Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

murphydog

abacomike said:

@murphydog:  Murph, I think that C450 will have the same 3.0 L V6 as I have in my car, but I know they've always had plans to increase that bi-turbo's horsepower.

Additionally, there's a new inline 6 coming out next Spring in the 2017 E along with the 3.0 L V6.  I heard rumors they are doing away with the "350" engine (3.5 L V6 302 horsepower)

from what I have read the "450" is the same 3.0 L V6, but they upped the output from the "400" models. This is part of the "AMG Sport" models they are rolling out. Not quite a full on fire breathing AMG model, but more scoot than standard.

We shall see - Clearly I don't need a new car as I only have 42,000 miles on my car now, should easily be good for another 60,000 miles. But need and want are two different things.

abacomike

murphydog said:

@murphydog:  Murph, I think that C450 will have the same 3.0 L V6 as I have in my car, but I know they've always had plans to increase that bi-turbo's horsepower.

Additionally, there's a new inline 6 coming out next Spring in the 2017 E along with the 3.0 L V6.  I heard rumors they are doing away with the "350" engine (3.5 L V6 302 horsepower)

from what I have read the "450" is the same 3.0 L V6, but they upped the output from the "400" models. This is part of the "AMG Sport" models they are rolling out. Not quite a full on fire breathing AMG model, but more scoot than standard. We shall see - Clearly I don't need a new car as I only have 42,000 miles on my car now, should easily be good for another 60,000 miles. But need and want are two different things.

Tell me about it!!!

fezo

We have car. Pictures to follow. It is a much nicer red than the photographs show. Deeper. No fire engine.

Very nice drive home. I'll be needing the Sirius drill. Have a three month trial. Didn't use it on the way home.

I'm gonna take a poll here. It is unlike me to buy extended warranties but with frame of mind of what's happened with the 6 I bit at the second price. Then I find it's third party - Allstate. Mazda doesn't offer beyond 7 years, 100k drivetrain. The number is $1,200 which comes out to $20 a month. I have the option of cancelling and really weighing that. Opinions?

fezo

Gonna need help. I rewrote our vehicles and the same stuff comes back...

stever

I'll PM you @fezo.

abacomike

fezo said:

We have car. Pictures to follow. It is a much nicer red than the photographs show. Deeper. No fire engine. Very nice drive home. I'll be needing the Sirius drill. Have a three month trial. Didn't use it on the way home. I'm gonna take a poll here. It is unlike me to buy extended warranties but with frame of mind of what's happened with the 6 I bit at the second price. Then I find it's third party - Allstate. Mazda doesn't offer beyond 7 years, 100k drivetrain. The number is $1,200 which comes out to $20 a month. I have the option of cancelling and really weighing that. Opinions?

Congrats, Fezo.  Enjoy the new wheels.  I have no opinion re: the extended warranty through Allstate - sorry I couldn't help.

fezo

There you go! Thanks, Steve. I know where I went wrong.....

My thought is I got something I didn't want because of what happened to the 6 but I'm really expecting no such thing.

I'm leaning toward cancel but am open to opinions.

abacomike

Talking about Sirius radio, I called them this afternoon since my trial service ends in a few weeks.  They want $179.00++ for one year's service.  I told them I wouldn't pay that to listen to two stations so they offered to cancel my service.  I asked if they had any specials and she said no!

What do I do now?  Let the service expire?  They did not seem interested in signing me up.  My traffic and weather services are good for another 30 months - I just won't have satellite radio.  I have my iPhone with 300+ tracks on it and we have 22 FM HD stations down here.  So I guess it's goodbye Sirius!

stickguy

this is CPO with a 7/100K powertrain warranty of some kind? I would roll with that if it were me. especially if you have to deal with aftermarket. Not for that price. But, that is just me, so it is all up to your comfort level. and how many miles you plan to put on it.

oh, you need to fix your signature still. unless you went 18,000 years into the future!

stickguy

with that many local stations, not a big deal. especially if you don't do long distance travel with it.

just keep it going. you should get some letters with offers (and of course, emails). they kept pushing me to extend. $20 for IIRC 5 months, but I got $69 (I think) to go out 9 months to finish the first year.

will see at the end what I do with it. May just merge it onto my other account, since a 2nd radio is cheaper.

fezo

Look at that signature. A work of art.

You are only feeding where I'm already leaning. Better I put the money away and see if there's anything the warranty would cover that happens.

My theory is the original owner just mad 20K . Not enough time to screw it up.

fezo

It's very futuristic.

jayrider

abacomike said:

Talking about Sirius radio, I called them this afternoon since my trial service ends in a few weeks.  They want $179.00++ for one year's service.  I told them I wouldn't pay that to listen to two stations so they offered to cancel my service.  I asked if they had any specials and she said no!

What do I do now?  Let the service expire?  They did not seem interested in signing me up.  My traffic and weather services are good for another 30 months - I just won't have satellite radio.  I have my iPhone with 300+ tracks on it and we have 22 FM HD stations down here.  So I guess it's goodbye Sirius!

You have to call them the day before the service runs out. If you call earlier, they stonewall you. Call and tell them you don't want to renew. Not worth it etc. See what happens.

suydam

Regarding Sirius, if you can live without it a month or 2 you will get better and better offers to bring you back. I'm about to go through this process as my subscription expires this month on both cars.
Regarding extended warranty on the CPO Mazda, many people get them and feel good about it. Myself, I figure if I bought a good car with good reliability the odds are heavily in my favor that it's unnecessary. The only cars I ever owned that had poor reliability were a Ford Fiesta and a Plymouth Voyager, both zillions of years ago. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I do think today's cars hold up much better than those of yesteryear.

fezo

suydam - I'm with you on your thinking, They caught me in a weak moment. A correctable one.

suydam

I did it once with a Nissan Maxima. Cancelled 2 weeks later. One of the most reliable cars I ever owned as it turned out! In fact I sold it to a friend who is still driving it and raves about it.

dino001

suydam said:

Regarding Sirius, if you can live without it a month or 2 you will get better and better offers to bring you back. I'm about to go through this process as my subscription expires this month on both cars.
Regarding extended warranty on the CPO Mazda, many people get them and feel good about it. Myself, I figure if I bought a good car with good reliability the odds are heavily in my favor that it's unnecessary. The only cars I ever owned that had poor reliability were a Ford Fiesta and a Plymouth Voyager, both zillions of years ago. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I do think today's cars hold up much better than those of yesteryear.

Did you mean Ford Festiva? Fiesta is a model used in US for just a few years.

suydam

No, there was a Ford Fiesta made in the late 70s. Such a crappy car they retired the name until just a few years ago until when less people would have any associations with it. Needed a new water pump every year. Mine died an unlamented death at 60,000 miles. Our first car. Shudder. Replaced by a Mazda happily for a much different experience!

carnaught

abacomike said:

Talking about Sirius radio, I called them this afternoon since my trial service ends in a few weeks.  They want $179.00++ for one year's service.  I told them I wouldn't pay that to listen to two stations so they offered to cancel my service.  I asked if they had any specials and she said no!

What do I do now?  Let the service expire?  They did not seem interested in signing me up.  My traffic and weather services are good for another 30 months - I just won't have satellite radio.  I have my iPhone with 300+ tracks on it and we have 22 FM HD stations down here.  So I guess it's goodbye Sirius!

(I posted this as nauseum before.) Call within a week of the trial period or regular subscription running out. Go on the menu to "cancellation". Tell them you don't have much use for the Sirius and would be happy to listen to CD's or Pandora or FM, but you would be willing to get a "promotional rate" to up your service. They may offer you "half-off", like ~$80+ fees for a year, or another less favorable deal. I say "not worth it" till they offer me the ~$25+ fees for 5 mos., which I reluctantly take. I set a reminder on my iPad or smartphone for a week before the expiration period to call and "only renew at the promotional price" (don't use the term, "specials"). Be prepared to tell them you will live without it, and cancel, if not offered to you. Cancel the service otherwise and keep calling the cancellation dept. until this promotional rate is offered. (You probably won't have to as all it takes is one quick call if you handle it right, and it works for renewing every 5 mos, too.) It comes out to about $60 per year, which to me is worth it for the minimum of time it takes. They always say, "I see you have been on the promotional rate, and we can do that again".

driver100

murphydog said:

abacomike said:

@murphydog:  Murph, I think that C450 will have the same 3.0 L V6 as I have in my car, but I know they've always had plans to increase that bi-turbo's horsepower.

Additionally, there's a new inline 6 coming out next Spring in the 2017 E along with the 3.0 L V6.  I heard rumors they are doing away with the "350" engine (3.5 L V6 302 horsepower)

from what I have read the "450" is the same 3.0 L V6, but they upped the output from the "400" models. This is part of the "AMG Sport" models they are rolling out. Not quite a full on fire breathing AMG model, but more scoot than standard.

We shall see - Clearly I don't need a new car as I only have 42,000 miles on my car now, should easily be good for another 60,000 miles. But need and want are two different things.

Do the driver test......how much less will your car be worth as a trade-in 1 or 2 years from now, and with 60k miles on it compared to 42k, and how much more will the car you want go up in price.

Driver is able to justify almost any purchase!

dino001

fezo said:

I'm gonna take a poll here. It is unlike me to buy extended warranties but with frame of mind of what's happened with the 6 I bit at the second price. Then I find it's third party - Allstate. Mazda doesn't offer beyond 7 years, 100k drivetrain. The number is $1,200 which comes out to $20 a month. I have the option of cancelling and really weighing that. Opinions?

Personally, I made a decision to forgo any kind extended warranty on any product I buy. I used to buy them for around 10 years, couple of times on cars, several on kitchen appliances, one TV. When I added up the premiums and weighed them against claims (and I had some), it didn't even come close. Today I have enough money in the bank to cover even major job. I won't like it, it will sting, but it won't ruin my finances.

My position on any kind of insurance is that it's only worth when a possible loss (and the payout) is disproportional to rest of the persons's wealth. Health insurance is necessary because scam-like pricing policies of healthcare providers (outlandish "off the rack" price followed by 90%+ "discount" to a "preferred provider" insurance company), property insurance covers loss of shelter and a leveraged asset (i.e. those who have a mortgage obviously can't pay it off just yet), liability insurance covers ones assets from possible grave consequences of their mistakes or bad luck. Or life insurance for those who need to maintain their livelihood to the surviving party, like stay-at-home wife with couple of children.

The difference between those and warranty is maximum payout and ratio such a payout to premium paid. It's totally different league. It's $50K-100 for total house destruction and rebuild vs. say $1000-$2000 premium per each year, 1-2 percent annually. $100K-$500 life insurance payout vs. $600-$1000/yr. premium, also couple of percent per year. $100K liability claim vs. $500/yr. premium (liability portion of car insurance), similar proportion. Now let's look at extended warranties - $5000, or even $10K engine job vs. $1000-2000 premium for a contract valid over 2-3 years. This makes it premium 5-10 percent of maximum likely payout (per year), triple, or quadruple of those above. In other words, buy it three-four of times and you might as well have bought yourself a new engine and transmission and put it in your garage "just in case". The wheel protection contracts sold at dealerships are even worse. Those often are such that a single contract is close to buying a spare wheel and putting it into storage - and who would do that?

Finally, the actual amount of money in the payout is also simply too small to insure. The loss is not catastrophic, unlike those mentioned before. Insurance should be reserved for catastrophic loss, IMHO.

The only justifiable situations for extended warranties are high end luxury cars with track record of being prone to failures. I'm sure the insurance companies would price that accordingly. However, the payouts may become "catastrophic". The argument against - if you feel wealthy enough for 60K car, you should be wealthy for 20K engine job (still rather unlikely). To me a five thousand dollar repair bill, much more likely, for some electrical gremlin, or else, is not "breathtaking", if I felt rich enough to own such a vehicle. But that's just me.

driver100

fezo said:

We have car. Pictures to follow. It is a much nicer red than the photographs show. Deeper. No fire engine.

Very nice drive home. I'll be needing the Sirius drill. Have a three month trial. Didn't use it on the way home.

I'm gonna take a poll here. It is unlike me to buy extended warranties but with frame of mind of what's happened with the 6 I bit at the second price. Then I find it's third party - Allstate. Mazda doesn't offer beyond 7 years, 100k drivetrain. The number is $1,200 which comes out to $20 a month. I have the option of cancelling and really weighing that. Opinions?

Congratulations on the new ride........you turned the whole thing around pretty quickly and got yourself a new set of wheels in record time. Good work.

Enjoy the Sirius, don't give in to getting it renewed at their first price. Hold out until they make it reasonable, or cancel and check their website specials every so often.

Extended warranty. That is a personal decision. Some people want the peace of mind of knowing the cost of repairs is capped. There are very few cases where I would buy an extended warranty because overall I will come out ahead without one. If Iwas buying a used MB, BMW, Audi I wouldn't buy the car without an extended warranty. Repair costs could be astronomical.

stickguy

What he said.

stever

suydam said:

No, there was a Ford Fiesta made in the late 70s.

Back in the early 80s when I had my Tercel, a good friend had a first generation Fiesta. Her car was the only one in our circle of friends that held a candle to ours in terms of peppiness and reliability. Sorry to read that you got a bad one.

qbrozen

For cars, I'd only go with a factory-backed warranty. I've never heard about a good 3rd-party warranty. I mean, quite simply, a warranty company wouldn't be in business if they didn't make money off their customers. The factory warranties, however, are often a better deal, and the manufacturer certainly isn't in need of making money on that part of their business. Do they? Probably. I'd bet they get more off the cancellations than the premiums (people who trade/sell the cars long before they need to use the warranty).

We lost out a couple of times... the Mustang and Pilot... when we bought a warranty along with the car purchase and then didn't keep the vehicles long enough to realize any benefit. Got refunds on both, but not full refunds. I got the lifetime warranty on her new van just because the only reason we even traded in her old van was all the problems we were having that this warranty will now cover. I didn't get one on the Caddy since I don't anticipate keeping it past warranty period. If I decided later I will keep it (likely because the depreciation is so steep and I'll be buried in it), then I'll get one.

Mr_Shiftright

Fezo--- I know that by the time you read this you will have already cancelled, but just to make a general point---an extended warranty is really nothing more than a betting game. The back of the warranty is betting (based on his data) that your car will not break, and you are betting (based on general fear of loss) that it will break. Since most extended warranties are considered profit generators by dealers, we have to assume that they win the bet more than they lose it.

fezo said:

There you go! Thanks, Steve. I know where I went wrong.....

My thought is I got something I didn't want because of what happened to the 6 but I'm really expecting no such thing.

I'm leaning toward cancel but am open to opinions.

fezo

The warranty is gone. It;s making this funny sound.... No it's not. It's a deep red pollen mix. I can get my first picture up even though I can see them on Snapfish. Stay tuned.

Has locking wheel hubs but not the key to unlock it.

Brought all evidence of the 6 to the mechanic. Best off he has is $650 from a body shop for parts. I feel like an organ donor.

stickguy

Local dealer should be able to source a key, assuming they are oem. But search car good first. Some times it is in the back mixed in with the spare tire and tools.

fezo

Here we go -





Having issues. Will get the side later.

isellhondas

Anyone concerned over the price of routine service and repairs shouldn't buy a European car.

My buddy had a serpentine belt snap on his Mercedes E 320 and his local dealer charged him over 4800.00 to fix all of the damage it caused. Xenon headlight bulbs were 320.00 each to replace and then a few months later the xenon unit failed completely. The dealer told him it would be 2500.00 to replace the unit or for the same money they could convert it to a standard system. He had it converted.

Still, he loves the car!

abacomike

@fezo:  Car looks more like a Crosley or a Nash Metroplitan by the looks of those pictures - for those of us "mature" enough to remember those small narrow vehicle entries from the 1950's.  

abacomike

stickguy said:

Local dealer should be able to source a key, assuming they are oem. But search car good first. Some times it is in the back mixed in with the spare tire and tools.

Also, check console and glove box.  Maybe even a small side compartment in the rear.

abacomike

isellhondas said:

Anyone concerned over the price of routine service and repairs shouldn't buy a European car. My buddy had a serpentine belt snap on his Mercedes E 320 and his local dealer charged him over 4800.00 to fix all of the damage it caused. Xenon headlight bulbs were 320.00 each to replace and then a few months later the xenon unit failed completely. The dealer told him it would be 2500.00 to replace the unit or for the same money they could convert it to a standard system. He had it converted. Still, he loves the car!

Glad all my lights are LED's!  

nyccarguy

Last night I went to a local BMW dealer for a friend (@breld) to take a look see at a 2004 BMW 330 Cic ZHP. I chronicled my experience over on Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous. The salesman I met with was a seasoned veteran of the auto sales industry and had been at that particular dealership for 16 years. He was extremely gracious considering I got there about 1/2 hour before they closed and was looking at the car for my friend in Colorado. Now the BMW dealership I went to was in Greenwich, CT which is pretty much like the Beverly Hills of the east coast. The dealer is next door to the Acura dealer that sold more NSXs than any other dealer in the world, it is across the street from a Ferrari/Maserati Dealership as well as a McLaren Dealership. The man who let me test drive this used BMW Convertible had a few interesting stories he told while on a short test drive.

He calmly told me as I approached a stop sign about a woman in her mid to late 40s who came in to test drive a previous generation ///M3 Coupe. She told me it had to be a stick. That was her only requirement. He said she waited until the redline to up shift every single time, rotated the car around corners, double clutched on every downshift, and even used the hand brake to slide the car into and out of an S Curve. She wasn't driving recklessly, but calculated every move she made. He said he came very close to soiling himself. He asked her where she learned to drive like that. She told him her father was a race car driver way back when and this is how she learned to drive. She ended up buying a Shelby GT500 Mustang.

He also told me about a sales guy who took a Porsche Cayenne Turbo out with a customer who was just driving way too fast. The customer lost control of the car, spun out, and hit a guard rail causing $15,000 worth of damage. He said the customer wrote a check to repair the car and the guard rail. The salesman was sent home and not allowed to work for an entire week.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

Fezo--- I know that by the time you read this you will have already cancelled, but just to make a general point---an extended warranty is really nothing more than a betting game. The back of the warranty is betting (based on his data) that your car will not break, and you are betting (based on general fear of loss) that it will break. Since most extended warranties are considered profit generators by dealers, we have to assume that they win the bet more than they lose it.

fezo said:

There you go! Thanks, Steve. I know where I went wrong.....

My thought is I got something I didn't want because of what happened to the 6 but I'm really expecting no such thing.

I'm leaning toward cancel but am open to opinions.

An extended warranty shouldn't be considered as a bet, they win if the car has no problems - you win if it does have problems.

It should be thought of as insurance. You probably won't come out ahead, but you do get some protection against paying huge repair bills if your car is problematic (a lemon).

If it makes you sleep better at night it is worth the price. If it is a 3rd party warranty the company should be researched before signing......some of these companies go out of business or don't pay up very easily.

abacomike

Driver, I don't think Allstate is going out of business tomorrow!

fezo

I don't think so either but I dropped it. I'm not please with the "fully refundable" one day and "they'll take out at the back of the loan" the next day. That's not a full refund and I pay interest on that amount every day. That's annoying.

Here's the side view -

cdnpinhead

PT Barnum was right, especially as it relates to this (or most other) kind of insurance.

stickguy

that is a nice looking car. Enjoy it. should be very useful for when you need to travel with your 4 people and guitar!

stever

I looked up "Allstate ripoff" for car warranties and was a bit surprised by the lack of horror stories, especially so, considering their less than stellar homeowner's reputation. Still wouldn't buy any extended warranty though.

jpp75

stickguy said:

If she really wanted to go upscale, sounds like an an AWD V6 TLX would be a better option. The familiar aspect of the Honda, with the power and goodies. And cheap service costs. Heck, I took my old Acura TL to my Honda dealer because it was closer. They did not mind at all.

We don't have an Infiniti dealer here, the local Nissan dealer won't touch the Q50 except for an oil change.

explorerx4

@fezo,
If you didn't pay for the warranty up front, you borrowed the money. I can see why you don't get the money back in cash. It would have to be a separately recorded transaction.
Do you name your cars?
I'm sure abacomike names his Monday, Tuesday, etc...

driver100

abacomike said:

Driver, I don't think Allstate is going out of business tomorrow!

Maybe not, but even some large insurance companies can be bad to deal with. Insurance companies have frontline staff to try and get rid of your claim. Not saying Allstate does that, just not all insurance companies reliable.

driver100

stever said:

I looked up "Allstate ripoff" for car warranties and was a bit surprised by the lack of horror stories, especially so, considering their less than stellar homeowner's reputation. Still wouldn't buy any extended warranty though.

Extended warranties have their uses. What if fezo bought an EW on the first Mazda? All I am saying is usually you will lose by buying an EW, but, it does have some use in minimizing potentially large outlays of cash if your engine, transmission or even some electronics issues give you trouble.

I don't think he should buy it for this car, but for some people in some cases it might be worthwhile.

dino001

abacomike said:

Glad all my lights are LED's!  

You think they're cheaper??? Think again.

abacomike

dino001 said:

Glad all my lights are LED's!  

You think they're cheaper??? Think again.

As long as my lights are covered on my warranty, it doesn't matter.  The last time I kept a car passed its warranty was my 1991 300E sedan.  Never had a problem with that car in the 5 years I owned it.

venture

Got up this morning. Went to the baseball field and re-clayed the pitchers mound, batters boxes and catchers box.

Met my daughter at the Ford dealer and got her into a 2015 Fusion.

Went back to the field, mowed the infield, dragged it, and put down the foul lines and batters boxes.

That is all.

cdnpinhead

Short, sweet & positive. Enjoy! Outdoor work like that can be extremely rewarding.

driver100

venture said:

Got up this morning. Went to the baseball field and re-clayed the pitchers mound, batters boxes and catchers box.

Met my daughter at the Ford dealer and got her into a 2015 Fusion.

Went back to the field, mowed the infield, dragged it, and put down the foul lines and batters boxes.

That is all.

We picked up the GLK today
I got their early so I took my car in for a free courtesy wash, while waiting for my wife.
Everything went well, quite a few signatures becuase of the 3 months of payments MB is paying for.
Then a quick run through of the car.
It feels very solid when driving it. It is fast too with 330 hp engine same as the E400

Daughter decided to get a GLK too. Safety and economy were her two main wants. Dino was a big help explaining the 5 Star Rating didn't mean a whole lot. She thought it did.

That lead her to find out whether it was safer if you were in an accident to be in an SUV or a car. She found that twice as many people die in accidents if they are in a car, rather than an SUV. Originally she wanted a car because she was tired of SUVs and this gives her 3 in the family, and one old 20+ year old Volvo.

I wouldn't let that influence me, I'd get what I want to drive. The accident report reports on accidents. It doesn't measure maneuverability....like being able to avoid accident by way of superior handling.

jayrider

Ah --- The extended car breakdown policy. It's why the term " Weasel Clause " was created.