Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

One other reason to just unload the Jetta. From what I hear, dealing with NJ DMV right now is a nightmare. So who knows how long it would even take to get it transferred.

au1994

breld said:

Went to the DMV to get yet another extension on the Leaf, but I was pleasantly surprised that they just yesterday processed everything from the dealership. Now the Leaf is official with plates and all!

So naturally I have a second test drive of the Polestar 2 at 2:00 pm.

Naturally

breld

I'm curious to see what Carvana lists my Supra at after paying me $49k for it. It's been two weeks and I've checked each day, but nothing yet.

Comparable ones are listed for $49-51k, so still not sure why they paid what they did, but fine with me.

explorerx4

I've read that the Passport has a firmer suspension in addition to a bit of a lift compared to the Pilot.

au1994

It does look like it sits higher.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

One other reason to just unload the Jetta. From what I hear, dealing with NJ DMV right now is a nightmare. So who knows how long it would even take to get it transferred.

Just drive it on her plates and with no stickers. The way the bureaucracy is screwed up , nobody will care. I see people driving around here all the time with license plates that have no paint, bare metal. Unreadable. In normal times you could just pop into the DMV and get replacements free but now it’s like trying to get an appointment with the president. So people just drive around illegally.

stickguy

Can’t believe this is finally being released. I like it. Another option along with the Maverick. Seems to be Tuscan based instead of Santa Fe, so might be smaller than I expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlKPzGTpPc0

xwesx

au1994 said:

I did windows about 8 years ago. On the good, better, best scale I went with better. After being home for the last year, they are drafty and won’t last another 5 for sure.

Anyone thats done it knows thats a bear of an expense.

Yeah, no doubt. I bought all the windows for my place back in 2009, at a cost of just over $10,000. Ours are triple-pane low-E units. We put very few windows in our house, and instead chose to strategically locate them to maximize the overall natural light infiltration. It worked well, because the only space in the house that doesn't receive natural light is the basement.

We installed them all ourselves, including the monster 5'x7' units in the front of the house (which probably weighed over 200 pounds each). Thankfully, nearly twelve years later, they are all still perfect, and I hope to get a lot more years out of them because I really don't want to do this again (and I hate calling the man!).

qbrozen

au1994 said:

Unbelievable. Vroom just hit me with $900 less than I paid for the Land Cruiser in September. I’ve got about $600 in shipping and $1k in various maintenance and up keep but dang, thats solid.

If it wasn't for that and the slipping trans, I might have inquired for more info about your LC.

au1994

Did I say slipping? I meant slapping, its British slang for very solid!

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Can’t believe this is finally being released. I like it. Another option along with the Maverick. Seems to be Tuscan based instead of Santa Fe, so might be smaller than I expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlKPzGTpPc0

I guess they ignored my criticism during the focus polling that this is NOT a new category. SIGH.

greg128

ronsteve said:

au1994 said:

Unbelievable. Vroom just hit me with $900 less than I paid for the Land Cruiser in September. I’ve got about $600 in shipping and $1k in various maintenance and up keep but dang, thats solid.

It really makes you wonder how much the used car market is about to inflate. The trade-side numbers are super strong lately. (can you tell I'm looking for an excuse to go check out that allroad?)

I bought a 2018 Buick Lacrosse Premium for my wife with 14,000 miles in July 2019 from Carvana and paid $24k. I just checked the site and there is a 2018 with 37,000 miles "coming soon" already sold with "purchase pending" for $22,590. I think I might be able to sell it back to them for close to what I paid as it only has 21k miles. That is after almost 2 years. I would say the used car market is red hot.

au1994

I’ve never seen a market like this. The number they gave me on the Land Cruiser is nuts. I have a friend that would have put 2k in his pocket on a 2019 Ranger. He ended up trading to the dealer as they stepped up enough to where with the tax advantage it was a wash.

greg128

I also noticed that Carvana now has an additional "shipping fee" of about $600 that wasn't included in the price I paid in 2019.

corvette

I think Carvana only charges the shipping fee on cars that are out of your local area.

@au1994 if it were closer to the Tundra lease end and it weren't for the slipping trans, I might have gotten into a bidding war with @qbrozen!

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

One other reason to just unload the Jetta. From what I hear, dealing with NJ DMV right now is a nightmare. So who knows how long it would even take to get it transferred.

Just drive it on her plates and with no stickers. The way the bureaucracy is screwed up , nobody will care. I see people driving around here all the time with license plates that have no paint, bare metal. Unreadable. In normal times you could just pop into the DMV and get replacements free but now it’s like trying to get an appointment with the president. So people just drive around illegally.

Plates and inspection sticker are fine. It’s actually even registered at my house, just in her name. So if I can’t get to DMV to change it over, I can’t get it on my insurance according to the Allstate agent. So would need to keep it on hers. So basically it just stays her car, but lives here. I’d rather just move it, but we shall see. She just wants something to use if she comes home to visit!

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Can’t believe this is finally being released. I like it. Another option along with the Maverick. Seems to be Tuscan based instead of Santa Fe, so might be smaller than I expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlKPzGTpPc0

Very attractive but is that bed big enough to be of any use?

nyccarguy

au1994 said:

@nyccarguy Our boat is a 21ft ski boat and it probably comes in right at the 3500 lb capacity of the FWD Pilot and Passport. AWD gives them 5000lb capacity. I do have a guy at the lake that can tow it for service etc if necessary. I’d opt for AWD for the assurance in towing plus some of the hiking trails we like, AWD is a nice to have.

Definitely would lease and put the equity in my pocket. Gas here in GA will likely hit 3.00 by Memorial Day. 19 in mixed would be a boon to me!

It’s probably going to come down to room and the deal. I want to be able to haul everything to the lake comfortably so I’m leaning toward the Pilot. I find them good looking personally but the Passport is growing on me quickly. Silver over gray leather has caught my eye at the moment. The EX-L seems to hit the sweet spot of value for me.

Don’t forget, the EPA gets its tests numbers are achieved with an empty Pilot. Most of the time we are loaded up with 3 - 5 people and some gear. I’d go with the AWD for the extra towing capacity. Also check out all of the standard features. I have the Touring model which includes the roof rails. If I were to get the EXL, those are accessories that would have to be installed. Also double check about the towing package. My Touring didn’t come with the tow hitch, electrical hook up & transmission cooler.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

Can’t believe this is finally being released. I like it. Another option along with the Maverick. Seems to be Tuscan based instead of Santa Fe, so might be smaller than I expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlKPzGTpPc0

Very attractive but is that bed big enough to be of any use?

would have to see it in person but should be. Might need some sort of bed extender though. I'm not looking for a giant bed anyway.

xwesx

Ah, just remembered that I saw my first Bronco Sport while driving home from Anchorage on Monday. I didn't get a great look at it, as I was on the highway with it coming the other direction, but it looked like it was a sold unit and was a golden color. Nice, compact size and handsome looks; I think they'll sell a whole lot of these.

breld

My boss just took delivery of his Bronco Sport last week so I should be able to take a good look at it soon enough.

He did send me a picture of it - really cool grayish blue that Ford calls “Area 51.”

corvette

breld said:

...really cool grayish blue that Ford calls “Area 51.”

Nice! Commence a bunch of edicts banning that color from any government fleet sales...

venture

xwesx said:

au1994 said:

I did windows about 8 years ago. On the good, better, best scale I went with better. After being home for the last year, they are drafty and won’t last another 5 for sure.

Anyone thats done it knows thats a bear of an expense.

Yeah, no doubt. I bought all the windows for my place back in 2009, at a cost of just over $10,000. Ours are triple-pane low-E units. We put very few windows in our house, and instead chose to strategically locate them to maximize the overall natural light infiltration. It worked well, because the only space in the house that doesn't receive natural light is the basement.

We installed them all ourselves, including the monster 5'x7' units in the front of the house (which probably weighed over 200 pounds each). Thankfully, nearly twelve years later, they are all still perfect, and I hope to get a lot more years out of them because I really don't want to do this again (and I hate calling the man!).

After moving in to our house I started replacing windows and doors while installing new siding. It took me two years and I did the windows and doors as I went. I used Andersen wood with vinyl cladding on the outside.

So far there is only one window and one sliding patio door that need attention.

The windows are the early version of Andersen's tilt-wash variety. My wife has trouble with the concept and has one messed up. Eventually I will try to fix it or replace it.

The patio door is hard to open and doesn't seem to have any adjustment left. I suspect the rim joist is bad right there. The moron guy I had pour the concrete patio left a low spot right in front of the door.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

au1994 said:

@nyccarguy Our boat is a 21ft ski boat and it probably comes in right at the 3500 lb capacity of the FWD Pilot and Passport. AWD gives them 5000lb capacity. I do have a guy at the lake that can tow it for service etc if necessary. I’d opt for AWD for the assurance in towing plus some of the hiking trails we like, AWD is a nice to have.

Definitely would lease and put the equity in my pocket. Gas here in GA will likely hit 3.00 by Memorial Day. 19 in mixed would be a boon to me!

It’s probably going to come down to room and the deal. I want to be able to haul everything to the lake comfortably so I’m leaning toward the Pilot. I find them good looking personally but the Passport is growing on me quickly. Silver over gray leather has caught my eye at the moment. The EX-L seems to hit the sweet spot of value for me.

Don’t forget, the EPA gets its tests numbers are achieved with an empty Pilot. Most of the time we are loaded up with 3 - 5 people and some gear. I’d go with the AWD for the extra towing capacity. Also check out all of the standard features. I have the Touring model which includes the roof rails. If I were to get the EXL, those are accessories that would have to be installed. Also double check about the towing package. My Touring didn’t come with the tow hitch, electrical hook up & transmission cooler.

Great points! I probably need to pump the brakes a bit and check out the Touring. The SE sits in between but not a fan of the black wheels.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

Can’t believe this is finally being released. I like it. Another option along with the Maverick. Seems to be Tuscan based instead of Santa Fe, so might be smaller than I expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlKPzGTpPc0

Very attractive but is that bed big enough to be of any use?

No matter, our anti-Mikey likes everything!

https://youtu.be/34wJt3pRY0w

xwesx

I parked the Q5 this morning and took the Forester instead. We're continuing to get significant snowfall, and it had a heck of a struggle getting up the driveway last night (though, it still did it!), so I just decided it is better to use the surefooted car than to struggle with the other one and risk it taking damage.

I'm not sure there could be a more stark difference between two vehicles than these. Well, maybe if I drove my van, but let's be practical here! Oh, and I shattered the rear window in the Forester. /facepalm I don't know why I even bother sometimes.

corvette

Oh, no! What happened to the window?

xwesx

corvette said:

Oh, no! What happened to the window?

My son brought home a bunch of old computer parts, including this massive tower that is obsolete. I decided to send it to the recycler, so I put it in the back of the car without fully appreciating just how big or solid it is; I closed the door, and pop.

Stupid dad moment.

au1994

I had to go into the office for a few hours today so I stopped at the Honda dealer on the way home. They allow you to test drive solo which is very nice but I decided the 4 rights test drive wasn’t enough. I asked and they allowed me to bring it home for the night so there is a silver over grey EX-L AWD in the garage. Impressions:

- Its nice looking and I’m a fan of the color combo. I had a Accord SE in silver, 00 or 01 i think.
- Drives great. Powerful enough that you don’t feel like you are constantly on the throttle. Ride is comfortable and I find the front seats really comfortable. Back seats are ok. I’m not large (5’8” 150) and they may be a touch flat and short in the seat bottom.
- Its a very windy day here but I detect a little extra wind noise but it’s otherwise quiet.
- Dash and tech has been updated since we drove a 19 and it is clean, functional and intuitive which is all I’m looking for in a system.
- No parking sensors or folding mirrors. I think you have to go all the way to the Elite trim at nearly 50k to get that. Sensors are a nice to have but I kinda like the folding mirrors to maximize garage parking space.
- The cargo area is not smooth and flat. What I mean is when the 3rd row is folded (which it would be most of the time) there is a fairly sizable gap between the 2nd row seat backs and the 3rd row backs that are folded. I’ve got to study it a bit more but that could be a problem when packing and stacking cargo.

All in all, I like it and I’m pretty sure it would work for us. If the rest of the family approves and we can strike a deal, I probably will pull the trigger. No huge rush. I may try tomorrow when I take it back or may wait. Our spring break is next week and we are planning on heading to the lake for the week to get the place and the boat ready for the season.

stickguy

the power folding mirrors is something I would actually like to have, the way cars keep getting wider and wider. my RDX fits in the garage, but it is tight and you have to line it up just right. Being able to fold the mirrors in could come in handy.

au1994

Exactly. It allows me to scoot over just a few additional inches which makes it easier to open the car doors in the other bay without banging.

Michaell

au1994 said:

I had to go into the office for a few hours today so I stopped at the Honda dealer on the way home. They allow you to test drive solo which is very nice but I decided the 4 rights test drive wasn’t enough. I asked and they allowed me to bring it home for the night so there is a silver over grey EX-L AWD in the garage. Impressions:

- Its nice looking and I’m a fan of the color combo. I had a Accord SE in silver, 00 or 01 i think.
- Drives great. Powerful enough that you don’t feel like you are constantly on the throttle. Ride is comfortable and I find the front seats really comfortable. Back seats are ok. I’m not large (5’8” 150) and they may be a touch flat and short in the seat bottom.
- Its a very windy day here but I detect a little extra wind noise but it’s otherwise quiet.
- Dash and tech has been updated since we drove a 19 and it is clean, functional and intuitive which is all I’m looking for in a system.
- No parking sensors or folding mirrors. I think you have to go all the way to the Elite trim at nearly 50k to get that. Sensors are a nice to have but I kinda like the folding mirrors to maximize garage parking space.
- The cargo area is not smooth and flat. What I mean is when the 3rd row is folded (which it would be most of the time) there is a fairly sizable gap between the 2nd row seat backs and the 3rd row backs that are folded. I’ve got to study it a bit more but that could be a problem when packing and stacking cargo.

All in all, I like it and I’m pretty sure it would work for us. If the rest of the family approves and we can strike a deal, I probably will pull the trigger. No huge rush. I may try tomorrow when I take it back or may wait. Our spring break is next week and we are planning on heading to the lake for the week to get the place and the boat ready for the season.

Is there some accessory you could get that would address the gap between the 2nd and 3rd rows?

au1994

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

I had to go into the office for a few hours today so I stopped at the Honda dealer on the way home. They allow you to test drive solo which is very nice but I decided the 4 rights test drive wasn’t enough. I asked and they allowed me to bring it home for the night so there is a silver over grey EX-L AWD in the garage. Impressions:

- Its nice looking and I’m a fan of the color combo. I had a Accord SE in silver, 00 or 01 i think.
- Drives great. Powerful enough that you don’t feel like you are constantly on the throttle. Ride is comfortable and I find the front seats really comfortable. Back seats are ok. I’m not large (5’8” 150) and they may be a touch flat and short in the seat bottom.
- Its a very windy day here but I detect a little extra wind noise but it’s otherwise quiet.
- Dash and tech has been updated since we drove a 19 and it is clean, functional and intuitive which is all I’m looking for in a system.
- No parking sensors or folding mirrors. I think you have to go all the way to the Elite trim at nearly 50k to get that. Sensors are a nice to have but I kinda like the folding mirrors to maximize garage parking space.
- The cargo area is not smooth and flat. What I mean is when the 3rd row is folded (which it would be most of the time) there is a fairly sizable gap between the 2nd row seat backs and the 3rd row backs that are folded. I’ve got to study it a bit more but that could be a problem when packing and stacking cargo.

All in all, I like it and I’m pretty sure it would work for us. If the rest of the family approves and we can strike a deal, I probably will pull the trigger. No huge rush. I may try tomorrow when I take it back or may wait. Our spring break is next week and we are planning on heading to the lake for the week to get the place and the boat ready for the season.

Is there some accessory you could get that would address the gap between the 2nd and 3rd rows?

I’ll check. There may be some kind of filler panel.

qbrozen

Somebody stop me. For some reason, driving the Charger today, I started thinking ... "well, I could sell this, put the cash towards my day trading to [fingers crossed] speed up my road to retirement, and keep the Chevy lease [longer]."

That's crazy, right? When else could I every possibly get a hemi orange Daytona Charger? Is this car too special to let go?

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Somebody stop me. For some reason, driving the Charger today, I started thinking ... "well, I could sell this, put the cash towards my day trading to [fingers crossed] speed up my road to retirement, and keep the Chevy lease [longer]."

That's crazy, right? When else could I every possibly get a hemi orange Daytona Charger? Is this car too special to let go?

Well, I'm not going to go so far as to say, "this car is too special to let go." That said, I think you'll regret it in the long run. When the whole of life is in the rearview mirror, it's the people you loved, things you did, and memories you made that matter; cash itself has no value. So, do what you think puts it to the best use (and that's not necessarily what makes the most numbers in the ledger).

I once considered selling my C20 for a similar reason, and I never regretted keeping it.

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

I parked the Q5 this morning and took the Forester instead. We're continuing to get significant snowfall, and it had a heck of a struggle getting up the driveway last night (though, it still did it!), so I just decided it is better to use the surefooted car than to struggle with the other one and risk it taking damage.

I'm not sure there could be a more stark difference between two vehicles than these. Well, maybe if I drove my van, but let's be practical here! Oh, and I shattered the rear window in the Forester. /facepalm I don't know why I even bother sometimes.

I got some seat time in a Subaru Outback (I think, I didn’t check) and I was pleased. It’s hard to describe but the ride felt planted and secure, just a nice feeling. Different from say, a Nissan Armada which feels like you’re riding on a fence rail and might fall off. We don’t have many Subies in the fleet and it’s a treat whenever I drive one.

I would seriously consider getting one if they’ve fixed their head gasket issues.

stickguy

Let me know how much you want for the Charger when it is time.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Somebody stop me. For some reason, driving the Charger today, I started thinking ... "well, I could sell this, put the cash towards my day trading to [fingers crossed] speed up my road to retirement, and keep the Chevy lease [longer]."

That's crazy, right? When else could I every possibly get a hemi orange Daytona Charger? Is this car too special to let go?

You could also lose your shirt on day trading and prolong your retirement. Your Charger is a sure thing.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

Somebody stop me. For some reason, driving the Charger today, I started thinking ... "well, I could sell this, put the cash towards my day trading to [fingers crossed] speed up my road to retirement, and keep the Chevy lease [longer]."

That's crazy, right? When else could I every possibly get a hemi orange Daytona Charger? Is this car too special to let go?

You could also lose your shirt on day trading and prolong your retirement. Your Charger is a sure thing.

Well, that’s true. I could lose the money fast AND have no car.

qbrozen

BUT... see, this is where it gets confusing for me .... I have the Camaro. While not nearly as useful nor eye-catching as the Daytona, I can’t deny it is a helluva lot more fun. So would it be the worst thing to keep it? At least until I don’t want it anymore. Lol.

breld

A cheap lease on something you enjoy driving is certainly a good way to free up some other funds. I mean, is the Charger a keeper...as in, you’re just gonna hold onto it for years to come? I’m guessing not, so why not free up the funds now while you have the Camaro?

stickguy

some of you people must find a lot more reason to drive these days. I can barely keep 1 car in the family exercised enough. If I do add a 2nd I would probably need to put it on a trickle charger.

Michaell

stickguy said:

some of you people must find a lot more reason to drive these days. I can barely keep 1 car in the family exercised enough. If I do add a 2nd I would probably need to put it on a trickle charger.

+1, though the Outback crossed 42,000 miles today when I was out getting lunch for the family.

xwesx

oldfarmer50 said:

I got some seat time in a Subaru Outback (I think, I didn’t check) and I was pleased. It’s hard to describe but the ride felt planted and secure, just a nice feeling. Different from say, a Nissan Armada which feels like you’re riding on a fence rail and might fall off. We don’t have many Subies in the fleet and it’s a treat whenever I drive one.

I would seriously consider getting one if they’ve fixed their head gasket issues.

In terms of a higher rate of failure than other manufacturers, yes. They've also worked out their early growing pains with the FB/FA line of engines, so I expect they should be pretty solid going forward. Plus, the newest generations of cars are far more refined (particularly their sound deadening) than the "SH" or "Gen3" Forester like mine. By modern standards, the SH is a rather crude machine. Haha; I still like it though.

xwesx

stickguy said:

some of you people must find a lot more reason to drive these days. I can barely keep 1 car in the family exercised enough. If I do add a 2nd I would probably need to put it on a trickle charger.

Our driving barely changed. I suppose my wife probably drove less due to being at home for schooling again, but, with her in Ohio? Oy. I feel like I drive MORE than I did before the pandemic.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

BUT... see, this is where it gets confusing for me .... I have the Camaro. While not nearly as useful nor eye-catching as the Daytona, I can’t deny it is a helluva lot more fun. So would it be the worst thing to keep it? At least until I don’t want it anymore. Lol.

Not that we didn't see this coming when you were hatching the Camaro scheme, but don't forget that the Camaro is just a rental. What happens after the lease is up (at the latest) and you're itching for that older car again?

28firefighter

I’m going to say it. The ZHP is the best car I’ve ever owned. Not the most reliable, not the fastest, and far from the newest. But the best.

stickguy

xwesx said:

qbrozen said:

BUT... see, this is where it gets confusing for me .... I have the Camaro. While not nearly as useful nor eye-catching as the Daytona, I can’t deny it is a helluva lot more fun. So would it be the worst thing to keep it? At least until I don’t want it anymore. Lol.

Not that we didn't see this coming when you were hatching the Camaro scheme, but don't forget that the Camaro is just a rental. What happens after the lease is up (at the latest) and you're itching for that older car again?

maybe he will finally get the Mercedes to run?

or if he wants an actual older car, he has one of those to put back together too!

stickguy

28firefighter said:

I’m going to say it. The ZHP is the best car I’ve ever owned. Not the most reliable, not the fastest, and far from the newest. But the best.

100percent Jake just had an update on his ZHP bomber (something else broke that needed to be fixed) and at the end he was driving it, and talking about the same thing. It was a long term keeper, and they just don't make cars like that any more.

stickguy