Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

kyfdx said:

tifighter said:

stickguy said:

Scoped out a new design 3 series today at the dealer. Looked, just like a 3 series! Nice though, new interior looked good but did not see Panel dash lit up. But pricey. A 330i run up to $57k. M sport, premium, executive(?), looked like everything they could throw in short of 2 more cylinders. Cheaper than the $83k M3 at least!

I know I'm biased, but who buys this over a Model 3 Dual Motor, with an extra 100hp and autopilot for the same money?

People who live in cold weather areas, that don't want to spend $5000 to run a new 220 line to their garage? Or, who don't want to venture forth with a new dealer they aren't familiar with? Or, don't want to think about charging on a road trip?

A lot of reasons. If it's just horsepower, they can always get a 340i. (or, any other luxury make/model)

And, the local Jag/Land Rover dealer provides the Tesla sales/service in my area. That would be enough reason to go screaming the other way..

I agree with all this, except.... $5,000 for one line? The wall charger is about $500 from Tesla and I can't imagine more than $1,000 to run a line from wherever the panel is in your house to the charger. Many homes with garages have the panel out there so it would be a very easy install.

I haven't priced it out, yet. But, my basement is finished, and the panel is on the opposite side of the house. Pretty sure the line will have to go outside, and then underneath a sidewalk, then drilled hole into the garage. The only reason I know, is I've looked into it, for a second high-velocity A/C unit for the 2nd floor, and possibly a connection to a natural gas fueled generator.

So, now if I do it, I'm up to three lines. One for the A/C, another for the generator, and another for a possible future electric or plug-in hybrid.

kyfdx

nyccarguy said:

tifighter said:

stickguy said:

Scoped out a new design 3 series today at the dealer. Looked, just like a 3 series! Nice though, new interior looked good but did not see Panel dash lit up. But pricey. A 330i run up to $57k. M sport, premium, executive(?), looked like everything they could throw in short of 2 more cylinders. Cheaper than the $83k M3 at least!

I know I'm biased, but who buys this over a Model 3 Dual Motor, with an extra 100hp and autopilot for the same money?

Nobody buys a 3 series, they just lease 'em. Teslas don't lease well (yet). Just wait for inventory to pile up.

Yeah... that, too.

tifighter

Don't sugar coat it, guys. Tell me your feels.

Regarding the responses, I suppose winter could be an issue in certain situations, although I'm finishing up a winter with lots of drives over mountain passes, ski trips etc with plenty of sub-freezing temps and range loss hasn't been an issue. I think @xwesx mentioned that ICE cars can suffer range loss as well in his neck of the woods. Ironically,up there they plug their cars in to run the block heaters.

As mentioned, $5k for a charger is not accurate. Mine was $1k total installed. And it is nice to have a fueling station at home; I can have a "full tank" every morning. I know that charging on the road gets all the concern (more on that in a minute), but for most people, 90% of their gas station visits happen near home to cover daily driving. One thing I don't have that a gas station may have is corn dogs. So they have me there.

Track days? Fair enough. The 3 Performance has a track mode to address this a little, but no it's not a real fix for the heat issue. I kinda doubt most buyers getting a 4 cyl 3 series are tracking their car though.

Distance travel. This is different for everyone I guess. 300 miles of range is about 4 or 5 hours of driving at freeway speeds. To anyone who can do 10 hrs with only a 5 minute refueling stop, more power to you, but I can't. Twenty to thirty minutes at a supercharger per five hours drive just isn't an inconvenience for me. And there are over 1400 supercharger stations with nearly 13000 chargers right now. And it is growing. And that's without getting into the cost of electricity vs gas.

I have no answer to a Jag dealer having anything to do with Tesla. Except it does sound like a bad idea. Does your state ban direct sales @kyfdx ?

Anyhow, you guys are right, there could be reasons to buy a $57K 330i instead of a $57K 3. Hey, I warned that I was biased.

suydam

I’m in a similar boat. Unattached garage, commons electricity. To get a 240 v charger I would have to run a new line on my own electrical account from the house, under the front yard, and through the garage wall. Not happening. Right now, I can just plug the Volt into the regular garage outlet and charge overnight. I pay a small yearly fee to the HOA for electricity use.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

tifighter said:

stickguy said:

Scoped out a new design 3 series today at the dealer. Looked, just like a 3 series! Nice though, new interior looked good but did not see Panel dash lit up. But pricey. A 330i run up to $57k. M sport, premium, executive(?), looked like everything they could throw in short of 2 more cylinders. Cheaper than the $83k M3 at least!

I know I'm biased, but who buys this over a Model 3 Dual Motor, with an extra 100hp and autopilot for the same money?

Nobody buys a 3 series, they just lease 'em. Teslas don't lease well (yet). Just wait for inventory to pile up.

Yeah... that, too.

My sons (12 & almost 10) like Teslas. They think Teslas are cool when we see them on the highway. Not as cool as a Hellcat Challenger, but cool none the less.

kyfdx

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

tifighter said:

stickguy said:

Scoped out a new design 3 series today at the dealer. Looked, just like a 3 series! Nice though, new interior looked good but did not see Panel dash lit up. But pricey. A 330i run up to $57k. M sport, premium, executive(?), looked like everything they could throw in short of 2 more cylinders. Cheaper than the $83k M3 at least!

I know I'm biased, but who buys this over a Model 3 Dual Motor, with an extra 100hp and autopilot for the same money?

Nobody buys a 3 series, they just lease 'em. Teslas don't lease well (yet). Just wait for inventory to pile up.

Yeah... that, too.

My sons (12 & almost 10) like Teslas. They think Teslas are cool when we see them on the highway. Not as cool as a Hellcat Challenger, but cool none the less.

The Model S looks amazing.. the rest, not so much (sorry, @tifighter )

But, why aren't they just S, 3, X, instead of Model 3, Model S, Model X? I can see referring to them that way in print (maybe), but to have "Model" on the back of the car just seems weird.

henryn

I have two 220v outlets in my garage, unused. Hot water heater (mine is natural gas, but the electrical outlet is there), and clothes dryer (once again, I'm using natural gas but the 220v outlet is there). I'm guessing both are 30 amp circuits, how big of a circuit do you need for a Tesla?

Not that I'm going to buy one, but just curious.

qbrozen

tifighter said:

Anyhow, you guys are right, there could be reasons to buy a $57K 330i instead of a $57K 3. Hey, I warned that I was biased.

I should point out there is no way in hell I'd spend $57k on a 3-series. Wouldn't pay that for a Tesla 3, either, though.

I would track my 4-banger. It would outlap my G35X, and that was still a load of fun.

stickguy

the garage charger is probably the one aspect that makes it easy for me. I think the plug is on the RF fender? If so, if I back into the garage, the breaker box would literally be about 3 feet away from the plug.

I know you are a fan, but I am still not likely to ever go full electric. I am not willing to deal with the whole look for a charger, spend hours waiting, etc. when I am travelling. Personal preference of course! And a Tesla costs way too much to be a 2nd/local only car.

stickguy

Michael, I just figured it out, and since new, we are doing just about 8,000 miles/year but it has been very uneven. The first couple years got a lot of miles put on, but after that I don't think we broke 5K a year. Something like 30K in the first 2 years, then 20K in the next 4. Now that the wife is commuting with it, will go up a bit. that is probably going to be ~100/week (call it 5K annually) but still not a lot of other use. So probably in the 8-10K range per year.

ronsteve

corvette said:

au1994 said:

I remember him. What ever happened to him?

He owns something like 100+ dealerships across the US now and was flipping yachts on the side for a while (ordering a new yacht and selling his place in line to someone else). Quite a character. 

I just found an article that mentioned that he bought the Swope dealers here in Louisville.

tifighter

stickguy said:

And a Tesla costs way too much to be a 2nd/local only car.

Just announced - the $35K model is now available to order.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Michael, I just figured it out, and since new, we are doing just about 8,000 miles/year but it has been very uneven. The first couple years got a lot of miles put on, but after that I don't think we broke 5K a year. Something like 30K in the first 2 years, then 20K in the next 4. Now that the wife is commuting with it, will go up a bit. that is probably going to be ~100/week (call it 5K annually) but still not a lot of other use. So probably in the 8-10K range per year.

The miles on the Outback have been pretty even. A few medium distance road trips, but mostly in town commuting.

I'd like to get one road trip on the Jetta before it goes back, but I'm not sure that will happen.

28firefighter

That TL is north of $15k with 2 minutes remaining. Sheesh. 

stickguy

$35K is top of the budget, primary car territory to me!

On the RDX, right after we got it, we made a few long trips lapping the south (SC, NC) college looking with the princess (plus trips taking her to NC when she enrolled), at the same time I was going to NY almost weekly dealing with sick parent issues. It was piling on the miles for a while. That pretty much ground to a halt when I leased the Sonata, and started driving that most of the time instead, including trips the Acura used to do.

kyfdx

tifighter said:

stickguy said:

And a Tesla costs way too much to be a 2nd/local only car.

Just announced - the $35K model is now available to order.

With a lower range battery?

Michaell

stickguy said:

$35K is top of the budget, primary car territory to me!

On the RDX, right after we got it, we made a few long trips lapping the south (SC, NC) college looking with the princess (plus trips taking her to NC when she enrolled), at the same time I was going to NY almost weekly dealing with sick parent issues. It was piling on the miles for a while. That pretty much ground to a halt when I leased the Sonata, and started driving that most of the time instead, including trips the Acura used to do.

Should the Jetta ever get replaced, I'm hoping to get something the wife likes (she doesn't like being a passenger in the Jetta), and, potentially, something I can buy and keep for a while.

stickguy

28firefighter said:

That TL is north of $15k with 2 minutes remaining. Sheesh. 

not surprised. that place is nuts, but lots of pretty cars to look at!

stickguy

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

$35K is top of the budget, primary car territory to me!

On the RDX, right after we got it, we made a few long trips lapping the south (SC, NC) college looking with the princess (plus trips taking her to NC when she enrolled), at the same time I was going to NY almost weekly dealing with sick parent issues. It was piling on the miles for a while. That pretty much ground to a halt when I leased the Sonata, and started driving that most of the time instead, including trips the Acura used to do.

Should the Jetta ever get replaced, I'm hoping to get something the wife likes (she doesn't like being a passenger in the Jetta), and, potentially, something I can buy and keep for a while.

whenever my car goes back, it definitely is getting replaced with a box of some kind to be the family utility car and wife's DD. With the RDX hanging around as long as it is reliable to be the spare wheels. Basically one of my many plans I came up with this last go around, and probably what I should have done. Oh well. Only 3 years (2.5 if we pull forward into an RDX!)

Michaell

As @breld and @jpp75 can attest, I'm all over the map when and if I get back in the market.

1. CPO - TLX, prev-gen Accord Sport manual
2. Sporty - GLI, GTI
3. Off beat - Ridgeline (?), Cherokee Trailhawk

qbrozen

tifighter said:

stickguy said:

And a Tesla costs way too much to be a 2nd/local only car.

Just announced - the $35K model is now available to order.

Oh yeah? Did they fulfill all the backorders dating back 3 years for the base model? Or did all those people give up?

stickguy

Michaell said:

As @breld and @jpp75 can attest, I'm all over the map when and if I get back in the market.

1. CPO - TLX, prev-gen Accord Sport manual
2. Sporty - GLI, GTI
3. Off beat - Ridgeline (?), Cherokee Trailhawk

good choices. Funny about the Jeep. Motor Trend this month did a comparison test on small Utes. I think the Cherokee finished last. Did not like it at all. was a limited though, not sure how much difference it really makes.

pretty sure in 3 years whatever we get will be a buy, not a lease, so keeping it for 10 years potentially needs to be part of the criteria. Might also try a slightly used unit, especially if going Euro or luxury. But who knows? Long time in the future, and hopefully by then, factoring in retirement plans while owning that car will be part of the plan!

marcogallo1986

 Yes Michael through over the place, but don’t worry roll in here to help you with the time comes free replacement ride. 

marcogallo1986

 Good news to hear on the cheaper Tesla finally coming out. We have a potential job interview next week, and a jaguar, when rover dealer here as a receptionist. Hoping for the best see what happens. That’s a step in the right direction, if I get my foot in the door finally after all these years of trying. Type your comment

kyfdx

Member needs opinions on quiet SUVs:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/54631/general/x/need-a-very-quiet-and-smooth-riding-suv#latest

cdnpinhead

The nine people who actually utilize these vehicles off-road for moderate rock-crawling and serious trails over the passes in CO and similar places will pay not a whit of attention to any of this. That said, their inputs could be interesting.

Poseurs unite!!

Michaell

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

As @breld and @jpp75 can attest, I'm all over the map when and if I get back in the market.

1. CPO - TLX, prev-gen Accord Sport manual
2. Sporty - GLI, GTI
3. Off beat - Ridgeline (?), Cherokee Trailhawk

good choices. Funny about the Jeep. Motor Trend this month did a comparison test on small Utes. I think the Cherokee finished last. Did not like it at all. was a limited though, not sure how much difference it really makes.

pretty sure in 3 years whatever we get will be a buy, not a lease, so keeping it for 10 years potentially needs to be part of the criteria. Might also try a slightly used unit, especially if going Euro or luxury. But who knows? Long time in the future, and hopefully by then, factoring in retirement plans while owning that car will be part of the plan!

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd like the Cherokee Limited trim. Or any trim without the Trailhawk emblem.

Like you, I'm thinking about a 10 year plan, and potential retirement.

But, at the moment, no real need to have, and pay for, two vehicles. Subaru and MINI cover everything we need, and with the new business opening up soon, the girls will almost always commute together.

https://www.flourpowerstudios.com/highlandsranch#_

corvette

breld said:

Speaking of green...in a weird way, I sort of want this.  

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-2006-honda-element-ex-awd-ultra/6825491173.html

Don’t do it, breld. Those are a disappointment to drive.

Mr_Shiftright

Save that one for when you're 80.

qbrozen

corvette said:

breld said:

Speaking of green...in a weird way, I sort of want this.  

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-2006-honda-element-ex-awd-ultra/6825491173.html

Don’t do it, breld. Those are a disappointment to drive.

I can’t imagine being disappointed with it. I mean, when my expectations are that of an anemic bread van, there really is no way but up from there.

xwesx

tifighter said:

Don't sugar coat it, guys. Tell me your feels.

Regarding the responses, I suppose winter could be an issue in certain situations, although I'm finishing up a winter with lots of drives over mountain passes, ski trips etc with plenty of sub-freezing temps and range loss hasn't been an issue. I think @xwesx mentioned that ICE cars can suffer range loss as well in his neck of the woods. Ironically,up there they plug their cars in to run the block heaters.

As mentioned, $5k for a charger is not accurate. Mine was $1k total installed. And it is nice to have a fueling station at home; I can have a "full tank" every morning. I know that charging on the road gets all the concern (more on that in a minute), but for most people, 90% of their gas station visits happen near home to cover daily driving. One thing I don't have that a gas station may have is corn dogs. So they have me there.

Track days? Fair enough. The 3 Performance has a track mode to address this a little, but no it's not a real fix for the heat issue. I kinda doubt most buyers getting a 4 cyl 3 series are tracking their car though.

Distance travel. This is different for everyone I guess. 300 miles of range is about 4 or 5 hours of driving at freeway speeds. To anyone who can do 10 hrs with only a 5 minute refueling stop, more power to you, but I can't. Twenty to thirty minutes at a supercharger per five hours drive just isn't an inconvenience for me. And there are over 1400 supercharger stations with nearly 13000 chargers right now. And it is growing. And that's without getting into the cost of electricity vs gas.

I have no answer to a Jag dealer having anything to do with Tesla. Except it does sound like a bad idea. Does your state ban direct sales @kyfdx ?

Anyhow, you guys are right, there could be reasons to buy a $57K 330i instead of a $57K 3. Hey, I warned that I was biased.

Great write-up, Ti.

Yes, ICE vehicles lose about 30% range in cold conditions. However, this can vary dramatically depending on overall situation. If you can garage the vehicle (heated) nearly every time it cools down, you probably won't notice a huge change (likely 10-15% due to winter fuel blend). If the vehicle goes ambient temps every time, like mine, then 30%. If you have an auto-start and make generous use of it (like nearly everyone else I know), I suspect 40-50% could be more realistic (but that depends, also, on how much use those same folks make of "pre-cooling" in the summer months). Also, if you tend to drive like you stole it (year-round), then you will proabably be in that 40%+ category as well, because it takes a whole lot of grunt to try and move cold, viscous parts quickly rather than a gradual, steady acceleration.

If I lived in the lower 48, I would be far more inclined to buy an all-electric. And, if connectivity/compatibility of chargers were universal (like gas stations, effectively), I would also be far more inclined. As it is, There's a whole lot of "no-man's land" for electric vehicles between my house and the Washington area. Not that traversing that distance is not possible in electric, it is just not the ~30min stop for refueling that a Supercharger station could provide.

I do have a 220 in my garage, though, so no worries about fast-charge at home! Plus, it would give me incentive to move out of the garage and install the car doors.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

I can’t imagine being disappointed with it. I mean, when my expectations are that of an anemic bread van, there really is no way but up from there.

Tongue-in-cheek I'm sure, but you're not wrong. If you view the vehicle within the lens of its purpose, then there's no reason to be disappointed unless it fails to deliver on those expectations. If you're thinking you will have an Andres-mobile (TT-S, etc), okay, you might be a little underwhelmed.

sda

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

As @breld and @jpp75 can attest, I'm all over the map when and if I get back in the market.

1. CPO - TLX, prev-gen Accord Sport manual
2. Sporty - GLI, GTI
3. Off beat - Ridgeline (?), Cherokee Trailhawk

good choices. Funny about the Jeep. Motor Trend this month did a comparison test on small Utes. I think the Cherokee finished last. Did not like it at all. was a limited though, not sure how much difference it really makes.

pretty sure in 3 years whatever we get will be a buy, not a lease, so keeping it for 10 years potentially needs to be part of the criteria. Might also try a slightly used unit, especially if going Euro or luxury. But who knows? Long time in the future, and hopefully by then, factoring in retirement plans while owning that car will be part of the plan!

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd like the Cherokee Limited trim. Or any trim without the Trailhawk emblem.

Like you, I'm thinking about a 10 year plan, and potential retirement.

But, at the moment, no real need to have, and pay for, two vehicles. Subaru and MINI cover everything we need, and with the new business opening up soon, the girls will almost always commute together.

https://www.flourpowerstudios.com/highlandsranch#_

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

As @breld and @jpp75 can attest, I'm all over the map when and if I get back in the market.

1. CPO - TLX, prev-gen Accord Sport manual
2. Sporty - GLI, GTI
3. Off beat - Ridgeline (?), Cherokee Trailhawk

good choices. Funny about the Jeep. Motor Trend this month did a comparison test on small Utes. I think the Cherokee finished last. Did not like it at all. was a limited though, not sure how much difference it really makes.

pretty sure in 3 years whatever we get will be a buy, not a lease, so keeping it for 10 years potentially needs to be part of the criteria. Might also try a slightly used unit, especially if going Euro or luxury. But who knows? Long time in the future, and hopefully by then, factoring in retirement plans while owning that car will be part of the plan!

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd like the Cherokee Limited trim. Or any trim without the Trailhawk emblem.

Like you, I'm thinking about a 10 year plan, and potential retirement.

But, at the moment, no real need to have, and pay for, two vehicles. Subaru and MINI cover everything we need, and with the new business opening up soon, the girls will almost always commute together.

https://www.flourpowerstudios.com/highlandsranch#_

That looks great! I wish you all every success.

fintail

Little chance of my building getting chargers in the foreseeable future, the building I work in has 2 chargers - both usually occupied by a squatting Tesla/Volt/Leaf. Until that changes, no thanks - but if this changes as range creeps up, then maybe. The wackadoodle tax break will be (and should be) gone by then.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

Once again, Consumer Reports Top Ten Most Reliable Cars and Top Ten Least Reliable Cars:

Anything that really surprises you?

MOST RELIABLE

10. Mazda CX-5

9. Lexus NX

8. Honda Fit

7. Kia Sedona

6. Mazda6

5. Toyota Prius

4. Subaru Crosstrek

3. Toyota Prius Prime

2. Lincoln Continental

1. Toyota Prius C

LEAST RELIABLE:

10. Volkswagen Atlas

9. Cadillac CTS

8. Alfa Romeo Giulia

7. Kia Cadenza

6. Cadillac Escalade

5. Cadillac CT6

4. Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD

3. Tesla Model X

2. Buick Enclave

1. Jaguar F-Pace

The CX-5 is the only car on the reliable list I'd consider owning- ditto for the Alfa and Jag among the unreliables.

Michaell

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

As @breld and @jpp75 can attest, I'm all over the map when and if I get back in the market.

1. CPO - TLX, prev-gen Accord Sport manual
2. Sporty - GLI, GTI
3. Off beat - Ridgeline (?), Cherokee Trailhawk

good choices. Funny about the Jeep. Motor Trend this month did a comparison test on small Utes. I think the Cherokee finished last. Did not like it at all. was a limited though, not sure how much difference it really makes.

pretty sure in 3 years whatever we get will be a buy, not a lease, so keeping it for 10 years potentially needs to be part of the criteria. Might also try a slightly used unit, especially if going Euro or luxury. But who knows? Long time in the future, and hopefully by then, factoring in retirement plans while owning that car will be part of the plan!

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd like the Cherokee Limited trim. Or any trim without the Trailhawk emblem.

Like you, I'm thinking about a 10 year plan, and potential retirement.

But, at the moment, no real need to have, and pay for, two vehicles. Subaru and MINI cover everything we need, and with the new business opening up soon, the girls will almost always commute together.

https://www.flourpowerstudios.com/highlandsranch#_

That looks great! I wish you all every success.

The home office is in Raleigh, NC; the wife and step-daughter are flying there next week for training. We will have the first studio west of the Mississippi.

stickguy

looks like an interesting concept. Small chain but growing.

stickguy

this seems like a lot of car for the money. Compared to what new cars go for, could spend Corolla money and have a nice big luxury car for many years. And even has a non-black interior!

https://www.subaruofcherryhill.com/used/Toyota/2018-Toyota-Avalon-cherry-hill-nj-d6d678750a0e0ae77eaea19ecf4b7ec7.htm

Michaell

stickguy said:

looks like an interesting concept. Small chain but growing.

The training next week will include an owner from Michigan and another from NC as well as ours. 

Getting in on the ground floor meant the entry fees were reasonable. 

Sandman6472

Our A3 has been flawless also, nothing except a couple batteries gratis. A pleasant vehicle to own and drive. Hit 51K today while doing errands on the Golf and it's also been a very good vehicle. The water pump/thermostat went at 35,959 so just slid in to the local VW store to be fixed gratis. Also had one battery go. Enjoyable ownership experience so far and hoping all will stay this good as we get going with 2019. My car guy at Tires Plus advised us both to lease our vehicles but we decided to purchase them outright. Looking back, maybe it was a good suggestion/maybe not. My folks used to lease one vehicle in the early to mid 60's as it was always a Cadillac or Lincoln and was charged to the family business yet my mom was the primary driver of it. Back then, guess it was the thing to do and every 24 months, like clockwork, a new vehicle would be in the driveway when we got home from school.
Do remember going to pick up my dad's new 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado in a blue/blue vinyl roof and it was stunning! We were still in Westchester and he needed a front wheel drive vehicle and he liked his first Toronado so much, he got a second one. He usually kept his vehicles for about 7 to 8 years. Ditto his dad, every other year, he'd get a new Chrysler Imperial Crown and they were so cool. Once my dad retired in '69 at 47, he moved us all to the Ft. Lauderdale area to help his mom, my grandma, as my grandpa was in a nursing home suffering from Parkinson Disease. Luckily, the folks belonged to a country club where he'd be Tuesdays through Sundays, playing golf and bridge. His, their, hard work paid off for them when their small company was bought out by a much larger one leaving them both with enough $ to enjoy their lives with! Our family was truly blessed by G-d!

Sandman6472

Love the 328i but doubt I'd ever lease one and buying a CPO unit seems to be the best option. I do love the blue/tan combo the best as too many black/black and white/black. A two year old one is the sweet spot for me so we'll see what happens in a year or two. The length could be an issue but hopefully, by mid to late 2020, we'll be out of here. Sarasota is quickly becoming my wife's new retirement destination. Not to far from our oldest in the St. Cloud/Kissimmee, just west on I-4 about 80 minutes or so. She has a friend out there so probably her reason why. Me, rather it be closer to St, Cloud or even in St. Cloud in that nice model right down the street from our kid. She has no issue living so close as she likes to come home every month or so. And we're not the kind to just drop in just for the hell of it. We respect boundaries so it all works. But first, purging the house and only keeping things that we use and give us joy. Then we look, sell our current shack and buy another. But since we love looking at new real estate, this shouldn't be an issue...just have to shuffle some funds around to be able to buy something and sell ours.
Like I said earlier, very doable but we need to start the whole process very soon. Going to a new area could be fun, having to find some new doctors could be an issue but think we could manage it all, in time.

Sandman6472

Congrats on the new business venture, betting the girls will be wickedly successful with it!

Sandman6472

My wife works full time for Turbo Tax as an in house CPA but also has a couple of side jobs 2 days/week and her old boss sold it to a new one. He seems so much easier to work for and told her to just get the work done even if he has to pay her extra. More hours are no problem where he's concerned just as long as it's warranted and the work gets done. He pays her the beginning of the month when he gets paid, unlike the former boss who waited till months end and was very strict on not going over her set number of hours. Once she said she was leaving and going to Turbo Tax full time, he got scared and gave her a long long overdue raise and finally started to value her work. She got what she wanted, finally, and decided to stay on. Now, he's sold his business and she's being treated so much better. She also wants to work at least 5 or so more years, she's only 63, and loves accounting work and all that goes with it.
She'd love us to both retire at the same time but that ain't gonna happen as I plan to sometime within the next year or a little longer. She and my doc both said to figure out how you're going to spend those hours you work now, what am I going to do? Watching the tube all day is not a good answer here. Have been giving this a whole lot of thought today and figure, as long as my health holds up, why not stay at Hertz but just go down to 2 days/week if need be. Or, quit Hertz and apply again at those dealers up the street about being their shuttle driver. No travel time or maybe 5 to 8 minutes would really be a great thing as I transition into full retirement. Love the driving part but hate the going into Miami/Dade County with a passion. Maybe going with Enterprise and staying within Broward County might be the golden ticket. Just have to start the process and see where I land up. Or lastly, just retire already and find something meaningful to take up those empty hours, I just don't know at this juncture.
Just know that I like the extra income and not touching our retirement accounts until the RMD's kick in, is where we're at right now. A lot of conversations with her calculator need to take place to figure it all out. She was surprised when I told her in a ballpark way how much my IRA's contain but reminded her that that money was to help pay once our regular paychecks stop and we're both retired. One thing that needs to happen is to be honest with each other about our personal finances and how much we're both going to kick in so retirement isn't going to be me paying for every last thing and she not contributing a dime as that ain't gonna happen!!
So, we need to be really honest and put all our cards on the table so we both can be happy in retirement 2.0. Lots to figure out and talk over going forward. So with much humor and serious thought, this should be a no brainer for us to get from Point A to Point B going forward.

Sandman6472

It's obvious that I'm having some issues sleeping tonight. And tomorrow is a work day, the start of our week. Am so tired but, can not sleep. Guess taking a few days off earlier this week wasn't the best idea. Guess I should've just taken the whole week off as originally planned and stayed up in St. Cloud. Tossed around the idea to stay there till the 7th and then drive her down for the wedding they're going to on the 8th. But, felt it was a bit too long to be out since there's a lot going down at work with Monday the 11th being a mandatory work day for all the drivers. No clue as to why but we've been getting large vehicles, Tahoes and Suburbans and their GMC cousins, and parking them in a central location. Again, we've not been told why, just to come in and get these vehicles for the staging area. Definitely hate the lack of communication at work but hey, all I'm doing is taking the keys and asking where we're taking them! End of story!
So far, at least for me, not being able to clock off at 3:30 each work day, been more like 4:00 or a little after. But many of the hours are doing the 3:30 directive. Have a feeling that this to shall pass within a couple of weeks or so. Just because one office and their drivers were screwing up doesn't mean we all are and why should some spoil things for the rest of us who show up and do out work with no issues. Fair is fair bur the lack of communication is the real issue here.
Guess I best try to get some sleep as it's 1:58 and 5:45 will be here very soon! Enough of all this already!!

xwesx

Sandman6472 said:

It's obvious that I'm having some issues sleeping tonight. And tomorrow is a work day, the start of our week. Am so tired but, can not sleep. Guess taking a few days off earlier this week wasn't the best idea.

Argh! Not sleeping is the worst. Try to get away from screens, or at least have them in late-night sepia mode so that it won't be so likely to trigger your insomnia.

xwesx

I popped in to post a message I received from Tesla. No real surprise here, given their vehicles no longer qualify for the federal rebate incentive:

We are proud to announce the $35,000 Tesla Model 3.

With 220 miles of range, a 5.6 second 0–60mph and over-the-air updates, Model 3 Standard Range is now available to order at $35,000 before incentives. Although lower in cost, it is built to achieve the same perfect 5-star safety rating as the longer-ranged version, which has the lowest probability of injury of any car ever tested by the U.S. government.
In addition, we are also introducing Model 3 Standard Range Plus. For 6% more money, you get 9% more range, more power, and an upgraded interior.

Lastly, we’ve lowered the base price of all Model 3, Model S and Model X trims, and updated our Autopilot packages to be even more compelling.

With today’s updates, we’ve taken a significant step towards allowing everyone to buy a Tesla, and accelerating the transition to sustainable transportation.

qbrozen

xwesx said:

Don't sugar coat it, guys. Tell me your feels. Regarding the responses, I suppose winter could be an issue in certain situations, although I'm finishing up a winter with lots of drives over mountain passes, ski trips etc with plenty of sub-freezing temps and range loss hasn't been an issue. I think @xwesx mentioned that ICE cars can suffer range loss as well in his neck of the woods. Ironically,up there they plug their cars in to run the block heaters. As mentioned, $5k for a charger is not accurate. Mine was $1k total installed. And it is nice to have a fueling station at home; I can have a "full tank" every morning. I know that charging on the road gets all the concern (more on that in a minute), but for most people, 90% of their gas station visits happen near home to cover daily driving. One thing I don't have that a gas station may have is corn dogs. So they have me there. Track days? Fair enough. The 3 Performance has a track mode to address this a little, but no it's not a real fix for the heat issue. I kinda doubt most buyers getting a 4 cyl 3 series are tracking their car though. Distance travel. This is different for everyone I guess. 300 miles of range is about 4 or 5 hours of driving at freeway speeds. To anyone who can do 10 hrs with only a 5 minute refueling stop, more power to you, but I can't. Twenty to thirty minutes at a supercharger per five hours drive just isn't an inconvenience for me. And there are over 1400 supercharger stations with nearly 13000 chargers right now. And it is growing. And that's without getting into the cost of electricity vs gas. I have no answer to a Jag dealer having anything to do with Tesla. Except it does sound like a bad idea. Does your state ban direct sales @kyfdx ? Anyhow, you guys are right, there could be reasons to buy a $57K 330i instead of a $57K 3. Hey, I warned that I was biased.

Great write-up, Ti. Yes, ICE vehicles lose about 30% range in cold conditions. However, this can vary dramatically depending on overall situation. If you can garage the vehicle (heated) nearly every time it cools down, you probably won't notice a huge change (likely 10-15% due to winter fuel blend). If the vehicle goes ambient temps every time, like mine, then 30%. If you have an auto-start and make generous use of it (like nearly everyone else I know), I suspect 40-50% could be more realistic (but that depends, also, on how much use those same folks make of "pre-cooling" in the summer months). Also, if you tend to drive like you stole it (year-round), then you will proabably be in that 40%+ category as well, because it takes a whole lot of grunt to try and move cold, viscous parts quickly rather than a gradual, steady acceleration. If I lived in the lower 48, I would be far more inclined to buy an all-electric. And, if connectivity/compatibility of chargers were universal (like gas stations, effectively), I would also be far more inclined. As it is, There's a whole lot of "no-man's land" for electric vehicles between my house and the Washington area. Not that traversing that distance is not possible in electric, it is just not the ~30min stop for refueling that a Supercharger station could provide. I do have a 220 in my garage, though, so no worries about fast-charge at home! Plus, it would give me incentive to move out of the garage and install the car doors.

Do you mean a 30% penalty when the engine is cold? But once it warms up in 5 mins or so, the efficiency normalizes, yes? Because I have never in my life experienced the kind of efficiency loss in any of my ICE vehicles that I experienced in our Leaf. The roughly 5% loss in cold weather I see in our ICE vehicles I blame on winter blend fuel that is forced upon us. 

mjfloyd1

I don’t like the inexpensive looking interiors in Teslas.  I would not like having to look at the center console to see the speedometer in the Tesla 3.

I like having a “loud” pedal. The harder you push it, the louder the motor gets. 

It is also interesting to hear “zero emissions.” They really just have super long tailpipes that go back to the power plant. Someone near those power plants is breathing those emissions. 

mjfloyd1

Am I reading those most and least reliable vehicle lists correctly?  The Jag U R- F pace is the least reliable vehicle and the Toyota Prius C is the most reliable?

mjfloyd1

@breld- I’m glad that February is over...