Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Mr_Shiftright

It's a lot of miles per year though, and the car is used commercially, and (apparently) lives outdoors (hail damage). Perhaps I'm being overly judgmental, but it sounds like the car has had a hard life.

corvette

Nissan's CVT fluid is supposed to be "lifetime fill," but I think there is some sort of wear counter that can be accessed using Nissan's scan tool which can indicate the need for a fluid change. Nobody would have ever had access to it if it wasn't at a dealer for maintenance. 

stickguy

I would change early to be safe. I still do it on my Honda V6 AT.

andres3

The parents favor Lexus, Avalon, Acura, and Audi. So I'll have them look at the new and CPO ES350's, ES Hybrids, IS200t, Avalon (I prefer the ES350 for the interior improvements, but the front grill is downright garish!), A4, A4 Ultra FWD, and of course, the 2.4L TLX (a solid choice). I think the Accord was disappointing for me. It isn't "nicer" enough than a Camry; you really have to step up to the TLX to get the "niceness"

For me, a big drawback on the '18 4-cylinder TLX is they didn't improve the back end. You have to step up to the V6 to see those updates/improvements; you can't tell the base model apart from a '16 unless you look at the front grille.

If free extra time and energy presents itself, the Q50 should get a honorable mention look/test-drive.

fintail

What's the point of a FWD Audi? Is it really a fancy VW then?

andres3

fintail said:

What's the point of a FWD Audi? Is it really a fancy VW then?

Pretty much! LOL! Fancier with better quality and quality control which translates into reliability. Also, you get a chassis that is stronger and lighter. I had a FWD Audi once upon a time; they do just fine. I think VW/Audi and Acura/Honda have FWD mastered the best when it comes to performance-oriented models. Heard good things about the Mazda-speed 3 w/ FWD but those are extinct.

And in CA you can get away with it, and it is conducive to better fuel economy if that is important to a buyer. Not sure how they did it, but getting the 2.0T to post 27/37 with just a little de-tuning is impressive.

In comparison, the similarly horse powered (but less torque) Acura TLX in 2018 is posting 23/33. The IS 200T is posting similar numbers to the Acura, and the Q50 2.0T is even worse.

tbirdmarco

@Michaell sad situation for your frend one of the un lucky ones like with any car. eather you are lucky or you are not. was thinking today after posted this morning to look in to an used CVT and hang on to car an bit mor for the time being. cheapest way to go probly for now!

tbirdmarco

Brother told me tonight when wher out that he wants to trade in his 2013 Nissan Altima that he has an little over one year around laber day weekand might be interested in an charger or sum thing elce does not want an nother 4 sil car to under powered he said! was so happy to hear that. told him in the next two munths lets do an bunch of test drives of things that he likes and is interested in! made my day. also mom wants to see if she can get out of her Maxima leese bit early soon this munth cumming up or in augest two as whell to! she loves the car but convincing her not to get an higher trim since it is the cam car. told her to do an bunch of test drives to as whell and get sumthing different not shore what yet. she wants to look at the jeep Renagade my aunt has an 2015 and she drove it an few times and loves it! she now likes the stiling grew on her she used to hate it when the first come out. my aunts sun my cuzian just also leesed an black renegade to as whell. to much of the same car have to stear my mom an nother way have bin working on it and will continue to! that is all for now all. hope that everyone is having an good week so far!

tbirdmarco

@Michaell lets hope that helps should chang trans flewide if keeping car long tirme every 50 k along with cullent to!

sda

The Pilot reached 100k today. I treated it to deluxe car wash. Truth be told it was going to get washed anyway as my wife and daughter are driving to Jacksonville, Fl for the holiday weekend. I will be taking care of the dogs, and...going to test drive some cars. Happy 4th everyone!

tbirdmarco

@Mr_Shiftright good to no with using the ford flewide interesting!

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rzF-KwTflQI

graphicguy

sda said:

The Pilot reached 100k today. I treated it to deluxe car wash. Truth be told it was going to get washed anyway as my wife and daughter are driving to Jacksonville, Fl for the holiday weekend. I will be taking care of the dogs, and...going to test drive some cars. Happy 4th everyone!

You can't fool us. You plan on doing a bachelor long weekend and do the stuff "guys" want to do (like test drive cars).

nyccarguy

sda said:

The Pilot reached 100k today. I treated it to deluxe car wash. Truth be told it was going to get washed anyway as my wife and daughter are driving to Jacksonville, Fl for the holiday weekend. I will be taking care of the dogs, and...going to test drive some cars. Happy 4th everyone!

Awesome @sda!  I'm not too far behind you.  I hit 94K miles on the way to work this AM.  I'm bringing it in tomorrow night to have the compliance Bushings replaced (under warranty).

fintail

Some new 4cyl engines are claiming amazing mpg, even in heavier cars. IIRC the 2018 Camry is making some nice claims too. Must be all of the new style gear ratios. And yeah, quality on modern Audi has to be better than 10-15 years ago.

Regarding lifetime transmission fluid, don't fall for it. MB had such a "sealed" unit around the turn of the century, and the units were known to fail. I think there was some legal trouble from it. Always try to change by 60-70K or so anyway.

andres3 said:

Pretty much! LOL! Fancier with better quality and quality control which translates into reliability. Also, you get a chassis that is stronger and lighter. I had a FWD Audi once upon a time; they do just fine. I think VW/Audi and Acura/Honda have FWD mastered the best when it comes to performance-oriented models. Heard good things about the Mazda-speed 3 w/ FWD but those are extinct.

And in CA you can get away with it, and it is conducive to better fuel economy if that is important to a buyer. Not sure how they did it, but getting the 2.0T to post 27/37 with just a little de-tuning is im

stickguy

had a nice chat with a rep at Hyundai finance today. Went over all kinds of stuff with the lease end coming up. I did learn today that I have 60 days to buy/lease another Hyundai (new or CPO) to avoid the disposition fee. So don't have to rush a purchase.

And, I can extend the lease for up to 6 months, at the same payment, and do it on a month to month basis. So if I need a car and don't want to make the move yet, I can just keep it. Which could happen, especially if I am seriously going to be moving by next spring, and don't want to lock into a new car before I do.

also nice is that I can just drop the car off at the dealer, sign a few papers, and be done. Unlike VW, where you have to schedule a 3rd party inspection in advance.

qbrozen

I'm kind of hoping Ford will allow me to extend mine when the time comes (although, in 2 years, you just know I'll want something else) because my payment is so low.

stickguy

VW does, just not sure of the details. I was surprised to know I could do it for 6 months, and they really make it month to month. Payment is due every 8th of the month. So turn it in on the 7th, or pay for another month. My choice.

Sandman6472

My kids 2009 Versa SL hatch is working just fine. Granted, the Corolla's ans Civic's I drive at work act more like a regular auto tranny and have advised her that when she buys next year, to give both of those plus the Elantra a close look. She wanted an Elantra back in '09 but she decided to be a bit more frugal and go with the Versa. I have driven it many times and if I had it for my d d, I'd have no real issue to be honest. Her "SL" is the upscale model and is holding up very well as it approaches 97K.
About Honda and it's fleet sales, since I've been working at Hertz, 4 years this coming January, we've gotten both Accord's and Civic's brand new for our fleet. Each time it's happened these past 3 years, I've been in the group that's been driving them down from the parking garage after they've been made ready to be rented out. There must've been at least 60 or so of both models but just guessing here since I only work 3 or so days a week. Last week, a large shipment of Nissan Sentra's arrived and a good number had alloys and a sunroof. The Hyundai Sonata's and Elantra's are base models and "SE's" while the Kia Optima's are usually LX models. They are my personal favorite for some reason, just like the Optima better than the Sonata even though they are basically the same vehicle.
At this point, the job is still fun though it's been a bit harder lately with my increased pain levels and have found that those 3 days are the sweet spot for me. I need those n/s days so my body can recover a bit. But have told the other half that 2018 is it as far as I'm concerned, maybe the end of the year or maybe sooner but 2018 is it. I'm actually ready now but with the egg shells I'm walking on here, need to tread lightly. With the kid's wedding in less than 4 months, think it's best to put the families happiness before mine. Co-exsisting in our four bedroom abode is working out for now. We shall see...!

The Sandman

tbirdmarco

@qbrozen if you do diside to extend leese on f150 in 2 years think can be done! but like you said you probably will want to try sum thing new! lol lol. going to post an link of an chanial I follow this is on fords only!

tbirdmarco

@sandman_6472 sorry to hear about the higher pane levels you have bin having lately than normal. good that you only work 3 days an week and have sum down time to your selfe!

tbirdmarco

@stickguy good if you nead to you have the option to extend the leese to as whell for in bit

tbirdmarco

https://www.youtube.com/user/TownCountry1999

nyccarguy

Before:

nyccarguy

After:

ab348

I' m confused by the after photo. What's that matte area?

kyfdx

Did you wash it?

nyccarguy

ab348 said:

I' m confused by the after photo. What's that matte area?

matte area?

The very top of the photo is my driveway which is cracked and in desperate need of replacing, followed by the hood of my freshly detailed Prelude which shows the reflection of the trees on the other side of my driveway as well as my wife's Pilot. You can also see the reflection of the trees in my Prelude's windshield. In the Bottom right corner, is a reflection of the inside of my raised garage door.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

Did you wash it?

Something like that. lol!

ab348

nyccarguy said:

matte area?

This:

nyccarguy

That's the reflection of the garage ceiling in the hood

pensfan83

The Ford dealer is nothing if not persistent.....

They are now agreeing to absorb the 3 remaining lease payments if I come in this weekend to pick up the Fusion. I haven't re-run #'s yet but that I'm betting that knocks another $30-$40 off per month. I think my enthusiasm for the car would wane quickly once I had to drive it daily though, even if the payment is a bargain relative to MSRP. At this point I'm regretting letting them move forward with running the #'s, even though I thought I was forthcoming after the test drive and said I felt the car was too heavy and wasn't the driving experience I wanted if I stuck with a sedan.

Michaell

pensfan83 said:

The Ford dealer is nothing if not persistent.....

They are now agreeing to absorb the 3 remaining lease payments if I come in this weekend to pick up the Fusion. I haven't re-run #'s yet but that I'm betting that knocks another $30-$40 off per month. I think my enthusiasm for the car would wane quickly once I had to drive it daily though, even if the payment is a bargain relative to MSRP. At this point I'm regretting letting them move forward with running the #'s, even though I thought I was forthcoming after the test drive and said I felt the car was too heavy and wasn't the driving experience I wanted if I stuck with a sedan.

I say here what I say in a lot of the lease threads; a good lease deal isn't that good if you don't enjoy the car you picked.

I think they are trying to overcome your poor driving dynamic impressions with a sweet financial deal.

I get the impression that there isn't a price good enough to overcome your objections with the car. Given that you can afford an Audi, I don't think price is the main factor in this deal.

stickguy

I'm cheap enough to be bought. Just try me!

pensfan83

Michaell said:

I say here what I say in a lot of the lease threads; a good lease deal isn't that good if you don't enjoy the car you picked.

I think they are trying to overcome your poor driving dynamic impressions with a sweet financial deal.

I get the impression that there isn't a price good enough to overcome your objections with the car. Given that you can afford an Audi, I don't think price is the main factor in this deal.

@Michaell you hit the nail right on the head. I do have a budget I want to stick to and welcome as low a payment as possible but only for something I want.

If Ford put the car on a diet, installed a performance based AWD system, and adds a better transmission and then they would have my attention. Of course that would probably come with a price increase but then the paper comparisons between the Fusion and A4/S4 might carry some merit.

Michaell

pensfan83 said:

Michaell said:

I say here what I say in a lot of the lease threads; a good lease deal isn't that good if you don't enjoy the car you picked.

I think they are trying to overcome your poor driving dynamic impressions with a sweet financial deal.

I get the impression that there isn't a price good enough to overcome your objections with the car. Given that you can afford an Audi, I don't think price is the main factor in this deal.

@Michaell you hit the nail right on the head. I do have a budget I want to stick to and welcome as low a payment as possible but only for something I want.

If Ford put the car on a diet, installed a performance based AWD system, and adds a better transmission and then they would have my attention. Of course that would probably come with a price increase but then the paper comparisons between the Fusion and A4/S4 might carry some merit.

And the things you want changed are things the dealer has no control over.

The dealer needs to understand that.

stickguy

Got my windshield fixed. Came out OK. Just hope to avoid a charge when I turn it in. Glass guy was asking if I was leasing a replacement. Had to tell him I have no clue. This is going to be a tough decision. Decent chance my wife gets fed up and just leaves. Though that would still least force me to get a car!

tjc78

My wife has said on numerous occasions she won't go to the dealer with me.   She really doesn't care, except for color and having to be a three row SUV

ab348

An email yesterday to the finance person at the Caddy dealer resulted in a voice mail from her today saying she would be happy to refund the charge they put on my credit card on the ATS I didn't buy. But she said I had to call to give her the card number, so I did, got her voice mail and left a message. Odd that they kept the card # on file to make the charge even though nothing had been agreed to, but didn't seem to have it on file when the time came to reverse it. She says it will be done within 2 business days.

I had lunch with a couple of friends today and was telling them the saga. It left them shaking their heads. All of this could have been avoided if the sales guy would have just given me something on paper with all of the details so I could have studied it. They seem averse to doing this though. I have essentially crossed this dealer off my list for future purchases because of that. They have a generally good reputation locally so I don't know what the problem is. I suspect the fault is with my sales guy, his sales manager, and their training. I'm torn - I know the dealer principal slightly and was thinking of sending him a note, but that could lead to this guy departing and I don't want be the cause of that.

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JGR9JvDXSlU

tbirdmarco

@nyccarguy looking good lol lol glad you got to clean up your car nice nice!

tbirdmarco

@pensfan83 get what you like for the payment you want to have boath whell close with boath. just tell the dealer for the secand time not interested in that car not your liking. any other fords that you might be interested in. did you get an chance to drive an jeep Grand Chericky yet? no you are interested in those.

xwesx

RE: The autonomous vehicles crippling insurance companies.... LOL

No, that's not going to happen, since vehicle owners/drivers will still be required to carry insurance (if they live in such states), and rates will adjust accordingly. In other words, lets say your rates go from $2,000 a year down to $200 a year. That may be less cash flowing in for the insurer, but it should also mean less cash flowing out, too. If claims aren't digging so far into the margin, then they don't have any problem at all with charging people less.

Frankly, if insurance just switched to a driver basis instead of a vehicle basis, all of this speculation would be moot anyway. Example: I am a driver. I can drive exactly one vehicle at a time. I should pay liability insurance as a driver, for me. The DRIVER. My vehicles should have collision and comprehensive coverage for them. THE CAR! So, anyone who is a licensed driver (whether behind the wheel of an AV or not) pays the liability coverage (possibly less cost overall), and the vehicles get the comprehensive (same cost or possibly more) and collision (drastically less cost) coverage.

Done.

tbirdmarco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5TisGr6lyU

tbirdmarco

@xwesx wow thanks for your insight! we shal see what will happen down the road we all have no idea!

tbirdmarco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sszoyUc2mVw

stickguy

I like that Ranger.

nyccarguy

@pensfan83 - I briefly rode in a Grand Cherokee Overland tonight.  Gorgeous interior.  I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

nyccarguy

@marcothecarguy1986 - Thank you for your kind words

nyccarguy

I'll be the 1st to admit that Im far from a fan of the Matte Finish paint that swept the luxury high end cars a few years back.  Until today on my ride home from work I saw a Matte Black 2017 911 Turbo S.  Everything on the car was blacked out except those Yellow Ceramic Brake Calipers!  Wow!  It was gorgeous!