Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

roadburner said:

Yes, I read about that, as well as the driveshaft carrier bearing needing regular replacement. So those coolant lines are under the manifold, huh? Was hoping I could look for that before buying but I guess I can't.

Here's a coolant pipe repair kit. Not bad if you are brave enough to tackle it yourself. I'm probably crazy enough to attempt it...

Oh you know I'd do it myself

qbrozen

ab348 said:

Lots of VW and Audi love on these boards. Only two American cars. Wow.

To be fair, most of the recent TDI purchases are what I would call opportunistic rather than people who specifically set out to buy a VW/Audi.

Yep. Maybe the number should have an asterisk like Roger Maris' home run record used to have.

As long as VW buys mine back before the year is out, it is likely I will get in 2 additional punches this year.

corvette

Michaell said:

It's still possible I could have a punch in the next couple of months.

@corvette how do the punch guesses line up?

Punch guesses for 2016:
michaell 25
nyccarguy 25
sandman_6742 27
au1994 27
stever 27.5
28firefighter 28
breld 28
tifighter 29
carnaught 29
roadburner 30
stickguy 30
henryn 33

I figure we will have at least 33, at this point. It's really hard to guess a number when we have new people coming in during the year (and old standbys like akangl reducing their purchases). Anyone heard from mark156 lately?

Sandman6472

From what I can tell, we're the only ones who bought an Audi and VW with plans to keep them for the long term, both bought within 12 days of each other. So far with 21K on the clock, am enjoying mine immensely. The A3 has not even hit 16K yet but I do have a longer commute right now. But it's been flawless only receiving normal maintenance. The tire issue was caused by driver error, no fault of the vehicle. Think she likes it more than she'll admit to be honest and mentioned last night that t might not be that bad an idea for me to take it over when she's ready for something new! I was speechless!!!

The Sandman

tjc78

The heck with that @sandman_6472 ... Have her trade it in, then when you are ready get a brand new one!!

kyfdx

I've seen a couple of A3 TDIs in Florida.

stickguy

a couple of months ago, I thought I shot way high on the guesses. Now I know that I am going to finish 2nd!

stickguy

so, moving on from TDIs, Through a random link, I now have a different plan going (as always, subject to change). I really like the looks of the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq. Wife even liked the concept. Now just need to see one, drive one, and price one! We would likely do well with a hybrid, since we do a ton of real short local drives, that just kill MPG on the regular cars.

sda

mlevine said:

My son kept telling me his friend is paying less than he is on a dodge charger. His has an SXT and his friend has a RT. Something did not sound right. Then I got the details. His friend's RT had about 5K miles on it and was considered a used car. He also put money down, unsure how much. I also asked how many months was his loan? Not sure. That's why his car cost less than yours. As in prior posts, there is always a bit of information missing. I told my son your car was new and you did not put a lot of money down.

It amazes me that many buy cars and other items and don't know what terms they agreed to, yet, the monthly payment is ok.

corvette

Where are you guys reading car reviews nowadays (besides Edmunds )?

TTAC nearly imploded due to a handful of commenters, Alex Dykes seems to no longer be posting video reviews there, and you need to have your ad blocker running to avoid getting a virus from their ad servers (which they have no control over, per their editor).

Jalopnik has Doug DeMuro for irritainment, but has too way many authors. (One of their newer authors has terrible grammar and syntax and seems to have been hired based solely on physical attractiveness.)

suydam

Alex Dykes is on YouTube.

corvette

suydam said:

Alex Dykes is on YouTube.

Good point, he also has a website with the car reviews linked. I do miss the summary write-ups he did on TTAC, which were quicker to read than watching a 10-20 minute video.

Sandman6472

Keep coming back to BMW and Mini it seems. Still finding 1 Series around with lowish miles for not that bad prices. Just hate the mpg's as they are pretty dismal compared to my Golf. Switching to a higher mpg vehicle was one of my reasons for swapping out of the Tucson and into the VW after just over a year of Hyundai ownership. While I'm still working, going the other way in mpg's will be a hard sell with the other half. Am hoping to retire again in either December of 2017 or June 2018 and would like to get into something new at retirement time as I know I'll be driving so much less.
Time will tell to be honest but think it best to hold onto the Golf until that time and then look to get into something new afterwards.

The Sandman

ab348

corvette said:

Where are you guys reading car reviews nowadays (besides Edmunds )?

TTAC nearly imploded due to a handful of commenters, Alex Dykes seems to no longer be posting video reviews there, and you need to have your ad blocker running to avoid getting a virus from their ad servers (which they have no control over, per their editor).

Jalopnik has Doug DeMuro for irritainment, but has too way many authors. (One of their newer authors has terrible grammar and syntax and seems to have been hired based solely on physical attractiveness.)

I don't really have any go-to site for reviews. TTAC has always been biased one way or the other, and the commenters there have always been horrid. Mark the editor is trying his best but he doesn't have much to work with. Autos.ca posts a review a day at minimum but their biases are horrible and they have about the worst bunch of commenters there I have encountered anywhere. Edmunds has its biases too but they are much more moderate than a lot of other sites. Between them and the magazine sites I find what I need.

stickguy

this is an interesting used car. lots of stuff, and MPG, for the money. No clue if I would like one though. Probably too big of a barge for me.

http://www.nissanofatlanticcity.com/used/2014-toyota-avalon_hybrid-xle_touring-tn2866/

though I do like the color on this one. Q might like it too.

http://www.nissanofatlanticcity.com/used/2012-volvo-s60-t5_w_moonroof-p1294/

qbrozen

Yup. My fave color on that car. I like it better with the saddle interior though.

Michaell

stickguy said:

this is an interesting used car. lots of stuff, and MPG, for the money. No clue if I would like one though. Probably too big of a barge for me.

http://www.nissanofatlanticcity.com/used/2014-toyota-avalon_hybrid-xle_touring-tn2866/

though I do like the color on this one. Q might like it too.

http://www.nissanofatlanticcity.com/used/2012-volvo-s60-t5_w_moonroof-p1294/

My cousin owned an Avalon Hybrid, though I think hers was the Limited trim level. Nice car. She traded it in for a 2015 RX350, however.

I like that Volvo, too. Nice price - you think it's priced low since its FWD?

stickguy

not sure how much difference AWD vs. FWD makes on one of these. Probably just because it is a 2012.

if I was to get one, I would go for FWD. simpler, and less expensive stuff to go wrong. and around here, you really don't need to upgrade from FWD.

stever

corvette said:

Jalopnik has Doug DeMuro for irritainment.

Hulk Hogan may wind up being the editor in chief (and head bottlewasher) of Jalopnik if the Gawker Ch. 11 converts to a 7.

graphicguy

corvette said:

Where are you guys reading car reviews nowadays (besides Edmunds )?

TTAC nearly imploded due to a handful of commenters, Alex Dykes seems to no longer be posting video reviews there, and you need to have your ad blocker running to avoid getting a virus from their ad servers (which they have no control over, per their editor).

Jalopnik has Doug DeMuro for irritainment, but has too way many authors. (One of their newer authors has terrible grammar and syntax and seems to have been hired based solely on physical attractiveness.)

I used to hit their sites regularly. But, for the reasons you state (and some others) I can't remember the last time I hit their sites.

C&D and R&T are still my "go to" for car reviews.

fintail

Jalopnik is done, one can see it fading with the Gawker disaster. The content has been spiraling downward for some time, now it is controlled by corporate shills (the editors there pander to Tesla like there is no tomorrow, and censor those who question it) and neckbearded millennial idiots who read a few magazines and now think they are legit journalists and not just bloggers. It's pretty funny and sad, as it was a lot better 5 years ago. TTAC historically had some of the worst commentary on the web, but better content. I only read it for Murilee Martin's junkyard content anymore. The traditional motoring press is still the best bet.

28firefighter

I happen to find Jalopnik entertaining, but I do not consider it to be a reliable source for serious opinions on a vehicle. I do like their "Nice Price or Crack Pipe" bit, just for the cars they come across.

sda

graphicguy said:

corvette said:

Where are you guys reading car reviews nowadays (besides Edmunds )?

TTAC nearly imploded due to a handful of commenters, Alex Dykes seems to no longer be posting video reviews there, and you need to have your ad blocker running to avoid getting a virus from their ad servers (which they have no control over, per their editor).

Jalopnik has Doug DeMuro for irritainment, but has too way many authors. (One of their newer authors has terrible grammar and syntax and seems to have been hired based solely on physical attractiveness.)

I used to hit their sites regularly. But, for the reasons you state (and some others) I can't remember the last time I hit their sites.

C&D and R&T are still my "go to" for car reviews.

Pardon my ignorance, what is TTAC? In addition to those publications mentioned I also refer to Consumer Reports. They actually are a little more enthusiastic about cars than they were in years past. They don't grade them as much as an appliance (A to B transportation) anymore.

stever

The Truth About Cars.

I thought about mentioning CR but was afraid of the reception that suggestion would get.

ab348

TTAC never had any credibility for me during the Farago years as they were so blatantly rooting for the failure of GM and the American auto industry in general, and Baruth wasn't much better when he took over. Their commenters were just so vile that it sickened me to read it. I think the ones that got banned there went over to autos.ca later.

nyccarguy

In addition to edmunds reviews and owner reviews (my personal favorite), I like how CNET reviews cars. C&D as well as R&T are OK too if you take them with a grain of salt ("if this test car didn't have X thousand dollars worth of options, we'd like it better, so we'll call this a tie"). I really like reading long term tests. Edmunds does 20K/12 month tests. C&D does their 40K test. They give a great feel on what its like to live with a car day in & day out.

Jalopnik's Doug Demuro is hysterical. His ownership tests of a Ferrari F430, Range Rover, & now Aston Martin are amusing.

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

In addition to edmunds reviews and owner reviews (my personal favorite), I like how CNET reviews cars. C&D as well as R&T are OK too if you take them with a grain of salt ("if this test car didn't have X thousand dollars worth of options, we'd like it better, so we'll call this a tie"). I really like reading long term tests. Edmunds does 20K/12 month tests. C&D does their 40K test. They give a great feel on what its like to live with a car day in & day out.

Jalopnik's Doug Demuro is hysterical. His ownership tests of a Ferrari F430, Range Rover, & now Aston Martin are amusing.

Forgot about CNET. I like their reviews, too. But, those are more about the buttons, dials, screens than about the driving. Nothing wrong with that...just different.

Never been a fan of CR, given they used to treat auto reviews the same as a review for an appliance. In recent years, they've become better...actually considering the "fun to drive" aspect of cars. They're still down pretty far on my list of credible auto journalism outlets.

mjfloyd1

ab348 said:

corvette said:

tjc78 said:

Lots of VW and Audi love on these boards. Only two American cars. Wow.

To be fair, most of the recent TDI purchases are what I would call opportunistic rather than people who specifically set out to buy a VW/Audi.

Yep. Maybe the number should have an asterisk like Roger Maris' home run record used to have.

A punch is a punch. I paid my money and the car is getting its free carefree maintenance oil change and brake fluid flush as we speak. It will then be (temporarily) parked in my driveway until VW buys it back. Then on to the next punch

andres3

qbrozen said:

Still can't understand why y'all are so insistent on putting nothing down on a lease. Yes, I am aware if you total it, you lose it, but as I have stated before, the same is true of a finance or even cash purchase, but nobody has a problem with putting money down on those.

Many insurance companies will give you full replacement value in the first year or 12,000 miles. The trick is making sure the car is totaled and not fixed if it happens in the first year or 12K miles.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

I believe that is correct. However, I think I just read that it will only let you use 1.6 of those 2 gallons because the weird rules state it has to have more range on the batteries than the gas. 

Yes, now I remember because the system is so "German". The gas tank is actually 2.4 gallons but on previous models they only let you consume 1.9 gallons and then they shut the fuel pump off.

For the new model, since it gets greater range on electric power (114 miles), BMW engineers now allow you to use the full capacity of the tank. But the tank is the same size as in the old car!

The idea behind this is that the regulations state that the range of the gas engine cannot exceed the range of the batteries.

I wonder if someone will take advantage and put a V16 engine in an electric car so that the gas guzzler can have a better size fuel tank, and still does not exceed the battery range.

andres3

28firefighter said:

Punch is in for me! I've temporarily added the A3 TDI to my stable. Not sure how long we will hold onto it - I really like it. Wife not as big a fan.

Congrats. Always liked the A3 in sportback trim. I imagine the TDI makes it both comfy and economical. Great little cars.

andres3

tjc78 said:

Lots of VW and Audi love on these boards. Only two American cars. Wow.

Audi/VW must be doing something right! Even with the TDI scandal, they seem to be doing well not even counting those punches.

greg128

tjc78 said:

Lots of VW and Audi love on these boards. Only two American cars. Wow.

Here's another: 2016 Malibu Premier. Smooth and quick with the 2.0 turbo & lots of tech. Wife's lease.

Sandman6472

Malibu=meh! The Impala looks better and the LaCrosse even better in my eyes. Like Buick and what they've done lately. Too bad the Verano is almost done as a much better vehicle than the Cruze. Favorite Buick is the Encore as it's the perfect size for our tastes. Unfortunately, like the VW Tiguan more and saw a lot of them on the roads today for some reason. For some reason, white seems to be the dominant color for Tiguans in South Florida. But with the hot weather, can understand this. One does pay a bit of a penalty in the mpg department because of the 2.0 liter turbo but like everything else about these rigs.
Hopefully I'll be able to drive some more of them at work to see if it's something I could live with for a few years.

The Sandman

ab348

Congrats on the Mailbu Premier. That is the one to get, nice engine, lots of power, all the tech, and you avoid the bizarre "cloth upholstery on the dashboard" look that lower trims are saddled with. Those wheels look almost like the ones on last season's Buick Regal. Much better than the alloys on the LT model with the blacked-out rim sections. Nice car, I imagine your wife will be very happy with it.

corvette

Congrats! That makes 27 punches for the year.

Looks nice! I wish GM would offer AWD in both that and the Impala, since I think the platform is capable. I guess they want people to upgrade to a Buick!

suydam

Looks very nice. What kind of mpg does it get?

fintail

Highline Malibu, there's something unusual.

henryn

Congrats on the punch, that's a very pretty Malibu!

stickguy

nice looking car. I have to read the side label to tell a malibu from an Impala now.

nyccarguy

@greg128 - congrats on the punch! I dig the Malibu, especially with that 2.0T Motor! Welcome to the board BTW! What else you got in your stable? What else are you shopping for?

roadburner

More fleeting impressions...
2016 X3 xDrive2.8i: This truck was in base trim. Pleasant enough to drive(I spent four hours in it helping deliver a new 7 Series to Bloomington, IN). A 3.5 M Sport is more my speed, but I think I like the X5 a bit more- even though it's larger. Don't know why, but I just do.
2016 Z4: I was surprised, but I don't like it nearly as much as my 2 Series. It wasn't bad, but it didn't seem to have the 2er's more engaging driving dynamics. Nice cruiser, however.

breld

@greg128 - congrats and welcome! That new Malibu is sharp looking!

nyccarguy

They are few & far between, but my Legacy not having enough guts bothers me. Tonight on my way home from the Yankees game, I'm in the middle lane of a 3 lane going 60 (50 mph speed limit within NYC). In the left lane I see 2 large construction trucks with their big MERGE RIGHT arrows on. I look in my mirror to move to the right & there are cars flying up the right lane going at least 70. As I look ahead, I notice an Odyssey with MA plates riding the construction truck's rear end. He pulls out in front of me, I floor the gas pedal & my car just doesn't have the giddy up it needs. I sheepishly abort my attempt to pass & hit the brakes instead. :@

sda

nyccarguy said:

They are few & far between, but my Legacy not having enough guts bothers me. Tonight on my way home from the Yankees game, I'm in the middle lane of a 3 lane going 60 (50 mph speed limit within NYC). In the left lane I see 2 large construction trucks with their big MERGE RIGHT arrows on. I look in my mirror to move to the right & there are cars flying up the right lane going at least 70. As I look ahead, I notice an Odyssey with MA plates riding the construction truck's rear end. He pulls out in front of me, I floor the gas pedal & my car just doesn't have the giddy up it needs. I sheepishly abort my attempt to pass & hit the brakes instead. :@

Sounds like a punch to me.

graphicguy

greg128 said:

tjc78 said:

Lots of VW and Audi love on these boards. Only two American cars. Wow.

Here's another: 2016 Malibu Premier. Smooth and quick with the 2.0 turbo & lots of tech. Wife's lease.

ooohhhh...nice Malibu Greg. Congrats. I have a "hopped up" version of that 2.0T motor in my CTS. I love these torquey 4 cyl turbo motors out today. And, the one in your 'Bu is one of the best.

These have been catching my eye whenever I see them on the road. Good choice.

Not sure what MPG you're getting, but with 7K miles on my Caddy, I'm averageing 23-24 MPG in mixed driving, and 28-29 MPG on the highway. That's burning premium, though and I keep my foot in it.

I'm happy with that.

graphicguy

sda said:

nyccarguy said:

They are few & far between, but my Legacy not having enough guts bothers me. Tonight on my way home from the Yankees game, I'm in the middle lane of a 3 lane going 60 (50 mph speed limit within NYC). In the left lane I see 2 large construction trucks with their big MERGE RIGHT arrows on. I look in my mirror to move to the right & there are cars flying up the right lane going at least 70. As I look ahead, I notice an Odyssey with MA plates riding the construction truck's rear end. He pulls out in front of me, I floor the gas pedal & my car just doesn't have the giddy up it needs. I sheepishly abort my attempt to pass & hit the brakes instead. :@

Sounds like a punch to me.

Was thinking the exact same thing. Bradd.....do you need our assistance to help you find your next ride?

mjfloyd1

28firefighter said:

mjfloyd1 said:

Very different experiences...

I cannot imagine why!

I am actually still dealing with the Audi dealer (Audi Hunt Valley). The car had a wheel with curb rash that wasn't disclosed - I pointed it out to the salesman while the car was in the delivery bay. His response at delivery in front of myself and the F&I lady Rachel was "it is what it is", which is just perfect when I'm an out of state buyer and need to get going because I have 9.5 hrs of driving to do. It was also delivered without the first aid kit or the tool to remove the lug nut covers. He says those two have been sent but I've had the car for a month at this point.

My youngest daughter wanted to see the car when I got home so I opened up the rear drivers door for her. I happened to notice something shiny in the rear seat and moved it out of the way. It was a razor blade. Thankfully she didn't sit on it.

So, actually, Bobbi Jo's was the better experience, ironically.

stickguy

I can certainly go back to posting links to G37s. Just saw a real nice one the other day.

I'm getting to shop for others now (son and BIL, both looking to buy around February). Son is leaning toward a 228i (guess the college money I invested paid off, but he really should buy it for me). A3 is other leading contender.

BIL has a BMW 550 now, but seems to be getting itch to try some other brand after a bunch of BMWs in the family. Going to look at the new jags (XE and XF). That should be fun! Will be a lot of serious looking this January at the philly car show, with all 3 of us looking to punch next year.

28firefighter

mjfloyd1 said:

Very different experiences...

I cannot imagine why!

I am actually still dealing with the Audi dealer (Audi Hunt Valley). The car had a wheel with curb rash that wasn't disclosed - I pointed it out to the salesman while the car was in the delivery bay. His response at delivery in front of myself and the F&I lady Rachel was "it is what it is", which is just perfect when I'm an out of state buyer and need to get going because I have 9.5 hrs of driving to do. It was also delivered without the first aid kit or the tool to remove the lug nut covers. He says those two have been sent but I've had the car for a month at this point. My youngest daughter wanted to see the car when I got home so I opened up the rear drivers door for her. I happened to notice something shiny in the rear seat and moved it out of the way. It was a razor blade. Thankfully she didn't sit on it. So, actually, Bobbi Jo's was the better experience, ironically.

That is very unfortunate, especially on such a high dollar car.  I would report them to Audi corporate - a negative rating on their survey will really change his tune about "it is what it is". 

I forget, was this a new or CPO purchase?