Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

pensfan83

I don't think me or my wife have ever used close to 20 GB combined and we still have the old Verizon unlimited plans so we almost never use WiFi unless signal is bad.

28firefighter

kyfdx said:

That's crazy.....with that much of a dealer discount and incentives I wonder what the 24 month #'s look like.

When I ran them, they were actually worse. Ford only has a 5% spread between 36 and 24 month leases, which doesn't always lend themselves to a cheaper number.

When big incentives and discounts are applied to the shorter term, you get a bigger bang for your buck, because they are spread over fewer months. Sometimes, even a small spread on residuals can be offset. Especially, if the APR or money factor is lower (as it is with the F-150). Doesn't mean necessarily in this case, but it can happen. Also, the big incentives are on the XL STX and the XLT. The higher priced trims don't get them.

Yup. That’s why on most of the bmw and MB loaner leases, once you hit 20% plus off, the 24 month time is better. 

Was surprised when I ran it that the 24 month term wasn’t better. 

fintail

Looks like an ex-rental. I know many don't care, but I might be a little leery, I'd definitely go over it with a fine tooth comb, cosmetically too.

nyccarguy said:

OK, this really IS for a friend of mine. What do you guys think about this used BMW for sale at an Acura Dealership in NJ? You guys know me well enough to know that I don't have a convertible fetish.

https://www.precisionacura.com/used/BMW/2018-BMW-4+Series-1d5f98810a0d0cc74bd561d8fe08765f.htm

breld

I’m very fond of Acuras too.  I’ve had a 1st gen TSX and MDX.  My brother had a ‘95 Integra GS-R.  Great cars. 

They bridge the gap nicely between the Hondas/Toyotas and the luxury brands and that’s reflected in the pricing.  I considered the MDX Sport Hybrid before getting the Land Rover, and in hindsight, I wish I would have taken a stronger look at it (not that I’m shy about making a change).  

They’re making nice strides in design too.  I’d say the facelift to the TLX, particularly the A-spec model, contributed to three purchases on this forum.

stickguy

checking the old memory bank, turns out I have had 3 Acuras. The RDX, 2000 TL and the Integra (maybe a 2000 also? I should write this stuff down). All quality cars, 2 of which had over 175K miles on them when sold, and still working fine. The RDX might get up there too, if I keep it until I am 80!

of all the cars I looked at last purchase cycle, cost independent, I think the TLX was my favorite overall, in terms of what fit me well and just felt right. Just not in the budget at the time. So my small sample size, supports them being a quality product! Cheap to own overall too.

3 Hondas too IIRC. 85 Civic S, 2005 Odyssey and 2005 Accord. I think that is all of them.

tjc78

I’ve never owned a Honda or Acura. I can’t say I’ve ever driven an Acura either.

roadburner

tjc78 said:

I’ve never owned a Honda or Acura. I can’t say I’ve ever driven an Acura either.

They are excellent cars, but they've never been on my radar- although a Civic Type R would be at the top of my list if I ever went FWD again.

pensfan83

So far I'm enjoying my first Acura and wouldn't hesitate to buy one again as long as they have something that has my interest.

suydam

I’ve owned a Civic and an Accord. Couldn’t afford them earlier in life!

stickguy

of all the cars I have had I still missed much of GM, outside of my Opel, and 2 Chevy's. But I had 2 different AMCs! 1 Ford and 1 Mercury. No Lincoln. 2 Plymouths. A Dodge (unless the Colt was a 3rd Plymouth? I think it was). Covered at some point Nissan, VW, Subaru, Volvo, Scion. Mazda of course. Possibly 1 or 2 other brands that slip my mind now.

What was the question again?

stickguy

finally wrote out a list of all the cars that I have owned. Not counting the Horizon my wife had when we got married, I came up with a total of 31. Though I have a nagging feeling I must have missed at least 1.

need to flesh out the details. hard to remember the MY on some of them (can get close) or the exact timing for buy and sell, but can guesstimate that.

one day when I get bored will put it all in a spreadsheet for I can sort and tally easier!

fintail

I can sum up my cars with this (starting at 0:08):

https://youtu.be/OyH-351Z_-0?t=8s

benjaminh

Nice brake feel and grip on the new TLX. Here's what Acura says about the brakes: "Premium Bosch 6-piston brake modulator. The brake modulator utilizes six pistons to build braking pressure almost instantaneously, delivering quick braking response."

And here's some stuff on the precision all-wheel steering (PAWS), which seems like a pretty exotic feature for a car in this class. What other cars even offer 4-wheel steering? Are there any?

"Key components of P-AWS include independent electrically assisted left/right toe-control actuators, special control arms and suspension uprights and an electronic control unit that is linked via a dedicated Control Area Network (CAN) to the Electric Power Steering (EPS), Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), braking and engine control systems.

In operation, P-AWS continuously monitors and calculates the correct amount of rear-toe angle input necessary for the conditions, analyzing steering input, engine and road speed, transmission, throttle position, brake pressure, yaw rate, lateral acceleration and other factors. The maximum amount of rear-wheel toe angle adjustment is 1.8 degrees in either direction (positive or negative) for a total range of 3.6 degrees.

P-AWS automatically and continually adjusts the toe angle of each rear wheel to match driving situations such as turning at an intersection, driving on winding roads, merging or exiting a highway, high-speed maneuvers or snowy conditions. The P-AWS system provides confidence-building cornering capability through improved responsiveness and vehicle control. Examples include:

Secure Highway Cruising — When the driver initiates a lane-change maneuver requiring that the TLX neatly move into the next lane, the P-AWS system adjusts the rear wheel toe angles in phase (the same direction) with the front wheels enabling quick, clean and stable maneuvering.
City Agility and Easy Parking — For sharp low-speed turns, such as on city streets or in parking lots, the P-AWS system adjusts the rear wheel toe angles out of phase (the opposite direction) with the front wheels. This results in a tighter turning radius and reduces driver effort.
Fun to Drive on Winding Roads — When tracing the lines of a twisty road (or helping the TLX track confidently in snowy conditions) the P-AWS system counteracts understeer by helping introduce yaw — the necessary rotational effect — through the corner."

As also mentioned, the front and rear stabilizer bars on the TLX are much larger than on something like an Accord: "26/24.7".

Bottom line is that it's been fun to drive the TLX so far, and not surprisingly there seems to be a lot of engineering behind that.

benjaminh

And because I've switched from a loan to a lease, I'm still amazed that I can be driving a dramatically better car while my monthly payment drops from $298 to $229, saving me almost $70 a month—for the next three years anyway. This is helpful, since the 3-year loan on my wife's new CRV is c. 450 a month.

I was cringing a little thinking about how much more insurance was going to cost each year switching from a low level Accord to a loaded TLX, but here's the yearly increase from State Farm: it's $78 more a year for insurance to drive a TLX Tech compared to an Accord EX. Worth it.

I will be paying more for premium gas, but since they are throwing in 2 years of free maintenance worth maybe $400 (since I assume what that amounts to are c. 4 oil changes etc. plus a couple tire rotations) probably this will more than cover my extra gas costs over the next three years.

benjaminh

Apologies for going on and on about my new car, but the TLX's ELS sound system is good. I'm enjoying all kinds of music on it, hearing details beyond even what I get with my home stereo. It still has a CD player, which is gone from many cars now. I only listen to CDs once in a while, but sometimes I feel like listening to an old album, and actually as soon as you put a CD in the TLX it downloads it into the car's hard drive, and it's stored there for when you want to listen to it next.

Found a two-minute promotional video from when the TLX first came out that shows the system's designer, record producer Elliot Scheiner who worked with Steely Dan, the Eagles etc., talking about the stereo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3En6eiJS84

"Acura/ELS Studio® Premium Audio System, engineered specifically for the TLX by legendary recording engineer Elliot Scheiner to recreate the emotional experience you feel when you enjoy a live performance. The system features high power amplification (490 watts peak output) and advanced speaker technology. It includes a single-disc CD player, AM/FM/HD/SiriusXM/HDD and delivers accurate, well-balanced sound throughout the TLX cabin.

The system's 10 speakers are precisely located throughout the cabin to optimize the listening experience. A pair of ELS tweeters are positioned near the A-pillars, and an ELS 3.1-inch driver is located high in the center of the instrument panel. A total of four 6.7-inch ELS speakers are placed in the front doors and on either side of the rear parcel shelf. Each rear door has a 3.1-inch ELS driver and an 8-inch subwoofer is located in the center of the rear deck."

ab348

tjc78 said:

I’ve never owned a Honda or Acura. I can’t say I’ve ever driven an Acura either.

Same for me re. ownership. I test-drove a new Integra in 1990 and was very let down. Just prior to that I test drove a Civic SI and found it noisy, and then an Accord coupe which I liked enough to buy but the dealership experience was a total turn off, which led me to buy my GTI. Can't say I am a fan of Acura design even now.

benjaminh

ab348 said:

tjc78 said:

I’ve never owned a Honda or Acura. I can’t say I’ve ever driven an Acura either.

Same for me re. ownership. I test-drove a new Integra in 1990 and was very let down. Just prior to that I test drove a Civic SI and found it noisy, and then an Accord coupe which I liked enough to buy but the dealership experience was a total turn off, which led me to buy my GTI. Can't say I am a fan of Acura design even now.

For some reason I'm actually a fan of Cadillac design, present and past. The ATS is a nice-looking car imho, and in performance and features seems very strong. It happened that my Acura salesperson used to sell Cadillacs, but said things were much more lively in the salesroom now that he's at the Acura dealer. I hope Cadillac can turn things around in North America, although I guess like everyone else they are selling a lot of SUVs.

kyfdx

benjaminh said:

And because I've switched from a loan to a lease, I'm still amazed that I can be driving a dramatically better car while my monthly payment drops from $298 to $229, saving me almost $70 a month—for the next three years anyway. This is helpful, since the 3-year loan on my wife's new CRV is c. 450 a month.

I was cringing a little thinking about how much more insurance was going to cost each year switching from a low level Accord to a loaded TLX, but here's the yearly increase from State Farm: it's $78 more a year for insurance to drive a TLX Tech compared to an Accord EX. Worth it.

I will be paying more for premium gas, but since they are throwing in 2 years of free maintenance worth maybe $400 (since I assume what that amounts to are c. 4 oil changes etc. plus a couple tire rotations) probably this will more than cover my extra gas costs over the next three years.

Don't forget about higher property tax (sorry.. )

stickguy

the one feature I really miss on my car, since I did not get the premium package, is the upgraded stereo. The base one is very mediocre at best, without much oomph. Sound is OK but can't handle higher volume needs. The premium package upgraded that to the same basic set up my limited Sonata had, which was pretty good.

the RDX I drove (top lime model I think. Ultra?) had the even fancier stereo (I assume the base RDX is about the same as Benjamin's TLX). Tons of power, lots of speakers, and amazing sound quality. They even had speakers in the ceiling (1 just above each door I think) for real surround sound. That alone was worth considering making a change!

stickguy

also, the free maintenance is not that big a savings. Unless you drive a lot of miles, it is probably going to be once year (7.500-10,000 miles most likely) as determined by the maintenance minder. And my Acura dealer normal price is about $40 for an A1 (oil change) to $70 (B1, includes tire rotation). And that is before hunting for the coupons they always seem to have. If you drive more, might call for a service sooner. I have not seen the minder get to 15% (when it is time to go in) on the RDX in about 4 years. I just make a note when it is time to go back at 12 months.

suydam

Those are all justifications anyway, @benjaminh. I gave all those reasons to justify the costs back when I bought my ‘01 Maxima. Fact is, you got a good lease deal, and more important, you flat out love the car and love driving it. If you’re like me, you’ll love it more every day. Enjoy it! It’s such a pleasure when we find a car that matches our automotive desires in just about every way.

jpp75

@benjaminh thanks for all the info on the TLX. A friend of mine had one of the first ones of this generation, a V6 Advance package. It was a great car but the early versions didn't have the 9-speed transmission quite sorted out. Once they got that in line I can see it being a great car.

The new RDX looks great as well, I need to get @michaell and @breld to go look at one (so we can get @michaell in a TLX).

benjaminh

stickguy said:

also, the free maintenance is not that big a savings. Unless you drive a lot of miles, it is probably going to be once year (7.500-10,000 miles most likely) as determined by the maintenance minder. And my Acura dealer normal price is about $40 for an A1 (oil change) to $70 (B1, includes tire rotation). And that is before hunting for the coupons they always seem to have. If you drive more, might call for a service sooner. I have not seen the minder get to 15% (when it is time to go in) on the RDX in about 4 years. I just make a note when it is time to go back at 12 months.

For various reason I actually drive c. 15,000+ miles a year now. It might be a challenge to stay under 36 for this lease. So I'll definitely be getting at least 2 oil changes a year, and probably more like 3.

rny421

au1994 said:

stickguy said:

I liked he tlx a lot. It as probably the sweet spot car for me. That or an S60. Just not within budget at the time. Should have shopped harder. And leased!

Yup, I considered the S60 seriously as well.

I have them both! I really like the TLX. It is much quieter than the S60. The S60 is obviously much faster than the TLX.
My only dislikes are that the base sound system in the TLX is disappointing, and Honda needs to work on their NVH of their engines at idle. No joke - my 2004 Saturn VUE idled more smooth than my TLX does.

rny421

@qbrozen - What would the trade value in on my S60 and Sky look like? I'm in upstate New York.

2007 Saturn Sky Redline, black on black, 5-speed, leather, 30k miles

2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD, Caspian Blue, black interior, BLIS, leather, sunroof, xenons, 65k miles.

I know many would cringe, but I actually like the 2016+ RX350s. They seem to hold their value REALLY well though.

corvette

Did Honda/Acura change up their service schedule? I thought both A1 and B1 services included tire rotation. I know only one of those two included an oil filter change.

Rode in my parents' Q5 on Monday and couldn't help but think that the fancy parking sensors aren't much needed on a car that size, but would have been very welcome on that F-150 I drove.

carnaught

@benjaminh, many think the premium audio, ELS system in the TLX is one of the top systems available.

graphicguy

Rny421.....if your Acura has issues with the engine rough idling, then something’s wrong. I’ve owned both the 3.5 and 3.7 V6s and have driven the 4 cyl in a TLX loaner. They are smooth as silk....some of the smoothest I’ve ever experienced in any car. I barely know when mine is idling.

@benjaminh ...glad you’re enjoying your TLX. They are really nice cars that do everything well (some things outstandingly).

As these things go, got the dishwasher installed yesterday and was promptly greeted with an iced over compressor with my outside A/C unit. Surprisingly, had the HVAC tech over within 4 hours of calling.

He said there’s a Freon leak somewhere. I asked him if he could find and then fix it. He could....except, it uses R22 Freon, which is no longer made (and hasn’t been in a decade, or so). He said he might be able to source some, but it wasn’t going to be cheap.

Long and short of it, I either have a $1,500 repair bill for a 15 year old A/C unit, or a $2,800 installation bill to install a brand new one.

Anyone have advice on whole house A/C installations? This would be a 3 ton unit. Original one made by Tempstar, which I don’t even think has a dealer around this area anymore. Furnace was replaced about 5 years ago, so that’s in good nick.

rny421

I brought it up when it was in for service after I bought it, and the dealer "could not duplicate." I'll remind them again when it's in for an oil change in the next month or so. It's not unbearable, but it's definitely noticeable and a bit irritating.

The User "StAug" describes a similar situation to what I'm experiencing with some pretty interesting data on Post #26 here: https://acurazine.com/forums/5g-tlx-problems-fixes-420/idle-vibration-965126/

With regards to your AC question - we just had Central AC installed in our house (we already had forced air), and it was $3,700. That included purchasing a two ton Trane unit, installing the unit outside, running the lines to the HVAC system, and some minor ductwork modifications inside the house. With the summer we've been having, we're very glad we did it this year.

ab348

graphicguy said:

Anyone have advice on whole house A/C installations? This would be a 3 ton unit. Original one made by Tempstar, which I don’t even think has a dealer around this area anymore. Furnace was replaced about 5 years ago, so that’s in good nick.

Tempstar is made by ICP, which also makes brands such as Carrier, Bryant, Heil, and KeepRite.

suydam

Get a new AC. it will be quieter, more energy efficient, saving you $ over the long run, use the current Freon system, and be under warranty. You won’t regret it.

28firefighter

I just got a Lennox 3-ton system and have been very pleased so far. 

stickguy

on service, I don't recall exactly what the letters/number signify, but I know they never tried to do an oil change without a filter. I would be really surprised if that was a factory recommendation. Maybe rotation is just part of the normal A1, but the dealer offers services with and without (I got without last time because I had recently put new tires on and they did not need a rotation at 3K miles. Plus Mavis will do for free.).

sda

I think it is a prudent decision to replace the a/c and not have to rely upon R-22. You are probably getting a more efficient system (SEER 14 or better) as well. We are in the process of replacing the entire system with a SEER 16, 4 ton American Standard brand which has been rated high in reliability by CU. I would not hesitate getting another Carrier system as it has been very reliable for the last 13 of 14 years.

xwesx

stickguy said:

on service, I don't recall exactly what the letters/number signify, but I know they never tried to do an oil change without a filter. I would be really surprised if that was a factory recommendation. Maybe rotation is just part of the normal A1, but the dealer offers services with and without (I got without last time because I had recently put new tires on and they did not need a rotation at 3K miles. Plus Mavis will do for free.).

Agreed. If anything, the typical filter should be changed before the oil. The only time oil really needs replacement is if has suffered contamination (either physical or chemical contaminants, such as filter not working well or fuel/coolant) or the acid buffering capability is compromised. Best bet is just to change the filter AND the oil every time!

tjc78

sda said:

I think it is a prudent decision to replace the a/c and not have to rely upon R-22. You are probably getting a more efficient system (SEER 14 or better) as well. We are in the process of replacing the entire system with a SEER 16, 4 ton American Standard brand which has been rated high in reliability by CU. I would not hesitate getting another Carrier system as it has been very reliable for the last 13 of 14 years. </blockquote

I already miss my old R22 system ... did a much better job, ran less, cooled a hot house down faster and kept up with running the oven/cooking better.

IMO if you have a good older functioning system don’t replace it until you have to

Maybe I’m not being fair as my house is bigger since the addition but the system is also larger. It’s does the job but I think the old system performed better.

corvette

Here it is... A service is just the oil, B service is oil and filter. 1 indicates to rotate the tires. I think most dealers change the oil and filter with both services anyway.

https://www.rensselaerhonda.com/honda-maintenance-minder-codes/

stickguy

interesting. I am surprised that Honda bothers to have an oil change interval without filter. I am positive my dealer always does the filter too.

I have not seen my codes in years, since I never get down to 15% when they appear. The service manager looks up the extras by mileage. Filters don't matter (air and cabin) since I do those myself. So really just the brake fluid, trans and differentials (that will be due next service I think).

other than saving $5, I can't think of any reason you would not change the filter while doing an oil change.

graphicguy

Yeah....I change oil and filter at 25% as shown on the car’s computer. I rotate the tires every oil change. My Acura dealer sends me coupons for $60 for both. Thinking for the first time in a long time I may have to buy an air filter or two.

Sandman6472

We have wifi in the house which takes over the minute I enter the house. I use a lot at work when I have down time and have never gone over 5 gigs except this month where not sure how much I'll use. Not really looking but just using it when I want to.
Decided to keep the iPhone 6s Plus and not try to get an 8 Plus like I wanted to. Best to save the funds and pay off the medical bills and then decide if it's really necessary to get a new smartphone or wait another year. Eventually I'd like wireless charging especially if I end up with a vehicle having such a feature like the new Kona. But my 6s Plus is in great condition, has a new battery and a great case to protect it I got on Offer Up for $5 so really no need to change. Almost bout an 8 this last weekend for $500 but not crazy about the 4.7 size of the screen and would also mean having to buy a new case. Then I'd have to sell my 6s Plus so decided it was all too much work right now so decided to keep what I got until whenever.
Still glad we've got unlimited data now and will use it whenever I feel like it!

The Sandman

henryn

graphicguy said:

As these things go, got the dishwasher installed yesterday and was promptly greeted with an iced over compressor with my outside A/C unit. Surprisingly, had the HVAC tech over within 4 hours of calling.

He said there’s a Freon leak somewhere. I asked him if he could find and then fix it. He could....except, it uses R22 Freon, which is no longer made (and hasn’t been in a decade, or so). He said he might be able to source some, but it wasn’t going to be cheap.

Uhh... I think your A/C guy is trying to mislead you. I went to Craigslist, "General" category, searched for r22. Many, many hits. This one kinda stuck out,pallets of R22, 30 lb bottle for $400, that's about $13 per pound.

corvette

I've seen this before with the refrigerants... I think they can't produce any more of the phased out stuff, but it's still available for quite a while. Also, there are sometimes conversion kits available for old equipment.

Sandman6472

Our 14 year old Ruud a/c needed freon two weeks ago and now runs like new. The service guy tried to get me to buy a new system and we are discussing it but have other bills to take care of first. He also said our hot water heater is in need of replacement also but again, we're discussing that to. We have 1 3.5 ton system for a house that's 1867 square feet under air, think a 4 ton would be better and will get that size if we do swap it out. And it's been very hot down here in South Florida!!

The Sandman

Mr_Shiftright

It will be completely banned for sale OR use on Jan 1, 2020. So you still have two years to "get some" or to convert over.

sda

Mr_Shiftright said:

It will be completely banned for sale OR use on Jan 1, 2020. So you still have two years to "get some" or to convert over.

That's a primary reason why we aren't going to repair and refill out current system with R-22. Instead we'll install a new more efficient system with a supposedly more environmentally friendly refrigerant.

Mr_Shiftright

Yep, People who forget to do this and call for repairs in 2020 are going to be out of luck.

corvette

I think my outdoor unit was manufactured in the late 1980s and is rusted to heck. Truly an eyesore but it works. I've had no repairs done since I moved in three years ago. I assume it has no leaks because it's still running well. I'm just going to run it until it quits and plan on getting a new unit with the newfangled refrigerant at that point.

stickguy

that was my situation a couple years ago. Turned out to be the furnace that crapped out (in January, during the coldest stretch of the winter. of course). So just bit the bullet and did it all together.

corvette

Oh, yeah, when the temps got into the single digits earlier this year, my furnace decided to cut out with a pressure switch error. HVAC tech said the pressure switch was fine but couldn't offer much help because it wasn't malfunctioning when he was there. I never got a bill and the furnace works fine so long as the outside temperature is 10 degrees or higher. *shrugs*

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

I just got a Lennox 3-ton system and have been very pleased so far. 

Ditto on Lennox. Mine is two years old. Also, replaced the gas furnace at the same time. (Both 18 yrs old)