Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

Based on @tifighter's fleet, I think he's pretty happy with Tesla.

tifighter

The funny thing about the Tesla sales experience (aside from no franchised dealers and sales commission shenanigans) is that the store staff seems to come from outside auto sales altogether. When I was looking and asking questions, one person used to work for an Apple store, one did come from a car rental company. Another from a wireless provider. They knew the product just fine, but none of them would have known what the terms "greenpea","mini","mop and glo","stroke" or "extended service contract" meant.

graphicguy

28firefighter said:

graphicguy said:

@28firefighter .....that’s inexcusable for any dealer of any brand. I don’t blame you for being that upset. I wouldn’t want to do business with that dealer for any reason.

No way you could get a “feel” for any car after only driving it in a 1 mile test.

Shame, because they really are great cars.

In Sport Plus, the trans tries to mimic what a manual would feel like if you were shifting gears. Kinda hokey. I usually stay in Sport, which smooths things out significantly without giving up the performance. The V6 will run...and will pull....hard....it’s very smooth, too.

Again, a brief test drive just won’t do the car justice. I think I’d call the GM of the dealership and let him know how you were treated.

Your point is taken. I should have known better than to go to this place - I have a friend who is an Acura fanatic and warned me they were a mess. He still goes there, but complains every time. Said he has written to the GM before and they made no effort to make things right.

The issue is, the next closest Acura dealers are going to be an hour + away with traffic. I don't mind that when I'm ready to buy, but for a test drive its a schlep. Plus, since I'd have to service at this dealer, I'm not particularly excited about needing to give them any business.

I have no doubt that it is a great car and with a longer test drive I could probably be sold on it - but the dealer has really soured the experience.

Totally understand. I don’t blame you one bit.

Would LOVE to hear your impressions of the Accord 2.0T with the 6-speed!

jmonroe1

28firefighter said:

jmonroe1 said:

28firefighter said:

pensfan83 said:

Fly to Pittsburgh and you can drive mine from the airport to Oakland for some O fries and a stop in the bookstore. You get highway, city, and gridlock all in one test drive

Talk about things that will mess up the alcantara. O Fries is definitely one of them.

I badly need a trip back to Pittsburgh.

Ah man, don't tell me you eat in your car.

jmonroe

I do not - no eating or drinking. But I have learned to make an exception for Sam - but you better believe there is a seat cover and it gets vacuumed out regularly.

But, I seem to recall O Fry grease has a pretty strong staying power on your hands after you finish eating...

Once my sons were out of car seats they were not allowed to eat in the car. I was called a tyrant by you know who for enacting that law. Just got tired of almost killing Mrs. j's vacuum cleaner sucking out Cheerios all the time.

As for the fries at the O, you are making me hungry.

jmonroe

corvette

tifighter said:

28firefighter said:

Well. The test drive experience was a total dud. Absolutely awful experience.

I made this appointment well in advance in the middle of the week. They confirmed 4 times. On arrival, it was my sales guy’s day off. They gave me to someone else. He was with a customer. So they bounced me to some new guy who was furious the entire time that I was dumped on him. Knew nothing about the car and had no interest in sharing any details. Was only interested in if I was buying today, which I was not.

The test drive loop was all of 1 mile in a perfect square. No mix of roads, no highway. When he asked if he could earn my business, I genuinely said that after a one mile test drive, absolutely not. He said it was all he was authorized to do.

The sales manager came out and asked me what else I was looking at. I told him. He proceeded to trash every one of them and told me I was crazy for considering them. I asked him if he was buying the car for me, or if it was my money.

In hindsight they absolutely judged me as a stroke. I was in jeans and a polo and driving the Viggen. Even though I told them I had an X1 lease ending and was looking at a BMW 440 among other cars.

I’ll share my limited thoughts on the car later. I’m so beyond frustrated.

Well that sucks. I'll assume Acura Lynnwood.

If only you could buy a car directly from a manufacturer...

I think the manufacturers are mostly glad not to have the burden of operating a dealership. That way, any time something goes awry, they can just say that each dealership is independently owned and operated.

corvette

What exactly are O fries?

tifighter

benjaminh said:

tifighter said:

....If only you could buy a car directly from a manufacturer...

Like a Tesla? ++

Hey ti, you've probably already posted this somewhere, but how do you like your Model 3? I've been thinking about those cars more lately. They seem pretty impressive.

As for the 3, it will be one year next month since we picked it up. It is my wife's car now; she prefers the size for parking at her work garage. For this same reason, its the car we mostly use around town together. The 3 is a winner. It is really fun to drive - handles well, comfortable, instant power, great sight lines, good seats. My wife likes the glass roof. Best infotainment out there bar none; I went from having Carplay to not and do not miss it at all. Surprisingly good stereo (better than the X I think). Both cars have been on a few road trips now. Charging coverage here is good, and autopilot makes long trips very nice. I took the X over to eastern Washington last weekend for a long weekend, and even way out in the Palouse (you Washington guys will know where that is) I had a surprising number of charging options.

The only issues we've had are small - my wife's phone seems slow to pair with the 3 although I have no issues with mine. The autopark system seems to work when it wants to, sometimes it will ID a space when you aren't looking for one, and other times it is napping when you want to use it. It's a known issue, even Elon said on twitter that they are working on it for an upcoming software update. (OTA software updates are great BTW) The ginormous windshield on the X is awesome, but will warm up the car when it's hot out - fortunately the A/C can keep up.

Electric may not work for everyone (though you might be surprised), but as this is CCBA, everyone here should test drive the 3 for fun. The stores are low/no pressure and won't pester you. It is a fun car to drive.

nyccarguy

tifighter said:

benjaminh said:

tifighter said:

....If only you could buy a car directly from a manufacturer...

Like a Tesla? ++

Hey ti, you've probably already posted this somewhere, but how do you like your Model 3? I've been thinking about those cars more lately. They seem pretty impressive.

As for the 3, it will be one year next month since we picked it up. It is my wife's car now; she prefers the size for parking at her work garage. For this same reason, its the car we mostly use around town together. The 3 is a winner. It is really fun to drive - handles well, comfortable, instant power, great sight lines, good seats. My wife likes the glass roof. Best infotainment out there bar none; I went from having Carplay to not and do not miss it at all. Surprisingly good stereo (better than the X I think). Both cars have been on a few road trips now. Charging coverage here is good, and autopilot makes long trips very nice. I took the X over to eastern Washington last weekend for a long weekend, and even way out in the Palouse (you Washington guys will know where that is) I had a surprising number of charging options.

The only issues we've had are small - my wife's phone seems slow to pair with the 3 although I have no issues with mine. The autopark system seems to work when it wants to, sometimes it will ID a space when you aren't looking for one, and other times it is napping when you want to use it. It's a known issue, even Elon said on twitter that they are working on it for an upcoming software update. (OTA software updates are great BTW) The ginormous windshield on the X is awesome, but will warm up the car when it's hot out - fortunately the A/C can keep up.

Electric may not work for everyone (though you might be surprised), but as this is CCBA, everyone here should test drive the 3 for fun. The stores are low/no pressure and won't pester you. It is a fun car to drive.

Can't believe you've had it almost a year already! How many miles?

fintail

3 is the only Tesla I'd want, maybe if/when my building gets charging infrastructure, and maybe the design might even evolve a little, too. I think it wears the design language best. Make mine a loaded model in blue. X and S don't warm me up, and too many I see around the eastside are irksome via driving and driver.

tifighter

Around 8k miles. My wife and I live about 3 miles from our respective offices, so the miles only really pile up on weekends.

qbrozen

On that Challenger, I’m thinking new might be a better deal, if I am reading the incentives correctly. If bonus cash and IDL incentives stack, it would be $9750-$10250 off. Combined with just 7.5-8% discount, I’d be looking at just over $31k on a $44k build. Yes, that’s a lease, but I’d take the bonus discount and then buy out the lease a few mos later. All big IFs.

rayainsw

Pricing officially released today for the 2020 Corvette.
https://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2019/aug/0815-corvette-pricing.html
- Ray
Interested - but not in the market...

benjaminh

The Tesla Model 3 performance can go 0-60 in less than 4 seconds, which is faster than a Genesis G70 with the optional 6-cylinder turbo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz4CLU86uq4

qbrozen

Pre-order the 2020 vette online? Huh. How will dealers gouge? Interesting.

stickguy

How’s the mid range acceleration on the Tesla? Say, 40-80? Just as fast?

tifighter

stickguy said:

How’s the mid range acceleration on the Tesla? Say, 40-80? Just as fast?

Seems fast to me. Your post made me go try to find a number from a review somewhere. Here's a quote from Car and Driver on the P3-

"This Model 3 needed only 1.4 seconds to leap from 30 to 50 mph and just 2.0 seconds to get from 50 to 70. Never mind other sports sedans—they're not competitive by this measure. This Tesla's mid-range acceleration tops the performance of 700-hp sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Porsche 911 GT2 RS, in which there's a moment's delay while automatic transmissions downshift and engines rev up. And the Tesla does it without drama beyond the alarming way it pushes you back into the seat as the car closes on any traffic ahead."

stickguy

sounds good. I know the G70 will do the same thing if you floor it, since I did it last weekend!

benjaminh

Even the standard range Model 3 Tesla goes 0-60 in c.5.5 seconds, which is very fast, esp. since my Acura TLX 4-cylinder at c.6.8 seconds seems fast enough to me. What more interests me about the Tesla are the operation costs and the long-term durability. In terms of gas vs. electricity you save c. $1000 a year with a Tesla if you drive c.12k miles a year, and it seems like long-term ownership costs are going to be very low in terms of maintenance and repairs with the Model 3 even compared to a reliable gas engine.

jmonroe1

corvette said:

What exactly are O fries?

'O' fries are french fries that are sold at the Original Hot Dog shop that is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh which is where the Pitt Campus is. No one in these parts calls the place by it's official name, it is simply the 'O'. In fact if you asked someone from around here, "where is the Original Hot Dog shop", they'd probably look at you like you had two heads. The shop has been there since the mid 50's if IIRC. They have damn good dogs but their fries are the best I have ever had. If you ever make a trip to the Burgh it is well worth it to go there for both fries and dogs. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Just be sure you ask for directions to the 'O'.

jmonroe

28firefighter

jmonroe1 said:

corvette said:

What exactly are O fries?

'O' fries are french fries that are sold at the Original Hot Dog shop that is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh which is where the Pitt Campus is. No one in these parts calls the place by it's official name, it is simply the 'O'. In fact if you asked someone from around here, "where is the Original Hot Dog shop", they'd probably look at you like you had two heads. The shop has been there since the mid 50's if IIRC. They have damn good dogs but their fries are the best I have ever had. If you ever make a trip to the Burgh it is well worth it to go there for both fries and dogs. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Just be sure you ask for directions to the 'O'.

jmonroe

Also a good source for beer at any hour. Not that I would know.

pensfan83

When the mood struck to play a game of Edward Fortyhands they were a savior.

I means, great fries. Highly recommend

nyccarguy

"In terms of gas vs. electricity you save c. $1000 a year with a Tesla if you drive c.12k miles a year,"



Just imagine if one were to drive (oh I don't know) say 20,000 miles per year and their current vehicle guzzled down PUG at a rate of around 20 mpg.

tifighter

nyccarguy said:

"In terms of gas vs. electricity you save c. $1000 a year with a Tesla if you drive c.12k miles a year,"



Just imagine if one were to drive (oh I don't know) say 20,000 miles per year and their current vehicle guzzled down PUG at a rate of around 20 mpg.

Conservatively, 20 miles would take about 5.7kWh of electricity driving a 3 (although my lifetime average is better than this). So compare your cost of PUG (x.xx/1 gal) vs electricity (x.xx* 5.7kWh).

Where I live PUG is showing 3.51/gal. My electricity rate is $0.08/kWh. So $3.51 vs $0.46 (0.08*5.7). Over 20000 miles, this is $3510 vs $460. Pretty good savings here in the PNW, but YMMV...

ab348

I could certainly see myself with an electric car, although charging infrastructure here is not at all good right now so that would need to improve. But I don't think I could bring myself to buy a Tesla for a bunch of reasons, mostly to do with Elon. I am astounded by how slowly the traditional manufacturers are getting into the electric game with viable competitors (there really aren't many). If they don't move soon they could get left behind like buggy-whip manufacturers. Yet they have the huge advantage of dealer networks and brand recognition. It's very odd to me.

benjaminh

nyccarguy said:

"In terms of gas vs. electricity you save c. $1000 a year with a Tesla if you drive c.12k miles a year,"



Just imagine if one were to drive (oh I don't know) say 20,000 miles per year and their current vehicle guzzled down PUG at a rate of around 20 mpg.

Would likely save more than $2k a year with a Tesla. But first you have to buy it for c.$40k.

Michaell

Hey all!

Just spent the last 6 days in sunny SoCal, watching my son get married. Great girl, great ceremony, great reception.

Car related events during my visit:

My rental was a white over grey Toyota Camry SE - 15,xxx miles on it. I put 200 miles on it, and found it to be comfortable and competent. One nit to pick is that the adaptive cruise control is a bit abrupt in braking, and the CC shuts off at some low speed, so I had to manually restart it. Not fun on the 405. 6.6 gallons to refill it, so right at 30 MPG.

Saw a pale yellow BMW 7-series in Malibu. Looked like a factory color (!).

Got mom's '03 Sonata to pass the smog inspection. Took it out the day before and gave it an "Italian tune up"; lots of full throttle acceleration and got it up to 85 on a back road. Whatever it was, we solved the problem. There are a few things that I could see getting done - it pulls to the left pretty badly, and I suspect the tires may be in need of replacement based on time, not mileage. 38,xxx miles after almost 17 years. But, mom isn't driving any more and her caretaker (family friend) uses it to run mom's errands when necessary, so not a lot of miles.

The lease on my cousin's RX350 ended a few months back, and she replaced it with a CPO MB GLE350. Dark grey over black (in Bakersfield - wouldn't be my first choice!); nice car on the inside, and has the illuminated tri-star on the grille.

Here in Colorado, the Jetta goes back on Monday. The Outback gets service on Saturday, and apparently the windshield is cracked and will need to be replaced soon.

To answer the question posed earlier this week, the Outback gets 20-21 MPG in the city, and we've seen as high as 28MPG on the highway.

marcogallo1986

All this talk about this place that has good fries even some good drinks, the fries are enough for me to want take a road trip there, wants to go with me. Lol I need some drivers, but this whole trip won’t happen, hey Jay Munro are you interested? Ha ha Ha or who your car guy? Or stick guy or tea JC, or to be. I think I almost covered everyone in the East Coast area. We can also do a bunch of car browsing along the way I stop at any used or new car dealers we want just cause we can. Ha ha

marcogallo1986

@ Jay Monroe, I know I know we’re definitely gonna have to talk about all the names I’ve been calling you over the years, yes more than your wife definitely has called you over the years, you should tell her about some of these names that I call you she can start using some of them. lol

marcogallo1986

@ stick guy nice I’m bringing in the Acura for service earlier today.

marcogallo1986

Wow it’s pretty much a year since you bought the Tesla model three that’s insane, I was in one about a month ago, I think I mentioned it in here, the Lyft driver had it it was in it for a good half an hour I thought it was nice and DC worked great, this one was silver I think the interior was black, and had the classrooms.

jmonroe1

marcogallo1986 said:

@ Jay Monroe, I know I know we’re definitely gonna have to talk about all the names I’ve been calling you over the years, yes more than your wife definitely has called you over the years, you should tell her about some of these names that I call you she can start using some of them. lol

Thanks but no thanks. That's all I need is for you and her to start comparing notes.

jmonroe

andre1969

Hey, everyone! Haven't checked in this particular chat in ages...how's everybody doing? Anyway, I'm soliciting advice. Not for me, but my uncle. Here's his situation...

Right now, he has a 2016 Chevy Colorado, extended cab, 4-cyl, 4wd. It's basically a 2-seater, despite that little fabric-clad package shelf and set of seatbelts in back. He's retired, and really doesn't drive a whole lot. He's had that truck since June 2016, and I think he only has around 18,000 miles on it. Anyway, he's got the itch for a car. He talks about wanting better gas mileage, keeping the miles off his truck, etc. I've tried telling him he doesn't drive enough for fuel economy, or racking up the miles, to be a concern. But then the truth came out...he says he doesn't like the idea of having something that can really only carry himself and one other passenger.

Well, he found a 2007 Lincoln Town Car at a local used car lot. It has about 93,000 miles on it, looks in good shape from the pics, and has a sunroof, so I'm guessing it's a pretty nice model...even though Town Cars weren't cheap when new, sunroofs weren't all that common. They want $5200 for it. I told him he should offer $4,000, and see what happens. Presuming, it's inspected, has a 90 day warranty at least, etc.

So, does that sound reasonable? It's not something that he absolutely needs, but he wants it. It's not going to get particularly good fuel economy. He doesn't keep track of mileage in his Colorado, but I have a feeling the Town Car would do worse. But, with the way he drives, it's not going to bankrupt him, either.

stickguy

found the twin to my car. CPO though, so some extra warranty. Pretty good discount from new, and low miles. Though if they have the same car leftover new might pay less, trading a few miles for 2 years BtoB warranty.

I actually passed another one like this today out driving around. Not a common sighting!

https://www.eliteacura.com/inventory/certified-used-2019-acura-tlx-2-4-8-dct-p-aws-with-a-spec-front-wheel-drive-sedan-19uub1f67ka004414

sda

Michaell said:

Hey all!

Just spent the last 6 days in sunny SoCal, watching my son get married. Great girl, great ceremony, great reception.

Car related events during my visit:

My rental was a white over grey Toyota Camry SE - 15,xxx miles on it. I put 200 miles on it, and found it to be comfortable and competent. One nit to pick is that the adaptive cruise control is a bit abrupt in braking, and the CC shuts off at some low speed, so I had to manually restart it. Not fun on the 405. 6.6 gallons to refill it, so right at 30 MPG.

Saw a pale yellow BMW 7-series in Malibu. Looked like a factory color (!).

Got mom's '03 Sonata to pass the smog inspection. Took it out the day before and gave it an "Italian tune up"; lots of full throttle acceleration and got it up to 85 on a back road. Whatever it was, we solved the problem. There are a few things that I could see getting done - it pulls to the left pretty badly, and I suspect the tires may be in need of replacement based on time, not mileage. 38,xxx miles after almost 17 years. But, mom isn't driving any more and her caretaker (family friend) uses it to run mom's errands when necessary, so not a lot of miles.

The lease on my cousin's RX350 ended a few months back, and she replaced it with a CPO MB GLE350. Dark grey over black (in Bakersfield - wouldn't be my first choice!); nice car on the inside, and has the illuminated tri-star on the grille.

Here in Colorado, the Jetta goes back on Monday. The Outback gets service on Saturday, and apparently the windshield is cracked and will need to be replaced soon.

To answer the question posed earlier this week, the Outback gets 20-21 MPG in the city, and we've seen as high as 28MPG on the highway.

You need to take the Jetta out on a last energetic farewell drive and have fun with it!

xwesx

jmonroe1 said:

'O' fries are french fries that are sold at the Original Hot Dog shop that is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh which is where the Pitt Campus is. No one in these parts calls the place by it's official name, it is simply the 'O'. In fact if you asked someone from around here, "where is the Original Hot Dog shop", they'd probably look at you like you had two heads. The shop has been there since the mid 50's if IIRC. They have damn good dogs but their fries are the best I have ever had. If you ever make a trip to the Burgh it is well worth it to go there for both fries and dogs. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Just be sure you ask for directions to the 'O'.

jmonroe

Missed my opportunity six months ago.

xwesx

andre1969 said:

So, does that sound reasonable? It's not something that he absolutely needs, but he wants it. It's not going to get particularly good fuel economy. He doesn't keep track of mileage in his Colorado, but I have a feeling the Town Car would do worse. But, with the way he drives, it's not going to bankrupt him, either.

I probably cannot comment on $4K for this car as reasonable. Sounds like it to me, but then anything that age that is in full working order should be worth about that price. As far as mileage goes, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he does at least as well with the TC as he does with the Colorado. You wouldn't think it, but those panthers really weren't bad on fuel at all.

tjc78

4K is good deal for that car. 2007 was a good year for those. They still have the air suspension, drive by wire quirks were ironed out as well as the soft axles.

It should probably get plugs soon, and listen to it on startup to see if the timing guides/chain is noisy.

As you know they are sturdy and run well in excess of 200k

Gas mileage? Mine (04 Grand Marquis) got 17.5 with a 70hwy / 30 city split and my heavy foot.

28firefighter

Ok. The Accord Sport 2.0T.

The dealer experience was night and day better than Acura. It was actually fun. The sales guy and SM both came out fawning over the Viggen (SM has a 9-5 Wagon and just sold a 9000 CSE). They were super pumped to have an enthusiast looking at the Accord. It’s like a badge of honor. Could have been salesmanship, but it felt genuine and made me feel good so - kudos!

The car itself is really impressive for the money.

Aesthetically it reminds me a lot of my CC. Low coupe roof in the back, long, with a stubby front end. But I liked it and I really like it in White or the blue color they offer. It is LONG though and I do wonder if that would get annoying over time. My garage isn’t huge so I’d need to double check it.

The interior is pretty simple and plain, but well appointed with tons of soft touch plastic and leather wrapped surfaces. The seats are a heated leather cloth combo that felt very comfortable and supportive - not like the TLX but also 15k cheaper on paper. I love the infotainment system - it’s easy to use, responsive, and just all around a pleasure. The stereo is definitely meh but didn’t seem all that different from the beats audio in the GLI. The backseat has air vents and soft touch plastic and is like a studio apartment. No concerns about space whatsoever.

The drive was really very nice. It maybe wasn’t as fast as the GLI, but it was still quick. The shifter was nice and notchy with short throws. I actually liked this better than the GLI gearbox. The clutch was nicely weighted with a good spring action. Definitely took some getting used to because the engagement point is much higher than I’m used to. Steering was tight and responsive. The car I drove was a demo with 4K miles and it was tight as can be with no rattles (praise god) which is a complaint on the Jetta. The suspension was definitely softer than the GLI, but it was still more than nimble feeling for a car of its size.

I’d definitely be giving up some of the sportiness of the GLI and some of the tech (digital cockpit, DCC, cooled seats etc). But it just felt more well rounded and very solid. A good balance. They’re both priced comparably but I’d likely be able to get the GLI for a bit less.

It’s going to be a tough decision.

xwesx

Nice write up! Also a great thing that these guys were able to give you a good experience (particularly so soon after your frustrations with Acura).

corvette

Honda has traditionally done a crisper, less rubbery manual transmission than VW.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

jmonroe1 said:

'O' fries are french fries that are sold at the Original Hot Dog shop that is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh which is where the Pitt Campus is. No one in these parts calls the place by it's official name, it is simply the 'O'. In fact if you asked someone from around here, "where is the Original Hot Dog shop", they'd probably look at you like you had two heads. The shop has been there since the mid 50's if IIRC. They have damn good dogs but their fries are the best I have ever had. If you ever make a trip to the Burgh it is well worth it to go there for both fries and dogs. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Just be sure you ask for directions to the 'O'.

jmonroe

Missed my opportunity six months ago.

Yep, you screwed up alright but the next time you're in town I bet you won't miss it that time.

jmonroe

stickguy

just make 100% sure you are OK with such a big car. Try it in the garage, and be objective, because (as I know all too well) if there is a fatal (or semi-fatal) flaw and you talk yourself into it anyway, you will likely regret it. Bad.

28firefighter

Said the exact same thing tonight to my Dad. They’re both really compelling options. Just wish the interior of the GLI was a bit less plasticky.

stickguy

biggest issue I had with the Accord is they made it too low (roof and seating position). Besides being pretty long, but I can deal with that easier.

breld

Nice write-up @28firefighter.

Did you get any idea that there could be some dealing on that 4K mile example?

28firefighter

breld said:

Nice write-up @28firefighter.

Did you get any idea that there could be some dealing on that 4K mile example?

They had it advertised for $29k as certified. So I’d say no. Combined with it being a non-ideal color and being a few months too early, I left. They were totally respectful of that fact so I have no complaints. I’d be targeting 27-28k on a new unit, so I’d expect a demo to be $25k or less.

Something else I realized, the Sport doesn’t have memory seats. Doesn’t matter now but would if I can get my wife to drive it.

benjaminh

28firefighter said:

breld said:

Nice write-up @28firefighter.

Did you get any idea that there could be some dealing on that 4K mile example?

They had it advertised for $29k as certified. So I’d say no. Combined with it being a non-ideal color and being a few months too early, I left. They were totally respectful of that fact so I have no complaints. I’d be targeting 27-28k on a new unit, so I’d expect a demo to be $25k or less.

Something else I realized, the Sport doesn’t have memory seats. Doesn’t matter now but would if I can get my wife to drive it.

Would your wife really drive a manual?

I looked it up and the Accord is only about an inch longer and .3 of an inch wider than the TLX. As you say, the Acura ELS sound system is better than the top system in the Accord, and when it comes to the seats, the controls, and the rest of the interior the TLX is better imho. With the c.$9k in lease incentives on the 2019 TLXs from Acura I'd say the difference in price isn't 15k, but maybe closer to c.7k when compared to a TLX V-6 A-spec? In the unlikely event you'd consider a 4-cylinder TLX Tech the price then becomes pretty close to the same as an Accord Sport 2.0, and in fact I think the Acura has the price advantage by a couple of thousand—although the Accord 2.0 turbo is obviously faster and more powerful than the naturally aspirated 4-cylinder TLX.

sb55

Michaell said:

Hey all!

Just spent the last 6 days in sunny SoCal, watching my son get married. Great girl, great ceremony, great reception.

Car related events during my visit:

My rental was a white over grey Toyota Camry SE - 15,xxx miles on it. I put 200 miles on it, and found it to be comfortable and competent. One nit to pick is that the adaptive cruise control is a bit abrupt in braking, and the CC shuts off at some low speed, so I had to manually restart it. Not fun on the 405. 6.6 gallons to refill it, so right at 30 MPG.

Saw a pale yellow BMW 7-series in Malibu. Looked like a factory color (!).

Got mom's '03 Sonata to pass the smog inspection. Took it out the day before and gave it an "Italian tune up"; lots of full throttle acceleration and got it up to 85 on a back road. Whatever it was, we solved the problem. There are a few things that I could see getting done - it pulls to the left pretty badly, and I suspect the tires may be in need of replacement based on time, not mileage. 38,xxx miles after almost 17 years. But, mom isn't driving any more and her caretaker (family friend) uses it to run mom's errands when necessary, so not a lot of miles.

The lease on my cousin's RX350 ended a few months back, and she replaced it with a CPO MB GLE350. Dark grey over black (in Bakersfield - wouldn't be my first choice!); nice car on the inside, and has the illuminated tri-star on the grille.

Here in Colorado, the Jetta goes back on Monday. The Outback gets service on Saturday, and apparently the windshield is cracked and will need to be replaced soon.

To answer the question posed earlier this week, the Outback gets 20-21 MPG in the city, and we've seen as high as 28MPG on the highway.

17 year old tires are ticking time bombs. You should switch them out sooner than later.

tjc78

Stunned:
Carvana offered 12,417 for the Elantra. Buyout is 13,492 so doing that math still cheaper for me just to keep it for a little while and pay two payments and dispo fee.

Autolenders offered 12,000 on their site, but when I sold them my Genesis they were able to negotiate a lower buyout with Hyundai Financial so I'm calling them later on.

Waiting for Vroom's offer.
Edit: Vroom = 10,000 which is more or less what I thought the others would be.

I could also run to Carmax at lunch if I can break away.

stickguy

Probably not a smart idea, but I ran the RDX through carvana. $15,100. Definitely not expecting that. If the plan was to get rid of it when the wife got her new car, we would be out shopping this weekend. Certainly held value. I only paid $32 k 7 years ago, next month.