be, unless you are Amazon. Good luck to B & N, traditional bookstore business is going the way of the dinosaur.

But not the book itself. Predictions of all digital books have failed to materialize.

roadburner

This sled is at the Volvo store next door; I can only imagine what a complete moron the previous owner was. Note the three pointed stars replacing all the Chrysler emblems.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

This sled is at the Volvo store next door; I can only imagine what a complete moron the previous owner was. Note the three pointed stars replacing all the Chrysler emblems.

Well it is a SLK underneath. Pretty tacky though.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

tjc78

Ugh... don't ignore a cough.  I had been coughing for almost a month.  Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine.   I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me.  Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis.  Go me.  

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.  

tjc78

oldfarmer50 said:

For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

I think having an engine designed to run on synthetic certainly helps things.  I'm sure driving habits help too.  I'd be willing to bet @roadburner and family aren't afraid to wind the engines up and actually drive them.  

I can't even imagine a lightly driven 2.7 with 15k services.  It would be like chocolate pudding in there.  

roadburner

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

I think having an engine designed to run on synthetic certainly helps things.  I'm sure driving habits help too.  I'd be willing to bet @roadburner and family aren't afraid to wind the engines up and actually drive them.  

I can't even imagine a lightly driven 2.7 with 15k services.  It would be like chocolate pudding in there.  

I agree; it depends on the engine, the oil used, and the operating conditions. I only run BMW synthetic or a synthetic that meets the BMW Longlife-01 (LL-01) specs. As far as driving conditions, my son's car sees mostly suburban driving with an occasional extended interstate run.
I will note a few years ago that BMW cut back to a 10k mile change interval for their turbocharged cars; my Mazdaspeed used regular 5W-30 Mobil 1 and used oil analysis indicated it could run at least 10k miles, so I'm not worried about my 2 Series.
You might run across the following picture with a caption stating that the BMW engine shown had the oil changed every 15k miles. Don't believe it. The oil had not been changed for about 60k miles- and the quality of the oil used is unknown:

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

I think having an engine designed to run on synthetic certainly helps things.  I'm sure driving habits help too.  I'd be willing to bet @roadburner and family aren't afraid to wind the engines up and actually drive them.  

I can't even imagine a lightly driven 2.7 with 15k services.  It would be like chocolate pudding in there.  

I agree; it depends on the engine, the oil used, and the operating conditions. I only run BMW synthetic or a synthetic that meets the BMW Longlife-01 (LL-01) specs. As far as driving conditions, my son's car sees mostly suburban driving with an occasional extended interstate run.
I will note a few years ago that BMW cut back to a 10k mile change interval for their turbocharged cars; my Mazdaspeed used regular 5W-30 Mobil 1 and used oil analysis indicated it could run at least 10k miles, so I'm not worried about my 2 Series.
You might run across the following picture with a caption stating that the BMW engine shown had the oil changed every 15k miles. Don't believe it. The oil had not been changed for about 60k miles- and the quality of the oil used is unknown:




Wow, was that engine still running or had it seized by the time that goo got built up? I've seen pictures of Chrysler's with that kind of sludge but if you can believe the company it was because of neglect.

roadburner

I believe it was still running...

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

driver100 said:

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

houdini1".

Saw a couple of days ago where Barnes & Noble was looking for a buyer. Most in the book biz are having a tough time. Thank Amazon/Kindle, etc.

I am the worlds best buyer....of books! I have been retired for about 6 years now and I would truly make the worst possible employee they could find. I have no motivation to work, I can play tennis and/or pickleball everyday, read a few newspapers, read my book, watch a bit of Netflix (the British mysteries are incredible, try Broadchurch, Happy Valley, The Fall or Scott and Bailey). I wouldn't hire me, playing all day long takes up all my time.

I know the book industry inside out and I know what people like to read. Maybe I would go to them if they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. That is unlikely because Amazon is going to take over the world....the day is coming...just to stay on topic, when Amazon will be selling cars.

You misunderstood. B&N is looking to sell their business to someone else, not to hire someone to buy books. They are looking for a buyer to buy their business !!

Oh, in that case forget it. The book business is not the place to be, unless you are Amazon. Good luck to B & N, traditional bookstore business is going the way of the dinosaur.

But not the book itself. Predictions of all digital books have failed to materialize.

Mr S., e-books sales seem to have stalled at just under 20% of total sales. But Amazon and for used books ABEBOOKS.com have a huge percent of the market. Why go to a bookstore when you may or may not find the book you want, when you can order from home and it will be delivered to your home?

driver100

roadburner said:

This sled is at the Volvo store next door; I can only imagine what a complete moron the previous owner was. Note the three pointed stars replacing all the Chrysler emblems.

Cut the guy some slack....He likes to dream big.

The reviews did say it was an S.L.K. like old farmer said, for a fraction of the cost. For $6500 not a bad fun car. But, it is tacky.

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

I think having an engine designed to run on synthetic certainly helps things.  I'm sure driving habits help too.  I'd be willing to bet @roadburner and family aren't afraid to wind the engines up and actually drive them.  

I can't even imagine a lightly driven 2.7 with 15k services.  It would be like chocolate pudding in there.  

I agree; it depends on the engine, the oil used, and the operating conditions. I only run BMW synthetic or a synthetic that meets the BMW Longlife-01 (LL-01) specs. As far as driving conditions, my son's car sees mostly suburban driving with an occasional extended interstate run.
I will note a few years ago that BMW cut back to a 10k mile change interval for their turbocharged cars; my Mazdaspeed used regular 5W-30 Mobil 1 and used oil analysis indicated it could run at least 10k miles, so I'm not worried about my 2 Series.
You might run across the following picture with a caption stating that the BMW engine shown had the oil changed every 15k miles. Don't believe it. The oil had not been changed for about 60k miles- and the quality of the oil used is unknown:

Wow, was that engine still running or had it seized by the time that goo got built up? I've seen pictures of Chrysler's with that kind of sludge but if you can believe the company it was because of neglect.


Is that the color and texture of sludge when real synthetic oil has been used? Sludge used to be blacker and more tar-like. Or is this the more modern version of sludge. I'm wondering if a blend or a low quality synthetic were used in that engine.