Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

carnaught

28firefighter said:

I’ve seriously toyed with replacing the X1 with a second Outback. I’m that happy.

Not so fast big boy. Nothing against the Outback, but you’re still in the honeymoon phase of yours.

28firefighter

We have 1500 miles on it. Honeymoon is over. It’s the best car we’ve bought (for us).

corvette

A late model SHO was a consideration before I bought the G37. I liked the Mustang enough to seriously consider another Ford.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

We have 1500 miles on it. Honeymoon is over. It’s the best car we’ve bought (for us).

Dude, you have a Viggen!

And, to @fintail comment above: I love craft beer, food trucks, and ski racks on vehicles.. My son's new dog is named Steve.

28firefighter

The Viggen is a different kind of relationship.

Michaell

28firefighter said:

The Viggen is a different kind of relationship.

Like dating a member of the Swedish Bikini Team?

au1994

qbrozen said:

breld said:

@qbrozen - 2 seater sports car? Did I miss an earlier hint?

I hear you in the limits of such a car with a family. I’m enjoying the flexibility of the GTI as a fun car, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the Miata.

No earlier hint. Just the 1-for-2 deal. She already approved 1, thinking it was in addition to the bimmer. I had yet to tell her the BMW would be leaving for a cash-buy fun car. There are so many possibilities on the table for this slot. Honestly, believe it or not, a Taurus SHO is looking pretty good. I mean, she nixed all Chrysler/Dodge products thus far. We are cautiously eyeing things like a Quattroporte, TTS, XKR, and CLS550. I’ll start sharing links when I get a chance.

Any love for a Z3/4?

au1994

28firefighter said:

We have 1500 miles on it. Honeymoon is over. It’s the best car we’ve bought (for us).

I would not blame you in the least. You have the Viggen to satisfy the fun/sporty/fast itch. The OB just does so much so well and the value from Subaru’s is just amazing in what you get for bang for the buck. Heck, I would be fine with the 2.5.

pensfan83

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

We have 1500 miles on it. Honeymoon is over. It’s the best car we’ve bought (for us).

Dude, you have a Viggen!

And, to @fintail comment above: I love craft beer, food trucks, and ski racks on vehicles.. My son's new dog is named Steve.

I like those things as well and Steve??? Well that's a great name

Michaell

Steve was the name my step daughter gave to the 2006 ION she drove the first three years of college

stickguy

My daughter named the Volvo S40 she had in HS "Roberto". never did figure that one out.

stickguy

28, I used your testimonial as some ammunition to get the wife on the Subaru train. One day when we are out doing stuff and they are on the lot, I will swing in just to show her one.

28firefighter

Make a trip to Seattle and you’re welcome to drive it if you can pry it from my wife’s hands!

Michaell

stickguy said:

My daughter named the Volvo S40 she had in HS "Roberto". never did figure that one out.

The Countryman my step-daughter now drives is Beckham.

And, the Outback is StarLorde.

Don't ask. She names everything. The crabapple tree we planted in our backyard is Sebastien. The willows we have in the front yard are will.i.am.willow, grandmama willow and will 'o the wisp.

I'm surprised she hasn't named the furniture or appliances.

ab348

No offense, @28firefighter , but I have a hard time getting my head around why someone would want two identical cars in the stable.

28firefighter

None taken. Takes way more than what is acceptable to say here to offend me.

I’d only consider it because the 2020 is a different design. My wife said no chance, so it’s not a real possibility.

sda

Hey, Steve is my name! I’m rather fond of it.

jmonroe1

au1994 said:

28firefighter said:

We have 1500 miles on it. Honeymoon is over. It’s the best car we’ve bought (for us).

I would not blame you in the least. You have the Viggen to satisfy the fun/sporty/fast itch. The OB just does so much so well and the value from Subaru’s is just amazing in what you get for bang for the buck. Heck, I would be fine with the 2.5.

No you wouldn't. If you don't believe me ask @nyccarguy.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

My daughter named the Volvo S40 she had in HS "Roberto". never did figure that one out.

She is probably a Pirates fan.

jmonroe

breld

Pretty attractive 340, with the track handling package and manual. And I like the silver over red.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/783129278/overview/

roadburner

breld said:

Pretty attractive 340, with the track handling package and manual. And I like the silver over red.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/783129278/overview/

Nice. I'd even be interested if it was RWD, although I prefer the M Sport trim- and I'd still have to add the M Performance Power and Sound kit.

qbrozen

au1994 said:

qbrozen said:

breld said:

@qbrozen - 2 seater sports car? Did I miss an earlier hint?

I hear you in the limits of such a car with a family. I’m enjoying the flexibility of the GTI as a fun car, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the Miata.

No earlier hint. Just the 1-for-2 deal. She already approved 1, thinking it was in addition to the bimmer. I had yet to tell her the BMW would be leaving for a cash-buy fun car. There are so many possibilities on the table for this slot. Honestly, believe it or not, a Taurus SHO is looking pretty good. I mean, she nixed all Chrysler/Dodge products thus far. We are cautiously eyeing things like a Quattroporte, TTS, XKR, and CLS550. I’ll start sharing links when I get a chance.

Any love for a Z3/4?

Yes, but coupe only, but I’m avoiding 2-seaters

andres3

benjaminh said:

Or

stickguy said:

She does not want a sedan. She likes sitting up a bit. If she did, could just take the TLX to work. I am paying for the miles!

I actually think, factoring in everything, the new OB is actually the perfect option for us and she would really enjoy driving it. Just need to try one out, and convince her of it. And yes, a Limited XT turbo (a loaded car) will MSRP for a fair bit less than the base price of a Volvo, before you add the option packages that are must haves.

I told her that when we are serious, will have to spend some time playing with the controls, even pairing her phone, using carplay, all that stuff.

The 2020 Outback seems like a good choice. Compared to a base Volvo wagon it has more rear legroom, more cargo space, and more power. Plus it can use regular fuel instead of premium. Insurance is probably lower too.

My local Subaru dealers doesn't actually have any 2020 Outbacks in stock. Several are in transit apparently, and so they should be arriving soon. Getting the very first of the line of an all-new model might be a little bit of a risk.

Insurance is an odd animal.

Getting rid of the Alltrack and replacing with an older, but lower mile Audi A4 with just over half the miles (worth more) actually lowered my 5.5 months of insurance $25. Thought wagons got low rates? I suppose A4's are not crashed.

More surprising, the Tiguan being brand new saved us $11 for the 5 months left of insurance. It replaced the '16 Kia Optima lease, so maybe financing to purchase is cheaper on insurance?

andres3

stickguy said:

28firefighter said:

I’ve seriously toyed with replacing the X1 with a second Outback. I’m that happy.

Something is happening to me. If I start buying more flannel and growing my beard, someone slap me.

I love owner testimonials! I should have taken the wife back for a longer look at the 3.6 OB, but it was really late in the process at the time, and we had kinda settled on the Acura by then. I kinda drove it more out of curiosity, and from a good Honcker number, but really did like it a lot. did not even notice the CVT with the big engine. and none of the reviews I watched mentioned it as an issue.

Subaru's 3.6 is good enough to mask the shortcomings of CVT. Drive the 2.5 and you get another impression. The 3.6 Outback is a winner. Subaru Irvine wasn't dealing and wheeling though, so we ended up with an Alltrack.

andres3

Michaell said:

Steve was the name my step daughter gave to the 2006 ION she drove the first three years of college

Ion's lasted 3 years or more?

andres3

qbrozen said:

au1994 said:

qbrozen said:

breld said:

@qbrozen - 2 seater sports car? Did I miss an earlier hint?

I hear you in the limits of such a car with a family. I’m enjoying the flexibility of the GTI as a fun car, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the Miata.

No earlier hint. Just the 1-for-2 deal. She already approved 1, thinking it was in addition to the bimmer. I had yet to tell her the BMW would be leaving for a cash-buy fun car. There are so many possibilities on the table for this slot. Honestly, believe it or not, a Taurus SHO is looking pretty good. I mean, she nixed all Chrysler/Dodge products thus far. We are cautiously eyeing things like a Quattroporte, TTS, XKR, and CLS550. I’ll start sharing links when I get a chance.

Any love for a Z3/4?

Yes, but coupe only, but I’m avoiding 2-seaters

How tall are the people you'd be filling the "more than 2 seater" with? My wife is 5'2" and my soon to be 6 years old this November is pretty tall for her age, meaning, the TTS only truly works for maybe 2 more years comfortably.

Truth is though, we usually use the other cars when travelling together as a 3-person family.

Michaell

andres3 said:

Michaell said:

Steve was the name my step daughter gave to the 2006 ION she drove the first three years of college

Ion's lasted 3 years or more?

andres3 said:

Michaell said:

Steve was the name my step daughter gave to the 2006 ION she drove the first three years of college

Ion's lasted 3 years or more?

It did. After the ignition switch scare put her into the first MINI, I took it a step a daily driver for another four years, and I used it for pizza delivery duty. Ended up giving it to my step son and his wife when I leased the Elantra GT? They drove it for another couple of years before gifting it to someone in need of a vehicle.

Yes, it was ugly and slow, but it was pretty reliable for the most part.

qbrozen

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

au1994 said:

qbrozen said:

breld said:

@qbrozen - 2 seater sports car? Did I miss an earlier hint?

I hear you in the limits of such a car with a family. I’m enjoying the flexibility of the GTI as a fun car, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the Miata.

No earlier hint. Just the 1-for-2 deal. She already approved 1, thinking it was in addition to the bimmer. I had yet to tell her the BMW would be leaving for a cash-buy fun car. There are so many possibilities on the table for this slot. Honestly, believe it or not, a Taurus SHO is looking pretty good. I mean, she nixed all Chrysler/Dodge products thus far. We are cautiously eyeing things like a Quattroporte, TTS, XKR, and CLS550. I’ll start sharing links when I get a chance.

Any love for a Z3/4?

Yes, but coupe only, but I’m avoiding 2-seaters

How tall are the people you'd be filling the "more than 2 seater" with? My wife is 5'2" and my soon to be 6 years old this November is pretty tall for her age, meaning, the TTS only truly works for maybe 2 more years comfortably.

Truth is though, we usually use the other cars when travelling together as a 3-person family.

It is rare that we travel as a family of 4. I often, however, have my 2 boys with me. So my thinking is that the 13-yr-old can sit in the front and slide forward, with the 9-yr-old behind him. The older one is 5’3” and the younger is 4’6”. Yes, they may grow, but let’s be real, I keep cars for maybe 2” of kid growth.

kyfdx

I could own one of these:

mb_enthusiast

My uncle used to have one of these.

Michaell

mb_enthusiast said:

My uncle used to have one of these.

Your uncle had an Envoy XUV? Those are pretty rare...

Sandman6472

Still waiting on Dorian!! Finally went out early this morning and got some more food and topped off the Golf. Station was about empty. Tomorrow could be rough as well into Tuesday but hoping we dodged a bullet. Time will tell!!

stickguy

there was a new style X3 parked up the street from my house tonight. It was really, really nice.

I spent too much time recently watching video tests on cars on our shopping list. Including comparisons between many of the key players. And after doing that, made me realize that I really want one of these!

mjfloyd1

@Sandman6472 -stay safe

sda

I drove my SIL’s ‘19 Acura RDX Advance. Very impressive and comfortable interior. Nice driving dynamics, quiet, quick. The heads up display is nice, didn’t feel much difference with the ventilated seats even set on high, great sounding audio. I couldn’t figure out how to change the XM stations other than a back/forward hard button next to the volume knob. Other basic controls were easy to use. I’m sure once I read the owners manual I would be in the know, but why should I do so just listen to the radio? I could easily welcome the RDX into our fleet.

stickguy

how does it compare to the Q5?

sda

I don’t know how it compares to a second generation (current) Q5, the RDX feels larger inside as well as in size overall. Interior quality is on par with the Q5. They both lag a bit from a stop and then power comes on strong. Engine noise and smoothness are about the same, overall muted, smooth and decent exhaust note. Transmissions both race thru the gears to get to the next highest gear to enhance mpg, yet both are responsive. I did notice a little low speed bumpiness of gear shifts in the RDX, but not harsh. Steering effort is light in both with the Audi providing better feed back. Infotainment controls are a bit complicated on both with the Audi being a bit easier to figure out without consulting a manual. My SIL said she got 24 mpg on the highway and around 20 in town. I think that is disappointing, but it may do better as the engine fully breaks in. We are averaging about 24 mpg in the Audi, and my wife got closer to 28mpg on a recent trip.

Of interest, the RDX is FWD, and both have virtually identical tires: 235/55/19 101 H Continental Cross Contact LX Sport.

qbrozen

Supposedly, someone is going to start the transfer process with BMW tomorrow. We’ll see.

I guess I’ll spill what I have been up to since it doesn’t seem to be amounting to anything anyway. I have been shopping for a Hummer. Not a big surprise since I have considered them before.

It is getting much tougher to find clean, low mileage ones for reasonable money, though. I have attempted to buy a few over the phone, with no luck. Everyone is “standing firm” on their prices, which are $4k-$5k over auction.

I drove an hour on Friday to see one the dealer claimed was immaculate. I’ll admit it looked good on top. It was underneath that was a problem. That truck should not be allowed on the road. One good bump, and the rust holding the body to the frame is going to be less useful than masking tape.

Went for a 50-min trek this morning to see a private party vehicle. It had more miles than I want, at 119k, but it looked remarkably clean in the pics. And it was as promised in person. Very nice looking with nothing too bad to speak of save a minor oil seep at the rear of the engine. The problem, however, arose on the test drive. Long story short, the engine is making noises I am not comfortable with and would not even risk test driving any further than the 2 miles I put on it.

Anyway, if successful, this would be another extra vehicle the wife is permitting. If/when the BMW leaves, I’d be shopping for a sporty car for maybe $12k max, I think. So 2 vehicles, with very different purposes, for under $25k cash is the goal.

thebean

You could have given me 10 guesses and I would have not have gotten that.

kyfdx

That seems like a perfectly reasonable plan.

ab348

A Hummer! I saw an original type Hummer (H1 I guess) on the road last week and did a double-take since I hadn't seem one in so long. Those ones are huge. It was a soft top model and had been all done over as a rolling billboard for a local car audio outfit. Looked quite impressive actually. I assume you are looking for one of the less massive models?

qbrozen

I have been focusing on an H3, but I think I’ll go test drive an H2 just to be sure.

As for the sporty car, here are some random musings:

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/245937517

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/220668906

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/232445542

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/244586119

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/237839969

stickguy

plan makes sense. I still may be doing that in a couple of years. Once we get the new CUV for the wife, and the TLX goes back, I hope to get 2 cars to replace it. One might be the current RDX. or if that goes, some sort of fun car (with a stick) and something relatively inexpensive to sit in the driveway and do beater duty. Perfect case, a compact PU of some kind.

corvette

qbrozen said:

Long story short, the engine is making noises I am not comfortable with and would not even risk test driving any further than the 2 miles I put on it

I wouldn’t let a little thing like that scare me off... You know what they say, a GM car will run bad longer than most cars will run good!

laurasdada

Q, considering a used Jag. Well, aren't you brave! ; - ) Apologies, emotorcons don't work for me...

nyccarguy

Hmm. Interesting choices @qbrozen . You have been drawn to those H3s in the past. Those are 5cyl? That XKR is very sexy. I’m far from one to give the thumbs up to a 10 year old Audi (I still can’t believe 2009 was 10 years ago), but that Black with Black/Red TTS is sharp looking.

roadburner

XKR for me; one of the techs at BMW had worked on them and said that the later cars were pretty durable. Next up would be the Maser. Audis don't light my fire at all and the SHO is just a big boat.

qbrozen

roadburner said:

XKR for me; one of the techs at BMW had worked on them and said that the later cars were pretty durable. Next up would be the Maser. Audis don't light my fire at all and the SHO is just a big boat.

Well, not that they are anywhere near direct competitors, but the Maser and SHO are neck and neck in terms of size, weight, and acceleration.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

Hmm. Interesting choices @qbrozen . You have been drawn to those H3s in the past. Those are 5cyl? That XKR is very sexy. I’m far from one to give the thumbs up to a 10 year old Audi (I still can’t believe 2009 was 10 years ago), but that Black with Black/Red TTS is sharp looking.

Yes, the ‘07+ H3 had a 3.7 5-cyl. Not quick but feels like enough when in a vehicle where speed is scary. Supposedly very reliable, as could be surmised by all the high-mileage ones out there. These vehicles do seem to have been overengineered.

28firefighter

Well. I did not see any of this coming, @qbrozen.