I'm just like you. I don't like guided tours or bus trips because you're tied to the rest of the group and have to go by their schedule. In San Francisco though we took a guided tour, only to get familar with the city, and the next day we took the car out and drove around the places we liked ont he tour.
And I don't even like riding in other people's cars. I'd prefer to drive someone than to have someone drive me.
You've described exactly what I use guided tours or bus trips for. Actually your hometown was where I discovered this. took the bus tour around Vancouver and noted what I really liked and took it from there.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
In San Fran I took my TomTom portable nav with my on the guided bus tour, and saved "favorite" locations on it as we drove by them. It was really easy to find them later without having to look for addresses, or on maps. The TomTom had enough battery life to last unplugged for 2 hours of the bus tour.
Sometimes I feel like taking a bus tour in my own city too, to see if there are places I have yet to discover.
I am going at the end of October. The weather shouldn't be complete crap yet, the tourist crowds should be gone, and it's the easiest time for me to get away from work.
I won't mind if I get lost either...although I will kind of have a timetable to keep, this trip is about cars and driving. I only have a bus tour planned in Munich, before I pick up the car. Otherwise, I am getting to places on my own, via car or train. My spoken German isn't the best, but I can read it to a passable level, so I am not worried.
Pretty soon the rental car dealing will start - I know with most companies it is tough to request a certain car, but I want a MB W212 and one Euro rental company already pictures it in their fleet. I'll be picking up the car in Munich, which gives me a sinking feeling I'd get a 5er - which I do not think is a nice looking car. So I am going to look for some way to get the car I want. I've already mapped a few itineraries - they average 2700-2800 km, so I will be spending a fortune on gas. I should probably buy some Euros now too incase the greenback continues to collapse :sick:
My best memory of something I caught on the tour and later had aninteresting experience with...... at one point they take us around Stanley Park. One of the things they point out is the curfew cannon that they fire at 9 PM to announce the harbor closing (though I can't imagine it actually closes).
A week goes by and we are on our last day in town. Amazingly, for the first time, the sun comes out. All of a suddenly we see our balcony has a beautiful view of Mt. Baker. We are sitting out on our balcony taking it all in, looking at the paper and such in this late daylight when all of a sudden "BOOM!" Rather than say, "Hey! That was the harbor cannon," I say "What the hell was that?!?" It was only then that I looked down in front and saw the smoke coming from the cannon and remembered our first day.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
which gives me a sinking feeling I'd get a 5er - which I do not think is a nice looking car
I know it'd annoy me all to Hell, to have to drive around Europe in a new 5-series--what a nightmare!
Just kidding, you want what you want. Can you rent a diesel? And yeah, the $US will probably go down more, from what I hear (energy prices going up, $US going down, what's wrong with this picture)???
I am going to ask about a diesel...although most E and 5ers in the fleets there are little ca. 2L engines, a diesel should be more efficient, and maybe better to drive.
I think I would prefer an A6 to a 5er if I couldn't get the E...I had the A6 as a rental in Vegas, and it was a relaxing car. The 5er just puts me off somehow, that front end. I don't know who I am going to rent through yet...Sixt has a promo in Germany right now for the W212...I am going to ask them if they can guarantee it at a later date.
I think I am going to buy as much as I can for the trip soon, as I have a bad feeling about the dollar in coming months. It's almost like the bastards in charge of the dollar heard I was planning a trip...
Chicago is one of the greatest, "fun" cities. Awesome pizza, diners, restaurants, music, & one of the great world-class art museums. I've been to all the museums in NYC & love them, but would kill to live near the The Art Institute of Chicago, it's that spectacular.
There's a cool bar/restaurant across from the museum too, where you can go drink beer, after an afternoon of viewing fine art (?). Just bring your Survival Gear in Winter--you'll know why they call it the "Windy City" when it's 5 degrees, & a 20 mph wind.....still.....
We were at the Lake in Wilmette on the evening of the 22nd and it was very chilly for this southern boy...55 with a wind blowing. My Columbia fleece jacket helped but I was still "cold"! Guess my blood has thinned after 40 years down south. Driving past the art museum was very impressive as was Millenium park. The "silver bullet" we saw was also neat. The roads were potholey in some areas we drove through but expected with such cold winters.
Drivers seemed to be better than South Florida one's though. Can't wait to return next year.
The Sandman :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Chicago is one of the greatest, "fun" cities. Awesome pizza, diners, restaurants, music, & one of the great world-class art museums. I've been to all the museums in NYC & love them, but would kill to live near the The Art Institute of Chicago, it's that spectacular.
I have Chicago and DC in a virtual tie for fun cities. The dining in both locales is excellent, nightlife is great, and there are many cultural centers. Boston is a second, LA being a distant 3rd. Boston has very different areas (although I guess Chicago does too, but getting from one to the other seems less of a hassle). LA is great if you count the entire basin and valley. If you are willing to spend that much time traveling by car at low speed, you can find anything there.
I'll take Toronto - someone described it as "New York, sanitized".
Just got back from a week's vacation to Sedona, AZ. Hadn't been there in 25 years (when I was in college). Nice town, very awesome scenery, great food. Wife found a B&B whose back door opened up to the driving range of the golf resort next door - how cool is that?
Anyway, took a couple of days, each way, to drive down and back - I-25 to I-40 to I-17. For the trip (2100 miles), the VUE averaged just under 22 MPG (21.8, to be exact), with a high of 23.5 MPG for the tank between Gallup and Albuquerque, NM. This is against the rating of 16 city, 22 hwy.
First line to a great Rodgers & Hart tune. I would too, except I've spent so much time either living in or visting Manhattan, L.I., & Westchester......living there is a true exercise in survival & high prices that makes even living around Boston seem manageable.
Maybe the world's greatest art museums tho in NYC, all near Central Park. OTOH, you haven't lived until you've apt.-hunted in NYC. Then try that during an August heat wave.....starts to turn into "Taxi Driver", or "Jungle Fever"......
Grew up in Westchester so got to go to the city alot when I was young. Seemed like we were always doing the museum thing. Was way cool when we were old enough to go into the city by train into Grand Central Station. We'd go for Knicks & Rangers games, as the company had a box section that we could use on a regular basis. Would also meet friends from the tri-state area as we were all shipped off to summer camp for 8 weeks each summer in Connecticut, even when we moved to Florida...the "rents wanted the four of us gone...period!
The city of Chicago seemed somewhat like NYC, just nicer actually. And even though Ft. Lauderdale & Miaimi are nice cities, Chicago was nicer. Wish we'd stayed longer so I could've ventured to more places.
The Sandman :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
wrecked her 93 Accord one time too many and now it's totalled. We went through a few different cars before buying her another. We started with a 2000 Altima, it was a clean car but with 135k the miles seemed a little high. Then a 2001 Infiniti I30 caught our eye. Only 89k, Touring, and $5500. We bought tires for it and everything, then Gee did some research and it seems that I30's are pretty problematic, especially when it comes to o2 sensors and engine coils. So we scratched that ... we couldn't find any reasonably priced/mileage Accords so we ended up with a 2000 Camry LE V6, 81k, for $4300. Seems like a great car. Was a little dirty, but a few hours and a bucket of water took care of most of it.
$4300 seems pretty good for the Camry, but with Mom's lead foot maybe you should have got her a 4cylinder.
My dad is the anti CCBA'er , he is at 125K on his 1996 Caravan. Every time I mention getting something newer he just laughs and says he can not afford it with the stock market tanking. I have seen his statements, he has enough to buy a Porsche if he wanted to, he is just very cheap when it comes to his transportation.
I have seen his statements, he has enough to buy a Porsche if he wanted to, he is just very cheap when it comes to his transportation.
I think that's actually a pretty common psychological quirk in people, to focus on not what they still have, but only on what they lost. After seeing my portfolio lose about half of its 10/2007 peak, it's made me a little gun-shy when it comes to spending money. FWIW, it's recovered enough to where now I'm only down about 30% off that peak, and I could afford a new car if I needed one. Just don't happen to need one. My 2000 Intrepid broke 146,000 miles last weekend, but still runs fine, and doesn't act like it's on its last legs or anything. I do get the itch sometimes, but have resisted the temptation to scratch it. :shades:
I think that's actually a pretty common psychological quirk in people, to focus on not what they still have, but only on what they lost
I'm down about 22% from the '07 peak--but put it into $$ amounts & it means a lot. I've gone from owning both a then-recent Range Rover & a bmw M6 at the same time--which to me was "livin' large"--to feeling like I have to keep my current 9 y.o. bmw forever.
Part of it is stubbornness--why get rid of a car that runs great, & is paid for? And I've gotten so cheap, I don't know that I want to pay the sales tax, excise tax, etc. on even a $20-25K-ish newer car.....not that that stops me from looking.....
Part of it is stubbornness--why get rid of a car that runs great, & is paid for? And I've gotten so cheap, I don't know that I want to pay the sales tax, excise tax, etc. on even a $20-25K-ish newer car.....not that that stops me from looking.....
Yeah, same here. I think part of my problem is that low APR financing on the Intrepid spoiled me. I got into that car for $2,000 down and $347.66 per month for 60 months. I have a feeling that anything new I could get into for those same terms would leave me a bit underwhelmed.
Nothing wrong with my '03 L-series (83K and counting) that I feel like spending $300-400 / month to get. Plus, now that I work from home, I really haven't put too many miles on it lately.
In addition, I'm trying to pay down some of this debt I've accrued
The good news is, only one more year of college for the daughter!
On another note, I saw an article that stated that "New Chrysler" will not be responsible for any product liability issues for the 30+ million cars currently on the road that were sold by "Old Chrysler". While that doesn't impact me directly, I am wondering if Penske, in his purchase of Saturn from GM, would have the same stipulation in his deal. Does he assume any product liability, current and future?
"scratch the itch" today (an itch, you say? Why it's only been 6 weeks since you bought a car! Well, yes, it never really goes away!) by helping the sister of a friend buy a car, but it was a bust because unbeknownst to me her credit has been ruined by a divorce. Some places were downright unfriendly.
The Toyota dealer wouldn't even show us a car, just called her credit "special" and declared that she wouldn't be able to buy a car anywhere. He turned out to be right! After that first place, I told her to stop telling everyone about her credit before we even had a chance to look at the available cars.
The Nissan store and the Chrysler store, both part of a big conglomerate and the Chrysler store the last one standing inside a 50-mile radius of itself, both played lots of games and finally said any credit score under 550 would require a STRONG co-signer or 20% down in cash on a car costing no more than $8000. They only did this after an hour of shenanigans where they tried to wheedle a cash payment out of her that I knew she didn't have. I couldn't get her to just walk out with me, she had hope that there was a car at the end of that rainbow!
Then we hit up the Saturn store, actually found a reasonably priced '05 Vue, black automatic, 70K miles, $9K. We were sternly shown the door, though, after they ran the credit report. But not before they made the same declaration that we should stop wasting our time, that she would never be able to buy a car.
The last place we hit was the credit doctor dealer - "We finance anyone! Repair your credit here!". Even the doc didn't have enough medicine for what ailed her credit. We left there with the advice that if she could come up with $1000 in cash, they could finance her on a $6000 car at $400/month. Oh, and by the way, the $6000 cars come in on Wednesdays and Fridays (!!). That place sounds like a REAL good bet.
So she's stuck. She has an '01 Galant V-6 with 159K on the clock and a dead auto trans, best price she can find to fix it is $1800. Guess she could be walking or bus-riding for a while, a CCBAer's worst nightmare!
Having never been in that situation (either with credit or the urgent need for a replacement vehicle), it was weird viewing dealers in a different light. They sure aren't very friendly if you don't have good credit......it was particularly striking at the Saturn dealer, where the attitude before and after the running of the credit were like night and day.....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I finally got my '75 2002 on a lift in order to track down a small ATF drip from the radiator. We first thought it was a bad hose clamp, but it turns out the radiator is cracked where the cooler line is attached. Thanks to a fellow 2002 cult member that problem will soon be resolved. While I had the car up in the air I poked around a bit and made several interesting discoveries. I knew that the front passenger floor pan was rusted through, but a close inspection revealed that the unibody frame rail itself is rust free but the floor on either side is rotten; at least it should be an easy fix. The rest of the car also seems to be solid, with no evidence of cost-cutting, tin worm, or PO jury rigs. I also found the reason why the car rides and handles exceptionally well for a 196,000 mile '02; one of the POs had fitted Bilstein HDs at all four corners. Woo-Hoo!!!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Well, my advice was gong to be suck it up, and bottom feed for something cheaper (IOW, a cash and carry).
But, it sounds like she already has that, so in essence, it might be easiest to finance the AT repair, and hope the rest of the car holds up.
If the Mitsu is otherwise a piece of crud, what is her DP availability? Nada? That's bad. At least if you can scrape up a couple grand, you can get drivable wheels.
I was lucky to get a wholesale deal (family plan) on my recently (Dec.? Not that recent!) TL, for 2K. But, I sold a 1998 Contour, overall clean shape (new sneaks, needed nothing, pretty clean) with only 90K on it, for ~ 2K. So it can be done.
I guess your only option if you have no credit and no cash is a BHPH lot, and just take the $50/week in the shorts to drive something roughly like what she has!
Yes, her Mitsubishi is otherwise a pile of crap, the suspension is shot, there are two bald tires, and the thing has been in three accidents. One of which took out the radiator and various bits and pieces under the hood and was only fixed to a dubious standard, from what I can tell. The HVAC vents are falling into the dash, the upholstery is all torn and stained, the headliner is beginning to come down, and the thing goes through oil like a camel through water in the desert.
Thing is, if she could find a loan to fix the trans she would just do that, but this is a person to whom NO credit is available it would seem.
A $2000 car from the BHPH lot is going to make it to the corner and then break down, I figure. If she could just find the $1800, fixing the Mitsubishi would be her best bet right now among her very limited options, even in the sorry state it is otherwise in. IMHO. But finding an unsecured loan for $1800 looks to be out of the question.
I have looked at it from every angle, and I think she's stuck walking or riding the bus. :-(
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
If her credit is that bad, then once the BHPH car breaks down, she can just stop paying for it... I'm not sure how the car could be much worse than the one you've described..
Or.. (and, this is usually what happens to me)... you can find her a beater for $800 or so.. Of course, you'll have to loan her the money.. she can pay it back at $100/mo.... (maybe a salvage yard will give her $300 for hers?).
Of course, you'll have to loan her the money.. she can pay it back at $100/mo....
I thought that too until I re-read the post and realised it is a friend of nippononly's sister, not his sister. I'm not sure I'd want to lend money to a friend of my sister with bad credit.
Does the por lady at least have income to pay back a loan? Bad credit is one thing (and really, if divorce related, not an accurate barometor of whether she can or will pay back a loan), but not having income is obviously a problem.
Saddest thing is, if she can handle about $200 a month, a lease would be perfect. Sube is still offering sign and drive (1st + tags) on an impreza for right around $209/month. As cheap as a loan, but you get fixed operating costs (gas).
I know whe would never qualify, but it would be safer over the long term to put someone like her in a deal like that, then getting a 20% interest rate and paying 10K for a 4K Taurus tht eats her alive in repairs.
maybe a local charity can help out with a donation?
One thing she does have is a solid income, but it seems that hasn't helped her much at credit appraisal time at the dealership.
If anyone in her family had money they could lend her privately, I think that would be her best option by far, but I guess they don't, and it certainly isn't going to be me. My sister wanted to do it, and I recommended against it.
I don't if she could get a lease, don't you have to have the same credit to get a lease as you do to get a loan? I have never leased, so I am not as familiar with leasing.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The way that banks and lenders look at people with poor credit that make good money is this:
If you have solid income then why aren't you paying your bills? If you have poor credit due to a divorce but had no recent lates then it's a different story.
However if you divorced a few years ago, and you're still late and over the limit on every credit card you have then it's not a divroce issue, but you not being able to manage your money properly, especially if you make good money.
This really stinks--I feel bad for her. But instead of looking at $9K used cars, in her situation, could she find a $2-3K used car that runs, is not a total POS, & come up with the cash?
Being abused at all those dealers for all those hours sounds like a nightmare--(duh)--but even if she manages to finance something with her credit score, no warranty, etc., she may be just digging herself in deeper.
Of course the dealers don't have to be so rude about it, but some of them are like that even if you have 800 credit scores, even before they know your situation......
Yeah, I know it is harder to get a lease. My point though was, in the case of poor credit histroy but OK income and current activity (the divorce hole scenerio), a lease is actually much safer than a loan on a used car (especially a well used one).
At least in the sube example, you can budget exactly what you need. No surprise month with tires and a blown tranny say to derail the train. You got your $215 payment, insurance, and gas. That's it, and all very budgetable.
As a bank, which scenrio is more likely to = o ntime repayments vs. a repo?
Anyway, given all these factors, it sounds like her only real hope is a relative will co-sign for her. Not like giving money outright, just taking on the risk you end up with a car and payments! But, as long as the car is worth it and the payments low, not a huge risk (again, the Sube lease example).
Doesn't sound like pouring the money into the Mitsu was a good idea. 4K later, you stil lhave a high mileage POC Galant worth 1K at most.
Stickguy's sube $215 mo. lease payment idea sounds like a great option--if only she could qualify for that. Spending $1800 on that old Mitsu sounds like the very worst idea, to me.
Is taking the bus actually an option? There are good reasons for public trans, if available.....
Did I mention that she is here visiting from El Paso Texas, and has no way home without her car? El Paso bus service is close to non-existent, think LA-grade service and then go a little worse.
So we could put her on the train or something, but she would be car-less at the other end of the line.
OTOH, even if she could buy a $2000 beater from the BHPH lot, I doubt it would make it back to Texas from NorCal.
No way would she qualify for the Sube lease, or ANY manufacturer's lease promo I would imagine.
Latest word is her mother may try to buy a car for her, on which she would have to make the payments of course. Boy, things get complicated fast when you don't have good credit. Hers was ruined by medical bills that cropped up for the mutual child during the divorce, which are many thousands in amount and now in collections due to the ex disputing his obligation to pay them (despite the court order).
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Did I mention that she is here visiting from El Paso Texas, and has no way home without her car? El Paso bus service is close to non-existent, think LA-grade service and then go a little worse.
I wonder how strict inspections, emissions regs, etc are in Texas? The last time I was down there, in 2002, there were tons of old cheap cars still on the streets, moving under their own power. The types of stuff that rusted out ages ago up here, and that now you only see trotted out to car shows, or rotting away in junkyards that forgot to crush them. So I was under the impression that it might not be that strict down there.
So once back in Texas, maybe it wouldn't be too hard for her to find some cheap beater?
Apparently there is something unique to El paso which limits the number of cheap beaters available: because it is right on the border and across the river from the huge city of Juarez, Mexican dealers regularly comb the streets of El Paso for super-cheap cars which they then take across the border to sell to Mexicans.
Whoever said it was right: it IS expensive to be poor. Especially poor and suffering through a bad divorce.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Its pretty common in border towns for people who commute across for work to have a "border beater". A former boss transferred to a facility in Reynosa and lived in McAllen, TX. His daily driver was a then new Z3. He bought a clapped out Bronco II to drive across the border every day.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
when you don't have good credit. Hers was ruined by medical bills for the mutual child
AND no health ins, even for the kid? On top of everything else? This story gets worse by the second. I've read that medical bills are the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the USA. And I think TX has the largest %-age of un-insured for medical......
I don't think this kind of story is uncommon, esp. these days. Even w/o a divorce complicating things.....
Pitiful that our great country can't offer reasonable health care for every citizen...more like OBSCENE! We're the greatest country on the planet and yet so many folks aren't covered. Thank G-d I'm a federal worker with a decent health plan. Messege to congress...get off your butts & get 'er done already. If folks only knew what our elected officials get in terms of health care & other perks, there'd be uprisings in the street. We elect these guys but they won't consider the same health plan that they get for the rest of us. Who's fooling who here!Back to cars...seems like in South Florida the prices of most cars is higher than the rest of the country...don't know why and dealer fees are outrageous, not regulated to a certain amount like other states. Don't get it though, as like California, we're into cars big time down here. My kid was lucky to get the dealer to knock it off when she bought her Versa in January, but sales were herendous then...they just wanted to move a unit I guess. Lot of luxury cars here...BMW, M/B, Lexus, Acura, Infinity...the list goes on...seems like about 2/3 of the population drives these makes. Guess status is a big thing down here too. Wonder how all these folks can afford their bling especially in the economy!
Hopefully the American companies will end up on their feet and be able to compete on all levels with the foreign makes and keep such things as price, mileage & quality at equal levels. If so, the American makes will thrive & I'd actually want to buy one as I get closer to retirement. If they can match the foreign makes on every level, I'd want to support my country and buy American.
G-d Bless America!!!!!
The Sandman :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I actually test drove a G8 GT. Now GM stands for Government Motors I have no intention of ever buying one of their products-especially a car that is already an orphan...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
just out of curiosity, I checked out www.autobytel.com to see if there were any G8's in my area. It pulled up 3 of them within a 50 mile radius. All of them '09 models, but with around 5-7,000 miles on them. Two of them were black V-6 models for around $23K, and the third was a blue V-8 for $26K.
I kinda like the blue one, but I don't think it has a sunroof. At least, the ad doesn't mention a sunroof, and it doesn't look like it has one in this pic.
eh. I inspected/sat in a G8 GXP at the autoshow. It felt pretty cheap to me. I just didn't compare in fit/finish/materials to the likes of Volvo or Infiniti, for example. I expected much more based on the mag reviews. Still felt like a typical Chevy to me.
'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
I'll have to pay closer attention the next time I sit in a G8. I remember mainly being impressed by how roomy it was inside. One cheap bit that did jump out at me though, was the door handles on the inside seemed pretty low-rent. Other than that though, I don't remember anything really annoying catching my attention.
Comments
And I don't even like riding in other people's cars. I'd prefer to drive someone than to have someone drive me.
When are you going fintail?
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Sometimes I feel like taking a bus tour in my own city too, to see if there are places I have yet to discover.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I won't mind if I get lost either...although I will kind of have a timetable to keep, this trip is about cars and driving. I only have a bus tour planned in Munich, before I pick up the car. Otherwise, I am getting to places on my own, via car or train. My spoken German isn't the best, but I can read it to a passable level, so I am not worried.
Pretty soon the rental car dealing will start - I know with most companies it is tough to request a certain car, but I want a MB W212 and one Euro rental company already pictures it in their fleet. I'll be picking up the car in Munich, which gives me a sinking feeling I'd get a 5er - which I do not think is a nice looking car. So I am going to look for some way to get the car I want. I've already mapped a few itineraries - they average 2700-2800 km, so I will be spending a fortune on gas. I should probably buy some Euros now too incase the greenback continues to collapse :sick:
A week goes by and we are on our last day in town. Amazingly, for the first time, the sun comes out. All of a suddenly we see our balcony has a beautiful view of Mt. Baker. We are sitting out on our balcony taking it all in, looking at the paper and such in this late daylight when all of a sudden "BOOM!" Rather than say, "Hey! That was the harbor cannon," I say "What the hell was that?!?" It was only then that I looked down in front and saw the smoke coming from the cannon and remembered our first day.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I know it'd annoy me all to Hell, to have to drive around Europe in a new 5-series--what a nightmare!
Just kidding, you want what you want. Can you rent a diesel? And yeah, the $US will probably go down more, from what I hear (energy prices going up, $US going down, what's wrong with this picture)???
I think I would prefer an A6 to a 5er if I couldn't get the E...I had the A6 as a rental in Vegas, and it was a relaxing car. The 5er just puts me off somehow, that front end. I don't know who I am going to rent through yet...Sixt has a promo in Germany right now for the W212...I am going to ask them if they can guarantee it at a later date.
I think I am going to buy as much as I can for the trip soon, as I have a bad feeling about the dollar in coming months. It's almost like the bastards in charge of the dollar heard I was planning a trip...
There's a cool bar/restaurant across from the museum too, where you can go drink beer, after an afternoon of viewing fine art (?). Just bring your Survival Gear in Winter--you'll know why they call it the "Windy City" when it's 5 degrees, & a 20 mph wind.....still.....
Drivers seemed to be better than South Florida one's though. Can't wait to return next year.
The Sandman :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I have Chicago and DC in a virtual tie for fun cities. The dining in both locales is excellent, nightlife is great, and there are many cultural centers. Boston is a second, LA being a distant 3rd. Boston has very different areas (although I guess Chicago does too, but getting from one to the other seems less of a hassle). LA is great if you count the entire basin and valley. If you are willing to spend that much time traveling by car at low speed, you can find anything there.
I'll take Manhattan first. :shades:
Just got back from a week's vacation to Sedona, AZ. Hadn't been there in 25 years (when I was in college). Nice town, very awesome scenery, great food. Wife found a B&B whose back door opened up to the driving range of the golf resort next door - how cool is that?
Anyway, took a couple of days, each way, to drive down and back - I-25 to I-40 to I-17. For the trip (2100 miles), the VUE averaged just under 22 MPG (21.8, to be exact), with a high of 23.5 MPG for the tank between Gallup and Albuquerque, NM. This is against the rating of 16 city, 22 hwy.
Gotta love that XM radio ....
First line to a great Rodgers & Hart tune. I would too, except I've spent so much time either living in or visting Manhattan, L.I., & Westchester......living there is a true exercise in survival & high prices that makes even living around Boston seem manageable.
Maybe the world's greatest art museums tho in NYC, all near Central Park. OTOH, you haven't lived until you've apt.-hunted in NYC. Then try that during an August heat wave.....starts to turn into "Taxi Driver", or "Jungle Fever"......
The city of Chicago seemed somewhat like NYC, just nicer actually. And even though Ft. Lauderdale & Miaimi are nice cities, Chicago was nicer. Wish we'd stayed longer so I could've ventured to more places.
The Sandman :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
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Driving cross-country to pick up a car; now that would be a good excuse for a road trip.
My dad is the anti CCBA'er , he is at 125K on his 1996 Caravan. Every time I mention getting something newer he just laughs and says he can not afford it with the stock market tanking. I have seen his statements, he has enough to buy a Porsche if he wanted to, he is just very cheap when it comes to his transportation.
I think that's actually a pretty common psychological quirk in people, to focus on not what they still have, but only on what they lost. After seeing my portfolio lose about half of its 10/2007 peak, it's made me a little gun-shy when it comes to spending money. FWIW, it's recovered enough to where now I'm only down about 30% off that peak, and I could afford a new car if I needed one. Just don't happen to need one. My 2000 Intrepid broke 146,000 miles last weekend, but still runs fine, and doesn't act like it's on its last legs or anything. I do get the itch sometimes, but have resisted the temptation to scratch it. :shades:
I'm down about 22% from the '07 peak--but put it into $$ amounts & it means a lot. I've gone from owning both a then-recent Range Rover & a bmw M6 at the same time--which to me was "livin' large"--to feeling like I have to keep my current 9 y.o. bmw forever.
Part of it is stubbornness--why get rid of a car that runs great, & is paid for? And I've gotten so cheap, I don't know that I want to pay the sales tax, excise tax, etc. on even a $20-25K-ish newer car.....not that that stops me from looking.....
Yeah, same here. I think part of my problem is that low APR financing on the Intrepid spoiled me. I got into that car for $2,000 down and $347.66 per month for 60 months. I have a feeling that anything new I could get into for those same terms would leave me a bit underwhelmed.
Nothing wrong with my '03 L-series (83K and counting) that I feel like spending $300-400 / month to get. Plus, now that I work from home, I really haven't put too many miles on it lately.
In addition, I'm trying to pay down some of this debt I've accrued
The good news is, only one more year of college for the daughter!
On another note, I saw an article that stated that "New Chrysler" will not be responsible for any product liability issues for the 30+ million cars currently on the road that were sold by "Old Chrysler". While that doesn't impact me directly, I am wondering if Penske, in his purchase of Saturn from GM, would have the same stipulation in his deal. Does he assume any product liability, current and future?
The Toyota dealer wouldn't even show us a car, just called her credit "special" and declared that she wouldn't be able to buy a car anywhere. He turned out to be right! After that first place, I told her to stop telling everyone about her credit before we even had a chance to look at the available cars.
The Nissan store and the Chrysler store, both part of a big conglomerate and the Chrysler store the last one standing inside a 50-mile radius of itself, both played lots of games and finally said any credit score under 550 would require a STRONG co-signer or 20% down in cash on a car costing no more than $8000. They only did this after an hour of shenanigans where they tried to wheedle a cash payment out of her that I knew she didn't have. I couldn't get her to just walk out with me, she had hope that there was a car at the end of that rainbow!
Then we hit up the Saturn store, actually found a reasonably priced '05 Vue, black automatic, 70K miles, $9K. We were sternly shown the door, though, after they ran the credit report. But not before they made the same declaration that we should stop wasting our time, that she would never be able to buy a car.
The last place we hit was the credit doctor dealer - "We finance anyone! Repair your credit here!". Even the doc didn't have enough medicine for what ailed her credit. We left there with the advice that if she could come up with $1000 in cash, they could finance her on a $6000 car at $400/month. Oh, and by the way, the $6000 cars come in on Wednesdays and Fridays (!!). That place sounds like a REAL good bet.
So she's stuck. She has an '01 Galant V-6 with 159K on the clock and a dead auto trans, best price she can find to fix it is $1800. Guess she could be walking or bus-riding for a while, a CCBAer's worst nightmare!
Having never been in that situation (either with credit or the urgent need for a replacement vehicle), it was weird viewing dealers in a different light. They sure aren't very friendly if you don't have good credit......it was particularly striking at the Saturn dealer, where the attitude before and after the running of the credit were like night and day.....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
But, it sounds like she already has that, so in essence, it might be easiest to finance the AT repair, and hope the rest of the car holds up.
If the Mitsu is otherwise a piece of crud, what is her DP availability? Nada? That's bad. At least if you can scrape up a couple grand, you can get drivable wheels.
I was lucky to get a wholesale deal (family plan) on my recently (Dec.? Not that recent!) TL, for 2K. But, I sold a 1998 Contour, overall clean shape (new sneaks, needed nothing, pretty clean) with only 90K on it, for ~ 2K. So it can be done.
I guess your only option if you have no credit and no cash is a BHPH lot, and just take the $50/week in the shorts to drive something roughly like what she has!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Thing is, if she could find a loan to fix the trans she would just do that, but this is a person to whom NO credit is available it would seem.
A $2000 car from the BHPH lot is going to make it to the corner and then break down, I figure. If she could just find the $1800, fixing the Mitsubishi would be her best bet right now among her very limited options, even in the sorry state it is otherwise in. IMHO. But finding an unsecured loan for $1800 looks to be out of the question.
I have looked at it from every angle, and I think she's stuck walking or riding the bus. :-(
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Or.. (and, this is usually what happens to me)... you can find her a beater for $800 or so.. Of course, you'll have to loan her the money.. she can pay it back at $100/mo.... (maybe a salvage yard will give her $300 for hers?).
We all know how that turns out..
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I thought that too until I re-read the post and realised it is a friend of nippononly's sister, not his sister. I'm not sure I'd want to lend money to a friend of my sister with bad credit.
Saddest thing is, if she can handle about $200 a month, a lease would be perfect. Sube is still offering sign and drive (1st + tags) on an impreza for right around $209/month. As cheap as a loan, but you get fixed operating costs (gas).
I know whe would never qualify, but it would be safer over the long term to put someone like her in a deal like that, then getting a 20% interest rate and paying 10K for a 4K Taurus tht eats her alive in repairs.
maybe a local charity can help out with a donation?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
If anyone in her family had money they could lend her privately, I think that would be her best option by far, but I guess they don't, and it certainly isn't going to be me. My sister wanted to do it, and I recommended against it.
I don't if she could get a lease, don't you have to have the same credit to get a lease as you do to get a loan? I have never leased, so I am not as familiar with leasing.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
If you have solid income then why aren't you paying your bills? If you have poor credit due to a divorce but had no recent lates then it's a different story.
However if you divorced a few years ago, and you're still late and over the limit on every credit card you have then it's not a divroce issue, but you not being able to manage your money properly, especially if you make good money.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Being abused at all those dealers for all those hours sounds like a nightmare--(duh)--but even if she manages to finance something with her credit score, no warranty, etc., she may be just digging herself in deeper.
Of course the dealers don't have to be so rude about it, but some of them are like that even if you have 800 credit scores, even before they know your situation......
At least in the sube example, you can budget exactly what you need. No surprise month with tires and a blown tranny say to derail the train. You got your $215 payment, insurance, and gas. That's it, and all very budgetable.
As a bank, which scenrio is more likely to = o ntime repayments vs. a repo?
Anyway, given all these factors, it sounds like her only real hope is a relative will co-sign for her. Not like giving money outright, just taking on the risk you end up with a car and payments! But, as long as the car is worth it and the payments low, not a huge risk (again, the Sube lease example).
Doesn't sound like pouring the money into the Mitsu was a good idea. 4K later, you stil lhave a high mileage POC Galant worth 1K at most.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Is taking the bus actually an option? There are good reasons for public trans, if available.....
So we could put her on the train or something, but she would be car-less at the other end of the line.
OTOH, even if she could buy a $2000 beater from the BHPH lot, I doubt it would make it back to Texas from NorCal.
No way would she qualify for the Sube lease, or ANY manufacturer's lease promo I would imagine.
Latest word is her mother may try to buy a car for her, on which she would have to make the payments of course. Boy, things get complicated fast when you don't have good credit. Hers was ruined by medical bills that cropped up for the mutual child during the divorce, which are many thousands in amount and now in collections due to the ex disputing his obligation to pay them (despite the court order).
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I wonder how strict inspections, emissions regs, etc are in Texas? The last time I was down there, in 2002, there were tons of old cheap cars still on the streets, moving under their own power. The types of stuff that rusted out ages ago up here, and that now you only see trotted out to car shows, or rotting away in junkyards that forgot to crush them. So I was under the impression that it might not be that strict down there.
So once back in Texas, maybe it wouldn't be too hard for her to find some cheap beater?
Whoever said it was right: it IS expensive to be poor. Especially poor and suffering through a bad divorce.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Heck, I see cars here in Denver in tow that I'm pretty sure have been bought in auctions and transported to, I suspect, Mexico.
AND no health ins, even for the kid? On top of everything else? This story gets worse by the second. I've read that medical bills are the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the USA. And I think TX has the largest %-age of un-insured for medical......
I don't think this kind of story is uncommon, esp. these days. Even w/o a divorce complicating things.....
covered. Thank G-d I'm a federal worker with a decent health plan. Messege to congress...get off your butts & get 'er done already. If folks only knew what our elected officials get in terms of health care & other perks, there'd be uprisings in the street. We elect these guys but they won't consider the same health plan that they get for the rest of us.
Who's fooling who here!Back to cars...seems like in South Florida the prices of most cars is higher than the rest of the country...don't know why and dealer fees are outrageous, not regulated to a certain amount like other states. Don't get it though, as like California, we're into cars big time down here. My kid was lucky to get the dealer to knock it off when she bought her Versa in January, but sales were herendous then...they just wanted to move a unit I guess. Lot of luxury cars here...BMW, M/B, Lexus, Acura, Infinity...the list goes on...seems like about 2/3 of the population drives these makes. Guess status is a big thing down here too. Wonder how all these folks can afford their bling especially in the economy!
Hopefully the American companies will end up on their feet and be able to compete on all levels with the foreign makes and keep such things as price, mileage & quality at equal levels. If so, the American makes will thrive & I'd actually want to buy one as I get closer to retirement. If they can match the foreign makes on every level, I'd want to support my country and buy American.
G-d Bless America!!!!!
The Sandman :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I kinda like the blue one, but I don't think it has a sunroof. At least, the ad doesn't mention a sunroof, and it doesn't look like it has one in this pic.
'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
'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