Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

roadburner

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

If we are destined to drive small cars like that it should be noted that the gasoline versions of Spark, Sonic or Mirage can get 50mpg on the highway.

According to the EPA the Spark gets 38 on the highway, the Sonic got 34 and the Mirage gets 43. I am not sure you can get a gas only car that will get you 50 MPG, You would have to go hybrid for that.

I personally got 50mpg on an all highway trip from Albany to Burlington in a Mitsu Mirage. The other cars have gotten similar mileage. Maybe the stars were perfectly aligned but it’s possible.

You have to remember that the EPA ‘highway’ tests aren’t highway driving like most people think.

Yes I know that those tests are not highway driven tests, but in my experience the results tend to be real close. I don't think I got anything over 10% more that the EPA rating.

Also how did you calculate the highway mileage? I know that the MPG readout on the Sonata is high but the one on the BMW is almost spot on.

The OBC average mpg calculation in the 2er and the X1 are pessimistic- by about 4%; the Clubman' OBC is optimistic by about the same amount. You can adjust the calculations in the service menu but it's never bothered me enough that I wanted to fool with it.

cdnpinhead

The thing that bothers me because, well, I'm a pinhead, is that everything else on my TSX is dead on, from the outside temperature to the odometer to the speedometer, among others. Yet the "mpg readout" is 7 - 9% optimistic. There aren't two people in a hundred who bother to prove this and two in a thousand who give a care, so everyone drives around fat, dumb and happy thinking they're getting better fuel mileage than they actually are. In the days of $5 - $8 fuel prices, you'd think it matters.

benjaminh

My mpg computer in my 2018 Acura is right on the money. Checked it several times manually.

ab348

jipster said:

Fixer Upper seems pretty good, as maybe not AS staged as the others. The red headed dude and his wife. A bit corney, but the wifes interior designs are really good.

We're going to have to disagree strongly on this one, jip. I cannot stand that pair. The buffoon husband who thinks he's a comedian, and the wife who is in love with shiplap and various other design cliches. The worst part is that their business empire has expended to the point where they bought the DIY channel and have it wall to wall with their programming and related ones - now she's doing cooking shows on there too.

I keep hoping that some sort of tawdy scandal will come to light that sees their popularity plummet and the whole empire collapse.

graphicguy

roadburner said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

If we are destined to drive small cars like that it should be noted that the gasoline versions of Spark, Sonic or Mirage can get 50mpg on the highway.

According to the EPA the Spark gets 38 on the highway, the Sonic got 34 and the Mirage gets 43. I am not sure you can get a gas only car that will get you 50 MPG, You would have to go hybrid for that.

I personally got 50mpg on an all highway trip from Albany to Burlington in a Mitsu Mirage. The other cars have gotten similar mileage. Maybe the stars were perfectly aligned but it’s possible.

You have to remember that the EPA ‘highway’ tests aren’t highway driving like most people think.

Yes I know that those tests are not highway driven tests, but in my experience the results tend to be real close. I don't think I got anything over 10% more that the EPA rating.

Also how did you calculate the highway mileage? I know that the MPG readout on the Sonata is high but the one on the BMW is almost spot on.

The OBC average mpg calculation in the 2er and the X1 are pessimistic- by about 4%; the Clubman' OBC is optimistic by about the same amount. You can adjust the calculations in the service menu but it's never bothered me enough that I wanted to fool with it.

Always check mine manually. Current Accord is within 1% optimistic. But, that’s only on 2 fill ups I’ve done so far. Still holding steady at around 44MPG. I know it’s a “does it really matter?” Type of thing, but that’s running it in “Sport” all the time, too. Not sure what it does, but it is quicker, the steering and shocks tighten up, too.

My Acuras were off by as much as 5% optimistic.

My two 3 series were probably about 1% pessimistic.

Believe it or not, the “bad” Cadillacs I had were all “dead on” with their trip computer calculating MPG.

ronsteve

My Acura reads about 5% high. But my odometer racks up about 3% fewer miles than the Volvo did.

The Volvo usually read just a little bit under on the MPG, but certain times of year it was dead on.

kyfdx

I check the fuel mileage on every tankful. (I don't keep a spreadsheet, though). It's good to know, as sometimes you can spot a problem with the car that you didn't know you had.

The OBC mileage is within 1%-3% of the calculated mileage per tank. And, varies both directions. Close enough that the difference could be when the pump automatically shuts off on fill-up. So, very accurate.

tjc78

@ab348 said:
We're going to have to disagree strongly on this one, jip. I cannot stand that pair. The buffoon husband who thinks he's a comedian, and the wife who is in love with shiplap and various other design cliches. The worst part is that their business empire has expended to the point where they bought the DIY channel and have it wall to wall with their programming and related ones - now she's doing cooking shows on there too.

I keep hoping that some sort of tawdy scandal will come to light that sees their popularity plummet and the whole empire collapse.

Ouch.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

I think the President read my post the other day...he is also asking the oil companies to cut prices since they are making record profits while they raise prices claiming there is a shortage. The U.S. is supposed to be self sufficient for oil, they shouldn't be selling it off at higher prices on the world market.

I'm certainly no economics nor political mastermind, so maybe there is a rule against this, but, if the Pres really wanted to do something about it, couldn't he charge a high enough export tax to keep the oil here?

jipster

@ab348 said:
We're going to have to disagree strongly on this one, jip. I cannot stand that pair. The buffoon husband who thinks he's a comedian, and the wife who is in love with shiplap and various other design cliches. The worst part is that their business empire has expended to the point where they bought the DIY channel and have it wall to wall with their programming and related ones - now she's doing cooking shows on there too.

I keep hoping that some sort of tawdy scandal will come to light that sees their popularity plummet and the whole empire collapse.

That they have a "business empire" from that show is a bit surprising. I mean it's a pretty good show, imo, not great or anything. Kind of like the Hee-Haw of home improvement. Corny 🌽 but still entertaining.

jipster

I've been driving the Optima a bit. Calculated the mpg on about 3/4ths a tank. Is averaging 28mpg with a bad downstrean 02 sensor, which I thought was pretty good.
Thinking of holding onto it for awhile. Liability insurance is around $150 every 3 months on State Farms reduced mileage rating of under 7,500 miles a year...which isn't too bad. Thinking of having those transmission codes looked at, or changing out the fluid... not sure.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

I think the President read my post the other day...he is also asking the oil companies to cut prices since they are making record profits while they raise prices claiming there is a shortage. The U.S. is supposed to be self sufficient for oil, they shouldn't be selling it off at higher prices on the world market.

I'm certainly no economics nor political mastermind, so maybe there is a rule against this, but, if the Pres really wanted to do something about it, couldn't he charge a high enough export tax to keep the oil here?

Maybe. I can think of a dozen ways the oil companies could counteract that, and it might result in higher actual prices.

It's been pretty well documented that tariffs and taxes are net losers for consumers. Price controls in the '70s didn't help much, either.

Michaell

Speaking of home improvement shows, does anyone watch "Unsellable Houses"? Sisters in the Seattle area fix up homes that have been on the market too long - the premise is that they invest their own money for the upgrades, then get it back, plus half of whatever the house sells for above the original asking price.

What I like about the hosts is that they are both diehard VW fanatics - their primary vehicle is an early 70's VW Bus, and there have been segments where they are shopping for more vintage VW's, or work with friends who own them.

henryn

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

I think the President read my post the other day...he is also asking the oil companies to cut prices since they are making record profits while they raise prices claiming there is a shortage. The U.S. is supposed to be self sufficient for oil, they shouldn't be selling it off at higher prices on the world market.

I'm certainly no economics nor political mastermind, so maybe there is a rule against this, but, if the Pres really wanted to do something about it, couldn't he charge a high enough export tax to keep the oil here?

Maybe. I can think of a dozen ways the oil companies could counteract that, and it might result in higher actual prices.

It's been pretty well documented that tariffs and taxes are net losers for consumers. Price controls in the '70s didn't help much, either.

I think the first thing the oil companies would do is reduce their investment in domestic production. Which would NOT be a good thing for us, but would make perfect sense from their point of view.

laurasdada

Finally, I can weigh in on one of the more popular "conversations" topics: Appliances.
After nearly 5 months of faithful service, our new GE refrigerator has become a closet. But, a well lit closet. I began to hear strange click/whirring noises on a regular interval yesterday. Went to check the most valuable commodity I own, ice cream, and it was, well, creamy...
Quick transfer of all items to old, basic refrigerator in garage (and I've always believed in simple, freezer on top fridges, but the better half believes in ice makers, water dispensers, French doors, bottom freezer and LED lighting, so...). Repair dude come this afternoon. Wonder how long it will take to get parts? I'll push for replacement.

jipster

@Michaell said:
Speaking of home improvement shows, does anyone watch "Unsellable Houses"? Sisters in the Seattle area fix up homes that have been on the market too long - the premise is that they invest their own money for the upgrades, then get it back, plus half of whatever the house sells for above the original asking price.

What I like about the hosts is that they are both diehard VW fanatics - their primary vehicle is an early 70's VW Bus, and there have been segments where they are shopping for more vintage VW's, or work with friends who own them.

Unsellable in Seattle? My niece paid half a million for a house and I thought it was a dump. Will have to check that one out.

cdnpinhead

benjaminh said:

My mpg computer in my 2018 Acura is right on the money. Checked it several times manually.

Good to know -- glad they finally sorted it. The Subaru is 5-6% high. I don't expect them to be perfect, but if the error is always on the plus side and never minus, it's clear (to me at least) that it's intentional.

explorerx4

Most of the Ford's I've had have had an optimistic mpg calculator. It seems to give too much credit for off the gas coasting.
Towed another trailer to Ohio last weekend. I'm still learning about it. First time I rented a 5x8 which was tall enough to stand up in. It ended up a bit nose high, so I bought a tow bar with a bigger drop.
This last time, I rented a 4x8 which was not as tall, didn't stick up higher than my Explorer.
Even with the new tow bar, it still was nose high because it was a lower trailer.
Averaged just under 18 mpg towing the 5x8 and over 20 towing the 4x8.
Neither trailer seemed noticeable while being towed, so pretty happy with that.

sda

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

kyfdx

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

It's terrible for leasing, that's for sure

Michaell

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

qbrozen

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

I think the President read my post the other day...he is also asking the oil companies to cut prices since they are making record profits while they raise prices claiming there is a shortage. The U.S. is supposed to be self sufficient for oil, they shouldn't be selling it off at higher prices on the world market.

I'm certainly no economics nor political mastermind, so maybe there is a rule against this, but, if the Pres really wanted to do something about it, couldn't he charge a high enough export tax to keep the oil here?

Maybe. I can think of a dozen ways the oil companies could counteract that, and it might result in higher actual prices.

It's been pretty well documented that tariffs and taxes are net losers for consumers. Price controls in the '70s didn't help much, either.

I think the first thing the oil companies would do is reduce their investment in domestic production. Which would NOT be a good thing for us, but would make perfect sense from their point of view.

I'm not really understanding (warned you I don't understand this stuff). But it is not like they are NOT making money domestically. The proposed scenario is that they are making MORE exporting the stuff. So my thought was to add export tax to make it less enticing to export it rather than keep it here and still make a profit.

stickguy

general rule of thumb with tariffs. the company does not pay it, the consumer does.

if the government really wanted to make a difference, they should build some new, state of the art refineries. I think that refining capacity to way down, but nobody wants to build more (assuming demand will keep falling). Tough sell the the green party types though.

jmonroe1

ab348 said:

jipster said:

Fixer Upper seems pretty good, as maybe not AS staged as the others. The red headed dude and his wife. A bit corney, but the wifes interior designs are really good.

We're going to have to disagree strongly on this one, jip. I cannot stand that pair. The buffoon husband who thinks he's a comedian, and the wife who is in love with shiplap and various other design cliches. The worst part is that their business empire has expended to the point where they bought the DIY channel and have it wall to wall with their programming and related ones - now she's doing cooking shows on there too.

I keep hoping that some sort of tawdy scandal will come to light that sees their popularity plummet and the whole empire collapse.

————————————————
My, my, you are a vindictive guy. I gather you’re waiting for one of her male clients to come forward and say Joanna took advantage of him when they were alone one day?

jmonroe

qbrozen

stickguy said:

general rule of thumb with tariffs. the company does not pay it, the consumer does.

if the government really wanted to make a difference, they should build some new, state of the art refineries. I think that refining capacity to way down, but nobody wants to build more (assuming demand will keep falling). Tough sell the the green party types though.

But there would be no tariff if it stays here, in my scenario.

roadburner

kyfdx said:

I check the fuel mileage on every tankful. (I don't keep a spreadsheet, though). It's good to know, as sometimes you can spot a problem with the car that you didn't know you had.

The OBC mileage is within 1%-3% of the calculated mileage per tank. And, varies both directions. Close enough that the difference could be when the pump automatically shuts off on fill-up. So, very accurate.

That's what I do.

ab348

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

jipster said:

Fixer Upper seems pretty good, as maybe not AS staged as the others. The red headed dude and his wife. A bit corney, but the wifes interior designs are really good.

We're going to have to disagree strongly on this one, jip. I cannot stand that pair. The buffoon husband who thinks he's a comedian, and the wife who is in love with shiplap and various other design cliches. The worst part is that their business empire has expended to the point where they bought the DIY channel and have it wall to wall with their programming and related ones - now she's doing cooking shows on there too.

I keep hoping that some sort of tawdy scandal will come to light that sees their popularity plummet and the whole empire collapse.

————————————————
My, my, you are a vindictive guy. I gather you’re waiting for one of her male clients to come forward and say Joanna took advantage of him when they were alone one day?

jmonroe

No, it doesn't have to be that. Any tawdry scandal will do. Their house renos proven to be shoddy and unsafe, their products made in 3rd-world sweatshops, their food items made with subpar ingredients, their proselytizing for their faith unsupported by their actions like a modern-day Jimmy Swaggart, anything will do.

snakeweasel

cdnpinhead said:

The thing that bothers me because, well, I'm a pinhead,

I love your movies.

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

jipster said:

Fixer Upper seems pretty good, as maybe not AS staged as the others. The red headed dude and his wife. A bit corney, but the wifes interior designs are really good.

We're going to have to disagree strongly on this one, jip. I cannot stand that pair. The buffoon husband who thinks he's a comedian, and the wife who is in love with shiplap and various other design cliches. The worst part is that their business empire has expended to the point where they bought the DIY channel and have it wall to wall with their programming and related ones - now she's doing cooking shows on there too.

I keep hoping that some sort of tawdy scandal will come to light that sees their popularity plummet and the whole empire collapse.

————————————————
My, my, you are a vindictive guy. I gather you’re waiting for one of her male clients to come forward and say Joanna took advantage of him when they were alone one day?

jmonroe

No, it doesn't have to be that. Any tawdry scandal will do. Their house renos proven to be shoddy and unsafe, their products made in 3rd-world sweatshops, their food items made with subpar ingredients, their proselytizing for their faith unsupported by their actions like a modern-day Jimmy Swaggart, anything will do.

This day and age it's a miracle that anything isn't made in a 3rd world sweatshop.

bwia

Michaell said:

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

The market should be self correcting. When interest rates rise the underlying asset, the car value should fall. But in this market vehicle values (both used and new) are rising yet consumers continue to buy them without protest, yet they make a big fuss about rising gasoline prices. How long can this irrational behavior continue before consumers catch on?

stickguy

based on history, a very long time.

Michaell

bwia said:

Michaell said:

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

The market should be self correcting. When interest rates rise the underlying asset, the car value should fall. But in this market vehicle values (both used and new) are rising yet consumers continue to buy them without protest, yet they make a big fuss about rising gasoline prices. How long can this irrational behavior continue before consumers catch on?

Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

stickguy

I assume that the answer for just about everyone in that situation is to buy out the lease. Hey, somebody offers you a car at thousands below market value, you take it!

henryn

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

I think the President read my post the other day...he is also asking the oil companies to cut prices since they are making record profits while they raise prices claiming there is a shortage. The U.S. is supposed to be self sufficient for oil, they shouldn't be selling it off at higher prices on the world market.

I'm certainly no economics nor political mastermind, so maybe there is a rule against this, but, if the Pres really wanted to do something about it, couldn't he charge a high enough export tax to keep the oil here?

Maybe. I can think of a dozen ways the oil companies could counteract that, and it might result in higher actual prices.

It's been pretty well documented that tariffs and taxes are net losers for consumers. Price controls in the '70s didn't help much, either.

I think the first thing the oil companies would do is reduce their investment in domestic production. Which would NOT be a good thing for us, but would make perfect sense from their point of view.

I'm not really understanding (warned you I don't understand this stuff). But it is not like they are NOT making money domestically. The proposed scenario is that they are making MORE exporting the stuff. So my thought was to add export tax to make it less enticing to export it rather than keep it here and still make a profit.

Exxon has a choice where to explore for new oil reserves. They can look for oil offshore (Gulf of Mexico), or West Texas, or a few other areas here in the US. Or ... they can look for oil in Venezuela, just as a for instance. If you come along and tell them any oil they find in the US has to be sold in the US, for $50 a barrel, but any oil they find in Venezuela can be sold on the open market for $100 a barrel, where do you think they're going to spend their exploration budget?

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

bwia said:

Michaell said:

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

The market should be self correcting. When interest rates rise the underlying asset, the car value should fall. But in this market vehicle values (both used and new) are rising yet consumers continue to buy them without protest, yet they make a big fuss about rising gasoline prices. How long can this irrational behavior continue before consumers catch on?

Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

————————————————-
And that is why I have never leased. I also don’t like the idea of limited miles.

If you have leased for many years and it was beneficial to you then you just have to suck it up during this market turnaround. Me, I like to have the hammer in my hands all the time and since I don’t buy cars often (usually keep my cars for at least 6 or 7 years) my method has always worked for me.

jmonroe

tjc78

@Michaell said:
Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

I’m very lucky I don’t have to replace the S60 right away. There is no way I’m coming anywhere near what I am paying on a new one.

sda

tjc78 said:

@Michaell said:

Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

I’m very lucky I don’t have to replace the S60 right away. There is no way I’m coming anywhere near what I am paying on a new one.

Would it benefit you to buy out the lease? From what I understand you really like the car, it has low miles and you know the history of the car. It is a sweet car.

Michaell

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

bwia said:

Michaell said:

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

The market should be self correcting. When interest rates rise the underlying asset, the car value should fall. But in this market vehicle values (both used and new) are rising yet consumers continue to buy them without protest, yet they make a big fuss about rising gasoline prices. How long can this irrational behavior continue before consumers catch on?

Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

————————————————-
And that is why I have never leased. I also don’t like the idea of limited miles.

If you have leased for many years and it was beneficial to you then you just have to suck it up during this market turnaround. Me, I like to have the hammer in my hands all the time and since I don’t buy cars often (usually keep my cars for at least 6 or 7 years) my method has always worked for me.

jmonroe

Which means it’s about time to trade in that ancient Genesis for a new ride.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

jipster said:

Fixer Upper seems pretty good, as maybe not AS staged as the others. The red headed dude and his wife. A bit corney, but the wifes interior designs are really good.

We're going to have to disagree strongly on this one, jip. I cannot stand that pair. The buffoon husband who thinks he's a comedian, and the wife who is in love with shiplap and various other design cliches. The worst part is that their business empire has expended to the point where they bought the DIY channel and have it wall to wall with their programming and related ones - now she's doing cooking shows on there too.

I keep hoping that some sort of tawdy scandal will come to light that sees their popularity plummet and the whole empire collapse.

That Chip and Joanna show is the only one I can stand. She must love him dearly to laugh at his cornball joke and have all those kids with him. That’s refreshing in this day and age. Much better IMO than that blondie who has dumped multiple husbands and is full of herself.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

roadburner said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

If we are destined to drive small cars like that it should be noted that the gasoline versions of Spark, Sonic or Mirage can get 50mpg on the highway.

According to the EPA the Spark gets 38 on the highway, the Sonic got 34 and the Mirage gets 43. I am not sure you can get a gas only car that will get you 50 MPG, You would have to go hybrid for that.

I personally got 50mpg on an all highway trip from Albany to Burlington in a Mitsu Mirage. The other cars have gotten similar mileage. Maybe the stars were perfectly aligned but it’s possible.

You have to remember that the EPA ‘highway’ tests aren’t highway driving like most people think.

Yes I know that those tests are not highway driven tests, but in my experience the results tend to be real close. I don't think I got anything over 10% more that the EPA rating.

Also how did you calculate the highway mileage? I know that the MPG readout on the Sonata is high but the one on the BMW is almost spot on.

The OBC average mpg calculation in the 2er and the X1 are pessimistic- by about 4%; the Clubman' OBC is optimistic by about the same amount. You can adjust the calculations in the service menu but it's never bothered me enough that I wanted to fool with it.

Always check mine manually. Current Accord is within 1% optimistic. But, that’s only on 2 fill ups I’ve done so far. Still holding steady at around 44MPG. I know it’s a “does it really matter?” Type of thing, but that’s running it in “Sport” all the time, too. Not sure what it does, but it is quicker, the steering and shocks tighten up, too.

My Acuras were off by as much as 5% optimistic.

My two 3 series were probably about 1% pessimistic.

Believe it or not, the “bad” Cadillacs I had were all “dead on” with their trip computer calculating MPG.

I never thought to check the mileage meter to see if it was lying to me. I just hope it’s lying to the good so I think I’m getting better mileage.

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

bwia said:

Michaell said:

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

The market should be self correcting. When interest rates rise the underlying asset, the car value should fall. But in this market vehicle values (both used and new) are rising yet consumers continue to buy them without protest, yet they make a big fuss about rising gasoline prices. How long can this irrational behavior continue before consumers catch on?

Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

————————————————-
And that is why I have never leased. I also don’t like the idea of limited miles.

If you have leased for many years and it was beneficial to you then you just have to suck it up during this market turnaround. Me, I like to have the hammer in my hands all the time and since I don’t buy cars often (usually keep my cars for at least 6 or 7 years) my method has always worked for me.

jmonroe

Which means it’s about time to trade in that ancient Genesis for a new ride.

————————————————-
Under normal circumstances you’re right but the Genny has ridiculously low miles on it, not even 12k the last time I drove it to charge up the battery a week ago. I’ve never driven it in the snow so it’s never seen a grain of salt. I guess that’s why it has low miles but I think I’ve also forgotten about it because I haven’t driven it in the Winter and I’m so used to driving Mrs. j’s Subie now.

Given these crazy circumstances I don’t know how long I’ll be keeping it now. I still keep it nicely waxed though.

jmonroe

driver100

I think the President read my post the other day...he is also asking th

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

bwia said:

Michaell said:

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

The market should be self correcting. When interest rates rise the underlying asset, the car value should fall. But in this market vehicle values (both used and new) are rising yet consumers continue to buy them without protest, yet they make a big fuss about rising gasoline prices. How long can this irrational behavior continue before consumers catch on?

Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

————————————————-
And that is why I have never leased. I also don’t like the idea of limited miles.

If you have leased for many years and it was beneficial to you then you just have to suck it up during this market turnaround. Me, I like to have the hammer in my hands all the time and since I don’t buy cars often (usually keep my cars for at least 6 or 7 years) my method has always worked for me.

jmonroe

Which means it’s about time to trade in that ancient Genesis for a new ride.

————————————————-
Under normal circumstances you’re right but the Genny has ridiculously low miles on it, not even 12k the last time I drove it to charge up the battery a week ago. I’ve never driven it in the snow so it’s never seen a grain of salt. I guess that’s why it has low miles but I think I’ve also forgotten about it because I haven’t driven it in the Winter and I’m so used to driving Mrs. j’s Subie now.

Given these crazy circumstances I don’t know how long I’ll be keeping it now. I still keep it nicely waxed though.

jmonroe

That's like about 1500 miles a year......just over 100 miles a month, 3 miles a day. Maybe you should just take an Uber for the number of times you use the car. It will cost less than your car insurance.

tjc78

@sda said:
Would it benefit you to buy out the lease? From what I understand you really like the car, it has low miles and you know the history of the car. It is a sweet car.

It has certainly crossed my mind, but as much as I like it, I’m not sure I’d want to own it out of warranty. Also, I wouldn’t have as much positive equity in it as you would think in this market.

Before I give it back (one more payment) I’ll run some numbers and make a decision. I have one year left on the B2B warranty I wonder what an extended warranty would cost?

sda

I was in the process of buying our 03 Oddyssey when the lease expired and was told they, the Honda dealer, could CPO it and extend the warranty. I think it was around $700. Not sure if they can still do that and certainly it would be more expensive now. Instead, we leased an 06 Piilot. I wonder if you can CPO the Volvo?

tjc78

Maybe.. The dealer keeps calling me. I will ask so I know all my options.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

That Chip and Joanna show is the only one I can stand. She must love him dearly to laugh at his cornball joke and have all those kids with him. That’s refreshing in this day and age. Much better IMO than that blondie who has dumped multiple husbands and is full of herself.

Almost all of them are complete rubbish. There are a couple I can stand to watch. "Restored" is not bad although they do too much editing to create fake drama and I find the end product sometimes compromised in the name of being faithful to the original design. I used to like "Desert Flippers" from Palm Springs. It was light and frothy and the husband sometimes strayed a bit too much into the Chip Gaines School of Comedy but the wife was lovely and charming and came up with nice designs. There was also one out of Atlanta that I didn't mind. I think both of the latter 2 above have been cancelled.

One of the absolute worst was a recent one produced by HGTV Canada not too far from here with an obnoxious self-promoting host and every cliche in the book including the sledgehammer-to-cabinets trick. I couldn't get past the first episode.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I think the President read my post the other day...he is also asking th

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

bwia said:

Michaell said:

sda said:

With the run up of interest rates, how bad has leasing and car loans become?

I'm keeping an eye on interest rates, with a car on order. I expect them to increase throughout the year.

As my co-host noted, lease programs are abysmal - nothing is leasing well, and MF rates are increasing across the board.

The market should be self correcting. When interest rates rise the underlying asset, the car value should fall. But in this market vehicle values (both used and new) are rising yet consumers continue to buy them without protest, yet they make a big fuss about rising gasoline prices. How long can this irrational behavior continue before consumers catch on?

Here’s the thing - everyone who leased a 2 or 3 years ago is back in the market, and they need a car now. They don’t have time to defer the decision, and not every bank allows the existing lease to be extended.

They are at the mercy of short inventory and crappy programs that bump the lease payment $200-500 a month from what they currently have.

————————————————-
And that is why I have never leased. I also don’t like the idea of limited miles.

If you have leased for many years and it was beneficial to you then you just have to suck it up during this market turnaround. Me, I like to have the hammer in my hands all the time and since I don’t buy cars often (usually keep my cars for at least 6 or 7 years) my method has always worked for me.

jmonroe

Which means it’s about time to trade in that ancient Genesis for a new ride.

————————————————-
Under normal circumstances you’re right but the Genny has ridiculously low miles on it, not even 12k the last time I drove it to charge up the battery a week ago. I’ve never driven it in the snow so it’s never seen a grain of salt. I guess that’s why it has low miles but I think I’ve also forgotten about it because I haven’t driven it in the Winter and I’m so used to driving Mrs. j’s Subie now.

Given these crazy circumstances I don’t know how long I’ll be keeping it now. I still keep it nicely waxed though.

jmonroe

That's like about 1500 miles a year......just over 100 miles a month, 3 miles a day. Maybe you should just take an Uber for the number of times you use the car. It will cost less than your car insurance.

3 miles a day? save even more money and simply walk.

tjc78

It’s official !! Highest fill up of my driving life (other than a rental truck)

graphicguy

Michaell said:

Speaking of home improvement shows, does anyone watch "Unsellable Houses"? Sisters in the Seattle area fix up homes that have been on the market too long - the premise is that they invest their own money for the upgrades, then get it back, plus half of whatever the house sells for above the original asking price.

What I like about the hosts is that they are both diehard VW fanatics - their primary vehicle is an early 70's VW Bus, and there have been segments where they are shopping for more vintage VW's, or work with friends who own them.

There are actually houses that have been on the market too long?

graphicguy

tjc78 said:

It’s official !! Highest fill up of my driving life (other than a rental truck)

I emailed the White House (seriously, as I do that regularly). My suggestion is two fold. Get the price of a gal of gas down and to help with the infrastructure. Any profit the oil industry has over and above 2020 levels is taxed 50%, which would go towards fixing roads and bridges.

I don't get replies, but I think I'm onto something. It's not like they're going to be hunting for new sources of oil in the future, with EVs coming to market at a break neck pace. So, they can't use that as an excuse. There is no benefit to them to support the current prices if they have to give a large chunk back to fix our roads and bridges.