Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

grandtotal

I'm even telling her, if she wants, we can trade in her Civic and find a nice 01-03 3 series convertible for her. And as tempting as it is for her, (probably because of this Mercedes experiment) she says no thanks, she'll stick to her 04 Civic.

As in most marriages, the woman has the brains in yours.

boomchek

lol, thanks.

Actually I have the brains, but she has more financial sense. I was using the BMW thing on her as an example (without actually intending to do it), to show that it's not the end of the world if we don't have a fancy ride.

michaellno

You are harsher than I. Before I saw your post, I was thinking 2 years.

Hey, I'm not making the rules here ... it was more of a suggestion.

Here's the breakdown:

Started 1997 with an '86 Tempo (wife's) and a '93 Accord (mine)

February 1997 - lease Ford Escort; Tempo goes away
November 1998 - lease Ford Expedition; Escort goes away
December 1998 - lease VW New Beetle; Accord goes away
May 2001 - lease Ford Explorer; Expedition goes away
November 2002 - buy Saturn L300
November 2003 - buy Ford Focus; Explorer goes away
November 2004 - buy Saturn VUE; New Beetle goes away
June 2006 - buy Saturn ION; Focus goes away
August 2007 - buy Saturn VUE; old VUE goes away

So, in 11.5 years, the longest period of time between vehicle purchases was 30 months, and the shortest time was about 3-4 weeks, though I suspect that we're out of the market for a good long time - the wife loves her VUE, the daughter loves her ION, and I'm only putting 3-6K onto the L300 now that I'm working from home.

In the spirit of election season, perhaps we should have a vote on what constitutes CCBA membership. Does holding onto a car for 24 months or less make you a member, given that the average American (or Canadian) keeps their car for 5-7 years?

Weigh in with your opinion!

woodyww

Plus when me and her hooked up, I had no Mercedes

Someone explain this to me: how a guy could attract a nice woman w/o owning an expensive European car? :P (Actually, when I had my M6, many or most women didn't "get it". When I had my M6, & a Range Rover, some women who drove little Saturns & stuff thought that was nuts. Maybe it was more the "2 expensive car" thing they didn't get).

we can trade in her Civic and find a nice 01-03 3 series convertible for her

Given this whole saga so far, I'd run that Civic until "the wheels fall off". Cars can be a lot of fun, if you can afford what you own. (You can own an 8 y.o. Toyota something & still be a car nut IMO, & get off on the affordability, economy, etc)......

It can be tough to have major Car Lust, or House-buying Lust, & keep it in some kind of sensible control........sometimes it can take several expensive mistakes to get that into one's head (like mine, for instance)........

boomchek

We owe about $3k on her Civic. I told her even if we pay it off we should keep it as it will last a long time, and in worst case we'd keep it as a spare car, even if she wants to get something else.

sandman46

Would love to have a newer or more lux car in our stable also. Love the '05 C class and the '05 TSX but felt it was a smarter move to get the '06 Civic when I did. And the wife is still happy with her '05 3. But even yesterday I picked up a used car guide and saw some great deals on some pre-owned nicer cars. Saw a great deal on a '07 S40 but hear the 5 cylinder doesn't have such great mpg figures.
Will be buying the girls new cars around Thanksgiving week and they both want small cars and they've already started test driving with the wife. So I'll get my new car buying itch scratched through them as I'll still be paying the bill for their 1st rides.
But deep down I'd still like a little nicer ride for myself...guess we never loose that lust no matter what we drive!

The Sandman

fintail

I thought Civics were pretty well-liked by young women anyway, especially the 93-05 coupes. She'll be fine, her next "special" car will be one with nice easy steering and working HVAC etc :P

boomchek

Yeah she loves her Civic. It's low mileage, it all works, and it's her first new car so she's happy with it.

corvette

I think I've chickened out, for now... Great to drive, comfortable, roomy, the prices are appealing, but there is no one local who works on Volvos, and the dealer is about 70 miles away.

sandman46

We all love this car...especially my oldest and youngest. All say the digital dash is an easy read without taking one's eyes off the road. Still happy it's in the stable...and hopefully will be until I retire unless one of the girl's really wants it and can't find the perfect car for herself. Might have to relinquish the keys then. If this scenario does play out, will use the $15k I've got put away for her and probably go get the used '07 S40 and be done with it.

Really was impresed with the G6 I drove all last week...the size was a bit big for an everyday driver but had plenty of power when needed on the interstate. The ergonomics were pretty good also for a domestic brand.

The Sandman

kyfdx

If you are really going to be a CCBAer, you need to move to Lousville...lol..

guss

I looked at G6 and liked the room inside for a small mid-size. I don't think unless you order one you can get the stuff the GT has on it like sunroof and alloy wheels. Every 4 cylinder I have seen has that stripper\rental car look.

I like the idea of giving one daughter your Civic and you getting something for yourself. What good is having kids unless you can give them your hand me downs.

As far as CCBA membership I added mine up the other day. My dad asked how many cars I have had because he knows I am looking again. My total, not counting my wife's cars, is 20 in 29 years. That puts me at and average of a car every year and a half.

andre1969

Alternator ($1000)

OUCH!! I guess an alternator replacement these days is a lot more than just a couple bolts, loosening a bolt, and disconnecting a wire. :sick:

Cam/crank sensors with oil change ($1000)

In a misery lose company sort of way, I'm refreshed to hear that my 2000 Intrepid wasn't the only car in the world to need new cam/crank sensors.

lemmer

How much did that run for you? Surely not a grand.

roadburner

That had to be one of those dealers that grossly inflate their prices- my local Mazda dealer(Oxmoor in Louisville) does the same thing. They wanted $270 for front brake pads for my Mazdaspeed 3.

qbrozen

That is definitely a problem with newer Volvos (anything in the past 8 years or so, I think). Well.... probably not just Volvos. Anyway, special software is needed to do just about anything on the vehicle. Real PITA.

roadburner

For a friend, actually. His wife was looking at Mazdaspeed 3s and Minis and decided that she likes the Mini better(I did too, but my 5'9" 13 year old son didn't fit in the Mini's back seat very well). I was kind of hoping she'd go for the MS3 in which case I'd offer her mine-thereby opening a window of opportunity to grab that CPO M3 that I've been drooling over-but I digress... Anyway, it's a grey 2004 Cooper S with only a few options. I'm sure the sales guy will think that I'm lying when I say that I'm looking at the car for a friend, but so be it.

andre1969

For the cam and crankshaft position sensors, plus various diagnosing, and replacing a broken vacuum hose, the total bill on my Intrepid was about $520.

Haven't had to to the alternator yet, thankfully. Last time I had to do an alternator was way back in 1995, on my '68 Dart. For some reason I was afraid to mess with it myself, so I had the local K-mart service center do it. I think it was about $110. For some reason, about a year later I had to pull that alternator off and put it back on, and when I saw how easy it was, I felt kinda dumb for having paid someone to do it. But with something like the Intrepid, I have to confess I'd probably pay to have it done. There isn't a whole lot of room in that engine bay to work, and I could see me getting my knuckles bruised and bloodied, or yanking too hard on something and breaking it!

andre1969

I know there are some here who have had a crazy number. If I exclude my wife's vehicles, I've had 17 in my 17.5 years of driving. So I'm actually just below the 1/1yr average, unless I pick up something else before the end of the year.

I just added up my total, and it comes to 18. Sad thing is, I still have 8 of them. Got my first car in January 1987, roughly 21.5 years ago. So that comes out to roughly one car every 14-15 months?

In my later years, I guess I've actually slowed down. Got the Intrepid 11/99. 5th Ave 10/01. Pickup 9/02. LeMans 4/05. NYer #2 5/07. It doesn't seem like I've slowed down though, but maybe that's because the older you get, the faster the time seems to pass by?

qbrozen

Well, I've only got 3 of the 17 on my list. ;P
I've decided that is more than enough until I am able to build the additional 3-car garage I want.

Yikes. Just remembered the Mazda is due for inspection next month. If it doesn't pass, I may reduce to 2 cars for me and 2 for the wife.

boomchek

I'm refreshed to hear that my 2000 Intrepid wasn't the only car in the world to need new cam/crank sensors.

I never knew a part like that existed until it broke down on me. :confuse:

fintail

Did you take that thing to an independent mechanic or to the stealership? A grand sounds steep for that sensor, which are known to fail now and then on many modern MB as they age.

corvette

Yeah, the only thing close by is a GM dealership. I may just take advantage of the steep depreciation on new American cars and buy a late-model used GM product. If I relocate and decide to trade, I shouldn't have a huge loss to eat.

roadburner

I don't know about MBs, but on my 3 Series it takes less than an hour to replace both the cam and crank sensors. Each one costs $107 before my CCA discount.

andre1969

I never knew a part like that existed until it broke down on me.

Same here. Isn't it annoying how something that didn't even exist 20 or 30 years ago can disable, or even total out, a modern car once they get up there in miles? :sick:

fintail

I don't know what it costs on a MB, but I am am pretty sure I have read it is no more than several hundred, installed. Of course a dealer might charge twice that.

woodyww

I remember at one time you seemed to really like the new CR-V. Are there any hondas/toyotas, maybe subies, that you'd like? Where even if the dlr is not close, hopefully the car would be so reliable that wouldn't be an issue? New Forester maybe?

woodyww

Will be buying the girls new cars around Thanksgiving

New cars, Lucky girls! My first car was a used '62 Mercury Meteor, 221 V8, awful 2 speed automatic, that my dad paid $1100 for. (It beat the heck out of walkin' tho, good first car really).

It's a nice gesture, to do something like that for your kids.......

boomchek

I was a like $991 for two sensors, and an oil change ($200 or so), so technically $750 for the sensors, and it was an independent MB mechanic. Here in Canada everything costs a ton anyways, more so that you guys can get it in the US.

Oh, have the receipt here: (made copies to go with the car to the wholesaler)

Cam sensor $361.85
Crank sensor $173.10
Labour $191

Plus taxes. :sick:

fintail

$200 for an oil change? I get my E55 done at my indy mechanic...$89 for ca. 8 quarts of synthetic , and of course that includes a new filter, along with a brake/tire check. Those parts prices would probably be lower south of the border, yeah. You should just drive down to Bellingham or something if you get another car like that :P

corvette

Yeah, I could go for a CR-V, Forester, or Impreza. A new one is a little more than I want to spend right now, and used ones aren't that much less expensive. Used Saab 9-2X-es seem to sell for less than comparable Imprezas, though.

kyfdx

Used 9-2X? The Aero version is the turbo-model... A dressed up WRX hatch... pretty cool...

boomchek

The Benz is looking through the window as I am about to take delivery of my Jeep.

Like an abandoned pet looking through the window as I found something newer, and better to play with.

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

stever

Great shot - I can almost see the tears leaking from the MB headlights.

stickguy

gave my daughter (12 yo) a thrill, and stopped at the Mazda dealer. Took a couple of new 6s for a spin. A 4 cyl and a 6 cyl. both AT.

Very nice car, and a huge leap up from the old model. Drove nice, looked good, nice interior, and absolutely huge inside. Also very smooth and quiet, but still nice ride and sharp handling.

They certainly addressed the issues Americans seemed to have with the old model. I haven't driven a new accord, but the 6 blew away a Camry.

But, I also saw a nice 3 grand touring. Loaded to the gills, and not a bad sticker (not even accounting for the expected discounts and rebates). And they finally have a power driver seat, which is the only thing that kept me from getting one a couple of years ago when I got my Accord.

I start my ne job with my nasty long commute on Monday. My left leg may get tired of the stop and go drudgery real soon. Plus, driving on the Schuykill expressway everyday, I also want stability control!

Also still considering a CPO S40, but the 3 might even have more features, for less money.

Decisions, decisions. But I will give the commute a week or so before deciding how neccesary new wheels are. If I manage to skirt traffic enough, I can deal with the stick. If it sucks even worse than I expect, I may not keep the job!

boomchek

Great shot - I can almost see the tears leaking from the MB headlights.

It's actually the remainder of the power steering fluid leaking out... :P

corvette

Good luck finding stability control on a used S40. I think it was optional (and a rare option) until 2008.

The car mags were always fond of the first-generation Mazda6--and they are also a bargain on the used market.

boomchek

I always liked the previous gen Mazda6, both the styling and the looks of it. For even more practicality, I'd take the Sport one (4 door hatchback). I think they are overlooked in the mid size segment.

However I could never get comfortable with them with the seat design, and the steering wheel arrangement.

fintail

I think it is smiling...thinking "who will I get to terrorize next?"

woodyww

You always seem to come up with a nice new car that's a good deal. I'm just always impressed by those posts about people who spent in the low-mid $20s for a subie or honda, kept it for 8 years & 100K+ miles, & are getting $5-6K+ when they sell, even for the small SUV's.

OTOH, I was behind a new-ish XC70 the other day, sure looked nice. Any deals on those now? (Not like my brain jumps between 10-20 car buying ideas every day or anything.....) :confuse:

corvette

Haven't looked at the XC70...

Unless I experience a sudden windfall, I'm setting a self-imposed budget of $10-20k if I purchase. Going used really widens the spectrum of what you can get in that range.

I did get a call from the Audi dealer the other day--Audi is offering $2500 in cash towards the lease or purchase of a new or CPO Audi. The offer is only for people who currently own or lease a 2007 model Audi. No lease pull-ahead cash, and no subsidies on the leases, though. But it did get me to thinking, most of Audi's 2007 subsidized leases were done in November-December, 2006. And they'll start to be returned a couple of months from now. I'm going to keep an eye on the incentives--I bet they get bigger and better the closer Audi gets to having a glut of lease turn-ins.

andre1969

However I could never get comfortable with them with the seat design, and the steering wheel arrangement.

That's kinda how I felt about the previous 6. I liked the style of it, but it just felt tight inside to me. More like a compact car than a midsize. Oddly, the 3 felt like it had more legroom up front. But now the Fusion, which is derived from the old 6, felt fine to me. Not a huge, cavernous car, not by any stretch of the imagination, but just big enough for me to find it comfy.

corvette

Have you looked at the current Sentra? It seems really tall to me, and it's as if they carved the footwells out to make them as wide as possible in a car that small (and the door panels looked thin, like a Japanese car from the 1980's). I think they tried really hard to make the car feel big. Anyway, it's a nice car to drive with the CVT.

nippononly

my local dealer into letting me have their '03 RAV4, AWD, stick, 50K miles, certified, for $14,000 today. We went around and around, they kept emphasizing the CPO warranty (which isn't even that great, as the car is already 5-1/2 years old, so it's only good for 18 months, forget about getting to 100K miles in that time), I kept saying yes but it's a 5-1/2 year old car that sold for maybe $22K BRAND NEW, we never did come to an agreement. Closest I got was they were willing to part with it for $15,3 and they acted like they were doing me a huge favor at that price.

So I was thaaaat close to relieving my currently chronic CCBS, but couldn't make it happen. :-(

Before I left, they DID try to lease me a brand new AWD RAV for $475/mo, $0 down. :sick:

No way.

guss

Plus, driving on the Schuykill expressway everyday, I also want stability control!

Why? You will never get above 20 mph if you are driving anywhere near rush hour. Three in the morning I have hit back ups on the Surekill, for no other reason than someone is pulled over fixing a flat.

I really like the new Mazda6 too. It is one of the few cars that grew bigger, has more horsepower, and still gets better mileage than the previous model.

kyfdx

I'm amazed they wouldn't make that deal for $14K.. Especially for a stick..

nippononly

Not as much as I was amazed, I went away from there scratching my head. I had pretty much counted on them taking that offer, it was hard to believe they were turning it down. That RAV has been on their lot for at least six months too, just going by my foggy memory. It may have been there longer than that.

corvette

Found out a little more about the $2500 incentive Audi is offering. I can't use it to have them CPO the car I already have... You have to buy or lease a new or CPO Audi, and they will make up to three remaining payments on your current lease. In my case, that's a $3700 incentive (plus the $350 disposal fee I wouldn't have to pay when I turn the car in).

Local dealer has a couple of CPO A4s on the lot, but the asking prices seem high.

I could also lease something new, but the only subsidy being offered right now is a low money factor. The residual values aren't being incentivized at all, and despite the low money factor, they're not attractive leases right now. If they were offering the $2500 loyalty along with a heavily subsidized lease, I'd probably jump on it.

kyfdx

Those "pull-ahead" programs are nice... But, the benefit is minimal.. Yeah, they cover your last three lease payments.... but, they also take your car three months early... It's a nice clean way to get out of your lease early, but it cost them a lot more than it benefits you..

It helps, if you have to jump on a year-end deal that won't last, but otherwise, I'd rather ride out the lease, then get a good deal when the time comes..

woodyww

I understand being inclined to (almost) always buy used. But what would a brand new RAV4, AWD, maybe a base model, cost? Low $20's?

Personally, I think you're lucky they didn't take your $14K offer........it'd be different if the '03 was $8 or $10K.......