Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

28firefighter

Our X1 is phenomenal on the highway. Driving to Vancouver (120ish miles) at an average speed of 70, we got about 33mpg. 

Not bad at all. Since swapping on the Goodyear Eagle RFTs, the driving experience has improved dramatically. 

Michaell

A few family related car notes --- my cousin's son bought a '95 S-10 recently. Only 134K on it, regular cab with the long bed and a shell. Sharp looking truck.

And, my buddy in CA had his 1st gen G35 at the shop for some work (brakes, oil change, etc). Dealer gave him a QX60 as a loaner. He does not strike me as an SUV type, but he did like this. Pretty appalled at the prices, however.

corvette

I like the new Subaru Outback. That being said, it seems like most "all new" exterior designs nowadays look barely changed from the previous generation. I'm thinking of the Outback, Forester, pretty much any Audi or Toyota, etc... The outside looks the same, but the inside has a larger infotainment display. 

tjc78

Michaell said:

A few family related car notes --- my cousin's son bought a '95 S-10 recently. Only 134K on it, regular cab with the long bed and a shell. Sharp looking truck. And, my buddy in CA had his 1st gen G35 at the shop for some work (brakes, oil change, etc). Dealer gave him a QX60 as a loaner. He does not strike me as an SUV type, but he did like this. Pretty appalled at the prices, however.

I really liked my 99 S10.  

roadburner

The X1 is perfect for us; the M Sport suspension has the usual excellent ride/handling balance and the sport seats are great for short or long trips. The first generation X1 is really more station wagon than CUV and we prefer that as well. 

fintail

My brother has a 95 S10 he picked up a few years ago. 4cyl, manual, extended cab. It's not the most refined thing, but he's got it up to around 250K miles now, and it just keeps going with few issues. He bought it for ~$1700 with around 200K on the clock, 2 prior owners, complete history. It finally needed a clutch a year or two ago, and I think he did the heater core last year - normal things for such age and mileage. He likes very simple basic super cheap small trucks, and this one works for him.

Michaell

fintail said:

My brother has a 95 S10 he picked up a few years ago. 4cyl, manual, extended cab. It's not the most refined thing, but he's got it up to around 250K miles now, and it just keeps going with few issues. He bought it for ~$1700 with around 200K on the clock, 2 prior owners, complete history. It finally needed a clutch a year or two ago, and I think he did the heater core last year - normal things for such age and mileage. He likes very simple basic super cheap small trucks, and this one works for him.

That's good to hear. I don't know the engine and transmission he picked up.

tjc78

Mine was an ext cab V6. For an S10 of that era it was pretty well equipped. Cruise, gauge package, AC, and the nicer wheels. The only real missing things were power windows and locks. So many of these were sold as strippers.

I gave it to my SIL at around 120k with some suspension needs. She did the spider injector at around 140’ and from there it did go down hill a little bit. She was really hard on it and eventually smashed into something. Cobbled the headlights and signals back together and still got $500 for it.

Mr_Shiftright

With old, high mileage pickup trucks, you have to triage needed repairs. Headlights? Yes. Door locks from remote? No.

fintail

My brother has a small landscaping service. He loads his mower and gear into the little S10 - no need for an overcompensating brodozer as so many of these businesses use (as a write off, no doubt). His prior truck was an 83 Toyota that he lent to a friend, who crashed it. The insurance payout was several times what he paid for it, and a bit more than it was really worth, so although he loved the old truck, he still won. Must be nice to have those tastes, as two of my car payments would buy his truck.

corvette

Pretty sure the 1995 S-10 wasn't available with keyless entry. We had three or four S-10s/Sonomas from that era in my immediate family, all regular cabs, and it was uncommon for them to have power windows, locks, or mirrors (I think they were available but bundled together as an $800+ package). Tilt wheel and cruise control were also bundled together. I don't think any of them had a tachometer, even with a manual transmission.

tjc78

My 99 had a tach and full gauges 

sda

I bought, new, a 92 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab. It was very similar in equipment as the S10s mentioned. It had the 3.0V6, 5sp, ac, ps, pb, tilt, cc, am/fm cassette, sliding rear window, alloys. No tach, pw, or pl. It was a nice truck and suffered from a vibration at 60+ mph that the dealer couldn't resolve. It confirmed I wasn't a truck person and about a year later, traded it for a 93 Mercury Tracer LTS.

nyccarguy

After a hiatus of about 3 years (ish), my family once again went to the NY Auto Show on Easter Sunday.  While going with my wife & 3 kids (7, 10, & 12) didn’t give me the time to see everything and give a detailed write up, we did cover quite a bit of ground.  

Notably missing was BMW/Mini.  Very weird.

MB had all the big guns out and open for all to sit in.  Pretty much everything on the floor was an AMG model.  They had a gorgeous CLA35 AMG in Yellow.

nyccarguy

The Lexus display was chock full of F Sport models.  They had a really sharp looking ES 350 Blue/Red.  I liked this IS300 AWD F Sport.

That special edition TLX and MDX that are built asking side the NSX are really sharp looking.  My 12 year old son took this photo of the TLX.

stickguy

a red TLX? Only a really classy person would own one of them!

since we took that on our trip to visit family, a bunch of them got to see it for the first time. Got a lot of compliments, even though it was parked next to my son's G70. That got a lot of oohs and ahs too.

corvette

Neat! The AMG version would be the only CLA worth buying, IMO.

nyccarguy

Porsche and Audi never disappoint.  All the Porsches were locked (as always).  I know the S4/A4 have been around the block, but they’d sure make a nice place to spend some commuting time in.  

Many manufacturers displayed bright blues & bright greens.  Red interiors seem to be the style du juor.

The Kia Telluride has some serious buzz around it. They had a few of them on display and people were checking them out, crawling all over them, taking pictures.  I think they’ll have a hit on their hands once they start leasing them out.

I sat in a White/Red Stinger GT.  That car checks off a lot of boxes.  Sharp interior.  Good amount of passenger space.  I’d test drive one, but I know they lease horribly.

kyfdx

nyccarguy

The Lincoln Navigator has a beautifully crafted interior.  Real, high quality leather in all 3 rows.

The Jeep Gladiator was cool.  It’s very big.  I liked the Wrangler Unlimited (4 door) a lot too.  My son took the pic of this 2 Door Rubicon.

nyccarguy

2 cars that I liked a lot more than I thought I would are the Miata & Ridgeline.  I think if I were to go the pickup route, I’d give the Ridgeline a serious look.  They package it and designed it very smartly.  

Kudos to mazda for actually hiring a real “car girl” as one of their product specialists.  While waiting to sit in a Miata RF I heard her taking some information from 2 guys behind me.  She asked if they had ever driven a Miata.  The guy said he’s had 2, one is currently a Mazda Speed Miata.  She knew some facts about it that they don’t teach in “product specialist school.”

28firefighter

kyfdx said:

Oh my. Looks like fun. Not knowing mechanical shape, body looks like a solidish driver condition car. Passenger side looks...well loved. 

fintail

Week 3 with the new wagon, any regrets I have are canceled out when I drive it. I think of it as my mini S-class (although it is far from small, probably the same size as my old SWB W126). Only drawback is fuel consumption compared to the Bluetec. Oh well.

Caught a random comment from a passerby in a parking lot today "that's a NICE Mercedes" or something similar.

Michaell

fintail said:

Week 3 with the new wagon, any regrets I have are canceled out when I drive it. I think of it as my mini S-class (although it is far from small, probably the same size as my old SWB W126). Only drawback is fuel consumption compared to the Bluetec. Oh well.

Caught a random comment from a passerby in a parking lot today "that's a NICE Mercedes" or something similar.

I'm sure there were a lot of great features about the Bluetec, but to 99% of the population, it was simply a MB sedan. Most probably couldn't identify it as an E-Class.

The wagon, however, is a rare sighting, which makes it memorable. Even though it's white.

And, I'm sure that your current car and the W126 are quite similar in size. Everything has grown in size in the last 20-30 years.

Glad you're enjoying it.

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

Sheesh; teen drivers.... keep your eyes on the road!

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

Walt...is there a story behind this car?? Are you trying to tell us something? Are you driving it now?

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

The Lexus display was chock full of F Sport models.  They had a really sharp looking ES 350 Blue/Red.  I liked this IS300 AWD F Sport.

That special edition TLX and MDX that are built asking side the NSX are really sharp looking.  My 12 year old son took this photo of the TLX.

That’s the TLX that they build by hand. I just saw a YouTube video a guy posted who took a tour of the NSX plant where they actually build this “hand built” TLX. The paint process alone is absolutely amazing....with about 3 more steps (and a lot more paint and hand work) to get it to look like that.

I’m now convinced that 2021 is the year they announce the all new TLX.

stickguy

Summer 2020 as a 2021 model sounds right. Came out as a 2015 so definitely due.

kyfdx

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

Walt...is there a story behind this car?? Are you trying to tell us something? Are you driving it now?

Nah... pulled over to take a picture of the Rolls, and it was in the same lot.

It does have a roll cage and fire extinguisher, so set up for the track.

graphicguy

I’m still having a hard time with the Lexus grill. I can’t quite warm up to it.

Then again, I liked the Acura Beak when it came out. So, what do I know?

Mr_Shiftright

Nah... pulled over to take a picture of the Rolls, and it was in the same lot.

It does have a roll cage and fire extinguisher, so set up for the track.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They are excellent track cars...and in the keep of a skilled driver, can give far more expensive and exotic cars fits.

au1994

fintail said:

My brother has a small landscaping service. He loads his mower and gear into the little S10 - no need for an overcompensating brodozer as so many of these businesses use (as a write off, no doubt). His prior truck was an 83 Toyota that he lent to a friend, who crashed it. The insurance payout was several times what he paid for it, and a bit more than it was really worth, so although he loved the old truck, he still won. Must be nice to have those tastes, as two of my car payments would buy his truck.

Ah the 'brodozer'...there's a roofing company around here and I swear every one of their sales/PM guys drives an F-250 with monster tires on it. I'm sure its some type of write off.

Mr_Shiftright

It's really funny when you see those monsters with like...one geranium in the bed.

breld

I've been eyeing this Countryman for a little while, and they just dropped the price by $2k, which makes it more interesting. The automatic is somewhat of a detractor, but I imagine it's still a fun drive. Low miles are nice, and while I'm sure the color combo is polarizing, I personally like it.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/766260061/overview/

28firefighter

Get something with a stick. Automatics aren't going anywhere.

Mr_Shiftright

A neutered Mini.

Michaell

breld said:

I've been eyeing this Countryman for a little while, and they just dropped the price by $2k, which makes it more interesting. The automatic is somewhat of a detractor, but I imagine it's still a fun drive. Low miles are nice, and while I'm sure the color combo is polarizing, I personally like it.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/766260061/overview/

Nope, nope, nope.

You'll be unsatisfied with the automatic after about 10 days.

Fun car, for you, has to be a stick shift.

tifighter

What's the punch count at? Aside from Fin's recent acquisition, it feels like we've hit a lull.

graphicguy

I’m still having a hard time with the Lexus grill. I can’t quite warm up to it.

Then again, I liked the Acura Beak when it came out. So, what do I know?

EDMUNDS....I have no idea why this was posted twice....and at different times. Wonky internet host?

Mr_Shiftright

Everything is fine.

Everything is fine.

Everything is fine.

jpp75

corvette said:

I’m making the annual pilgrimage to Omaha next week. I think I’m going to take the G37. Regardless, I’m glad that the Tahoe’s battery clamp issue didn’t leave me stranded in the middle of Iowa. 

I’m guessing the G will probably average 22-23 MPG on the interstate, so we’ll see. 

This makes me miss my 2012 G37X.

au1994

sda said:

I bought, new, a 92 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab. It was very similar in equipment as the S10s mentioned. It had the 3.0V6, 5sp, ac, ps, pb, tilt, cc, am/fm cassette, sliding rear window, alloys. No tach, pw, or pl. It was a nice truck and suffered from a vibration at 60+ mph that the dealer couldn't resolve. It confirmed I wasn't a truck person and about a year later, traded it for a 93 Mercury Tracer LTS.

My 95 Tacoma was an SR5 V6 4WD extended cab in the ubiquitous hunter green of the 90's. It was pretty well loaded...pw, pdl, ac, cruise(i believe), sliding rear window and moon roof. First call I had with a lock key fob. I honestly can't remember if it had a CD player though.

Good little truck but was not comfortable for long trips. Seats were not heavily padded and your legs went straight out.

corvette

jpp75 said:

I’m making the annual pilgrimage to Omaha next week. I think I’m going to take the G37. Regardless, I’m glad that the Tahoe’s battery clamp issue didn’t leave me stranded in the middle of Iowa. 

I’m guessing the G will probably average 22-23 MPG on the interstate, so we’ll see. 

This makes me miss my 2012 G37X.

Oh, just give me a year or so, I’ll probably have a 2012 G37 RWD I’m ready to sell you. 

jpp75

corvette said:

Oh, just give me a year or so, I’ll probably have a 2012 G37 RWD I’m ready to sell you. 

It was one of my favorite cars. It wasn't exceptional but it just did everything right, for me it was the perfect mix of sport and lux.

Mr_Shiftright

I have my eye on a 1975 BMW R75/6 motorbike. This thing is just as clean and nice as the day it was made. Low miles and all the extra goodies on it. Not cheap at $6K but mighty fine. Black on black, all stock, new or rebuilt everything.

nyccarguy

I just got off the phone with my ALL STATE agent. My insurance is going up. Due to the accident with the Rogue Sport, I am loosing the "safe driver discount" and my insurance is not being "surcharged" due to the accident. Thanks to you all for your support.

pensfan83

jpp75 said:

corvette said:

Oh, just give me a year or so, I’ll probably have a 2012 G37 RWD I’m ready to sell you. 

It was one of my favorite cars. It wasn't exceptional but it just did everything right, for me it was the perfect mix of sport and lux.

That's exactly how I feel about the Acura.

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

I just got off the phone with my ALL STATE agent. My insurance is going up. Due to the accident with the Rogue Sport, I am loosing the "safe driver discount" and my insurance is not being "surcharged" due to the accident. Thanks to you all for your support.

Allstate did the same thing when my wife clipped the neighbors house a few years back. I found that Safeco was far more forgiving after the accident and their rates for homeowners and EQ were much stronger. Overall by switching we saved about $800 a year combined across our policies. If you're amenable I'd do a bit of rate shopping - Allstate is not accident friendly, at all, no matter how small.

Really sorry you're dealing with this.

carnaught

Thought A.S. insurance had “accident forgiveness”. I guess not.

28firefighter

carnaught said:

Thought A.S. insurance had “accident forgiveness”. I guess not.

They do. But, at least for us, it was an adder to the policy that in hindsight was basically just "prepaying" for an accident - maybe a bit less.