Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

xwesx

stickguy said:

Got a test drive in today on a used version of a dark horse contender.

Well, then it is appropriate that you keep us in the dark about it!

qbrozen

dammit! It is $3250. Freakin Edmunds.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

dammit! It is $3250. Freakin Edmunds.

That's what you get for not checking with us..

qbrozen

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

dammit! It is $3250. Freakin Edmunds.

That's what you get for not checking with us..

well... not to point fingers or anything .... ahem...

kyfdx

It is $3750 for the NYC market. Not sure where you are shopping.

You obviously don't live very close to either of those ZIPS.

28firefighter

BMW does rebates and credits based on where you buy. If you get from a dealer in a region with a higher credit, then you can use the higher credit. So shop in the NYC market.

qbrozen

I plugged in NYC and that 14202 and both come up $3250 on the BMW site.
I live very close to NYC, which is why I figured that's the same market.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

I plugged in NYC and that 14202 and both come up $3250 on the BMW site.
I live very close to NYC, which is why I figured that's the same market.

Northern NJ or NYC gives me $3750.

qbrozen

I've tried several zips and all coming up $3250 for me. Where do your numbers come from? Are you using that BMW site?

roadburner

I have a few guidelines I rarely depart from; small(under 180" long), relatively light(under 3500 lbs.), RWD in anything larger than a Mini, RWD biased if AWD, and for my "fun" car, it has to be faster than its predecessor.
Bonus points for no hole in the roof, better than decent audio, and track capability straight off the showroom floor.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

I've tried several zips and all coming up $3250 for me. Where do your numbers come from? Are you using that BMW site?

No.. we have our own sources

benjaminh

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

I've tried several zips and all coming up $3250 for me. Where do your numbers come from? Are you using that BMW site?

No.. we have our own sources

"They know a guy."

tbirdmarco

Wow Q so the hunt continues. Liked all else  above.  That redd above is nice

qbrozen

benjaminh said:

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

I've tried several zips and all coming up $3250 for me. Where do your numbers come from? Are you using that BMW site?

No.. we have our own sources

"They know a guy."

Is it Eddie Crispo?

tbirdmarco

O got you Breld. Than in the new year lol lol 

tbirdmarco

Lol lol lol 28 fire fighters on the comment on the strippers. Lol lol lol

corvette

stickguy said:

That’s why I spend a lot of time looking. Well, besides being fun. At some point I’ll sit in a car that feels perfect, then drives great, and it’s all over.

That’s how I ended up with the G37. Just took a while to find a clean one at a fair price that hadn’t been sold already. 

corvette

suydam said:

I'm guessing we all like cars around here enough that we can be open to a lot of different possibilities. It can make narrowing down a choice pretty hard, and sticking with one even harder. Once in a blue moon, though, you drive something and immediately think "oh yeah, game over. Sign me up." You just know it. Those are rare, but fun...

I like cars a lot and love learning about them and driving them. But there are actually not that many I want to own. For example, now that the Volt is being discontinued, what do I want to replace it with when the lease is up in a year? I really can’t think of anything comparable that I would like as much.

Buy it out? Niro plug-in hybrid? Prius plug-in hybrid? GM popularized the plug-in hybrid, but the other makes are going to profit from it. 

Michaell

corvette said:

suydam said:

tifighter said:

I'm guessing we all like cars around here enough that we can be open to a lot of different possibilities. It can make narrowing down a choice pretty hard, and sticking with one even harder. Once in a blue moon, though, you drive something and immediately think "oh yeah, game over. Sign me up." You just know it. Those are rare, but fun...

I like cars a lot and love learning about them and driving them. But there are actually not that many I want to own. For example, now that the Volt is being discontinued, what do I want to replace it with when the lease is up in a year? I really can’t think of anything comparable that I would like as much.

Buy it out? Niro plug-in hybrid? Prius plug-in hybrid? GM popularized the plug-in hybrid, but the other males are going to profit from it. 

corvette said:

suydam said:

tifighter said:

I'm guessing we all like cars around here enough that we can be open to a lot of different possibilities. It can make narrowing down a choice pretty hard, and sticking with one even harder. Once in a blue moon, though, you drive something and immediately think "oh yeah, game over. Sign me up." You just know it. Those are rare, but fun...

I like cars a lot and love learning about them and driving them. But there are actually not that many I want to own. For example, now that the Volt is being discontinued, what do I want to replace it with when the lease is up in a year? I really can’t think of anything comparable that I would like as much.

Buy it out? Niro plug-in hybrid? Prius plug-in hybrid? GM popularized the plug-in hybrid, but the other males are going to profit from it. 

What? Women don't buy plug in hybrids?



@qbrozen - our sources are confidential, but accurate.

corvette

roadburner said:

I have a few guidelines I rarely depart from; small(under 180" long), relatively light(under 3500 lbs.), RWD in anything larger than a Mini, RWD biased if AWD, and for my "fun" car, it has to be faster than its predecessor. Bonus points for no hole in the roof, better than decent audio, and track capability straight off the showroom floor.

Mine have changed over the years. For my daily driver, pretty much the opposite of you. Over 4,000 pound curb weight, strongly prefer the ride height of a full size truck, like the length of the short wheelbase full size SUVs (Tahoe, Yukon, Expedition, Navigator - doubt I’d ever buy an Escalade), 4WD or AWD, prefer a sunroof, heated seats, and infotainment is a nice bonus. Strongly considering adding heated seats and CarPlay head unit to the Tahoe, at this point. I’ve had no mechanical issues and think it will go at least a couple more years. 

corvette

Michaell, lol, I meant to say makes, but my iPhone sabotaged me. 

henryn

I owned a Tahoe about 4 or 5 years back. I liked it, but didn't keep it very long. It was too wide, did not fit well in the parking garage downtown, and just didn't have a lot of room inside considering how big it was outside. The ride height was nice, and it was basically a Chevy truck ( a good thing in my opinion), but not a lot of interior space given the exterior dimensions.

Tastes vary, everyone should get what they like. I like small cars that have good interior space. Not for long road trips, but great for a commute vehicle.

Drivingfool

I knew the minute I took off in my Golf that I'd own one of these puppys sooner or later. Once the wife decided to get an Audi, made it easier for me to dump the Tucson and get the Golf. Waited eleven days but finally after a couple more test drives and a stop at CarMax to get a trade in value on the Hyundai, I went back to VW and negotiated. Having the CarMax offer in writing helped me get to my number and I pulled the trigger that same day. And have never looked back yet!
To this day, not really sure what'll come next to be honest. Love having a hatch though a 328i cpo unit would be fun. But a hybrid would be great for the increased mpg's. Just nothing out there I gotta have right now or I'd have jumped already. Funny thing is the wife's expecting me to jump any day now for some odd reason as I've not really been actively looking yet. Guess with all the other "stuff" going on, haven't had the time to really think about new wheels. Deep down, would love to keep the Golf and get a "fun" vehicle and swap miles between them. So, just best not to even look!

The Sandman/Driving Fool

Drivingfool

180" or less is whee I like my vehicles. Want a hole in the roof going forward and a hatch is always helpful plus the safety nannies I don't presently have. Not really stuck on any brand and a 0.0% financing rate would make me smile. Just not sure.
Sat in a new 2019 Kia Forte in the mall yesterday. It was unlocked, so I got in and sat there for about 20 minutes or so. Folks saw me but kept on walking. Comfy seats and like the new dash with it's tablet like infotainment unit. My wife likes these and almost bought before I showed her the A3. But do also like their Forte hatchback model.
But again, have so many to try and luckily have all the time in the world right now as the Golf is behaving itself. Looks like new and hard to tell it was in an accident 10 months ago. The Q3 I see daily at the nearby dealer is calling me but the mg's really suck. And did see a cpo 2017 328i on the website last night, a blue over beige unit, the perfect combo. The 2018 ILX is also something I could live with to be honest. And the prices are pretty compelling right now. The new 2019 model could work to.
Just not sure what to do and when.

The Sandman/Driving Fool

Drivingfool

Pain doc gave me the info on the acupuncture guy yesterday so need to call and set up an appointment. Couldn't hurt I'm guessing. We shall see where this leads. Also said a massage on a regular basis couldn't hurt either.
Need to stop at a back store that has back relief cushions and all. Still using the same unit in my vehicle I got through workers comp many years ago. But want to see what else they have as I've been in a period lately and need some more relief while sitting.
Chronic pain really sucks and is draining the life out of me, hurt most of the time. Big reason I want to retire again so I can rest my spine. Being off since Tuesday afternoon has been wonderful actually. Already to be off full time but hoping to depart Hertz come July or so. A bit draggy right so glad we're back to 24 hours to be honest!!

The Sandman/Driving Fool

corvette

henryn said:

I owned a Tahoe about 4 or 5 years back. I liked it, but didn't keep it very long. It was too wide, did not fit well in the parking garage downtown, and just didn't have a lot of room inside considering how big it was outside. The ride height was nice, and it was basically a Chevy truck ( a good thing in my opinion), but not a lot of interior space given the exterior dimensions.

I agree, it is wide, but the short wheelbase makes it more maneuverable. The long wheelbase ones (including the full size trucks) are less so. Agree about the interior space, as well, maybe not as roomy as a minivan, but you can still haul quite a bit of stuff inside. Considering it's the same length and layout as a regular cab pickup, it's pretty outrageous that it costs twice as much for a little more steel and glass and a few more seats.

tjc78

Yeah we have a Tahoe at work and it swallows a good bit of stuff.  Quite comfortable too.  I too think they are overpriced, but Chevy sells plenty.  

tbirdmarco

Glad to hear from you driving fool, I can only imagine that chronic pain how bad it is, thanks for checking in though, that’s cool you have time to do some car looking so when you’re ready down the road east don’t know what you want to go for. Yes agree with above get what you like everyone has their preferences. I personally like big large cars which very few choices if I was able to drive would be between the Taurus which I really like, and the impala or charger. I’m sure I’m missing a few.

stickguy

Got some test drives in tonight, to cover the larger (by my standard) sedan class. Finally got to drive a 4 banger TLX (Benjamin, they have a white one now to go with the red one, which I think just sold). For some reason, the supply of 4 cyl tech cars is really thin (but on the RDX, you can't get a base, just tech or A spec).

I found it to be a really nice car. Handled well. Felt light on it's feet, and the engine had a nice growl to it while being very smooth (typical Honda 4 cyl, and in this case, no turbo concerns). Had a couple chances to punch it, and it moved out nicely. I don't see any reason that it wouldn't be plenty quick enough for us. Probably close to what my Elantra does though without quite as much low down torque. But, a different type of car. Vastly more comfortable though. Nice ride, but good handling. A nice compromise between the 2. If not a full "sports" sedan, it at least does a good job being "sporty". Great seats, as expected. Tons of features. Does seem to drive smaller than it really is (a good thing).

feature wise, has everything we want (power passenger seat, memory seat, safety stuff, carplay). Not giving up anything from the want or must have lists. Even has good MPG ratings. And pretty sure the wife would be happy to use it on a regular basis commuting to work.

I did ask just now (she was at a holiday party, so I was out getting into trouble alone) if she cared what style car I got (would she still use it). She said "it depends what it is". I took that to mean a fancier hot rod compact, or a Mustang or Ram PU, would be a No. A 3 series or a TLX, and she would suck it up!

Oh, another biggie: salesguy confirmed the spare still fits, and they sell it as an accessory. So would bake that into any deal (or what he said he does, go to the junkyard and get the pieces cheap!). So I guess it really does have everything.

up next:

stickguy

Stopped at Mazda dealer again. Sat in a 6 GT in the showroom. Very stylish in and out. Took one for a drive. Definitely a big car. Though probably the same length as the TLX, the design and styling makes it feel bigger. Not quite as many features, but covers the key stuff. Drove nicely too (ride and handling). Lots of grunt when you really gave it gas, but in normal driving, just felt (and sounded) like a normal 4 (a bit rougher than the Acura). One thing I did not like was the driver's seat. could not decide if it had enough back comfort (but, could still play with it) but the seat is only 6 way, so was borderline having enough front tilt. Better than my current car, but I don't want to make that mistake again!

tremendous bang for the buck, but it did not feel quite as substantial, and there were a few features missing compared to the Acura. on the plus side, very quick if you need to hammer it!

So, I liked it, it is tempting, but not in love with it. I think the wife would like it though (to ride in, not sure about driving, as it is on the low slung side).

stickguy

oh, forgot one thing. Sat in an RDX A spec. Very nice seats. Great package overall. just so darned pricey! Hard to justify $150/month on top of a nice TLX for one.

stickguy

next stop, VW. Was getting late, and both salesguys were occupied, so I just sat but did not drive. Might do that tomorrow depending on the number I get in the AM. Wandered over to the Audi store and talked to my contact there. Sat in a Q5 (super nice) and a Q3 (much smaller, but nice, and you can tell it is a much older design). Long shot of anything happening there, but always a possibility if they want to make a deal happen bad enough. still have not test driven anything there.

I am on vacation tomorrow, so will hit the rest of my short(ish) list options and decide about picking one to start haggling with. Don't want to do that until I actually pick a car!

Only 2 brands left to stop at, and conveniently they are sister stores that share parking. One of which is the new model of the 2015 I drove today (even with 50K miles, still drove well).

stickguy

I will say I enjoy having a car that is quick and nimble. Was zipping around in the sport a bunch today, including around traffic and some tight merges, and it really does a good job with that. Basically need a little bit bigger and more comfortable version of it. The TLX and Mazda both probably qualify. A 3 series certainly would too.

good thing the wife's RDX has plenty of speed. Not exactly a backroad carver, but it does OK when you need to turn. The new RDX is more of a sporty drive, so probably the best CUV option if that is important.

would be a lot easier to swap out the current RDX for a new one, but really don't want a 2nd payment at this point. But what the heck, it's only money!

suydam

corvette said:

suydam said:

I'm guessing we all like cars around here enough that we can be open to a lot of different possibilities. It can make narrowing down a choice pretty hard, and sticking with one even harder. Once in a blue moon, though, you drive something and immediately think "oh yeah, game over. Sign me up." You just know it. Those are rare, but fun...

I like cars a lot and love learning about them and driving them. But there are actually not that many I want to own. For example, now that the Volt is being discontinued, what do I want to replace it with when the lease is up in a year? I really can’t think of anything comparable that I would like as much.

Buy it out? Niro plug-in hybrid? Prius plug-in hybrid? GM popularized the plug-in hybrid, but the other makes are going to profit from it. 

Neither PHEV has enough range for my needs — only 26 miles. Plus I really hate the Prius. Clarity is too big. Well, I have a year to think about it. Fortunately the Encore is paid for and keeps plugging along like a champ. So far only 3 basic service oil changes, 2 of which were free.

nyccarguy

We’ve got 2 South Jersey posters chasing a December punch!  

stickguy

Technically I put QB in central Jersey, though some people consider that to be a mythical place, only inhabited by the Jersey Devil.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Technically I put QB in central Jersey, though some people consider that to be a mythical place, only inhabited by the Jersey Devil.

I would have figured Princeton to be in central NJ. 

graphicguy

tjc78 said:

graphicguy said:

tjc78 said:

It is nuts that some features are extra on a premium brand.   On 20k cars you have BLIS but on 40k+ luxury cars it’s absent.  

I couldn’t believe the TLX V6 I rode in the other day didn’t have it.  

What year was it? All the ‘18s and ‘19s have BLISS (and radar cruise, and automatic emergency braking, etc) standard.

It’s an 18.   It had the Nannies but n BLIS 

Did not know that. Thought BLISS was part part of the standard safety features.

Drivingfool

Stick, think you're going to end up with the TLX for some reason. It's the best compromise between your current fleet and do think your wife is going to grow to "love" it once she starts driving it on a regular basis. Just something about how good the Acura brand really is. Have always liked the ILX myself since it did start out as the generation of Civic that I used to own. Am sure I'd love the TLX but it's just too big for my needs...but should fit yours nicely. A real shame your wife can't try out the current Elantra for the next week or so on her commute. Maybe after a week or so of daily use, she'll come away liking it's smaller size in traffic and specially to park it. Of course the cheapest way to go is to just keep the current fleet with y'all just switching rigs during the week.
Know this isn't the most exciting choice and you really really wan t to get something new. But deep down, think the wife would be happiest getting another RDX in another year or two and by her just getting used to the Elantra, more $ can be saved so the next vehicle could be something like an X1 or X2, a vehicle I think you'd really like. But just means putting off doing anything and waiting another year, two at the most, then getting something really great.
Just wanted to throw this idea out there as thee's nothing wrong with all the test driving you're doing now because staying the course hasn't been an option when maybe, just maybe, it should be for the time being. But like you, would love to get a new vehicle and having the accident last February put me in new car mode as I really thought they were going to total it. In my case though, found nothing I really liked as much as the Golf, nothing. So even though staying the course wasn't an option early on, once it became one, was the best thing to do, at that time. I did test drive the vehicles on my short list but none of them made me want to have them at the time. So sure, was a bit disappointed when they repaired my vehicle, now am glad they did. And next time, I'll get what I really want even if it means spending a bit more.
Just throwing this suggestion out there. Now, if there's something out there you both find you have to have right now, go for it. But don't settle again, because you'll both be unhappy and hell, that's no fun. You're going through that now just as I did with the Tucson and I'll never do that again!

The Sandman/Driving Fool

benjaminh

stickguy said:

Stopped at Mazda dealer again. Sat in a 6 GT in the showroom. Very stylish in and out. Took one for a drive. Definitely a big car. Though probably the same length as the TLX, the design and styling makes it feel bigger. Not quite as many features, but covers the key stuff. Drove nicely too (ride and handling). Lots of grunt when you really gave it gas, but in normal driving, just felt (and sounded) like a normal 4 (a bit rougher than the Acura). One thing I did not like was the driver's seat. could not decide if it had enough back comfort (but, could still play with it) but the seat is only 6 way, so was borderline having enough front tilt. Better than my current car, but I don't want to make that mistake again!

tremendous bang for the buck, but it did not feel quite as substantial, and there were a few features missing compared to the Acura. on the plus side, very quick if you need to hammer it!

So, I liked it, it is tempting, but not in love with it. I think the wife would like it though (to ride in, not sure about driving, as it is on the low slung side).

The Mazda 6 is 1 inch longer than the TLX.

As you say the TLX's Milano leather seats that are included with the Tech package are nice.

Slightly higher safety ratings with the TLX—5 stars compared with 4 for the Mazda.

As you mention, the Mazda turbo will be faster than the TLX 2.4 to 60 by about half a second. No getting around that. But imho the TLX 2.4 with a 0-60 of 6.9 is fast enough, and slightly faster even than a base 320i.

So, the TLX 2.4 isn't as fast as the Mazda turbo, but the TLX 2.4 does get slightly better gas mileage, has slightly higher resale value, and has a longer warranty.

I really like the Mazda still, and bottom line is that it will cost some money to move up from the Mazda6 GT to the Acura. If you were comparing the Mazda6 Signature, which is the top-of-the-line and has a $35k msrp my guess is that the lease numbers would be about the same as for the $37.6k TLX 2.4 Tech.

Did you get a chance to try out the sound systems? The ELS as the TLX owners here have said is excellent, and perhaps best in class. The ELS system will still play a CD if you want, which at this point is rare as most new cars, including the Mazda6, no longer play CDs. Once in a while I still like to pull out a favorite album on CD and play it in my car. Plus the ELS system has a hard drive that automatically downloads it for future listening.

And while I'm boring you with the comparison, the TLX has slightly bigger brakes than the Mazda 6 and stops a little faster.

"Front Power 320-mm Ventilated Disc and Rear Power 310-mm Disc Brakes (Standard) TLX
Front Power 297-mm Ventilated Disc and Rear Power 277-mm Disc Brakes (Standard) Mazda6"

stickguy

Sandy, she has no interest in driving my car instead. She would rather just keep driving hers. No, it does not have all the latest whiz bang features, but she is surviving so far. Just would be nice to have something with the extras on it, because you don't need them, until you need them!

if you ask her, she wants a new RDX. But also does not want 2 payments, or think we really need 2 CUVs like that. Not a big deal really since most of my driving will be with her, so we would be taking the new one (whatever it is) anyway. She even suggested this morning that I just get whatever it is I want, and in a few years when it is time she can get a new RDX.

If I do get a luxury CUV for "me" that she starts using daily I am sure it will immediately become "her" car effectively. So at some point, if I want something different, can always sell the old one and switch to something else used in the same price range. The best reason for keeping the 2013 is the interior color matches our yellow lab, who sheds like crazy. But if the new car is a lease, who cares?

I think if I got say a TLX, we would swap back and forth to spread out the miles, but I think she would still use the RDX as her DD.

suydam

Which would negate the whole point of getting a vehicle for her that is better for her commute in terms of safety features. I really have come to appreciate BLIS in heavy traffic on the freeway.

stickguy

By DD I actually meant, well, not daily. More like commute with the new car, but on weekends, off days, etc. if we are driving alone she would take the old car, not "my" car. But that is not a lot of miles to worry about.

would not even be having the discussion if she had not recently changed jobs and starting with a lousy commute.

jpp75

kyfdx said:

Honcker not available in my area.

Sucks that I had to agree to a credit check, just to find that out.

Honcker is available here, but only for Cadillac. If you're interested in an ATS for $849/mo then come to CO.

au1994

jpp5862 said:

kyfdx said:

Honcker not available in my area.

Sucks that I had to agree to a credit check, just to find that out.

Honcker is available here, but only for Cadillac. If you're interested in an ATS for $849/mo then come to CO.

Say what??

jpp75

au1994 said:

Honcker is available here, but only for Cadillac. If you're interested in an ATS for $849/mo then come to CO.

Say what??

It's the deal of the day today, and now it's down to $814 with only $3,412 due at signing. Won't last long....

tifighter

au1994

jpp5862 said:

au1994 said:

Honcker is available here, but only for Cadillac. If you're interested in an ATS for $849/mo then come to CO.

Say what??

It's the deal of the day today, and now it's down to $814 with only $3,412 due at signing. Won't last long....




If they just drop it to 800 I’m in.

That’s seriously nuts on a model that’s dead.

qbrozen

I'm getting to the point I might give up on BMW. Every single dealer so far has given me a different story on rebates/incentives. It is crazy.

I'm seriously considering buying a CPO V60 that just popped up.

stickguy

V60 is nice.

I went to BMW today. Drove a loaner 330xi. Nice driving, comfy, good size. crazy price for a stipped unit (not even Navi for $45,000 sticker?). Got a lease quote on a new one with decent stuff (so MSRP about 49K). even with discounts, rebates, etc. to bring sales price down to about 42K they still wanted upper 500s with $2,500 DAS. So there was a long way from there, to here (wherever here might be). I don't have the knowledge or stamina to try and dicker them down to something that makes sense.

at this point, I have it down to 2 options I like (one CUV, 1 sedan) if I decide to do anything. Still have not given up on convincing the wife to flip her car instead for the CUV, so we end up with 2 newer cars and only 1 CUV style. Take the equity from the RDX to use elsewhere (HELOC). Basically pay off more expensive money with cheaper money. she doesn't want a 2nd payment, but we are already making it to the bank.

wish me luck getting this plan over the goal line!