Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

suydam

I get the Select XM package which is plenty. I think promo price I recently got after my yearly phone call go round was $99/year. Fine by me.

carnaught

suydam said:

I get the Select XM package which is plenty. I think promo price I recently got after my yearly phone call go round was $99/year. Fine by me.

For the same Select XM pkg., my yearly cost is $72 including taxes and fees. The only caveat is the need to renew once at 6 mos. For that price, it works for me.

qbrozen

Pandora costs me $0.

28firefighter

I pay $15/month for the Spotify family membership which works in both our cars. T-Mobile doesn't charge data for music streaming, so there is no downside.

Way easier than dealing with Sirius XM.

berri

I think there are also other factors the can cause D3 used cars to hold their value less: They can sometimes over price the new car sticker resulting in big promotions and discounts. Most depreciation is based on sticker price because out the door prices vary so much. Also, for whatever reasons D3 cars tend to score lower in things like Consumer Reports or other quality surveys when based on longer term ownership. My personal experience has been that D3 cars vary more in that respect than Toyota or Honda. That may point to purchasing or labor issues in making the vehicle? However, I think the survey thing is flattening out between them all somewhat on many newer D3 products. As for luxury cars, much higher price to base the depreciation percentage on and more options that can become complicated with age.

andres3

berri said:

I think there are also other factors the can cause D3 used cars to hold their value less: They can sometimes over price the new car sticker resulting in big promotions and discounts. Most depreciation is based on sticker price because out the door prices vary so much. Also, for whatever reasons D3 cars tend to score lower in things like Consumer Reports or other quality surveys when based on longer term ownership. My personal experience has been that D3 cars vary more in that respect than Toyota or Honda. That may point to purchasing or labor issues in making the vehicle? However, I think the survey thing is flattening out between them all somewhat on many newer D3 products. As for luxury cars, much higher price to base the depreciation percentage on and more options that can become complicated with age.

Plain old desirability plays a factor too. I probably underestimated the value of my modified A3 when I sold it in 2 days.

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

Explain this:



Could there be a worse way of presenting a black truck for sale?

Yes he could have turned his flashlight off and waited for a moonless night.

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

Pandora costs me $0.

I pay them $5 a month. I couldn't stand the commercials anymore.

jmonroe

ab348 said:

DAMN DAMN DAMN! Curbed a front wheel on the new ATS tonight in the dark and rain here while parking on the street near a restaurant. Too dark to see what the damage is and it drove OK after so it isn't bent, but I am so annoyed at myself right now...

Late to the party on this but I can't let this pass.

What a DOPE.

jmonroe

abacomike

jmonroe said:

DAMN DAMN DAMN! Curbed a front wheel on the new ATS tonight in the dark and rain here while parking on the street near a restaurant. Too dark to see what the damage is and it drove OK after so it isn't bent, but I am so annoyed at myself right now...

Late to the party on this but I can't let this pass. What a DOPE. jmonroe

I don’t know if AB is a DOPE (most probably not) but definitely a guy who does things too quickly when under pressure (rain and trying to get to dinner on time).  I feel for you AB - there is something about having a blemish on a new car that is very aggravating.  I’ve been lucky so far, but it’s going to happen - sooner or later - to all our precious autos or trucks.  It’s inevitable! 

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Explain this:



Could there be a worse way of presenting a black truck for sale?

Maybe there's a method to the madness. Perhaps that truck doesn't present well in the daylight?

Oh, kind of like the scream ad that tries to get you into the showroom. So this guy gets you into his driveway and then tries to convince you that big rust hole is just a $20 repair.

abacomike

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

Pandora costs me $0.

I pay them $5 a month. I couldn't stand the commercials anymore.

I have Pandora and iHeart Radio in the car but I really never use them because I have Satellite Radio, my car's Hard Drive with all my music on it and my iPhone and all the music on that - not to mention my DVD that has every song I ever purchased from the iTunes Store on it.

What I like about being able to stream Sirius Radio on my iPhone over WiFi is that there are no commercials and the only time I listen to the Sirius Music Stream is when I am trying to fall asleep - I put on my ear phones and design a playlist I like from Sirius's iPhone App, and slowly but surely fall to sleep. If I were to listen to iHeart or Pandora, the commercials wake me up - not good sources to listen to music late at night while trying to fall asleep.

oldfarmer50

Was just reading about how with modern technology it's possible to counterfeit certified or bank checks so you can't really trust them any more. With selling a low end car (under $5k) I supose you can just ask for cash but what about a newer car, say over $20k?

Would going to the buyer's bank and having him/her draw a teller's check in your presence be the best way to avoid getting scammed or is there a better way?

imidazol97

About XM Sirius there is another characteristic I really dislike. They send emails all the time advertising that I need to list my favorites or some other emergency in the Subject line. BUT they never send a reminder that my subscription is ending in 2 weeks, 10 days, or 5 days. Never. I'm sure that's so that I don't notice and the pricing rolls over to their maximum monthly price.

andres3

imidazol97 said:

About XM Sirius there is another characteristic I really dislike. They send emails all the time advertising that I need to list my favorites or some other emergency in the Subject line. BUT they never send a reminder that my subscription is ending in 2 weeks, 10 days, or 5 days. Never. I'm sure that's so that I don't notice and the pricing rolls over to their maximum monthly price.

The last time I renewed and went through the negotiation wringer, I complained about exactly that. They said they'd put me on their "reminder/notification" email list to warn me of impending renewal also known as gouging the price up.

Will report how it works in 4-5 months or so.

tjc78

Hi all .. just wanted to follow up and say everyone’s advice was correct !  I got my number and start the transition to my new position in 30 days or so.   

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

Was just reading about how with modern technology it's possible to counterfeit certified or bank checks so you can't really trust them any more. With selling a low end car (under $5k) I supose you can just ask for cash but what about a newer car, say over $20k?

Would going to the buyer's bank and having him/her draw a teller's check in your presence be the best way to avoid getting scammed or is there a better way?

I think a phone call to the bank to verify the cashier's check was legitimately issued would be sufficient? Of course, I suppose someone could counterfeit a legitimate check in order to buy 10 used cars in one day?

dino001

oldfarmer50 said:

Was just reading about how with modern technology it's possible to counterfeit certified or bank checks so you can't really trust them any more. With selling a low end car (under $5k) I supose you can just ask for cash but what about a newer car, say over $20k?

Would going to the buyer's bank and having him/her draw a teller's check in your presence be the best way to avoid getting scammed or is there a better way?

Best way is probably to research your buyer. Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. If alarm bells go off at any time, then look for remedies, like you said. As you might remember, I sold my BMW for $17k+, essentially over the phone. In conversations it was clear he knew about the car, understood what it was, it wasn't "hey, I saw your Mercedes, sorry Acura, sorry BMW online, want to buy it today". We made an appointment with each other to meet with a cashier's check on hand at my bank. His check was from a credit union that had no branches around here. I looked him up, found out he was a mechanical engineer employed by one of those companies serving Space Center complex, had some history, looked at the picture. He gave me his address, which matched. All added up, so all I needed is the picture to match with the person showing up, which it did, of course. I took his check, posted it in my bank, we went to the DMV to change the registration. The bank credited the money next day. End of story. If I wanted to be more cautious, I could have demanded him purchasing a check from my bank, which should give the immediate window into whether it was legit or not.

iluvmysephia1

Stealthy, impressive...Impreza.

There's one of these, a 2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i, over at AutoNation in Spokane, selling for $18,397. This is the best Subaru design I have seen. Some call the look conservative, I call it...well thought-out. Subaru calls this color Venetian Red Pearl. It is a 5-speed stick. What am I waiting for?

dino001

iluvmysephia1 said:

Stealthy, impressive...Impreza.

There's one of these, a 2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i, over at AutoNation in Spokane, selling for $18,397. This is the best Subaru design I have seen. Some call the look conservative, I call it...well thought-out. Subaru calls this color Venetian Red Pearl. It is a 5-speed stick. What am I waiting for?

Exactly. What ARE you waiting for?

stickguy

Congrats Tom. Good luck with the new position.

andres3

iluvmysephia1 said:

Stealthy, impressive...Impreza.

There's one of these, a 2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i, over at AutoNation in Spokane, selling for $18,397. This is the best Subaru design I have seen. Some call the look conservative, I call it...well thought-out. Subaru calls this color Venetian Red Pearl. It is a 5-speed stick. What am I waiting for?

For them to put the 2.0T XT trimmings onto the drive train?

The Subaru 2.0L without a turbo has been called words worse than "slow."

roadburner

I'd be waiting for the STI...

jmonroe

tjc78 said:

Hi all .. just wanted to follow up and say everyone’s advice was correct !  I got my number and start the transition to my new position in 30 days or so.   

I'm glad you listened to me. Not so much the others you gave credit to.

Congratulation and good luck. I knew you could do it.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

Was just reading about how with modern technology it's possible to counterfeit certified or bank checks so you can't really trust them any more. With selling a low end car (under $5k) I supose you can just ask for cash but what about a newer car, say over $20k?

Would going to the buyer's bank and having him/her draw a teller's check in your presence be the best way to avoid getting scammed or is there a better way?

Have them wire the money into your account. If your bank says the money is in there, then it is definitely, slam-dunk, in there.

stickguy

Not sure at this point I could deal with selling on CL either. Even the looking at dealers is wearing me out. Might need to go back to buy new, keep forever, then trade in!

ab348

tjc78 said:

Hi all .. just wanted to follow up and say everyone’s advice was correct !  I got my number and start the transition to my new position in 30 days or so.   

Congrats! I'm glad you didn't need to grovel for that set of snow tires.

ab348

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

DAMN DAMN DAMN! Curbed a front wheel on the new ATS tonight in the dark and rain here while parking on the street near a restaurant. Too dark to see what the damage is and it drove OK after so it isn't bent, but I am so annoyed at myself right now...

Late to the party on this but I can't let this pass.

What a DOPE.

jmonroe

Hey, I'm not the one with the Walmart Benz...

driver100

fintail said:

Definitely a car to buy used. A few things work against the XTS.

High MSRP. All premium car MSRPs are inflated, but that one more than others. I assume the 70K is in CDN, at what I remember 2014 exchange rates, that's maybe 55K USD - still a lot. I can't imagine an XTS being 70K USD, even after onerous taxes. Also brand and model cachet - the car is seen by some as a fancy Impala, and many were/are put into rental fleets. A combination of diminished brand equity and more late model used supply than demand will harm resale.

I suspect a same year same price competitor car might bring 5-10K more depending on the situation.

oldfarmer50 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

That's a pretty good trade-in value actually. Don't see him doing much better than that.

That's horrible although I don't doubt it's true. My question is why? Are they bad cars that don't last or is it the snob factor. Good case for buying used.

It could be about $55k USD, but the trade in value will be about $18k....still a big hit.
I think it is demand, not too many people willing to pay as much for a used Caddie....but they will for a BMW etc. As mentioned, the Caddie lists for $70k, but with incentives etc it probably really sells for 15 to 20% off most of the year.
Cadillac will aggravate their customers though, by not giving them a decent trade in amount. This fellow will just keep the one he has......this is where they really need a loyalty bonus!

driver100

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

Once again the Canadian TV show Marketplace shows how SOME car dealerships rip off customers by scaring them into buying more products. The report says dealerships may make $1000 to $2500 on a car, but, these days they make much more on service. Many service managers are on commission for 50% or more of their total pay....so they have to sell to make a living.

One lady takes her Honda in, and they try to upsell her on things like brake pads, but, they don't mention the Takata airbags that should be removed....not much money in doing that.

It is 22 minutes long....but, it will really make you wonder how honest your dealers service department is.
https://youtu.be/jBpMe36GoW0

They do kind of a poor job in that piece. The scare tactics and misinformation from the service advisors is the story there. The voiceover is very careful to use the words "needed" vs "recommended" yet they never explain the difference. I recommend you have $1M in the bank. Is it needed? No, of course not. There is nothing wrong with anybody recommending additional service.

The dealer uses "recommended" because that covers their tracks. The manufacturer says needed because that is when you NEED the service done, dealer uses recommended as weasel words for, "You don't NEED this work done, but we RECOMMEND it now because we can make more money on it doing it more often and even if you don't really need it done."

Mr_Shiftright

stickguy said:

Not sure at this point I could deal with selling on CL either. Even the looking at dealers is wearing me out. Might need to go back to buy new, keep forever, then trade in!

I'm helping a friend sell her car on CL----oh, man, I regret it already.

Sample Quotes:

"Will you take $3,800?" NO

"If I buy it for $4500 will you make out a bill of sale that it was a gift?" NO

"Looks like it's ready for an oil change. Will you pay for that?" NO

"Will you hold the car for a few weeks until I sell mine?" NO

"Oh, it's got a manual transmission!" SIGH

"If I buy the car, will you wash it?" YES

berri

I stopped at a McDonald's while on the road a bit back. The cashier examined my $5 bill. When I kind of joked, she said the tweakers are counterfeiting these because they are easy to pass off. Don't know if anything is really safe anymore...

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Hi all .. just wanted to follow up and say everyone’s advice was correct !  I got my number and start the transition to my new position in 30 days or so.   

Congratulations, great job. That 10% will just about cover our consulting fees.

driver100

ab348 said:

I saw that Marketplace piece when it was broadcast here last week. It was a typical item by them, use the old 60 Minutes ambush technique to make someone look like they are doing something bad. It really is no different from the furnace serviceman saying you need X Y and Z done each year on your oil furnace or a tire shop saying your treads with 5/32nd left should be replaced. Marketplace is an old-school CBC show from the '80s and has maintained that network's left-wing bent forever. I bet they would be shocked to discover that the retail price of a product has nothing to do with its manufacturing cost.

Our furnace guy never oversells. He only does what has to be done. I would hope, a service shop would do the same. People pay for service and repairs they don't really need. It is done in other businesses but that doesn't make it acceptable. Some of the service advisers out and out lied....I wouldn't trust those dealerships at all. We are somewhat knowledgeable people, most car owners aren't at all..........these dealers really take advantage of them.

tjc78

Thanks everyone!! 

jmonroe

ab348 said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

DAMN DAMN DAMN! Curbed a front wheel on the new ATS tonight in the dark and rain here while parking on the street near a restaurant. Too dark to see what the damage is and it drove OK after so it isn't bent, but I am so annoyed at myself right now...

Late to the party on this but I can't let this pass.

What a DOPE.

jmonroe

Hey, I'm not the one with the Walmart Benz...

Slight correction, I've been accused of owning a Bentley but I get your point.

jmonroe

cdnpinhead

imidazol97 said:

About XM Sirius there is another characteristic I really dislike. They send emails all the time advertising that I need to list my favorites or some other emergency in the Subject line. BUT they never send a reminder that my subscription is ending in 2 weeks, 10 days, or 5 days. Never. I'm sure that's so that I don't notice and the pricing rolls over to their maximum monthly price.

Ya think? Imagine.

stickguy

I always get an email notice a month in advance. I don't think they send any follow-ups though. But, I put it on my to-do calendar, and make sure to call before the date.

andres3

driver100 said:

fintail said:

Definitely a car to buy used. A few things work against the XTS.

High MSRP. All premium car MSRPs are inflated, but that one more than others. I assume the 70K is in CDN, at what I remember 2014 exchange rates, that's maybe 55K USD - still a lot. I can't imagine an XTS being 70K USD, even after onerous taxes. Also brand and model cachet - the car is seen by some as a fancy Impala, and many were/are put into rental fleets. A combination of diminished brand equity and more late model used supply than demand will harm resale.

I suspect a same year same price competitor car might bring 5-10K more depending on the situation.

oldfarmer50 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

That's a pretty good trade-in value actually. Don't see him doing much better than that.

That's horrible although I don't doubt it's true. My question is why? Are they bad cars that don't last or is it the snob factor. Good case for buying used.

It could be about $55k USD, but the trade in value will be about $18k....still a big hit.
I think it is demand, not too many people willing to pay as much for a used Caddie....but they will for a BMW etc. As mentioned, the Caddie lists for $70k, but with incentives etc it probably really sells for 15 to 20% off most of the year.
Cadillac will aggravate their customers though, by not giving them a decent trade in amount. This fellow will just keep the one he has......this is where they really need a loyalty bonus!

However, according to people here, they are offering a more than decent trade-in amount. Not really the dealerships fault if the resale value is terrible. I think the owner knew that going in. No surprise really.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

stickguy said:

Not sure at this point I could deal with selling on CL either. Even the looking at dealers is wearing me out. Might need to go back to buy new, keep forever, then trade in!

I'm helping a friend sell her car on CL----oh, man, I regret it already.

Sample Quotes:

"Will you take $3,800?" NO

"If I buy it for $4500 will you make out a bill of sale that it was a gift?" NO

"Looks like it's ready for an oil change. Will you pay for that?" NO

"Will you hold the car for a few weeks until I sell mine?" NO

"Oh, it's got a manual transmission!" SIGH

"If I buy the car, will you wash it?" YES

I'd of said yes to holding the car for a few weeks as long as they pay for it first while I hold it I'm sure they would have said they don't have the money. Come back when you do.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

Pandora costs me $0.

Amazon Prime lets me stream all the music they have...anywhere...car...home....hotel room (via my bluetooth speaker), plus I get all the Amazon TV Programming at home, as well as 2-day shipping free. I'm happy with that.

fintail

That's a huge hit in 3 years. Did he pay MSRP for it?

And then there's the big issue - will it be his last new Caddy? Lots of nice cars out there these days, and unless one is an enthusiast or loyalist, they'll have no problem walking away.

driver100 said:

It could be about $55k USD, but the trade in value will be about $18k....still a big hit.
I think it is demand, not too many people willing to pay as much for a used Caddie....but they will for a BMW etc. As mentioned, the Caddie lists for $70k, but with incentives etc it probably really sells for 15 to 20% off most of the year.
Cadillac will aggravate their customers though, by not giving them a decent trade in amount. This fellow will just keep the one he has......this is where they really need a loyalty bonus!

graphicguy

tjc78 said:

Hi all .. just wanted to follow up and say everyone’s advice was correct !  I got my number and start the transition to my new position in 30 days or so.   

Yay....big congrats!

thebean

stickguy said:

Not sure at this point I could deal with selling on CL either. Even the looking at dealers is wearing me out. Might need to go back to buy new, keep forever, then trade in!

That's my philosophy.  Been doing it for years and I'm never doing it any other way.  Life is too short to deal with CL.  I don't have to squeeze every last dollar out of a deal.

Michaell

@tjc78 - gee, too bad you didn't get the promotion and salary increase before you went shopping to replace the Enclave. You could have upgraded to a BMW or MB!

Nonetheless, congrats on a job well done.

28firefighter

@tjc78 Big congrats!

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Once again the Canadian TV show Marketplace shows how SOME car dealerships rip off customers by scaring them into buying more products. ... Many service managers are on commission for 50% or more of their total pay....so they have to sell to make a living.

Nicely done article. The Marketplace was careful to show what was mileage recommendations from owner's manual recommended by the automaker. Then they have the salepeople couching the wording in a deceptive manner to sell something more. I contrast that with saying this is earlier than the manufacturer's recommendation, but we would like to change it for you now.

Nicely stated....I liked the report as they pulled no punches taking the cars in for service, and then showing the sleazy tactics. The reporter seemed to say, the dealership is paid a minimal amount for replacing the airbags, so probably overlooks doing it. She did get it replaced at another dealer, so doesn't appear to be a short supply problem.

dino001

fintail said:

That's a huge hit in 3 years. Did he pay MSRP for it?

And then there's the big issue - will it be his last new Caddy? Lots of nice cars out there these days, and unless one is an enthusiast or loyalist, they'll have no problem walking away.

driver100 said:

It could be about $55k USD, but the trade in value will be about $18k....still a big hit.
I think it is demand, not too many people willing to pay as much for a used Caddie....but they will for a BMW etc. As mentioned, the Caddie lists for $70k, but with incentives etc it probably really sells for 15 to 20% off most of the year.
Cadillac will aggravate their customers though, by not giving them a decent trade in amount. This fellow will just keep the one he has......this is where they really need a loyalty bonus!

This is the case, when if you plan for short ownership, leasing might just make sense, as Cadillac would never admit that their 3-year residual is around 30 percent, even at elevated mileage. Unless they don't have any leasing offers through their captive financial, which I don't think was the case.

dino001

graphicguy said:

tjc78 said:

Hi all .. just wanted to follow up and say everyone’s advice was correct !  I got my number and start the transition to my new position in 30 days or so.   

Yay....big congrats!

Ditto.

isellhondas

driver100 said:

Performance reviews........who invented those? Like ab said, they are only useful for recording as many negatives as possible....in case you have to get rid of the poor employee one day.

I am so glad I am retired. If I was an employer I would never ever hire me...I would be the worst worker around, I just want to play tennis and pickleball all day long

I used to hate writing Performance Reviews! No matter how stellar an employee was it was always necessary to
speak of one or more areas where that person might improve. Picking words carefully was very important.