Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

fintail

A co-worker of mine bought a bike last year, a used "Japanese Harley" (as I call it) Yamaha. Even this bike, which isn't as massive as a bagger Harley, weighs around 700 lbs. I am not sure how she handles it, but she loves the bike and has had no issues with it mechanically.

It's funny, I am not a small guy, but I don't like it when bikes are above 450lbs or so, and anything under that is better, I like them to be light. Every day I drive in local traffic, however, I don't get the urge to get a bike and ride around here. Not worth the risk to me, too many idiots and it gets more insane by the day.

roadburner

Seven daily drivers?
In no particular order...

1. Jensen Interceptor SP
2. Cayman S
3. SS(manual transmission)
4. GT350
5. M2(manual transmission)
6. Defender 90
7. Challenger SRT392

Mr_Shiftright

Good luck finding a left hand drive Jensen SP--pretty much built from unobtanium. And definitely not a daily driver!

A Defender 90 would be something of a chore as a commuter, but certainly fun

Did you mean the original GT350 or the new ones?

The rest would be easy to drive everyday.

Michaell

Test drove the GLI today. My thoughts on it in bit. 

roadburner

The Interceptor is a pretty laid back cruiser. Nothing exotic and the engine and transmission are bulletproof. I'd drive one every day if fuel economy wasn't a pressing concern.. The D90 is no worse than a TJ Rubicon. I'd want the modern GT350 if investment value wasn't a consideration- and it never is. For me, anyway.

stickguy

Michaell said:

Test drove the GLI today. My thoughts on it in bit. 

I am curious to see how they compare with my opinions from my test drive this week.

stickguy

this could be fun, if it really is a manual. But I just hate this color combo now. Would have to be one hell of a deal to get me to do silver over black again!

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2011-bmw-3_series-328i_xdrive-used-16399721.html

stickguy

I am sure my wife would think the house is too small (though realistically, for an empty nest place, it isn't, but I would never convince her). But I am sure the garage space would convince her, right?

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/319-Newark-Rd_Landenberg_PA_19350_M32944-15442

Michaell

OK, back home and can type with more than two fingers ...

I called the dealer yesterday and made an appointment with "Sandy" for between 12-1230 today. @breld and stepson met me at the dealer, which was about a 45 minute drive for me. Head into the showroom, someone asks if I'm looking for someone. Yep, so they page "Sandy". Wait in the showroom - there is a damaged GTI and a "new" 2015 Passat TDI to look at.

After 10 minutes, someone comes over and asks, again, if I'm waiting for someone. I tell them, and that I'm only there to test drive a GLI. So, another salesman apologizes, looks up a stock number and grabs a key. I'm pretty sure this is the car I drove:

https://www.lhmvw.com/new/Volkswagen/2017-Volkswagen-Jetta--409567db0a0e0ae85b8927d0bb9cfdd1.htm

First question - are the on-line prices good for a lease? Salesman wasn't sure, but he could check if I was interested. Nah, we're not there yet. So, off we go.

Exterior - really, not much difference in the looks from my SE. 19" wheels and tires, and a subtle body-colored lip spoiler on the trunk. Still a tasteful looking ride, IMO.

Inside, you can tell you've got an upmarket trim level. In no particular order, these are the upgrades that I noticed on the GLI:

Fender Audio
BLIS
Power seats
Dual zone climate control
Leather wrapped steering wheel
Sunroof
VW version of OnStar (name escapes me)

Dash layout and steering wheel controls are identical to my Jetta, so it was very familiar.

I had to think about the last time I drove a stick - on a regular basis, I'm pretty sure it was the '03 Focus 5-door. I have test driven a couple since then, but even that's been 5-6 years, IIRC. Therefore, I apologized in advance to the passengers for any issues I might have during the test drive. We were, of course, parked on a small upward slope with a car behind us. Had to slip the clutch to get us going forward - oops.

Someone talked about the high takeup point for VW clutches - I'll second that statement. But, once I got going, it was like riding a bicycle. No stalls (yay!), and the shifter was nice and light.

The test drive route was about 75% city, 25% highway. To be honest, I don't think I was able to use the extra HP the 2.0T offered; I tried to give it the boot a few times, but traffic kept impeding my progress. Handling was good.

@stickguy - a few days ago I complained that the 5-speed manual offered in lower trim Jettas felt like cost cutting. I'd like to amend that statement - in my test drive, I hardly got past 4th gear when on city streets, and to keep it in the boost, 3rd gear was necessary. 5th and 6th are purely highway gears, in my mind.

I think a longer test drive would reveal more of the personality of the vehicle. There wasn't anything about it I didn't like - I even fit in the "sport" seats, albeit barely.

When we got back to the dealership, I had them put a trade number on my Jetta. I'll reveal that number over in the RWTIV thread, to compare it to what Q quoted a few weeks ago.

tbirdmarco

@Michaell very nice! glad your test drive today whent whell. have to look in the other Thred for the trade numbers!.

Mr_Shiftright

roadburner said:

The Interceptor is a pretty laid back cruiser. Nothing exotic and the engine and transmission are bulletproof. I'd drive one every day if fuel economy wasn't a pressing concern.. The D90 is no worse than a TJ Rubicon. I'd want the modern GT350 if investment value wasn't a consideration- and it never is. For me, anyway.

The SP isn't like a regular Jensen. It's a tri-carb setup with some very odd driving characteristics.

stickguy

that was me mentioning the high clutch. Seemed exactly the same as the 1998 (I think) Passat I almost bought. Must just be a VW thang.

At that price though, if I was actively in the market, I would be buying. Probably.

agreed about the number of gears. Would have to really see what it turns in 5th on the highway. If the normal model is not geared too short, would never really miss 6th I don't think.

I found a bunch of SE sticks at my local guy. Still has the key stuff I need, without the rubber band tires, so would probably be a good option for me. Plus cheaper!

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

roadburner said:

The Interceptor is a pretty laid back cruiser. Nothing exotic and the engine and transmission are bulletproof. I'd drive one every day if fuel economy wasn't a pressing concern.. The D90 is no worse than a TJ Rubicon. I'd want the modern GT350 if investment value wasn't a consideration- and it never is. For me, anyway.

The SP isn't like a regular Jensen. It's a tri-carb setup with some very odd driving characteristics.

I know that- it's got a 440 Six Pack; 3 2V carbs with vacuum actuation for the front and rear carbs. You just need to set them up properly. Not a piece of cake but not rocket science either.

stickguy

QB, you have any interest in these? Might be too old or too miled up. Not sure, did these have the CVT yet? I didn't think so.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2006-nissan-murano-4dr_sl_v6_awd-used-16401248.html

breld

I'll vouch for @Michaell's ability to row his own gears. After a minimal roll to start off, he got right back in the swing of things. Great job!

breld

This has been advertised for awhile now, with no reduction in price. Quite the treasure for sure, but man are they asking the moon. If it were priced more reasonable (and perhaps a more exciting color than silver) I'd even consider it. I really liked mine.

E39 Manual 530i

28firefighter

breld said:

This has been advertised for awhile now, with no reduction in price. Quite the treasure for sure, but man are they asking the moon. If it were priced more reasonable (and perhaps a more exciting color than silver) I'd even consider it. I really liked mine.

E39 Manual 530i

Awesome car but that is absolutely crazy money. 

qbrozen

stickguy said:

QB, you have any interest in these? Might be too old or too miled up. Not sure, did these have the CVT yet? I didn't think so.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2006-nissan-murano-4dr_sl_v6_awd-used-16401248.html

Definitely no interest.

corvette

Crazy money on that 530i. I'd prefer a sunroof, but the lack of heated seats is a real
negative. Low miles don't mean it won't be a maintenance nightmare. 

That Murano would have the first generation CVT. Probably more lag than the more recent versions. I know Nissan extended the warranty on the early ones. 

omarman

stickguy said:

I am sure my wife would think the house is too small (though realistically, for an empty nest place, it isn't, but I would never convince her). But I am sure the garage space would convince her, right?

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/319-Newark-Rd_Landenberg_PA_19350_M32944-15442

1 bathroom house on nerk road. Hahaha! Wonder how many females at that house on any typical day? Visiting or live in? Weekday and weekend? Front entry stacked washer/dryer seems weird too. The 7 car garage fantasy only covers the love you have for something which can't love you back. Every thing else needs another bathroom. Or two.

Happy Mother's Day.

edit: "nerk" road reference from living in nerk ohio as a kid.

kyfdx

omarman said:

stickguy said:

I am sure my wife would think the house is too small (though realistically, for an empty nest place, it isn't, but I would never convince her). But I am sure the garage space would convince her, right?

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/319-Newark-Rd_Landenberg_PA_19350_M32944-15442

1 bathroom house on nerk road. Hahaha! Wonder how many females at that house on any typical day? Visiting or live in? Weekday and weekend? Front entry stacked washer/dryer seems weird too. The 7 car garage fantasy only covers the love you have for something which can't love you back. Every thing else needs another bathroom. Or two.

Happy Mother's Day.

edit: "nerk" road reference from living in nerk ohio as a kid.

Bad stuff going on near "Nerk" in Kirkersville, this week.

Michaell

Follow up to my GLI test drive story from yesterday.

Last night, I found a voice mail on my cell phone from "Sandy", the original salesperson I was supposed to meet. She wanted to know if I had stopped by the dealership that day or not.

I'll likely call her back tomorrow and tell her what happened. Sounds like there needs to be better communication at the dealership.

Along those lines ... I was telling @breld yesterday that I ought to test drive an Accord Sport SE with a manual transmission. Well, I did some feature comparing on the Honda website today, and discovered that the Sport SE does not come with either CarPlay or XM - gotta get the EX trim level to get those features.

Now, the EX is, in theory, available with a manual transmission, but I suspect finding one on a dealer lot will be like winning the lottery.

Still, I may take a test drive. I know a new Accord is due later this year, so a couple years from now, they may have addressed the option list to include what I want, on the trim level I want.

I'll also want to take a test drive of a Mazda 6 with a stick, as well.

Test drives for @breld, @jpp5862 and I to coordinate down the road.

suydam

That happened to me with both dealerships I was seriously shopping -- you make an appointment with a particular person, only to show up and find that person nowhere to be found and you get handed off to whoever is there. I just don't understand it. Imgu as if they all do it you can't use that experience to cross one off your list, but I sure would have liked to. And it meant in my case I was dealing with Salesperson B the entire time. My small way of getting back is to ask for the sales manager every time I've dropped by with a question. Every time he says "You can just ask anyone in the showroom" and I say "thanks for your help".

roadburner

I got the same treatment at Andy Mohr Ford in Indianapolis; lots of email communication with a salesperson who set up a specific date/time for(her words) a "VIP appointment." When we arrived we were told that the person I had communicated with "just does internet stuff" and I was handed off to a green pea.
And it went downhill from there.

benjaminh

Michaell said:

Follow up to my GLI test drive story from yesterday.

Last night, I found a voice mail on my cell phone from "Sandy", the original salesperson I was supposed to meet. She wanted to know if I had stopped by the dealership that day or not.

I'll likely call her back tomorrow and tell her what happened. Sounds like there needs to be better communication at the dealership.

Along those lines ... I was telling @breld yesterday that I ought to test drive an Accord Sport SE with a manual transmission. Well, I did some feature comparing on the Honda website today, and discovered that the Sport SE does not come with either CarPlay or XM - gotta get the EX trim level to get those features.

Now, the EX is, in theory, available with a manual transmission, but I suspect finding one on a dealer lot will be like winning the lottery.

Still, I may take a test drive. I know a new Accord is due later this year, so a couple years from now, they may have addressed the option list to include what I want, on the trim level I want.

I'll also want to take a test drive of a Mazda 6 with a stick, as well.

Test drives for @breld, @jpp5862 and I to coordinate down the road.

It's smaller, but otherwise the Civic Si is a much better value than the Accord Sport manual when it comes to equipment. The Civic Si lists for $23.9k while the Accord Sport manual lists for $25.5k. The Accord is obviously bigger, but lacks all sort of things that the Si gets, including: moonroof, pushbutton start, AndroidAuto/CarPlay, 8 speaker stereo, etc., etc. Plus, of course, the Si has a more powerful engine in a lighter car.

Right now, however, dealers seem to be saying they are going to sell the Si at msrp, while it's pretty easy to get c. $4000 off of the msrp on most Accords.

Mr_Shiftright

Michaell said:

Follow up to my GLI test drive story from yesterday.

Last night, I found a voice mail on my cell phone from "Sandy", the original salesperson I was supposed to meet. She wanted to know if I had stopped by the dealership that day or not.

I'll likely call her back tomorrow and tell her what happened. Sounds like there needs to be better communication at the dealership.

Along those lines ... I was telling @breld yesterday that I ought to test drive an Accord Sport SE with a manual transmission. Well, I did some feature comparing on the Honda website today, and discovered that the Sport SE does not come with either CarPlay or XM - gotta get the EX trim level to get those features.

Now, the EX is, in theory, available with a manual transmission, but I suspect finding one on a dealer lot will be like winning the lottery.

Still, I may take a test drive. I know a new Accord is due later this year, so a couple years from now, they may have addressed the option list to include what I want, on the trim level I want.

I'll also want to take a test drive of a Mazda 6 with a stick, as well.

Test drives for @breld, @jpp5862 and I to coordinate down the road.

You can't get Car Play or SAT on the Civic Sport Hatchback either..you have to bump up the trim level to Sport Touring, (for a good deal more money) --and then you lose the manual transmission. Not sure why Honda is doing this---well, actually on second thought......

stickguy

The old stick drivers are tightwads ploy. Dumb.

benjaminh

It is theoretically possible to get the Civic EX-T sedan with the manual, and that has CarPlay, XM, heated seats, pushbutton start, etc. But probably few dealers actually stock that model.

Mr_Shiftright

Not in a hatch with the sport package, says C&D.

benjaminh

Yeah, sedan only.

andres3

So what does the Civic Hatch sport package sell for these days? Sport Touring?

My brother in-law may be comparing that with the GTI (base or Sport). I recommend the Sport model, but he's having second thoughts on the expenses of owning a hot hatch. He may also look at a Mazda 3, but I have a feeling he'll find it a bit small and cramped.

Michaell

While all of this is good to know, I'm on record officially as not liking the current Civic styling. When @breld and I were at the Denver Auto show, he gushed and fawned over the Civics that were displayed. The more I look at them, the more I dislike them. It's not that I don't like Hondas in general - I think they make some good product - but if the new Accord inherits some of the design tendencies of the current Civic, I may have to pass on that, as well, in 2 1/2 years.

I can test drive the CVT models - the one I drove in the Maxima was OK, and the CVT with the H6 in our Outback doesn't 'feel' like a CVT, so it would be a matter of what I could live with.

Same with the DSG in the GLI - I'll have to test drive that, as well.

stickguy

The civic sport is just trim really. Not a hot hatch. Need an Si for that.

I also found the accord sport to be way short on content when I was shopping.

stickguy

The CVT in the accords I test drove was fine. I really did not notice it at all (which is a good thing).

Told the wife yesterday we are also test driving a ram pickup. At least that way I can get it out of my sonata stem, realizing it is way too big. Ford needs to get that new ranger here ASAP.

Mr_Shiftright

I think the Sport starts out around $23K, the Sport Touring a whopping $29K and change.

Yes, the Civic styling is very off-putting, but I'm reading all around the 'net that the Civic Sport hatch is a terrific little car. Certainly seems worth a test drive if you're shopping Mazda 3 and Golf hatches.

stickguy

My family is not a fan of he styling. I can live with it if the rest of the package makes up for it. Also needs to be the right color. Dark blue works.

Mr_Shiftright

I think that whenever you have an over-styled car, dark colors really do help to tone it down.

qbrozen

I have seen a couple of coupes lately in white and, for some reason, find that much more livable than others I have seen. Seems to mute the lines some.

stickguy

That white looks nice too. The Si I almost got a few years back was white.

28firefighter

I'm a huge fan of white cars with dark tint, lately. I have no explanation either, since traditionally I've liked blue, gray and black most.

stickguy

I just hate tint. My personal opinion of course. But what looks great is white, with a black pano roof, and wheels with dark shadow spokes.

xwesx

On the last few trips we took, we noticed that, by far, the most popular "color" on the road is white. This is especially true in Canada. I think I can safely say that half of the cars we saw (and that's a whole pile of 'em) were white. Some of this is likely due to work trucks/SUVs on many of the northern roads; resource development activity is intense right now.

benjaminh

My last two cars have been white. Seems to cut about 10 degrees off the heat inside on a hot day when parked compared to dark colors. Of course, if I remember to do it, I can lower all windows before getting to the car by pressing the button the key fob three times, but often I forget.

Michaell

benjaminh said:

My last two cars have been white. Seems to cut about 10 degrees off the heat inside on a hot day when parked compared to dark colors. Of course, if I remember to do it, I can lower all windows before getting to the car by pressing the button the key fob three times, but often I forget.

I saw the GTI that @breld recently purchased on Saturday - I admit to it looking good with the dark tint.

I could easily see myself going with a white car next time around.

Though, if you haven't yet seen it, the new "White Silver" from VW is pretty striking, as well.

pensfan83

Made an appointment next week for the car for it's recall and they always give me a car whether I ask for it or not so I'm hoping for an A3 this time.  I would really like to try it out on something other than a test drive.

pensfan83

benjaminh said:

My last two cars have been white. Seems to cut about 10 degrees off the heat inside on a hot day when parked compared to dark colors. Of course, if I remember to do it, I can lower all windows before getting to the car by pressing the button the key fob three times, but often I forget.

I'm a big fan of white (preferably the pearl white) with black interior.  And my Fusion had that feature where you held the unlock button for a few seconds and it lowered all of the windows.  I used that all the time in the summer.

stickguy

Michael, we saw a cool looking Passat parked yesterday. Was a sort of warm white silver. With black roof. Very striking. Wonder if it is that color?

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

I have seen a couple of coupes lately in white and, for some reason, find that much more livable than others I have seen. Seems to mute the lines some.

White does work, you're right. Maybe it causes all those black accents to drop out. Honda decorated that car like a birthday cake. There's an old saying that behind every good designer is a man with a baseball bat.

benjaminh

I think Honda went from almost boring plain Jane to Baroque in just one generation Civic. I actually like the regular sedan models, but the Hatchback doesn't work as well for me. Ditto for the Si. Just too much. But most paying customers seem to be voting positively with their wallets. Last month the Civic was only a couple of hundred units away in sales from the Camry. Whoever would have thought that would happen? I sure didn't.

suydam

Michaell said:

While all of this is good to know, I'm on record officially as not liking the current Civic styling. When @breld and I were at the Denver Auto show, he gushed and fawned over the Civics that were displayed. The more I look at them, the more I dislike them. It's not that I don't like Hondas in general - I think they make some good product - but if the new Accord inherits some of the design tendencies of the current Civic, I may have to pass on that, as well, in 2 1/2 years.

I can test drive the CVT models - the one I drove in the Maxima was OK, and the CVT with the H6 in our Outback doesn't 'feel' like a CVT, so it would be a matter of what I could live with.

Same with the DSG in the GLI - I'll have to test drive that, as well.

+1. I like the Accord looks but not the current Civic.