Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

corvette said:

nyccarguy said:

I had to bring some items home for a customer & received a phone call from my wife on the way home: “can you stop by Costco and pick up a couple of things?”

$283 later...

Nice tonneau cover! Was that factory?

I usually try to put the cold stuff in the cab so it doesn't melt / isn't exposed to the heat.

Yes - my Tacoma’s Tonneau cover is factory. It was about a 20 minute drive home. Not terribly hot & humid. I put everything in the bed.

nyccarguy

@pensfan83 - Mazel-Tov on the RDX! Sharp color combination!

pensfan83

corvette said:

@pensfan83 - Nice! Buy or lease?

Lease. Worked out to be cheaper than the TLX.

stickguy

out of curiosity, I checked a TLX like mine on Rodo. 12k instead of 10k miles, but was $5 more, so close enough to exactly the same as it was 2 years ago. a 20 instead of 19 of course, but same car and even almost same exact MSRP.

28firefighter

Big congrats, @pensfan83!

Love the silver on this.

breld

Agreed - the silver with the dark wheels is really sharp!

Congrats @pensfan83!

I’m anxious to see the next MDX - could be our replacement when the V90 lease is up.

[Deleted User]

Very sharp @pensfan83, love that silver, enjoy!!!

stickguy

From the tidbits I have seen on the MDX I am expecting it to be a huge improvement. likely a jumbo size RDX with a bigger motor (guessing hybrid in there too) but similar interior, and better driving dynamics than the current model.

stickguy

I really want to see the upcoming "compact" car (new Integra?). Most likely, if I re-up with Acura at the end of my lease, it would be for that. Particularly if there is a hatch version!

rayainsw

Congrats @pensfan83
- Ray
Wishing you many [s]miles of enjoyment !

graphicguy

BIG CONGRATS @pensfan83 ....super sharp. I like it a whole lot. So happy it all worked out given your dismal outlook on the deal a few days ago.

Great way to celebrate, too (Graeters)!

kyfdx

pensfan83 said:

Thanks, we'll definitely get the mats.

Black interior, Lunar Silver exterior.

Graeter's! Nice!

The Acura, as well..

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

The C30 was in better shape than I expected. Mostly suspension stuff, common on those cars, and some minor parts and a battery.

He's talking about a respray to "Swedish Racing Green", which I wouldn't mind - I saw a Polestar Blue C30 just last weekend. But, I don't want him to go crazy with the spending ($2000 for a new, lowered suspension? I think not) so that the car is affordable to the next owner.

Didn’t he determine that the existing suspension was pretty much shot? Sounds like the perfect opportunity to do a lowering job if that’s what you want.

qbrozen

roadburner said:

qbrozen said:

Gotta take it car by car. The PT Cruiser was a POS when new. Just like the Neon. You can’t buy the cheapest car in any manufacturer’s lineup and expect perfection. When something is built to a pricepoint, corners are cut. Even the Yaris is a disposable car.

My Club Sport was the least expensive car in the BMW lineup back in 1995; of course it was essentially a E36 with the trunk removed and an E30 semi-trailing arm rear suspension installed.

Wasn’t the CS an upgrade? There was a cheaper one, right?

In any case, your personal opinion of it doesn’t mean it is perfect. Most people would find fault, which is why it wasn’t more popular and BMW dropped it.

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Sandman6472 said:

Point is, when does it stop? $359 last month, $350 in a couple of months...when does one just say enough already? Apparently, some do feel these vehicles can be problematic, as he said today, and I don't want to keep dealing with problems. Just that there's not much out there that really makes me want to have it now, nothing gives me that feeling I got within 5 minutes of driving the Golf. So that's where my issue is, not going to buy just to buy. But don't want to make another error like I did back when. So I just do nothing for awhile and continue to think it out.
Best I think that I think about it in silence. Best for me to just read what y'all are doing and take a break from thinking about it.

$350 isn’t too bad for repairs but I get your apprehension at future costs. When I bought the PT Crusier I wanted to keep it until at least 100k miles but it frustrated me at every turn. It didn’t have European fun qualities but it had all the repair bills. I dumped it at 62k miles.

Do you really want to buy a company car? Maybe lease a new one.

Surprised someone didn't jump in with a link to an anecdotal story of their particular Chrysler product that went 250,000+ miles with no issues to excuse the ridiculously poor quality.

I could wax poetical about my 69’ Plymouth which went 160,000 miles if that would help.

roadburner

Congrats @pensfan83!

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Sandman6472 said:

Point is, when does it stop? $359 last month, $350 in a couple of months...when does one just say enough already? Apparently, some do feel these vehicles can be problematic, as he said today, and I don't want to keep dealing with problems. Just that there's not much out there that really makes me want to have it now, nothing gives me that feeling I got within 5 minutes of driving the Golf. So that's where my issue is, not going to buy just to buy. But don't want to make another error like I did back when. So I just do nothing for awhile and continue to think it out.
Best I think that I think about it in silence. Best for me to just read what y'all are doing and take a break from thinking about it.

$350 isn’t too bad for repairs but I get your apprehension at future costs. When I bought the PT Crusier I wanted to keep it until at least 100k miles but it frustrated me at every turn. It didn’t have European fun qualities but it had all the repair bills. I dumped it at 62k miles.

Do you really want to buy a company car? Maybe lease a new one.

Surprised someone didn't jump in with a link to an anecdotal story of their particular Chrysler product that went 250,000+ miles with no issues to excuse the ridiculously poor quality.

Gotta take it car by car. The PT Cruiser was a POS when new. Just like the Neon. You can’t buy the cheapest car in any manufacturer’s lineup and expect perfection. When something is built to a pricepoint, corners are cut. Even the Yaris is a disposable car.

My personal take on Chrysler is that it reached it’s personal peak of quality (as minimal as that may be) in the late 90s to early 2000s. By 2009 when bankruptcy was imminent, they just gave up trying. I’ve seen 1st gen PTs that held up much better than my 2009 as far as body integrity and I would assume mechanical stability. As the company was sold and resold after 1998 the cost cutting took it’s toll and the rest is history.

That’s one of the reasons I was still willing to buy a 2000 Chrysler. It was dirt cheap but more importantly it was the last design left over prior to the MB takeover. As a 96’ introduced model it didn’t yet suffer from the German cost cutting.

Maybe that’s all wishful thinking on my part.

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

The traditionalists/brand loyalists are howling right now Not news, but somehow this is the new story, maybe as 2021 dealer ordering guides are coming out - more incentive to buy at lease end or seek a similar car when the time comes.

The E is also losing the dashboard/console clock, and that creates some howls , too.

Maybe this is a move to force the old fashioned buyer into S-class.

So that’s considered “cladding”? I always thought it was just rust proof plastic, a good idea in the rust belt. Maybe if they color matched it to the rest of the car it wouldn’t be so offensive. I thought most cars in the last decade have gone to plastic rockers.

At least it doesn’t look like this:

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

So that’s considered “cladding”? I always thought it was just rust proof plastic, a good idea in the rust belt. Maybe if they color matched it to the rest of the car it wouldn’t be so offensive. I thought most cars in the last decade have gone to plastic rockers.

It is rust proof plastic, but it goes on over body metal, so rust is still an issue. It may be even worse if the plastic traps water and salt between it and the metal, and especially if the holes pierced in the metal to allow the cladding to be attached aren't properly sealed.

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

My personal take on Chrysler is that it reached it’s personal peak of quality (as minimal as that may be) in the late 90s to early 2000s. By 2009 when bankruptcy was imminent, they just gave up trying. I’ve seen 1st gen PTs that held up much better than my 2009 as far as body integrity and I would assume mechanical stability. As the company was sold and resold after 1998 the cost cutting took it’s toll and the rest is history.

That’s one of the reasons I was still willing to buy a 2000 Chrysler. It was dirt cheap but more importantly it was the last design left over prior to the MB takeover. As a 96’ introduced model it didn’t yet suffer from the German cost cutting.

Maybe that’s all wishful thinking on my part.

They could have made a second-generation PT Cruiser, like VW did with the Beetle, but didn't. IMO, the mid-cycle refresh they did on the PT gave it a cheaper looking or feeling interior and antilock brakes were optional until the final model year (2010). I feel like they probably would have kept building it and selling it to rental fleets if stability control hadn't been mandated.

stickguy

my Duster (slant 6, 3 speed manual, manual brakes and steering and, well, everything on it) would probably easily last forever. As long as you never saw road salt (and possibly rain), or if you did, didn't mind not having any intact body panels. But the drivetrain, that was indestructible.

carnaught

Congrats on the RDX, @pensfan83!

carnaught

@nyccarguy, nice job packing the bed of your truck - artfully done!

stickguy

I want a truck. I just want one that is smaller than everything we get here. Some company will finally offer a really nice actual compact and sell a bunch of them. Even the "mid size" ones are pretty bulky now, and every redesign seems to get bigger (looking at you, 2021 Frontier).

I of course (as my wife likes to point out) don't "need" a truck. But frankly, what does that have to do with anything? I barely need a car. I dug out the paperwork to see when I am next due for an oil change, and have put about 2,100 miles on my car in the last 8 months.

laurasdada

I had a '95 Dodge Intrepid (company car) and '99 Chrysler 300M . Both poorly built (panel gaps, interior seams and alignments. The 300M the better built of the two) yet reliable and fun to drive in their own way. Nothing rattled, fell off, leaked or exploded. However, I sold both just prior to 70k miles, with a general feeling that something bad was about to happen (figured transmission would be the unwanted surprise).
The 300M turned into my '05 Acura TL; my favorite car until my Jag XF. Still loving the Jag, but it's a '13, only ~64k miles...still haven't figured out what fulfills my current wants, fantasies and desires to move on.

Apologies, I remain pathetic.

xwesx

pensfan83 said:

Yep, RDX. My dealer came through for me. A dealer trade with sister store took place and this was the return. No one on the sales staff even knew it was there and their lack of A-Specs was the only reason I was looking elsewhere. Once this came up things moved quickly and like the last time there was one counter offer and we were done. Some dealers are treating the A-Specs like their dipped in gold but it was seamless and my dealer pretty much earned my loyalty until they do something that breaks that trust. Excuse the front plate frame, that comes off next week. Early impressions are that we're going to really enjoy it and the touchpad isn't as steep a learning curve as originally thought.

We celebrated with some Graeters afterward, Vienna Coffee milkshake for me. Plain jane vanilla for the Mrs.

So long to the TLX. Great car.

Whew; that's a shiny machine! The cockpit looks like it belongs in a rocketship, not a car! Enjoy it...

nyccarguy

I saved myself some money this afternoon. I found a guy on YouTube named Eddie’sspeedgarage. He has a 2019 Pilot EXL AWD & posts how to videos of DIY maintenance. I showed my (almost) 14 year old son the video on how to change the cabin filter. He did it. The biggest problem we had was reattaching the soft close latch to the glove box. My daughter (8) helped me change the engine air filter.

nyccarguy

roadburner

You let your SON do that? Your car could have caught fire and exploded!

mjfloyd1

I like the new RDX @pensfan83

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

You let your SON do that! Your car could have caught fire and exploded!

Nah, the kid is the fall guy if it does explode.

laurasdada

roadburner said:

You let your SON do that? Your car could have caught fire and exploded!

Nah, it's not an FCA car...

tommister2

Good for you @nyccarguy it is good to teach the kids some basic maintenance skills. Most of my experience is with Honda and Toyota - they are both super easy. Our Ford Mustang cabin filter is horrible to replace, as other folks here have noted about other Fords.

That engine air filter looks rough. The cabin filter probably does too but it is harder to tell on the filters that are treated with carbon. Might want to change it sooner next time. Filters are relatively cheap!

ronsteve

corvette said:

Tire rotation in Clarksville went fine. I could’ve done without the complimentary wash, now there are water spots on my mirrors.

There is what appears to be a former railroad track behind the dealership that they are doing the “rails to trails” thing with. Freshly paved and lots of morning shade. I’m not sure how far it goes.

It's going to link up with the Ohio River Greenway near the border between Clarksville and New Albany. Ran it from the NA end this morning and got as far as Eastern Blvd, but they're still putting finishing touches on parts of it.

nyccarguy

tommister2 said:

Good for you @nyccarguy it is good to teach the kids some basic maintenance skills. Most of my experience is with Honda and Toyota - they are both super easy. Our Ford Mustang cabin filter is horrible to replace, as other folks here have noted about other Fords.

That engine air filter looks rough. The cabin filter probably does too but it is harder to tell on the filters that are treated with carbon. Might want to change it sooner next time. Filters are relatively cheap!

Both filters looks bad. The engine air filter was all gunked up. The cabin filter just black and grey from not being changed in 52K miles. I’ll make a mental note to change them both sooner.

corvette

@nyccarguy it's interesting that the Japanese cars I've had all use a spring loaded rope to soft open the glovebox. My 1999.5 Jetta had a piston which had some sort of rubber stopper inside that would eventually stiffen and make the glovebox so hard to close that you would snap the hinge when closing it. I think after the first one was replaced under warranty, I did some sort of mod to prevent that from happening again.

corvette

Watching JR's YouTube channel... The Infiniti FX50 he did the spark plug change on sounded like a beast!

ronsteve

corvette said:

Watching JR's YouTube channel... The Infiniti FX50 he did the spark plug change on sounded like a beast!

Alright, @corvette, what's your take on the previous generation QX50? Still haven't scratched my wagon itch, and that one checks the box for height, and definitely fun if I'm checking that one. Biggest question is the cargo footprint. And what say you about the 3.7 V6 and 7spd auto drivetrain?

stickguy

It's a tall G37 hatchback, with a relatively small cargo area, but drives like a G. Mid stream (I think when the name changed) they stretched the car but that went into the back seat (longer door) with IIRC cargo area same size. I liked them (but never owned one). QBrozen owned one for a bit.

qbrozen

ronsteve said:

corvette said:

Watching JR's YouTube channel... The Infiniti FX50 he did the spark plug change on sounded like a beast!

Alright, @corvette, what's your take on the previous generation QX50? Still haven't scratched my wagon itch, and that one checks the box for height, and definitely fun if I'm checking that one. Biggest question is the cargo footprint. And what say you about the 3.7 V6 and 7spd auto drivetrain?

The 3.7/7spd is great. Terrible on gas by today’s standards, but the driveability is fantastic. Fat torque curve. Not sure why some car rags forget about the EX as being way ahead of the popularity curve of the mini CUV.

corvette

ronsteve said:

corvette said:

Watching JR's YouTube channel... The Infiniti FX50 he did the spark plug change on sounded like a beast!

Alright, @corvette, what's your take on the previous generation QX50? Still haven't scratched my wagon itch, and that one checks the box for height, and definitely fun if I'm checking that one. Biggest question is the cargo footprint. And what say you about the 3.7 V6 and 7spd auto drivetrain?

I haven't driven one, but as @stickguy said, it's built on the same platform as my G37. The powertrain is very responsive and the seven speed auto holds the lower gears a decent amount of time before upshifting, even if you're not driving aggressively. It also has a nice growl on a cold start. It's toned down for the masses, but I think you can feel some of the Skyline DNA in it. Mine has been mechanically flawless for the past two years, other than the sunroof drain leaking.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Sandman6472 said:

Point is, when does it stop? $359 last month, $350 in a couple of months...when does one just say enough already? Apparently, some do feel these vehicles can be problematic, as he said today, and I don't want to keep dealing with problems. Just that there's not much out there that really makes me want to have it now, nothing gives me that feeling I got within 5 minutes of driving the Golf. So that's where my issue is, not going to buy just to buy. But don't want to make another error like I did back when. So I just do nothing for awhile and continue to think it out.
Best I think that I think about it in silence. Best for me to just read what y'all are doing and take a break from thinking about it.

$350 isn’t too bad for repairs but I get your apprehension at future costs. When I bought the PT Crusier I wanted to keep it until at least 100k miles but it frustrated me at every turn. It didn’t have European fun qualities but it had all the repair bills. I dumped it at 62k miles.

Do you really want to buy a company car? Maybe lease a new one.

Surprised someone didn't jump in with a link to an anecdotal story of their particular Chrysler product that went 250,000+ miles with no issues to excuse the ridiculously poor quality.

Gotta take it car by car. The PT Cruiser was a POS when new. Just like the Neon. You can’t buy the cheapest car in any manufacturer’s lineup and expect perfection. When something is built to a pricepoint, corners are cut. Even the Yaris is a disposable car.

My personal take on Chrysler is that it reached it’s personal peak of quality (as minimal as that may be) in the late 90s to early 2000s. By 2009 when bankruptcy was imminent, they just gave up trying. I’ve seen 1st gen PTs that held up much better than my 2009 as far as body integrity and I would assume mechanical stability. As the company was sold and resold after 1998 the cost cutting took it’s toll and the rest is history.

That’s one of the reasons I was still willing to buy a 2000 Chrysler. It was dirt cheap but more importantly it was the last design left over prior to the MB takeover. As a 96’ introduced model it didn’t yet suffer from the German cost cutting.

Maybe that’s all wishful thinking on my part.

Again, it is all car by car. They have always been very strong in the truck dept. And their 2008 minivan (still being built today) has really been top notch. The 3.6 has proven to be a good engine. And, of course, the 5.7 is also very very solid. Having test driven a 100k-mile 2009 Charger RT that just blew me away in how good it was at that age/miles, even when I tested it back-to-back with an E550, is what made me seek one out. The Caliber, Dart; 200? No. All garbage. IMHO, they should retire the Chrysler name, let RAM be trucks and vans, Dodge should be full-sized muscle cars, and Jeep is all SUVs/CUVs. That’s it.

ab348

I was reading this week that there is a big recall coming soon on the Tigershark 2.4 4-cylinder engines that were/are used in a lot of their cars. Ostensibly it is because they do not meet emissions standards but owners have also reported lots of problems with stalling and oil consumption.

corvette

I mean, if an engine burns enough oil, even a Prius could have bad emissions.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

I was reading this week that there is a big recall coming soon on the Tigershark 2.4 4-cylinder engines that were/are used in a lot of their cars. Ostensibly it is because they do not meet emissions standards but owners have also reported lots of problems with stalling and oil consumption.

Is that the World Engine developed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi? I think I might have a version of Hyundai’s theta variant in my Kia. Is the problem limited to FCA manufactured engines or would the theta and 4B1 have the same issue?

I have to run out and check my oil.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

I just watched an old Samcrac video where he bought an old Honda Ridgeline from the junk yard the filters looked just like that.

nyccarguy

ronsteve said:

corvette said:

Watching JR's YouTube channel... The Infiniti FX50 he did the spark plug change on sounded like a beast!

Alright, @corvette, what's your take on the previous generation QX50? Still haven't scratched my wagon itch, and that one checks the box for height, and definitely fun if I'm checking that one. Biggest question is the cargo footprint. And what say you about the 3.7 V6 and 7spd auto drivetrain?

Count me in as a BIG fan of the 3.7L V6/7AT combination. Loved mine for the 2.5 years I owned it.

corvette

Browsing Craigslist and found this gem: "Tires are in great condition with only 30k miles on them."

explorerx4

@corvette,
Nice try. At least they showed the wear bars. Maybe they didn't know what they are.

stickguy

I guess the great condition is that they wore nice and even? Sidewalls look OK too. So only nit to pick is having no actual usable tread left.