Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

Today they are starting to dig up the perimeter of my basement. I took off from work and am waiting for these guys to show up. I was given a start time window of 9:00 am - 11:00 am. I'll keep you updated.

sda

nyccarguy said:

Today they are starting to dig up the perimeter of my basement. I took off from work and am waiting for these guys to show up. I was given a start time window of 9:00 am - 11:00 am. I'll keep you updated.

Good luck. The joys of home ownership.

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

tifighter said:

So here is a car that is pretty strange. When you get into the details, it is safe to say someone spent a load of cash on this one. Never a dull moment on CL.

The answer to a question no one asked.

To be honest, I find a bit of cool factor there. To be picky, however, the different front and rear seats bother me, as do the stretched tires (really despise that stupid trend).

Mr_Shiftright

graphicguy said:

tifighter said:

So here is a car that is pretty strange. When you get into the details, it is safe to say someone spent a load of cash on this one. Never a dull moment on CL.

The answer to a question no one asked.

That's a sinkhole of an investment.

laurasdada

I have a loaner Land Rover Discovery through the weekend. No me gusta. But, I'm really just not an SUV guy anyway. Wish they had a loaner XE, but only LRs.

kyfdx

laurasdada said:

I have a loaner Land Rover Discovery through the weekend. No me gusta. But, I'm really just not an SUV guy anyway. Wish they had a loaner XE, but only LRs.

They need to fix the Discovery, so it has the same acceleration as the Evoque, since they have the same drivetrain. (it might be the extra 500 lbs?)

houdini1

jpp5862 said:

I was out enjoying the cool weather Sunday (we rarely get that here) and came across this:

http://www.fiatusaofwilmington.com/used/Toyota/2014-Toyota-Land+Cruiser-dc6dd2620a0e0a1771591b19b21e8481.htm

I'm tempted to go look at it, but that would be a bad idea. It's bigger than I need but it has to be more reliable than the Touareg......

In reality it is about the size of a Tahoe, maybe smaller. We are on our 3rd LX. At 56,000 miles, that big V8 is hardly broken in. Looks like a fair price.

PF_Flyer

A reporter is looking to talk to someone who was originally shopping for a new car, but decided to buy a CPO vehicle instead because it was a better deal. If you're willing to assist, please send an email to PR@Edmunds.com no later than Monday, January 16, 2017.

Sandman6472

Was going to get an iPhone but the cost is pretty up there and spending that kind of $ on something that I'll switch out of in two years made no sense to me. I like the Android operating system for my smartphones so got a disposable one this time just in case something happens to it. Did like the one I got from Amazon, a lot, but the couple of bugs it had within a few days of ownership made me lose trust. Once the company fixes it right, would have no qualms about giving them a second try. Hell, I'd love to be part of a focus group for them in the future as have done that before.

The Sandman

mjfloyd1

@sandman_6472

these chrome tips?

http://www.vwpartsnation.com/oe-volkswagen/5c1071910

iluvmysephia1

Hey, sandman, I am also an Android man. I have and the Mrs. has, too, Android phones made by Motorola. My phone, a Motorola moto e, cost me $79 at Wal*Mart. Hers, the same phone, costed us $21. I have blown through, in a year and a half, all of my storage space and can no longer receive e-mails. I think they list this phone's storage space as being 5 GB's. Kinda small in storage size.

Motorola makes a moto g that has a chunk more of storage space, and, a company called Republic Wireless will sell you a moto g and provide cell service to you for only $25 a month. It uses wireless off of anything close, then, switches automatically to cell tower service that's already been secured by Republic Wireless for customer usage. I go with Total Wireless through Wal*Mart right now for only $35 a month, but I am considering a switch to a new Moto g through Republic Wireless. Hey, $25 clams a month speaks value loudly to this Midwestern Seattle Seahawk fan. 

Go Seahawk's on Saturday vs. Matt Ryan's Atlanta Falcon's!

henryn

I recently switched my Nexus 6 android phone from Cricket ($35 a month, 2.5 gigs, AT&T cell towers) to MintSim ($199 for 12 months, 2 gigs, T-Mobile towers). I have been on MintSim (T-Mobile) for a little over a month now, and it is working quite well for me here in Houston. Different cell phone providers have different quality of coverage in different areas, so where you are and where you travel becomes very important.

Michaell

mjfloyd1 said:

@sandman_6472

these chrome tips?

http://www.vwpartsnation.com/oe-volkswagen/5c1071910

Those are the ones I have. 

nyccarguy

The 4 Grand Coupe is my favorite BMW style wise.

breld

nyccarguy said:

The 4 Grand Coupe is my favorite BMW style wise.

Me too!  

stickguy

I like those too. Always been a sucker for a hatchback.

Sandman6472

Like those tips, are they hard to put on? A nice finished look, more polished...lol! Might have to look into them.
Have been with A&T for years now and am satisfied. My son left our family plan for Cricket Wireless in Chicago but the other four of us have a family plan. On my 3rd LG phone and like them, easy to use. My oldest has an iPhone 7plus, my other girl has some ZTE model, the wife an Azuz and now, another LG for me. All works. Did try to buy a slightly used iPhone 6s at a couple of pawn shops and on eBay but, no luck. Happy to stay with android!

The Sandman

mjfloyd1

Exhaust tips say "easy slip over design"

nyccarguy

2 cars I saw on my commute this AM that caught my eye:

A white MB GLE 63s (the X6 looking one) & a silver STi with the lip spoiler

houdini1

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

The 4 Grand Coupe is my favorite BMW style wise.

Me too!  

I smell a punch. Breld, do you own a business that you can write all these car expenses off on? If not you should start one.

28firefighter

houdini1 said:

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

The 4 Grand Coupe is my favorite BMW style wise.

Me too!  

I smell a punch. Breld, do you own a business that you can write all these car expenses off on? If not you should start one.

@breld already has a 4 Grand Coupe - the 428i xDrive he traded the SQ5 on in December(?).

stickguy

Well, we know he won't be a 4 series GC, since he already has one!

28firefighter

Today is d-day for the Audi. Headed down to Tacoma this afternoon to return it to Audi.

sda

28firefighter said:

Today is d-day for the Audi. Headed down to Tacoma this afternoon to return it to Audi.

Let us know how it goes. Good Luck!

tifighter

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

tifighter said:

So here is a car that is pretty strange. When you get into the details, it is safe to say someone spent a load of cash on this one. Never a dull moment on CL.

The answer to a question no one asked.

To be honest, I find a bit of cool factor there. To be picky, however, the different front and rear seats bother me, as do the stretched tires (really despise that stupid trend).

Yeah, those were custom Recaros. Just imagine what that one mod cost.

tjc78

@sandman_6472 Why not just go on the Next Plan w/AT&T? Its well worth the (net out of pocket) of $25 a month to always have the newest phone. I (we) get a new one every November.

stickguy

Life's too short to have a crappy phone. Why work hard and scrimp and save all your life, just to deny simple, cheap pleasures?

28firefighter

stickguy said:

Life's too short to have a crappy phone. Why work hard and scrimp and save all your life, just to deny simple, cheap pleasures?

I agree, but the thing is they aren't such cheap pleasures anymore.

Mr_Shiftright

It's just a business tool for me. I can't say I get any pleasure out of it except music. I may stash it in the glove box and carry around a flip phone.

henryn

Pleasure? No, usually not. Usefulness? Most definitely. Being able to look up something on the spur of the moment is priceless, I don't ever want to live without that again.

xwesx

Not I! I enjoy being untethered from time to time. "Smartphones" are definitely ubiquitous these days, though. I haven't met anyone else in years that goes without. The market is *literally* saturated, whether its a twelve-year-old or a ninety-year-old, everyone (except my family) has them.

Kinda sad, to be honest, that so many people find them so necessary.

sda

I do enjoy the smartphone but don't like the expectation that I am always available and will drop everything when I receive a text or call. There are times I just need my space, and will return the call/text soon enough.

breld

Anyone have suggestions for a good, but affordable, SUV tire?

The Durango will need new tires sooner than later, which I knew and used as a negotiating point.

Goodyear Forteras seem to be a popular choice at about $150/tire (with that Rallye Package, the tires are 265/50/20's).

There are some Continentals for a bit more. And then there are some Pirellis for about $200/tire.

Would rather stay at the low end of the price range, but also don't want the ride or grip to suffer.

Discount has some "Sentury" brand that run $112/tire - they claim to be performance tire for SUVs though. I'd like a good all season that will work well year round, including some snow.

qbrozen

well... I may get flak for this, but I just put on Antares Comfort A5 tires on the Land Rover. The reviews I found were quite good, including the snow/ice reviews, which were paramount in my decision, so I took a shot. Found them for $95 each at walmart (235/55 r19) and got them delivered to the house free of charge. So far, so good.

stickguy

For our RDX, I liked the pirelli scorpion verde plus the most. 2nd choice, a bit cheaper, is cooper CS5. 235/60-18s.

Checked my tire store for your size. Neither listed. For you, the continental cross contact LX20 is a nice tire and good value.

tifighter

Hey @breld update your signature line. Hey @qbrozen update your avatar. Only because I can't keep track of who is driving what anymore!

qbrozen

ha. that may be tricky. but thanks for the reminder.

edit: done.

corvette

I have Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 tires that came on the Murano, and they have been excellent in the rain, dry, and in very light snow. Haven't had a larger snowfall to test them out yet. They are cheap and I was leery of them at first, but they've proven themselves over the last 9,000 miles since I bought the Murano. 

sda

breld said:

Anyone have suggestions for a good, but affordable, SUV tire?

The Durango will need new tires sooner than later, which I knew and used as a negotiating point.

Goodyear Forteras seem to be a popular choice at about $150/tire (with that Rallye Package, the tires are 265/50/20's).

There are some Continentals for a bit more. And then there are some Pirellis for about $200/tire.

Would rather stay at the low end of the price range, but also don't want the ride or grip to suffer.

Discount has some "Sentury" brand that run $112/tire - they claim to be performance tire for SUVs though. I'd like a good all season that will work well year round, including some snow.

Not on the cheaper end, I bought Michelin Defender LTX for the Pilot about 3 months ago. They drive and ride like a Michelin should. The Forteras were on the Pilot when we bought it 3 years ago. I was satisfied with its performance. They seem to last around 30-35k.

stickguy

Remember, this is for breld. Treadlife is not one of the factors you need to consider.

qbrozen

corvette said:

I have Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 tires that came on the Murano, and they have been excellent in the rain, dry, and in very light snow. Haven't had a larger snowfall to test them out yet. They are cheap and I was leery of them at first, but they've proven themselves over the last 9,000 miles since I bought the Murano. 

I have had good experience with Sumitomo myself. Was my top choice for the Landy until I came across those other ones.

tjc78

I've also had good Sumitomo experience as well. We've got Michelins (Latitude I believe) and they are fantastic, I haven't looked them up but I bet they $200 a tire.

28firefighter

My favorite tires right now are either the Continental ExtremeContact DWS or the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires, if they're available. They aren't cheap, but you can get the Michelin's through Costco.

I've had Pirelli Cinturato all-seasons before and was not super impressed in the wet weather.

28firefighter

I'm helping a friend who is interested in leasing an RDX Advance. I've reached out to some of the dealers locally in Seattle and all but one has responded with emails telling me to come on down to negotiate my best deal.

I've had better experiences with Honda dealers...

rny421

Update on my friend’s car search. Quick refresher: He's not much of a car guy, and had a Sentra that was totaled. He was ideally looking for a hatch for as close to $200 a month with no money out of pocket. We got to three dealerships in one evening after work, so it was a busy night!

First, we drove the 2017 VW Jetta S. Payment came in at $249 down $249 a month for 10k/36 months. I knew off the bat that it wasn’t a good deal, and we wanted to get to other dealerships, so I didn’t bother wasting our time having them hold us hostage while they got me the Cap cost, MF, residual, etc.

Went to the Chevy dealer to look at a 2017 Cruze hatch. The dealer had 100 sedans, but only 7 hatches. Cruze LT with 10k/36 months came back at $279 down, $279/mo for the hatch, and $215 down, $215/month for the sedan. He really liked the Cruze hatch, but the numbers weren’t in his favor.

Next was the Mazda dealer. We drove a 2016 Mazda3 hatch sport (base), with the preferred package(?) so it had BLIS, rear traffic alert, and alloys. Nice standard features, decent sized infotainment screen, push button start, backup camera, etc. MSRP was $21,430 and it came to $209 down $209/mo for 10k/36 months all taxes and fees included. They only had two in stock at this price since it was only for 2016s, so he took it.

I didn’t have time to do the research to confirm that it was a good deal – but I think it has to be considering all taxes (upstate NY, 8%) and fees are included. No pictures unfortunately to share.

How did we do????

Michaell

mjfloyd1 said:

Exhaust tips say "easy slip over design"

Exactly!  Took just a minute or two. 

Michaell

rny421 said:

Update on my friend’s car search. Quick refresher: He's not much of a car guy, and had a Sentra that was totaled. He was ideally looking for a hatch for as close to $200 a month with no money out of pocket. We got to three dealerships in one evening after work, so it was a busy night! First, we drove the 2017 VW Jetta S. Payment came in at $249 down $249 a month for 10k/36 months. I knew off the bat that it wasn’t a good deal, and we wanted to get to other dealerships, so I didn’t bother wasting our time having them hold us hostage while they got me the Cap cost, MF, residual, etc. Went to the Chevy dealer to look at a 2017 Cruze hatch. The dealer had 100 sedans, but only 7 hatches. Cruze LT with 10k/36 months came back at $279 down, $279/mo for the hatch, and $215 down, $215/month for the sedan. He really liked the Cruze hatch, but the numbers weren’t in his favor. Next was the Mazda dealer. We drove a 2016 Mazda3 hatch sport (base), with the preferred package(?) so it had BLIS, rear traffic alert, and alloys. Nice standard features, decent sized infotainment screen, push button start, backup camera, etc. MSRP was $21,430 and it came to $209 down $209/mo for 10k/36 months all taxes and fees included. They only had two in stock at this price since it was only for 2016s, so he took it. I didn’t have time to do the research to confirm that it was a good deal – but I think it has to be considering all taxes (upstate NY, 8%) and fees are included. No pictures unfortunately to share. How did we do????

If you rolled all taxes and fees into the payment, you did good. 

tjc78

Michaell said:

rny421 said:

Update on my friend’s car search. Quick refresher: He's not much of a car guy, and had a Sentra that was totaled. He was ideally looking for a hatch for as close to $200 a month with no money out of pocket. We got to three dealerships in one evening after work, so it was a busy night!

First, we drove the 2017 VW Jetta S. Payment came in at $249 down $249 a month for 10k/36 months. I knew off the bat that it wasn’t a good deal, and we wanted to get to other dealerships, so I didn’t bother wasting our time having them hold us hostage while they got me the Cap cost, MF, residual, etc.

Went to the Chevy dealer to look at a 2017 Cruze hatch. The dealer had 100 sedans, but only 7 hatches. Cruze LT with 10k/36 months came back at $279 down, $279/mo for the hatch, and $215 down, $215/month for the sedan. He really liked the Cruze hatch, but the numbers weren’t in his favor.

Next was the Mazda dealer. We drove a 2016 Mazda3 hatch sport (base), with the preferred package(?) so it had BLIS, rear traffic alert, and alloys. Nice standard features, decent sized infotainment screen, push button start, backup camera, etc. MSRP was $21,430 and it came to $209 down $209/mo for 10k/36 months all taxes and fees included. They only had two in stock at this price since it was only for 2016s, so he took it.

I didn’t have time to do the research to confirm that it was a good deal – but I think it has to be considering all taxes (upstate NY, 8%) and fees are included. No pictures unfortunately to share.

How did we do????

If you rolled all taxes and fees into the payment, you did good. 

Practically the same MSRP and terms as my 2017 Elantra. I'll concur, good deal.

mjfloyd1

@breld

I'd go with the Michelin premier -I believe them to be best in class for snow.


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireIndex=1&autoMake=Dodge&autoYear=2015&autoModel=Durango+AWD&autoModClar=SXT+Plus&width=265/&ratio=50&diameter=20&sortCode=59953&skipOver=true&minSpeedRating=S&minLoadRating=S

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=CSTAS

Or Michelin defender LTX if looking for highway tread.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=HAS

Samsclub has $80 off a set of GY Fortera or $70 off a set of Michelin premier.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/search/searchResults.jsp?searchCategoryId=all&searchTerm=2655020&fromHome=yes&_requestid=7184790

28firefighter

The TDI is gone!