Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

I know I am going to regret saying this, but wouldn't it be easier to get a new car?

Sorry, low hanging fruit!

They look nice. and I assume that you would sell the ones you currently have, so probably won't cost all that much? So if you want them that bad, pretty harmless to do it.

breld

Well, we all know I’ve bought new cars for lesser reasons!  

I’d actually keep my current wheels as the winter set.  These new wheels are...”gulp”...22”!  Having the air suspension option on my Q7 helps with considering the lower profile.  

stickguy

22? Ouch. probably expensive tires on that, but at least the wheels you are buying must have tires already?

One of the reasons I will be moving to a CUV next time is to get actual substantial sidewalls. Getting a "truck" with skinny little rubber just seems wrong.

breld

I’m kinda with you on that, but then I do like the look of these particular wheels.  

Yes, the set does come with tires, and I checked the cost of replacement tires (you know, just in case I actually keep the car), and they’re surprisingly affordable - not cheap, but about $250/tire for 285/35/22 tires?  Not crazy.  

breld

Here are the wheels I bought for the A5 today - again, we all had a recent discussion on black wheels, so not everyone’s cup of tea, but I tend to like them when they’re OEM.  They were the black optic package option on the 2018 A4.  

qbrozen

stickguy said:

22? Ouch. probably expensive tires on that, but at least the wheels you are buying must have tires already? One of the reasons I will be moving to a CUV next time is to get actual substantial sidewalls. Getting a "truck" with skinny little rubber just seems wrong.

It is silly enough he is getting wheels for vehicles that could be gone before the next snowfall, but worrying about replacement tires is simply ludicrous.

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

I wonder if the ongoing trend toward leasing is going to suppress used car prices? Why buy a 2-3 year old CPO car when for the same monthly you can have a brand new one?

We’ll see what the future brings, but lease costs have been going up in recent months in most cases. Rates going up, while residuals and trunk money going down. Seems to me like many dealers will be stuck with unsold 2018s this year. 

marcogallo1986

Nice coler on those  rims breld 

marcogallo1986

Got you Breld   Yes so no immediate plans, I’m sure yes in the near future less than a year should get one again.   Lol

stickguy

speaking of wheels, there was a piece on the local (philly) news last night, that there has been a rash of wheel thefts off brand new Accords. Some people hit more than once. Crew comes in, pops the lugnuts, jacks up the car, wheels off, then they leave it teetering on a couple of plastic milk crates (as an aside, a milk crate apparently can hold a whole lotta weight).

does not do much for the car though. And pretty brazen, since they are just parked out in lots outside apartment buildings mostly, not off in some remote area. I think they said there have been at least 16 in the last couple weeks (just new Accords). Something like that, all the same exact MO right down to the milk crates.

that would certainly steam my clams. Not even sure how you deal with it. Arrange for new wheels and tires to be brought out to the car, or get 4 donuts and drive it in?

marcogallo1986

 New York car guy, all valid points on the scene you mentioned and others to in here. That is leasing versus buying used. 

stickguy

car guy, since you mentioned it, on the lease app today (deal of the day) you could get a 2019 Q50, basically sign and drive, with 18K miles, for about $460-480 (luxe or sport). seemed pretty well equipped, MSRP 47-52K. Not too shabby.

mjfloyd1

breld said:

I know larger wheels are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m considering getting these wheels for my Q7.

https://www.audidenver.com/new/Audi/2019-Audi-Q7-a39747d00a0e0ae96a2fe7427f0ad371.htm

Someone on my local Craigslist took them off their new 2019 Q7 and is offering them for a more than fair price.  They have less than 200 miles on them. 

A set of those were just on audizine with no tires. Asked $3000 and sold quickly

breld

mjfloyd1 said:

breld said:

I know larger wheels are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m considering getting these wheels for my Q7.

https://www.audidenver.com/new/Audi/2019-Audi-Q7-a39747d00a0e0ae96a2fe7427f0ad371.htm

Someone on my local Craigslist took them off their new 2019 Q7 and is offering them for a more than fair price.  They have less than 200 miles on them. 

A set of those were just on audizine with no tires. Asked $3000 and sold quickly

This guy came down to $2,000 for the complete set, allegedly with only 200 miles on them.  I’m tempted to go take a look, but I think I’d end up buying them on the spot, so trying to be thoughtful about it.  

stickguy

well, if you want them, and they are a good deal, go for it. If nothing else, you can resell them (likely for a profit) if it tuns out to be a dumb idea.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

car guy, since you mentioned it, on the lease app today (deal of the day) you could get a 2019 Q50, basically sign and drive, with 18K miles, for about $460-480 (luxe or sport). seemed pretty well equipped, MSRP 47-52K. Not too shabby.

Since honcker stopped letting you customize the amount due at signing, I haven't really bothered with it.

mjfloyd1

breld said:

mjfloyd1 said:

breld said:

I know larger wheels are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m considering getting these wheels for my Q7.

https://www.audidenver.com/new/Audi/2019-Audi-Q7-a39747d00a0e0ae96a2fe7427f0ad371.htm

Someone on my local Craigslist took them off their new 2019 Q7 and is offering them for a more than fair price.  They have less than 200 miles on them. 

A set of those were just on audizine with no tires. Asked $3000 and sold quickly

This guy came down to $2,000 for the complete set, allegedly with only 200 miles on them.  I’m tempted to go take a look, but I think I’d end up buying them on the spot, so trying to be thoughtful about it.  

That’s a decent deal with tires being $1000

kyfdx

@fintail

Check out this 24 month lease deal on a 2018 E43 loaner:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/comment/5648776/#Comment_5648776

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

car guy, since you mentioned it, on the lease app today (deal of the day) you could get a 2019 Q50, basically sign and drive, with 18K miles, for about $460-480 (luxe or sport). seemed pretty well equipped, MSRP 47-52K. Not too shabby.

Since honcker stopped letting you customize the amount due at signing, I haven't really bothered with it.

I have no reason to, since not shopping, but I still do! I just adjust it myself, divide DAS by the term, to get a rough sign and drive estimate. Close enough for government work.

fintail

Heck of a deal, that'd be hard to pass up. How much are the MSDs?

kyfdx said:

@fintail

Check out this 24 month lease deal on a 2018 E43 loaner:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/comment/5648776/#Comment_5648776

kyfdx

fintail said:

Heck of a deal, that'd be hard to pass up. How much are the MSDs?

kyfdx said:

@fintail

Check out this 24 month lease deal on a 2018 E43 loaner:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/comment/5648776/#Comment_5648776

Either 10 X $600, or 10 X $700

I can't remember if Mercedes uses the pre-discounted payment, or the actual payment.

fintail

Kind of a spicy meatball, but then again it is a deposit, not a payment. Local dealers never advertise anything so wild, as firefighter28 can attest, they seldom trot out such deals at all (the only dealer that comes to mind is one in Oregon), and high option cars are also uncommon.

My lease is up in the spring, and I've been eligible for pull forward for some time now, just haven't felt the urge to move on yet.

kyfdx said:

Either 10 X $600, or 10 X $700

I can't remember if Mercedes uses the pre-discounted payment, or the actual payment.

kyfdx

fintail said:

Kind of a spicy meatball, but then again it is a deposit, not a payment. Local dealers never advertise anything so wild, as firefighter28 can attest, they seldom trot out such deals at all (the only dealer that comes to mind is one in Oregon), and high option cars are also uncommon.

My lease is up in the spring, and I've been eligible for pull forward for some time now, just haven't felt the urge to move on yet.

kyfdx said:

Either 10 X $600, or 10 X $700

I can't remember if Mercedes uses the pre-discounted payment, or the actual payment.

One of the keys on deals like that: If it's a big percentage discount, look at 24 months. Usually, the shorter term is higher, but not in this case. That one was a steal.

pensfan83

Just a thought but with captives pulling back on subvented rates and money factors the 36 month term could still make sense if the payment delta on the 24 month payment isn't too big, right?

kyfdx

pensfan83 said:

Just a thought but with captives pulling back on subvented rates and money factors the 36 month term could still make sense if the payment delta on the 24 month payment isn't too big, right?

Generally, 36 months will almost always be cheaper.

pensfan83

Agreed but in cases like this, or with BMW/MB loaners, where the 24 month actually works out to be cheaper, still going with the longer term might be more desirable if the buyer wants to keep the payment as low as they can for as long as they can.

kyfdx

pensfan83 said:

Agreed but in cases like this, or with BMW/MB loaners, where the 24 month actually works out to be cheaper, still going with the longer term might be more desirable if the buyer wants to keep the payment as low as they can for as long as they can.

Yes, that's true. But, it would depend on the spread for me.

$50K car
$400/mo for 24 mo vs. $425 mo. for 36 mo, I might take the longer term.

But, if it's $400/mo vs. $500/mo, I probably won't.

The other big advantage of the 24 mo lease is almost no chance you'll have to spend any money on it for tires, or anything else.

Mr_Shiftright

nyccarguy said:

henryn said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

I wonder if the ongoing trend toward leasing is going to suppress used car prices? Why buy a 2-3 year old CPO car when for the same monthly you can have a brand new one?

There is a cause and effect relationship in there. Low cost leasing is based on high resale values for 3 year old used cars. If leasing were to drive down the resale values, then leases would become more expensive, and thus less popular, and ...

An excellent point as well

You might say "artificial high resale values" since many leases are sub-vented by the manufacturer. It's not easy to sell a lot of 3 year old cars for their residual value.

pensfan83

100% agree with all your points @kyfdx

28firefighter

That is a solid hack on an E43. I'm more surprised that they had an E43 in the loaner fleet.

fintail

Almost makes me want to start looking, but I am not optimistic about anything local. Best loaner/demo (I can't imagine an E43 being a loaner either) deals I find are in suburban Portland, too far to drive just to browse. That being said, I haven't seen a lot of local used inventory that gets me going either.

Speaking of high resale, W212 values seem to be collapsing more than I thought, maybe part of the sedanapocalypse, even the number I had in my head (~7-8K below residual) might not be a bargain.

kyfdx

It could have been a corporate lease that went through auction.

28firefighter

My experience with those @kyfdx is that they end up being titled and sold that limits their ability to be leased. I encountered many in SoCal when I was shopping the C that were CPO and therefore not eligible.

Not as clear cut as BMW.

@fintail - PM me if you want help.

fintail

Will do. The clock is ticking.

28firefighter said:

@fintail - PM me if you want help.

marcogallo1986

All good points on leasing all!

andres3

qbrozen said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

corvette said:

kyfdx said:

Private equity investments

CarMax used to over-offer on certain "problem child" vehicles like Land Rovers, to the point that dealers would often suggest selling a prospective trade-in to CarMax instead of taking the trade.

my wife's went to carvana for the same reason. I never did see it on their site for sale.

Oh, by the way, my Alfa is back on Vroom and the price has been lowered.

Gotta see if I can convince my father he NEEDS this:
https://www.vroom.com/inventory/dodge-charger-2014-2C3CDXDT1EH199811

He'll have to throw build quality and reliability out the window I fear.

Have there been widespread problems with that setup? I haven’t read any up to this point.

Just the overall odds of an FCA product. Statistical likelihood. Each one might be different.

Other than the headlight issue we had, our T&C has been remarkably trouble-free thus far. Approaching 60k miles and 5 years of age. As for the hemi Charger, I’d imagine there are thousands of cops who would swear by them. Like any brand, ya gotta pick the good ones. 

They might swear by them because they don't have to pay the repair and tow truck bills. Law enforcement doesn't seem too concerned about how tax payer money is spent.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

Well maybe it's more perception than reality, but the automotive media isn't helping. Here's just a casual Google search result that a typical buyer might find. It only took a few minutes to find all of these:

"The 2019 Dodge Charger has a spacious interior, and few class rivals can match its performance, but it lacks the refinement and efficiency of many competitors. A poor predicted reliability rating also sinks the Charger to the bottom half of our large car rankings."

"The Dodge Charger is essentially the four-door version of the above Challenger is also among the most fun to drive cars in its 700-plus horsepower SRT Hellcat edition, but doesn’t otherwise fare much better than its two-door relation, getting both JD Power’s lowest dependability scores in all categories, and a one-out-of-five reliability rating from Consumer Reports."


"While the Dodge Charger has left behind its poor reliability ratings from 2013-15, owner surveys and other data still point to below-average scores in this department. Problem areas have included the drive system, brakes, and in-car electronics.

That added up to the lowest score of any sedan in the full-size segment."


"The 2019 Dodge Charger offers mediocre reliability. Don’t expect it to match the dependability of a Lexus sedan. This could be a factor for the drivers who’re looking to keep their car on a long-term basis. After the Charger’s original warranty expires, you’ll need to cover the cost of any repairs"

Those reviews are all regarding recent junk, not the 90's junk. I call the denial of FCA reliability issues much worse than climate denial, it is more like FCA-derangement syndrome.

qbrozen

andres3 said:

They might swear by them because they don't have to pay the repair and tow truck bills. Law enforcement doesn't seem too concerned about how tax payer money is spent.

Pretty sure if cops were breaking down and unable to chase the bad guys or get to the scene, they'd be vocal about it.

Mr_Shiftright

They would be. Most of them hate the Explorer as a cop car.

Sandman6472

Got my second letter from the local VW store to come in and see about getting a new 2018 VW Golf SE. From their website, all I see is a 2019 unit, black over black. Doubt I'd go for another Golf SE as I'd prefer an SEL model which unfortunately, is no longer made. But even though it might be wise to trade now that it's just gone over the 50K mark, just not willing to do it for another Golf at this time. Only real difference is the additional safety nannies and the new infotainment system. Not enough reason to trade it as it still drives nice. Had the tires rotated on Tuesday plus the oil change two weeks ago, though that was a bit premature due to the last invoice of an oil change getting blown under the seat when I had the windows and sunroof open on the expressway. Tires are wearing evenly and VW did say I need to replace the windshield wipers plus the rear window wiper but this I already knew. They are all a particular size and need to be gotten from VW. Last time, the nearby Audi/VW indie store got them for me so I'll need to go over there and order them.

Michaell

Just got back from the Subaru dealer - the wife's Outback was experiencing a problem where the rear washer wasn't operating. Dealer removed the rear trim, disconnected the hose from the nozzle, blew everything out, and reconnected everything. It all works as expected, and didn't get charged for it.

I did, however, get a quote for the 30,000 mile service (the Outback has 30,500 miles on it). No details, just a quote of $785. I'll need to look in the manual to see what needs to be done.

stickguy

Better be a lot for that much. I’m guessing CVT fluid, differential fluid, filters and inspections. And still overpriced.

suydam

Whoa! That’s a lot of $$ for a 30k service! Does it really need all that at such low mileage? We just had the Buick in for 30k and it wasn’t much more than an oil change.

Mr_Shiftright

Yep, mostly fluid and filter changes. Really, an indy shop shouldn't charge but half of that quote.

kyfdx

We've had our free services on the Tacoma, so far. 5K/10K/15K/20K. It's just two oil changes and four tire rotations. We might be able to squeeze in the 25K service for free, but probably won't. It's just a tire rotation.

Not looking forward to 30K service on my dime. No idea what it will cost.

rayainsw

I have some interest in both the VW GTI and the Jetta GLI -
for when the BMW lease runs out.
I have started to see a few GTIs on dealer lots in the area -
and saw this on the Canadian VW Media site:
"The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI will be available from $31,695. The first production run will be limited-edition 35th Anniversary models priced from $32,445. It is expected to begin arriving at Canadian Volkswagen dealers in the next few weeks. "
Pricing is interesting...
Also - I see nothing in either the US or Canadian official info. about a
Navigation system on any version of the new GLI.
Are they expecting everyone to use their smartphone app for this?
Has anyone here seen anything about this ?
- Ray
Curious ...

Sandman6472

My 30K was an oil/filter change and the brake fluid changed. They also rotated the tires. Was happy I prepaid for the 20K & 30K upfront. Had the last two oil changes there also as I had a coupon which lowered the cost. As I said earlier, all is fine so far and it's staying in the fleet for the foreseeable future. Though I have been searching online for a QX30. Hertz auto sales has two for sale, each with just over 30K, as an employee, get $700 off their asking price. Should probably try to have them locate that black over black one I drove back in December as it had around 19K as I recall. All they need to do is go onto the computer and it'll tell them where it is. Just not sure if they'd be ready to sell it yet.

28firefighter

I'm curious to see US Pricing on the GLI. I'm also eager to go drive one, though am thinking maybe I should not.

pensfan83

Last car had all service covered under Audi Care so never had to worry about cost. Like others I'm apprehensive on what I'll be shelling out for the fluid and filter changes.

qbrozen

Michaell said:

Just got back from the Subaru dealer - the wife's Outback was experiencing a problem where the rear washer wasn't operating. Dealer removed the rear trim, disconnected the hose from the nozzle, blew everything out, and reconnected everything. It all works as expected, and didn't get charged for it.

I did, however, get a quote for the 30,000 mile service (the Outback has 30,500 miles on it). No details, just a quote of $785. I'll need to look in the manual to see what needs to be done.

I'm sure that includes a lot of BS not in the owner's manual.