Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Mr_Shiftright

If you can get the Sonata's VIN, we can check out the story through a VIN check.

The car sounds neglected, which, to my mind, negates some of the monetary advantage of low miles. Given that it is such a common car, I don't see any rush. The car's not going anywhere soon.

stickguy

Nice looking fusion. But in this case, I would stay with a 4 banger for the kid.

And I’m still shocked looking at ads for cars that are only 10 YO, and seeing how antique looking the infotech stuff is. I would have to budget for a new radio set up with a BU camera, bigger screen, and car play.

snakeweasel

tjc78 said:

Is any time off today really...”off” I work everyday I’m off in one way or another. When I’m on vacation I usually login early in the morning before we hit the beach and several times during the day on my phone. I couldn’t imagine digging out from a week’s worth of email.

I cant imagine being connected to my work in my off hours let alone my vacation. I rarely even talk about my work unless I am at work. I leave it all at my desk. 

having a weeks worth of email waiting for me is a small price to pay for not dealing with it for a week.

jipster

stickguy said:

Jip, I missed the handshake and contingency part. That makes a difference. But, based on what Q said, maybe for the best? The problem is, so hard to find a clean one at that price, not all miles up. What he should do is clean it up and service it, though it appears he wants ready to roll money, without making it ready to roll.

This is also why I keep giving up on the cheaper used car market. I don’t have the energy for it at this point.

Yeah , I don't think I included the handshake part in my original post.

The car had.the appearance of just sitting. Tires looked underinflated. The TPMS light was on. The owner said It was because he traded out for some better.rims with his brother. But, yeah, no big deal. I'll keep looking.

stickguy

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

ruking1 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

fintail said:

Was this an S-Class or higher AMG model or something? That's a big payment.

ruking1 said:

I’m a tad confused here. One spends $ 600. + on a new 2018? Miles? MB lease, unscheduled maintenance: alignment. In addition, spending say $1,432. per mo (lease) did not guarantee NO unscheduled maintenance. Indeed, it will cause/caused higher $ tire/s replacement & another alignment/check.

If I had a $600 unscheduled maintenance bill on a Honda Pilot with 136,000 miles, I’d pretty close to demand they cover it, warranty or NOT.

Your 2nd paragraph can be better, easily seen by CPMD: aka., $cost per mile driven.

I used a 2004 Honda Civic @ $ .0332 CPMD: depreciation. With NO $ figures, unnecessary fear, negative doubt & lack of precision are spread.

I would be beyond rapacious if I let a daughter go to doctoral studies/ school, 2,600 miles away with an unreliable & non durable car, even with 250,000 miles. Was/is this car durable and reliable? You be the judge.

I am really confused....I have no idea what the $600+ on a new 2018? Miles? MB lease......etc was all about.

And ruking says: "I used a 2004 Honda Civic @ $ .0332 CPMD: depreciation. With NO $ figures, unnecessary fear, negative doubt & lack of precision are spread.

I would be beyond rapacious if I let a daughter go to doctoral studies/ school, 2,600 miles away with an unreliable & non durable car, even with 250,000 miles. Was/is this car durable and reliable? You be the judge"

What does this mean?

I am sure some cars get to 250000 miles and are OK, my neighbors VW diesel had 300000 miles on it when the engine froze up. Some cars are fine for 400k miles, but, I would rather not risk the car dying on me before I can get something for it as a trade in. There is no right or wrong...it is what your gambling/tolerance level is.

You know....bulls and bears can make money in the market, but pigs can get slaughtered. Same kind of theory.

The only person on this forum who has a 2018 S Class Mercedes and pays about $600 per month on a lease with MB Leasing and has had alignments, etc., is me. So I am assuming "ruking" was attempting some sort of "slam" against me. I do not want to respond to his comments, although there are many, but I decided to respond to yours since you questioned what the heck he was talking about. There, I'm done!

A slam again you? NO! But they were simple questions in the discussion you didn’t answer.

In cars, for up to 250,000 miles, my large sedan choices would be: Lexus ES 350, ES 300h, Toyota Avalon, h.😎

I don't want to get into your little discussion but I think Mike explained how he can definitely afford to drive the car he does.....and he loves it. Why would he buy a Civic and try to get 250000 miles out of it? He buys what he wants because he can. Life is to be lived, not a contest to see how many pennies you can save.

true life is to be lived. Some people prefer to live their lives by driving fine cars and spend their money there. Others don't get as much enjoyment out of their cars and instead live life by other means and spend their money on those pursuits. I for one prefer to get the most miles out of my car so I can spend my limited resources living my life on other pursuits.

I don’t really put enough miles on to really get that much use unless I want to drive something from the prior generation (people, not cars). Our RDX turns 7 in September, and currently has about 53k on it it. Not sure I want to drive it for 15+ years just to get 125k out of it!

10 years on a car bought new or maybe 1-2 years old seems about enough to me. That was our target on the RDX, and will certainly make that. And could stay longer since at 9 YO mark, it will get demoted to become the spare car anyway.

ab348

driver100 said:

Not bad....I would want to see what is lurking under those seat covers;

"Momma only ever drove it on vacations!"

jmonroe1

jipster said:

i just texted the owner, "Hey Mike, I think we're just going to keep on looking. Your Sonata is a nice car and I wish you the best of luck in selling. It was nice chatting with you yesterday. Take care."

Too sappy? Really don't want him feeling bad over the deal, even if he happens to be a curbstoner. :-(

Good decision. You were nicer than I would have been given he reneged on a deal. I would have told him to sell it to his fiancée.

That car needed too much work to get 6 grand. I've done enough brake jobs in my day and it would have cost you at least 250 bucks to do it yourself with good pads and rotors and that wouldn't include doing any caliper work. Now oil changes are another story; you could probably do that yourself and since the car is no longer covered by warranty you could even screw up your oil change log like someone I know and it wouldn't come back to bite you.

FWIW, if I sold you Mrs. j's 2012 Subie for $10,400 I would have really screwed myself since Carvana gave me $12,751 for it (the check even cleared too). While we might be poster buddies, I would have kicked myself for doing that. And if some how I would have found out later about that, I would have come looking for you with a Louisville Slugger. And don't think for a minute because they are made in your hood it wouldn't hurt.

Another FWIW, Carvana, as of yesterday, hasn't listed Mrs. j's old Subie on their web site yet. I'm curious about what they are going to ask for it. You don't have to look since it has to be waaaay out of your range.

Just remember, half the fun is in the hunt. Good luck.

jmonroe

jipster

Did have the chance to drive a Nissan Versa rental while our Veracruz is in the body shop. A surprisingly nice.little cheap car. Nice looking. Roomy for a subcompact. Absorbs bumps in road fairly well. Fairly comfortable ride. Nimble..Quick If not pressed too hard. Engine whines under moderate to heavy throttle. Cheap interior all around.Seats felt a bit like sitting of a bale of hay. Reminded me a bit of that 2012 Honda Civic I leased. Overall grade a C+.

jipster

ab348 said:

Here's a decent Fusion not too far from you.

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/d/fairfield-2009-ford-fusion/6860776000.html

Thanks. Looks pretty good...if legit. "Only driven on vacations by my mom"...sounds so weird it has to be true. But 2009 may be a little.old. Had a chance to look at a 2012 Fusion with 90k miles a few weeks ago. $7,600. Sold before I could get up to look at it.

jipster

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

Here's a decent Fusion not too far from you.

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/d/fairfield-2009-ford-fusion/6860776000.html

Not bad....I would want to see what is lurking under those seat covers;

btw....I haven't used seat covers in a car since....hmm, I think forever. Does anyone here use seat covers?

The black Fusion I was going to look at had red seat covers. I texted owner if they covered a stain. They did. ;-)

jipster

Mr_Shiftright said:

If you can get the Sonata's VIN, we can check out the story through a VIN check.

The car sounds neglected, which, to my mind, negates some of the monetary advantage of low miles. Given that it is such a common car, I don't see any rush. The car's not going anywhere soon.

Thanks Shifty, I'll keep that in mind for next time. I decided to pass...for many of the reasons you cited.

jipster

jmonroe1 said:

jipster said:

i just texted the owner, "Hey Mike, I think we're just going to keep on looking. Your Sonata is a nice car and I wish you the best of luck in selling. It was nice chatting with you yesterday. Take care."

Too sappy? Really don't want him feeling bad over the deal, even if he happens to be a curbstoner. :-(

Good decision. You were nicer than I would have been given he reneged on a deal. I would have told him to sell it to his fiancée.

That car needed too much work to get 6 grand. I've done enough brake jobs in my day and it would have cost you at least 250 bucks to do it yourself with good pads and rotors and that wouldn't include doing any caliper work. Now oil changes are another story; you could probably do that yourself and since the car is no longer covered by warranty you could even screw up your oil change log like someone I know and it wouldn't come back to bite you.

FWIW, if I sold you Mrs. j's 2012 Subie for $10,400 I would have really screwed myself since Carvana gave me $12,751 for it (the check even cleared too). While we might be poster buddies, I would have kicked myself for doing that. And if some how I would have found out later about that, I would have come looking for you with a Louisville Slugger. And don't think for a minute because they are made in your hood it wouldn't hurt.

Another FWIW, Carvana, as of yesterday, hasn't listed Mrs. j's old Subie on their web site yet. I'm curious about what they are going to ask for it. You don't have to look since it has to be waaaay out of your range.

Just remember, half the fun is in the hunt. Good luck.

jmonroe

Well,, I felt a bit bad on your Subie because I've been bugging you for years to sell it to me. Then couldn't back up my bravado when the time came. But it worked out. You gained $12,751...and I gained not having my 2 legs messed up by a Louisville Slugger bat. :-)

stickguy

Jip, every time you add more details, I’m more sure he did you a favor. I think you dodged a bullet. Once the red flags start popping up, better to bail than be stuck with a nightmare.

abacomike

I just got off the phone with Sirius/XM for the fifth time today - that’s right - the 5th time!!!

I don’t know of any other company that is worse to deal with than Sirius/XM satellite radio service.  I go through this ordeal every 6 months to one year, depending on the subscription I am on.  It is so frustrating - and I know most of you guys who use the service have had similar experiences.

The first 3 calls this morning were with customer service personnel that I could not understand - and remember I was an educator and can understand almost all people, even with tough dialects or accents - but these representatives have such poor English skills that I just hung up.

The 4th call was disconnected just as I was about to extend my subscription for 6 months for their “Select Plan”.  So I gave it one more try and succeeded, with some difficulty as regards understanding what she was saying, and got the 6 month plan for $31.02.  But, I have to go through this again in another 6 months to cancel their automatic renewal so I am not charged $159.00.  The plan can be cancelled at any time, thank goodness.

Their business plan is so bad that they almost lost me as a customer because of the contortions they made me go through and the difficulty in understanding what their customer service reps are saying!

Too bad there is no other way of getting satellite radio.  I listen mainly to only 5-6 channels of music on their system.  But I do enjoy Love, Escape, Classic Vinyl, The Blend, and one or two more.  At least this is over with until October! 

qbrozen

Your experience is why I quit satellite many years ago and will NEVER go back to it. It is like breaking off a bad relationship. The other party just keeps begging and convincing you to take him/her back, only to regret it yet again later. I've made the break, changed my number, and moved. She won't find me again!

28firefighter

I use my Dad's Sirius Internet app to listen to Howard Stern which is all I care about. Not dealing with SiriusXM is the best choice I've ever made. Not to mention, HD Radio sounds much better.

stickguy

I like listening to it though.

Actually I could do without in my car, with many more easy to use options, including a CD player! My wife would not give it up in her car though. That would mostly leave her with just FM radio. I really need to figure out someday why the USB plug doesn’t work in that car!

I’ve also never had an issue with renewing. I’ll call, ask, and get a discount plan. 15 minutes and good to go! I prefer doing one year subscriptions too, since I have 2 of them now.

tjc78

Let’s face it there are tons of entertainment choices that are either free or included with other things... but if I only have to make a quick 5-10 minute ride I love the convenience of XM and almost always find a good song to listen to 

I just don’t always want to plug my phone in or start Pandora playing over BT for a short ride. 

ab348

abacomike said:

Their business plan is so bad that they almost lost me as a customer because of the contortions they made me go through and the difficulty in understanding what their customer service reps are saying!

Too bad there is no other way of getting satellite radio.

As I have posted many times, they have a totally vile business model and I am glad to be done with them. My last experience with them was absolutely typical of my entire time dealing with them. When I got my ATS in Sept/17 the usual 3 month trial was supposedly activated. Only problem was it stopped after 3 weeks. I called them and they claimed it was activated in late June - by me. I explained to them that was impossible since I just bought the car 3 weeks earlier. After much to-ing and fro-ing, the nice lady from XM said that it would be activated within an hour or two for the remainder of my trial. But it never was. I called back the next day, got a guy who was not so nice, and who was only willing to activate it if I gave him a credit card number. Of course, that was not on. He essentially accused me of lying and trying to cheat them. Ironic. I hung up when I heard that but not before giving him an earful about what a lousy company they were. I had to get the sales guy at the dealership involved and after a few days it started working again for the remainder of the trial. I do not miss it at all.

berri

Maybe the car companies should rethink doing away with the cd player slot!

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

driver100 said:

Jip,
I call the guy. He says he bought the car in 2012 when it had 19,000 miles. It was an executive lease vehicle. Says he bought the car for his daughter, who is unable to drive it due to severe anxiety. The guy only lives 10 minutes away, so Mrs. Jipster and I go take a look.

Run as fast as you can......others before me have nailed this guy correctly.
Like OF says, what executive leases a Sonata?
He thinks a 10 year old car is worth about 1/3 of its original price.
Some people quote KBB etc, but use the retail price or trade in value...may be different than private sale.
The guy broke his word on the price...........no ethical person would do that.
It sounds like you will have to put $1500 or so into it right away.
Con men always come across as being honest and decent....that is why they are Con Men.
If you do buy, make part of the deal he pays for a mechanic's inspection...if the car passes you will buy it.
For sure don't buy it "As Is". I see people who do that on Hot Bench....little chance of getting your money back.
Chewed up back bumper.....blah!

In that second email the owner sent me last night, he said a dealership had offered him $6,500 as a trade in on a new Honda he and his girlfriend had looked at. I'm thinking, well, you must be paying full retail then

Yeah, there are.definite signs this guy is a flipper, and definite signs he isnt. I'm not convinced. Maybe he just doesn't know what he's talking about. LOL.

If he can get $6500 from a dealer why would he bother telling you. Wish him good luck and to email you back when he finds out the dealer is BSing him.

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

abacomike said:

jipster said:

Here's an interesting story from the sales frontline for you guys. As most of you may, or may not, remember, I've been looking for a 2010-2012 midsize sedan for my son. Trying to stay around 6 or 7k. Today I happen to be reading thru our neighborhood association website and someone had offered to sell their 2010 Hyundai Sonata GLS Only 48,000 miles, for $6,700. Supposedly in excellent shape.

I call the guy. He says he bought the car in 2012 when it had 19,000 miles. It was an executive lease vehicle. Says he bought the car for his daughter, who is unable to drive it due to severe anxiety. The guy only lives 10 minutes away, so Mrs. Jipster and I go take a look.

Nice car. Not great. Fairly clean. Cigarette burn on drivers side door. A bunch of dogs chewed a bit on his rear bumper. Says except for oil changes, he hasn't done anything to the car. Says needs brakes. We test drive. It does! Drives and handles well.Good power, but not too much. 4 cylinder. Get back to his house, about here is when you'll want to start taking notes, and the guy starts talking Kelley Blue Book price. $6,700. As y'all know, the ole Jipster don't play KBB. I played Edmunds True Market Value.....which may be why I'm still looking at cars. But, I mention how great an automotive site Edmunds is, and they value the private party price at $4,700 in clean condition. He says no way, Jose. I say, well, my son hasn't looked at the car yet, if we come over tomorrow and he likes it, will you split the difference and take $5,700. He again says too low. I mention the car will need new brakes all around, transmission flush as fluid is dirty, and.probably new tires as the tires on the car are showing signs of dry rot. He balks. I say I'll do $6,000 if my son likes it. And the guy agress. The Jipst method of used car buying has worked?

The guy texts me a few hours ago, says his fiancee put the kabash of the deal, and he can't sell it for $6,000. He'll sell it for $6,500, but I can make an offer close to his. Now...this was a really nice guy. I think he was honest with me. Mrs. Jip and.myself enjoyed speaking with him. So I respond we can't do $6,000 because of the repairs needed. I mention how these car web sites are crazy with how they value the exact car so far apart. Say thanks anyhow. But, come on, you make a deal, agree on a price...then go back on your word? Not cool. I think Jmonroe would have sold me his Legacy for $10,400 had I made the deal before he found out XXX company was going to give him $12,600....KACHING! Pretty sure he would. But, what are you gonna do?

Guy just texted back an hour ago, says he'll do what I had offered to do, split the difference, and sell the car for $6,250. I've yet to respond. It's late.

Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Snide remarks?

I suggest you have a mechanic go over the car before your son looks at the car.  If inspection is AOK and your son likes it, offer him $6150.  Why barter with the guy if, in the end, it needs even more $ investment?

You should know that those 4 cylinder engines are iffy if they have not been properly maintained.  My son bought one off lease and has regretted the purchase due to engine.

Yeah, if I came back today I was going to ask the owner if I could have a mechanic look at the car. There was what I thought a ticking noise coming from the engine. Mrs Jip said that was normal. "Sorry dear, that's just not good enough." And the transmission fluid was a real light blackish color. Wife said it was fine though. Think she really wanted the car. :-)

How does Mrs. Jip know what’s normal? Is she that knowledgeable about cars? Ticking could be nothing or could mean sticky lifters or other unusual wear. Could also mean sludge slowing the flow of oil to the top end. Did you pop the oil cap and stick your finger around in there?

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

stickguy said:

I know it is a slippery slope, and people have budgets, but I have trouble paying that much for something pushing 10 YO. You can get a 2017ish Elantra at this point with lower miles for $11-12K. And have something under warranty, way more features, that will likely last much longer. Long term, can be cheaper to do that than get the older car and replace it 1 or 2 times.

Scotty actually made a good point (talking about his son). Sometimes, if you are planning to keep something a long time, better to buy new if it is a car that holds resale value. So he bought a new Tacoma, instead of a used one.

Well, yes, we are.hoping this car will last my son at least 6 or 7 years. Long enough to be out of college and.on his feet.

I keep telling Mrs Jip it would be better to spend a little more. Very difficult to find a older car with good miles that is priced right.

If I had seen Jmonroes offer on his Subbie a little earlier, had a little more time to work on Mrs Jip...that Subbie could be in my driveway now. But, Mrs jipl kept saying, " Out of budget" AND "What? You want to drive all the way to Pittsburgh to buy a car from somebody you don't know....he could be a scammer, or a murderer. " Something like that. LOL.

Wife says:
"What? You want to drive all the way to Pittsburgh to buy a car from somebody you don't know....he could be a scammer, or a murderer. "

If my wife said that I’d want to find out how she got to know Jmonroe so well.

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

Did have the chance to drive a Nissan Versa rental while our Veracruz is in the body shop. A surprisingly nice.little cheap car. Nice looking. Roomy for a subcompact. Absorbs bumps in road fairly well. Fairly comfortable ride. Nimble..Quick If not pressed too hard. Engine whines under moderate to heavy throttle. Cheap interior all around.Seats felt a bit like sitting of a bale of hay. Reminded me a bit of that 2012 Honda Civic I leased. Overall grade a C+.

Those Versas are just awful. Might be a good city commuter but you don't want to be in one for long trips if you can help it.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

I just got off the phone with Sirius/XM for the fifth time today - that’s right - the 5th time!!!

I don’t know of any other company that is worse to deal with than Sirius/XM satellite radio service.  I go through this ordeal every 6 months to one year, depending on the subscription I am on.  It is so frustrating - and I know most of you guys who use the service have had similar experiences.

The first 3 calls this morning were with customer service personnel that I could not understand - and remember I was an educator and can understand almost all people, even with tough dialects or accents - but these representatives have such poor English skills that I just hung up.

The 4th call was disconnected just as I was about to extend my subscription for 6 months for their “Select Plan”.  So I gave it one more try and succeeded, with some difficulty as regards understanding what she was saying, and got the 6 month plan for $31.02.  But, I have to go through this again in another 6 months to cancel their automatic renewal so I am not charged $159.00.  The plan can be cancelled at any time, thank goodness.

Their business plan is so bad that they almost lost me as a customer because of the contortions they made me go through and the difficulty in understanding what their customer service reps are saying!

Too bad there is no other way of getting satellite radio.  I listen mainly to only 5-6 channels of music on their system.  But I do enjoy Love, Escape, Classic Vinyl, The Blend, and one or two more.  At least this is over with until October! 

I accidentally discovered Ihad a free 3 month trial of Sirius on the Kia the other day. I never tried to access it because the PT had a free year trial but they wanted $12 to turn it on. Told them to keep it. I assumed I would have to go through the same baloney this time.

It’s kind of nice. I chanced on an 80s station and was surprised at the sound quality. Wife liked it but when I asked if she liked it $159 worth she said no way.

imidazol97

If you don't renew they'll send you offers of $5 per month or so for 5 months. Plus fees.
That's for the "select" package of stations which is enough for me.

That's about $60/an plus some fees.

Before the end of the trial you can call and see if they'll offer you the same rate.

You may as well join the rest of us calling a day or two before expiration to cancel.
I put reminder on my Android phone calendar.

I find I'd really miss it in the Malibu although I don't drive it much other than on longer drives.

qbrozen

jipster said:

In that second email the owner sent me last night, he said a dealership had offered him $6,500 as a trade in on a new Honda he and his girlfriend had looked at.

And out of the goodness of his heart, he was going to sell it to you for less than that and forego the tax advantage? Well, if Sister Theresa didn't yet have a replacement, we just found him!

stickguy

speaking of XM. my daughter had it on her 1st Jetta. She liked it, especially the country station (being a southern girl and all at the time!) especially doing frequent 8 hour drives. But, the new one doesn't have XM on that trim level, so she switched to some combo of (I think) XM, but mostly pandora and other streaming, and podcasts. She does have a 45 minutes each way commute. But overall, don't think she is having a problem living without it. And does not mind saving the cost.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

ruking1 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

fintail said:

Was this an S-Class or higher AMG model or something? That's a big payment.

ruking1 said:

I’m a tad confused here. One spends $ 600. + on a new 2018? Miles? MB lease, unscheduled maintenance: alignment. In addition, spending say $1,432. per mo (lease) did not guarantee NO unscheduled maintenance. Indeed, it will cause/caused higher $ tire/s replacement & another alignment/check.

If I had a $600 unscheduled maintenance bill on a Honda Pilot with 136,000 miles, I’d pretty close to demand they cover it, warranty or NOT.

Your 2nd paragraph can be better, easily seen by CPMD: aka., $cost per mile driven.

I used a 2004 Honda Civic @ $ .0332 CPMD: depreciation. With NO $ figures, unnecessary fear, negative doubt & lack of precision are spread.

I would be beyond rapacious if I let a daughter go to doctoral studies/ school, 2,600 miles away with an unreliable & non durable car, even with 250,000 miles. Was/is this car durable and reliable? You be the judge.

I am really confused....I have no idea what the $600+ on a new 2018? Miles? MB lease......etc was all about.

And ruking says: "I used a 2004 Honda Civic @ $ .0332 CPMD: depreciation. With NO $ figures, unnecessary fear, negative doubt & lack of precision are spread.

I would be beyond rapacious if I let a daughter go to doctoral studies/ school, 2,600 miles away with an unreliable & non durable car, even with 250,000 miles. Was/is this car durable and reliable? You be the judge"

What does this mean?

I am sure some cars get to 250000 miles and are OK, my neighbors VW diesel had 300000 miles on it when the engine froze up. Some cars are fine for 400k miles, but, I would rather not risk the car dying on me before I can get something for it as a trade in. There is no right or wrong...it is what your gambling/tolerance level is.

You know....bulls and bears can make money in the market, but pigs can get slaughtered. Same kind of theory.

The only person on this forum who has a 2018 S Class Mercedes and pays about $600 per month on a lease with MB Leasing and has had alignments, etc., is me. So I am assuming "ruking" was attempting some sort of "slam" against me. I do not want to respond to his comments, although there are many, but I decided to respond to yours since you questioned what the heck he was talking about. There, I'm done!

A slam again you? NO! But they were simple questions in the discussion you didn’t answer.

In cars, for up to 250,000 miles, my large sedan choices would be: Lexus ES 350, ES 300h, Toyota Avalon, h.😎

I don't want to get into your little discussion but I think Mike explained how he can definitely afford to drive the car he does.....and he loves it. Why would he buy a Civic and try to get 250000 miles out of it? He buys what he wants because he can. Life is to be lived, not a contest to see how many pennies you can save.

true life is to be lived. Some people prefer to live their lives by driving fine cars and spend their money there. Others don't get as much enjoyment out of their cars and instead live life by other means and spend their money on those pursuits. I for one prefer to get the most miles out of my car so I can spend my limited resources living my life on other pursuit

s.

I get that and that is your choice and I would never question that! I have done the same for most of my life.

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Like OF says, what executive leases a Sonata?

I got a laugh the other day at the GM dealer here. On their front line next to the road they have a bunch of cars lined up as usual. This time many of them are slightly used ones. Several Chevy Spark hatches in the bunch, which are barely bigger than a Smart car. The stick-on banner on the windshield screams "EXECUTIVE DEMO".

I immediately thought that they must have been used for very junior executives. :laughing:

.....and today I saw what looked to be a pretty new fancy Porsche sports car pulled up at a KFC Drive Thru....what is happening there? The guy has good taste in cars but.................

driver100

stickguy said:

I like listening to it though.

Actually I could do without in my car, with many more easy to use options, including a CD player! My wife would not give it up in her car though. That would mostly leave her with just FM radio. I really need to figure out someday why the USB plug doesn’t work in that car!

I’ve also never had an issue with renewing. I’ll call, ask, and get a discount plan. 15 minutes and good to go! I prefer doing one year subscriptions too, since I have 2 of them now.

Some cars are temperamental and a USB stick will work if the stick is an extremely good quality one. I tried running my music off onto the $6 sticks....didn't work, $15 stick did work. Might be worth one try stick.

stickguy

Jipster, poking around, this is representative of what I mentioned about a few year old Elantra can be a better deal than something like that Sonata.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2282385442001750/

stickguy

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

I like listening to it though.

Actually I could do without in my car, with many more easy to use options, including a CD player! My wife would not give it up in her car though. That would mostly leave her with just FM radio. I really need to figure out someday why the USB plug doesn’t work in that car!

I’ve also never had an issue with renewing. I’ll call, ask, and get a discount plan. 15 minutes and good to go! I prefer doing one year subscriptions too, since I have 2 of them now.

Some cars are temperamental and a USB stick will work if the stick is an extremely good quality one. I tried running my music off onto the $6 sticks....didn't work, $15 stick did work. Might be worth one try stick.

it isn't the device. There is a problem with the USB connection On this car, for some reason it is a wire that comes out and has the USB plug part on the end. It wasn't charging or streaming our phones, and I tested it with a USB test device and nothing was coming through. Since by then it was out of warranty, I just never dealt with it.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

speaking of XM. my daughter had it on her 1st Jetta. She liked it, especially the country station (being a southern girl and all at the time!) especially doing frequent 8 hour drives. But, the new one doesn't have XM on that trim level, so she switched to some combo of (I think) XM, but mostly pandora and other streaming, and podcasts. She does have a 45 minutes each way commute. But overall, don't think she is having a problem living without it. And does not mind saving the cost.

I think I would have a problem living without it but I ain't going to tell them that. I've had it since my '09 Genny and have gotten used to it. And in addition to the music it's the convenience of not having to play with devices to pair them to the car. I know it can be done and once you do it a few times you're an expert but I don't want to bother with doing it.

I renewed the subscription on both the old Subie and my '15 Genny about 3 weeks ago IIRC and didn't have a problem. I just call the number given for cancellation and I get someone I can understand. Maybe it is hard to communicate with the Customer Care number but when they see the call is from someone wanting to cancel, they perk right up. Easy Peasy.

Interestingly, I had to call them to cancel the service for the old Subie and transfer it to the new one last week. That took a little work because they showed the radio ID for the new Subie as belonging to a dealer. Once I convinced them that I was in fact the owner, the refresh signal worked. Don't ask me why they would care who the owner is as long as they are getting paid by me but the guy had to get another level involved to do it but that only took another 2 minutes. Almost Easy Peasy.

jmonroe

explorerx4

I had a 2007 Fusion with that same color interior. It was very hard to keep clean. Could explain the seat covers.
Not sure how you feel about driving a Buckeye colored car.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Like OF says, what executive leases a Sonata?

I got a laugh the other day at the GM dealer here. On their front line next to the road they have a bunch of cars lined up as usual. This time many of them are slightly used ones. Several Chevy Spark hatches in the bunch, which are barely bigger than a Smart car. The stick-on banner on the windshield screams "EXECUTIVE DEMO".

I immediately thought that they must have been used for very junior executives. :laughing:

.....and today I saw what looked to be a pretty new fancy Porsche sports car pulled up at a KFC Drive Thru....what is happening there? The guy has good taste in cars but.................

That might be all he can afford now. Think payment buyer.

jmonroe

driver100

stickguy said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

I like listening to it though.

Actually I could do without in my car, with many more easy to use options, including a CD player! My wife would not give it up in her car though. That would mostly leave her with just FM radio. I really need to figure out someday why the USB plug doesn’t work in that car!

I’ve also never had an issue with renewing. I’ll call, ask, and get a discount plan. 15 minutes and good to go! I prefer doing one year subscriptions too, since I have 2 of them now.

Some cars are temperamental and a USB stick will work if the stick is an extremely good quality one. I tried running my music off onto the $6 sticks....didn't work, $15 stick did work. Might be worth one try stick.

it isn't the device. There is a problem with the USB connection On this car, for some reason it is a wire that comes out and has the USB plug part on the end. It wasn't charging or streaming our phones, and I tested it with a USB test device and nothing was coming through. Since by then it was out of warranty, I just never dealt with it.

I know....it isn't nice when you find something never worked.....after the warranty is over.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Like OF says, what executive leases a Sonata?

I got a laugh the other day at the GM dealer here. On their front line next to the road they have a bunch of cars lined up as usual. This time many of them are slightly used ones. Several Chevy Spark hatches in the bunch, which are barely bigger than a Smart car. The stick-on banner on the windshield screams "EXECUTIVE DEMO".

I immediately thought that they must have been used for very junior executives. :laughing:

.....and today I saw what looked to be a pretty new fancy Porsche sports car pulled up at a KFC Drive Thru....what is happening there? The guy has good taste in cars but.................

That might be all he can afford now. Think payment buyer.

jmonroe

I think I would rather starve than have to eat KFC. I was just reading never buy their chicken burger or pot pies, they are made from the day before left over chickens.

Our IT guy at work once worked at a KFC, if a chicken piece fell on the floor he was told to throw it into the fryer, it will get sterilized in the boiling oil.

ab348

Well, our useless city council, who never saw any wasteful spending they didn't like (except for fixing the roads) today went and approved $500K for the police dept to buy one of these:



The most bizarre part was that the guy making the case from the police dept for it admitted they had never had any previous need for one, could not provide any credible case for why they would now need one, and really did not provide any kind of a rationale for it. Yet the spend-happy Council went and approved it. This is for a police dept that is presently being barbecued in the press for excessive use of street checks and carding, especially in certain areas, to the point where a provincial review had to be undertaken and the Attorney-General had to order a ban on it until they could come up with some kind of policy as to when it can and cannot be used.

If our entire municipal council doesn't get tossed next election something is seriously wrong.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

If you don't renew they'll send you offers of $5 per month or so for 5 months. Plus fees. That's for the "select" package of stations which is enough for me. That's about $60/an plus some fees. Before the end of the trial you can call and see if they'll offer you the same rate. You may as well join the rest of us calling a day or two before expiration to cancel. I put reminder on my Android phone calendar. I find I'd really miss it in the Malibu although I don't drive it much other than on longer drives.

Exactly what I do - on my calendar for October 1st.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Like OF says, what executive leases a Sonata?

I got a laugh the other day at the GM dealer here. On their front line next to the road they have a bunch of cars lined up as usual. This time many of them are slightly used ones. Several Chevy Spark hatches in the bunch, which are barely bigger than a Smart car. The stick-on banner on the windshield screams "EXECUTIVE DEMO".

I immediately thought that they must have been used for very junior executives. :laughing:

.....and today I saw what looked to be a pretty new fancy Porsche sports car pulled up at a KFC Drive Thru....what is happening there? The guy has good taste in cars but.................

That might be all he can afford now. Think payment buyer.

jmonroe

I think I would rather starve than have to eat KFC. I was just reading never buy their chicken burger or pot pies, they are made from the day before left over chickens.

Our IT guy at work once worked at a KFC, if a chicken piece fell on the floor he was told to throw it into the fryer, it will get sterilized in the boiling oil.

I don't remember exactly how this happened but a few months ago I was asked by someone to taste their KFC pot pie. I thought it tasted as good or better than any chicken pot pie I ever had. And I've had plenty of them over the years.

As for what goes on in kitchens, I guess we'll never know. I just hope the Italian restaurant we are going to tonight doesn't drop my meatball on the floor then throws it back on my plate. But if it happens I hope they have the decency to at least plop it back in the sauce pot first.

If you want your meals to be perfectly pure, you shouldn't eat out.

jmonroe

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

driver100 said:

Jip,
I call the guy. He says he bought the car in 2012 when it had 19,000 miles. It was an executive lease vehicle. Says he bought the car for his daughter, who is unable to drive it due to severe anxiety. The guy only lives 10 minutes away, so Mrs. Jipster and I go take a look.

Run as fast as you can......others before me have nailed this guy correctly.
Like OF says, what executive leases a Sonata?
He thinks a 10 year old car is worth about 1/3 of its original price.
Some people quote KBB etc, but use the retail price or trade in value...may be different than private sale.
The guy broke his word on the price...........no ethical person would do that.
It sounds like you will have to put $1500 or so into it right away.
Con men always come across as being honest and decent....that is why they are Con Men.
If you do buy, make part of the deal he pays for a mechanic's inspection...if the car passes you will buy it.
For sure don't buy it "As Is". I see people who do that on Hot Bench....little chance of getting your money back.
Chewed up back bumper.....blah!

In that second email the owner sent me last night, he said a dealership had offered him $6,500 as a trade in on a new Honda he and his girlfriend had looked at. I'm thinking, well, you must be paying full retail then

Yeah, there are.definite signs this guy is a flipper, and definite signs he isnt. I'm not convinced. Maybe he just doesn't know what he's talking about. LOL.

If he can get $6500 from a dealer why would he bother telling you. Wish him good luck and to email you back when he finds out the dealer is BSing him.

Yeah, in just now looking back at that text, the owner said he was offered "more" than $6,500 for that Sonata. That tells me he's either clueless, or he thinks I am. And we know the answer to that.....don't we? ;-)

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

abacomike said:

jipster said:

Here's an interesting story from the sales frontline for you guys. As most of you may, or may not, remember, I've been looking for a 2010-2012 midsize sedan for my son. Trying to stay around 6 or 7k. Today I happen to be reading thru our neighborhood association website and someone had offered to sell their 2010 Hyundai Sonata GLS Only 48,000 miles, for $6,700. Supposedly in excellent shape.

I call the guy. He says he bought the car in 2012 when it had 19,000 miles. It was an executive lease vehicle. Says he bought the car for his daughter, who is unable to drive it due to severe anxiety. The guy only lives 10 minutes away, so Mrs. Jipster and I go take a look.

Nice car. Not great. Fairly clean. Cigarette burn on drivers side door. A bunch of dogs chewed a bit on his rear bumper. Says except for oil changes, he hasn't done anything to the car. Says needs brakes. We test drive. It does! Drives and handles well.Good power, but not too much. 4 cylinder. Get back to his house, about here is when you'll want to start taking notes, and the guy starts talking Kelley Blue Book price. $6,700. As y'all know, the ole Jipster don't play KBB. I played Edmunds True Market Value.....which may be why I'm still looking at cars. But, I mention how great an automotive site Edmunds is, and they value the private party price at $4,700 in clean condition. He says no way, Jose. I say, well, my son hasn't looked at the car yet, if we come over tomorrow and he likes it, will you split the difference and take $5,700. He again says too low. I mention the car will need new brakes all around, transmission flush as fluid is dirty, and.probably new tires as the tires on the car are showing signs of dry rot. He balks. I say I'll do $6,000 if my son likes it. And the guy agress. The Jipst method of used car buying has worked?

The guy texts me a few hours ago, says his fiancee put the kabash of the deal, and he can't sell it for $6,000. He'll sell it for $6,500, but I can make an offer close to his. Now...this was a really nice guy. I think he was honest with me. Mrs. Jip and.myself enjoyed speaking with him. So I respond we can't do $6,000 because of the repairs needed. I mention how these car web sites are crazy with how they value the exact car so far apart. Say thanks anyhow. But, come on, you make a deal, agree on a price...then go back on your word? Not cool. I think Jmonroe would have sold me his Legacy for $10,400 had I made the deal before he found out XXX company was going to give him $12,600....KACHING! Pretty sure he would. But, what are you gonna do?

Guy just texted back an hour ago, says he'll do what I had offered to do, split the difference, and sell the car for $6,250. I've yet to respond. It's late.

Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Snide remarks?

I suggest you have a mechanic go over the car before your son looks at the car.  If inspection is AOK and your son likes it, offer him $6150.  Why barter with the guy if, in the end, it needs even more $ investment?

You should know that those 4 cylinder engines are iffy if they have not been properly maintained.  My son bought one off lease and has regretted the purchase due to engine.

Yeah, if I came back today I was going to ask the owner if I could have a mechanic look at the car. There was what I thought a ticking noise coming from the engine. Mrs Jip said that was normal. "Sorry dear, that's just not good enough." And the transmission fluid was a real light blackish color. Wife said it was fine though. Think she really wanted the car. :-)

How does Mrs. Jip know what’s normal? Is she that knowledgeable about cars? Ticking could be nothing or could mean sticky lifters or other unusual wear. Could also mean sludge slowing the flow of oil to the top end. Did you pop the oil cap and stick your finger around in there?

No, Mrs Jip isn't that knowledgeable about cars. Slightly above average Is say. She did say some car of ours, can't remember which one, made a similar noise. But I think she she was sold on the car before looking at all the variables. And no on checking the oil cap.I made a mental note of checking that, and totally forgot. I checked dipstick, and it was fairly clean.I thought the noise maybe coming from the belt, but it was the engine.

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Did have the chance to drive a Nissan Versa rental while our Veracruz is in the body shop. A surprisingly nice.little cheap car. Nice looking. Roomy for a subcompact. Absorbs bumps in road fairly well. Fairly comfortable ride. Nimble..Quick If not pressed too hard. Engine whines under moderate to heavy throttle. Cheap interior all around.Seats felt a bit like sitting of a bale of hay. Reminded me a bit of that 2012 Honda Civic I leased. Overall grade a C+.

Those Versas are just awful. Might be a good city commuter but you don't want to be in one for long trips if you can help it.

Really? It's interior reaked of cheap plastic and material, the seat was.like sitting.on a bale of hay, but for one of the lowest priced cars on the market I thought it drove fairly well.

explorerx4

@jipster,
The seller seems pretty sketchy. Based on previous observations of the car, maybe that oil change 3k miles ago could have been the first one in a while.
There have got to be some other cars out there.

berri

I knew a guy who worked at Oscar Meyer while in college. Don't ask Actually, you don't want to see the back of a restaurant either. Ignorance can be bliss!

jipster

stickguy said:

Jipster, poking around, this is representative of what I mentioned about a few year old Elantra can be a better deal than something like that Sonata.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2282385442001750/

That looks to be a great deal for a 2017. . I like the red exterior with grey interior combination. I actually do like the Elantra, but I think that 2011 and up generation had a.problem with their engines those first couple of years. , 2013 or 14 is when they started a different method of cleaning out metal shavings in those engines, if I remember correctly. So yeah, I'll take a look. Thx.

explorerx4

When I was in junior high, I went on a tour of a potato chip plant.
Didn't eat potato chips until I got the munchies, years later.

jipster

explorerx4 said:

@jipster,
The seller seems pretty sketchy. Based on previous observations of the car, maybe that oil change 3k miles ago could have been the first one in a while.
There have got to be some other cars out there.

Thx..Still looking. Like many have pointed out, finding an older lower mileage car is tough. May have to get under my mattress and bring a little more cash to the table.

cdnpinhead

Well, there's mileage and then there's mileage. A car with 15K miles of 5-10 mile trips in a cold city, in my world , is much less worthy than one with 95K miles gathered on the Interstate in the Southwest by a sales rep or some such.