Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

Does anyone watch the Royalty Exotic Cars channel on YT? Their cars are always getting stolen(not returned) and damaged.

SuperspeederRob also has horror stories.

roadburner

So qbrozen gave me a top number for the M3; if I can get in the ballpark I’ll have my SA perform a thorough PPI. The domestic dealer that my store bought it from put crap Chinese tires on it so those would need to be ashcanned immediately in favor of proper Michelin rubber. If the deal closes I’ll set up a baseline for maintenance- fresh BMW TPT 5W-30 oil, BMW coolant, and DOT 4 brake fluid. I think the final drive and DCT oil could wait a while longer.
So we will see.

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

Given some of the horror stories I have seen of rental cars with bald tires, I'd worry more about maintenance than abusive drivers. That, and like was mentioned, basic spec might be an issue for those who want toys. I've had rentals that appeared to be literal zero option cars, and the lux models always seem to be that way, on this side of the pond anyway (German fleets can have surprisingly loaded cars, because of course).

That’s negligence on the part of the rental office. I know some offices like to play “hot potato” with each other. Say two cars come back from rent and one has a bald tire. That branch can’t rent the car until they replace it. Meanwhile an order from corporate says the office in another city needs a car right away. Sometimes the temptation is to stick the other office with the bald tire and let them worry about it. If the other office doesn’t inspect the car because they’re busy, the bald tire goes out on the road.

Some lazy office staff send out cars with expired registrations, bad transmissions, filthy interiors etc. Not company policy and if caught the employees can lose bonuses.

You should refuse to accept a car like that and call corporate.

explorerx4

I once rented a car that had an expired registration.
Luckily, I just happened to notice it before we went very far.
It got swapped for a brand new car.

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

So the dealer wants $730 plus tax for new pads & to resurface the rotors (I’m not going to do this).

If I want to replace the pads & rotors at the dealer it would cost $1025 plus tax.

If I buy the OEM pads & Rotors myself, it costs $483.24. I’ve never done a brake job before. It seems simple enough, but there also does seem to be a lot that can go wrong. Lots of springs & clips that need to be carefully pried and prodded to get out. I’m sure the 1st one would be difficult, but I’d get the hang of it by the 3rd one. The 4th one would give me the most trouble. The Pilot has 51K miles on it. Suppose I get another 4 - 5K miles out of the brakes. In December it will be 3 years old. I’m OK with spending $300 once every 3 years to have my mechanic replace them perfectly while I’m at work. They aren’t squeaking or shuddering as of yet.

I might try to tackle the rear diff fluid myself. Stupid question, do I need 2 jack stands or 4?

I agree with stick... if you don't *need* to lift the vehicle to access the rear differential, then don't. However, if you do need to lift it, then I recommend four stands so that you can keep the vehicle level (or nearly so). If you just put stands on the back end, the differential, which is mounted to the frame/body, will not drain as fully as it would level or even with the front of the vehicle lifted.

Brakes do have a few steps that you must run through with precision, but they are not a hard job to tackle. If you decide that you want to replace rotors all around, that is definitely a more time-consuming job than it would be if you just did pads all around and front rotors, since the rear rotors likely also have the emergency brake drum system integrated into their hubs. Unless there is significant wear on the discs, I wouldn't do anything to those other than new pads, if the old ones are substantially used. However, if this is the first time you have needed new front pads on the car, I would be surprised if the rears are at any less than 50-60%.

Front discs are really quick - the hardest part is removing the calipers. You must be careful with those to ensure that you do not damage the brake line when you separate it from the mount. Also, it is good to have a C-clamp on hand so that you can compress the pistons into the caliper in order to allow the new pads enough room for install both into the caliper and onto the disc (just set the clamp between the outside of the caliper and the rim of the piston, and slowly compress it until it is flush with the housing - do this at least once for each piston on the caliper. You may need to repeat as fluid exiting each piston will sometimes cause the others to move slightly). Sometimes, the discs will rust onto the wheel hub, so, in the hub area of most discs I have seen, there is a screw port with a plug that will allow you to drive the disc loose from the wheel hub. Use it if it is there! Otherwise, a deadhead hammer / rubber mallet whacked with authority against the outer reaches of the disc will usually get the job done.

There aren't that may parts involved: Disc, pads (one each for inside and outside), a couple of clips to retain the pads, and some anti-squeal lubricant for the backs of the pads.

xwesx

tommister2 said:

@nyccarguy You might have mentioned this already...the last time I changed the rear VTM-4 fluid in a Pilot I needed a fluid transfer pump to get the new fluid in. There are affordable pumps available online.

Oh, such a good point! If the container you get is rigid, these are a huge pita for filling the differentials. Amsoil makes a soft "bag" sort of container for their quarts now, and you can just put the nose into the differential, then roll up the bag from the end to force all the fluid out. They work FANTASTIC!

A friend of my dad's showed me a trick he used: A small length of 3/8" tubing and a ziploc bag: Just take the bag, cut a tiny opening in the lower corner, force the tubing through it, but still inside the bag a little, duct tape the two together from the outside, then plug the end, fill up the bag, and do the same as above. Most diffs only take about a quart or less of fluid, so it's not terribly messy.

That said, I typically used a fluid transfer pump before I switched to the Amsoil bags.

Any way you go, it is a bit messy, so make sure you put down some cardboard or a rag under the differential during the refill if you don't want any ground spillage.

ab348

xwesx said:

A friend of my dad's showed me a trick he used: A small length of 3/8" tubing and a ziploc bag: Just take the bag, cut a tiny opening in the lower corner, force the tubing through it, but still inside the bag a little, duct tape the two together from the outside, then plug the end, fill up the bag, and do the same as above. Most diffs only take about a quart or less of fluid, so it's not terribly messy.

What could possibly go wrong?

fintail

Fortunately, I've never had to refuse a car for that, but I've heard stories.

Oddly, the one time I had a really miled up rental (a Galant with 50K on it), it was very clean with only the most minor signs of wear. It even smelled fine. I suspect it had been a long term corporate rental of some kind. I also remember having a rental (Kia Spectra or something) that had only maybe 20K on it, but the interior was really abused.

oldfarmer50 said:

That’s negligence on the part of the rental office. I know some offices like to play “hot potato” with each other. Say two cars come back from rent and one has a bald tire. That branch can’t rent the car until they replace it. Meanwhile an order from corporate says the office in another city needs a car right away. Sometimes the temptation is to stick the other office with the bald tire and let them worry about it. If the other office doesn’t inspect the car because they’re busy, the bald tire goes out on the road.

Some lazy office staff send out cars with expired registrations, bad transmissions, filthy interiors etc. Not company policy and if caught the employees can lose bonuses.

You should refuse to accept a car like that and call corporate.

stickguy

Wes, I think you are making the point for people that are not comfortable doing it themselves.

corvette

roadburner said:

So qbrozen gave me a top number for the M3; if I can get in the ballpark I’ll have my SA perform a thorough PPI. The domestic dealer that my store bought it from put crap Chinese tires on it so those would need to be ashcanned immediately in favor of proper Michelin rubber. If the deal closes I’ll set up a baseline for maintenance- fresh BMW TPT 5W-30 oil, BMW coolant, and DOT 4 brake fluid. I think the final drive and DCT oil could wait a while longer.
So we will see.

Best of luck - my experience with another dealer in that group is that they are extremely tethered to their prices on used vehicles.

roadburner

Best of luck - my experience with another dealer in that group is that they are extremely tethered to their prices on used vehicles.

I’ve only had one deal fall apart, and it was the fault of the UCM at the time; I was looking at an E39 M5 that had just been taken in on trade. The tires were shot and I was working a deal with my usual salesman. The UCM, without checking with my sales guy, slapped a set of garbage Goodyear Eagles on it and bumped the price $1,500. I wasn’t going to overpay for decent tires-never mind cr@p tires, so that deal was nixed.

roadburner

Speaking of DIY, I was on another forum discussing how my son helped out fixing up the 2002 that was going to be his first car. I liked the response one guy posted; I think he’s definitely related to one participant on this forum:

“ Great project car and great project for father and son. I hope my daughters will have some interest in this when they are old enough. On the other hand, my nephew's dad gets 3 quotes for replacement when a light bulb burns out in his kitchen. Maybe I'll build a car with/for my nephew when he's old enough!”

Sandman6472

I've got Goodyear Eagle tires on my Golf and like 'em so far. Think they're the "GT"s". Nice meaty tread and didn't cost a fortune either. My 2006 Honda Civic came with Eagle RS-A's but they were pretty crappy I must say. Honda also had some suspension problems which resulted in a recall of some sort and I got a check for half of what I spent on replacing them due to this defect. Should've gotten 100% of what I spent but Honda refused that reply.
But, liking these Eagle's I got last September. Car drives much better to but maybe it's just my perception.

Sandman6472

The storm passed us by on the east. Had some winds and light rain overnight and during today but nothing to write home about. We definitely dodged a bullet here!!!

stickguy

forecast for me is 3+ inches of rain and 30-40 MPH winds on tuesday. Sounds like such fun.

cdnpinhead

xwesx said:

There aren't that may parts involved: Disc, pads (one each for inside and outside), a couple of clips to retain the pads, and some anti-squeal lubricant for the backs of the pads./blockquote>This is good information. OTOH, you may as well be speaking Swahili. Any further comments on my part will certainly be taken as a trigger.

Party on!

xwesx

stickguy said:

Wes, I think you are making the point for people that are not comfortable doing it themselves.

Hahhaha! I was thinking the same thing when I read it after posting. Like I said, though, I enjoy it.

tjc78

xwesx said:

nyccarguy said:

So the dealer wants $730 plus tax for new pads & to resurface the rotors (I’m not going to do this).

If I want to replace the pads & rotors at the dealer it would cost $1025 plus tax.

If I buy the OEM pads & Rotors myself, it costs $483.24. I’ve never done a brake job before. It seems simple enough, but there also does seem to be a lot that can go wrong. Lots of springs & clips that need to be carefully pried and prodded to get out. I’m sure the 1st one would be difficult, but I’d get the hang of it by the 3rd one. The 4th one would give me the most trouble. The Pilot has 51K miles on it. Suppose I get another 4 - 5K miles out of the brakes. In December it will be 3 years old. I’m OK with spending $300 once every 3 years to have my mechanic replace them perfectly while I’m at work. They aren’t squeaking or shuddering as of yet.

I might try to tackle the rear diff fluid myself. Stupid question, do I need 2 jack stands or 4?

I agree with stick... if you don't *need* to lift the vehicle to access the rear differential, then don't. However, if you do need to lift it, then I recommend four stands so that you can keep the vehicle level (or nearly so). If you just put stands on the back end, the differential, which is mounted to the frame/body, will not drain as fully as it would level or even with the front of the vehicle lifted.

Brakes do have a few steps that you must run through with precision, but they are not a hard job to tackle. If you decide that you want to replace rotors all around, that is definitely a more time-consuming job than it would be if you just did pads all around and front rotors, since the rear rotors likely also have the emergency brake drum system integrated into their hubs. Unless there is significant wear on the discs, I wouldn't do anything to those other than new pads, if the old ones are substantially used. However, if this is the first time you have needed new front pads on the car, I would be surprised if the rears are at any less than 50-60%.

Front discs are really quick - the hardest part is removing the calipers. You must be careful with those to ensure that you do not damage the brake line when you separate it from the mount. Also, it is good to have a C-clamp on hand so that you can compress the pistons into the caliper in order to allow the new pads enough room for install both into the caliper and onto the disc (just set the clamp between the outside of the caliper and the rim of the piston, and slowly compress it until it is flush with the housing - do this at least once for each piston on the caliper. You may need to repeat as fluid exiting each piston will sometimes cause the others to move slightly). Sometimes, the discs will rust onto the wheel hub, so, in the hub area of most discs I have seen, there is a screw port with a plug that will allow you to drive the disc loose from the wheel hub. Use it if it is there! Otherwise, a deadhead hammer / rubber mallet whacked with authority against the outer reaches of the disc will usually get the job done.

There aren't that may parts involved: Disc, pads (one each for inside and outside), a couple of clips to retain the pads, and some anti-squeal lubricant for the backs of the pads.

You don’t use the old pad to compress the pistons with the clamp?

qbrozen

tjc78 said:

xwesx said:

nyccarguy said:

So the dealer wants $730 plus tax for new pads & to resurface the rotors (I’m not going to do this).

If I want to replace the pads & rotors at the dealer it would cost $1025 plus tax.

If I buy the OEM pads & Rotors myself, it costs $483.24. I’ve never done a brake job before. It seems simple enough, but there also does seem to be a lot that can go wrong. Lots of springs & clips that need to be carefully pried and prodded to get out. I’m sure the 1st one would be difficult, but I’d get the hang of it by the 3rd one. The 4th one would give me the most trouble. The Pilot has 51K miles on it. Suppose I get another 4 - 5K miles out of the brakes. In December it will be 3 years old. I’m OK with spending $300 once every 3 years to have my mechanic replace them perfectly while I’m at work. They aren’t squeaking or shuddering as of yet.

I might try to tackle the rear diff fluid myself. Stupid question, do I need 2 jack stands or 4?

I agree with stick... if you don't *need* to lift the vehicle to access the rear differential, then don't. However, if you do need to lift it, then I recommend four stands so that you can keep the vehicle level (or nearly so). If you just put stands on the back end, the differential, which is mounted to the frame/body, will not drain as fully as it would level or even with the front of the vehicle lifted.

Brakes do have a few steps that you must run through with precision, but they are not a hard job to tackle. If you decide that you want to replace rotors all around, that is definitely a more time-consuming job than it would be if you just did pads all around and front rotors, since the rear rotors likely also have the emergency brake drum system integrated into their hubs. Unless there is significant wear on the discs, I wouldn't do anything to those other than new pads, if the old ones are substantially used. However, if this is the first time you have needed new front pads on the car, I would be surprised if the rears are at any less than 50-60%.

Front discs are really quick - the hardest part is removing the calipers. You must be careful with those to ensure that you do not damage the brake line when you separate it from the mount. Also, it is good to have a C-clamp on hand so that you can compress the pistons into the caliper in order to allow the new pads enough room for install both into the caliper and onto the disc (just set the clamp between the outside of the caliper and the rim of the piston, and slowly compress it until it is flush with the housing - do this at least once for each piston on the caliper. You may need to repeat as fluid exiting each piston will sometimes cause the others to move slightly). Sometimes, the discs will rust onto the wheel hub, so, in the hub area of most discs I have seen, there is a screw port with a plug that will allow you to drive the disc loose from the wheel hub. Use it if it is there! Otherwise, a deadhead hammer / rubber mallet whacked with authority against the outer reaches of the disc will usually get the job done.

There aren't that may parts involved: Disc, pads (one each for inside and outside), a couple of clips to retain the pads, and some anti-squeal lubricant for the backs of the pads.

You don’t use the old pad to compress the pistons with the clamp?

You certainly can, and it is advisable when dealing with more than one piston, but it isn’t a necessity in most common setups. It is kind of surprising how many different ways there are to skin a cat, or stop a car. You’d think it would be standardized to save on costs, but it seems everyone wants to make their own brake design every time.

graphicguy

roadburner said:

Here's the actual car I'm looking at.

I’m all about those colors. If you’re taking votes, I say pull the trigger.

pensfan83

Someone posted in the Acura RDX lease thread they got a dealer discount of 11.3% on an RDX A-Spec, which is astounding considering that invoice is usually 5-7% back of MSRP on most Acuras. The dealer, located in Virginia, is apparently the world's largest volume Acura dealer so I suppose it's possible they could just blow out units for volume bonuses.

However I think Virginia dealers back out the destination charge to make the dealer discount look better than it is. Anyone know if that's limited to specific brands? I know there used to be a VA based Jeep dealer on LH whose store did that and I think someone else here encountered that too. @qbrozen maybe when he bought the Stelvio?
The gap between my targeted price and what this person received is ~$1,495, which would be narrowed by $1,025 if the destination was added back in on the back end and further narrowed by another $300 due to Virginia's doc fee that average close to $700 or so. So now that $1,495 advantage becomes $170, which isn't worth the 4 hour drive. All this is assuming they structure the deal that way however.

stickguy

Pohanka I assume?

pensfan83

Yep, Pohanka

qbrozen

I'm REALLY going for it with this bid. lol.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I'm REALLY going for it with this bid. lol.

Let us know when it’s down to the wire. Those last minute bidding battles are fun to watch. So what do you think is the top end? $10,000?

I’m watching that Eclipse turbo on the same site and I predicted $15k. It’s up to about $10k with a day to go.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I'm REALLY going for it with this bid. lol.

Let us know when it’s down to the wire. Those last minute bidding battles are fun to watch. So what do you think is the top end? $10,000?

I’m watching that Eclipse turbo on the same site and I predicted $15k. It’s up to about $10k with a day to go.

I'm thinking $8k would be the crazy price on it. A very unloved car in general, but probably the best remaining example. With shipping and fees, my current bid pushes me just north of $5k. I don't think I'd go much higher. Maybe $6k, but, without having more solid fees and shipping costs, it is tough to zero in on that.

EDIT: Yeah, confirmed a couple of things. Shipping would be about $1500, and there is a $225 minimum buyer's fee. So $4275 would put me at $6k total, then I have taxes, reg, and titling for about $550 or so. Pretty sure I have no shot at this.

qbrozen

I also like the RX7 that is 30 mins from closing at $5300. Closer to me, so shipping is less. BUT, pretty useless to me in the utility area, so the wife would NOT be pleased if I were to bring that home. https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9elOlgjk/1987-mazda-rx-7-turbo-ii

stickguy

Dang man, you’ll bid on anything.

Get the Mazda, and drop it off at my house. I’m happy to keep it for you. Wife (yours) will never have to know.

tifighter

nyccarguy said:

@tifighter - how many miles on your Model 3? How’s the Model X doing? How many miles?

Model 3 is at 13,500 miles - this is my wife's car and she works only a few miles from our house. She has taken it to Portland a few times, Hood River and Vancouver BC, but it mostly stays around town.

Model X is at 11,500 miles - I drive this one. We got it something like 8 months after the 3 and mostly use it for hiking, biking and ski trips. It has been sitting a lot during all of the covid shutdowns since my office has gone to WFH.

I did look at a Model Y the other day for a side project I'm doing and really believe they are going to sell a ton of these. The showroom was busy and they were all there to see the Y. Families with car seats, older couples and everything in between. Clearly that's where the market is these days.

28firefighter

We have several friends-of-friends that are in the queue for a Model Y - one of them rejected their first Model Y due to significant fit and finish issues (panel gaps, gouges, etc.) identified during delivery. They're still all-in though.

stickguy

You should Bid on this one. Can keep your ML company. Fairly cheap late in a no reserve auction.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3OlgJGky/1996-mercedes-benz-s500-coupe

stickguy

28firefighter said:

We have several friends-of-friends that are in the queue for a Model Y - one of them rejected their first Model Y due to significant fit and finish issues (panel gaps, gouges, etc.) identified during delivery. They're still all-in though.

Seems strange to me, but I guess cults are like that! If I knew they had problems like that, and saw a car they expected to deliver that never should have made it out of the factory, I’d definitely be shopping elsewhere.

nyccarguy

tifighter said:

nyccarguy said:

@tifighter - how many miles on your Model 3? How’s the Model X doing? How many miles?

Model 3 is at 13,500 miles - this is my wife's car and she works only a few miles from our house. She has taken it to Portland a few times, Hood River and Vancouver BC, but it mostly stays around town.

Model X is at 11,500 miles - I drive this one. We got it something like 8 months after the 3 and mostly use it for hiking, biking and ski trips. It has been sitting a lot since all of the covid shutdowns since my office has gone to WFH.

I did look at a Model Y the other day for a side project I'm doing and really believe they are going to sell a ton of these. The showroom was busy and they were all there to see the Y. Families with car seats, older couples and everything in between. Clearly that's where the market is these days.

Cool.

fintail

In the past few weeks I have seen numerous Model Y on the road (including one making an ill-advised U-turn, because Bellevue), seemingly out of nowhere. This indeed is going to be "the one". the generic smaller crossover is the thing now, and this is it.

fintail

Market price on something like that will still be below 10K. and a bit less with its issues. But it post-dates the "wiring harness years", I think, so it has that going for it. Cool 90s car.

stickguy said:

You should Bid on this one. Can keep your ML company. Fairly cheap late in a no reserve auction.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3OlgJGky/1996-mercedes-benz-s500-coupe

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Dang man, you’ll bid on anything.

Get the Mazda, and drop it off at my house. I’m happy to keep it for you. Wife (yours) will never have to know.

But I have ALWAYS wanted a Jag. My first 1:18 diecast model car (which I still have) was a Jag. A 1932 SS 100, to be exact. An XJ has been a decades-long desire. It just never makes financial sense. I still recall from when I was a weekend valet back at the beginning of this century, out of all the high-end cars I handled, an older gentleman’s aging XJ impressed me more than any other.

xwesx

tjc78 said:

You don’t use the old pad to compress the pistons with the clamp?

No, never have, but that's a great idea! It would certainly make compression of the multi-piston calipers much easier! I learned how to do this back in the early '90s, and all of the calipers were single-piston units. I suspect it was just as easy, perhaps easier, to compress without the pads.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

Dang man, you’ll bid on anything.

Get the Mazda, and drop it off at my house. I’m happy to keep it for you. Wife (yours) will never have to know.

But I have ALWAYS wanted a Jag. My first 1:18 diecast model car (which I still have) was a Jag. A 1932 SS 100, to be exact. An XJ has been a decades-long desire. It just never makes financial sense. I still recall from when I was a weekend valet back at the beginning of this century, out of all the high-end cars I handled, an older gentleman’s aging XJ impressed me more than any other.

I’ve liked the newer Jag sedans I’ve looked at. The supercharged V8s are pretty stout.

nyccarguy

I'm intrigued by the Electric MINI

graphicguy

roadburner said:

Here's the actual car I'm looking at.

I’m all about those colors. If you’re taking votes, I say pull the trigger.

qbrozen said:

I also like the RX7 that is 30 mins from closing at $5300. Closer to me, so shipping is less. BUT, pretty useless to me in the utility area, so the wife would NOT be pleased if I were to bring that home. https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9elOlgjk/1987-mazda-rx-7-turbo-ii

I'd be a player on that RX7 turbo, except for all the modifications done. What's already a particularly sensitive drivetrain in stock form, the added mods would make it a time bomb!

nyccarguy

graphicguy said:

roadburner said:

Here's the actual car I'm looking at.

I’m all about those colors. If you’re taking votes, I say pull the trigger.

qbrozen said:

I also like the RX7 that is 30 mins from closing at $5300. Closer to me, so shipping is less. BUT, pretty useless to me in the utility area, so the wife would NOT be pleased if I were to bring that home. https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9elOlgjk/1987-mazda-rx-7-turbo-ii

I'd be a player on that RX7 turbo, except for all the modifications done. What's already a particularly sensitive drivetrain in stock form, the added mods would make it a time bomb perfect candidate for an LS Swap!

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I also like the RX7 that is 30 mins from closing at $5300. Closer to me, so shipping is less. BUT, pretty useless to me in the utility area, so the wife would NOT be pleased if I were to bring that home. https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9elOlgjk/1987-mazda-rx-7-turbo-ii

Weren’t those RX-7s notorious for killing the engine seals at about 50k miles?

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I also like the RX7 that is 30 mins from closing at $5300. Closer to me, so shipping is less. BUT, pretty useless to me in the utility area, so the wife would NOT be pleased if I were to bring that home. https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9elOlgjk/1987-mazda-rx-7-turbo-ii

Weren’t those RX-7s notorious for killing the engine seals at about 50k miles?

Yep!

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

I'm intrigued by the Electric MINI

The range on them is completely out of whack for the price.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

I'm intrigued by the Electric MINI

It has the same power train as the i3. It’s a great urban/suburban runabout.

Michaell

roadburner said:

nyccarguy said:

I'm intrigued by the Electric MINI

It has the same power train as the i3. It’s a great urban/suburban runabout.

(zipping up my flame retardant coveralls)

Yeah, but for about the same price you can get a Leaf Plus with 100 more miles of range.

Don't get me wrong - I like the concept of the e-MINI; I just don't like the execution.

Michaell

@abacomike - member looking for a good MB dealer in the Miami area:

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/62397/mercedes-benz/x/amg-cls-53-coupe-residual-mf-incentives-for-miami-fl#latest

nyccarguy

roadburner said:

nyccarguy said:

I'm intrigued by the Electric MINI

It has the same power train as the i3. It’s a great urban/suburban runabout.

My wife does all her driving around town. She never even comes close to driving 100 miles per day.

rayainsw

I have been 'on the road' for most of the past week.
Duluth, GA to Wells, ME
overall trip miles: 1,198 miles
I do not know if I can actually catch up - [ 300+ posts ]
but wanted to check in!
Cheers, all.
- Ray
M340i proven to be an excellent road trip car !

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I also like the RX7 that is 30 mins from closing at $5300. Closer to me, so shipping is less. BUT, pretty useless to me in the utility area, so the wife would NOT be pleased if I were to bring that home. https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9elOlgjk/1987-mazda-rx-7-turbo-ii

Weren’t those RX-7s notorious for killing the engine seals at about 50k miles?

Yep!

Problem was that most were not properly cared for. Using synthetic oil in the Wankel is a big no-no, for example, but most owners were not aware of that. Mazda failed to properly inform buyers how to properly care of the rotary because they were afraid they'd scare them off. They require good ole dino oil to keep the seals properly lubricated, and they will use oil as a result, requiring adding oil periodically.