Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

When in comes to car.trouble, when it rains it pours. My new independent mechanic recently installed a new a\c condenser for $520 in my car (Mercury Mariner).. Needs new tires. My wife's Hyundai Veracruz had a new c.v axle put on by Indy for $195. Dealership wanted $350 for the aftermarket axle and $520 for the o.e.m axle. That car needs a new front valve cover gasket, as the one put on 10 months ago is leaking again....into the alternator. Also, needs new oil pan gasket and rear brakes.

Son's 2010 Mercury Milan is in bad shape. Dealers says has timing issues (maybe a stretched timing belt, a bad cvt solenoid). They won't know unless they spend 7 hours taking the engine apart. Or, I can spend, for a used engine. $5,200, or remanufactured for.$7,100..Also, needs a new throttle body....the symptoms of which is why I took into dealership in the first place (bucking badly in interstate, engine cut out when coming to a stop). Car runs fine, 99% of the time. Idles fines. Has a ticking noise I've noticed in back on engine. I've bought a new o.e.m throttle body from dealership I'll install myself. Thinking if that is the reason for the incident on the interstate, I'll just drive the car till the engine blows. Probably wouldn't get $1,000-$2,000 out of it if I tried to trade in or sell. Thought I may try some Seafoam or Auto RX for that CVT solenoid.

Daughters 2007 Kia Optima needs a good whack on the dashboard to get the dash lights back on. Not too bad.

Told my indy mechanic I was likely to become his best customer with my aging fleet of vehicles. Wife wants to buy a new Honda Fit. No...not a Honda Fit!!! I'd like a Mazda 6. ZOOM ZOOM! We shall see...I hid her frying pan.

That’s not the Milan you just bought, is it?

Yes. Need another whooptie?

Bought 4 months ago. Im guessing that due to the large quantity of oil it burns (quart every 1,500 or so miles) that the engine has issues and car wasnt properly cared for. Shifty said Carfax was good though.

No thanks, I just got rid of a Sable with a bad motor. That 3.0L is a good engine unless you overheat it, which my son did. In our case it was a $3000 valve job for a $1000 car.

berri

The Ford Five Hundred was a model I didn't get. They made a large car sitting higher up with good cubic interior space, but then put the extra space in the rear seat, while leaving front legroom tight for a taller driver. huh? Never saw one as a taxi

oldfarmer50

Benjaminh was mentioning he went to a place where they had a farmer’s market in the center of a plaza. Come a few hundred miles east and you can visit mine.




I had to wait a few dozen posts to include my pictures because I couldn’t get the system to accept them before.

driver100

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

Speaking of older cars, one of the guys at our tennis get together had a 2008 Saturn Vue last year........this year he replaced it with a Kia Soul.
I asked him about the Vue and he said it was getting too expensive to keep it on the road. He put 225000 miles on it but he said he had to replace a lot of parts, to get it to 300000 miles he would have to replace every part.
And he loved the car and looked after it....says they had Honda engines in them. One other problem, there weren't any dealers around any more of course so hard to get repaired at times, and Honda dealer wouldn't touch it.

As the former owner of a 2008 Saturn Vue, I can tell you that that did not contain the Honda engine. 2008 was the first year of a total redesign, and it had the GM corporate 3.6L V6 in it.

Before the 2008, we owned a 2005 Vue that did have the 3.5L Honda V6 engine.

You are right again Michaell, you are on a roll today. His was the earlier model and looked like this....I love the styling - his was red too;


V6 models received Honda's J35S1 engine and Honda transmission. This 3.5 liter engine and 5 speed transmission boosted performance over the prior V-6. It was an important selling point at the time. This V-6 engine was used in the Saturn Vue 2004 to 2007 model years.

jipster

stickguy said:

I can see the Milan. Also the crap shoot that buying a used car is. Even with a PPI, you can only know so much. Certainly much easier to take a car up in miles if you had it since the beginning. Otherwise, you just have to get lucky!

so reading this, sounds like you at minimum are in for a timing belt (chain?) job, and new throttle body? Hopefully that fixes it.

a little front end bump, if really just cosmetic, yeah let that go.

Yeah, thinking I'll throw a throttle body on the car and see how it does. Don't know if I want to go all in for a timing chain. I think there may be more ($$$) going on with the engine. I don't like to gamble and lose, so I usually don't. Probably why I always break even or lose at cards.

stickguy

throttle body is easy, and if you are reasonably handy can DIY. A timing chain, that is a whole nother level of hard!

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

When in comes to car.trouble, when it rains it pours. My new independent mechanic recently installed a new a\c condenser for $520 in my car (Mercury Mariner).. Needs new tires. My wife's Hyundai Veracruz had a new c.v axle put on by Indy for $195. Dealership wanted $350 for the aftermarket axle and $520 for the o.e.m axle. That car needs a new front valve cover gasket, as the one put on 10 months ago is leaking again....into the alternator. Also, needs new oil pan gasket and rear brakes.

Son's 2010 Mercury Milan is in bad shape. Dealers says has timing issues (maybe a stretched timing belt, a bad cvt solenoid). They won't know unless they spend 7 hours taking the engine apart. Or, I can spend, for a used engine. $5,200, or remanufactured for.$7,100..Also, needs a new throttle body....the symptoms of which is why I took into dealership in the first place (bucking badly in interstate, engine cut out when coming to a stop). Car runs fine, 99% of the time. Idles fines. Has a ticking noise I've noticed in back on engine. I've bought a new o.e.m throttle body from dealership I'll install myself. Thinking if that is the reason for the incident on the interstate, I'll just drive the car till the engine blows. Probably wouldn't get $1,000-$2,000 out of it if I tried to trade in or sell. Thought I may try some Seafoam or Auto RX for that CVT solenoid.

Daughters 2007 Kia Optima needs a good whack on the dashboard to get the dash lights back on. Not too bad.

Told my indy mechanic I was likely to become his best customer with my aging fleet of vehicles. Wife wants to buy a new Honda Fit. No...not a Honda Fit!!! I'd like a Mazda 6. ZOOM ZOOM! We shall see...I hid her frying pan.

That’s not the Milan you just bought, is it?

Yes. Need another whooptie?

Bought 4 months ago. Im guessing that due to the large quantity of oil it burns (quart every 1,500 or so miles) that the engine has issues and car wasnt properly cared for. Shifty said Carfax was good though.

No thanks, I just got rid of a Sable with a bad motor. That 3.0L is a good engine unless you overheat it, which my son did. In our case it was a $3000 valve job for a $1000 car.

I've had 3 cars with that 3.0 engine. The old 2004 Mazda MPV, my Mercury Mariner and now my sons Milan. Started burning a little bit of oil around 100,000 in the MPV, which we bought new with 7 miles and oil changes every 4-5,000 miles. The Mariner burns about half a quart every oil change. But the Milan drinks that oil down like it's coffee.

Michaell

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

Speaking of older cars, one of the guys at our tennis get together had a 2008 Saturn Vue last year........this year he replaced it with a Kia Soul.
I asked him about the Vue and he said it was getting too expensive to keep it on the road. He put 225000 miles on it but he said he had to replace a lot of parts, to get it to 300000 miles he would have to replace every part.
And he loved the car and looked after it....says they had Honda engines in them. One other problem, there weren't any dealers around any more of course so hard to get repaired at times, and Honda dealer wouldn't touch it.

As the former owner of a 2008 Saturn Vue, I can tell you that that did not contain the Honda engine. 2008 was the first year of a total redesign, and it had the GM corporate 3.6L V6 in it.

Before the 2008, we owned a 2005 Vue that did have the 3.5L Honda V6 engine.

You are right again Michaell, you are on a roll today. His was the earlier model and looked like this....I love the styling - his was red too;


V6 models received Honda's J35S1 engine and Honda transmission. This 3.5 liter engine and 5 speed transmission boosted performance over the prior V-6. It was an important selling point at the time. This V-6 engine was used in the Saturn Vue 2004 to 2007 model years.

Our 2005 was the bright blue with a grey leather interior. Wife wanted to get back into an SUV and liked the purchase experience when I got my L300 a few years earlier. The 2005 was very rattle prone, and the engine/transmission combo was the best thing about it.

The 2008 was a much better vehicle in every way, even though by that time Saturn had moved away from the plastic panels.

ronsteve

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

@jipster, wow, hold on to your wallet. I don’t know much about the engine in the Milan but I would think if the car runs well 99% of the time, engine damage has not been done and replacing the timing belt and any tensioners would be the course of action. Have you asked your Indy mechanic for their opinion?

If that car has the Duratec engine it might have a double timing chain set up that’s expensive to replace and is best professionally done. Not cheap.

Surprised that he might have trouble with the CVT as in that generation Ford it was supposed to be better than the regular auto trans.

Didn't think it HAD a CVT. Or is this car a hybrid?

sb55

oldfarmer50 said:

Benjaminh was mentioning he went to a place where they had a farmer’s market in the center of a plaza. Come a few hundred miles east and you can visit mine.




I had to wait a few dozen posts to include my pictures because I couldn’t get the system to accept them before.

My daughter lives in Troy. I bet that she was there, unless she was working. She has a wonky shift schedule at Albany Med.

kyfdx

jipster said:

stickguy said:

I can see the Milan. Also the crap shoot that buying a used car is. Even with a PPI, you can only know so much. Certainly much easier to take a car up in miles if you had it since the beginning. Otherwise, you just have to get lucky!

so reading this, sounds like you at minimum are in for a timing belt (chain?) job, and new throttle body? Hopefully that fixes it.

a little front end bump, if really just cosmetic, yeah let that go.

Yeah, thinking I'll throw a throttle body on the car and see how it does. Don't know if I want to go all in for a timing chain. I think there may be more ($$$) going on with the engine. I don't like to gamble and lose, so I usually don't. Probably why I always break even or lose at cards.

Mark's Garage... just saying...

PF_Flyer

I'm going to go through and do a little cleanup to get us back to things automotive. While it's understandable that there are opinions on current event and politics, there are plenty of place online where those things can be discussed, and even argued about.

You all do a really good job of keeping things from spiraling out of control here, but some topics can become a hot-button issue despite our best efforts.

So a BIG thanks to all for your efforts in keeping this one of the best forums around.

tjc78

berri said:

The Ford Five Hundred was a model I didn't get. They made a large car sitting higher up with good cubic interior space, but then put the extra space in the rear seat, while leaving front legroom tight for a taller driver. huh? Never saw one as a taxi

Yes, it was a "weird" car IMO. It drove nice but the 200HP engine was stressed. When they changed the name to Taurus they added power but it didn't help sales.

28firefighter

tjc78 said:

berri said:

The Ford Five Hundred was a model I didn't get. They made a large car sitting higher up with good cubic interior space, but then put the extra space in the rear seat, while leaving front legroom tight for a taller driver. huh? Never saw one as a taxi

Yes, it was a "weird" car IMO. It drove nice but the 200HP engine was stressed. When they changed the name to Taurus they added power but it didn't help sales.

"Stressed" is a polite way of saying it could not get out of its own way. Also did not really have a good look but were great used car values (as was the Taurus) and pretty comfortable.

bwia

PF_Flyer said:

I'm going to go through and do a little cleanup to get us back to things automotive. While it's understandable that there are opinions on current event and politics, there are plenty of place online where those things can be discussed, and even argued about.

You all do a really good job of keeping things from spiraling out of control here, but some topics can become a hot-button issue despite our best efforts.

So a BIG thanks to all for your efforts in keeping this one of the best forums around.

Come on @PF_Flyer. Wasn't a bit harsh. Now that's what I call community policing run amok.

abacomike

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

PF_Flyer

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Now that's some serious pre-planning

Our usual procedure (when a totaled vehicle isn't involved) is that we're driving by the dealership, nobody says, "It's time", we pull in and POOF, we trade in.

Not an impulse purchase, even though it sort of seems like it

stickguy

Mike, I love the planning and shopping process too. I already started, and I have 28 months to go!

But man, the idea of a $40k car note just about gives me heart failure. I’ll bet you lease again. Do you really want to get into a 5 year commitment with a substantial upfront buy in?

stickguy

PF_Flyer said:

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Now that's some serious pre-planning

Our usual procedure (when a totaled vehicle isn't involved) is that we're driving by the dealership, nobody says, "It's time", we pull in and POOF, we trade in.

Not an impulse purchase, even though it sort of seems like it

I kinda do the same thing. Think/plan for a while, look a lot, diddle about, but one day the pieces all align and pull the trigger.

Of course, coming to lease end changes the dynamic quite a bit.

driver100

When is FREE not really FREE?
TRAVELODGE
Option 1
Cancellation policy for this rate plan:
Non-Refundable
Amenities for this rate plan:
Free WiFi
Free self parking
Price is C$102C$102
per night
We have 5 left

ReserveRoom, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking
It only takes 2 minutes
Option 2
Cancellation policy for this rate plan:
Free Cancellation
Before Fri, 16 Aug
Amenities for this rate plan:
Reserve now, pay later
Free WiFi
Free self parking
Price is C$120C$120
per night
We have 5 left

ReserveRoom, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking

driver100

stickguy said:

PF_Flyer said:

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Now that's some serious pre-planning

Our usual procedure (when a totaled vehicle isn't involved) is that we're driving by the dealership, nobody says, "It's time", we pull in and POOF, we trade in.

Not an impulse purchase, even though it sort of seems like it

I kinda do the same thing. Think/plan for a while, look a lot, diddle about, but one day the pieces all align and pull the trigger.

Of course, coming to lease end changes the dynamic quite a bit.

+1
I have decided to let stick answer for me most of the time...we seem to agree on most things.

thebean

stickguy said:

Mike, I love the planning and shopping process too. I already started, and I have 28 months to go!

But man, the idea of a $40k car note just about gives me heart failure. I’ll bet you lease again. Do you really want to get into a 5 year commitment with a substantial upfront buy in?

Didn’t you start looking on the way home from the Acura dealership?

ab348

So, the free cancellation only costs $18.

PF_Flyer

stickguy said:

PF_Flyer said:

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Now that's some serious pre-planning

Our usual procedure (when a totaled vehicle isn't involved) is that we're driving by the dealership, nobody says, "It's time", we pull in and POOF, we trade in.

Not an impulse purchase, even though it sort of seems like it

I kinda do the same thing. Think/plan for a while, look a lot, diddle about, but one day the pieces all align and pull the trigger.

Of course, coming to lease end changes the dynamic quite a bit.

When it comes to leasing, I tend to hear that Charlie Brown teacher voice... wha wha whawhawha... LOL

stickguy

thebean said:

stickguy said:

Mike, I love the planning and shopping process too. I already started, and I have 28 months to go!

But man, the idea of a $40k car note just about gives me heart failure. I’ll bet you lease again. Do you really want to get into a 5 year commitment with a substantial upfront buy in?

Didn’t you start looking on the way home from the Acura dealership?

Doesn’t everybody? 😎

PF_Flyer

stickguy said:

PF_Flyer said:

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Now that's some serious pre-planning

Our usual procedure (when a totaled vehicle isn't involved) is that we're driving by the dealership, nobody says, "It's time", we pull in and POOF, we trade in.

Not an impulse purchase, even though it sort of seems like it

I kinda do the same thing. Think/plan for a while, look a lot, diddle about, but one day the pieces all align and pull the trigger.

Of course, coming to lease end changes the dynamic quite a bit.

When it comes to leasing, I tend to hear that Charlie Brown teacher voice... wha wha whawhawha... LOL

benjaminh

A couple of days ago I posted a google collage of an exploration of an abandoned railway line. Across the US there has been a movement over the last 30 or so years to transform these abandoned rail lines into paved paths for people and bikes. Yesterday I was at one of these successful "Rails to Trails" transformations in Ohio, the Little Miami River Scenic Trail, which is about 80 miles long....

https://www.miamivalleytrails.org/trails/little-miami-scenic-trail

I went for a bike ride on it yesterday and went past the big abandoned factory pictured below. The railway bridges as you can see have been converted for bikes and pedestrians. If you double click on this you should be able to see some details if you want. The upper left photo of the butterfly bench is actually at the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati, which I visited right after the bike ride. It's a beautiful place with lots of different kinds of plants. The flowers in the lower right are from there. And my trusty TLX made this a pleasant trip with a fun audiobook and some tunes from siriusxm.

https://www.cincinnatiparks.com/krohn/

driver100

ab348 said:

So, the free cancellation only costs $18.

Yes, do they think we are stupid!

kyfdx

That is not apples to apples.

One choice requires $0 to cancel
The other choice requires $102 to cancel

If you are the type of person that thinks they might cancel, the $120 rate is a bargain. Making that seem like a ripoff is disingenuous

driver100

But they say you pay $120 and cancellation is free, but it cost $18 to choose the offer that includes free cancellation.
I know your point but, I don't think they are really offering what they say they are.
I guess you could say, they are selling you an insurance policy for $18 which allows you to cancel with no additional charges. Expensive insurance........$18 for $102 worth of insurance for one night.

kyfdx

driver100 said:

But they say you pay $120 and cancellation is free, but it cost $18 to choose the offer that includes free cancellation.
I know your point but, I don't think they are really offering what they say they are.
I guess you could say, they are selling you an insurance policy for $18 which allows you to cancel with no additional charges. Expensive insurance........$18 for $102 worth of insurance for one night.

No, cancellation is still free.

The option to cancel is $18 extra. (if you don't exercise it)

If I'm booking the night before, it is expensive.
If I'm booking now for a night in November? It's cheap.

imidazol97

A couple summers back the cancellation time before the stay was 48 hours instead of 24 hours at a hotel in Pigeon Forge where we had enjoyed staying. The also dropped their rates substantially for the same room from what I had paid to book.

Since then, I've been told many chains had gone to a 48 hour cancellation time and past that you have to pay for one night.

What are the requirements for the $102 and $120 dollar hotel in the example?

dino001

driver100 said:

When is FREE not really FREE?
TRAVELODGE
Option 1
Cancellation policy for this rate plan:
Non-Refundable
Amenities for this rate plan:
Free WiFi
Free self parking
Price is C$102C$102
per night
We have 5 left

ReserveRoom, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking
It only takes 2 minutes
Option 2
Cancellation policy for this rate plan:
Free Cancellation
Before Fri, 16 Aug
Amenities for this rate plan:
Reserve now, pay later
Free WiFi
Free self parking
Price is C$120C$120
per night
We have 5 left

ReserveRoom, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking

If there is a chance you won't go and you'll really miss 102 bucks, choose to reserve and pay 120 bucks when you show up at the property. You have to cancel prior August 16, as they need to know if they can put the room back into the circulation. Fairly standard practice, different chains have different notice times, 5 pm same day, 5 pm previous day, 48 hours, etc.

If you are certain you go and willing to take a risk, pay 102 bucks now and save 18. $18 is a price they put on the risk. Take one or the other, or don't take either, if you think both are too much. Pretty straightforward to me. I don't understand what the problem is here. What did they do here to offend your sensibility?

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

PF_Flyer said:

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Now that's some serious pre-planning

Our usual procedure (when a totaled vehicle isn't involved) is that we're driving by the dealership, nobody says, "It's time", we pull in and POOF, we trade in.

Not an impulse purchase, even though it sort of seems like it

I kinda do the same thing. Think/plan for a while, look a lot, diddle about, but one day the pieces all align and pull the trigger.

Of course, coming to lease end changes the dynamic quite a bit.

I'm being like a sniper. I know my target, scanning the area with the scope and when I find it I pull the trigger.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Mike,
I respectfully suggest you just go by today and see what they have at the store that you like. If they don't have something to trade for now, have the GM give you a call when something you might like shows up.

You know you're going to end up with another Mercedes as certainly as Janis Joplin did...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qev-i9-VKlY

jipster

kyfdx said:

jipster said:

stickguy said:

I can see the Milan. Also the crap shoot that buying a used car is. Even with a PPI, you can only know so much. Certainly much easier to take a car up in miles if you had it since the beginning. Otherwise, you just have to get lucky!

so reading this, sounds like you at minimum are in for a timing belt (chain?) job, and new throttle body? Hopefully that fixes it.

a little front end bump, if really just cosmetic, yeah let that go.

Yeah, thinking I'll throw a throttle body on the car and see how it does. Don't know if I want to go all in for a timing chain. I think there may be more ($$$) going on with the engine. I don't like to gamble and lose, so I usually don't. Probably why I always break even or lose at cards.

Mark's Garage... just saying...

I'd be afraid to drive my son's car that far. But, I did tell my daughter that Mark's Garage was highly recommended. So close by, that if her car wouldn't start she could put the car in neutral and coast down the hill to Mark's place of business. ;-)

ronsteve

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

When is FREE not really FREE?
TRAVELODGE
Option 1
Cancellation policy for this rate plan:
Non-Refundable
Amenities for this rate plan:
Free WiFi
Free self parking
Price is C$102C$102
per night
We have 5 left

ReserveRoom, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking
It only takes 2 minutes
Option 2
Cancellation policy for this rate plan:
Free Cancellation
Before Fri, 16 Aug
Amenities for this rate plan:
Reserve now, pay later
Free WiFi
Free self parking
Price is C$120C$120
per night
We have 5 left

ReserveRoom, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking

If there is a chance you won't go and you'll really miss 102 bucks, choose to reserve and pay 120 bucks when you show up at the property. You have to cancel prior August 16, as they need to know if they can put the room back into the circulation. Fairly standard practice, different chains have different notice times, 5 pm same day, 5 pm previous day, 48 hours, etc.

If you are certain you go and willing to take a risk, pay 102 bucks now and save 18. $18 is a price they put on the risk. Take one or the other, or don't take either, if you think both are too much. Pretty straightforward to me. I don't understand what the problem is here. What did they do here to offend your sensibility?

I've never done non-refundable hotel reservations. But then I am fairly risk-averse. Hell it's been almost 4 years since I flew anyone other than SW.

berri

You're not missing much

laurasdada

How about this red?

explorerx4

@jipster,
We had an 09 Escape with the 3.0. If I still have the service records, I will go through them.
Seem to remember something about valve timing solenoids, no guarantees I still have the records
My bad assuming the Milan was a 4 cyl.
I did see the throttle body was covered under a satisfaction program for 10 years/150k.

dino001

Yeah, flying today is as popular as getting a colonoscopy. Prices on tickets to Europe went completely crazy in last couple of years, especially for US-based carriers. AA, UA, or DL stopped caring about economy passengers long time ago, but they still think you should pay roughly 50 percent more than just a few years ago and still not get a choice for a seat, pay extra for the checked luggage, or small bottle of wine for your dinner. Wonderful "Basic Economy" fare spread to transatlantic flights. I'm told it's still not in Asian flights, probably only because JAL, Singapore, or Cathay are still keeping the form. You pay more, get less and still have to be nice to the rude flight attendant, as she can kick you out at any time. And the plane that has now one extra seat abreast vs. those 10 years ago (777 used to be in 3-3-3 config, now its 3-4-3, same as much bigger 747 or A380 are, pretty dreadful, I avoid it like a plague) in a seat that is narrower by one inch, has thinner padding and is spaced closer between rows. General rule - the newer the plane the worse it is in Coach. I'm now willing to spend extra money on premium class for intercontinental flights (Premium Economy, Business), if I can find some relative bargains, which I guess is exactly what they wanted.

explorerx4

@laurasdada,
I think you are trying to send us a message, but for the life of myme, I can't figure what it could be.

abacomike

PF_Flyer said:

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Now that's some serious pre-planning

Our usual procedure (when a totaled vehicle isn't involved) is that we're driving by the dealership, nobody says, "It's time", we pull in and POOF, we trade in.

Not an impulse purchase, even though it sort of seems like it

You forget, PF_Flyer, that’s the way I “originally” bought cars - pass a dealership and say to myself, “...oops, must be time to get a new car!” 🤪😜😝😋

abacomike

stickguy said:

Mike, I love the planning and shopping process too. I already started, and I have 28 months to go!

But man, the idea of a $40k car note just about gives me heart failure. I’ll bet you lease again. Do you really want to get into a 5 year commitment with a substantial upfront buy in?

You might be right, Stick. Besides, if I buy a car, it can be traded any time - something I am trying to avoid.

dino001

abacomike said:

stickguy said:

Mike, I love the planning and shopping process too. I already started, and I have 28 months to go!

But man, the idea of a $40k car note just about gives me heart failure. I’ll bet you lease again. Do you really want to get into a 5 year commitment with a substantial upfront buy in?

You might be right, Stick. Besides, if I buy a car, it can be traded any time - something I am trying to avoid.

Considering you've stuck with your leased Benz for a multiyear record length, I'd say lease may be just a solution for you to avoid excessive trading. You know my opinion on large down payments for those - unless money factor is high, it's better to pay more per month than put money upfront due to depreciation risk. Large down payment essentially moves the risk from the bank to the lessee in case of a total loss and since GAP is included in the lease rate you're paying for it twice, as you generally don't get a rate break if you put the money down. Multiple Security Deposit is a much better way - buys you money factor discount at rate that is competitive to current three-year CD. Details depend on the manufacturer, but my understanding is those in your circle of interest (Benz, Lexus, BMW) are all doing it.

BTW, a bit outside of the box - check out new S90. You may like it and it seems to be priced quite competitively. The engine is just a four cylinder, but it's 300 hp, or even 400+ if hybrid version (it's quite a bit extra, though). Sharp looking. Volvo also runs great lease support programs with large allowances and low money factors from time to time to clear the inventory, if you time it right, it may be a real bargain.

abacomike

dino001 said:

abacomike said:

stickguy said:

Mike, I love the planning and shopping process too. I already started, and I have 28 months to go!

But man, the idea of a $40k car note just about gives me heart failure. I’ll bet you lease again. Do you really want to get into a 5 year commitment with a substantial upfront buy in?

You might be right, Stick. Besides, if I buy a car, it can be traded any time - something I am trying to avoid.

Considering you've stuck with your leased Benz for a multiyear record length, I'd say lease may be just a solution for you to avoid excessive trading. You know my opinion on large down payments for those - unless money factor is high, it's better to pay more per month than put money upfront due to depreciation risk. Large down payment essentially moves the risk from the bank to the lessee in case of a total loss and since GAP is included in the lease rate you're paying for it twice, as you generally don't get a rate break if you put the money down. Multiple Security Deposit is a much better way - buys you money factor discount at rate that is competitive to current three-year CD. Details depend on the manufacturer, but my understanding is those in your circle of interest (Benz, Lexus, BMW) are all doing it.

BTW, a bit outside of the box - check out new S90. You may like it and it seems to be priced quite competitively. The engine is just a four cylinder, but it's 300 hp, or even 400+ if hybrid version (it's quite a bit extra, though). Sharp looking. Volvo also runs great lease support programs with large allowances and low money factors from time to time to clear the inventory, if you time it right, it may be a real bargain.

Thanks, Dino!

driver100

laurasdada said:

How about this red?

I like it! I am tempted, but, I like having a larger dealer network....just in case!

oldfarmer50

sb55 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Benjaminh was mentioning he went to a place where they had a farmer’s market in the center of a plaza. Come a few hundred miles east and you can visit mine.




I had to wait a few dozen posts to include my pictures because I couldn’t get the system to accept them before.

My daughter lives in Troy. I bet that she was there, unless she was working. She has a wonky shift schedule at Albany Med.

My brother works at Albany Med. Respiratory Therapist.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

My S450 lease still has about 15 months before I have to turn it in. But I am beginning to narrow down my options as to what my next vehicle will be.

It will definitely have 4 doors - thus it will either be a sedan or an SUV. I have begun to look at the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX350, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes E300/E450, the Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES350, and the Genesis G80. I am leaning toward purchasing rather than leasing, depending upon interest rate availability.

I will begin in earnest in September, 2020 - that will give me some options as to whether I buy a 2020 or a 2021. I have been so spoiled by this S450 it's going to be difficult to find something I will feel comfortable in and that has all the goodies I am used to at a price I budget for. I am thinking that I will end up in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range with a $20,000 down payment. Should be interesting as well as fun since I have not earnestly shopped for a new vehicle in almost 2 years. Just thinking about the fun I am going to have has my heart beating rapidly.

Mike,
I respectfully suggest you just go by today and see what they have at the store that you like. If they don't have something to trade for now, have the GM give you a call when something you might like shows up.

You know you're going to end up with another Mercedes as certainly as Janis Joplin did...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qev-i9-VKlY

i think that car sold for $1.76 million in 2015.

driver100

kyfdx said:

driver100 said:

But they say you pay $120 and cancellation is free, but it cost $18 to choose the offer that includes free cancellation.
I know your point but, I don't think they are really offering what they say they are.
I guess you could say, they are selling you an insurance policy for $18 which allows you to cancel with no additional charges. Expensive insurance........$18 for $102 worth of insurance for one night.

No, cancellation is still free.

The option to cancel is $18 extra. (if you don't exercise it)

If I'm booking the night before, it is expensive.
If I'm booking now for a night in November? It's cheap.

I would say, technically you could be right. But, if you really consider what they are saying....you are paying $18 extra so you can cancel.....and that ain't free. Just a small point.
I would rather them say, book your room for $102 (no cancellation allowed) or book for $120 with full cancellation privileges. If you aren't being deceptive, why not say that?