Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

pretty sharp looking. SE is a lot nicer than the base S. Like the wheels too. I think you will be happy with it. and the wife will get over it (and should probably like it better than the Elantra)

Michaell

corvette said:

Michaell said:

Elantra is gone. VW dealer took it in trade. 

How does that work on a lease? Will they make the remaining payments and dispo/damage fee and turn it back in to Hyundai, or just pay it off and resell it or auction it?

They will buyout the lease - I think the number they showed me was $12,xxx. Fix the damage and put it on the lot as a used car. They really wanted to move a unit if they did this.

Though the salesman told me they'd been having their best month in a while. And, a couple weeks left including the Labor Day holiday.

iluvmysephia1

Good car huntin' Michaell -enjoy that pup. I'm sure you will. I am starting to appreciate grey and some other "earthtone colors" on cars these days. Even black - the '16 Scion iA in Denver I drove out ta pursue several months back was indeed black. Been an active year for punches, that it has.

Michaell

stickguy said:

pretty sharp looking. SE is a lot nicer than the base S. Like the wheels too. I think you will be happy with it. and the wife will get over it (and should probably like it better than the Elantra)

The shape is growing on me. A couple observations after 40 or so miles:

What's that saying about hp and torque? This little engine has some get up and go to it. Wish VW would bring over the Polo and use this engine as a mini-GTI. Lighter weight and a 6-speed manual would be a great combo. 184 ft-lbs is noticeable if you put your foot into it. I suspect mileage will suffer from it.

The ride is nice, compared to the Elantra. Solid, too.

Still playing around with the infotainment system. I'll report back in a few days.

stickguy

I drove a golf when it first came out (the current style) intro model, with the 1.8t and a 5 speed stick. that was fun. really like an older model GTI.

nyccarguy

@Michaell - Mazel Tov on the Jetta Punch! I like the color with those wheels! Very deep looking.

@rayainsw - let us know some more details about your Fusion Sport test drive & how much they offer you for the Charger! I see a dealer by my house is listing a Fusion Sport they have at $1,900 off sticker. It's a starting point;)

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

@Michaell - Mazel Tov on the Jetta Punch! I like the color with those wheels! Very deep looking. @rayainsw - let us know some more details about your Fusion Sport test drive & how much they offer you for the Charger! I see a dealer by my house is listing a Fusion Sport they have at $1,900 off sticker. It's a starting point;)

Truecar has them $3200 off.

Oh wait, make that $4700 off if you own a competitor's vehicle.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

X1: no sport = no deal.

Ray, my money says the Fusion is even quicker than your R/T.

I'd seriously consider a 6 cyl Turbo X1 without SP. Especially for a daily driver. 35i comes standard with the Lighting Package.

stickguy

after having tried it out, I am now big fan of the 2.0t engine. Hard to see a need for the big 6 on a smaller model.

stickguy

I also decided that if I do get a BMW of some sort, I want the sport seats. But not the oversized wheels and rubber bad tires.

suydam

Michaell, looks like it has good rear visibility. That's something a lot of cars don't have nowadays.

qbrozen

BMW standard seats are just uncomfortable for me.

Michaell

suydam said:

Michaell, looks like it has good rear visibility. That's something a lot of cars don't have nowadays.

It does, which is an advantage over the Elantra. After three years of driving a hatch, it will take a little bit of time to adjust to a sedan again.

One neat trick - don't know if @stickguy or @breld have this in their Jetta. A series of blocks with Velcro on them that affix to the special lining in the trunk. Highly configurable. I used it to hold a propane tank in place when I went to get it replaced tonight. Plus I've got a cargo net.

28firefighter

Michaell said:

Michaell, looks like it has good rear visibility. That's something a lot of cars don't have nowadays.

It does, which is an advantage over the Elantra. After three years of driving a hatch, it will take a little bit of time to adjust to a sedan again. One neat trick - don't know if @stickguy or @breld have this in their Jetta. A series of blocks with Velcro on them that affix to the special lining in the trunk. Highly configurable. I used it to hold a propane tank in place when I went to get it replaced tonight. Plus I've got a cargo net.

CarGo blocks - I have them in my GTI. Super useful. 

graphicguy

Michaell said:

corvette said:

Congrats, Michaell! Is that an S or SE? 36 month lease?

SE. 36 months, 12,000 miles a year.

Very nice.....congrats!

iluvmysephia1

Kia makes the Soul in a color similar ta this - Titanium Grey. Nice. Wheels look sharp as well.

coldinohio

nice; agree wheels look great

color? it that monsoon grey?

car play and equivalent if used constantly 'overheats' iphones-- friend had to take his out of case for better cooling

Michaell

coldinohio said:

nice; agree wheels look great

color? it that monsoon grey?

car play and equivalent if used constantly 'overheats' iphones-- friend had to take his out of case for better cooling

Platinum gray metallic.

Thanks for the heads up on the car play. I'll have to research that.

sda

Very nice and sharp looking. Enjoy

stickguy

we got the cargo blocks. Daughter did not like them, so I am using them in my Sonata. super convenient when we go to the store and have to carry something that rolls around, like a watermelon. Good idea on the propane tank too.

that SE, it have the vinyl or cloth seats? I thought it was S - cloth, SE - Pleather.

I do like that color.

stickguy

that reminds me. I have a question for the lease pros. When it goes back, do the inventory the accessories too? We got the monster mats, but also the (never used) carpet ones, and the cargo blocks. What would happen if the blocks did not make it back when the car gets returned? The carpet mats, I doubt they would care, but I have no interest in keeping them anyway.

corvette

My GLI had the cargo blocks. Very handy. I ended up buying a plastic propane tank holder-upper at Lowe's for when I have to change the tank out.

stickguy

I just put in on the floor on the passengers side. Put a towel over the top, and slide the seat up to wedge it into place against the dashboard.

stever

I lift up the smaller rear seat in the back of the van and the well there is a good size for a tank. Or a small bunch of groceries (never use the bag holders).

If I need to haul the garbage can, say, for when I catch a rattler and want to relocate it, I flip the larger rear seat up and close the smaller one. Bigger well, but it snugs up against a plastic garbage can nicely.

Michaell

stickguy said:

we got the cargo blocks. Daughter did not like them, so I am using them in my Sonata. super convenient when we go to the store and have to carry something that rolls around, like a watermelon. Good idea on the propane tank too.

that SE, it have the vinyl or cloth seats? I thought it was S - cloth, SE - Pleather.

I do like that color.

Cloth seats.

As much as I grumbled about wanting a "real" color this go around, I can live with what I've chosen. And, it was a compromise with the wife, so I got her buy in as well.

Michaell

stickguy said:

that reminds me. I have a question for the lease pros. When it goes back, do the inventory the accessories too? We got the monster mats, but also the (never used) carpet ones, and the cargo blocks. What would happen if the blocks did not make it back when the car gets returned? The carpet mats, I doubt they would care, but I have no interest in keeping them anyway.

I had both fabric and rubber mats with the Elantra. I had the fabric mats on the floor when I traded it in yesterday, and the rubber mats in the back. They were pretty beat up, however.

Michaell

A few final numbers on the Elantra ...

158 tanks of gas.

Lowest price (with rewards) - $1.02/gal. Highest price - $3.54/gal. Average - $2.51/gal

Average MPG was 27.79; best tank was 33.23, worst was $23.27

Gas costs per mile was .09

We'll see how the Jetta does, though I expect fewer tanks of gas, since I'm not delivering.

ab348

I wonder if they would even know. On my ATS I bought the all-weather mats and a cargo net myself after taking delivery, so if I turn it in at lease-end I am keeping those things.

sda

ab348 said:

I wonder if they would even know. On my ATS I bought the all-weather mats and a cargo net myself after taking delivery, so if I turn it in at lease-end I am keeping those things.

When is your lease up? Any idea what would replace the ATS?

au1994

Congrats michaell. Looks great and I really like the wheels. Big fan of gray too. The X6 is the 4th gray or silver I've had.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

that reminds me. I have a question for the lease pros. When it goes back, do the inventory the accessories too? We got the monster mats, but also the (never used) carpet ones, and the cargo blocks. What would happen if the blocks did not make it back when the car gets returned? The carpet mats, I doubt they would care, but I have no interest in keeping them anyway.

Ithink they most likely would not notice. I would have them in a bag with me and wait to see if they say anything when evaluating your lease return. If they do, then you can say "oh yeah. Forgot I had those right here to give to you."

stickguy

sounds like a good plan.

rayainsw

'@rayainsw - let us know some more details about your Fusion Sport test drive & how much they offer you for the Charger! I see a dealer by my house is listing a Fusion Sport they have at $1,900 off sticker. It's a starting point;)'
Did not talk any numbers - as I am just narrowing the field at this time.
Glad to answer any additional questions you might have, if I can -
but overall, very positive test drive.
- Ray
Building my next short list...

ab348

sda said:

ab348 said:

I wonder if they would even know. On my ATS I bought the all-weather mats and a cargo net myself after taking delivery, so if I turn it in at lease-end I am keeping those things.

When is your lease up? Any idea what would replace the ATS?

Lease is up at the end of October next year. It has been a great car and I love driving it, so I might keep it. But then again I said the same thing last time with the Regal Turbo, and I am glad I got into the ATS instead. What I do depends in part what happens with my Cutlass. If the guy who wants it so badly ends up convincing me to sell it to him, then I have a bunch of options. Get a more practical, mainstream car, and either keep the ATS as a summer car or get something really fun like a Mustang GT or a Challenger for that. Or another Olds, or another old car from my youth. Or maybe an old British sportscar. Who the heck knows...

kyfdx

Member needs advice:
http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/42557/nissan/x/looking-for-advice-on-what-used-car-to-buy-on-a-super-tight-budget/p1?new=1

Sandman6472

See the word "ta" being used. Is that slang for "to" or what? A bit confusing when reading.

Sandman6472

Have the beige perforated "pleather" in my Golf SE and quite enjoy it. Considering I hated the standard alloys on the car when I got it, they eventually put the 15 spoke Joda wheels from a Jetta on the car. Very pleased with them as I just didn't care for the black/silver of the original wheels. For the price, it's an excellent vehicle and fits my needs perfectly.
Am sure you will find the Jetta perfect for your needs. VW does make a great vehicle, so far so good here...no complaints at all with the way it drives.

The Sandman

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

Well I did mention a Charger, sooo...

Nah, you don't want a charger. You'll get beat up out there. Nice lookin' but it's a barge.

sandman_6472 said:

See the word "ta" being used. Is that slang for "to" or what? A bit confusing when reading.

Means thank you in UK (slang) and Australia sometimes but means "to" in USA generally.

Michaell

sandman_6472 said:

Have the beige perforated "pleather" in my Golf SE and quite enjoy it. Considering I hated the standard alloys on the car when I got it, they eventually put the 15 spoke Joda wheels from a Jetta on the car. Very pleased with them as I just didn't care for the black/silver of the original wheels. For the price, it's an excellent vehicle and fits my needs perfectly.
Am sure you will find the Jetta perfect for your needs. VW does make a great vehicle, so far so good here...no complaints at all with the way it drives.

The Sandman

For those of you leasing a Jetta, what do the service visits run? Only three needed - one every 10k - and I'm curious.

stickguy

first is free. and for me, they offered (I did not even ask) to through in the 2nd and 3rd.

It is your basic OFL, rotation, and inspection/fluids top up. I can't imagine it being more than $100. but look for coupons from different dealers.

I get the same stuff done on my RDX at the dealer, and even rack rate (no coupon) is only about 50-60 dollars.

Michaell

stickguy said:

first is free. and for me, they offered (I did not even ask) to through in the 2nd and 3rd.

It is your basic OFL, rotation, and inspection/fluids top up. I can't imagine it being more than $100. but look for coupons from different dealers.

I get the same stuff done on my RDX at the dealer, and even rack rate (no coupon) is only about 50-60 dollars.

Yeah, they wanted to sell me the prepaid package for $389. I declined, and will look for coupons from local dealers.

stickguy

that is nuts for what you get. definitely shop around.

or, keep the miles below 30K, and you never have to do the last one (it will be due right when you give the car back)

Michaell

stickguy said:

that is nuts for what you get. definitely shop around.

or, keep the miles below 30K, and you never have to do the last one (it will be due right when you give the car back)

I know I won't be driving as much now that I'm not delivering, but pretty sure I won't be under 30k for the lease.

stickguy

I'm barely over 12K, 1 year behind where you were.

I expect to be.

corvette

Nearly all dealerships have oil change specials. I'm betting if you get the oil changed every 10k, they won't care about whether you had the full 10/20/30k service completed.

I'd also buy the lifetime balance/rotation at Discount Tire and get the tires rotated every 6-10k or so.

suydam

sandman_6472 said:

See the word "ta" being used. Is that slang for "to" or what? A bit confusing when reading.

Just written like people actually speak. I don't mind. I know who the poster is that way (and no, I don't always read the byline first).

Michaell

corvette said:

Nearly all dealerships have oil change specials. I'm betting if you get the oil changed every 10k, they won't care about whether you had the full 10/20/30k service completed.

I'd also buy the lifetime balance/rotation at Discount Tire and get the tires rotated every 6-10k or so.

Good points. I really like my local Discount Tire.

The only thing that could screw up my mileage plans is if the local office grows to the point where I'll be expected to come in every day. Would be 27 miles round trip.

But, no need to borrow trouble when it doesn't exist. I could see myself getting a GTI or GLI when this lease is up.

Sandman6472

Got first free, pre-paid for 20K and 30K and think I paid $149.99 but will have to look at paperwork, could be $149.99 plus tax. I also rotate at every 5k interval and my friend at Tires Plus will usually do this gratis for me since he knows I give him the business for four vehicles plus will be needing tires within the next 18 months.
I think on the 20K service I got a pollen filter replacement among other stuff. The 30K should be similar to the 10K, possibly getting a brake fluid change I hope.

The Sandman

sda

Did VW completely eliminate free maintenance? They started out to cover up to 30k and then incrementally reduced it.

28firefighter

sda said:

Did VW completely eliminate free maintenance? They started out to cover up to 30k and then incrementally reduced it.

Yes. They started the phase out with MY 2014.