Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

Michaell said:

rny421 said:

@Michaell - Thanks! It's a base model, but it has everything that was on my must have list I think. Don't remind me if it doesn't have something I wanted LED headlights, sunroof, leather (quite soft leather, actually), heated seats, backup camera, automatic climate control, automatic headlights, power/memory seats, push button start

That would be enough for me, too. Just not sure I could go back to an NA engine after having my turbo Jetta. 

Especially in CO

Sandman6472

My Golf has one also...and at 63, love it!!!

The Sandman

xwesx

Alright. Alright. No outliers allowed!!!! :@

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

roadburner said:

My N55 is coming up on 40k miles with absolutely no issues. I don't beat on it but I do drive it is a "spirited" fashion...

Ever drive a 2011 1 M? That car intrigues me. No BS, stripped down, very "pure" it seems like.

I'd love to; had the chance to buy a couple at MSRP and I passed before BMW announced that they were building less than 1,000. If I'd known I would have bought both and flipped one on eBay.

xwesx

andres3 said:

Reading Bristol West Consumer Reviews online today put me in a bad mood and brought back angry memories. I need to read something funny (@xwesx post above a good start) , or watch a funny movie, or drink alcohol to start the weekend now.

I can see why... that's quite the review! Hey, good news: Your weekend will only go up from here, sir! Enjoy it.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

Michaell said:

rny421 said:

@Michaell - Thanks! It's a base model, but it has everything that was on my must have list I think. Don't remind me if it doesn't have something I wanted LED headlights, sunroof, leather (quite soft leather, actually), heated seats, backup camera, automatic climate control, automatic headlights, power/memory seats, push button start

That would be enough for me, too. Just not sure I could go back to an NA engine after having my turbo Jetta. 

Especially in CO

Exactly!

nyccarguy

@breld

https://www.bmwofmamaroneck.com/detail-2015-bmw-2_series-m235i-used-17094378.html

fintail

My diesel MB has a flat bottom wheel, an optional item. I like it too.

tifighter

@fintail I kinda like this one. Looks like a P2 car with designo interior; check out sewn dash trim pieces. Two-owner, originally a Medina car by the looks of the carfax. I wish the miles were lower, but it looks pretty nice.

fintail

Yep that's a designo car and has P2 - back then P2 was a bundle of a lot of options, rather than the more a la carte options on some models now past P1. P2 cars before 2014 are easy to spot via dynamic lighting (the washer unit under the light assembly is the key). It has other options too, appears to have almost all but drivers assist. Not the lowest mileage, but if it checks out might be a good car, definitely is better equipped than most.

tifighter said:

@fintail I kinda like this one. Looks like a P2 car with designo interior; check out sewn dash trim pieces. Two-owner, originally a Medina car by the looks of the carfax. I wish the miles were lower, but it looks pretty nice.

breld

@nyccarguy - thanks for the link.  That is real sharp - the red interior makes all the difference on the black car. And, of course, the stick shift would make a nice transition from the Type R.

And I bet I know someone who could check it out for me!  

breld

So I do have an appointment to go check out the white over red m235i at Carmax tomorrow.  It’s an xdrive, so automatic.  There is a part of me that would welcome the convenience of the auto in a car that retains the fun factor (as evidenced by @roadburner’s choice).

@michaell and @jpp5862 may be joining me so I probably won’t be left wanting for encouragement.  

qbrozen

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

I think the fact you can wrench your own cars makes this infinitely more reasonable. 

28firefighter

breld said:

So I do have an appointment to go check out the white over red m235i at Carmax tomorrow.  It’s an xdrive, so automatic.  There is a part of me that would welcome the convenience of the auto in a car that retains the fun factor (as evidenced by @roadburner’s choice).

@michaell and @jpp5862 may be joining me so I probably won’t be left wanting for encouragement.  

I say the Type R is gone before COB tomorrow. 

Michaell

28firefighter said:

breld said:

So I do have an appointment to go check out the white over red m235i at Carmax tomorrow.  It’s an xdrive, so automatic.  There is a part of me that would welcome the convenience of the auto in a car that retains the fun factor (as evidenced by @roadburner’s choice).

@michaell and @jpp5862 may be joining me so I probably won’t be left wanting for encouragement.  

I say the Type R is gone before COB tomorrow. 

50/50 chance. Depends on where CarMax pegs the trade value of the Type R

andres3

breld said:

@nyccarguy - thanks for the link.  That is real sharp - the red interior makes all the difference on the black car. And, of course, the stick shift would make a nice transition from the Type R.

And I bet I know someone who could check it out for me!  

If you lean towards a stick I am sure you know, but I'll point out the MKII TTRS had a 100% manual stick shift take-rate in the USA. Sort of hard to not select the only transmission available for the model.

breld

andres3 said:

@nyccarguy - thanks for the link.  That is real sharp - the red interior makes all the difference on the black car. And, of course, the stick shift would make a nice transition from the Type R.

And I bet I know someone who could check it out for me!  

If you lean towards a stick I am sure you know, but I'll point out the MKII TTRS had a 100% manual stick shift take-rate in the USA. Sort of hard to not select the only transmission available for the model.

I like the previous gen TT just fine, but it’s the current model that really catches my eye (yours too I suspect!)

breld

28firefighter said:

breld said:

So I do have an appointment to go check out the white over red m235i at Carmax tomorrow.  It’s an xdrive, so automatic.  There is a part of me that would welcome the convenience of the auto in a car that retains the fun factor (as evidenced by @roadburner’s choice).

@michaell and @jpp5862 may be joining me so I probably won’t be left wanting for encouragement.  

I say the Type R is gone before COB tomorrow. 

Possible.  I’m obsessively researching the m235i this evening and falling more and more in lust with it.  Seems like the perfect transition from the Type R when I’m ready for an enthusiast’s car with a more mature feel and aesthetic.

And this particular one seems well equipped for a 2-series - the red leather and navigation are nice.  The active driving assistant, Harmon Karden, and cold weather package are real bonuses.  

As Q pointed out, it’s probably $1-1.5k dear on price, which isn’t surprising since it’s Carmax.  But not all that bad, especially if they have a strong trade on the Civic.  

Biggest issue I’ll have to wrestle with is whether I’m ready to move on from the manual - and it’s such a fine one in the Honda.  

If I’m patient, I could find a manual m235i as long as I’m willing to go RWD, which certainly isn’t an issue for my second fun car.  

tjc78

qbrozen said:

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

I like that one too.  I’m not the most knowledgeable in BMWs ... is that “wood” inside factory or added on??  I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a BMW steering wheel with that treatment.  

nyccarguy

These CPO BMWs seem infinitely more palatable as Mid $20K to Mid-High $30K cars than they do as Mid $40K to low $60K cars.

tbirdmarco

 Or and why that would be enough for me in any car to as well to comes to options I’d be happy you had an awesome Acura there enjoy it going to be in the 50s outside today try to get out there soon just get some nice fresh air ha ha hopefully tomorrow can you go with mom to look at some used cars trying to steal her away from the road maybe call look at anything else with a conventional automatic transmission we shall see 

tbirdmarco

 Nice bro enjoy today looking at the p.m. W with the guys I’m sure you will sell the type or have this one in your garage by Monday the latest if numbers work out good Ha ha ha we shall see the check back on your leader from time to time to see it’s about time the meeting punch for the new year ha ha Ha long over due 

tbirdmarco

 Going to find something for mom with the turbo engine and to be tough road in someone’s current generation age 2 years ago when they caught it had the turbo four loved and wasn’t too noisy at all in my opinion 

tbirdmarco

 You could tell it was a four cylinder when was I doing but driving wasn’t bad like a non-turbo one we shall see clinical look on cars.com now and spend most of the day there ha ha Ha oh well it is what it is sounds good to me enjoy the weekend everyone 

ab348

I was not really paying attention to TV last night when an ad appeared for M-B CPO used vehicles. I thought it said something about their CPO vehicles coming with a 5-year warranty? Is that so? I assume just powertrain? Or did I misunderstand and is it actually something you would need to buy as an extra?

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

Maybe RB can look up the service history for you? When those cars are good, they are very good, and when they are bad, they are VERY bad.

Miles are good, and it's not a V-12

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

Carfax shows 3 owners, leased in Jersey, used in Florida, auctioned at 37K, back to NJ and PA. Good service history, lots of tires replaced for some reason and.......new head gaskets just recently, and front crankshaft seal.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

Maybe RB can look up the service history for you? When those cars are good, they are very good, and when they are bad, they are VERY bad.

Miles are good, and it's not a V-12

In Europe you could get an inline six; I would jump all over one so equipped.
As for this particular car- no red flags; it looks like the oil pan gasket, a transmission gasket, and a vacuum pump were repaired under the CPO warranty in December 2012 at 55,436 miles. That's the last entry...

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

Carfax shows 3 owners, leased in Jersey, used in Florida, auctioned at 37K, back to NJ and PA. Good service history, lots of tires replaced for some reason and.......new head gaskets just recently, and front crankshaft seal.

Head gaskets at 75k? That's kinda worrisome. Its a really lovely car. Not that I can do a damned thing about it right now.

Mr_Shiftright

Glad I didn't have to pay for the head gaskets. I hope they tidied everything up in there.

carnaught

That’s an after-market wood package in that 6-Series.

qbrozen

And now that you mention it, it looks like it would be very disappointing in person.

breld

@michaell and @jpp5862 joined me to check out the M235i at Carmax. The test drive was short, but enough for me to know that I really like the car - much of the feel is familiar based on previous BMWs owned, but as expected, the 2 has a more traditional and sportier pretension than most other current models. The only question I really had at the end of the drive was whether I'd be good with the auto trannie (which as others have attested to, is a wonderful auto) or if I should seek out a manual.

Upon initial inspection, it looked to be in real nice condition. @jpp5862 pointed out a few minor dings and chips, which weren't that bad considering the car's age and miles. But upon closer inspection, we then noticed a pretty decent crease on the driver's side door from an obvious encounter with another door.

That was enough to make me want to take some time to think about it, but the trade offer was certainly a clincher. $32,000 for the Type R. That wouldn't have surprised me if not for the auction values Q provided - and Carmax acknowledged those values were around $35k. So, funny to me how they price things - we were extremely surprised at the values we got on the Beetle Convertible and GTI last year...not so much on the Civic.

kyfdx

I wonder if they were valve cover gaskets?

I don't think I want an all-aluminum BMW engine with a new head gasket. That scares me.

nyccarguy

Check out the Green Lamborghini in the right lane!

tjc78

Man I thought the attraction was the 95-97 Vic.. lol.  

stickguy

lots of posts. And yes, I could not figure out the attraction to the CV either.

random thoughts:

I am older than Michael (but younger than sandy) and have my "sporty" car with flat bottom wheel. And little turbo 4, and I too am hooked on it. Very likely the next car will be one also.

The 2 series is certainly a nice car also. I could live with one if forced to. though I will likely stick with 4 doors.

Did the car show today. more thoughts on that to follow.

fintail

The CV caught my eye more, too. Someone at my office campus drives one of that era, and keeps it immaculate - I've driven behind him, and he's very careful.

tbirdmarco

So is An punch  pending  lol lol

breld

Not satisfied with only one shopping stop today, the wife and I headed down to the BMW dealership to take another look at that 435i Gran Coupe and a estoril blue M235i they just got in. We both appreciated the 4-series but acknowledged that it doesn't offer much over what we currently have and certainly isn't a suitable replacement for the Type R if I still want a real sporty drive (which I do).

Being able to take a second test drive of an M235i though solidified for me the real potential for that to be my next car though. It's interesting to me how different the 435 and 235 are in character considering the extent to which they share drivetrain components.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), of the 4 M235/240's they had (used), none fit what I'd be targeting, so I'll just continue searching for one and enjoy the Type R in the meantime.

And...I did get a trade offer while I was there. This is the BMW dealership with a sister Honda shop next door, so they had that GM look at it. They offered a whopping $29k for it. $3k less than the Carmax bid, and about $6k less than the average of the auction values from this month that Q provided. The current obsessive level of intrigue I had with switching out was based on the idea of trading straight out of the Honda into a nice CPO BMW or Audi. If that's not the reality, I'm perfectly happy enjoying the Civic and spreading that depreciation out a bit more.

tbirdmarco

Stick guy.  Can’t   Waste  to hear your thoughts.  On the car show later on 

stickguy

had fun at the car show. Weather was perfect for walking around town. lots and lots of people there. One oddity is that for some reason, Cadillac was not there this year. surprised to see that. Heck, they had Karmas there!

Sadly, the RDX concept was not there. really want to see that. the 2019 Jetta was also MIA. bummer. But, we sat in pretty much every thing else that could be any sort of possibility.

likes? Loved the XC60. The XC40 was roped off, but really neat looking. The BMW X2 was cool. Nice for a small hatch. Wife and I also loved the Audi allroad (a nice dark green over brown leather). And the A4.

for affordable CUVs, the CRV and CX5 were the stars, but the new Tiquan also had a lot of promise.

we don't really want to go up in size, but if we did, the Sube Ascent and CX9 were really nice. would be happy with either. tons of room in back too. Just really too big for us now. But if that is what you need, nice options. The Atlas, that just felt like a barge.

other stuff. the Stinger was big. from the drivers seat, looked like an Audi. interesting car, but I don't think it is going to sell much. new Wrangler was really nice. Like the interior.

one of my favorites? The new Ranger. had one behind ropes, but it was really nice looking, and seemed like a manageable size. Can't wait for that to come out. My BIL is really interested in it to replace his aging Tundra when it finally dies (which could be a while).

breld

Thanks for the car show review @stickguy!

I'll be interested to see the Subie Ascent, since we are still in that 3-row SUV stage.

And from the photos I've seen, the X2 looks cool, but that Roundel badge in the rear C pillar is a little weird.

stickguy

More notes that I forgot. Did sit in an Audi TTRS (orange). Did not like it. like sitting in a bathtub, wearing one of those winter hats with ear flaps and a brim. Just did not see out of it well. Nice interior though.

wife and I both really like the GLC though. if we have a budget to shop luxo CUV, will be on the list.

Oh, remember the son that was thinking about getting the TTS? He looked at everything in the display, and has now moved on to being in lust with an S5 sportback. New plan is to keep his car as long as it takes until he can afford one of them, even if used. Possibly an A5 SB, but I doubt he will talk himself out of the S.

he does now have a real appreciation for depreciation. So pretty much a lock he will switch to lightly used or CPO models.

Michaell

stickguy said:

had fun at the car show. Weather was perfect for walking around town. lots and lots of people there. One oddity is that for some reason, Cadillac was not there this year. surprised to see that. Heck, they had Karmas there!

Sadly, the RDX concept was not there. really want to see that. the 2019 Jetta was also MIA. bummer. But, we sat in pretty much every thing else that could be any sort of possibility.

likes? Loved the XC60. The XC40 was roped off, but really neat looking. The BMW X2 was cool. Nice for a small hatch. Wife and I also loved the Audi allroad (a nice dark green over brown leather). And the A4.

for affordable CUVs, the CRV and CX5 were the stars, but the new Tiquan also had a lot of promise.

we don't really want to go up in size, but if we did, the Sube Ascent and CX9 were really nice. would be happy with either. tons of room in back too. Just really too big for us now. But if that is what you need, nice options. The Atlas, that just felt like a barge.

other stuff. the Stinger was big. from the drivers seat, looked like an Audi. interesting car, but I don't think it is going to sell much. new Wrangler was really nice. Like the interior.

one of my favorites? The new Ranger. had one behind ropes, but it was really nice looking, and seemed like a manageable size. Can't wait for that to come out. My BIL is really interested in it to replace his aging Tundra when it finally dies (which could be a while).

@stickguy - first, I didn't realize you were older than me, since your kids are younger. You learn something new every day.

Second, thanks for the summary of the Philly Auto Show. Bummer that not everything you wanted to see wasn't there. Denver has a few previews, but I doubt that either the RDX or Jetta will be there.

Since everyone in your party was looking for something different, can you let us know what was appealing?

BIL - new Ranger
Wife - CR-V, CX-5 and Tiguan
Daughter - ?
Daughter's SO - ?
You - ?

Today held such promise - go help @breld with the white / red M235. We were all surprised at the trade value CarMax put on it ($32K) - we figure they didn't have enough data in their system to give it an accurate value.

While on the lot, @jpp5862 and I browsed (neither of us wanted to ride in the back seat of the 2 during the test drive). Nothing really jumped out at either of us in the limited walking around we did. Guess we weren't in the mood - given that @jpp5862 pulled the trigger just last weekend, I can understand.

nyccarguy

tjc78

So cool.... one of my favorite movies.  

nyccarguy

tjc78 said:

So cool.... one of my favorite movies.  

The guy driving with was dressed like Doc Brown

xwesx

qbrozen said:

I know this is akin to asking someone to beat you about the head repeatedly, yet I find this so damned attractive.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/722347639/overview?aff=share_other

Color combo is beautiful! Does your wife have her bat nearby....?