Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

mjfloyd1

I drove a S7 and tried to cross 2 lanes of traffic from a slow roll. The DSG didn't know what to do when I hit the gas and I almost got creamed by oncoming traffic as I snailed across the road. It's a common complaint with S6 and S7 cars. I think that the APR DSG TCU flash improves it but the closest APR dealer is an hour and a half away and I don't want to deal with the potential TD1 from an ECU and TCU flash. I think Unitronic is working on a TCU flash with the Uniconnect + that you can flash from home. I also get fed up with Arin from APR promising fixes in the "2 weeks" that never happens.

suydam

An update on my Volt. After 1 month I'm averaging 116 MPG! courtesy of the fact that over 350 of the 500+ miles have been electric only. I have yet to fill the gas tank. We are taking a day trip to LA in a couple of weeks and I expect I'll fill the tank before the trip. It still has about 175 miles range left. I do like the hybrid gas option for trips. 

I'm charging it about 2-3 times a week at a 240 volt free public charging station very close to my home. 

So far I love all the bells and whistles but have only used a fraction of them. Turned off lane assist and haven't tried the adaptive cruise. Love all  the other safety aids, especially the parking sensors. I've actually used the wifi, debating whether to keep when the trial ends. It does save on data for my phone plan. 

Most important is that it's a great driving car. Very comfortable, quiet, and really good power and handling. 

mjfloyd1

suydam said:

An update on my Volt. After 1 month I'm averaging 116 mph, courtesy of the fact that over 350 of the 500+ miles have been electric only. I have yet to fill the gas tank. We are taking a day trip to LA in a couple of weeks and I expect I'll fill the tank before the trip. It still has about 175 miles range left. I do like the hybrid gas option for trips. 

I'm charging it about 2-3 times a week at a 240 volt free public charging station very close to my home. 

So far I love all the bells and whistles but have only used a fraction of them. Turned off lane assist and haven't tried the adaptive cruise. Love all  the other safety aids, especially the parking sensors. I've actually used the wifi, debating whether to keep when the trial ends. It does save on data for my phone plan. 

Most important is that it's a great driving car. Very comfortable, quiet, and really good power and handling. 

116 MPH? Probably MPG

rayainsw

"I'm averaging 116 mph"
Wow - that's fast !
- Ray
On my commute home, I average about 100 mph less..

suydam

Oops!! I'd better edit that one! 

Michaell

suydam said:

Oops!! I'd better edit that one! 

You should try the adaptive cruise on your trip to LA. I love it in our Outback on long road trips.

andres3

I did crack 130 MPH the other day for a couple seconds, but I assure you law abiding citizens it was on a closed course

suydam

Michaell said:

Oops!! I'd better edit that one! 

You should try the adaptive cruise on your trip to LA. I love it in our Outback on long road trips.

How far do you set the follow distance? 
The traffic flow is so uneven I feel it would be braking all the time. I need to learn more about it. 

Michaell

suydam said:

Michaell said:

suydam said:

Oops!! I'd better edit that one! 

You should try the adaptive cruise on your trip to LA. I love it in our Outback on long road trips.

How far do you set the follow distance? 
The traffic flow is so uneven I feel it would be braking all the time. I need to learn more about it. 

In the Outback, it's adjustable. I have it set for the closest distance, which is still a healthy amount from the car in front of us. The other settings allow too much space, and cars will cut in front of you.

tbirdmarco

@ imidazol97 congrads on the new car.

tbirdmarco

have an pending punch it is my sister. 2017 Jeep Patriot we are picking it up tomero morning has the leather and nave and sun roof. Gray interior and exterior cant remember what the color is called. Getting out of are current leese early quite early byeing this one. Don't want to leese anymore want it to be ours. and not throw money away renting an car just my to sence lol. hope that everyone is having an good week. Hope you all don't get to much snow hoping for the best hear. Keep those punches cumming.

stickguy

I don't even like using the regular cruise. Very, very rarely do I find a place where I feel comfortable with it.

suydam

I almost always do on a highway trip.

nyccarguy

I took my Legacy I for an oil change & snow tire installation this afternoon. As always, I was provided with a loaner. I got a 2017 Legacy 2.5i Premium with EYESIGHT. The 2.5i Premium comes very nicely equipped with Heated, Cloth Seats & Power Liftgate. It also has the EYESIGHT package which includes blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control & Lane change assist.

I know this is my Legacy's mechanical twin, but there is definitely a difference in how the 2 cars drive. The Outback feels more solid. The transmission seems to be programmed differently (I swear it feels faster than my car). The Outback is quieter & lets in much less wind noise than my Legacy. The suspension damping makes the outback feel more planted than my Legacy. I can see this car being a really nice driver with the 3.6L H6 motor.

My car doesn't have EYESIGHT. It works incredibly well. Even though the Outback has oversized mirrors, the Blind Spot detectors give an extra boost of confidence. The adaptive cruise control is off the wall. The Outback slows down, comes to a stop in traffic, then starts up again. It beeps at you if you wander to the line & will bring the car back to the middle of the lane.

If I was in the market, I'd take this Outback 2.5i over a RAV 4 or CRV.

It's supposed to snow tonight into tomorrow so I'll get to see how well the Outback handles the White Stuff.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

I took my Legacy I for an oil change & snow tire installation this afternoon. As always, I was provided with a loaner. I got a 2017 Legacy 2.5i Premium with EYESIGHT. The 2.5i Premium comes very nicely equipped with Heated, Cloth Seats & Power Liftgate. It also has the EYESIGHT package which includes blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control & Lane change assist.

I know this is my Legacy's mechanical twin, but there is definitely a difference in how the 2 cars drive. The Outback feels more solid. The transmission seems to be programmed differently (I swear it feels faster than my car). The Outback is quieter & lets in much less wind noise than my Legacy. The suspension damping makes the outback feel more planted than my Legacy. I can see this car being a really nice driver with the 3.6L H6 motor.

My car doesn't have EYESIGHT. It works incredibly well. Even though the Outback has oversized mirrors, the Blind Spot detectors give an extra boost of confidence. The adaptive cruise control is off the wall. The Outback slows down, comes to a stop in traffic, then starts up again. It beeps at you if you wander to the line & will bring the car back to the middle of the lane.

If I was in the market, I'd take this Outback 2.5i over a RAV 4 or CRV.

It's supposed to snow tonight into tomorrow so I'll get to see how well the Outback handles the White Stuff.

Add the 3.6 engine and leather and you'd have my wife's car. She loves it. If I choose not to replace the Jetta at the end of the lease, I'd drive it more frequently.

jeffb0101

I just had a rental the the other day with radar cruise and lane keep assist. I liked the cruise on the interstate, and could see this as a feature I would like in the future. 
Definitely want blind spot monitoring. 

28firefighter

I'm getting more and more excited about the Forester XT and all of the safety goodies. Not to mention, it's pretty fun to drive.

Dealers here are recommending we order mid month. I'm thinking first week in February makes more sense. Even with my skinny deal negotiating, all but one of the sales folks I have dealt with have been very accommodating and gracious. No surprise, the one dealer that has not been helpful has also been complaining about using his allocation to get it. My response was that if he doesn't want to order and sell me a car he isn't obligated to. Radio silence since.

So far best deal is $1300 under invoice. I'm thinking that it's unlikely I do much better than that but I am waiting to hear from two other dealers.

stickguy

order it early. if it comes in too soon, they can stash it on the lot for a little while. Better than waiting too long and not having it in time.

suydam

Are you ordering because no dealers have what you want in stock? Do you have.a color combo in mind? Particular packages?
I was so lucky fo find the exact car I wanted in a color combo I like on the lot when I was shopping. Made everything so much easier.

stickguy

so doing my usual evening putting around, looking at budget buys.

this one is a lot of car for the money. If you want a big, comfy barge. Miles aren't bad.

http://www.subaruofcherryhill.com/used/Toyota/2008-Toyota-Avalon-Cherry+Hill+NJ-673339540a0e0adf4ae7cb91774ba89e.htm?searchDepth=55:59

and this one is really a good deal I think. at least based on TMV here. Would be great for a teenager to get them through HS and college, for not much money. Loaded up limited. If I needed one for my daughter, would be out taking a look.

http://www.subaruofcherryhill.com/used/Hyundai/2013-Hyundai-Elantra-Cherry+Hill+NJ-bea58c200a0e0a6b0cf40ddbc99819e4.htm?searchDepth=20:59

stickguy

suydam said:

Are you ordering because no dealers have what you want in stock? Do you have.a color combo in mind? Particular packages?
I was so lucky fo find the exact car I wanted in a color combo I like on the lot when I was shopping. Made everything so much easier.

one thing I found when shopping Subes in the past is that they tend to come with a bunch of accessory packages already installed, and they tended to be pricey. I did not feel like spending $600 for a bumper applique and some other trim stuff for example. At least when you order, it has exactly what you want, and nothing you don't.

28firefighter

suydam said:

Are you ordering because no dealers have what you want in stock? Do you have.a color combo in mind? Particular packages?
I was so lucky fo find the exact car I wanted in a color combo I like on the lot when I was shopping. Made everything so much easier.

There are very few XTs on dealer lots because the hot sellers are the models with the 2.5 4-cylinder like @nyccarguy has in his legacy. I think there are a total of 5 XT Tourings on the ground within 150 miles of Seattle.

Also, @stickguy is right. I want to factory order it with exactly the accessories I want so that I'm not paying for stuff I won't use and paying dealer labor fees to install the stuff that is missing.

Michaell

28firefighter said:

suydam said:

Are you ordering because no dealers have what you want in stock? Do you have.a color combo in mind? Particular packages?
I was so lucky fo find the exact car I wanted in a color combo I like on the lot when I was shopping. Made everything so much easier.

There are very few XTs on dealer lots because the hot sellers are the models with the 2.5 4-cylinder like @nyccarguy has in his legacy. I think there are a total of 5 XT Tourings on the ground within 150 miles of Seattle.

Also, @stickguy is right. I want to factory order it with exactly the accessories I want so that I'm not paying for stuff I won't use and paying dealer labor fees to install the stuff that is missing.

The good news is that whatever accessories you do get, are part of the factory sticker, and thus can be residualized.

We took our Outback the way it came from the factory - bumper applique and all. The one nice feature is the rubber mat in the cargo hold, and matching rubber mats on the backs of the rear seats - when you fold them down, the whole floor is rubber. Given that we've used our Outback like a pickup truck on more than one occasion, I'm glad we got them.

We also added a Subaru Owners badge - though, truth be told, I had nothing to do with that.

Michaell

stickguy said:

so doing my usual evening putting around, looking at budget buys.

this one is a lot of car for the money. If you want a big, comfy barge. Miles aren't bad.

http://www.subaruofcherryhill.com/used/Toyota/2008-Toyota-Avalon-Cherry+Hill+NJ-673339540a0e0adf4ae7cb91774ba89e.htm?searchDepth=55:59

and this one is really a good deal I think. at least based on TMV here. Would be great for a teenager to get them through HS and college, for not much money. Loaded up limited. If I needed one for my daughter, would be out taking a look.

http://www.subaruofcherryhill.com/used/Hyundai/2013-Hyundai-Elantra-Cherry+Hill+NJ-bea58c200a0e0a6b0cf40ddbc99819e4.htm?searchDepth=20:59

I am strangely attracted to that Avalon. Well loaded for only $10K. Though, none of the modern tech I'm getting used to (and, starting to expect).

28firefighter

The Elantra interior looks a bit worn out for the age and mileage, but it's hard to beat for that kind of money.

tjc78

I had that vintage of Avalon (06). That is a touring model with the stiffer suspension. Deceivingly quick car and handles welll for a large car especially in "touring" form. My 06 XLS is still one of my favorite cars I've owned.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

suydam said:

Are you ordering because no dealers have what you want in stock? Do you have.a color combo in mind? Particular packages?
I was so lucky fo find the exact car I wanted in a color combo I like on the lot when I was shopping. Made everything so much easier.

one thing I found when shopping Subes in the past is that they tend to come with a bunch of accessory packages already installed, and they tended to be pricey. I did not feel like spending $600 for a bumper applique and some other trim stuff for example. At least when you order, it has exactly what you want, and nothing you don't.

My car came with a few of the port installed accessories: auto dimming mirror w/ compass, rear bumper appliqué, & all weather rubber mats. I negotiated the price of my car as a 2015 Legacy 2.5i Premium. They gave me a price that I agreed to (which was $100 cheaper out the door including the other dealer's doc fee). I gave my deposit & they swapped my car from another dealer. When it came in they saw it had the accessories & didn't charge me one penny extra.

I purchased the Auto Dimming Mirror w/ compass & homelink after I got the car. Installed it myself. Then purchased remote start & a rear sway bar from an Outback. I had the dealer install those.

With the port installed accessories, it does often make it difficult to see what exactly is on the car when it's listed on the dealer website.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

I'm getting more and more excited about the Forester XT and all of the safety goodies. Not to mention, it's pretty fun to drive.

Dealers here are recommending we order mid month. I'm thinking first week in February makes more sense. Even with my skinny deal negotiating, all but one of the sales folks I have dealt with have been very accommodating and gracious. No surprise, the one dealer that has not been helpful has also been complaining about using his allocation to get it. My response was that if he doesn't want to order and sell me a car he isn't obligated to. Radio silence since.

So far best deal is $1300 under invoice. I'm thinking that it's unlikely I do much better than that but I am waiting to hear from two other dealers.

You will not regret going for the Turbo engine. Nor will you regret ordering exactly what you want, especially for $1,300 under invoice.

nyccarguy

Browsing my selling/servicing dealer's online inventory. It shows 12/53 Forester XTs either in stock or in transit and 11/45 Outbacks with the 3.6L H6 Motor.

stickguy

The turbo will (base on EPA, not sure of real world) take a hit in the wallet. Lower MPG and requires premium. If you care about such things!

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

Browsing my selling/servicing dealer's online inventory. It shows 12/53 Forester XTs either in stock or in transit and 11/45 Outbacks with the 3.6L H6 Motor.

Denver has some of the highest volume Subaru dealers in the country, so they typically have the best prices and most inventory.

28firefighter

stickguy said:

The turbo will (base on EPA, not sure of real world) take a hit in the wallet. Lower MPG and requires premium. If you care about such things!

Should I care about those things? Probably.

Do I? Nah.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

stickguy said:

The turbo will (base on EPA, not sure of real world) take a hit in the wallet. Lower MPG and requires premium. If you care about such things!

Should I care about those things? Probably.

Do I? Nah.

+1

my Legacy with the 2.5L slow poke motor doesn't get the outrageous mileage one would expect from a car with a 9 second 0-60 mph time.

My Outback Loaner is the Twilight Blue with Black Cloth Interior. I like the color combination.

imidazol97

suydam said:

I'm charging it about 2-3 times a week at a 240 volt free public charging station very close to my home. 

That sure helps the cost per mile! There are 8 Tesla charging stations along the interstate near here. I've never, never seen a single car at one of them.

Are you able to charge at a Tesla station for free? Or is it pay to play if you're not a Tesla owner.

suydam

The Volt isn't made for the fast chargers Tesla uses. I believe the Bolt is.
I never saw a Tesla in central Ohio. There are a lot of them here. One even charged at my slow 240 v. charging station last week. Even though there's a fast charger at Costco across the street.

You can tell we are still in early days of electric car use because charging ports and capacities aren't standardized. I'm still learning about the different types of chargers. That Tesla owner may still be learning too.

tifighter

Bolt will use the CCS standard for L3 fast charging. Tesla uses their own separate standard.

suydam

That's true. Tesla can use other kinds of chargers but other electric cars can't use theirs. Makes no sense.

nyccarguy

Just got a call from my service advisor. He left me a message saying the rear brakes need to be replaced and the rotors need to be resurfaced ($349.95 + tax) as well as the air filter and cabin filter (these I can buy from Subaruonlineparts.com for $17.12 & $17.93 each and replace myself). Im going to ask him how many mm thick the brake pads are at and how warped the rotors are.

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

Just got a call from my service advisor. He left me a message saying the rear brakes need to be replaced and the rotors need to be resurfaced ($349.95 + tax) as well as the air filter and cabin filter (these I can buy from Subaruonlineparts.com for $17.12 & $17.93 each and replace myself). Im going to ask him how many mm thick the brake pads are at and how warped the rotors are.

The rotors are warped? Wouldn't you have noticed that?

breld

So, when I drive my kids to school in the morning, it tends to be a 30-45 minute drive, with part of it in stop and go traffic. With our recent snowfall, this morning's commute was on the worse side of it, closer to 45 minutes to an hour. My younger son has a tendency to experience some minor carsickness when the commute is longer, and definitely more so in the 428i than the previous SUV or our minivan.

All that is to say...

The longer term plan has always been for me to trade out of the BMW at the end of the year when the van's lease was up, into a nicer SUV, but now I'm considering seeing what my options would be to trade out of the Kia van into a more moderately priced SUV (and keep the BMW).

Right off the bat, the value of the Kia may be a deal breaker (checking in with Q on that). But...if it does make any sense, what say you all about an SUV around the $25k mark?

I'm thinking...

Strong preference to maintain a 3rd row option, so Durango or CX-9, maybe a Highlander or Pilot, but the latter two hold their value well, so probably nicer options on the Dodge or Mazda.

If I give up the 3rd row, a Touareg or Grand Cherokee? But getting to $25k on those probably means higher miles than I'd want on those brands.

If nothing else, fun to think about.

tifighter

breld said:

If nothing else, fun to think about.

Now there's an understatement.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

nyccarguy said:

Just got a call from my service advisor. He left me a message saying the rear brakes need to be replaced and the rotors need to be resurfaced ($349.95 + tax) as well as the air filter and cabin filter (these I can buy from Subaruonlineparts.com for $17.12 & $17.93 each and replace myself). Im going to ask him how many mm thick the brake pads are at and how warped the rotors are.

The rotors are warped? Wouldn't you have noticed that?

Brake Pads are at 4mm after 44K miles. He said they noticed some surface rust and some pitting.

Mr_Shiftright

You can't have surface rust on a rotor if the brakes are working, unless they mean rust on a part of the rotor that doesn't contact the pads. 4mm is getting close but you could push that for a while. That's certainly not the minimum allowable.

nyccarguy

Mr_Shiftright said:

You can't have surface rust on a rotor if the brakes are working, unless they mean rust on a part of the rotor that doesn't contact the pads. 4mm is getting close but you could push that for a while. That's certainly not the minimum allowable.

He said I could probably get another 4K miles out of the pads. Service interval is 7500 miles. Winter is here, so I don't mind replacing them at this point.

rny421

Hello everyone,
I have a friend that will be looking for a new car, as his Sentra was totaled. He's on a $200/mo or less budget, so I'm pushing him towards leasing so he can get his footing, and then probably buy the next time around.

For a lease, I'd rather have him put $0 down, and get the best value for his money. Otherwise, he's looking at only a roughly $12k car for 5 years at 3%, and I don't think that leaves him enough monthly wiggle room in the event of a repair, which is more than likely with a used vehicle (tires, brakes, etc.).

He's not too picky about cars, but needs the basics - Automatic, bluetooth, power locks/mirrors, keyless entry, and cruise control. I'll do some pre-screening this weekend for him, and then we're going to look next week. I'm thinking Chevy Cruze, VW Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla.

What are the chances of getting any of these for $200 per month or less all-in, including that pesky 8% tax in upstate NY.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated if you know of a particular model that is undergoing a fire-sale. We're looking to do something within the next few weeks. Thanks!

laurasdada

rny421 said:

Hello everyone,
I have a friend that will be looking for a new car, as his Sentra was totaled. He's on a $200/mo or less budget, so I'm pushing him towards leasing so he can get his footing, and then probably buy the next time around.

For a lease, I'd rather have him put $0 down, and get the best value for his money. Otherwise, he's looking at only a roughly $12k car for 5 years at 3%, and I don't think that leaves him enough monthly wiggle room in the event of a repair, which is more than likely with a used vehicle (tires, brakes, etc.).

He's not too picky about cars, but needs the basics - Automatic, bluetooth, power locks/mirrors, keyless entry, and cruise control. I'll do some pre-screening this weekend for him, and then we're going to look next week. I'm thinking Chevy Cruze, VW Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla.

What are the chances of getting any of these for $200 per month or less all-in, including that pesky 8% tax in upstate NY.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated if you know of a particular model that is undergoing a fire-sale. We're looking to do something within the next few weeks. Thanks!

Hello:

https://edmunds.com/whats-hot/

The "What's Hot" page here has an article listing what you can currently lease for $199/mo.

breld

That Edmunds list is a good place to start, but it tends to show the $199 deals with a certain amount down, sometimes a significant amount. I mean, I can get any car to a $199/month payment with enough down.

@michaell and @kyfdx can chime in with their leasing expertise, but VW Jettas often lease well, and I would think something from Hyundai may prove attractive too.

kyfdx

Someone have some choices for this guy?
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/44154/general/x/best-lease-for-under-700-a-month#latest

Stick with $60K and under MSRP, and we can chime in on lease payments.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

Someone have some choices for this guy?
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/44154/general/x/best-lease-for-under-700-a-month#latest

Stick with $60K and under MSRP, and we can chime in on lease payments.

Hmmm. Let me think...

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

28firefighter said:

nyccarguy said:

Just got a call from my service advisor. He left me a message saying the rear brakes need to be replaced and the rotors need to be resurfaced ($349.95 + tax) as well as the air filter and cabin filter (these I can buy from Subaruonlineparts.com for $17.12 & $17.93 each and replace myself). Im going to ask him how many mm thick the brake pads are at and how warped the rotors are.

The rotors are warped? Wouldn't you have noticed that?

Brake Pads are at 4mm after 44K miles. He said they noticed some surface rust and some pitting.

that's BS, IMHO. I really hate that they replace rotors these days seemingly with every pad change.