Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

tifighter

The V90 is a looker for sure. My issue with it is that as a wagon, it's meh. That sloping back glass takes a huge bite out of the cargo area. I may still consider a Volvo next time around, but it will probably have the number 60 in it, as well as T8.

The new E wagon looks pretty nice too. A factory Tesla S wagon (not that British conversion) could tempt me too, but that won't happen. 

stickguy

daughter stumbled upon an intro video from Mexico for the new Jetta. I assume it is the same as the US car. She really liked it. Pretty sure that is what she will want to do next July when the Jetta sport goes back, and she has to get something on her own dime. I am sure it is going to drive nicely (passed on the Golf), so all going to come down to price! At least she already has a good job lined up already starting Early July (offered off her internship).

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

breld

fintail said:

I built my own E400 wagon, fairly loaded but not totally (no leather, no ABC), something like 77-78K.

Seems like 2014-2015 E350 wagons with reasonable miles can be had for low-$40ks, maybe high $30k's. Like most cars of this class, seems like a decent used car deal.

Michaell

Gee, I see @breld this morning, and no comment about a full-size wagon. See what happens with a few idle hours?

Today marks day 365 with my Jetta; 52 weeks ago today I picked up my grey SE. It now has 56xx miles on it, and I took it to the dealer for the 10K service. Oil change and tire rotation. Inspection showed everything in the green - 9/32 on front tires, 10/32 on rear, before the swap. Brakes are in good condition. No runs, drips or errors. The dealer sent me a video of the tech doing the inspections.

I filled up on Tuesday; here are the relevant fuel numbers for the past year, in case anyone is interested:

suydam

Just turned 5000 miles on my Volt too, after 8 months. I don't know when it's due for any kind of service -- maybe at the 1 year mark? According to the Chevy app all systems are fine. So far we are running it 60% electric and 40% hybrid gas, mainly because it's become our travel car. Rarely use gas around town. We fill up the 8 gallon tank probably once a month if we are going out of town.

tbirdmarco

@breld o wow wow smell an nother punch cumming real soon!

tbirdmarco

@fintail he has to see what he wants to do and think about it big time! yes if he is still interested in the catty yes will have to shop elce whair that is forshore!

tbirdmarco

@stickguy that is inpresive fule milage you got with the RDX welcome back! glad you had an nice safe trip! now back to the car looking! and testdrives! lol lollol lol

tbirdmarco

@stickguy nice nice glad to hear your daughter has an good job lined up after school! cant wate to look at the new jetta when it comes out!

tbirdmarco

@Michaell glad the Jetta all is fine with it and service whent whell! no testdrives?

qbrozen

breld said:

Wife wanted to go take a closer look at the Volvo V90 this afternoon. She test drove a T5 model. We both love the look of this wagon - I'm shocked that she likes the size of it, since she tends to lean toward much smaller cars. I rode in the backseat, which was limo-like. Seats of course are super comfortable. Acceleration seemed okay, but I don't believe the T6 upgrade is all that much, so I think that'd be the way to go. Obviously, the V90 is pretty pricey, only being new and all, so she asked me what other full size wagons were available on the used market. She is now (literally right now) obsessively looking at E350 wagons from across the country.

Saw a 530 wagon in traffic just yesterday. Still a great looking car.

coldinohio

re: Wagons and such
since we relocated to atlantic coast of florida from NE ohio, convince wife no need for all wheel drive and was time to replace subaru tribeca

she wanted another wagon-- she had a audi a6 avant prior to tribeca

not many wagon out there that met her/our needs: safety and confort list- Carplay, BU camera, BLIS, power seats with memory

drove over 12 different ones: only true wagon was VW, Audi, BMW-- but seem way overprice for 2 L turbo; volvo V60 was nice-- not best dash layout IMHO

then to hatches- honda civic--- nice but we are not the right demographic

down to 3 mini SUV: honda CRV, BMW X1, MB GLA with volvo V60 a 4th

coldinohio

more:

honda had best tech for price: not sure i liked the CVT tranny, wife could not tell

bmw - found a nice left over 2016, but wrong color and wife did not like the seat comfort

MB-- found a gla 250 (drove the AMG-- what a hoot), and wife thought seats most comfortable and most fun to drive-- I thought the DCT tranny would be too harsh for her, but she like the shifting

so now two germans: my 2014 a4 6sp and wife MB GLA with a DCT

tom

Michaell

Marcothecarguy1986 said:

@Michaell glad the Jetta all is fine with it and service whent whell! no testdrives?

I didn't test drive; @jpp5862 did. I'll let him comment what we drove and his reactions.

tbirdmarco

@coldinohio yes not menny choices when it comes to wagens injoyed reading all you posted above! glad the wife found one that she likes! sounds like an real nice car!

tbirdmarco

@Michaell next time when you can you will have to do sum test drives! cante wate to hear what @jpp5862 has to say on his test driving yesterday!

fintail

Compared to original MSRP, definitely. Quite a few lease returns coming in, and with the new model out, there should be room for negotiation. The hypothetical 78K E400 wagon will be in the 40s by 2020, as well.

breld said:

Seems like 2014-2015 E350 wagons with reasonable miles can be had for low-$40ks, maybe high $30k's. Like most cars of this class, seems like a decent used car deal.

corvette

stickguy said:

daughter stumbled upon an intro video from Mexico for the new Jetta. I assume it is the same as the US car. She really liked it. Pretty sure that is what she will want to do next July when the Jetta sport goes back, and she has to get something on her own dime. I am sure it is going to drive nicely (passed on the Golf), so all going to come down to price! At least she already has a good job lined up already starting Early July (offered off her internship).

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

Dang, those are giant wheels and rubber band tires!

corvette

coldinohio said:

more:
honda had best tech for price: not sure i liked the CVT tranny, wife could not tell
tom

CR-V had a lot of tech for the price, but I thought the interior had some cheap bits. It would be fine in a base model, but at $30k+, not okay.

qbrozen

FYI, 2014 e350 wagons are coming up about $9k less than 2015s at auction. Mid 30s on the former and lower to mid 40s on the latter.

corvette

Phone call from the credit union financing the Mustang on Friday. I'm already not a big fan. Rep explained that they don't send payment books or monthly statements, only quarterly statements, and it's your responsibility to make the payment on the correct day each month, or you can set up autodraft (which is obviously what I'm going to do). Sounds like a recipe for getting people to pay late, but won't be an issue since I use autodraft. She also offered me another product based upon specific information she obviously obtained from my credit report. Not cool at all. I just sent the following email in response to hers requesting information for the autodraft:

Thanks for your phone call on Friday. At the outset, I would like to point out that making an offer for another product (the preapproval for your institution's credit card) and specifically referencing a balance on my xxxxx account, which is information you obviously obtained from my credit report, is extremely invasive and beyond creepy. I was completely flabbergasted at the time, but it was certainly not a great feeling to get from a bank or credit union. Needless to say, I am not interested. Please look into different marketing strategies.

As you requested, please find below the bank information for my autodraft:...

Has anyone else encountered this type of invasive marketing that makes them uncomfortable with the level of privacy they have? I also got an unwelcome email from Weathertech alerting me that I had items in my shopping cart (which I was considering purchasing for the Mustang). They also got a response letting them know how unwelcome their marketing strategies are. :@

tbirdmarco

@corvette no have not had that problem with an bank or credit union man o man wow! when it comes to websights yes have gotten emails you have stuff in your cart! just dealete the email no big deal to me! but the credit union would be tho!

tjc78

The websites do it all the time.  Everything I look at on Amazon I get an email a few days later "suggesting"... tracking cookies at their finest work.  I don't care, I get 1000 spam emails a week.  Just another to delete 

omarman

That phone call from the CU probably falls under the definition of a firm offer of credit:
If a creditor represents to a consumer reporting agency that it intends to extend a firm offer of credit to a consumer, the
creditor may obtain that consumer’s credit information from the credit reporting agency. This is an exception under the FCRA that provides a “permissible purpose” for a business or individual to obtain a consumer’s credit information without the consumer’s prior consent or approval.
I added bold to the last line because that's the most annoying part to me.

Ongoing debate about the permissible purpose exception regarding consumer privacy-including how that information is used and requiring proper disclaimers by creditors.

The FTC offers an opt-out for consumers and I'll post a link if it works... Prescreened Credit

The first time I got a call for an unwanted and unsolicited credit offer was around 1989 and most recently about 2 weeks ago. I've never pursued a phone offer like that but then again I've never seen any neg effects on my credit for the inquiries either.

corvette

I'm sure it's permissible, I just think it's an invasion of privacy. No different to me than if they said "we looked at your social media accounts noticed you dine out a lot, did you know we offer a credit card that gives 3% cash back on dining?"

omarman

corvette said:

I'm sure it's permissible, I just think it's an invasion of privacy. No different to me than if they said "we looked at your social media accounts noticed you dine out a lot, did you know we offer a credit card that gives 3% cash back on dining?"

That phone offer which I remember from 1989 was a real wake up call for me then. I was working at a logistics company where I had to drive a golf cart around the facility to keep track of the teams at work and communication with the office was via 2 way radio!

One day an office clerk radioed me that I had a call from the bank and asked did I want him to take a message? Since I'd just financed a new car a month or 2 before, I raced back to the office and took the call which turned out to be ... an offer for more credit.

No but thanks for calling me at work. For that.

Then the dinosaurs died off and cell phones gave the same unwanted unsolicited offers while working, eating, sleeping, driving, doctor office, alone time, bathroom visits, etc.

I feel like it's the same loss of privacy as before but with longer reach and depth. I mean that turning the phone off for a while is great but when I turned mine back on this morning - 8 missed calls, voice mail, etc.
edited to add: those were not credit offers this morning. but still...8 missed calls sunday morning?

tbirdmarco

number for the do not call list you call this number and might take an few weeks but I did this two years ago no mor calls! the phone number is 1888-382-1222

fintail

My car shopping friend stopped by to look at a 18 530e at the local BMW dealer. Car was nicely equipped at 63K, in a nice color combination of metallic white with kind of a brown/dark tan/hint of orange interior. He briefly talked lease numbers with a salesman - no go. 18s must not have discounts yet, the numbers didn't seem attractive to me anyway, and my friend balked at $800+/month for a 63K car with $3500 up front.

On to more shopping, I told him again he needs to wait a couple more months at least, better bargaining time.

28firefighter

fintail said:

My car shopping friend stopped by to look at a 18 530e at the local BMW dealer. Car was nicely equipped at 63K, in a nice color combination of metallic white with kind of a brown/dark tan/hint of orange interior. He briefly talked lease numbers with a salesman - no go. 18s must not have discounts yet, the numbers didn't seem attractive to me anyway, and my friend balked at $800+/month for a 63K car with $3500 up front. On to more shopping, I told him again he needs to wait a couple more months at least, better bargaining time.

If he wants a real number on that car he should reach out to Kuni or BMW Portland. Bellevue and Seattle are notorious at not being aggressively priced because they don't need to be. Seattle has a great bunch of sales guys who are real enthusiasts, but they'll be the first to tell you that management doesn't price aggressively. 

There may may be no incentives but I'm sure they're marking up the MF, acquisition fee and minimal discount. At least, that's been my experience with both. 

kyfdx

The residuals are terrible on the 2018 model BMWs, so far. Once the 2017s are gone, they may get better. Not likely to find a good deal anywhere on a 2018.

breld

qbrozen said:

FYI, 2014 e350 wagons are coming up about $9k less than 2015s at auction. Mid 30s on the former and lower to mid 40s on the latter.

Good to know - thanks!

We did go and look at a used one - I think it was a 2014 - today. Definitely handsome.

tbirdmarco

@fintail yes deff your frend should wate an bit! did injoy reading!

fintail

No doubt that's true, especially in Bellevue - the place was packed today, too, had to wait to talk to anyone or take a drive. I doubt they have to work too hard to sell what they have. Being an 18 model couldn't help either - the deals on that car no doubt will be better at this time next year.

He got the Lincoln at the Issaquah dealer, and I have a suspicion he'll be out there again. He's also over his mileage allotment, which I suspect will be forgiven if he shops there again.

28firefighter said:

If he wants a real number on that car he should reach out to Kuni or BMW Portland. Bellevue and Seattle are notorious at not being aggressively priced because they don't need to be. Seattle has a great bunch of sales guys who are real enthusiasts, but they'll be the first to tell you that management doesn't price aggressively. 

There may may be no incentives but I'm sure they're marking up the MF, acquisition fee and minimal discount. At least, that's been my experience with both. 

tbirdmarco

@breld nice nice glad you got to go and look at an used wagan today! did they pickup your type R on Saturday!

28firefighter

@fintail we leased my wife's Escape from the dealer in Issaquah. Their internet team was straightforward and honest with us, which I appreciated. Can't speak to other sales folks there. 

Michaell

A little help for someone looking at used Hondas:

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/14746/honda/accord/should-i-buy-honda-accord-2003-with-207k-miles#latest

Michaell

Another request for help, this time on a Honda trade in....

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/46813/honda/cr-v/best-time-to-trade-in#latest

28firefighter

I'm watching both topics but I have nothing of value to add - I always miss the mark on Hondas, old and new alike. 

breld

@Marcothecarguy1986 - yup! I received confirmation that the Type R was picked up on Saturday. Should be here on Tuesday!

fintail

My friend had nothing but good to say about dealing with Issaquah. Maybe he will be back.

I was thinking about how all of these recent offers are terrible compared to the deals I have made at the Bellevue MB dealer, both when it was independent, and AutoNation. Then I realized, all of my deals have been for cars that were either unloved, end of year, or end of model (and unloved).

28firefighter said:

@fintail we leased my wife's Escape from the dealer in Issaquah. Their internet team was straightforward and honest with us, which I appreciated. Can't speak to other sales folks there. 

28firefighter

fintail said:

My friend had nothing but good to say about dealing with Issaquah. Maybe he will be back.

I was thinking about how all of these recent offers are terrible compared to the deals I have made at the Bellevue MB dealer, both when it was independent, and AutoNation. Then I realized, all of my deals have been for cars that were either unloved, end of year, or end of model (and unloved).

28firefighter said:

@fintail we leased my wife's Escape from the dealer in Issaquah. Their internet team was straightforward and honest with us, which I appreciated. Can't speak to other sales folks there. 

Funny - we've got our eye on a house that has been on the market for 40 days. Fits that exact same definition. Real estate agent at the open house tells us "there is no bad offer except the one that isn't made." If you say so....

pensfan83

After exchanging emails and conversations with an area Acura dealer on Saturday pretty sure they'd flip that and tell me that there are no good offers except the one that isn't made...

carnaught

@Marcothecarguy1986, the "do not call" list is totally ineffective and worthless now. Probably no funds to enforce it. Consider yourself lucky.

breld

Michaell said:

Gee, I see @breld this morning, and no comment about a full-size wagon. See what happens with a few idle hours?

No surprise, right?

I'm sure everyone here, at least the ones with kids, has heard the expression, "sleep begets sleep." I'm starting to realize that for my wife and I, "car buying begets car buying." Started out the year declaring that this would be a "low count" year for us, and I just bought #6 with the Type R (due tomorrow by the way!).

And chatting with my wife over coffee this morning...we both agree the chances are slim that we're done.

After test driving that Volvo V90, she is now craving a large comfy commuter vehicle. Not wanting to spend that type of money, particularly on a brand new luxury car, she's searching for things like the MB E wagon, an MB ML/GLE, or the most likely candidate, a used but current gen X5.

Oy! Believe me, I'm a little sheepish to even be posting that, but if I can't do it here, where can I?

breld

We did spend most of the day yesterday cruising around in her convertible browsing car lots.

• Mercedes dealership - fun looking at cars I don't know too much about. There was a bright blue C-class coupe (current gen) lightly used in the high $30k's - that was attractive. The E-class wagon, as previously stated, was very handsome.
  
• Checked out a Vegas Yellow Audi S3 - @michaell and I actually looked at it on Saturday. I love the color on that car.
  
• Went to a Carmax location that we hadn't been to before that seemed to have a lot of higher end cars. That's where she sat in an MB ML, a GLC and several X5's. I also sat in a current gen MDX - wife thought the new CX-9 was much nicer than the MDX and I'd have to agree. Also sat in a current gen Corvette - nicer and roomier than I would have expected.
  
• Wife had to check out an Atlas in that metallic yellow color it's being marketed in. She would choose the Atlas for that color alone - she also likes the Beetle Dune in a similar color. Overall, I continue to like the Atlas for its squared-off styling and cavernous interior. Interior materials do seem quite cheap though. In 2-3 years, I could see a used one assuming they depreciate like most other VWs, but right now, I could almost get a lightly used XC90 over a new Atlas - easy decision.
  
• For @jpp5862 - there was also a new Touareg at the VW dealership - those do continue to impress me, even as it is on its way out. The overall look still looks fresh, and the interior is night and day compared to the Atlas.
  

pensfan83

My wife would probably be happy with just about anything....as long as it gets her from A to B and she's comfortable with the driving experience she's happy. She leaves the pickiness and waffling to me. Her commute isn't that far distance wise so she's not spending a lot of time driving period and and when we go anywhere as a family I'm usually doing the driving anyway. That being said she's hinted she wants to move upmarket from the Nissan so CPO Infiniti, MB, BMW, Lexus etc. will probably be on the list.

ab348

I've been seeing references to a M-B C-class wagon online, but no mention of it on either the US or Canadian website. Perhaps it is in the pipeline for introduction a bit later?

roadburner

pensfan83 said:

My wife would probably be happy with just about anything....as long as it gets her from A to B and she's comfortable with the driving experience she's happy. She leaves the pickiness and waffling to me. Her commute isn't that far distance wise so she's not spending a lot of time driving period and and when we go anywhere as a family I'm usually doing the driving anyway. That being said she's hinted she wants to move upmarket from the Nissan so CPO Infiniti, MB, BMW, Lexus etc. will probably be on the list.

I have pretty much corrupted my wife; she also likes small European vehicles- although she does like the Mazda CX-3 as well as the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk(which actually IS European, come to think of it).

Michaell

@breld - I'm guessing the MINI would get the heave-ho if Krystal decides she wants something more comfy. Why not a larger, AWD sedan? Used A6, 5-series, E-class, etc. That way, you don't have two SUV's.

Heck, if she wants comfy, why not a V6 Passat?

Mr_Shiftright

breld said:

Wife wanted to go take a closer look at the Volvo V90 this afternoon. She test drove a T5 model. We both love the look of this wagon - I'm shocked that she likes the size of it, since she tends to lean toward much smaller cars.

I rode in the backseat, which was limo-like. Seats of course are super comfortable. Acceleration seemed okay, but I don't believe the T6 upgrade is all that much, so I think that'd be the way to go.

Obviously, the V90 is pretty pricey, only being new and all, so she asked me what other full size wagons were available on the used market. She is now (literally right now) obsessively looking at E350 wagons from across the country.

Oh, here's one!