Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

or this looks like a good deal on a Bradd clone. Miles not bad at all. Got the navi. But I really don't want a black interior (even though they call it gray!)

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/712684211/overview/

graphicguy

@au1994 ....congrats on all of the life changing events. I like the X1....great choice!

Michaell

stickguy said:

or this looks like a good deal on a Bradd clone. Miles not bad at all. Got the navi. But I really don't want a black interior (even though they call it gray!)

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/712684211/overview/

Technically, it's called "graphite"

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

or this looks like a good deal on a Bradd clone. Miles not bad at all. Got the navi. But I really don't want a black interior (even though they call it gray!) https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/712684211/overview/

That's a heckuva car for under $20K.  I'm happy with mine!

tbirdmarco

@stickguy would not do that don't get out of the horse power race!

tbirdmarco

@sandman_6472 hang in there shore it is very frustrating to you wife and family! keeping you all in my prairs! and yes get what you want and can afford you never no take life day bye day and have to injoy every day! that is what I am doing!

tbirdmarco

@stickguy cant wate to hear when you do get to go and look at the 2017 accord this cumming up week! and your thaughts on it!

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

or this looks like a good deal on a Bradd clone. Miles not bad at all. Got the navi. But I really don't want a black interior (even though they call it gray!)

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/712684211/overview/

That's a heckuva car for under $20K.  I'm happy with mine!

if it was a better color, or at least light interior, I would go take a look. At least you people would stop hassling me about not having enough HP!

tjc78

stickguy said:

I might pick other colors. But hard to argue with the numbers. You find yours to be acceptable in normal putting around use? Probably not all that much slower real world than my Sonata. Getting pretty much all the niceties for a really cheap lease payment, is enticing. Then work on the wife to upgrade the RDX to a nicer travel car!

Yes, it's "slow" but plenty of get up for our area.  It will boogie down the Expressway at ticket speeds with ease and if you drop it in sport mode the tranny shifts down instantly and the steering stiffens up nicely. 

For a second  car it is perfect IMO.  My lease is 210 a month with everything rolled in, only first payment out of pocket.  

I would buy another one in a minute.  Fits the needs perfectly 

fintail

I saw my friend's MKZ today. Dealer fixed the window issue, and as I somehow suspected, the dash issue isn't as bad as he let on. The dash isn't messed up, but a big piece of trim is misaligned, possibly due to a broken tab. The dash won't need to be replaced, but the trim piece apparently has to be replaced - that's what he really meant. I had a feeling there was some exaggeration in the story.

The color is different - you know it is unique, but it doesn't make you stare. The green-grey interior works well too, and the materials feel nicer than in his prior MKZ. The console seems to be significantly changed, ICE is updated, and he says the nav and related components work faster and smoother. He says the car is a lot quieter than the prior car, maybe as this one has the "luxury package", it has more sound deadening.

tbirdmarco

@fintail nice nice glad was not an big deal with your frends car! lots of times peapol like do ezgarate big time with things! glad meteralies in the car wher in proved and nave and other things like that wher made faster! from his pryer car!

ab348

Took the new ATS for a trip of 200 miles or so to my buddy's place in the boonies with a mutual friend riding shotgun. Man, is this thing a nice ride. I was surprised it was so much better than the 2014, which I thought was a great car to drive. This is better in every way. What surprised me most was that despite the lower-profile tires and FE3 suspension, the ride qualitywas better. And it is much faster too.

I still haven't figured out all the electronic geegaws. The blind spot warning isn't all that useful because the notification appears only in the outside rear view mirrors, not on the dash or HUD. It is moderately helpful on the drivers side but fairly useless on the passenger side. The lane keep assist seems to work OK, with the seat vibrating to tell you if you have wandered. I *think* I felt it steer me back into a lane a couple of times but I'm unsure. OTOH I tried the adaptive cruise control and I don't know if I did something wrong but it didn't seem to work like I expected - it didn't seem to work at all, in fact. More research required on that one.

The coolest thing was something I didn't even know about. At night, when you stop the car and get out, all four door handles have a horizontal light that runs the length of the handle. I also found the HID headlights much, much better than the standard ones.

One thing my buddy noticed - the Bridgestone Potenza "performance" tires have a treadwear rating of 140! I might be buying tires every few months...

stickguy

Ab, did you try putting on the blinker when the light is on? On my car, you only get the little light in the mirror normally, but if it senses something there, and you put on the blinker to go that way, the center screen starts flashing and many beeps ensue.

suydam

On the Volt if a car is in your blind spot the rear view mirror lights up depending on which side it's on. If you have the mirrors adjusted you can always see the light and know it's not safe to move into that lane.

tjc78

stickguy said:

Ab, did you try putting on the blinker when the light is on? On my car, you only get the little light in the mirror normally, but if it senses something there, and you put on the blinker to go that way, the center screen starts flashing and many beeps ensue.

I don't think GM does that.  On all three of my Buicks the lights in the mirrors blink when you put the blinker on (when the indicator is illuminated). My Elantra is like your Sonata, all kinds of notifications when you put the blinker on.  IMO that's a much better implementation 

tbirdmarco

@ab348 nice you had n little road trip yesterday with an frend! glad that the car is so good! yes as you said will take sum time to figer things out!

au1994

graphicguy said:

@au1994 ....congrats on all of the life changing events. I like the X1....great choice!

Thanks!

au1994

@nyccarguy I followed your Infiniti purchase on the board. Good choice!

@sandman_6472 hope you and yours are ok...

Schools and offices closed here today as Irma blows through. It'll be nothing like what Florida endured.

nyccarguy

@Michaell & @kyfdx

Do you guys know of any "pull ahead programs" that GM currently has for 2015 Tahoes?  My Dad's lease is up in March, but he's going to hit the miles before that.  We are thinking Nov or Dec, but if something comes up he'll jump on it.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

@Michaell & @kyfdx

Do you guys know of any "pull ahead programs" that GM currently has for 2015 Tahoes?  My Dad's lease is up in March, but he's going to hit the miles before that.  We are thinking Nov or Dec, but if something comes up he'll jump on it.

I don't see anything in the September docs about a pull ahead program for GM

tjc78

nyccarguy said:

@Michaell & @kyfdx

Do you guys know of any "pull ahead programs" that GM currently has for 2015 Tahoes?  My Dad's lease is up in March, but he's going to hit the miles before that.  We are thinking Nov or Dec, but if something comes up he'll jump on it.

I don't know if Chevy is like Buick but they emailed me a substantial pull ahead program with a voucher #.

4 payments up to $2500 and $1500 additonal rebates.  

Apparently there is a "list" the dealer can access.   I hadn't gotten an email for September yet but the dealer located that I was eligible.   They mentioned there appears to be no rhyme or reason to who gets the offers.  

stickguy

I get regular mailings from Hyundai, but so far, nothing I recall that was a financial incentive. Outside of the normal 3 months left so can swap early and eliminate those payments.

Not sure Hyundai has anything enticing enough for me though!

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

or this looks like a good deal on a Bradd clone. Miles not bad at all. Got the navi. But I really don't want a black interior (even though they call it gray!)

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/712684211/overview/

That's a heckuva car for under $20K. I'm happy with mine!


The interior looks like it is no stranger to dogs. Probably one of the reasons it is on the cheaper end of the pricing.

stickguy

I didn't analyze the pictures tha closely. Plus always need to see in person to really tell.

Mr_Shiftright

xwesx said:

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

or this looks like a good deal on a Bradd clone. Miles not bad at all. Got the navi. But I really don't want a black interior (even though they call it gray!)

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/712684211/overview/

That's a heckuva car for under $20K. I'm happy with mine!

The interior looks like it is no stranger to dogs. Probably one of the reasons it is on the cheaper end of the pricing.

what are you looking at? The claw marks on the steering wheel?

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

what are you looking at? The claw marks on the steering wheel?

Steering wheel and center console caught my eye. Yes, looks like scratches from nails to me. I've had a couple cars now whose previous owners let their dogs free-roam. I tell ya, dog smell is like cigarette smoke. You can (sometimes) hide it, but you can NEVER get rid of it!

tifighter

xwesx said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

what are you looking at? The claw marks on the steering wheel?

I've had a couple cars now whose previous owners let their dogs free-roam. I tell ya, dog smell is like cigarette smoke. You can (sometimes) hide it, but you can NEVER get rid of it!

2000% agree. I can notice this immediately.

stickguy

We keep the dog in the hatch area in the RDX. And right now I have a dog hammock strung up in the back seat of my car. Plus they don't go in wet!

nyccarguy

xwesx said:

what are you looking at? The claw marks on the steering wheel?

Steering wheel and center console caught my eye. Yes, looks like scratches from nails to me. I've had a couple cars now whose previous owners let their dogs free-roam. I tell ya, dog smell is like cigarette smoke. You can (sometimes) hide it, but you can NEVER get rid of it!

That's part of the reason my Dad leases.  In addition to driving well over 20K miles per year, he also travels to work with Ariel who sheds.  No matter how well he keeps up on getting the truck washed & vacuumed, there is always remnants of the dog smell.  UCMs usually look at his trade, the car's mileage, & the dog who is usually sticking her head out the window watching our every move and tell us how they are going to send the truck straight to auction.  He got well under 50% as a trade in value for his 2010 & 2011.  Back in 2014, he was offered 53% Residual after 39 months/20K miles per year.  So he leased.  Fixed depreciation costs are his friend.

xwesx

stickguy said:

We keep the dog in the hatch area in the RDX. And right now I have a dog hammock strung up in the back seat of my car. Plus they don't go in wet!

Yes, when we had dogs, they would travel with us. However, they were relegated to the cargo area, and we also clean our vehicles regularly. For me, there's a difference between knowing that animals are in the car versus feeling like you're sitting in their bed.... For some pet owners, there are no boundaries. And, of course, that's fine for them. I just don't want to own their car afterwards (or pay top dollar for it, anyway).

nyccarguy

I forgot to post the pic of Ariel

suydam

We have a cover for the back seat where the dog sits and use a latch anchor for her. She's a very happy camper there! We clean the interior frequently. The Encore also has a leather trimmed interior with very sturdy fabric seats that are easy to clean. No dog smells in our vehicle!

andres3

nyccarguy said:

fintail said:

Nice to see the Prelude stays away from tree sap and pollution.

Thanks!  A friend of mine bought me the blanket for the Prelude a few years ago.  I used it for a while, then one day drove the Prelude & it rained.  I didn't want to cover it without cleaning the car, so I kept the blanket off.  That turned into 2 or 3 years of the car sitting uncovered.  Back in June, I detailed the car and put the blanket over I.  When I want it, it will be nice and clean.

I didn't like to put my "other set of wheels/tires" into storage without giving them a good washing and cleaning. Sure, they'd still collect some dust up in the rafters of the garage, but I couldn't stand to not detail them prior to storage.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

I forgot to post the pic of Ariel

That's one pretty dog! I lost my dachshund earlier this year and its still too soon for me to consider another dog.

andres3

ab348 said:

Took the new ATS for a trip of 200 miles or so to my buddy's place in the boonies with a mutual friend riding shotgun. Man, is this thing a nice ride. I was surprised it was so much better than the 2014, which I thought was a great car to drive. This is better in every way. What surprised me most was that despite the lower-profile tires and FE3 suspension, the ride qualitywas better. And it is much faster too.

I still haven't figured out all the electronic geegaws. The blind spot warning isn't all that useful because the notification appears only in the outside rear view mirrors, not on the dash or HUD. It is moderately helpful on the drivers side but fairly useless on the passenger side. The lane keep assist seems to work OK, with the seat vibrating to tell you if you have wandered. I *think* I felt it steer me back into a lane a couple of times but I'm unsure. OTOH I tried the adaptive cruise control and I don't know if I did something wrong but it didn't seem to work like I expected - it didn't seem to work at all, in fact. More research required on that one.

The coolest thing was something I didn't even know about. At night, when you stop the car and get out, all four door handles have a horizontal light that runs the length of the handle. I also found the HID headlights much, much better than the standard ones.

One thing my buddy noticed - the Bridgestone Potenza "performance" tires have a treadwear rating of 140! I might be buying tires every few months...

It is always good to hear when someone getting the same car model back to back has significant improvements to report!

Sometimes manufacturer's change things, and it's not always for the better (at least for the consumer).

140 treadwear on an OEM tire! What did they do, shave them?

Back when I test drove the 3.6 and 2.0T several years ago they seemed similarly powered. Did you test drive the '17 2.0T to compare with the new 3.6?

stickguy

I saw a Lexus a couple years ago (the small CUV thing, maybe NX?). Anyway, it had a special disclaimer on the Windsor sticker that it had hi performance tires and to expect short life span. Never saw that before, and really rediculous on that vehicle.

corvette

Scooter rarely gets to ride in the car, so there's not an odor from her there, but plenty of white hair. Really makes a mess getting stuck in black carpet! The Weathertech mats in the Tahoe help.  

ab348

The 2.0T has 272HP, the 3.6 has 335. Torque is slightly better with the 2.0 at lower rpms so it is a bit more responsive in city traffic. But get on the highway and it changes in favor of the 3.6. We did a little shakedown cruise on a deserted country road yesterday and it was remarkable.

As for the tires, it appears they are just heavily biased in favor of grip at the expense of tread life. The reviews on Tire Rack are pretty unanimously bad. Might get 12000 miles out of them if you're lucky. Search "Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT" if you're curious. Even worse, they are really pretty pricey compared to some others. Won't be buying those when replacement time comes.

ab348

nyccarguy said:

I forgot to post the pic of Ariel

I like the look of that pooch.

tbirdmarco

@nyccarguy what kind of dog is shee? what type of work does your dad do? just wondering! I would be the one to let the dog rome in the back seet of the car only maby trunk to! no frunt seet!

Sandman6472

Lost power yesterday after 1, lost 1/2 of our tree in front and crack in bedroom under window where it's all wet now. Will need to call insurance company now to repair that window and dry wall...this really sucks! In a Miami airport hotel now for at least tonight, hopefully longer. I've had it with Florida and putting it on notice. Told the wife, I'm leaving very soon with or without ya! Seriously, she knows how traumatized I was in Wilma and now, Irma. Just can not take anymore hurricanes and what comes afterwards!! Texted boss and lead driver we left town because no power and will be back whenever it comes back on. My mental health comes first!!!

The Sandman

stickguy

hang in there Sandy. and good luck getting your wall fixed.

tbirdmarco

@sandman_6472 so glad to hear from you was thinking about you and your family today hoping for the best for you all! sorry to hear about the damage to the house no it is an big big pane in the but shore! thank god you and your wife are ok yes your and your wifes over all whell being comes first! how did your daughters fair?

tbirdmarco

@sandman_6472 hang in there! we are all pulling for you and your family in hear and hear to talk when ever!

stickguy

paging Fintail. What is the MB word on the street about this model? Price seems not too bad I guess.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-mercedes~benz-c~class-4dr_sedan_c_300_luxury_4matic-used-16821093.html

stickguy

OK, opinions needed on this one.

http://www.royalautogroups.com/vehicle-details/2011-bmw-128i--nav--leather-seats--bluetooth--conv-pkg-convertible-604d0cfbfedb2a47b57109f7048ea1c3/

tifighter

FWIW @stickguy I drove a 09 128i vert stick with sport pkg, premium pkg and 50k miles for $13K. You know you want the sport seats...

fintail

They are decent, I think. 2012 was a facelift year, so you get LED running lights and updated dash. COMAND is nicer to have than not. Of course, get a PPI and be leery of deferred maintenance, but I haven't heard of any real horror stories (apart from the head bolt issue on earlier C63). If it matters, the VIN does not decode to a leather car - I always check when there are no pics, as everyone confuses leather and Tex (to a normal person, it is indeed that good).

stickguy said:

paging Fintail. What is the MB word on the street about this model? Price seems not too bad I guess.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-mercedes~benz-c~class-4dr_sedan_c_300_luxury_4matic-used-16821093.html

suydam

So sorry to hear about your damage, @sandman. Prolonged power outages are no fun. Hope order is restored very soon!

stickguy

thanks guys. Yeah, I want sports seats. But, with used cars, sometimes you take what you can get. Not sure that a little convertible is the best option now, but what the heck, if I get bored can flip in in the spring! If it was sports seats and a stick, I would be there tomorrow!

Fin, thanks as always. I would need to drive one eventually to see if I even liked it. just showed up on the site today, so won't be on site for a few days probably.