Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

michaellno

guss, I wish I could tell you that I had something to do with my son's purchase of his Mustang, but I didn't.

My ex-FIL passed away just before Thanksgiving -- what's odd is that my ex and son were scheduled to fly to Houston to celebrate the holiday with him and my ex-BIL and his family. They were working on a plan to move the FIL from Houston to Kansas City to be closer to his son.

So, instead of visiting with his grandpa, my son was involved in getting the estate squared away. I got a call on the day before Thanksgiving from him - he, his cousin and his uncle were at the car wash getting grandpa's van detailed so they could sell it to Carmax. The plan was for the two grandkids to split the proceeds.

At this point, Alex already knew about the Mustang for sale - it was owned by someone his mom knew.

It took a few weeks to get sorted out, but Alex took ownership of the Mustang on Monday and was supposed to get the registration and insurance issues settled yesterday.

However, I'm happy that he's happy, and he told me on Monday that he had the Subaru detailed in preparation for sale. I'm hoping he can get $1500-2000 for it, which he can use for updates to the new car. For Christmas '07, I had gotten him a new stereo, but he never got it installed into the Subaru, so perhaps it will go into the Mustang.

corvette

So, instead of visiting with his grandpa, my son was involved in getting the estate squared away. I got a call on the day before Thanksgiving from him - he, his cousin and his uncle were at the car wash getting grandpa's van detailed so they could sell it to Carmax.

Tell me about it. My grandfather passed away unexpectedly shortly before Christmas, and I'm wearing hats as 1) family member, 2) attorney, 3) car detailer, and 4) handyman. Not a fun way to spend the holidays, but you get through it. They have my empathy.

stickguy

The kid is quite happy to have upgraded to a TL (even with 146K on it, really doesn't look it) from a Contour. I darn near kept it for myself!

So, now I have 4 cars, and need to get some pics of the Ford to hopefully sell it. Thought about dumping the Accord and using the TL for the next few months, but it may not be that easy to sell it for a worthwhile price these days. And probably better for 600miles/week with the long commute. So, the Contour will be on CL this weekend.

I did the sports car/mid life deal a few years back with the Miata. Discovered a few things:

1) I detest having to park my daily driver outside (the Miata sat in the garage).
2) I really don't fit in a Miata.
3) A Scion tC to replace my sedan + the Miata wasn't a much better idea.

I plan to try it again in 10 years after my youngest is out of college, assuming I am still alive (no guarantees there anymore). Just with something bigger.

Although now that child 1 is pretty much on his own, a 2 door could work. Maybe a C30 would be a better Volvo option over a V70? Wonder if the dog will fit in the back (at least he would have the snazzy rear window to look out of!)

stickguy

Actually have a (potential) shot at vehicle #5. A 1999 Accord LX sedan.

I thought I might land a deal on this one back in the summer. belongs to a friend that I am helping to look for new wheels. Classic "won't sell it myself" types that would likely trade it in for peanuts, so of course I would be glad to give them a few more!

I expect it has ~110K on it by now. Basic 4 cyl AT, but 1 owner and never in the body shop, no kids, so pretty clean. They only got an offer of $1,500, and at that price, I would certainly add it to my ever growing (almost "andre-esqe") fleet!

Thinking of putting 3 of the 4 on Craigs at the same time. Any one that gets a good offer goes! have to keep the TL or my sister would get upset.

If the Accord and/or Odyssey sell, gives me (or the wife) an excuse to find a replacement.

Although she might just leave me if I tried this.

woodyww

A few years ago I saw a portly, balding, middle age guy get into a dull green V6 Mustang........his license plate frame read, "My Mid-Life Crisis".

At first I laughed, but that is pretty sad. I'm glad I owned the cars that really turned me on, when I could. I paid cash for my (all slightly used) saab turbo (pre-GM), my M6, my Range Rover. And Frankly, I'm glad I bought my current bmw when I did, & still have it.

With the stock mkt crash, my expectations have been down-sized, to the point, I'm thinking, "maybe in the Spring, I'll spend the $1000-ish to get my garage door replaced"........

michaellno

GM is really, really, really trying to get my business.

(well, not me personally, but anybody with a GM credit card and a '99 or newer GM model in the family)

Got a flyer in the mail today from GM. They are "topping off" my GM Flexible Card earnings from the current balance of just under $500 to $2000. And, because I have a new GM car in the family (3, actually), I qualify for a loyalty bonus of between $1000 and $3000. All of this is in addition to the current incentives - cash back or low finance rates.

Offer expires in early February.

On the Pontiac Vibe, that would mean $2000 (card) + $1000 (loyalty) + $500 (rebate) = $3500 off of a $20K car. And, it's not really a Pontiac, it's a Toyota in disguise!.

A Vibe GT with an MSRP of $22,270 (base GT plus sunroof and rear cargo cover) has a TMV price of under $18K. Subtract another $4-5K for my trade and we talking under $14K.

Mentioned to my wife -- perhaps I can get her to go to the local dealer (Chevy - Buick - Pontiac - GMC - Hummer) over the weekend - just to look.

roadburner

I'd buy a G8 GT if a manual tranny was available. The GXP costs more than I'm willing to pay for a Pontiac.

sandman46

Picked this up for my oldest today in the new Artic Blue color, the same light blue color on the Honda Fit...outstanding color. Car has ABS and the CVT transmission which feels shiftless...very cool. Got the $750 Nissan rebate and the $500 College Grad rebate also so the price was very good. The kid's extremely happy and took her "baby" out to see friends a short while ago.
Made the wife and the girls all very happy with our car buying experiences so all is well in Casa Sandman and we're done for a couple of years now. All pleasant buying processes.

The Sandman

roadburner

My local Pontiac has a few used 2008 GTs- all priced under $24K. Tempting, even if it does come with an automatic.

fezo

Boy, that WOULD be tempting. I dare not even look at my local guy's lot....

anonymousposts

I found a dealer with a few 09 Camry SE models with a 5-speed manual. Comes with fog lights, alloys, and sunroof for around $19,000. Very tempting. I know I shouldn't buy a new car right now but I love the outside of the new Camry. Have to find a manual to see if I like the feel of the stick.

corvette

Wow... I don't think they were running that much of an incentive when I bought my G6!

guss

I wish I had waited instead of getting my Malibu in September. Back then Employee pricing was a good deal. Now it's Employee pricing plus rebates plus dealer discounts.

I could be driving a V-6 G8 for what I paid for my Malibu.

andre1969

My local Pontiac has a few used 2008 GTs- all priced under $24K. Tempting, even if it does come with an automatic.

Ooh that is tempting. Sorta makes me wish my 2000 Intrepid had a catastrophic failure looming in the near future. :P

Just for kicks I searched on www.autobytel.com, and found three 2008 G8 GTs within 50 miles of me. Mileage in the 11-15K range, and pricing from around $21-22K. Heck, my Intrepid's out-the-door price was more than that 9 years ago...and a G8 is a heckuva lot more car for the money!

fezo

Ooh that is tempting. Sorta makes me wish my 2000 Intrepid had a catastrophic failure looming in the near future.

This could be arranged.....

kyfdx

A neighbor of mine might be changing jobs, and losing his company car (newer Taurus).. He'll do 18K-20K miles/yr. with the new job.. Tired of boring sedans.. So, either wants an SUV with 3rd row seating (three kids, but wife has an Odyssey), or a sporty sedan that seats five...

Budget is $15K-$20K... Will probably keep the car 5-6 years and run it into the ground...

His first question to me was, "What about an '02 X5?". While I love BMWs, I basically told him that the car would eventually eat him alive in maintenance and repairs, at the rate that he would put miles on it.

Things he likes: Big American SUVs, Tahoes, Grand Cherokees, etc.. Big luxury cars, LS460, etc.. Japanese luxury of any type, I think.. The G8 GT discussed above is interesting.. Also, wants all the bells and whistles.. American cars are fine..

Needs: Something that won't kill him on repairs and maintenance. (Euro makes worry him), gas mileage not that important, as tax deduction and vehicle allowance will cover a lot of that... Size.. has to seat five.. if it's an SUV, then third row is even better..

So... give me some ideas?

Thanks,
kyfdx

woodyww

Given the budget, 18K-20K miles/yr., wanting reliability: used 4runner or sequoia.

kyfdx

He thinks the 4Runner is a little small inside... The Sequoia isn't a bad idea, though... Wonder how old you have to go, to get down to the $20K range?

I did think of a car my wife looked at this past summer... It was a loaded Volvo XC90 with V8, third row seating, etc.. 23K miles for $24,900.. Had 1.5 yrs of warranty left, too.. I'm guessing '06s are down near $20K now, non-certified...

Thanks!

corvette

The 2.5T XC90 isn't bad, either, and would cost less than the V8.

Also, what about a last-generation Lexus GS430? I think those are in his price range.

kyfdx

Yeah.... I think he'd like the Lexus.. A lot of stuff to go wrong with that one, though... Hmmm.. maybe a GS, as well?

roadburner

I like the G8 GT; low miles and warranty coverage for at least a year or two.

corvette

I was referring to the second-gen GS (1998-2005). It started out as the GS400 but got the engine upgrade (GS430) before the new model debuted. I think it was relatively uncomplicated compared to the current model.

stickguy

a few year old Acura TL (the just replaced body style)? A sedan, but not boring.

kyfdx

Yeah... that was actually my first suggestion..

He called me again this evening.. to get my thoughts on his latest find..

'05 Durango with a Hemi... loaded up... third row.. 40K miles.. Asking $12K.. sigh...

Actually, not a terrible choice... says he likes it better than a Tahoe or Envoy... At least if it turns out to be crap, he is starting from a lower number....

guss

When gas goes to $4 , guess who he is going to blame.

A '07 Saturn Outlook or GMC Acadia should be under $20k and gets pretty good mileage for it's size.

A Dodge Journey would still have alot of warranty left if he like Chryslers and thinks they will still be around.

kyfdx

Well... he says he doesn't care about gas... :surprise:

Considering he likes his cars loaded, I'm doubting under $20K on an Acadia or Outlook... but, I like that idea better...

Kirstie_H

A reporter from a large national newspaper would like to talk to consumers about why they chose the vehicle they purchased. If you are interested in speaking to the reporter, please contact ctalati@edmunds.com no later than January 16, 2009.

woodyww

'05 Durango with a Hemi...40K miles.. Asking $12K.

Didn't Akangel have a used Durango that "turned out to be crap", & she dumped it after a few months?

The problem to me is, buying used American SUV, & mile-ing it up, with no warranty probably. The 4runner is too small--is he hauling a Little League team?

Are there any great deals on new Detroit SUV's? Plenty of warranty, if GM or Chrysler survives. Wait--used or new Pilot????

kyfdx

Well... he likes American SUVs..

Little League team? Kids are 14, 12 and 7, so pretty much.. yeah..

Akangl also had a Nissan Titan that was crap (aren't they all?)..

The Durango does have a powertrain warranty until 70K miles... so, about 1.5 years on that... His one rationalization that I agree with: At only $11K-$12K initial outlay, if it turns out to be the wrong choice, then it won't cost much to get out of it.... The lower point of entry appeals to him... along with the power and the room.. (The Hemi really is a screamer... I think that's what hooked him).

I don't tell them what to do.. I just make gentle suggestions.. Once the decision is made, I try to make them feel good about it.. No one wants to be told that they screwed up.... I can find something good to say about anything...

andre1969

All things considered, I don't think the Hemi is too horrible on fuel economy, either. I mean, you're not going to mistake it for a Prius, but I think it's actually rated about the same as the little 4.7 V-8, and not much worse, really, than the 3.7 V-6 which must work its little butt off to haul that much mass around.

corvette

If memory serves, you can now get a 2006 Pilot under $20k. Even Honda wasn't immune to the downturn in the SUV market. It's not a Hemi, but it's almost certain to be more dependable.

kyfdx

I agree... No way that I would buy the Dodge..

But, $20K is a lot more than $12K...

They already have a 5 yr old Odyssey... they know how great Hondas are.. I think a little bit of a mid-life thing going on here... wants something macho... and something that the wife won't object to (meaning cheap).

We'll see what he does... we are going out on Wednesday.. I'll report back..

anonymousposts

Drove a 5-speed Camry. It was OK ... not great. Could live with it but would rather drive my 04 Accord EX-L. Now something else we came us across at another dealer made us fall in deep car love. Would've driven off the lot immediately if they had the color and options we wanted.

stickguy

so, what was it?

guss

something else we came us across at another dealer made us fall in deep car love.

Acura or Honda ?

woodyww

The lower point of entry appeals to him... along with the power and the room.... The Hemi really is a screamer

Well, you just about talked me into getting a used Durango with that. Or at least driving one. If the price limit is $12K-ish......& hauling kids & stuff, what the he**, he likes it, it's affordable.

"Experts" on CNBC are saying Chrysler is the least likely of the Detroit 3 to survive. Which is depressing. And Mike Jackson CEO of AutoNation was on CNBC today saying that they could sell plenty of new GM SUV's & P/U's with the low gas prices, except no one can get financing. He says no one is buying new Prius's now.......

corvette

And Mike Jackson CEO of AutoNation was on CNBC today saying that they could sell plenty of new GM SUV's & P/U's with the low gas prices, except no one can get financing.

I would think that people would still be scared of a return to $5/gallon gas prices. But, hey, most people have a short memory.

stickguy

discovered today exactly how many miles I am putting on the car with the new commute.

I just got the oil changed today after doing 6.1K since 10/15, so basically 2K/month. And that doesn't even take into account that it pretty much sat for 2 weeks over Christmas (off for a week, and I too the new Acura the next week).

My low mile '05 (just turned 37,200 this week) won't be low mile much longer.

michaellno

Oh, ouch.

I can understand why you're looking for something with comfy seats. 500 miles a week is a lot.

On the local talk radio station a couple of weeks ago, they were talking about long commutes --- folks called in who drive 100-200 miles per day!

I have to admit that working from home has been nice in the respect that I don't put too many miles on my car. I think I accrued 10K on the L300 in the past 12 months - puts me at 77K.

The ION has 23K (in 2.5 years) and the VUE has almost 20K in not quite a year and a half. And the VUE will take us from Colorado to Sedona, AZ in May for a week's vacation - almost 800 miles each way.

otto8

In my neck of the woods of Syracuse NY a used 08 Caddy DTS can be
had for $19,9xx or a USED 08 Trailblazer 4x4 for $12,9xx........................

Can be driven anywhere with no fear of damage or vandalism or angry
stares and comments of "BUY AMERICAN" from a displaced worker
whos job went overseas that would happen to target a "import" brand
foreign vehicle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bumpy

A loaded shotgun will also accomplish that, plus you're not stuck driving undesirable vehicles.

corvette

A used 2008 Trailblazer SS would be more interesting, but I don't think those are going for $13k, yet.

tifighter

A used 2008 Trailblazer SS would be more interesting, but I don't think those are going for $13k, yet.


I hate to admit it, but I do think these are kinda interesting. Amazing that the gas prices, then the economy just hasn't seemed to have much effect on their pricing, new or used...

Of course, the Seattle market isn't a very good barometer...everything is overpriced.

woodyww

I would think that people would still be scared of a return to $5/gallon gas prices. But, hey, most people have a short memory.

Apparently there's an "oil glut" now--& oil co's. are storing oil in tanker ships 'cause they can't sell it all. But we've seen this movie before.

The prices people are saying nice barely used American SUV's are going for, sure makes it sound tempting, even if gas prices go way up again (maybe???). Altho 12 mpg can be depressing even at $2 gas.

Apparently "nothing" new is selling--not big American SUV's, or Prisus's, & bmw sales are awful I think. Gee I wonder when we'll be able to get a "great deal" on a new bmw--I'm not holding my breath.

corvette

It seems like there's an artificial "floor" below which most dealers won't go... The Audi dealer where I turned in my A4 was asking $29k for a CPO 2007 A4 like the one I turned in. This is a car that stickered for $34k new and is now two years old. The residual on my lease was something like $25k, and that figure was set before we were in a financial meltdown.

anonymousposts

it was a 2009 Accord EX V6 Coupe 6-speed with Navi. That is one great car. Excellent transmission, nice interior, NAV, and that engine is a screamer. However, the price of admission is high at 30 grand and there are none to be found in the color combination we want. Even Atlanta's largest Honda dealer had ZERO 6-speed coupes with nav and only one scheduled to be allocated in February. Which may be a good thing.

Came across a 2005 Infiniti G35 sedan with the 6-speed manual. Graphite over gray with 50,000 miles. Has everything but NAV. Going to see if Gee likes it and go from there.

qbrozen

The G is a FAR better car. Trust me.

Ok... "better" is kind of an iffy description. It is exponentially more fun. It handles 10x better. It looks and sounds better. It at least feels more compact (meaning it doesn't feel like you are trying to steer a boat). The downside? Its a bit thirstier.

anonymousposts

it has 19" wheels which scared me but it's far smoother than a 6MT coupe with the 19" wheels I drove a while ago. The previous owner seems to have taken really good care of it. It is spotless inside and the tires seem new. I belive it may also have some factory warranty remaining which will cover any hidden suprises.

To buy this we will try to sell Gee's 2000 RX300. That will leave us with the Accord and the G35, pending Gee's stamp of approval.

roadburner

I thoght some CCBA members could help me with this- One of our friends has a kid who needs a car for work and college. They don't want to spend over $8K and would prefer to spend closer to $5K. They'd also like decent fuel economy and reliability. I'm thinking and older Accord or Civic. They looked at a 2004 Mitsu Lancer but I've heard evil things about Mitsu reliability. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

anonymousposts

a nice Accord or Civic. A Camry or ES300 would fit the bill but you have to be careful and check for sludge. Other than that they are bulletproof. Honda CR-V's seem to be indestructable and would offer a little but more space,