Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

xwesx

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

Probably trying to alert you that a part fell off, or it was on fire.

I did that this morning! It was a Nissan, however. I was driving behind a Sentra and started to smell burning rubber. Was not sure where it was coming from for about a mile or so and thought maybe it was even my own car. Finally saw visible smoke coming from the right-rear tire of the Sentra. The tire was completely flat and she was driving on it. I pulled up to her right at the next light, honking my horn. She knew it was flat and was trying to get to a gas station. After I told her it was seconds away from a fire, she pulled over. She had an untouched spare and the tools, so I changed it out for her. The tire she was riding on was SHREDDED and smoking quite badly.

Quite decent of you, sir!

I never quite understand why people do that sort of thing, particularly when a tire is otherwise serviceable. Sometimes that "short drive to the garage" can cost a lot more than one might anticipate.

xwesx

andres3 said:

kyfdx said:

Weird thing last night. I was driving the Audi through town, and a guy in another Audi waved at me. Didn't know that Audi guys did that. lol

It happens; kinda like a club similar to what bikers do when they salute each other going by.

Indeed! I do this when driving my '69 C20. I always seem to see one or two others out on the roads when I'm driving it.

fintail

Yep, I often get and give short waves with other old cars when I am out in mine. It seems in the past it was mostly from old Euro cars, but now it's with any old car, or sometimes even more modern ones.

xwesx said:

Indeed! I do this when driving my '69 C20. I always seem to see one or two others out on the roads when I'm driving it.

breld

I imagine the "wave" had much more to do with an A3 hatchback thing than a general Audi thing. Seems to me those have a nice following.

Of all the nice cars I've been fortunate enough to drive, I think I got the most attention from the $5,000 318ti.

breld

I am mildly considering - very mildly - dropping into the Honda dealership some time and inquiring about what it would take to get on a list for the Civic Type R. It's definitely over the top, looks every bit the part of a Fast & Furious car, and wouldn't necessarily be practical as a daily driver. Not to mention I wouldn't exactly welcome the attention it would get. But...as a fan of the sportier days of Honda, I have this urge to own one.

Assuming the dealership here that @michaell and I like would agree to MSRP and no markup, I would think it would be an overall cheap ownership.

breld

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

Probably trying to alert you that a part fell off, or it was on fire.

I did that this morning! It was a Nissan, however. I was driving behind a Sentra and started to smell burning rubber. Was not sure where it was coming from for about a mile or so and thought maybe it was even my own car. Finally saw visible smoke coming from the right-rear tire of the Sentra. The tire was completely flat and she was driving on it. I pulled up to her right at the next light, honking my horn. She knew it was flat and was trying to get to a gas station. After I told her it was seconds away from a fire, she pulled over. She had an untouched spare and the tools, so I changed it out for her. The tire she was riding on was SHREDDED and smoking quite badly.

That was very awesome of you.

ab348

28firefighter said:

My friends have been coming up with names and license plates for the A3 that they want me to get. Top contenders are:
- DESL DTH
- FU O3
- DAS PLTR

What, no CHEATER ?

Michaell

breld said:

I am mildly considering - very mildly - dropping into the Honda dealership some time and inquiring about what it would take to get on a list for the Civic Type R. It's definitely over the top, looks every bit the part of a Fast & Furious car, and wouldn't necessarily be practical as a daily driver. Not to mention I wouldn't exactly welcome the attention it would get. But...as a fan of the sportier days of Honda, I have this urge to own one.

Assuming the dealership here that @michaell and I like would agree to MSRP and no markup, I would think it would be an overall cheap ownership.

Oh, dear.

You think Schomp would let a Type R go at MSRP? How many do you think they would be allotted? Can't be very many.

This is the AWD 300-hp version, right?

tifighter

I thought it was still FWD.

andres3

tifighter said:

I thought it was still FWD.

Saw a YouTube video the other day where a guy lapped the type R with a 20 year old M3 and the Type R won.

breld

Correct - it's still FWD, so not necessarily as appealing as a WRX/STI, Golf R or Focus RS. But I think it will be priced accordingly.

I do suspect Schomp may agree to MSRP on a Type R - not that I'd be shocked if there was a mark-up, but it just seems contrary to their approach as a dealership. It's worth asking .

Again, I imagine it would hold its value incredibly well.

Sandman6472

Matthew should hit later on this evening. We are prepared as much as can be with flashlights, batteries, portable radio, candles and food & water. New garage door opener installed yesterday, a Genie belt drive, and the Golf and A3 are secured inside with trash cans. Accent is parked parallel to garage like all the neighbors have done. We have 3/4 in each vehicle as folks were lined up for miles yesterday and we felt we had more than enough. No more work this week and Matt should hit around West Palm Beach or north of there. Oldest is hunkered down at her place in West Palm but think she might come down within the hour as she's a bit scared to be alone.
Light rain and mild winds now but things will get worse by evening. By 8 am tomorow, should be cleared out from here and pray we don't loose power. Phones and chargers all at 100% now and cooking some food now just in case power stops, have sandwiches for later tonight with snacks and sodas, bottled water. And now...we wait! Wish us luck and to those in the path above us, stay safe and indoors.
Thinking I should of made the others leave with me yesterday but was out voted on this. Hopefully, we won't regret it!

The Sandman

breld

Best wishes @sandman_6472. Sounds like you're pretty well prepared.

qbrozen

Kind of a slow day today, so I went down the street and tried on a 2013 SRX. It is the new frontrunner. I'm still hoping I find something with a nicer seat, though. This one had good adjustment and was not as firm as my CTS was, but they designed it a little weird where the thigh extension includes about the front third of the seat bottom, so when I extended it, I could feel the front edge of the back 2/3rd of the seat bottom digging into my thighs a bit. It could make me insane on a long drive.

roadburner

28firefighter said:

Picked up the car this afternoon and brought it home. Took it out tonight and first gear fell on its face, lost power, and it slipped before picking up in second. I'm livid. 

Third visit this year for the power loss issue, second visit for the transmission slipping. Plus the whole subframe thing just makes me nervous. 

Opening a case with VW. The power loss issue alone qualifies as a "serious safety defect" and after two attempts at diagnosis OR repair,, it qualifies under WA lemon law...

I have no patience with dealers who do a half-@ssed job on warranty diagnosis and repairs. It's inexcusable.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

Probably trying to alert you that a part fell off, or it was on fire.

I did that this morning! It was a Nissan, however. I was driving behind a Sentra and started to smell burning rubber. Was not sure where it was coming from for about a mile or so and thought maybe it was even my own car. Finally saw visible smoke coming from the right-rear tire of the Sentra. The tire was completely flat and she was driving on it. I pulled up to her right at the next light, honking my horn. She knew it was flat and was trying to get to a gas station. After I told her it was seconds away from a fire, she pulled over. She had an untouched spare and the tools, so I changed it out for her. The tire she was riding on was SHREDDED and smoking quite badly.

Several years ago I was filling up my car and I noticed a lady was having trouble airing up her tires. She had several young kids in the car so I retrieved my tire gauge from the glove box and offered to help. I checked the first tire and found it had been inflated to 80 psi.

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

Probably trying to alert you that a part fell off, or it was on fire.

I did that this morning! It was a Nissan, however. I was driving behind a Sentra and started to smell burning rubber. Was not sure where it was coming from for about a mile or so and thought maybe it was even my own car. Finally saw visible smoke coming from the right-rear tire of the Sentra. The tire was completely flat and she was driving on it. I pulled up to her right at the next light, honking my horn. She knew it was flat and was trying to get to a gas station. After I told her it was seconds away from a fire, she pulled over. She had an untouched spare and the tools, so I changed it out for her. The tire she was riding on was SHREDDED and smoking quite badly.

Oh great. You butted in and now she's going to be late for something!

thebean

qbrozen said:

Probably trying to alert you that a part fell off, or it was on fire.

I did that this morning! It was a Nissan, however. I was driving behind a Sentra and started to smell burning rubber. Was not sure where it was coming from for about a mile or so and thought maybe it was even my own car. Finally saw visible smoke coming from the right-rear tire of the Sentra. The tire was completely flat and she was driving on it. I pulled up to her right at the next light, honking my horn. She knew it was flat and was trying to get to a gas station. After I told her it was seconds away from a fire, she pulled over. She had an untouched spare and the tools, so I changed it out for her. The tire she was riding on was SHREDDED and smoking quite badly.

Good on ya.  Storing up some good karma is always cool.

fintail

Hmm you learn something every day. I thought GTIs still had a "W" VIN, but I guess not. Maybe the diesels do/did?

andres3 said:

Wouldn't it be more like revenge for "Manifest Destiny" by the Mexicans that built and assembled his GTI?

28firefighter

My VIN starts 3VW

andres3

fintail said:

Hmm you learn something every day. I thought GTIs still had a "W" VIN, but I guess not. Maybe the diesels do/did?

andres3 said:

Wouldn't it be more like revenge for "Manifest Destiny" by the Mexicans that built and assembled his GTI?

The Golf R VIN's start with a W signifying German build and assembly. I think all the other Golfs including the GTI are made in Mexico (including Sportwagen TDI's). The Golf "R" is the version of GTI I'd get for my money. Of course, I know just because it was made in Germany doesn't guarantee I'll never need the warranty, but I think it is worth some peace of mind.

The experience noted on this forum is scaring me out of any GTI thoughts....

andres3

roadburner said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

Probably trying to alert you that a part fell off, or it was on fire.

I did that this morning! It was a Nissan, however. I was driving behind a Sentra and started to smell burning rubber. Was not sure where it was coming from for about a mile or so and thought maybe it was even my own car. Finally saw visible smoke coming from the right-rear tire of the Sentra. The tire was completely flat and she was driving on it. I pulled up to her right at the next light, honking my horn. She knew it was flat and was trying to get to a gas station. After I told her it was seconds away from a fire, she pulled over. She had an untouched spare and the tools, so I changed it out for her. The tire she was riding on was SHREDDED and smoking quite badly.

Several years ago I was filling up my car and I noticed a lady was having trouble airing up her tires. She had several young kids in the car so I retrieved my tire gauge from the glove box and offered to help. I checked the first tire and found it had been inflated to 80 psi.

That's funny. Small world. I think I must of helped the same woman

I was noticing her having trouble with filling up her tires with air, and it wasn't 80 psi, that would have scared me into an instant run away from pending explosion and injury or death. It was more like 60 PSI, which still worried the heck out of me. I explained to her that inside the door sides you can see stamps with recommended pressures; usually around 35 PSI. I told her you never want to fill your tires to 60 as that is dangerous.

andres3

sandman_6472 said:

Matthew should hit later on this evening. We are prepared as much as can be with flashlights, batteries, portable radio, candles and food & water. New garage door opener installed yesterday, a Genie belt drive, and the Golf and A3 are secured inside with trash cans. Accent is parked parallel to garage like all the neighbors have done. We have 3/4 in each vehicle as folks were lined up for miles yesterday and we felt we had more than enough. No more work this week and Matt should hit around West Palm Beach or north of there. Oldest is hunkered down at her place in West Palm but think she might come down within the hour as she's a bit scared to be alone.
Light rain and mild winds now but things will get worse by evening. By 8 am tomorow, should be cleared out from here and pray we don't loose power. Phones and chargers all at 100% now and cooking some food now just in case power stops, have sandwiches for later tonight with snacks and sodas, bottled water. And now...we wait! Wish us luck and to those in the path above us, stay safe and indoors.
Thinking I should of made the others leave with me yesterday but was out voted on this. Hopefully, we won't regret it!

The Sandman

Speaking of Hurricanes, what brand of generators do people in FL like and trust the most? Does Honda still make them?

28firefighter

Another update from VW:
I'm expecting a call from a Regional Care Manager (RCM) tomorrow to discuss. The dealer states the car is driving within spec, but they believe it may be a traction control issue.

They've opened up a ticket in VTA to communicate with corporate engineers, as well.

Michaell

28firefighter said:

My VIN starts 3VW

So does my Jetta VIN....

stickguy

Q, what vintage SRX? I do like those. never drove one though. My local guy has a nice looking 13 and a 14 too, but might be over budget (and the 14 is a FWD)

tifighter

I toured Audi's production line in Ingolstadt a few years ago. That day, they were running A4 Avants. They told me line workers were allowed 0.5 liters of beer every two hours. I'm not making this up. "This is Bavaria, after all," they said.

Knowing that, I wonder if German assembly is the pinnacle of VAG quality. Besides, the robots are likely running the same software worldwide anyhow.

corvette

That's 17 ounces every two hours. My body weight is pretty low, it might or might not make me legally intoxocated by the end of the day, but I guarantee I'd have a good time doing assembly in that condition. And I probably wouldn't be safe to operate heavy machinery. 

In other news, it looks like either the local Volvo dealer or the local BMW dealer is planning on building  a new facility. 

andres3

tifighter said:

I toured Audi's production line in Ingolstadt a few years ago. That day, they were running A4 Avants. They told me line workers were allowed 0.5 liters of beer every two hours. I'm not making this up. "This is Bavaria, after all," they said.

Knowing that, I wonder if German assembly is the pinnacle of VAG quality. Besides, the robots are likely running the same software worldwide anyhow.

How much Cerveza does Mexico allow per 2 hours?

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Q, what vintage SRX? I do like those. never drove one though. My local guy has a nice looking 13 and a 14 too, but might be over budget (and the 14 is a FWD)

'13. That's when they started using the 300hp 3.6.

salesman didn't know how the packages worked, so I had to do some reading. Turns out I'd want at least the Performance version, if not Premium. What I drove was a luxury model with Nav. Performance adds adaptive sport suspension, while premium adds cooled seats and heated rear seats.

qbrozen

If I find time tomorrow, I might go check this out:
http://www.lawrencevillefl.com/certified/Lincoln/2014-Lincoln-MKX-d9a1770a0a0e0adf4686ae8df316c9e7.htm?searchDepth=1:4

ab348

rny421 said:

henryn said:

On that 2011 Lincoln MKX, beware of the very early versions of the Ford Sync / MyTouch system. Very, very buggy.

I have a 2011 Edge Limited AWD with the MyFordTouch. Knock on wood, 76k miles and no problems to date. It seems to eat tires and brakes, but it's very quiet, rides nice, is pretty quick, and I love the pano roof. I paid around $30k for it in 2012 with 20k miles. I will probably end up getting another Edge in a few years. I didn't think I would ever get the same car twice, but I have been very happy with it. I'll check out a Jeep GC again, but the 2012 I drove didn't seem to ride as nice, or wasn't nearly as quiet as the Edge. Maybe they've improved though.

The MyFordTouch was buggy in the beginning, and it is a little slow to respond, but I have gotten used to it, and am happy with it. They have also done a series of updates to it such that I haven't had any issues with it freezing or crashing in years.

You are more patient with it than Bill Ford or Mark Fields, apparently:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jensen/2016/10/06/court-documents-myford-touch-the-polished-turd-that-once-stranded-bill-ford/#2e8b92762c34

stickguy

Nice looking Lincoln.

this is the SRX I found. I had no clue about the packages, but it is listed as a Luxury. black over black, not for me.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2013-cadillac-srx-awd_4dr_luxury_collection-used-15479227.html

Sandman6472

Hurricane warning has been lifted as of 8 p m, we are very relieved and extremely lucky as it has increased it's winds to 140 mph, a very dangerous storm! Not sure about work tomorrow, no one has texted me and just not going to pursue the matter. Might go in in the afternoon but would be nice to have a long weekend.

The Sandman

js06gv

stickguy said:

Nice looking Lincoln.

this is the SRX I found. I had no clue about the packages, but it is listed as a Luxury. black over black, not for me.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2013-cadillac-srx-awd_4dr_luxury_collection-used-15479227.html

Not to mention that whoever put those awful stick-on platichrome window surrounds needs a lecture, if not a beating.

nyccarguy

I like how on all ford CPO cars you can view the original window sticker

henryn

Looking at the pictures of the MKX and the SRX, the MKX appears to have much bigger, much more intrusive center console. I would have to go and sit in each to really determine.

Mr_Shiftright

andres3 said:

roadburner said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

Probably trying to alert you that a part fell off, or it was on fire.

I did that this morning! It was a Nissan, however. I was driving behind a Sentra and started to smell burning rubber. Was not sure where it was coming from for about a mile or so and thought maybe it was even my own car. Finally saw visible smoke coming from the right-rear tire of the Sentra. The tire was completely flat and she was driving on it. I pulled up to her right at the next light, honking my horn. She knew it was flat and was trying to get to a gas station. After I told her it was seconds away from a fire, she pulled over. She had an untouched spare and the tools, so I changed it out for her. The tire she was riding on was SHREDDED and smoking quite badly.

Several years ago I was filling up my car and I noticed a lady was having trouble airing up her tires. She had several young kids in the car so I retrieved my tire gauge from the glove box and offered to help. I checked the first tire and found it had been inflated to 80 psi.

That's funny. Small world. I think I must of helped the same woman

I was noticing her having trouble with filling up her tires with air, and it wasn't 80 psi, that would have scared me into an instant run away from pending explosion and injury or death. It was more like 60 PSI, which still worried the heck out of me. I explained to her that inside the door sides you can see stamps with recommended pressures; usually around 35 PSI. I told her you never want to fill your tires to 60 as that is dangerous.

Must have been a fun ride on cobblestones.

Mr_Shiftright

andres3 said:

tifighter said:

I toured Audi's production line in Ingolstadt a few years ago. That day, they were running A4 Avants. They told me line workers were allowed 0.5 liters of beer every two hours. I'm not making this up. "This is Bavaria, after all," they said.

Knowing that, I wonder if German assembly is the pinnacle of VAG quality. Besides, the robots are likely running the same software worldwide anyhow.

How much Cerveza does Mexico allow per 2 hours?

At least the Germans have GOOD beer!

breld

Hard to see from the bad pic, but I haven't seen one of these in a long time!

rayainsw

Actual instrumented test of the 2017 Fusion Sport [ finally ]

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/tested-2017-ford-fusion-sport-review

stickguy

Dealers calling now, letting me know that the 2017 A3s are on the lot. Will heed to stop and browse

Michaell

breld said:

Hard to see from the bad pic, but I haven't seen one of these in a long time!

928 S4?

Mr_Shiftright

Awesome car!

stickguy

rayainsw said:

Actual instrumented test of the 2017 Fusion Sport [ finally ]

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/tested-2017-ford-fusion-sport-review

Quick, but quite the porker. Just get a 320iX, a level 1 chip, and be about as fast with much better dynamics!

qbrozen

Took my lunch break today to go check out that MKX. Turns out the dealer is right across from a Volvo shop, so I also drove an XC60.

Volvo: Great seats, of course. Very comfy and quiet and familiar. I felt instantly at home. Like I just put on my favorite sweatshirt. What surprised me, though, was the power. Wow. Blew everything else away in how it drove, how it responded, how it flowed. It is the first of my list I have driven that made me say "I love this car."

MKX: Not terribly comfortable. My knee was pressing against the center stack the whole time and the dead pedal is about 4 inches too high. On the road, it felt downright ponderous. Just huge and heavy and unwilling to do what you want it to do. I expressed all of this to the salesman and he started talking about the MKC. He told me something I did not know: it can be had with the 2.3T. Huh. Ok. Sure. Why not?

MKC: Oddly enough, my legs fit. Huh? But the seat bottom did not feel comfy, and I was sitting next to the B pillar, leaving me no place to rest my left arm. Power was just adequate, really. The turbo is flat under 4k and above 6k. Manually shifting helps a tad but the trans is very slow to respond to inputs and slurs the shifts annoyingly. There is a lot to like about it for $40k, but not enough to get the Volvo off my mind.

nyccarguy

@breld - 968 Coupe? Very nice! I dig the color too!

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

@breld - 968 Coupe? Very nice! I dig the color too!

My Dad has a red 1992 Porsche 968 Turbo - it is one awesome car.

breld

Wow. VW is not faring very well these days.

VW Recall

stickguy

Q, what year and what engine? I'm assuming it was the 3.0l turbo 6? Other choices being the 3.2NA or 2.5t, which in that car, may not be that speedy.

Before we bought the RDX, we drove an XC60. Loved it (other than the wife not liking the seatbelt cutting across her neck, but that probably could have been adjusted away). Drove great, and fast. Loved the seats. But, it was a high end (45K+) model, and very far out of budget. And lower models did not have the same hot rod 6!