Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I am going to have to remember to change the oil in my ZTM come spring.

On another maintenance note, I noticed this morn that the X2s front tires are in REALLY bad shape while the rears look like new. Huh..I guess getting them rotated maybe didn’t actually take place? I’ll have to do it my damned self, as usual. Can’t trust anybody.

Did they charge you for rotation? I’d be throwing furniture if a shop did that. I mean, how could you trust them to do anything that you paid for?

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

I suspect the Mustang name will go away sooner or later on this if the traditional Mustang remains in production. Just the Mach-E name alone isn't a bad choice.

I’d prefer that arrangement. Slapping the Mustang name on a totally different vehicle puts me off on an emotional level.

fintail

I don't know what it is with certain makes liking to degrade vaunted 80s-90s names. Remember the OG Pathfinder, and then at that minivan with hinged doors.

MB heated wheel for E-class anyway is a small knob on the left side of the steering column.

tifighter said:

I've got a rental Pathfinder at the moment. Blue, loaded Platinum model. Ugh is it awful. Visibility is ridiculous, buttons are vomited all over the dash in random groupings (audio controls are foot away from the screen, heated steering wheel button is at your knee, etc) and the infotainment is the same as the Leaf we had in 2014. Oh and the steering, so sad. I suppose the 23mpg it is showing is pretty solid for it's size, but to benefit from that, you'd actually have to drive it.

Okay, back to the breakfast sandwich discussion.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I am going to have to remember to change the oil in my ZTM come spring.

On another maintenance note, I noticed this morn that the X2s front tires are in REALLY bad shape while the rears look like new. Huh..I guess getting them rotated maybe didn’t actually take place? I’ll have to do it my damned self, as usual. Can’t trust anybody.

Did they charge you for rotation? I’d be throwing furniture if a shop did that. I mean, how could you trust them to do anything that you paid for?

maintenance is included, so we paid nothing.

corvette

fintail said:

I don't know what it is with certain makes liking to degrade vaunted 80s-90s names. Remember the OG Pathfinder, and then at that minivan with hinged doors.

MB heated wheel for E-class anyway is a small knob on the left side of the steering column.

tifighter said:

I've got a rental Pathfinder at the moment. Blue, loaded Platinum model. Ugh is it awful. Visibility is ridiculous, buttons are vomited all over the dash in random groupings (audio controls are foot away from the screen, heated steering wheel button is at your knee, etc) and the infotainment is the same as the Leaf we had in 2014. Oh and the steering, so sad. I suppose the 23mpg it is showing is pretty solid for it's size, but to benefit from that, you'd actually have to drive it.

Okay, back to the breakfast sandwich discussion.

How can you say that, it has a 4WD knob and hill descent control! Clearly a true rock crawler!

28firefighter

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

The Mach-E is on my list for the future, but I want (1) the initial hype to wear off and standard Ford rebates to come into play, and (2) would like first/second year issues worked out. I find it way more compelling than the VW ID4.

I've been eyeing it myself. It is intriguing. I'm not terribly sure about the trims, though. When I was using the pricing tool the other day, it looks like extended range AWD Premium is $55k. At that price, it kind of makes sense to me to just go for the $60k GT. That is an expensive proposition.

corvette

qbrozen said:

On another maintenance note, I noticed this morn that the X2s front tires are in REALLY bad shape while the rears look like new. Huh..I guess getting them rotated maybe didn’t actually take place? I’ll have to do it my damned self, as usual. Can’t trust anybody.

You can rotate them in whatever pattern you want to if you DIY. Many auto manufacturers specify a straight front to back rotation (and this is what many shops do), but tire manufacturers often recommend a forward or rearward cross if the tires aren't directional. I've noticed that doing the cross rotation helps even out the "sawtooth" edge wear that occurs on a lot of cars (and can make the tires noisy if it gets bad enough).

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

If I didn't have a Prelude rotting in my driveway under a cover, I'd be all over that.

Michaell

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

fintail

Those shopping mall parking ramps can be treacherous this time of year. I mean bring on the Rubicon!

corvette said:

How can you say that, it has a 4WD knob and hill descent control! Clearly a true rock crawler!

breld

28firefighter said:

The Mach-E is on my list for the future, but I want (1) the initial hype to wear off and standard Ford rebates to come into play, and (2) would like first/second year issues worked out. I find it way more compelling than the VW ID4.

Agreed - with these positive reviews coming in and the current short list of EVs available, Ford will have no issue selling all of them for the first several months.

@qbrozen - I had the same thought on the price difference for the Premium vs GT. From what I can tell, it looks like there will be some options/packages to be added to the GT to bring it up to the “Premium” level (glass roof, B&O sound, self driving prep), so there’s some trade off of features vs performance. But they haven’t listed those options yet on their website for the GT.

With the $7,500 federal rebate and $2,500 for Colorado (down from $4k for 2020), that $10k in tax incentives certainly makes the $55k Premium Mach E intriguing.

ab348

A big Honda recall announced:

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/honda-recalls-crv-accord-civic-cars-suvs-problems

It's in 3 parts, first part 1:

The first is a recall that exclusively covers the 2002-2006 Honda CR-V. These SUVs may feature failing power window switches due to moisture entering the area. If the wires dampen, they may melt or totally fail, and in turn, there's a chance of an interior fire. As of this past November, Honda said it's aware of 23 reported fires and 87 other "reports of thermal events" related to the issue.

Part 2:

Next up is a recall to tackle body control module failures in a handful of cars: the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight. The BCM software problem can lead to a host of vehicle malfunctions. According to the automaker, drivers of the three cars may be subject to windshield wipers that don't work, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras and exterior lights that won't flick on. The fix is simply a software update for the cars. Honda estimates 713,233 cars include the defect and plans to send out notices around Jan. 18. Honda isn't aware of any injuries or crashes associated with the problems.

Part 3, which only applies in certain states listed at the link above:

Finally, a total of 430,000 cars are part of a recall campaign involving corroding driveshafts. Honda split the campaign into two parts, one that covers 210,000 cars and another covering 220,000.

The 210,000-car recall includes the 2013-2015 Acura ILX and ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid and 2007-2008 Fit. The specific vehicles included reside in states where road salt or other contaminants may corrode the driveshaft and cause them to fail. Another 220,000 2013-2015 Accord sedans are also part of this recall in a separate campaign, which covers the same states. No injuries or crashes have been reported. The cause is a lubricant on the driveshaft that may damage the protective coating for the component.

The automaker plans to inspect the driveshafts of each car and replace them if necessary. Owners should receive mailed notices around Feb. 1.

28firefighter

Apparently with the right incentives and dealer discount you can get sub $300/month with first month DAS. The tag line on the other forum thread is $284 DAS and $284/month which is crazy cheap for 455 hp. Not sure if anyone has actually gotten it that low yet.

sda

28firefighter said:

Apparently with the right incentives and dealer discount you can get sub $300/month with first month DAS. The tag line on the other forum thread is $284 DAS and $284/month which is crazy cheap for 455 hp. Not sure if anyone has actually gotten it that low yet.

Remind me, what is DAS?

qbrozen

I think the one broker has gotten offered that cheap, but he obviously has connections. Dealers aren't going to discount 10%, IMHO. Supplier pricing is kinda crappy. If you could get a 7% pre-incentive discount on a $40k unit, with the 64% 39/10 RV, .00028 MF, AND if you live in a region with the $2250 conquest incentive, you could get to $295/mo pre-tax with just first month at signing. $315 with a 5% discount.

If all stars aligned and you managed to find a base $37k model AND squeeze a 7% discount, then you are at $271. Even 5% on that base model would get you to $290.

Am I doing it? No. I can't. Wish I could.

qbrozen

sda said:

28firefighter said:

Apparently with the right incentives and dealer discount you can get sub $300/month with first month DAS. The tag line on the other forum thread is $284 DAS and $284/month which is crazy cheap for 455 hp. Not sure if anyone has actually gotten it that low yet.

Remind me, what is DAS?

due at signing.

That is as opposed to "down" which usually means additional cap cost reduction above and beyond all the fees and taxes. A term to be avoided that dealers/advertisers love to use to lure you in.

kyfdx

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

Plus it has a 455 Horsepower V8

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

Plus it has a 455 Horsepower V8

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

Plus it has a 455 Horsepower V8

And zero visibility.

kyfdx

Michaell said:

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

Plus it has a 455 Horsepower V8

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

Plus it has a 455 Horsepower V8

And zero visibility.

If you go fast enough, you only need to look straight ahead

corvette

Michaell said:

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

Plus it has a 455 Horsepower V8

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

What makes it cheap? We've seen a dozen or so requests for numbers in the past week, so I'm genuinely curious.

Low money factor and high residual

Plus it has a 455 Horsepower V8

And zero visibility.

The main reason I sought out a Mustang instead.

kyfdx

I think it looks like a cartoon car. I'd get the Mustang, all day, every day.

But, you wouldn't want to lease a Mustang GT. The LT1 Camaro is a bargain lease.

ab348

kyfdx said:

But, you wouldn't want to lease a Mustang GT. The LT1 Camaro is a bargain lease.

Certainly not in Canada though from what I just saw on the GM Canada site. No incentives I can see, $500 a month ballpark lease payment.

stickguy

cheap payment. But I still have zero desire to own or drive one.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

I think it looks like a cartoon car. I'd get the Mustang, all day, every day.

But, you wouldn't want to lease a Mustang GT. The LT1 Camaro is a bargain lease.

+1

I test drove both a Mustang GT and a Camaro SS (with stick shifts) some years back. Both are scary fast, but I'd take the Mustang simply because of the visibility.

Though .... I do have ~$1000 of GM credit card cash in my account. Could bring the payment down even more.

Forget the 1% of MSRP; now we need to calculate the payment in terms of HP. I paid about $1.40 per HP on the Jetta. The ZL1 would be roughly $.66 per.

stickguy

speaking of tires, last time the Jetta went to the dealer ( I ranted about that story where the dope SA ignored instructions about brake fluid) they also did not rotate the tires (part of the standard service interval stuff). But I only realized it because I am one of the few people that reads every line of the very long printout, and noticed it, and asked the SA about it. That guy, really bad. Basically they said the rear tires were wearing funny, so they did not want to rotate to the front.

my issue was, SA should have told us about it since it is obviously an issue to deal with. Usually they take the opportunity to upsell something (alignment or new tires). He was too stupid to even do that. I was ticked off about them not bringing it to our attention (and they charge a lot for the service), not to mention the charge was still on the bill.

so after some grouchy (I was Hangry at that point, and ready to blow) he took that off the bill too. Did not still seem to be interested in the problem with the car though.

so yesterday I took it to local tire shop to check the alignment (never done in 39,000 miles). That guy was real interested in resolving. Checked the tires and suspention, did tread depth readings at 3 spots on all 4,etc. Then came out to discuss. He was betting they probably ignored it previously, but could have been just from going 12K since last rotate. He set the alignment and said should be OK to rotate (the rears had some cupping or feathering of some sort, but lots of tread) thinking they would wear down and even out, and it should get quite a bit more use to save the kid from buying tires soon. Considering he sells tires, that was nice of him!

the Bridgestones are not great tires, but the tread lasts. ran from about 6-8/32 all around (the low edge of one might have been 5), and that is with 39,300 miles on it. Hopefully they stay good to at least 50 (should take another year to get there at current usage) if not 60, but we shall see.

stickguy

oh, on the Mach E, my son was texting about that yesterday as an option for him next year. I don't think he is going to ready to go full EV by then with no alternate car available. But sounds cool. Range is just too short. He likely could not comfortable make it from his house to ours the way he hammers up and down the thruway, which would be quite an inconvenience since he usually does the trip at night and just blasts straight through.

explorerx4

To see if the tires have been rotated, I pick out a distinguishing mark on a wheel or tire and check to see if it still in the same corner of the vehicle after getting it serviced.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I am going to have to remember to change the oil in my ZTM come spring.

On another maintenance note, I noticed this morn that the X2s front tires are in REALLY bad shape while the rears look like new. Huh..I guess getting them rotated maybe didn’t actually take place? I’ll have to do it my damned self, as usual. Can’t trust anybody.

Did they charge you for rotation? I’d be throwing furniture if a shop did that. I mean, how could you trust them to do anything that you paid for?

maintenance is included, so we paid nothing.

So your free maintenance was worth every penny you pay.😫

28firefighter

Looks like my grand plan to transfer the i3 is a bust. Transfer timelines have ballooned from 3-6 weeks to 8-10 and it is knocking out most interest in it.

Stay tuned...

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

28firefighter said:

OK - so who here is jumping on the cheap Camaro LT1 lease train? @qbrozen? @pensfan83?

If I didn't have a Prelude rotting in my driveway under a cover, I'd be all over that.

Be sure to sit in one first.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

A big Honda recall announced:

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/honda-recalls-crv-accord-civic-cars-suvs-problems

It's in 3 parts, first part 1:

The first is a recall that exclusively covers the 2002-2006 Honda CR-V. These SUVs may feature failing power window switches due to moisture entering the area. If the wires dampen, they may melt or totally fail, and in turn, there's a chance of an interior fire. As of this past November, Honda said it's aware of 23 reported fires and 87 other "reports of thermal events" related to the issue.

Part 2:

Next up is a recall to tackle body control module failures in a handful of cars: the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight. The BCM software problem can lead to a host of vehicle malfunctions. According to the automaker, drivers of the three cars may be subject to windshield wipers that don't work, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras and exterior lights that won't flick on. The fix is simply a software update for the cars. Honda estimates 713,233 cars include the defect and plans to send out notices around Jan. 18. Honda isn't aware of any injuries or crashes associated with the problems.

Part 3, which only applies in certain states listed at the link above:

Finally, a total of 430,000 cars are part of a recall campaign involving corroding driveshafts. Honda split the campaign into two parts, one that covers 210,000 cars and another covering 220,000.

The 210,000-car recall includes the 2013-2015 Acura ILX and ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid and 2007-2008 Fit. The specific vehicles included reside in states where road salt or other contaminants may corrode the driveshaft and cause them to fail. Another 220,000 2013-2015 Accord sedans are also part of this recall in a separate campaign, which covers the same states. No injuries or crashes have been reported. The cause is a lubricant on the driveshaft that may damage the protective coating for the component.

The automaker plans to inspect the driveshafts of each car and replace them if necessary. Owners should receive mailed notices around Feb. 1.

Not too many car companies would care about fixing a 2002 vehicle. Impressive.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

maintenance is included, so we paid nothing.

Good, because you didn't get anything either!

Edit: Crud; late to the party yet again. Well done, OF. Well done.

explorerx4

Here is a good review of the Mach E. This guy is an electric car specialist(said he has 80 to 90k miles experience with Tesla Autopilot).
Downside is 35 minutes long and too many ad's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WtF1h1wzCw

au1994

28firefighter said:

Looks like my grand plan to transfer the i3 is a bust. Transfer timelines have ballooned from 3-6 weeks to 8-10 and it is knocking out most interest in it.

Stay tuned...

Well, that sucks. You were at what 10 months? Maybe 9 by now? Any hope of pull ahead from BMW on these? I’m sure even close to lease end you’ll never not be upside down.

28firefighter

Well, the person who was interested decided to proceed - just will take longer than I'd hoped. We shall see if they get approved.

BMW hasn't really done pull-ahead in a long time, so I'd expect no on that front. And yes, I am decidedly flipped. Current payoff is around $37k before tax. Vroom trade-in is $23k. Might just be the most flipped I've ever been in a vehicle.

mjfloyd1

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I am going to have to remember to change the oil in my ZTM come spring.

On another maintenance note, I noticed this morn that the X2s front tires are in REALLY bad shape while the rears look like new. Huh..I guess getting them rotated maybe didn’t actually take place? I’ll have to do it my damned self, as usual. Can’t trust anybody.

Did they charge you for rotation? I’d be throwing furniture if a shop did that. I mean, how could you trust them to do anything that you paid for?

maintenance is included, so we paid nothing.

So your free maintenance was worth every penny you pay.😫

It is not free maintenance. It is prepaid maintenance.

au1994

28firefighter said:

Well, the person who was interested decided to proceed - just will take longer than I'd hoped. We shall see if they get approved.

BMW hasn't really done pull-ahead in a long time, so I'd expect no on that front. And yes, I am decidedly flipped. Current payoff is around $37k before tax. Vroom trade-in is $23k. Might just be the most flipped I've ever been in a vehicle.

Well thats good/bad. Looks like the extended timeline and fact they are not approved will definitely push you out of getting one of the year end bargains that are out there.

Hope it goes through and at least you have the ZHP as a stopgap when this gets done!

corvette

explorerx4 said:

Downside is 35 minutes long and too many ad's.

uBlock Origin will take care of the ads.

roadburner

I remember whey Car and Driver-I think-had a long-term 240Z; it called for a valve adjustment at 15k so they marked several of the valve cover bolts. Sure enough, the dealer charged them for the adjustment and never touched the valve cover.

roadburner

Years ago a friend burned his BMW dealer on the east coast. The inspection chart in the OM stated that tire pressures should be checked including the spare. My friend overinflated two tires, under inflated two tires, and let all the air out of the spare. When he picked up the car he asked the service manager about the tires and the guy said all the tires were checked. My friend then showed him the tire pressures and the flat spare.

Sandman6472

Ditto on marking the tires but have been lucky as they always have been rotated.
Stick, the Q3 is just a tad to big unfortunately, need it to be 175" or less, and "or less" is the operative part here. That's why the Mini Cooper would work just fine, just need to drive a few to see if it's going to be too firm of a ride.
And Stick, many at work call me "Stick" now due to my walking with a cane. The first name they gave me was "Citizen Cane", so some still use that to. Calling me by my name, "Sandy", just doesn't seem to work!!

kyfdx

This made me do a double take

28firefighter

Oy.

explorerx4

Might work if the other driver pulled up on the right and wanted to do a dig.

corvette

@kyfdx - that kind of ties in with Elliot Alvis' latest YT video on his 528i.

I'm getting caught up, and man, the exterior styling of the Maybach has not aged well. Now, it just looks like a really awkward S-class. RR/Bentleys and even the S-class from that era look much better today. But, the interior is incredible.

xwesx

28firefighter said:

Well, the person who was interested decided to proceed - just will take longer than I'd hoped. We shall see if they get approved.

BMW hasn't really done pull-ahead in a long time, so I'd expect no on that front. And yes, I am decidedly flipped. Current payoff is around $37k before tax. Vroom trade-in is $23k. Might just be the most flipped I've ever been in a vehicle.

Sounds like the perfect recipe for a great lease!

oldfarmer50

mjfloyd1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I am going to have to remember to change the oil in my ZTM come spring.

On another maintenance note, I noticed this morn that the X2s front tires are in REALLY bad shape while the rears look like new. Huh..I guess getting them rotated maybe didn’t actually take place? I’ll have to do it my damned self, as usual. Can’t trust anybody.

Did they charge you for rotation? I’d be throwing furniture if a shop did that. I mean, how could you trust them to do anything that you paid for?

maintenance is included, so we paid nothing.

So your free maintenance was worth every penny you pay.😫

It is not free maintenance. It is prepaid maintenance.

Time to start throwing furniture.👺👺👺👹

breld

This work from home situation, combined with a typical slow time anyway gives me too much time on my hands.

This listing just came up today so I went to check it out...

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/832746224/overview/

I actually like the 2018 as it’s the facelifted model and I don’t need the enhancements of the Comp model. And unlike some others (@roadburner 😀) I actually would prefer the moonroof. And of course it’s a manual.

It doesn’t seem to have anything performance-wise over the Supra, but I do like the more upright seating position, the much better visibility and in some ways, the more understated design.

And...manual.

Will I do anything about it? Probably not. At least wait until next year, cause you know, the count starts over. 😀