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Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

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Comments

  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Welcome back jolie! :-)

    Glad the trip went OK, it's dicey weather this time of year. Watch out for those Texas fires!

    (aren't those fires on the news in Texas?)

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    What year/model is your 4Runner? I've "almost" bought a 4Runner several times over the years. Recently I saw a 2000 LTD 4wd with 44K miles go for about $14K-something-I think-on ebay. Seemed like a lot of vehicle for the $$, & w/in driving distance of me. Of course the current gen is supposed to be a lot better.

    I like dark green cars too, some of the Toyota trucks/SUVS have had a nice dark green option over the years.....

    That Accord--high miles, old tires, *lots of scratches and dings in the paint, and the alloys are totally scuffed to heck*. I totally don't know the prices, but if "retail" is $8800,
    I'd be thinking $6K-ish--maybe-- to take on a 100K miles, 8-9 y.o. Accord. And I'd start deducting from that for the tires, paint, etc. I think if you paid $8K for this gem they'd do cartwheels all the way to the bank, & then hold their breaths until the check cleared.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Well, my 4Runner is a boring silver. Because I was insistent on a stick shift for that purchase, I didn't get to be too choosy about colors. Mine is a MY 2000, the last year they had the stick.

    The LTD 4WD with only 44K would be a raging bargain in my area at $14K. It would go for around $17K in a private sale, and probably $20K or so properly prepped and sold by a dealer.

    The new one got huge, too big for my purposes, and for those of many 4Runner devotees over the years. OTOH, Toyota did pull in a whole DIFFERENT crowd of buyers (a slightly bigger crowd) by supersizing it, and it didn't hurt that they superengined it at the same time. The upcoming FJ is the proper successor to the 2002 4Runner, not the 2003 4Runner.

    As for the Accord, well, this is why I don't usually go to dealers for used cars...I am a sucker! But I did like the looks of it, and it drove without a hiccup or any funny sounds or smells. To me, it seems that if average retail is $8800, they should take $7000-7500 without a protest, and I don't know that they won't because I haven't even tried yet. But I am not sure there is any point making a $7000 offer on a car stickered at $10,9. Am I just wasting my time?

    BTW, I hear you on the $6K-ish offer, but I certainly feel like the car would be worth it if I could get it for $7K. It is a nice car with CARFAX and a 3-month B2B warranty included at that price. I figure with a little care it will give me five or six years without a problem, and besides, by then I will probably have gotten bored and traded anyway! :-P

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Jolie, welcome back!!! Glad that you made the trip without any trouble (5,000 miles, wow!)..... And, glad to hear that you are happy!

    My brother lives in Dallas and really likes Texas. When I do my drive from Tennessee, I'll stop in Dallas to see my brother. Once I leave Dallas towards El Paso, it's a mighty long stretch from Dallas to El Paso, you drive all day and haven't even left the state!

    Mark :)
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    unbidden, the salesman made a followup call to me today: he says that NADA Guide and Edmunds are "not for California cars", but rather for "cars in places that rust more". Interesting! :-)

    He says they use KBB to govern their purchase price, and so use KBB to price them on the lot. I asked him why their car was $1000 over Kelly, he had no answer. Yup.

    I told him a $7500 price would prevent me from looking anywhere else, knowing he would say "go look elsewhere", which is exactly what he did! He hinted they would probably take an offer in the $9K range. I dunno, at $9K I would take a pass. At $8K, it would still be in the running.

    For now, I am going to go look at a couple of much newer, lower-miled, gas-sipping Corollas. I am not fussed about having leather and all that stuff - I would rather get 38 to the gallon as long as my car has A/C, CD, and cruise. I just really liked the color.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    I will not buy a car in 2006. To hell with the CCBA membership, I'm going clean.

    But that gives me two more days here........
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 11,281
    Glad to hear you made it safely and are doing well.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Glad you had a safe trip.

    nippononly: I can't help but think that Accord is overpriced. Especially compared to what I have seen them go for around here. I know Cali is a different market but WOW. A friend of mine bought a 2000 Accord EX V6 with 80,000 miles for $9500. It was in a minor accident before but it looked and drove great.

    Well I bought a car. I will leave it up to you all to guess what we did.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    I've only dealt with domestics, but my opinion is that a car with 90-100,000 miles on it isn't something you pay good money for. It's something that a relative or friend hands down to you because they don't want it anymore and don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to sell it! :P

    Still, I can understand the allure of an attractive color.
  • gussguss Member Posts: 1,167
    My guess would be a TL.

    Sometime the right color can make or break a car. Chrysler has this Patriot Blue that looks good to me on anything,even the wife's minivan. On a minivan the color needs to be good because that's alot of paint.
  • lemmerlemmer Member Posts: 2,689
    I hate it when we are left in suspense. We need full details.
  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Ok Anony, I'll bite!

    I say that you and Gee traded the ole Lexus in for a new TL now that the Lexus has been all fixed up! So now you have a driveway full of new cars... the MDX, the Accord and the new TL.

    Mark :D
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Couldn't find any 6-speed NAV's in a color we wanted though.
  • lemmerlemmer Member Posts: 2,689
    6-speed V6 Accord?
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    you are very close though.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    you surely didn't trade for a newer Accord EX 5 speed??

    If not, then you went ahead and got the IS250 stick shift.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • lemmerlemmer Member Posts: 2,689
    I thought they didn't like the taillights on the new Accords. How about a TSX six speed?
  • zodiac2004zodiac2004 Member Posts: 458
    How about a TSX six speed?

    My money is also on the TSX 6-sp.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    to justify buying one. And we aren't crazy about the new taillights.

    You are going to have to think outside the box on this one.

    Hint: Gee owned one before.
  • lemmerlemmer Member Posts: 2,689
    Civic Si?
  • gussguss Member Posts: 1,167
    I love this game.

    Ok, an RX-8, brother to the RX-7.

    My next guess was going to be a Mazda6speed, but no one has owned one of these before.
  • lemmerlemmer Member Posts: 2,689
    Here is Gee's list:


    1991 Toyota MR2
    1987 Toyota Corolla FX16 GTS
    1988 Toyota Corolla FX16 GTS
    1990 Toyota Tercel
    1982 Toyota Tercel
    1987 Toyota Celica GTS
    1997 Toyota RAV4
    1993 Acura Vigor
    1990 Acura Integra
    1991 Acura Integra
    1992 Acura Integra
    1994 Acura Integra
    2000 Chevrolet Silverado
    2001 Mazda Protege
    1991 Nissan 300ZX TT
    1989 Honda Civic wagon
    1993 Honda Civic EX
    1996 Honda Civic EX
    1998 Honda Civic EX
    2000 Honda Civic Si (black)
    2000 Honda Civic Si (blue)
    2002 Honda Civic Si
    2002 Honda Civic SI
    2003 Honda Civic Si
    1991 Honda Accord EX
    1993 Honda Accord EX
    1999 Honda Accord EX
    2001 Honda Accord EX V6
    2003 Honda Accord EX
    2004 Honda Accord EX-L (automatic)
    2004 Honda Accord EX-L (manual)
    2004 Honda Odyssey EX-RES
    1994 Lexus LS400
    1995 Lexus GS300
    1997 Dodge Dakota
    1989 Ford Probe
    1976 Toyota Corona
    1969 VW Bug
    1986 RX-7
    1988 RX-7 Anniversary Edition
    1990 Mazda B-series truck
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    I hope anony didn't trade that beautiful Lexus for another used Tercel! :-P

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    A new Civic Si.
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    *He says they use KBB to govern their purchase price*

    Yeah, right. Take a 100K, 8 y.o. Accord with dings & scuffed alloys to them & see what they'll pay--I bet their whole attitude changes drastically. Suddenly, it'll be a $5K car, they're not worth as much as used Accords in Michigan, or Lithuania, yada yada.

    I think you're lucky they turned down your $7500. You can buy a brand new base Accord for what, $18K (I think), or brand new Civic for around that. So $7500 for a 100K, 8 y.o. one just doesn't compute somehow.....

    P.S. Don't just go on what the books say. Ask Terry on the RWTIV board, or there are other people here who seem to know the values of cheaper, older cars. I really overpaid for a used Honda once 'cause I bought it on a whim, then it needed shocks, & had paint issues, & I think I ate about $2.5k when I sold it a year or 2 later.....for something I paid $5.6K for......
  • racer63racer63 Member Posts: 83
    :cry: :mad: :cry: :mad:

    Kind of as I figured, the Mrs. letting me go car shopping was a little bit of a tease. I had all sorts of cool things on my short list to choose from. But not to be at the immediate moment. I'm going to be all grown up and responsible and pay down the Home Eq Line of Credit some with the spare cash. :( Significantly more fiscally responsible, but way less fun.

    BTW, my bet is on a new Civic Si as well, if it wasn't a TL of TSX.
  • jaserbjaserb Member Posts: 820
    Amen, Woody. They all break. Honda, Toyota, or Hyundai. They're made of metal and glass, rubber and plastic. For my $7,500 I'd take an '03 Sonata or Taurus with 40k miles and maybe even some warranty left way before a 100k mile Honda. Shocks, timing belts, clutches, belts and hoses - even if nothing "major" breaks all that stuff has a limited life expectancy, and costs $$$.

    -Jason
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    But we ended up buying.....
    Actually Anony ended up buying.....
    ...
    ...
    Our Accord. She paid off the lease and we are gonna drive it a least until the 08's come out. We are coming up on our mileage cap pretty quickly so we decided we might as well go ahead and buy out the lease before interest rates climb any further.

    Those Civic Si guesses were pretty good though. The only problem is that I can't drive the new Civic. That funky parking brake lever digs into my leg.
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    That's a trick question.....you bought your own car, &.....so?? Maybe I'll sign the title to my bmw over to myself today.....&, then, "guess what bmw I just bought"?
  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Just saw a new Honda Civic coupe... wow, what a nice looking car! They have come a long way in style!

    I don't really follow Honda's and I had to take a second look at the black beauty that was before me. I would have never thought that was a Civic.. it looks a lot bigger than past Civic's.

    Mark
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    but technically I did buy the Accord from Gee. Same situation as last time. We looked at everything available and came to the conclusion the Accord was yet again the best deal. We even called our local Acura dealer to find a white TL 6-speed but he had none available. We would've bought a new Si but Gee isn't comfortable. After driving a 05 RX330 we thought about buying one but by the end of our time with it we decided the MDX was a better vehicle for us. Also thought about trading the Accord and the MDX for a new MDX Touring with NAV and DVD player. In the end, we decided we are better off with what we have right now.

    The new Si is awesome. It makes the 01-05 Civic look just plain boring. Even more boring than it was before. Honda brought the Civic line up to the standards the 93-95 and the 96-00 generations set.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Just trying to stimulate discussion here. Don't be so literal.
  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Anony and Gee... it's really amazing how many cars that you have had over the years. I like to get new cars too but I like to enjoy them and "bond" with them. :blush:

    Can't wait to see what you guys get next!

    Mark :D
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,345
    quick question: Did you do any suspension upgrades on the Accord, or just your previous Si? I was thinking about a basic suspension kit (to firm up the handling a bit, just to up the "sport" quotient), and was wondering what was available and makes sense to do.

    I looked at HandA, and they had a nice package listed for ~$450 (springs/shocks I think), but it said for the V6 only.

    Might not do anything, but I figure that customizing it a bit will keep me interested, and help us become as one.

    I will probably get the lip spoiler when it warms up, assuming installation isn't going to be too much, just to give it some flavor.

    Amazingly nice car to drive, but it wouldn't hurt to be firmed up a bit.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    I get so excited when someone's buying a new car that it's a let down if they don't. And I thought there might be a prize for whoever guessed what you or anon bought. A new set of high performance tires or something.
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    I was reading the fairly rave review of the new Si in R&T the day before you posted about buying a car. If I felt like blowing $20K-something on a 2nd car, it would at least be on my list. Knowing myself tho, I'd go out to buy a new Honda, but somehow it would mysteriously turn into buying a used bmw.

    BTW, you do have a pretty nice collection of cars there already.....
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    No suspension mods on the Accord. Since it was lease we really didn't want to do too much to it. However, now that it's ours a nice set of 17" wheels couldn't be too far off. Just have to wait for the OEM Michelins to wear out. We will probably lower it a bit when we put wheels on it. Gee has always went with Eibachs so I'm sure that's where he will look when the time comes.

    How do you like the Accord so far? Do you miss the Scion?
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    The Si is a bargain IMO. I will try to drive one soon. No local dealers seem to have them in stock right now.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,345
    so far, I like it. Only have about 115 miles though, since 2 days after I got it we left for Xmas at the family, so it sat for over a week.

    Did use it for shopping trip yesterday. It drives nice, and is growing on me. Can't wait to get it out on some open roads to let it stretch the old legs.

    Washed and waxed it today (finishing the prep job the dealer should have done), and discovered that the tries were a bit low (ditto about the prep job), so that firmed up the handling a bit. Real comfortable ride, and a great interior.

    Love the XM too. Don't miss the Scion at all really.

    I think I will throw on the spoiler, but I doubt I will do anything with the suspension (took much effort, and not really cheap). Handles well enough fro normal around town use, and I don't plan to auto-X with it!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • akanglakangl Member Posts: 3,282
    Whoa, I must have been gone for a while! Stick you got rid of your Scion????? What did you buy?? I'm quickly losing my place in the CCBA forum!!! I really need to buy something but have no desire to car shop.....am I sick???
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    I think he bought a new '05 Accord 5 sp(?). (I'm living vicariously thru the car buying exploits of others right now, so all I have to talk about is other people's purchases).

    I don't think you're sick. Car shopping/buying can become a stressful (& expensive!) drag sometimes.......btw, how's Texas?
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    I'll probably go with the Eibachs when I decide to upgrade. And I hear the TL's sway bar is a direct fit. So I'm gonna look into that.

    I ebayed a set of 20's for the MDX. A set of Gianelle Flush 10's. I got em for $600. Not bad for a set of new wheels. The tires are gonna cost more than the wheels.

    The Lexus is purring like a kitten now. I need to get a few suspension bits replaced and she'll be good as new.
  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Jolie, I renewed my CCBA membership about three and half weeks ago with a new 2006 Land Rover LR3 HSE. It's a really great vehicle with about 650 miles so far.

    Mark :)
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    This isn't exactly the correct forum, but can u share the reason u moved from AK to TX? Or is it just holiday travel?
  • gussguss Member Posts: 1,167
    That's just not right.I am with woodyww on this one, I was getting my thrills from you guys getting something new.

    For a little payback, I saw in Car & Driver the Accord 6 speed came in second in one of their comparisons.It beat out the TSX and Mazda6Speed.The only cat to beat it was the Jetta GLI. :confuse:

    Since you have title in hand , maybe you can live with the new tail lights.Just trying to help. :)

    I made it thru 2005 with only one car purchace. If I can make it thru 2006, I may reward myself with that back up car I have been wanting.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ...... Holiday travel ..........

    Terry.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    It almost worked on us. But we REALLY hate those taillights. Since we are down to 3 cars right now, there is room for another purchase though. One thing we never say is..amm..err...never. Well except for when we're saying we never say never.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    ...I was never too wild about the '03-05 Accord rear end til I saw the '06; it just doesn't fit. I mean, I guess it's less offensive/controversial, but it looks like they took the taillights off any number of generic sedans and plastered them in to appease everyone (which is basically what they did). The car is boring now.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,345
    speaking as a new owner, and a convert, I agree about the lights. When I first saw the '06 pics, I thought it was a big improvment. Problem is, they don't work well with the rest of the car, and also make the butt look too boxy (guess they went overboard to fix the droopy look!)

    The old style is growing on me now that I see it everyday, and actually doesn't look too bad. Actually, the '05 was a big improvement over the 03-04, because it is all red (with a clear square for the back up light), instead of having a band of clear across the bottom. That little change helped the looks quite a bit.

    Not that I spend much time thinking about this stuff or anything...

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,345
    BTW, I need a new hobby (obsession?). Now that I am officially out of the market for a long time (and I mean it this time, since my wife would kill me), I don't know what to do with my lunch hours.

    Actually, it might be a good thing for my son. He can learn to drive in 1.5 years, so it could be my excuse to start shopping again, or at least bottom feeding the used car market (I'm getting all tingling thinking about it).

    I have been working on my mother to give us her '95ish Saturn when it is time, but I need a fall back position. About time she got a new car anyway.

    Just to show the bug is genetic, she is 73, still drives a stick (and won't give it up), and really wants a Mini for a new car.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

This discussion has been closed.