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2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
explorer - in theory I get that but he said money back completely if I changed my mind. Had I to do over again I'd have charged the warranty on my credit card and have it removed today. They're working on it.
I spent many years in the rat race - too many. I decided to drop out and found I had a knack for grounds keeping. Who knew?
I went from a stiff engineering environment to being, basically, my own boss, working the hours I want, and getting extreme pleasure seeing what was a somewhat run down baseball complex turn into probably one of the nicest facilities in the county.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
I don't think I qualify for CCBA at all.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That's funny venture because I thought GLKs were pretty rare too. They seemed to be a bit quirky, very boxy, flat windshield.....but, once we bought ours I began to see them all the time. That usually happens when you buy any car, but this was major, I saw so many I said to the salesman am I imagining it or are there a lot of GLKs on the road? He said it was their 3rd top seller, which really surprised me!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The buyer is betting the cost of the contract will be less than the cost of any covered repairs. The buyer is acting out of fear.
The seller, on the other hand, is betting its payout for covered repairs will be much less than the money it receives from the buyer. The seller is acting out of knowledge.
In almost all situations, knowledge will win over fear.
It is important to understand how sellers of these contracts price the product. First they take the expected payout. To that they add a substantial profit. Compounding this is the dealer's F&I person will than add an additional layer,or layers, of profit.
An example, if the seller expects to payout $800 for a particular vehicle the seller will add a profit, perhaps $400. The F&I person will than add its profit, which could easily be $1,000. In this scenario, a buyer of this service contract is paying as much as $2,200 for a product the experts expect will pay out about $800.
In my world, paying up to $1,4000 for peace of mind is not a wise expenditure of money. Furthermore, I have no interest in adding to an F&I manager's income. I would much rather keep my money and place my bet on the side of the service contract provider's knowledge. I have no intention of paying up to $2,000 for a likely $800 payout.
There are valid reasons most consumer advocates advise against these automobile extended service contracts.
Enjoy the ride.
I wonder where she "found" this. In a newspaper written by a social science graduate? Because the reporters and journalists would know, as they always do. I think that statistic may be massaged" to fit a thesis. How many cars do we have vs. SUVs? If twice as many, there you go, you get the "twice chance".
Each of those types of vehicles has positives and negatives. Negative for a car is a lower collision mass, i.e. in two-vehicle frontal accident it does have less momentum to resist the other vehicle. Positives are better handling (collision prevention), better designs (often more careful, less stretched), better dynamics in terms of center of gravity, kinematic motion, creating a better protection. SUV's bigger mass, being a positive in two-vehicle crash, becomes a negative in single crash with an immovable object (like wall or big tree). Higher kinetic energy means more force exerted on the occupants. The old-style body-on-frame SUVs were not very good in protecting the occupant due to their structure (heavy frame with light body are closer to what train occupants experience during a crash), but new-style car-based SUVs are much better. However many of them are built on stretched car chassis, which means the robust structure of the car cage is made to accommodate the bigger body. If they strengthen the elements sufficiently, it's not an issue, but you can only do so much. I remember first "crossover" small SUVs failing tests miserably for those reasons. It's got much better. The SUV has definitely lower points on handling and accident prevention. It takes longer to stop, evasive maneuvers are not as instant and easy, as their car counterparts, higher CG makes it more prone to rollover (this has been abated now by stability control systems).
In other words, I'm not convinced at all that there is an automatic correlation between higher mass and better safety. There are many other factors involved. BTW, the worst for safety are small pickup trucks, hands down. Awkward position of CG (80% mass in the front), tricky handling especially empty in rain. Those are relative death traps in comparison to proper passenger vehicles, even SUVs.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I think most people would consider the GLK to be an SUV. It is a lot larger than a station wagon. Just my opinion but CUVs are more of a cross between a car and a van......kind of a van trying to be more car like. The interior is beautiful, it looks really nice in beige. Boxy exterior styling is a matter of taste. Many people especially younger people favor a more space agey rounded bubble car look......I think of the GLKs boxy exterior as having old world European charm.
Our daughter bought the diesel model. The salesman said the Diesel GLC (replaces the GLK) won't be available in diesel, so good thing she got a 2015.
BTW.....I wrote and sent an email to Audi explaining why we didn't feel confident driving an Audi...basically if they don't stand behind their product then I am not going to.
This is exactly like ours:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
That's why I say there is book smarts and there is street smarts. What scientists figure out may not apply in the real world.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I am not worried about driving a car out of warranty, it just makes most sense for me to trade at that time. My wife does a lot less driving than I do, if she really liked her car and didn't see a new one she liked better, then we would keep hers. Being a Mercedes, I think we would opt for an extended warranty.....but, that depends on the performance over the next 4 years.
One reason we trade is because we can....it is just makes sense to trade at that time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Is insurance a bet too? It probably is, but it is also protection of paying out a smaller amount just in case you have to pay out a huge amount. I agree, the cards are stacked against you, you will probably lose, but paying say $1200 for insurance may save you a $10000 payment over 3 years. All the money people pay for the insurance is pooled, and those that run into problems get something back....the rest will lose.
Not quite the same as gambling -IMHO!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Extended warranty. As was mentioned, they are marked up by the dealer, as shown when they negotiate the price of one to "sweeten the deal". It's been a while since I've kept a car after the warranty period, which is normally 4 years. Cars, really have become quite good in the reliability dept these days. Aside from driver's and my Audis in recent years (both Audis, which tells me something), they are all pretty good.
About the only thing I might even consider an extended warranty on are the current generation of flat screen TVs. I think roadburner and I both have the "old" Pioneer Kuro plasmas in our homes. Built like tanks. Nary an issue. Still one of the best pictures on the market. Unfortunately, they were made so well, they became too expensive to continue making them and Pioneer got out of the business.
Panasonic, for the same reasons, exited the plasma business. I have one of there plasma TVs, Being a couple of years old, I've yet to see and current TV better it.
But, I got extended warranty on both, knowing that if something goes wrong, they won't be able to repair them, and will likely get me a new TV. The Pioneer's extended warranty is about to expire (5 years). If it dies, no way anyone will be able to fix it. As it stands, I wouldn't doubt I get another 10 years or more out of it.
I also go to SquareTrade for my extended warranties. Good prices without the retailer markups.
To me the issue is a fairly remote possibility of $10000 payment worth paying $1200? I don't think so. Ten grand is too little to ruin me (not that I'd be happy to pay, I just will be able to pay), but I could find better uses for that $1200. BTW, when it comes to luxury cars, it can go to something like 20-30 thousand dollars, even more, but the premiums will also be appropriate - over two grand, sometimes pushing beyond three, depending on the coverage. I investigated those numbers for my 328, as it's going beyond warranty in five thousand miles. It simply doesn't add up.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Personally I've changed sides on the issue. I used to buy EWs and have had occasion to use them, including a transmission in a '93 Mazda MX-3. But in recent years I've changed my mind and trust that newer cars are sound enough that while repairs may/will be needed, the likelihood that they'd come with catastrophic cost is minimal. Coupled with having a higher income than back then I can better afford out of pocket expenses (not that I'd tell that to the service writer!).
Of course she did. People that test drive cars in that manner almost always never buy.
I wouldn't have put up with that and after about the third stunt, I would have asked her to pull over and I would have driven back to the store.
I only had to do that twice. Once was a newly arrival immigrant that Microsoft had just hired. he had an International Driver's License and he thought driving on the wrong side of the road and running stop signs was the thing to do. Another time a guy in a new Prelude thought zig zagging through cars on the freeway was a good way to "test" the car's abilities.
Duting my 13 plus years there I was never involved in a accident but there were three or four others that weren't as lucky. When our owner owned the local Acura store, a customer got killed one night driving a new Integra. The salesperson survived with bad injuries.
Test drives. Another reason I don't miss the business.
Stefezo congrats on the 5.
Extended warranties - I've only bought one and that was on the 2000 Honda Odyssey. I was concerned about the power doors. IIRC, I paid $950 for the Honda warranty. When I bought the Ody, I was active on an Odyssey forum and it was a well know fact that the dealer cost on HondaCare was $850 or so. The F&I guy was surprised I wanted HondaCare as "the aftermarket" warranty at $2500 was a much better value.
IMHO, the GLK is a crossover. It's based on the previous C class platform and the next one (redubbed GLC) will be based on the current C class. Other than the slightly raised 2 box body, there is nothing that qualifies the GLK to be an SUV which in my eyes is true off road capability, a higher center of gravity, and the ability to lock the axles.
MB may call the GLK an SUV but it's really a CUV. It will handle fire roads or driving over the grass at the soccer field.
SUV's to me at are Jeeps, Ford Expedition, Chevy Tahoe, Toyota 4 Runner, et al.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Still, the economics of an extended warranty is quite simple. You should buy an extended warranty only if the expected loss is more than you can absorb. It is plain and simple "insurance" for those who are risk averse.
How do you know if you are risk averse? If you arrive one or more hours before your departure on a domestic airline flight, your are probably risk averse and should buy a zero deductible extended warranty.
BTW, the same principles of survival, herd mentality and pain aversion make us also wired to be horrible investors. Majority of us are basically wired to buy high and sell low.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2018 430i Gran Coupe
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I give them credit, at least they wrote back...I didn't expect it, even if it was a kiss off:
We feel it is unfortunate that this experience has resulted in your need to purchase a non-Audi vehicle. We appreciate your feedback regarding this incident.
Thank you again for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
The printer broke down at the end of the second year, and they repaired it for no cost....warranty probably cost $40 at the time.
Of course a comparable printer came down in price by that time to about $200, and it had a lot more features. I don't bother with extended warranties on electronics products.
Because of the problems Audi's seem to have I wouldn't own one without a warranty. When I was researching the clutch issue I found one guy who's Audi burned to a crisp, while he was just driving it. Of course Audi would say it was driver error, but, I would at least have a chance if it went to court or arbitration.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Here is what the CEO said:
The first of the 204 new streetcars — price tag: $1.2 billion — were so flawed that the TTC simply couldn’t risk putting them into service because they would almost certainly break down on Toronto streets, he said.
Parts produced in Mexico were so poorly made that they couldn’t be properly assembled in Bombardier’s Thunder Bay plant, where attempts to rivet badly cut walls and under-frames were rejected by the TTC.
Byford also cited defective laminate, loose screws and faulty electrical connectors among the issues on the new TTC vehicles.
Bombadier says it is correcting any problems and it is a technical problem, not a Mexico problem, not a Thunder Bay or Canadian problem....but still, make you think..............
IN THIS CASE I WOULD WANT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
With inflation, you can assume you just cost Audi $15.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
With the record-bad winter we had here, the Autoport facility in Dartmouth had a very bad time. Thousands of new, (mostly) imported cars that had been offloaded from ocean carriers and awaiting rail shipment were frozen into place after a rain/snow storm got followed up by a flash freeze and then a number of other massive snowfalls. Only in the last few weeks have many of them been able to be freed. I know that Porsche, BMW, Audi, M-B, and VW route their imported vehicles through here for the Canadian market. Exoticars from Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati also come through occasionally. I also see cars from the Detroit 3 here, which may be going to Newfoundland or markets in other parts of the world.
Away, apparently the severe weather caused a lot of the cars to be damaged. Water infiltrated when things started to melt, causing damage to electronics and interiors, and apparently there was a lot of body damage when workers were overly enthusiastic trying to free cars from the ice. The report I heard came via a worker at a local dealer's body shop, which has been contracted to repair some of the damaged cars prior to shipping. Inspect any potential new-car purchase from one of those brands I mentioned very carefully.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
The GLK was supposed to arrive earlier last week so I think it was slowed down by a few days too.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
We had a similar situation down here after Hurricane Wilma. I was managing at a car dealership at the time. After the hurricane passed to our north, I made my way over to my dealership - zigzagging through scores of downed trees and power lines. We had no power so we had huge diesel generators hooked up and we then went through our 400 new car inventory. We identified 12-15 new cars that had sustained glass and/or body damage and even though we repaired all but one $65,000 M45 (which was totaled), we had to reveal to the customer(s) who bought these cars that they were damaged in the hurricane and sold them well below our invoice - some of them at a $6,000-$7,000 loss.
Insurance did not cover all losses because of the high deductibles we carried in order to economically insure all the vehicles. I would estimate it cost the owner(s) close to $100,000.00 above and beyond what the insurance settlement was.
I remember that some dealerships had hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. It was one of those hurricanes that was misforecasted to be a category 1 storm but as it came across the peninsula it hit us on the coast here in North Broward County as a category 2 or 3, IIRC. It took us months to recover from that one.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
For $3K, I could buy one of the best 65" (or larger) curved UHD TVs currently on the market.
Sheep vs. wolves.
I never buy extended warranties. My risk tolerance there is pretty high. When I buy insurance, I get the highest deductible I can get.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Front seat is very comfortable....very high driving position with a hood that is very low....instrument panel is very low....excellent vision in all directions. Passengers in the back liked the upright seating and the amount of room though a bit small is fine for most people.
It is about 8 inches shorter than the A4 so is a little easier to manoeuvre. I find it usually takes a month to get used to a new car......but, as good as the A4 was, this one does everything just a little better, and it is bank vault solid. Ride is not quite as soft as the E400, but it takes bumps with a solid feel. I think the shorter wheel base makes the ride not as smooth.
Really pleased with it........it has a double sun roof and sun roofs have really changed. They have the glass to brighten the interior and give you a nice feeling of light and space, but there is no real sunlight that gets through the tint. I really enjoy having a sunroof....even though it is closed 98% of the time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Some clown in a pickup truck with fishing poles and a cooler on the front ran into the back of my daughter's Camry doing likely $3K worth of damage not to say putting her in the ER. She'll be ok. Has a muscle spasm in her left shoulder that radiates down to her hand. She has her last final in her semester tomorrow. This is in sign interpretation. You think a one armed wallpaper hanger is bad?
His insurance better not try to total this. It's an 04 with a couple hundred thousand on the clock but until we bought it two years ago it had been owned for years by a Toyota mechanic and the original purchaser was his mother. This car is in fantastic shape (well it was until bozo ran into it). The cop asked her why she was over the the stop line. She said before I got hit I was behind it. They wrote the other guy for careless driving.
Well, since then I have an estimate of $6K. That's using new parts and matching the paint to current color vs what it was new. It would be considerably less with recycled parts. I know the insurance company would like to total it but I'm not likely to let that happen. This car (the 04 Camry) spent it's first 10 years with a Toyota mechanic and I've maintained it very fussily since. Mechanically it's perfect. Even after the accident it drives like it was new. No way could I replace it for $6K.
My plan is to bargain the best I can with the guy's insurance company, assuming they'll give a figure assuming it to be totaled and get what they offer to keep it and get it fixed with recycled parts and make up the difference.
So far we don't even have a police report so stay tuned.
She apparently made it through her final today and said she was doing OK.