Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

benjaminh

Michaell said:

....
Yes, the L300 was the loaded model, with the 3.0L V6....I kept it for about 7 years and just over 90,000 miles when we traded it in on my daughter's first MINI. Got $3000 in trade. Overall, I liked the car. Smooth, reasonably quick - but, down on power when compared to the Camry, Accord and Altima of the time. It didn't nickel and dime me to death. It took massive chunks of money from my budget. Had two BCM's fail - the first one cost me $600 to repair, the second I got for a discount because the first one failed after a year. Had to replace the rotors and calipers, as well - that was another $1200 fix....

I looked at the Camry SE V6 (wife dismissed it with one look), the Accord V6 and the Passat V6 AWD. The Accord and Passat were just out of my budget; they were around $30K whereas the Saturn was something like $26K.

I will say that I truly enjoyed the Saturn experience. Yeah, you couldn't negotiate on the price, but they were genuinely focused on customer service - both in the sales and service departments. My immediate family ended up buying 3 more new, and 1 used, Saturn, after that.

Thanks for the report. Your experience seems to show both the good and the bad of the Saturn experience. I'm still little sad they killed Saturn. Heck, I'm even still sad they killed Oldsmobile. And don't get me started on LaSalle lol!

As an aside at about the same time you got your Saturn, in 2002 I got a new Honda Accord LX 4-cylinder 5-speed manual for c. $16,000. I kept it for 8 years and 90,000 miles and didn't have any repairs beyond maintenance and tires. I think I got c. 5k in trade at the end. But I was happy to have a 4-cylinder Accord, even a base model. It would have seemed like a stripper compared to your L300, but to me at the time it seemed like a precision luxury car compared to anything I'd owned before.

stickguy

ab348 said:

laurasdada said:

I believe that Vader once owned the Yanks.
Ok, maybe the local alternative:

Let's go Mets!
Amazin', amazin', amazin'
RC Cola, Rheingold, Plymouth
Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner
Ya gotta believe!
The true Tom Terrific
Mookie woulda beat it out anyway!

Yes, grew up a Mets fan, but never the Yanks.

Everybody sing!

Meet The Mets
Meet The Mets
Step right up and Greet The Mets
Bring your kiddies,
Bring your wife,
Guarenteed to have the time of your life
Because the Mets are really socking the ball
Knocking those home runs over the wall
East Side
West Side
Everybody's going down
To Meet the M-E-T-S Mets,
Of New York Town

Oh, the butcher and the baker and the man in the street. where are they going? To meet the Mets!

qbrozen

sda said:

28firefighter said:

Proud father moment. The little one has started counting the gears when I am shifting. He's pretty good - he knows when I'm in neutral and when I shift to first.

That’s great. Wait until he learns to read the speedometer! I made the mistake of explaining what it is and speed limit signs to my daughter when she was very young. She would pop up, daddy it’s 45 slow down, or you’re going too fast. A little speed monitor she was. She also called out her mom, lol. Now that she’s driving she claims it’s ok to go up to 5 over the limit. I wonder where she got that idea. Oh boy.

Mine loved to do that for a while. “Dad gets us there faster because he drives 80!”

roadburner

When my son was in middle and high school he loved the Stoplight Grand Prix. The only problem was that he would say things like, “That guy’s not that fast, you can take him.” or “He’s an idiot, you’re gonna smoke him!” when my wife was in the car.

kyfdx

72 month, 0% loan on the 2017 X3. I'm guessing I won't pay it off early.

laurasdada

I took out a 60 month on the Jag @1.84%. Figured during the term, interest rates would rise and I would be ahead of the game with investments. Well, they did start rising, during the final year... another swing and a miss.

Hello, Mr. Met!
When I was very young, the Mets were very bad. So, being a clever lad, I rewrote the first few lines of the song:

Beat The Mets
Beat The Mets
Step right up and Beat The Mets
It's so easy,
It's so fun,
All you need is one run and you've won
Because the Mets are really dropping the ball
Watching those home runs sail over the wall...

So young, so cynical.
And, then, The Miracle!

oldfarmer50

I was checking out some cars on AutoList and I see quite a few with no prices just “Accepting Offers”. Is that something new or is this a function of cars not selling and dealers just throwing up their hands to get whatever they can?

corvette

I just ordered $200 of gift cards from my local pub, for use when they reopen. Hope they make it - I still have $400 in gift cards from there in my drawer from stocking up during their holiday promotion (20% off).

stickguy

I was seeing a lot of "call for price" even before the shutdowns. but asking for offers does not surprise me. If they are willing to cut obscene deals to move units, good chance people will actually offer more.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I was seeing a lot of "call for price" even before the shutdowns. but asking for offers does not surprise me. If they are willing to cut obscene deals to move units, good chance people will actually offer more.

Yeah, the “call for price” has been around forever. Never understood it as I thought it was manipulative and I’d just move on. But this is a new thing for me. It seemed more open ended as if those dealers weren’t sure what the market price was anymore. Someone mentioned the lack of auction prices to guide them.

Might be time to throw around some insane low offers and see what happens. Makes me wish for a bigger driveway.

stickguy

I would be doing it if I was in between cars and really had to get one once the life embargo ended. Hit up all the local dealers and see which one if any wants to bite.

kyfdx

corvette said:

I just ordered $200 of gift cards from my local pub, for use when they reopen. Hope they make it - I still have $400 in gift cards from there in my drawer from stocking up during their holiday promotion (20% off).

Invite me down, and see if we can burn those up!

28firefighter

Installed a very important upgrade on the ZHP today. My Eagles license plate frame.

pensfan83

I could get you a nice Pitt one too 👀

28firefighter

The last time I had a friend send me stuff from Pittsburgh, he included a half dozen terrible towels.

nyccarguy

Thanks so much everybody for the birthday wishes!

tjc78

28firefighter said:

Installed a very important upgrade on the ZHP today. My Eagles license plate frame.

Yeah!! Fly Eagles Fly.

mjfloyd1

Crazy 100 rental cars burn Ft Myers Airport - says started by brush fire

https://beachgrit.com/2020/04/watch-over-one-hundred-rental-cars-burned-at-florida-airport-wildly-possessive-surf-locals-suspected/

oldfarmer50

mjfloyd1 said:

Crazy 100 rental cars burn Ft Myers Airport - says started by brush fire

https://beachgrit.com/2020/04/watch-over-one-hundred-rental-cars-burned-at-florida-airport-wildly-possessive-surf-locals-suspected/

I wonder if those were the cars that Sandy parked.

oldfarmer50

OK, I don’t want to hear about any of you guys taking joy rides in PA. I can get a nickel reward for turning you in.

https://youtu.be/JpICYU04bHQ

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

Installed a very important upgrade on the ZHP today. My Eagles license plate frame.

Cuts value in half

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

The last time I had a friend send me stuff from Pittsburgh, he included a half dozen terrible towels.

Good substitute for toilet paper..

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

mjfloyd1 said:

Crazy 100 rental cars burn Ft Myers Airport - says started by brush fire

https://beachgrit.com/2020/04/watch-over-one-hundred-rental-cars-burned-at-florida-airport-wildly-possessive-surf-locals-suspected/

I wonder if those were the cars that Sandy parked.

Wrong side of the state

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 said:

mjfloyd1 said:

Crazy 100 rental cars burn Ft Myers Airport - says started by brush fire

https://beachgrit.com/2020/04/watch-over-one-hundred-rental-cars-burned-at-florida-airport-wildly-possessive-surf-locals-suspected/

I wonder if those were the cars that Sandy parked.

The worst part is I've been hearing rumors that his lead told him not to park those cars there. That's going to come out of his paycheck when he's called back to work. But then there are rumors about that too.

jmonroe

pensfan83

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

The last time I had a friend send me stuff from Pittsburgh, he included a half dozen terrible towels.

Good substitute for toilet paper..

Hey now

stickguy

I was wondering when they would start enforcing. I am sure the police want no part of it. But I would argue that for me, driving occasionally is life sustaining!

I told my wife that if we are going out, even to just cruise around, bring a shop rite bag with some stuff in it, and just say we were out getting necessities.

tjc78

You could always just say you were out of TP and searching for a store that had it.

Michaell

OK, here's a question for everyone. We live fairly close to a municipal airport, and I'm seeing and hearing private planes flying around. Is that considered "essential" travel? It's not like they can land in the parking lot of the local Wal-Mart to pick up supplies.

explorerx4

We live near a municipal airport, too.
Air traffic is way down.
Do occasionally hear the sound of a prop motor.
Commercial traffic to CT's main airport(BDL) seems to be almost non existent.
We live about 30 miles from it, so used to hearing and seeing a lot of planes.

28firefighter

Planes are not grounded, so airports are still operating. Nothing stopping flights from happening and, in some cases, they’re considered essential.

Ideally you shouldn’t be hearing private pilots flying, but as long as they’re flying solo they’re probably more socially distanced than most.

stickguy

you aren't supposed to go anywhere, but you can get really cheap airfares, on real airlines. My friend said he saw Boston to Chicago now for $51. We were supposed to be going out to Chi town over Memorial day with them, but that ain't happening now.

pensfan83

I'm so happy we got our vacation for this year in already. If things come back online by the summer we may do a short getaway to someplace close but that's probably it.

28firefighter

Our vacation is getting cancelled. Cruise to Alaska won’t be happening - even if they don’t cancel it for us, my parents refuse to take the gamble so soon after this mess. Can’t say I disagree, plus I think it is likely to be cancelled by the cruise line - half the season has already been cancelled.

stickguy

we lost 2 vacations (both long weekends, but still going away) and our Easter trip to NY to visit family. I think we are going to take a week off late in June and hope by then we can go someplace (probably Vermont) that is open! No way I am buying tickets. Will drive, and worry about accommodations closer to the time. So if it has to be scrubbed, oh well. Will have a week off at home I guess.

I am still worried that the beach towns are going to stay shut down, and our weeks rental at the Jersey shore has to be cancelled. That we have not missed in 25 years. Third week of July is when we go, so if this is still shutting life down at that point this country is done.

kyfdx

Hawaii trip planned for September. Plane tickets purchased (easy to change), deposits made for condos on two islands. $1750 in deposits, but final payments due in July (another $2600).

Not the end of the world, if we eat the $1750, and put it off, but making the decision by early July might be tough, to avoid losing the final payment.

roadburner

We were going to SC in a couple of weeks; we moved it until fall.

carnaught

I am a big cruise fan but no way I’d go on one....indefinitely....

explorerx4

Recinded my vacation time for the end of March trip to Ohio and Easter trip to Wisconsin.

jmonroe

I never thought I'd say this but it's too bad that the closing on Son #1's second flip house was put on hold do to this virus thingy because I could sure use a few hours to bang on something right about now. :@

jmonroe

Michaell

My son, his wife and her daughter are scheduled to take a cruise of the Baltic this September. Already paid for, but I don't know what the cancellation or postponement policies are.

And, I was hoping to take a trip to CA in May. That's not likely to happen, now.

tjc78

We can’t go to our summer place by the shore until 5/1 at the earliest now. We should have been able to open on 3/30. It really stinks having to pay for something you can’t use.

Cruises: One man’s opinion that the industry is going to take a very long time to recover.

28firefighter

tjc78 said:

Cruises: One man’s opinion that the industry is going to take a very long time to recover.

I happen to think that cruising will never be the same, if it recovers at all. It was already well known for being an easy way to get norovirus if it breaks out on the ship - folks are going to be paranoid for a long long time.

tjc78

I haven’t read up much, but I wonder how many lines cancelled new builds. It certainly wouldn’t be a smart thing to introduce a new ship.

tjc78

I also think that regardless of size and occupancy that there will be new regulations to thin out the amount of passengers. I’m thinking something like 60% of max capacity

andres3

stickguy said:

we lost 2 vacations (both long weekends, but still going away) and our Easter trip to NY to visit family. I think we are going to take a week off late in June and hope by then we can go someplace (probably Vermont) that is open! No way I am buying tickets. Will drive, and worry about accommodations closer to the time. So if it has to be scrubbed, oh well. Will have a week off at home I guess.

I am still worried that the beach towns are going to stay shut down, and our weeks rental at the Jersey shore has to be cancelled. That we have not missed in 25 years. Third week of July is when we go, so if this is still shutting life down at that point this country is done.

If this thing goes past May, which is a full 31 days after a 30 day month of April, then I'm afraid social distancing was pointless and useless. Sort of like the people telling you that you'll live longer driving 55 MPH.

andres3

28firefighter said:

tjc78 said:

Cruises: One man’s opinion that the industry is going to take a very long time to recover.

I happen to think that cruising will never be the same, if it recovers at all. It was already well known for being an easy way to get norovirus if it breaks out on the ship - folks are going to be paranoid for a long long time.

Chipotle recovered, I"m sure cruise ships will too. All they have to do is lower prices.

stickguy

we were never cruise people to start with (for various reasons) but I was not rabid about it (my wife, different story). But you could not pay me to go on a big boat at this point.

my father and his wife had a river boat cruise (some river up the middle of Europe) scheduled for April or May. They scrapped that a while back, rescheduled for IIRC August. Not sure if that will even be happening. Would not upset me, since not really a great time for a pair of 91 YO people to be travelling solo to Europe then being on a boat for 7-10 days (though it is a smaller river boat so way less people, it is still going to be a breeding ground).

stickguy

Andre, it won't necessarily mean the precautions were not needed. Just as likely it means that without them, the result would have been way more catastrophic.

you could be right about the boats though. After the constant reports of illnesses and other problems, I am surprised people are still going on them. But if they keep the prices cheap enough (and the free booze flowing) quite likely some folks will keep booking.

breld

Wife and I were supposed to go to London May 11th. We’re obviously not going, but just waiting for British Airways to cancel the flight so I can get our money back without any penalties.

jmonroe

andres3 said:

stickguy said:

we lost 2 vacations (both long weekends, but still going away) and our Easter trip to NY to visit family. I think we are going to take a week off late in June and hope by then we can go someplace (probably Vermont) that is open! No way I am buying tickets. Will drive, and worry about accommodations closer to the time. So if it has to be scrubbed, oh well. Will have a week off at home I guess.

I am still worried that the beach towns are going to stay shut down, and our weeks rental at the Jersey shore has to be cancelled. That we have not missed in 25 years. Third week of July is when we go, so if this is still shutting life down at that point this country is done.

If this thing goes past May, which is a full 31 days after a 30 day month of April, then I'm afraid social distancing was pointless and useless. Sort of like the people telling you that you'll live longer driving 55 MPH.

I should have known, if anyone in here could have drawn a parallel of this virus to speeding it would be you.

jmonroe