Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner

corvette said:

Weird. The Murano never showed up on the website of the dealer where I traded it. Either they sold it right away without having to market it or an employee claimed it for themselves or a relative.

That's what happened to my Mazdaspeed, a salesman at the Mazda dealership next door grabbed it. 

breld

pensfan83 said:

stickguy said:

we do have an AWD CUV already. My current car in 3 winters has never seen the snow. And the weather around here really does not require AWD, though you couldn't convince a BMW or MB dealer of that, based on what they stock!

We've decided against getting an SUV/CUV for now. My wife convinced me I should stick with a sedan and when we replace her Nissan we'll target the used market for a 1-2 year old SUV/CUV like an X3 or Q5. Since we intend to keep her car around for at least another 12-18 months and I'm set to start a new 3 year lease next month the timing would result in our car purchases being spaced out a bit, which would be my preference.

For that reason I'm pretty much locked into an AWD TLX A-Spec or another A4.

Both the facelifted TLX and the new A4 are really sharp. I got to ride in my boss's new Q7 last week and man, that new Audi interior is beautiful. While the A4 may not be too much of a departure from what you currently have on the exterior, that interior will definitely feel all new.

stickguy

I still need to drive a TLX v6 again. I tested a used one, but didn't really get to try and see if could overwhelm the front tires. My 2000 TL was not really bad, maybe had to be a little careful in the wet. I'm sure the new version is better, but with that much HP, I guess SH AWD can't hurt. I mostly don't want to pay for it!

Michaell

breld said:

pensfan83 said:

stickguy said:

we do have an AWD CUV already. My current car in 3 winters has never seen the snow. And the weather around here really does not require AWD, though you couldn't convince a BMW or MB dealer of that, based on what they stock!

We've decided against getting an SUV/CUV for now. My wife convinced me I should stick with a sedan and when we replace her Nissan we'll target the used market for a 1-2 year old SUV/CUV like an X3 or Q5. Since we intend to keep her car around for at least another 12-18 months and I'm set to start a new 3 year lease next month the timing would result in our car purchases being spaced out a bit, which would be my preference.

For that reason I'm pretty much locked into an AWD TLX A-Spec or another A4.

Both the facelifted TLX and the new A4 are really sharp. I got to ride in my boss's new Q7 last week and man, that new Audi interior is beautiful. While the A4 may not be too much of a departure from what you currently have on the exterior, that interior will definitely feel all new.

When I rode with @jpp5862 on his 2018 SQ5 test drive, I was blown away by the interior. I really love the configurable IP.

Michaell

stickguy said:

I still need to drive a TLX v6 again. I tested a used one, but didn't really get to try and see if could overwhelm the front tires. My 2000 TL was not really bad, maybe had to be a little careful in the wet. I'm sure the new version is better, but with that much HP, I guess SH AWD can't hurt. I mostly don't want to pay for it!

What is the premium for AWD?

jpp75

breld said:

Both the facelifted TLX and the new A4 are really sharp. I got to ride in my boss's new Q7 last week and man, that new Audi interior is beautiful. While the A4 may not be too much of a departure from what you currently have on the exterior, that interior will definitely feel all new.

I concur on the A4 interior. I drove a 2015 Q5 last weekend with the old interior then a new SQ5 with the updated interior, what a great (and needed) improvement.

pensfan83

breld said:

Both the facelifted TLX and the new A4 are really sharp. I got to ride in my boss's new Q7 last week and man, that new Audi interior is beautiful. While the A4 may not be too much of a departure from what you currently have on the exterior, that interior will definitely feel all new.

I would be very happy with either car I think. I have only seen the interior of the A4 in pictures and from walking the lot when my car is in for service and it's definitely a big difference, they design some of the finest interiors on the market in my opinion and they are built to last. Over 3 years later every switch, button, and surface still feels and looks substantial. Granted I only have 25,000 miles on the car but I've seen cars younger and with less miles look much worse. The only thing I'm not sure about is the iPad on the dash.

@Michaell - AWD adds $2,000 to the bottom line on the TLX

jpp75

pensfan83 said:

I would be very happy with either car I think. I have only seen the interior of the A4 in pictures and from walking the lot when my car is in for service and it's definitely a big difference, they design some of the finest interiors on the market in my opinion and they are built to last. Over 3 years later every switch, button, and surface still feels and looks substantial. Granted I only have 25,000 miles on the car but I've seen cars younger and with less miles look much worse. The only thing I'm not sure about is the iPad on the dash.

@Michaell - AWD adds $2,000 to the bottom line on the TLX

I agree pensfan, the iPad on the dash just doesn't work for me.

carnaught

The iPad's on the dash (some Audis, Mazdas, BenzC300, BMWs), imho, don't look that great, but sure are functional. They're relatively large and in a good position for easy eye contact.

Sandman6472

Synched my employee number with my Hertz Gold Card at work so ready to make a reservation for a trip from Chicago to Ft. Lauderdale(Pompano Beach area). Was told that I'd get a 40% discount as an employee and a 10% Gold Club member discount plus a reduced LDW rate, so we'll see when I make the reservation. Will be killed I bet on the one way drive though unless they need a vehicle moved down south. Wife wants a compact but with back-up plus the BLIS stuff but from what I've seen, only the Mazda3 and the Altima's with leather have it. Could do a "dream car" but will have to pay extra for it. Will get online this week and find out particulars. Got an $88.00 one way ticket from Lauderdale to Midway which ain't too bad. Fly out on a Thursday afternoon and hit the road the following Tuesday mid morning. Need to find a Hertz location near the kids place in Lincoln Park.
Have decided to send up a medium size box of clothes so we'll have enough for the drive home as we'll take a few days to sight see probably. Haven't looked at Mapquest yet but think we'll go through Tennesee, Indiana and Georgia if not Alabama also before we hit Florida. If we go past Nashville, will stop and see Vanderbilt U. and see what I passed on many years ago. Not in the mood to do laundry up there, won't have the time, so sending up driving home clothes makes sense as we'll have a whole car to fill up on the way home if needed. Wife is taking the train through D.C. to see some friends while I fly with the kids. Her idea to drive back, not mine, as I drive enough as it is. But her fear of flying is behind it all and I can't let her drive home alone now can I? Anyways, it'll be a good test for retirement when we want to tour the Unites States for awhile. Hoping that'll be by the start of 2020 or even sooner! I'm ready to retire again right now honestly!!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

So far after 3 months with the run flats, very satisfied with them. No real issues to speak of, have a lot of meat on the treads and feels very secure in our frequent rain. Only slight issue is that after getting a four wheel alignment a few weeks back, the steering wheel is now cocked slightly to the left. Had them rotate them, but issue still there. Had two other Tire Plus stores re-align the car and was told all is dead on so just live with it! Since I'm really anal about a straight steering wheel, it's driving me a little crazy. Was told since the run flats are directional, can not swap the left with the right to see if a tire has a bad cord or two which would cause this issue.
So what's next? Three different shops have aligned it and all say the specs are 100% now but I do not want to ruin these tires before their time as they were a bit on the pricey side. Any suggestions out there would be greatly appreciated!!

The Sandman


(Saw the new Elantra GT online and liked it. Will have to try it once I get ready to get something new as it's the perfect size for me. Also saw that Hyundai and Kia both have smaller hybrids that could also fit the bill. As much as I like German iron now, the thought of going back to "cheap to keep" is very enticing to be honest. Since we've never leased, don't feel comfortable doing that though one can get a more expensive ride for a shorter time span. Only big drawback is that after the term is up, one has nothing to show for it. And one has to give the vehicle back in pretty good condition I suspect with no dents. Still haven't taken care of the two areas on my Golf where the paint/clearcoat was compromised. Really need to get someone to fix both areas.)

sda

If your car is tracking straight and not pulling left or right you probably don't have radial pull. A good alignment tech can center your steering wheel while putting your car in correct alignment. I am with you, an off center wheel or a car not tracking correctly really annoys me.

Sandman6472

When I let go of the steering wheel, car tracks straight and true. When I hold the steering wheel center straight, it pulls to the right, thus the cock to the left. Had three different Tires Plus locations align the Golf within a weeks time, last guy came out and said it's the best they can get it. Said you might just have to live with it which I am having difficulty with. With the last set of tires, Continentals, and this new set of Bridgestone runflats, wheel was straight until the first alignment two weeks ago Wednesday. Then the wheel was cocked to the left and stayed the same through two more 4 wheel alignments, I have a 3 year policy at Tires Plus.
Very frustrating and not sure what to do now. Try a fourth Tires Plus location? Hate to spend more $ to have another place do it with possibly the same results. If these tires weren't directional, I'd have them swap the front tires to see if this had any effect but, can't do this I was told. And these run flats were super expensive and really wanted to go a bit cheaper but my old friend sold them to me and said I'd be happy with them as they're the best. He even has them on his vehicles.
What now???

The Unhappy Sandman

Sandman6472

Love that black over beige GT but the "X drive" is something I wouldn't want. But loving the 320/328 series. Anything but a black exterior and black interior. Hindsight is great and that brown over brown 328I would've been perfect for me but the timing was just so off. Keep looking locally at the BMW store to see what's come off lease and then see what happens. Even an X1 would fit the bill as I do love a hatchback, prefer one really. And don't want to go back past 2014, as would like some warranty...hate being off warranty. Wife just reminded me that her A3 has a four year warranty with I think 50K limit.
While at the Buick store today, saw some nicely colored and equipped new Encore's. Like the new 2017 model over the older one and like the changes outside and inside. They cleaned up the dash a bit and incorporated the infotainment center to a better location and layout. New fascia and rear tail light treatment look better than the previous model but prefer the older 17" rims. The new ones aren't ugly, just prefer the old style. But the interior is still dated GM with lousy dash light colors, feel like I'm in a Verano or other GM vehicle. They all need a total refresh to make it tidier and more user friendly. Not sure I'd want to go CPO on a vehicle like this as think buying new would be a better financial move. Anyways, I like being the first owner with a vehicle in the 10 to 12 on the clock. I know it don't make sense but something about new with a longer warranty works for me. And think Buick also has a 50K/4 year warranty, something I'd like to have.
Luckily, no need to buy for sometime going forward and will probably wait for the wife to get her next vehicle and do mine then like this time. And if they have low financing, might even do that if the interest cost ain't that much. Hate to pull out $20K or so from my investments for a depreciating asset. I also know I'm a perfect candidate for leasing but again, not a route I really want to go. This should be my worst problem I ever have hopefully!!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Our prayers go out to our fellow Texans who are living this nightmare. Luckily, our hurricanes pass through rather quickly without all this water damage. Was glued to The Weather Channel a lot this weekend and just watching what they're dealing with was heart wrenching. We didn't have the horrific flooding that they got but we did have significant damage and no power almost 9 days. After no power for a couple of days, very hard to cope with everyday living until one can get one. And to loose everything, just everything, is so hard to imagine. Just think what we all have in our closets and dressers and now these folks have to replace it all. Great reason to have homeowners insurance because one never knows when any natural disaster like Harvey can happen, anywhere.
Have to wonder why G-d would do this stuff to so many folks, I just have no words as to why? G-d bless all those forced out of their homes and all the rescue folk going into help to rejoin and rebuild. G-d, please give everyone the strength to carry on because it ain't over yet and could take months to rebuild. I know after Wilma, took many down here months to get back to a meaningful life. I know how traumatic Wilma was for us, can't imagine not having a dry liveable home to return to. Or even a car and clothes for that matter. I have no words!!

The Sandman

stickguy

Sandy, that GT I posted is not black. It is a dark bronze/brownish color. Hard to describe, or see in pictures, but striking in person. You would not like it though. Too long (about 8" longer than a sedan I think, at 190")

stickguy

I am usually optimistic about these things (and wrong), but this one seems a big expensive. 1-2K maybe? In any case, for the right price, something like this could actually be a good option. Well equipped, low miles, could easily enjoy it for a couple of years and flip it for very little money lost if don't put a lot of miles on (which I don't now). And if needs changed, I could put a ton of miles on and run it for years and on into the ground. Nice cars too at least. Great seats.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-acura-tsx-4dr_sedan_i4_automatic_tech_pkg-used-16750720.html

breld

Did a lot of phone chatting with the salesperson from the Mercedes dealership we visited on Saturday regarding the GLC.

So, my wife is most interested in a 2017 service loaner they have available for sale. Right color, right options. I can't remember the exact miles, but something around 4-5k.

MSRP is $51,685, and at the end of the day (literally), they came back with their best offer at $46,200. So what, about $5,500 off, a bit over 10%. They said it was the best they could do, since that was their cost - that may be, but I didn't really think their cost came into play on a used service loaner. Hard to judge what a fair deal on service loaners is - what do you all think?

In any case, they offered $3,400 off a new 2018. So if nothing else, a savings of $2k on that 2017 service loaner over a 2018 new one doesn't seem significant enough. We were shooting for $44k-ish on the loaner, but they certainly weren't interested.

We did find a 2016 w/13k miles at a Jeep dealer in Frisco, TX, listed at $38,800. Has all the options and colors the wife wants, so that seems like a deal we may pursue. I always knew we could get a better deal on used SUVs from a place like Texas as compared to Colorado - we may be testing that theory out.

Here's the listing:

2016 GLC

stickguy

that is a nice looking car. would rather not have black guts, but that is just my taste. And only a quick 12 hour drive home!

nyccarguy

I got a call early this AM from my device advisor that my Q40 was ready.  Service department was open until 7 pm, so no issues working a full day, stopping for coffee, stopping to gas up, then pick my car up.

Dropping into my Q40 made me realize just how much I love driving a car, not a truck or SUV.  Now I've made it known that the QX60 I had as a loaner was nice, but just wasn't my cup of tea.

1/2 way home from the dealership I noticed a Ford Focus RS (Black is THE color for that car BTW) "dipping and cutting" between lanes.  I was in the left lane (2 northbound lanes) with my cruise set at 70 mph (50 mph zone) traveling a safe distance from the car in front of me.  The RS approached the car behind me in the right lane with full intentions of riding his rear end, cutting him off and then doing the same to me.  I wasn't about to be a victim of his left lane bullying.  Instead, I showed him the path of least resistance.

As he made his move to get behind me, I flicked my right blinker on and moved to the right.  Then I quickly stabbed the gas pedal and took off.  He got and stayed far behind me as I passed a few slow rollers.  When I moved back in the right lane, I put my hazzards on 1x to let him know it was ok to pass and he did.  "I've got the power...."

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

I got a call early this AM from my device advisor that my Q40 was ready.  Service department was open until 7 pm, so no issues working a full day, stopping for coffee, stopping to gas up, then pick my car up.

Dropping into my Q40 made me realize just how much I love driving a car, not a truck or SUV.  Now I've made it known that the QX60 I had as a loaner was nice, but just wasn't my cup of tea.

1/2 way home from the dealership I noticed a Ford Focus RS (Black is THE color for that car BTW) "dipping and cutting" between lanes.  I was in the left lane (2 northbound lanes) with my cruise set at 70 mph (50 mph zone) traveling a safe distance from the car in front of me.  The RS approached the car behind me in the right lane with full intentions of riding his rear end, cutting him off and then doing the same to me.  I wasn't about to be a victim of his left lane bullying.  Instead, I showed him the path of least resistance.

As he made his move to get behind me, I flicked my right blinker on and moved to the right.  Then I quickly stabbed the gas pedal and took off.  He got and stayed far behind me as I passed a few slow rollers.  When I moved back in the right lane, I put my hazzards on 1x to let him know it was ok to pass and he did.  "I've got the power...."

The larger displacement NA and turbo motors are a perfect match with a good automatic- and they are very difficult to beat from a roll.

graphicguy

On the TLX, SH AWD feels a lot different than the FWD version. That said, the '05 TL is the only one I had with FWD and the steering wheel definitely "tugged" on spirited launches. On the FWD TLXs I've driven, I never felt the same tug. Then again, I never really hammered one, either.

SH AWD eliminates all of that, however. The real benefit is the handling. You'll hit corners at a much higher rate of speed and the SH AWD remains stable and flat as the torque vectoring does its thing. IT fees super stable. It's really a well done implementation of torque vectoring.

In fairness, I have not driven the new A4. I haven't even seen one in the wild. I know they're out there. None have crossed my path, though. From the pics I've seen, the interior looks quite nice.

I got $2K and change off my '18 TLX, which I bought for $43K. But, that was a purchase. The lease is supposed to be pretty decent on them. Mine is pretty much loaded to the gills. Not sure what else is offered on a car that it doesn't have.

Not sure what $43K gets you with an A4.

qbrozen

Wow! This is an amazing deal for someone this car works for, which isn't me. Came in my email.

kyfdx

Another episode of, "Guess my repair bill".

Taking my 2006 BMW 330Ci to the dealer today for an oil change. 7 qts of synthetic and a filter. BMWUSA sent out a $25 rebate on service over $50, so it's easier to use them, than my independent. Also, synthetic oil changes are one of the few repairs that my independent is not cheap for. Hoping for some sort of coupon or special, besides my rebate, but you never know. So, guess the price from the dealer, not counting the rebate.

As a bonus, estimate the amount of "needed repairs and maintenance" that they recommend, upon completion of the oil change. Noting, it's not scheduled for any regular maintenance at this time (110K miles).

qbrozen

110k miles? That's tough. Assuming the suspension is all original, I'm guessing it needs work in that area. Possibly some seal leaks. I'm gonna go with $2800.

As for the oil change, I was under at $75 last time, so I suppose I'll go $119.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

110k miles? That's tough. Assuming the suspension is all original, I'm guessing it needs work in that area. Possibly some seal leaks. I'm gonna go with $2800.

As for the oil change, I was under at $75 last time, so I suppose I'll go $119.

New Konis and CABs at 75K miles..

qbrozen

Well, see, its way too tough without knowing all the history.

capriracer

sandman_6472 said:

When I let go of the steering wheel, car tracks straight and true. When I hold the steering wheel center straight, it pulls to the right, thus the cock to the left. Had three different Tires Plus locations align the Golf within a weeks time, last guy came out and said it's the best they can get it. Said you might just have to live with it which I am having difficulty with. With the last set of tires, Continentals, and this new set of Bridgestone runflats, wheel was straight until the first alignment two weeks ago Wednesday. Then the wheel was cocked to the left and stayed the same through two more 4 wheel alignments, I have a 3 year policy at Tires Plus.
Very frustrating and not sure what to do now. Try a fourth Tires Plus location? Hate to spend more $ to have another place do it with possibly the same results. If these tires weren't directional, I'd have them swap the front tires to see if this had any effect but, can't do this I was told. And these run flats were super expensive and really wanted to go a bit cheaper but my old friend sold them to me and said I'd be happy with them as they're the best. He even has them on his vehicles.
What now???

The Unhappy Sandman

Do the side to side swap any way. It's a temporary diagnostic step, not a permanent fix. Swap the tires back after you've finished with the diagnostic.

If the problem is the tires, the symptom will reverse. If the problem is the vehicle, it will not. If it only partially changes it is both the vehicle and the tires.

My best guess is that the symptom will not reverse, which means it is wholly with the vehicle - and perhaps the problem is that they have run out of adjustment and can't go as far as needed without bending something.

Another possibility is that the new tires have a different ply steer value. Ply steer is a tire property where the tire has a natural sideways force. ALL tires have this, but some have more than others and most of the time, it isn't noticed because the vehicle is kind of crabbing sideways.

AND - I don't want to forget that IF the road you are doing the evaluation on is steeply crowned, you'll get a false reading.

fintail

Looking at how a Leaf can depreciate, that's about what they should cost even without the gift from taxpayers.

roadburner

$130 for the oil change, valve cover and/or oil filter housing gasket, and LCABs.

Mr_Shiftright

I'll go $138 for the oil change and $1800 in "dealer recommended service"

breld

So we're pulling the trigger on the gray GLC at the Dodge dealer in Frisco, TX.

I'm flying down either Friday or Saturday and driving it back.

They wouldn't budge on their price, but we shopped enough this past week to know their price was a really good one (assuming the car all checks out).

That's #7 folks.

Mr_Shiftright

Well it's only August, so things might pick up for you

rayainsw

"That's #7 folks"
The phrase 'in a different league' comes to mind ..

breld

Well, I am a little embarrassed about it, but if I can't share here, where could I?

fintail

Congrats. If that's the one on their site, it has lighting package, nice. I also see it has pano, blind spot, matte finish black wood (not an extra cost option, but I like the matte finish wood), keyless-go. Not sure if it has nav, but the decoded VIN mentions map updates, so maybe.

breld said:

So we're pulling the trigger on the gray GLC at the Dodge dealer in Frisco, TX.

I'm flying down either Friday or Saturday and driving it back.

They wouldn't budge on their price, but we shopped enough this past week to know their price was a really good one (assuming the car all checks out).

That's #7 folks.

stickguy

There is a picture of the nav running.

Equipped like that, I could live with one

fintail

Zoom, right over my head.

But yeah, that one has all the right options.

pensfan83

graphicguy said:

On the TLX, SH AWD feels a lot different than the FWD version. That said, the '05 TL is the only one I had with FWD and the steering wheel definitely "tugged" on spirited launches. On the FWD TLXs I've driven, I never felt the same tug. Then again, I never really hammered one, either.

SH AWD eliminates all of that, however. The real benefit is the handling. You'll hit corners at a much higher rate of speed and the SH AWD remains stable and flat as the torque vectoring does its thing. IT fees super stable. It's really a well done implementation of torque vectoring.

In fairness, I have not driven the new A4. I haven't even seen one in the wild. I know they're out there. None have crossed my path, though. From the pics I've seen, the interior looks quite nice.

I got $2K and change off my '18 TLX, which I bought for $43K. But, that was a purchase. The lease is supposed to be pretty decent on them. Mine is pretty much loaded to the gills. Not sure what else is offered on a car that it doesn't have.

Not sure what $43K gets you with an A4.

$43.7 will get you the mid-level model (Premium Plus), which is pretty well equipped with upgraded sound, LED lights, the S-line package, etc. Navigation, heated rear seats/steering wheel, sport package are some optional items. I've only seen a handful of new A4's myself and as @breld noted the exterior differences are more subtle, especially from a distance but the interior is a different story.

The A-Spec is better optioned right out of the box but I'm not sure it's a better lease compared to the Audi as I learned recently by reaching out to an area dealer to get an idea of the market. While there is $2,750 in truck money on top of any dealer discounting for the Acura, I can buy down the money factor on the Audi through security deposits. I did that for my current Audi lease, but Acura doesn't offer anything like that. I tossed out my numbers to the dealer and while I wasn't laughed or scoffed at I'll probably need to adjust my offer if I go with the Acura. After some conversations with a salesman he wants to reconnect after September 5th when the programs change.

carnaught

@breld, congrats on the Mercedes, great car! The car is not too big, not too small. Around me, they are in short supply and are being grabbed up, so they're not discounting much. You'll find that the 4-cylinder turbo is peppy, and with the 9-speed A.T., it gets reasonable gas mileage. As for the options, they seem like the right ones, and I believe i saw that it has the upgraded Burmester audio.

jpp75

Congrats @breld (well and Mrs. @breld)

breld

fintail said:

Zoom, right over my head.

But yeah, that one has all the right options.

Yeah, we got quite familiar with the Mercedes options over the past week, which is good and bad. Once you learn about them, you start wanting more and more.

Initially, my wife wanted navigation and heated seats. Then she saw the pano sunroof and decided she wanted that. Then we learned about the differences between the COMAND hard-drive nav system as opposed to the Garmin SD Card add-on, so then she wanted the COMAND system. All that, plus being a bit particular on the colors.

And then I remarked on how much richer the LED headlamps and taillights look, so then she (we) decided we should include that on the "must-haves."

And yes, she could have lived without that matte-black ash wood trim, but she really really likes it.

So this one we're getting is her first choice color with all the "must-have" options:

• Gray over black leatherette, with the ash wood trim
  
• P1 package (BSM, heated seats, Sirius XM)
  
• Multimedia package (COMAND system with larger screen)
  
• LED lighting
  
• Pano sunroof
  
• Premium sound (Burmeister? I keep calling it Barfmeister just 'cause it's fun to say)
  

The heated steering wheel would have been a bonus, and she thought some of the ambient lighting and "light-up" MB Star on the front were cool - the service loaner we considered had those in addition to the above items. But at about $7,000 more? Hmmm, I think she'll be okay.

nyccarguy

Congrats @breld!  How's the Type R?

pensfan83

That's a nice SUV, congrats @breld

breld

nyccarguy said:

Congrats @breld!  How's the Type R?

The Type R is great - I get to really drive it around this week and weekend. I drove into work this morning in the "Comfort" setting and it could be somewhat psychosomatic, but it does seem to make a noticeable difference over bumps and rough roads. In that mode, it feels pretty "normal."

I will agree 100% with the complaints about the lack of volume knob. Such a little thing (or absence of a little thing) is incredibly annoying. But, of course, a relatively minor thing overall.

js06gv

breld said:

Did a lot of phone chatting with the salesperson from the Mercedes dealership we visited on Saturday regarding the GLC.

So, my wife is most interested in a 2017 service loaner they have available for sale. Right color, right options. I can't remember the exact miles, but something around 4-5k.

MSRP is $51,685, and at the end of the day (literally), they came back with their best offer at $46,200. So what, about $5,500 off, a bit over 10%. They said it was the best they could do, since that was their cost - that may be, but I didn't really think their cost came into play on a used service loaner. Hard to judge what a fair deal on service loaners is - what do you all think?

In any case, they offered $3,400 off a new 2018. So if nothing else, a savings of $2k on that 2017 service loaner over a 2018 new one doesn't seem significant enough. We were shooting for $44k-ish on the loaner, but they certainly weren't interested.

We did find a 2016 w/13k miles at a Jeep dealer in Frisco, TX, listed at $38,800. Has all the options and colors the wife wants, so that seems like a deal we may pursue. I always knew we could get a better deal on used SUVs from a place like Texas as compared to Colorado - we may be testing that theory out.

Here's the listing:

2016 GLC

That dealer is 10 minutes from my house. Let me know if you need a set of eyes on it.

breld

pensfan83 said:

That's a nice SUV, congrats @breld

Thanks!

breld

js06gv said:

breld said:

Did a lot of phone chatting with the salesperson from the Mercedes dealership we visited on Saturday regarding the GLC.

So, my wife is most interested in a 2017 service loaner they have available for sale. Right color, right options. I can't remember the exact miles, but something around 4-5k.

MSRP is $51,685, and at the end of the day (literally), they came back with their best offer at $46,200. So what, about $5,500 off, a bit over 10%. They said it was the best they could do, since that was their cost - that may be, but I didn't really think their cost came into play on a used service loaner. Hard to judge what a fair deal on service loaners is - what do you all think?

In any case, they offered $3,400 off a new 2018. So if nothing else, a savings of $2k on that 2017 service loaner over a 2018 new one doesn't seem significant enough. We were shooting for $44k-ish on the loaner, but they certainly weren't interested.

We did find a 2016 w/13k miles at a Jeep dealer in Frisco, TX, listed at $38,800. Has all the options and colors the wife wants, so that seems like a deal we may pursue. I always knew we could get a better deal on used SUVs from a place like Texas as compared to Colorado - we may be testing that theory out.

Here's the listing:

2016 GLC

That dealer is 10 minutes from my house. Let me know if you need a set of eyes on it.

Geez - I should've thought of that, seeing the "Frisco, TX" for your location!

Since I'm flying down to get it I'll be able to put my own eyes on it before officially pulling the trigger, but if you're up for taking a look at it, I wouldn't discourage it! I basically want to ensure that it looks like what it is - an almost new car with only 13k miles on it, if that makes sense. Carfax is clean, so I wouldn't expect anything that hints at any repairs. From a mechanical perspective, it has lots of warranty left, so I'm not concerned there.

cdnpinhead

Do you guys ever drive these cars anywhere? For the longest time, going back to 1971, I've enjoyed cars, but more importantly I've enjoyed where they could take me. The drives I've done, even in rental drones, are memorable, and the cars only become important after I've taken some number of drives in them. Commuting in a daily driver is a non-event, though it's important to have a decent vehicle in which to do it.

Those of you who change cars like I change socks live in a very different world to the one I inhabit, but the question remains: do you enjoy driving these things anywhere? If so, why aren't we hearing much about it.

xwesx

That's a great point!

I love me some road trips, and I love hearing about others' (with photos when possible!) because I can't be on one all the time...

I really want to get a dashcam into my dailies so I can record some of the down-the-road time. Particularly on road trips, it could be a lot of fun to review and store some of that stuff. Immediately, the Q7's blizzard in Utah last spring, as well as the run through Stevens Pass in Washington, come to mind.