Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

tbirdmarco

Thanks all Weekand was good to fast did not do anything crazy lol lol.

tjc78

Went to the local "auto mall" today (@stickguy knows the place). They were closed but got to walk and see the Elantra, Corolla and Cruze up close. I lucked out and several of each were open.

Cruze didn't really do it for me. The interior seemed cheap, and didn't like the controls/screen as much.

Elantra was a stand out I have to say. I swear it has every bit as much useable interior space as my Grand Marquis. I really liked the whole package. It's also nice that Apple car play is part of a not too expensive package. Price was right at 20K with alloys

Corolla S. I have to admit, its neck and neck with the Elantra. I think I like the interior design, gauges and steering wheel better, but the Elantra is the better looking car overall. Corolla has Auto Temp control, nicer alloys, paddle shifters (LOL) but no car play for around 21.500.

I've got the MGM on CL for $3,000. I'm hoping for a quick sale. One night this week, the test drives begin.

Feel free to critique my ad: http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5853929730.html

Mr_Shiftright

henryn said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

I looked at that piece on TTAC. My take is, if you love your VW, the logical replacement is a gasser of the same model. Not like you can really get something comparable elsewhere with a diesel. So, if you are going back to gas, no need to change brands. Of course, some people probably refuse to buy another VW, so they don't count!

If you have a Golf, a new 2017 Wolfsburg has the 1.8t, and will push 40 on the highway. and you can get a stick! more equipment too, for a lot less than the tdi cost. And you fuel costs will barely go up anyway, if at all.

I got better mileage in my Fit than I have been getting in my TDI.

I am getting insane mileage on my '13 Passat TDI. Friday, I drove over 200 miles, mostly on freeways, maybe 10 or 15 miles on surface streets. Average speed on the freeways around 65 to 70 mph. I filled up and reset the trip computer the night before. At the end of the day, my MPG reading was a little over 47.

And in case you don't think I should believe the computer: I have gone through 4 tanks of diesel in the time I've had the car. Mostly stop and go, commuting to work in downtown Houston. My lowest number is 35 mpg, highest is 37, computing by hand.



My friends regularly get between 44-47 on their TDI. They drive fairly conservatively though, and mostly freeway.

tbirdmarco

@28firefighter Man best of luck to you.

toomanyfumes

You should get your asking price on that Grand Marquis. So many cars at that price are ratty and neglected.

Mr_Shiftright

You might be a bit light on that car. In California, that's a $5995 car at a buy here pay here dealer, and maybe $3500-$4000 private party.

tjc78

I thought maybe I was, but it needs front pads and rotors soon and it has the original plugs. It also has had the hood repainted and rear bumper cover last year. You do have me thinking, now....

Mr_Shiftright

What's the mm on the front pads, do you know? Unless they are dangerously thin, then that's just a normal maintenance item. If they're 1mm and ready to dig into the rotors, well then yeah, okay, you can knock off $250. But I'd still start higher.

It looks pretty clean in the photos, and if it's a no-excuses car, then $3995 isn't an unreasonable starting point unless you really want to fire it out of there quickly and make it gone.

tjc78

You talked me into it. I upped it to $3500, don't want it to linger around too long.

Not sure how close the front pads are, but a shop just told me "soon". They have about 47K miles on them, so I believed it. It is a no excuses car. No leaks, no lights, everything but the power pedals works. A/C is a freezer (better than our 15 Enclave).

Thanks for the input, I trust your opinion! I'll let everyone know how I make out.

Mr_Shiftright

What's a power pedal?

tjc78

Height adjustable, they move closer to the seat from the firewall. Helps shorter drivers move the seat back a little. They break on every Panther based car because the gear is plastic. Mine are luckily stuck in retracted position.

qbrozen

Power adjustable pedals (height).

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, of course...forgot about those. Never owned a car that had them. I doubt anyone would care if they didn't work.

stickguy

Tom, nice looking car (for what it is!). Good ad. The pedals, odds are most people that respond won't even know they are supposed to be there. I wouldn't! Should go quick.

Man, going from that to a Corolla, that is going to be culture shock.

as to the cars, if you like them both, go with whichever one is most comfy (seats on these can be a real dealbreaker). Nice that they left some unlocked. would not have expected that.

If you can roll 50K off the odo on the GM, OldFarmer will snap it right up.

Sandman6472

Nice looking G M for sure and think you'll get some bites. If it were down here in South Florida, you'd have a line to buy it, I used to know folks who'd look in the retirement communities for good deals on cars just like yours. I also had a retirement community for my last route and a few carrier buddies would always ask me to let them know when anything came up as my customers usually asked me first for some reason. Guess they figured with 3 kids, I could use a cheap older vehicle for a third car for them to use.
Nice color combo there also, think you should have no trouble selling that puppy.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Don't count out the Cruze until you drive it and sit in it. Have never liked them but this new model is a game changer as far as I'm concerned. And I drove a base model, so didn't have a lot of options...but I really liked it, a lot! And not being a domestic fan, the Cruze is a vehicle I'd consider if in the market now, especially the hatch. Saw a couple in person at the Chevy store a few weeks back and looks good. I like the color on the commercial out now, a pumpkinish color which makes the hatch look even better. I like hatchbacks, have already had 3 or 4 over the years, and if in the market, would seriously consider the Cruze LTZ unit. Think Chevy finally hit one out of the park with this new Cruze which is good news since Buick is dropping the Verano, a vehicle I was very close to buying back in 2013.

The Sandman

brian125

The Hatchback morning tease

http://autoweek.com/buyers-guide/chevrolet/cruze/2017

@stickguy fill those cars up today................. NJ gas tax starts tomorrow. 23 cents per gallon. Still will beat NY gas prices.

qbrozen

Oh good grief. There will be gas lines. Thanks for the warning.

brian125

Come over the Outer Bridge Into Staten Island for $16 bucks plenty of empty gas stations w/ cheap gas Reg $2.39.............................. NY Costco is 2.25 reg

graphicguy

stickguy said:

Here's another one for QB. Nice color, and the low miles he desires. Price seems high to me, but I guess it probably is what they go for. No clue if this is the right trim level, but I can only report what I find!

http://www.lillistonchryslerdodgejeep.com/used/HUMMER/2007-HUMMER-H3+SUV-4fc815a80a0e0a17159b70a165deb8f8.htm

IIRC, those were just Chevy Blazers with a Hummber body, correct?

js06gv

brian125 said:

Come over the Outer Bridge Into Staten Island for $16 bucks plenty of empty gas stations w/ cheap gas Reg $2.39.............................. NY Costco is 2.25 reg

@brian125 where in S.I. do you live? I grew up in Annadale back in the 70s.

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

Here's another one for QB. Nice color, and the low miles he desires. Price seems high to me, but I guess it probably is what they go for. No clue if this is the right trim level, but I can only report what I find!

http://www.lillistonchryslerdodgejeep.com/used/HUMMER/2007-HUMMER-H3+SUV-4fc815a80a0e0a17159b70a165deb8f8.htm

IIRC, those were just Chevy Blazers with a Hummber body, correct?

Chevy Colorado. I don't think the Blazer was around anymore by then. Trust me, though, its more than just a body swap. Everything underneath is beefed up. From extra crossmembers on the frame to stronger differentials and suspension. Pretty much the only thing shared between them is the engine/trans.

ab348

tjc78 said:

Went to the local "auto mall" today (@stickguy knows the place). They were closed but got to walk and see the Elantra, Corolla and Cruze up close. I lucked out and several of each were open.

Cruze didn't really do it for me. The interior seemed cheap, and didn't like the controls/screen as much.

Elantra was a stand out I have to say. I swear it has every bit as much useable interior space as my Grand Marquis. I really liked the whole package. It's also nice that Apple car play is part of a not too expensive package. Price was right at 20K with alloys

Corolla S. I have to admit, its neck and neck with the Elantra. I think I like the interior design, gauges and steering wheel better, but the Elantra is the better looking car overall. Corolla has Auto Temp control, nicer alloys, paddle shifters (LOL) but no car play for around 21.500.

Odd... I have heard/read no criticisms of the materials/design of the Cruze interior. The only thing I dislike is the cloth seat upholstery they chose.

This may be of interest:

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/civic/2016/2016-2017-big-test-compact-sedans/

stickguy

I filled up both over the weekend so good to go.

When. Stopped at Chevy dealer a few weeks back they had a Cruze hatch out front. Loaded up, sticker right around $30k. Ouch.

imidazol97

stickguy said:

sometimes my RTE calculation does that, if you start out getting higher MPG than it expects.

How long is the history used to calculate RTE? I noted that on my leSabre. Somewhere I read that the RTE is based on the last 50 miles or 25 miles or some rather short data set. So a high mileage for the last few mile improves the RTE.

qbrozen

Well, the EX37 gets the best mileage of my remaining contenders, so maybe I should take that into consideration.

stickguy

You don't have a very efficient short list if that is the case.

I do really like the EX though. Nice package.

stever

stickguy said:

I filled up both over the weekend so good to go.

When. Stopped at Chevy dealer a few weeks back they had a Cruze hatch out front. Loaded up, sticker right around $30k. Ouch.

I built one last night for $32k.

Really like the seats in our friend's 2013 Cruze sedan. The Civic hatch beats it a little on fuel economy.

tjc78

ab348 said:

tjc78 said:

Went to the local "auto mall" today (@stickguy knows the place). They were closed but got to walk and see the Elantra, Corolla and Cruze up close. I lucked out and several of each were open.

Cruze didn't really do it for me. The interior seemed cheap, and didn't like the controls/screen as much.

Elantra was a stand out I have to say. I swear it has every bit as much useable interior space as my Grand Marquis. I really liked the whole package. It's also nice that Apple car play is part of a not too expensive package. Price was right at 20K with alloys

Corolla S. I have to admit, its neck and neck with the Elantra. I think I like the interior design, gauges and steering wheel better, but the Elantra is the better looking car overall. Corolla has Auto Temp control, nicer alloys, paddle shifters (LOL) but no car play for around 21.500.

Odd... I have heard/read no criticisms of the materials/design of the Cruze interior. The only thing I dislike is the cloth seat upholstery they chose.

This may be of interest:

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/civic/2016/2016-2017-big-test-compact-sedans/

The seat material was one of things I was talking about, plus I preferred the overall layout of the Elantra and Corolla better. I certainly wouldn't throw it out of the garage, but in looking at the numbers the Elantra and Corolla are going to be the better leases. GM right now only offers the best deals to competitive leasees..

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

Here's another one for QB. Nice color, and the low miles he desires. Price seems high to me, but I guess it probably is what they go for. No clue if this is the right trim level, but I can only report what I find!

http://www.lillistonchryslerdodgejeep.com/used/HUMMER/2007-HUMMER-H3+SUV-4fc815a80a0e0a17159b70a165deb8f8.htm

IIRC, those were just Chevy Blazers with a Hummber body, correct?

Chevy Colorado. I don't think the Blazer was around anymore by then. Trust me, though, its more than just a body swap. Everything underneath is beefed up. From extra crossmembers on the frame to stronger differentials and suspension. Pretty much the only thing shared between them is the engine/trans.

Didn't know that. Thanks!

tjc78

sandman_6472 said:

Nice looking G M for sure and think you'll get some bites. If it were down here in South Florida, you'd have a line to buy it, I used to know folks who'd look in the retirement communities for good deals on cars just like yours. I also had a retirement community for my last route and a few carrier buddies would always ask me to let them know when anything came up as my customers usually asked me first for some reason. Guess they figured with 3 kids, I could use a cheap older vehicle for a third car for them to use.
Nice color combo there also, think you should have no trouble selling that puppy.

The Sandman

I hope everyone is right. I've joked and called the car a "Florida" edition. At least I took off the chrome wheel well moldings!

Got the first CL flake reply... "$1500 cash today" Um no, I'd trade it to a dealer first and take the tax credit.

roadburner

My wife was out of town this weekend on a mission trip so I drove the i3 almost exclusively. I love it; the power and handling combine to make it a very entertaining drive. The Harman Kardon audio system sounds extremely good and the rest of the car's technology is essentially identical to a conventional BMW. We're trying to avoid buying a Level 2 charger for now so we are just plugging in the 110V charger that comes with every i3. So far I've found out that the car's charge time estimates to be significantly pessimistic; the car is usually fully charged at least two hours sooner than originally estimated. I ran the car down to 36% yesterday and it was fully charged in a bit over 12 hours. Not bad.

Mr_Shiftright

curbstoner contacted you, no doubt.

Q--Here's an H3 right near me. Oh, my, look at those miles! Unusual color, too.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5821972435.html

qbrozen

what the hell is with the dash and seat covers? with 35k, they should be perfect and shown off. something stinks here.

Mr_Shiftright

I didn't understand that either, which is why I was curious. It's a private party sale, so you know, anything goes. Dealers can't be quite as treacherous.

OK, let's try again----here's another with low miles, private party

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5812003677.html

I noticed the nice neighborhood

Price needs to come down though. Low miles are worth something, to be sure, but on a nearly 10 year old car, one has to factor in age as well.

corvette

roadburner said:

We're trying to avoid buying a Level 2 charger for now so we are just plugging in the 110V charger that comes with every i3. 

From what I've read, 110v charging is less efficient. But, electricity here is a lot cheaper than most parts of the country. It would be hard to justify the expenditure unless you need it to charge faster. 

Mr_Shiftright

Perhaps the Level 2 charger is best for someone trying to run an EV as their primary vehicle--although I must say I have never come across an EV owner who has attempted that. They are always 2nd or 3rd cars.

qbrozen

I used an online service where I mailed them the charging cable that came with my Leaf and they modified it to accept 220v and charge at the "level 2" rate. It increased electricity transfer efficiency on top of charging faster. IIRC, it cost me about $180? Then another few bucks on the outlet and wire to run a 220v outlet in my garage.

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

I didn't understand that either, which is why I was curious. It's a private party sale, so you know, anything goes. Dealers can't be quite as treacherous.

OK, let's try again----here's another with low miles, private party

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5812003677.html

I noticed the nice neighborhood

Price needs to come down though. Low miles are worth something, to be sure, but on a nearly 10 year old car, one has to factor in age as well.

cloth interior. boooo. :b

andres3

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

I looked at that piece on TTAC. My take is, if you love your VW, the logical replacement is a gasser of the same model. Not like you can really get something comparable elsewhere with a diesel. So, if you are going back to gas, no need to change brands. Of course, some people probably refuse to buy another VW, so they don't count!

If you have a Golf, a new 2017 Wolfsburg has the 1.8t, and will push 40 on the highway. and you can get a stick! more equipment too, for a lot less than the tdi cost. And you fuel costs will barely go up anyway, if at all.

I got better mileage in my Fit than I have been getting in my TDI.

Not so fast, my wife's TDI easily Trumps the gas mileage of the new Kia 1.6T gasser. No contest. And for the longest time diesel was cheaper than RUG, further widening the Grand Canyon of costs.

qbrozen

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

I looked at that piece on TTAC. My take is, if you love your VW, the logical replacement is a gasser of the same model. Not like you can really get something comparable elsewhere with a diesel. So, if you are going back to gas, no need to change brands. Of course, some people probably refuse to buy another VW, so they don't count!

If you have a Golf, a new 2017 Wolfsburg has the 1.8t, and will push 40 on the highway. and you can get a stick! more equipment too, for a lot less than the tdi cost. And you fuel costs will barely go up anyway, if at all.

I got better mileage in my Fit than I have been getting in my TDI.

Not so fast, my wife's TDI easily Trumps the gas mileage of the new Kia 1.6T gasser. No contest. And for the longest time diesel was cheaper than RUG, further widening the Grand Canyon of costs.

Your anecdotal evidence doesn't trump mine. :b

I was merely pointing out an alternative where I did just as well, and often better, in the mileage department than my JSW TDI. Keep in mind, my Fit was a stick while my JSW is an auto. I am SURE if I had a stick in my JSW, I'd be getting 10% better mileage.

nyccarguy

Hey! That's 2 mentions of trump in 2 consecutive posts! What happened to no political discussions around here! Lol!

stever

A reporter is working on a story about online driver's ed classes. If you've taken one of these online classes -- or if you considered it and decided not to take it -- then please shoot a message to PR@edmunds.com by no later than Thursday, November 3, 2016.

andres3

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

I looked at that piece on TTAC. My take is, if you love your VW, the logical replacement is a gasser of the same model. Not like you can really get something comparable elsewhere with a diesel. So, if you are going back to gas, no need to change brands. Of course, some people probably refuse to buy another VW, so they don't count!

If you have a Golf, a new 2017 Wolfsburg has the 1.8t, and will push 40 on the highway. and you can get a stick! more equipment too, for a lot less than the tdi cost. And you fuel costs will barely go up anyway, if at all.

I got better mileage in my Fit than I have been getting in my TDI.

Not so fast, my wife's TDI easily Trumps the gas mileage of the new Kia 1.6T gasser. No contest. And for the longest time diesel was cheaper than RUG, further widening the Grand Canyon of costs.

Your anecdotal evidence doesn't trump mine. :b

I was merely pointing out an alternative where I did just as well, and often better, in the mileage department than my JSW TDI. Keep in mind, my Fit was a stick while my JSW is an auto. I am SURE if I had a stick in my JSW, I'd be getting 10% better mileage.

The Fit is also probably about a 1/2 ton lighter and significantly smaller than your JSW TDI.

In the TTS I can't really seem to average much more than 22 MPG in mixed and heavy traffic driving. However, I do find that at stoplights no one seems to keep up with me. Not really trying to smoke everyone at every stoplight, but it seems impossible to go slow in that car

Mr_Shiftright

I was going to ding him for capitalizing the word, but we'll let that go..

Michaell

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

I looked at that piece on TTAC. My take is, if you love your VW, the logical replacement is a gasser of the same model. Not like you can really get something comparable elsewhere with a diesel. So, if you are going back to gas, no need to change brands. Of course, some people probably refuse to buy another VW, so they don't count!

If you have a Golf, a new 2017 Wolfsburg has the 1.8t, and will push 40 on the highway. and you can get a stick! more equipment too, for a lot less than the tdi cost. And you fuel costs will barely go up anyway, if at all.

I got better mileage in my Fit than I have been getting in my TDI.

Not so fast, my wife's TDI easily Trumps the gas mileage of the new Kia 1.6T gasser. No contest. And for the longest time diesel was cheaper than RUG, further widening the Grand Canyon of costs.

Your anecdotal evidence doesn't trump mine. :b

I was merely pointing out an alternative where I did just as well, and often better, in the mileage department than my JSW TDI. Keep in mind, my Fit was a stick while my JSW is an auto. I am SURE if I had a stick in my JSW, I'd be getting 10% better mileage.

The Fit is also probably about a 1/2 ton lighter and significantly smaller than your JSW TDI.

In the TTS I can't really seem to average much more than 22 MPG in mixed and heavy traffic driving. However, I do find that at stoplights no one seems to keep up with me. Not really trying to smoke everyone at every stoplight, but it seems impossible to go slow in that car


Funny you should say that. I'm finding it very hard to keep my foot out of the throttle on my 150HP 1.4T turbo engine in the Jetta. Very smooth delivery of power, though there is a slight bit of turbo lag.

Of course, the altitude helps - I'm at 5900 feet.

qbrozen

Michaell said:

Funny you should say that. I'm finding it very hard to keep my foot out of the throttle on my 150HP 1.4T turbo engine in the Jetta. Very smooth delivery of power, though there is a slight bit of turbo lag.

Of course, the altitude helps - I'm at 5900 feet.

Oh, I should just attach the throttle to the floor in my JSW. I did the same thing in my Fit, but I couldn't get that to go below 36mpg no matter what I did. The JSW dips to 34 (and the OBC is 10% generous, so its more like 31).

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

what the hell is with the dash and seat covers? with 35k, they should be perfect and shown off. something stinks here.

OK, how 'bout yellow?

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5841083609.html

qbrozen

Oh, I have no shortage of 90k-mile hummers around me. ;b

I found a $13k EX35 I might consider. 2010 with 78k miles. Unfortunately has the old 5-speed since the 7-speed didn't start in that model till 2011, but $13k? Tough to argue with that bargain.

Mr_Shiftright

Is 7 speeds really all that important?