Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

woodyww

I think--I'm going to go to Home Despot & buy a length of PCV pipe & a pipe wrench or really big channel-locks & try to do the under the sink work myself.

The worst thing is a stuck (closed) tub drain. And the house is on a slab, so they can't get to it from the basement. I have a feeling that could turn into something major.

One thing I'm learning--the plumbing cos. that come out & give you "flat-rate" estimates--you'd think that could be good, but the prices are so insane, you could hire a crew of plumbers for 2 solid days by the hour & it might cost less.

I still can't believe they quote these kind of prices, or get them? 2 faucets installed would be $1500 +????? Even if I owned one of the 1.3 mil. McMansions in my neighborhood, I'd hope I'd have enough sense not to do that......(Maybe most of the contractors in my town try to price everything for the 1.3 mil. McMansion set--duh)?

roadburner

Last year I gave my wife the go-ahead to remodel the kitchen. We ended up ripping out a wall as well as installing an island, granite countertops, and a full compliment of Bosch and Miele appliances. Cost? Don't ask. That said, removing the wall meant that I "had" to reconfigure the home theater, so I went to 7.1 with a Denon 2808, Blue Jeans Cable/Belden speaker cable, Tripp Lite Isobar and Powerbar surge suppressors, and hospital grade power outlets.
The truth be told, the original kitchen was 30 years old and way past due for an upgrade. And my wife is so happy that she doesn't bat an eye when I buy "upgrades" for any vehicles in the fleet...

fezo

I saw that Celica. My wif elikes mine enough that the thought of turning the Accord into another one has its merits......

guss

I "had" to reconfigure the home theater, so I went to 7.1 with a Denon 2808, Blue Jeans Cable/Belden speaker cable, Tripp Lite Isobar and Powerbar surge suppressors, and hospital grade power outlets.

You lost me at home thater :confuse: I am sure it is a nice system, but I am trying to not pay attention to the latest and greatest in large screen tvs. the largest tv I have is a 27", and if I ignore the large screens maybe I can keep the itch away for awhile.

Thanks gb for the tips on the S60, it is only 15 minutes away from my office , I'll try to get over there at lunch to take a peak at it. My Escapre has 82k miles with a rwtiv of about $6700, so I would not be laying out alot of cash to move up to a car with the same number of miles and age.

qbrozen

ahhh... here ya go stickguy.
Great pics of the perfect color combo!
That is just so gorgeous it brings tears to my eyes.

kyfdx

I'm not digging the orange.. :surprise:

Actually, I could live with it, if they had stuck to the black carpets... Orange carpet is just too much...

fezo

I'm not so sure on the orange myself....

Must stop looking. The local Ford dealer has an 06 Saab 9-3 convertible on his lot. 5 speed! In black....

bumpy

I can't remember the last time I saw a Saab that wasn't black or dark blue. Do they come in other colors anymore?

Kirstie_H

A reporter is hoping to talk with consumers who bought purchased a car from 2004-2006 because of the incentives manufacturers were offering, such as employee pricing. Please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com before Friday, May 16, 2008 with your daytime contact information.

Thanks,
Chintan Talati
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

qbrozen

I absolutely LOVE it!
Of course, my 350z was that same color combo.

Except .. in the Z it was truly orange. The S60R is actually more like a natural leather kind of color. Like a baseball glove.

I'm totally in love with that car. I've either gotta hope that combo turns up here or I gotta consider a trip to FL.

kyfdx

I generally like those reddish-orange leather colors... Terra Cotta is what they call it in the BMWs..

But, I think they look a lot better with black dash and carpets... I've noticed that Porsche and Volvo tend to color match the carpets.... and that's just a little too much for me..

I was guessing that the orange in the Volvo doesn't look quite that orange in person.... but, those carpets! :sick:

woodyww

I needed a good laugh, & I can't stop laughing enough to type. Not because your kitchen & home theatre upgrades don't sound great, but just at the contrast--it's like a guy with a new Ferrari talking to a guy with an old failing Hyundai maybe.

hospital grade power outlets?? I barely have outlets that work.! You'd have to see my house to get the joke--Blue Jeans Cable???

Seriously, thanks, it put my house situation into perspective; I haven't laughed so hard since seeing G. Carlin live in 1980.......

sandman46

Living in Coral Springs Florida which is a suburb of Pompano Beach, I'd be glad to go check out the Volvo for ya...that guy is only about 9 miles from my house. I agree, the leather looks nice but those carpets kill the car.

The Sandman

qbrozen

ohhhh... good to know (i think).
thanks!

stickguy

I like the orangey seats, they look better in person, but not with the gray paint (which I also like)

roadburner

hospital grade power outlets?? I barely have outlets that work.!

Hospital grade outlets aren't expensive; I paid @$20 for two- and they supply power to the entire HTS.

Blue Jeans Cable???

Blue Jeans Cable sells excellent HTS cables and interconnects at very reasonable prices. Their Belden 12 AWG cable only costs $0.57/ft. The 10 "banana plug" terminations I used at the receiver end only cost $35. As a matter of fact, I didn't pay anything close to retail for any component in my system. As an example, I bought my subwoofer at a 20% discount plus free shipping from California(it weighed 82 pounds). I later found a $900 DVD player for $250. I knew what I wanted and I was VERY patient- and I saved a ton of money...

british_rover

My co worker had a V70 wagon with the 2.4 for several years before his daughter totaled it. You could get better then 30 mph on the highway but in reality you averaged around 27 overall.

lilengineerboy

Hey BR,
For your patients that chew gum (echem, customers that use the feature), has hill descent control been a big selling point? I am starting to see it pop up in a lot of different places, and for most of them, I just can't see the draw. OTOH, LR buyers seem to appreciate and actually use off road capability from time to time...
How does it work?

british_rover

I would say the majority of my customers have used HDC at one time or another but I think that is more a product of the geography around here. This is a very hilly area and there are lots of steep nasty driveways. Most of my customers that have used HDC have used it to descend an icy driveway. The catch with HDC is that just using the low range setting on the T-Box is better but most people won't do that. The Land Rovers that have low range, which is all of them except the LR2, have a 45 something to 1 crawl ratio before you add in the torque converter ratio.

When we do our off road driving school we do not use HDC at all. The only electronics used are on the vehicles that have 4ETC and/or Terrain Response. There are some situations, a long steep hill that looks dry but actually has mud underneath is one, where HDC can be dangerous. The HDC pulsating the brakes could cause a wheel to lock up for a split second which could start a slide that the electronics can't save.

Obviously the torque converter is variable and 1,800 or so rpms it is locked up 1:1 but at idle speed or a little above idle speed it is closer to 2:1. A 90:1 or nearly 90:1 crawl ratio is very, very slow at idle speed. In fact for Land Rovers HDC target speed in low range is about 1 mph at idle. I can't speak for other makes as I don't know what kind of programs they are using but for Land Rover you can adjust that target speed by using the cruise control. Every tap of the button increases or decreases the target speed by about 0.1mph. The programs are actually all set in kilometers not MPH so it is around 0.1 mph.

The target speed in high range is around 6 mph but that can be increased or decreased a fair amount. On the LR2/Freelander 2 the default target speed is either 7.2 mph or 6.2 I forget exactly with the max speed being around 12.2 mph and the minimum being around 3.4 mph.

Land Rover invented Hill Decent Control back in the 90s and it debuted in the original Freelander for Europe in 1997/1997.

Now everyone has their own version of it but Land Rover has actually made an even more advanced version for the Freelander 2/LR2. They came up with GRC(Gradient Release Control) basically a modified version of the hill hold/start assist you see on manual transmission vehicles. In Europe just about all Freelander 2s are manual Diesel models since they get almost 40 mph highway and GRC is great for that but they even have it on the automatic equipped models. HDC takes a second or so to catch the car as it rolls down a very steep hill so GRC bleeds the brake pressure slowly and allows HDC to catch the car without a sudden acceleration.

Also the HDC system on the LR2 will automatically select the lowest target speed when going down a rough hill. The computer can detect the suspension bumping up and down over ruts or holes and trys to slow the car down more to increase control.

I have no idea if the generic versions of HDC the other brands are using have any of these capabilities because I wouldn't risk taking one of them on our off road demonstration course to try them out. I assume BMW's version has some of these features as BMW owned Land Rover when the original HDC was developed.

corvette

I'm betting you've seen this--I got a good laugh out of it:
Blue Jeans Strikes Back

roadburner

I'm betting you've seen this--I got a good laugh out of it:

Oh yes, I've seen it and I love it. I hope that BJC nails Monster Cable to the wall. BJC isn't the cheapest cable out there, but it's high quality and BJC refuses to make those pseudo-scientific BS claims that are the "High End" cable manufacturers' stock in trade.

lemmer

Do those cables really make much of a difference, or is it like the guy who thinks the cold air intake on his Civic gives him 15 hp?

corvette

The latter. Especially with a digital signal, which is typically an all-or-nothing thing. With an analog signal (e.g., speaker cables), there is some theoretical benefit to higher end cables, but most audiophiles can't tell the difference.

fezo

Right in town we have a 2004 Volvo C70 HPT convertible. 33K on the clock. Dark blue metallic with beige leather.... the link only takes you to the main page but it's the only Volvo convertible on the lot... www.manahawkinautosales.com .....

woodyww

I hear you. I'm more of a 2 channel "audio" guy, & I've put together 2 very nice systems, mainly by buying mint-condition slightly used gear on audiogon (& re-selling my old stuff there). If my house weren't falling apart, I'd get some Hospital grade outlets, or maybe I will anyway.

Cables are very important; I've heard the difference, & now I have some fairly high-end audio cables that I bought used. I think I read some disparaging remarks here about Monster Cable? I'd agree.....

qbrozen

Ok. It is somewhat tempting.

BUT, I'm still more tempted by the S60R. I really prefer a fixed roof for my daily driver, and I plan to avoid FWD on my next vehicle. I want a daily driver I can take to the track, too.

fezo

I could certainly understand that. Given my various physical, shall we say challenges, I'm not likely for the track and after all the years of the 00 Accord a convertible is probably about the same db level. Heck, depending on exactly how the top closes the Celica is quieter than the Accord.

Now were I to actually do something about the Volvo it would replace the Accord. My wife kind of envies the Celica.... If I had the Volvo she could have the Celica no problem.

roadburner

there is some theoretical benefit to higher end cables, but most audiophiles can't tell the difference.

Funny, they always seem to be able to hear a difference if the cable they bought costs $50/meter... :P

guss

If I had the Volvo she could have the Celica no problem.

What a guy,"here honey you can have the 10 year old economy car, I'll take the 5 year old luxury car if I have to." But at least your wife likes convertibles , my wife does not like to get her hair mussed up and will not ride in them.

fezo

I'm glad you noticed my magnanimous gesture.....

Actually, I'd had the Celica all of a day and I started getting the "If you found one with a stick that you like I could drive this one.".... She has a thing for little red cars that at least look sporty.

My guess would be if I ever did get the Volvo (which won't be this specific Volvo) she might decide the more luxurious Volvo might fit her better.... That's when I'd mention it's cheaper to run the Celica. Her putting on more miles than me is how I got snookered out of my Accord.

qbrozen

Another pretty one for me to drool over.

That one is about 90 miles from me. And certified. Its SOOOO tempting.

But, although wifey kept saying "go ahead and get one," she's now come into contact with reality and is keeping me from jumping at this one. Says we should wait till things settle down for us. Damned reason!

By the way, i went yesterday and drove a similar one near me. It was black over tan with similar miles. Luckily I was able to take it for an extended drive and I realized something wasn't quite right. It was making some strange turbo noises. When I got back to the dealership, I popped the hood and discovered the previous owner had completely removed the stock airbox and put a hot-air-intake in its place. That signals to me that it was probably beat on by someone without a clue (therefore not taken care of). So I had to pass.

qbrozen

see. this is what happens when folks go quiet on here for nearly a week. I had no support, so I wound up falling off the wagon!

An '04 titanium G35X with automatic, premium pack, and 33k tiny miles just followed me home.

corvette

Congratulations!

On June 1, I will make my 18th lease payment and have only six left to go--time to start looking...

I'm thinking of something like a used Saturn Aura XR if I buy, or whatever subsidized leases are on the menu in November/December if I lease... If the automakers continue to have slow new car sales, I predict heavy incentives towards the end of the year to bring up sales figures.

sandman46

Congrats! But what does the "X" stand for?

The Sandman

stickguy

is all wheel drive.

Nice car Q. How much did that go for?

Nice as high strung as the Volvo, but plenty quick, and fun to drive. Big step up from the Accord in driving experience, comfort, luxury, etc.

And no V6 FWD issues to worry about.

guss

whoops! I did it again...... Way to go Brittany!

But what happened to the Volvo ? I think you will like the G better though, I have been lusting after them since they came out.

Btw Mathias just priced a similar rwd '04 at $19.5 to $22k.

michaellno

Nice purchase ... I think my BIL had a G35 before he was struck by Bimmer fever.

Just got back from a road trip yesterday. Denver to St. George, UT and back ... approximately 1300 miles total. I drove my wife's VUE and my daughter and her friends drove her '06 ION. The VUE averaged about 22MPG, while the ION got 32-33MPG for the trip.

qbrozen

I did pay a bit much, IMHO. $18,800 was the final deal we struck.
Trade-in per Galves is $16,600. I knew I was around $2k over trade when I did it, but I justified it with the thought that there just aren't many '04s out there with only 33k miles. Plus, it was a late-'04 build (July). Had some demo miles put on it, then someone leased it on January 31, 2005. That means I still have bumper-to-bumper till January 31, '09 and the powertrain till Jan 2011. Not bad for a used car.

They had 2 on the lot. This one and another one that was the same color scheme but had NAV and 46k miles. They wanted a whopping $22,900 for that one. I have NO idea how they can justify that. The miles easily negate the NAV add-on. Other than that, they had 1 white '03 and a bunch of '05s and a few '06s. They also had a real nice selection of coupes, but I couldn't talk the wife into one of those. Oh well.

First test drive was with the salesperson and kind of short. That didn't completely convince me, so I asked if I could take it out longer with the wife and son in tow. He agreed. I took it out for maybe a half hour at that point. One of the stops was a test track at the DMV.
That cinched the deal. I had so much fun sliding it around. I think this will make a fine track-day car and daily commuter.

I DO like the volvo better, I will admit. Its just a step up in all areas in terms of driving fun, refinement, and luxo. But, in the end, I (with the help of the wife) decided that the lower purchase price, better resale, and better reliability of the G35 would be a safer bet.

The bimmer was still in contention, but the higher price didn't make sense to me. It finished 3rd in my personal comparison based purely on the economic factor. If I ranked them based on nothing but the driving experience, it would be S60R, 330i, G35x.

So, for those keeping score, QB has 7 cars on hand at the moment! The Pacifica and Accord are being returned ASAP, though. I just need to remove my Sirius from the Accord and clean both of them up. Oh, and siphon out the gas.

kyfdx

So.... how much of a hit to get out of the Accord lease?

Also.. could you have your wife call my wife? I'd just like 3 or 4 cars...

tifighter

Nice work. I think the Infiniti is a WAY smarter buy in the long run than a Volvo. Not that any of us keep cars that long, I guess...

guss

Reliability has definitely slipped down on my preference order. How much can go wrong when you keep a car on average 18 months ?

qbrozen

how much of a hit to get out of the Accord lease?

We shan't discuss such things.

;b

corvette

Its just a step up in all areas in terms of driving fun, refinement, and luxo.

I always thought Volvo's inline-5 was sort of boomy and loud--maybe the turbo version is quieter because it doesn't have to work as hard?

lemmer

Are you going to sell one of your other cars?

qbrozen

It is a bit louder than, say, a refined V6. But that depends on what you are looking for. Plus, it is so much quieter inside the cabin than a non-lux car, you (I) don't notice.

For instance, my Accord's engine is quieter, sure, but it lets in so much road and wind noise, that the quiet engine really doesn't mean a helluva lot.

Besides, I'm not adverse to hearing a sweet-sounding engine.

The G35 is actually pretty noisy. the engine growl is pretty noticeable, as is wind noise. But, overall, because it deadens the road noise well, it overall is quieter than the Accord.

qbrozen

the Accord and Pac are going back to their manufacturers.
Although I am pondering maybe selling the Accord. I'm just not sure I can get any extra for it that would make it worth it. I gotta do a little research.

Otherwise, I'm standing pat. I do have to get the Alfa past inspection, though.
And the pickup is due in September. yikes!

woodyww

Wow, 7 cars! Did you trade in or sell the leased Accord?

W/O having driven either an S60R, or a G35x, & I do like (most) Volvos, this sounds like a good decision. For $18,800, with all the warranty, AWD (in NJ as I recall?), I can't imagine that you'd lose that much when selling.......

Enjoy the car!

fezo

Quieter than an Accord. Talk about damning with faint praise.... I alway think that an Accord is many things but quiet isn't one that comes to mind.

We may have to stage an intervention here. As soon as we buy a nice car to come over in to stage it.

qbrozen

I can't imagine that you'd lose that much when selling....

LOL.
well, i guess that's the best we can hope for on this board, huh?

british_rover

Our dodge dealership just took in a 2003 Jaguar XJ with 51,000 miles on it that I can buy for around 12,000. Is that nice enough for you?