Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

you filthy [non-permissible content removed]! ;b

why must you tempt me?!

If I showed that one to my wife, she'd want to run up there. Blue is her color. PLUS it has the 3rd row, which she would like to have. That's a pretty darn good deal, too, according to the info I got on the RWTIV board.

I dunno. The more I look them over, I'm tempted to push ourselves to find an '01. I really like the style better plus it comes with the built-in child booster seat, which would be nice for us in a year or 2.

On any of these '98s, I'd like to see pics of the door panels. The vinyl commonly separates from the backing board. Not a functional problem, but it doesn't look nice and it can't be fixed for a reasonable price (IIRC, $1k for full replacements OR they used to sell a kit for about 1/4 that price, but they discontinued it long ago).

michaellno

The VUE is going back to the dealer this afternoon.

I drove it over the weekend, and, since I'm 5'11" and the wife is 5'2", I moved the seat back to a more comfortable position.

This morning, before leaving for work, the wife repositioned the seat to her liking. She then backed out of the driveway, realized that she had the seat too close, and attempted to slide it back.

NOTHING!

No power seat adjustments at all. Back, forth, up, down - nada. One very, very unhappy wife.

We're meeting at the Saturn dealer this afternoon to drop it off. They've arranged for us to have a rental for the evening and I hope to get it back tomorrow.

Here's hoping that it's an easy fix - fuse? short?

Wife is not happy at all with the VUE - this is the second thing that has gone wrong in the 3 months we've owned it (first was the outside temp gauge - Saturn has provided us with a workaround to reset it, but the engineers back east are still working on a permanent fix). Neither one has left us stranded, but she demands (and frankly, should get) perfection in a car with only 4,000 miles on it.

Sigh.

guss

My wife , who never notices cars, saw a friend of ours XC70. She commented on how nice they are compared to how boxy they used to be. Said she could see herself driving one in a few years. Of course that is at least 10 years away in reality because she will not tolerate 3 kids in one row.

I did not want to tell her the XC90 has 3 rows.

qbrozen

guess you didn't want to tell her you could get a rear-facing 3rd row in the 70, either, huh? ;b

by the way, if you didn't already know, the '08 is redesigned. I think it looks great. Maybe got a bit too big, though.

british_rover

but she demands (and frankly, should get) perfection in a car with only 4,000 miles on it.


Stay away from Rovers... :P

The power seat adjustment is kind of a big deal though. You can't drive the car safely if you can't get the seat the right way.

michaellno

Stay away from Rovers...

Guess lrguy44 isn't going to be getting a sale from me, based on that recommendation!

:P

british_rover

Rovers just aren't for picky people as they do stupid things that generally won't leave you stranded but will leave you frustrated.

guss

Frankly, I thought the old Taurus was the last car to have the puke seats.

I like the '08 redesign too, but I can't see spending that kind of money just to see the little monsters destroy it. I know Volvo has the safety reputation, but I think everyone else has caught up.

corvette

...I think everyone else has caught up.

Pretty much. I think, 15 years ago, a Volvo or Mercedes was substantially safer than, say, a Sonata or a Taurus. Now, most cars that have the requisite side head + thorax airbags and ESC are on pretty much the same plane. (The ones that don't have that standard by now deserve to be singled out as subpar, though.)

corvette

Would you guys stop talking about Z3s and Z4s? That plus watching yesterdays' Top Gear (featuring an Aston Martin convertible) has made me miss my old BMW, which had great straight-line acceleration, incredible handling, and a crispness to the steering that I've never experienced in another vehicle. Also, the inline-six engine was really smooth compared to the four-banger I have now. I swear, when you first started up the BMW in the morning, you could tell from the feel of the brake pedal when the brakes had gotten warmed up...

That said, the ride was a little harsh, and I still don't think I'd want to deal with a manual when I'd only get to experience the advantages of it infrequently.

kyfdx

You're a lawyer... Shouldn't you drive a Porsche?

corvette

I probably wouldn't mind having a Cayman.

Yes, I need a Porsche. :P

I'm approaching my one-year anniversary with the Audi, which, historically, is the length of my honeymoon period with a vehicle.

akangl

Neither one has left us stranded, but she demands (and frankly, should get) perfection in a car with only 4,000 miles on it.

That would annoy me too. Of course for me a trip to the dealer is more than just a quick trip into town, its an all day process. I agree a vehicle with only 4k on it shouldn't have any issues.

My Pilot will turn 10k here very soon and its been very good, only going back to the dealer for oil changes. After the last time they put the wrong oil in it we'll be doing that ourselves from here on out, so no more trips to the dealer for anything.

michaellno

Of course for me a trip to the dealer is more than just a quick trip into town, its an all day process.

Fortunately, the Saturn dealer is between my house and my work; the Saturn folks have a shuttle and there has never been a problem getting a ride to/from work.

I ended up dropping the VUE off this morning; they called about 20 minutes ago and told me it's done and ready to be picked up. Service adviser told me that this is apparently a known issue with the '08 VUE - the battery gets undercharged and causes problems.

woodyww

One very, very unhappy wife.

the engineers back east are still working on a permanent fix

(After I put those quotes I realized it could sound like the engineers were working on a fix for your wife. I would have hired a team of engineers if they could've fixed my ex!).

But I dunno what to say about the Saturn. I've probably ragged on Saturns too much here already. It just seems like--most of what you post about yours are problems, & repairs.

I just think life is too short, & there are quite a few more reliable car brands.....but I'm sure I've said that before. Hope it works out tho.

woodyww

I know Volvo has the safety reputation, but I think everyone else has caught up.-guss

Now, most cars that have the requisite side head + thorax airbags and ESC are on pretty much the same plane.-corvette

No, no, no, no, no. There's WAY more to safety engineering than just the # of airbags. Volvo, M-B, audi, & bmw were making very safe--& extremely solid--cars even before airbags. Those makers focus on safety from the ground up, & have decades of experience doing that.

Lesser makes may add tons of airbags, but don't have the structural safety engineering--& experience--of the high end euro brands.

Just my daily rant, cheers, woody

fezo

Man, that sort of thing drives me nuts.

"Yeah, we know we screwed up but don't know how to fix it yet."

Swell.

akangl

"Yeah, we know we screwed up but don't know how to fix it yet."

*Known issue* was the phrase I got all the time with my Titan. "oh yeah, its a known issue with those, but Nissan hasn't come up with a fix yet. Here, let's just put a little bandaid on it and it'll be all better!"

Drove me nuts! :sick:

grandtotal

...the battery gets undercharged and causes problems.

I'm having difficulty swallowing that. If the battery is undercharged then how does it start the engine? The power seat is much less demanding on the battery I would think.

corvette

I believe that the difference in safety between, say, a Hyundai Sonata (which has those items standard) and an S60 today is much less than the difference between a Sonata and an 850 a decade or more ago. I'm not saying that there are no differences, but I think that, with a few exceptions, the playing field is more level than it used to be.

michaellno

Woody will probably choke when he reads this, but I'm starting to lose a little bit of faith in my Saturn dealer.

The power seat thing was no big deal --- was a blown fuse. Replaced and all is well.

However, remember my tirade a couple of months ago when we got a notice from Saturn corporate about a BCM issue? We took ours into the dealer and were told that our VIN number wasn't part of that notice.

Today, the new service adviser said that our car was part of that notice, so the new software fix was downloaded onto the VUE. Unfortunately, they didn't do it right, so when I hopped into it and drove off, the airbag light wouldn't go off. Never left the dealer parking lot - I turned around and went back inside to discuss the issue.

Service manager told the adviser that the tech probably skipped a step that is not part of the official instructions -- when the software update is applied, apparently, they have to relink the airbag sensor to the BCM. Tech came out with his little handheld computer doo-dad, and 5 minutes later the airbag light was reset.

This took place not 5 minutes after being reminded that since warranty work was done, we'd be getting a service survey. Gee, I wonder how I'm going to answer the question "was your problem fixed the first time?"

Everybody at the dealer was apologetic, but still ....

On another note, I talked with my sister in San Diego today. Her husband turned in his leased 5-series and got a new car.

The way the story was told, it was like "How not to buy a new car".

The BIL was quite specific in what he wanted ... CPO 2004 330i Coupe, Black or Navy, automatic with performance package.

Right.

They spent all of Saturday driving to every BMW dealer in San Diego county (4 of them!), and, lo and behold, couldn't find one. Have they not heard of the internet? Sister said she was hoping that one may have been recently turned in and wasn't listed on the net.

Right.

Now, at the same time, my dad (200 miles north) knows the owner of the local BMW dealer. They had exactly what he was looking for, but the price tag was $31,995. Too expensive, I guess.

At the last dealer they visited, they found the following:

CPO 2004 330i Sedan
Automatic
Performance Pkg
Silver with black interior

30K miles - sister says it looks brand new. They bought it for $26,995, which she said was a steal. BMW FS is running a promotion - 3.9% financing and they make the first two payments.

I'm not too aware of what used BMW's can bring - does anyone here know if that's a good price?

I find in tremendously amusing that they got a sedan when they (well, he) wanted a coupe (they have 3 boys aged 10 and under - what was he thinking, wanting a coupe?) and in a completely different color.

(After I put those quotes I realized it could sound like the engineers were working on a fix for your wife. I would have hired a team of engineers if they could've fixed my ex!).

I hear ya ... both the missus and I had our "practice" marriage, so we think we're in much better shape this time around.

kyfdx

330i with the performance package is very popular on the used car market.. It sounds like your BIL knew what he wanted.

$27K isn't a bad price, especially for CPO and the financing deal that they are running right now.

roadburner

I'm approaching my one-year anniversary with the Audi, which, historically, is the length of my honeymoon period with a vehicle.

I guess I really don't belong in this topic; this Saturday will be the twelfth anniversary of my trip to Chicago to take delivery of my special ordered 318ti Club Sport. With 111K on the clock it retains a place of honor in one of the heated garage slots.

roadburner

I'm not too aware of what used BMW's can bring - does anyone here know if that's a good price?

That's about average for a ZHP(BMW-speak for the Performance Package) car. I almost bought one before I decided to try something different with the Mazdaspeed3. The six speeds ZHPs are a bit more popular, but they are the closest thing to a four door M3 you can find.

woodyww

the difference in safety between, say, a Hyundai Sonata (which has those items standard) and an S60 today is much less than the difference between a Sonata and an 850 a decade or more ago.

That could be true. But saying current Hyundais are safer than 10 y.o. ones is--?? Personally, I'd feel much, much safer in a 10 or even 15 y.o. volvo or bmw with less airbags than a brand new Hyundai with a dozen airbags.

You've owned bmw's & audi's--you know how solid they are. But even in a really substantial german or swedish car--I agree--it's nice to have the side & head airbags....

just my 2cents, woody

grandtotal

Personally, I'd feel much, much safer in a 10 or even 15 y.o. volvo or bmw with less airbags than a brand new Hyundai with a dozen airbags.

You know what they say though - perception is not necessarily reality.

woodyww

CPO 2004 330i Sedan
Automatic
Performance Pkg
30K miles

For $27K, now that's a pretty exciting car. +low miles. CPO? Some would want a stick, but to me that's a personal choice. Sounds like they did great, for putting in a day's shopping. Maybe driving around to different dealers can pay off, occasionally??

Woody will probably choke when he reads this

No, I'm too busy choking on my own screwy issues, mainly my eternal house-hunting search. My latest obsession is a 1740 Antique in a really nice old waterfront town in Mass., $419K, the agent says offer $375. The house is so pretty, classic New England look, in-town, walk to everything, nice yard, cobblestone driveway, but the smallish rooms (with the orig. wide pine floors) of that era house.

I guess if if I buy it & don't like it, I can sell it......???????? (Sorry to be so O-T).

corvette

Stick around--we like having you here anyway.

My 2-car garage isn't heated, but if I insulate the garage door and get a kerosene heater (handy to have anyway in case the power goes out), I could have on-demand heating.

[Deleted User]

I guess if if I buy it & don't like it, I can sell it

Yes, especially if you can get it for $375K

michaellno

Antique in a really nice old waterfront town in Mass.

Which old town would you be referring to? I've spent quite a bit of time in and around Beantown on business .. at one point, my company hq was in Westboro - Rte. 9 and 495. Flew into Logan many times.

So, the consensus is that my sister and BIL did fairly well for themselves. BIL wanted an automatic as he has to deal with San Diego traffic, though I'm of the opinion that if I'm going to own a BMW, I'd get it with a stick.

I'm still thinking about a 1-series in a year or two, or perhaps that new 361-hp Pontiac G8. $30K can get you a lotta car!

guss

Looks like it is going to be a monster. I hope it looks as good in person as in pics. The last thing Pontiac needs is another GTO.

michaellno

I was on Pontiac's website, and noticed something interesting. The G8 will come with both On Star and an aux jack, but no XM!

Oh, well. Not that I plan on getting anything soon as it is....

roadburner

I'm still thinking about a 1-series in a year or two, or perhaps that new 361-hp Pontiac G8. $30K can get you a lotta car!

I'm interested in those two cars as well; if BMW actually builds a lightweight version of the 135i -and sees fit to include a limited slip- I'll be very tempted. The G8 sounds nice too, though I want to see how much it weighs. I especially like the fact that the sunroof is optional, though I'd probably have to order a G8 to get one without it.

corvette

...and sees fit to include a limited slip- I'll be very tempted.

You may have to add your own limited slip--assuming that could be done without upsetting the car's electronics. Not sure about making your own "lightweight version," though. Maybe you could strip out some of the sound deadening?

michaellno

I just read somewhere on the web that the starting price for the 135i is just over $35K -- and, with all options added, tops out at almost $52K!

:surprise: :surprise: :surprise:

I'm hoping that the 128i starts out at under $30K, but I'm not so optimistic now.

Fortunately, I know that the G8 GT starts at $29,995 - all I'd want is the Premium package ($2K?) and I'd be set.

A 4-door Corvette for $32K is a bargain.

roadburner

You may have to add your own limited slip--assuming that could be done without upsetting the car's electronics.

A couple of shops already have LSDs available for the E90/92 335i- for $3700+ installation. I haven't heard of any problems with compatability with all of the
electronic nannies.

Not sure about making your own "lightweight version," though. Maybe you could strip out some of the sound deadening?

I'm hoping that some variant of the tii Concept sees production:



I'm not crazy about the stripes or the unpainted CF hood, but I could really go for a lighter 1 Series fitted with the twin turbo diesel I6. How does 0-60 in five seconds and 35 mpg sound?

lilengineerboy

I just read somewhere on the web that the starting price for the 135i is just over $35K -- and, with all options added, tops out at almost $52K!



I'm hoping that the 128i starts out at under $30K, but I'm not so optimistic now.

Yeah, the 1-series is almost as expensive as the 3-series and almost as heavy as well. Kind of sad.

roadburner

I just read somewhere on the web that the starting price for the 135i is just over $35K -- and, with all options added, tops out at almost $52K!

I would hope BMW NA has enough sense to cap a loaded 135i at around $45K tops- otherwise the 1 Series will just cannibalize E90 and E92 sales.
In all honesty, I'm still irritated that BMW NA didn't see fit to import the 1 Series M Sport five door hatch:



Which is why I bought a Mazdaspeed3 for my daily commuter...

guss

at those prices you could have bought two.

roadburner

at those prices you could have bought two.

By buying further down the food chain I was able to justify keeping my 1999 Wrangler- which means that I don't have to buy winter tires and wheels for the Mazdaspeed. Better yet, if some incompetent snow/ice-impaired driver slides into the Jeep I won't be tempted to kill him/her. That would be a very real possibility if I were in the Club Sport or MS3...

woodyww

Newburyport, MA. Street after street of beautiful vintage houses from Colonial-era to Victorian. Here's the house I mentioned:

http://homes.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?source=a15696&ctid=951&mnp=27- - &mxp=33&typ=7&sid=b45d0ee5e33f4fd3987827a055ea8d3e&pg=7&lid=1089472064&lsn=61&sr- - cnt=152#Detail

Some odd things you get in a 1740 house, like a 14" x 14" living room. But it has new plumbing, electrical, furnace (fortunate, since those hadn't been invented in 1740). Probably one of the most impractical house ideas I've had, which could mean I might do it (??).

I like the bmw idea (of course). Have you ever gone car shopping with your BIL? He could possibly convert you into being a bmw fanatic......

michaellno

roadburner:

How do you like your MS3? I co-worked as a regular 3 (2.3 w/ automatic) and it seems decent enough. I'm guessing the 263HP and the 6-speed manual makes it a much nicer ride. Saw that it won (again!) a comparo in C&D this month.

woody:

I like the house ... I notice that it's 1700 sf but only 2 bedrooms. My house (built in 2000) has 1615 sf but 3 bedrooms. Where is all that other space? I've got a cousin who owns an old home in NJ; very charming.

As the BIL is in San Diego and I'm in Colorado, we haven't had the pleasure of car shopping together. Since I've known him, he's had the following:

Late 80's Toyota pickup
Late 80's Integra
1993 Infiniti G20
Mid 90's Ford Explorer
G35 (lease)
530i (lease)
and now the 330i CPO

I've only driven one BMW ... a friend of ours had a late 90's 5-series and allowed my wife and I to drive it around the block.

The only thing that scares me is the maintenance costs .. though, in all fairness, it probably would have been less than it has cost to keep my L on the road the past couple of years.

I'd only do it if I had a great extended warranty.

roadburner

How do you like your MS3? I co-worked as a regular 3 (2.3 w/ automatic) and it seems decent enough. I'm guessing the 263HP and the 6-speed manual makes it a much nicer ride. Saw that it won (again!) a comparo in C&D this month.

I LOVE it! After a couple of decades of RWD sports sedans I decided to try something different and I have no regrets. So far it's been totally reliable and averages around 22 mpg- which I think is very reasonable considering the performance of the car. The handling is almost -but not quite- as good as a Mini Cooper S(a car I would have also considered if it had a useable back seat). My only real complaint is the clutch; it engages rather abruptly and somewhat high in respect to the pedal travel, but I'm adjusting to it. In the Louisville KY area almost no one knows what a Mazdaspeed3 is, so it's pretty much King of the Sleepers. I luckily chose Cosmic Blue Mica for my exterior color. If I'd bought a True(Arrest Me) Red car I would have lost my license the first month I had it... :P

corvette

The office I work in is an antebellum building. It's beautiful and rich in local history, but is also showing its age. The walls are structural brick, whereas new construction is brick veneer (of course, new construction also has insulated walls and phone/electrical/computer outlets in the walls rather than the floors)...

Back to cars, I somehow thought that the $35k price for a 135i was for a well-equipped model, not a base model (I know the base model includes a lot of equipment, but hearing that certainly changes the value equation).

nippononly

"Yeah, the 1-series is almost as expensive as the 3-series and almost as heavy as well. Kind of sad."

Kind of pointless to even have around, seems to me.

lilengineerboy

I am just mad I never got my E36 M3/4m. I truly think that was the pinnacle of automotive design and development and everything since then has just been some type of baby step or side step. I think the benchmark prior to that might have been the 80s/90s E-class.

Its kind of interesting how these car companies with a cult-like loyal following try to go mainstream, water-down their products and then end up having to re-create themselves. Nissan and Mazda both went through this, and I think BMW is there now, and Subaru is following suit (although when you get bought by Toyota, there is only so much you can hope for).

roadburner

I am just mad I never got my E36 M3/4m.

The E36 M3 is a fabulous car. They are a near perfect combination of practicality and performance. Spend a few dollars on upgrades and you can drive one forever. My service advisor at the local BMW dealer has an immaculate Dakar Yellow 1997 coupe that I came very, very, close to buying:



I may yet buy a rough one to convert into a track rat... :P

stickguy

I like. I would even do a 4 door in that (since I need 4 doors anyway1)

That is the 3.2l 240 engine model, right?

lilengineerboy

Yeah the model I designated M3/4 is their nomenclature for the the 4dr E36 ('97-'98) M3. Add in a 5 speed manual transmission and I am set for the foreseeable future.

kyfdx

You are in luck.. there are a ton of 4-door M3s for sale...