Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

stickguy said:

so what year is the 2 series? is is a turbo 6?

Naturally I'd like an M235i, but the value is pretty great on this 228i. It's a great replacement for the GTI. I was telling @michaell yesterday that it's a nice mix/compromise between the GTI and Miata - great 4 cylinder turbo but with the RWD dynamic.

qbrozen

Interestingly, I traded my GTI on my 135i. I thought it was a great replacement. It proved me wrong.

But yours should be more reliable. Theoretically. And, no matter since you won't have it long enough to find out.

stickguy

I remember that one. I really, really liked it when you posted the listing. I approve!

stickguy

QB, I just remembered. Last Friday on the way to dinner I passed an orange Daytona that looked a lot like yours. Same generation. Don't see many of them out and about.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

QB, I just remembered. Last Friday on the way to dinner I passed an orange Daytona that looked a lot like yours. Same generation. Don't see many of them out and about.

you sure it wasn't me? ha.
Let's see ... no, didn't have it out last Friday. Took it out yesterday for the first time in probably a couple of months. It was NOT happy to be out in the cold. And there was a good bit of frozen condensation inside the car.

nyccarguy

Wow! Congrats to all! Nice work finding new homes for your cars with fellow CCBA members.

As @Michaell mentioned, I had a serious hockey weekend this weekend which involved LOTS of driving and one of the coldest rinks in the state so I wasn’t able to keep up with the CCBA punches.

My son Henry’s state hockey tournament was in Bolton, CT which is about 90 miles from here. Game 1 was Thursday night. It took 2 solid hours to get there. Well worth the trip. 2-1 victory. Drove home 1 1/2 hours and then to work Friday. Drove home Friday night, then to work on Saturday. I had to work on Saturday. My wife took her parents and our kids back up to Bolton. They won 9-3. I drove from work 2 hours up to Bolton. They won 5-3! On to the semi finals this AM. A very exciting game. Unfortunately they lost 4-3.

breld

Congrats to your son and his team @nyccarguy! And kudos to you and your wife for doing all you do to support your kids!

fintail

Is he the goalie? Congrats. Some of the time put in by the hockey parents I know through playing is really staggering - a few of the guys on my rec league team have kids who play, so they seem to live at a couple local rinks. On tournament weekends, adult games get bumped later than usual, 10pm tonight. Tweaked my back a little and lost (but to a team in a higher division), but it was still fun. Cold rinks are the best, nice crunchy ice. I hope your kids end up playing for the long haul too.

nyccarguy said:

Wow! Congrats to all! Nice work finding new homes for your cars with fellow CCBA members.

As @Michaell mentioned, I had a serious hockey weekend this weekend which involved LOTS of driving and one of the coldest rinks in the state so I wasn’t able to keep up with the CCBA punches.

My son Henry’s state hockey tournament was in Bolton, CT which is about 90 miles from here. Game 1 was Thursday night. It took 2 solid hours to get there. Well worth the trip. 2-1 victory. Drove home 1 1/2 hours and then to work Friday. Drove home Friday night, then to work on Saturday. I had to work on Saturday. My wife took her parents and our kids back up to Bolton. They won 9-3. I drove from work 2 hours up to Bolton. They won 5-3! On to the semi finals this AM. A very exciting game. Unfortunately they lost 4-3.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

I remember that one. I really, really liked it when you posted the listing. I approve!

Yeah, when he bought it, I'm thinking: Wait a minute, why am I not getting that car, instead of this GTI?

nyccarguy

stickguy

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

I remember that one. I really, really liked it when you posted the listing. I approve!

Yeah, when he bought it, I'm thinking: Wait a minute, why am I not getting that car, instead of this GTI?

I would probably take the BMW too. Even though it is out of warranty

nyccarguy

@breld - congrats on that 228i! I like that A LOT. Is that car CPO?

graphicguy

@breld .... @kyfdx congrats on the great punches, swaps, new rides. Love them!

breld

nyccarguy said:

@breld - congrats on that 228i! I like that A LOT. Is that car CPO?

No CPO. It was too old to be certified.

nyccarguy

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

@breld - congrats on that 228i! I like that A LOT. Is that car CPO?

No CPO. It was too old to be certified.

Did you have a PPI inspection done?

breld

nyccarguy said:

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

@breld - congrats on that 228i! I like that A LOT. Is that car CPO?

No CPO. It was too old to be certified.

Did you have a PPI inspection done?

No, it could turn out to haunt me, but I placed a lot of trust on it being sold by a BMW dealer and it being a local vehicle its whole life.

And from my own visual inspection, it’s in incredible shape (not that I can tell much of anything from a mechanical perspective).

roadburner

The F22 and N20 have a very good track records with regards to reliability. If I wanted a 2er I wouldn’t hesitate for a nanosecond.

nyccarguy

So how did this all go down? Were you all colluding offline? Who got the ball rolling in this epic 3 way deal? Is this the 1st time in CCBA history that one poster bought a car from another poster?

sda

nyccarguy said:

So how did this all go down? Were you all colluding offline? Who got the ball rolling in this epic 3 way deal? Is this the 1st time in CCBA history that one poster bought a car from another poster?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Congratulations to all with the new rides.

sda

Good news, the garage that did such a poor job replacing the starter on the Accord, which necessitated replacement at the Honda service department last month, gave me a total refund on the botched job.

nyccarguy

sda said:

Good news, the garage that did such a poor job replacing the starter on the Accord, which necessitated replacement at the Honda service department last month, gave me a total refund on the botched job.

I'm glad that worked out for you!

stickguy

That is nice news

breld

nyccarguy said:

So how did this all go down? Were you all colluding offline? Who got the ball rolling in this epic 3 way deal? Is this the 1st time in CCBA history that one poster bought a car from another poster?

Since @kyfdx already had been interested in my last GTI, but the timing didn't work out, I understood he may be interested this go around. So we just worked things out offline - agreeing on a CCBA-friendly and fair price was quick and easy. And I believe that started the ball rolling on finding a buyer for his ZHP, for which @pensfan83 was the lucky winner. But I'll let them relay that story.

I chose not to share the purchase of the 228i right away, even though it was tempting to share the 2-punch day! I didn't really want to "give anything away" too early with the related GTI punch for @kyfdx.

stickguy

And he gets a nice 1,200 mile shake down cruise to get it home.

breld

It was amusing though - my wife and I had spent the whole morning at the Porsche dealer trying to work something on a Macan. When we gave up there, we proceeded to Loveland which is 30 or so miles north of Denver to the BMW dealer up there to buy the 2-series (I was 99% sure I'd be buying it).

While I was completing the paperwork on that, my wife said she'd wander over to the MB dealer next door. The GLC Coupe was one of the few options we had spent extensive time looking at over the previous week. We knew they had a service loaner in the black she liked and equipped nicely, though it was priced a bit on the high side.

When I was just about done with at BMW, she texted me that they seemed to be willing to move on pricing to where we wanted to be, so I headed on next door to MB in my "new" BMW, and it ended up being a 2 punch afternoon/evening!

explorerx4

Clunk! Jaw drops to the floor.

stickguy

My wife would have a coronary if I ever tried something like that.

tjc78

Yeah, I wouldn’t get away with that one!

Congrats to all involved in the swaps. I think everyone is going to be happy.

[Deleted User]

It does make for a great story, and keeping it all in the "family"

[Deleted User]

breld said:

Finally! The cat’s out of the bag! 😀

Not like @kyfdx bought a plane ticket today...we’ve been making plans for weeks now!

@michaell and I are picking him up at the airport tomorrow, we’ll finalize the little paperwork that’s required and then @jpp75 is joining us for dinner and an Avalanche game!

I trust the game isn't in the Springs again, heard that one was a mess getting home...

stickguy

organized my notes and made a list for the wife, and sent her an email with links to each model, of what my list currently has on it that I want to go visit in person and test drive. It includes the couple she specifically said she liked, a few we saw at the car show that attracted her eye, and some that I just want to look at anyway. All items that fit the general criteria to replace the RDX, and be a LT keeper to serve as her DD and commuter wheels, but also serve as our primary travel and go places together vehicle. IOW, the "good" car.

depending on what she settles on (and the cost associated) might not happen immediately since I do already have a new car. But you never know.

current list for those keeping a scorecard:

BMW X3
Acura RDX
Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0t
Volvo XC60 (added back for a 2nd look)
Mazda CX5 GT (ditto)
Honda CRV Hybrid (not out yet, and only looking at Hybrid)
Toyota Highlander XLE (just because it looked very nicely done, would be our one larger option considered).

Any one of these would be a great option. Some variety in luxury content, performance, capacity. And of course Price. But they would all work, and I suspect that the wife would be more than happy with any of them. Some likely have a longer learning curve though!

nyccarguy

@stickguy

Funny you should mention about "the good car." "The good car" has always been my car that we'd use to go out on date nights or if taking just 1 or 2 kids somewhere. Now with the Tacoma, we end up taking her Pilot. Don't get me wrong. The Pilot is nice, but it just isn't a nice coupe or sedan.

corvette

I pulled the Tahoe into my garage to drive the G37 to a nearby park to go hiking. Went to switch cars so I could drive the Tahoe tomorrow and the electrical system threw yet another tantrum. When I tried to start it, all the lights went dead and the door locks started clicking. Tried again a couple of minutes later and it started up fine.

My options at this point are:
1. Dump it and hope it runs when the next victim owner drives it off the lot.
2. Take it back to the mechanic and demand that they replace the positive and negative battery cables (I'm about 80% sure this is the issue, parts are about $150 or so, but I have no clue on labor).
3. Take it to a different mechanic, explain the repair history, and request that they replace battery cables.

tjc78

Now that we have the Volvo, we almost never take the Enclave if it’s just us. We both just prefer the sedan.

tjc78

You are in CCBA. Option 1 is the only option.

corvette

I guess I need to take some test drives. I liked riding in my friend's 4Runner, but I think the antiquated powertrain might be a deal breaker for me. I like driving the F-150, but the Tundra leases really well. So long as I end up with something reliable, I don't think I'd mind having it longer than 24-36 months, though.

Sandman6472

The wife let me know that since my mileage has dropped so severely on the Golf, that going forward, it'll be the vehicle we use going out instead of the A3 so she can stay under the 7500 miles/year we told the insurance company. I'm at just shy of 63K now while she just hit 51K so this will be doable I'm thinking. Anyways, still safe until after tax season ends as she's super busy still.

Sandman6472

Congrats on the new vehicles and owners, a bit complicated but all parties seem very happy. Really loving both the GTI and the 228i, I could be happy in either but with an auto tranny. Would love a BMW but to be honest, don't think one's in the cards for me. They don't seem to make one in the size I need and want. The 128i would've been perfect if it had a 4 cylinder turbo but again, they don't make one. And nothing that MB makes that I like except the new "A" Class but again, a bit pricey and not the perfect size.

xwesx

corvette said:

I pulled the Tahoe into my garage to drive the G37 to a nearby park to go hiking. Went to switch cars so I could drive the Tahoe tomorrow and the electrical system threw yet another tantrum. When I tried to start it, all the lights went dead and the door locks started clicking. Tried again a couple of minutes later and it started up fine.

My options at this point are:
1. Dump it and hope it runs when the next victim owner drives it off the lot.
2. Take it back to the mechanic and demand that they replace the positive and negative battery cables (I'm about 80% sure this is the issue, parts are about $150 or so, but I have no clue on labor).
3. Take it to a different mechanic, explain the repair history, and request that they replace battery cables.

Sounds like a grounding issue. Maybe resistance in the cable, also maybe corrosion on the post where the negative cable attaches to the distribution block / starter / etc.

stickguy

we have almost always taken my car locally. largely because I am always the one doing the driving. Unless we needed the big car for some reason, then we took hers. Trips, also depended on amount of stuff coming with us. that was the problem with the Elantra. Even though it was the new car, the wife just did not riding in it much. The Sonata and TLX, those she had no issue with!

xwesx

@breld @kyfdx @pensfan83

Quite the epic story, guys! Congrats to all of you on your respective buys. I'm thrilled to see that we finally have some additional road trips going on to bring cars home, even if they are (relatively) short.

xwesx

I need to take my Q7 in for a recall programming in a couple of weeks.... 800 miles round-trip.

Sandman6472

Retiree lunch took a little longer than planned so skipped the Seltos test drive for today. Would rather go like at 10 am on a sunny weekday and see what happens in the next few weeks. Not lusting after it to be honest and since the Golf is behaving, not in a real hurry to kick it out of the stable quite yet. And thinking that maybe the Venue in the Denim Package might be a good choice especially having the Hyundai dealer so super close. And with the new 2021 Golf SE possibly coming to our shores, thinking waiting a bit until ten might be the right thing to do.
Some good news, finally cashed in some lotto ticket from January and surprise surprise, I won! Not a whole lot and am in the red for the year, every year, but won $210 in a couple of tickets. Guess I read the numbers wrong cause I thought I had won only $20 dollars. But once the gas station said I'd have to go to a supermarket to cash one of them in, I figured I had won a bit more than the $20 bucks! Still, a lucky surprise!!

xwesx

@Sandman6472 Well, the longer you wait on the Golf, the more cash that stays in your pocket. You can't really lose by continuing to feel out your options.

explorerx4

Highlander is pretty much a 2 row, 3rd row has been just been marketing since they came out.

stickguy

I don't need or want a 3rd row. It would stay folded down the majority of the time. It just gives some extra cargo space.

jmonroe

stickguy said:

And he gets a nice 1,200 mile shake down cruise to get it home.

I wonder if @oldfarmer50 would volunteer to ride co-pilot to get it back to Kentucky sooner. He is a professional driver ya know.

jmonroe

houdini1

kyfdx said:

It’s a little banged up..

Just drive down to the paintless dent removal guy.

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Retiree lunch took a little longer than planned so skipped the Seltos test drive for today. Would rather go like at 10 am on a sunny weekday and see what happens in the next few weeks. Not lusting after it to be honest and since the Golf is behaving, not in a real hurry to kick it out of the stable quite yet. And thinking that maybe the Venue in the Denim Package might be a good choice especially having the Hyundai dealer so super close. And with the new 2021 Golf SE possibly coming to our shores, thinking waiting a bit until ten might be the right thing to do.
Some good news, finally cashed in some lotto ticket from January and surprise surprise, I won! Not a whole lot and am in the red for the year, every year, but won $210 in a couple of tickets. Guess I read the numbers wrong cause I thought I had won only $20 dollars. But once the gas station said I'd have to go to a supermarket to cash one of them in, I figured I had won a bit more than the $20 bucks! Still, a lucky surprise!!

Good news, the money just keeps rolling in for you. It never hurts to have a bigger bankroll when you finally hit the showroom. Keep in mind that when you hit two years at Enterprise you’ll start receiving profit sharing. Just got mine as a Valentine present. Almost 800 bucks. Not a fortune but worth a couple months of car payments.😃

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

And he gets a nice 1,200 mile shake down cruise to get it home.

I wonder if @oldfarmer50 would volunteer to ride co-pilot to get it back to Kentucky sooner. He is a professional driver ya know.

jmonroe

Are you sure I can be trusted? One of my coworkers ran into an ambulance today. Doesn’t say much for our professionalism.

I would like to visit Kentucky though.