Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

guss

But , Jeeps are supposed to look old. It must be a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand.

I like the Wranglers look , but The Commanders and Grand Cherokee's have lost their way with a half retro half modern design.

I don't like the rear tire in the tailgate either. I had a '89 Blazer that had one and it was a bad design to swing a 40lb tire out of the way every time you wanted to get into the back.

mark156

That doesn't sound very good. Have you considered a dolly or a flatbed trailer perhaps for this purpose.

Growwise, it's really a lot of trouble to have a tow dolly or trailer. Where will you put it when camping? Once the car is off the trailer, how will move it? It's just one more piece to worry about.

The CR-V is approved by Honda for towing all four wheels down. As long as the procedure if followed, it's not a problem.

I did look at the Wrangler four door, it weighs more than the Honda and I'm just wild about the Wrangler. I've never ridden in a new one but I would assume that they ride rough.

Mark156

au1994

My friend has a Wranger, probably 3 yrs old, and the ride is in a word harsh. His has a soft top and converstion at highway speed is done at a shout, even with the top up.

mark156

In my previous post... I should have said "I'm NOT wild about the Wrangler"... sorry I left the word NOT out.

au1994

I'm with you. To me it falls into that category of a car that would be fun to own if you did not have to drive it every day.

growwise

Yeah kinda figured that... You can see why though...
http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/HondaCRV/Photos.htm
Compare this



with this



http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jm/07wrangler.htm

jaserb

I am seriously digging the little Protege I mentioned a few weeks ago: jaserb, "Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous" #8983, 17 Feb 2007 4:49 pm

It reminds me SO much of my '93 SE-R - I LOVED that car - but with the more usable back seat and extra set of doors I can fit the whole crew in it. My sister has a 2000 Sentra SE 2.0 with the same SR20 motor, but it doesn't have the same eager nature of either the old SE-R or the Protege. I actually paid for a 2 year registration at the DMV instead of 1 yr - talk about an un-CCBA like thing to do!

Last week while traveling I had a Mazda6 rental and I have to say I like my Protege better - much more nimble and tossable. The interior materials seem nicer too. Maybe it's a US Mazda / Japanese Mazda thing.

The truck wasn't getting much interest from the classifieds so I just took it to CarMax. Got $750 less than I paid for it 7 mos ago, even after putting on 6k miles and having some minor bodywork done, so I'm pretty happy.

-Jason

woodyww

Uuummmmm.....Is that your $40K Dodge Ram that you only drive maybe once a week? (Not that I can't relate).

woodyww

I wouldn't rule out the RAV 4 V6. It would certainly solve the power problem. And in my area, 2 of the best dealers are Toyota dealers, & sell RAV 4's at close to invoice--I don't think (?) that's hard to accomplish. Of course you might just really want or need a larger, more expensive vehicle--used MDX maybe? :P

fezo

Ya know what I like about this post? How many people in Alaska have a convertible?

You definitely need some kind of award for that!

akangl

Uuummmmm.....Is that your $40K Dodge Ram that you only drive maybe once a week? (Not that I can't relate).

Yup, that would be the truck, lol. I just don't drive much, have driven maybe 1600 miles in the past couple months. Driving just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I still like looking at cars though, lol.

akangl

Ya know what I like about this post? How many people in Alaska have a convertible?

You definitely need some kind of award for that!

The Sebring I have is a coupe, made by Mitsubishi, unlike the convertable made by Chrysler. The coupe is the better of the 2 cars. Its got a big sunroof though, lol, then again, so does my truck.

woodyww

I just don't drive much....Driving just doesn't appeal to me anymore.

That sounds like me, altho I do really like driving my bmw, when I drive it. In fact, I find when I'm driving my 6 y.o. 5-series, I'm mainly digging the car, as opposed to when I'm sitting in front of my computer, & start fantasizing about all the other vehicles I could get.

I do notice current-gen dodge rams when I see them. Cool looking trucks IMO, & you don't see them as much as fords or chevys which are more generic-looking to me.

growwise

Driving just doesn't appeal to me anymore

Add me to the club. It took me 1.5 hours to commute back today from work. At 30 miles thats a woeful 20 mph average. Traffic snarl is ridiculous at peak hour. Need to resist leaving work at 5 pm

Come to think of it, whats the point of having a v6 if you cant enjoy it? :sick:

fintail

My evening commute virtually never averages more than 20mph, and I have a big V8 car. I can average 40-45mph in the morning, as I leave early. I only do pleasure drives on Sundays anymore. Indeed, driving isn't fun, on weekdays anyway.

tifighter

Yeah, I'd like to think that the Outlander would hold its value a little better vs. Mitsu's of the past just due to the sheer feature content. I don't see its features being significantly outdone for a few years. I think they missed the boat, though, on not making that great 10 year powertrain warranty transferable. If you are trying to improve resale, that would be a factor.

Resale is a big deal for a CCBA-er; a big reason I can entertain making a move is because the Subaru holds its value well and that gives me options.

tifighter

Hey Mark156-

Yeah, I know I should check out the new CRV; I am sure it is a great car. But for some reason, I just can't get excited about it. Two close friends have the previous generation and they love them.

Hey, since you were looking at for something to tow behind the new RV, did you ever look at the Suzuki Grand Vitara? I heard that the odo doesn't roll when it is in neutral so it could towed without accumulating miles. Just curious.

Liberty is not on my radar. But a new-gen diesel AWD sonething or another in the next few years could get my interest.

tifighter

I'm just inherently too cheap to buy a MDX. :P
Plus they're too big.

The RAV 4 does it all on paper. Two issues: I'm not crazy about the swinging door; I had one of those on my old Trooper and it was a bit of a pain. It's nice to the stand under the swing open gate on the Subie and put the ski boots on, protected from the rain (hey, I'm in Seattle; we ski in rain).

Other issue: I was skiing last week and saw a guy in a new RAV V6 Sport trying to drive up an pretty gentle snow-covered (maybe 4 inches)slope. He stopped for some reason, and when he tried to get going again, and the front tires AND rear tires just spun. Now, I know the RAV has a button that locks power to the front and rear at 55/45 and I don't think this guy switched it on. But I was still surprised that, even without it, its AWD system couldn't figure where to put the power to get moving. I like to ski when its snowing hardest and conditions are nasty, so this is a bit of a concern.

I need to check one out.

lilengineerboy

When I was in college my commute was between 18 and 25 miles an hour, 12 miles each way, every weekday. It wasn't so bad though, since I was on a bicycle.
Honestly though, I dunno what I would do if traffic got that miserable around me. I know where my grandma lives on the outskirts of Cincy is a total mess on surface streets, but once you reach the I-71 its fine.

mark156

tifighter, I didn't consider the Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 because my towing guide gives it more severe limitations on towing. Suzuki recommends that you should not drive over 55 mph when towing. The Honda will allow me to go 65 mph.

So, the Suzuki is out. The Suzuki weighs 182 lbs. more than the Honda.

My salesman says my new CR-V might be in by Wednesday. I'm going out of town for 10 days so he says he'll hang on to it. I hope he doesn't try and sell it to someone else, I'm already paying MSRP for the little thing.

Also, my salesman told me that any newer car's odometer will not run when towing.

Mark156

mark156

Once I get the new CR-V and coach, I'm having a tow hitch company install the Blue Ox tow bar and base plate to the Honda. Then they are going to run an 'apparatus' to the Honda's power brake master cylinder so that when I apply the air-brakes on the coach, the Honda's brakes will activate in exactly the same pressure.

The other choice would be to put in a 'brake buddy' that fits between the front seat and pedals. The only drawback is that it has to be removed when driving and re-attached.

Mark156

akangl

The Explorer is a no go. After my brother got it out of its hole there was more damage to it than we originally thought. The frame has a crinkle about 12" forward of the spring shackle. We originally thought that the damage was limited to the bumper and frame horn. Not to mention the engine appears to have a balance problem after its warmed up and the tranny is sluggish. So, back to the drawing board, I'll find something eventually I suppose.

I'm headed back to Anchorage this morning, got home at 3 am and have to go back now. Little one was admitted to the hospital last night. :sick:

grandtotal

Also, my salesman told me that any newer car's odometer will not run when towing.

It won't because odometers (and speedometers) are electronic these days. You could argue that it should though because there is still wear and tear on tires, bearings, suspension etc. which will not be commensurate with the odometer reading.

qbrozen

really? so i should shut the ignition off on long downhills to keep the miles off my lease?

kyfdx

Yeah.... and don't worry about the steering wheel locking up... that's what insurance is for!! :surprise:

zodiac2004

Yeah.... and don't worry about the steering wheel locking up... that's what insurance is for

Don't most new cars have electric steering, which would nullify the lockup problem?
And the brakes are probably good for a few minutes after the engine is turned off.

kyfdx

When you turn the key off (backwards), the steering wheel mechanically locks...

As far as your brakes? Without the car on, you lose the hydraulic assist.. Most people have never driven a car without power brakes... the amount of force you have to use is astonishing... most people think their brakes have gone out, when that happens..

Anyway.... it was a joke..

tifighter

Good to know on the Suzuki. I remember that they used to make a point of the odo thing in their advertising, but they're probably looking for anything to make an impression with buyers.

Hope you like your CR-V

woodyww

I'm just inherently too cheap to buy a MDX

I can sure relate to being "inherently cheap". And yeah the swinging door on the RAV is not a plus. (Altho there's always "something", on every vehicle, that makes it not quite the right choice, it seems).

I'm guessing the huge 18" tires on the RAV Sport might be the cause of the poor snow performance. I had a Range Rover with 18" "all season" tires & it was lousy in snow--a RR!? But I wonder how good the RAV is compared to the Forester in snow, with comparable tires, etc? (I have no clue myself, I'm just asking).....

corvette

Hope your daughter is doing better!

corvette

Funny you mention that--I saw this article linked from The Consumerist the other day:

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

Talk about crazy--and dangerous...

boomchek

No wonder one of the guys in the interview didn't want his name used, proabably not a good idea if his insurance co. finds out about his driving techniques.

jlawrence01

The guy was on WGN Radio's Spike O'Dell's show this morning.

What I don't understand is why if the guy is SO concerned about the environment, why he does not move closer to work so that he does not drive 100+ miles a day?

Or is this one of those Al Gore "do as I say, not as I do" types?

kyfdx

Actually, he is (was) a frequent contributor to the forums.. Not much recently, though..

I found that article hilarious...

qbrozen

Well, I got to go on a car-test-driving bonanza yesterday, dicker with a few salespeople, and finally go through the whole buying process yesterday. It was for my sister, but, as most of us here know, its the chase that holds the excitement, so I hope I got my fill for a little while. That is until next week or the week after when now her husband wants my help finding him something new.

Anyway, we tried several used cars, a couple of new ones, and finally narrowed her final choice down to a new Dodge Caliber. The 1st dealer wasn't dealing and the 2nd dealer put up a heck of a struggle, but we got it done and she is very happy.

It is an impressive car, I have to say. WEllll... ok, not impressive in and of itself, but if you consider the price and entry-car status, I think it offers alot for the money. I put it right up there with the mazda3 in terms of "wow, this is a $16k compact car?!" status.

And, oddly enough, the brother-in-law wants to drive the mazda3 this week to see if it is enough to get him off the Volvo fence.

jlawrence01

It is an impressive car, I have to say. WEllll... ok, not impressive in and of itself, but if you consider the price and entry-car status, I think it offers alot for the money. I put it right up there with the mazda3 in terms of "wow, this is a $16k compact car?!" status.

I guess MY reaction was "16k for that?!?!?!"

Since my beater died about a month ago, I have been driving a lot of rental cars to decide what I want.

I thought the Caliber was a pretty decent ride - but a car that size only achieved about 25 mpg on my last vacation. Still a MASSIVE improvement over the Neon it replaced.

The Mazda 3 ... well its like dating the prom queen. Great looks, but the more time you spend with it, the more absolutely bored you get with it. Tight squeeze to get into it, average gas mileage, and relatively loud. More geared toward their target audience.

The test drives this week will probably by the Nissan Versa and Sentra and maybe a Toyota or two.

qbrozen

25mpg? I hope not. Not with the 2.0 and CVT, anyway. If she gets 25, it will be the first car I've ever personally known that didn't at least achieve EPA city (this car is rated at 26/30).

Problem for my sis is that she wants lots of room. So short of getting yet another SUV, this fit the bill real nice. And I couldn't get her to like the xB, no matter how hard I tried. After driving around in her 2003 CRV all day, I found the Caliber to be quite a bit more comfortable and quieter. I think that says alot. (after making the observation, the others on the trip agreed, so it wasn't just my imagination).

The Mazda3? Boring? I'm not sure what that is in comparison to, but if you compare it to the others in its class and pricerange, I don't see how anyone could say that. I'd be willing to bet it would easily be the track star out of all the $15k new cars out there.

akangl

Was coming back from the mall this afternoon and saw the Hyundai dealer so pulled in there to check out the 2007 Santa Fe. Had seen one at the mall a week ago and wanted a closer look. Have to say I was impressed, really nice SUV for the money. Lots of room, nice design, good warranty, and quite fun to drive. Temptation was there, but then I think about it not holding its value, about people thinking I've lost what was left of my mind, all that fun stuff, lol.

grandtotal

You need help, seriously.

michaellno

Some friends of ours have an '07 Santa Fe. They traded in their '03 Santa Fe on it (and, before the '03 Santa Fe, they had an '03 Elantra for about 5 or 6 weeks which they traded in).

Anyway, I haven't yet ridden in the '07, but from what I've seen, it's very impressive in terms of room and features. They got, I believe, a GLS trim with 5 seats. No idea what they paid for it.

Glad you were able to exercise a bit of self-restraint.

akangl

You need help, seriously.

LOL, probably, but that was the first new vehicle I've test driven in over 8 months, so I am getting better. My truck turned 20k miles the other day, sure doesn't seem like I've driven it that much.

woodyww

Maybe in 10-15 years, Hyundais will have better resale/reputations?

Your Ram has 20K miles, after a year or so? Maybe you're using it a lot? I notice Bobby Flay (celebrity chef on the food channel) drives a black/black D/C current-gen Ram, at least on TV.....

akangl

Your Ram has 20K miles, after a year or so? Maybe you're using it a lot?

Its just over 8 months old, so yeah its been driven a little, lol. Nearly 6k miles of those 20k are from our trip to Washington. I'm not driving nearly as much as I used to, even less as time goes on.

paulhuang

Very dangerous. The buddy who tries to at least go with the flow of traffic has much more sense.

I also agree, why commute that far if he wants to conserve gas? I bet he could have ridden a bicycle to get milk too.

Finally, his last name showed up on page 4 of the article. It was a quote from the 17-years-old who momentarily led the competition. I hope his insurance agent and traffic law enforcement officials aren’t reading this.

corvette

I drove down Skyline Drive and part of the Blue Ridge Parkway the last couple of days. Every time I went downhill, I kept thinking to myself that the crazy guy from the article would be killing the engine and coasting down the hill in neutral. It was a relaxed, scenic drive, and a hybrid car would've been perfect for that part of the trip. It would've been less ideal on Highway 129, which I drove this morning.

Anyway, the drive was beautiful, especially Skyline Drive.

kyfdx

Vacation in a few weeks.. We are looking to spend a couple of days in Sedona. Any recommendations on where to stay in Sedona? Any Jeep tour companies?

Two adults and a 13-yr-old. Medium budget.

We have the rest of the vacation pretty well planned out. Flying to Phoenix, Grand Canyon, etc..

Thanks a lot!!
kyfdx

kyfdx

The Tail of the Dragon? After you got rid of the BMW?

guss

I love Skyline Drive. It has been a few years since I went that way, but if you can do it in the fall it is incredible. The limited access makes i for a very leisurely ride. You just have to get into the right mentality that it is ok to be driving 35 to 45 , when you could be making great time on the interstate doing 75.

The guy in your article is a wacadoo. Why spend that muck effort trying to save $25 a week. I agree about looking ahead and costing in certain situations. But, turning off the engine is crazy.

growwise

Do you have a turbo diesel engine in your truck? If so, then 20k is just breaking in. Most diesel trucks routinely go beyond 250k with regular maintenance.

corvette

It was still a lot of fun! The Audi is less communicative, and has less outright grip at the limits (the all-season tires are mostly to blame there), but I bet I had more fun than the person in the Grand Cherokee I got stuck behind at the end. I think I would go through a couple of sets of tires a year if I lived closer to the Dragon.

What is there to do in Sedona? Off-road trails?