Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

28firefighter

Yes, sorry, @nyccarguy - Looks like an awesome experience. Planning to do it again?

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

Yes, sorry, @nyccarguy - Looks like an awesome experience. Planning to do it again?

I'd definitely like to partake in a autocross event now.

Michaell

@stickguy / @andres3 - have either of you experienced powertrain issues with your 1.6T and DCT transmissions? Got a guy in the Sonata lease thread discouraging the ECO trim, and linked to an article regarding the 2016 Tucson.

I figure the early bugs have been worked out, else we'd have heard from both of you loudly.

Sandman6472

Doc called earlier, seems I’m anemic but my cholesterol is o k, borderline he said. Am pleased that I’m getting better but still dealing with weakness. Think my neck pain is because I fell about five times from what we’ve put together and it has affected my neck. The falls only made the herniations worse but with some p t and my pain meds, we’ll get things under control. Working only three days a week seems to be the right combo for me so will continue but since they will be hiring some new drivers, have already requested to give up Fridays, something the wife is in favor of. The tenseness has dissipated since I got home and maybe the thought of actually losing me for good, really had a positive change.
Whatever, am glad to be on the mend and have decided that once I feel better and get all the bills paid for my part of it all, will treat myself to a new vehicle. Shooting for December of 2018, last week I think, but thinking a new vehicle might just be the lift I need!!

The Sandman

stickguy

not for me. I know there were some complaints early on, particularly with the Tuscon, that the Eco version was not set up well. Basically tuned too much for economy, so upshifted too early and did not want to downshift. And poor drive-ability at low speeds (like parking lot driving).

The sport versions of the powertrain were always tuned differently, and drove like a different car. you can get a little bit of that DSG feel in stop and go driving, but just feels like a stick to me!

Even the reviews on the cars comment on how much different the experience is with the sports. But, from the reviews I read on the Kona (which uses the Eco version) they have improved it a lot, and it drives more like the sport.

pretty sure it was all software related, so assume that newer cars don't have the same issues.

Sandman6472

Stick, saw a new Elantra GT at the Hyundai store today and was smitten. Think for my needs, it’ll fit the bill. Still want to try the Elantra Limited but like the 1.6T engine and the power drivers seat. Must admit it, but I’m a hatchback kinda guy and since we’ve already got a sedan in the garage, we don’t really need another. Think I need something to put that smile back on my face after this nightmare of a year I’ve had and a new vehicle might just be the trick!!

The Sandman

28firefighter

Sent the Saab out on Tuesday morning to a local detail shop to get a thorough going over and a paint correction. Got it back tonight and it looks incredible - they did some wet sanding and a ton of polishing and compounding. 

They were amazingly reasonable on price, too. $179 for the detail plus an additional $140 for the correction work. 

Car does not look 16 years old anymore. 

Some garage pictures because it’s raining. 

Michaell

@28firefighter - looks amazing! Let’s hope it continues to run as good as it looks. 

28firefighter

Agreed.  I also understand that I likely won’t get that money back, but it makes me really happy to be giving the car new life.

andres3

Michaell said:

@stickguy / @andres3 - have either of you experienced powertrain issues with your 1.6T and DCT transmissions? Got a guy in the Sonata lease thread discouraging the ECO trim, and linked to an article regarding the 2016 Tucson.

I figure the early bugs have been worked out, else we'd have heard from both of you loudly.

Nothing debilitating; just little nags.

1) Fuel economy is disappointing.
2) Low speed "DSG" issues are sometimes (rarely) noticeable, but when noticed, they are very noticeable.
3) Unrefined engine and exhaust note. Feels coarse and raspy when revving. Only lets me get to about within 500-as much as 1,000 RPM's of the redline in normal mode at WOT in auto mode. It'll shift before hitting the red.
4) I give the DSG a C-, but still better than any CVT for me. The fuel economy isn't terrible, but sometimes I feel like there's a power-sapping fuel sucking torque converter in there (I know Acura did that with their DSG).
5) Sport mode does help for performance and crisper shifting.
6) When the engine is still not warmed up, I noticed it'll be really loathe to rev up and accelerate. Emergency acceleration avoidance may not be possible early in the morning close to home.

unrelated to the above, the Air Conditioning doesn't seem up to the task of cooling the car during some more serious heat today. It seemed a bit overwhelmed, and I have a white car with beige interior!

In a sample of 1, I give Kia Roadside assitance a D-.

Michaell

@stickguy and @andres3 - thanks so much for your feedback. Much appreciated.

On an unrelated note, Subaru is starting to press on us ditching the 2015 Outback for a 2018. Been getting unsolicited emails and flyers via USPS, telling us we can reduce our current $663.71/mo payment to something less.

In the past, that reduced amount has still been over $600/mo, so not much savings.

Now, the latest offer is $535.30/mo, with $0 out of pocket. 1.9% APR for 72 months. But, no GAP or extended warranty, both of which we have on ours (wife's decision on those). And, I can't tell from the info they've sent if the two cars are equipped the same - Eyesight and the rest.

It's tempting, but I still don't see the value in resetting the payment clock for only a few more features. Our Outback has only 26,000 miles on it, and I just dropped $50 on new wiper blades for it this week.

Sandman6472

I see your garage situation is almost like mine...but yours seems a bit worse to be honest! Still, in the next place assuming we have a garage, going to make sure it's a proper one without any a/c or water heater equipment in front of any of our vehicles. If you hit the gas instead of the brake, we'll both do damage but think you'll do significantly more at your place! Still, both are unacceptable as far as I'm concerned!
Now that the wife has put a condo on her short list, our choices could be a whole lot different. And not that a condo is bad, just that most do not offer a garage or even covered parking much less a garage!

The Sandman

suydam

No garage? Is that typical in Florida? We have a shared garage, so we can park one inside and the other sits out.

pensfan83

@28firefighter, the car looks great. Hopefully being proactive on the mechanical side saves you time and $$$ down the road.

nyccarguy

Michaell said:

@stickguy and @andres3 - thanks so much for your feedback. Much appreciated.

On an unrelated note, Subaru is starting to press on us ditching the 2015 Outback for a 2018. Been getting unsolicited emails and flyers via USPS, telling us we can reduce our current $663.71/mo payment to something less.

In the past, that reduced amount has still been over $600/mo, so not much savings.

Now, the latest offer is $535.30/mo, with $0 out of pocket. 1.9% APR for 72 months. But, no GAP or extended warranty, both of which we have on ours (wife's decision on those). And, I can't tell from the info they've sent if the two cars are equipped the same - Eyesight and the rest.

It's tempting, but I still don't see the value in resetting the payment clock for only a few more features. Our Outback has only 26,000 miles on it, and I just dropped $50 on new wiper blades for it this week.

I wouldn't reset the payment clock for the exact same car, especially since you only have 26K miles on it and are in the home stretch as far as payments go. Now if you are going to sell it to CarMax or trade it in on a Passat GT V6 (saw VW is pushing them on their website) lease and put the equity in your Outback towards some home improvement project then I wouldn't object;)

nyccarguy

@28firefighter - The Saab looks phenomenal! Great find! Enjoy that Turbo Torque!

graphicguy

28firefighter said:

Sent the Saab out on Tuesday morning to a local detail shop to get a thorough going over and a paint correction. Got it back tonight and it looks incredible - they did some wet sanding and a ton of polishing and compounding. 

They were amazingly reasonable on price, too. $179 for the detail plus an additional $140 for the correction work. 

Car does not look 16 years old anymore. 

Some garage pictures because it’s raining. 

28FF...that’s amazing looking!

kyfdx

@28firefighter Ditto... nice car!

@Michaell Trading up on a new car, because the payment is lower? False gains.. if you are a payment buyer, you should have just leased and saved some money. The point of owning is to drive the car past the 36 month mark, when depreciation eases. Even though your payment remains the same, the cost is less, in the long run, once you get past 36 months.

fintail

I think that Saab is a happy car now. Makes me want to kind of rescue something or maybe go back to having an older car, but there's not a lot in that era that I really want.

Michaell

Thanks for the feedback. We aren’t doing anything with our outback. If anything, we’d like to get it paid off if we can ever sell my MILs house. 

carnaught

nyccarguy said:

@28firefighter - The Saab looks phenomenal! Great find! Enjoy that Turbo Torque!

Totally agree; the car really looks great!

28firefighter

Thanks all! It has been a lot of fun so far (coming up on 1 month of ownership today) and I'm hoping/praying it is moderately reliable. You can't see, but I'm knocking on every wooden surface in our house.

If not, I've wasted larger amounts of money in the past - see e.g. grad school.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

Thanks all! It has been a lot of fun so far (coming up on 1 month of ownership today) and I'm hoping/praying it is moderately reliable. You can't see, but I'm knocking on every wooden surface in our house. If not, I've wasted larger amounts of money in the past - see e.g. grad school.

So this is a drop in the bucket compared to grad school.  You could buy a few REALLY nice cars for what grad school costs;)

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

28firefighter said:

Thanks all! It has been a lot of fun so far (coming up on 1 month of ownership today) and I'm hoping/praying it is moderately reliable. You can't see, but I'm knocking on every wooden surface in our house.

If not, I've wasted larger amounts of money in the past - see e.g. grad school.

So this is a drop in the bucket compared to grad school.  You could buy a few REALLY nice cars for what grad school costs;)

Don't remind me.

qbrozen

Today's BaT obsessions:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-datsun-510-14/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-bmw-318i-4/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981-mercury-zephyr-station-wagon/

The last one is obviously for personal reasons, which I briefly described in the comments on that auction, which I shall repost here:

I owned a ’79 2-door coupe (coupe-like?) version of this car. No radio at all, no A/C, no power anything. It was my 2nd car, purchased due to desperate need for cheap transportation. I beat the HECK out of that thing and it just kept going. Fairly light and RWD with narrow tires made for a fun sliding combo. And to those who think 55 mph is the limit, you are WAY off. During a college roadtrip, I had the speedometer needle pinned at the 6 o-clock mark through 3 east coast states. I actually want this car thanks to memories like that.

graphicguy

The one that interests me more is this one....

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-mazda-rx-7-gsl-se-4/

That might make me part with some Benjamins.

henryn

Michaell said:

@stickguy and @andres3 - thanks so much for your feedback. Much appreciated.

On an unrelated note, Subaru is starting to press on us ditching the 2015 Outback for a 2018. Been getting unsolicited emails and flyers via USPS, telling us we can reduce our current $663.71/mo payment to something less.

$663 a month for a Subaru? Either I'm out of touch with car payments these days, or Subaru's cost a lot more than I was thinking. I haven't actually financed a car (long term) for quite a few years now. I usually finance short term, as the manufacturers always seem to have a rebate or kickback for financing. Last year, when I traded in the Passat R-Line to get the F150 Reg Cab, the difference wasn't enough to cover the financing kickback. The finance guy at the dealership did some fancy footwork to get around that, and I wound up paying about $100 a month for 3 months before paying off the loan. Which netted me a $750 kickback.

nyccarguy

Anybody like plaid seats?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-porsche-944-13/

nyccarguy

Shifty

I know it isn't your color & it is a targa (at least it isn't a convertible), but it IS a 6-Speed with the requisite preventative maintenance performed:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-porsche-911-targa-5/

Michaell

henryn said:

Michaell said:

@stickguy and @andres3 - thanks so much for your feedback. Much appreciated.

On an unrelated note, Subaru is starting to press on us ditching the 2015 Outback for a 2018. Been getting unsolicited emails and flyers via USPS, telling us we can reduce our current $663.71/mo payment to something less.

$663 a month for a Subaru? Either I'm out of touch with car payments these days, or Subaru's cost a lot more than I was thinking. I haven't actually financed a car (long term) for quite a few years now. I usually finance short term, as the manufacturers always seem to have a rebate or kickback for financing. Last year, when I traded in the Passat R-Line to get the F150 Reg Cab, the difference wasn't enough to cover the financing kickback. The finance guy at the dealership did some fancy footwork to get around that, and I wound up paying about $100 a month for 3 months before paying off the loan. Which netted me a $750 kickback.

We won't discuss why the payment is what it is.

Needless to say, we are keeping the Outback for a good, long time.

I saw an ad for a 2011 Outback 3.6R with 115K on it - asking price $14K

breld

@28firefighter - I'll echo others comments on the Saab - it looks great! What a fun purchase! I think that's money well spent on the detailing and corrections - it's amazing what they can do these days.

I'm still obsessing over a stop-gap replacement for the i3 (until the next wave of EVs come out). Wife and I drove this yesterday:

2010 328xi Manual

As far as E90's go, it hits all the right buttons for us - Sport Package, Manual, Nav, nice color inside and out. It's on the list of considerations, but we left saying that it was more a nostalgic thing than a "we must have it" thing. It did drive nicely for 86k miles, and I forgot how heavy that steering is.

I'm gonna look at some used TSX's too - there's a V6 version available I may check out today. Would prefer to find a 4 cylinder manual example, but they're scarce.

Accord Sport manuals (or even automatics) seem to hold their value annoyingly well (from a shopper's perspective anyway).

The $10-15k used car market seems a bit tough - upping that budget a few grand nets some more desirable choices (like a Mazda6 Touring manual I'm eyeing), but it'd be nice to stay in the lower price bracket.

nyccarguy

Green Leather Interior?
Low Mileage Turbo w/ a 6-Speed

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-porsche-911-turbo-25/

Mr_Shiftright

28firefighter said:

Agreed.  I also understand that I likely won’t get that money back, but it makes me really happy to be giving the car new life.

Next have the tie rods

28firefighter said:

Thanks all! It has been a lot of fun so far (coming up on 1 month of ownership today) and I'm hoping/praying it is moderately reliable. You can't see, but I'm knocking on every wooden surface in our house.

If not, I've wasted larger amounts of money in the past - see e.g. grad school.

I always buy "risky" cars and have generally had very good luck -- bought a few Saabs, too, and learned a lot from them.

The trick is to ----Get on Top of Them and STAY on Top of Them. So, in the beginning, you have to correct all the neglect of the previous owner, which hopefully isn't too painful. Then you research the cars "weak points". A Saab specialist or Saab forum could tell you exactly what common faults are. Then you use that list to monitor the car, usually at each oil change (which should be frequent).

So I've weathered Saabs, Minis, old BMWs and Subaru 2.5s, even a Porsche 928--all high risk cars--and I never got "bit" too badly. On a cost per mile basis, they were all worth it.

My only caveat is: "Don't combine 'risky car' with excessively high mileage".

fintail

Been thinking again what to do at lease end. Buying out is highly unlikely, with interest rates rising and a possible idiotic trade war, cheap leases might be harder to come by, and I won't do it again unless the deal is just as good. That leaves buying a modern used car (most likely another Bluetec) or buying something odd, getting in under the 25 year rule/.

This pushes my buttons, perfect configuration and great colors

This is cool too, but these later model cabrios fetch a big premium

And another, not my first color choice

carnaught

nyccarguy said:

Green Leather Interior?
Low Mileage Turbo w/ a 6-Speed

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-porsche-911-turbo-25/

Quite a quirky unicorn, but me likey

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

The one that interests me more is this one....

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-mazda-rx-7-gsl-se-4/

That might make me part with some Benjamins.

oooo... me want. I saw the decent GSL with 12A they had up recently, but I'm far more interested in the 13B. Had not spotted that GSL-SE. That's definitely the one to get.

Mr_Shiftright

Do they really call those "cabriolets"? Seems a stretch, what with the rigid door frame in place. Does Jeep make a "cabriolet"?

I'm trying real hard to sense the appeal of these vehicles but it keeps slipping from my grasp.

fintail

This is from the brand that embraces the 4 door coupe. Anything is possible.

Timeless style, solid underpinnings (just mind the body rust), insane depreciation floor.

Mr_Shiftright said:

Do they really call those "cabriolets"? Seems a stretch, what with the rigid door frame in place. Does Jeep make a "cabriolet"?

I'm trying real hard to sense the appeal of these vehicles but it keeps slipping from my grasp.

28firefighter

Mr_Shiftright said:

28firefighter said:

Agreed.  I also understand that I likely won’t get that money back, but it makes me really happy to be giving the car new life.

Next have the tie rods

28firefighter said:

Thanks all! It has been a lot of fun so far (coming up on 1 month of ownership today) and I'm hoping/praying it is moderately reliable. You can't see, but I'm knocking on every wooden surface in our house.

If not, I've wasted larger amounts of money in the past - see e.g. grad school.

I always buy "risky" cars and have generally had very good luck -- bought a few Saabs, too, and learned a lot from them.

The trick is to ----Get on Top of Them and STAY on Top of Them. So, in the beginning, you have to correct all the neglect of the previous owner, which hopefully isn't too painful. Then you research the cars "weak points". A Saab specialist or Saab forum could tell you exactly what common faults are. Then you use that list to monitor the car, usually at each oil change (which should be frequent).

So I've weathered Saabs, Minis, old BMWs and Subaru 2.5s, even a Porsche 928--all high risk cars--and I never got "bit" too badly. On a cost per mile basis, they were all worth it.

My only caveat is: "Don't combine 'risky car' with excessively high mileage".

Solid advice all around. I did have that discussion with the Saab shop and from their perspective, the most troublesome parts have been replaced in the last couple of years. The only thing they could tell me to watch for was the fuel pump, which in their experience typically blows out around 140k miles (at 106k right now). I asked if it made sense to do it proactively and they said they'd suggest that in another 20k miles.

Suspension bits are in good shape, though there are always upgrades to be made.

Next oil change is in a few months.

pensfan83

breld said:

The $10-15k used car market seems a bit tough - upping that budget a few grand nets some more desirable choices (like a Mazda6 Touring manual I'm eyeing), but it'd be nice to stay in the lower price bracket.

The $5K bracket is tough as well. Most everything I've found is tired looking beyond its years, very high mileage, or has a ratty interior. Throw in the fact I'm limiting myself to manual transmissions only and the population isn't very high. I haven't looked much in recent weeks because I was getting discouraged at the lack of options. Raising the budget even a few thousand dollars would pull in more desirable vehicles in but that isn't an option.

28firefighter

pensfan83 said:

breld said:

The $10-15k used car market seems a bit tough - upping that budget a few grand nets some more desirable choices (like a Mazda6 Touring manual I'm eyeing), but it'd be nice to stay in the lower price bracket.

The $5K bracket is tough as well. Most everything I've found is tired looking beyond its years, very high mileage, or has a ratty interior. Throw in the fact I'm limiting myself to manual transmissions only and the population isn't very high. I haven't looked much in recent weeks because I was getting discouraged at the lack of options. Raising the budget even a few thousand dollars would pull in more desirable vehicles in but that isn't an option.

Been there...

imidazol97

sandman_6472 said:

Doc called earlier, seems I’m anemic but my cholesterol is o k, borderline he said. Am pleased that I’m getting better but still dealing with weakness. Think my neck pain is because I fell about five times from what we’ve put together and it has affected my neck. The falls only made the herniations worse but with some p t and my pain meds, we’ll get things under control. Working only three days a week seems to be the right combo for me so will continue but since they will be hiring some new drivers, have already requested to give up Fridays, something the wife is in favor of. The tenseness has dissipated since I got home and maybe the thought of actually losing me for good, really had a positive change.
Whatever, am glad to be on the mend and have decided that once I feel better and get all the bills paid for my part of it all, will treat myself to a new vehicle. Shooting for December of 2018, last week I think, but thinking a new vehicle might just be the lift I need!!

The Sandman

Take it slow. Don't stress your body out working too many hours. I was watching for when you went back to work and hoping you'd not have trouble going back too soon.

ab348

fintail said:

Timeless style, solid underpinnings (just mind the body rust), insane depreciation floor.

Mr_Shiftright said:

I'm trying real hard to sense the appeal of these vehicles but it keeps slipping from my grasp.

I'm having a hard time believing anyone would enjoy using one of these as a DD enough to make the depreciation floor become a factor.

kyfdx

nyccarguy said:

Green Leather Interior?
Low Mileage Turbo w/ a 6-Speed

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-porsche-911-turbo-25/

I'm not picky about color, but I'd have to pass on that interior. Unfortunately, back then, no matter the interior color, the carpets match. With just the seats and door panels, I may be able to stomach it... but, matching carpet is just too over the top.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

The one that interests me more is this one....

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-mazda-rx-7-gsl-se-4/

That might make me part with some Benjamins.

oooo... me want. I saw the decent GSL with 12A they had up recently, but I'm far more interested in the 13B. Had not spotted that GSL-SE. That's definitely the one to get.

I like it, too. You’re right....13B is the one to get from this gen. Condition looks great and coincides with the low miles. A/C might be a gotcha. But, throw $500 at it and I bet that fixes it.

These are quirky but a giant smile to drive. As long as you know you aren’t going to win any stop light wars with one, and you understand they burn a little oil, and the MPG is not their strong suit, this one will give you plenty to like.

Might keep a very close eye on it.

ab348

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

Green Leather Interior?
Low Mileage Turbo w/ a 6-Speed

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-porsche-911-turbo-25/

I'm not picky about color, but I'd have to pass on that interior. Unfortunately, back then, no matter the interior color, the carpets match. With just the seats and door panels, I may be able to stomach it... but, matching carpet is just too over the top.

I dunno.... the pics make the green look almost like a gray, at least on my screen. Maybe the seller has color-edited the pics to downplay it.

henryn

graphicguy said:

I like it, too. You’re right....13B is the one to get from this gen. Condition looks great and coincides with the low miles. A/C might be a gotcha. But, throw $500 at it and I bet that fixes it.

These are quirky but a giant smile to drive. As long as you know you aren’t going to win any stop light wars with one, and you understand they burn a little oil, and the MPG is not their strong suit, this one will give you plenty to like.

Might keep a very close eye on it.

Long ago, in a galaxy far far away … no, wait, wrong story.

Somewhere around 1975 or 1976 I owned a little Mazda station wagon with the rotary engine. It was, if I recall correctly, a 1973 year model. I was rather fond of it to begin with, but the bloom wore off the rose rather quickly. It was indeed a high revving pocket rocket, but you had to clean the spark plugs once a week to keep it in tune. And every now and then, it would just make all of the oil disappear. No oily spots where I was parked, it would just suddenly be 2, 3, 4 quarts low. And then there were problems with the A/C …

And since when did $500 ever fix any car A/C problem? In my experience, if you have an A/C problem in an automobile, $1,000 is getting off cheap.

fintail

I see a number of early 2000s models with ~150K miles, which surprises me given the thirst (all US spec are V8) and running costs. The steadily decaying roads in this area might add appeal, too.

Regarding the Mazda talk, a Rotary Wagon would be seriously collectible today.

ab348 said:

I'm having a hard time believing anyone would enjoy using one of these as a DD enough to make the depreciation floor become a factor.

pensfan83

28firefighter said:

I hear you. This one is scuffed up a bit, the front bumper looks gouged, the drivers seat leather is ripped on the side bolster, and it's hard to tell from the pictures but maybe some of that infamous Honda rear fender well rust might be starting. Still, this is local so it's not like I'm going out of my way to look at it.

That Saab Aero is still for sale too....that's tempting but I don't really have a need for another sedan.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=485179185&zip=15025&referrer=/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=15025&startYear=1981&sortBy=relevance&maxPrice=5000&incremental=all&firstRecord=25&endYear=2019&searchRadius=75&transmissionCodes=MAN&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&maxPrice=5000&firstRecord=25&endYear=2019&searchRadius=75&makeCode1=ACURA&modelCode1=RSX

28firefighter

@pensfan83 - I don't get good vibes from that RSX - the body work, the rust, the mileage. To make things worse, your car needs to pass the PA safety and emissions inspections, which are far more intense than anything I deal with now.

The biggest Saab issues I've read about are on cars that grew up in the rust belt - I'd get that looked at very closely if you were serious. I didn't need to worry because my Viggen was PNW born and raised, so no salty roads to worry about.