Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

graphicguy

If I ever bought another Mustang (which I put at 50/50 odds), it would be a current gen GT convertible. Not sure what one a couple model years old would sell for, though. I haven't checked any out.

No convertible? RB, like you, I've always liked the Challengers with Scat Pack. Find one a year or two old and if I'm carrying my check book, not sure I could resist.

henryn

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

This may be a regional thing, but for my area that is a very low price. I just spent 15 minutes going through craigslist and cars.com and I could not find a single deal that was comparable. I found a great many comparable Mustangs, but nothing that was even close to that price.

henryn

Ah, heck, my bad, entirely. That is a 2004, and I had read it as saying 2014. Sorry about that, maybe I need new reading glasses.

breld

stickguy said:

I think breld should get a Volvo C30. No particular reason. Just feels like the right move.

Maybe because I would not mind having one myself!

Funny you say that - on the commute in this morning, my wife and I were admiring a nice looking orange-ish C30. I'd be open to it for sure, but seems hard to find a nice one.

On the surface, I like this one, but seems to be priced way high and has some sort of accident on the carfax (says something about "no damage"?)

Volvo C30

graphicguy

henryn said:

Ah, heck, my bad, entirely. That is a 2004, and I had read it as saying 2014. Sorry about that, maybe I need new reading glasses.

Been there, for sure.

I remember when I had factory ordered my (then) new '05 GT, the dealer had 4-5 of those Machs on the lot...all new.

He said he'd sell me one of the Mach 1s cheaper than the '05 GT....one was actually the same color as the one advertised here. I wished I would have taken him up on that offer. The '04 Mach 1 was a better car than the '05 GT.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

It's an interesting dilemma for me. I keep finding these good deals on cars I like but they are all automatics.

And I test drive them, and in my mind I'm saying "Well, sure, this isn't too bad--I'm ready for an automatic, what with the traffic around here--and you know, my left knee is a little sore now and then---and the price and condition of the car is really good...."

But then I just can't do it.

Yes, yes, I know...Ferraris use them.

Manuals used to be faster and get better fuel economy- now in most cases the opposite is true. If someone had told me back in the '70s that I would own a car that ran the 1/4 mile in the high twelves and averaged over 25 mpg I would have thought that they were insane.

So, I've come around to the opinion that a manual tends to be more entertaining when the car actually needs a manual gearbox. For example, in my 318ti you simply must keep the engine wound tight to make anything close to rapid progress- and it's a whole lot of fun to drive it in that fashion. In contrast, my M235i makes 330 lb-ft of twist from 1400 to 4500 rpm; with such a flat torque curve there is almost always a ton of thrust available regardless of rpm and/or the gear selected. It's also nice to have a car that can convert from cruise mode to track toy mode with the press of a button. If I was buying an M2 or M3 I would definitely go with a manual every time, but in the less intense models an automatic transmission does not detract from my enjoyment of the car.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

I loved my C30. Would have been amazing with a stick and a Polestar tune.

If we can just convert another 100K citizens to stick ownership, maybe they will start making them, again.

Why I've driven only automatics is beyond me. And going 10 years since even touching a stick? Crazy.

I LOVE having a stick to drive when I WANT to. The 7AT in my Infiniti does a nice job. If eventually after it is paid off and I give it to my wife so I can pick up something economical & fun to commute with (although I did get 19.5 mpg on the Q40s last tank), I could pick up something with a hand shaker.

nyccarguy

Mr_Shiftright said:

nyccarguy said:

Here’s a really nice, local car
2016 Jetta 1.4T S
30K - 5 Speed Stick
Under 13K

https://www.prestigevwct.com/certified/Volkswagen/2016-Volkswagen-Jetta+Sedan-bffa06bf0a0e0ae9627ac91b8ad83ba2.htm

Seems like a lot of car for that kind of money.

It does.

stickguy

I would not get a Jetta S. SEs much better equipped, and should not cost more than that S.

Bradd, forgot to ask for route recommendations. But my daughter drove up today from SJ to Rhode Island to visit friends. So must have gone right near you on 95. I mapped out to send her up over the TZ and down 287 to 95. Neither of us wanted any part of a solo jaunt through fort lee, the GWB and my least favorite road ever, the cross Bronx. Especially since she would have no clue where she was, and would be depending on Navi and trying to read signs.

Worked fine. No getting lost. And she found CT to be lovely. Largely because that was were traffic dropped off and she could just cruise along!

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

I LOVE having a stick to drive when I WANT to. The 7AT in my Infiniti does a nice job. If eventually after it is paid off and I give it to my wife so I can pick up something economical & fun to commute with (although I did get 19.5 mpg on the Q40s last tank), I could pick up something with a hand shaker.

I am going to be as kind as possible here....

19.5 is NOT economical.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

I would not get a Jetta S. SEs much better equipped, and should not cost more than that S.

Bradd, forgot to ask for route recommendations. But my daughter drove up today from SJ to Rhode Island to visit friends. So must have gone right near you on 95. I mapped out to send her up over the TZ and down 287 to 95. Neither of us wanted any part of a solo jaunt through fort lee, the GWB and my least favorite road ever, the cross Bronx. Especially since she would have no clue where she was, and would be depending on Navi and trying to read signs.

Worked fine. No getting lost. And she found CT to be lovely. Largely because that was were traffic dropped off and she could just cruise along!

Driving from NJ to CT & Beyond is usually where WAZE comes in extremely handy. Over the TZ & across 287 used to be much quicker and so much less crowded. Now there is traffic everywhere. Even up the Palisades past exit 5 is stop & go. Sometimes coming up the Garden State it is stop & go from the NY state line all the way to the TZ bridge.

I have found that consistently over the last few years that the best route is to take the NJ Turnpike (depending on where you are obviously) all the way up, then get off and take Route 46 East up to the GW. Go across the GW and take the Henry Hudson Parkway North into Westchester (yes, you are paying 2 tolls), across the Cross County Parkway, & up The Hutchinson River Parkway. From there you can either continue op the Merritt Parkway into CT or jump off at 287 and take that across to 95 North.

Coming back to NJ, I'd say take The Hutch to the CRoss County to the Saw Mill (Henry Hudson) and get on the Cross Bronx right at the foot of the bridge.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

I would not get a Jetta S. SEs much better equipped, and should not cost more than that S.

Bradd, forgot to ask for route recommendations. But my daughter drove up today from SJ to Rhode Island to visit friends. So must have gone right near you on 95. I mapped out to send her up over the TZ and down 287 to 95. Neither of us wanted any part of a solo jaunt through fort lee, the GWB and my least favorite road ever, the cross Bronx. Especially since she would have no clue where she was, and would be depending on Navi and trying to read signs.

Worked fine. No getting lost. And she found CT to be lovely. Largely because that was were traffic dropped off and she could just cruise along!

Driving from NJ to CT & Beyond is usually where WAZE comes in extremely handy. Over the TZ & across 287 used to be much quicker and so much less crowded. Now there is traffic everywhere. Even up the Palisades past exit 5 is stop & go. Sometimes coming up the Garden State it is stop & go from the NY state line all the way to the TZ bridge.

I have found that consistently over the last few years that the best route is to take the NJ Turnpike (depending on where you are obviously) all the way up, then get off and take Route 46 East up to the GW. Go across the GW and take the Henry Hudson Parkway North into Westchester (yes, you are paying 2 tolls), across the Cross County Parkway, & up The Hutchinson River Parkway. From there you can either continue op the Merritt Parkway into CT or jump off at 287 and take that across to 95 North.

Coming back to NJ, I'd say take The Hutch to the CRoss County to the Saw Mill (Henry Hudson) and get on the Cross Bronx right at the foot of the bridge.

Mr_Shiftright

xwesx said:

nyccarguy said:

I LOVE having a stick to drive when I WANT to. The 7AT in my Infiniti does a nice job. If eventually after it is paid off and I give it to my wife so I can pick up something economical & fun to commute with (although I did get 19.5 mpg on the Q40s last tank), I could pick up something with a hand shaker.

I am going to be as kind as possible here....

19.5 is NOT economical.

It's all relative. If you trade up from a vehicle getting 13 mpg, you've increased your fuel economy 50%!

nyccarguy

xwesx said:

nyccarguy said:

I LOVE having a stick to drive when I WANT to. The 7AT in my Infiniti does a nice job. If eventually after it is paid off and I give it to my wife so I can pick up something economical & fun to commute with (although I did get 19.5 mpg on the Q40s last tank), I could pick up something with a hand shaker.

I am going to be as kind as possible here....

19.5 is NOT economical.

No, but the Subaru I had before it ONLY got 26 - 26.5 mpg on average and was deathly slow. I'll take the 6 mpg penalty for the sub 6 second 0-60 mph time

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

Well, yours was 6 yrs older and the Mach 1 in question was an improvement in performance vs your older cobra. So I'd take the newer facelifted vehicle for $2k less, personally. Diff'rent strokes and all that, ya know?

stickguy

The Elantra might not be the most loaded car, but still has a good selection of features and is certainly quick enough. And was cheap. But really nice to get great MPG with that. Just did a long weekend trip to Saratoga. About 600 miles total I think, and overall got somewhere around 36 I think. That was hammering along on the highway, and a lot of local running around. Not complaining about that. And only needs RUG too.

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

I would not get a Jetta S. SEs much better equipped, and should not cost more than that S.

Bradd, forgot to ask for route recommendations. But my daughter drove up today from SJ to Rhode Island to visit friends. So must have gone right near you on 95. I mapped out to send her up over the TZ and down 287 to 95. Neither of us wanted any part of a solo jaunt through fort lee, the GWB and my least favorite road ever, the cross Bronx. Especially since she would have no clue where she was, and would be depending on Navi and trying to read signs.

Worked fine. No getting lost. And she found CT to be lovely. Largely because that was were traffic dropped off and she could just cruise along!

Driving from NJ to CT & Beyond is usually where WAZE comes in extremely handy. Over the TZ & across 287 used to be much quicker and so much less crowded. Now there is traffic everywhere. Even up the Palisades past exit 5 is stop & go. Sometimes coming up the Garden State it is stop & go from the NY state line all the way to the TZ bridge.

I have found that consistently over the last few years that the best route is to take the NJ Turnpike (depending on where you are obviously) all the way up, then get off and take Route 46 East up to the GW. Go across the GW and take the Henry Hudson Parkway North into Westchester (yes, you are paying 2 tolls), across the Cross County Parkway, & up The Hutchinson River Parkway. From there you can either continue op the Merritt Parkway into CT or jump off at 287 and take that across to 95 North.

Coming back to NJ, I'd say take The Hutch to the CRoss County to the Saw Mill (Henry Hudson) and get on the Cross Bronx right at the foot of the bridge.

Exactly why I sent her up the GSP, over the TZ and 287 to 95. Easy to follow. I could probably follow all that, but I know (most of) the roads, and if I have not been on them, I know where they go. And can figure out from signs what is going on. She has not the faintest idea about logistics around NYC, was driving alone, and had no desire to be getting WAZEd along local streets up in the Bronx. With a high probability of missing one of those turns. Not really worth the risk to maybe save 15 minutes!

I did map it out, and the standard way is over the GWB and straight across the CB to 95. But going the way she did is only about 12 minutes and 10 miles more. So, worth it for peace of mind. Cheaper too! Going around busy traffic times helps too.

only took about 4:45 to get from outside Philly to outside Newport. So not too bad. And she was happy not having to worry about a tricky route.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

I would not get a Jetta S. SEs much better equipped, and should not cost more than that S.

Bradd, forgot to ask for route recommendations. But my daughter drove up today from SJ to Rhode Island to visit friends. So must have gone right near you on 95. I mapped out to send her up over the TZ and down 287 to 95. Neither of us wanted any part of a solo jaunt through fort lee, the GWB and my least favorite road ever, the cross Bronx. Especially since she would have no clue where she was, and would be depending on Navi and trying to read signs.

Worked fine. No getting lost. And she found CT to be lovely. Largely because that was were traffic dropped off and she could just cruise along!

Driving from NJ to CT & Beyond is usually where WAZE comes in extremely handy. Over the TZ & across 287 used to be much quicker and so much less crowded. Now there is traffic everywhere. Even up the Palisades past exit 5 is stop & go. Sometimes coming up the Garden State it is stop & go from the NY state line all the way to the TZ bridge.

I have found that consistently over the last few years that the best route is to take the NJ Turnpike (depending on where you are obviously) all the way up, then get off and take Route 46 East up to the GW. Go across the GW and take the Henry Hudson Parkway North into Westchester (yes, you are paying 2 tolls), across the Cross County Parkway, & up The Hutchinson River Parkway. From there you can either continue op the Merritt Parkway into CT or jump off at 287 and take that across to 95 North.

Coming back to NJ, I'd say take The Hutch to the CRoss County to the Saw Mill (Henry Hudson) and get on the Cross Bronx right at the foot of the bridge.

Exactly why I sent her up the GSP, over the TZ and 287 to 95. Easy to follow. I could probably follow all that, but I know (most of) the roads, and if I have not been on them, I know where they go. And can figure out from signs what is going on. She has not the faintest idea about logistics around NYC, was driving alone, and had no desire to be getting WAZEd along local streets up in the Bronx. With a high probability of missing one of those turns. Not really worth the risk to maybe save 15 minutes!

I did map it out, and the standard way is over the GWB and straight across the CB to 95. But going the way she did is only about 12 minutes and 10 miles more. So, worth it for peace of mind. Cheaper too! Going around busy traffic times helps too.

only took about 4:45 to get from outside Philly to outside Newport. So not too bad. And she was happy not having to worry about a tricky route.

You definitely sent her the simplest way. Just sometimes the TZ can be just as bad as the GW.

stickguy

maybe traffic wise. But it could never be as bad driving over. Especially the nightmare of funneling into the toll booths, then out onto the bridge. Nasty.

henryn

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

Well, yours was 6 yrs older and the Mach 1 in question was an improvement in performance vs your older cobra. So I'd take the newer facelifted vehicle for $2k less, personally. Diff'rent strokes and all that, ya know?



Now that I've got it straightened out (in my head) that we're looking at / talking about a 2004, I'll have to take a pass. I have no interest in any Mustang with the 4.6, it would have to be a 2011 or newer with the 5.0.

Back in 2008, I bought a 2001 Mustang GT convertible. It was in great shape, beautiful, nice loud exhaust, but ...

When you got down to the bottom line, it was not fast. My wife had just purchased a 2008 Passat with the 2.0T engine. And that Passat would take the Mustang, every time, in any way you wanted to try. Standing start, 30 mph stomp, 60 mph stomp, you name it, the Passat would pull away, every time. Which was rather embarrassing. Needless to say, I didn't keep that Mustang for very long.

Heck, the newer Mustangs with the base 3.7L engine are faster than the older 4.6 V8 Mustangs.

If I could actually get a 2014 (or any 2011 or newer), in good shape, reasonable miles, for that kind of price, I would definitely be interested.

qbrozen

henryn said:

graphicguy said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

Well, yours was 6 yrs older and the Mach 1 in question was an improvement in performance vs your older cobra. So I'd take the newer facelifted vehicle for $2k less, personally. Diff'rent strokes and all that, ya know?

Now that I've got it straightened out (in my head) that we're looking at / talking about a 2004, I'll have to take a pass. I have no interest in any Mustang with the 4.6, it would have to be a 2011 or newer with the 5.0. Back in 2008, I bought a 2001 Mustang GT convertible. It was in great shape, beautiful, nice loud exhaust, but ... When you got down to the bottom line, it was not fast. My wife had just purchased a 2008 Passat with the 2.0T engine. And that Passat would take the Mustang, every time, in any way you wanted to try. Standing start, 30 mph stomp, 60 mph stomp, you name it, the Passat would pull away, every time. Which was rather embarrassing. Needless to say, I didn't keep that Mustang for very long. Heck, the newer Mustangs with the base 3.7L engine are faster than the older 4.6 V8 Mustangs. If I could actually get a 2014 (or any 2011 or newer), in good shape, reasonable miles, for that kind of price, I would definitely be interested.

The older gen Mach 1 isn't that bad. 0-60 in 5.3 and 1/4 in under 14 secs still stomps on anything less than a luxo car or real sportscar. And for $13k? Really not bad at all if looking for a cheap toy.

au1994

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

Well, yours was 6 yrs older and the Mach 1 in question was an improvement in performance vs your older cobra. So I'd take the newer facelifted vehicle for $2k less, personally. Diff'rent strokes and all that, ya know?

Now that I've got it straightened out (in my head) that we're looking at / talking about a 2004, I'll have to take a pass. I have no interest in any Mustang with the 4.6, it would have to be a 2011 or newer with the 5.0.

Back in 2008, I bought a 2001 Mustang GT convertible. It was in great shape, beautiful, nice loud exhaust, but ...

When you got down to the bottom line, it was not fast. My wife had just purchased a 2008 Passat with the 2.0T engine. And that Passat would take the Mustang, every time, in any way you wanted to try. Standing start, 30 mph stomp, 60 mph stomp, you name it, the Passat would pull away, every time. Which was rather embarrassing. Needless to say, I didn't keep that Mustang for very long.

Heck, the newer Mustangs with the base 3.7L engine are faster than the older 4.6 V8 Mustangs.

If I could actually get a 2014 (or any 2011 or newer), in good shape, reasonable miles, for that kind of price, I would definitely be interested.

The older gen Mach 1 isn't that bad. 0-60 in 5.3 and 1/4 in under 14 secs still stomps on anything less than a luxo car or real sportscar. And for $13k? Really not bad at all if looking for a cheap toy.


No, 0-60 in 5.3 is not too shabby. An older Mustang drop top is a great bargain for a weekend fun car, I think. Cheap to obtain and maintain and a huge aftermarket if you want to add some go fast parts.

Time moves on and cars get faster. We all know the stories of how the “magnum” Ferrari would be dusted by a run of the mill current Accord or Camry.

henryn

Standard on base, Deluxe and Premium Mustangs is a 190-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6. Step up to the GT Deluxe and GT Premium, and you'll get a 260-horsepower, 4.6-liter V8. The Mach 1 gets a tweaked version of this V8 worthy of 310 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque. All Mustangs are rear-drive and can be equipped with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission.


----------------------------
50 additional horsepower for the Mach I would definitely help.

breld

With all this talk of muscle cars, I thought I'd change the tone a bit and mention that I'll likely be checking out a Prius Prime this evening.

henryn

au1994 said:

No, 0-60 in 5.3 is not too shabby. An older Mustang drop top is a great bargain for a weekend fun car, I think. Cheap to obtain and maintain and a huge aftermarket if you want to add some go fast parts.

Time moves on and cars get faster. We all know the stories of how the “magnum” Ferrari would be dusted by a run of the mill current Accord or Camry.

Your comment inspired me to do a google search. While I couldn't find any comparison such as you mention, this comes pretty close, and is an interesting read.



https://edmunds.com/kia/sedona/2007/comparison-test.html

28firefighter

breld said:

With all this talk of muscle cars, I thought I'd change the tone a bit and mention that I'll likely be checking out a Prius Prime this evening.

Doesn't someone here or over on Cars & Conversations have one and love it?

I'm starting to think a hybrid or plug-in hybrid might have a place in the stable here at some point. Not for me of course, unless its a 330e. But my wife doesn't care.

nyccarguy

What's the LH target monthly payment for that 330e? lol

pensfan83

I think someone recently picked up one on a 24/10 lease for sub-$300 in California.

Earlier this year someone else picked up a 330e from a dealer in Ohio that was having a firesale on inventory due to a change in ownership. I forget the terms but I know the payment was $110/month. That's not a typo.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

Well, yours was 6 yrs older and the Mach 1 in question was an improvement in performance vs your older cobra. So I'd take the newer facelifted vehicle for $2k less, personally. Diff'rent strokes and all that, ya know?

Now that I've got it straightened out (in my head) that we're looking at / talking about a 2004, I'll have to take a pass. I have no interest in any Mustang with the 4.6, it would have to be a 2011 or newer with the 5.0.

Back in 2008, I bought a 2001 Mustang GT convertible. It was in great shape, beautiful, nice loud exhaust, but ...

When you got down to the bottom line, it was not fast. My wife had just purchased a 2008 Passat with the 2.0T engine. And that Passat would take the Mustang, every time, in any way you wanted to try. Standing start, 30 mph stomp, 60 mph stomp, you name it, the Passat would pull away, every time. Which was rather embarrassing. Needless to say, I didn't keep that Mustang for very long.

Heck, the newer Mustangs with the base 3.7L engine are faster than the older 4.6 V8 Mustangs.

If I could actually get a 2014 (or any 2011 or newer), in good shape, reasonable miles, for that kind of price, I would definitely be interested.

The older gen Mach 1 isn't that bad. 0-60 in 5.3 and 1/4 in under 14 secs still stomps on anything less than a luxo car or real sportscar. And for $13k? Really not bad at all if looking for a cheap toy.


I always liked the Mach 1; there are some relatively inexpensive tweaks that boost hp significantly.

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

What's the LH target monthly payment for that 330e? lol

I posted this over on Leasehackr, but with interest rates going up, residual values going down, I think the days of the sub-$300 BMW lease are numbered. There may be one last push after the new 3 series comes out, but after that I think it will become exponentially harder to nab.

Between December-February this year, if you were in a competitive market, it was fairly easy to nab a 2017 330e loaner for sub-$300 with drive-offs, including tax. As @pensfan83 mentioned, someone in Ohio picked one up for $110/month inclusive of tax - that was truly a fluke and some great deals came out of that same dealer, but it was related to getting rid of inventory as part of a dealer ownership change. Right now you'd be in the low to mid-300s, if you were a skilled negotiator.

Michaell

I may finally get a sense of what the Jetta can do on a road trip.

I've volunteered to work the US Senior Open at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. I'm on the VIP Transportation committee, shuttling players and USGA folks from the airport to the hotel. The airport is about 60-65 miles from my house, depending on which route I take. I'm working 5 shifts in the next couple of weeks, so I'll be driving down there and back a lot.

Up to now, the longest trip I've taken with it is up to Denver, about 30 or so miles.

(by the way, Lexus is the official car of the USGA, so it'll be interesting to see what we'll be driving. I've heard it could be the LS, the RC, and various SUVs)

pensfan83

Well that sounds fun. When you're not shuttling players in the light back and forth do you get to enjoy the tournament? 

Sandman6472

The work done on my Golf is pretty top notch, looks really really good. Drives great also and tracks straight and true with a dead on straight steering wheel, my big pet peeve! A big reason it's still here is that it's in top notch shape and have other bills that need to be paid first...the hospital.
Did read a great article about the new 2019 Honda Insight, something I am very interested in. Great mpg's and the right size, either the EX or Touring model would be my choice. Need Apple CarPlay and want Sirius/XM and push button start would be cool. Besides that, am pretty o k. Honda's are pretty "cheap to keep" and would have no issue going back into one for my next d d. As much as I love my Golf, think I could love the Insight also.
Luckily, not in a hurry for a new vehcile at this juncture, still need to get my front brakes checked as with 41K on the clock, time to replace the pads methinks. The rears are probably o k as the emergency brake only goes up one click, yes, still have the old fashion e. b., something I can't wait to remedy. And if I have to get another odd year vehicle, so be it though I do prefer even yeared vehicles to be honest.

The Sandman

henryn

Uhh... Can you fill us in on that? I, for one, have no idea why odd versus even numbered years on a vehicle purchase would matter. I have read a lot about not buying the first year of a new model, and they used to talk about not buying a car built on a Monday or a Friday, but I haven't heard those stories (day of the week) for a while now. I think robotics have done away with that consideration, a robot doesn't know or care what day of the week it is.

stickguy

I'm boycotting Lexus now though.

stopped tonight with the wife to check out the RX 350L (they sent me multiple requests to come in, so I obliged). Nice enough. Expensive. Did not really float my boat. Pretty sure the wife would never comes to terms with the mouse gizmo and the infotainment screen!

The boycott? It was about 7:30. Place was dead. Only customers seemed to be 2 younger guys that one salesman was dealing with. Must have been 5 others there, mostly hanging out in one office chatting. But for the entire time we were there (checking out the model on the showroom floor), they completely ignored us. Not a wave. No one could walk the 50 feet to see if we needed help. sat in and stood near the car for a while, and nada. So I told her, I am done. Walked over to the door, no one seemed to care, so we left.

Either they really don't want to sell any of the hundreds of cars out on their lot, or (more likely) they just profiled us and flipped us the figurative middle digit hoping we would take our riff raff selves out of their precious showroom.

stickguy

But, Volvo released the new S60 today. Really, really sharp looking. Can't wait to see it in person (somewhere in the fall I think). did a build on the web site, and not bad. A momentum the way I would want it, not missing any desired options, is about the same price as the current model ($40,200 the way I configured it).

More interesting will be stopping in to see how cheap they will lease out a leftover 2018!

corvette

I had the same experience as stickguy at the Lexus dealer in Lexington / Nicholasville. 

stickguy

The wife thought it was odd to be profiled so hard apparently. I had a polo on, and she was only wearing a T shirt, but it was hot out, and it was from a shore town which is the most expensive one on the Jersey shore. And we certainly are the right demographic. I guess we just looked poor.

tjc78

nyccarguy said:

I would not get a Jetta S. SEs much better equipped, and should not cost more than that S. Bradd, forgot to ask for route recommendations. But my daughter drove up today from SJ to Rhode Island to visit friends. So must have gone right near you on 95. I mapped out to send her up over the TZ and down 287 to 95. Neither of us wanted any part of a solo jaunt through fort lee, the GWB and my least favorite road ever, the cross Bronx. Especially since she would have no clue where she was, and would be depending on Navi and trying to read signs. Worked fine. No getting lost. And she found CT to be lovely. Largely because that was were traffic dropped off and she could just cruise along!

Driving from NJ to CT & Beyond is usually where WAZE comes in extremely handy. Over the TZ & across 287 used to be much quicker and so much less crowded. Now there is traffic everywhere. Even up the Palisades past exit 5 is stop & go. Sometimes coming up the Garden State it is stop & go from the NY state line all the way to the TZ bridge. I have found that consistently over the last few years that the best route is to take the NJ Turnpike (depending on where you are obviously) all the way up, then get off and take Route 46 East up to the GW. Go across the GW and take the Henry Hudson Parkway North into Westchester (yes, you are paying 2 tolls), across the Cross County Parkway, & up The Hutchinson River Parkway. From there you can either continue op the Merritt Parkway into CT or jump off at 287 and take that across to 95 North. Coming back to NJ, I'd say take The Hutch to the CRoss County to the Saw Mill (Henry Hudson) and get on the Cross Bronx right at the foot of the bridge.

I’ve used the way you explain.  Not too bad a drive (considering the other options). Merritt is a decent road 

tjc78

henryn said:

graphicguy said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

Well, yours was 6 yrs older and the Mach 1 in question was an improvement in performance vs your older cobra. So I'd take the newer facelifted vehicle for $2k less, personally. Diff'rent strokes and all that, ya know?

Now that I've got it straightened out (in my head) that we're looking at / talking about a 2004, I'll have to take a pass. I have no interest in any Mustang with the 4.6, it would have to be a 2011 or newer with the 5.0. Back in 2008, I bought a 2001 Mustang GT convertible. It was in great shape, beautiful, nice loud exhaust, but ... When you got down to the bottom line, it was not fast. My wife had just purchased a 2008 Passat with the 2.0T engine. And that Passat would take the Mustang, every time, in any way you wanted to try. Standing start, 30 mph stomp, 60 mph stomp, you name it, the Passat would pull away, every time. Which was rather embarrassing. Needless to say, I didn't keep that Mustang for very long. Heck, the newer Mustangs with the base 3.7L engine are faster than the older 4.6 V8 Mustangs. If I could actually get a 2014 (or any 2011 or newer), in good shape, reasonable miles, for that kind of price, I would definitely be interested.

When I first met my wife she had an early 2000s Mustang V6.  She couldn’t understand how my  2006 Avalon dusted her every time ! 

tjc78

stickguy said:

The wife thought it was odd to be profiled so hard apparently. I had a polo on, and she was only wearing a T shirt, but it was hot out, and it was from a shore town which is the most expensive one on the Jersey shore. And we certainly are the right demographic. I guess we just looked poor.

Which dealer?  The one on 73?

henryn

machaikford.com/new/Ford/2018-Ford-Mustang-houston-tx-6da143390a0e0ae865c400f534344172.htm?searchDepth=2:10

Now this is tempting. And below TrueCar pricing, might I add.

roadburner

stickguy said:

I'm boycotting Lexus now though.

stopped tonight with the wife to check out the RX 350L (they sent me multiple requests to come in, so I obliged). Nice enough. Expensive. Did not really float my boat. Pretty sure the wife would never comes to terms with the mouse gizmo and the infotainment screen!

The boycott? It was about 7:30. Place was dead. Only customers seemed to be 2 younger guys that one salesman was dealing with. Must have been 5 others there, mostly hanging out in one office chatting. But for the entire time we were there (checking out the model on the showroom floor), they completely ignored us. Not a wave. No one could walk the 50 feet to see if we needed help. sat in and stood near the car for a while, and nada. So I told her, I am done. Walked over to the door, no one seemed to care, so we left.

Either they really don't want to sell any of the hundreds of cars out on their lot, or (more likely) they just profiled us and flipped us the figurative middle digit hoping we would take our riff raff selves out of their precious showroom.

I never profiled people when I worked for BMW, I was happy to help anyone that walked in the door- assuming they wanted help, of course.
That said, I was ignored at a BMW dealer as well as a VW dealer. Another VW dealer treated me like a 16 year old looky-loo when I asked about the availability of a Golf R with a manual gearbox.
Morons.

henryn

I have been ignored many times at a dealership. Doesn’t necessarily bother me. Sometimes I would rather be ignored than have some high pressure salesman descend on me like a shark smelling blood in the water. There is almost always a receptionist there in the showroom floor, and I can walk right up to her and ask for a salesman if I want one.

Now what gets me is when I am in the middle of a negotiation, and the salesman disappears. Sometimes for 20 or 30 minutes or more. Yes, I know it is a ploy, and I should remain cool, calm and collected. F___ that, I just walk out. Houston is a big city, and there are a lot of car dealerships.

stickguy

tjc78 said:

stickguy said:

The wife thought it was odd to be profiled so hard apparently. I had a polo on, and she was only wearing a T shirt, but it was hot out, and it was from a shore town which is the most expensive one on the Jersey shore. And we certainly are the right demographic. I guess we just looked poor.

Which dealer?  The one on 73?

yup. I'll take the daughter back next week. I still want my $75! She will be happy to help waste some of their time looking at cars she can't afford.

xwesx

sandman_6472 said:

still need to get my front brakes checked as with 41K on the clock, time to replace the pads methinks. The rears are probably o k as the emergency brake only goes up one click, yes, still have the old fashion e. b., something I can't wait to remedy. And if I have to get another odd year vehicle, so be it though I do prefer even yeared vehicles to be honest.

The emergency brake uses a separate set of pads from the standard rear brakes, or does if it has rear disc brakes. So, don't use the effectiveness of the E.B. as an indicator of the health of the pads.

As you suggest, they are probably just fine at 41,000 miles. It is good to check them all at the same time, though!

28firefighter

henryn said:

I have been ignored many times at a dealership. Doesn’t necessarily bother me. Sometimes I would rather be ignored than have some high pressure salesman descend on me like a shark smelling blood in the water. There is almost always a receptionist there in the showroom floor, and I can walk right up to her and ask for a salesman if I want one. Now what gets me is when I am in the middle of a negotiation, and the salesman disappears. Sometimes for 20 or 30 minutes or more. Yes, I know it is a ploy, and I should remain cool, calm and collected. F___ that, I just walk out. Houston is a big city, and there are a lot of car dealerships.

This is why I have never set foot in a dealer to negotiate. I go in to test drive and then sign papers, negotiating everything over email. 

ab348

28firefighter said:

This is why I have never set foot in a dealer to negotiate. I go in to test drive and then sign papers, negotiating everything over email. 

That may be more common in very large markets. Here, no dealer I have ever dealt with will do anything through email except to say "come on in so we can talk".

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

Not quite what y'all are referring to, but I have had this one tagged for a while now:
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/736029760/overview?aff=share_other

That's a nice car. But way on the high side pricewise. I sold my '98 Cobra drop top with 1/2 as many miles for ~$15K. I'd do that again rather than pay $13K for the Mach I

Well, yours was 6 yrs older and the Mach 1 in question was an improvement in performance vs your older cobra. So I'd take the newer facelifted vehicle for $2k less, personally. Diff'rent strokes and all that, ya know?



I get it. The way I viewed it, my Cobra was.....well.....a Cobra, with a hand built V8 and the top went down. And, it was super low mileage. And, it was one owner who had everything ever done to the car documented.

But, I’m showing how I fold in the heat of the moment when it comes to something I (perceive) want.

Torque off the line was intoxicating the way they had it geared. And, it sounded “Oh so sexy”. But, if I wind out my TLX, the 0-60 time is probably similar to the Cobra.

Plus, women waved at me when I had the top down in the Cobra and I was tooling along.

Best I’ve ever done with the Acura was a plus sized lady in a Walmart vest stopping me in a parking lot asking for directions.

jpp75

@stickguy I saw the release on the new S60 yesterday as well, very sharp. I'm a big fan of Volvo.

I've been traveling so haven't had a chance to meet up with @Michaell or @breld but I'm also very interested in the C30 idea for @breld.

I'll be joining @Michaell this weekend for the golf tournament as a volunteer driver, so looking forward to that!