Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

suydam

i prefer to get my electronics and appliances from our local store. They're competitive on price, and they service everything they sell. They have major brands with up to date technology. I'm not a fan of Lowes or Home Depot for many of the reasons you all have listed.

driver100

Just heard a short ad on TV for a used car dealer. All they said was you can buy this 2008 (I believe it was an Optima or Infinity) car with a credit score of 416.

I don't know what that score means, but, I thought it was odd there is no mention about actual price or condition of the car.

It is a family run dealership and they get excellent reviews on all the review sites.

driver100

qbrozen said:

we bought a new washer and it sucks. wife hates it and wants it gone. I fought with home depot for a while, but they don't take returns on major appliances AT ALL. We have decided we are done with Home Depot forever after this. It is a high-efficiency top-loader. I had my doubts about such a design but the reviews were good. So we're out like $800. Sigh.

Too bad you can't try these things out...or at least have a satisfaction guaranteed policy on something like this.

What make is it? Did you check any reviews before buying? What don't you like?

abacomike

suydam said:

i prefer to get my electronics and appliances from our local store. They're competitive on price, and they service everything they sell. They have major brands with up to date technology. I'm not a fan of Lowes or Home Depot for many of the reasons you all have listed.

Around here, we don't have very many "mom and pop" appliance stores - but I agree with you, they are more responsive than most of the major outlets.  

I will soon be needing a "stacked" washer/dryer combo made specifically for Condos (fits in my laundry closet).  I know Sears carries them as does HHGregg.  I've had some bad experiences with Sears, but what about HHGregg?

The GE combo  I have has lasted 26 years with not one repair or adjustment needed.  Admittedly, it does not get abused as I only do 12 washes a month - 4 linen washes, 4 towel/dishcloth/washcloth washes and 4 shirt/shorts/underwear washes. But it is getting to the point that a change is needed.

Any recommendations?

stever

Limited experience but HHGregg seems to be all about the commission. Went shopping for a stove with my sister a couple of years ago up in Virginia and I felt like I was in a stereotypical car dealership. Anything she would have picked out would have been "perfect" for her, assuming it was in stock.

imidazol97

If I bought a washer/dryer today, I'd still buy Whirlpool/Maytag. I would seriously consider avoiding the
Lowes Service contractor and instead buy the additional years from Whirlpool directly. That guarantees
their trained service folk would be doing the service calls. The price for washer to extend 4 years is about 40% of the purchase price. But Lowes has sales on appliances continually. You should be able to buy that at a reduced price.

http://www.whirlpool.com/-[WET4027EW]-1022774/WET4027EW/

qbrozen

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

we bought a new washer and it sucks. wife hates it and wants it gone. I fought with home depot for a while, but they don't take returns on major appliances AT ALL. We have decided we are done with Home Depot forever after this. It is a high-efficiency top-loader. I had my doubts about such a design but the reviews were good. So we're out like $800. Sigh.

Too bad you can't try these things out...or at least have a satisfaction guaranteed policy on something like this.

What make is it? Did you check any reviews before buying? What don't you like?

Its a Whirlpool. Yes, I read the reviews. She complains it doesn't get clothes, especially whites, as clean as our old front loader HE.

dino001

So did you guys win the lottery? Mike? NYC? Diriver? Anyone? Need financial advice?

abacomike

Boy am I glad I am not invested in the stock market!  It's like a slaughter.  Oil is selling near $29 a barrel and the markets are down significantly right now - Dow down over 500 points. 

driver100

dino001 said:

So did you guys win the lottery? Mike? NYC? Diriver? Anyone? Need financial advice?

Financil advice I need is how to I get my 20 bucks back? What a rip off!

driver100

abacomike said:

Boy am I glad I am not invested in the stock market!  It's like a slaughter.  Oil is selling near $29 a barrel and the markets are down significantly right now - Dow down over 500 points. 

Please add spoiler alerts if you are going to say anything about it.....I asked my wife this morning how our potfolio was doing........she said you don't want to know. So, I didn't know until now.

Mr_Shiftright

Don't LOOK!. Just make sure you are well-diversified and in for the long haul.

dino001

Mr_Shiftright said:

Don't LOOK!. Just make sure you are well-diversified and in for the long haul.

Exactly. I just increased my 401k contributions forward. I did that in 2008/09 and it served me well over time. This is nowhere near 2007-2009 crisis. There are no systemic risks. A few oil companies going bankrupt, following a few mostly regional banks writing off bad loans and a few bond funds going bust. Size of the damage is a very small fraction of the mortgage crisis. Plus, all that cheap oil will eventually make it as a low input cost for 80% of the economy. How in the world is low oil price bad for the economy? Only in world of computer traders with predetermined software written by a pimply kid and sold to hundred hedge funds running "proprietary analysis". Proprietary my foot - they all constantly make the same bets, those bets work until they don't and they blow up.

Mr_Shiftright

I read somewhere that if stockholders had merely held onto their blue chip stocks in the Great Depression of '29, that they would have been made fully whole again within 7 years (presuming they were not speculating wildly on companies of dubious worth at the same time, of course, which completely dissolved).

imidazol97

dino001 said:

So did you guys win the lottery? Mike? NYC? Diriver? Anyone? Need financial advice?

No, but thanks for asking. I don't even need advice on how to cash in for $4 for
getting a Powerball number, let alone a "higher" prize.

Reminds me of the story about the fellow a couple drawings back who mistakenly
got MegaMillions ticket instead of Powerball and had the right numbers on it and
was umhappy because he won _only_ $165,000,000 instead of winning the Powerball
which was many hundreds of millions by then.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

Boy am I glad I am not invested in the stock market!  It's like a slaughter.  Oil is selling near $29 a barrel and the markets are down significantly right now - Dow down over 500 points. 

I sense a buying opportunity for those with cash on hand in a few months, when all this terrible economy (Walmart closing hundreds of stores here and abroad ) has the market wonks talking about how dismal everything is. This despite the State of the Union talk about how wonderful the economy is.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

Boy am I glad I am not invested in the stock market!  It's like a slaughter.  Oil is selling near $29 a barrel and the markets are down significantly right now - Dow down over 500 points. 

I sense a buying opportunity for those with cash on hand in a few months, when all this terrible economy (Walmart closing hundreds of stores here and abroad ) has the market wonks talking about how dismal everything is. This despite the State of the Union talk about how wonderful the economy is.

Not enough people paying taxes including Social Security payroll taxes.  12+ million people who have dropped out of the labor market in the last 6-7 years is hurting not to mention lower retail sales and economic growth below 2%.

It's a multitude of economic troubles worldwide that are negatively affecting the US markets.  19 Trillion dollar US deficit doesn't help either. 

imidazol97

dino001 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Don't LOOK!. Just make sure you are well-diversified and in for the long haul.

Exactly. I just increased my 401k contributions forward. I did that in 2008/09 and it served me well over time. This is nowhere near 2007-2009 crisis. There are no systemic risks. A few oil companies going bankrupt, following a few mostly regional banks writing off bad loans and a few bond funds going bust. Size of the damage is a very small fraction of the mortgage crisis. Plus, all that cheap oil will eventually make it as a low input cost for 80% of the economy. How in the world is low oil price bad for the economy? Only in world of computer traders with predetermined software written by a pimply kid and sold to hundred hedge funds running "proprietary analysis". Proprietary my foot - they all constantly make the same bets, those bets work until they don't and they blow up.

The talking heads on Fox Business and CNBC have already started suggesting categories of stock to start putting money into. LOL.This will have to churn a while. Down 10%? Not enough. When it hits 15% and 20% on the Dow down, then start listening to the talking heads. 20% down would be 13,000 Dow. When the magazines starting talking about how dismal the economy and jobs situation really are, then look at moves into the taxable market.

There have to be some more surprise disappointments in this "wonderful" economy. Hold onto your powder.

abacomike

We are currently under a tornado warning along the entire southeast coast of Florida.  Thunder, lightning, 3-1/2 inches of rain per hour, and winds blowing from the northwest at 50-60 mph.  We don't get this kind of weather at this time of the year - this is our "dry" season and we've had 10" of rain so far this month.

Supposed to settle down by 5:00 PM when I have an appointment for dinner with friends.  Really bad out right now! 

Mr_Shiftright

There have been 9 major depressions or recessions in the USA in the 20th century alone (at least). Our economic system isn't all that stable, nor does it favor sobriety and thrift.

Most dangerous is this concept of "free money" with no or low interest rates. There is actually no such thing as "free" money.

dino001

But why down 20%? Why not 30%, or 40%? What is the reason? Are sales down? Are profits down 20% across the board? So far profits look flat to up, except basic materials and oil. Plastic users (packaging, chemicals, etc.) will get a price break, so their profits will go up, not down.

The economy is not "wonderful", but where is the carnage (in the economy, not stocks)? Oil, basic materials... But 80% of the economy will benefit from it, so again - WHERE IS THE REASON? Other than of course, I sell, because everybody else sells.

PF_Flyer

You had $20 worth of fun and anticipation!

ab348

dino001 said:

But why down 20%? Why not 30%, or 40%? What is the reason? Are sales down? Are profits down 20% across the board? So far profits look flat to up, except basic materials and oil. Plastic users (packaging, chemicals, etc.) will get a price break, so their profits will go up, not down.

The economy is not "wonderful", but where is the carnage (in the economy, not stocks)? Oil, basic materials... But 80% of the economy will benefit from it, so again - WHERE IS THE REASON? Other than of course, I sell, because everybody else sells.

None of it makes sense. The markets are irrational, which is why I hate that I have investments in them. But short of earning <1% in a passbook account you make the decision to try and earn a decent return over the longer haul and put up with this lunacy. Meanwhile the sharpies in the brokerage houses are earning lots of money on their sales commissions.

ab348

imidazol97 said:

Additionally, his company won't service LG and Samsung. Too many problems in how they're engineered and in getting parts. They service all other brands, along with being trained Whirlpool techs. He used his tablet for everything even photographing the model number and serial number plate.

I haven't heard much good about any appliances lately. Whirlpool isn't great but seems the best of a bad bunch. I have a couple of GE appliances that are over a dozen years old and have never had an issue, but I know they are engineered to take every last fraction of a cent out of them and now that they are going to China I suspect GE will no longer be a decent choice either. My old mid-1980s vintage Whirlpool washer and dryer packed it in about 5 years ago and I replaced them with an LG front-loader pair that I really like. I was told LG make good washers, but that everything else they make is a crapshoot. No problems to date. I will not touch anything from Samsung. I had a bad Samsung TV, and there are many reports here in Canada of huge issues with Samsung refrigerators crapping out that cannot be fixed, even within the warranty period.

driver100

PF_Flyer said:

You had $20 worth of fun and anticipation!

I don't know if I had $20 worth of fun! Maybe $20 worth of anticipation, $20 worth of talking about it with friends, $20 worth of dreams, $20 worth of hopes, but not what I would call fun.


Last "fun" cost $2 to watch the Intern with Robert De Niro at the $2 movie in Sarasota.

abacomike

Had to cancel dinner plans - driving in this weather would be lunacy.  So I'll whip up something.  The streets have surface flooding and there are reports of scores of auto accidents.  I sure don't want to end the day as a statistic! 

abacomike

driver100 said:

You had $20 worth of fun and anticipation!

I don't know if I had $20 worth of fun! Maybe $20 worth of anticipation, $20 worth of talking about it with friends, $20 worth of dreams, $20 worth of hopes, but not what I would call fun. Last "fun" cost $2 to watch the Intern with Robert De Niro at the $2 movie in Sarasota.

In Tamarac Florida (about 7-8 miles from me), there is a "dollar movie" with almost first run movies (about 2 months behind the release dates).  I would never go into that parking lot - all the older people drive using the "Braille" method - touch and go - and I like the way my car looks now!  I dread what would happen if I went there one evening! 

dino001

ab348 said:

dino001 said:

But why down 20%? Why not 30%, or 40%? What is the reason? Are sales down? Are profits down 20% across the board? So far profits look flat to up, except basic materials and oil. Plastic users (packaging, chemicals, etc.) will get a price break, so their profits will go up, not down.

The economy is not "wonderful", but where is the carnage (in the economy, not stocks)? Oil, basic materials... But 80% of the economy will benefit from it, so again - WHERE IS THE REASON? Other than of course, I sell, because everybody else sells.

None of it makes sense. The markets are irrational, which is why I hate that I have investments in them. But short of earning

Markets can be completely bonkers short term, can stay irrational for even months at a time, but in 10-20 years, markets weigh things right. Buffett said that in short term market is a voting machine (one dollar, one vote), but long term it's a weighing machine, essentially a rational approach. Good companies make make good stocks to own and bad companies make bad stocks to own. But because we are wired to be bad investors (psychologically), most people don't have a temperament or ability to assess risks correctly and stay cold when they need to. You have to go against all that nature put into you to assure your survival in the wild. How many could do that?

PF_Flyer

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer said:

You had $20 worth of fun and anticipation!

I don't know if I had $20 worth of fun! Maybe $20 worth of anticipation, $20 worth of talking about it with friends, $20 worth of dreams, $20 worth of hopes, but not what I would call fun.


Last "fun" cost $2 to watch the Intern with Robert De Niro at the $2 movie in Sarasota.

It's like any trips I make to a casino. I take only as much as I'm willing to lose, NEVER visit a cash machine for more, and concentrate on having a good time. I work hard at poker, but that's fun for me. If I enter a tournament for $200, I know I'll be playing for 4 to 6 hours or more. $50/hr in a casino when you're constantly in play is a reasonable rate of loss. Beats the heck out of roulette

driver100

Got an email message from our investment people. There are some problems such as China which has slowed growth, still growing, not as fast. American companies have seen steady growth. Oil has dropped but will be a good thing in the long run, and demand for oil has been increasing.

Doesn't seem to be time to panic just yet.

If we need more hand holding they said we should call.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Got an email message from our investment people. There are some problems such as China which has slowed growth, still growing, not as fast. American companies have seen steady growth. Oil has dropped but will be a good thing in the long run, and demand for oil has been increasing. Doesn't seem to be time to panic just yet. If we need more hand holding they said we should call.

That's what my advisor told me in 2008 just before I lost 90% of my 401K.  I trust brokers and financial advisors as far as I can throw them or a 500 pound dumbbell! 

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

Wow, it's amazing that I've recently moved as well, and missed my car registration which is in early November. I too, forgot about it, but I remembered only 2 weeks after the fact and was still within my license place sticker month. I blamed the DMV for not having sent me the bill. I told them I moved, but the move wasn't the reason I didn't receive the registration bill reminder because I had access to both mailboxes still. They said the yearly bill was just a "courtesy notice." Where have we heard that before? You guessed it, the Courts.

I argued with them, and in order for them to remove the imposed "late fees of $75 extra" I had to let them take a pound of flesh out and appear in person at a DMV office. I loathe to go into a CA DMV office, but I did so, because I didn't want to pay the $75. I had to waste 2 hours in a DMV office, and they told me they only waive the late fee "for any reason" one time during a vehicle's lifetime.

So they got their two hours and a pound of flesh out of me, but I figure I paid myself $37.50/hour for the torture (minus gas and mileage which wasn't too much as it was close to work).

Well the mailing of any reminders is a courtesy and is not required. It is still your responsibility to ensure that your plates are not expired. Many states have stopped sending out reminders as a cost cutting expense. It can save the sates almost $50 million in postage alone, add the cost of the paper it's printed on, the envelopes and machinery required as well as manpower to get those out you are talking a significant savings.

That being said here in IL if you renew within 30 days of the expiration of the sticker there is no extra cost. However if you go past the one month grace period they add something like 35% penalty and it won't get waived.

snakeweasel

houdini1 said:

Congrats snake, hope you get to feeling better!

Thanks to everyone about the congrats. It's a little boy named Beckett. He came in at 5 lbs 8.6 oz.

Moms doing fine but I think dad is unaware of what awaits.

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

run that baby up to 155 on I195 past the training barracks. Good way to get a ride in the back of a nice Charger.

I know a nice piece of Interstate where you can easily get you car up to 155 and no one would ever see it.

abacomike

snakeweasel said:

run that baby up to 155 on I195 past the training barracks. Good way to get a ride in the back of a nice Charger.

I know a nice piece of Interstate where you can easily get you car up to 155 and no one would ever see it.

You must mean that "tunnel" under the English Channel, or the tunnel in Colorado where all the State Troopers have "tunnel vision"! 

snakeweasel

verdugo said:

abacomike said:

But now, the Japanese manufacturers are prevalent

No, now it's Koreans (Samsung and LG,) but the Chinese are coming (as they are in everything else.)

It's going to keep moving, as the industrialization improves the lives of the people and the standard of living increases companies will look for new areas where they can get low cost labor. So yes China is that place now, in 20 years it may be India or someplace in Africa.

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

snakeweasel said:

run that baby up to 155 on I195 past the training barracks. Good way to get a ride in the back of a nice Charger.

I know a nice piece of Interstate where you can easily get you car up to 155 and no one would ever see it.

You must mean that "tunnel" under the English Channel, or the tunnel in Colorado where all the State Troopers have "tunnel vision"! 

I was actually thinking I-180 in Northern IL, it's a 12 - 13 mile spur that has a nice 3+ mile straight stretch and practically no traffic. I have traveled the entire length without seeing another car on it multiple times.

abacomike

Was out for dinner on Tuesday evening where the drinks were on the house - whatever you wanted to drink, they brought it to you.  So I ordered a double Jack Daniels Century Limited "neat".  Unbelievable!  That whiskey sells for about $400 a bottle.  One of the best Tennessee Sippin' Whiskeys I've ever tasted - 100 proof.

driver100

Mike

In Tamarac Florida (about 7-8 miles from me), there is a "dollar movie" with almost first run movies (about 2 months behind the release dates).  I would never go into that parking lot - all the older people drive using the "Braille" method - touch and go - and I like the way my car looks now!  I dread what would happen if I went there one evening!&

nbsp;

At the $2 movie popcorn is still $8 and a soft drink is $4! Kind of writes off any savings from the admission cost. I take my own bag of mixed nuts and a granola bar........cost less and is better for me. I hope others don't do that or they will have to raise prices

Oh yeh, and it is mostly seniors (young people won't wait a month or two to see a movie) and I see them try to park, so I park away from the entrance...most of them won't walk that far.

abacomike

@driver100:

You can't be Canadian!  Only New Yorkers who are living in "God's Little Waiting Room" bring their own snacks to a $2.00 movie.  So, I hereby dub you a "cheap New Yorker!"    

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

I got a whopping $8 on our personal tickets ($30 worth) and we each got something like 80 cents in the office pool ($20 each). So I gambled $50 and lost $41 of it. I've done worse on an Atlantic City day trip in the past.

I actually lost even more this morning on the way to work when a cop ran my plate and discovered my registration expired last month. I lost track of such things between the move and the holiday. $54 ticket. Sigh.

Wow, it's amazing that I've recently moved as well, and missed my car registration which is in early November. I too, forgot about it, but I remembered only 2 weeks after the fact and was still within my license place sticker month. I blamed the DMV for not having sent me the bill. I told them I moved, but the move wasn't the reason I didn't receive the registration bill reminder because I had access to both mailboxes still. They said the yearly bill was just a "courtesy notice." Where have we heard that before? You guessed it, the Courts.

I argued with them, and in order for them to remove the imposed "late fees of $75 extra" I had to let them take a pound of flesh out and appear in person at a DMV office. I loathe to go into a CA DMV office, but I did so, because I didn't want to pay the $75. I had to waste 2 hours in a DMV office, and they told me they only waive the late fee "for any reason" one time during a vehicle's lifetime.

So they got their two hours and a pound of flesh out of me, but I figure I paid myself $37.50/hour for the torture (minus gas and mileage which wasn't too much as it was close to work).

Ha ha when I read those posts I renewed the registrations on two of my vehicles online.

Thank for the reminder.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

I've seen some of the reports on Cadillac in general. As everyone knows, I've had my own share of grief from the brand. I don't consider any of what I read as GM bashing.

However, I can say unequivocally, the materials and build quality used in today's Cadillac is 2nd to none. All of it is first rate....and I've owned and/or test driven some of the most revered brands in the industry over the past few years. Cadillac's build and material quality gives up nothing to them. Even performance is as good or better, depending on the price point.

It's some of the not quite ready for prime time engineering that needs work. And, as far as I can tell, their entire franchise structure needs a significant overhaul. For example, CUE is a good idea that lost out in its implementation. It took Cadillac two model years to get all the bugs out. That's unacceptable in a $20K car, let a lone a $65K car.

Current version of CUE? State-of-the-Art, tops in class. You can't tell me in 2012 or 2013, whenever Cadillac was doing development for the 2014 version of CUE that they tested it and said "yep, that works just grand". If they did say that, they should be fired.

Can't continue to do that and expect sales volumes to climb. That fact can't be that hard to comprehend. Yet, for Cadillac, seems like it is.

I don't think Cadillac competes on value price wise when you look at performance if you look at the sticker prices. Now if you say the real world transaction prices are much lower thanks to massive rebates and GM's known tendency to dramatically overprice their product into account, then maybe. But if you are solely comparing stickers, I don't think they compete very well. Maybe my data is outdated, but what kind of 0-60 times and HP can I get at Cadillac these days for $50K?

If I'm reading correctly, talking sticker price, I guess you'd look at an ATS 3.6 with 333 hp and 0-60 in the low 5-sec range. I could not find solid data on acceleration because the 3.6 is a new 3.6 for 2016 with better power and efficiency than the 2015.

as you said, incentives are where its at. I paid $49k for my CTS V sport with 430hp and 0-60 in 4.5, with a 174mph top speed, I might add (only because so many other companies are capping their performance sedans at 155).

I thinks my car is limited to that speed. Let's take both of ours out on the highway and I'll drop out at 155 and you keep going.

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

andres3 said:

I've seen some of the reports on Cadillac in general. As everyone knows, I've had my own share of grief from the brand. I don't consider any of what I read as GM bashing. However, I can say unequivocally, the materials and build quality used in today's Cadillac is 2nd to none. All of it is first rate....and I've owned and/or test driven some of the most revered brands in the industry over the past few years. Cadillac's build and material quality gives up nothing to them. Even performance is as good or better, depending on the price point. It's some of the not quite ready for prime time engineering that needs work. And, as far as I can tell, their entire franchise structure needs a significant overhaul. For example, CUE is a good idea that lost out in its implementation. It took Cadillac two model years to get all the bugs out. That's unacceptable in a $20K car, let a lone a $65K car. Current version of CUE? State-of-the-Art, tops in class. You can't tell me in 2012 or 2013, whenever Cadillac was doing development for the 2014 version of CUE that they tested it and said "yep, that works just grand". If they did say that, they should be fired. Can't continue to do that and expect sales volumes to climb. That fact can't be that hard to comprehend. Yet, for Cadillac, seems like it is.

I don't think Cadillac competes on value price wise when you look at performance if you look at the sticker prices. Now if you say the real world transaction prices are much lower thanks to massive rebates and GM's known tendency to dramatically overprice their product into account, then maybe. But if you are solely comparing stickers, I don't think they compete very well. Maybe my data is outdated, but what kind of 0-60 times and HP can I get at Cadillac these days for $50K?

If I'm reading correctly, talking sticker price, I guess you'd look at an ATS 3.6 with 333 hp and 0-60 in the low 5-sec range. I could not find solid data on acceleration because the 3.6 is a new 3.6 for 2016 with better power and efficiency than the 2015.

as you said, incentives are where its at. I paid $49k for my CTS V sport with 430hp and 0-60 in 4.5, with a 174mph top speed, I might add (only because so many other companies are capping their performance sedans at 155).

I thinks my car is limited to that speed. Let's take both of ours out on the highway and I'll drop out at 155 and you keep going.

Sounds like a "whose is bigger" debate.  Fast isn't always as important as a car that "satisfies"! 

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Just heard a short ad on TV for a used car dealer. All they said was you can buy this 2008 (I believe it was an Optima or Infinity) car with a credit score of 416.

I don't know what that score means, but, I thought it was odd there is no mention about actual price or condition of the car.

It is a family run dealership and they get excellent reviews on all the review sites.

A credit score of 416 means the police are outside your house right now getting ready to take you to debtor's prison.

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

Just heard a short ad on TV for a used car dealer. All they said was you can buy this 2008 (I believe it was an Optima or Infinity) car with a credit score of 416. I don't know what that score means, but, I thought it was odd there is no mention about actual price or condition of the car. It is a family run dealership and they get excellent reviews on all the review sites.

A credit score of 416 means the police are outside your house right now getting ready to take you to debtor's prison.

You can buy a 2015 new Rolls Royce Phantom with a 416 FICO score - so long as you pay "CASH"! 

berri

Some of these advertised used car chains make their money on the interest. The car itself becomes quickly irrelevant at those rates.

driver100

abacomike">@driver100:

You can't be Canadian!  Only New Yorkers who are living in "God's Little Waiting Room" bring their own snacks to a $2.00 movie.  So, I hereby dub you a "cheap New Yorker

!"    


I'd call it a smart New Yorker.

Why pay inflated prices for junk when you can eat something that is good for you?

driver100

For those who are concerned about the markets...I read this fabulous article. A bit more info than I would like to post, but so worthwhile I will do it anyway.

But we know the long-term history of stock markets. Over the last 100 years the U.S. market has declined, on average, 10% or more about every 11 months. It's dropped 20% or more about once every four years. And it's declined 30% or more on average about once a decade.

Every successful investor needs a mind-set that allows them to accept and endure bear markets when they come. I think it's the single most critical skill any investor can have.

I looked at monthly market data going back to 1871, which includes all kinds of nasty events — world wars, Great Depressions, recessions, stock panics, flu pandemics, you name it.
blob:https://mail.google.com/b52de443-d971-4f1e-854f-4cae865452a2
From 1871 to 2009 the odds that the S&P 500 will be higher five years in the future — adjusted for dividends and accounting for inflation — are 80%. That is, if you own stocks today, there's been an 80% chance of having more money five years from now

But if stocks have just suffered a decline, the odds of earning a positive return in the subsequent five years go up. And the larger the decline, the higher the odds of earning a positive return in the future

Even better, the larger the decline, the higher those subsequent returns have been.

If stocks have dropped 10% from a recent high, the odds of earning a positive return in the following five years rise to 82%. After a 20% drop, the odds jump to 89%. After a 35% drop, the market has been higher five years out 99% of the time. And never in history have stocks dropped 40% or more without earning positive returns over the next five years

One of the hardest investing concepts to come to terms with is that high future performance begins during periods of low current performance. It's hard to come to terms with because it's counterintuitive. People like to extrapolate the recent past into the indefinite future. When stocks are doing poorly, they assume they'll keep doing poorly in the future. But history is clear as day: The exact opposite is true.

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

I've seen some of the reports on Cadillac in general. As everyone knows, I've had my own share of grief from the brand. I don't consider any of what I read as GM bashing.

However, I can say unequivocally, the materials and build quality used in today's Cadillac is 2nd to none. All of it is first rate....and I've owned and/or test driven some of the most revered brands in the industry over the past few years. Cadillac's build and material quality gives up nothing to them. Even performance is as good or better, depending on the price point.

It's some of the not quite ready for prime time engineering that needs work. And, as far as I can tell, their entire franchise structure needs a significant overhaul. For example, CUE is a good idea that lost out in its implementation. It took Cadillac two model years to get all the bugs out. That's unacceptable in a $20K car, let a lone a $65K car.

Current version of CUE? State-of-the-Art, tops in class. You can't tell me in 2012 or 2013, whenever Cadillac was doing development for the 2014 version of CUE that they tested it and said "yep, that works just grand". If they did say that, they should be fired.

Can't continue to do that and expect sales volumes to climb. That fact can't be that hard to comprehend. Yet, for Cadillac, seems like it is.

I don't think Cadillac competes on value price wise when you look at performance if you look at the sticker prices. Now if you say the real world transaction prices are much lower thanks to massive rebates and GM's known tendency to dramatically overprice their product into account, then maybe. But if you are solely comparing stickers, I don't think they compete very well. Maybe my data is outdated, but what kind of 0-60 times and HP can I get at Cadillac these days for $50K?

If I'm reading correctly, talking sticker price, I guess you'd look at an ATS 3.6 with 333 hp and 0-60 in the low 5-sec range. I could not find solid data on acceleration because the 3.6 is a new 3.6 for 2016 with better power and efficiency than the 2015.

as you said, incentives are where its at. I paid $49k for my CTS V sport with 430hp and 0-60 in 4.5, with a 174mph top speed, I might add (only because so many other companies are capping their performance sedans at 155).

I thinks my car is limited to that speed. Let's take both of ours out on the highway and I'll drop out at 155 and you keep going.


My 2.0 with AWD is probably close to my former TL SH AWD....that is about 0-60 around high 5s. Averaging 23-24 MPG in mixed driving, got spot on 30 MPG on my only all highway trip doing 70-80 MPH the whole way.

Exact numbers....the last deal was pretty convoluted with some money coming back to me. But, I'd say it was in the neighborhood of $44-$45K on a sticker of $56-$57K.

As bad as the first one was, the current one has been the exact opposite.

dino001

Good piece, Driver. There is only one caveat. You have to be diversified and ready to make changes, if necessary. Indexes are being constantly updated, companies kicked out and added. I think thebe is only one original Dow component left (GE). This means, if you see changes in the economy, companies emerging and dying, you have to adapt, just like the index people. But probably at similar pace as they do.