Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Oldfarmer....I am feeling for you man. You may feel a bit responsible, but if a $1000 car gave you trouble free driving we would all buy one. I am not of much help technically, but if she decides to trade it in on a CPO Mercedes, I'll be glad to help.

Are you saying you'll trade her car for your MB? Wow, you ARE a nice guy.

Thanks

Sure............... the Sentra and $60k. I have decided the C250 is just too nice and too much fun to give up at almost any price. For $60K I can at least get a new one.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

berri said:

Personally, I don't think I could own an expensive car. Parking lot scratches and knicks on it would bug me, let alone garbage truck in the trunk!

It is just money. What is better, having the money sitting in the bank or actually getting some use and fun out of it?

Ye it's just money but if you don't spend it on an expensive car you could spend it on other things you like. Spending another $15K to get the BMW over a Chevy means that there is $15K less I can spend on other activities I enjoy. It' all personal preference.

Yes, it is all personal preference. There is nothing that costs $15000 that I would enjoy more than the C 250.

stickguy

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

jmonroe

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

PF_Flyer

jmonroe said:

PF_Flyer said:

Got the winter footwear on. Go ahead... snow... I triple dog dare ya!

Hey sneakers, are those Nokian snow tires? They look a lot like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R snow tires I bought for my '09 Genny in 2010. They were pretty good tires.

I bought dedicated rims for the rear tires and they still have some tread on them but they won't fit the '15 Genny.

I bet you never thought an innocent post like yours would stir up this much tire talk, did you?.

jmonroe

Yep, Nokian Gesundheit R2's. We've been using those for about 5 years. They work well in the snow and really ride very well and quiet on dry pavement.

stickguy

warranty does not bother me that much, for the right car.

actually, if it is a car that I am afraid to own out of warranty, I would not be buying it anyway.

A base C class is pretty well sorted. Not talking about an S600 V12 here!

isellhondas4

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

Mike update. If all goes well Mike goes home from rehab tomorrow. He will have 12 hour care at first, then ease back. It has been a long difficult journey for him, hope things go uphill from now on.

Thanks for the update. That is pretty good news.

Let him know that we are still rooting for him.

jmonroe

Ditto to that! Mike has been through so much!

bwia

isellhondas4 said:

Mike update. If all goes well Mike goes home from rehab tomorrow. He will have 12 hour care at first, then ease back. It has been a long difficult journey for him, hope things go uphill from now on.

Thanks for the update. That is pretty good news. Let him know that we are still rooting for him. jmonroe

Ditto to that! Mike has been through so much!

Same here, Mike has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Please pass on my wishes for a complete recovery. 

roadburner

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

henryn

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Which seems fairly high to me. And then there's the risk of having to replace a headlight for $1100.

driver100

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Stick, when you are ready to buy, or feel the need, try driving a C Class....there is nothing like it. Not the sportiest car in that range...probably bmw, but for a combination of sportiness and driving pleasure Mercedes gets it right.

There are C's for less with 25 or 30k on them and I would trust them if they were bought from a reputable dealer...prefer a Mercedes dealer because I think they will try hard to sell only the best cars possible. These cars can last a long time if looked after, could cost less over 10 or 12 years than most other makes,

Our situation changed, but if we had bought the C 250 originally (that would have been a stretch financially) we wouldn't have had to trade a car in.....lose depreciation and pay taxes, DOC fees and registration again. It is always best to buy what you really want the first time...if it is within reach.

****What else is on your list?

fintail

C63 is a fun pick too, just don't look at the mpg

jmonroe

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

jmonroe

PF_Flyer said:

jmonroe said:

PF_Flyer said:

Got the winter footwear on. Go ahead... snow... I triple dog dare ya!

Hey sneakers, are those Nokian snow tires? They look a lot like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R snow tires I bought for my '09 Genny in 2010. They were pretty good tires.

I bought dedicated rims for the rear tires and they still have some tread on them but they won't fit the '15 Genny.

I bet you never thought an innocent post like yours would stir up this much tire talk, did you?.

jmonroe

Yep, Nokian Gesundheit R2's. We've been using those for about 5 years. They work well in the snow and really ride very well and quiet on dry pavement.

Thanks for confirming that.

Well, if nothing else no one in here can say I don't know my snow tires.

I might need a little work on my German cars though.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

Mr_Shiftright

With a high mileage German car I always give more credit to the owner than the manufacturer. With a Camry or Accord, the owner probably had minimal involvement in the achievement, IMO.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

With a high mileage German car I always give more credit to the owner than the manufacturer. With a Camry or Accord, the owner probably had minimal involvement in the achievement, IMO.

I'd be the first to admit that I wouldn't own an out of warranty 5er or 7er V8 either- but a RWD 2er or 3er with the I4 or I6 doesn't worry me one bit.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

With a high mileage German car I always give more credit to the owner than the manufacturer. With a Camry or Accord, the owner probably had minimal involvement in the achievement, IMO.

I agree with that and I am one to over-maintenance a car than most.

But, it is very comforting to know that I would not have to if I owned Camry or an Accord.

jmonroe

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

The only one on that list that surprised me is the Chevrolet Avalanche. How the hell did that happen? That almost makes me question the credibility of that Forbes listing.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

Grain of salt. I saw one high mileage prediction blog that had a VW Corrado listed. I mean, c'mon.

snakeweasel

houdini1 said:

jipster said:

stickguy said:

my acura dealer does a multipoint inspection with my $28.99 oil change special. I get the checklist and everything. I believe it has about 120 items on it (though many are N/A, since it is all inclusive so items like clutch are included!)

the inspection they do does not take long. What is supposed to add value is what they replace (brakes/tires if more than 1/2 worn, etc.). But all that is real easy to check.

Acura might do all 120 checks on their multipoint inspection, but I have my doubts with Ford and Hyundai. They rarely check cabin air filter. Went to change the cabin air filter in my Mercury Mariner, when I first got it. It wasn't there! The filter compartment, under the hood by front windshield,looked as if it had never been opened. The car had about 102,000 miles at the time. 

How many years did we get along without a cabin air filter? What with rolling the windows down, opening and closing doors, etc. I wonder what good it does and a dirty one would be worse than none at all. Probably not a bad idea just to take the thing out. It is good for one thing though, dealer profit.

That's what I did on the ragtop, just got rid of the filter. Heck the cabin air filter is totally useless when you got the top down.

Haven't really noticed a difference.

nyccarguy

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

The only one on that list that surprised me is the Chevrolet Avalanche. How the hell did that happen? That almost makes me question the credibility of that Forbes listing.

jmonroe

I've actually seen a few of these Avalanches with WELL OVER 250,000 miles. They just keep going. Indestructible.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

sda said:

Carfax has real limitations. Like this C250, it is listed as red about 8 times when it comes in for service, then all of a sudden it is Black. How could that happen...then it is red again about 3 times after. I am sure the fine print says something about not being responsible for any errors.

I do remember one time reading the fine print on the CarFax website and the impression I got from the disclaimer was that CarFax was little more than useless.

fintail

I have no doubt the latest 4cyl diesel E-class will easily hit 250K and then some. The platform is well sorted, with few issues per all MB forums, The engine is robust and not stressed. I think in Europe, derivatives of these things will be hitting massive mileage in taxi duty.

jmonroe

nyccarguy said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

The only one on that list that surprised me is the Chevrolet Avalanche. How the hell did that happen? That almost makes me question the credibility of that Forbes listing.

jmonroe

I've actually seen a few of these Avalanches with WELL OVER 250,000 miles. They just keep going. Indestructible.

OK, I believe you.

FWIW, other than cars at car cruses, I have never seen anything with nearly that much mileage on it. Then again, those things are on their 5th engine and have had tons of body work done, seats, you name it and it was either reconditioned or replaced. But, they shine and draw a crowd.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

Wow, did Toyota and Honda buy a lot of ad space in Forbes that year?

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

I have no doubt the latest 4cyl diesel E-class will easily hit 250K and then some. The platform is well sorted, with few issues per all MB forums, The engine is robust and not stressed. I think in Europe, derivatives of these things will be hitting massive mileage in taxi duty.

You may be thinking of the engine, and that's true, but what about everything else that is attached to it? That would be my worry. Electronics & power steering are just two of the proven gremlins in those cars.

snakeweasel

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

PF_Flyer said:

Got the winter footwear on. Go ahead... snow... I triple dog dare ya!

OK, since we are talking tires, I took Mrs. j's 2012 Legacy in for PA state inspection yesterday and the guy I have been dealing with for years tells me the rear tires should be replaced but the fronts are OK but because this is an AWD car all of the tires have to be replaced and he gives me his price for several tires that he can get but they are not the Bridgestone Serenity that are on the car now. Since I have been dealing with the local Firestone store I told him that they will probably be giving me a pretty good adjustment since I have the lifetime balancing, rotation and lifetime alignment with them.

I go to the Firestone store and they said only the rear ones are bad but since the fronts are OK they can only give me an adjustment for the rear tires. I said, "so that is my reward for owning an AWD drive, huh? He essentially agreed with me but he couldn't give me an adjustment for the fronts because they still have around 50% tread on them. Firestone is the store that I have been doing the rebalancing, rotating, and alignments with since I bought those tires. So, I said, "your price for me buying 2 new tires and getting a 60% adjustment for the rear tires is more than the inspecting shop wants for 4 new tires". The guy says those tires are not the same quality as the Serenity's. When I told him for the price difference, about $235, I didn't care and would buy 4 new tires from the inspection garage. All of a sudden, he will give me a 50% credit for the front tires and 60% credit for the rear tires.

I'm waiting for his call when they come in. I don't want to go this week even if he calls today or Friday because of all the holiday mess that will be going on. I'll probably go some day next week but hopefully before it snows.

jmonroe

What good is a warranty if when one tire goes you have to replace all 4 tires? I thought AWD cars had to have tires replaced in pairs at least.....didn't even think of replacing them in 4s.

The tire on the E400 kept leaking so I took it in to the dealer. They told me I needed a new tire, the sidewall was damaged....couldn't patch it. I specifically asked if I should replace the pair of tires. He said the tread was still good (about 24000 miles) on the other tire, I would be wasting my money replacing both tires. The rear tires are a different size...or were a different size since the car is no longer with us.

I would read up whether you have to replace all 4 tires at this time. Also how many miles on the Sube?

I have heard about replacing all 4 tires on an AWD car before but I decided to do some checking online and found what I show below. There are other articles that say the same thing. Then I called the dealer and he confirmed it.

Subarus: Subarus have, to our knowledge, the tightest tolerance of any AWD system. Since we see so many, we can tell you what the tolerance is. It can be stated in two ways: The first is 2/32nds tread depth across all four tires. The problem with this is that actual tire dimensions can vary from brand to brand and even from model to model. Therefore the 2/32nds rule is only good if you have the exact same size, brand, and model tire. The other way to check is to measure the tire around the circumference and then the tolerance is 1/4". That was circumference, not diameter, so you have to have a flexible tape ruler and measure around the tread of the tire. Also, having air in the tire affects the circumference. Though the change due to having air in it is only about 1/8", it's pretty critical since the tolerance is only 1/4". Therefore, to get an accurate measurement, it's necessary to let the air out before you measure (since the prospective replacement probably won't be aired up). This second method allows you to check compatibility with any make or model of tire. When we were almost finished with this article, a Subaru came in that needed only one tire, so the picture shows us measuring the prospective replacement tire with our "Subaru Tool".

You may ask what the big deal is? Well, on the Subarus, if all four tires aren't matched within 1/4" around the circumference, you will break the transmission, not maybe or sometimes - it definitely happens. Granted it won't happen overnight, and the AWD on many Subarus can be disabled, but the transmissions can definitely get ruined and then they have to be repaired or replaced. Then the cost will be a lot more than the cost of tires!

If I didn't know better, I'd say Subaru and other AWD car companies are in cahoots with tire manufactures.

So, I'm screwed.

jmonroe

The heck with AWD. It's cheaper to just get a set of chains. Man, in the old days there was nothing that could stop you when you were chaining.

I've probably had less experience in the snow than almost anyone on here, but I did have a few rounds with it in my youth. Chains were great, and studded snow tires were pretty awesome. I think they made those illegal though?

Here in Illinois, the last time I checked, you can have studded snow tires if you were either 1.) handicapped and your driveway ended further than 100 yards (or was it 1,000 yards) from a paved road or 2.) you were a rural mail carrier. Other than that no studs.

Mr_Shiftright

No studs in Illinois---yeah, I knew that

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

No studs in Illinois---yeah, I knew that

Is that why you don't live in Illinois?

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

Wow, did Toyota and Honda buy a lot of ad space in Forbes that year?

Yeah, it's a pretty ridiculous list. 250K miles in a Yaris sounds more like a prison sentence, and the 2 Scions were not much better. Has any Miata ever been driven that far I wonder? It just doesn't seem like the kind of car that would get miled up. Body on frame V8 pickups could certainly do it with regular maintenance, especially if they are not used for heavy hauling. Generally the vehicles that are used as taxicabs put on a lot of miles so those would be ones I would look at.

fintail

I am not aware of any PS or specific electrical issues in W212, and I monitor the most active enthusiast forums (as I drive one myself).

I'd rather do 250K with German maintenance than in a Yaris or Miata.


You may be thinking of the engine, and that's true, but what about everything else that is attached to it? That would be my worry. Electronics & power steering are just two of the proven gremlins in those cars.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

No studs in Illinois---yeah, I knew that

Is that why you don't live in Illinois?

Yeah maybe I shouldn't have posted that to the peanut gallery here.

qbrozen

jmonroe said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty. jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty. If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have. The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned. This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off. jmonroe

I don't know about German cars getting better. I put far more trust in late 80s early 90s BMWs and Benzes than current models. 

driver100

I was just reading 5 myths about car buying. #5 was German Cars are Unreliable. The article says in part:

But are German cars actually unreliable? The 2015 VDS shows that after three years of ownership, four in 5 German makes score better than industry average when it comes to long-term quality. Owners of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW vehicles all report fewer problems than average. This is not merely a one-year fluke. Since the year 2000, Porsche has scored better than industry average in the VDS 14 times, even going so far as to rank highest among all nameplates in the 2010 study. BMW has scored better than industry average 12 times in the VDS since 2000, and Mercedes-Benz has outperformed the industry average nine times since 2000.

The myth suggests that these German brands produce unreliable vehicles, but actual long-term dependability results do not lie. Lately, German makes have been producing reliable vehicles, and the belief that they are unreliable should remain as nothing more than a myth.

JD POWERS 5 MYTHS ABOUT CARS

I am sure this myth will continue to be repeated, even though there are lots of articles that will say otherwise. My neighbor has had several diesel Jettas that have gone over 300000 miles...with no problems.

jmonroe

qbrozen said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

I don't know about German cars getting better. I put far more trust in late 80s early 90s BMWs and Benzes than current models. 

I get Consumer Reports and I know they are not always the most reliable for car info but the last few years they show German cars are more reliable and when this coincides with what I have heard from some people I know that have German cars, I WILL put some faith in that. I have no first hand knowledge of this but I don't want to find out either. What surprised me is that Audi is way up there now.

Like I said before, they can only improve from where they were.

jmonroe

jmonroe

driver100 said:

I was just reading 5 myths about car buying. #5 was German Cars are Unreliable. The article says in part:

But are German cars actually unreliable? The 2015 VDS shows that after three years of ownership, four in 5 German makes score better than industry average when it comes to long-term quality. Owners of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW vehicles all report fewer problems than average. This is not merely a one-year fluke. Since the year 2000, Porsche has scored better than industry average in the VDS 14 times, even going so far as to rank highest among all nameplates in the 2010 study. BMW has scored better than industry average 12 times in the VDS since 2000, and Mercedes-Benz has outperformed the industry average nine times since 2000.

The myth suggests that these German brands produce unreliable vehicles, but actual long-term dependability results do not lie. Lately, German makes have been producing reliable vehicles, and the belief that they are unreliable should remain as nothing more than a myth.

JD POWERS 5 MYTHS ABOUT CARS

I am sure this myth will continue to be repeated, even though there are lots of articles that will say otherwise. My neighbor has had several diesel Jettas that have gone over 300000 miles...with no problems.

According to that article you can't go wrong buying any make of car.

Just throw a dart at a board in your price range and go get it.

It just can't be that easy.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

I was just reading 5 myths about car buying. #5 was German Cars are Unreliable. The article says in part:

But are German cars actually unreliable? The 2015 VDS shows that after three years of ownership, four in 5 German makes score better than industry average when it comes to long-term quality. Owners of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW vehicles all report fewer problems than average. This is not merely a one-year fluke. Since the year 2000, Porsche has scored better than industry average in the VDS 14 times, even going so far as to rank highest among all nameplates in the 2010 study. BMW has scored better than industry average 12 times in the VDS since 2000, and Mercedes-Benz has outperformed the industry average nine times since 2000.

The myth suggests that these German brands produce unreliable vehicles, but actual long-term dependability results do not lie. Lately, German makes have been producing reliable vehicles, and the belief that they are unreliable should remain as nothing more than a myth.

JD POWERS 5 MYTHS ABOUT CARS

I am sure this myth will continue to be repeated, even though there are lots of articles that will say otherwise. My neighbor has had several diesel Jettas that have gone over 300000 miles...with no problems.

According to that article you can't go wrong buying any make of car.

Just throw a dart at a board in your price range and go get it.

It just can't be that easy.

jmonroe

And there could be some truth to the article......how many cars have terrible reliability? Even the cars at the bottom of the list would be pretty tolerable, and the ones in the top half are all pretty close. The more things a car has the more that can go wrong, and if a car has the newest and latest technological stuff, then there are usually more glitches.

American cars have also improved and are closing in on the leaders. As car plants have more robots, and cars are made more consistent, the quality for all cars will keep improving. But, like the article said, the German car thing is a myth, so let's not keep repeating it like it is a fact.

driver100

Quick Mike update. Mike has been home for a few days now. He has a care taker for most of the day. He needs a cane and walker to get around, but he did drive his CLS400 a few miles. He has 6000 miles and he joked that since the car is one year old he will have to take it in for an oil change....which he hasn't done for a very long time. He gets tired quickly, and he has oxygen.

I passed on your good wishes and I am sure that would lift his spirits. I know we would all love to hear from him in person.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Wow, did Toyota and Honda buy a lot of ad space in Forbes that year?

Yeah, it's a pretty ridiculous list. 250K miles in a Yaris sounds more like a prison sentence, and the 2 Scions were not much better. Has any Miata ever been driven that far I wonder? It just doesn't seem like the kind of car that would get miled up. Body on frame V8 pickups could certainly do it with regular maintenance, especially if they are not used for heavy hauling. Generally the vehicles that are used as taxicabs put on a lot of miles so those would be ones I would look at.

That would be the Crown Vics with the 4.6L. I don't doubt that the basic engine could do 250k miles but like the GM 3.8L it has some weak spots. The poorly designed timing chain guides come to mind.

My old F-150 did over 250k miles but rotted out underneath me like everything in the northeast.

nyccarguy

@ab348 - "250,000 miles in a Yaris is more like a prison sentence." That is without question your best line ever!

@fintail - you got the right idea by renting my friend.

stever

nyccarguy said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

The only one on that list that surprised me is the Chevrolet Avalanche. How the hell did that happen? That almost makes me question the credibility of that Forbes listing.

jmonroe

I've actually seen a few of these Avalanches with WELL OVER 250,000 miles. They just keep going. Indestructible.

My nephew sold his Avalanche last spring. He loved it - perfect for his kayaking and camping, but lots of electrical stuff kept breaking and when the transmission went he dumped it for $500.

Pretty sure he was pushing 300,000 miles on his.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

I was just reading 5 myths about car buying. #5 was German Cars are Unreliable. The article says in part:

But are German cars actually unreliable? The 2015 VDS shows that after three years of ownership, four in 5 German makes score better than industry average when it comes to long-term quality. Owners of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW vehicles all report fewer problems than average. This is not merely a one-year fluke. Since the year 2000, Porsche has scored better than industry average in the VDS 14 times, even going so far as to rank highest among all nameplates in the 2010 study. BMW has scored better than industry average 12 times in the VDS since 2000, and Mercedes-Benz has outperformed the industry average nine times since 2000.

The myth suggests that these German brands produce unreliable vehicles, but actual long-term dependability results do not lie. Lately, German makes have been producing reliable vehicles, and the belief that they are unreliable should remain as nothing more than a myth.

JD POWERS 5 MYTHS ABOUT CARS

I am sure this myth will continue to be repeated, even though there are lots of articles that will say otherwise. My neighbor has had several diesel Jettas that have gone over 300000 miles...with no problems.

According to that article you can't go wrong buying any make of car.

Just throw a dart at a board in your price range and go get it.

It just can't be that easy.

jmonroe

And there could be some truth to the article......how many cars have terrible reliability? Even the cars at the bottom of the list would be pretty tolerable, and the ones in the top half are all pretty close. The more things a car has the more that can go wrong, and if a car has the newest and latest technological stuff, then there are usually more glitches.

American cars have also improved and are closing in on the leaders. As car plants have more robots, and cars are made more consistent, the quality for all cars will keep improving. But, like the article said, the German car thing is a myth, so let's not keep repeating it like it is a fact.

While the German car myth may now be a "myth", the article said right off, "In today’s world, perception seems to become reality". It's very hard to overcome a bad reputation. I will admit that with the cache of the German cars they will probably climb out of their "myth" faster than American and Korean cars but it will be very hard to convince the world that the Japanese myth is a "myth".

jmonroe

graphicguy

stever said:

nyccarguy said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

The only one on that list that surprised me is the Chevrolet Avalanche. How the hell did that happen? That almost makes me question the credibility of that Forbes listing.

jmonroe

I've actually seen a few of these Avalanches with WELL OVER 250,000 miles. They just keep going. Indestructible.

My nephew sold his Avalanche last spring. He loved it - perfect for his kayaking and camping, but lots of electrical stuff kept breaking and when the transmission went he dumped it for $500.

Pretty sure he was pushing 300,000 miles on his.

The guy who had me as the best man at his wedding lo those many years ago swears by Chevy Avalanches (and is excited about the fact they're going to be produced again). He's had 3 of them....all stone reliable. He used the daylights out of them, too.

Separate topic...been watching the Blues Brothers on TV tonight. Ain't nothing better!

stickguy

my nephew is here for T'day. He bought a 1998ish Passat 3 years ago, well thrashed and pushing 200K at the time. Turns out he still has it, and it is getting him around. Has not actually cost huge money (certainly less than running a new car would), and has to be around 250K by now. And, it is the V6 model. So, it can be done if you want it bad enough!

and with the Germans, part of the issue is, when something does go, the cost can make your eyes bleed (for some failures).

stever

graphicguy said:

stever said:

nyccarguy said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

driver, thanks to you, I am putting the C class (your style) back up on my list for next year. By next November, 2014s should be getting pretty cheap (relatively). Out of warranty though, which is an issue.

Oh boy, the joys of owning a German car out of warranty.

jmonroe

Really? So far this year I have spent a whopping $114/month on non-warranty maintenance and repairs for the four BMWs I own.

Yes really. I know you like and will defend BMW's till your death and there are always exceptions but I like the odds of not owning one out of warranty.

If I want a car out of warranty I'd much rather have a Honda, Toyota and maybe even a Hyundai product and the stats back me up on that. I know German cars are getting better and have made strides moving up the reliability charts more than the other brands I just mentioned. The German brands could not have moved down too much. It would be almost impossible for Honda and Toyota products to move up the reliability charts as much as the German cars have.

The bad thing about being at the top is that there is only one way to go and so far that has not been too much of a problem for the brands I've mentioned.

This reminds of the days when I was in school and got an occasional 'A'. As much as I tried, I could never do better than that. Now, getting my favorite grade of a 'B', I knew there was room to improve and sometimes I could pull it off.

jmonroe

Here are the top 10 cars that will get you to 250000 miles. There are a few I would consider, if reliability was the main reason for buying a car.......but, since we only get one trip through this life as far as I have been able to figure out.....I want to (excuse the pun) enjoy the ride.
TOP 10 CARS THAT WILL GO 250000 MILES

The only one on that list that surprised me is the Chevrolet Avalanche. How the hell did that happen? That almost makes me question the credibility of that Forbes listing.

jmonroe

I've actually seen a few of these Avalanches with WELL OVER 250,000 miles. They just keep going. Indestructible.

My nephew sold his Avalanche last spring. He loved it - perfect for his kayaking and camping, but lots of electrical stuff kept breaking and when the transmission went he dumped it for $500.

Pretty sure he was pushing 300,000 miles on his.

The guy who had me as the best man at his wedding lo those many years ago swears by Chevy Avalanches (and is excited about the fact they're going to be produced again). He's had 3 of them....all stone reliable. He used the daylights out of them, too.

Separate topic...been watching the Blues Brothers on TV tonight. Ain't nothing better!

Oh, I hadn't heard that the Avalanche was coming back. I'll have to email my nephew right now.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

I was just reading 5 myths about car buying. #5 was German Cars are Unreliable. The article says in part: But are German cars actually unreliable? The 2015 VDS shows that after three years of ownership, four in 5 German makes score better than industry average when it comes to long-term quality. Owners of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW vehicles all report fewer problems than average. This is not merely a one-year fluke. Since the year 2000, Porsche has scored better than industry average in the VDS 14 times, even going so far as to rank highest among all nameplates in the 2010 study. BMW has scored better than industry average 12 times in the VDS since 2000, and Mercedes-Benz has outperformed the industry average nine times since 2000. The myth suggests that these German brands produce unreliable vehicles, but actual long-term dependability results do not lie. Lately, German makes have been producing reliable vehicles, and the belief that they are unreliable should remain as nothing more than a myth. JD POWERS 5 MYTHS ABOUT CARS I am sure this myth will continue to be repeated, even though there are lots of articles that will say otherwise. My neighbor has had several diesel Jettas that have gone over 300000 miles...with no problems.

"After 3 years of ownership.... when it comes to long-term quality."

If folks only expect 3 years of quality and consider that long-term, then I agree it is hard to go wrong with just about any vehicle on the market. 

driver100

I probably see more 1999 Mercedes on the roads than Fords or Chevs (even though far fewer were sold). They may cost more to maintain, but overall cost of driving may be lower if you keep a quality built car running for 15 or 20 years........and you won't have a car that will feel like it is worse than being in prison.

imidazol97

stever said:

My nephew sold his Avalanche last spring. He loved it - perfect for his kayaking and camping, but lots of electrical stuff kept breaking and when the transmission went he dumped it for $500.

Pretty sure he was pushing 300,000 miles on his.

Yup. That GM reputation--they just don't last!!!

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

stever said:

My nephew sold his Avalanche last spring. He loved it - perfect for his kayaking and camping, but lots of electrical stuff kept breaking and when the transmission went he dumped it for $500.

Pretty sure he was pushing 300,000 miles on his.

Yup. That GM reputation--they just don't last!!!

Boy, somebody spent time shining up that Lasabre. I still regret not being able to make the deal work on that low mile 2005 that I wanted for my son.