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Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)
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Don't worry, it wasn't a Subaru. I brought home a relative to keep our Odyssey company. No, not the TSX, I got it's middle aged brother. In honor of Gee and Anony, I got an Accord EX-L 5 speed.
Probably the last '05 of it's kind to be found. Even the dealer was surprised that I found it. Still brand new (only 11 miles on it, and I put on 1/2 of them on an earlier test drive). It was also built in 8/05, so it's just about as real-time new as an '06.
It be silver with black guts. Drives amazingly nice, and worlds ahead of the tC in comfort, refinement, etc. Also much longer, which I have to remember when pulling into the garage, but not much (if at all) wider.
I finally decided (courtesy of the TSX) that I really "needed" heated leather thrones. And I finally came to the conclusion that not getting built-in XM was going to lead to a serious case of buyers remorse.
The Legacy was actually very nice, and a tidier (TSX ish) size, but the Honda is a whole bunch roomier and more comfortable, so the family (especially the wife) will appreciate it.
And did I mention XM?
FUnny thing is, after seeing them side by side, I realized that the car looks better with the old butt. It just matches better, and looks OK in silver. I may spring for a spoiler some day, which really changes the look of the back end.
SO far, up to 25 miles, and still happy! Might be a new record.
Plus, with all the luxury goodies, I really might not having this for the 10 years I will be required to keep it.
SO, whoever had an Accord in the pool, collect your prize.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I'll have this one for so long that the 1 MY diff will be insignificant, plus in 9 years I will have the cleanest 75K Accord around.
Depending on how you rig the numbers, I basically got above book for my trade, and 4K discount on the Honda. Best guess, at least 2K less than an '06 would have cost me, maybe more like 2.5K, so enough to make it worth my while. Plus, the wife signed off on the deal (I think she was happy I wasn't getting the Sube, since she saw some problems in the future with that one). Yes, we have been married a long time.
Happiest of all is my 14 YO son, who no longer has to clambor into the back seat, and wait for someone to let him our. He likes having his own door again.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
ps. Sent you an e-mail
-Jason
OK, the Lexus dealer near me has THE MOST PRISTINE '91 ES250 I have ever seen. It has only 74K miles and looks like it has been parked in a garage all its life. Leather seats and moonroof, automatic, everything I never knew I wanted and always thought I didn't want, so why do I find myself irresistibly drawn to it? It actually looks cute to me. :confuse:
Asking price is $5K, I figure he would go a few hundred lower and price seems to be spot on. It has brand new tires and brakes, and it is truly immaculate. Why on Earth am I thinking about going for a second drive here????
I haven't been a one-car guy for many many years now, I should have known that trying to limit myself to just one vehicle was going to be my undoing.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I like that little lip spoiler that they have... cheaper, too, I think...
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I like the ES250, though... No motorized belts, right? Doesn't it have a driver's airbag?
Somewhere around $3800 seems right, to me...
regards,
kyfdx
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I think the sedan must have grown on me though because I think it is nicer than the new version. With the spoiler it actually looks good.
The one thing I miss now that winter is hear is my heated seats. I rarely used to wear a coat in the winter, I loved that heat message.
And you are right about the XM. There is no substitute. Cept maybe an IPOD hookup and hundreds of CD's. That's the only thing I miss in my LS.
Speaking of the LS...I got a major service done at the dealer for Christmas. The first one since I bought it. $1000 down. I need a few bushings and rear brakes. I'll do em later but that's another grand. Not to mention the timing belt service coming up in a while. Hmmm...Carmax offered $5500. If I could find something else that I liked as much.....
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
By the way Stickguy...Silver is our favorite color. Hope you love your car.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
2002 Chevy S-10, ext cab, V6, auto, power evreything, but 50K miles. They are asking $12K.
Talked with the kid for about an hour regarding his options. The Toyota has a TMV of around $17K, so the asking price seems to be in line with that. Asked him what he would rather be driving in 5 years, assuming 12K miles per year:
-> the Toyota with 60-70K on it, or
-> the Chevy with 110K on it
Given that the Toyota will probably last 150K easily, he would have another 5-7 years of life left on the Toyota after he pays it off.
We also talked about a new truck. The '06 Tacoma ext cab (4-cyl stick 2wd) invoices for under $16K - add some power goodies for another $1200 and you've got a pretty good deal for about what they are asking for the used truck.
Of course, finding something like that would probably be impossible, unless he decided to try looking in Las Vegas.
Hmm, now that I'm thinking about it, he might be able to get into a base Silverado for not much money. I seem to remember Andre talking about it over the summer when the employee pricing deal was going on.
Actually, the new rear looks OK by itself, but when you see them side by side, the old rear does match the car better. The new one looks tagged on, and makes the back end kinds boxy.
The 6 speed V6 was a thought (along with the TSX), but for the driving I do, the 4 cyl stick is plenty fast enough. No need to put my license any more at risk than it already is. This package is deceptively quick anyway, so it's not like I'm driving a rolling roadblock
Amazingly quiet too. With the XM cranked up, you can hardly hear anything else. Much more comfortable than the tC, and easier to get in/out of. The black leather interior looks very upscale too.
THe price difference was a mojor factor too. Yeah, the TSX was nice, and the V6 would be faster, but the really didn't offer much more that I would benefit from, at least not 6-7K worth.
And lastly, in 1.5 years my son learns to drive, so no need for something too fast for that!
And don't tell the wife, but by getting the cheaper car, I can now look for a toy again (err., something to work on for my sone, yeah, that's the ticket!)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
OK, I promise not to get misty-eyed...
:-P
You are correct, no motorized belts and it does have a driver's airbag. It also has ABS and does NOT have the electroluminescent gauges that have failed so expensively in some LS400s of that era.
michaell: it is absolutely true that you can get a 2WD regular cab 1/2-ton Silverado for $15,8 right now with Red Tag pricing. I just saw the ad on TV.
It will GUZZLE gas next to the Tacoma, probably doubling runnning costs. But I would not pay almost $17K for the Tacoma either, and you are quite right that for $17K you could get into a brand new '06 Tacoma 2WD with the base package of options (convenience package, or something like that?). You would still have A/C and a CD radio, not to mention the plastic non-rusting bed, for the same money. I say it again, I wouldn't pay a penny over $14K for the '04 Tacoma. OK, maybe $14,5 if it is really that nice.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Several Colorados for under $14K - 2.8L 4 banger and stick, but these were the regular cab.
Lots of Rangers - again, base 2.3L with stick and vinyl seats are priced under $14K. They also have a white super cab with the 3.0L V6 and a stick for $16.5K. Also have a few F-150's - 4.2L V6 and a stick for $15.5; add $900 for an automatic.
Can't seem to find a website for the Dodge or Mitsubishi dealer.
I'm ambivalent about the '05 vs. '06 rear end treatment on the Accord. Still, if you got $4K off the cost of the new car and above average money on the trade, then I think you got a pretty sweet deal.
Enjoy the ride!
PS I, too, would like to hear from Jolie and see if she's gotten settled in Texas.
PPS I called my son in Utah and told him about the Ranger super cab with the V6 and stick. Turns out he's working right across the street from the dealer today!
Will try to keep folks posted.
Also a much better cruiser on the highway. Very relaxed at 70, instead of buzzing along at 3,200 RPM.
Pretty impressive, I have had it for almost a full day, and haven't stopped to look at replacements yet!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Just for kicks, I went to the Chevy website and spec'd a Silverado. Came out to a red tag price of $16,866.65. Pretty tempting, but I doubt I'd be able to find just the truck I wanted. Of course, I'd be willing to take one more optioned up, for the same price!
We order a couple a year sans the cd player. You should be able to find one on most larger dealer's lots.(Just in case another $1100 transfusion comes up).
Of course, the Toyota should last forever. With the chevy, I'd consider what the dealer is like where you buy it/get it serviced. And the Toyota might be a "hipper ride" for your son (?)
My own experience with 1 chevy p/u, & 1 Toyota, was like night & day (guess which)? At that time tho, a full size GM p/u was about twice the size of the little toyotas in the mid-80s, so presumably much safer. So I'd consider safety too, if there's any data on current models.
So maybe I will think about a new truck the next time something major comes up with this one.
Oh, and on the subject of Chevy S-10's, I hear the 4.3 in them is a horrible guzzler. Although for some reason it's NOT that bad in the full-sized trucks, so I wonder why it would get such a bad rap in the small ones? :confuse:
He's looking for a truck much like andre spec'd out - AC, CD player, stick shift, crank windows.
I'm pretty sure he is going to stay away from the '02 S-10. It's possible that he will check out the Ranger or he might end up buying the used Toyota.
I told him to call me tonight after he gets off work so we can discuss further.
The Rangers / Mazdas come with 3 motors, the 2.3, 3.0, or 4.0. The 2.3 and 4.0 are good motors, but the 3.0 is better used as a boat anchor. It's the old Vulcan v6 that's been in Taurii since the '80s. It barely has the power of the 4 cyl (I think it's like 4 more hp) but sucks gas just like the 4.0. The worst of both worlds. I still think the truck I mentioned earlier is the best deal going in a small truck - the Mazda B2300 SE Cab Plus. They came pretty loaded - A/C and CD were standard, I think. They can be tough to find though. I nearly pulled the trigger on one last fall that was at a local lot listed at $9995, but I'd just fixed the A/C on my old Dodge and wanted to milk a few more miles out of it.
Here's an example of the truck I'm talking about, pretty close to you I think:
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=193738093&dealer_id=1149760&car_yea- r=2004&model=B-SERIES&bkms=1135289221158&lang=en&isp=y&start_year=2002&certified- =&search_type=both&distance=100&make=MAZDA&min_price=&address=80211&advanced=&en- d_year=2004&max_price=&cardist=9
-Jason
He used to have a '75 Valiant with a slant six that he sold back in the spring, and I swear that sucker was whisper quiet, and the epitome of sophistication compared to that Ranger!
Mark
We have explored every single option the last couple of days trying to fall off the wagon but, yet again, there is no car better than the Accord for the money. The only one that would make us both happy is probably a TL. I don't think it's worth it to trade the Accord alone for the TL so that's out. We did consider trading both the MDX and the Accord for a TL but I would hate to see the Accord go and I like the size of the MDX for trips with my nieces in tow. Obviously, we think very highly of the Accord. It's way more comfortable for me than the 05 RX330 Gee has had as a loaner while his LS is in the shop.
We also had a Sierra 5.3/automatic regular cab, regular box, which got 18-19 mpg on the highway...
Any of the trucks listed will be gas guzzlers with an extended or crew cab, 4wd, and an automatic.
Mrs. Racer63 is allowing me to look at cars, and has extended the leash suprisingly long with what I am considering. The family fleet at the moment consists of an '86 Honda Civic that is race prepped as an autocross car - no chance of driving to the supermarket for a gallon of milk in that beast, a 2004 GMC 2500HD Crew Cab that serves as the family truckster, and is her daily driver, and a 2000 Toyota Celica GT, about to hit six figure mileage that I wail upon.
I feel the "need" for something fun, and also that says "I've arrived". I also really could use a normal car with 4 doors, considering we currently have only either my girly coupe or her monster truck at our disposal. While the Toyota has been exceeding reliable, except for multiple trannys covered under warranty, I figure I only have about another 30k miles, or 2 years at my current mileage accrual, before moderately expensive repair/replacements will be needed. Most of my choices involve keeping the Celica as a beater, putting off dealing with the future daily driver issue for now.
My shopping list is as follows:
Frivolous: New Miata, new Solstice, used 00-01 Boxster S
Price - $22k to $32k + always needing a daily diver around
Solves all the needs and wants: Used 04-05 330i 4 dr w/ Performance Pkg = nice car, and if the Toyota goes kaput, it wouldn't necessarily need to be replaced.
Price - $32k +/-
Practical: New Mazda 3 (or Accord?), to use as another 6 yr/100k daily driver; sell Celica and Honda, and then find a fun show-off car.
Price, with S-plan OTD - $17k + then finding the appropriate fun-mobile, without distractions arising that would prevent me doing the 2nd purchase.
A S2000 was on the list, but Mrs. is not comfortable in it. My 8 & 9 year olds want me to get a C5 Z06 Corvette, but that is just a little too extreme, and spendy as well.
After starting off this escapade with the 330 as the front runner, I had backed off going in the Miata direction, with a side detour to Solstice. Somewhere along there I realized for $30k +/- would get me into a relatively late model CPO Porsche.
Anyone care to help me get less confused?
Problem solved.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Racer, I'm with you on this one. My 96 Ranger XL Extended Cab 4-cyl, 5-speed has 240,000 on it and is still running great. It's starting to show its age a bit and it has a lot of dents and scratches, but mechanically seems to be in good shape and the interior is immaculent, not even a hole in the vinyl floor covering.
Granted, the Ranger is not a truck you want to go drag racing in, but if you need an inexpensive, reliable, easy to maintain truck its really hard to beat.
My dad had a 91 Mazda B2000 that had 125k on it when he traded it in. Still ran great, he just wanted an RX-7.Traded one 2 seater for another, just a little different.
In contrast, the Ranger just has a clean, uncluttered look about it. It's not going to wow anyone with its cutting edge style, but at the same time it's not going to look grotesquely outdated like a car with tailfins would have by 1962, or a mid-70's mastodon in the early 80's.
Now I actually like the look of the Colorado and Canyon, although they're more cluttered and "busy" than the Ranger. I guess there's just a simple sort of honesty that the Ranger seems to exude, kinda like a broken in pair of jeans that you don't want to throw away, even though they've got holes in the knees and other places.
I liked the '97-04 style of Dakota, which had I thought did the "baby Ram" look pretty well, and still seemed clean and well-proportioned. The new one just seems awkward, though.
The Frontier and Tacoma might be great trucks, but if I was in the mood for a cheap little workhorse (and if I could fit in it...can't remember the last time I've been in a Ranger), I might be tempted by a Ranger.
Nice truck. Kinda of a dog going uphill but it drove nice and was comfortable. We sold it when we found out we were having little Gee.
How is that reliable? If it was a Hyundai people would be slamming it. Seems like you're giving it a free pass just because it's a Toyota.
-Jason
The one I almost bought was black, and looked sharp with the chrome accent around the windows.
By the way, today I helped my brother buy a car- that's the third brother I've found wheels for this year. Sure helps scratch the CCB itch when people ask me to find cars for them. The cars were:
Titanium Grey 2003 Mazda6i 5 spd with ABS/TC, side balloons, and alloys, 18k miles, $12,400.
Black 1992 Nissan Maxima SE, 123k miles. Perfect condition, with a stack of maintenance records a foot high, $3100.
White 2002 Ford Escort 4dr, Loaded (for an Escort), 35k miles, $5600.
Oh, and of course I bought my '74 Alfa Spider but that doesn't really count since it's more of a hobby than a form of transportation.
-Jason
used 00-01 Boxster S--I wouldn't take that on. If you think think bmw maintenence is high, wait til you own a Porsche. Now, if you had the $$ to buy & support a 911......
C5 Z06 Corvette--Why does it have to be a Z06? The regular model can be had in a hatchback version so it's a lot more practical for trips, or schlepping stuff around town.
The C5 'vette would be totally mind-blowing. The E46 330i would be only slightly less so, & would also be a good year 'round, all purpose car.....the Miata idea is good, but kind of pales after you've mentioned those 2.....
*Anyone care to help me get less confused?*
Yes. Buy a Used 04-05 330i 4 dr w/ Performance Pkg. IF you find a really nice low-ish mileage one at a good price. And one that "glows in the dark", as Terry would say, with records. I wouldn't buy a high mileage one. A 330i will be way safer & also more practical than any of your other choices.
There is one sitting on the used car side of an Audi dealer one town over. They're asking $32,995, which I think is a wee bit high for a non-CPO, has just had minor paintwork, shows a couple of curb rashed spots on the wheels example with 20k miles. I did a test drive last Thursday, and could easily learn to live with it on a daily basis. :P I really would like to find a CPO example, but they are showing up with advertised prices in the $36-38 range. Terry says this one could go home with me for $29ish. I'm just not sure they'll go down that far, and this item, while in "acceptable" shape, certainly doesn't glow in the dark.
used 00-01 Boxster S--I wouldn't take that on. If you think think bmw maintenence is high, wait til you own a Porsche. Now, if you had the $$ to buy & support a 911......
I know all about Por$che Part$. I do have a friend who runs the front end of an independent Porsche shop about an hour away. If I bought in this direction, he'd become an even better friend.
C5 Z06 Corvette--Why does it have to be a Z06? The regular model can be had in a hatchback version so it's a lot more practical for trips, or schlepping stuff around town.
See that initial paragraph I wrote....however, knowing a number of people with them, they are not without their issues, notably control arm bushings and fatal engine-internal things going bang. And I cannot imagine how much chaos I could get myself into with 405hp under my right foot.
The C5 'vette would be totally mind-blowing. The E46 330i would be only slightly less so, & would also be a good year 'round, all purpose car.....the Miata idea is good, but kind of pales after you've mentioned those 2.....
The E46 ZHP would certainly be the best all-around compromise. Snob appeal, performance, and 4-doors. I was leaning seriously in the Miata direction, but as fun as they are, I'm afraid it would be somewhat underwhelming compared to the other things I'm considering. I also figure I'd never sell it, because nothing would ever go wrong with it, and just give to my now 8 year old daughter in 9 years when she starts to drive; chick car that they are. :surprise:
I'm going to be real busy at work the begining of the week (so much for getting Monday the 26th off), but Thursday/Friday plan to drag everyone around once more to see where the pendulum swings.....
Any manufacturer could easily do this now by taking their existing compact truck and putting a four-cylinder turbodiesel in it... Once one company does it, it will be like the crew-cab compact trucks, those that are late to market (I'm thinking of GM in that instance) will be left wondering why they didn't think of that. (I know GM thought of the crew-cab S-10/Sonoma and sold them in South America, but not here, for many years.)
The Boxers are gorgeous, I think, real eye candy. Only slightly less so than the 911.
The E46 ZHP at the audi dlr--what does it have for options, like xenons, etc? Hard to know what kind of low price they might take the last week of the year. Have you done a search for CPO versions listed by bmwna? Often bmw dealers are the devil to get a good price out of on a used car. But my current bmw I saw listed for months at a bmw dlr out in the sticks. The price kept coming down. Finally I went in on Dec. 30 & got the lowest price I'd seen at the time for that year & model, CPO, etc. And it was the lowest mileage one I'd seen. So I now believe in that shopping end-of-month, end-of-year stuff. Also the bmw dlr out in the sticks was way nicer than the snotty urban ones around here.....
Great idea. I think I remember when you could buy little Mitsu p/u's with diesels (?).....then there were those weird little VW "Rabbit" diesel p/u's from the late '70's.
I had one of those tiny, tinny "mini-trucks" from the mid-eighties (a Toyota), that had the crash protection of a motorcycle. I wouldn't want to go back to that. What kind of mileage does a gas engine Taco w/stick shift, get anyway?
Am trying to convince him to make extra payments on the Saturn to pay it off quicker, so that when he does get the itch, he won't be so buried in it. If he can get it paid off, he might be able to get $1000-1500 for it in trade and help him qualify for the loan in his name only, as opposed to having his mother and I cosign.
Thanks to one and all for their opinions -- when he does decide to pull the trigger, I feel better that the Ranger might be the best direction for him to go. Would also have him consider Nissan and Mazda as well.
1. Many people don't like the noise and smoke. Granted these are not the kind of problems they used to be.
2. Diesels are more costly to purchase. If you don't put a lot of miles on a vehicle, you're probably not saving any money.
3. Diesel currently costs more than premium unleaded where I live, and I think that is not uncommon across the country.
4. Diesels are usually more costly to maintain, although they often outlast gasoline engines. However, with the lower sulfur diesel that is now being produced, I'm not sure that longevity is going to be what it has been.
5. Some states already prohibit the purchase of new diesels for personal use, such as in California.
The fact is that many of the older pickups with four-bangers and four-speed trannys got close to thirty. I drove a 79 Ford Courier with a 2.0 Mazda engine in it back when I was a teenager. It got 27-30 on the highway. Granted, it was probably not the safest vehicle on the highway.
I also had an 89 Ford Ranger with a 4 cyl and 5-speed and it got 27 on the highway.
Rated 22/27.
So I was at the dealer getting some stuff for my 4Runner the other day, and they have a car that caught my eye: a '98 Accord EX-L 4-cyl sedan. It's an automatic, not my favorite thing, but apart from that I really liked it - took it for a drive. 93K miles, dark green (which I like). Doesn't seem to need anything, except the tires are old - good tread but with lots of cracks, making me think it hasn't been driven much in the last couple years.
The dealer's asking price of $10,9 was put on by someone, I think, who was high at the time. They do put on a standard 3-month warranty covering 100% of costs. I took the average of Edmunds, KBB, and NADA Guide, and got a retail value of $8800, so I am thinking of offering them something in the $8K range. The interior is immaculate, but the outside is below average - lots of scratches and dings in the paint, and the alloys are totally scuffed to heck, as they always seem to be on that generation Accord - it was one of those models where the tires don't protect the rims from the curb enough.
I am a sucker for dark green cars....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Christmas was fun this year, I hung with my best friend, went to all his family fuctions (met tons of people). Everything was great until Monday night, I was so sick (have been for a few days), I let him drive my Titan and he backed it into a tree busting off the pass side mirror.
Other than that we are all doing fine, I'm happy for the first time in a long time. That's about it from here, Texas weather is definatly different.
This morning she asked me if I have seen any good deals on an MDX or something similar, so maybe I can start car shopping again. I wonder how cheap you can get a new '05 MDX, because the used ones sure are pricy.