Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

driver100

fezo said:

On odd people in Florida - the year I lived in Tallahassee (where I'd live in a minute if the rest of the family was on board) someone filled me in on wackos of all ages in Florida. These are people with screwed up lives or just deeply unhappy and they end up moving to places that are perceived somewhat magical. Florida, California, Texas.... Once they get there they find out that they have brought the problem - themselves - with them and fall off the deep end.

A friend of mine moved down here from a northern NJ city because it seemed life wasn't working there. Unfortunately she brought along the problem. Her now ex-husband, She's been here a couple of decades now and has adapted better to the locals than I have!

I've learned this lesson - A Driver Lesson About Life....don't move to make yourself happy. Usually, whatever troubles someone goes with them. You can move because you like the climate more, you like the price of housing more, you want to be closer to family or some other reason, but, moving won't make an unhappy person into a happy person very often. And, happy is maybe a bit much....conted person would be more accurate.

roadburner

One of my BMW CCA friends lived in Massachusetts nearly all his life. Soon after he retired Massachusetts had one of those winters with over 110 inches of snow. Afterwards he said, "I never want to shovel another flake of snow for as long as I live." He and his wife moved to Celebration Florida where he lived out the rest of his life as happy as could be. I don't think he ever traveled north of the Mason-Dixon line again...

Michaell

jwilliams2 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Bumper Sticker seen on KIA:

"I'm 70 years old. Leave me the hell alone"

I could use one of those....

What ... the Kia or the bumper sticker?

roadburner

OK, I'm preparing my offer- how does this sound?

The CPO Challenger has been on the dealer's lot since July 24th. Since that time the price has dropped from $34,440 to $28,500. I'm thinking there is probably little if any profit left in the sled(based on auction sales and asking prices for similar cars). My Mazda has 147,000 miles on it, and I'm pretty sure that @$5,000 is all the money. So, I'm going to shake the tree and see if anything falls out: $27,000-$5,000= $22,000. With 6% sales tax I'm at $23,320- make it $23,500 OTD.

I might go up a little, but not much; they need to move that car, but I don't have to bu the SRT. With winter well and truly here -not to mention the holidays- I don't see a big V8 musclecar with three pedals and summer max performance tires becoming any easier to move.

Thoughts?

imidazol97

roadburner said:

So, I'm going to shake the tree and see if anything falls out: $27,000-$5,000= $22,000. With 6% sales tax I'm at $23,320- make it $28,500 OTD.
Thoughts?

Is that a one price offer? --no room to be bumped by them, which may be what they try to do?

oldfarmer50

Thoughts?

I don't see them perceiving any value in your Mazda with that milage. It could just be my high miles phobia but I think they would send it right to the auction. It wouldn't sell any better on their lot than the Challenger. Any chance of selling it privately?

But I think you're right that they must be desperate to sell that Challenger quickly so what have you got to lose?

explorerx4

@roadburner, 110 inches of snow is only bad if you get it all at once. A 20 inch storm is a pain, but usually by the next full day things are back to normal.

Mr_Shiftright

here's another one seen on a minivan:

"I used to be cool".

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Thoughts?

I don't see them perceiving any value in your Mazda with that milage. It could just be my high miles phobia but I think they would send it right to the auction. It wouldn't sell any better on their lot than the Challenger. Any chance of selling it privately?

But I think you're right that they must be desperate to sell that Challenger quickly so what have you got to lose?

Good analysis of the situation OF. $5000 sounds like a stretch for a 7 or 8 year old Mazda with 147k miles on it. It might be worth that to the current owner, but I got these general prices not knowing exact details........... $2800 to $3800 to a dealer and $3400 average.

Not much room for them to discount the Challenger, but you can ask....might want to wait until the last day of the month.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

here's another one seen on a minivan:

"I used to be cool".

lol.....cute!

jayrider

- A Driver Lesson About Life....don't move to make yourself happy.

A Jayrider version might be .... don't buy a new car to make yourself happy.

roadburner

I edited it- I meant $23,500 OTD. I might go up a little, but not much. I like the car, but only if I can get it cheap...

venture

roadburner said:

I edited it- I meant $23,500 OTD. I might go up a little, but not much. I like the car, but only if I can get it cheap...

I kept looking at the numbers and wondered if I was going nuts. Nobody had said anything.

I logged off and logged back in because I wanted another look...LOL.

That's what I figured you meant.

stickguy

I was wondering that too, but thought he might have made some odd calculation to factor in the trade $, but make a straight buy offer without the trade/ At least the #s worked that way!

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I was wondering that too, but thought he might have made some odd calculation to factor in the trade $, but make a straight buy offer without the trade/ At least the #s worked that way!

I was thinking the Mazda might be a good CL candidate. You might find an enthusiast who after looking at the maintaince records would overlook the miles.

roadburner

I have an aversion to dealing with C/L idiots, but that's just me...

stickguy

no, at this point, it is not just you. I may have to start driving cars into the boneyard and leaving them on the side of the road.

driver100

jayrider said:

- A Driver Lesson About Life....don't move to make yourself happy.

A Jayrider version might be .... don't buy a new car to make yourself happy.

Are you thinking of anyone in particular ?

Actually, that is a good rule of life too. You might get some enjoyment from driving a new car, but it won't magically make you a new and different person.

nyccarguy

roadburner said:

I edited it- I meant $23,500 OTD. I might go up a little, but not much. I like the car, but only if I can get it cheap...

Famous last words

ab348

roadburner said:

I edited it- I meant $23,500 OTD. I might go up a little, but not much. I like the car, but only if I can get it cheap...

Just buy the damn thing!

stickguy

You people thought I was bad at committing.

qbrozen

RB - I don't remember the details on your mazda, but I think your numbers are unrealistic. They are already damned low on the challenger. They can send it off to auction right now and clear $27k on it after expenses. So you are offering them that but then they would take an additional bath on your mazda, making it a bigger overall loss. I think $28k-$4k=$24k + $1440 tax + doc fees + DMV/title fees = $25,800-$26k?
And that would be a damned near zero profit deal for them.

explorerx4

@roadburner, Drive the Chally first, you probably won't like how it handles.

Michaell

explorerx4 said:

@roadburner, Drive the Chally first, you probably won't like how it handles.

I'm pretty sure @roadburner‌ rented a Challenger not too long ago for a road trip with his son.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

jayrider said:

- A Driver Lesson About Life....don't move to make yourself happy.

A Jayrider version might be .... don't buy a new car to make yourself happy.

Are you thinking of anyone in particular ?

Actually, that is a good rule of life too. You might get some enjoyment from driving a new car, but it won't magically make you a new and different person.

Sure it will, don't you listen to the car ads? I'm particularly drawn to the cars that come with an attractive blonde woman as standard equipment.

stickguy

Farmer, trust me, that is an expensive option!

oldfarmer50

Just saw a Chevy commercial offering 20% off on any truck "in dealer stock the longest".

What do you think that means?

roadburner

Michaell said:

explorerx4 said:

@roadburner, Drive the Chally first, you probably won't like how it handles.

I'm pretty sure @roadburner‌ rented a Challenger not too long ago for a road trip with his son.

Correct. And this was my conclusion:

The V6 is just not my kind of car, but it is perfect for the demographic it is aimed at. As for me, if I had the money and garage space I'd buy an SRT just to take to cruise nights and for longer trips with two passengers.

fezo

cdnpinhead said:

The glass may be too big.

That's engineer talk....

I could use one of those bumper stickers. I'm only 63 (that'll change in January) but I think I have special qualifications.

explorerx4

@oldfarmer, I saw the same commercial . 20% of MSRP CASH BACK.

graphicguy

jayrider said:

- A Driver Lesson About Life....don't move to make yourself happy.

A Jayrider version might be .... don't buy a new car to make yourself happy.

But, But, But.....................

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

Just saw a Chevy commercial offering 20% off on any truck "in dealer stock the longest".

What do you think that means?

It means you can take home a truck that's been a dog on their lot for the last 4-5 months, in a color not found in nature, with options only a sadist would love for 20% off the "Adjusted MSRP Dealer Sticker".

driver100

graphicguy said:

jayrider said:

- A Driver Lesson About Life....don't move to make yourself happy.

A Jayrider version might be .... don't buy a new car to make yourself happy.

jayrider said:

- A Driver Lesson About Life....don't move to make yourself happy.

A Jayrider version might be .... don't buy a new car to make yourself happy.

But, But, But.....................

Too late for you GG!

Ah, your probably the exception to the rule anyway.

houdini1

Cell Phones

I probably just missed it, but I don't remember any serious conversation about cell phones and carriers with all the experts we have here. Any strong feelings on the sub. of which phone is best and which carrier, etc?

Michaell

houdini1 said:

Cell Phones

I probably just missed it, but I don't remember any serious conversation about cell phones and carriers with all the experts we have here. Any strong feelings on the sub. of which phone is best and which carrier, etc?

I think it's highly regional. We've got Sprint, but both the wife and I are dissatisfied with the coverage. We live in a small town outside of Denver, and there are a number of 'dead spots' we encounter regularly. Have thought about switching to either Verizon or AT&T, but just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

We both have the iPhone 4S.

fezo

Do NOT go with AT&T! When I was in NYC recovering I had to have a caregiver every night for four months. All friends and family worked out fine, but one of my caregivers had a ATT cell phone. There was no coverage. We're talking mid-town Manhattan! From the terrace on the place you could see both Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building.

For networks you can't beat Verizon. It has its own issues but no one else has a network like they do.

rb - I tried waiting out for the price to drop on that Miata and offered what the car was actually worth but he found someone to pay the reduced ridiculous price.

abacomike

houdini1 said:

Cell Phones I probably just missed it, but I don't remember any serious conversation about cell phones and carriers with all the experts we have here. Any strong feelings on the sub. of which phone is best and which carrier, etc?

I have the new iPhone 6.  Some of the features on this new phone are outstanding.  Siri I much mor user friendly with almost no translation issues.  I can make a call by just pressing a button and saying "call Justin" and Siri responds "dialing Justin!"  The same is true if I want to play music already loaded in the phone, "Play I Wat to Know What Love Is" and Siri responds "here's I want to know what love is..."

The screen is much larger and the type (font) sizes are much bigger.  I have several books already downloaded as well.  

The he ringer is much louder than the 4 S so I can hear a phone call coming in even when the phone is in my pocket.  It handles LTE and 4G high speed data.  The processor is 3 times faster than the 4 S was.

The phone is definitely a major improvement over previous iPhones.  Apple Care is very responsive to requests for assistance.  I took out an additional year for extended warranty (Apple Care) for an additional $100.

I I have been with AT&T, Verizon, and several other carriers which used to cost me over $100 a month for limited data and unlimited calling and texting.  I am now with TMobile.  Unlimited calling, texting and 2 gigs of LTE data and after that, unlimited slower data once the high speed 2 Gigs are used up.  All for $62 a month which includes all taxes.

I have not experienced the dropped calls I used to experience with the other carriers.

I recommend the new iPhone 6.  It cost me $649 for the phone.

isellhondas

I have an iPhone 5C and it does everything I need and much more. I don't need to watch movies or play video games on my phone nor do I need to upgrade ever time a new version comes out.

But...that's me. I like it better than the Samsung Android it replaced.

We use T-Mobile and have no complaints really. Had Verizon before and they were fine too.

graphicguy

I second what fezo said....stay away from AT&T. I've never encountered such incompetency, across the board, regardless of the person or service you're encountering, as I did with AT&T. I got so disgusted with them that I left them, even with my unlimited data evergreen clause in my contract, and being with them for about 15 years.

Sprint has terrible coverage around me. So, that may be different in your burg. I've heard good and bad regarding TMobile. The rest, I'm not that familiar with except for Verizon. No dropped calls. I have a 2 GB plan, and they throw in an extra 1 GB as a "gimme". No dropped calls. No slow data. Their customer service people are efficient, helpful, and friendly. Can't ask for more than that.

BTW...I like the way Cadillac DUE has implemented SIRI on my iPhone. I press the "voice assistant button and hold it for 3 seconds and SSIRI comes on (vs CUE lady if I only hold the button for 1 second). I can say..."Siri, play Led Zepelin" and my iPhone plays all of my Led. I say "play NPR podcast" and it does. I hit the Pandora button on the touchscreen, and Pandora plays, with my phone in my pocket. Nifty!!!!!

qbrozen

iphone 5 here. Can't complain.

We had Sprint for ... probably a decade or more. It was fine most of the time, but when I moved to an even more rural area, forget it. Coverage was pretty terrible and, worst of all, no signal at my house. Switched to AT&T and have had fantastic service, including manhattan, so not sure what was up with Fezo's caregiver's phone. Only place so far we didn't have a signal was the middle of the Nevada desert. Go figure.

What really got my attention was when AT&T, with no prompting from me, changed me to a better plan when it became available with more data for less money.

stever

Pageplus (aka Tracphone) here that uses Verizon and mostly works across the country. We made sure the iPad we got uses Verizon when we buy megs for it and it works well so long as you don't stray too far from the major highways (which we do a lot).

It's pretty handy using the iPad as a hotspot and being able to log onto Edmunds and work while my wife drives me around. I can understand why making your car a hotspot would be a selling point to some people.

(bummer about the Miata, @Fezo).

stickguy

I have an iphone 5. Whole family is on Verizon. Probably not the cheapest, but no complaints about the service. Overall, I think VZ has the best coverage, especially in the NE. I have read about T mobile, and at least in the Philly area, much spottier coverage.

Mr_Shiftright

I have an Android MAXX, which I bought primarily for the outstanding battery life. It's a 2013 phone I think so doesn't have all the latest whiz-bang features (but has most of them) , and I got it for $49 with Verizon on an unlimited talk and text with 2GB of data (more than enough for streaming music and Navigation while driving) and this costs me a total of around $62 a month.

Verizon has excellent coverage. I am constantly outperforming my friends with ATT and T-Mobile when we all reach to make a call in some out of the way place. I always win.

I shopped the BIG phones "Phablets" and found them too awkward for one-handed use.

houdini1

I appreciate all the input on cell phones and plans. We have been with T mobile for 6 years and all has been OK, but I am lusting for an iphone 6 and with T mobile you have to shell out $650. With most other carriers you can get one for about $200. with a 2 year contract.

Right now Sprint looks to have the best family plan for my wife and me, but I am a little leery of their coverage area and customer service, etc. Just doing due diligence.

robr2

I've been with AT&T for years and have never had a problem with them.

T-Mobile around here is so bad. I was travelling with a manager recently and he basically gave up and used my phone.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Just saw a Chevy commercial offering 20% off on any truck "in dealer stock the longest".

What do you think that means?

It means you can take home a truck that's been a dog on their lot for the last 4-5 months, in a color not found in nature, with options only a sadist would love for 20% off the "Adjusted MSRP Dealer Sticker".

Like this?

Mr_Shiftright

Just park for a few nights on the streets in San Francisco and your truck can look like that.

explorerx4

Those oldest inventory trucks are probably high end models. A couple of weeks ago, I was walking a Ford dealer lot and saw 2 new loaded 2013 King Ranch S'crews.

nyccarguy

They could just have weird early options. My best friend's Red 2015 Tahoe has the Luxury Group & rear entertainment system, but no sunroof or navigation.

abacomike

When I was in the car/truck business, I did quite a bit of ordering for our inventory.  I tried to stock most colors and most options, but I always ordered more trucks and cars with the most popular options and the best selling colors (grays, silvers, whites, blacks and beiges).  I always had a few loaded up vehicles for those customers who wanted everything.  I ordered fewer red, yellow, and odd colors for obvious reasons.

But the real reason I always ended up with weird colors and weird option packages in some vehicles was because at the end of every month, dealers were always given additional allocations of trucks and cars that we always opted to take - but those were the "left-overs" or odd lot vehicles that had crazy option and color combinations.

My guess is that the dealer had accepted the truck(s) as part of an addendum allocation at the end of the year.