Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

kyfdx

I've got an appointment to drive a new car tomorrow...

I'm not sure what I'm hoping for.... :surprise:

lemmer

But Volvos are so pretty, with all of the colorful warning lights illuminated on the dash on a regular basis.

Just kidding - sort of.

michaellno

I'm not sure what I'm hoping for....

Um, meaning what, exactly? That you've got an appointment to drive some random car the salesman is going to pick out for you?

Or, you know what you want, but aren't absolutely sure that you want to:

a) like it
b) love it
c) buy it

Details, please!

kyfdx

I know I'll like it... and possibly love it... I'm just not sure I want to make the financial commitment...

So, maybe I'm hoping they won't make me a killer deal, and I'll have to pass.. after all, I'm the host of the Prices Paid forums, so how would it look for me to get hosed...

Anyway, the car would be for the wife, so no skin off my nose if I don't get it... :surprise:

But, I've got a trade.. so, the chances of us coming to an agreement is slim... It is a leftover '05, so maybe they'll bend over backwards to make the deal..

regards,
kyfdx

michaellno

Are you preparing for a new career in politics?

Answers without substance.

I like the car, maybe even love it, but don't want to spend the money on it.

But, I've got a trade, so it's unlikely that we can come to terms.

But, it's an '05, so perhaps....

But...

But...

Sheesh.

kyfdx

...except for one thing...

I know a good deal when I see it.. and have no trouble taking the plunge...

But, I like my deals cheap... and will wait until I get one... I never just give up, because they wore me out..

So, what is it you wanted to know?

gee35coupe

That's why I don't have an RL right now. Just wouldn't make it cheap enough for me. Right now there's a $19K G35 on my mind. It's an automatic though. I heard the dreaded cold weather "death creak" from the SI yesterday. It's days may be numbered.

durability05

Thank You , you make me feel much less guilty for buying too many cars, here is my history.

1981 Ford Mustang (mine)
1983 Toyota 4x4 (mine)
1985 Renault Fuego (mine)
1989 Toyota 4x4 (mine)
1992 Ford Explorer (mine)
1987 Toyota 4runner used (mine)
1985 Mercedes Benz 300D used (hers)
1985 Land Rover Defender used (mine)
1992 Volkswagen GTI used (mine)
2000 Ford Focus (hers)
1987 Volkswagen Cabriolet used (mine)
2001 Ford Escape (hers)
2002 Ford ZX3 (mine)
2003 Dodge Caravan (Ours)
2004 Jeep Wrangler X (mine)
2004 Honda Pilot EXL (Ours)
2005 Ford ZX4 (Hers)
2009 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible (Future Purchase)
We still have the Jeep, Pilot and ZX4, we finally decided to keep vehicles much longer (would you believe at least 8 years, except the ZX4 will be traded in later for the beetle).
I want to retire in 2022.

dardson1

I seem to have a 10 year advantage on you, but you're going to have to get busy to catch up. . .and BTW, don't know how I forgot 3 VW's (some of my favorites). . . a Red '83 VW GTI. That was one fun car to drive but it rode like a go-cart. Traded it for an '84 Golf to escape the unbelievable torque steer (when pushing the car) and punishing ride. In '85 or '86 they gentrified the GTI so I, naturally, had to have one of those.
Let's see, that makes 41 cars in since 1970. I think the American Automobile Dealers Assoc. oughta give me a free one when I turn 60 in three years as justifiable premium. I've done my part to keep the new car business in the black.

as for sales tax. . . . in TX you pay tax on the difference. In the early days it was probably 3-4%. Lately, it's 6.5%. If you trade an almost new one for a brand new one, the tax is a bite but not terrible. Come to think of it, The State of Texas could kick some money in on my free car from the AADA. The governor has made some good money on my chronic bad habits (just like they do on cigarettes.)

mark156

Hi folks, I've been "car looking" for several weeks and will probably buy in early December. This is what I have been researching:

2006 Land Rover LR3 HSE
2006 Volvo XC90 V8 AWD
2006 Volvo V70 wagon
2006 Jeep Commander Limited (5.7 HEMI)
2006 Cadillac SRX V8
2006 Mercedes R500

So far, my conclusion is that the Land Rover has moved to the top where it was at the bottom a week ago. My requirements are that the vehicle must seat 6 or more people, have adequate power, AWD or 4x4 and have full sun visors that adjust once you move them to the side.

Note: I have not driven any of these vehicles yet.

My conclusion:
*The Land Rover appears to have the most room inside, does not have adjustable sun visors but they are very large and it might work with a slight adjustment in the seat to keep the sun from hitting the side of your face. One complaint was that the dash looked very "plasticy" but Land Rover offers a wood kit for the dash that looked quite attractive. The third seat will fit a 6'2" person comfortably.

*All Volvo's have Non-Adjusting short sun visors. The headrests in the XC90 are not comfortable. (The plus)The third seats fold completely flat and I like the split flip gate and small tail gate configuration like the Land Rover.

*The Volvo wagon's third seat is ONLY for small children so this one is not in the running.

*The Jeep Commander was at the top of the list but now I don't care for the third seat set-up where the floor is raised 3 inches to accomodate the folding seats. Also, I don't care for the 'bolt screws' that are apparent all over the vehicle, on the dash, in the headlight assembly's and around the fender wheel-wells. I like to wash my vehicles myself and I keep thinking I'm going to have to keep a supply of Q-tips handy for cleaning the crevices. Also, for such a large vehicle, the second and third row are rather tight. The front passenger seat is only a 4-way power adjust (the bottom of the seat does not move up and down). For a $44,000 vehicle it should have 8-way power seats.

* The Cadillac SRX is a nicely done vehicle. The sun visors don't fully adjust and are short. Third seat is a little small.

*The Mercedes R500 is nice but too "mini-vanish" for me and it's $15,000 more than the Land Rover and will seat only 6 vs 7 for the LR3.

These are basically visual and personal observations on how the vehicle will fit my needs. I know that the performance will vary some with each drivetrain/engine size. They all basically get the same fuel mileage which is about 14-15 in the city and 18-20 on the highway.

Mark

mark156

Andre, it would be interesting to see how much one "condo garage" would cost. I'm going to guess the largest unit with 1152 sq. ft. would run about $60,000 to $70,000. I'm sure that would depend on the location of the country where it's located. Plus, you would have a small maintenance fee and electricity charge. Not a bad idea if you ask me.

Mark

woodyww

Oh, boy.....Are resale value, &/or reliability, on your list of criteria anywhere? To start, 1. nix any LR if you want to keep your wallet, & sanity intact (I understand the LR obsession tho). 2. A first year, brand new model of a M-B????? M-B reliability has been poor for at least 5-7 years. 3. $44K for a Jeep???? What? 4. Despite all the negative comments about S80 reliability here lately, I suppose, out of that bunch, I might go for the V70 wagon. 5. Is any Japanese vehicle on your list? MDX? Sequoia? A Lexus SUV? For that kind of money, I'd be thinking, Lexus, or Acura......just my 2 cents.

corvette

Those are way bigger than your typical storage unit, but metal buildings are relatively cheap to build. I think a freestanding 16 x 40 metal building is about $10,000 (for the building alone). Wouldn't the price per square foot stay about the same for a larger building?

corvette

...nix any LR if you want to keep your wallet, & sanity intact...

They were running some subsidized lease deals not long ago. That way, he would only lose his sanity...

andre1969

I'm guessing that the price per square foot would actually go down as you go to larger buildings. For instance, a building that's double the square footage isn't going to take twice as much labor or twice as much total materials. You'd have twice as much roof and twice as much floor, but the wall area wouldn't increase all that much.

Using my garage as an example, originally I spec'd a 30x40 gambrel barn with a full loft, and staircase going up to it. I was quoted $22,000, although the only site prep that included was drilling holes for the poles. Leveling, filling in, and the concrete slab was on my dime.

Well, going to the smaller 24x40 building, and losing the second level, dropped the price to around $15,000. Which IMO is still pretty cheap, but that 30x40 foot gambrel barn really seemed like a deal for the money. I just wish the county hadn't put their foot down on it.

kyfdx

I've fallen off the wagon... Time to renew my CCBA membership.....

stickguy

dish man, dish..

mark156

LOL.... of course resale value and reliability are important but I want to drive what I like (as Terry would say).

I wish the Acura MDX, Toyota Sequoia and Lexus LX470 were on the list but they are not. The Japanese cars just don't float my boat.

Mercedes do have their glitches, I have 5 in the household and they haven't made me lose my mind yet! :P

I'm too old to be practical! :shades:

Mark

guss

Somebody needs to update their profile or at least define "Oops".

anonymousposts

I'm going to guess it's a Lexus of some sorts.

kyfdx

Really? A Lexus? Possible... but, not likely..

Anyway... I had a fruitful day of car dealing.... and, next Friday.. will be picking up a new '05 BMW 330Ci convertible...

Not that I care... I'll still be driving the CR-V.. :surprise:

Anyway...someone in my household is very, very happy...

regards,
kyfdx

corvette

Congrats, and enjoy. Hope she lets you drive it often!

albell

Here's hoping you enjoy hers more than my wife does mine ... congrats on a great choice. What kind of deal did you get?

anonymousposts

too bad it will be a bit before you can drive it topless.

kyfdx

Topless? Believe me.. if it isn't snowing or raining on Friday, my son and I will have the top down and the heater and heated seats going full-tilt..

We've put 30K miles on her current BMW, and I'd say I've logged 3K of those... maybe.. So, I don't have great hopes for getting to drive this one much more..

kyfdx

The deal? Amazingly good... I always rag on my local dealer, who has a great service department, and really nice salespeople, but just can't believe that you want to bargain for less money... but, this time, I gave them a price, and they countered $200 higher and I took it..

MSRP $49,345.. 3yr/45K lease for $499/mo. + tax.. $1200 due at signing... $529/mo. with tax included..

I can't take too much credit.. The lease program is very good right now, and there is a $2000 dealer incentive..

The really surprising part... I asked for trade-in number on my wife's car.. Independent of the lease deal.. I was trying to be realistic, but expecting the worst...but, it was actually a reasonable number.. I'm picking the car up Friday, and they told me their offer for my trade was good until then... I started making some calls when I left the dealership, and I think I've got it sold for $1200 more than their offer..

So, it was a very good day..

Thanks for all of the congratulations.... hopefully, that will push the CCBA back into remission (yeah, right).

regards,
kyfdx
Host-Prices Paid Forums
(where I can now go back to, with my head held high...lol)

steine13

I guess you can hold your head high in "prices paid"....

... but bobst will be aghast when he hears how badly you caved... $200.... on a $50,000 car... how could you...

-Mathias

kyfdx

Yeah... I feel bad about that..

I call it the semi-bobst method of buying a car... I really was going to leave, if I didn't get my deal.. But, they blurted out that $200 before I could get out the door... and they had home-made cookies in the showroom..

Dang!! I forgot to ask about the extra set of keys!!

kyfdx

You've had your car about four months now, right?

What do you think about it, now that you've driven it for awhile?

regards,
kyfdx

brightness04

Congrats on the great deal! Nowadays to get a car like that, one almost has to go through lease due to the lease-subsidies. For whatever reason, one just can't that much off MSRP through a purchase. A $500/mo lease payment should roughly translate into a $38k car not a $50k car; congrats on the deal. On the other hand, state excise tax often goes by MSRP; a $50k MSRP translates to over $1000 for the first year! and close to $700 for the second, and $400 for the third. That $500 or so extra tax bill over three years could have gone to BMW instead of the town tax collector if only BMW had put forward a more realistic MSRP to begin with. Good news for buyers at the tail end of a model year though: you are only liable for a fraction of the first year's monsterous tax bite. Double Congrats!

corvette

I'm hoping I can make it through Thanksgiving on summer tires, because the winters are still in my basement! It may snow Tuesday, but I don't think it will be cold enough to stick.

Right now, I have about 7500 miles. There are no major problems to report. Minor ones include a radio that won't turn on with the key out (it just flashes the screen for a second and shuts off). I would have gotten Comfort Access, were it available when my car was produced.

It's everything I want in a daily driver, and I really enjoy driving it. The acceleration is good, the ride is firm but not jarring, and the handling is amazing. Keeping up with traffic in town entails shifting at around 2000 rpm, so I barely hear the engine.

Are you already planning on replacing the 330Ci with an E92 in a couple of years?

woodyww

I can't argue with someone who owns 5 Mercedes....I've almost bought a few myself (one at a time) over the years. I just wish they still had that reputation of going 200K miles w/o major problems.

I also (sort of) like corvette's idea, even if it was in jest, about leasing a LR if the lease rates are great. Esp. if you have 5 other cars that always run. And if you live near a LR dealer with a great service dept. I would never have sold my Range Rover if I didn't have to be concerned about the practicality & $$ spent....

gee35coupe

"I just wish they still had that reputation of going 200K miles w/o major problems."

I'd love to have one of those C-class Sport Sedans.

As it stands I'm waiting on the IS to get those kinds of lease deals.

fintail

I got a flyer from Lexus last week stating I am "pre-approved" to finance/lease a new IS. It doesn't state any special deals though.

If I *had* to have a new car and wasn't a MB addict, I would consider that car. I do like it a lot more than the last one, and that 306hp engine is interesting, just pricey. For now, I am still happy as a clam with my C43, and it's halfway paid for already.

mark156

Just to clarify, I will not keep the Land Rover LR3 out of warranty. Four years and 50,000 miles, it will be gone whether it's a good vehicle or not.

Also, I would not keep a Mercedes over 100,000 miles... Since there are two drivers and six cars in the household... the miles don't pile up very fast. One of the Mercedes is 15 years old and just turned 50,000 last week. The years of the Mercedes are ( 1990, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002).

Mark

corvette

...even if it was in jest...

I was only halfway kidding. If you want a car that depreciates quickly, and they offer a subsidized lease (Saab and Land Rover come to mind), that's the way to go.

Speaking of major problems, when I talked to my dad the other day, he told me that the dash lights on his Beetle are lit up like a Christmas tree again, so we'll have at least one father-son project to work on over Thanksgiving.

qbrozen

you here?
i saw your post on the mustangs board that you did, in fact, sell your stang.
So what is next?

stickguy

Plan to go shopping at lunch!! Much more fun than cleaning the house for the impending deluge of family coming for turkey day.

akangl

Wow, you fell off the wagon before me. Its been over a year for us, no wagon falling in sight.

woodyww

There are only 2 cars that I really missed once having sold: My '98 RR 4.6, & an E24 bmw M6. (Don't even ask about the M6, it's a long, long story.....). Probably the 2 most "gorgeous" vehicles I ever owned.

Actually, the 15 y.o. bmw was a lot more reliable than the 2.5 y.o. RR. The LR dealer service was very good overall; most of the LR dealers treat you quite well. But driving around w/o a working stereo for 2 of the 12 months I had it, taking it in for one repair, & leaving with something else suddenly not working, getting 10.8 mpg city & 15 hwy, little things like that started to grate.

So the combination of a 15 y.o. bmw that needed $3-$4K in suspension & brake work (thru no fault of the car, just age), & a LR with the warranty running out, proved to have some drawbacks.....but, I digress.

albell

Did a deal today for an R350. $500 over invoice and a good price on my trade. It's being built next week and will be delivered before Xmas. (Thanks, Santa!!)

Salesman worked very hard to find something in stock or production and made it worth my while (by giving on the trade) not to order or walk away. And since, at this dealership, he will be my permanent customer service rep, I think we both feel good. A very pleasant experience all around.

kyfdx

I know... who would've thunk it? I didn't do too bad.. the car I'm selling, we've had for 23 months... So, almost two full years....

Speaking of E30 BMWs... Today, traffic on the bridge was really backed up because of an accident... When I finally get up next to it... a formerly nice looking 325is ('87-'89, I think) had been severely rear-ended... Not much room between the rear bumper and rear window.. Another one gone....

regards,
kyfdx

akangl

I know... who would've thunk it? I didn't do too bad.. the car I'm selling, we've had for 23 months... So, almost two full years....

I know, pretty scary eh?? Let's see, we've had the Titan for 1 year 9 days, Zippy for 16 months (today in fact), and the Dodge for TWO years 9 days. Me thinks we are doing pretty good.

Zippy will turn 50k tomorrow or the next day, the Titan just turned 26k, and the Dodge (a 1999) has a whopping 42k on it.

I still grin when I get behind the wheel of the Titan, for the past 11k miles its been a great truck (last repair was the brakes at 15k). Sometimes I think I'd be better off with a 1-ton, but I can't bring myself to part with the Titan. And Zippy, well, she's just Zippy, still love to drive her, but find myself drifting to the Titan a lot more now that the commute isn't as long.

Hubby's getting a little cranky about the Dodge, so I see a replacement coming in the next year.......probably an F-550 or a Kodiak C-5500.

guss

You always mention your mileage in your posts. Well that got me thinking about the most miles i have put on one car.

Turns out the best I have ever done was 63k on a 2000 Explorer over three years. I felt pretty good about that and thought I was reformed until i just had to try the German car thing(Jetta 1.8t).

I just wanted to ask what some of the other CCBA's maximum mileage would be ? I am betting not one true junkie has gone over 100k.

kyfdx

I put 130K on an '82 Accord over 12 years...

Of course, I owned five other cars during that stretch, as well...

I'm only limited by my finances...lol

anonymousposts

100,000 miles over 3 years on his 82 Tercel he had when we met. We bought our first 7th generation Accord back in December of 2002. If you add the mileage up on all three Accords the total would be 64,000 miles. However, the in that same amount of time we have always had at least 2-3 other cars in the driveway. Since September of 2003 our total mileage, exluding the Spider Condo, totals 103,000 miles or just over 50,000 miles per year.

anonymousposts

here are some photos of the MDX.

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/6631/mdx411221kb.jpg

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/9956/mdx511221ko.jpg

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/2550/mdx211226sw.jpg

And the most recent shot of the Spider Condo.

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/8471/lexus11222lm.jpg

guss

extra cars in the driveway helps. Especially if it is something you like to drive.

My "extra" car is the wife's mini-van. Hardly sporty , and usually when I drive it there are the five of us in it. I feel like Ralph Cramden driving the big bus. I am sure the van will stay until 100k, but I don't really consider it mine. She gets to make the decision on that one.

That said I really think I can make 100k with my car(I think I can, I think I can said the little train).

lemmer

Nice looking cars. Is that Lexus some sort of special edition?

gee35coupe

She's a 5th anniverary edition. I love she.

No paintwork and only 2 parking lot dings. That Lexus paint from back then is impervious to acid rain dirt or anything else it seems. The gloss is better than any new car that I have ever seen.

And as for the MDX...The running boards are on the garage floor and I'm gonna put the rear deflector and body side molding for Xmas.