Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Sandman6472

Saw a new Kona and Elantra GT today at work and really like them both. But wouldn't get either without having the turbo engine. Having driven a Kia Soul and a few Elantra's over the last few days and when needed to pass in a hurry, the regular engine, a 4 cylinder in each one, made such a racket and shifted a bit rough compared to my turbo 4 in the Golf. And am guessing the Kia/Hyundai turbo's will act similar to mine, that is without much fuss or racket. So am finally figuring out that I really do enjoy a turbo 4 for the extra power on tap when needed. It's not that I speed much but since I do the majority of my commute on the highway, I want the power there, waiting, for when it's needed. Most non turbo 4's just make too much racket and shift harshly when the accelerator is mashed to get out of the way. It's annoying as hell and just don't want it. Still waiting to test the new Honda Insight to see how it drives, not sure it's gonna have the extra power I want and not sure the outstanding mpg's will make up for that.
Just glad I won't be in the market in the forseeable future. Have to get my duck's in order before I think about another purchase which is exactly what the wife said not more than 15 minutes ago when discussing the hospital bill! She thinks I'm nuts to want to get something new at this point, a big part of why I've done nothing. Timing is just off and wouldn't be the most responsible thing to do. And even though the kids are all on their own, still need to be a good role model going forward.

The Sandman

nyccarguy

Dealers need to get real.  Why would anybody buy this 1 (almost) 2 year old Civic Si (https://www.hondaofwestport.com/used/Honda/2017-Honda-Civic-westport-ct-97d7342b0a0d0c14438612829c5e9f29.htm?locationId=2962&mktvin=2HGFC_1E51HH701229&utm_campaign=edmunds_ad_solutions&utm_source=edmunds&utm_medium=cpc&mktas=mlb15&mktsrc=fb_Facebook_Mobile_Feed&mktad=23842860272870667)  when you could most likely buy a new one cheaper?

fintail

I'd own my twin turbo MB out of warranty. The little 2.1 diesel is known to be a sturdy unit, and the car doesn't have the Achilles Heel tech of flagship models.

Now a 2003 model twin turbo V12, no thanks.

mjfloyd1 said:

Ok. Never own a twin turbo European car without a warranty

stickguy

VW credit does simple interest. I asked. Any extra you pay just reduces principal. I guess you would have to specifically denote as an advance payment if you wanted it treated that way.

roadburner

I'm finding the same idiocy in the Wrangler market; I found a new 2017 Sahara Winter Edition with most every option- $7k off of MSRP. Yet I see dozens of used ones similarly equipped with asking prices several thousand over the discounted cost of that new one.

stickguy

well, I officially have my car back, and the princess has signed her life away on a spiffy new Jetta R line. As much as $356/month represents life! Overall a fine experience. Everyone at this dealership is very nice and low key. Great delivery experience from the salesguy. One minor bump in the finance office (somehow between the deal being made and confirmed via email and getting into the computer a discount morphed into a down payment). A quick trip by the FI person to the sales manager and it got resolved. Smooth sailing after that.

really a nice car too. Lots of feature content especially for the price point. Even has autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse). And the white silver color really pops on this car. Daughter really seems to like it, and enjoyed the drive home. A lot to get used to (such as how to lock it!). But she will figure it all out.

really roomy too. I sat in the back while the salesguy showed her stuff, and had acres of space. Helps that I was sitting behind her (she is only 5'2").

stickguy

for those interested, the deal (including various discounts) ended up being ~$20,500 selling price (MSRP of $24,165 I think). So not complaining about that. Would not save enough buying used to make it worth while to give up all the new features. Plus she gets BtoB warranty for 6/72,000, so should at least get 5 years out of that miles limit. Great for matching up to payments!

plus VW Credit rate was 2.9% for 60 months, which was nice.

Very glad she was able to get new with warranty, roadside assist, etc. Easier for me too, not worrying about an older car giving her issues.

stickguy

roadburner said:

I'm finding the same idiocy in the Wrangler market; I found a new 2017 Sahara Winter Edition with most every option- $7k off of MSRP. Yet I see dozens of used ones similarly equipped with asking prices several thousand over the discounted cost of that new one.

I always understood Wranglers to be one of those cars that made way more sense to buy new.

roadburner

stickguy said:

roadburner said:

I'm finding the same idiocy in the Wrangler market; I found a new 2017 Sahara Winter Edition with most every option- $7k off of MSRP. Yet I see dozens of used ones similarly equipped with asking prices several thousand over the discounted cost of that new one.

I always understood Wranglers to be one of those cars that made way more sense to buy new.

We're about ready to jump on it; I'd rather have a JL, but not at an $8k premium.

Mr_Shiftright

roadburner said:

If I traded anything with respect to all three of my modded vehicles I sure didn't notice it.
And what about the M Performance Power and Sound Kit? BMW installs it on every M240i and offers it on most all of their other cars with the B58 engine. It adds 35 hp and 39 lb-ft of torque(the MPPK that every M235i received boasts similar numbers). There's no effect on warranty(including CPO) and no fuel economy penalty.
Ditto for the Mountune kits available for the Fiesta ST and Focus ST- and Ford Racing also lists some warranty safe tunes as well. Again, no downside-aside from cost...

There's always a trade off--whether it matters, or whether someone cares, is another consideration altogether--but you never get something for nothing. BMW didn't do it for a reason (maybe cost, maybe emissions, maybe noise, maybe MPG, maybe reliability longterm--who knows?)

Perhaps I am very sensitive to mods as I have to deal with California smog rules. I sometimes see interesting cars and then read the specs and say "no way in hell that is coming to California".

breld

stickguy said:

for those interested, the deal (including various discounts) ended up being ~$20,500 selling price (MSRP of $24,165 I think). So not complaining about that. Would not save enough buying used to make it worth while to give up all the new features. Plus she gets BtoB warranty for 6/72,000, so should at least get 5 years out of that miles limit. Great for matching up to payments!

plus VW Credit rate was 2.9% for 60 months, which was nice.

Very glad she was able to get new with warranty, roadside assist, etc. Easier for me too, not worrying about an older car giving her issues.

Thanks for sharing @stickguy. Just got the e-mail from our dealer for the $750 owner loyalty rebate toward a 2019 Jetta, so that may be enough to get us to do something soon too.

VW's website claims 1.9% up to 60 months - the sales manager told me that their pricing included incentives that precluded getting the 1.9%, but you (or your daughter) seemed to have received really good pricing plus 2.9%, which sounds good to me.

So she needs to drive back home this Saturday for a little bit - if I can get one of the dealers to make a good deal, I may send her home with a new Jetta. Though the dealers have been surprisingly stubborn on pricing (or maybe I'm pushing too hard). But it's not like those Jettas are screaming off the lot.

stickguy

there may have been a little more meat on the bone (I could have gone to a dealer in Delaware instead to save a couple hundred but it was not worth it). But we are happy with the deal, and she loves the car.

I also did a quick spreadsheet (my heirarchy for financial analysis is post it note, then legal pad, then spreadsheet) before we went analyzing lease to buy vs. buy straight. Even not factoring in any DMV costs or interest on a loan to buy it out, it was about $1,500 cheaper to buy now. So add in new tags, etc. and tax (most likely) and way better decision to just buy it.

and now no sweating putting miles on it!

qbrozen

29% discount on a new S90

stickguy

another new 2017? Don't like those colors though. I did like the V60 I found though. Hey, now that I have a car to take out (and shop) maybe I should go take a look at it.

breld

stickguy said:

and now no sweating putting miles on it!

Yes! This is what I’m looking forward to!

stickguy

once I found out she might move back up and start long commuting again after a year, it really made no sense. especially with the way DE taxes leases, and the overly high residual.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

another new 2017? Don't like those colors though. I did like the V60 I found though. Hey, now that I have a car to take out (and shop) maybe I should go take a look at it.

I actually found a number of new 2017s out there in a 250-mile radius. That one has one of the biggest advertised discounts, though. 

qbrozen

I think we've talked about this before, but about when do manufacturers end lease support on the previous model year? Trying to think ahead to leftover 2018s.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

I think we've talked about this before, but about when do manufacturers end lease support on the previous model year? Trying to think ahead to leftover 2018s.

It varies, substantially.

Ford is still offering leases on the 2017 Taurus, this month, while BMW stopped offering 2017 lease support in March.

stickguy

Volvo stopped already. That I know.

stickguy

So first update this on the new Jetta. Daughter stayed here last night, and did her old hour commute. Nice shake down cruise.

Overall, she really likes it. More than the Elantra. Lots of buttons to figure out though. And it tells you when too close to a car (she used to need me for that). Very quiet and smooth, and doesn’t creep up to high speeds as sneakily. So that’s a plus.

Best part, she got per the TC 41.3 MPG on the run. Best my car did was a tick over 36.

So far, impressed. Especially for the price.

ab348

Speaking of incentives, I saw a national ad here (Canada) touting $17,700 (I think it said "up to" in the blurb) in incentives on new Nissan Titan pickups. I heard they were not selling hardly any of them here so that shouldn't be a huge surprise but that remains a hefty discount.

corvette

The Titan is generally panned in the reviews I’ve read. I don’t know anyone who owns one. 

fintail

I see maybe 1 new style Titan every 3 months.

ab348

As if @stickguy didn't need any more encouragement to ditch his Elantra, yesterday Hyundai unveiled the refreshed 2019 model which makes earlier ones look so last year.

https://carbuzz.com/news/2019-hyundai-elantra-revealed-to-the-world-with-new-look-and-enhanced-safety-tech

pensfan83

Front, especially the grille, screams Audi.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

breld said:

Gee...no one was clamoring over taking over the Civic Type R earlier this year.

Maybe because we are all adults here? ;b

Says you......

Sandman6472

Hate the front...like the rear. Wonder what they'll do to the GT??

The Sandman

stickguy

Seems nice. But if I trade out, won’t be into another Elantra. And not one for sure without a power seat.

breld

sandman_6472 said:

Hate the front...like the rear. Wonder what they'll do to the GT??

The Sandman

Agreed. I think the front actually screams, "Prius!"

stickguy

I saw a new Prius yesterday. That front end was way worse.

Mr_Shiftright

The Ugly Grille Face Off?

stickguy

That is a vast improvement over the current nose I saw

suydam

So hideous.

breld

I kinda like the new Elantra nose and agree it's better than the Prius. But it is the first thing I thought of.

imidazol97

ab348 said:

As if @stickguy didn't need any more encouragement to ditch his Elantra, yesterday Hyundai unveiled the refreshed 2019 model which makes earlier ones look so last year.

https://carbuzz.com/news/2019-hyundai-elantra-revealed-to-the-world-with-new-look-and-enhanced-safety-tech

Why do the pressed plastic look of the front grill and the lettering style as well as the taillights on the rear make me think "Camry"?

xwesx

I took our 2013 Forester in to the dealership today to have its engine replaced, and they gave me my dream car as a loaner!
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Toyota Sienna!

tifighter

xwesx said:

Toyota Sienna!

Well, at least someone is living the dream.

28firefighter

Can't believe the Forester is getting a new engine. Truly becoming the $6 million car.

xwesx

tifighter said:

xwesx said:

Toyota Sienna!

Well, at least someone is living the dream.

Hahaha!

It actually isn't that bad; a little nostalgic, to tell the truth, driving in a captain's chair with a fold down arm rest. It reminds me of my old Econoline in that way.

corvette

OMG, did I mis the story on the Forester? 

xwesx

corvette said:

OMG, did I mis the story on the Forester? 

Oh, maybe. I can never remember in which thread(s) I post these things.

Nothing too exciting! I noted on our June trip to Oregon that the car was drinking an extraordinary amount of oil. I added five quarts while on the trip (5,500 miles, ten days), and it was nearly ready for another at that point. In discussing with the folks at Blackstone Labs (where I have my UOA done), they noted that there was a TSB and lawsuit related to excessive oil use in that generation engine.

I did some research to verify the existence of those things, then followed up with the local dealer to address. They started my first visit with an oil change (I paid for it) and a "setting the clock" on a 1,200 mile test phase. At the end of that time, about three weeks, I took it back for them to inspect the oil level. It was a quart low. Their test fails if the vehicle uses 1/3 quart in that time frame!

So, the "fix" is apparently to replace the whole short block on the engine. Once I received the car back from the auto body shop, I set this appointment for engine replacement. Thankfully, other than the oil change, this is all warrantied by Subaru (part of the settlement).

tifighter

xwesx said:

tifighter said:

xwesx said:

Toyota Sienna!

Well, at least someone is living the dream.

Hahaha!

It actually isn't that bad; a little nostalgic, to tell the truth, driving in a captain's chair with a fold down arm rest. It reminds me of my old Econoline in that way.

I like vans #vanlife #ifthisvansarockin. I wish there were some more AWD/4WD van options in the US to choose from. As it is now, you can choose from a huge Sprinter, a Sienna with no ground clearance and no spare tire, or a big plate of you go and die. I won't even get started with the VW California my Swiss friends just bought...

xwesx

Not that it isn't also huge, but the Ford Transit comes in a 4WD variant, and they also put a diesel in it, IIRC.

fintail

The leering eyes and angry faces on otherwise milquetoast commuter cars (and the dopey clip on angry eye grilles on suburban warrior Jeeps) amuses me. This is the age of faux aggression.

xwesx

xwesx said:

Not that it isn't also huge, but the Ford Transit comes in a 4WD variant, and they also put a diesel in it, IIRC.

Well, doesn't look like 4WD is out there now. Diesel is, though! And, you can get them with limited slip rear differentials. That's as good as 4WD, isn't it?

28firefighter

Paging @Mr_Shiftright

https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/2019-mini-hardtop-2door-s-signature-new-car-nor-cal-276-tax-1-500-das/60655

Brand new Cooper S hardtop lease with three pedals, in your neck of the woods.

EDIT: NOT 6spd manual, the ad is wrong.

roadburner

.@Mr_Shiftright: 2017 SS manual

stickguy

this is the one I want. yes I have strange tastes.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-amc-amx-4/

Mr_Shiftright

28firefighter said:

Paging @Mr_Shiftright

https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/2019-mini-hardtop-2door-s-signature-new-car-nor-cal-276-tax-1-500-das/60655

Brand new Cooper S hardtop lease with three pedals, in your neck of the woods.

EDIT: NOT 6spd manual, the ad is wrong.

Not a bad deal on $30.5K MSRP. I should really drive a new one to see what's changed.