If you have maintained the car and you haven't had any electrical problems yet, why would you think you couldn't get to 100k miles problem free ? Look online to see how many identical models of your car are on sale with 100k plus miles that are still running just fine. I'll bet there are plenty. And whose to say the new car won't have issues right off the bat. Yours is tried and true -- you know everything about it. Just an opinion and I'm not recommending a Buick.
@ab348 said:
Well, I hope you see it. Based on what occurred when other similarly ill-designed pension plans hit the rocks, that could all change.
NYS has a different funding mechanism than most states and is 100% funded with about $170 billion.
Until some crooked politician finds a way to raid it or the taxpayers of NY go broke it will never run out of money. It's even money on either possibility.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
@bwia said:
Life is ought to be more than driving a Hyundai XG350 or a Bluelight special at KMart. , if I can't buy a snob-mobile when I am in my sixties, what is the point of living?
My point exactly in trying to convince my wife on the Mustang. I think she has finally given in.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
@rbirns1 said:
Today is the end of the month. Let's say I negotiate a deal late today and put down a deposit, arranging to take delivery tomorrow. If the deal improves tomorrow (i.e. new August incentives), can I back out of the original deal and get the new offer?
Well, I suppose you could just refuse to take delivery.
Can I turn this around?
Suppose the incentives got worse. Would you offer to pay more money?
But your energy drops 50% every ten years so you only want to do half the things at 70 that you did at 60. By 80 all you desire is to sit in a chair and tell the grand kids they can't borrow the snobmobile.
Pretty cheap.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
@imidazol97 said:
For someone wanting a car that handles and sticks to the road, here's a video of the 2016 ATS in motion. Did I mention it's the V model? It did lose the feel of the road for a second here in the picture.
I don't expect to be doing that kind of driving. btw...at about the one minute mark there was what looked like a bmw in front.
I generally like the new Cadillacs but I would really need to see what the reviews are like and how the cars hold up over the next few years. I don't want to take unnecessary risks at my age, I like to go with what I know has worked and has had an excellent track record..
@jayrider said:
If you have maintained the car and you haven't had any electrical problems yet, why would you think you couldn't get to 100k miles problem free ? Look online to see how many identical models of your car are on sale with 100k plus miles that are still running just fine. I'll bet there are plenty. And whose to say the new car won't have issues right off the bat. Yours is tried and true -- you know everything about it. Just an opinion and I'm not recommending a Buick.
Here's an example:
This guy bought the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 used from Mercedes-Benz in 2012 for about $40,000. The car came “Star Certified” with a basic warranty but Perchik declined to spend another $2,000 on an extended warranty.
Since then, Perchik says there have been several problems with the vehicle including noisy brakes.
Still, most of the repairs have been covered by Mercedes until a recent breakdown.
“I had to pay for a hotel, a rental car and $1,100 for an ignition switch, and aggravation,” he said.
Mercedes-Benz told Global News that under the terms of its roadside warranty service the cost of a hotel and rental car would have been paid, but a representative said Perchik has declined to send in his receipts.
Consumer advocate and auto expert Phil Edmonston, author of the Lemon-Aid Guides to buying used vehicles says manufacturer extended warranties are generally good. However he recommends against buying most other extended warranties.
“Ones sold by independents don’t always have the wherewithal to come through on their promises,” he said.
Perchik says an extended warranty from a manufacturer didn’t seem necessary.
“I didn’t think a German-made Mercedes-Benz needed an extended warranty.”
For the most part, Edmonston agrees: extended warranties are an extra, unnecessary cost.
“You shouldn’t buy a car that requires extended warranty,” said Edmonston, who urges consumers to research and buy vehicles with low ownership costs.
Mercedes-Benz told Global News it would bend the rules to allow Perchik to buy an extended warranty now, even though the window for offering additional coverage ended last fall. But Perchik says the auto maker should do more.
“Everything is a war,” he said. “Enough is enough.”
@oldfarmer50 said:But your energy drops 50% every ten years so you only want to do half the things at 70 that you did at 60. By 80 all you desire is to sit in a chair and tell the grand kids they can't borrow the snobmobile.
Pretty cheap
Nothing like the wisdom from a hardworking, lived through it all, farmer.
btw...I am off for our tennis weekend in Ellicottville NY (near you OF), leaving early tomorrow morning. Back on Sunday, so I may not have time to check in. We do have to go over this bridge which is about 2 miles away....and a dump truck ran into the scafolding at full speed, with his container box up.....now they don't know if the bridge is strong enough. All 5 lanes were closed and traffic was tied up for miles. We go in the opposite direction, but that was tied up too. Could take days to repair.
@imidazol97, the Grand Caravan is "trucky" in the sense that it's not as smooth (comparing to our old Quest now), nor does it track all that well going down the highway. And it's quite a bit bigger.
My comment is probably a slur against newer pickups. My brother's newer F-150 is pretty smooth.
@ab348 saidDriver, I think you should buy a Cadillac, not Buick. A CTS V-sport would be really nice.
The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years?????????
I'll buy a CTS V-Sport if you buy one first and tell me whether it is good enough.
@stever said, the Grand Caravan is "trucky" in the sense that it's not as smooth (comparing to our old Quest now),
i
From 1992 to 1994 I was working at a company where I sometimes drove a Plymouth van...a Voyager or Caravan....and sometimes I drove a Ford Aerostar. Talk about truck like. The Plymouth felt like a car because it basically was a car with a van body, but that Aerostar with RWD had absolutely "no" feel of the road, it had no traction in snow, and it blew around the highway in a strong wind. It felt like driving a box with wheels on it. But, I see people give it a 4.3 out of 5 rating, and they seem to last with very little maintenance. It was like the opposite of good handling and steering.
As I mentioned over in CCBA, RB Jr. will most likely be taking the 2004 X3 to SC for his Sophomore year. It should be good to go. I just picked it up from the dealer, where it received an Inspection I(minor) service as well as a brake fluid flush and an ATF change. At 164,410 miles it received a clean bill of health. It still looks and drives like new, so we'll roll the dice...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
@imidazol97 said:
For someone wanting a car that handles and sticks to the road, here's a video of the 2016 ATS in motion. Did I mention it's the V model? It did lose the feel of the road for a second here in the picture.
driver100 said:
The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years?????????
My van hasn't had an ignition problem in 26 years. Why couldn't a luxo-barge do the same?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
@driver100, haven't checked the date code, but the tires on the Grand Caravan look pretty new (some Michelin flavor). It's actually doing a bit better this trip since it's crammed to the gills. Just like some trucks ride better with a load of dirt in the back.
@driver100 said:
I know an RLX can kind of wow you, but I know I'll be unhappy with it very quickly. Was that what Mike had for a short time, before going back to a Mercedes?
Driver....totally understand. Out of all the Japanese based lux brands, Acura is probably the most dissimilar to the rest (Lexus, Infiniti).
Having just gone through the buying process with my sister, and having owned plenty of german iron myself, the difference in the likes of a 535 or an E class vs an RLX is pretty evident.
I'm still happy that my TL hasn't been back to the dealership for warranty work, at all, for even the slightest thing. As much as I liked my 335i and the S4, I couldn't say that about either of them. The platform is in its twilight years and still performs as any of its contemporaries.
That said, in a few years, I'll look at all the usual suspects again.....IF I'm in the market. These days, I rarely keep any car past the warranty period. So, I've got 17K on the TL now (yes, I've been driving it, a lot). Another couple of years and we'll see where I'm at.
@rbirns1 said:
Today is the end of the month. Let's say I negotiate a deal late today and put down a deposit, arranging to take delivery tomorrow. If the deal improves tomorrow (i.e. new August incentives), can I back out of the original deal and get the new offer?
Maybe too late for this info, but I'm of the mind that you buy the car, when you want, regardless of the day of the month. Maybe make an exception for December 31, but aside from that, buy when you want.
There's no way to predict if the dealership will or won't make a better deal on the 31st than they will on the 1st. They're in the business of selling as many cars as they possibly can. The sales person, the sales manager, everyone up and down the food chain is focused on one thing....selling cars, every day, all day, regardless of the day of the month.
As others pointed out, it could go the other way, too. They hit their quota the 29th or the 30th. You're sitting at their desk the 31st, and they aren't very motivated to make the deal until the 1st of the next month. You won't know that, though.
I purchased New Year's Eve in 1998 and left money on the table. Nissan's year end for bonus purposes was January 4th, 1999 or so the salesperson told me a few days after the purchase.
@stever said:
I purchased New Year's Eve in 1998 and left money on the table. Nissan's year end for bonus purposes was January 4th, 1999 or so the salesperson told me a few days after the purchase.
I've just been reviewing the docs we use to help answer questions about leases ... some programs ended yesterday (BMW, Hyundai, Infiniti, Mazda, MB, Nissan and VW), while others expire on Monday (Audi, Chrysler) and still others go until after Labor Day weekend (GM, Honda, Lexus). Ford and Porsche update their numbers each quarter, so they are valid until the end of September.
"I know an RLX can kind of wow you, but I know I'll be unhappy with it very quickly. Was that what Mike had for a short time, before going back to a Mercedes?"
No driver, I was stupid enough to buy a 2013 Lexus GS350 in 2012. I had nothing but problems with it. The dealer was insensitive as was Lexus.
I've never owned an Acura and have not driven one in years. I'd have to get an AWD because I hate front wheel drive cars .
@oldfarmer50 said:
driver100 said:
The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years?????????
My van hasn't had an ignition problem in 26 years. Why couldn't a luxo-barge do the same?
"I know an RLX can kind of wow you, but I know I'll be unhappy with it very quickly. Was that what Mike had for a short time, before going back to a Mercedes?"
No driver, I was stupid enough to buy a 2013 Lexus GS350 in 2012. I had nothing but problems with it. The dealer was insensitive as was Lexus.
I've never owned an Acura and have not driven one in years. I'd have to get an AWD because I hate front wheel drive cars .
Thanks, GG. I've never considered an Acura RL, but really have no reason to not look into one next November when I am considering a new car. Again, thanks.
GM's July auto sales were on fire, up some 9% overall, except for Cadillac which was down 3%. How disappointing for the Cadillac brand. Perhaps, if Cadillac had something similar to 2015 Genesis in their line-up that probably move some metal.
By comparison, Buick sales were up 8% driven by sales of their best selling Baby Buick, the Encore. What a cute little CUV---It seems to appeal to Millenniums and Baby Boomers alike, but with a rash of new compact luxury hitting streets, it won't be long before the leave the Encore in the dust.
The Lincoln MKc, Lexus NX, and Mercedes GLA 250, though larger in size, are preparing for an onslaught, and I believe they will roll all over the Encore. Why, because GM is cannibalizing its entry luxury brand by also introducing the Chevrolet Trax, an identical but cheaper variant of the Encore which will appeal to the bottom feeders. Brilliant marketing? You decide.
@oldfarmer50 said:
driver100 said:
The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years?????????
My van hasn't had an ignition problem in 26 years. Why couldn't a luxo-barge do the same?
It's a Benz, man. My friend had to spend $800 at the dealer on his when the taillight burned out. Diabolically expensive to own one out of warranty.
> @oldfarmer50 said: > driver100 said: > The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years????????? > > My van hasn't had an ignition problem in 26 years. Why couldn't a luxo-barge do the same?
My feelings exactly. That's the one thing that has kept me away from more upscale cars, owners telling us that there will be problems and the at they wouldn't own one out of warranty. If I can get 150 to 200k miles out of a $25k car just with routine maintenance then I would expect at least that from a $45K car.
Someone on this forum once told me that that's the price of owning German engineering. Not sure about you but I think the height of engineering is the ability of the engine to go 200 thousand miles with only oil changes and tuneups.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
> @stever said: > I purchased New Year's Eve in 1998 and left money on the table. Nissan's year end for bonus purposes was January 4th, 1999 or so the salesperson told me a few days after the purchase.
I wouldn't be surprised at that, new years eve that year was on a Monday and the 4th would have been a Friday. It makes sense to start the new promotions on the weekend and keep the old ones until then.
One more thing while we are on this, would anyone know if Nissan uses a 13 month year for their accounting? That's having 13 four week months each one ending the same day of the week. It's rare for a company to do that but many do.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
For every one of those stories there are probably a greater percentage of Mercedes still on the road after 20 years than almost any other car.
Also, don't forget Road burners bmw has over 150,000 miles on it with no problems. The Guy is a bit of a moron,.....this is the one time you should get an extended warranty. It's an expensive car and repairs can be costly.
@driver100 said:
For every one of those stories there are probably a greater percentage of Mercedes still on the road after 20 years than almost any other car. Also, don't forget Road burners bmw has over 150,000 miles on it with no problems. The Guy is a bit of a moron,.....this is the one time you should get an extended warranty. It's an expensive car and repairs can be costly.
I don't think it is a question of them being off the road. It is just a question of how expensive they can be to fix when things invariably break. I agree that he was foolish not to buy the extended warranty.
Owning a German car out of warranty can be done at a reasonable cost, but you have to pick one of the less complex vehicles- for example, if you are thinking BMW then you want a 1, 3, or six cylinder 5 Series, an X3 or a six cylinder X5. Next, you need an honest dealer or indie shop. Finally, it has to be maintained by the book using OEM approved parts and lubricants.
Buy an old poorly maintained 7er and take it to an overpriced and unscrupulous shop and you get what you deserve...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
All used cars are different, all new cars are the same. If you buy a used German car that's been neglected or botched, it'd be a bloodbath to make it right. All modern cars are complex, so there's no way around that IMO. It's not like you're going to fix one with some tools in a fishing box. Even an honest shop has to charge you German parts prices and labor is labor.
One mistake people make is thinking that because someone works on Benzes that he knows something about BMWs and Audis. Often not the case.
Buy a car that's been loved, and get a thorough PPI and you're off to a good start!
"If you can't afford the extended warranty you shouldn't be buying a pre owned Benz"
The trick is to find a low mileage "certified" Mercedes Benz. If it is certified, you have a 6 or 7 year 100,000 mile warranty. Or, you can buy an extended Mercedes Benz warranty at the time of purchase directly from Mercedes.
After market warranties are tricky and often have deductibles.
In today's cars with all the technology, you'd be foolish to buy any late model used car without an extended factory warranty. For a cost of $1500-$2000, you can get an extended factory warranty for just about any car.
It's so difficult to fix these newer cars because everything is controlled by computers.
Brakes and calipers and rotors are one thing - but fixing a fuel injector or faulty computer chip is something totally different.
@snakeweasel said:
I wouldn't be surprised at that, new years eve that year was on a Monday and the 4th would have been a Friday. It makes sense to start the new promotions on the weekend and keep the old ones until then.
Same difference but January 1 was on a Friday in 1999, a holiday. So the 4th was the following Monday. I just assumed that Nissan would have closed the books on the last business day of the year but no....
@snakeweasel said:
Not sure about you but I think the height of engineering is the ability of the engine to go 200 thousand miles with only oil changes and tuneups.
It can be, but can be something else. Engineering is working priorities. Formula 1 cars are designed to run three-four races on one engine, used to be one but the regulation forced it, same with transmissions. BMW or Benz are no Formula 1, but their design priorities may be just a bit different than those of Toyota. Benz owner of 60s or 70s intended to keep the car fo 10 years or more. Today he/she leases it for three. There was a shift in late 80s and now it's a strong stable feedback loop, keeping those priorities this way. The target is to get newest stuff in, have the car work beautifully when new, but durability is no longer paramount. When you squeeze performance and fuel economy combination to point beyond durability limits, something has got to give. 250 hp from two litter engines is a number that was unimaginable 15 years ago, except race rally cars, today it's every day, but will those engine last? Who knows. As long as new sales are climbing faster than market, they have incentives to stay the course.
I want to add that some of those concerns are a bit overblown. Many owners feel have no quarrels to drop 20-30 grand on depreciation and financing every three years (lease payments), but somehow two grand on a repair every couple of years takes their breath away. It is fuzzy math, quoting the classic.
@dino001 said:
I want to add that some of those concerns are a bit overblown. Many owners feel have no quarrels to drop 20-30 grand on depreciation and financing every three years (lease payments), but somehow two grand on a repair every couple of years takes their breath away.
Exactly. I paid off the 2004 X3 in 2007 and since then it has required only a couple of major repairs, I wasn't happy about either one but I'm still much better off financially than if I was flipping cars every 3-4 years and had a constant monthly payment of $300-$400.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
It's the rare used car that is so bad that repairs equal new car payments every month; however, having said that, as labor costs go up and cars get more and more comple, with inter-related systems multiplexing their little hearts out, I think that gap will close.
@Mr_Shiftright said:
It's the rare used car that is so bad that repairs equal new car payments every month; however, having said that, as labor costs go up and cars get more and more complex, with inter-related systems multiplexing their little hearts out, I think that gap will close.
I see the same thing with respect to fuel economy- somebody buys a new car because the old car "is eating them alive in fuel costs." However, if you run the numbers and factor in the acquisition costs as well as any increased insurance expense you usually find that they will have to drive the new fuel miser 6-10 years just to break even...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
It can be, but can be something else. Engineering is working priorities. Formula 1 cars are designed to run three-four races on one engine, used to be one but the regulation forced it, same with transmissions. BMW or Benz are no Formula 1, but their design priorities may be just a bit different than those of Toyota. Benz owner of 60s or 70s intended to keep the car fo 10 years or more. Today he/she leases it for three. There was a shift in late 80s and now it's a strong stable feedback loop, keeping those priorities this way. The target is to get newest stuff in, have the car work beautifully when new, but durability is no longer paramount. When you squeeze performance and fuel economy combination to point beyond durability limits, something has got to give. 250 hp from two litter engines is a number that was unimaginable 15 years ago, except race rally cars, today it's every day, but will those engine last? Who knows. As long as new sales are climbing faster than market, they have incentives to stay the course.
I want to add that some of those concerns are a bit overblown. Many owners feel have no quarrels to drop 20-30 grand on depreciation and financing every three years (lease payments), but somehow two grand on a repair every couple of years takes their breath away. It fuzzy math, quoting the dlassic.
Good morning *dino and thanks for a very balanced and very well written post. Great job and keep on posting more frequently.
@roadburner said:
I see the same thing with respect to fuel economy- somebody buys a new car because the old car "is eating them alive in fuel costs." However, if you run the numbers and factor in the acquisition costs as well as any increased insurance expense you usually find that they will have to drive the new fuel miser 6-10 years just to break even...
Right on. And often they are comparing their real world mileage on their current car and accepting the highway mileage figure as sent from a deity as truth for the new car. I notice that many people would rate one car as better over another because the EPA rating was 1 mph higher on the EPA rating test.
Same thing happens with people and refinancing their loans. Back in the 80s I was running spreadsheets on my TRS80 to show folks that paying hundreds of dollars to reduce their home mortgage interest rate refinancing by small amounts was not beneficial. In fact, they would be better off just putting the few hundred dollars on as an extra payment to reduce the principal on which they actually pay computed interest each month and they would come out ahead by far. All the new mortgage did was put them at the beginning where most of the mortgage payment was interest and very little went toward reducing the principal owed.
I was coming home this morning from food shopping and was pulling my car into my parking space. This guy who lives in one of our village buildings on the other side of the swimming pool and common grounds stopped to ask me when I might be trading my car in for a new one. (He knows I trade pretty often)
I told probably not until a year from November. He asked me how many miles I expect to have driven the car by then. I told him around 18-20 thousand miles. He said he'd like to get a heads up before I traded it as he wants to buy it outright. He said if I was interested now, he'd offer me $62,000 for it. I told him I can get that on a trade from my dealer and save over $3500 in sales taxes right now. But I told him they have nothing in their line I would be interested in until next November.
I told him I'd give him a call next year.
That's always the case with trade vs. selling privately. It's the sales tax differential that makes it difficult to sell cars privately.
If you have an older (non-classic) car, do you have full insurance on it? Comprehensive and collision?
I ask because two of my co-workers at the pizza place totaled their cars in the past 6 weeks - one on a delivery and the other in a non-delivery situation. Car 1 was an '03 Hyundai Sonata; car 2 was an early '00's Nissan Xterra. Neither had collision insurance. The owner of the Sonata had another car (late model Honda Pilot) that he is now using for delivery. The owner of the Xterra had to quit because she didn't have another car to drive.
It seems silly to me to drop collision insurance when you use your car for work.
I made a mistake with my Mazda 6s when I bought it. I figured it only cost me $6,500 at the time and I'd never had an at fault accident so why bother with collision? Of course months later I had the first at fault accident of my life, A guy stopped after starting to move on a green and I let myself get slightly distracted which came to about $3k. The shop did a beautiful job and I put collision on it right away. I have 111K on it (3.5 of that was in a 2 week period that ended last Sunday) and plant to take it well past 220K. Other than a ding in the front passenger door and a repaint on the back bumper the car looks new. Inside there's slight sign of age but nothing serious at all. It definitely qualifies in that "gee, I could get so much better gas mileage" talk but it would cost me way more than just holding onto the car and I love the car. It's quick, agile and practical to boot. What's to complain about? It will need a new clutch but probably not until spring.
Steve R - sorry me missed each other in the UP. You might have even been there at the time, but between hauling a couple of 12 year olds and calling back and forth to the hospital because of my platelet count my already fuzzy head got fuzzier.
Once they finally pronounce me fit to go I'm going to do the Lake Superior Circle Tour. Have wanted to do that since I first laid eyes on the lake at 22.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I have full coverage on all 3 vehicles (2001,2006, 2013) because to remove it would net me back a pittance compared to the peace of mind.
Seriously, I got back a whopping $35 once by dropping full coverage back in the young and dumb learning days. No thanks, I'll keep the coverage on all vehicles.
he'd offer me $62,000 for it.
We don't have the tax advantage on trades in Virginia. Offer me what I paid for a 7 month old car and you're going to be the proud new owner. Even if we did have the tax thing I'd take it. Tax on the difference is only a couple hundred bucks.
Comments
If you have maintained the car and you haven't had any electrical problems yet, why would you think you couldn't get to 100k miles problem free ? Look online to see how many identical models of your car are on sale with 100k plus miles that are still running just fine. I'll bet there are plenty. And whose to say the new car won't have issues right off the bat. Yours is tried and true -- you know everything about it. Just an opinion and I'm not recommending a Buick.
NYS has a different funding mechanism than most states and is 100% funded with about $170 billion.
Until some crooked politician finds a way to raid it or the taxpayers of NY go broke it will never run out of money. It's even money on either possibility.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My point exactly in trying to convince my wife on the Mustang. I think she has finally given in.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Well, I suppose you could just refuse to take delivery.
Can I turn this around?
Suppose the incentives got worse. Would you offer to pay more money?
I guess it's all about the value of a handshake.
But your energy drops 50% every ten years so you only want to do half the things at 70 that you did at 60. By 80 all you desire is to sit in a chair and tell the grand kids they can't borrow the snobmobile.
Pretty cheap.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That's a good explanation of why Best Westerns can be really nice or very poor. I really like to check Tripadvisor.com before making a reservation.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I don't expect to be doing that kind of driving. btw...at about the one minute mark there was what looked like a bmw in front.
I generally like the new Cadillacs but I would really need to see what the reviews are like and how the cars hold up over the next few years. I don't want to take unnecessary risks at my age, I like to go with what I know has worked and has had an excellent track record..
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Here's an example:
This guy bought the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 used from Mercedes-Benz in 2012 for about $40,000. The car came “Star Certified” with a basic warranty but Perchik declined to spend another $2,000 on an extended warranty.
Since then, Perchik says there have been several problems with the vehicle including noisy brakes.
Still, most of the repairs have been covered by Mercedes until a recent breakdown.
“I had to pay for a hotel, a rental car and $1,100 for an ignition switch, and aggravation,” he said.
Mercedes-Benz told Global News that under the terms of its roadside warranty service the cost of a hotel and rental car would have been paid, but a representative said Perchik has declined to send in his receipts.
Consumer advocate and auto expert Phil Edmonston, author of the Lemon-Aid Guides to buying used vehicles says manufacturer extended warranties are generally good. However he recommends against buying most other extended warranties.
“Ones sold by independents don’t always have the wherewithal to come through on their promises,” he said.
Perchik says an extended warranty from a manufacturer didn’t seem necessary.
“I didn’t think a German-made Mercedes-Benz needed an extended warranty.”
For the most part, Edmonston agrees: extended warranties are an extra, unnecessary cost.
“You shouldn’t buy a car that requires extended warranty,” said Edmonston, who urges consumers to research and buy vehicles with low ownership costs.
Mercedes-Benz told Global News it would bend the rules to allow Perchik to buy an extended warranty now, even though the window for offering additional coverage ended last fall. But Perchik says the auto maker should do more.
“Everything is a war,” he said. “Enough is enough.”
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Pretty cheap
Nothing like the wisdom from a hardworking, lived through it all, farmer.
btw...I am off for our tennis weekend in Ellicottville NY (near you OF), leaving early tomorrow morning. Back on Sunday, so I may not have time to check in. We do have to go over this bridge which is about 2 miles away....and a dump truck ran into the scafolding at full speed, with his container box up.....now they don't know if the bridge is strong enough. All 5 lanes were closed and traffic was tied up for miles. We go in the opposite direction, but that was tied up too. Could take days to repair.
Back late Sunday.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
“I didn’t think a German-made Mercedes-Benz needed an extended warranty.”
Poor devil. Obviously he has no previous experience with M-B cars that are off warranty.
Driver, I think you should buy a Cadillac, not Buick. A CTS V-sport would be really nice.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
My SIL just bought a black on black SRX. Originally, she was talking Equinox, but she's a Cadillac girl, so I'm glad she got what she wanted.
@imidazol97, the Grand Caravan is "trucky" in the sense that it's not as smooth (comparing to our old Quest now), nor does it track all that well going down the highway. And it's quite a bit bigger.
My comment is probably a slur against newer pickups. My brother's newer F-150 is pretty smooth.
The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years?????????
I'll buy a CTS V-Sport if you buy one first and tell me whether it is good enough.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Now that is quite a 180. Well, she probably made a good choice.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
From 1992 to 1994 I was working at a company where I sometimes drove a Plymouth van...a Voyager or Caravan....and sometimes I drove a Ford Aerostar. Talk about truck like. The Plymouth felt like a car because it basically was a car with a van body, but that Aerostar with RWD had absolutely "no" feel of the road, it had no traction in snow, and it blew around the highway in a strong wind. It felt like driving a box with wheels on it. But, I see people give it a 4.3 out of 5 rating, and they seem to last with very little maintenance. It was like the opposite of good handling and steering.
The one I drove didn't have side windows;
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
As I mentioned over in CCBA, RB Jr. will most likely be taking the 2004 X3 to SC for his Sophomore year. It should be good to go. I just picked it up from the dealer, where it received an Inspection I(minor) service as well as a brake fluid flush and an ATF change. At 164,410 miles it received a clean bill of health. It still looks and drives like new, so we'll roll the dice...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Finally! They have produced that flying car they've been promising!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
driver100 said:
The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years?????????
My van hasn't had an ignition problem in 26 years. Why couldn't a luxo-barge do the same?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
@driver100, haven't checked the date code, but the tires on the Grand Caravan look pretty new (some Michelin flavor). It's actually doing a bit better this trip since it's crammed to the gills. Just like some trucks ride better with a load of dirt in the back.
Driver....totally understand. Out of all the Japanese based lux brands, Acura is probably the most dissimilar to the rest (Lexus, Infiniti).
Having just gone through the buying process with my sister, and having owned plenty of german iron myself, the difference in the likes of a 535 or an E class vs an RLX is pretty evident.
I'm still happy that my TL hasn't been back to the dealership for warranty work, at all, for even the slightest thing. As much as I liked my 335i and the S4, I couldn't say that about either of them. The platform is in its twilight years and still performs as any of its contemporaries.
That said, in a few years, I'll look at all the usual suspects again.....IF I'm in the market. These days, I rarely keep any car past the warranty period. So, I've got 17K on the TL now (yes, I've been driving it, a lot). Another couple of years and we'll see where I'm at.
Maybe too late for this info, but I'm of the mind that you buy the car, when you want, regardless of the day of the month. Maybe make an exception for December 31, but aside from that, buy when you want.
There's no way to predict if the dealership will or won't make a better deal on the 31st than they will on the 1st. They're in the business of selling as many cars as they possibly can. The sales person, the sales manager, everyone up and down the food chain is focused on one thing....selling cars, every day, all day, regardless of the day of the month.
As others pointed out, it could go the other way, too. They hit their quota the 29th or the 30th. You're sitting at their desk the 31st, and they aren't very motivated to make the deal until the 1st of the next month. You won't know that, though.
But when you want.
I purchased New Year's Eve in 1998 and left money on the table. Nissan's year end for bonus purposes was January 4th, 1999 or so the salesperson told me a few days after the purchase.
I've just been reviewing the docs we use to help answer questions about leases ... some programs ended yesterday (BMW, Hyundai, Infiniti, Mazda, MB, Nissan and VW), while others expire on Monday (Audi, Chrysler) and still others go until after Labor Day weekend (GM, Honda, Lexus). Ford and Porsche update their numbers each quarter, so they are valid until the end of September.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
"I know an RLX can kind of wow you, but I know I'll be unhappy with it very quickly. Was that what Mike had for a short time, before going back to a Mercedes?"
No driver, I was stupid enough to buy a 2013 Lexus GS350 in 2012. I had nothing but problems with it. The dealer was insensitive as was Lexus.
I've never owned an Acura and have not driven one in years. I'd have to get an AWD because I hate front wheel drive cars .
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Exactly !!
Here 'ya go, Mike.....
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-acura-rlx-sport-hybrid-sh-awd-first-drive-review
Poor baby! He should have bought a Civic or a Corolla!
"Here 'ya go, Mike....."
Thanks, GG. I've never considered an Acura RL, but really have no reason to not look into one next November when I am considering a new car. Again, thanks.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
GM's July auto sales were on fire, up some 9% overall, except for Cadillac which was down 3%. How disappointing for the Cadillac brand. Perhaps, if Cadillac had something similar to 2015 Genesis in their line-up that probably move some metal.
By comparison, Buick sales were up 8% driven by sales of their best selling Baby Buick, the Encore. What a cute little CUV---It seems to appeal to Millenniums and Baby Boomers alike, but with a rash of new compact luxury hitting streets, it won't be long before the leave the Encore in the dust.
The Lincoln MKc, Lexus NX, and Mercedes GLA 250, though larger in size, are preparing for an onslaught, and I believe they will roll all over the Encore. Why, because GM is cannibalizing its entry luxury brand by also introducing the Chevrolet Trax, an identical but cheaper variant of the Encore which will appeal to the bottom feeders. Brilliant marketing? You decide.
It's a Benz, man. My friend had to spend $800 at the dealer on his when the taillight burned out. Diabolically expensive to own one out of warranty.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
> driver100 said:
> The guy had the choice to buy the extended warranty or not, chose not to because he thinks a luxury car shouldn't have an ignition problem after 4 years?????????
>
> My van hasn't had an ignition problem in 26 years. Why couldn't a luxo-barge do the same?
My feelings exactly. That's the one thing that has kept me away from more upscale cars, owners telling us that there will be problems and the at they wouldn't own one out of warranty. If I can get 150 to 200k miles out of a $25k car just with routine maintenance then I would expect at least that from a $45K car.
Someone on this forum once told me that that's the price of owning German engineering.
Not sure about you but I think the height of engineering is the ability of the engine to go 200 thousand miles with only oil changes and tuneups.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
> I purchased New Year's Eve in 1998 and left money on the table. Nissan's year end for bonus purposes was January 4th, 1999 or so the salesperson told me a few days after the purchase.
I wouldn't be surprised at that, new years eve that year was on a Monday and the 4th would have been a Friday. It makes sense to start the new promotions on the weekend and keep the old ones until then.
One more thing while we are on this, would anyone know if Nissan uses a 13 month year for their accounting? That's having 13 four week months each one ending the same day of the week. It's rare for a company to do that but many do.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
For every one of those stories there are probably a greater percentage of Mercedes still on the road after 20 years than almost any other car.
Also, don't forget Road burners bmw has over 150,000 miles on it with no problems. The Guy is a bit of a moron,.....this is the one time you should get an extended warranty. It's an expensive car and repairs can be costly.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
If you can't afford the extended warranty you shouldn't be buying a pre owned Benz.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I don't think it is a question of them being off the road. It is just a question of how expensive they can be to fix when things invariably break. I agree that he was foolish not to buy the extended warranty.
I am unfamiliar with a 150,000 problem-free BMW.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Owning a German car out of warranty can be done at a reasonable cost, but you have to pick one of the less complex vehicles- for example, if you are thinking BMW then you want a 1, 3, or six cylinder 5 Series, an X3 or a six cylinder X5. Next, you need an honest dealer or indie shop. Finally, it has to be maintained by the book using OEM approved parts and lubricants.
Buy an old poorly maintained 7er and take it to an overpriced and unscrupulous shop and you get what you deserve...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
All used cars are different, all new cars are the same. If you buy a used German car that's been neglected or botched, it'd be a bloodbath to make it right. All modern cars are complex, so there's no way around that IMO. It's not like you're going to fix one with some tools in a fishing box. Even an honest shop has to charge you German parts prices and labor is labor.
One mistake people make is thinking that because someone works on Benzes that he knows something about BMWs and Audis. Often not the case.
Buy a car that's been loved, and get a thorough PPI and you're off to a good start!
"If you can't afford the extended warranty you shouldn't be buying a pre owned Benz"
The trick is to find a low mileage "certified" Mercedes Benz. If it is certified, you have a 6 or 7 year 100,000 mile warranty. Or, you can buy an extended Mercedes Benz warranty at the time of purchase directly from Mercedes.
After market warranties are tricky and often have deductibles.
In today's cars with all the technology, you'd be foolish to buy any late model used car without an extended factory warranty. For a cost of $1500-$2000, you can get an extended factory warranty for just about any car.
It's so difficult to fix these newer cars because everything is controlled by computers.
Brakes and calipers and rotors are one thing - but fixing a fuel injector or faulty computer chip is something totally different.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Same difference but January 1 was on a Friday in 1999, a holiday. So the 4th was the following Monday. I just assumed that Nissan would have closed the books on the last business day of the year but no....
It can be, but can be something else. Engineering is working priorities. Formula 1 cars are designed to run three-four races on one engine, used to be one but the regulation forced it, same with transmissions. BMW or Benz are no Formula 1, but their design priorities may be just a bit different than those of Toyota. Benz owner of 60s or 70s intended to keep the car fo 10 years or more. Today he/she leases it for three. There was a shift in late 80s and now it's a strong stable feedback loop, keeping those priorities this way. The target is to get newest stuff in, have the car work beautifully when new, but durability is no longer paramount. When you squeeze performance and fuel economy combination to point beyond durability limits, something has got to give. 250 hp from two litter engines is a number that was unimaginable 15 years ago, except race rally cars, today it's every day, but will those engine last? Who knows. As long as new sales are climbing faster than market, they have incentives to stay the course.
I want to add that some of those concerns are a bit overblown. Many owners feel have no quarrels to drop 20-30 grand on depreciation and financing every three years (lease payments), but somehow two grand on a repair every couple of years takes their breath away. It is fuzzy math, quoting the classic.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Exactly. I paid off the 2004 X3 in 2007 and since then it has required only a couple of major repairs, I wasn't happy about either one but I'm still much better off financially than if I was flipping cars every 3-4 years and had a constant monthly payment of $300-$400.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
It's the rare used car that is so bad that repairs equal new car payments every month; however, having said that, as labor costs go up and cars get more and more comple, with inter-related systems multiplexing their little hearts out, I think that gap will close.
I see the same thing with respect to fuel economy- somebody buys a new car because the old car "is eating them alive in fuel costs." However, if you run the numbers and factor in the acquisition costs as well as any increased insurance expense you usually find that they will have to drive the new fuel miser 6-10 years just to break even...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
>
Good morning *dino and thanks for a very balanced and very well written post. Great job and keep on posting more frequently.
Right on. And often they are comparing their real world mileage on their current car and accepting the highway mileage figure as sent from a deity as truth for the new car. I notice that many people would rate one car as better over another because the EPA rating was 1 mph higher on the EPA rating test.
Same thing happens with people and refinancing their loans. Back in the 80s I was running spreadsheets on my TRS80 to show folks that paying hundreds of dollars to reduce their home mortgage interest rate refinancing by small amounts was not beneficial. In fact, they would be better off just putting the few hundred dollars on as an extra payment to reduce the principal on which they actually pay computed interest each month and they would come out ahead by far. All the new mortgage did was put them at the beginning where most of the mortgage payment was interest and very little went toward reducing the principal owed.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I was coming home this morning from food shopping and was pulling my car into my parking space. This guy who lives in one of our village buildings on the other side of the swimming pool and common grounds stopped to ask me when I might be trading my car in for a new one. (He knows I trade pretty often)
I told probably not until a year from November. He asked me how many miles I expect to have driven the car by then. I told him around 18-20 thousand miles. He said he'd like to get a heads up before I traded it as he wants to buy it outright. He said if I was interested now, he'd offer me $62,000 for it. I told him I can get that on a trade from my dealer and save over $3500 in sales taxes right now. But I told him they have nothing in their line I would be interested in until next November.
I told him I'd give him a call next year.
That's always the case with trade vs. selling privately. It's the sales tax differential that makes it difficult to sell cars privately.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Question for the good folks here ....
If you have an older (non-classic) car, do you have full insurance on it? Comprehensive and collision?
I ask because two of my co-workers at the pizza place totaled their cars in the past 6 weeks - one on a delivery and the other in a non-delivery situation. Car 1 was an '03 Hyundai Sonata; car 2 was an early '00's Nissan Xterra. Neither had collision insurance. The owner of the Sonata had another car (late model Honda Pilot) that he is now using for delivery. The owner of the Xterra had to quit because she didn't have another car to drive.
It seems silly to me to drop collision insurance when you use your car for work.
Just curious as to what everyone here thinks.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
I made a mistake with my Mazda 6s when I bought it. I figured it only cost me $6,500 at the time and I'd never had an at fault accident so why bother with collision? Of course months later I had the first at fault accident of my life, A guy stopped after starting to move on a green and I let myself get slightly distracted which came to about $3k. The shop did a beautiful job and I put collision on it right away. I have 111K on it (3.5 of that was in a 2 week period that ended last Sunday) and plant to take it well past 220K. Other than a ding in the front passenger door and a repaint on the back bumper the car looks new. Inside there's slight sign of age but nothing serious at all. It definitely qualifies in that "gee, I could get so much better gas mileage" talk but it would cost me way more than just holding onto the car and I love the car. It's quick, agile and practical to boot. What's to complain about? It will need a new clutch but probably not until spring.
Steve R - sorry me missed each other in the UP. You might have even been there at the time, but between hauling a couple of 12 year olds and calling back and forth to the hospital because of my platelet count my already fuzzy head got fuzzier.
Once they finally pronounce me fit to go I'm going to do the Lake Superior Circle Tour. Have wanted to do that since I first laid eyes on the lake at 22.
I have full coverage on all 3 vehicles (2001,2006, 2013) because to remove it would net me back a pittance compared to the peace of mind.
Seriously, I got back a whopping $35 once by dropping full coverage back in the young and dumb learning days. No thanks, I'll keep the coverage on all vehicles.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
he'd offer me $62,000 for it.
We don't have the tax advantage on trades in Virginia. Offer me what I paid for a 7 month old car and you're going to be the proud new owner. Even if we did have the tax thing I'd take it. Tax on the difference is only a couple hundred bucks.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali