Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

isellhondas

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Someone asked lately, if car dealers can sell cars that have safety recall notices on them. Apparently they can, according to this CBS News report.

CAN CAR DEALERS SELL CARS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED

I'm the one who asked that question and it was answered here and when I saw a used car from a dealer with a CarFax which listed an open recall.

As much of a pain as it would be for a customer to have to bring his new ride over to a different store to have it fixed just think how hard it would be when a competitor rolls a car in that he just bought at the auction. Do you think say, a Ford dealer is going to put the Chevy dealer at the front of the line to fix the Ford he just took in trade?

Well, I know the Honda Store where worked is sitting on a bunch of nice used cars that they can't sell because of the airbag recall. Every month they depreciate too!

henryn

Just mulling over some numbers here. At one point in my life I was a math major, so …

Using TrueCar, I should be able to pick up a brand new Chrysler Town & Country Touring model for $27,494. And looking around online, I can get a used 2016, with 20k miles, for $21,991.


http://www.centralhoustonnissan.com/used/Chrysler/2016-Chrysler-Town+++Country-53ab81d00a0e0ae74e1acf5cf91c73f4.htm

Looking at the Carfax, the in service date would appear to be December, 2015, so better than two years of factory warranty left, if only 15k miles. And 15k miles probably would last me two years.

Doing the math, that is 20% off for approximately 8 months and 20k miles. 8 months sounds good, 20k miles doesn’t. I think the key will be the actual condition. CarFax says this was a rental vehicle, and when I looked at used minivans at the Hertz used car lot I was very unimpressed. They had all, uniformly, had a very hard life.

I need to get by and look at this. After only 8 months, it should look / feel / smell like a new car. But 20k miles in a rental fleet, well …

oldfarmer50

isellhondas said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Someone asked lately, if car dealers can sell cars that have safety recall notices on them. Apparently they can, according to this CBS News report.

CAN CAR DEALERS SELL CARS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED

I'm the one who asked that question and it was answered here and when I saw a used car from a dealer with a CarFax which listed an open recall.

As much of a pain as it would be for a customer to have to bring his new ride over to a different store to have it fixed just think how hard it would be when a competitor rolls a car in that he just bought at the auction. Do you think say, a Ford dealer is going to put the Chevy dealer at the front of the line to fix the Ford he just took in trade?

Well, I know the Honda Store where worked is sitting on a bunch of nice used cars that they can't sell because of the airbag recall. Every month they depreciate too!

I assume those cars aren't Hondas or else they'd be fixed. Do you know if the delay is just due to backlogs or are the respective competitors playing games.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Here is an example of what I call "False Economizing";

Grandson is 25 yrs old...really good kid. Got his CA certificate, makes $65k a year in year 2.
Has a girlfriend, takes a bus to work to save money to buy a house.
Comes to visit his parents last two weekends, comes on a bus.
Both weekends he needs a ride, about 20 miles to the bus depot so he can get a bus home (parents have to get to work so we are asked to drive him - don't mind helping him but I think this is insane).

I know he is a good kid and he wants to save money to buy a house......good plan.
BUT,
Life goes on. You can't stop everything to try to reach a financial goal. And, you can't make everyone else look after you while you are fulfilling your goals. Besides all that, what if he is at work and they want to send him out to see a client (does he take the bus), what if the boss wants to talk over something at lunch - and suggests he drive?
If I had an accountant employee who made that kind of money, and if they didn't own a car, I would really wonder about their attitude toward life...and money.
I would find it very hard to live without a car. I have had a car since I was 18 and I have never been without a car since,,,,and there were times I was making little money or had lost my job. The car allowed me to find a new job and to get to work once I did have a job. A car is a necessity....I would say I would feel like a nobody without a car. Even if I'm not driving it, I have to know it is there so I have the freedom to go somewhere if I want to.

There is economizing, and their is living. I say, live life to the max, within reason, better to use your money to live well than to sacrifice living in order to save. Saving is important, goals are important, but there is a balance!

I know a few people that don't own cars. They live in the city and you can get anywhere with public transportation with ease. On the rare occasion that they need a car they simply rent one, cheaper than a monthly payment.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Someone told me this youtube video shows an aluminum built Ford truck is not as sturdy as a Chevy truck.....Did Ford make a big mistake going with aluminum? And why is this ad on youtube and not for example on TV?

Call me cynical but ever since NBC rigged GM trucks to explode on impact I have been skeptical of things like this.

I am skeptical to some degree too....but, they did the tests and we saw the results....if they were not true I would think Ford would be lawyered up pretty quickly. I am also thinking there is a reason they are placing the ad on the internet and not on TV. They may not want to get in a negative brawl with each other. The Chev may hold up when bricks are loaded into it......but, the Ford may have advantages if something else is used, or in how the things are placed in the bed.

I am skeptical but there must be some truth to it...it was on the internet

Yes they did the test on vehicles that they provided. Remember NBC did their tests and we saw the results, what we didn't see was what NBC did to get those results. Same thing with this, what did GM do to that Ford to get the desired results.

As for being on youtube instead of TV is simple. The video is over 3 minutes long, you have to have plenty of money and or run really late at night to run a commercial that long, you tube is practically free.

Whenever I see a commercial on TV the first question in my mind is "how much did they pay that lying SOB to say that?" Yeah I am getting cynical in my old age, but there is a reason for that.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

bwia said:

Speaking of lavatories ... I just bought a new toilet seat with blue LED lighting.

Pretty neat I must say, but unfortunately I created a monster for myself as my wife says I have no excuse to spray the floor with my nocturnal emissions. So now, I have to mop the floor myself, but when the batteries go I will just have to pee in the dark.

We have this new invention in our bathroom, it sits on the wall and when you move it the whole bathroom gets flooded with light. Move it back to it's original position and the light goes away. I think it's called a light switch. We even have another invention that keeps the light from spilling out of the room, that one is called a door.

Yeah, but does your light switch thingy stop you from peeing on the floor?

Seeing that it allows me to see where I am aiming at I would say yes it does. Now if it would stop the dog from peeing on the floor then we would have something.

cdnpinhead

You and me both. Today's news is enough to cement that for some time to come.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I don't worry about it one bit - I am trusting the engineers who designed the car know what they are doing.

Remember, engineers built the Titanic, an amateur built the ark.

snakeweasel

roadburner said:

BMW's experience with their Genius Everywhere(in person, hotline, app) program has been very positive- dealers that have a Genius on staff tend to sell more cars and are more profitable overall. BMW has also seen overall customer satisfaction increase- on both internal as well as third party surveys.

That begs the question, does having the "Genius" helps the dealerships sell more cars and become more profitable, or is it the dealerships that sell more cars and are more profitable spurge for the "genius's"?

oldfarmer50

Yikes!

BIL & SIL need a car because princess daughter blew up their Cherokee driving it with a blown head gasket to see a cute guy. So now their idea is to lease a new car at a local Chrysler place. They want $0 down and $200/mo. And 13,000 miles or more for 3 years. They hope to get $500-1000 for their current car which is in good shape other than the engine.

I'm thinking they're in for disappointment.

I've encouraged them to research leasing here on Edmunds so they know the basics like money factors and fees that could be lurking but got blank stares when I tried to explain.

My wife says to mind my own business but I have a bad feeling about this.

Any advice too offer them should I get asked?

suydam

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Here is an example of what I call "False Economizing";

Grandson is 25 yrs old...really good kid. Got his CA certificate, makes $65k a year in year 2.
Has a girlfriend, takes a bus to work to save money to buy a house.
Comes to visit his parents last two weekends, comes on a bus.
Both weekends he needs a ride, about 20 miles to the bus depot so he can get a bus home (parents have to get to work so we are asked to drive him - don't mind helping him but I think this is insane).

I know he is a good kid and he wants to save money to buy a house......good plan.
BUT,
Life goes on. You can't stop everything to try to reach a financial goal. And, you can't make everyone else look after you while you are fulfilling your goals. Besides all that, what if he is at work and they want to send him out to see a client (does he take the bus), what if the boss wants to talk over something at lunch - and suggests he drive?
If I had an accountant employee who made that kind of money, and if they didn't own a car, I would really wonder about their attitude toward life...and money.
I would find it very hard to live without a car. I have had a car since I was 18 and I have never been without a car since,,,,and there were times I was making little money or had lost my job. The car allowed me to find a new job and to get to work once I did have a job. A car is a necessity....I would say I would feel like a nobody without a car. Even if I'm not driving it, I have to know it is there so I have the freedom to go somewhere if I want to.

There is economizing, and their is living. I say, live life to the max, within reason, better to use your money to live well than to sacrifice living in order to save. Saving is important, goals are important, but there is a balance!

I know a few people that don't own cars. They live in the city and you can get anywhere with public transportation with ease. On the rare occasion that they need a car they simply rent one, cheaper than a monthly payment.

It's smart to save up now for a house if he really doesn't need a car. It's not like he will live without one forever. The alternative at that age is to drive old beaters like we did. I didn't really get much joy out of them.

jmonroe

'houdini' said:

Speaking of your new '15 Genesis, what are the pros and cons when compared with your '09?
_________________________________________________________________________________

OK, since you asked, there isn't a whole lot different. It's still a large car that can seat 5 comfortably but I rarely have anyone in the back so that is wasted until I volunteer to drive which I usually do. The '15 has a larger engine, 5.0 vs. 4.6 and that bumps up the HP from 375 to 420. The screen is 9 inches vs.7 inches. It has more toys which I don't even bother with that much, like heads up display. Once I got that set I don't mess with it anymore. It has active cruise control and automatic braking so I'd have to try to hit someone.
Right after I got it and figured it out I tried to show Mrs. j how it worked and she jammed her foot so hard into the passenger floor that it probably has a new shape. I've been warned not to ever do that again. :@

It's not a car that would satisfy someone who likes to drive as fast as possible around curves but since I don't get my kicks doing that kind of driving it is more than adequate for the way I drive. Son #1 drove it back from Virginia, just outside of DC, and he thought it handled very well for a large car and said if he had the car he would never drive it other than in the Sport mode. I've done that too and yes it is faster but I don't need that kind of power all the time. When I'm in the Normal mode and I step on it there is no delay, it moves out pretty good for my wants. I have to force myself to remember to use the Sport mode when driving on the interstate but I will say that I haven't had any problems getting around anybody in whatever mode I use.

Like I said, it's a large car that has lots of horses. I pretty much just aim and shoot on the straight stretches. It hasn't let me down yet.

jmonroe

bwia

driver100 said:

Just got a call from a Mercedes Benz internet salesman inviting me to test drive a 2016 GLC 300. I told him I was not quite ready to buy but I would be interested in talking to one of their "genius" sales support guys, similar to those employed by BMW and Apple. He said that they didn't need a so-called genius as all of their salesmen were qualified to answer all of my questions; and besides their sales staff had to be recertified every three months to continue as MB salesmen. Hmm, arrogance, or sticking with the Benz tried and true sales approach.

I think he definitely sounded arrogant, and he could have said it in a much nicer way, but the Mercedes salesman I have talked to have been completely knowledgeable, and can answer every question you throw at them. They are thoroughly trained, so they don't need an extra layer of "geniuses". I think you should try the GLC 300, not to buy it but just to get an idea whether it suits you or not. If yes, it becomes your goal, if not, time to move on - it at least eliminates it from the race. My own experience....my bmw cornered better, Sport + really changed the car into a driving machine, car gets lower, more power, steering tightens up, can even convert to RWD from AWD. But, for comfort, optimum design, ease of use, comfort, sensible styling, everyday living...Mercedes gets it right!

The reason I wanted to talk to a genius is to eliminate the perceived adverserial relationship between the salesman and the customer. With a "genius" I would feel freer to ask questions such as selecting the best combinations of options to save money, or option£s that have the best trade in value down the road. 

Nonetheless, I will try to arrange a test drive and delay any purchase decision to just before the 2017 models are introduced since the Internet salesman said he could get a vehicle from another dealer if they did not have one available at that time.

jmonroe

Hey Mods, I just noticed that I got my old handsome face back. Not sure when that happened. Now all you have to do is let me show everyone I have a '15 Genny not an '09.

jmonroe

driver100

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

said:

Call me cynical but ever since NBC rigged GM trucks to explode on impact I have been skeptical of things like this.
I am skeptical to some degree too....but, they did the tests and we saw the results....if they were not true I would think Ford would be lawyered up pretty quickly.

The NBC rigging, like lots of other things, was hidden behind the scenes. It was done with their own motive in mind to smear GM and to garner more TV viewers because of their story. It's like the sex stories from the local news folks every time the ratings sweeps are coming up.

In this case, we see the blocks randomly placed in the idential loaders and dropped from the same height with the same rapidity as a group. Pretty damning.

said:

I am also thinking there is a reason they are placing the ad on the internet and not on TV.

The ad has been showing here on TV, at least the part without the toolbox.
For many, the toolbox falling into the bed is typical of what might happen with their own truck: something they accidentally drop into the bed.

I'd mentioned that several of the regulars stopping at the local quick market for their coffee in the mornings had bought various new trucks through the last almost year. Many of those trucks are driven to and from the office and a few might have some supplies carefully loaded into the bed to run out to a work site for the real workers to use. The trucks never show mud on a tire or splashes under the side of the body. Those folks might not care about the durability of the bed. On the other hand, the men who were driving pickups in Boy Scouts when my son was in it years back were using the trucks hard. Junk and tools in the cab, dirt on the floor from worksites, junk and stuff in the bed. The clean truck owners may not care about the vulnerability of aluminum in the bed as well as in the body panels.

If you ever saw the rust bucket trucks that cruise around the northeast you'd wish the whole truck was made of aluminum. A few dents might disturb someone going to high tea but when you throw a concrete block into the bed of a Chevy and it goes right through you'll head to the Ford store.

Well, I own a 2015 Ford F150 (aluminum). That was an interesting video, I'll give you that. But not a game changer, at least not for me. One of the first things I did was to buy a heavy duty rubber bed mat (cost about $85). And that rubber bed mat, all by itself, will completely eliminate the kind of damages they were showing in the video. If I were expecting to do the kind of things they show in the video (dropping concrete blocks into the bed), I would most definitely invest in a spray in bedliner (with a Ford or a Chevy).

I guess that is the real flaw in the ad, and it is what I notice conspiracy theory people do. They start with a grain of truth, and then bend that around to support the theory. In this case, they found a weakness in the Ford's aluminum bed....if a load of bricks are dropped into it. It would never happen in real life....but, then they use that to support their argument that Chev trucks are stronger.

I am not putting down GM....a lot of companies do it and it makes for a good argument, and would probably persuade a lot of people....if you can do it why not....done by politicians all the time (just making a point, not going political here).

Honda did the same brick drop/tool box test with their new Ridgeline, which comes with some type of composite bed. Of course it came through unscathed. Impressive.

The Ridgeline probably needed that boost to make it appear to be more rugged. Personally...I really like that the Ridgeline redefined the look of trucks....but, I think it is a hard sell for the true truck buyer.

ab348

driver100 said:

The Ridgeline probably needed that boost to make it appear to be more rugged. Personally...I really like that the Ridgeline redefined the look of trucks....but, I think it is a hard sell for the true truck buyer.

Yeah, I think of the Ridgeline as more of a current-day El Camino or Ranchero rather than an actual truck.

driver100

bwia said:

driver100 said:

bwia said:

Just got a call from a Mercedes Benz internet salesman inviting me to test drive a 2016 GLC 300. I told him I was not quite ready to buy but I would be interested in talking to one of their "genius" sales support guys, similar to those employed by BMW and Apple.

He said that they didn't need a so-called genius as all of their salesmen were qualified to answer all of my questions; and besides their sales staff had to be recertified every three months to continue as MB salesmen.

Hmm, arrogance, or sticking with the Benz tried and true sales approach.

I think he definitely sounded arrogant, and he could have said it in a much nicer way, but the Mercedes salesman I have talked to have been completely knowledgeable, and can answer every question you throw at them. They are thoroughly trained, so they don't need an extra layer of "geniuses". I think you should try the GLC 300, not to buy it but just to get an idea whether it suits you or not. If yes, it becomes your goal, if not, time to move on - it at least eliminates it from the race.

My own experience....my bmw cornered better, Sport + really changed the car into a driving machine, car gets lower, more power, steering tightens up, can even convert to RWD from AWD. But, for comfort, optimum design, ease of use, comfort, sensible styling, everyday living...Mercedes gets it right!

The reason I wanted to talk to a genius is to eliminate the perceived adverserial relationship between the salesman and the customer. With a "genius" I would feel freer to ask questions such as selecting the best combinations of options to save money, or option£s that have the best trade in value down the road. 

Nonetheless, I will try to arrange a test drive and delay any purchase decision to just before the 2017 models are introduced since the Internet salesman said he could get a vehicle from another dealer if they did not have one available at that time.

My Mercedes salesman may be one of a kind, but, I did not feel one bit of pressure. In fact, when my wife and I entered the dealership, we didn't think we would be buying a Mercedes.....we just thought we should try it, and we weren't impressed with the Audi A6, and the 2015 BMW 535 was exactly the same as my 2012.....I was ready to hang onto my car longer. That may seem as though the salesman talked me into a new Mercedes, but, no, we loved it from the time we sat in it. We test drove it, and he answered all our questions, showed us the features, and we did not feel one bit of pressure......I truly believe Mercedes knows their customers, and they know their best hope of selling a car is just to point out the features......if it is the right car it will sell.

driver100

henryn said:

Just mulling over some numbers here. At one point in my life I was a math major, so …

Using TrueCar, I should be able to pick up a brand new Chrysler Town & Country Touring model for $27,494. And looking around online, I can get a used 2016, with 20k miles, for $21,991.


http://www.centralhoustonnissan.com/used/Chrysler/2016-Chrysler-Town+++Country-53ab81d00a0e0ae74e1acf5cf91c73f4.htm

Looking at the Carfax, the in service date would appear to be December, 2015, so better than two years of factory warranty left, if only 15k miles. And 15k miles probably would last me two years.

Doing the math, that is 20% off for approximately 8 months and 20k miles. 8 months sounds good, 20k miles doesn’t. I think the key will be the actual condition. CarFax says this was a rental vehicle, and when I looked at used minivans at the Hertz used car lot I was very unimpressed. They had all, uniformly, had a very hard life.

I need to get by and look at this. After only 8 months, it should look / feel / smell like a new car. But 20k miles in a rental fleet, well …

Depreciation is about 15% in year one, 10% a year after that, so $22k for a 2 year old model with about 2 years worth of driving on it sounds about right. Rationed out, I would still prefer the new car, 2 more years of warranty, all new parts like tires, more features, and the big one....you have no idea how that car was driven or what might be wrong with it. If you can afford the extra amount...maybe even swing a bit of a discount....then I would buy the new one. Not to mention, get it the way you want it and enjoy the new car smell and feeling!

driver100

suydam said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Here is an example of what I call "False Economizing";

Grandson is 25 yrs old...really good kid. Got his CA certificate, makes $65k a year in year 2.
Has a girlfriend, takes a bus to work to save money to buy a house.
Comes to visit his parents last two weekends, comes on a bus.
Both weekends he needs a ride, about 20 miles to the bus depot so he can get a bus home (parents have to get to work so we are asked to drive him - don't mind helping him but I think this is insane).

I know he is a good kid and he wants to save money to buy a house......good plan.
BUT,
Life goes on. You can't stop everything to try to reach a financial goal. And, you can't make everyone else look after you while you are fulfilling your goals. Besides all that, what if he is at work and they want to send him out to see a client (does he take the bus), what if the boss wants to talk over something at lunch - and suggests he drive?
If I had an accountant employee who made that kind of money, and if they didn't own a car, I would really wonder about their attitude toward life...and money.
I would find it very hard to live without a car. I have had a car since I was 18 and I have never been without a car since,,,,and there were times I was making little money or had lost my job. The car allowed me to find a new job and to get to work once I did have a job. A car is a necessity....I would say I would feel like a nobody without a car. Even if I'm not driving it, I have to know it is there so I have the freedom to go somewhere if I want to.

There is economizing, and their is living. I say, live life to the max, within reason, better to use your money to live well than to sacrifice living in order to save. Saving is important, goals are important, but there is a balance!

I know a few people that don't own cars. They live in the city and you can get anywhere with public transportation with ease. On the rare occasion that they need a car they simply rent one, cheaper than a monthly payment.

It's smart to save up now for a house if he really doesn't need a car. It's not like he will live without one forever. The alternative at that age is to drive old beaters like we did. I didn't really get much joy out of them.

In some situations I would agree. Many young people live downtown and take public transport to work....a car is an expensive extra to keep in a major city.

But, unless your job is on a bus route, and if you do have to get places, and if having some independence is important to you.....I think to feel complete, you need a car.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

bwia said:

Speaking of lavatories ... I just bought a new toilet seat with blue LED lighting.

Pretty neat I must say, but unfortunately I created a monster for myself as my wife says I have no excuse to spray the floor with my nocturnal emissions. So now, I have to mop the floor myself, but when the batteries go I will just have to pee in the dark.

We have this new invention in our bathroom, it sits on the wall and when you move it the whole bathroom gets flooded with light. Move it back to it's original position and the light goes away. I think it's called a light switch. We even have another invention that keeps the light from spilling out of the room, that one is called a door.

Yeah, but does your light switch thingy stop you from peeing on the floor?

Seeing that it allows me to see where I am aiming at I would say yes it does. Now if it would stop the dog from peeing on the floor then we would have something.

You need the PetZoom Pet Park Indoor Pet Potty - well, not you but your dog!

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Yikes!

BIL & SIL need a car because princess daughter blew up their Cherokee driving it with a blown head gasket to see a cute guy. So now their idea is to lease a new car at a local Chrysler place. They want $0 down and $200/mo. And 13,000 miles or more for 3 years. They hope to get $500-1000 for their current car which is in good shape other than the engine.

I'm thinking they're in for disappointment.

I've encouraged them to research leasing here on Edmunds so they know the basics like money factors and fees that could be lurking but got blank stares when I tried to explain.

My wife says to mind my own business but I have a bad feeling about this.

Any advice too offer them should I get asked?

If they have steady jobs, $200 a month to lease a new car might just work. They have to lease with an option to buy at the end of the lease. Gets them a new car, probably trouble free for 3 years, and they will be paying it down. Not sure what you can lease for $200 a month, but, it might be a good move.

Mr_Shiftright

Seem to me your gonna get a Fiat or a stripped down Kia, by the time you add a down payment, tax and acquisition fees.

stever

And insurance and parking and gas and service. Owning a car isn't cheap. My BIL has gotten by for ~55 years without his own car. (And y'all thought I was cheap....)

stickguy

many comments. wonder how many I can remember?

- Minivans IMO lead the hardest life of any rental car. Tread carefully
- Ridgeline is now a real truck based on size of the bed. Much more "trucky" IMO than the prior one.
- All trucks should probably have a composite bed. Just makes a ton of sense.
- No car? sure, if you live in a city downtown. Just don't make it my problem every time you need to go someplace not right by your core location!
- Farmer, the advice you should give the relatives is to talk to your wife. She sounds like a smart lady.

stickguy

as to the lease, you can do it. Or at least get close, especially if they really can score 1K out of the jeep! Hey, I am leasing a Jetta for $225/mo (12K year miles) with a total OOP drive off of $1k. And that was not the cheapest.

They can probably score an Elantra SE pretty cheap. But please, teach the kid the basics of taking care of it. At least I know that my daughter is paranoid. If she hears anything odd, or sees a light of any kind, I get a call!

Besides an elantra, and old style Cruz or strippo Jetta could be a cheap get now. Getting to be that season!

Michaell

Mr_Shiftright said:

Seem to me your gonna get a Fiat or a stripped down Kia, by the time you add a down payment, tax and acquisition fees.

Plenty of choices to lease at the $200/mo threshold.

When they're ready, find out what they're interested in and we can run some numbers.

iluvmysephia1

Engineers built the Titanic, and, the Titanic was bragged about as being unsinkable. But was that really what the Chief Architect said?
No, he stated that this cool new ocean liner by White Star Line was "practically unsinkable." Big difference, eh?

nyccarguy

@stever - I saw a Yellow Kia Soul with NM plates on it over the weekend here on I95 in CT. That wasn't you & the Mes was it?

stever

lol, a bit out of our territory and we'd be avoiding the Interstate if we could (ask me in October though in case we drive back East instead of flying into DC for a NY trip). We're still shopping the Soul but wish the mpg was better. Want to look at a Volt but have had other irons in the fire.

Someone trying to avoid the heat maybe?

Oh, were the plates turquoise (ours are) or yellow (to match the Soul) or a vanity plate?

iluvmysephia1

That is a reason why I looked at the 15-16 Nissan Versa S sedan in 5-speed form, stever. Better ghastly mileage by about, ehh, 5-6 mpg on the average.

roadburner

snakeweasel said:

That begs the question, does having the "Genius" helps the dealerships sell more cars and become more profitable, or is it the dealerships that sell more cars and are more profitable spurge for the "genius's"?

The data indicates that dealers sold more cars after adding a Genius as opposed to before. Ditto for profitability. BMW really wants to do well on the J.D. Power IQS, and the Genius program has made a positive difference there as well.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

Hey Mods, I just noticed that I got my old handsome face back. Not sure when that happened. Now all you have to do is let me show everyone I have a '15 Genny not an '09.

jmonroe

And a handsome face it is indeed. Not as handsome as the face I was assigned but still handsome. On your Genny why not just post a picture that we can ogle?

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

as to the lease, you can do it. Or at least get close, especially if they really can score 1K out of the jeep! Hey, I am leasing a Jetta for $225/mo (12K year miles) with a total OOP drive off of $1k. And that was not the cheapest.

They can probably score an Elantra SE pretty cheap. But please, teach the kid the basics of taking care of it. At least I know that my daughter is paranoid. If she hears anything odd, or sees a light of any kind, I get a call!

Besides an elantra, and old style Cruz or strippo Jetta could be a cheap get now. Getting to be that season!

Edmunds lists several $200/mo lease deals. I'll try to introduce them to that but they seem fixed on one particular Chrysler dealer that "they heard good things about" I'll have to ask the boss for permission though.

As to the princess, when I taught her to drive I tried to introduce her to auto basics and you can see how that went.

sb55

roadburner said:

snakeweasel said:

That begs the question, does having the "Genius" helps the dealerships sell more cars and become more profitable, or is it the dealerships that sell more cars and are more profitable spurge for the "genius's"?

The data indicates that dealers sold more cars after adding a Genius as opposed to before. Ditto for profitability. BMW really wants to do well on the J.D. Power IQS, and the Genius program has made a positive difference there as well.

RB,
Do CPO buyers get "use" of a Genius from any dealership? Reason that I ask is that we recently got a CPO 2014 535d xdrive from an out of town dealer and is quite different than the 2010 that we had. I kind of doubt that my small town Vermont local dealer (and only dealer in the state) has a Genius. My wife could sure use some help!

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

as to the lease, you can do it. Or at least get close, especially if they really can score 1K out of the jeep! Hey, I am leasing a Jetta for $225/mo (12K year miles) with a total OOP drive off of $1k. And that was not the cheapest.

They can probably score an Elantra SE pretty cheap. But please, teach the kid the basics of taking care of it. At least I know that my daughter is paranoid. If she hears anything odd, or sees a light of any kind, I get a call!

Besides an elantra, and old style Cruz or strippo Jetta could be a cheap get now. Getting to be that season!

Edmunds lists several $200/mo lease deals. I'll try to introduce them to that but they seem fixed on one particular Chrysler dealer that "they heard good things about" I'll have to ask the boss for permission though.

As to the princess, when I taught her to drive I tried to introduce her to auto basics and you can see how that went.

People who don't own the Jeep Patriot kind of look down on them. I checked on Edmunds and it has 4 1/2 stars out of 5. I was in a Patriot taxi a few years ago and I thought it was roomy and comfortable...a little plasticky, but for about $22k what can you expect.

It has it's problems, like an anemic engine, and not good for long hauls, but for a low price leased vehicle that should last for 3 years, and then make a good 2nd car or even a buy out car, it should do.

ab348

Another issue for the mods re. Vanilla Forums: when I clicked on my bookmarked link in this conversation today, it didn't take me to the latest conversation but instead to the very bottom of a page with the site links, as it usually does when the latest conversation is near the bottom of a forums page. Typically you need to scroll up 2 or 3 messages to find the first unread. This time was different: I counted 11 messages I had not seen before.

houdini1

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

The Ridgeline probably needed that boost to make it appear to be more rugged. Personally...I really like that the Ridgeline redefined the look of trucks....but, I think it is a hard sell for the true truck buyer.

Yeah, I think of the Ridgeline as more of a current-day El Camino or Ranchero rather than an actual truck.

I think of it as the "crossover" of trucks. That marketing ploy has worked very well for the SUV segment and I think that is Honda's long term strategy. Most SUV buyers never go off road and many P.U. buyers never use their truck for heavy duty. Actually, I think of the Ridgeline as a SUV with added benefits instead of a P.U.

I still miss my 2003 Tacoma and I always liked the idea of a very light duty P.U., I just didn't like the old version of the Ridgeline. The new one looks much better to my eye.

imidazol97

ab348 said:

Typically you need to scroll up 2 or 3 messages to find the first unread. This time was different: I counted 11 messages I had not seen before.

X2

houdini1

roadburner said:

snakeweasel said:

That begs the question, does having the "Genius" helps the dealerships sell more cars and become more profitable, or is it the dealerships that sell more cars and are more profitable spurge for the "genius's"?

The data indicates that dealers sold more cars after adding a Genius as opposed to before. Ditto for profitability. BMW really wants to do well on the J.D. Power IQS, and the Genius program has made a positive difference there as well.

Our Lexus dealer has a retired doctor who is their version of the "Genius". They don't refer to him as a genius, just an electronics expert. I would think most of the questions you will get will be about electronics.

bwia

Is it true that….

MB-tex, BMW leatherette and Lexus Nuluxe vinyl upholstery are better than real leather? From what I have been reading, many cannot tell the difference by just looking at the seat coverings side by side.

MB and BMW engineers claim that the newer vinyl upholstery is softer, cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, lasts longer, and retains its shine and color better and longer. Furthermore, they claim the vinyl seats do not crack, fade or crease and are much cheaper to maintain than real leather.

So, if this indeed true, why charge a $2,000 premium for leather? Are we car buyers so gullible as to pay extra for real leather when it is not any better than vinyl? Is it for the smell of real leather or good marketing to differentiate leather as the epitome of genuine luxury and Nuluxe, MB-tex and Leatherette as premium or entry-level luxury?

stickguy

Yes many of them are that gullible.

stever

Fake leather is great so long as it's French stitched with Italian thread.

suydam

I drove the Nissan Versa as rentals in both sedan and hatchback versions recently. The sedan was just awful, slow and handled terribly, but the Note hatchback was great and got terrific mileage. Two completely different vehicles. I'd seriously consider a Note if it could be equipped with blind spot and rear collision warnings. Those are becoming very much appreciated in the areas I drive now. A lot of suburban driving with children darting out from unexpected places.

roadburner

sb55 said:

RB,
Do CPO buyers get "use" of a Genius from any dealership? Reason that I ask is that we recently got a CPO 2014 535d xdrive from an out of town dealer and is quite different than the 2010 that we had. I kind of doubt that my small town Vermont local dealer (and only dealer in the state) has a Genius. My wife could sure use some help!

Yes; New or CPO makes no difference. Check with your local dealer first, as BMW is strongly encouraging dealers to create a Genius position- one Genius for every four salespeople is the eventual goal. I guess anything is possible, but I cannot imagine a dealer or a Genius turning down an opportunity to help a BMW owner- regardless of where the car was purchased. You can also download the Genius App for your smartphone or tablet and/or call the Genius Hotline: 1.844.443.6487

roadburner

houdini1 said:

I would think most of the questions you will get will be about electronics.

That is correct; as a matter of fact, the first issue I personally dealt with was a customer who wanted to know how to send addresses from his phone to his car's navigation system. Fortunately, I already knew the answer because I had researched that issue with my car about a month ago.

I have to watch 48 online teaching modules over the next couple of months and many of them deal with electronics- connectivity, navigation, etc.

houdini1

Hopefully you will also get some questions about the actual car (other than electronics) where I would think you would be very helpful.

fezo

henryn said:

Just mulling over some numbers here. At one point in my life I was a math major, so …

Using TrueCar, I should be able to pick up a brand new Chrysler Town & Country Touring model for $27,494. And looking around online, I can get a used 2016, with 20k miles, for $21,991.


http://www.centralhoustonnissan.com/used/Chrysler/2016-Chrysler-Town+++Country-53ab81d00a0e0ae74e1acf5cf91c73f4.htm

Looking at the Carfax, the in service date would appear to be December, 2015, so better than two years of factory warranty left, if only 15k miles. And 15k miles probably would last me two years.

Doing the math, that is 20% off for approximately 8 months and 20k miles. 8 months sounds good, 20k miles doesn’t. I think the key will be the actual condition. CarFax says this was a rental vehicle, and when I looked at used minivans at the Hertz used car lot I was very unimpressed. They had all, uniformly, had a very hard life.

I need to get by and look at this. After only 8 months, it should look / feel / smell like a new car. But 20k miles in a rental fleet, well …

Yeah. That's a lot for 8 months. My MAzda 5 is a CPO. It was 2 MY old and had almost exactly 20,000 mile on it. Still haven't broken 40k on it and it's still under the new car warranty.

roadburner

houdini1 said:

Hopefully you will also get some questions about the actual car (other than electronics) where I would think you would be very helpful.

Thanks, I'm pretty sure that I will since another part of the job is to greet customers and help them select the best car for their needs and wants- before they talk with a salesperson.

isellhondas

oldfarmer50 said:

isellhondas said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Someone asked lately, if car dealers can sell cars that have safety recall notices on them. Apparently they can, according to this CBS News report.

CAN CAR DEALERS SELL CARS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED

I'm the one who asked that question and it was answered here and when I saw a used car from a dealer with a CarFax which listed an open recall.

As much of a pain as it would be for a customer to have to bring his new ride over to a different store to have it fixed just think how hard it would be when a competitor rolls a car in that he just bought at the auction. Do you think say, a Ford dealer is going to put the Chevy dealer at the front of the line to fix the Ford he just took in trade?

Well, I know the Honda Store where worked is sitting on a bunch of nice used cars that they can't sell because of the airbag recall. Every month they depreciate too!

I assume those cars aren't Hondas or else they'd be fixed. Do you know if the delay is just due to backlogs or are the respective competitors playing games.

No parts available. our 2003 CRV got recalled twice for airbags and parts were available and fixed immediately. Our 2004 Avalon took over a year to get parts with me bugging them constantly.

Michaell

roadburner said:

houdini1 said:

Hopefully you will also get some questions about the actual car (other than electronics) where I would think you would be very helpful.

Thanks, I'm pretty sure that I will since another part of the job is to greet customers and help them select the best car for their needs and wants- before they talk with a salesperson.

And my guess is that you may run into 1 or 2 folks who are looking to get a BMW for the same reason you did - HPDE.

Then again, you may not.

"Stories from the Genius Frontlines"?