Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

stickguy said:

Made my annual service appointment for the Acura. Since I'm shopping them, I requested a loaner (I usually just wait) so hopefully get something good to try out. Even if I just take it to a different dealer! Also because it will likely take longer, since I am finally getting the Takata airbag replaced.

Thanks for posting this - just made the appointment for the Outback next week. Just an oil change, nothing special, only has added like 7000 miles since the last service.

We leave town a week from Friday, so it will be good to get that done before the road trip.

stickguy

I did 4,500 or so. Up from about 3,000 last 12 month cycle. If it wasn't for trips to NC taking daughter's stuff back and forth to college, that car would get no miles! Will only be at about 40k at the 5 year anniversary. Maybe 41. Should last a long time as the spare car. Even the wife says I should get a nice one to be the everyday and travel wheels, and she will keep hers for putting around town.

I'm thinking they might recommend some other fluid changes this year. But hopefully can slide one more year. And I definitely will be putting new sneakers on later in the fall, before snow season.

Michaell

stickguy said:

I did 4,500 or so. Up from about 3,000 last 12 month cycle. If it wasn't for trips to NC taking daughter's stuff back and forth to college, that car would get no miles! Will only be at about 40k at the 5 year anniversary. Maybe 41. Should last a long time as the spare car. Even the wife says I should get a nice one to be the everyday and travel wheels, and she will keep hers for putting around town.

I'm thinking they might recommend some other fluid changes this year. But hopefully can slide one more year. And I definitely will be putting new sneakers on later in the fall, before snow season.

The Outback has less than 20K on it, after 27 months. Had the diff fluid changed last time, so I should be good on any other service, for a while.

xwesx

I just sent the payment and paperwork back to the dealership in Illinois. Trip is set for June 2/3. I will visit with some friends and stay with them on Saturday night, then head over to Oregon, with a stop to visit another set of friends along the way. All told, I should be home by the end of the following weekend.

My son is coming along for this one, so hopefully the trip is a memorable one (in a positive way) for him! He will turn thirteen mid-week (while we're traveling).

corvette

How does a $40k+ truck get declared a salvage after minor to moderate damage? My GLI had more damage than that. Lying, crooked State Auto said there was no reason to declare it a total loss.

qbrozen

corvette said:

How does a $40k+ truck get declared a salvage after minor to moderate damage? My GLI had more damage than that. Lying, crooked State Auto said there was no reason to declare it a total loss.

Maybe it was stolen

nyccarguy

I think we were talking about the 7 cars for 7 days a week in here, right?

in no particular order:

C7 Corvette Stingray Coupe
911 Targa 4S
Macan GTS
MB GLS 350 Bluetec
Q50 3.0
///M2 
S4

xwesx

corvette said:

How does a $40k+ truck get declared a salvage after minor to moderate damage? My GLI had more damage than that. Lying, crooked State Auto said there was no reason to declare it a total loss.

It looks like it took a pretty solid hit (T-bone?) to the right side rear door. I suspect frame damage. Even relatively minor, frame damage will total a vehicle.

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

corvette said:

How does a $40k+ truck get declared a salvage after minor to moderate damage? My GLI had more damage than that. Lying, crooked State Auto said there was no reason to declare it a total loss.

Maybe it was stolen

CARFAX just says "collision damage". Gotta be some sort of structural problem here.

benjaminh

Truth About Cars has a new article about the slow decline of Mini. Mini sold 66,502 cars in 2013, but last year sold only 52,030. For YTD 2017, Mini sales have declined another 12%. Low gas prices, questionable reliability, and the "retro" factor are all mentioned as possible causes. I'm sure when BMW bought Mini 20 years ago (or whenever it was) they had high hopes for what it would become by now. Is anyone here thinking about Mini for their next car? And how do current owners like theirs?

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/05/qotd-what-to-do-with-mini/

andres3

stickguy said:

Sandy, if you have it plugged into the USB it will be charging at the same time.

I looked at the Camry before I bought the Sonata, and almost got that instead (probably would have if timing of a salesguy being off work had been better, and they would chop $25 off the lease payment). It was a gray XLE with the moonroof. I was surprised that it actually drove well. And of course, was cheap. Like you said, for cheap appliance use, hard to go wrong.

Certainly the Camry's of today are more competent in handling and sure-footed than the Camry's of say the early and mid-90's. Those Camry's in the 90's had tires so skinny they were like OEM donut spares as standard equipment. Fish tailing was possible prior to ESC. I prefer competently sized stickier tires to electronic nannies though.

qbrozen

there is only so far you can go with 1 design like they have. I'm impressed MINI has lasted as long as it already has.

andres3

stickguy said:

The Si at least only requires regular gas. Premium is "recommended" ( I assume to a few more HP at the top end). That is a plus.

Besides reducing performance a bit, I imagine regular 87 octane gas also has less cleaning additives and agents than premium (at least that's what Shell says/said). I believe they claimed V-Power had 5X the cleaning agents of their regular fuel.

Anyway, I think any modern car can run on regular gas, even if 91 is required and/or recommended. However, you may get less MPG, less acceleration, and more carbon buildup (direct injection is pretty common nowadays right?)

stickguy

Top tier RUG has just as many additives and cleaning agents. Just lower octane.

I have used RUG and PUG in the RDX. Never could tell the difference. Car has way more power than we can use, and don't rev it out, so losing 10 HP at the top of the range is meaningless. And I actually got some of my best tank MPGs on regular.

benjaminh

andres3 said:

stickguy said:

Sandy, if you have it plugged into the USB it will be charging at the same time.

I looked at the Camry before I bought the Sonata, and almost got that instead (probably would have if timing of a salesguy being off work had been better, and they would chop $25 off the lease payment). It was a gray XLE with the moonroof. I was surprised that it actually drove well. And of course, was cheap. Like you said, for cheap appliance use, hard to go wrong.

Certainly the Camry's of today are more competent in handling and sure-footed than the Camry's of say the early and mid-90's. ...nannies though.

Camrys today are no doubt better than those in the 1990s, but when I had one as a rental a year ago, and tried to drive it like my Accord, the tires squealed almost like it was a Ford LTD in a 70s cop show. I would call the Camry's current suspension close to marshmallow-like. The new Camry coming in 2018 apparently is going to change that.

andres3

fintail said:

And the dopey Oregon speed limits aren't much better, either. When I go to OR, I often try to remember to fill up before I cross the border

I imagine your wallet will be drained far more by speeding than by accidentally filling up your own tank though. I wonder if anyone gets ticketed for that? If I recall, it is a major social error to get out and start to fill up your own car, someone will likely yell at you before you get the pump on.

I can't remember the last time someone yelled at me for speeding, but maybe I was just going too fast to hear them

Mr_Shiftright

That's the problem with "retro"--it's a stylistic dead end. Probably the only car that does a reasonably job of evolving off a retro design is Mustang.

andres3

stickguy said:

I would rather have a fantastic car that had an odd looking wrapper, than a gorgeous body on a lousy car.

assuming you don't get to have both parts good!

I agree with that to some degree, though it shouldn't be hard to find one that is both good quality and good looking. On the looks side, you don't see the outside when your driving, so I'd say the interior is more important than the exterior. I don't want a Fisher-Price plastic interior like a Chevy HHR at any price, even if it had a Corvette engine in it.

This concept is how I ended up in a begrudgingly chosen exterior color for the Audi"dark gray" since the interior is gorgeous to me with the Red Leather. The very high quality of the paint job didn't hurt either.
Lastly, they met my price, and I didn't have to order it and wait 3 months.

Michaell

@benjaminh - my daughter is on her second (and last) MINI. She's really liked them, and they've been pretty reliable.

However, for her next car, she wants something more 'luxurious' and is targeting the Infiniti QX30.

Michaell

Michaell said:

@benjaminh - my daughter is on her second (and last) MINI. She's really liked them, and they've been pretty reliable.

However, for her next car, she wants something more 'luxurious' and is targeting the Infiniti QX30.

May I also introduce you to @breld? He's had 3 MINIs in the past year alone.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

stickguy said:

I would rather have a fantastic car that had an odd looking wrapper, than a gorgeous body on a lousy car.

assuming you don't get to have both parts good!

This would be a good idea for a new topic: "Great Cars With Polarizing Styling" (love/hate).

I find it hard to believe there is a significant amount of population that "loves" the new Civic styling if they are 30 years or older. I know the car is selling well, but I don't think it is because of the looks. Car & Driver is probably right with their review.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yes, but the Cruze really is nicer looking than the Civic.

Yes, but what % of MSRP are 3 year old 36K mile Cruze's selling at? Are they depreciating like the old Chevy, or something better?

andres3

pensfan83 said:

I'm hoping for an A3 or A4 next week since both are on my list. Need to start paring it down.

Tell them in advance you are shopping and specifically want an A3 or A4 loaner (preferably w/ quattro?)? Otherwise, you might end up in a Q3 or Q5.

fintail

I've never heard of anything anecdotal or official relating to citations from pumping gas. I've heard some stations will let you pump your own diesel, but have never seen it, as I try to be filled up when I go to that parallel universe.

I do notice OR plated cars tend to speed while in WA (which has slightly higher limits). I liken it to those from the DDR getting their first taste of FRG motoring in 1990, sweet freedom!

Audis seem to be speeders too, it's one of the four ways I joke that an Audi "earns it rings"

andres3 said:

I imagine your wallet will be drained far more by speeding than by accidentally filling up your own tank though. I wonder if anyone gets ticketed for that? If I recall, it is a major social error to get out and start to fill up your own car, someone will likely yell at you before you get the pump on.

I can't remember the last time someone yelled at me for speeding, but maybe I was just going too fast to hear them

fintail

I wonder if all Camry will be like that, or only a model or two. I can't imagine the whole line suddenly being equipped with driving dynamics, it might alienate a key consumer demographic.

My mom's Camry is somewhat of a modern marshmallow, and that's how she likes it. She thinks something like my E-class sits too low, and is a little harsh.

benjaminh said:

Camrys today are no doubt better than those in the 1990s, but when I had one as a rental a year ago, and tried to drive it like my Accord, the tires squealed almost like it was a Ford LTD in a 70s cop show. I would call the Camry's current suspension close to marshmallow-like. The new Camry coming in 2018 apparently is going to change that.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

I think we were talking about the 7 cars for 7 days a week in here, right?

in no particular order:

C7 Corvette Stingray Coupe
911 Targa 4S
Macan GTS
MB GLS 350 Bluetec
Q50 3.0
///M2 
S4

R8 V10 LMS
RS 7
'18 TTRS
M2 w/ dual clutch
Any Ferrari w/ dual clutch
Any Porsche w/ dual clutch/PDK
Dodge Demon (w/ Corvette Z07 to back it up when it's broken down) - w/ (Evo MR dual clutch for when both are broken down).

Sandman6472

A Mini is on my short list as I love the size. Empty nesters now and just usually me in my vehicle except on weekends where the wife is along though we split the driving now. But yep, would love a Mini next time, a 2 door would work nicely!

The Sandman

Michaell

andres3 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yes, but the Cruze really is nicer looking than the Civic.

Yes, but what % of MSRP are 3 year old 36K mile Cruze's selling at? Are they depreciating like the old Chevy, or something better?

Can't tell you about selling prices, but the residuals for the Cruze and Civic are as follows for 3 years, 36,000 miles.

Cruze Sedan and Hatch - 57%
Civic - residuals vary from 62% (LX, Sport and EX Hatchback) down to 56% (Touring Sedan)

Not a huge difference

breld

Michaell said:

Michaell said:

@benjaminh - my daughter is on her second (and last) MINI. She's really liked them, and they've been pretty reliable.

However, for her next car, she wants something more 'luxurious' and is targeting the Infiniti QX30.

May I also introduce you to @breld? He's had 3 MINIs in the past year alone.

Wife and I had always admired the MINIs since the "modern" ones came out - liked them for the size and character. For the longest time thought, every time we test drove one, we came away thinking the quirkiness would get old in real world driving experience and would instead end up with something like a GTI.

But once my wife finally took the plunge last year and decided to get one as a fun car, she absolutely fell in love with it. From an aesthetic perspective, she just adores the look of the car, most notably the unique color she got. And from a driving perspective, she likes the "raw-ness" of the experience - yeah, it's a little rough, but it's a hoot to drive, particularly with a manual.

That led her to getting a new Clubman. This new "round" of MINIs, finally complete with the introduction of the new Countryman, feels much more refined and solid than the previous gens. I would say more of the BMW DNA comes through. So while still fun to drive, I would say they are more polished and easier to live with as a daily driver - more in line with the pricing and competition.

benjaminh

If you think of Mini as a "value-priced BMW" it seems compelling.

qbrozen

fintail said:

I've never heard of anything anecdotal or official relating to citations from pumping gas. I've heard some stations will let you pump your own diesel, but have never seen it, as I try to be filled up when I go to that parallel universe.

I've actually run into that here in NJ. While I had the JSW TDI, I found 2 stations that had self-serve diesel pumps. The first time it happened, I sat in the car for a while waiting for the attendant. I then noticed the sign. That was at a WaWa, which was doubly confusing because not all WaWas had that same policy.

benjaminh

andres3 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

I find it hard to believe there is a significant amount of population that "loves" the new Civic styling if they are 30 years or older. I know the car is selling well, but I don't think it is because of the looks. Car & Driver is probably right with their review.

From looking a few times at the Civic fan site civicx.com, it does seem like the looks are a big draw for the 10th-generation Civic. Anecdotally, the new Civic seems to be drawing a lot of younger buyers.

In terms of looks there is a big divide. The regular sedan and coupe are pretty good looking imho, while the Hatchback is more difficult to like.

qbrozen

benjaminh said:

If you think of Mini as a "value-priced BMW" it seems compelling.

MINI should have a value-price MINI, IMHO. They have nothing currently that starts under $20k. I'd be willing to bet if they had a $15k car, they'd sell quite a few more for a few more years at least. I think it would become the go-to first new car for many young folk.

corvette

I think they used to have a sparsely equipped MINI One in the U.K.  

ab348

There is seldom truth to be found at TTAC but on this they may have some. Mini is neat to look at, a pretty cool little thing, but when they try to get away from the original concept with other body styles they have not looked very good. Reliability and durability has been a real problem and I understand (w/o firsthand experience mind you) that they ride rather rough and can be a bit tiring. The swing to CUVs has hurt them and they have not been able to capitalize on it very well.

Michaell

ab348 said:

There is seldom truth to be found at TTAC but on this they may have some. Mini is neat to look at, a pretty cool little thing, but when they try to get away from the original concept with other body styles they have not looked very good. Reliability and durability has been a real problem and I understand (w/o firsthand experience mind you) that they ride rather rough and can be a bit tiring. The swing to CUVs has hurt them and they have not been able to capitalize on it very well.

The new Countryman is a derivative of the BMW X1, so the ride and handling are much better, I'm told.

Having had 2 in the family - one two door coupe, one Countryman - I can attest to the rough riding aspect. But, they are meant to be a sporty car, not a Civrolla.

The two we've had have not experienced any major problems, other than tires.

I enjoy driving the Countryman the few times a year it goes in for service, but as a daily driver? Nope.

roadburner

benjaminh said:

Truth About Cars has a new article about the slow decline of Mini. Mini sold 66,502 cars in 2013, but last year sold only 52,030. For YTD 2017, Mini sales have declined another 12%. Low gas prices, questionable reliability, and the "retro" factor are all mentioned as possible causes. I'm sure when BMW bought Mini 20 years ago (or whenever it was) they had high hopes for what it would become by now. Is anyone here thinking about Mini for their next car? And how do current owners like theirs?

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/05/qotd-what-to-do-with-mini/

My wife loves the 2009 Clubman she just bought. Me, I like it as well, but I'm one and done with FWD- so I can't see buying a Mini for myself.

stickguy

I would be happy to get a RWD car for myself again. Sadly, the choices are very few for that. So I doubt it is happening.

graphicguy

Speaking of Minis, I can't for the life of me understand how they remain at the bottom of build and reliability rankings. They made NO improvements in 20 years? Isn't BMW even trying?

Keep and Chrysler are even worse......they've ranked near the bottom for multiple decades.

It's like they just don't care.

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ox25_KjdWpY

andres3

graphicguy said:

Speaking of Minis, I can't for the life of me understand how they remain at the bottom of build and reliability rankings. They made NO improvements in 20 years? Isn't BMW even trying?

Keep and Chrysler are even worse......they've ranked near the bottom for multiple decades.

It's like they just don't care.

There are enough new suckers born every minute I tell you. Enough that will say, yeah, it might have sucked in 1999, but it's 2017 and I'm sure they've learned how to build a working car by now in this modern day and age, so I'll ignore all the data out there and go my own way.

Sounds just about like me in 1994.

tjc78

Anyone drive a new Impala with the V6 yet?  Interested in opinions if you have.   

In my quest to dump the SUV I showed one to my wife in a burgundy color and she liked the style...  she was surprised when I told her a Chevy.   I explained it was a close cousin to the LaCrosse we had.  

tommister2

graphicguy said:

Speaking of Minis, I can't for the life of me understand how they remain at the bottom of build and reliability rankings. They made NO improvements in 20 years? Isn't BMW even trying?

Keep and Chrysler are even worse......they've ranked near the bottom for multiple decades.

It's like they just don't care.

@Michaell has had trouble free Mini experiences and my 2014 Jeep Wrangler has been flawless. In our small world the reliability data is wrong 

Michaell

tommister2 said:

graphicguy said:

Speaking of Minis, I can't for the life of me understand how they remain at the bottom of build and reliability rankings. They made NO improvements in 20 years? Isn't BMW even trying?



Keep and Chrysler are even worse......they've ranked near the bottom for multiple decades.



It's like they just don't care.

@Michaell has had trouble free Mini experiences and my 2014 Jeep Wrangler has been flawless. In our small world the reliability data is wrong 

And of course @breld won't keep his Durango long enough to know ....

ab348

tjc78 said:

Anyone drive a new Impala with the V6 yet?  Interested in opinions if you have.   

In my quest to dump the SUV I showed one to my wife in a burgundy color and she liked the style...  she was surprised when I told her a Chevy.   I explained it was a close cousin to the LaCrosse we had.  

I haven't driven one but they get good reviews and are a Lacrosse under the skin. Inside they are unique, but unlike the Lacrosse they have a conventional shifter (for now at least) instead f the Buick's dumb "monostable" beer tap which I hated. I dunno about the steering wheel or that pop-up screen with a hat on top though....

graphicguy

tommister2 said:

graphicguy said:

Speaking of Minis, I can't for the life of me understand how they remain at the bottom of build and reliability rankings. They made NO improvements in 20 years? Isn't BMW even trying?



Keep and Chrysler are even worse......they've ranked near the bottom for multiple decades.



It's like they just don't care.

@Michaell has had trouble free Mini experiences and my 2014 Jeep Wrangler has been flawless. In our small world the reliability data is wrong 

Consider me corrected!

tjc78

Yes the steering wheel is a little odd.  The screen pops up only to reveal a funny hole to plug and stash a device in.  

I wanna test drive one.   Maybe in the next few weeks.  I have until January but you can never start too early. 

ab348

tjc78 said:

Yes the steering wheel is a little odd.  The screen pops up only to reveal a funny hole to plug and stash a device in.  

I wanna test drive one.   Maybe in the next few weeks.  I have until January but you can never start too early. 

I actually like them a lot, but they are just too big for me now. But apparently they are everything the Buick is at much less cost. Used/CPO are a screaming deal too.

fintail

I had a rental new shape Impala LTZ a few years ago, when it was a new model. Fairly loaded 3.6. It was a competent car, and not a slouch.

Steering wheel is influenced by the W221 S-class IMO,

corvette

The lack of available AWD is a negative. But I'm sure it drives great with the 3.6. They used to offer a normally aspirated four banger, as well, and I'm sure it's a slug (it felt slow but tolerable in the 2016 Malibu Classic I rented a few weeks ago).