Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Mr_Shiftright

28firefighter said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Let me know...I'm an enabler for people wanting to buy Porsches.

If by enabler you mean a ton of bricks...

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No fair! I steer people away from bad ones and toward good ones. If I'm waving a red flag and saying "NOoooooo....not THAT one!" that's not raining on their parade. That's rescheduling their parade.

laurasdada

Thanks for the thoughts, folks. As mine are with all who have lost here.
So, Mr_S; any caveats on the current gen 911? Asking for a friend...

Although...tuition...one parking space...winter... Why am I so logical?

Mr_Shiftright

laurasdada said:

Thanks for the thoughts, folks. As mine are with all who have lost here.
So, Mr_S; any caveats on the current gen 911? Asking for a friend...

Although...tuition...one parking space...winter... Why am I so logical?

The 991? Depends on what years and what models and what equipment. It's all so complicated with Porsche, that it's hard to make generalizations on what to buy used.

28firefighter

Does anyone here have experience with bestusedtires.com or similar? The idea of used tires seems appealing, especially in this particular case, because I'm not going to get much use out of them.

Mr_Shiftright

Car & Driver seems to be the master of left-handed compliments.

Here's one on the Alfa Romeo Giulia:

"If you can get over Alfa's past and present reliability issues and overlook of the Giulia's weak-ish ergonomics and interior quality, the Giulia is one of the best choices out there."

laurasdada

Mr_Shiftright said:

laurasdada said:

Thanks for the thoughts, folks. As mine are with all who have lost here.
So, Mr_S; any caveats on the current gen 911? Asking for a friend...

Although...tuition...one parking space...winter... Why am I so logical?

The 991? Depends on what years and what models and what equipment. It's all so complicated with Porsche, that it's hard to make generalizations on what to buy used.

If I was to get serious, likely (because $$$) a base 911 coupe, prefer 2015+... A local used, upscale lot has an '16 "Black Edition" for ~$73k... Maybe an F-Type? Jag dealer has a base '16 CPO for $49k. Of course, for less than that, a new Miata RF; just not sure I can get in/out of it on a daily basis!

Unfortunately, I think I'm returning to normal frugality from the shock and depression immediately following the bad news. I still see VJ in my mind's eye from our younger days of pre-time to grow up and get a job/married/house/kids/divorce! responsibilities...

28firefighter

Mr_Shiftright said:

Car & Driver seems to be the master of left-handed compliments.

Here's one on the Alfa Romeo Giulia:

"If you can get over Alfa's past and present reliability issues and overlook of the Giulia's weak-ish ergonomics and interior quality, the Giulia is one of the best choices out there."

Describes the Stelvio fairly well.

For me the Stelvio is absolutely serving it's purpose for the stated price. It is a blast to drive and toss around and the Q4 was an absolute monster on the unplowed, untreated Seattle roads. However, if you value a high quality, quiet interior, with excellent infotainment you would best be served looking elsewhere.

Latest quirk for me on the Stelvio's infotainment? It has created 100 duplicates of the same radio station as a favorite. No buttons pressed to do so. Turned it on one day and boom.

Michaell

tjc78 said:

@28firefighter
Nothing worse than having to replace tires on a lease !!

I had to on my 06 Avalon. I knew they wouldn’t make so with about 15 months left sprung for a good set.  

I had to do it twice on the Elantra GT

But, not likely I'll have to do it at all on the Jetta (14,500 miles on it with only 6 month left), so it all evens out.

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

Does anyone here have experience with bestusedtires.com or similar? The idea of used tires seems appealing, especially in this particular case, because I'm not going to get much use out of them.

I've gotten used ones from ebay several times. Was not so great once where a pair of them came from an obviously poorly aligned vehicle. Outside edge was 9/32 and inside was 5/32. Seller and I agreed to a partial refund.

tjc78

Michaell said:

@28firefighter
Nothing worse than having to replace tires on a lease !!

I had to on my 06 Avalon. I knew they wouldn’t make so with about 15 months left sprung for a good set.  

I had to do it twice on the Elantra GT But, not likely I'll have to do it at all on the Jetta (14,500 miles on it with only 6 month left), so it all evens out.

Yeah my Elantra due back Nov 7th only has just shy of 15k.  No way that sucker is needing tires! 

tjc78

I looked into used tires for the Avalon.  I couldn’t find exactly what I needed at a price I was willing to pay.  That was in 2008.  I’m sure there are many more options now.  

Mr_Shiftright

OOPS!

2017 Huracan

out of luck
ran under a truck
no more smiles
less than 1,000 miles
the damage they say
will be $115K

28firefighter

Rest in pieces, dear Lambo. So young, so expensive.

fintail

I'll wager the truck wasn't at fault.

qbrozen

You mean Fast and Furious was a lie?? Glad the lambo owner tried going under a truck before I did.

28firefighter

Do we know how old the driver was? I'm guessing it was someone young joyriding in Mom or Dad's toy.

Mr_Shiftright

Can't reveal personal info but whether or not it gets totaled is going to be a close call. Even if they decide to fix it, I doubt the car will see the road in 2019. These things take forever to get done.

Yeah, it does seem a shame that something with so much tech, and that took so much effort and engineering to build, is turned into a pile in about 3 seconds.

stickguy

Well, had drama today. But now know that Acura roadside assistance is in fact AAA.

Went out at lunch to run some errands. Push start button. Nothing happens. Check to make sure have fob. Try again. Zilch. Then notice cabin lights don’t work. Yup, car 1 day short of 2 months old, with 849 miles on it, dead as a rock in my garage. 20 minutes later AAA arrives, and jumps no problem. He would have flatbedded it in, but I drove instead. Arrived at dealer with no advance notice.

Thankfully service writer was very nice. Very upset about situation, said would get me right in. Of course they guy in front of me got the last loaner, so I sat and waited. At least they had free snacks. Really did get it in ASAP to check. Thankfully they confirmed it was a defective battery, so they threw a new one in. About 1 hour total, with no appointment, and out with new battery and a wash and vacuum. And I didn’t even buy the car there! I like the service department. Abhor sales.

Just glad it was the obvious, easy to fix problem. Was afraid it would be could not duplicate, and I would be living in fear of next time it happened. Not a big deal today, but at night in a remote area, could be. So, better not happen again.

laurasdada

stickguy said:

Well, had drama today. But now know that Acura roadside assistance is in fact AAA.

Went out at lunch to run some errands. Push start button. Nothing happens. Check to make sure have fob. Try again. Zilch. Then notice cabin lights don’t work. Yup, car 1 day short of 2 months old, with 849 miles on it, dead as a rock in my garage. 20 minutes later AAA arrives, and jumps no problem. He would have flatbedded it in, but I drove instead. Arrived at dealer with no advance notice.

Thankfully service writer was very nice. Very upset about situation, said would get me right in. Of course they guy in front of me got the last loaner, so I sat and waited. At least they had free snacks. Really did get it in ASAP to check. Thankfully they confirmed it was a defective battery, so they threw a new one in. About 1 hour total, with no appointment, and out with new battery and a wash and vacuum. And I didn’t even buy the car there! I like the service department. Abhor sales.

Just glad it was the obvious, easy to fix problem. Was afraid it would be could not duplicate, and I would be living in fear of next time it happened. Not a big deal today, but at night in a remote area, could be. So, better not happen again.

Glad the solution was quick and cheap today! My Jag took over 3 years for a "dead in the water" situation. But, while the solution was easy enough, it still took several days to fix (likely part not in stock). Not to mention the comedy of towing out of my work garage. But, a loaner makes the medicine go down easier.

nyccarguy

@Mr_Shiftright

That'll buff right out

stickguy

I walked the showroom. Snazzy looking NSX there. I assume locked, though I didn’t check. but not roped off. Somewhat odd orange color.

Also checked out an ILX Aspec. Way nicer than the base model loaner I had before. Very well equipped. For the price, not a bad option. I liked it.

kyfdx

@stickguy That was your chance to get them to unwind the deal!

Sandman6472

Car's a done deal. They came down a bit and she came up a bit, kinda met in the middle. Also threw in a bunch of free oil changes. She's pleased and they're delivering it to her house tonight it seems. I'll drive it on Saturday to make sure it's aligned properly.
She's doing it on her own she decided. Very proud of her!

Mr_Shiftright

nyccarguy said:

@Mr_Shiftright

That'll buff right out

Needs to go on the Lamborghini Stretcher.

Sandman6472

How do I change the listings under my name? Been so long since we've had a new vehicle here!

Mr_Shiftright

Click on your name. Then when you get to your profile page, click on the little "head" on the right (that's you). Then click on "preferences" and then click on "signature settings" on the left. That should do it.

28firefighter

Found these: https://www.bestusedtires.com/4-used-goodyear-eagle-sport-all-season-rof-225-50r18-95v-10-11-32-tire-78401-4

Seems like a worthy gamble for an OEM tire with tons of tread left...

henryn

I have purchased used tires for a trailer, more than once. And I have purchased "kinda sorta" used tires on Craigslist. By "kinda sorta", I mean tires and wheels that were removed from a new vehicle with less than 1,000 miles on them. I have done that a couple of times, and paid less for tires and wheels than what the new set of tires would have cost.

Mr_Shiftright

$150K--$200K??!!

What am I missing?

https://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/2015-bmw-m5-30-jahre/

stickguy

not a bad looking deal. of course still need mounting and balancing.

some tire stores do (did?) sell take offs. I used to use a chain near me (name escapes me at the moment) that always had a board of specials for slightly used tires. I did the trade in once (did not like what I bought, so swapped for something different) and those ended up listed that way.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

not a bad looking deal. of course still need mounting and balancing.

some tire stores do (did?) sell take offs. I used to use a chain near me (name escapes me at the moment) that always had a board of specials for slightly used tires. I did the trade in once (did not like what I bought, so swapped for something different) and those ended up listed that way.

Twice bought OEM used tires off eBay. Once, a pair of rear tires for my car for $350 vs. $670 for new. Next, a pair of rear tires for the friend that took over our 24 month Z4 lease, to return at lease end. $250, IIRC.. vs $450 for new.

Both times, out of Florida

Mr_Shiftright

And they were as advertised?

kyfdx

Mr_Shiftright said:

And they were as advertised?

Yes.. definitely.

But, they were definitely OEM tires, for a specific vehicle, and not widely available, otherwise. In both cases, I needed the exact tires, and the new OEM cost was outrageous in both cases. In the case of the Z4, they were just to pass inspection on the lease return, but I put close to 15K miles on the used rear pair for my car, which made them a bargain.

corvette

Mr_Shiftright said:

Can't reveal personal info but whether or not it gets totaled is going to be a close call. Even if they decide to fix it, I doubt the car will see the road in 2019. These things take forever to get done. Yeah, it does seem a shame that something with so much tech, and that took so much effort and engineering to build, is turned into a pile in about 3 seconds.

Ouch, that thing is going to be impossible to sell to anyone else if it’s repaired. Hope it was a lease! 

corvette

That looks like a great deal on those RFTs. You have about 15 months left on the lease? 

28firefighter

11 months. 

Sandman6472

Turns out she got the "RS" model with sunroof and 18" alloys. She just face timed me some pics and it's a stunning car. She was able to put $5K on her credit card and will finance the rest for 3 months to get the special rebate. Put her old tags on and I'll bring the Versa title up on Saturday. 2 years free maintenance at any Chevy store as it came from the New Smyrna Beach store, a good 1.5 hour drive northeast of Orlando I think.
She's thrilled and should be. Seems to be 184" long, give or take, and fits in her garage with room to spare. It's so nice, I'd have no issues owning one myself. But I'd take the hatch as it's a bit shorter plus, I like a hatch if available. Being about 2 hours south was a bit of a challenge but we made it work with the help of our phones and computers. Sales guy was very nice and even answered my questions which was cool since I'm just her dad.
Hell, we haven't owned a domestic vehicle since our 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme so nice to be back with the general again. Since her intended is a Chevy guy, not surprised she went with a Chevy also.
Now, next up will be the other daughter and her 2008 Hyundai Accent. But think I'll let the wife do what needs to be done while I'll help with the research like I did last time. And with her, she's always wanted a Mini Cooper so won't be surprised if she goes that route though another Hyundai or Kia would work just fine also. She needs a no drama vehicle just like the Cruze since she lives about 50 minutes away in southern Miami. Hate getting a phone call that the car won't start so better to buy something new while the old is still running. It's a 2008 Hyundai Accent with around 35K on the clock but it's mostly been outside and the paint ain't the greatest. She's been living in a building with covered parking for going on two years now so at least that helps keep the sun off it. And she works 2nd shift at the hospital which cuts down the hours of direct sunlight. It's a nice base Accent and has served her well. Only one issue was a broken brake light switch in year 4 which was taken care of in under two hours of me sitting in the waiting area. Very reliable vehicle with no complaints.

28firefighter

Ordered those tires. With a coupon code it came out to $353 shipped. 

tifighter

28firefighter said:

11 months. 

Let the looking begin

stickguy

wait, you mean the looking ever stops for some people? Heathens.

28firefighter

The looking never stopped. Short list right now is:

Acura MDX A-Spec
Toyota Highlander SE Nightshade
Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum

suydam

@Sandman6472, congrats on your daughter’s punch. It’s a big deal to buy your first car. The Cruze is a very nice vehicle and should serve her well.

stickguy

so I see you are going big. I think the new MDX could be out for 2020, so by the time you are looking could have a choice between old style and new. At least, I think it is getting redone for 2020. It is due.

The Volvo is sweet. Makes the MDX look like an antique inside. Highlander, we sat in one before I leased the TLX. Too big for us, but nice enough. Just not exciting at all.

Not interested in a new style X5?

28firefighter

Cost is going to be a big component here - as well as size. Anything too long won't fit in our garage because of the HVAC system taking up about 24" at the back (hence no Chevy Traverse on the list).

I like the old style MDX because it is leasing well and will fit in our budget. The Volvo is likely to be at the top of our budget, if not completely out of budget. Depends on the lease incentives come November/December.

The X5 just doesn't do anything for me. For the right price? Sure. But even then...meh.

The Highlander, for as magoo as it is, just does a lot of things right at a price point no one can match.

tjc78

28firefighter said:

The looking never stopped. Short list right now is:

Acura MDX A-Spec
Toyota Highlander SE Nightshade
Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum

Don’t forget about the upcoming Hyundai Palisade. I sat in one at the Philly car show and it’s quite nice, however, I did think it was going to be a bit bigger. We are spoiled with the Enclave.   It’s just a touch bigger than all the others in the segment.   

My wife really still just loves it, but I’m actually growing tired of it.  If anyone remembers this is Enclave #2 so we are going on 4.5 years with basically the same car.   It drives wonderfully and swallows everything up we stuff in it, but the technology is so 2008.  

au1994

28firefighter said:

The looking never stopped. Short list right now is:

Acura MDX A-Spec
Toyota Highlander SE Nightshade
Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum

Can’t fault any of those choices. Yes, the Highlander is a little ‘blah’ but it should lease pretty well.

Too bad about the Traverse, its a pretty nice looking SUV. I fear the interior may be typical GM though.

Any interest in the Grand Cherokee?

Ditto on the Palisade. It’s really nice looking, at least in pics.

Take a look at the Ascent. In Limited trim its a huge value for what you get. Handles extremely well and for s turbo 4 its surprisingly peppy in a pretty good sized vehicle.

tjc78

Too bad about the Traverse, its a pretty nice looking SUV. I fear the interior may be typical GM though.

The General has been doing interiors much better for the last almost 10 years now. Nothing off putting about the interior of the current Traverse. Heck in the loaded models it is probably as good as anything else in the segment IMO.

stickguy

the Ascent is really nice. Mazda CX9 also. lovely. Though neither of those I think leases all that well. From looking at Honcker, very good deals on Highlander and MDX though.

28firefighter

I suspect that come the end of the year, the Ascent may start leasing a little better - not great, but better. If that does happen I'll take a look at it.

Regarding the Palisade I think it is going to be too big for our purposes, but will probably be something I drive because why not?

I love the Grand Cherokee, but the crash test ratings on it of late are enough to give me serious pause. If those turn around, I'd consider it.

graphicguy

28firefighter said:

I suspect that come the end of the year, the Ascent may start leasing a little better - not great, but better. If that does happen I'll take a look at it.

Regarding the Palisade I think it is going to be too big for our purposes, but will probably be something I drive because why not?

I love the Grand Cherokee, but the crash test ratings on it of late are enough to give me serious pause. If those turn around, I'd consider it.

I saw some Grand Cherokees at the recent car show. When did these things start knocking on the door of $60K-$70K?

Lots of very, very nice SUVs for that price and lower.