Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

suydam

breld said:

On a separate note, I just got off the phone with the sales manager at my VW dealership and I'm ending up in the exact same place as @stickguy - the incentives just aren't there on a lease, and the finance/purchase route is much more economical.

Probably don't have time to get the deal done this weekend, but I'm looking to secure the deal for next weekend.

Wait. What’s going this time?

breld

Actually my stepdaughter is coming down this evening and they're just gonna get the Jetta deal done tonight.

@suydam - my stepdaughter's lease is up in a few months on her current Jetta Sport (just like @stickguy's daughter) and we are going to replace it with another Jetta (just like @stickguy's daughter).

For those curious, we're getting my stepdaughter a 2019 Jetta SEL in Silk Blue.

MSRP $25,585
Sale Price $21,349

That includes a $750 loyalty rebate (the Golf R is a money maker now). With all the incentives applied, we did not get the incentive rate, but we're not financing all that much anyway, so through my calcs it was better to take the additional price reductions.

Through VW's "Jetta to Jetta" pull ahead program, they're taking care of the last 4 payments of our current lease.

We put enough down to get to a monthly payment of about $240, which she will take over when she graduates (and presumably gets a job).

ab348

Just saw an ad on Boston TV for a new Jetta lease at $189/month. But I think it was for a S model. Also seeing ads for a Chevy Cruze lease at $169/month. 

stickguy

good deal Breld. I probably should have bought something a couple years old instead of leasing the Jetta, then just let her take it with her. Live and learn! At least she gets a car she loves, with lots of desirable features, that should be a long term keeper (at least 72,000 miles or 6 years, whichever comes first!)

I did not get a loyalty rebate either was not out, or didn't count because I did not still own one. I did, however, get VW credit to count her car as a replacement, so they waived my $350 disposition fee.

stickguy

ab348 said:

Just saw an ad on Boston TV for a new Jetta lease at $189/month. But I think it was for a S model. Also seeing ads for a Chevy Cruze lease at $169/month. 

base model, probably $2,995 down + fees.

stickguy

apple did not fall far from tree. Princess just texted a picture. She went out to the store, and parked about 1/4 mile from the next nearest car. That's my baby!

iluvmysephia1

VOlkswagen GTI S with a 6 - Speed stick

Hey, nyccarguy, thanks for the reply on the V-Dub. I will research the car this weekend. Our latest plan has me banking my Boeing pension payments beginning a year from now for a whole year. Then we will buy our next car with cash.

There was a time I only wanted new cars, even my kind, 4-cyl economy cars. But with a proliferating CPO and general used market I bet there will be used GTI S 6-speeds available in two years from now. I want to know what gently-used GTI 6's are going for. New cars drop 25% in value once you make your happy exit from the dealer with your new car.

I am definitely not anti-VW. I learned to drive stick in a '66 VW Fastback in baby blue 4-speed. I didn't just like that car I loved it!

tbirdmarco

Had to re sine up hope this did work 

stickguy

you are still here along with your posts count.

so consider it a success.

ab348

stickguy said:

Just saw an ad on Boston TV for a new Jetta lease at $189/month. But I think it was for a S model. Also seeing ads for a Chevy Cruze lease at $169/month. 

base model, probably $2,995 down + fees.

Just saw the Cruze ad again, LT model, 24 month lease, $1600 down, $169/mo. 

You were right about the Jetta. Just saw it again also, 36 mo., $2400 at signing. 

Michaell

stickguy said:

good deal Breld. I probably should have bought something a couple years old instead of leasing the Jetta, then just let her take it with her. Live and learn! At least she gets a car she loves, with lots of desirable features, that should be a long term keeper (at least 72,000 miles or 6 years, whichever comes first!)

I did not get a loyalty rebate either was not out, or didn't count because I did not still own one. I did, however, get VW credit to count her car as a replacement, so they waived my $350 disposition fee.

the loyalty coupon was from the dealer, not VW

breld

Well, I thought the same thing as McDonald VW presented it as if it was "their" deal, but if you go to VW's website you find it there too.

breld

@pensfan83 - I found your Prelude for you.

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/rare-1989-honda-prelude/6680007365.html

tifighter

breld said:

@pensfan83 - I found your Prelude for you.

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/rare-1989-honda-prelude/6680007365.html

Sick find, bro!!

Michaell

breld said:

@pensfan83 - I found your Prelude for you.

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/rare-1989-honda-prelude/6680007365.html

Gee, not one pic of the inside.

28firefighter

tifighter said:

@pensfan83 - I found your Prelude for you. https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/rare-1989-honda-prelude/6680007365.html

Sick find, bro!!

Definitely looks like it has some kind of an illness.  

qbrozen

breld said:

@pensfan83 - I found your Prelude for you. https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/rare-1989-honda-prelude/6680007365.html

For $3k, the seller better fix the damage and then wrap the whole car first.

qbrozen

Worst. Fishing email. Ever.

I'd also like to point out that the body of the email states his name is Rich but the email address is that of a different person.

Hi Qbrozen, 

My name is Rich, I'm an assistant here to the management team at Volvo Cars Princeton. The reason for my call is I'm calling in regards to your 1998 VOLVO S70T5. I was reviewing your portfolio and have some important information. Please give me a call today when you have a quick moment. I'll be in the office until about 6pm most days and I'll be sure to follow up a little later as well if I haven't heard back to make sure we connect.

Thanks,

sda

I really like the new Jetta. Looks great, nice size, extensive standard equipment, safety features, good performance and economical mpg. Long warranty, too. I bet your daughter (and stickguy's) will be delighted with them!

breld

@sda - I definitely agree. I actually have yet to drive the new Jetta, but I assume it's at least as nice as the previous version, with which I was always pleasantly surprised when I got into the driver's seat.

It certainly didn't take long for significant discounts to be had on the new model - so at about $21,500, I'm very impressed with the level of equipment - panoramic sunroof, virtual cockpit, the "Beats" stereo, and all the current safety features (BLIS, rear cross traffic, adaptive cruise, etc.)

My stepdaughter appreciates all those things, but do you want to know what may be her favorite feature? The configurable ambient lighting that can be changed among a wide range of colors. She likes pink.

breld

@pensfan83 - assuming the seller and I can find a mutually preferable time tomorrow, I'll be taking a look at that Prelude (the white 5th gen, not the 4th gen with skulls on it).

For today, my wife and I will be helping one of her friends look at cars to replace her PT Cruiser! Her Cruiser is bright yellow, so like it or not, her primary focus is on getting a car in a fun color - plus she would like AWD and heated seats...shouldn't be hard to fulfill those requirements so we're focused on color.

So...we're taking a look at this later this morning:

Lime Green Kona

Seems to be priced in line with Truecar - her budget is $24k...I'm guessing/hoping she can stretch that just a bit as I think this Kona Limited with the 1.6l turbo would be a great vehicle for her.

We'll also look at the Jeep Renegade 'cause, you know, color. I need to bone up a bit on all the Jeep's trim levels to help narrow it down for her. There seems to be a lot of dealer cash on the Renegades, so probably good deals to be had. But I suspect the Kona will be a much nicer ride.

breld

Couple pics of the new Jetta.

andres3

I browsed Miatas while the Kia was getting serviced (Kia/Mazda dealership). I was shocked, SHOCKED I tell ya, that stickers went from $31-$36K. Someone once told me Miatas were "cheap" fun. I guess that's out the window.

Mr_Shiftright

breld said:

@pensfan83 - assuming the seller and I can find a mutually preferable time tomorrow, I'll be taking a look at that Prelude (the white 5th gen, not the 4th gen with skulls on it).

For today, my wife and I will be helping one of her friends look at cars to replace her PT Cruiser! Her Cruiser is bright yellow, so like it or not, her primary focus is on getting a car in a fun color - plus she would like AWD and heated seats...shouldn't be hard to fulfill those requirements so we're focused on color.

So...we're taking a look at this later this morning:

Lime Green Kona

Seems to be priced in line with Truecar - her budget is $24k...I'm guessing/hoping she can stretch that just a bit as I think this Kona Limited with the 1.6l turbo would be a great vehicle for her.

We'll also look at the Jeep Renegade 'cause, you know, color. I need to bone up a bit on all the Jeep's trim levels to help narrow it down for her. There seems to be a lot of dealer cash on the Renegades, so probably good deals to be had. But I suspect the Kona will be a much nicer ride.

Sounds like a dream car for her after driving that....that.....thing she has now.

breld

andres3 said:

I browsed Miatas while the Kia was getting serviced (Kia/Mazda dealership). I was shocked, SHOCKED I tell ya, that stickers went from $31-$36K. Someone once told me Miatas were "cheap" fun. I guess that's out the window.

I think relatively speaking, the Miata is still a pretty good buy.

Mr_Shiftright

I think they are, considering that they have more features than they used to, and have a reputation for excellent reliability and low maintenance costs. Certainly within their "class" of seriously sporty two-seaters, there's not much than can touch them.

tifighter

Well, the only thing that can touch a new Miata is a used Miata. Or the other weird things they cross-shopped with like Wranglers and Goldwings.

henryn

Walking on the streets downtown yesterday, I passed a parked convertible with a pretty blonde sitting in it. Always a nice thing to encounter. The car was completely unfamiliar to me, so I took a peek at the emblems on the rear. Infiniti Q60. I just went and looked it up, they only made it for 2 years (2014 and 2015), so probably very few of them around.

Very pretty, the car and the woman.

stickguy

@breld, I like that color. My daughter is not a fan of blue though. And I don't think the R Line came in that color. but maybe it did. Looks like your price was about equal to ours, accounting for the delta in MSRP. In any case, I think we both did fine, and the girls will both enjoy their new wheels. I finally drove it Thursday night, and was impressed. Big improvement over the old model.

and I really liked the Kona. If that was out when I was shopping, very easily could have ended up with one. hits all the right buttons.

Michaell

@breld, weren’t you looking at the SEL trim?

stickguy

that is an SEL if it has beats and virtual cockpit.

breld

Yeah, that’s right - SEL.  And yeah, once I got to a similar deal as @stickguy, relative to % discount, I figured I was good.  

tbirdmarco

 Congratulation to your wife’s friend, broiled nice car what color is that exactly I can’t personally see. 

tbirdmarco

 Planned I signed up without any issues thanks for the confirmation stick guy, and congratulations to your daughter on the new ride. 

pensfan83

@breld appreciate the update, anxious to hear what the in person review looks like on that Prelude.  In pictures it looks sharp.  As for the 3rd gen with flames I got a good chuckle out of that

Last night the wife and myself chatted about the Prelude in California.  She's not against the car itself (she actually likes the green over tan) and isn't even against going out of state for one if that's what's needed but would much rather me limit myself to a drive I can make in a day or with only an overnight stay.  Given that she's already agreed to a 3rd vehicle that only I will drive, I'm not really going to force the issue.  So it looks like I'll be getting some shipping quotes on Monday.

qbrozen

 My kids had some friends over today. When the mom came to pick them up about 30 minutes ago, I happened to look out the window and see a Stelvio parked in front of my house. Turns out her husband has had it since March. I asked if I could sit in it and she graciously offered to let me take it for a spin.

 So, first off, I was disappointed in the front seat. I guess they must have a base model because it only has four way power adjustments plus the power lumbar. I have to look when I have a chance to see what other seat options there are. The drive? Oh my goodness! I can't believe how peppy and flexible that little 2 L is. The transmission is just amazing. They did not have the paddle shifters, but flicking the shifter up and down resulted in shifts before I could even finish pushing the stick. And the handling? Wow! It feels amazingly light and balanced. It flicks around corners like a GTI but puts down the power and pulls. Maybe the closest I can equate the driving experience to is a first-gen WRX, yet with far more luxury and serenity. Amazing vehicle.

fintail

That Jetta color looks like the one in my building, but I think the wheels on the one here might be a grade less fancy. Very Audi-ish.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

 My kids had some friends over today. When the mom came to pick them up about 30 minutes ago, I happened to look out the window and see a Stelvio parked in front of my house. Turns out her husband has had it since March. I asked if I could sit in it and she graciously offered to let me take it for a spin.

 So, first off, I was disappointed in the front seat. I guess they must have a base model because it only has four way power adjustments plus the power lumbar. I have to look when I have a chance to see what other seat options there are. The drive? Oh my goodness! I can't believe how peppy and flexible that little 2 L is. The transmission is just amazing. They did not have the paddle shifters, but flicking the shifter up and down resulted in shifts before I could even finish pushing the stick. And the handling? Wow! It feels amazingly light and balanced. It flicks around corners like a GTI but puts down the power and pulls. Maybe the closest I can equate the driving experience to is a first-gen WRX, yet with far more luxury and serenity. Amazing vehicle.

That good huh?  You don’t mix words when it comes to performance either my friend.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

 My kids had some friends over today. When the mom came to pick them up about 30 minutes ago, I happened to look out the window and see a Stelvio parked in front of my house. Turns out her husband has had it since March. I asked if I could sit in it and she graciously offered to let me take it for a spin.

 So, first off, I was disappointed in the front seat. I guess they must have a base model because it only has four way power adjustments plus the power lumbar. I have to look when I have a chance to see what other seat options there are. The drive? Oh my goodness! I can't believe how peppy and flexible that little 2 L is. The transmission is just amazing. They did not have the paddle shifters, but flicking the shifter up and down resulted in shifts before I could even finish pushing the stick. And the handling? Wow! It feels amazingly light and balanced. It flicks around corners like a GTI but puts down the power and pulls. Maybe the closest I can equate the driving experience to is a first-gen WRX, yet with far more luxury and serenity. Amazing vehicle.

You definitely want the Ti Sport at a minimum(Giulia or Stelvio). Like many BMWs, the non-sport seats are miserable.

28firefighter

My Dad has reported similar enthusiasm for his Stelvio Ti Sport. He won’t admit it, but I think he likes it better than his Cayenne Turbo. 

breld

tbirdmarco said:

 Congratulation to your wife’s friend, broiled nice car what color is that exactly I can’t personally see. 

Thanks @tbirdmarco - the color is called Lime Green, and it definitely lives up to the title.

qbrozen

roadburner said:

 My kids had some friends over today. When the mom came to pick them up about 30 minutes ago, I happened to look out the window and see a Stelvio parked in front of my house. Turns out her husband has had it since March. I asked if I could sit in it and she graciously offered to let me take it for a spin.

 So, first off, I was disappointed in the front seat. I guess they must have a base model because it only has four way power adjustments plus the power lumbar. I have to look when I have a chance to see what other seat options there are. The drive? Oh my goodness! I can't believe how peppy and flexible that little 2 L is. The transmission is just amazing. They did not have the paddle shifters, but flicking the shifter up and down resulted in shifts before I could even finish pushing the stick. And the handling? Wow! It feels amazingly light and balanced. It flicks around corners like a GTI but puts down the power and pulls. Maybe the closest I can equate the driving experience to is a first-gen WRX, yet with far more luxury and serenity. Amazing vehicle.

You definitely want the Ti Sport at a minimum(Giulia or Stelvio). Like many BMWs, the non-sport seats are miserable.

Looking at the specs, you have to go all the way up to the Lusso to get 8-way seats. My ideal configuration would be the Lusso with performance pack and 20" wheels (normally I would never upgrade wheel height but in this case it also adds 20mm to the tread width). 

mjfloyd1

I ran into someone with an Alfa Guilia in Jimmy Johns. I asked how reliable it had been. He paused and then said it was pretty good. It had a sensor fail requiring replacement and the dealer had installed it incorrectly. That was his only issue. He did say that he had leased it because he didn’t want to be “married to a potential problem”

mjfloyd1

On the subject of student’s cars- here well to do (mainly Chinese) students drive McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Audi R8 and BMW i8. If you are less well to do, you slum in a Maserati.

fintail

McLaren is the darling of the newly arrived un-vetted money crowd in my area, and Maserati is indeed popular with those of lesser means or wishing to not be so brash.

breld

I was able to take a look at the white 5th gen Prelude this afternoon - I provided @pensfan83 a detailed review via PM, but I'll share a bit here too.

Bottom line, for a Honda of its age, I thought it was in great condition. Cosmetically, the worst of it are a rear bumper that has had a little damage to it, so it's a bit misaligned and there are a couple spots of spidering in the paint. And the trunk and hood have some hail damage. It's not apparent until pointed out, which the owner did right away, so not all that bad, but it's definitely there. If I bought it, I'd consider getting some PDR done, but it wouldn't necessarily be a priority. Other than that, there are some touched up chips on the hood, a little scrape on the sill below the driver's door...but very nice.

Interior was in about as great as shape as you would ever expect.

The test drive was very positive - clutch felt fine, the engine pulled nicely, the car certainly handled well.

The guy's asking $8,500, after initially listing it at $10k. He does admit that there's a hefty premium in his asking price. At one point he said he was firm but he quickly came off that when I expressed interest "at the right price." I let him know that I was interested, but I also had a friend in Pennsylvania who may be interested.

By the way, the owner bought it about 6 months ago - I already viewed this car on craigslist back then but by the time I contacted the owner at the time, it had sold to this current owner. From what I gather, I think this guy bought it for somewhere in the $6k's, put about $500 into it, and is looking to flip it. Oh...he also was just laid off from his job, so maybe he could use some cash.

kyfdx

I don't have the patience to work with owner's who are $3000 too high on a sub-$10K car.

nyccarguy

Given the interest in 5th Generation Preludes here on the board, I present to you what I’ve been up to since about 11:00 this AM:

breld

How much you want?

tjc78

Car looks great!! 

Wow, no AC on?  I don’t think mine has been off since before Memorial day.