Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

28firefighter

2 years seems to be the sweet spot. Though I don't know what the new rates/incentives are for Seattle so it might not be such a great deal anymore.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

that is a nice Audi. usual caveat about my ideas on color combo!

here is the Caddy my son saw. Love the color combo. Interior is nice. Car is bigger than I like though, and the rear end seems somewhat bulky.

https://www.dellacadillac.com/VehicleDetails/new-2020-Cadillac-CT5-4dr_Sdn_V_Series-Queensbury-NY/4629178723

I much prefer the 4, but not at close to that price.

https://www.dellacadillac.com/VehicleDetails/new-2020-Cadillac-CT4-4dr_Sdn_Sport-Queensbury-NY/4613699493#close

That dealer has a very plush showroom, nice comfy chairs but for $700+ a month you could lease the Mach E GT.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

Does anyone have any strong opinions one way or another about the Jeep Grand Cherokee with Hemi? My SIL and BIL have a 2017 Summit with the V6 and it rides great, but is a little slow. What is the 2017/2018 like with a Hemi?

Very nice ride, one of the more comfortable SUVs I’ve driven. I’d research the Hemi tick problem before I bought one.

roadburner

breld said:

roadburner said:

I may have waited too late to check out a Supra; the 0.9% internet rate and $1500 rebate expired yesterday.

I've gotta think it'll be renewed. That rebate got up to $3,000 last June (prompting my purchase).

If you don’t mind me asking, how much did you get off MSRP? And do you find the seats comfortable?
The dealer I’m talking too is Wyler and they are eager to make a sale- unlike Oxmorons where they wouldn’t let me test drive one.

xwesx

Maybe surprising, but my wife still does not have her Crosstrek in her possession.

Well, I think I finally have this saga closed out! They were supposed to deliver it just after Christmas, but then they cited delays "due to the holidays," so they schedule for Monday (yesterday). I got up at 0430 (Alaska) to be sure to contact the dealership at the start of the Eastern work day, and he said he did not have authorization to deliver it yet due to a "banking delay," but that he would "definitely" have it for Tuesday, and Wednesday would be "100%."

Since schedules on the delivery end couldn't work out for Tuesday, we planned for a Wednesday delivery. I wasn't confident in the dealer's confidence, so I made sure to follow up today, and here's what transpired....

"I'm not sure we can deliver it tomorrow because I still don't have a green light. I told my title clerk to monitor it, and I'll let you know."

W: "Ah..... well....."

"I know you're frustrated with the delays; I can tell just by your silence. I really appreciate how patient you've been, and I'm not trying to take advantage of that."

W: "You're right; I am frustrated, and there are two reasons why.... First, it is literally costing me money every day I don't have this car. I am paying for a rental for my wife, which runs me about $30 per day, and, frankly, it is adding up!

Second, when considering my options for purchasing the car, your finance guy said that any check you receive is subject to a ten-day hold, but that he could process this much faster with his finance company. So, even though it was less convenient for me to go that route, I did it in the name of expediency. Yet, here we are, well after the "ten day hold" period would have come and gone, and I still don't have my car.

All I'm asking is this: Talk to your finance guy and see if he can light a fire under somebody at this bank, because I am running out of time and patience on this, and I really need this car tomorrow."

"I see your point; everything you're saying is both true and reasonable. I'll talk to the finance guy, and we will do everything we can to get you this car."

An hour later, he calls back to say that things are looking good and it should be done today. His finance guy is "on the phone" with the bank and getting things pushed through. Then, at 1700 eastern, he called again to confirm that they are good, the light is now green, his drivers are ready, and we *will* have the car on Wednesday.

Here's to hoping.....

pensfan83

While the lease deal was definitely a primary factor we've come to appreciate the utility, hauling and towing, the Tacoma brings to the table. Like the Wrangler it wouldn't be high on my list if that were the only vehicle I had in the garage. However with my wife surprisingly open to driving it on occasion and having the ZHP and Prelude in the fold for 8.5 months of the year I'm almost positive we're going to lease another one. There's just not much out there, save for an M340i or a Charger, that really piques my interest enough to give up the convenient utility we have with the truck.

If it's only the allure of a cheap lease that's generating interest, I would recommend giving one a thorough test drive before making a decision and I would recommend one of the TRD trims at the minimum. If you aren't convinced after a test drive, even with other cars in the fleet, then I wouldn't recommend getting one. My 2 cents.

sda

xwesx said:

Maybe surprising, but my wife still does not have her Crosstrek in her possession.

Well, I think I finally have this saga closed out! They were supposed to deliver it just after Christmas, but then they cited delays "due to the holidays," so they schedule for Monday (yesterday). I got up at 0430 (Alaska) to be sure to contact the dealership at the start of the Eastern work day, and he said he did not have authorization to deliver it yet due to a "banking delay," but that he would "definitely" have it for Tuesday, and Wednesday would be "100%."

Since schedules on the delivery end couldn't work out for Tuesday, we planned for a Wednesday delivery. I wasn't confident in the dealer's confidence, so I made sure to follow up today, and here's what transpired....

"I'm not sure we can deliver it tomorrow because I still don't have a green light. I told my title clerk to monitor it, and I'll let you know."

W: "Ah..... well....."

"I know you're frustrated with the delays; I can tell just by your silence. I really appreciate how patient you've been, and I'm not trying to take advantage of that."

W: "You're right; I am frustrated, and there are two reasons why.... First, it is literally costing me money every day I don't have this car. I am paying for a rental for my wife, which runs me about $30 per day, and, frankly, it is adding up!

Second, when considering my options for purchasing the car, your finance guy said that any check you receive is subject to a ten-day hold, but that he could process this much faster with his finance company. So, even though it was less convenient for me to go that route, I did it in the name of expediency. Yet, here we are, well after the "ten day hold" period would have come and gone, and I still don't have my car.

All I'm asking is this: Talk to your finance guy and see if he can light a fire under somebody at this bank, because I am running out of time and patience on this, and I really need this car tomorrow."

"I see your point; everything you're saying is both true and reasonable. I'll talk to the finance guy, and we will do everything we can to get you this car."

An hour later, he calls back to say that things are looking good and it should be done today. His finance guy is "on the phone" with the bank and getting things pushed through. Then, at 1700 eastern, he called again to confirm that they are good, the light is now green, his drivers are ready, and we *will* have the car on Wednesday.

Here's to hoping.....

That’s promising. It would have been nice if they threw you a bone such as paying a couple days of rent.

roadburner

One other point; the Supra I like has been on the floor 137 days; I’m guessing they’re eager to move it.

corvette

@roadburner - I had the 5k service on the Tundra done at Wyler. No complaints. The next visit, there are a couple of niggling issues I want them to take a look at, so we'll see whether they're up for the challenge.

roadburner

corvette said:

@roadburner - I had the 5k service on the Tundra done at Wyler. No complaints. The next visit, there are a couple of niggling issues I want them to take a look at, so we'll see whether they're up for the challenge.

Thanks for the information; I was impressed that they only have a $200 doc fee.

28firefighter

roadburner said:

One other point; the Supra I like has been on the floor 137 days; I’m guessing they’re eager to move it.

Make an insultingly low offer and work backwards from that!

roadburner

xwesx said:

Maybe surprising, but my wife still does not have her Crosstrek in her possession.

Well, I think I finally have this saga closed out! They were supposed to deliver it just after Christmas, but then they cited delays "due to the holidays," so they schedule for Monday (yesterday). I got up at 0430 (Alaska) to be sure to contact the dealership at the start of the Eastern work day, and he said he did not have authorization to deliver it yet due to a "banking delay," but that he would "definitely" have it for Tuesday, and Wednesday would be "100%."

Since schedules on the delivery end couldn't work out for Tuesday, we planned for a Wednesday delivery. I wasn't confident in the dealer's confidence, so I made sure to follow up today, and here's what transpired....

"I'm not sure we can deliver it tomorrow because I still don't have a green light. I told my title clerk to monitor it, and I'll let you know."

W: "Ah..... well....."

"I know you're frustrated with the delays; I can tell just by your silence. I really appreciate how patient you've been, and I'm not trying to take advantage of that."

W: "You're right; I am frustrated, and there are two reasons why.... First, it is literally costing me money every day I don't have this car. I am paying for a rental for my wife, which runs me about $30 per day, and, frankly, it is adding up!

Second, when considering my options for purchasing the car, your finance guy said that any check you receive is subject to a ten-day hold, but that he could process this much faster with his finance company. So, even though it was less convenient for me to go that route, I did it in the name of expediency. Yet, here we are, well after the "ten day hold" period would have come and gone, and I still don't have my car.

All I'm asking is this: Talk to your finance guy and see if he can light a fire under somebody at this bank, because I am running out of time and patience on this, and I really need this car tomorrow."

"I see your point; everything you're saying is both true and reasonable. I'll talk to the finance guy, and we will do everything we can to get you this car."

An hour later, he calls back to say that things are looking good and it should be done today. His finance guy is "on the phone" with the bank and getting things pushed through. Then, at 1700 eastern, he called again to confirm that they are good, the light is now green, his drivers are ready, and we *will* have the car on Wednesday.

Here's to hoping.....

I would be very unhappy. It sounds like how a freight company jerked me around when we ordered a play set from Maine for our son. The only good thing was that the play set company fired them and gave us a $100 credit. IIRC.

xwesx

roadburner said:

corvette said:

@roadburner - I had the 5k service on the Tundra done at Wyler. No complaints. The next visit, there are a couple of niggling issues I want them to take a look at, so we'll see whether they're up for the challenge.

Thanks for the information; I was impressed that they only have a $200 doc fee.

Oh, speaking of doc fees, get this: The place in NY that has the Crosstrek is only charging a $75 doc fee. Heck, they ate that up just by the cost of sending documents back and forth via Express Mail! This delivery delay notwithstanding, I have been extremely happy with this place; I definitely did not expect this level of service from a Chevrolet dealership.

28firefighter

So put that Carmax GTI into Carvana and Vroom and they came back at roughly $26k. Assuming that is fairly close to auction, that means they're "only" $4k over auction value...

stickguy

xwesx said:

roadburner said:

corvette said:

@roadburner - I had the 5k service on the Tundra done at Wyler. No complaints. The next visit, there are a couple of niggling issues I want them to take a look at, so we'll see whether they're up for the challenge.

Thanks for the information; I was impressed that they only have a $200 doc fee.

Oh, speaking of doc fees, get this: The place in NY that has the Crosstrek is only charging a $75 doc fee. Heck, they ate that up just by the cost of sending documents back and forth via Express Mail! This delivery delay notwithstanding, I have been extremely happy with this place; I definitely did not expect this level of service from a Chevrolet dealership.

I am surprised they would go through all this to sell a used Subaru too. And that $75 is capped by the state. One of the few things in NYS that actually qualifies as a bargain.

Sandman6472

I have that green light in my 2015 VW Golf. It goes away once one pushes down on the brake pedal to move into any other gear than "P". The Fender audio system is pretty good, I keep it just under 1/2 volume and it sounds great with no distortion. There's a sub-woofer hidden somewhere in the rear hatch or under a seat. Mine's the "SE" but I should've held out for the "SEL" instead to be honest as I miss the push button start. Since I didn't like the standard "SE" alloys, I finally ended p with 17" alloys from a Jetta SEL which have 15 spokes instead of the 5. After almost a month of issues, their tire guy noticed they put 16" rims/tires on my car when it called for 17" rims/tires. They pulled up two Jetta's with different alloy designs and said I have 5 minutes to choose. It was a tough call as I really liked both designs but ultimately, went with the 15 spoke design and never looked back. They do look sharp when cleaned up with no brake dust.
I love it when there's no issues and want to trade it in when it has a few. It's a basic "love/hate" relationship now with the love winning out right now.

stickguy

28firefighter said:

So put that Carmax GTI into Carvana and Vroom and they came back at roughly $26k. Assuming that is fairly close to auction, that means they're "only" $4k over auction value...

isn't that pretty common for dealers on nicer stuff anyway? Though I guess the difference here, it isn't negotiable.

xwesx

stickguy said:

I am surprised they would go through all this to sell a used Subaru too. And that $75 is capped by the state. One of the few things in NYS that actually qualifies as a bargain.

Well, I honestly do make this pretty easy for dealers. I'm not sure what the "banking delay" was, but I suspect it was lost in someone's inbox at the dealership for a while over the holidays, and the "bank" didn't get the paperwork until Monday (when they were supposed to deliver the car).

Plus, I have the "Alaska appeal:" This is not the first time that I have heard a dealer say, "I really like the idea of selling a car to someone in Alaska."

The same thing happened when I bought the Passat from the small-town dealer in Ohio a few years ago. They sent a driver an hour away to the Indianapolis airport to pick me up, then they treated me like a celebrity while I was there! I mean, everyone who worked at the dealership, including the owner, came in on a Saturday afternoon just to meet me, and they took a group photo with me. Hahah! It was both fun and weird, but I guess that's a small town for you.

xwesx

stickguy said:

28firefighter said:

So put that Carmax GTI into Carvana and Vroom and they came back at roughly $26k. Assuming that is fairly close to auction, that means they're "only" $4k over auction value...

isn't that pretty common for dealers on nicer stuff anyway? Though I guess the difference here, it isn't negotiable.

He could contact them and say, "lower the advertised price to $28,000 and I'll buy it." That way, their policy remains in place and they make the sale.

Sandman6472

Don't make the mistake of getting a vehicle you don't really like. I went through just over a year of hating that 2014 Hyundai Tuscon SE I got in December of 2013. Wasn't a bad vehicle but it was just the wrong one for me. I need a small vehicle and I want an upmarket audio system included. Lastly, a sun/moon roof would be great with push button start and all the safety nannies. And it has to be under 175" at the most, preferably shorter.
Did ask Siri to find me smaller vehicles under 175" and surprisingly, the BMW X2 came up. Love those and my friend suggested trying to snag a dealer demo/loaner or a CPO unit. Like his idea truthfully as I'd rather not pay top dollar if I did the BMW route. While in the MB showroom today, saw a new 2021 A220 in a light gray color over gray leather that just blew me away. Thought they had sold it but it was just moved in the showroom. Only downer was the price tag...$39K before tax and tag! I was stunned really. Even the new Lexus UX starts at just under $35K which I find a bit much. Whatever happened to the $29K entry level luxury vehicle like our Audi A3?
My comfort zone is $25K plus whatever I can get for my Golf so might have to look at a CPO unit. I just want that "fun factor" I've got right now. It's gotta put that sh-t eating grin on my face like I get from the Golf now. But, I'm patient and can wait a bit longer. Also am hoping for more 0% financing to still be around at that time so I could not use a big wad of cash.

pensfan83

PA's doc fee went up over 100% last year but compared to some surrounding states (MD, NJ, VA) it's still a relative bargain. Additionally, unlike some states (*cough Florida and Virginia cough*) you know it's going to be the same at every store.

Sandman6472

Got sad news last night. My twin brother who has leukemia is on death's door and he was sent home with hospice care. We're not close at all, haven't seen each other in like 10 years though I've emailed him over the years. But the estrangement continues even as he's passing away. Was all ready to drive up to Ashville NC today but was told not to by his husband as he probably wouldn't even know I was there. After speaking with some relatives, it finally hit me and I was surprised how hard it hit. Out of 4 children, we're the last two left with one dying at 57 and the other on his 58th birthday, both from cancer. And now this twin getting the same leukemia our dad caught before he passed.
Luckily, G-d knows I have tried to make things right but still, it does hurt, hurt more than I ever thought it would. So folks, life is a precious commodity and don't take it for granted. Tell your family how much you love them, I tell my wife & kids that all the time, and try to make things right like I did when there are issues with others. This negative energy is a bad thing and just not worth it. Luckily, I made my peace with it all years ago so I'm o k now. Do I wish it could have turned out in a positive way...hell yeah!!!
So when the time comes, R I P Steve, I'll always think of you and only remember the fun we had as kids before all the dysfunction of our family took over!

stickguy

Sandy, sorry to hear about your brother. Even if you weren't still connected, it still hurts to lose someone like that.

and on the question about where the cheap MB is, that only exists in advertising material. You almost never find one with a number of expensive "options" on it. Might be able to custom order one, but you might be surprised how stripped a truly base Euro luxury car can be.

breld

roadburner said:

breld said:

roadburner said:

I may have waited too late to check out a Supra; the 0.9% internet rate and $1500 rebate expired yesterday.

I've gotta think it'll be renewed. That rebate got up to $3,000 last June (prompting my purchase).

If you don’t mind me asking, how much did you get off MSRP? And do you find the seats comfortable?
The dealer I’m talking too is Wyler and they are eager to make a sale- unlike Oxmorons where they wouldn’t let me test drive one.

I paid $47.7k for the Supra, which was approximately $9k off MSRP (Premium with Driver Assistance). The first local dealership I visited treated the Supras like precious metals and thought they were doing me a favor by knocking a couple grand off (which was less than the Toyota incentive). They were also the kind of place that wanted a credit app to even take one out for a test drive.

At the second dealership, I was met with the attitude of, “hey it’s just a car and we’d love to make a sale.” And they handed me the keys for a test drive on my own.

Such a contrast, but goes to show shopping around can pay off.

I find the seats very comfortable. There’s no separate adjustment for the front bolster, but they fit my build very well and I have no complaints.

Having just driven that used M2 recently, the limited visibility in the Supra has become very apparent. You may not care for the safety nannies, but the blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic are pretty much a necessity in the Supra.

corvette

@xwesx - hindsight being 20/20, if you or anyone else here are ever in that situation again, it probably can’t hurt to ask the selling dealer for a loaner while they’re dealing with paperwork or banking issues which are not of your doing.

28firefighter

My in-laws $279 due/$279 GLA loaner says otherwise. Not totally stripped. Just mostly!

fintail

That's where the money is made - options. They must have insane margins. Maybe the only saving grace for those high MSRPs is that nobody pays sticker for mass market premium Euro models.

breld

28firefighter said:

So put that Carmax GTI into Carvana and Vroom and they came back at roughly $26k. Assuming that is fairly close to auction, that means they're "only" $4k over auction value...

While I know others here, including myself, have done better on occasion, my standard target is $3k over trade/auction.

For a GTI with the right options and the perfect color, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over $1k.

breld

Sandy - sorry to hear of your brother. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

[Deleted User]

I guess I’ll get the ball rolling, but probably the only punch for me this year 🤓

xwesx

dad23 said:

I guess I’ll get the ball rolling, but probably the only punch for me this year 🤓

Very nice; congratulations!

Is this a CCBA version of Taco Tuesday?!

xwesx

Sandman6472 said:

Got sad news last night.

So when the time comes, R I P Steve, I'll always think of you and only remember the fun we had as kids before all the dysfunction of our family took over!

Sorry, Sandy! Regardless of the relationship, it is rough to lose a sibling, and I imagine particularly so with losing a twin sibling. It seems like you're taking the right bent about it, though, and here's to your health going forward!

breld

@dad23 - congrats! Great looking truck!

I love that place - I’ve purchased a couple cars from them and they also bought my Civic Type R from me for a generous price. My tint/clear bra works out of there too, so I’m there a lot.

stickguy

nice looking truck. And I gotta say, from the pictures you Rockies guys post of your houses, I love the styles of homes out in CO.

kyfdx

xwesx said:

roadburner said:

corvette said:

@roadburner - I had the 5k service on the Tundra done at Wyler. No complaints. The next visit, there are a couple of niggling issues I want them to take a look at, so we'll see whether they're up for the challenge.

Thanks for the information; I was impressed that they only have a $200 doc fee.

Oh, speaking of doc fees, get this: The place in NY that has the Crosstrek is only charging a $75 doc fee. Heck, they ate that up just by the cost of sending documents back and forth via Express Mail! This delivery delay notwithstanding, I have been extremely happy with this place; I definitely did not expect this level of service from a Chevrolet dealership.

$75 is the max in NY.

28firefighter

breld said:

28firefighter said:

So put that Carmax GTI into Carvana and Vroom and they came back at roughly $26k. Assuming that is fairly close to auction, that means they're "only" $4k over auction value...

While I know others here, including myself, have done better on occasion, my standard target is $3k over trade/auction.

For a GTI with the right options and the perfect color, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over $1k.

That is a very logical perspective. I’ll noodle on it. I see some body damage in one of the pictures (or dirt) by the driver’s lower side rocker where the door meets the quarter panel, so I’m going to call and ask about it.

laurasdada

Sorry about your brother, Sandy. A cruel season, indeed.

28firefighter

Very sorry to hear about your brother, Sandy. Seems to be the season for sure.

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

roadburner said:

corvette said:

@roadburner - I had the 5k service on the Tundra done at Wyler. No complaints. The next visit, there are a couple of niggling issues I want them to take a look at, so we'll see whether they're up for the challenge.

Thanks for the information; I was impressed that they only have a $200 doc fee.

Oh, speaking of doc fees, get this: The place in NY that has the Crosstrek is only charging a $75 doc fee. Heck, they ate that up just by the cost of sending documents back and forth via Express Mail! This delivery delay notwithstanding, I have been extremely happy with this place; I definitely did not expect this level of service from a Chevrolet dealership.

$75 is the legal limit on doc fees in NY.

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Got sad news last night. My twin brother who has leukemia is on death's door and he was sent home with hospice care. We're not close at all, haven't seen each other in like 10 years though I've emailed him over the years. But the estrangement continues even as he's passing away. Was all ready to drive up to Ashville NC today but was told not to by his husband as he probably wouldn't even know I was there. After speaking with some relatives, it finally hit me and I was surprised how hard it hit. Out of 4 children, we're the last two left with one dying at 57 and the other on his 58th birthday, both from cancer. And now this twin getting the same leukemia our dad caught before he passed.
Luckily, G-d knows I have tried to make things right but still, it does hurt, hurt more than I ever thought it would. So folks, life is a precious commodity and don't take it for granted. Tell your family how much you love them, I tell my wife & kids that all the time, and try to make things right like I did when there are issues with others. This negative energy is a bad thing and just not worth it. Luckily, I made my peace with it all years ago so I'm o k now. Do I wish it could have turned out in a positive way...hell yeah!!!
So when the time comes, R I P Steve, I'll always think of you and only remember the fun we had as kids before all the dysfunction of our family took over!

Sorry to hear that. Lot of sadness on the board for the new year. Offer your condolences and any help they’ll accept and leave it at that.

xwesx

kyfdx said:

$75 is the max in NY.

Wow; something good coming out of New York!

28firefighter

GTI appears to be sold before I could get a call in. Goodness.

nyccarguy

@Sandman6472 - I’m so sorry to hear about your twin brother’s impending death. I commend you for remembering the good times you shared together long ago.

stickguy

I assume Fintail would know, but I guess this is a rare bird. Why someone would do this is beyond me.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-2013-mercedes~benz-s~class-s_350_4dr_sedan_s350_bluetec_4matic-used-wddng8db6da525890.html

stickguy

28firefighter said:

GTI appears to be sold before I could get a call in. Goodness.

one reason I ended up buying or leasing new the last few cars. Used market is tough sledding, and if you actually stumble upon something you really want and that is a good deal, need to grab it fast because it won't be there long. Unless you like truly weird stuff.

xwesx

stickguy said:

I assume Fintail would know, but I guess this is a rare bird. Why someone would do this is beyond me.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-2013-mercedes~benz-s~class-s_350_4dr_sedan_s350_bluetec_4matic-used-wddng8db6da525890.html

I really like that one. Man, what a find. I even like it in white, which is not something I typically do like (no offense to your current whip, @fintail!).

Michaell

xwesx said:

stickguy said:

I assume Fintail would know, but I guess this is a rare bird. Why someone would do this is beyond me.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-2013-mercedes~benz-s~class-s_350_4dr_sedan_s350_bluetec_4matic-used-wddng8db6da525890.html

I really like that one. Man, what a find. I even like it in white, which is not something I typically do like (no offense to your current whip, @fintail!).

+1. Sharp color combo, engine will run forever, reasonably priced.

Fits my mythical $25K budget, too!

tjc78

Very sorry to hear Sandy. We are here for you.

tjc78

@dad23 Nice Taco! Congrats.

corvette

@dad23 - year and mileage for the list, please!

@Sandman6472 - sorry to hear about your brother.