Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

When configuring an s60 on the volvo site, one of the options is a polestar upgrade. No specifics listed as to how much it boosts power, and it is rather pricey, but I guess working it into the purchase price and having it waranteed is a big advantage. 

stickguy

especially if you are leasing it.

I spec'd out a T5 and was surprised that with everything I really need, it was cheaper than the old version. Not cheap of course, but actually about the same sticker as my current car. Just more to lease!

sda

stickguy said:

especially if you are leasing it.

I spec'd out a T5 and was surprised that with everything I really need, it was cheaper than the old version. Not cheap of course, but actually about the same sticker as my current car. Just more to lease!

Based on the luke warm comments you’ve made about your TLX, do you have regrets leasing it? Has it been a disappointment in some way?

ab348

sda said:

stickguy said:

especially if you are leasing it.

I spec'd out a T5 and was surprised that with everything I really need, it was cheaper than the old version. Not cheap of course, but actually about the same sticker as my current car. Just more to lease!

Based on the luke warm comments you’ve made about your TLX, do you have regrets leasing it? Has it been a disappointment in some way?

We should start a pool on how long it remains in his driveway. Stick gets the pot if he keeps it until lease-end.

stickguy

it's nice. I'm getting more used to it. No way it doesn't make the end of the lease that I can see. I do regret not getting something new for the wife and just taking the RDX instead though. That would have been a better overall arrangement. But the TLX is nice to drive and well equipped. Definitely an upgrade over the old wheels.

tjc78

Is it a little big for you?

tjc78

Been poking around looking at Elantra replacements and I just can’t warm up to much of anything. The affordable sedan offerings are so poor these days.

Camry, ugly as sin
Accord, worth a look leases aren’t great
Mazda 6, same as above
Sonata, I do like but really just a bigger version of what I have

Looking for a sub $300 (zero OOP) lease and really do not want an SUV.

Sometimes I swear I should just go find a mint low mile 2011 Town Car and go back to my roots.... but no tech and non existent safety features aren’t really good with two little ones.

Wish I could get my wife in a smaller SUV and then dump the Enclave in 2020 for a nice sedan like a Volvo S90 which I’m sure I could secure at a similar payment to the Enclave.

kyfdx

@tjc78 Or, just apply for Social Security now?

ab348

@tjc78 I have no idea about this but is GM offering blowout deals on soon to be discontinued Lacrosses, Impalas or other sedans? What about the new Altima?

tjc78

kyfdx said:

@tjc78 Or, just apply for Social Security now?

At the ripe age of 17 I had an 89 Grand Marquis.... so it’s a road I’ve been down before.

tjc78

ab348 said:

@tjc78 I have no idea about this but is GM offering blowout deals on soon to be discontinued Lacrosses, Impalas or other sedans? What about the new Altima?

Definitely a possibility, monitoring that closely. I would take either of those. Problem is
(I can see it now). There will be MF close to zero, huge rebates and a whopping 39% residual that kills the whole deal.

When exactly are they done? I’ll be shopping in Sept/Oct. For the right deal could certainly do summer as the remaining few payments on the Elantra won’t be hard to swallow ($210 / month).

Altima/Maxima would be in play because you can get some deals, but I’m not a huge fan of either.

ab348

tjc78 said:

When exactly are they done? I’ll be shopping in Sept/Oct. For the right deal could certainly do summer as the remaining few payments on the Elantra won’t be hard to swallow ($210 / month).

Altima/Maxima would be in play because you can get some deals, but I’m not a huge fan of either.

I understand the Lacrosse stops production in a couple of weeks time. The Impala will stay in production for a while longer.

qbrozen

tjc78 said:

Been poking around looking at Elantra replacements and I just can’t warm up to much of anything. The affordable sedan offerings are so poor these days. Camry, ugly as sin Accord, worth a look leases aren’t great Mazda 6, same as above Sonata, I do like but really just a bigger version of what I have Looking for a sub $300 (zero OOP) lease and really do not want an SUV. Sometimes I swear I should just go find a mint low mile 2011 Town Car and go back to my roots.... but no tech and non existent safety features aren’t really good with two little ones. Wish I could get my wife in a smaller SUV and then dump the Enclave in 2020 for a nice sedan like a Volvo S90 which I’m sure I could secure at a similar payment to the Enclave.

Fusion?

28firefighter

Fusion SE Hybrid should get you where you want to be. 

stickguy

tjc78 said:

Is it a little big for you?

It is a little bigger than I need. But not really different than the Sonata was, though it "feels" bigger I think (probably the way the hood is designed makes the front end feel blockier). But, the wife likes the size better, and it is a lot more comfortable. Part of the problem is spending more than I was planning to. Too many "coulda had insteads". At least when you get a cheap deal, you know what to expect! I really have gotten a lot more used to driving it though. And the wife really likes it, so will be fine for 3 years, but not thinking I will buy it out.

stickguy

28firefighter said:

Fusion SE Hybrid should get you where you want to be. 

from recent looking at Honcker, the screaming deal right now in larger (my classification) sedans is definitely the Fusion. Seeing Titanium energi (the plug in model) with roof, that would be zero OOP below $300/mo.

the real deal a few weeks back was a loaded hybrid model with moonroof, for about $250/month zero OOP, that came with 18,000 miles/year. That was a deal if you had a long commute!

tjc78

Yes Fusion’s are leasing well especially the Hybrid and Energi

Had one as a rental ans didn’t hate it... by didn’t love it either! 

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

When configuring an s60 on the volvo site, one of the options is a polestar upgrade. No specifics listed as to how much it boosts power, and it is rather pricey, but I guess working it into the purchase price and having it waranteed is a big advantage. 

I think there may be different stages, but probably the mildest tune would be about 25 HP or so. Just a guess based on past Polestar tunes. Yes, they are pricey--isn't it something like $500--$600. ?

tjc78

ab348 said:

When exactly are they done? I’ll be shopping in Sept/Oct. For the right deal could certainly do summer as the remaining few payments on the Elantra won’t be hard to swallow ($210 / month). Altima/Maxima would be in play because you can get some deals, but I’m not a huge fan of either.

I understand the Lacrosse stops production in a couple of weeks time. The Impala will stay in production for a while longer.

Just saw this on another forum. 

https://www.motor1.com/news/306564/gm-extends-production-detroit-hamtramck/

So the Impala will still be around.  

kyfdx

Just through next January, though, right?

Michaell

Had the MINI in for service this morning, and since the Honda dealer is next to the MINI dealer, I took the opportunity to test drive the new Passport.

Test drove a navy over black Sport trim. This is the entry level trim - the others are EX-L, Touring and Elite.

First, the outside. This is a handsome vehicle; the proportions are just right. Not a fan of the 20" black wheels, but that's a personal preference. Typical overwrought Honda grille treatment.

Inside - unconventional dash. Gauges for temp and fuel only; digital speedometer and tach, which would take some getting used to. As this is the base trim, the infotainment system is very basic. I'd have to look at an EX-L to see if it's better. Buttons for the transmission, similar to the Acura TLX.

Got behind the wheel, fired it up, and noticed the parking brake is set. Ok, no handle, which is becoming more common, but I didn't see a switch under the transmission buttons for the electronic parking brake. What the...?

Oh my. An honest to God parking brake pedal. I can't remember the last car I drove with one of those.

On the road. We had a brief, but intense, storm last night that dumped about 6" of snow, so the roads were either wet or slushy. Good to test the AWD system. Good power from the corporate V6, and the 9-speed transmission was unobtrusive. One thing I really liked was the big windows all around, especially in the rear. Fantastic visibility. The ride was good, and it drove a bit smaller than it is.

The Sport stickered at just under $35k. Comparing it to the Cherokee Trailhawk I drove a couple weeks ago, I actually liked the Jeep better.

But, it's a great alternative to both the CR-V and Pilot. I think Honda will sell every one of them.

stickguy

I liked the one I sat in at the auto show. Really just seemed like a shorter Pilot with a nose job

corvette

I went to the Louisville car show today and didn't really look at the Passport that closely. Weirdly, all of Honda's vehicles had stickers on them indicating they were factory vehicles and not for sale--no prices. The Insight looks very nicely done. They had a Civic Type R (and Subaru had a WRX STI).

VW was the only Euro brand on the floor. I thought I saw Audi SUVs off in the distance, but then realized it was Lincoln. The new Aviator looks nice. They had a Navigator with a $103,000 sticker on the floor. I don't think Cadillac came, so there was no equivalent Escalade.

I really wanted to see a fully loaded Ram 1500, since it won C&D's latest comparison test, but it looked like they only had a midrange one on the floor. They had a loaded RAM 2500, which I think is the old design. The interior is not as nice, but I still think I'd choose an F-150 over the RAM. They had an STX that appeared to be nicely equipped with the 2.7 liter Ecoboost engine and a nice infotainment system. The only essential thing that was missing were running boards. Of course, I'd really love a Limited, but still. I also really liked the Sierra Denali, but the grille is overdone.

The Nissan Armada is very nice. They really missed the mark with the new Titan. The Tundra is showing its age, as well.

Apparently my mom wants to replace their Honda Element with a CR-V when the time comes. Looks like they would have to wait for a 2022 model if they wanted the next redesign. I still have issues with the fake wood and some of the interior trim pieces in the CR-V. Cheap plastic is fine in the lower trims, but at $34k for the Touring model, it seems out of place.

stickguy

The CRV was very practical. But not very exciting. My wife really did not car for driving it (I think it was teh CVT on this one). I also want to be sure they have resolved the issue with the 1.5t engine in that car.

corvette

You also have to step up to the Touring trim to get LED headlights. More and more, I consider that a safety feature, and really something that should probably be standard. Once you've done the engineering, which you have to do anyway in order to be able to offer it on the upper trim levels, how much more can the components for an LED headlight possibly cost compared to halogen? They're standard on the RAV4.

stickguy

I think that sometimes features like that are considered premium, and might cost more at first, but sometimes end up being cheaper but as long as people perceive them as special, makers will charge more for them. But like you noted, at some point they start becoming standard on even lower level cars.

I have them on my TLX. Not really sure I notice a difference, but I have not really driven much where it is really dark (no street lights stuff). And have barely touched the high beams either that I can recall. Though I did put them on once down a side street that is pretty dark (tree lined) and was impressed by how good they were, but I felt the same about my Elantra.

nyccarguy

corvette said:

You also have to step up to the Touring trim to get LED headlights. More and more, I consider that a safety feature, and really something that should probably be standard. Once you've done the engineering, which you have to do anyway in order to be able to offer it on the upper trim levels, how much more can the components for an LED headlight possibly cost compared to halogen? They're standard on the RAV4.

As do I.  Our Pilot Touring has halogen lights that, for lack of a better word, suck.  I think the 2019 Model has made LEDs standard across the board (or on Ex & above).  My Dad’s $60K Plus Yukon SLT has crummy Halogens too.

roadburner

Xenon or LED headlamps are non-negotiable requirements for any car I'm considering. That's the one thing I don't like about the Mini, the halogens are barely adequate. However, since I rarely drive it at night it's really not a major issue.
I do have to say that the 7" Hella E Code H4 headlamps(fitted with Osram NightBreakers) that I put on the Jeep are extremely effective.

Sandman6472

We took the Cruze up to the dealer to bring the title up. Asked to go look at some vehicles and my kid noticed the tinted windows. Her sales guy made that a part of the deal but it wasn't done. Made an appointment to have it done on Monday mid morning and they'll give us a loaner to use since it's 1.5 hours away. Glad she remembered it. As he was showing us features in the vehicle, I asked him if they could fill up her vehicle before we leave as we've got to make a second trip on something that should've been done before delivery...and it should have! Now we have to go up, again, so he said sure, he'll give her a full tank to come home. I'm staying till after it's done just to make sure it meets her needs. My wife and I asked for the lightest tint on our cars and it's still a bit on the dark side. I found a window tinting scale on google she can use.
As we were driving through Orlando, passed the Carvana showroom...it looked very cool!!

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

When configuring an s60 on the volvo site, one of the options is a polestar upgrade. No specifics listed as to how much it boosts power, and it is rather pricey, but I guess working it into the purchase price and having it waranteed is a big advantage. 

I think there may be different stages, but probably the mildest tune would be about 25 HP or so. Just a guess based on past Polestar tunes. Yes, they are pricey--isn't it something like $500--$600. ?

I’d have to double check but it was definitely over $1k. I think $1195, maybe more.

corvette

nyccarguy said:

As do I.  Our Pilot Touring has halogen lights that, for lack of a better word, suck.  I think the 2019 Model has made LEDs standard across the board (or on Ex & above).  My Dad’s $60K Plus Yukon SLT has crummy Halogens too.

I have to say, the xenons on my G37 don't seem to be that great, although I really need to see them on a pitch black two lane road to confirm. The ones I had on the Jetta GLI were outstanding. I put Silverstar zXe bulbs in my Tahoe and it does make a whiter light than the OEM bulbs. Both vehicles need to have the headlight lenses buffed out. I'm not sure how much that will help, but it looks bad cosmetically.

Whenever I see a late model luxury vehicle, like a Mercedes GLK, with halogen bulbs, it screams "cheap" to me.

tifighter

Not all LEDs are created equal. I've now had them on our Leaf, 86 and now the 3. The ones on the Leaf were pretty poor in my opinion. The color was about all it had going for it...poor pattern, average brightness at best. The 86 was better and pretty liveable. The 3 has great lights, good pattern and brightness. But I still may give the nod to our Volvo. HID's are becoming older tech these days, but there is some secret sauce in the lens design here or something, because these babies flat out work in the darkest, remote areas. And they're adaptive too. I've had three other cars with HID's and none were close. It gets dark in Sweden, mina vänner...

kyfdx

Car choice advice needed:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/54540/general/x/need-help-deciding-between-3-cars#latest

marcogallo1986

Agreed. Not Kenny good  lo. Entry. Legal  cars out!

marcogallo1986

ealer near me has an left over. 2017 Ford Fuzian. 9k. Off.Type your comment

marcogallo1986

High end trim 

marcogallo1986

Nice Sand. Man glad your daughter got her new car yesterday!

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

When configuring an s60 on the volvo site, one of the options is a polestar upgrade. No specifics listed as to how much it boosts power, and it is rather pricey, but I guess working it into the purchase price and having it waranteed is a big advantage. 

I think there may be different stages, but probably the mildest tune would be about 25 HP or so. Just a guess based on past Polestar tunes. Yes, they are pricey--isn't it something like $500--$600. ?

I’d have to double check but it was definitely over $1k. I think $1195, maybe more.

Ouch! Surely (don't call me Shirley) you can beat that price. The Polestar tune is not something the dealer has to do.

28firefighter

No, but usually if the Volvo dealer does the tune, you keep your warranty. 

In other news, this popped on local craigslist. Bit of an unusual bird. 

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/d/tacoma-infiniti-g37s-coupe-6-speed/6826880239.html

kyfdx

Weird sighting today.

Z71 trim pickup. Regular cab, short bed. Proportions were jarring, compared to all the crew cabs out there.

qbrozen

Re: polestar
What FF said: warranty.
 And what stick said: residualized.

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

No, but usually if the Volvo dealer does the tune, you keep your warranty. 

In other news, this popped on local craigslist. Bit of an unusual bird. 

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/d/tacoma-infiniti-g37s-coupe-6-speed/6826880239.html

Would make for a nice toy. But he can keep his tittle in his own hand, I don’t care how clean it may be.

Mr_Shiftright

If it's Polestar software I don't think the warranty is an issue, since whoever does the tune has the Volvo equipment. Besides, the dealer does not determine warranty issues, the factory does, and the factory stands behind Polestar.

28firefighter

Lol. 

Mr_Shiftright

Nothing worse than a salvage tittle.

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

If it's Polestar software I don't think the warranty is an issue, since whoever does the tune has the Volvo equipment. Besides, the dealer does not determine warranty issues, the factory does, and the factory stands behind Polestar.

You just raised a question in my mind: can one still get a polestar tune from the aftermarket now that Volvo brought them in-house?  When I look at Polestar’s site, it tells me “go see your dealer.” So I have a feeling the price is the price.

Mr_Shiftright

Well I guess if the tuner isn't authorized /franchised by Polestar, then that's that, as you say---the price is the price.

In any event, there are other tunes out there which are quite good, like from IPD, at about 1/2 the price--but there, you probably would want to wait until warranty was up or almost up.

Sandman6472

Spending the day relaxing her in St. Cloud. Plan on going home tomorrow after the tinting or might just get up early on Tuesday and head on down to work. Just not sure right now. Woke up with a terrible cramp in my left calf so walking is difficult right now. Have it on a heating pad and it's helping.
Should take close to 2 hours to get home, give or take, which means I'd need to get up around 5 am or a bit earlier, shower and go. Probably easier to leave tomorrow nite around 5, miss the rush hour traffic and sleep in my own bed. Or just take Tuesday off and stay here. At this point, will play it by ear.

marcogallo1986

 Would just go tomorrow to make it easier on your self, although staying there until Tuesday sounds good to me too 

marcogallo1986

Nice rite. Up on the pasport. You did drive yesterday.  Nice color.  Combo. To!