Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

bet those puppies had a lot of miles on them, if he was spending that much on gas.

I wish I had a real Kosher deli near me that delivered! Though that might not be good for my waistline.

nyccarguy

For the most part (back me up here, @isellhondas), there isn't much meat in selling a Fit.  They aren't high volume sellers either.  They are also in demand, dependable and have insanely high resale value.  They sell for MSRP.  So he goes back to the dealer he bought the 2015 from to give the saleswoman (his friend's Mom) the commission again.  It is a work vehicle, that he already has, selling at sticker price.  He doesn't need to test drive, just make sure they have the color he wants (Black) and they give him the same money they gave him a few months ago for his other 2009 Honda Fit Sport (this one has 10,000 less miles than the other).  He tells the sales woman he'll be ther at 10:00 Monday AM to sign the paperwork and drive it off the lot.

To be continued

bwia

abacomike said:

berri said:

So Aba - how did you end up in So Florida instead of SoCal - trouble with navigation? Just Kidding!

Lived in NYC until I was 22 years old.  Moved to Chicago to get my Masters Degree on a fellowship.  Lived there 22 years.  Moved to Southern CA and eventually went into private schooling in the Pslm Springs area and also in the San Fernando Valley in North LA.  Moved to PA where I served as VP of a private school and then moved to FL where I went into the car business and took care of my Dad.

Been lots of places and seen lots of things.  And, no, my GPS works fine! 

You forgot the part about earning your PhD. Was it in Illinois or Ohio? 

About your health - hang in there good buddy. Soon you'll make history as the world's most tested patient.

nyccarguy

Monday comes and he shows up at the dealer 15 minutes early.  Checks out the new Fit to make sure it is in tip top shape.  I'd describe his level of OCD when it comes to cars on a slightly higher level than @tyguy.  He walks in the dealership.  Greets the saleswoman & he's whisked into the F&I office.  Says no to the tire & wheel insurance, says no to the extended warranty, then they knocked some money off the extended warranty and added another year of the coverage (From Honda) and he says yes.

He's looking at the papework and sees he's being charged double tax.  He's buying the car in CT, but registering it to his business in NY.  The law in CT (only state in the union that does this) says that since the car is being titled in NY, but guaranteed for by a CT resident, he's got to pay double tax.  F&I confirms with corporate, my friend confirms with his accountant & the state's website.  He tells them he understands this is the law, but he's not paying an extra $1,300 for the car.  He'll go buy it somewhere else.  They are ready to let him walk & his friend's Mom begs to get the GM of the dealership involved.

To be continued

cdnpinhead

This didn't happen the other 2-3 times he bought there?

fezo

I was just going to ask the same thing.

Mike, the good news is with that much more dye in you you'll have reached the point where you can read in bed without a light, just relying on your now natural glow.... Be well, my friend. Being concerned with the anticoagulants is very important. A 50+ year friend who is married to my cousin and is my sometimes songwriting partner had to go off his coumadin, which he has a afrib, to have what turned out to be a benign growth checked out. Threw a clot and had a stroke. Been down the stroke road. No fun. He was having his difficulties but I went up and was in play your guitar or I'll kick your [non-permissible content removed] mode and he felt much better.

I worry about him a great deal. After the stroke my cousin doesn't want him going in for any surgeries at all. That's not particularly a good approach either. They do have other anticoagulants that they can use very precisely during surgery. I have no idea why they didn't do that.

it still jars me to hear gg singing the praises of a CTS.

So today, a buddy of mine wanted to go check out a cheap but reliable 4WD minivan. His daily driver is a 16 Miata. This worked. He picked me up and went north to where he used my method and had an out the door price, showing up with the cash if it was as represented. It was so he took it and I got to drive a nice long trip (hour and a half maybe) in a new Miata while listening to a ball game I wanted to hear. Both highways and twisty roads. Nice car but I am kind of partial to my 99. The second generation is the only one where you could pack for a trip if you're not crazy. I include a guitar in that. With a 2016 I might have to switch to ukulele. I'd also have to keep the registration and insurance in the trunk since it lacks a glove box.

The van is a 2006 Town and Country with about 89K on it. $4K OTD. He wants it to haul kayaks and the odd Home Depot trip.

Desperately waiting for the Fit story to resolve...

New tires on the 5. Like a different car.

nyccarguy

@cdnpinhead - no.  He bought the 2015 Fit EX from this particular dealer.  Not the 2 previous 2009s.  The 2015 Fit is registered to his business in CT and guaranteed by him (he lives in CT).

cdnpinhead

Aha -- thanks for the clarification. Gotta love the taxman (well, men actually -- far too much work for a single person).

stickguy

Fezo, I am scoping tires now. what did you put on the 5?

stickguy

bradd, so the last one he registered in Ct, but the new one he wants to assign to NY store? I assume because that is where each one will be based. No clue if it really makes a difference, if they are both tagged in Ct.

I guess soon we will all find out.

nyccarguy

The solution was to have my friend's Dad (an officer in the company) drive an hour to the dealer.  He lives in NY & the car will be registered to a business in NY, so only 1 tax.

Once his Dad shows up, they are still at the dealership for another 3 1/2 hours.  They didn't register the car, put the plates on, until after the F&I paperwork was signed.  He left there pretty annoyed.  Take away the 2 hours it took to sort out the tax issue, he's never been at a dealership for so much time.  His CCBA card has been punched many more times than mine.

stickguy

certainly sounds odd. I have never heard of guaranteeing a car, as a buyer. maybe just a corporate deal, not something I have any experience with.

28firefighter

I have, but usually only where loans are involved. Was your friend financing the car?

fezo

stickguy said:

Fezo, I am scoping tires now. what did you put on the 5?

Michelin Premiers. If you're not going all out performance (and does that on a 5?) they are great tires. I have the on the Miata as well because they stopped making Pilots in that size.

stickguy

I have never put Michelins on a car. never worked out on any of mine (combo of cost/needs)

I just helped my BIL pick out sneakers for their odyssey, and recommended the Continentals (True contacts). Great reviews and strong price.

Next for me, but hopefully not for a while yet (at least a year), is the RDX. will have to deal with getting a shop to put on H rated, instead of V, so I have more options that I want. Same load range. V seems silly on a CUV.

nyccarguy

I don't think I posted any pics of the kitchen we put in over the summer & just finished on Easter Sunday, so here goes:

nyccarguy

nyccarguy

28firefighter

Looks wonderful @nyccarguy !  

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

Looks wonderful @nyccarguy !  

Thx

nyccarguy

Yes there was financing involved.

bwia

Wow, what a beautiful kitchen; the lighting looks terrific, thanks for sharing. 

suydam

It is gorgeous. And immense! Do you entertain a lot?

driver100

Great kitchen....I like that sink.

The tax man works in mysterious ways.

A Ford Van seems like overkill for delivering corned beef sandwiches.

I could have told him not to go with the HHR....they were weak and troublesome.

The Fit sounds perfect for his purposes...more room than you would think and very dependable.

ab348

driver100 said:

A Ford Van seems like overkill for delivering corned beef sandwiches.

That's what I was going to say. Must have been making up some massive sandwich trays.

I don't see any Fits being used here as commercial vehicles (I barely see any on the road here at all). I see a surprising number of the small Ford Transits everywhere though. They strike me as a penalty box just based on looks and size but maybe I'm wrong.

ab348

Lady who lives across the street from me had a Jetta TDI until yesterday, when she arrived home in a new Beetle, bright red in color, a nice step up from the black Jetta. I'll have to ask her if she got the great deal thanks to the VW settlement.

jmonroe

Showing up late again.

Very nice kitchen Brad. When am I going to be invited over for one of your friends large deli sandwich's. I promise not to mess up the place too much.

If your friend wants to expand to PA, I know of small town not too far from the Burgh that could sure use one.

Don't pack away too many pounds hanging around your nice kitchen all the time.

jmonroe

nyccarguy

Thanks guys.  There are 5 of us at dinner every night, 6 on Monday nights when my wife's Mom comes to watch the kids & Thursday nights when my Mom watches the kids.

It used to be a kitchen & a dining room.  About 4 years ago, we were visiting my wife's cousin in Charlotte who has a knack for decorating.  We were talking about ripping up the floor, replacing the cabinets, & counter tops.  Now our house isn't that big.  It is a 1432 square foot ranch.  She suggested we knock down the wall inbetween the kitchen & dining room because our dining room is a big portion of the house to only be used a handful of times every year.  We saved up for a few years and are thrilled with the results.

suydam

It's really beautiful. I'll miss my large kitchen when we move into our tiny condo. But most of the time now it's just the two of us so it will be fine.

stickguy

That is the color combo I plan to use next time I do a kitchen. I am also a big fan of combining the dining room into a more open great room area. We have a large formal DR that we only use at thanksgiving. It is a waste of space.

nyccarguy

Don't forget, the Econoline used to be the only game in town as far as delivery vehicles are concerned.  He does a lot of large catering orders.  He used to buy a lot of bulk items at Costco that was cheaper than his food vendors.  Now he's got 2 Fits, a Smart car, & a Nissan NV 1500 in his commercial fleet.

graphicguy

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

jpp75

@nyccarguy Nice reno on the kitchen, great use of the space!

Thanks for sharing the details on your friend's experience with the Fit. Any idea how many miles he had on the 2009 models at the end of their life with him?

nyccarguy

The 1st 2009 Fit he traded in for the 2015 Fit had 134K miles on it.  The second one he traded in on Monday had 124K miles on it.  The cars were by no means "shot," but they live a very hard life and have been in need of some repairs & a lot of maintenance lately.  Both cars had issues that were obviously cheaper to fix than to buy a new car, but it was time.  He can't afford to have the cars stuck on the side of the road.

isellhondas

nyccarguy said:

Here's a sales story:

My best friend owns 2 Kosher Style Delis.  One in Stamford, CT where I live & another in Rye Brook, NY (Westchester County).  His delivery vehicles used to be Ford Econolines.  Then when gas 1st started getting expensive, he replaced the big, gas guzzling Fords with Chevy HHRs.  They were cheaper than the Ford Vans, plus (at the time) used $40 per week in gas as opposed to the $200 per week the Fords were using.  The HHRs didn't stand up well to being used as delivery vehicles.  He ditched them both within 3 years.  In 2009 he buys 2 Honda Fit Sports.  Fast forward to earlier this year when one of the Fits starts giving him some trouble.  He replaces it with another Fit.  He got a 2015 EX w/ Navigation in 2016 as a leftover.  2009 Fit #2 strands his driver last week & it's back to the dealer for another new Fit.

To be continued

Ask your friend to PLEASE open up a deli in the Seattle area! We need a good old fashioned Jewish deli!

28firefighter

isellhondas said:

nyccarguy said:

Here's a sales story:

My best friend owns 2 Kosher Style Delis.  One in Stamford, CT where I live & another in Rye Brook, NY (Westchester County).  His delivery vehicles used to be Ford Econolines.  Then when gas 1st started getting expensive, he replaced the big, gas guzzling Fords with Chevy HHRs.  They were cheaper than the Ford Vans, plus (at the time) used $40 per week in gas as opposed to the $200 per week the Fords were using.  The HHRs didn't stand up well to being used as delivery vehicles.  He ditched them both within 3 years.  In 2009 he buys 2 Honda Fit Sports.  Fast forward to earlier this year when one of the Fits starts giving him some trouble.  He replaces it with another Fit.  He got a 2015 EX w/ Navigation in 2016 as a leftover.  2009 Fit #2 strands his driver last week & it's back to the dealer for another new Fit.

To be continued

Ask your friend to PLEASE open up a deli in the Seattle area! We need a good old fashioned Jewish deli!

Oh man, yes. The first thing I do when I get back to Philadelphia or Cleveland to see family is head to a deli and stuff my face with pastrami.

stever

Seems like a cheap deal on panels @graphicguy - I've been quoted ~$20k for 15 panels. We're still thinking of moving to town anyway.

graphicguy

Stever...WOW. Maybe the neighbor IS cutting me a deal. Lots of questions, though. Aside from the obvious astetics, what happens if I need a new roof? Clearly, the solar panels would have to be removed and re-installed (not cheap). Maintenance (if any)? Durability?

If we get snow, and it lingers a while, no sunlight will hit the solar panels. So, that negates some of the power gains. Plus, the way I understand it, solar panels are only 20% efficient. Do I have to replace them as technology marches forward?

Kind of interested. Will have to do more research.

nyccarguy

Ha!  No shot of my friend opening up in the PNW.  Sorry guys.  If he ever leaves CT, it will be for warmer, sunnier weather.  

@jmonroe - let me know when you are coming and what you want to eat.  I'll have it on the table waiting for you when you pull up.

Thanks everyone for the positive vibes about my kitchen.

abacomike

@nyccarguy:

Your new kitchen looks great, Bradd. What's extra special about its construction is that you took your time to do it right instead of getting a contractor who would have skimped on the remod. Just enjoy it with your family.

Speaking of Jewish Deli's, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but when my Dad passed away last July and my brother came down for all the financial stuff, he took me to a real Jewish Deli in Boca Raton called "Ben's Deli". I understand they have several stores in NYC. There are "wannabe" Jewish Deli's all over south Florida, but this one is just like the Deli's we had in the neighborhoods of NYC. When I opened the menu and saw "kreplach soup" and "sauteed/fried kreplach" with onions, I knew for sure I had died and gone to heaven!

BTW, for those of you who are not New Yorkers, kreplachs are very similar to Polish Perogies (not sure of spelling, sorry). But these are bigger, starchier, and after three or four of them, you can't eat another thing! But I try hard at that!

This place was kosher because they didn't have reubens on the menu - because they don't serve cheese with meat which is a kosher "no-no"! I wanted pastrami and what was nice about this place is that you could order pastrami, lean pastrami or extra lean pastrami - each upgrade was $1.00 more, which was no problem. The one I ordered was extra lean and it was like manna from heaven. Their coleslaw is to die for - which is a trade mark of an outstanding Jewish Deli - they had two kinds - vinegary and creamy. I, of course, love the creamy style.

I go there once in a while when I go up to visit my Dad's resting place (about 6 miles north of the Deli).

stever

@graphicguy, check out (if your roof permits), the panel holders that rest on your roof with just a concrete paver holding them down. No roof penetrations required. That was a big issue with my wife, yet no one here has heard of them. Panel tech keeps improving but today's panels should retain at least 80% of their claimed efficiency by year 20.

jmonroe

isellhondas said:

nyccarguy said:

Here's a sales story:

My best friend owns 2 Kosher Style Delis.  One in Stamford, CT where I live & another in Rye Brook, NY (Westchester County).  His delivery vehicles used to be Ford Econolines.  Then when gas 1st started getting expensive, he replaced the big, gas guzzling Fords with Chevy HHRs.  They were cheaper than the Ford Vans, plus (at the time) used $40 per week in gas as opposed to the $200 per week the Fords were using.  The HHRs didn't stand up well to being used as delivery vehicles.  He ditched them both within 3 years.  In 2009 he buys 2 Honda Fit Sports.  Fast forward to earlier this year when one of the Fits starts giving him some trouble.  He replaces it with another Fit.  He got a 2015 EX w/ Navigation in 2016 as a leftover.  2009 Fit #2 strands his driver last week & it's back to the dealer for another new Fit.

To be continued

Ask your friend to PLEASE open up a deli in the Seattle area! We need a good old fashioned Jewish deli!

'isell',

I asked for one first. Don't be a line jumper, OK. :@

Anyway you are too far away for a small guy that wants to expand, I think.

jmonroe

abacomike

jmonroe said:

Here's a sales story:

My best friend owns 2 Kosher Style Delis.  One in Stamford, CT where I live & another in Rye Brook, NY (Westchester County).  His delivery vehicles used to be Ford Econolines.  Then when gas 1st started getting expensive, he replaced the big, gas guzzling Fords with Chevy HHRs.  They were cheaper than the Ford Vans, plus (at the time) used $40 per week in gas as opposed to the $200 per week the Fords were using.  The HHRs didn't stand up well to being used as delivery vehicles.  He ditched them both within 3 years.  In 2009 he buys 2 Honda Fit Sports.  Fast forward to earlier this year when one of the Fits starts giving him some trouble.  He replaces it with another Fit.  He got a 2015 EX w/ Navigation in 2016 as a leftover.  2009 Fit #2 strands his driver last week & it's back to the dealer for another new Fit.

To be continued

Ask your friend to PLEASE open up a deli in the Seattle area! We need a good old fashioned Jewish deli!

'isell', I asked for one first. Don't be a line jumper, OK. :@ Anyway you are too far away for a small guy that wants to expand, I think. jmonroe

Are you trying to say to Isell, "...don't you dare cut in front of me, Isell!" 

jmonroe

abacomike said:

jmonroe said:

isellhondas said:

nyccarguy said:

Here's a sales story:

My best friend owns 2 Kosher Style Delis.  One in Stamford, CT where I live & another in Rye Brook, NY (Westchester County).  His delivery vehicles used to be Ford Econolines.  Then when gas 1st started getting expensive, he replaced the big, gas guzzling Fords with Chevy HHRs.  They were cheaper than the Ford Vans, plus (at the time) used $40 per week in gas as opposed to the $200 per week the Fords were using.  The HHRs didn't stand up well to being used as delivery vehicles.  He ditched them both within 3 years.  In 2009 he buys 2 Honda Fit Sports.  Fast forward to earlier this year when one of the Fits starts giving him some trouble.  He replaces it with another Fit.  He got a 2015 EX w/ Navigation in 2016 as a leftover.  2009 Fit #2 strands his driver last week & it's back to the dealer for another new Fit.

To be continued

Ask your friend to PLEASE open up a deli in the Seattle area! We need a good old fashioned Jewish deli!

'isell',

I asked for one first. Don't be a line jumper, OK. :@

Anyway you are too far away for a small guy that wants to expand, I think.

jmonroe

Are you trying to say to Isell, "...don't you dare cut in front of me, Isell!" 

Yeah, but I was trying to be more polite. You know that I'm that kind of a guy, right?

A follow up to what 'isell' posted:

'isell' said, "We need a good old fashioned Jewish deli".

Hell, where I live, we'd settle for a new fashioned Jewish deli, almost new fashioned Jewish deli, really any kind of a deli.

When I visit my SIL in Delray Beach, I make it a point to go to a deli down there at least 2 or 3 times.

jmonroe

driver100

nyccarguy said:

Don't forget, the Econoline used to be the only game in town as far as delivery vehicles are concerned.  He does a lot of large catering orders.  He used to buy a lot of bulk items at Costco that was cheaper than his food vendors.  Now he's got 2 Fits, a Smart car, & a Nissan NV 1500 in his commercial fleet.

A few things:
*Makes sense to have the Econoline if he is buying stuff in bulk. But, how many have ever driven one of those? I rented one from U-Haul and it is about as opposite to "feel of the road" as you can get. No fun driving one of those.

*A Smart car for deliveries........that would be like if someone needed one sandwich!

*124k miles on a car used for business. I am not commenting directly on this friend because he may know what he is doing in his situation, BUT, generally, IMHO, if you have a successful business, and you can afford to keep new reliable cars on the road, then that is what you should do. With business writeoffs, your only paying about half the cost for that car, so you might as well take advantage of the situation. Better than having cars getting repaired and off the road, late deliveries, etc. Besides, business should look like they are successful, and new cars give an impression of successful.

*Those new Ford Delivery vans seem pretty cool, and there is lots of room for advertising.

jmonroe

'driver' said:

A few things:
*Makes sense to have the Econoline if he is buying stuff in bulk. But, how many have ever driven one of those? I rented one from U-Haul and it is about as opposite to "feel of the road" as you can get. No fun driving one of those.
_______________________________________________________________________________

I hope you are just being a little humorous about that "feel of the road" comment.

Why would anyone expect to have fun while driving a truck. Plus, the last thing I'd want from an employee is for them to try joy riding my truck while delivering deli trays.

C'mon man.

jmonroe

andres3

houdini1 said:

Ever try to shop carpet on price. Impossible !!

Tires were that way before the days of the internet. Now we had Tire Rack and Discount Tires with great websites. A few still practice the secret society method like Big O; call for pricing LOL

stickguy

I'm renting a U-haul van next week. Hoping to get a new transit to try one out.

Yes, I have issues.

stickguy

GG, one of the requirements for the solar when I looked at it recently was age and condition of the roof. You would have an expensive remove and reinstall Panels job, so if roof is iffy, do it first!

Your price does sound cheap. For a 90% replacement set up on my house, I think is was about 20k before rebates and discounts. So maybe 12-14k OOP.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

So that's how the rich folk live!