Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

Mazda has a retrofit (software update) for Apple CarPlay as well, as long as the model has a certain infotainment system. So, if by chance there's a great deal on a leftover Mazda6 (or other model) and that is the hangup, just know for $400, you can solve it.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/mazda-apple-carplay-android-auto-upgrade

breld

Given the interest in the Mazda6, why not the Accord Sport? 2.0T would be tempting, but 1.5T isn't a slouch.

breld

By the way, we put the plates on the Macan last week, and I have updated registration documents for the Miata (there was an error on one of the documents that the dealer had to correct), so I can plate that at anytime.

Quite literally, once I do that, we will be without temp tags on one car or another for the first time in many months.

"Nothing to be proud of Rus."

benjaminh

breld said:

Given the interest in the Mazda6, why not the Accord Sport? 2.0T would be tempting, but 1.5T isn't a slouch.

I think it comes down to lease incentives. Honda just isn't doing that much in the way of lease incentives for the Accord. 6 months ago I could lease the TLX for quite a bit less than a comparable Accord. But maybe the deals on the Accord have gotten better since then?

Imho the Mazda 6 is a nicer looking car than the new Accord.

breld

I haven't driven a Mazda6 in a while, but I had a couple test drives a few years back, prior to the facelift (2016 or 2017?). But having had the Mazda3 and now the Miata (also had a CX9 and previous gen Miata, but lot of changes since then), I really like the ergonomics of the vehicles. Their interiors are among the best in the class, IMO, and do a great job of mimicking the luxury brands - Audi and BMW in particular. In particular, the dial control for the infotainment system (and the little volume control next to it) are very reminiscent of Audi, and I much prefer that method of control over a touchscreen.

Little things, like the sliding cover for the cupholders, and use of leather trim on the dash and elbow/knee pads, are subtle but nice touches.

I believe the Mazda6 Grand Touring comes with a heads up display as well. Clearly not a necessity, but I've become very used to it in the Audi (and I had it in the 428 GC too).

Plus, the conventional 6 speed auto in the Mazda is a plus in my book.

If I was in a position where I needed/wanted to cut costs on my end, I think the CX-9 would be my top choice to replace the Q7.

breld

benjaminh said:

breld said:

Given the interest in the Mazda6, why not the Accord Sport? 2.0T would be tempting, but 1.5T isn't a slouch.

I think it comes down to lease incentives. Honda just isn't doing that much in the way of lease incentives for the Accord. 6 months ago I could lease the TLX for quite a bit less than a comparable Accord. But maybe the deals on the Accord have gotten better since then?

Imho the Mazda 6 is a nicer looking car than the new Accord.

Aah - got it. And don't disagree on the Mazda6 being better looking, but there's certainly a lot of inherent "goodness" in the Accord. I still can't quite get into the design of the rear taillights - they way they have that "cut in." I'd prefer a cleaner design. I'm starting to see plenty of new Foresters on the road (this is Colorado of course), and I think the same thing with their new taillights.

Having said that, if I ever see a steal on a used Accord Sport 2.0T with the 6-speed manual, I may jump on it. I'm assuming such a car will take a huge hit on the used market.

stickguy

I just can't get into the Accord for some reason. If I am getting a large mid sized sedan, I much prefer the Mazda. I do know about the carplay upgrade. The salesguy explained that on the CX5.

Benjamin, I will take poke at the TLX too, since i still never had a chance to drive one.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

I just can't get into the Accord for some reason. If I am getting a large mid sized sedan, I much prefer the Mazda. I do know about the carplay upgrade. The salesguy explained that on the CX5.

Benjamin, I will take poke at the TLX too, since i still never had a chance to drive one.

Did the new BMW 3-series x-drive appeal? That's a sweet deal on a nice ride. I know BMW people will say things like, "what about the Sport seats?" etc., but moving from an Elantra Sport my guess is that you'll find the standard BMW seats to be a good upgrade.

Oh, I forgot that maybe BMW doesn't have carplay/aa as standard. Does anyone know?

stickguy

Optional. And that car is pretty basic equipped. But not a terrible price.

28firefighter

CarPlay is a $300 option on the 3 series.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

CarPlay is a $300 option on the 3 series.

I heard BMW was going to a subscrition model... $10/mo.

pensfan83

Taking a feature that's designed to make accessing your phone safer and charging a fee for it is pretty arrogant IMO.

28firefighter

I want to say that @roadburner provided some context and background for the decision, but for the life of me, I don't remember what it is.

kyfdx

@stickguy

QX50 quote:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/comment/5609027/#Comment_5609027

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

I want to say that @roadburner provided some context and background for the decision, but for the life of me, I don't remember what it is.

Context? I think that is obvious. Money grab

stickguy

kyfdx said:

@stickguy

QX50 quote:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/comment/5609027/#Comment_5609027

Seems right. I got offered $476 with $500 total DAS, off an MSRP of $50,200.

28firefighter

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

I want to say that @roadburner provided some context and background for the decision, but for the life of me, I don't remember what it is.

Context? I think that is obvious. Money grab

I meant more in terms of why they went to a monthly fee model for it vs. the upfront cost. Charging for it at all is clearly a money grab.

tjc78

Wait... the monthly fee is true? I thought it was a joke

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

Wait... the monthly fee is true? I thought it was a joke

No, it's true..

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

I want to say that @roadburner provided some context and background for the decision, but for the life of me, I don't remember what it is.

Context? I think that is obvious. Money grab

I meant more in terms of why they went to a monthly fee model for it vs. the upfront cost. Charging for it at all is clearly a money grab.

I think they end up making more off the $10/mo...

nyccarguy

Some honcker cars today:

2018 Mazda 6 Sport 6MT - Black/Black $320/$320 DAS 36/18k
2018 Mazda 6 Touring 6AT - Black/Black $356/$356 DAS 36/18K
2018 Mazda 6 Grand Touring - Blue/Black $406/$406 DAS 36/18K

2019 Infiniti Q50 AWD Luxe - White/Black $408/$408 DAS 39/18K

2019 Acura TLX SH-AWD V6 w/Tech - Red/Black $540/$540 DAS 36/18K
2019 Acura TLX w/ Tech - Grey/Black $470/$470 DAS 36/18K

tjc78

Wow, just wow

kyfdx

nyccarguy said:

Some honcker cars today:

2018 Mazda 6 Sport 6MT - Black/Black $320/$320 DAS 36/18k
2018 Mazda 6 Touring 6AT - Black/Black $356/$356 DAS 36/18K
2018 Mazda 6 Grand Touring - Blue/Black $406/$406 DAS 36/18K

2019 Infiniti Q50 AWD Luxe - White/Black $408/$408 DAS 39/18K

2019 Acura TLX SH-AWD V6 w/Tech - Red/Black $540/$540 DAS 36/18K
2019 Acura TLX w/ Tech - Grey/Black $470/$470 DAS 36/18K

The Q50 is a deal..

Wait.. don't you already drive an Infiniti sedan?

tjc78

So for $400 you could have a loaded Infiniti or loaded Mazda... hmm.

That Q50 won't last.

Mr_Shiftright

benjaminh said:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-04/how-ghosn-may-have-hidden-70-million-from-those-who-paid-him

"How Ghosn May Have Hidden $70 Million — From the Company That Paid Him
By Jason Clenfield and Yuki Hagiwara
December 4, 2018, 3:00 PM EST Updated on December 5, 2018, 5:00 AM EST

How could one of the world’s most visible employees go about hiding $70 million worth of salary and benefits paid to him by one of the world’s biggest companies, without the company knowing it?

Two weeks after Tokyo prosecutors arrested Carlos Ghosn for allegedly under-reporting his compensation, that question is still unanswered. What is certain is that Nissan Motor Co.’s own corporate governance rules gave unusual powers to its former chairman, a business celebrity who was given extraordinary deference for having once rescued the automaker from financial ruin. Those powers included near-total say over how much -- and how -- he was paid, according to Nissan’s own internal rules...."

This is sounding more and more like a Japanese Coup d'Etat.

breld

Speaking of Infinitis, I've taken notice of Q60's (the current version) more and more. Good looking car in my eyes, and a quick browse of used inventory seems to indicate some steep depreciation on those models.

tjc78

breld said:

Speaking of Infinitis, I've taken notice of Q60's (the current version) more and more. Good looking car in my eyes, and a quick browse of used inventory seems to indicate some steep depreciation on those models.

Monday... at the latest

qbrozen

Believe it or not, that Q50 is still overpriced. A broker in FL is offering it for $276. Works out to about $340'ish for 15k with first month up front. Not AWD, though. I am considering reaching out to get a quote on an AWD one.

28firefighter

Given CT taxes and registration and 18k MPY lease, I don't think it is that much higher - probably also doesn't include VPP or Conquest.

Also, one of the lease hackr brokers works with a dealer in CT, so it would not shock me if that dealer also lists on Honckr.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

Believe it or not, that Q50 is still overpriced. A broker in FL is offering it for $276. Works out to about $340'ish for 15k with first month up front. Not AWD, though. I am considering reaching out to get a quote on an AWD one.

You probably have to qualify for VPP for that lease

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

Some honcker cars today:

2018 Mazda 6 Sport 6MT - Black/Black $320/$320 DAS 36/18k
2018 Mazda 6 Touring 6AT - Black/Black $356/$356 DAS 36/18K
2018 Mazda 6 Grand Touring - Blue/Black $406/$406 DAS 36/18K

2019 Infiniti Q50 AWD Luxe - White/Black $408/$408 DAS 39/18K

2019 Acura TLX SH-AWD V6 w/Tech - Red/Black $540/$540 DAS 36/18K
2019 Acura TLX w/ Tech - Grey/Black $470/$470 DAS 36/18K

The Q50 is a deal..

Wait.. don't you already drive an Infiniti sedan?

yup

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

qbrozen said:

Believe it or not, that Q50 is still overpriced. A broker in FL is offering it for $276. Works out to about $340'ish for 15k with first month up front. Not AWD, though. I am considering reaching out to get a quote on an AWD one.

You probably have to qualify for VPP for that lease

yes, but I did remove conquest in my calculation.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

This is sounding more and more like a Japanese Coup d'Etat.

Yepper.

henryn

That Infiniti Q50 lease does sound very tempting, especially if it can be had cheaper as @qbrozen indicated.

Of course, none of that could ever happen in Texas, and I have no plans to move, so ...

tjc78

Texas taxes the whole MSRP, correct?

graphicguy

tjc78 said:

So for $400 you could have a loaded Infiniti or loaded Mazda... hmm.

That Q50 won't last.

Is that Q50 the 4 cal or the 3.0T? I don't know that it would be loaded. Safety tech, nice stereo, etc are for the upper option categories.

Not saying the Q50 isn't a nice car. I owned one. Just that they don't come equipped like the TLX SH AWD Tech would come.

I do agree with you @breld. The Q60s are the "looker" in the entire Infiniti lineup. They're sharp.

henryn

tjc78 said:

Texas taxes the whole MSRP, correct?

Texas charges 6.25% sales tax on the entire selling price, which in most cases is a little lower than MSRP, but not that much.

On a selling price of $40k, that would add about $70 per month to a 36 month lease. Whereas 6.25% sales tax on monthly payment of $350 would only add about $22 to that monthly payment.

28firefighter

Some of the manufacturers handout tax credits on leases in Texas - for example I know BMW and Alfa Romeo do. Something to do with getting credit from the state for lease returns? In that case, it can drop the tax liability to 1% or less of the sale price over the course of the lease. But, you have to ask and you have to time it just right.

henryn

28firefighter said:

Some of the manufacturers handout tax credits on leases in Texas - for example I know BMW and Alfa Romeo do. Something to do with getting credit from the state for lease returns? In that case, it can drop the tax liability to 1% or less of the sale price over the course of the lease. But, you have to ask and you have to time it just right.

That would probably be very hard to find, as no one advertises or does business here in Texas on leases. At least not that I have seen.

28firefighter

henryn said:

28firefighter said:

Some of the manufacturers handout tax credits on leases in Texas - for example I know BMW and Alfa Romeo do. Something to do with getting credit from the state for lease returns? In that case, it can drop the tax liability to 1% or less of the sale price over the course of the lease. But, you have to ask and you have to time it just right.

That would probably be very hard to find, as no one advertises or does business here in Texas on leases. At least not that I have seen.

Correct - you need to do the due diligence and reach out proactively. It is absolutely possible to lease, and lease very well, in Texas. It just takes time and patience. Some of the best Alfa Stelvio deals back in August came out of TX.

qbrozen

I have a local dealer down to $385 with $385 DAS on an X2. It is a 19% discount before incentives. What do you think? I think I could push just a hair more in person.

benjaminh

qbrozen said:

I have a local dealer down to $385 with $385 DAS on an X2. It is a 19% discount before incentives. What do you think? I think I could push just a hair more in person.

Sounds good. What's the msrp?

qbrozen

$41,190. Just basic with convenience pack (moonroof, comfort access, etc) and heated seats/steering wheel. Actually the lowest optioned one I have come across. 

My goal would be $1500 DAS and $340/mo. So they only need to drop another $400, which is 20% off instead of 19%.

28firefighter

I think it's a great deal given that you don't qualify for loyalty - how many miles are on it and how long as it been sitting on their lot? I wouldn't quibble over $11/month, personally, but if you tell them you'll be there tonight to pick it up? Also, if you can find an OL code, you'll save yourself the hassle and do better than $400.

Are they still doing MSD in the northeast? I think yes - that'd save a bundle if you can stand to part with the cash for the time of the lease and also get you where you want to be.

benjaminh

Wow. Great lease deal. Maybe stick should try to hire you lol!

28firefighter

@stickguy - you've got PM.

henryn

Didn't someone in here just say, quite recently, that BMWs didn't lease well? I'm having a hard time keeping up without a scorecard.

henryn

I have complained before about it costing more (a good deal more) to buy a Colorado over a full sized Silverado.

Yes, the Colorado will have a lower window sticker, but with the incentives, the Silverado will sell for many thousands of dollars less then a comparable Colorado.

henryn

28firefighter said:

Correct - you need to do the due diligence and reach out proactively. It is absolutely possible to lease, and lease very well, in Texas. It just takes time and patience. Some of the best Alfa Stelvio deals back in August came out of TX.

28firefighter said:

Some of the manufacturers handout tax credits on leases in Texas - for example I know BMW and Alfa Romeo do. Something to do with getting credit from the state for lease returns? In that case, it can drop the tax liability to 1% or less of the sale price over the course of the lease. But, you have to ask and you have to time it just right.

I am definitely not interested in any Alfa. Maybe a BMW. Actually, an Infiniti would be more likely. Does Infiniti ever do any of that "tax credit in Texas" stuff? That would be quite interesting.

tjc78

graphicguy said:

So for $400 you could have a loaded Infiniti or loaded Mazda... hmm. That Q50 won't last.

Is that Q50 the 4 cal or the 3.0T? I don't know that it would be loaded. Safety tech, nice stereo, etc are for the upper option categories. Not saying the Q50 isn't a nice car. I owned one. Just that they don't come equipped like the TLX SH AWD Tech would come. I do agree with you @breld. The Q60s are the "looker" in the entire Infiniti lineup. They're sharp.

The Luxe would be the 3.0T... not fully loaded but certainly equipped and not the base model