Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

tjc78

kyfdx said:

tjc78 said:

Q, that's where I am with this one. I know there are some better deals out there, but she is reluctant to test drive anything and just says she wants another Toyota.

I won't let her do it at the above #s but if I can get them down to where I said I'll have her do the deal.

Have you got quotes in PA? MF is just .00001, there.

I've never done that before... so if you lease out of state you pay that region's numbers? I thought you paid your regions regardless of dealer location.

breld

qbrozen said:

awful lease numbers, but if she wants a RAV4, it is what it is. They don't seem to hold their value very well for a Toyota. Auction value on a 2017 with 30k miles is only $17k, so about 52%.

Us, excited about a potential car deal...


@qbrozen - killing us with truth...

xwesx

sda said:

xwesx said:

Back in Alaska today; I could not get the Q7 to start without some copious coaxing (e.g., jump start with a good long jump charge beforehand). I knew last winter that the battery was getting weak, but I sort of forgot about it over the summer with all of the other auto-related expenses going on. I am just really glad that I decided to leave our Forester at the airport for the week we were gone rather than the Q7. Forester didn't miss a beat when I started it at 0200 this morning, zero degrees, not plugged in, and after sitting for a week.

Is the battery located in the cargo well where the spare is located, similar to the Q5? I read in the manual a new battery has to be coded to the energy management system and Audi suggests replacing the battery after 4 years.

It is under the driver seat. Sort of a pain to get the seat out, but very easy access once it is tipped out of the way. I read all that, too. My plan was to get a code scanning system this summer that would allow me to resync the system, but I think at this point that I will just try to keep the car energized while I pull the cables and install the new battery. It shouldn't need a re-sync if I do that.

xwesx

fintail said:

Another reason the mild climate here is nice - batteries survive. Fintail's battery will be 5 years old in a few days and shows no weakness. My E55 was around 11.5 years old when I sold it, still on its original battery.

Same here. If you take care of them, they tend to last a good long while. The battery in the Forester is from 2012, purchased for our 2010 Forester to replace the original battery because the CCA rating on those Panasonics is so poor (not good for cold climate use, ironically). So, it was in that car for a solid 90,000 miles, including the crash that killed it, and has been in the "new" 2013 Forester for about 30,000+ miles now.

I don't think the Q7 has a good excuse for the weak battery other than typical OEM mediocrity on consumable parts. It will not be an OEM battery that goes in there to replace the original, that much is for sure!

roadburner

I left something on in the Clubman when I set the clock on Saturday. It was stone cold dead Monday. My charger revived it; all I need to do was set the date and time and reinitialize the power windows.

stickguy

Sorry. My iPad apparently doesn’t speak French. And has interesting auto correct sometimes.

corvette

roadburner said:

I left something on in the Clubman when I set the clock on Saturday. It was stone cold dead Monday. My charger revived it; all I need to do was set the date and time and reinitialize the power windows.

That's crazy - I thought most cars would shut down accessories before they drained the battery? I really like my Battery Tender and generally keep it plugged in to whichever car I'm not driving.

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

kyfdx said:

tjc78 said:

Q, that's where I am with this one. I know there are some better deals out there, but she is reluctant to test drive anything and just says she wants another Toyota.

I won't let her do it at the above #s but if I can get them down to where I said I'll have her do the deal.

Have you got quotes in PA? MF is just .00001, there.

I've never done that before... so if you lease out of state you pay that region's numbers? I thought you paid your regions regardless of dealer location.

We've heard both ways about Toyota. It sure wouldn't hurt to give a Philly dealer a call. Just tell them you are from New Jersey, and they should be able to tell you.

28firefighter

@tjc78 - You've got PM.

marcogallo1986

Don’t you pay the taxes where you live regardless of what state you’re buying that’s what I’ve read and heard? Actually the dealer collects all fees on your behalf and sent them to your state DMV from what I understand.

marcogallo1986

@qB glad you got a nice used transfer case for your 2014 equinox very nice.

marcogallo1986

What’s going on with these Toyotas, I thought the holder value better Ha ha ha was it only the big trucks from now till no one wants them anymore and the fan changes

marcogallo1986

@ Broiled that grand Cherokee you want to test drive the other day sounds nice, and the color combo I will get it or red with that color combo either or. But I think the blue is rare.

marcogallo1986

@ Send man, you got the right idea hope you’re able to get to the auto show on Saturday and enjoy yourself. Yes think positive you got it. And then eventually soon enough you’ll see what car you want to replace the golf with, but like I mentioned to take your time and no rush. Pick up was gonna make you happy. And good luck on the job interview a week from today since it’s Wednesday right now. All positive good news here.

marcogallo1986

@tJC hope this dealer can work out a deal with your mom, if not thank you soon she still has time to cast out your neck. Or even better have a look at other options once people do the week when they did or wonder why they were so stuck on one model. That’s what I tell people all the time or so fixated on one brand I might look around stopping fixated on one brand ha ha Ha.

marcogallo1986

@ New York car guy you are welcome.

stickguy

Marco, you pay taxes where it is registered, but the lease terms from the bank can be different depending on where you live too.

stickguy

TJC, convince her to get a CRV instead. Using my Rodo quick check, the Rav XLE was $388 for 36/12 (maybe 10) 1st down only. The CRV EXL. just about the same MSRP, but that one is only $357/mo

tommister2

stickguy said:

TJC, convince her to get a CRV instead. Using my Rodo quick check, the Rav XLE was $388 for 36/12 (maybe 10) 1st down only. The CRV EXL. just about the same MSRP, but that one is only $357/mo

What’s the latest on the CRV oil dilution problem, do they have a fix? I don’t know how prevalent it is but seems pretty troubling for those that have the issue.

stickguy

have not heard anything lately. supposedly they came up with a fix for year 2, and had a retro fix that could be applied, so I assume they feel they fixed it going forward. But, it's a lease, so if you get a dog won't be stuck with it!

couldn't have been that common, since they sell a bazillion of them and you don't hear much about it.

marcogallo1986

@ stick guy, thanks for the response, so you pay taxes when you go to register the vehicle will you live gotcha.

marcogallo1986

@TJC try to steer your mom away from anything with a CVT, the RAV four is it good candidate but how about the Tucson, or sporting I think the Sorrento or Santa Fe sounds like it would be too big for what she needs. Even a new equinox perhaps or put other smaller Chevy SUV, the tracks. Are you in a leftover Ford escape perhaps. I doubt the new ones are releasing well just yet.

marcogallo1986

@ Breld, meant to say earlier so which cars leaving the free ones this punch taking place sometime this week ha ha Ha. Question you should do to your leases and set of taking the financial bath every time you buy and sell or use car. I mean you’re doing good with buying used yes, but I don’t know just a thought, maybe leasing wouldn’t be good for you you have to stick it out for at least two or three years ha ha Ha not your cup of tea.

marcogallo1986

@ The above, how are you liking your Rab for hybrid you got over the summer I think you mentioned in your comment above.

tommister2

Rav4 hybrid is nice. We have about 7500 miles and overall average 40 MPG. So far it does everything we want and it’s comfortable. I’m enjoying the technology too, particularly Apple CarPlay. No more on dash phone holder, we have Waze right on the 8” display.

sda

Honda makes one of the best CVTs. It is extremely smooth and a joy in slow to moderate moving traffic. It is totally unobtrusive and doesn’t subject you to constant shifting up and down. In hilly driving it adjusts rpms to maintain speed without annoying shifts up or down,or searching for the right gear. It is quick to respond when a burst of acceleration is needed and then quickly drops back to cruising rpms. The only time it might give the impression of a CVT is if you floor it for an extended period of time and it still performs well. Is it sporty, no. But it does a good job. Yes, I still prefer a contemporary automatic, but don’t consider a CVT a deal breaker if it’s a Honda.

breld

marcogallo1986 said:

@ Breld, meant to say earlier so which cars leaving the free ones this punch taking place sometime this week ha ha Ha. Question you should do to your leases and set of taking the financial bath every time you buy and sell or use car. I mean you’re doing good with buying used yes, but I don’t know just a thought, maybe leasing wouldn’t be good for you you have to stick it out for at least two or three years ha ha Ha not your cup of tea.

Thanks Marco - I’m not opposed to leasing and have done it a couple of times. Thing is, if you turn the car quickly, I don’t think it matters if you lease or finance - in fact, with the extra fees with leasing, it could be worse. Either way, you’re subject to the actual depreciation of the vehicle.

I do like leasing when 1) the residual is artificially inflated (and you don’t buy it out) and/or 2) there are significant incentives specific to leasing only.

breld

For instance, at the Jeep dealer the other night, they put some numbers together on a leftover 2019 High Altitude model that reflected a $4-5 discount for financing, but around $10k for leasing.

I’d say lease it and buy it out somewhere along the way (if you want to purchase it).

stickguy

random car, but the Malibu looks sharp in this color. Might qualify as a good OF Uber mobile. Or the old standby, HS kid car they can take right through college. Pretty nicely equipped at least.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-2014-chevrolet-malibu-4dr_sedan_lt_w_1lt-used-1g11c5sl5ef286733.html

marcogallo1986

@ Thomas there too, nice on your route for hybrid so far, glad to hear you guys are enjoying it.

marcogallo1986

@SDA I agree with you they do make the best CVT out there comparison to the Nissan of experience both in the passenger seat probably asleep. Just don’t like those overall Ha ha ha. Like you confer prefer conventional automatic. Even maybe even a DSG.

qbrozen

sda said:

Honda makes one of the best CVTs.

Kind of like how a Dewalt is one of the best saws to cut my arm off with.

marcogallo1986

@ Breld points your above comments, and you are welcome. Crazy how buying versus leasing incentives are totally different in that case with the above mentioned Jeep sounds better on the buying I mean we sing over buying Ha ha ha.

corvette

stickguy said:

random car, but the Malibu looks sharp in this color. Might qualify as a good OF Uber mobile. Or the old standby, HS kid car they can take right through college. Pretty nicely equipped at least.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-2014-chevrolet-malibu-4dr_sedan_lt_w_1lt-used-1g11c5sl5ef286733.html

Meh. Price seems steep for a 5+ year old sedan that's not a Honda or Toyota. I had a base model of that generation Malibu as a rental a couple years back and it was okay but not great.

stickguy

I bought it was more interesting in the 9-10 range

nyccarguy

I've seen 2 variations of the X4 in the past 2 days. 1 was an X4 ///M Competition & the other an X4 ///M340i. I found I liked the ///M340i version more than the muscled up ///M version. I get that they want to have a full blown ///M Model, but is there really a need for a "competition" variant?

fintail

Compete who can make an unsignalled turn or lane change or blow through an occupied crosswalk first?

andres3

To everyone with recent battery failures, are they giving any warning (such as a slower start) these days, or are they just like an "on/off" switch when they go from working to not working?

corvette

The OE battery in my old Altima gave a slow crank, then it completely died a couple of days later. Autozone can test it for free, or you can buy a tool at Harbor Freight which will purportedly run a digital test on the battery and tell you its CCA rating (I have one - it was about $80).

xwesx

andres3 said:

To everyone with recent battery failures, are they giving any warning (such as a slower start) these days, or are they just like an "on/off" switch when they go from working to not working?

No, they very rarely will go from working to not working. For the Q7, the battery just doesn't handle the slow drain to which it is normally subjected like it once did. If I let it sit for more than a few days, it is unlikely to have the juice to start the diesel engine - especially in the winter time, when I most need it!

When I tried to start on Tuesday morning, after it sat for 7.5 days, it was not "dead," but it only cranked the engine two times before it was done. After a week of sitting, that engine needs about 7-8 cranks to fire (rather consistently, at that).

If you let it go and go, eventually it will get to the point that multiple short trips in a single day can sometimes leave you stranded at the end because the juice needed to start the vehicle is more than the charge it gets from point to point.

Setting aside regulator and wiring failures in the car, life span on a battery depends most on the driving conditions under which it gets used. For example, if you only drive the car 5-6 miles per trip, you are much less likely to get a lot of life out of it compared to trips at 10+ miles per go. Extremely hot climates can lead to early failure as well, but usually that is only a side effect of improper maintenance. Even "Maintenance Free" lead acid batteries require additional electrolyte (albeit infrequently) from time to time, and very few people bother to do this. When the electrolyte gets low, the battery is going to fail prematurely. In this case, if the anode plates warp, they actually can quit rather abruptly.

stickguy

Good rodo deal today. TLX tech, 4 banger, 36/12, $364 DAS and $364/month. Lotta car for the money. 2020.

qbrozen

What's the MSRP? $364 seems pricey. But maybe I've gotten too frugal.

roadburner

corvette said:

roadburner said:

I left something on in the Clubman when I set the clock on Saturday. It was stone cold dead Monday. My charger revived it; all I need to do was set the date and time and reinitialize the power windows.

That's crazy - I thought most cars would shut down accessories before they drained the battery? I really like my Battery Tender and generally keep it plugged in to whichever car I'm not driving.

I’m getting the BMW tender for the ti. It’s had some minor starting issues when I haven’t driven it for a while.

stickguy

$37,500ish. so below the 1% barrier on a sign and drive (well, other than 1st payment).

corvette

roadburner said:

corvette said:

roadburner said:

I left something on in the Clubman when I set the clock on Saturday. It was stone cold dead Monday. My charger revived it; all I need to do was set the date and time and reinitialize the power windows.

That's crazy - I thought most cars would shut down accessories before they drained the battery? I really like my Battery Tender and generally keep it plugged in to whichever car I'm not driving.

I’m getting the BMW tender for the ti. It’s had some minor starting issues when I haven’t driven it for a while.

The BMW one looks a lot like the Noco or Ctek - is it a rebadge?

My dad has had good luck with his, but I can't recommend the Battery Tender brand. I think I'm on my third warranty replacement. Ten year warranty, but you're out $10 or so to mail it back, each time. One of the times mine died, it released its magic smoke, and my garage smelled like burnt electrolyte for a month.

mjfloyd1

Same with Griots lifetime warranty. You have to mail it back and if they can’t fix it then they send a new one but you have to pay the difference in price between the first part and new part

roadburner

corvette said:

roadburner said:

corvette said:

roadburner said:

I left something on in the Clubman when I set the clock on Saturday. It was stone cold dead Monday. My charger revived it; all I need to do was set the date and time and reinitialize the power windows.

That's crazy - I thought most cars would shut down accessories before they drained the battery? I really like my Battery Tender and generally keep it plugged in to whichever car I'm not driving.

I’m getting the BMW tender for the ti. It’s had some minor starting issues when I haven’t driven it for a while.

The BMW one looks a lot like the Noco or Ctek - is it a rebadge?

My dad has had good luck with his, but I can't recommend the Battery Tender brand. I think I'm on my third warranty replacement. Ten year warranty, but you're out $10 or so to mail it back, each time. One of the times mine died, it released its magic smoke, and my garage smelled like burnt electrolyte for a month.

It’s a Ctek I believe.

nyccarguy

The truck continues to earn its stripes. We schlepped all of our favors, frames, & decorations, including the “Miami Blue” Adirondack Chair we are planning to use for the Hora.

Sandman6472

Hopefully your kid doesn't weigh that much or you've got some strong male family members. At our wedding, they did this. My poor wife was terrified the whole time! Again, much mazol tonight and tomorrow. We had to help lead the Friday night service and sponser the Oneg Shabbat. This is part of the "good things" in life, so take a few moments this weekend to take it all in and thank G-d for all your blessings. trust me, he hears it all!

corvette

TPMS came on in the G37 again today - the cold temperatures have reduced the pressure in all the tires. Aired up one tire at lunchtime, then the battery in my portable compressor got low and it was taking forever to air up the next one. Threw it on the charger, got the rest of the G's tires aired up, and it ran down again when I tried to do the Tahoe. It's several years old and I suspect the lead acid battery is past its prime. I'm going to take it apart tomorrow to see whether I can find a replacement battery that costs less than an entire unit. Both vehicles are at 35 PSI, which is slightly higher than the suggested amount, so I have some buffer for lower temperatures.

Also, a dead license plate bulb on the Tahoe. I replaced both bulbs with regular bulbs when I bought it two years ago. I ordered a pair of Sylvania LEDs to replace.