Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

kyfdx

stickguy said:

This could be interesting OF quality low miles! but no indication of what trans it has.

http://www.subaruofcherryhill.com/used/BMW/2008-BMW-3+Series-Cherry+Hill+NJ-fc5469de0a0e0a171812578af2e8c68f.htm?searchDepth=3:46

No pictures? No price?

kyfdx

With those low miles, It will be $30K+, I think.

14 mpg city, and they aren't kidding..

stickguy

It just showed up on the website today. No clue if it is even on the lot yet.

and if you actually care about MPG cruising around town, this should not be on your shopping list.

and after taking a quick cruise through cars.com, I would be shocked if a loaded one at these miles is not easily over $30k. Assuming it has not been wrecked or some such.

Michaell

suydam said:

Fun times learning the ropes with a partial EV. I downloaded the PlugShare app which tells you what charging stations are available in your area. We are taking a little trip down the coast this weekend and will recharge the car when we get there. Also downloaded the MyChevy app, which shows you remotely how much charge you have (if you are charging it away from your house). Most Level 2 charging stations have a max of 4 hours and most of them are free. One is a mile from my house. Nice to use some of the time so we aren't putting it on our electric bill. So far, nearly 150 miles and not a drop of gas. The Volt drives beautifully and it will be fun to see how it does on our little road trip.

How far south are you heading? Those are my old stomping grounds ...

suydam

Just to Malibu.

stever

I'm officially jealous.

nippononly

So I officially made this a two-car year last weekend, first year in a while I have done that...picked up a 2014 Mini Cooper 2-door that I saw sitting on the lot and just had to have. Really loving it so far, have driven several hundred miles and this is a car you just don't ever want to get out of...

Putting that together with the Camry hybrid I picked up in March, that's two punches this year, and a syndrome that had been in remission seems to be suddenly getting worse again... :-/

nyccarguy

nippononly said:

So I officially made this a two-car year last weekend, first year in a while I have done that...picked up a 2014 Mini Cooper 2-door that I saw sitting on the lot and just had to have. Really loving it so far, have driven several hundred miles and this is a car you just don't ever want to get out of...

Putting that together with the Camry hybrid I picked up in March, that's two punches this year, and a syndrome that had been in remission seems to be suddenly getting worse again... :-/

Congrats on a double punch 2016! I haven't punched my card since September 2014.

Michaell

suydam said:

Just to Malibu.

Good enough. Get a picture of the Volt by Mugu Rock.

stever

Congrats @nippononly, that should be a fun ride.

suydam

Michaell said:

suydam said:

Just to Malibu.

Good enough. Get a picture of the Volt by Mugu Rock.

More likely charging at the Country Mart.
And Congrats on the Mini!

corvette

Congrats, nippononly. With your two punches, we are up to 40 for the year. 

What year and mileage on the Camry Hybrid, and what mileage on the Mini? 

ab348

Runflats tend to ride harshly and even worse, be significantly more expensive to replace than regular tires. If I keep the ATS past the end of the lease the runflats are definitely going away.

fintail

If I keep my E250, I am also going to replace the runflats with normal tires. I'll risk it with a seal kit.

abacomike

Hi everyone.  Put a punch in for me - 2017 BMW 740i - taking delivery as I post.  I'll post all the details later today when I get home.  White with cognac (saddle) leather.

Michaell

abacomike said:

Hi everyone.  Put a punch in for me - 2017 BMW 740i - taking delivery as I post.  I'll post all the details later today when I get home.  White with cognac (saddle) leather.

Guessing the dealer came up on the trade value for your CLS ....

Congrats!

28firefighter

abacomike said:

Hi everyone.  Put a punch in for me - 2017 BMW 740i - taking delivery as I post.  I'll post all the details later today when I get home.  White with cognac (saddle) leather.

I knew the servicing and detail was just a ruse to make us think you were keeping the CLS.

roadburner

nippononly said:

So I officially made this a two-car year last weekend, first year in a while I have done that...picked up a 2014 Mini Cooper 2-door that I saw sitting on the lot and just had to have. Really loving it so far, have driven several hundred miles and this is a car you just don't ever want to get out of...

Putting that together with the Camry hybrid I picked up in March, that's two punches this year, and a syndrome that had been in remission seems to be suddenly getting worse again... :-/

Congrats!

imidazol97

abacomike said:

Hi everyone.  Put a punch in for me - 2017 BMW 740i - taking delivery as I post.  I'll post all the details later today when I get home.  White with cognac (saddle) leather.

Last night I thought about posting a challenge to anyone wanting to bet on whether you would be announcing a new vehicle today. I was willing to give it an 80% probability. LOL

Congratulations. Enjoy.

fintail

Congrats. You should name it "h-e-double hockey sticks"

xwesx

abacomike said:

Hi everyone.  Put a punch in for me - 2017 BMW 740i - taking delivery as I post.  I'll post all the details later today when I get home.  White with cognac (saddle) leather.

Well, darn! I knew you were due, but you were supposed to wait until 2017! Congrats!

Here's hoping for thirty......

nyccarguy

@abacomike triumphantly returns to edmunds! Way to go! Mazel-Tov & Congrats!

nyccarguy

Since a few of you have already seen me posting on RWTIV & 2017 Toyota Sienna Lease Questions, here's a snippet for those who haven's seen the thoughts of my latest plan:

Things are not going well with my insurance company from the basement flood. They issued me a check that is basically going to cover what it cost ServePro to clean up. I've got to come out of pocket for the rest of the money to waterproof, then refinish the basement. It might be a good time to cash out of my Pilot. If I can make the numbers work (depending on what @qbrozen says), then I'll do what I have to do

roadburner

Bradd, Kentucky has a statute known as the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act(KRS 304.12-230). If an insurer fails to settle or pay a claim in good faith the insured can recover prejudgment interest (12% per annum) and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred. You might want to check and see if NJ has a similar law.

sda

nyccarguy said:

Since a few of you have already seen me posting on RWTIV & 2017 Toyota Sienna Lease Questions, here's a snippet for those who haven's seen the thoughts of my latest plan:

Things are not going well with my insurance company from the basement flood. They issued me a check that is basically going to cover what it cost ServePro to clean up. I've got to come out of pocket for the rest of the money to waterproof, then refinish the basement. It might be a good time to cash out of my Pilot. If I can make the numbers work (depending on what @qbrozen says), then I'll do what I have to do

Truly a bummer, I hope things look up for you.

sda

abacomike said:

Hi everyone.  Put a punch in for me - 2017 BMW 740i - taking delivery as I post.  I'll post all the details later today when I get home.  White with cognac (saddle) leather.

Congratulations, sweet car. You may ask Roadburner for his genius guidance!

tifighter

@abacomike Like a Swiss watch. What a legend...

suydam

Congratulations, Mike!
I had a flooded basement a few years back. There was a $1000 deductible, then they covered everything else -- mildew remediation, painting, new carpet, etc. even re-tiling the kitchen (where the leak started). I think the claim was over 10 grand.

nyccarguy

suydam said:

Congratulations, Mike!
I had a flooded basement a few years back. There was a $1000 deductible, then they covered everything else -- mildew remediation, painting, new carpet, etc. even re-tiling the kitchen (where the leak started). I think the claim was over 10 grand.

Because my claim is from a sump pump failure, they say as of now they will only pay for the $5,000. I'm not through with them yet, but I have to start paying for the interior perimeter basement drain as well as the contractors who are going to rip the walls out. I'm going to need a decent amount of money to get me going.

kyfdx

roadburner said:

Bradd, Kentucky has a statute known as the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act(KRS 304.12-230). If an insurer fails to settle or pay a claim in good faith the insured can recover prejudgment interest (12% per annum) and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred. You might want to check and see if NJ has a similar law.

Most insurance policies don't include coverage for finished basements. Just for mechanicals (furnace, hot water heater, etc). I have a sewer backup insurance rider, but that will only cover the above, plus clean-up. Dry wall, carpet, built-in cabinets, bar, etc, etc... are basically uninsured.

You'd be surprised what isn't insured by a homeowner's policy.

suydam

Mine was finished but as we were in the process of downsizing we had no furniture there. They paid for everything damaged. Yes, finding out what ISNT covered can be a shock. Years ago we had a tree fall on our house. They only paid to remove the tree if it was "necessary" in order to assess roof damage. Fortunately it was. How could it not be?

suydam

Second time now I've been asked about the Volt at the mall or gym. People want to know how it works, how long is the range, are there car charging stations around here. They like the idea that it can plug into an ordinary garage outlet. They also ooh and aah over the car. I think people have an idea that a PHEV must be a very pedestrian kind of car. I blame the Prius for that. Meanwhile, I'm having fun learning the regen brake paddles on the steering wheel.

stickguy

the volt has an engine too, right? so you could drive cross country, just stopping at gas stations, if you wanted to?

suydam

Yes, you can. And it's a hybrid so it gets over 42 mpg just in gas mode. There are two indicators on the dash that form a circle. The left half is the battery charge and the right half is the gas available. I think that's rather comforting to know you aren't totally dependent on charge range. It's a nice way to ease into the whole electric car thing.

stickguy

I thought so. that is fine for me (though I would be more likely to go with a plain (non-plug in) hybrid). I guess having the plug doesn't hurt anything, other than in most cases trunk room (thanks to bigger batteries).

I will give a Volt a long look at the car show next month. Also want to see the new Hyundai Ioniq. That looks cool, and will come in mild and plug in hybrid models.

and full EV, but I can't see myself ever getting one of them!

breld

@nyccarguy - best of luck on the basement project. Sorry to hear that it's rougher than you probably expected.

suydam

The plus side is that around town you never need to use gas at all. I haven't yet.
It's a hatchback so it has more room than you think. However it is a compact, not a midsize car. Which is what we wanted.

stickguy

I want something smaller too. Though I may want some sort of wagon/CUV that has enough room in the back for a dog. I suppose I can also just get a back seat hammock cover for that.

roadburner

suydam said:

Second time now I've been asked about the Volt at the mall or gym. People want to know how it works, how long is the range, are there car charging stations around here. They like the idea that it can plug into an ordinary garage outlet. They also ooh and aah over the car. I think people have an idea that a PHEV must be a very pedestrian kind of car. I blame the Prius for that. Meanwhile, I'm having fun learning the regen brake paddles on the steering wheel.

The i3 regen system is linked to the accelerator pedal. Lift off completely and the car slows down abruptly- to the point that the car automatically activates the brake lights. However, if you lift off gradually you can control the rate of deceleration to a precise degree(with a bit of practice). Based on the car's ConnectedDrive profile my wife and I are doing a tiny bit better than average at recuperating energy.

abacomike

Here is a reprint of my post on the "Members....Conversaton..." forum re: the 740iL punch:

Well, I promised to post all the details about this car, so here it goes:

Last night, when I left the dealership, they were adamant on a selling price of $48,xxx out the door for the 740i. That included a $2500 certificate from USAA as a fleet discount. After working all the number several times, it seemed to me there was more than enough room to ask for $45,000 out the door in order to make the deal work for me. All I heard was that it couldn't be done. After sitting at the dealership from 10:00 AM this morning until almost 2:00 PM, with me about to walk out the door, the young man (who as one of their "Genius" personnel) made one last effort with management and presented me with $45,000 out the door.

As we have discussed on this forum and others, this approach to buying a new car works beautifully. MSRP was 91,495 with invoice being $85,570. Edmunds shows that the average buyer paid $86,712 for this car, or about $1200 over invoice. I assumed that I should be able to get this car for invoice less the $2500 USAA discount, or $83,070. Manheim showed $58,000 for 2 cars like my trade - but they were only offering me $54,000. I probably would have been a bit skiddish offering $58,000 for my CLS if I was still a sales manager and appraising cars. So, I figured I should be getting $56,500 for the trade. As it turned out, even though they showed only $55,000 for the trade value, they actually dug into their holdback to come up with the $45,000 out the door - so I basically got the $56,500 I wanted for the trade - just subtracted in another column on the buyers order. Remember, there are dealer fees here - their's is $699 which was added as well as title and tag (license plate) transfer fees.

So, all in all, I think I made a great deal - after all, it's the game one plays with a dealer that is the exciting part of the transaction. The idea of this game is to win - and I think I won the game - they met my price out the door.

Now for the vehicle. It's a 740iL (all 7 series BMW's are now built on the "L" or "Long" chassis/wheelbase). As I mentioned, it is Alpine White with Cognac Dakota leather seats and side panels and black leather dash, black carpet, and black headliner (it has a very small amount of headliner because of the dual stationary moonroofs in the car. Each moonroof (front and rear) has a full shade covering the glass. One just manually moves the shades and you can see outside the car above. It also has power rear and power rear-sidewindow shades which helps with the strong sun down here.

What I was most startled at was the ability to increase and decrease the volume on the audio system by simply rotating your finger in front of the front main panel/screen. To answer a Bluetooth phone call, you just point your finger at the screen. To not accept a call and have it go to the phone's voicemail, you just move your open hand to the right like brushing the call aside and it goes to voicemail. The audio system is Harman Kardon and is amazingly impressive in it tonal quality. It has base and treble functions, but it also has a huge graphic equalizer to fine tune hi's and low's and midrange sound.

This is a huge car that handles as well as my Mercedes did, however it is much easier to get in and out of which was a major concern I had with the Benz. Since my surgery, I have difficulty getting in and out of low stance cars and low seats, which the CLS had. There are 3 driving settings - Sport, Comfort and Extra Comfort. It has air suspension so you can raise or lower the vehicle.

I've driven the S Class Mercedes several times and was not as impressed with the ride and handling as I am with the 7 series. The chassis and many parts of the body are made out of carbon fiber - there is even a medallion on each of the B pillars when the door is open that indicates the heavy use of carbon fiber in the construction of the vehicle. But, to repeat, this is one huge vehicle.

I like the 3-D Cameras that show the vehicle in relation to other vehicles when you are pulling into a parking space. Either forwards or backwards, you can put the car right between the parking lines and you can see the parking pillars in front of the car so you can stop the car before scraping the underneath of the front bumpers.

There is really too much to go into, and I have probably overdone it here, but I just wanted to describe, as best I could, the deal and negotiations as well as my first impressions of the car.

One more thing - there is a hand held object that you can use to check the status of the vehicle. It is currently in its cradle in the car charging. It has a screen that gives readouts of data and info. I have to try that thing out when I get a chance.

Finally, just like Apple has a Genius Bar staffed with "techies", BMW also has this same concept. The car was delivered by a Genius Techie and they make an appointment for you to bring the car back in a few days to spend another hour or so answering your questions and showing more features of the vehicle. Really impressive.

Thanks for allowing me to post the above - I hope you found it interesting.

corvette

roadburner said:

The i3 regen system is linked to the accelerator pedal. Lift off completely and the car slows down abruptly- to the point that the car automatically activates the brake lights...

I've seen brake light switches fail (always on European cars) and people using excessive engine braking in traffic often enough that I wonder why this isn't part of the software on all cars--if the car senses deceleration beyond a certain "normal" amount, it should activate the brake lights.

abaco, great story about a great car. Enjoy the 740iL!

qbrozen

abacomike said:

Here is a reprint of my post on the "Members....Conversaton..." forum re: the 740iL punch: Well, I promised to post all the details about this car, so here it goes: Last night, when I left the dealership, they were adamant on a selling price of $48,xxx out the door for the 740i. That included a $2500 certificate from USAA as a fleet discount. After working all the number several times, it seemed to me there was more than enough room to ask for $45,000 out the door in order to make the deal work for me. All I heard was that it couldn't be done. After sitting at the dealership from 10:00 AM this morning until almost 2:00 PM, with me about to walk out the door, the young man (who as one of their "Genius" personnel) made one last effort with management and presented me with $45,000 out the door. As we have discussed on this forum and others, this approach to buying a new car works beautifully. MSRP was 91,495 with invoice being $85,570. Edmunds shows that the average buyer paid $86,712 for this car, or about $1200 over invoice. I assumed that I should be able to get this car for invoice less the $2500 USAA discount, or $83,070. Manheim showed $58,000 for 2 cars like my trade - but they were only offering me $54,000. I probably would have been a bit skiddish offering $58,000 for my CLS if I was still a sales manager and appraising cars. So, I figured I should be getting $56,500 for the trade. As it turned out, even though they showed only $55,000 for the trade value, they actually dug into their holdback to come up with the $45,000 out the door - so I basically got the $56,500 I wanted for the trade - just subtracted in another column on the buyers order. Remember, there are dealer fees here - their's is $699 which was added as well as title and tag (license plate) transfer fees. So, all in all, I think I made a great deal - after all, it's the game one plays with a dealer that is the exciting part of the transaction. The idea of this game is to win - and I think I won the game - they met my price out the door. Now for the vehicle. It's a 740iL (all 7 series BMW's are now built on the "L" or "Long" chassis/wheelbase). As I mentioned, it is Alpine White with Cognac Dakota leather seats and side panels and black leather dash, black carpet, and black headliner (it has a very small amount of headliner because of the dual stationary moonroofs in the car. Each moonroof (front and rear) has a full shade covering the glass. One just manually moves the shades and you can see outside the car above. It also has power rear and power rear-sidewindow shades which helps with the strong sun down here. What I was most startled at was the ability to increase and decrease the volume on the audio system by simply rotating your finger in front of the front main panel/screen. To answer a Bluetooth phone call, you just point your finger at the screen. To not accept a call and have it go to the phone's voicemail, you just move your open hand to the right like brushing the call aside and it goes to voicemail. The audio system is Harman Kardon and is amazingly impressive in it tonal quality. It has base and treble functions, but it also has a huge graphic equalizer to fine tune hi's and low's and midrange sound. This is a huge car that handles as well as my Mercedes did, however it is much easier to get in and out of which was a major concern I had with the Benz. Since my surgery, I have difficulty getting in and out of low stance cars and low seats, which the CLS had. There are 3 driving settings - Sport, Comfort and Extra Comfort. It has air suspension so you can raise or lower the vehicle. I've driven the S Class Mercedes several times and was not as impressed with the ride and handling as I am with the 7 series. The chassis and many parts of the body are made out of carbon fiber - there is even a medallion on each of the B pillars when the door is open that indicates the heavy use of carbon fiber in the construction of the vehicle. But, to repeat, this is one huge vehicle. I like the 3-D Cameras that show the vehicle in relation to other vehicles when you are pulling into a parking space. Either forwards or backwards, you can put the car right between the parking lines and you can see the parking pillars in front of the car so you can stop the car before scraping the underneath of the front bumpers. There is really too much to go into, and I have probably overdone it here, but I just wanted to describe, as best I could, the deal and negotiations as well as my first impressions of the car. One more thing - there is a hand held object that you can use to check the status of the vehicle. It is currently in its cradle in the car charging. It has a screen that gives readouts of data and info. I have to try that thing out when I get a chance. Finally, just like Apple has a Genius Bar staffed with "techies", BMW also has this same concept. The car was delivered by a Genius Techie and they make an appointment for you to bring the car back in a few days to spend another hour or so answering your questions and showing more features of the vehicle. Really impressive. Thanks for allowing me to post the above - I hope you found it interesting.

I was recently wondering why nobody has copied Nissan's around-view monitor since it seems so great in my 2012 Infiniti. I guess someone did after all.

congrats on the purchase. Enjoy!

fintail

Congrats on the 7er. Post some pics when you can.

Interesting thing - (I think) the carbon fiber for those is made right here in WA, in Moses Lake (cheap hydroelectric power). Also, I think all 7ers since F01 have the turn signal package as standard!

rayainsw

Congratulations on the 7 - sounds impressive, indeed !
Enjoy !

abacomike

Thanks all for your kind thoughts and wishes.  But I will repeat one thing - boy this is one "big" car!!!

stever

Well, everyone is telling you to get some rest. Go snooze in the new 7.

Sandman6472

The brake light switch went out on the Accent in year 4...took it in and 2 hours later, I'm driving home with a fixed vehicle, gratis of course. Hyundai has a great warranty and so far, we're still impressed with the vehicle. My kid just got a job as a pharmacist in Miami and can now afford almost anything she wants but she's keeping on to her Accent for the time being. With just over 28K in eight years of ownership, it's a great little economy vehicle.
Stopped by VW and MB today to check out some cpo units but didn't drive any. Still have one red over beige 2016 Tiguan, 18K and asking $21K...they also had some "R" Tiguans, all 2016's for around $24K and change. Liked the "R"'s but they all ride on 19" rims which are a bit big for me. Also, mpg's pretty much suck on Tiguans which is a big con for me...love the higher seating position so a big pro.
Mercedes didn't have any GLA's at the Coconut Creek location but did have a few cpo C250's. Saw a 2014 unit, blue over beige with miles in the mid $20's with around 26K that I was drawn to. Had a smallish spoiler which gave it a slightly sportier look. Also had a white and silver C250 which looked nice. They were having some kind of training going on so was able to look without being bothered as was just looking at this juncture. Still want to check out a 328i as it's been awhile since I drove one.
Getting back into my Golf which just hit 25K, I smiled the whole way home. My gut's telling me to just stay the course for another couple of years while I'm still commuting and working. Going down in mpg's isn't logical right now to be honest even though I've got the itch for something different. Logically it's just prudent to wait until a couple of months before I retire again to pick up something and just mile up the Golf. No hiccups since that starter issue when new, still looks great, fun to drive and economical. So, to keep harmony here at the house, staying the course and keep saving the needed funds for when the time does come. Will probably just get me that iPhone 6s I've got my eye on and call it a day. February 12th is my two year point with my LG android unit and like to swap phones every couple of years. Had to pair it with the Golf again today since I had to do a factory reset Saturday to fix a couple of issues. First attempt yesterday didn't work but this morning, paired within seconds. But, I want an iPhone now and don't need the newest and biggest, the 6s will work fine and it's also a bit of savings over the 7.

The Sandman

corvette

One weird thing I've noticed, when I buy a new car, it retains the "new car" smell for several years, but pretty much every used car I look at, even if it's a lightly used luxury make that's only a year old, doesn't smell like a new car anymore.

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

Since a few of you have already seen me posting on RWTIV & 2017 Toyota Sienna Lease Questions, here's a snippet for those who haven's seen the thoughts of my latest plan:

Things are not going well with my insurance company from the basement flood. They issued me a check that is basically going to cover what it cost ServePro to clean up. I've got to come out of pocket for the rest of the money to waterproof, then refinish the basement. It might be a good time to cash out of my Pilot. If I can make the numbers work (depending on what @qbrozen says), then I'll do what I have to do

Dang, Bradd! That ain't good! Hope you can get things to work.

breld

@abacomike - congrats on the 740i purchase. Sounds pretty awesome!