Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

sda

andres3 said:

sda said:

My '06 Passat had its share of electrical gremlins. Constant CELs which required unscheduled trips to the dealer every 6 weeks or so, some type of steering workshop idiot light which required doing something with the steering column and replacement of an electrical part, right headlamp burned out twice, and the sunroof motor failed. This was in a period of 24 months. It had the 2.0T FSI which gained the reputation as an oil burner. It was, about a quart every 750-800 miles. grrr. Don't get me wrong, I liked that car and VW. It was quick, drove extremely well and workmanship was top notch. Made in Germany. But it still gives me pause and am hesitant to buy another. But notice I didn't say never!

VW has never tried to, or caught up to Audi for making top notch durable reliable cars in this 21st Century. I don't think I'd have bought a VW in '06, but I did an Audi in '06.

Took me/us until '15 to give VW a shot. Even then, I was a bit worried. Still am with the '17 model, but only a bit now after a good short-term experience. I would give my VW's more leeway to have problems, since they cost a lot less than my Audi's. I'd be less forgiving to Audi. So I buy the VW's knowing there might be a few problems, but that I'm getting a better price up front.

And as a whole, a very nice product that is satisfying to drive.

Michaell

sda said:

andres3 said:

sda said:

My '06 Passat had its share of electrical gremlins. Constant CELs which required unscheduled trips to the dealer every 6 weeks or so, some type of steering workshop idiot light which required doing something with the steering column and replacement of an electrical part, right headlamp burned out twice, and the sunroof motor failed. This was in a period of 24 months. It had the 2.0T FSI which gained the reputation as an oil burner. It was, about a quart every 750-800 miles. grrr. Don't get me wrong, I liked that car and VW. It was quick, drove extremely well and workmanship was top notch. Made in Germany. But it still gives me pause and am hesitant to buy another. But notice I didn't say never!

VW has never tried to, or caught up to Audi for making top notch durable reliable cars in this 21st Century. I don't think I'd have bought a VW in '06, but I did an Audi in '06.

Took me/us until '15 to give VW a shot. Even then, I was a bit worried. Still am with the '17 model, but only a bit now after a good short-term experience. I would give my VW's more leeway to have problems, since they cost a lot less than my Audi's. I'd be less forgiving to Audi. So I buy the VW's knowing there might be a few problems, but that I'm getting a better price up front.

And as a whole, a very nice product that is satisfying to drive.

My Jetta is my second recent vintage VW - we leased, then bought, a '99 New Beetle. Drove it for about 4.5-5 years before trading it in on the 2005 Saturn VUE for my wife.

The Beetle was relatively reliable - only because it didn't have power windows that seemed to fail regularly. It was in the shop a handful of times, and parts were sometimes hard to obtain - this was the second year of availability for the NB, so I can understand that. Never left us stranded, but did get a bit small as the kids got older.

I'm hoping I don't have any major (or minor) issues with the Jetta. It's been in the shop once for a squeaky power window - a bit of lubrication fixed the issue.

Sandman6472

So far, not giving up on the Golf. This issue, happened now twice, a new battery plus the blown fuse has been it. The first time the EPC light came on, they found a starter wire was bad and once replaced, problem vanished. Came back Wednesday but not because of that same starter wire. So now hoping this will be it, next week have owned it 26 months and hit 27K today on the way into work. Since I like the vehicle, happy to have it back running normally again.
Our A3 has been flawless as far as I know, except it did get a new battery last year. Wife seems happy with it and will keep it until any issues crop up. One of the plans, D or E, has me taking it over in a couple of years if it's still running o k. Not the best plan for me, but one I could live with if necessary. And since both vehicles are about the same size, know it'll fit on my side of the garage. With my one girl finding work in Miami and the other one moving back into Broward County later this year, we've put off selling Casa Sandman indefinitely and have canceled our plans to move to Ft. Myers. Even though I'd like to leave Florida, seems like that decision has also been put on the back burner. But we'd like to be near at least the two girls so will grin and bear it for awhile.

The Sandman

henryn

I just purchased a new Passat, but that was not really based on any belief in their long term reliability. In the last 7 years, I haven't kept any car or truck longer than about 18 months, so long term is not a part of my reasoning.

I liked the 2013 Passat TDI, enjoyed driving it. I fit comfortably in the car, the ride and handling are good, the car fits very well in the parking garages that I use. The value (cost versus features) was very good. I supposed the total cost of ownership might have been less with an Accord, due to higher resale value, but with the price I paid, it isn't going to cost me a lot to own this car.

The car will be under full warranty during the time I own it, and I am familiar with two local VW dealers with excellent service departments. If I wind up making a lot of trips to the service department, then I might wind up regretting the purchase. But I think the odds are in my favor. We will see.

So far so good. And I am still thinking about a "tune"...

Sandman6472

I know it's pretty crazy but I'm starting to like the Mini Cooper more and more as they become more popular here. Love the size but the back seat is pretty unusable, not an issue since 95% of the time it's only me in the vehicle. The wife's vehicle is usually the family hauler when we have a kid or two visiting. Am hoping that since BMW now owns Mini Cooper that they'll go into their parts bin and make them ride like the new X1. That one test drive I did take wasn't long enough to even remember at this point and think I'd be looking at either a 2019 or 2020 model possibly. Some vehicles are best new and not cpo'd, Mini Cooper's are probably such vehicles. Not sure I'd want someone else breaking it in for me. Funny, I don't seem to mind a cpo 328i for some reason and in my case, the 328 is probably the better vehicle for my spinal situation anyways.
On a side note, had to pick up a '16 C Class and CLA today and both had plenty of power and super fun to drive but felt more drawn to the CLA for some odd reason. Getting used to the one piece seat/headrest set up and find it not as bad as I thought. I just felt better driving the CLA but maybe because it's smaller and weighs less than the C Class. But right now, my top three replacement vehicles are the Mini Cooper, 328i and the MB CLA but new for the Mini and cpo for the other two. An A3 would probably be #4.

The Sandman

suydam

Isn't the Countryman basically the X1? Maybe that would float your boat.

Sandman6472

An X1 could work also, maybe even better as I do prefer a hatchback more than a sedan anyways. Again, going BMW would mean a cpo unit as they are a bit pricey new and probably a bit more than I want to spend. But by then, I'll be re-retired again so could possibly stretch the budget since it'll be my retirement driver which should get less miles put on it yearly. That is unless we start taking some see America trips as we've been talking about.
Might even check out an electric/gasoline vehicle like y'all got as that is the best of both worlds. But in a couple of years, more choices might be out there also. Sometimes, we end up thinking we want one thing and end up buying something exactly the opposite! Timing also has a lot to do with it especially cpo units as one just doesn't know what will be in the market place at that time. The luck of the unknown is very intriguing!

The Sandman

suydam

But the Countryman could be the cheaper option.

fintail

Maybe you got lucky? I had a co-worker with an Allroad that never broke, so anything can happen. Keyfob batteries seldom last longer than a year on MBs with keyless-go.

I think Audi and VW have improved a lot lately. I had another co-worker with an 02 Beetle, bought new, that was constantly at the shop for issues. He replaced it with an 05 Jetta that had persistent electrical quirks, and iffy dealer support. That was the last straw, and he moved on to Subaru (it is WA after all). Another co-worker had an 03 A6 4.2 that was a money pit, and it wasn't terribly old - it went crazy when warranty ran out. Models from the past 5 years seem to be a lot better.

andres3 said:

The Mexican built Sportwagen TDI in 17 months and 19.779 miles didn't have any electrical issues or gremlins.

Unless you consider the KEY FOB eating up both original batteries in 16.5 months an issue or gremlin. Maybe.

Probably has to do with the key-less entry sensors draining power, or some Korean Chinese batteries in the remote.

stickguy

Sandy, I sat in the new countryman at the car show last week. It was quite nice. A bit smaller than the X1 too, since that seems important to you. I plan to try out both later in the year. Plus, the Mini could easily be $10K less with comparable equipment.

Sandman6472

Small is the key word when it comes to car buying in our house now. We did the larger sedan when the kids were little tykes with the '85 Olds Cutlass, then moving onto a couple of Camry's. Her '01 Altima was smaller still and that trend continues. My side of the garage, the right when facing in, has the air handler which takes up some space plus the other half likes the wall on her left, better for her to judge parking. So, as most husbands do, I compromise and take the other smaller side. The Tucson was a challenge and I did hit the mirror on the wall going in once and left a smallish paint issue which the VW store actually repaired when it went up for sale!
So small is imperative and the Mini Cooper fits the bill nicely. They still have that 2014 Countryman that I liked but would rather go new when the time comes. Also, Mini has put the speedo back in front of the driver, the proper placement for it. Don't think I could get used to the 2014 model even though the lowish miles and decent price make it a good candidate as it would mean less cash outlay with the Golf trade. But, and this might not sound too kosher in here, I'm just not ready to let go of the Golf! Mileage wise and wear & tear wise, now would be the perfect time to sell it as it does look sharp when cleaned up a bit and could be bought for a very good price. But my heart just isn't in it and unlike my recently purchased iPhone 6s Plus which it was a buy it now or lose it, car shopping is just something I do not want to do now. Bottom line...I love my Golf!!!

The Sandman

coldinohio

Michaell said:

coldinohio said:

drifting back in after being away; lots of posts.... congrats to all on new cars, jobs, ...

no longer cold in Ohio-- move ~200 miles north of Mike- abacomike- and 100 East of Driver to east Florida

like the VW alltrak; wife wants new wagon to replace old Subaru Tribeca-- looking at Acura TSX wagon from 2014, but few wagon out there now --BMW and AUdi are ~$50K; will see how the BMW X1 looks since FF got one..

tom

Will you be changing your handle to "warminflorida"?

no: too confusing for passwords; isellhonda ..... etc

sda

henryn said:

I just purchased a new Passat, but that was not really based on any belief in their long term reliability. In the last 7 years, I haven't kept any car or truck longer than about 18 months, so long term is not a part of my reasoning.

I liked the 2013 Passat TDI, enjoyed driving it. I fit comfortably in the car, the ride and handling are good, the car fits very well in the parking garages that I use. The value (cost versus features) was very good. I supposed the total cost of ownership might have been less with an Accord, due to higher resale value, but with the price I paid, it isn't going to cost me a lot to own this car.

The car will be under full warranty during the time I own it, and I am familiar with two local VW dealers with excellent service departments. If I wind up making a lot of trips to the service department, then I might wind up regretting the purchase. But I think the odds are in my favor. We will see.

So far so good. And I am still thinking about a "tune"...

You got a great deal on your Passat and it is a very nice car. I have been browsing VW CPO '15-16 Passat SE/tech and SELs. VW has one of the better CPO warranties. It has been a long time since I've owned a car beyond 24 months, 42mo with the Accord, so I have the itch.

carnaught

Sandy, I predict a punch from you, if not this year, within 18 mos. You keep expressing your lust and infatuation for various cars, then end up rationaling keeping the Golf. I know this because it's what I do, and have done. Also, it's a common trait of us card-carrying members of the CCBA. It's what we do.

xwesx

LOL Well put, @carnaught!

Shifty, do you have some knowledge about what constitutes a report of "structural damage" on a Carfax report? I've seen a lot of reports that say "accident reported," but did not also include a warning of structural damage, but just came across one that does have this warning on it.

Is there some standard of what they consider structural damage without airbag deployment?

sda

carnaught said:

Sandy, I predict a punch from you, if not this year, within 18 mos. You keep expressing your desire and infatuation for various cars, then end up rationaling keeping the Golf. I know this because it's what I do, and have done. Also, it's a common trait of us card carrying members of the CCBA.

You hit the nail on the head for a lot of us!

qbrozen

xwesx said:

LOL Well put, @carnaught! Shifty, do you have some knowledge about what constitutes a report of "structural damage" on a Carfax report? I've seen a lot of reports that say "accident reported," but did not also include a warning of structural damage, but just came across one that does have this warning on it. Is there some standard of what they consider structural damage without airbag deployment?

The difference is, most of those where its just accident reported is just that. The repair shop would have to report what was done (or maybe the insurance company). It seems to me this is rarely done, which is why I try to avoid any vehicles with a ding on carfax AND deduct 20% from the value if an accident is reported.

sda

Sometimes on a Car Fax it will say minor damage, bumper damaged, still drivable..but that doesn't mean there wasn't any structural damage. Same with air bags didn't deploy, structural damage is still possible.

corvette

I think the repair shop or insurance company would have to report frame repairs to Carfax for it to show up there.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

Maybe you got lucky? I had a co-worker with an Allroad that never broke, so anything can happen. Keyfob batteries seldom last longer than a year on MBs with keyless-go.

I think Audi and VW have improved a lot lately. I had another co-worker with an 02 Beetle, bought new, that was constantly at the shop for issues. He replaced it with an 05 Jetta that had persistent electrical quirks, and iffy dealer support. That was the last straw, and he moved on to Subaru (it is WA after all). Another co-worker had an 03 A6 4.2 that was a money pit, and it wasn't terribly old - it went crazy when warranty ran out. Models from the past 5 years seem to be a lot better.

andres3 said:

The Mexican built Sportwagen TDI in 17 months and 19.779 miles didn't have any electrical issues or gremlins.

Unless you consider the KEY FOB eating up both original batteries in 16.5 months an issue or gremlin. Maybe.

Probably has to do with the key-less entry sensors draining power, or some Korean Chinese batteries in the remote.

Audi did indeed improve around 2010 or so and seems to be getting better, but checking in with my buddies who run an Audi specialty shop, I asked them "which used Audi could I buy that would be as reliable as a Camry"?

Answer: "None".

stickguy

might have a new top contender. Though 9 months out (at least) that will change probably 175 times. maybe more.

really interested in the Civic. If I want a moderate sized sedan, with lots of features, for not that much money, it looks like a great option. The touring is loaded and MSRP is not too bad. But, we shall see.

Even has a color my wife likes! And can't beat the MPG.

Michaell

stickguy said:

might have a new top contender. Though 9 months out (at least) that will change probably 175 times. maybe more.

really interested in the Civic. If I want a moderate sized sedan, with lots of features, for not that much money, it looks like a great option. The touring is loaded and MSRP is not too bad. But, we shall see.

Even has a color my wife likes! And can't beat the MPG.

Yeah, but you'll have to look at it very day. The more of them I see, the less I like it.

But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

ab348

stickguy said:

might have a new top contender. Though 9 months out (at least) that will change probably 175 times. maybe more.

really interested in the Civic. If I want a moderate sized sedan, with lots of features, for not that much money, it looks like a great option. The touring is loaded and MSRP is not too bad. But, we shall see.

Even has a color my wife likes! And can't beat the MPG.

Just don't buy the hatch version unless you never intend to look at it.

tjc78

Just got back from the Auto Show in Philly.  Since we had the kids with us we were there right when they opened.  My almost 3 year old son absolutely loved every second of it.  Before it got crowded he sat in every VW, Hyundai and he loved the Dodge trucks.   

We went over to Toyota and I sat in a Highlander and he proclaims "I don't like that one, daddy".  Lol. I really didn't either.  

Sat in all the larger SUVs, none have the room the Enclave has especially in the third row and behind the third row.   

We liked the MDX but no captain's chairs, same with the Pilot.  Wife really liked the QX (Pathfinder clone) but again no captain's chairs and smallish in the rear.  Very, very nice interior.  

CX-9, I get it.  Extremely nice inside.  Very upscale and comfy.  Same problems as above. 

Acadia, too small and I wasn't thrilled. Interior was nicely done.  

Other than the Durango the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge lineup does nothing for me.  They did have a manual Dart on the floor which I found interesting. There are just so many better choices, they need to step up. 

The Continental is certainly a nice ride, but Lincoln had a really small display.   Lexus has to be the most overstyled manufacturer out there.   My wife said "they got a lot going on"

Overall cool show this year, and it has pretty much secured my feeling we will need to wait for the 2018 Enclave and Traverse to be here before buying a one.  The rep said the Enclave may not be here very late in the year Nov/Dec. and will "retain its size" My luck they will be just hitting the lots when my lease is up and there won't be any deals.  

stickguy

Man, if all those barges are too small, you people are screaming "we need a minivan but are too embarrassed to drive one". Captains chairs, and room to spare.

stickguy

The Civic sedan (what I would likely get) looks fine to me. Especially in a darker color, which I would go for (burgundy or the dark blue that my wife really liked). Darker color tones down the trim bits somewhat.

kyfdx

I wouldn't expect the new Enclave to be any different in size, than the new Acadia. Unless they keep selling the old one, like GMC does with the Acadia Limited.

tjc78

stickguy said:

Man, if all those barges are too small, you people are screaming "we need a minivan but are too embarrassed to drive one". Captains chairs, and room to spare.

We do need one, and yes neither of us will drive one!  The Enclave basically is one just looks like an SUV. 

@kyfdx
GM separated the SUVs the smaller midsize units are the Acadia and Caddy XT

The upcoming Enclave and Chevy Traverse will be larger.  

sda

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

might have a new top contender. Though 9 months out (at least) that will change probably 175 times. maybe more.

really interested in the Civic. If I want a moderate sized sedan, with lots of features, for not that much money, it looks like a great option. The touring is loaded and MSRP is not too bad. But, we shall see.

Even has a color my wife likes! And can't beat the MPG.

Yeah, but you'll have to look at it very day. The more of them I see, the less I like it.

But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Like them or not the new Civic's tail lights are quite distinctive and have presence at night when they are lit up. No mistaking that it's a Civic!

sda

stickguy said:

The Civic sedan (what I would likely get) looks fine to me. Especially in a darker color, which I would go for (burgundy or the dark blue that my wife really liked). Darker color tones down the trim bits somewhat.

Which trim do you like. I gravitate to the EXL or EX-T

stickguy

I would be fine with the EX. Almost. I like cloth seats, but the manual seat adjustment is a deal breaker. So that means EX-L at minimum, so getting leather. Which is fine. My wife likes it.

but looking at the equipment content, I would probably add the packages so at that point, for little more money, might as well just get a touring and get all the features, including LED lights.

I would have to go compare them side to side and figure out what makes sense. But these are not that expensive to start with, so going for the top model is not going to break the bank.

ab348

stickguy said:

Darker color tones down the trim bits somewhat.

Dealers seem to realize that too. Around here it seems that 90% of them are painted black.

ab348

tjc78 said:

Acadia, too small and I wasn't thrilled. Interior was nicely done.

Hmm. I looked at the new Acadia and the interior was the thing I liked least. Design seemed "off" somehow, especially in the center with all that silver-gray trim, and the steering wheel has those membrane-type switches which I really disliked.

I did like the more sensible (smaller) size of it overall. The previous versions reminded me of Peterbilts, just too huge.

tjc78

It had a quality feel to me the design is certainly different especially for GM. 

Yeah funny how people's needs really dictate what size is appropriate.  I think GM sold so many of the lambda based SUVs because they were plus sized.  

nyccarguy

carnaught said:

Sandy, I predict a punch from you, if not this year, within 18 mos. You keep expressing your lust and infatuation for various cars, then end up rationaling keeping the Golf. I know this because it's what I do, and have done. Also, it's a common trait of us card-carrying members of the CCBA. It's what we do.

Well said @carnaught.  Truth be told, I go through what @sandman_6472 does on a daily basis in my head.  One day I'm thinking I can get a 6cyl Outback, the next I'm thinking that the 2018 WRX will hit the sweet spot, I was checking out base model TLXs online the other day for the sole reason that they have the same 225/55 R17 tires that my Legacy has and I wouldn't have to sell the snow tires I just bought last month

sda

The base TLX would fit my needs perfectly. Just hope they resolved the hard shifting 8 speed that I've read about in Acurazine, and the 9 speed with the V6 has not been the best either. I do think Acura is cheaping out by making faux leather standard and to get leather you have to get the Technology trim.

carnaught

sda, not just Acura, but Lexus, Audi, Mercedes and BMW are cheaping-out making faux leather standard....kind of pi$$es me off. Who's next Rolls and Bentley??

fintail

On any non-tuned MB below an S or CLS, faux leather has been standard since the beginning.

tbirdmarco

@stickguy Luck of the draw with any car from any car brand. sum have good luck sum don't every brand has its problems look all over the net. lol bye what you like simpal as that you only live once! just what I think everyone. hope that everyone is having an good weekand.

sda

carnaught said:

sda, not just Acura, but Lexus, Audi, Mercedes and BMW are cheaping-out making faux leather standard....kind of pi$$es me off. Who's next Rolls and Bentley??

Right, they market them as premium cars and cheap out. Leather is standard in many lesser cars.

tbirdmarco

@stickguy like the sivick Honda is making nice looking cars the past few years not so boring any mor and Toyota to.

jeffb0101

@tjc78 you can get captains chairs in the MDX and Pilot. The MDX Advance has them, along with the Pilot Touring Elite. 

tjc78

Yes, but on the MDX there is a giant console between them that blocks access to the third row.  The Pilot had something there but looking at the pictures again it isn't as big as the MDX.  Thanks for the info. 

fintail

Another thing about leather, quality can vary. The extra cost leather in higher brands tends to be nice - and most people probably can't tell that standard pleather isn't real. Passengers in my Tex equipped cars were always shocked when I told them. I think I recall leather in Ford SUVs being seen as paper thin, and leather in early 90s era Japanese vehicles often fell apart.

tbirdmarco

@tjc78 How about the ford explorer has the captions chairs optional on most trims

qbrozen

fintail said:

Another thing about leather, quality can vary. The extra cost leather in higher brands tends to be nice - and most people probably can't tell that standard pleather isn't real. Passengers in my Tex equipped cars were always shocked when I told them. I think I recall leather in Ford SUVs being seen as paper thin, and leather in early 90s era Japanese vehicles often fell apart.

Agreed. High-end pleather beats cheap leather, IMHO. 

stickguy

the pleather doesn't bother me really. as long as it is well done, and I can't tell the difference!

breld

nyccarguy said:

carnaught said:

Sandy, I predict a punch from you, if not this year, within 18 mos. You keep expressing your lust and infatuation for various cars, then end up rationaling keeping the Golf. I know this because it's what I do, and have done. Also, it's a common trait of us card-carrying members of the CCBA. It's what we do.

Well said @carnaught.  Truth be told, I go through what @sandman_6472 does on a daily basis in my head.  One day I'm thinking I can get a 6cyl Outback, the next I'm thinking that the 2018 WRX will hit the sweet spot, I was checking out base model TLXs online the other day for the sole reason that they have the same 225/55 R17 tires that my Legacy has and I wouldn't have to sell the snow tires I just bought last month

That's so funny about the same size tires being justification to switch out cars!  I can relate.  

@stickguy - I like the new civic. It may be a bit overstylized, but it catches my eye on the road for sure.  I imagine it's pretty entertaining to drive with the 1.5t.

suydam

This one may be different but I have never found Civics to be comfortable on long drives. The Accord was much better in that regard.

Michaell

Sorry, I just can't get there with the Civic styling. I know it's subjective, but the whole overwrought theme is starting to wear on me.

Saw a new Q60 (coupe) today. Has this strange flare on the side of the body that almost looks like an abbreviated wing.

I recognize that folks are looking for something more, um, 'modern', but I find myself liking stuff that is more traditional (read: boring).

Meeting with @cdnpinhead tomorrow for a beer. I think I've picked a spot that won't be overrun with sports fans.