Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

tjc78

Wedding costs... don't even get me started!  Aside from my home, the most money I've spent on anything. 

iluvmysephia1

nyccarguy - that would be the time for the rains ta fall. Done that in the Seattle area more times than I can count!

stickguy

I paid for college. I'm not investing big in a wedding. I fully support the Elvis chapel in Vegas.

corvette

stickguy said:

I paid for college. I'm not investing big in a wedding. I fully support the Elvis chapel in Vegas.

This was actually the subject of a podcast the ex and I were listening to while we were on our road trip in Texas. The amount of money spent on a wedding is somewhat predictive of the chance of divorce. Keep it small and cheap! 

kyfdx

I find it amusing that you think you'll have any input on the wedding decision.

28firefighter

kyfdx said:

I find it amusing that you think you'll have any input on the wedding decision.

This. I was the groom and I had zero input on the wedding decision. I was in the middle of finishing law school and taking the bar when the bulk of the planning was performed. My wife and her Mom planned it themselves - I did get to taste the food though!

fintail

Two best routes: father or the bride, or justice of the peace

ab348

I like the look of that E250 a lot with those colors, would never see one of the lot here like that. Too bad it's a diesel.

Was reading the changes/additions/deletions for GM's 2018 models and it looks like all ranges are losing dark blue metallic paint regardless of what name it had. Also the dark green metallic on Buicks and a pretty light blue metallic on Cadillacs are going. In its place are new shades of gray and silver. Ugh.

tjc78

Really??? I love the dark blue on our 2015 Enclave.

Colors stink today, especially the interior. Very few manufacturers offer anything but beige, grey, or black. GM copied that saddle color BMW started.

I miss blue interiors, especially on a white car.

ab348

tjc78 said:

Really??? I love the dark blue on our 2015 Enclave.

Colors stink today, especially the interior. Very few manufacturers offer anything but beige, grey, or black. GM copied that saddle color BMW started.

I miss blue interiors, especially on a white car.

I had a blue '77 LeMans coupe with a white PAINTED roof (from the factory) and a white interior. That was a stylish car.

The GM dealers locally do not order any car for stock without a black interior. It is depressing to look at their lots and see nothing but that.

Mr_Shiftright

stickguy said:

Exciting day. Made the fall tuition payment today, so one more left in late December, and finally out from under. And by this time next year, the princess will be largely self sufficient after graduating, and getting her own car and insurance. There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

Let us pray, but as far as counting those chickens, take heed:

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/05/24/for-first-time-in-modern-era-living-with-parents-edges-out-other-living-arrangements-for-18-to-34-year-olds/

tjc78

I lived at home until I was 27, but I was saving for a home and traveled extensively for work so I was really only there on the weekends.   

I could have rented an apartment (or bought with less down) but since I traveled so much I stretched it out a bit.  Mom still cried when I moved out.  

As for fiancials, I was completely on my own for years before that... heck I even helped out with things, although the parents never asked. 

kyfdx

My Mom left home when I was 20, but she didn't cry. Just told me not to miss any mortgage payments.

Mr_Shiftright

I was soooo ready to leave home. My mom used to say: "Don't get into a car with strangers. You'll get kidnapped!"

And I would say: "I wish".

xwesx

ab348 said:

Too bad it's a diesel.

Spoken like a man who has not had the fortune of experiencing a modern diesel!

laurasdada

I always thought the easiest way to end a drought was to wash your car...

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Let us pray, but as far as counting those chickens, take heed:

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/05/24/for-first-time-in-modern-era-living-with-parents-edges-out-other-living-arrangements-for-18-to-34-year-olds/

Not shocking, really. However, I am still planning a UHaul rental for my kids' eighteenth birthdays!

laurasdada

TJC, I did the same. Overstayed my welcome a bit at home, but was saving $ to buy a place. Then I ventured out into the Fairfield County real estate market with a wad of cash in my pocket. It was a quick slap in the face lesson on real estate prices in my home county, spent the $ on a few pitchers of beer instead! Rented for a few years in Bradd's newly adopted town of Stamford before moving to the Boston 'burbs and buying.

pensfan83

I lived at home until I was 26 and I don't regret it one bit. Was able to set aside some money for a down payment on a house, not quite enough to avoid PMI but enough that I was able to get rid of it after a year. I would do the same thing over again if I had to.

stickguy

Princess can stay. We like her. Will just start charging rent. She did say today she had enough of the long commute (another accident on 95 in Delaware) and would sleep in a tent in her office instead. Car is going to be in her name anyway. And dime.

Mr_Shiftright

For those of you ready to sign up!

https://www.woodsidecredit.com/ferraris-secret-preferred-customer-list/

28firefighter

I have a lot of friends that lived at home until 27-28 (which means from graduation in 2009 until 2014-2015). Some of them were Consultants and basically were never home anyway, like TJC, so financially it made zero sense for them to rent an apartment just so they could have a physical address. Others simply wanted to pay down their school debt a bit.

I never had that luxury, but I wish I had.

stickguy

This seems like a good deal on a Honda. Could be a great teenager 1st car too. Or station car.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2010-honda-civic_sedan-4dr_automatic_ex-used-16689053.html

Michaell

Stepson moved out a week before his 18th birthday. Came back for a few months when his wife got sick, to get them settled back in CO while they made other living arrangements. They are now talking about buying a house in Colorado Springs later this year.

Step-daughter, OTOH, never left. Yes, she attended 4 years of college, but I swear she spent more nights in her bed here at the house than she did in the bed in her dorm. She's a pretty good kid, and I've never had the nerve to raise the rent issue with the wife.

My son still lives at home, in CA, though I've heard rumors that an exit plan is being formulated. Has a steady girl who has a 6 year old daughter, and they are talking marriage in the next few years. We will see.

stickguy

My son stayed for about 1 year after graduation, rent free. Took a few months to find a ST job (not in his field), and he saved money to pay loans and eventually lease the Jetta. Then he got an engineering job, and left because it was 250 miles away, and he became fully independent.

Princess will be working at a real job right after graduation. She can stay home and commute if she wants, and can have a year rent free, but she has to get her own car. Unless we relocate closer by next summer, I expect she will get an apartment with a couple roomies near work.

Michaell

stickguy said:

My son stayed for about 1 year after graduation, rent free. Took a few months to find a ST job (not in his field), and he saved money to pay loans and eventually lease the Jetta. Then he got an engineering job, and left because it was 250 miles away, and he became fully independent.

Princess will be working at a real job right after graduation. She can stay home and commute if she wants, and can have a year rent free, but she has to get her own car. Unless we relocate closer by next summer, I expect she will get an apartment with a couple roomies near work.

We bought the first MINI at the end of my daughter's junior year of college. We made the payments on it until she graduated, then she took over.

xwesx

Y'all are generous! Hopefully it will pay dividends in the end, though.

roadburner

Assuming my son gets a job at UBS Financial Services in Charlotte he will be moving there within 30-45 days. We are letting him have the 8 year old 3er with 108k miles but aside from that he's on his own. We've agreed that he won't draw anything out of his two UTMA accounts or our 529 until he decides on whether to go to law school in 3-4 years.

fintail

Very generous. I was out of the house from the time I went away to school, came back to work a couple summers, otherwise, it's been me.. My sister got out of town as soon as she got her AA at 19 from the local community college and was able to go to greener pastures, never looked back. Small towns can be kind of "those who can get out, do get out".

I know 30+ year olds who still get car allowances from their parents, or who received massive housing aid from the same people. These are people with decent jobs too, although a decent job alone often isn't enough for property ownership here anymore.

thebean

I was like Shifty - could not wait until I could get away from home. I stayed nine months after graduation until I had some savings and then bolted and never even thought about coming back. Never even brought clothes home for laundering. Home was not a happy place.

qbrozen

Finished reading the R&T comparo of the Civic R vs STi vs 370z. Obviously, they just grabbed the first 2 cars they could find to compare the R to. In any case, they sure love the Civic. It also spanked the other two around the track. Quite impressive review. Too bad it is still fugly. I also have to wonder why in the world it has 3 tailpipes. That is even sillier than the huge wing.

Mr_Shiftright

thebean said:

I was like Shifty - could not wait until I could get away from home. I stayed nine months after graduation until I had some savings and then bolted and never even thought about coming back. Never even brought clothes home for laundering. Home was not a happy place.

New York City in the 1970s was mean and scary. Now the scary part is paying for anything there.

tbirdmarco

@stickguy nice rite of all of the cars you whent to see yesterday at the dealers.

tbirdmarco

@stickguy nice cars you posted above

tbirdmarco

happy! Friday! all have an good upcumming weekand all!

tbirdmarco

@ab348 wow stinks on the color changes no good boring!

tbirdmarco

@tjc78 yes does stink want color options like back in the day way before my time! lol lol

kyfdx

Pet peeve: Sales tax holiday for "back-to-school". (Ohio)

I bought three items today, and since they were all under $75 each, no sales tax was charged.

Men's clothing. That makes no sense

Sandman6472

Was supported in grad school but then a job with the federal government came up. Took it and the $ from home stopped. My home was also not a happy place and after my dad passed, kinda divorced them that was left. Pretty toxic and didn't need my kids getting exposure of that kind of behavior. Made a few futile attempts over the next 30 or so years but didn't amount to much. Dysfunctional in so many ways but I escaped and survived. My mother left me zero when she passed and the others tried to steal a small inheritance from my dad but after two of them passed from cancer, his estate fell into my hands after almost 25 years. Of course, I did the right thing, paid off all the back taxes and gave the one left and the estates of the two that passed what the trust said, being the final executor, I really had no choice. It was the right thing to do!
My wife & her folks made us the most beautiful Jewish wedding, just amazing! They were also very generous to us and the kids. G-d kinda made things right by giving me them! Like a do over!!!

The Sandman


(P.S. No one really knows about what one went through while growing up. Not all of us had a "Happy Days" life back then. But many of us survived and made sure our kids didn't live that life and for that I am very proud of how we both raised them!)

tifighter

Out on my own at 19. Doesn't feel THAT long ago...

benjaminh

Luxury car sales in July...

Lexus 28,902 +4%

Mercedes-Benz 28,667 -9%

BMW 21,965 -15%

Acura 14,177 +4%

Cadillac 11,227 -22%

Infiniti 10,840 +9%

Lincoln 8875 -3%

It's difficult for me to understand a world where even Acura outsells Cadillac. So Cadillac is now the #5 luxury brand in the US. Wow. Lexus and MB are in a tight race. BMW seems to be sinking. So Infiniti seems likely to pass Caddy next. Maybe even by the end of this calendar year?

Article by Forbes....

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2017/08/04/strong-china-growth-gives-cadillac-boss-the-courage-to-avoid-a-price-war-at-home-he-cant-win/#604267054fcf

Sales incentives on sedans like the BMW 3-series and Infiniti Q 50 have also soared lately, to an average $11,780 and $10,244, respectively, according to JD Power PIN data. Those discounts are twice what Cadillac is offering on the ATS. The result was predictable: Cadillac's market share slipped in July, while Infiniti gained. Also predictable: profits at Infiniti's parent, Nissan Motor, slumped 13 percent last quarter, due mostly to higher marketing expenses in the U.S.

Cadillac just can't afford to play that game, not if it wants to achieve de Nysschen's long-term turnaround strategy.

"We are navigating a path between maintaining market share but also ensuring we can build a solid foundation to launch our new product offensive," said de Nysschen, who has spent the last three years trying to re-establish Cadillac's reputation as a leading luxury brand. "If we can’t get people to buy into that vision, all we’ve done is create more products to sell at a deep discount."

Mr_Shiftright

I sniffed at this one today, but it's just not me...very nice car though and price is flexible. MSRP = $140K

SL 55 AMG

Mr_Shiftright

If this had been a decent color I think I would have worked a deal on it right on the spot. But it's just this dirty, dark, dull gray. My feeling is that for this amount of money for a used car, I should get just what I want.

CAYMAN S

Might quick car, though. High 4s I think. Such a clever design---a mid engine car with rear hatchback storage and with a front trunk to boot (no pun intended).

stickguy

I may try for a "lease of the century" deal on a 3 series New Years weekend. Just to finally cross a BMW off my bucket list.

Michaell

stickguy said:

I may try for a "lease of the century" deal on a 3 series New Years weekend. Just to finally cross a BMW off my bucket list.

I don't think there will be many 2017's left by that time, IMO. What's left will the stuff nobody else wanted - odd colors, strange equipment levels, RWD only in NJ...

28firefighter

I like that Cayman, @Mr_Shiftright

fintail

Pick up that SL55 for maybe 23K and it could be fun. Maintenance will be painful, but it's a straight line bruiser.

Michaell

Just for grins, I headed over to the Buick site to research the new Regal. I've still got $1200 of GM dollars on account, and this might be something I could use them on. Sharp looking, but the equipment levels baffle me.

There are 5 trim levels - base, Preferred, Preferred II, Essense and GS

I have to go all the way to the Essense trim level to get heated seats, which were standard on both my $20K Elantra GT and $22K Jetta SE.

Sheesh.

tjc78

Michaell said:

I may try for a "lease of the century" deal on a 3 series New Years weekend. Just to finally cross a BMW off my bucket list.

I don't think there will be many 2017's left by that time, IMO. What's left will the stuff nobody else wanted - odd colors, strange equipment levels, RWD only in NJ...

With as much as @stickguy drives and the weather here you can survive with RWD.  I've done it with quite a few full size Fords and a Genesis with barely all-season tires (Dunlop sports, that were horrendous in anything but dry) 

Michaell

This article makes me glad I work from home, and don't have to commute each day:

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/04/colorado-drivers-among-worst-nationwide-smartride-report/