I don’t think I would be scared I have a car out of warranty after 61 Thunderbird Ha ha ha we are out of warranty if even had one back that way before my time I like it I’ll take the chance why not just me personally maybe because I’m young when you get older I want to times you probably don’t wanna risk as much I don’t know Ha ha ha never the case maybe what works best for you
Driver 100 sorry didn’t get on here at all today until now stick guy but he posted above about the Mazda tribute being a Ford escape clone is correct and about the Mountaineer being explorer phone and whatever else all correct
As I mentioned over in CCBA, my wife suggested I buy a beater to drive to work if I win the election. So, assuming I pull that off, come October or so I'll start looking. Nothing boring(of course) and nothing over $10k, maximum. I'll probably go with either a Miata or a Z3.
LOL your definition of a beater and mine are entirely different.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Caddy didn't miss the mark. By commonly found accounts (both professional and nonprofessional), the CTS and ATS are tremendous drivers' cars, especially in V sport and V trims. But it still has the wrong badge to be popular enough.
The people who buy Cadillacs don't want a "driver's car" and the people who want "a driver's car" don't want a Cadillac.
"Know your audience" is my advice.
The market niche for Cadillac was always the middle aged to older aged buyer in search of a cruiser for the highway as well as elegance. That has changed since the 1980’s and 1990’s.
The brand continues to attract the older clientele, however their advertising is aimed at the 20-40 year old population segment. Their quality control has improved and their use of up-to-date technology is impressive. The ATS and CTS are in need of some major design improvements as these models retain the same basic design as those of the latter part of the first decade of this century.
Their SUV’s are sharp looking and even the ATS and CTS models continue to be attractive. I agree with Shifty that people do not necessarily go to Cadillac dealerships to buy a “true” driver’s car. They go there for luxury and elegance at an affordable price. Their performance “V” models are impressive power cars - but for that same price ($92,000+) there is stiff competition from German manufacturers.
But I still have to compliment the Cadillac Division for turning around the entire line - manufacturing and technology. In fact, GM is building excellent vehicles in all its Divisions.
Just to clarify: M5 starts $20k higher than a CTSV
Appreciate the clarification, Q, however one cannot compare a CTSV to an M5 in terms of handling and stability. The $20,000 price differential is pocket change when considering the purchase of a muscle car, IMO. 20% more for an M5 over a CTSV is worth higher out of pocket costs. Even the E63 is a preferred pick over the CTSV at 20% more, IMO.
A track is a helluva good indication of handling and stability. Just this year, the E63S finally unseated Caddy's deathgrip on fastest 4-door, beating the previous record around VIR by 1.4 seconds. Worth $20k for that difference? I can't answer that for you.
The M5? Waaayyy behind, finishing nearly 9 seconds later. Thanks Q. Appreciate the info. I still prefer the E63 AMG over the CTSV for many reasons, one of which IS NOT snobbery! It has to do with trust in MB’s engineering and emphasis on quality. Not as big a fan of the BMW - but if I had to choose between a CTSV and an M5, it would be the BMW.
Then i have a question, would you own a MB that was out of warranty?
Absolutely not. But I would never own ANY car out of warranty!
You ain't lived until you have owned a car out of warranty.
Back when I was raising a family, I always bought used cars. Now things are different. I wasn't afraid of used cars back then. I always bought GM as I felt they were the best of the choices offered by Detroit back in the 70's and 80's. Imports were out of the question. They were never even considered nor were Chrysler products, all models. I might have been adventurous and daring but not as much as @qbrozen owning '67 Dodge out of warranty. That takes a lot of guts. But back in '67 if you knew how to hammer a wrench and were willing to spend a little bit of money at the auto parts, even a Chrysler product could be maintained by a daring owner. Like I said, I was somewhat daring "back in the day" but nothing could make me crawl down the Chrysler hole.
I wouldn't even own a Chrysler product today...IN WARRANTY. I told the story about what Son #1 went through with his 2008 T&C. Long story short (just for you @driver100 ), about 3 months after he had it, a new engine had to be installed and a new tranny at around 170K miles. The main reason he bought it was because Chrysler offered a lifetime unlimited miles power train warranty to the original owner back then so he made good on that warranty and didn't have to pay a dime for those repairs.
More talk about daring, just ask him about all the other nuisance repairs he had to live with, also under warranty with that van, and he'll bite your head off and he got rid of that beast more than two years ago.
jmonroe
You trash a van that got 170k miles out of a transmission? I drove a Chrysler TC today that had 119k miles on it. Engine and tranny worked perfectly though 150 miles of mountains.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
@laurasdada, Case has a great reputation. Kind of pricey, so my kid got their masters at CSU. They had to pay. Work kicked in some and we did too, but they paid the bulk of it. Did confirm that depending on what town you live in you have to file separate returns in addition to state and federal. Some towns are kind of a co-op, so you file 1 return and they figure out how to divide it up.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
No wonder trucks are so popular. They are very cutting edge with most technologies and can be very luxurious. Anyone else have a vehicle with 4 cameras?
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
4 cameras? What, do they delete the side view mirrors now?
Nah, but you gotta have a camera looking over the rear doors along with one underneath and one down at the grille because you never know when 3 low-riding Civics are gonna try to highjack you.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Then i have a question, would you own a MB that was out of warranty?
Absolutely not. But I would never own ANY car out of warranty!
You ain't lived until you have owned a car out of warranty.
Back when I was raising a family, I always bought used cars. Now things are different. I wasn't afraid of used cars back then. I always bought GM as I felt they were the best of the choices offered by Detroit back in the 70's and 80's. Imports were out of the question. They were never even considered nor were Chrysler products, all models. I might have been adventurous and daring but not as much as @qbrozen owning '67 Dodge out of warranty. That takes a lot of guts. But back in '67 if you knew how to hammer a wrench and were willing to spend a little bit of money at the auto parts, even a Chrysler product could be maintained by a daring owner. Like I said, I was somewhat daring "back in the day" but nothing could make me crawl down the Chrysler hole.
I wouldn't even own a Chrysler product today...IN WARRANTY. I told the story about what Son #1 went through with his 2008 T&C. Long story short (just for you @driver100 ), about 3 months after he had it, a new engine had to be installed and a new tranny at around 170K miles. The main reason he bought it was because Chrysler offered a lifetime unlimited miles power train warranty to the original owner back then so he made good on that warranty and didn't have to pay a dime for those repairs.
More talk about daring, just ask him about all the other nuisance repairs he had to live with, also under warranty with that van, and he'll bite your head off and he got rid of that beast more than two years ago.
jmonroe
You trash a van that got 170k miles out of a transmission? I drove a Chrysler TC today that had 119k miles on it. Engine and tranny worked perfectly though 150 miles of mountains.
I'm not trashing a van that got 170K miles out of a transmission because that is actually pretty good. What I am saying is that the van was trashing itself almost from day one of ownership. My Son had more nuisance problems than he could count and more than any one in here would want to hear about but I'll list just 2:
(1) The power sliding doors were worked on at the dealership about 8 times IIRC from what my son told me. Every time he took it in there seemed to be another TSB but none fixed the problem for more than a few weeks. Weird how they didn't work and it was always that the door didn't fully close and lock. If parked on a level spot they were pretty good but not always. If parked on an upward slope they worked the best but again not always but the least problems occurred when the van was parked like this. When parked on a downward slope the doors almost never fully closed and locked. Somehow Chrysler could not design sliding doors to take advantage of gravity. It got to the point he just gave up and told his sons to make sure they pulled it shut when they didn't work right.
(2) An irritating rattle on the right side of the dash. The dealer tried to fix this 4 times with spray foam per 2 different TSB's. He finally gave up with the dealer so called fix and took out the passenger bucket seat, put down an old bedspread folded to make it as comfy as possible and had his wife drive it around under the conditions when it rattled. Bingo, he found the rattling spot had her drive home then got a wood shim like what a carpenter uses when installing a pre-hung door between framing studs. Tapped a few of them in the spaces where he found it rattling then went on another test drive with his wife driving again. Fixed, but the total time took a few hours what with pulling out and reinstalling the seat and both test drives. But he wasn't going to knock success.
The best part of this fix is when he had to take the van in because the linkage for one of the heating vents got pretty stiff. As the dealers tech was under the dash he saw the wooden shims and had the service advisor take a look. When he went in to get the car the advisor asked about the shims. He told them that was his fix for the rattle that the foam couldn't fix. The advisor said, "we'll have to try that". My son asked if they would give him a royalty payment for each time they use his fix. Only got a laugh and a thank you for that idea.
OK, I lied, I said I'd only tell of 2 nuisance problems but I threw in an extra (stiff cable) but it was related to nuisance problem number (2). Sue me.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Speaking of which---how's the depreciation curve on Cadillacs vs. the competition?
I checked 2015s and they were all very close. I find that hard to believe....just a guess but I don't think my Mercedes dealer would give me much for a trade-in Cadillac....that would be a hard sell for them.
Yup. Like I said before, the mid-sized luxos are very similar. That said, I'd be willing to bet a 3-series does better than an ATS. Maybe when I have the time, I'll look into that for my own edification.
KBB sight is quick and easy to use. I checked 2015 Caddie, MB and BMW similar class. They were all within about $1000 at around $25000. I am not sure if they are taking the traded in car back to the same brand dealership, or if they count all trade-in deals.
IMHO I think my MB dealer could sell a used Audi or BMW much easier than a used Cadillac. Having said that, the BMW dealer may own a Cadillac dealership and can transfer the car there.
When we traded in the Passat for the 2014 MB, they told us the Passat would go to an Auto Nation VW dealer....for a quicker sale.
Driver 100 sorry didn’t get on here at all today until now stick guy but he posted above about the Mazda tribute being a Ford escape clone is correct and about the Mountaineer being explorer phone and whatever else all correct
Thanks Marco...appreciate the clarification. I was out all day yesterday too....didn't get on until 9 a.m. today.
Life is hard when retired, dental cleaning in the morning, tennis in the afternoon, dinner with friends in the evening......how did I used to find time to work?
Then i have a question, would you own a MB that was out of warranty?
Absolutely not. But I would never own ANY car out of warranty!
You ain't lived until you have owned a car out of warranty.
Back when I was raising a family, I always bought used cars. Now things are different. I wasn't afraid of used cars back then. I always bought GM as I felt they were the best of the choices offered by Detroit back in the 70's and 80's. Imports were out of the question. They were never even considered nor were Chrysler products, all models. I might have been adventurous and daring but not as much as @qbrozen owning '67 Dodge out of warranty. That takes a lot of guts. But back in '67 if you knew how to hammer a wrench and were willing to spend a little bit of money at the auto parts, even a Chrysler product could be maintained by a daring owner. Like I said, I was somewhat daring "back in the day" but nothing could make me crawl down the Chrysler hole.
I wouldn't even own a Chrysler product today...IN WARRANTY. I told the story about what Son #1 went through with his 2008 T&C. Long story short (just for you @driver100 ), about 3 months after he had it, a new engine had to be installed and a new tranny at around 170K miles. The main reason he bought it was because Chrysler offered a lifetime unlimited miles power train warranty to the original owner back then so he made good on that warranty and didn't have to pay a dime for those repairs.
More talk about daring, just ask him about all the other nuisance repairs he had to live with, also under warranty with that van, and he'll bite your head off and he got rid of that beast more than two years ago.
jmonroe
You trash a van that got 170k miles out of a transmission? I drove a Chrysler TC today that had 119k miles on it. Engine and tranny worked perfectly though 150 miles of mountains.
I'm not trashing a van that got 170K miles out of a transmission because that is actually pretty good. What I am saying is that the van was trashing itself almost from day one of ownership. My Son had more nuisance problems than he could count and more than any one in here would want to hear about but I'll list just 2:
(1) The power sliding doors were worked on at the dealership about 8 times IIRC from what my son told me. Every time he took it in there seemed to be another TSB but none fixed the problem for more than a few weeks. Weird how they didn't work and it was always that the door didn't fully close and lock. If parked on a level spot they were pretty good but not always. If parked on an upward slope they worked the best but again not always but the least problems occurred when the van was parked like this. When parked on a downward slope the doors almost never fully closed and locked. Somehow Chrysler could not design sliding doors to take advantage of gravity. It got to the point he just gave up and told his sons to make sure they pulled it shut when they didn't work right.
(2) An irritating rattle on the right side of the dash. The dealer tried to fix this 4 times with spray foam per 2 different TSB's. He finally gave up with the dealer so called fix and took out the passenger bucket seat, put down an old bedspread folded to make it as comfy as possible and had his wife drive it around under the conditions when it rattled. Bingo, he found the rattling spot had her drive home then got a wood shim like what a carpenter uses when installing a pre-hung door between framing studs. Tapped a few of them in the spaces where he found it rattling then went on another test drive with his wife driving again. Fixed, but the total time took a few hours what with pulling out and reinstalling the seat and both test drives. But he wasn't going to knock success.
The best part of this fix is when he had to take the van in because the linkage for one of the heating vents got pretty stiff. As the dealers tech was under the dash he saw the wooden shims and had the service advisor take a look. When he went in to get the car the advisor asked about the shims. He told them that was his fix for the rattle that the foam couldn't fix. The advisor said, "we'll have to try that". My son asked if they would give him a royalty payment for each time they use his fix. Only got a laugh and a thank you for that idea.
OK, I lied, I said I'd only tell of 2 nuisance problems but I threw in an extra (stiff cable) but it was related to nuisance problem number (2). Sue me.
jmonroe
I just learned to respect the power of jmonroe. Shortly after criticizing your disparagement of Chrysler transmissions, the tranny in my Chevy van started acting up. Fortunately, a quart of fluid made everything good again.
How the great and powerful Mr. jmonroe managed to put the hex on me I'll never know but from now on I'll watch myself.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
4 cameras? What, do they delete the side view mirrors now?
Nah, but you gotta have a camera looking over the rear doors along with one underneath and one down at the grille because you never know when 3 low-riding Civics are gonna try to highjack yo
u.
I need periscope cameras to see around the trucks and vans that park beside me
“...never own ANY car out of warranty...” - let me explain why:
1. I don’t have to; 2. I hate paying for any repairs to a car. Today’s technology in cars makes it very expensive if a computer or processor goes bad. 3. I don’t mind paying for maintenance items like wiper blades, tires, oil and filters, brakes and rotors, but a timing belt, alternator, radiator, etc., can cause me to trade the car. I’m too old to fix things myself and my poor health denies my grease monkey alter-ego to surface 4.the only reason I have always gone back to Mercedes Benz is because they build cars that suit my driving preferences best. Besides, I’ve built a solid relationship with the local dealer’s service manager and want to continue that relationship.
Sure I have had a couple of problems with Mercedes vehicles, but nothing like the problems and issues I have had with BMW, Audi, Lexus and Infiniti vehicles.
My brother thinks I should keep the S450 at the end of my lease because it will have low miles; I will have taken good care of the car; it will have 1 year left on the warranty and that I can purchase an MB extended warranty for $5000+ which is much less expensive than getting a replacement car. We shall see when the time comes.
KBB sight is quick and easy to use. I checked 2015 Caddie, MB and BMW similar class. They were all within about $1000 at around $25000. I am not sure if they are taking the traded in car back to the same brand dealership, or if they count all trade-in deals.
IMHO I think my MB dealer could sell a used Audi or BMW much easier than a used Cadillac. Having said that, the BMW dealer may own a Cadillac dealership and can transfer the car there.
When we traded in the Passat for the 2014 MB, they told us the Passat would go to an Auto Nation VW dealer....for a quicker sale.
KBB?! Oh, come now, you MUST know me better than that by now!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Watched this program on Canadian TV called W5. They wanted to see if they could buy a Honda Fit for the advertised price of $16000. It is listed as MSRP $24000. First, the list price was exaggerated....was $21000. When they tried to buy the $16000 model they were told there are none in stock, we have to order one and they take 6 months to come in....but, we can get you into the next model up for $20000!
Another dealer had a low initial price, but added $800 brokerage fee, The added a document fee of $400 (different than usual DOC fee), this was to register the car and to save the documents for 7 years - storage fee, and $400 to prepare the car....included waxing a brand new car! Total cost of useless fees were over $2000!
One dealer advertised a Jeep for $59 a week. Since they didn't qualify for the lowest bank rate they ended up paying $279 a month instead of the $240 it should have been. Doesn't sound like a lot but they said that amount added up to $3000 over the life of the loan - how many customers would catch that?
Mike, some people don't get it. You drive an MB because you love the way it rides and handles. You appreciate a finely made and engineered car. You only get to pass this way once in this life as far as I know...if you want to do it in an MB or other fine car, and do it with a warranty so you don't have to sweat if something goes wrong, and if you can afford it, why go through life driving a 10 year old Fiat 500 just so you can say you have saved yourself $50000!
Watched this program on Canadian TV called W5. They wanted to see if they could buy a Honda Fit for the advertised price of $16000. It is listed as MSRP $24000. First, the list price was exaggerated....was $21000. When they tried to buy the $16000 model they were told there are none in stock, we have to order one and they take 6 months to come in....but, we can get you into the next model up for $20000!
Another dealer had a low initial price, but added $800 brokerage fee, The added a document fee of $400 (different than usual DOC fee), this was to register the car and to save the documents for 7 years - storage fee, and $400 to prepare the car....included waxing a brand new car! Total cost of useless fees were over $2000!
One dealer advertised a Jeep for $59 a week. Since they didn't qualify for the lowest bank rate they ended up paying $279 a month instead of the $240 it should have been. Doesn't sound like a lot but they said that amount added up to $3000 over the life of the loan - how many customers would catch that?
What's a brokerage fee if it isn't the equivalent of a doc fee? Sounds like you're buying stock in the company.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Then i have a question, would you own a MB that was out of warranty?
Absolutely not. But I would never own ANY car out of warranty!
You ain't lived until you have owned a car out of warranty.
Back when I was raising a family, I always bought used cars. Now things are different. I wasn't afraid of used cars back then. I always bought GM as I felt they were the best of the choices offered by Detroit back in the 70's and 80's. Imports were out of the question. They were never even considered nor were Chrysler products, all models. I might have been adventurous and daring but not as much as @qbrozen owning '67 Dodge out of warranty. That takes a lot of guts. But back in '67 if you knew how to hammer a wrench and were willing to spend a little bit of money at the auto parts, even a Chrysler product could be maintained by a daring owner. Like I said, I was somewhat daring "back in the day" but nothing could make me crawl down the Chrysler hole.
I wouldn't even own a Chrysler product today...IN WARRANTY. I told the story about what Son #1 went through with his 2008 T&C. Long story short (just for you @driver100 ), about 3 months after he had it, a new engine had to be installed and a new tranny at around 170K miles. The main reason he bought it was because Chrysler offered a lifetime unlimited miles power train warranty to the original owner back then so he made good on that warranty and didn't have to pay a dime for those repairs.
More talk about daring, just ask him about all the other nuisance repairs he had to live with, also under warranty with that van, and he'll bite your head off and he got rid of that beast more than two years ago.
jmonroe
You trash a van that got 170k miles out of a transmission? I drove a Chrysler TC today that had 119k miles on it. Engine and tranny worked perfectly though 150 miles of mountains.
I'm not trashing a van that got 170K miles out of a transmission because that is actually pretty good. What I am saying is that the van was trashing itself almost from day one of ownership. My Son had more nuisance problems than he could count and more than any one in here would want to hear about but I'll list just 2:
(1) The power sliding doors were worked on at the dealership about 8 times IIRC from what my son told me. Every time he took it in there seemed to be another TSB but none fixed the problem for more than a few weeks. Weird how they didn't work and it was always that the door didn't fully close and lock. If parked on a level spot they were pretty good but not always. If parked on an upward slope they worked the best but again not always but the least problems occurred when the van was parked like this. When parked on a downward slope the doors almost never fully closed and locked. Somehow Chrysler could not design sliding doors to take advantage of gravity. It got to the point he just gave up and told his sons to make sure they pulled it shut when they didn't work right.
(2) An irritating rattle on the right side of the dash. The dealer tried to fix this 4 times with spray foam per 2 different TSB's. He finally gave up with the dealer so called fix and took out the passenger bucket seat, put down an old bedspread folded to make it as comfy as possible and had his wife drive it around under the conditions when it rattled. Bingo, he found the rattling spot had her drive home then got a wood shim like what a carpenter uses when installing a pre-hung door between framing studs. Tapped a few of them in the spaces where he found it rattling then went on another test drive with his wife driving again. Fixed, but the total time took a few hours what with pulling out and reinstalling the seat and both test drives. But he wasn't going to knock success.
The best part of this fix is when he had to take the van in because the linkage for one of the heating vents got pretty stiff. As the dealers tech was under the dash he saw the wooden shims and had the service advisor take a look. When he went in to get the car the advisor asked about the shims. He told them that was his fix for the rattle that the foam couldn't fix. The advisor said, "we'll have to try that". My son asked if they would give him a royalty payment for each time they use his fix. Only got a laugh and a thank you for that idea.
OK, I lied, I said I'd only tell of 2 nuisance problems but I threw in an extra (stiff cable) but it was related to nuisance problem number (2). Sue me.
jmonroe
I just learned to respect the power of jmonroe. Shortly after criticizing your disparagement of Chrysler transmissions, the tranny in my Chevy van started acting up. Fortunately, a quart of fluid made everything good again.
How the great and powerful Mr. jmonroe managed to put the hex on me I'll never know but from now on I'll watch myself.
This why I don't like to talk about things that I have that are in good health. The universe gods will find you and make you pay for that. I know that 1989 Maytag washer that I bragged about the other day, that we inherited from my mother in 1997, is going to quit any load now. Just yesterday Mrs. j was bragging about it too. I think we should go washing machine shopping as soon as we are finished with breakfast.
Maybe I should outwit the appliance gods and call it a POS, that way it might get spiteful and force us to live with it a while longer.
I like that idea, HEY, YOU OLD MAYTAG POS, ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME THAT YOU DIE.
That otta do it.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
How come none of you has mentioned the upcoming mid-engine Corvette coming out in 2020? Evidently this is the holy grail of the Vette community.
Is it really as exciting as the Motor Trend article indicates? I can imagine the superior handling characteristics a mid engine would give an already superb handling car.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
How come none of you has mentioned the upcoming mid-engine Corvette coming out in 2020? Evidently this is the holy grail of the Vette community.
Is it really as exciting as the Motor Trend article indicates? I can imagine the superior handling characteristics a mid engine would give an already superb handling car.
the fact that it already competes so well with far more expensive cars seems to be reason to not mess with it, IMHO. It would have to be a completely reengineered car so none of the rules that currently apply to it will apply to the midengined version. They'd have to prove themselves all over again.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Watched this program on Canadian TV called W5. They wanted to see if they could buy a Honda Fit for the advertised price of $16000. It is listed as MSRP $24000. First, the list price was exaggerated....was $21000. When they tried to buy the $16000 model they were told there are none in stock, we have to order one and they take 6 months to come in....but, we can get you into the next model up for $20000!
Another dealer had a low initial price, but added $800 brokerage fee, The added a document fee of $400 (different than usual DOC fee), this was to register the car and to save the documents for 7 years - storage fee, and $400 to prepare the car....included waxing a brand new car! Total cost of useless fees were over $2000!
One dealer advertised a Jeep for $59 a week. Since they didn't qualify for the lowest bank rate they ended up paying $279 a month instead of the $240 it should have been. Doesn't sound like a lot but they said that amount added up to $3000 over the life of the loan - how many customers would catch that?
Plain and simple; when you are a payment buyer, you won't catch anything.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
“...never own ANY car out of warranty...” - let me explain why:
1. I don’t have to; 2. I hate paying for any repairs to a car. Today’s technology in cars makes it very expensive if a computer or processor goes bad. 3. I don’t mind paying for maintenance items like wiper blades, tires, oil and filters, brakes and rotors, but a timing belt, alternator, radiator, etc., can cause me to trade the car. I’m too old to fix things myself and my poor health denies my grease monkey alter-ego to surface 4.the only reason I have always gone back to Mercedes Benz is because they build cars that suit my driving preferences best. Besides, I’ve built a solid relationship with the local dealer’s service manager and want to continue that relationship.
Sure I have had a couple of problems with Mercedes vehicles, but nothing like the problems and issues I have had with BMW, Audi, Lexus and Infiniti vehicles.
My brother thinks I should keep the S450 at the end of my lease because it will have low miles; I will have taken good care of the car; it will have 1 year left on the warranty and that I can purchase an MB extended warranty for $5000+ which is much less expensive than getting a replacement car. We shall see when the time comes.
Mike, I don't think you should keep it. At your age this is not the time to shock your system. None of us want this to be the last car you will ever own. Think about it.
DR. jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Watched this program on Canadian TV called W5. They wanted to see if they could buy a Honda Fit for the advertised price of $16000. It is listed as MSRP $24000. First, the list price was exaggerated....was $21000. When they tried to buy the $16000 model they were told there are none in stock, we have to order one and they take 6 months to come in....but, we can get you into the next model up for $20000!
Another dealer had a low initial price, but added $800 brokerage fee, The added a document fee of $400 (different than usual DOC fee), this was to register the car and to save the documents for 7 years - storage fee, and $400 to prepare the car....included waxing a brand new car! Total cost of useless fees were over $2000!
One dealer advertised a Jeep for $59 a week. Since they didn't qualify for the lowest bank rate they ended up paying $279 a month instead of the $240 it should have been. Doesn't sound like a lot but they said that amount added up to $3000 over the life of the loan - how many customers would catch that?
What a shocker (not). It seems most dealers up here try to get away with stuff like that.
The one I got my last 3 cars from is bad when it comes to the mandatory add-ons. Every car on their lot bought for inventory has VIN etching on the glass whether you want it or not, at a few hundred bucks. Another couple hundred for wheel locking nuts - and even worse, they throw away the 4 (usually chrome) nuts they remove so if you don't want the locks you have to buy 4 new lug nuts. The latest and worst I have seen from this bunch was last Sunday when I was touring closed dealer lots for laffs. They also have the local Kia dealers. Every single new Kia on their lot has the factory smoked plastic hood wind deflector on the front edge of the hood. Every single one. Now it looks bad to start with but I imagine it is another few hundred bucks that they would be unwilling to eat and the things are held on with sticky pads so who knows if they can even be removed easily. The lack of respect they have for customers drives me nuts.
Just got a mailer from a local bank offering a $400 bonus if I make a $500 direct deposit within 60 days to a newly opened checking account. No monthly fees if you maintain a $500 balance. Could close the account after 180 days and keep the bonus. Other fees charged on ATMs and such are no problem since I don't use debit cards. I could switch the direct deposit of my SS check and be good to go.
Anyone ever take up one of these offers? Seems there has to be a catch.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Just got a mailer from a local bank offering a $400 bonus if I make a $500 direct deposit within 60 days to a newly opened checking account. No monthly fees if you maintain a $500 balance. Could close the account after 180 days and keep the bonus. Other fees charged on ATMs and such are no problem since I don't use debit cards. I could switch the direct deposit of my SS check and be good to go.
Anyone ever take up one of these offers? Seems there has to be a catch.
I'm getting those all the time from Chase, mine is for $300. I don't think there is a catch per say. It's just a hassle to go to your payroll and switch the accounts back and forth, so the bank is simply hoping you won't do it. You also need to maintain the old account while having the new one, so you can return to it. I don't have time for this.
Chase sends me a similar, smaller bonus offer for a savings account. Need to send 15 grand and keep it for 90 days to get $200. Did it once, may do it again.
Watched this program on Canadian TV called W5. They wanted to see if they could buy a Honda Fit for the advertised price of $16000. It is listed as MSRP $24000. First, the list price was exaggerated....was $21000. When they tried to buy the $16000 model they were told there are none in stock, we have to order one and they take 6 months to come in....but, we can get you into the next model up for $20000!
Another dealer had a low initial price, but added $800 brokerage fee, The added a document fee of $400 (different than usual DOC fee), this was to register the car and to save the documents for 7 years - storage fee, and $400 to prepare the car....included waxing a brand new car! Total cost of useless fees were over $2000!
One dealer advertised a Jeep for $59 a week. Since they didn't qualify for the lowest bank rate they ended up paying $279 a month instead of the $240 it should have been. Doesn't sound like a lot but they said that amount added up to $3000 over the life of the loan - how many customers would catch that?
What a shocker (not). It seems most dealers up here try to get away with stuff like that.
The one I got my last 3 cars from is bad when it comes to the mandatory add-ons. Every car on their lot bought for inventory has VIN etching on the glass whether you want it or not, at a few hundred bucks. Another couple hundred for wheel locking nuts - and even worse, they throw away the 4 (usually chrome) nuts they remove so if you don't want the locks you have to buy 4 new lug nuts. The latest and worst I have seen from this bunch was last Sunday when I was touring closed dealer lots for laffs. They also have the local Kia dealers. Every single new Kia on their lot has the factory smoked plastic hood wind deflector on the front edge of the hood. Every single one. Now it looks bad to start with but I imagine it is another few hundred bucks that they would be unwilling to eat and the things are held on with sticky pads so who knows if they can even be removed easily. The lack of respect they have for customers drives me nuts.
Every time it looks like the "old school" may be in retreat, it pops up like a Russian toy called Vanka-Vstanka, a large figurine with round bottom and low-gravity. You hit it, it leans all the way down and then pops back up. Just like you, what bothers me, is not the prices, it's the disrespect and plain shadiness of dealing. All I want is a real, honest price. If it's too high, it's OK, I just don't buy it - but an opportunity to make me believe the price is lower than it really is, is simply irresistible for those people, even if it costs lost goodwill or simply walkaway. They don't count people who never come, or walk, they only count sales they made, which makes them believe it pays and sells.
In my observation of the local market, Kia dealers are the biggest offenders, closely followed by majority of Japanese volume imports (Honda, Toyota), then some of domestics. Not surprisingly, luxury German luxury imports and Japanese niche brands (Subaru, Mazda) seem to be most straightforward in their dealings. Not all, not always, but you usually don't get "preinstalled" mop 'n glo, or totally stupid pricing ads from those guys. Volkswagen is here a total crapshoot - dealers are all over the place when it comes to the experience.
I also noticed that large chains, who originally brought more order and honest dealings, now completely deevolved into being worst offenders and family/small chain survivors are now the ones that are the honest players. I think it's probably the people, recruited from those defunct sleazeball places, especially managers. They perpetuate the culture.
Just got a mailer from a local bank offering a $400 bonus if I make a $500 direct deposit within 60 days to a newly opened checking account. No monthly fees if you maintain a $500 balance. Could close the account after 180 days and keep the bonus. Other fees charged on ATMs and such are no problem since I don't use debit cards. I could switch the direct deposit of my SS check and be good to go.
Anyone ever take up one of these offers? Seems there has to be a catch.
Many times that bonus is paid out at different intervals ($100 out of the chute, $100 after 60 days, another $100 after 120 days, etc.), after you've accumulated a set number of transactions, after the account has been open a set number of months, or some combination of the aforementioned requirements. Some institutions also limit these type of offers to accounts opened only online since that's where many people do their banking now. As @dino001 notes the goal is to reel you in with the offer and hope you stay which many people do I suspect because who wants to bounce between different banks that often?
1997 Honda Prelude Base - 2022 Acura MDX Type S Advance - 2021 Honda Passport Sport - 2006 BMW 330Ci ZHP
Driver 100 I hear you ha ha Ha you’re living the life he will get on here when we can enjoy coming in here like always try to get on in the morning and at night if anything
Happy Friday everyone going with my mom now in about 20 minutes to a Nissan dealer here one with the highest reading in the area we’ll see what happens ha ha Ha
How come none of you has mentioned the upcoming mid-engine Corvette coming out in 2020? Evidently this is the holy grail of the Vette community.
Is it really as exciting as the Motor Trend article indicates? I can imagine the superior handling characteristics a mid engine would give an already superb handling car.
A mid-engine car with a vast amount of instant HP can be very very tricky in the hands of a meat-fisted, inexperienced new owner. Look for it on YouTube.
a slew of electronic nannies and tires about 3 feet wide should help with that.
I thought I saw in the article that Chevy was going to keep making the C7 for a while along side it? Probably as a hedge. May end up keeping both to satisfy both camps. Can use the mid engine one for the more expensive models, and the RWD one as more of a retro car. Cheaper, more basic, whatever. Unless it works better for the super exotic models?
Happy Friday everyone going with my mom now in about 20 minutes to a Nissan dealer here one with the highest reading in the area we’ll see what happens ha ha Ha
My favorite Nissan in the Enterprise fleet has to be the Altima by far. Sentra is ok basic transportation and the Versa would be a fine little city car if gas milage was important. I haven't driven a Maxima yet.
Are you looking for a car, truck or SUV?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Ferrari is now using twin turbos and smaller engines on their mid-engine cars, with some kind of computerized torque vectoring to ease the power into the rear wheels (660+ HP). I hope Corvette does something like that to control the power, otherwise it'll be a death trap.
I once read an article titled: "Why a Porsche spins, a Corvette pushes, and a Lamborghini wants to kill you"
How come none of you has mentioned the upcoming mid-engine Corvette coming out in 2020? Evidently this is the holy grail of the Vette community.
Is it really as exciting as the Motor Trend article indicates? I can imagine the superior handling characteristics a mid engine would give an already superb handling car.
A mid-engine car with a vast amount of instant HP can be very very tricky in the hands of a meat-fisted, inexperienced new owner. Look for it on YouTube.
But I'd still like to get my meat fists on one, wouldn't you?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Well...Of course, but I have at least some track training, and I am not foolish, nor the spoiled child of an indulgent parent, nor a Kardashian, first-round draft pick, or near-sighted old man with a hair piece.
"Oh, way too fast on that exit ramp...I'll just lift off here...."
"Hey, Shifty, when we make the turn out of the parking lot, just NAIL IT for the crowd, ok?"
Happy Friday everyone going with my mom now in about 20 minutes to a Nissan dealer here one with the highest reading in the area we’ll see what happens ha ha Ha
My favorite Nissan in the Enterprise fleet has to be the Altima by far. Sentra is ok basic transportation and the Versa would be a fine little city car if gas milage was important. I haven't driven a Maxima yet.
Are you looking for a car, truck or SUV?
It wouldn't happen to be a 2015 in Black would it?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Happy Friday everyone going with my mom now in about 20 minutes to a Nissan dealer here one with the highest reading in the area we’ll see what happens ha ha Ha
My favorite Nissan in the Enterprise fleet has to be the Altima by far. Sentra is ok basic transportation and the Versa would be a fine little city car if gas milage was important. I haven't driven a Maxima yet.
Are you looking for a car, truck or SUV?
It wouldn't happen to be a 2015 in Black would it?
jmonroe
Those seem to have magical powers to draw people in.
Happy Friday everyone going with my mom now in about 20 minutes to a Nissan dealer here one with the highest reading in the area we’ll see what happens ha ha Ha
My favorite Nissan in the Enterprise fleet has to be the Altima by far. Sentra is ok basic transportation and the Versa would be a fine little city car if gas milage was important. I haven't driven a Maxima yet.
Are you looking for a car, truck or SUV?
It wouldn't happen to be a 2015 in Black would it?
jmonroe
No, but maybe a '16 as those would be coming off the road as would some of the '17s if they've hit over 40k miles.
My BIL has a 2015 Altima with the 3.5L which is pretty fast but the 2.5L 4 cyl. is amazingly responsive.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Old former 50 and everyone mom is looking for a sport utility vehicle can you get it now the Steelers awesome best experience I’ve had in years getting a rogue SV with the premium package with and she has now in her peace Maxima the Maximo’s aren’t leasing good now or at all from what the dealer told us she’s happy going now to finalize the deal and pick it up or figure out how to post a picture here
Happy Friday everyone going with my mom now in about 20 minutes to a Nissan dealer here one with the highest reading in the area we’ll see what happens ha ha Ha
My favorite Nissan in the Enterprise fleet has to be the Altima by far. Sentra is ok basic transportation and the Versa would be a fine little city car if gas milage was important. I haven't driven a Maxima yet.
Are you looking for a car, truck or SUV?
It wouldn't happen to be a 2015 in Black would it?
jmonroe
He can't forget that black Altima....the one time in his life a lady seemed interested in him.
Old former 50 and everyone mom is looking for a sport utility vehicle can you get it now the Steelers awesome best experience I’ve had in years getting a rogue SV with the premium package with and she has now in her peace Maxima the Maximo’s aren’t leasing good now or at all from what the dealer told us she’s happy going now to finalize the deal and pick it up or figure out how to post a picture here
I guess she is looking for one of these:
They look pretty nice, and more substantial than some of the rivals....Maxda CX 5, Honda CR-V. These were the pros and cons; Pros & Cons Upscale interior Spacious, versatile cargo area Top-tier gas mileage Lots of advanced safety features, even in base model Underpowered engine Noisy transmission
It got a good review, they just felt it was a little underpowered, but, I doubt she will care about that.
Peter Schreyer has the pen of a true automotive artist. It's one of these (yes I know sedans are disappearing from the Amur-ick-an landscape...play along here!) or a 2019 Toyota Corolla HB for this desert dweller.
Comments
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
The M5? Waaayyy behind, finishing nearly 9 seconds later.
Thanks Q. Appreciate the info. I still prefer the E63 AMG over the CTSV for many reasons, one of which IS NOT snobbery! It has to do with trust in MB’s engineering and emphasis on quality. Not as big a fan of the BMW - but if I had to choose between a CTSV and an M5, it would be the BMW.
Then i have a question, would you own a MB that was out of warranty?
Absolutely not. But I would never own ANY car out of warranty!
You ain't lived until you have owned a car out of warranty.
Back when I was raising a family, I always bought used cars. Now things are different. I wasn't afraid of used cars back then. I always bought GM as I felt they were the best of the choices offered by Detroit back in the 70's and 80's. Imports were out of the question. They were never even considered nor were Chrysler products, all models. I might have been adventurous and daring but not as much as @qbrozen owning '67 Dodge out of warranty. That takes a lot of guts. But back in '67 if you knew how to hammer a wrench and were willing to spend a little bit of money at the auto parts, even a Chrysler product could be maintained by a daring owner. Like I said, I was somewhat daring "back in the day" but nothing could make me crawl down the Chrysler hole.
I wouldn't even own a Chrysler product today...IN WARRANTY. I told the story about what Son #1 went through with his 2008 T&C. Long story short (just for you @driver100 ), about 3 months after he had it, a new engine had to be installed and a new tranny at around 170K miles. The main reason he bought it was because Chrysler offered a lifetime unlimited miles power train warranty to the original owner back then so he made good on that warranty and didn't have to pay a dime for those repairs.
More talk about daring, just ask him about all the other nuisance repairs he had to live with, also under warranty with that van, and he'll bite your head off and he got rid of that beast more than two years ago.
jmonroe
You trash a van that got 170k miles out of a transmission? I drove a Chrysler TC today that had 119k miles on it. Engine and tranny worked perfectly though 150 miles of mountains.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Case has a great reputation.
Kind of pricey, so my kid got their masters at CSU. They had to pay.
Work kicked in some and we did too, but they paid the bulk of it.
Did confirm that depending on what town you live in you have to file separate returns in addition to state and federal.
Some towns are kind of a co-op, so you file 1 return and they figure out how to divide it up.
They are very cutting edge with most technologies and can be very luxurious.
Anyone else have a vehicle with 4 cameras?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Back when I was raising a family, I always bought used cars. Now things are different. I wasn't afraid of used cars back then. I always bought GM as I felt they were the best of the choices offered by Detroit back in the 70's and 80's. Imports were out of the question. They were never even considered nor were Chrysler products, all models. I might have been adventurous and daring but not as much as @qbrozen owning '67 Dodge out of warranty. That takes a lot of guts. But back in '67 if you knew how to hammer a wrench and were willing to spend a little bit of money at the auto parts, even a Chrysler product could be maintained by a daring owner. Like I said, I was somewhat daring "back in the day" but nothing could make me crawl down the Chrysler hole.
I wouldn't even own a Chrysler product today...IN WARRANTY. I told the story about what Son #1 went through with his 2008 T&C. Long story short (just for you @driver100 ), about 3 months after he had it, a new engine had to be installed and a new tranny at around 170K miles. The main reason he bought it was because Chrysler offered a lifetime unlimited miles power train warranty to the original owner back then so he made good on that warranty and didn't have to pay a dime for those repairs.
More talk about daring, just ask him about all the other nuisance repairs he had to live with, also under warranty with that van, and he'll bite your head off and he got rid of that beast more than two years ago.
jmonroe
You trash a van that got 170k miles out of a transmission? I drove a Chrysler TC today that had 119k miles on it. Engine and tranny worked perfectly though 150 miles of mountains.
I'm not trashing a van that got 170K miles out of a transmission because that is actually pretty good. What I am saying is that the van was trashing itself almost from day one of ownership. My Son had more nuisance problems than he could count and more than any one in here would want to hear about but I'll list just 2:
(1) The power sliding doors were worked on at the dealership about 8 times IIRC from what my son told me. Every time he took it in there seemed to be another TSB but none fixed the problem for more than a few weeks. Weird how they didn't work and it was always that the door didn't fully close and lock. If parked on a level spot they were pretty good but not always. If parked on an upward slope they worked the best but again not always but the least problems occurred when the van was parked like this. When parked on a downward slope the doors almost never fully closed and locked. Somehow Chrysler could not design sliding doors to take advantage of gravity. It got to the point he just gave up and told his sons to make sure they pulled it shut when they didn't work right.
(2) An irritating rattle on the right side of the dash. The dealer tried to fix this 4 times with spray foam per 2 different TSB's. He finally gave up with the dealer so called fix and took out the passenger bucket seat, put down an old bedspread folded to make it as comfy as possible and had his wife drive it around under the conditions when it rattled. Bingo, he found the rattling spot had her drive home then got a wood shim like what a carpenter uses when installing a pre-hung door between framing studs. Tapped a few of them in the spaces where he found it rattling then went on another test drive with his wife driving again. Fixed, but the total time took a few hours what with pulling out and reinstalling the seat and both test drives. But he wasn't going to knock success.
The best part of this fix is when he had to take the van in because the linkage for one of the heating vents got pretty stiff. As the dealers tech was under the dash he saw the wooden shims and had the service advisor take a look. When he went in to get the car the advisor asked about the shims. He told them that was his fix for the rattle that the foam couldn't fix. The advisor said, "we'll have to try that". My son asked if they would give him a royalty payment for each time they use his fix. Only got a laugh and a thank you for that idea.
OK, I lied, I said I'd only tell of 2 nuisance problems but I threw in an extra (stiff cable) but it was related to nuisance problem number (2). Sue me.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
IMHO I think my MB dealer could sell a used Audi or BMW much easier than a used Cadillac. Having said that, the BMW dealer may own a Cadillac dealership and can transfer the car there.
When we traded in the Passat for the 2014 MB, they told us the Passat would go to an Auto Nation VW dealer....for a quicker sale.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Life is hard when retired, dental cleaning in the morning, tennis in the afternoon, dinner with friends in the evening......how did I used to find time to work?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I'm not trashing a van that got 170K miles out of a transmission because that is actually pretty good. What I am saying is that the van was trashing itself almost from day one of ownership. My Son had more nuisance problems than he could count and more than any one in here would want to hear about but I'll list just 2:
(1) The power sliding doors were worked on at the dealership about 8 times IIRC from what my son told me. Every time he took it in there seemed to be another TSB but none fixed the problem for more than a few weeks. Weird how they didn't work and it was always that the door didn't fully close and lock. If parked on a level spot they were pretty good but not always. If parked on an upward slope they worked the best but again not always but the least problems occurred when the van was parked like this. When parked on a downward slope the doors almost never fully closed and locked. Somehow Chrysler could not design sliding doors to take advantage of gravity. It got to the point he just gave up and told his sons to make sure they pulled it shut when they didn't work right.
(2) An irritating rattle on the right side of the dash. The dealer tried to fix this 4 times with spray foam per 2 different TSB's. He finally gave up with the dealer so called fix and took out the passenger bucket seat, put down an old bedspread folded to make it as comfy as possible and had his wife drive it around under the conditions when it rattled. Bingo, he found the rattling spot had her drive home then got a wood shim like what a carpenter uses when installing a pre-hung door between framing studs. Tapped a few of them in the spaces where he found it rattling then went on another test drive with his wife driving again. Fixed, but the total time took a few hours what with pulling out and reinstalling the seat and both test drives. But he wasn't going to knock success.
The best part of this fix is when he had to take the van in because the linkage for one of the heating vents got pretty stiff. As the dealers tech was under the dash he saw the wooden shims and had the service advisor take a look. When he went in to get the car the advisor asked about the shims. He told them that was his fix for the rattle that the foam couldn't fix. The advisor said, "we'll have to try that". My son asked if they would give him a royalty payment for each time they use his fix. Only got a laugh and a thank you for that idea.
OK, I lied, I said I'd only tell of 2 nuisance problems but I threw in an extra (stiff cable) but it was related to nuisance problem number (2). Sue me.
jmonroe
I just learned to respect the power of jmonroe. Shortly after criticizing your disparagement of Chrysler transmissions, the tranny in my Chevy van started acting up. Fortunately, a quart of fluid made everything good again.
How the great and powerful Mr. jmonroe managed to put the hex on me I'll never know but from now on I'll watch myself.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Nah, but you gotta have a camera looking over the rear doors along with one underneath and one down at the grille because you never know when 3 low-riding Civics are gonna try to highjack yo
I need periscope cameras to see around the trucks and vans that park beside me
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
1. I don’t have to;
2. I hate paying for any repairs to a car. Today’s technology in cars makes it very expensive if a computer or processor goes bad.
3. I don’t mind paying for maintenance items like wiper blades, tires, oil and filters, brakes and rotors, but a timing belt, alternator, radiator, etc., can cause me to trade the car. I’m too old to fix things myself and my poor health denies my grease monkey alter-ego to surface
4.the only reason I have always gone back to Mercedes Benz is because they build cars that suit my driving preferences best. Besides, I’ve built a solid relationship with the local dealer’s service manager and want to continue that relationship.
Sure I have had a couple of problems with Mercedes vehicles, but nothing like the problems and issues I have had with BMW, Audi, Lexus and Infiniti vehicles.
My brother thinks I should keep the S450 at the end of my lease because it will have low miles; I will have taken good care of the car; it will have 1 year left on the warranty and that I can purchase an MB extended warranty for $5000+ which is much less expensive than getting a replacement car. We shall see when the time comes.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
When they tried to buy the $16000 model they were told there are none in stock, we have to order one and they take 6 months to come in....but, we can get you into the next model up for $20000!
Another dealer had a low initial price, but added $800 brokerage fee, The added a document fee of $400 (different than usual DOC fee), this was to register the car and to save the documents for 7 years - storage fee, and $400 to prepare the car....included waxing a brand new car! Total cost of useless fees were over $2000!
One dealer advertised a Jeep for $59 a week. Since they didn't qualify for the lowest bank rate they ended up paying $279 a month instead of the $240 it should have been. Doesn't sound like a lot but they said that amount added up to $3000 over the life of the loan - how many customers would catch that?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
(1) The power sliding doors were worked on at the dealership about 8 times IIRC from what my son told me. Every time he took it in there seemed to be another TSB but none fixed the problem for more than a few weeks. Weird how they didn't work and it was always that the door didn't fully close and lock. If parked on a level spot they were pretty good but not always. If parked on an upward slope they worked the best but again not always but the least problems occurred when the van was parked like this. When parked on a downward slope the doors almost never fully closed and locked. Somehow Chrysler could not design sliding doors to take advantage of gravity. It got to the point he just gave up and told his sons to make sure they pulled it shut when they didn't work right.
(2) An irritating rattle on the right side of the dash. The dealer tried to fix this 4 times with spray foam per 2 different TSB's. He finally gave up with the dealer so called fix and took out the passenger bucket seat, put down an old bedspread folded to make it as comfy as possible and had his wife drive it around under the conditions when it rattled. Bingo, he found the rattling spot had her drive home then got a wood shim like what a carpenter uses when installing a pre-hung door between framing studs. Tapped a few of them in the spaces where he found it rattling then went on another test drive with his wife driving again. Fixed, but the total time took a few hours what with pulling out and reinstalling the seat and both test drives. But he wasn't going to knock success.
The best part of this fix is when he had to take the van in because the linkage for one of the heating vents got pretty stiff. As the dealers tech was under the dash he saw the wooden shims and had the service advisor take a look. When he went in to get the car the advisor asked about the shims. He told them that was his fix for the rattle that the foam couldn't fix. The advisor said, "we'll have to try that". My son asked if they would give him a royalty payment for each time they use his fix. Only got a laugh and a thank you for that idea.
OK, I lied, I said I'd only tell of 2 nuisance problems but I threw in an extra (stiff cable) but it was related to nuisance problem number (2). Sue me.
jmonroe
I just learned to respect the power of jmonroe. Shortly after criticizing your disparagement of Chrysler transmissions, the tranny in my Chevy van started acting up. Fortunately, a quart of fluid made everything good again.
How the great and powerful Mr. jmonroe managed to put the hex on me I'll never know but from now on I'll watch myself.
This why I don't like to talk about things that I have that are in good health. The universe gods will find you and make you pay for that. I know that 1989 Maytag washer that I bragged about the other day, that we inherited from my mother in 1997, is going to quit any load now. Just yesterday Mrs. j was bragging about it too. I think we should go washing machine shopping as soon as we are finished with breakfast.
Maybe I should outwit the appliance gods and call it a POS, that way it might get spiteful and force us to live with it a while longer.
I like that idea, HEY, YOU OLD MAYTAG POS, ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME THAT YOU DIE.
That otta do it.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Is it really as exciting as the Motor Trend article indicates? I can imagine the superior handling characteristics a mid engine would give an already superb handling car.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
DR. jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
The one I got my last 3 cars from is bad when it comes to the mandatory add-ons. Every car on their lot bought for inventory has VIN etching on the glass whether you want it or not, at a few hundred bucks. Another couple hundred for wheel locking nuts - and even worse, they throw away the 4 (usually chrome) nuts they remove so if you don't want the locks you have to buy 4 new lug nuts. The latest and worst I have seen from this bunch was last Sunday when I was touring closed dealer lots for laffs. They also have the local Kia dealers. Every single new Kia on their lot has the factory smoked plastic hood wind deflector on the front edge of the hood. Every single one. Now it looks bad to start with but I imagine it is another few hundred bucks that they would be unwilling to eat and the things are held on with sticky pads so who knows if they can even be removed easily. The lack of respect they have for customers drives me nuts.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Just got a mailer from a local bank offering a $400 bonus if I make a $500 direct deposit within 60 days to a newly opened checking account. No monthly fees if you maintain a $500 balance. Could close the account after 180 days and keep the bonus. Other fees charged on ATMs and such are no problem since I don't use debit cards. I could switch the direct deposit of my SS check and be good to go.
Anyone ever take up one of these offers? Seems there has to be a catch.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Chase sends me a similar, smaller bonus offer for a savings account. Need to send 15 grand and keep it for 90 days to get $200. Did it once, may do it again.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
In my observation of the local market, Kia dealers are the biggest offenders, closely followed by majority of Japanese volume imports (Honda, Toyota), then some of domestics. Not surprisingly, luxury German luxury imports and Japanese niche brands (Subaru, Mazda) seem to be most straightforward in their dealings. Not all, not always, but you usually don't get "preinstalled" mop 'n glo, or totally stupid pricing ads from those guys. Volkswagen is here a total crapshoot - dealers are all over the place when it comes to the experience.
I also noticed that large chains, who originally brought more order and honest dealings, now completely deevolved into being worst offenders and family/small chain survivors are now the ones that are the honest players. I think it's probably the people, recruited from those defunct sleazeball places, especially managers. They perpetuate the culture.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I thought I saw in the article that Chevy was going to keep making the C7 for a while along side it? Probably as a hedge. May end up keeping both to satisfy both camps. Can use the mid engine one for the more expensive models, and the RWD one as more of a retro car. Cheaper, more basic, whatever. Unless it works better for the super exotic models?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Are you looking for a car, truck or SUV?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I once read an article titled: "Why a Porsche spins, a Corvette pushes, and a Lamborghini wants to kill you"
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
"Oh, way too fast on that exit ramp...I'll just lift off here...."
"Hey, Shifty, when we make the turn out of the parking lot, just NAIL IT for the crowd, ok?"
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
My BIL has a 2015 Altima with the 3.5L which is pretty fast but the 2.5L 4 cyl. is amazingly responsive.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
They look pretty nice, and more substantial than some of the rivals....Maxda CX 5, Honda CR-V. These were the pros and cons;
Pros & Cons
Upscale interior
Spacious, versatile cargo area
Top-tier gas mileage
Lots of advanced safety features, even in base model
Underpowered engine
Noisy transmission
It got a good review, they just felt it was a little underpowered, but, I doubt she will care about that.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick