Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

I let my frugal (ok, tightwad) side talk me into settling sometimes. Usually end up regretting it.

tbirdmarco

 Agree with everyone above and cleaning the window the Waze everybody mentioned above hopefully you should be good to go on the mini clean the wipers to as well 

xwesx

I also use Bosch ICON wipers. The design of the blades helps the air movement keep them well-planted to the glass.

I've also had good luck with them as an all-season application. They'll ice up like any other blade, but I find them to be fairly durable (and much easier) when I have to de-ice them the hard way.... My only gripe with them is that they stiffen considerably in cold weather, and the nature of the "monoblade" style means that the blade rubber is what has to flex when they wipe back and forth. As such, they tend to stay in one direction, so they "chatter" when they pull down the windshield. Happily, using them at sub-zero temperatures is not a common need.

As for the Mini, perhaps it has been windy lately? Cross-winds, in particular, can wreak havoc on how well the blades hold to the glass. If it is dark during these times as well, it might also be the driver. I hate to say it, but we all get older and the quality of the eyes changes! For me, I feel like I'm driving blind sometimes depending on light conditions in and around the car, and I doubt the best wipers on the cleanest windshield in the world would fix that for me.

Also, ensure the inside of the glass is clean. New cars will build up haze quickly, and you don't necessarily notice it unless you happen to smudge it.

Sandman6472

Have used Rain-X for years and have been really happy with the results. It rains a lot down here in South Florida and Rain-X is the one I always come back to because...it works!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Picked up some new 2018 Ford Fuzions today, regular and hybrids. Mine had 3.5 miles on the odometer and still had all the plastic on the seats. Got it onto I-95 and it drove very nicely but just didn't like the dash. A bit too futuristic for my tastes though everything was right at hand. Took a few minutes to get the a/c working properly but those controls are just a mess! The infotainment system was a bit easier and got my XM stations loaded after a few minutes. Decent sound from the speakers and think it'll satisfy 90% of the public.
Just not a Ford guy here and would rather have an Accord or a Camry any day of the week. Think folks really give the Mazda6 a bad rap as it really is a fun vehicle to drive. Most Mazda's are pretty fun to drive to be honest and the 3s hatch is looking better and better as a replacement for my Golf.

The Sandman

tbirdmarco

 Nice sandy I’m driving the Ford fusions today get whatever you like it’s what I always tell everyone ha ha Ha of this to sit in the new accord and Camry see if I like them keep my judgment until then to like the fusion do hope all is going well with you and your family have a good weekend 

stickguy

cruising the listings, found these 2 oddballs.

for some reason, I find this Mini quite cool. Seems pricey though for a 2012, but miles super low. And, it is just funky.

http://www.eimports4less.com/detail-2012-mini-cooper_countryman-certified_countryman_6_speed_pano_navigation-used-17103140.html

This one, I may be in the minority, but I love the color combo. pretty well loaded. Just missing sports seats.

http://www.eimports4less.com/detail-2013-bmw-x1-certified_x1_xdrive28i_xline_ultimate_awd_camera_navi-used-17057495.html

Michaell

Cars and coffee tomorrow with @jpp5862!

Plus, a bonus test drive of a used X5 diesel that @breld sent to @jpp5862

28firefighter

I was steps away from having a punch pending this afternoon (by email) when I received a phone call that the car had sold. I was waiting on the official deal sheet to be sent by the SM so I could sign it, but we had settled on numbers. I even offered a CC deposit to hold the car while we formalized everything. 

Vehicle in question was a former loaner BMW 330i that was well optioned. MSport, Premium, Nav, Driving Assistance - basically everything but the HK stereo. MSRP was well north of 50k. The payment worked out to $1000 at signing and $275/month after tax. A true steal and it required no negotiation - I simply pointed out their own pricing and confirmed it was eligible to lease. 

The CA wouldn’t give me a straight answer, but hedged enough that I believe an employee at the dealership saw how cheap it was after hearing about my deal and bought it before I could nail it down. 

I am not happy.

benjaminh

tbirdmarco said:

@benjaminh have not seen you on hear in quite sum time how has everything bin going?

Doing fine. Thanks for asking. Just busy with work. And since I'm very happy with my 2016 Accord EX, I'm just not thinking about cars as much at the moment. Instead I'm seeing lots of movies lol! All best wishes to Chronic Car Buyers for the new year.....

kyfdx

@28firefighter That sucks, but it makes me wonder why they haven't figured it out, before they put the car out there..

Because, if I'm the dealer, and I have a $50K plus vehicle that I can lease for $275/mo, I'd just slap an ad on it for $1000 upfront and $349/mo, sell it in one day, and pocket an extra $2700 over my normal profit margin.

When I leased the Tacoma and the Z4, I was just stunned that someone didn't stop the process, and say, "Doesn't matter what we say we will sell it for, the lease price is $XXX/mo (something reasonable), take it or leave it.

I wouldn't have paid more for those two cars, but once they were clued in, seems they could have sold them immediately for more money.

pensfan83

@kyfdx thought you might be interested to hear one of the area Toyota dealers came back with an Ally lease offer. 36/10 for $347/month. 88% for the RV but .0330 for the MF. They have the truck discounted from its MSRP of $36,388 by $1650. I know my buddy is hoping to get another$1500 out of them but that may be wishful thinking.

Those are actually the best numbers they have Toyota financial is worse and they can't do US Bank. They also told me that was Allys base rate.

kyfdx

pensfan83 said:

@kyfdx thought you might be interested to hear one of the area Toyota dealers came back with an Ally lease offer. 36/10 for $347/month. 88% for the RV but .0330 for the MF. They have the truck discounted from its MSRP of $36,388 by $1650. I know my buddy is hoping to get another$1500 out of them but that may be wishful thinking.

Those are actually the best numbers they have Toyota financial is worse and they can't do US Bank. They also told me that was Allys base rate.

Interesting. Can’t verify it, but that rate doesn’t surprise me. You should shop Beechmont when you get here. That’s who did US Bank lease for me

pensfan83

Yeah I don't doubt the rate is probably correct, just a lot higher than expected. Assuming he can't strike a deal on this one or any other PGH dealer I told him I would inquire at Beechmont Toyota since he's open to traveling to get the deal he wants. 

28firefighter

@pensfan83 May be worth the drive to Ohio...

28firefighter

kyfdx said:

@28firefighter That sucks, but it makes me wonder why they haven't figured it out, before they put the car out there.. Because, if I'm the dealer, and I have a $50K plus vehicle that I can lease for $275/mo, I'd just slap an ad on it for $1000 upfront and $349/mo, sell it in one day, and pocket an extra $2700 over my normal profit margin. When I leased the Tacoma and the Z4, I was just stunned that someone didn't stop the process, and say, "Doesn't matter what we say we will sell it for, the lease price is $XXX/mo (something reasonable), take it or leave it. I wouldn't have paid more for those two cars, but once they were clued in, seems they could have sold them immediately for more money.

I don’t disagree. But don’t go through the motions with a customer and let an employee snipe it. If I had said “no” then it’s open season. 

corvette

88% residual is insane! I’m sure the Tundra isn’t that high. 

Michaell

At the VW dealer with @jpp5862 - there are a few Touareg TDI that are now for sale. Hoping to take a test drive and see what the “fix” has done...

tbirdmarco

 Michael are you going to go today and test drive a Touareg? When the coming weeks you’ll have to report back to us if you could notice any differences with the fixes anyone else doing any car shopping this long weekend Ha ha ha or are looking don’t think I’ll be able to do any here where there’s a bit warmer though I’ll take it 

pensfan83

28firefighter said:

@pensfan83 May be worth the drive to Ohio...

I think so and that's probably what's going to happen since it looks like the dealer is content to let him walk, which is certainly their prerogative. As far as Tacomas go it's not a bad deal, they aren't discounted much at all, but after he locked in on that truck and I mentioned what @kyfdx got his Tacoma for he's looking for the $300/mo or under and the closer to $250/mo the better.

tbirdmarco

 Benjamin you are welcome glad to hear everything’s going well with you and your family I’m glad you’re liking your current rides I’m always looking like everyone in here ha ha anyway enjoy your weekend 

tbirdmarco

 20 fire fighter sorry to hear the deal on the BMW3 series fell through wow that really sucks 

Michaell

At the VW dealer with @jpp5862 - there are a few Touareg TDI that are now for sale. Hoping to take a test drive and see what the “fix” has done...

tbirdmarco

 Michael I was the cars and coffee today he went to I was the testerone of the X5 

breld

Thanks for the advice on cleaning the windshield and getting some new Icon blades.  That’s my plan for this weekend. 

xwesx

stickguy said:

This one, I may be in the minority, but I love the color combo. pretty well loaded. Just missing sports seats.

http://www.eimports4less.com/detail-2013-bmw-x1-certified_x1_xdrive28i_xline_ultimate_awd_camera_navi-used-17057495.html

I love the color combo on that one! However, it reminds me of my Q3 loaner from last week... and I really don't like that car much, so...

xwesx

Michaell said:

At the VW dealer with @jpp5862 - there are a few Touareg TDI that are now for sale. Hoping to take a test drive and see what the “fix” has done...

Fun!

I really can't tell any appreciable performance difference on the Q7. Granted, I also had my wheel sensor issue fixed at the same time, so it is shifting in a much more civilized manner now (I basically had to manually shift all the time before, because it didn't like to change gears until it hit red-line, and it was really clunky about down-shifting when I was slowing for a light). I seem to remember it being like this in the past, but what do I know? Economy may, indeed, a little lower than before, but I'll also need more time with it to really get a good feel for that.

I do know that it was such a relief to get it back (after having the Q3 for a week), and such a comfy drive back up to Fairbanks (posted fuel economy was better, too, than the Q3 on the trip down that same morning)!

tbirdmarco

Wow so no difference. With the fix so far

Michaell

@jpp5862 and I attended the Denver Cars 'n' Coffee yesterday. Even though the event is scheduled from 9-12, we arrived just after 10 to find a lot of folks were in the process of leaving. Guess we'll have to show up earlier next month.

A few pix of some of the cars that caught my eye:

imidazol97

tjc78 said:

Im suspecting the car has been thru an auto wash / wax and there is some build up on the windshield.  

If this doesn’t work there are more intense methods using 0000 Steel wool to remove any contamination from the windshield.   I also suppose the arms to could be too tight / loose pressure to the glass. 

Barkeeper's Friend and scrubber. OR use a Brillo pad or SOS pad with the soap in it to clear off the windshield.
Then use alcohol, isopropyl or ethanol on the wiper blade rubber to take the road oils/wax off the wiper blade rubber (did you keep the Bosch ones to work on them?).

I just buy the low line or one step up from Walmart, Supertech or something like that. Replace them regularly.

tbirdmarco

 Well Michael so they only last an hour then everyone goes home I guess I thought it was last few hours I personally have never been to one of those very nice pictures all the cars you posted above 

ab348

OEM wiper blades are the only ones I've found to be worth buying. Never had an aftermarket set I liked, and most of them have that clunky universal attachment.

laurasdada

I hope you made an offer on the Avanti and/or the BMW 6, Michaell!

Went to the New England International Auto Show on Friday. Disappointing as marques continue to diminish each year; no shows include BMW, Cadillac, Jaguar, Land Rover and Mercedes Benz. Alfa had a Stelvio and base Giulia, both on look but don't touch platforms. No Acura NSX, all Porsches locked.

Nothing much new to report, Hyundai had the best SWAG (by participating in a trivia contest, at which I did quite well!). The two Genesis models are rather nice pieces of work. As I'm considering downsizing, I did some compare/contrast of a couple of coupes on my list, Audi A5 and Infiniti Q60. I found the A5 more to my liking, especially the interior with sport seats and simpler, more elegant dash/controls. Both are lookers.

Kia Stinger on a look only platform, it still looks a bit like an Optima to me. Subie's good value, I was actually able to ingress/egress a Miata RF without injuring myself. Yeah, getting old is a good idea. Civic Type R was drawing a much younger crowd, surprise! I wonder if I can take the Type R rear wing and throw it on my Jag (there are flames on my BMW!)?

Roped off area included the usual suspects, but fewer. I find the new Aston Martin Vantage front end to be wrong, the Kamm-tail a bit over done. Yet, if it were gifted to me, no complaints! Herb Chambers strolled by, rudely he did not stop to thank me for purchasing my last three cars from him! Would he be a multi-billionaire without my contributions? I think not...

And, the most important observation: I found Infiniti to have the loveliest product specialists. Although, Ms. Alfa Romeo was a dark haired beauty with big dark eyes...

stickguy

surprised Boston isn't bigger. Philly is quite big, very popular. Everyone is there, and lots of concepts. BMW display will probably be 15-20 cars. Jeep has a big off road drive event inside the convention center (camp Jeep).

Michaell

@laurasdada - the Avanti is part of a museum collection. The M6 and the Saab were both lookers. Both stick shift, and the Saab had all of 74,000 miles on it.

I posted the Type R only because it's the first one I've seen apart from the one @breld owns.

Typical mix of McLarens, Ferraris, et al. For some reason, a really well kept older car seems to get more of my attention.

@jpp5862 and I were admiring a last gen (early 80's?) El Camino. Looked to be in original condition with faded paint, etc. We both commented that a decent, but not over-the-top, paint job, and a few mods to the engine would make it right. Fun cruiser.

tbirdmarco

Nice  rite ups on the new eland.  And filly  auto shows 

tjc78

Still haven’t seen a Type R in the wild and live in a pretty populated area. 

nyccarguy

Our 2017 Pilot Passed another test with Flying colors again today.  Despite the torrential rains and 50 plus degree temperatures of Thursday and Friday, we decided to take our 3 kids and our 2 nieces skiing today. I installed the roof rack last night & loaded up or skis on top.  The boots and polls fit nicely in the "secret compartment."  5 kids watching a movie in peace and quiet going to and coming home.  It wasn't a far drive, only 60 miles each way.  7 of us fit.  Very comfortably.

breld

@nyccarguy - you are definitely putting that Pilot to good use and taking advantage of its potential! Well done!

nyccarguy

breld said:

@nyccarguy - you are definitely putting that Pilot to good use and taking advantage of its potential! Well done!

This coming Friday, my 11 year old son has a hockey tournament in Waterville Valley, NH.  There is a ski mountain in the town where the tournament is.  So we will once again pack the Pilot to the gills for a weekend trip for hockey & skiing for a family of 5.

Im sure the old 2011 Pilot would have handled this trip without incident & with dignity.  On the other hand, it is nice to have our upgraded 2017 with adaptive cruise control, rear entertainment Blue Ray Player, & suspension pieces that aren't (almost) 7 years old with over 100K miles on them

nyccarguy

In other nyccarguy family automotive news, I've got an appointment to have the Yokohama Ice Guard winter tires mounted on my Infiniti tomorrow. I'll drop the car off tonight (hopefully this afternoon if I get out of work early) and pick up a loaner car.

Last week we had a nasty snow storm. I was a little concerned about the negative reviews I've read about the snow performance of the "Hankook Aventus" all season tires. The Q40 performed remarkably well. I just had to press the SNOW button behind the shifter (starts the car off in 2nd gear, retards the shifting). With its hefty curb weight, RWD based AWD system, strong brakes, & me leaving LOTS of room for the car/truck in front of me, I was impressed. So far, so good. I can't speak strongly enough that this is one of the best automotive purchases I've ever made.

nyccarguy

I'm not sure if I posted this here or over in "Cars & Conversations," but my Dad's lease is up on his 2015 4WD LT Tahoe at the end of March. We were trying to score an incredible before the end of the year deal on a new Tahoe or Yukon which would have included waiving his last 2 lease payments (and dispostion fee) and getting him a 2017 or 2018 at a cost that would be significantly less than what he's paying now. Plus, he's over his 66,000 mile allotment for 39 months. There are some serious discounts out there, but leasing a full size SUV isn't cheap. Residuals (with 20K per year) fall under the 50% mark and money factors "ain't what they used to be."

They had "The Costco" Supplier Pricing program, they had a lot of "lease to buy" loyalty cash, they had 0% financing, and they also had 15% off of Denalis.

The 15% off Denalis or 0% financing are "stand alone" deals which means "that's all folks." The Denalis that were out there have strange option combinations and didn't have what my Dad wanted. He knew he'd have to take a truck with MORE options than he wanted, but was looking for one with adaptive cruise control. Plus at the $75,000+ price point, even with 15% off, they aren't cheap.

So we decided to order a truck from a local dealer optioned EXACTLY how he wants it. We established a "price ceiling" and agreed upon a little bit under invoice minus ALL incentives at the time we take delivery. They will give us whatever deal is better.

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

I'm not sure if I posted this here or over in "Cars & Conversations," but my Dad's lease is up on his 2015 4WD LT Tahoe at the end of March. We were trying to score an incredible before the end of the year deal on a new Tahoe or Yukon which would have included waiving his last 2 lease payments (and dispostion fee) and getting him a 2017 or 2018 at a cost that would be significantly less than what he's paying now. Plus, he's over his 66,000 mile allotment for 39 months. There are some serious discounts out there, but leasing a full size SUV isn't cheap. Residuals (with 20K per year) fall under the 50% mark and money factors "ain't what they used to be."

They had "The Costco" Supplier Pricing program, they had a lot of "lease to buy" loyalty cash, they had 0% financing, and they also had 15% off of Denalis.

The 15% off Denalis or 0% financing are "stand alone" deals which means "that's all folks." The Denalis that were out there have strange option combinations and didn't have what my Dad wanted. He knew he'd have to take a truck with MORE options than he wanted, but was looking for one with adaptive cruise control. Plus at the $75,000+ price point, even with 15% off, they aren't cheap.

So we decided to order a truck from a local dealer optioned EXACTLY how he wants it. We established a "price ceiling" and agreed upon a little bit under invoice minus ALL incentives at the time we take delivery. They will give us whatever deal is better.

This is a great way to handle this. When you drive as many miles as you (and your Dad) drive, it makes sense to get a vehicle exactly the way you want it if you cannot find what you're looking for. Plus it sounds like the dealer was pretty reasonable about pricing.

28firefighter

Some of you know I posted over in RWTIV about a 2014 BMW 335i M-Sport that is for sale not too far from me. My buddy had been interested in it, but wouldn't pay a dime over $26k for it and walked away. In my never-ending quest for a slightly larger vehicle (at least that's how I'm justifying it...), I stopped by this weekend to look at it.

This car is mineral gray over black leather interior. Looks like it has Premium, Tech Package, Drivers Assist, H/K stereo, cold weather package, M-Sport, and the M Adaptive suspension it. In short, it has everything. 31k miles, one owner car, out of California.

My first impression is that the outside is beautiful with the M package bits, but the interior is "meh" - even with all the extra features, it still feels a bit heavy with plastic and definitely dated. Has the same iDrive version as my wife's 2016 X1. The M Sport does add the sport seats which are extremely comfortable as well as the M sport steering wheel, which is cool looking. Exterior was in great shape - only one minor scratch on one of the rear doors, no curb rash, and even the front spoiler lip wasn't scraped, which means someone actually took some care while driving.

Driving dynamics with the adaptive M suspension are, unsurprisingly, excellent. Steering does feel a bit light on feedback relative to what I've been used to in the GTI, but it is still quite good if not a welcome change. Upon starting the car, you get a very nice growl from the exhaust which stays for the duration of the drive. Acceleration is very good and leaps and bounds better than the Turbo 4 and significantly faster than the C300 I drove, but it is not nearly as fast I expected it to be. I'm not sure if that speaks to how well the GTI and the X1 engines are designed or if I just have unrealistic expectations after having recently driven a Porsche Cayenne Turbo...

Where does this leave me? I don't know. I think the solution is to buy all the cars I'm looking at and rotate them out.

nyccarguy

The salesman was great to work with. Very reasonable. He searched and priced out many different makes/models/trims for us. Tahoe LT, Tahoe Premier (formerly LTZ), Yukon SLT, & Yukon Denali. When I finally called him and told him that we are going to wait and order exactly what my Dad wants, he said that's a great idea. Before he asked what our decision was, he did say, that if you are going for a Denali then you won't get any better than 15% off.

I hope Craig isn't watching. He'd cringe at what my Dad ordered:

2018 Yukon SLT 4WD
Black/Black
HD Trailering Package (he doesn't tow, but it gets you a 2 speed transfer case)
Bright Body Side Mouldings (Black Plastic with a Chrome Strip)
Navigation Only (No Sunroof/Rear Entertainment Blue Ray)
Adaptive Cruise Control
20" Polished Aluminum Wheels

roadburner

Add the M Performance Power Kit; that adds significant HP and torque. I still like the 2 Series a lot more than the the 3 and 4 Series- M3 and M4 excepted. I also like the 330e a lot, but I'm afraid I'd miss the extra grunt of the M235i.

28firefighter

roadburner said:

Add the M Performance Power Kit; that adds significant HP and torque. I still like the 2 Series a lot more than the the 3 and 4 Series- M3 and M4 excepted. I also like the 330e a lot, but I'm afraid I'd miss the extra grunt of the M235i.

Yes - the M2XX is a car on my future list for sure; trying to balance utility and fun.

tbirdmarco

 New York core guy glad you guys are all sorted out with your dad‘s new truck decided to go on ordering one how long is it gonna take for it to arrive 

tbirdmarco

 20 firefighter I guess the search will continue then yes would be nice to have one core of everything but you like the rotary them out when I fortunately in reality it would be crazy Ha ha ha 

tbirdmarco

 New York car guy glad you’re putting that new pilot to good use on a road trip the other day and one coming up this coming up weekend awesome I’m putting the snow tires on your infinity I’m glad he did well in this weeks snow storm with the stock tires