Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

Michaell said:

Speaking of safety nannies...

A friend of mine, who I met while we were both delivering pizzas, had his beloved 2005 Tahoe stolen. His wife's car is a CR-V, and he reached out to me for help in trying to replace it. He's got a couple of pre-teen kids, and they camp and use the vehicle off-road more than normal.

He picked up a late model 4Runner through Carvana, but returned it, as it wasn't as comfortable as the Tahoe was (duh!).

He then got a 2018 Tahoe, which he absolutely hates. Doesn't like the tech, it's not as good off-road, and it's too big for his tastes.

It also doesn't have BMS or lane departure warning, which he feels is necessary on a car this size.

It does have lane keep assist - does anyone know how this is implemented for GM? I've not got a lot of experience with that feature.

sounds like he needs to find another 2005 Tahoe.

qbrozen

I just checked, at the difference between his '05 and an '18 is 2" length and 1" width. Sounds like his brain is playing tricks on him as to the size. And I can't imagine his 2005 had BMS, did it? And neither is a good offroad vehicle. If he notices any shortcomings of one year vs the other, it is most likely due to tires. Unless his old one had a low range and the newer does not? That is all I can think of.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

I just checked, at the difference between his '05 and an '18 is 2" length and 1" width. Sounds like his brain is playing tricks on him as to the size. And I can't imagine his 2005 had BMS, did it? And neither is a good offroad vehicle. If he notices any shortcomings of one year vs the other, it is most likely due to tires. Unless his old one had a low range and the newer does not? That is all I can think of.

Interesting - thanks for the fact check!

And, he was looking for a similar model year Tahoe, for sure.

stickguy

Newer models (trucks primarily) seem to all have taller, boxier hoods. And smaller windows That makes cars seem bigger than they really are usually. And more bothersome to drive. So that might be the issue.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Newer models (trucks primarily) seem to all have taller, boxier hoods. And smaller windows That makes cars seem bigger than they really are usually. And more bothersome to drive. So that might be the issue.

Yep, that seems to be the issues he was telling me about.

explorerx4

GM., so look up Stabilitrak.

cdnpinhead

corvette said:

Also, for anyone curious, book time on recalibrating the lane departure warning camera is 4 hours. They said my bill for that would be $500+

Yeah, those Helen Keller "features" come at a significant cost, especially in locations where windshield damage is a annual event. When my wife's Forester needed a new windshield a year or so ago, they just replaced the glass without recalibrating anything, and the systems definitely didn't work right afterward. They did fix it, and didn't charge full price, given their screw-up and the inconvenience it caused for all concerned.

stickguy

my son was wondering if this would be a good option for him. A summer toy, with a cheap lease for winter/slop duty. Seems like a nice one, but price getting up there already. Might be a better option for me! At least I can already drive it (it's a stick)

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rEQgEqB7/2003-bmw-m3-coupe

also found this lovely unit. I would take this. Super low miles too. No mention of IMS bearing replaced though, so likely any buyer will just budget that in just to be sure. Though that probably adds the $ for a clutch replacement, "while you are in there".

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/98A70y82/2008-porsche-cayman

I told him to get a Miata instead. Cheaper to buy, and vastly less expensive to run. But apparently "not as fast of cool".

fintail

Gotta look butch! Rough tough!

I cringe at the thought of a modern MB with options being in a front end impact - all of the Distronic/DAP stuff along with LED lighting etc - could probably halfway total a car that was still driveable.

stickguy said:

Newer models (trucks primarily) seem to all have taller, boxier hoods. And smaller windows That makes cars seem bigger than they really are usually. And more bothersome to drive. So that might be the issue.

ab348

Michaell said:

It does have lane keep assist - does anyone know how this is implemented for GM? I've not got a lot of experience with that feature.

If it's the same as what I have in the ATS, it is switchable to be either on or off. When on it is supposed to read the lane lines on the road and nudge the steering wheel (using the electric power steering I assume) if you drift one way or the other enough that you are close to going out of your lane (duh). I don't like it and have mine turned off. It seems inconsistent - I presume because it can't always detect one side of the lane or the other due to inconsistent markings on the road - so it didn't always work, plus I found it annoying when I could feel it moving the steering wheel without my input.

corvette

As others have noted, a 2005 vs. 2018 Tahoe have similar dimensions. The big difference is the 2020 (I think) redesign, they added about a foot of length to make it more like the Sequoia and Expedition. I don't think any of the GMT800 platform vehicles had blind spot monitors. Some of the GMT900 (2007 and newer) offered it.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

my son was wondering if this would be a good option for him. A summer toy, with a cheap lease for winter/slop duty. Seems like a nice one, but price getting up there already. Might be a better option for me! At least I can already drive it (it's a stick)

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rEQgEqB7/2003-bmw-m3-coupe

also found this lovely unit. I would take this. Super low miles too. No mention of IMS bearing replaced though, so likely any buyer will just budget that in just to be sure. Though that probably adds the $ for a clutch replacement, "while you are in there".

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/98A70y82/2008-porsche-cayman

I told him to get a Miata instead. Cheaper to buy, and vastly less expensive to run. But apparently "not as fast of cool".

tell him to find a manual 128

28firefighter

Even a manual 228 would be good.

stickguy

he seems spoiled by HP he has now, so might hold out for a 30/40i. Just adds $$.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

Speaking of safety nannies...

A friend of mine, who I met while we were both delivering pizzas, had his beloved 2005 Tahoe stolen. His wife's car is a CR-V, and he reached out to me for help in trying to replace it. He's got a couple of pre-teen kids, and they camp and use the vehicle off-road more than normal.

He picked up a late model 4Runner through Carvana, but returned it, as it wasn't as comfortable as the Tahoe was (duh!).

He then got a 2018 Tahoe, which he absolutely hates. Doesn't like the tech, it's not as good off-road, and it's too big for his tastes.

It also doesn't have BMS or lane departure warning, which he feels is necessary on a car this size.

It does have lane keep assist - does anyone know how this is implemented for GM? I've not got a lot of experience with that feature.

Why would someone steal a 16 year old Chevy?

tjc78

Surprised about the Tahoe. The newer ones are much more refined. I wouldn’t throw a current or previous generation out of my garage (not that I need that level of capability).

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

my son was wondering if this would be a good option for him. A summer toy, with a cheap lease for winter/slop duty. Seems like a nice one, but price getting up there already. Might be a better option for me! At least I can already drive it (it's a stick)

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rEQgEqB7/2003-bmw-m3-coupe

also found this lovely unit. I would take this. Super low miles too. No mention of IMS bearing replaced though, so likely any buyer will just budget that in just to be sure. Though that probably adds the $ for a clutch replacement, "while you are in there".

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/98A70y82/2008-porsche-cayman

I told him to get a Miata instead. Cheaper to buy, and vastly less expensive to run. But apparently "not as fast of cool".

That BMW seems awfully pricey for that age and mileage.

The Porsche is better but that’s still an expensive car to maintain.

Are you sure you aren’t encouraging him to buy something for you to drive?

28firefighter

M3 is a good deal for a 6MT coupe and VANOS sorted. I'd actually venture to say it might be on the low side.

stickguy

I suggested a Mustang GT, Subaru BRZ or a Miata. Not getting much traction. He's coming up with these on his own.

stickguy

28firefighter said:

M3 is a good deal for a 6MT coupe and VANOS sorted. I'd actually venture to say it might be on the low side.

a lot of debate in the comments about how immediate the need is to do the rod bearings. Similar to the IMS on the Porsche. Do you feel lucky punk?

ab348

stickguy said:

I suggested a Mustang GT, Subaru BRZ or a Miata. Not getting much traction. He's coming up with these on his own.

Is he out of the young male high-cost insurance bracket now?

stickguy

pushing 30, so yes.

Michaell

Member needs help:

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/64765/general/x/trying-to-buy-car-but-need-new-license-and-dmv-appointments-are-backed-up#latest

explorerx4

Regarding C&B M3, I was going to say rod bearings, too.
A friend of mine had one and had them replaced pretty early on.
I don't think there is a complete maintenance history, so could have been done early on.

stickguy

you can do an oil analysis and hope that flags an impending issue. My thought on looking at a used car, that has known chronic failure points, is that unless I have records I can verify that the issues were taken care of, or if you can 100% determine from a PPI, my offer will be net of getting that work done, then I will take it in and have everything done up front to establish a solid baseline. So rod bearings or cooling system on a BMW, IMS on a Porsche, etc.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

he seems spoiled by HP he has now, so might hold out for a 30/40i. Just adds $$.

well, there is the 135, but maybe need to avoid the N54, which means 2011 and up. Not sure what the budget is, but would still be quite a bit cheaper than that M3 or Cayman.

stickguy

Budget, probably not enough to get both cars (he just bought a house last summer that still has $ projects required. Since the idea is leasing something cheap (a Fit say) then financing the sporty car unless it is pretty old. so then you are into double payments, and could probably just lease something really nice and stay at 1 car.

that's why I was suggesting something older and cheaper, such as a Miata. pay cash and lease a truck/SUV of some sort. Hey, they sound a lot faster than they really are.

stickguy

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

my son was wondering if this would be a good option for him. A summer toy, with a cheap lease for winter/slop duty. Seems like a nice one, but price getting up there already. Might be a better option for me! At least I can already drive it (it's a stick)

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rEQgEqB7/2003-bmw-m3-coupe

also found this lovely unit. I would take this. Super low miles too. No mention of IMS bearing replaced though, so likely any buyer will just budget that in just to be sure. Though that probably adds the $ for a clutch replacement, "while you are in there".

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/98A70y82/2008-porsche-cayman

I told him to get a Miata instead. Cheaper to buy, and vastly less expensive to run. But apparently "not as fast of cool".

tell him to find a manual 128

that reminds me. He never really learned to drive a stick (might have had a couple quick lessons from a roommate after he moved from here), so I was surprised he was looking at that. But not a requirement.

stickguy

M3 hammered at $19,600 and Porsche at $22,800. Seems like they both pulled strong money. Figure another couple grand for the "probably should do it before you have to" preventive work on each one.

I have no real sense of values to know how good or bad they were. But I am kinda sorry I did not bid a month or 2 back on the Celica GTS that went for about $6,200. Fun car, unique, and bulletproof and cheap to own.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rGJm4Bdj/2002-toyota-celica-gt-s

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

M3 hammered at $19,600 and Porsche at $22,800. Seems like they both pulled strong money. Figure another couple grand for the "probably should do it before you have to" preventive work on each one.

I have no real sense of values to know how good or bad they were. But I am kinda sorry I did not bid a month or 2 back on the Celica GTS that went for about $6,200. Fun car, unique, and bulletproof and cheap to own.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rGJm4Bdj/2002-toyota-celica-gt-s

That price is a bargain compared to some of the other C&B cars but still too steep for me. I’m glad that I’m not currently searching for something because prices are still crazy high. For example, I was on one of the car sites looking under the generic “convertible” listings. I came upon a 2000 Sebring convertible with similar milage for almost double what I paid for mine in 2018. Now maybe you can argue that once cars hit 20 years old they gain classic status but it seems like that’s a pretty big appreciation on a run of the mill car.

stickguy

sounds like you should be selling down the fleet now.

xwesx

corvette said:

Also, for anyone curious, book time on recalibrating the lane departure warning camera is 4 hours. They said my bill for that would be $500+, and they don't direct bill to the insurance company, so I'll get to pay and then get reimbursed. Given the amount of time involved, I'm probably going to ask that they cover the rental, as well.

If it was me, I wouldn't worry about it if it is not throwing a code.

xwesx

oldfarmer50 said:

Why would someone steal a 16 year old Chevy?

Hey, when you need to pull a heist that requires some cargo capacity, you look for an old Tahoe or Chrysler minivan. It's easy to dump the extra seats, load it up, and make a clean getaway because they are so ubiquitous.

au1994

tjc78 said:

Surprised about the Tahoe. The newer ones are much more refined. I wouldn’t throw a current or previous generation out of my garage (not that I need that level of capability).

Nor would I. I find the new gen very attractive and still like the previous gen, especially in Yukon form. That front end just looked better to me. I think they made this new gen even bigger.

xwesx

au1994 said:

tjc78 said:

Surprised about the Tahoe. The newer ones are much more refined. I wouldn’t throw a current or previous generation out of my garage (not that I need that level of capability).

Nor would I. I find the new gen very attractive and still like the previous gen, especially in Yukon form. That front end just looked better to me. I think they made this new gen even bigger.

Probably the same issue my wife has when she is forced to switch to a different vehicle: She complains about it because it isn't her old vehicle! The merits of the new one matter not.

corvette

xwesx said:

corvette said:

Also, for anyone curious, book time on recalibrating the lane departure warning camera is 4 hours. They said my bill for that would be $500+, and they don't direct bill to the insurance company, so I'll get to pay and then get reimbursed. Given the amount of time involved, I'm probably going to ask that they cover the rental, as well.

If it was me, I wouldn't worry about it if it is not throwing a code.

Too late! Zero deductible on glass replacement expenses, though, so it's not like I'm out anything.

corvette

Weird experience on the rental Altima. I made a trip of about 80 miles each way today. No CarPlay. It acted like it had the standard old-school iPod connectivity. Unplugged the phone and plugged it in a couple times. Began to think I was going crazy, since I could have sworn it had full CarPlay capability with Waze on the screen yesterday. On the return trip, I plugged my phone in, and magically had CarPlay once again.

Anyway, it reminded me a lot of the 2009 Altima (two generations prior) that I once had. The 2020 definitely does not have any additional sound deadening, as it got rather loud on anything besides perfectly smooth pavement. The steering feels artificial, but firm, and it tracks straight down the road. Tires looked iffy, so I measured them, and they're at about 5/32" all the way around. Not sure what Enterprise's fleet standard is on that, but probably getting close to time for replacement. I reset the MPG computer, and if it can be trusted, it says I was averaging in the high 30s at 75-80 MPH, which is impressive for a non-hybrid.

Sandman6472

OF, I sit on a special cushion I got at the Relax The Back store, or should I say workers comp got it fr me after my pain doc put it on a script. It has been the best thing as it really helps my back feel better and it's memory foam so super comfy. So, I don't fall too far into the seat with it in place.
While at a used car dealer today, sat in a brand new 2021 Corolla hatch with 2 miles. The "SE" model which is what I'd want. Very comfortable, nice interior and great ergonomics. Liked the way it looked inside and out. Think it's something I could live with to be honest. In the right color combo, think I'd be very happy to own one. No more turbo, no more synthetic oil changes, 16" alloys/tires and Sirius/XM...what's there not to like! And "cheap to keep" which is the big plus. I'm really so tired of the drama and the price all this drama costs.
But sitting in it for the 20 or so minutes I did just showed me that yeah, I could do this and still be happy. And another big reason...it'll fit on my side of the garage. And the mpg's ain't too shabby either! Really do need to go take a test drive of both the GTI and the Corolla hatch and see what the deal is. I'll know within a few minutes like I did with the Golf...I'll just know!

Sandman6472

Still super happy that I've got this Enterprise gig. Our fleet is a bit more diverse that what Hertz had and I do get to drive almost everything out there. And after 13 months in, still enjoy going to work! Now, that's gotta say something. And have no plans of stopping any time soon which is a 180 degree turn from how I felt in mid 2019. This move was long overdue to be honest...long overdue!

ab348

I still really like the Corolla hatch every time I see one on the road.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

sounds like you should be selling down the fleet now.

I could let you have a rusty cargo van for twice what I paid.

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

Weird experience on the rental Altima. I made a trip of about 80 miles each way today. No CarPlay. It acted like it had the standard old-school iPod connectivity. Unplugged the phone and plugged it in a couple times. Began to think I was going crazy, since I could have sworn it had full CarPlay capability with Waze on the screen yesterday. On the return trip, I plugged my phone in, and magically had CarPlay once again.

Anyway, it reminded me a lot of the 2009 Altima (two generations prior) that I once had. The 2020 definitely does not have any additional sound deadening, as it got rather loud on anything besides perfectly smooth pavement. The steering feels artificial, but firm, and it tracks straight down the road. Tires looked iffy, so I measured them, and they're at about 5/32" all the way around. Not sure what Enterprise's fleet standard is on that, but probably getting close to time for replacement. I reset the MPG computer, and if it can be trusted, it says I was averaging in the high 30s at 75-80 MPH, which is impressive for a non-hybrid.

35 mpg is about what I’ve gotten on the highway with the 2.5L Altima which I thought was pretty good. If you’re worried about the tires on an Enterprise car there’s a little tread measuring tool on the counter in most offices which you can use to check if it meets company specs.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

sounds like you should be selling down the fleet now.

I could let you have a rusty cargo van for twice what I paid.

well, I do have an opening in the fleet... Not sure what my wife would say about his one though.

stickguy

I could get 35 highway in my TLX. That did get pretty impressive MPG for what it was.

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

If you’re worried about the tires on an Enterprise car there’s a little tread measuring tool on the counter in most offices which you can use to check if it meets company specs.

I have my own specs. And a Fowler X-Tread digital measurement tool. It was a low-contact pickup, I did not go inside the office, nor was I offered to.

corvette

So, who wants Hoovie's 1st gen RX-7?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmS7NxkjD8o

stickguy

I watched the video but was only half paying attention. I love the car, but did not realize it was another of Hoovie's vast fleet. that guy needs to have another garage sale.

cdnpinhead

corvette said:

Zero deductible on glass replacement expenses, though, so it's not like I'm out anything.

I'm wondering what the premium for zero deductible glass replacement is going to be in the coming years. I could guess.

nyccarguy

Anybody see the Green ‘94 Integra on Cars & Bids?

stickguy

that is the same vintage I had (I think it was an LS also). Just this one is in better condition. I like it a lot, and it would fit what I am looking for, though I had headroom issues in mine. So I imagine that one is not any better!