Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Do you still keep your old responsibilities, and just add the management of those employees, or do you ditch your old job to take the new one?

Well ... I think the former.

28firefighter

I have nothing constructive to add here, either, especially since I'm in the midst of my own growth discussions at work.

Major feather in your cap though, regardless of what path you choose to follow!

breld

I think you just go all Jerry Maguire on them and shout out "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

That shows them that you're enthusiastic and they will like that.

breld

Or...

I think you take on the additional/new role and have faith that you will be compensated fairly, whether it be immediately or down the road.

Your manager offering the additional supervisory role to you demonstrates his/her (her, right?) confidence in and satisfaction with your performance these past several months. And whether that comes with additional compensation (which I would think it would) or not, it's likely a path toward advancement.

If you find yourself in a position to be looking again at some point (hopefully not of course), having that supervisory experience will be invaluable.

And, based on my interaction with you, I have no doubt that you can succeed at overseeing a team.

breld

No shock of course, but my wife has really got the car bug right now. Right now, she's focused on the following vehicles:

• Range Rover Evoque (used)
  
• BMW X5 (used)
  
• MINI Cooper Clubman (new)
  

Quite the variety of choices there. Lots of low mileage Evoques at a local dealership here that I presume are previous (or current) service loaners. They represent a hefty discount over new ones, but while equipped okay, they are missing some key features that she would like. Not having experience with Land Rover before, I'm apprehensive about going too old or out of warranty.

We're pretty picky on the X5s - there's a few colors we like, and I think the sport package is a must. A third row option would be ideal just to have it, but they're hard to find (and not terrible useful anyway). There's a place in California (California Beemers) that seems to specialize in the "sportier" trim levels on the used market - they have a beautiful 2013 M-sport in blue over oyster. Low miles and is priced fairly well. That has her tempted.

She likes the MINI a lot too, but is apprehensive about buying an expensive MINI new. Some deep year-end discounts could persuade her.

kyfdx

I like the "Show me the money" plan.


On another note, going to look at a beater in a few minutes.
'97 Range Rover 4.0 SE. 150K miles.

tjc78

kyfdx said:

I like the "Show me the money" plan.


On another note, going to look at a beater in a few minutes.
'97 Range Rover 4.0 SE. 150K miles.

Be afraid, be very
afraid

Mr_Shiftright

You're the one who needs the counseling. I sure hope this truck is free.

tjc78

Mr_Shiftright said:

You're the one who needs the counseling. I sure hope this truck is free.

Free isn't good enough. It needs to come with a gift card to the mechanic

andres3

tjc78 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

You're the one who needs the counseling. I sure hope this truck is free.

Free isn't good enough. It needs to come with a gift card to the mechanic

I like that idea; first breakdown repair is warrantied by the seller. I wonder if they'd rather junk it at that point.

kyfdx

It will definitely be 3 digits. Young lady that has it now, commutes 50 miles r/t daily, so I know it works. Plus, it's from Colorado, so I got that going for me.

ab348

breld said:

Or...

I think you take on the additional/new role and have faith that you will be compensated fairly, whether it be immediately or down the road.

No no no no.

fintail

Ha, yeah, never have faith in being rewarded. I have a term for things - APG - above pay grade. You'd be thrown into that mess. Pay can be brought up in a rational manner.

P38 Range Rover for free might be too expensive unless everything has already been replaced.

thebean

ab348 said:

Well, Michael, I dunno what exactly to tell you. Extra compensation - probably a fairly meaningful amount - should come with the added responsibilities. But my first question to myself would be whether this is something I am cut out for. Just yesterday while shopping I ran into an old colleague. He retired about 8 years ago and we had a long chat in the lobby of the store, talking about our retirement and what we have done since. One topic that came up we both agreed upon - one of the best things about retirement is no longer having to deal with people. He was in fact offered a very senior position to come out of retirement 3 years ago and turned it down after a few days of consideration, because of the expectation that he would clean house and let a bunch of people go, then bring in new ones. Despite the job paying over $200K, after reflection he said no because he said he really didn't need the stress and aggravation of dealing with all those people issues all over again. Some people are cut out for that and have no difficulty with it. I know I agonized over it each time one of those tough HR decisions had to be made, at least most of the time. Plus all the associated HR BS you had to deal with, like annual reviews, performance coaching, fighting for raises and training budgets for the staff, etc etc. It isn't all bad mind you, and in my case it allowed me to finish my career making a lot more money than I otherwise would have, but the management side can be tough if you are not suited to it.

Ab, this is some excellent points.  Over my career, I passed up 3 promotions that would have had me managing people, which is not one of my skill sets, and is something I HATE to do.  I had to do some real explaining to my managers to get the idea across that to put me in those jobs would be setting both me and the organization up to fail.  Luckily, I was able to survive, although I had to move to another job in the company on one of those occasions when my manager took my refusal personally.

Michael, do what your gut tells you and don't get pressured into taking a position you feel uneasy about.  If it sounds like something you would excel at, by all means go for it.  It's always good to be sure everyone is on the same page about money, so you might as well talk about it as soon as possible, especially since a review cycle is not imminent.

Mr_Shiftright

kyfdx said:

It will definitely be 3 digits. Young lady that has it now, commutes 50 miles r/t daily, so I know it works. Plus, it's from Colorado, so I got that going for me.

This is possibly the worst car ever built, in the entire world, ever, since the beginning of man's first journey across the savanna.

Why don't you just take the money you were going to spend on this, bring it to your garage, put it in the Weber, and set it on fire and make zoom-zoom noises?

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

kyfdx said:

It will definitely be 3 digits. Young lady that has it now, commutes 50 miles r/t daily, so I know it works. Plus, it's from Colorado, so I got that going for me.

This is possibly the worst car ever built, in the entire world, ever, since the beginning of man's first journey across the savanna.

Why don't you just take the money you were going to spend on this, bring it to your garage, put it in the Weber, and set it on fire and make zoom-zoom noises?

Well, there are some articles about the worst cars ever, including:

http://jalopnik.com/5425680/jalopniks-worst10-cars-of-the-decade/ @snakeweasel Sebring makes the list.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/flowchart/2008/12/19/the-cars-that-drove-detroits-customers-away My beloved Neon makes the list in this one; so true.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/100-worst-cars-of-all-time.html For some reason they pick on the Caliber instead of the Neon on this one.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

This is possibly the worst car ever built, in the entire world, ever, since the beginning of man's first journey across the savanna.

Why don't you just take the money you were going to spend on this, bring it to your garage, put it in the Weber, and set it on fire and make zoom-zoom noises?

C'mon Shifty, stop pulling your punches. Tell us what you really think!

Mr_Shiftright

I know...I was trying to be kind.

Well he could buy it for $750 bucks and drive it until it blows up.

Here's one for that price, running and doesn't look too bad:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/5917185170.html

Or you could buy two and maybe keep one on the road.

I would consider AAA membership, and to carry two days supply of food, some flares, drinking water, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, sleeping bag and signal mirror.

xwesx

@Michaell, my only caution to you about this is: If the expectation is that you do your current job, plus manage a team of a dozen (including yourself), is this actually realistic? And, how stable is the organization? These factors can really make or break your success in this role, as expectations of management (above you) may be that you're going to be super-human, work all the time, and essentially do it for less than you're being paid now (if you prorate your salary by the time you actually spend on the job).

Also, if you're managing a team, what's the expectation in terms of your "telecommute" status? Will you now be working out of the Denver office instead of from your office?

The job I have now, which I've been doing for about 3.5 years, is a management role in an office of, at the time, eighteen people. I was promoted from within the office (for a very small salary increase), and am quite capable of the role. However, over the next three years, the organization cut my budget to the point that my group is stripped of a significant amount of expertise (we now have twelve people), with those above me simply expecting that I'll pick up the slack. I have my limits, so instead of working more, I'm just making it very clear that there is a whole pile of stuff that's not getting done. While I strongly advocate for reorganizing our business function to be successful under our current (and future) funding paradigm, management above me just isn't willing to have that conversation.

It's one of those "it is what it is" deals, but that doesn't make it any easier to not be bitter about it!

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Here's one for that price, running and doesn't look too bad:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/5917185170.html

"143,000 on the new motor." Hahaha. Okay, so it has 279,090 mile on it. 279,090/2=139,545. Yep, it's due for another one!

kyfdx

Mr_Shiftright said:

kyfdx said:

It will definitely be 3 digits. Young lady that has it now, commutes 50 miles r/t daily, so I know it works. Plus, it's from Colorado, so I got that going for me.

This is possibly the worst car ever built, in the entire world, ever, since the beginning of man's first journey across the savanna.

Why don't you just take the money you were going to spend on this, bring it to your garage, put it in the Weber, and set it on fire and make zoom-zoom noises?

So... you don't think I should get it?

Anyway... the good:
It only has 157K miles
It's black with a nice tan interior. Leather in good shape
Fold down rear-seats. Good rear-seat leg room.
Body in good shape (grimy, though)
Trailer hitch
Air suspension is gone.. replaced by regular shocks/springs
Power seats work, power windows work
Has heat and a/c, and both seem to work well
Under hood looks good and stock. Newer battery.
Oil change at 156K miles.
Really smooth ride with good tires. AWD works
Transmission shifts smoothly
$700 asking price

The bad/iffy:
It has 157K miles
Leisurely acceleration. Nice quiet V-8 engine (because the horses are asleep)
Lots of body roll (pretty sure this is a stock feature)
Passenger side rear view mirror is missing the glass
Radio doesn't work
Moonroof might not work. We weren't willing to test it, given the temperatures
Heated seat buttons light up, but no heat to the seats
Just local service from the Firestone store (though, they have a good reputation)
Owner's father says it leaks oil. Needs a quart every 1000 miles.

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

kyfdx said:

It will definitely be 3 digits. Young lady that has it now, commutes 50 miles r/t daily, so I know it works. Plus, it's from Colorado, so I got that going for me.

This is possibly the worst car ever built, in the entire world, ever, since the beginning of man's first journey across the savanna.

Why don't you just take the money you were going to spend on this, bring it to your garage, put it in the Weber, and set it on fire and make zoom-zoom noises?

So... you don't think I should get it?

Anyway... the good:
It only has 157K miles
It's black with a nice tan interior. Leather in good shape
Fold down rear-seats. Good rear-seat leg room.
Body in good shape (grimy, though)
Trailer hitch
Air suspension is gone.. replaced by regular shocks/springs
Power seats work, power windows work
Has heat and a/c, and both seem to work well
Under hood looks good and stock. Newer battery.
Oil change at 156K miles.
Really smooth ride with good tires. AWD works
Transmission shifts smoothly
$700 asking price

The bad/iffy:
It has 157K miles
Leisurely acceleration. Nice quiet V-8 engine (because the horses are asleep)
Lots of body roll (pretty sure this is a stock feature)
Passenger side rear view mirror is missing the glass
Radio doesn't work
Moonroof might not work. We weren't willing to test it, given the temperatures
Heated seat buttons light up, but no heat to the seats
Just local service from the Firestone store (though, they have a good reputation)
Owner's father says it leaks oil. Needs a quart every 1000 miles.

$250...all in. That's it.

kyfdx

Interior looks like this (not actual vehicle)

28firefighter

I don't even think its worth the hassle for $250...I wouldn't even want to deal with insuring it.

kyfdx

Exterior shot (not actual vehicle... not this clean)

kyfdx

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

kyfdx said:

It will definitely be 3 digits. Young lady that has it now, commutes 50 miles r/t daily, so I know it works. Plus, it's from Colorado, so I got that going for me.

This is possibly the worst car ever built, in the entire world, ever, since the beginning of man's first journey across the savanna.

Why don't you just take the money you were going to spend on this, bring it to your garage, put it in the Weber, and set it on fire and make zoom-zoom noises?

So... you don't think I should get it?

Anyway... the good:
It only has 157K miles
It's black with a nice tan interior. Leather in good shape
Fold down rear-seats. Good rear-seat leg room.
Body in good shape (grimy, though)
Trailer hitch
Air suspension is gone.. replaced by regular shocks/springs
Power seats work, power windows work
Has heat and a/c, and both seem to work well
Under hood looks good and stock. Newer battery.
Oil change at 156K miles.
Really smooth ride with good tires. AWD works
Transmission shifts smoothly
$700 asking price

The bad/iffy:
It has 157K miles
Leisurely acceleration. Nice quiet V-8 engine (because the horses are asleep)
Lots of body roll (pretty sure this is a stock feature)
Passenger side rear view mirror is missing the glass
Radio doesn't work
Moonroof might not work. We weren't willing to test it, given the temperatures
Heated seat buttons light up, but no heat to the seats
Just local service from the Firestone store (though, they have a good reputation)
Owner's father says it leaks oil. Needs a quart every 1000 miles.

$250...all in. That's it.

It's my friend's next door neighbor. And, it's his daughter's car. I think if I want it, I pretty much have to pay around $500, or I'm just a jerk.

Someone find another running vehicle for $500, that's better than this one..

cdnpinhead

Progress report on the Subaru Forester search: Looks like I found one in Denver that's supposed to arrive in early January that I have in writing that they'll sell me for ~1100 below invoice. Remarkable, if true, but so far it seems pretty legit. Stands to reason that there'll be a better selection in Colorado than in Arizona. Mrs. Pinhead drove one yesterday and is very satisfied, but that particular dealer didn't have just what we wanted, and his price was nothing to write home about either. Looking forward to a nice drive down from Denver in mid- to late January.

Stay tuned.

Mr_Shiftright

A Range Rover serviced at Firestone.

This story just gets better and better.

fintail

The P38 I would want would be the one previously driven by a neighbor's daughter. You know it's been treated with care.

I have a bad feeling the oil leak is soon to emulate the Exxon Valdez.

kyfdx

fintail said:

The P38 I would want would be the one previously driven by a neighbor's daughter. You know it's been treated with care.

I have a bad feeling the oil leak is soon to emulate the Exxon Valdez.

Yeah.... a quart every 1000 miles. That's the worst thing I've heard about it, so far.

It really is a car that I would dump (salvage?) if I had to put more than $200 into it.

Still waiting for someone to show me a $500 car they would rather have.

Michaell

cdnpinhead said:

Progress report on the Subaru Forester search: Looks like I found one in Denver that's supposed to arrive in early January that I have in writing that they'll sell me for ~1100 below invoice. Remarkable, if true, but so far it seems pretty legit. Stands to reason that there'll be a better selection in Colorado than in Arizona. Mrs. Pinhead drove one yesterday and is very satisfied, but that particular dealer didn't have just what we wanted, and his price was nothing to write home about either. Looking forward to a nice drive down from Denver in mid- to late January.

Stay tuned.

Which dealer in Denver?

Let us know when you'll be in town - perhaps we can get together with @breld for lunch or something.

28firefighter

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

The P38 I would want would be the one previously driven by a neighbor's daughter. You know it's been treated with care.

I have a bad feeling the oil leak is soon to emulate the Exxon Valdez.

Yeah.... a quart every 1000 miles. That's the worst thing I've heard about it, so far.

It really is a car that I would dump (salvage?) if I had to put more than $200 into it.

Still waiting for someone to show me a $500 car they would rather have.

I'd rather not have one, I think.

Mr_Shiftright

And you want this....why exactly? Do you need another car or is this a hobby car?

The problem with cars like this is that they are like vampire bats...they suck on you a little at a time, so that you think "ok, just this once...."

sda

vampire bats...they suck on you a little at a time, so that you think "ok, just this once...." LOL

That is exactly the experience dad had with his '79 Eldorado diesel. It about bankrupt him. It would break, he would repair it, always $$, all would be good for about a month or so, then something else would require immediate attention. It was a vicious cycle. Still his favorite car, looks, comfort, but a painfully expensive experience. He didn't buy another GM car for 10+ years.

stickguy

Ky, is this some kind of "see how cheap I can be " challenge? Otherwise, scrape up another couple grand, and get a "real" car for $2,500 or less. Because if you really, truly can't afford a car for more than $500, you should not be buying another one!

Without much looking, here is a decently cheap beater:

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5928519752.html

Even cheaper

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5928487465.html

cheaper yet, and a Honda!

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5928460226.html

If you insist on an AWD SUV, I would risk this instead.

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5925355394.html

and finally, one that not only makes your budget limit, you get a Benjamin back in change!

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5928235807.html

kyfdx

Other than the '97 Accord, all those seem worse than the Range Rover (and more money). The $400 one doesn't start without a new battery.

I don't need a car. Didn't realize that was a requirement.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

A Range Rover serviced at Firestone.

This story just gets better and better.

My awesome exec assistant back when I was working had a lot of skills, but her taste in men was not one of them. Her 2nd husband (she is now on #3) was an outdoorsy guy and bought one of these things a couple of years before they split. It was in better shape (and commensurately more expensive) than Ky's example but still a used Range Rover. It was surprisingly good for the first year but then things started to fail. My favorite was one day when the headlights would not come on when she got picked up from work at the end of a winter's day in the dark. After a harrowing drive home, the next day she learned that the part alone was something like $500 and that it would take a week to get. She coughed up the cash to fix that just in time to have a failure in the suspension. Soon both the vehicle and the husband were gone.

andres3

kyfdx said:

Other than the '97 Accord, all those seem worse than the Range Rover (and more money). The $400 one doesn't start without a new battery.

I don't need a car. Didn't realize that was a requirement.

I think you need to play out this experiment. Buy all 5 ( @stickguy made 4 recommendations) plus the Rover you are thinking about. Drive them all 10K miles for the next 24 months spread out evenly. Tabulate your total costs at the end of the experiment to keep all of them in running condition.

sda

Wasn't it Isellhondas who said they would not keep a Land/Range Rover if they got one on trade? Too many headaches and upset owners.

kyfdx

$500 car will be the cheapest, because I won't put any money into it.

Really, I wouldn't drive that Taurus or Sentra, if you gave them to me. They sucked when they were new. Soul-sucking appliances. At least the Range Rover piques my interest.

The Accord is actually a good deal, if it's as described. We leased that same car new, in '97. (But, don't want that one, either)

kyfdx

Also, the wife has weighed in, and she is less than enthusiastic. Go figure.

cdnpinhead

Michaell said:

Which dealer in Denver?
Let us know when you'll be in town - perhaps we can get together with @breld for lunch or something.

Wow, what an excellent offer! The dealer is Shortline in Aurora. So far they seem pretty straight-up, especially compared to the, uh, let's say "more traditional" dealers here in AZ.

Somehow it doesn't seem appropriate that an all-time not CCBA person such as myself should be able to enjoy something like this, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, or anywhere else, for that matter.

graphicguy

Walt....if you want it, go get it. What's the worst that could happen? You end up finding it's a money pit, and you call a salvage yard to come get it and they give you $50 for it. If not, you've got a relatively luxurious winter beater (which may, or may not, leave you stranded).

Personally, given your interest, I'd say do it. Just because we wouldn't doesn't matter.

xwesx

I was considering a 2009 Outback XT from there a few years ago, but that thing was gone before it was even prepped.

sda

kyfdx said:

Also, the wife has weighed in, and she is less than enthusiastic. Go figure.

the wife has weighed in, and she is less than enthusiastic--That is probably the overriding factor

cdnpinhead

xwesx said:

I was considering a 2009 Outback XT from there a few years ago, but that thing was gone before it was even prepped.

Yeah, that's what's about to happen with one of these two Foresters that they have coming in. Maybe it is possible to "make it up in volume," especially considering that the so-called invoice is as useless as protuberances on a pig.

stickguy

so, got an email today from Honda that the new CRV has arrived, and ready to sale. Did not have a chance to swing by, but out of curiosity, built one online. Man, they loaded it up. an EX now has everything I want. BLIS/rear cross detection, power heated cloth seats, moonroof, Apple carplay. Even made Hondasensing stuff standard (lane keep and auto brake, if you want that sort of stuff). Tech wise and safety gear, makes our RDX seem like a 1995 Neon. Pretty sharp looking too, and yeah, it is slower, but with the Turbo, not all that much.

plus, MPG ratings are higher. But, I discovered a huge, glaring, awful mistake by Honda. They shrank the tank, to a potentially deal breaking 14 gallons. The RDX is already too damned small at 16, and real world highway MPG is not different enough to offset that (on my recent trip, I was pretty much averaging 27 to 28 open road). Even if the CRV can pull 33 (iffy with AWD), still not going much if any further. And around town, by 200 miles, time to start looking for gas! At least it runs on RUG.

I really think the RDX needed 18 minimum, and this CRV should have kept the 16 gallon tank at least. Heck, an Accord gets much better ratings, and that comes with an 18.5 gallon tank. Our Jetta has 14.5 even, and that gets close to 40 on the highway.

OK, ranting over.

breld

graphicguy said:

Walt....if you want it, go get it. What's the worst that could happen? You end up finding it's a money pit, and you call a salvage yard to come get it and they give you $50 for it. If not, you've got a relatively luxurious winter beater (which may, or may not, leave you stranded).

Personally, given your interest, I'd say do it. Just because we wouldn't doesn't matter.

I'm with @graphicguy here. It's not like you're sending one of your kids across the country in the car.

breld

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:

Progress report on the Subaru Forester search: Looks like I found one in Denver that's supposed to arrive in early January that I have in writing that they'll sell me for ~1100 below invoice. Remarkable, if true, but so far it seems pretty legit. Stands to reason that there'll be a better selection in Colorado than in Arizona. Mrs. Pinhead drove one yesterday and is very satisfied, but that particular dealer didn't have just what we wanted, and his price was nothing to write home about either. Looking forward to a nice drive down from Denver in mid- to late January.

Stay tuned.

Which dealer in Denver?

Let us know when you'll be in town - perhaps we can get together with @breld for lunch or something.

I'd be up for that.

By the way, I haven't purchased from Shortline, but have shopped there and it's a pretty decent experience. I'm not so sure there's a stellar Subaru dealer around here anyway - @Michaell, how was your experience at Groove?

sda

stickguy said:

so, got an email today from Honda that the new CRV has arrived, and ready to sale. Did not have a chance to swing by, but out of curiosity, built one online. Man, they loaded it up. an EX now has everything I want. BLIS/rear cross detection, power heated cloth seats, moonroof, Apple carplay. Even made Hondasensing stuff standard (lane keep and auto brake, if you want that sort of stuff). Tech wise and safety gear, makes our RDX seem like a 1995 Neon. Pretty sharp looking too, and yeah, it is slower, but with the Turbo, not all that much.

plus, MPG ratings are higher. But, I discovered a huge, glaring, awful mistake by Honda. They shrank the tank, to a potentially deal breaking 14 gallons. The RDX is already too damned small at 16, and real world highway MPG is not different enough to offset that (on my recent trip, I was pretty much averaging 27 to 28 open road). Even if the CRV can pull 33 (iffy with AWD), still not going much if any further. And around town, by 200 miles, time to start looking for gas! At least it runs on RUG.

I really think the RDX needed 18 minimum, and this CRV should have kept the 16 gallon tank at least. Heck, an Accord gets much better ratings, and that comes with an 18.5 gallon tank. Our Jetta has 14.5 even, and that gets close to 40 on the highway.

OK, ranting over.

I haven't gotten the CR-V on sale message yet. Local dealers have a few '17s in stock, though they aren't showing pictures of them yet. When I pull up the Honda site it still shows the '16. Where are you finding the specifics on the '17s? Perhaps it is a regional roll out?