Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

Brought my Tacoma in for its 15,000 mile service (with 16,250 miles). Just a Fluid top off and a tire rotation. $0 included with Toyota Care.

While waiting for my truck, I wandered the lot and the lot of the Mazda dealer up the street (Mazda/Volvo Dealership, but I didn’t make it to the Volvo side). A few interesting sightings. I saw a 2021 Dark Blue GR Supra leave the lot with a dealer plate. I think it might have been the 4cyl model. Such a sharp car. There was a Red 4Runner SR5 Premium that caught my eye. Reasonably priced too in the high $30K range.

I think Mazda butchered that new 3 Hatchback. That rear end with zero visibility isn’t my cup of tea.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

This is cool. But looks real tippy. I would much prefer it without the lift and with normal sized tires.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981-jeep-scrambler-4/

I was looking at that one last night. The driving video scares me. Engine does not sound good at all, and the driver is wearing out the synchros. Have no idea how long he's been driving it that way.

Don’t a lot of Porsches develop engine trouble around 50k miles?

ummm... well, good thing its a GM engine in that Scrambler, which sold for a mind boggling $23k, BTW!

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

so looks like sis is going to pull the trigger on buying this for herself. It is quite a good price, actually.

Glad to see she got the Plus trim. More powerful engine. I like that color.

It is in her driveway now.

qbrozen

This is absolute insanity right here. And from Honda, no less.

fintail

That Rune looks like it weighs as much as my fintail. Has nearly as much displacement, too.

28firefighter

I have many questions about this, starting with the lack of detail and ending with why it is still registered in PA:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/bellevue-2000-bmw-m5-clean-title/7127127795.html

28firefighter

Cool pedigree:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/d/lakewood-1992-saab-900-turbo/7127110099.html

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

Cool pedigree:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/d/lakewood-1992-saab-900-turbo/7127110099.html

That dude has one hell of a garage

stickguy

he does. That is what I want for my next house. I don't care what the house is like. and hard to believe that SAAB has a 1/4 million miles on it.

fintail

Saab is amazing, seems risky to go after one with those miles, but expense appears to be no object for the seller, so maybe a safer bet than one with 50K miles but ignored needs. Nice color, too. His location bodes well, that's a ritzy area especially for that part of the sound.

stickguy

BaT has the supra I would buy, if I was looking to buy one. so far, bidding surprisingly low, but I suspect not close to reserve yet.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-toyota-supra-17/

now this is a gorgeous 993. 2nd to last year.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1997-porsche-911-45/

I like these, but this one seems ratty. And something that you will really regret once you start digging into it.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-volkswagen-scirocco-16v-4/

oldfarmer50

tifighter said:

We really need a punch story. We're due, people.

Venture over on C&C just bought a Subie.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

This is absolute insanity right here. And from Honda, no less.

A friend of mine has one of those 1800 CC Hondas. Nuts, IMO. I think it weighs over 800 lbs.

kyfdx

@stickguy That is the model 911 I'd want, but not in those colors. One drawback of a light interior in a Porsche is the carpets are the same color. I bet that ends up closer to $100K than $60K.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

I have many questions about this, starting with the lack of detail and ending with why it is still registered in PA:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/bellevue-2000-bmw-m5-clean-title/7127127795.html

I’d question why he expects me to show up with $18k in cash.

tjc78

I love the interior in that M5. GPS display is laughable now.

nyccarguy

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

I have many questions about this, starting with the lack of detail and ending with why it is still registered in PA:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/bellevue-2000-bmw-m5-clean-title/7127127795.html

I’d question why he expects me to show up with $18k in cash.

"Family owned" - Dad or Uncle's car that most likely died. Car looks to be in excellent shape, but most likely is in need of some serious (deferred) maintenance.

nyccarguy

@pensfan83 - Did you see the Wizard bought an '01 Milano Red Automatic Prelude that his daughter took for a joyride & wrecked?

ab348

Sandman6472 said:

Read again in a in a Car & Driver article that if I want a new Golf in the future, it'll have to be a GTI or a R model as the one like I have now, a SE, won't be sent to the U S anymore.

The new Golf won't be coming to the USA at all until VW can sort out their software problems.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/05/mk8-golf-deliveries-suspended-over-software-gremlins/

venture

oldfarmer50 said:

tifighter said:

We really need a punch story. We're due, people.

Venture over on C&C just bought a Subie.

Correct. 2020 Legacy Touring XT. Add me to the list.

Sandman6472

Read an article about the new Mazda CX-30. Seems to be the perfect size, priced well against the VW Golf and the upper two models have the Bose audio system I'm starting to like so much. Mazda dealer is also located right across the street from our sub-division and we bought our 2005 Mazda 3s there back in 2005, not that that even matters. Just nice to have the dealerships so close to home. The kid stopped in at the Hyundai store on Saturday to get the tires checked and naturally, they were all low. Just wish the tech had tightened all the plastic value stem covers. Within the 2 mile drive home, three were loose and one had fallen off! Luckily I have extras, so made sure the three were screwed on tight and added the fourth. Point being, nice to have our dealers so close to the house.
Write up gave the CX-30 good marks for the way it drove and also how nice the interior is. I've sat in the CX-3 and felt it was a bit tight, the CX-30 seems to have fixed that issue. Would be an easy transition going from my Golf into one as I like the hatch and the extra few inches off the ground will make it that more user friendly for me. Just wish the mpg's were a bit better but hey, don't drive that much now anyways!

ab348

The CX-30 ticks a lot of boxes for sure but you still have Mazda's awkward infotainment system to deal with, and they are clinging for dear life to that 6-speed automatic transmission when just about everyone else has moved on.

stickguy

But it drives great and still delivers good mileage. I think going more than 6 is likely overkill for most applications anyway.

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

@pensfan83 - Did you see the Wizard bought an '01 Milano Red Automatic Prelude that his daughter took for a joyride & wrecked?

I came here this morning to post this for you both. Still had its 30 day temp tag on it.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

nyccarguy said:

@pensfan83 - Did you see the Wizard bought an '01 Milano Red Automatic Prelude that his daughter took for a joyride & wrecked?

I came here this morning to post this for you both. Still had its 30 day temp tag on it.

I must have had you on my mind this AM because I actually tagged you by mistake at first. You both now have a ZHP and I got confused for a moment.

Speaking of: @corvette - what's our punch list total for 2020 thus far? We are almost 6 months into the year

pensfan83

@nyccarguy @28firefighter I didn't see it but just watched. My first thought was it didn't look bad but the walkaround and the review on the lift obviously says otherwise. That's a shame.

suydam

ab348 said:

The CX-30 ticks a lot of boxes for sure but you still have Mazda's awkward infotainment system to deal with, and they are clinging for dear life to that 6-speed automatic transmission when just about everyone else has moved on.

If it was a plug-in it would be terrific.

Sandman6472

Agree with Stick here, a 6 speed tranny is really all that's needed especially down south here we live currently. Not sure how many real gears my current '15 Golf has but except for a little turbo stumble when taking off, it drives just fine. And if I put the tranny in "S" mode before I take off, that stumble really disappears for the most part. Does it use a bit more petrol, probably, but not that worried about it really especially now when I'm barely driving it 50 miles per week, if that. Up until December 2nd, I was putting about 13K on the clock each year...for 2020, doubt I'll even put on 4K at the rate things are going.
My movement to a new job has shaken things up a bit and is the direct cause of such low mileage now which is fine with me as it just gives more time to keep our current line-up in our garage as it is. No need to replace one or the other to be honest for the time being. Will also give the A3 more time to catch up to the current mileage on the Golf. They were bought within a week back in December of 2014 and we both see no need to swap them out any time soon. Think by December of this year, I won't have that big of a difference in miles as I do now. I'm around 63,500 and hers is around 53,800, give or take. We usually don't purchase at the same time and keep them around eight to ten years depending on how things are going. We always have bought and never considered a lease, just never really thought about it.

breld

I appreciate the traditional feel in most Mazdas, and the 6 speed tranny is one aspect of that. Compared to most CVTs and DSG applications, the more traditional 6 speed is pleasing.

And for the most part, I like Mazda's infotainment systems - the knob is very intuitive for anyone coming from the luxury brands. One thing I didn't like in my Mazda3 was the inability to operate certain functions while the vehicle was moving.

Sandy, compared to most other modern vehicles, including your Golf, I imagine one significant difference will be the feel of a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder versus a turbo. But Mazda's 2.5l has nice grunt to it.

breld

Wife and I were watching Defending Jacob on Apple TV last night - watching Chris Evans' character driving around in his A6 made us both long for our Audis of past.

If you get over the fairly anonymous styling, used A6's are a really good buy.

Browsing Audi's website, it's easy to forget that they quietly have introduced the A6 Allroad again (taking a backseat in the media to the more exciting, yet much more pricier, RS6 Avant). That's a pretty wagon. And as much as I like my V90, I'd trade it in a heartbeat for the A6 wagon and it's 3.0T. Though that would require a similar $20k discount off sticker, which I don't think Audi will be doing.

It will be interesting to see how Audi does with the larger wagon.

ronsteve

More than 6 and they're too shift-happy. Gimme a turbo with some decent low-end, and 6 gears, and I'm good to go.

Going from the Volvo to the RDX has made me very unlikely to buy a non-turbo again.

breld

Wife and I are both having quite the new car itch. Fortunately, we're more or less stuck in our "main" rides for the time being, which is perfectly fine as there's really nothing else in the price range I'd take over the V90 and her with the GLC.

But the fun car is always trade bait. Although I've been enjoying the 228i quite a bit these days...not that it stops me from looking.

Most likely option is going back to the Miata RF. But I've also been scanning the used market for current gen Audi TTs. Definitely a different type of fun car than the Miata, more in line with the current BMW, but I do like the style of the coupe and convertible alike.

ab348

Well, a 6-speed is better than a CVT, but really guys - auto manufacturers don't go to 8, 9, or 10-speed transmissions just for overkill or sh**s and giggles. They have reasons, usually fuel-economy or performance-related. I can see sticking with a 6-speed in a vehicle that competes at the low end on price, but most of those have already moved to a CVT. As a supposedly premium brand, Mazda needs to walk the talk.

carnaught

@breld, (sniff, sniff)....I smell a punch approaching in the near future.

tifighter

tifighter said:

We really need a punch story. We're due, people.

Okay, I got this-

New punch


and importantly-

2011 Z4. Last year of the NA inline six. 6MT. 24K miles. My favorite color combo. Local car. Ad went up Monday night, in my driveway Tuesday evening.

28firefighter

Very nice! Wanted to row your own gears again?

graphicguy

tifighter said:

tifighter said:

We really need a punch story. We're due, people.

Okay, I got this-

New punch


and importantly-

2011 Z4. Last year of the NA inline six. 6MT. 24K miles. My favorite color combo. Local car. Ad went up Monday night, in my driveway Tuesday evening.

Yippee......I like it...a lot....It’s a convertible....with a manual trans...it’s even the color I like on BMWs. Congrats!

coldinohio

nice Z4; great colors too; may the force be with you

pensfan83

Snazzy! Congratulations!

corvette

Great color combo, tifighter!

carnaught

tifighter said:

tifighter said:

We really need a punch story. We're due, people.

Okay, I got this-

New punch
2011 Z4. Last year of the NA inline six. 6MT. 24K miles. My favorite color combo. Local car. Ad went up Monday night, in my driveway Tuesday evening.

Nice - just don’t try to plug it in.....remember something called a gas station.

ab348

Great car, @tifighter . Nice of you to go back to dinosaur fuel.

[Deleted User]

@tifighter nice ride, love the color combo too, screams fun!

stickguy

ronsteve said:

More than 6 and they're too shift-happy. Gimme a turbo with some decent low-end, and 6 gears, and I'm good to go.

Going from the Volvo to the RDX has made me very unlikely to buy a non-turbo again.

Interesting. I found our V6 RDX to have plenty of grunt. Quite the little hot rod if you booted it.

stickguy

breld said:

Wife and I are both having quite the new car itch. Fortunately, we're more or less stuck in our "main" rides for the time being, which is perfectly fine as there's really nothing else in the price range I'd take over the V90 and her with the GLC.

But the fun car is always trade bait. Although I've been enjoying the 228i quite a bit these days...not that it stops me from looking.

Most likely option is going back to the Miata RF. But I've also been scanning the used market for current gen Audi TTs. Definitely a different type of fun car than the Miata, more in line with the current BMW, but I do like the style of the coupe and convertible alike.

Don’t want to keep it for another 1.5 years until I am ready to buy? Darn.

stickguy

Stunning Z4. Looks new. Forget breld’s car, let me know if you get tired if it next year!

Care to divulge what it went for? I guess about 20.

fintail

Someone just has to have a convertible in the fleet . Congrats!

nyccarguy

@tifighter - Beautiful! Enjoy! I LOVE the color combination!

ronsteve

stickguy said:

ronsteve said:

More than 6 and they're too shift-happy. Gimme a turbo with some decent low-end, and 6 gears, and I'm good to go.

Going from the Volvo to the RDX has made me very unlikely to buy a non-turbo again.

Interesting. I found our V6 RDX to have plenty of grunt. Quite the little hot rod if you booted it.

It has great power up through the gears, but at highway speeds it's just not turning enough RPM to get up some hills without a downshift. And I've found Honda transmissions (including my old 2002 Accord) to be a little late and hard on those downshifts, like you caught it sleeping. I'll proactively paddle down to 5th in the RDX on stuff that the Volvo used to pull just fine in top gear.

Michaell

This one is in the wheelhouse for @roadburner - 0-60 under 6 seconds required:

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/61340/general/x/new-car-to-buy#latest