Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

They tested it on mythbusters. As I recall, they found that the air gets trapped in the bed, thereby making its own tonneau, in effect, and all subsequent air rides right over it. At least, that’s all I remember.

explorerx4

My calculations showed about a 5% fuel mileage improvement. Cover company claimed 10% improvement.
PU configuration could also make a difference, single cab/long bed or crew cab/short bed.

ab348

When my brother had pickups he did his own fuel mileage tests and claimed it made a significant difference for the better with a tonneau. He also claimed that his truck (a sluggish Ford Ranger) drove better at highway speeds with the tonneau cover on.

kyfdx

corvette said:

Punch in progress (not mine)... One of my parents has decided it's time to retire their 2011 Honda Element. Stay tuned!

Those are really popular in the used car market. Should be interesting.

kyfdx

dad23 said:

Hey @pensfan83, what kind of tonneau cover do you have on your Tacoma? I've been thinking about adding one to ours.

These are pricey, but two friends have them on F-150s, and they are great! Plus, they weigh a lot less than the stock Toyota cover.

https://www.etrailer.com/Tonneau-Covers/Toyota/Tacoma/2018/BAK126426.html?VehicleID=20181562536

qbrozen

Wife would be ALL OVER this: https://www.prestigevolvo.com/commercial-new/Volvo/2021-Volvo-V60+Cross+Country-east-hanover-nj-af4395040a0e0a6b0a53c4e313ed387d.htm

But programs aren't very good right now. I'd need a 20% pre-incentive discount to get the payment within even $30 of where she wants to be. Used to be able to get that kind of discount on S60 loaners, but I doubt they'd do that on a V60 in this environment.

nyccarguy

dad23 said:

Hey @pensfan83, what kind of tonneau cover do you have on your Tacoma? I've been thinking about adding one to ours.

I have the stock Toyota Tonneau Cover on my 2019 Tacoma. It is the OEM tri-fold. It is heavy & bulky for sure. They do sell aftermarket ones that are less bulky.

nyccarguy

This (THIIIIS) Prelude is in exceptional condition. Yes it is an automatic and the color (IMO is hideous). https://carsandbids.com/auctions/98XQPJ2Q/2000-honda-prelude

You guys should see the Preludes that pop up in FB Marketplace. People are selling shells with no engine because they (must have) never changed the timing belt and their engine went completely kaput.

graphicguy

tjc78 said:

No fee broker deal on LH. TLX A-Spec 45K MSRP - $436 with just first DAS w/NJ tax.

Hmm....

Make sure to post pics when you have it in your driveway......

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

You made me look.

The Carvana offer on the GTI is now $1500 more than I paid for it. 14 months and 8000 miles ago. 🤯

This is insanity. Who’s buying these cars?

Well, in this case.... Carvana.

Yeah, but somebody is buying them from Carvana for even more. Carvana wouldn’t be paying these insane prices unless they could make a profit. Could it be that the rental car supply is so tight that they can’t supply their stores with ex rentals so they are going to the private market?

It's a new-ish public company, with a lot of venture capital behind it. They may not actually have to make money for awhile.

That’s what I think....they’re trying to expand inventory to market their selection.

graphicguy

I hauled mulch in the hatch of the Stinger yesterday. Did a yeoman’s job.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

This (THIIIIS) Prelude is in exceptional condition. Yes it is an automatic and the color (IMO is hideous). https://carsandbids.com/auctions/98XQPJ2Q/2000-honda-prelude

You guys should see the Preludes that pop up in FB Marketplace. People are selling shells with no engine because they (must have) never changed the timing belt and their engine went completely kaput.

Oh I love the color. Need more dark greens available. My 95 Tacoma was dark green. Not looking for the teal’s that were so popular in that timeframe to come back though.

stickguy

I like the color on the Prelude. But the AT makes it a non-starter for me.

Lovely Volvo. That is my favorite color on those. Looks good with blond, but even better with the brown interior. I like the V60 too. I could live with that one.

pensfan83

We have a Weather Tech liner for the RDX and it's fine for a few things, but the truck was stuffed with more than what the pic shows

@dad23 I have this one

https://extang.com/trifecta-2-0

breld

qbrozen said:

Wife would be ALL OVER this: https://www.prestigevolvo.com/commercial-new/Volvo/2021-Volvo-V60+Cross+Country-east-hanover-nj-af4395040a0e0a6b0a53c4e313ed387d.htm

But programs aren't very good right now. I'd need a 20% pre-incentive discount to get the payment within even $30 of where she wants to be. Used to be able to get that kind of discount on S60 loaners, but I doubt they'd do that on a V60 in this environment.

Yeah, love that wagon.

explorerx4

If I get a pickup again, I'll go with a soft cover. That rigid cover I had on my last truck was very heavy and it leaked a lot.

breld

stickguy said:

I like the color on the Prelude. But the AT makes it a non-starter for me.

Lovely Volvo. That is my favorite color on those. Looks good with blond, but even better with the brown interior. I like the V60 too. I could live with that one.

Agreed on the Prelude color - those pics make it look a bit brighter than in real person, but I always liked how it set the Prelude apart.

Not surprising, but incredible how much a difference the auto vs manual makes on pricing. This low mile example may break five figures, maybe $12k, but I gotta think if it had a manual it would get close to $20k.

graphicguy

Alright...this qualifies as dangerous. I just plugged in the numbers for my Stinger to Carvana. I'm shocked...they're offering about $1,000 more than I paid for it a year and a half ago.

Hmmmmm.....

Those of you who have done this, did everything go off without a hitch? How did it work? They come pick it up and give you a check?

nyccarguy

graphicguy said:

Alright...this qualifies as dangerous. I just plugged in the numbers for my Stinger to Carvana. I'm shocked...they're offering about $1,000 more than I paid for it a year and a half ago.

Hmmmmm.....

Those of you who have done this, did everything go off without a hitch? How did it work? They come pick it up and give you a check?

Yes. Upload a few pics as directed. Very easily. Yes.

stickguy

Do it do it do it.

Yes, it is easy. Hit the I accept button. Enter some more details and upload pics of your DL, registration and title. They take that and process, then send you a link to pick a time. Then a guy shows up with a rollback, he does a quick once over, you sign normal paperwork and he hands you a check. Might take 15 minutes.

stickguy

Oh, good luck finding a replacement right now! It’s a good time to have a spare car to use.

nyccarguy

I have a confession to make. I kinda like My Mom's 2020 RX350.

stickguy

Lot to like. Roomy and super comfortable.

ab348

graphicguy said:

Alright...this qualifies as dangerous. I just plugged in the numbers for my Stinger to Carvana. I'm shocked...they're offering about $1,000 more than I paid for it a year and a half ago.

Hmmmmm.....

You could finally buy that Avalon you always wanted!!

pensfan83

stickguy said:

Oh, good luck finding a replacement right now! It’s a good time to have a spare car to use.

That's what the Mrs. asked...what would we replace the Acura with if we wanted to sell to Carvana that would be similar in price, feature content, and satisfaction? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly in this market, is not much.

stickguy

That’s why ours is going nowhere. The wife likes it. And it’s hers. I would probably have to spend way more on something fancier so shooting myself in the foot.

graphicguy

Well....you guys are feeding my "buy" frenzy right now. I'm still in shock over the offer, given it's a KIA....not a brand associated with resale value.

Mulling this over. Not sure what I'd want, as the Stinger is quite good (aside from the dealership's indifference).

28firefighter

Do you have a second car you could drive if you sell it back now?

graphicguy

28firefighter said:

Do you have a second car you could drive if you sell it back now?

No, but I have access to the GF's car if I commit to drive her to and from work every day.

pensfan83

Maybe you'll end up taking a TLX Type-S off your Acura dealer's hands after all

breld

graphicguy said:

Well....you guys are feeding my "buy" frenzy right now. I'm still in shock over the offer, given it's a KIA....not a brand associated with resale value.

Mulling this over. Not sure what I'd want, as the Stinger is quite good (aside from the dealership's indifference).

Chiming in as well...my sale of the Supra to Carvana a few weeks ago went off without a hitch. Funds were deposited into my bank account less than 24 hours after pickup.

Getting to experience a car you like for a while and then selling it for no loss (or even a bit of profit) is an absolute dream for this group, no? Resetting and searching again with no trade value headaches and no guilt over a loss on your previous vehicle is wonderful.

Michaell

stickguy said:

That’s why ours is going nowhere. The wife likes it. And it’s hers. I would probably have to spend way more on something fancier so shooting myself in the foot.

Exactly the same issue here.

tjc78

So I can’t join in on the fun. The S60’s payoff is laughable at 37,700 and offers came in at 33k or so.

Just as well, I love the car. I figured if the numbers made sense I’d jump ship, and then pocket the payment for a few months.

stickguy

My son is running his G70 again. Might get interesting if that has positive equity. So we were discussing options.

He is back thinking about a Taco. He has lots of projects planned planned on his recently purchased house. This weekend went to Lowe’s to get a raised planter bed kit. Turns out, couldn’t fit it in his car, or GFs fit. So a Bigger CUV or a PU would be handy.

A dark horse entered the race. I sent him a link to a Q5E. He is intrigued. Especially after seeing this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY2DBB-W9lk

stickguy

tjc78 said:

So I can’t join in on the fun. The S60’s payoff is laughable at 37,700 and offers came in at 33k or so.

Just as well, I love the car. I figured if the numbers made sense I’d jump ship, and then pocket the payment for a few months.

I’ve been pocketing payments about 7 months now. That, the equity, insurance, and no dispo fee, I’m probably pushing $4,500-5,000 already. And counting since may not be adding a car before year end.

sda

I can't do it on the Passat either. Though the price I paid for it was reasonable, I knew this going in, they suffer horrible depreciation. I would lose about $2500 but would still have positive equity of around $5k. If I was to sell it, divorce papers would be handed to me and I'd be lucky to be able to sleep in the shed with the lawn mower.

graphicguy

breld said:

graphicguy said:

Well....you guys are feeding my "buy" frenzy right now. I'm still in shock over the offer, given it's a KIA....not a brand associated with resale value.

Mulling this over. Not sure what I'd want, as the Stinger is quite good (aside from the dealership's indifference).

Chiming in as well...my sale of the Supra to Carvana a few weeks ago went off without a hitch. Funds were deposited into my bank account less than 24 hours after pickup.

Getting to experience a car you like for a while and then selling it for no loss (or even a bit of profit) is an absolute dream for this group, no? Resetting and searching again with no trade value headaches and no guilt over a loss on your previous vehicle is wonderful.

Thanks. Appreciate everyone’s input.

So, there were no games played after they gave you the initial quote?

Uploaded the ODO reading, the registration, a pic of my DL and it looks like we’re off to the races. They said they’d be in touch with me in a couple of days. Quote is good until next month.

stickguy

no games. Especially if you were not hiding poor condition. Since yours is ultra clean will breeze through inspection. And most of the time involved is dealing with finance companies. If you have the title in hand, none of that applies. Will be like selling any used car privately. Sign a bill of sale of some sort, sign and hand over the title, take a check, done.

stickguy

well, created another monster (as my wife put it). My son ran his G70 through the usual sites. Very different results again. But Carmax apparently really wants it. they offered him what appears to be ~ $2,500 over the buyout price of the lease. So he is now planning some quick dealer visits this week to see if he can find something he wants that can be available soon, at a price that makes sense. So he will be driving a Taco and M340i, and probably a SQ5, at least the next few days. Should be fun!

his lease ends this December and odds are it was going back, so will also save disposition fee if this goes through.

I have not dealt with Carmax before (other than getting a quote) but I assume they do it like carvana. Everything online, once the payoff details are nailed down, just swing by the local lot and hand it over.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

well, created another monster (as my wife put it). My son ran his G70 through the usual sites. Very different results again. But Carmax apparently really wants it. they offered him what appears to be ~ $2,500 over the buyout price of the lease. So he is now planning some quick dealer visits this week to see if he can find something he wants that can be available soon, at a price that makes sense. So he will be driving a Taco and M340i, and probably a SQ5, at least the next few days. Should be fun!

his lease ends this December and odds are it was going back, so will also save disposition fee if this goes through.

I have not dealt with Carmax before (other than getting a quote) but I assume they do it like carvana. Everything online, once the payoff details are nailed down, just swing by the local lot and hand it over.

I'm not sure... I've only visited. (You'd think I should know..)

stickguy

I know how carmax always worked, all in person. I even got a quote once. But in the land of pandemic, seems they converted to largely online too. Probably had to anywAy, to compete with Carvana, etc.

ab348

stickguy said:

I know how carmax always worked, all in person. I even got a quote once. But in the land of pandemic, seems they converted to largely online too. Probably had to anywAy, to compete with Carvana, etc.

Perhaps you could use your Edmunds CarMax Forums gold status to get your son an even better price from our new masters!

Sandman6472

I think I heard the Countryman is based on the X1 platform, but could be wrong on this. To me, the X2 looks to be a bit smaller than the current X1. Still, I like the Countryman but leary at the costs keeping one running. I've found out I don't like vehicular drama of any sort, just really hate it. So, I'm a bit stuck here and do nothing except look online. As long as nothing goes wrong, I just do nothing. And save the funds for a larger down payment. My saving grace is here is living so close to my office that even if the Golf is down, can still take the A3 on those days and drop it off back at the house by 8:15 and get a ride home from a fellow co-worker who goes right past our development.
Q, after the X2, no way will your wife like the Tucson no matter how much they've improved it. It's not a bad vehicle and the new one does look sharp, but she won't be happy at all. She's already got another couple vehicles sitting there to use so don't get the problem. Maybe buying out the X2 is the solution and cutting something else from the fleet! But what? The Fiat is the "fun" vehicle so that's not going anywhere and the T&C is the workhorse of the fleet, so that's not going anywhere also. Logical choice here is the X2 and let her use the Fiat for the summer months and save some cash. Come fall, sit down and see where things are.

Sandman6472

Needed to pick up some bags of those red lav rocks Saturday morning to cover up the area where the sprinkler guys buried that fixed pvc pipe. Was going for mulch but it tends to get blown away by the lawn man and does deteriorate over time. My kid suggested these small rubber pellets which sounded great but think the lawn man's blower could be an issue. We used rocks in the tree beds in front of the house but they're super heavy and I can't do it alone. Decided on pebbles but once I saw the red lava rocks, I was sold. A nice color and a size just larger than the pebbles but less than the rocks.
Cleaned out the hatch of the Golf and threw some old movers furniture protectors in there to catch any mess. Got to Home Depot right around 7 am and got some bags. The check out lady started chatting about a credit card and next thing I knew, I signed up for one and was getting a $50 credit if used that day. Bottom line, bought 9 bags of the rocks and only cost me under $5 bucks otd...such a bargin! Now, the area looks nice and the ground and pipe are protected. Since we spent so much fixing the sprinkler system, got to keep it running properly. The bags were somewhat heavy but used a wheeled dolly we have at home to move them. Took about an hour and a half from start to finish and I was beat! Pushed my spine a bit too much bet it's just me since the kids have all moved, and it's tax season so my wife is just unavailable for these things.
Do wish I had a small pick-up to be honest though. I managed with the hatchback but anymore bags would've required another run as I kept the back seats up to contain any possible mess. A pick-up would've saved the day here. A neighbor has one but hated to ask, so I just did it myself!

stickguy

I forgot carmax bought Edmunds. . Guess they just have money to burn! Probably cleaned up buying cheap from hertz then selling high.

au1994

After the great offer on the Land Cruiser and enjoying the Pilot on the overnight test drive, I am inclined to pass for now.

- Obviously I really enjoyed driving the Pilot as its 13 years newer, but the interior dimensions were just not enough of a change from the LC.
- My WFH is official until July and while common thoughts were that this would become very flexible going forward, there are signs that we may indeed return to a M-F 8-5 schedule. I think this is very short-sighted and have voiced my opinion as to that. While my boss says he will be flexible, he may have to toe the party line.
- I say the above because if I do go back M-F my office is about 25 miles away which brings gas mileage into play for me. My wife is still 8 miles away so that brings her taking the larger vehicle and me probably taking the X1 for now, then flipping that into something smaller and economical.
- Need to get au94 jr squared away too. Either get my BiL’s E90, give him the X1 or buy new. I’m not @breld so I don’t want to buy 3 in a year Well, I do but I’d also like to stay married. I guess @sda and I could share a shed.
- We really need to sit down and figure out our wants, needs and use scenarios and make the right decisions.
- Again, I hate to miss this crazy hot market but we will stand pat until fall or the end of the year.

So until then, all of y’all keep getting Carvana, Vroom etc quotes and shopping so I can live vicariously!

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Ours just has the convenience pack with moonroof and heated seats/steering wheel. So the black one ups the ante with Nav. The black one does have a lot of paint issues, now that I look at the pics. Orange one has a lot of equipment. M sport always makes a big impact on value.

Wife doesn’t want to see hers go, but admits it would make financial sense. Says I have to find her a replacement first. But then I pointed out she’d drive the Fiat through the warm seasons so why rush? She agreed. I think I’ll placate her by promising a Volvo. We just have to wait for deals to come through.

I was going to say... It's not like your driveway does not contain a plethora of driving options for her aside from the X2...

xwesx

stickguy said:

that's why I want PU! Of course, I never want to do mulching, etc. again. But the wife does need a few bags of dirt for her container garden, and I hate to put that inside the nice car.

Can't wait to see the Maverick and Santa Cruz. One of those might be a perfect 2nd car

As long as it is bagged, a hatch works just as well as a pickup. However, don't try dumping a yard of loose soil or gravel in the hatch!

xwesx

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

isn't the X2 a $50,000 Mini?

Ours wasn’t close to 50. It wasn’t even 44.

Regardless, resale is driven by perception. If a 3-yr-old Bronco Sport gets 60% of its original MSRP on a dealer buyout offer, I’ll change my tune.

The problem is the way they packaged the BS (did they think ahead on the name?!). You have to get the top trim, which still doesn’t even come with leather and upgraded stereo, to get the acceptable engine.

I'm not disagreeing with you at all here. However, I suspect the limitation on the engine choice has a lot to do with the combination of competing factors:

1. Elimination of the poor-selling, high-volume, high-fuel-economy models from their lineup.
2. Significantly increased CAFE averages that come into play soon (or have already? I don't recall).

If they have, say, five different "trim" levels, and four of them come with the smaller, more economical engine, then it stands to reason that the larger engine will have a smaller impact on CAFE than if it was an optional engine further down the lineup. CAFE takes into consideration the number of vehicles produced of each type, so they must play the game in order to avoid related penalties.

Of course, electric will change things in their favor in a dramatic way soon, but the numbers aren't there currently to have a substantial impact at the moment.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Wife would be ALL OVER this: https://www.prestigevolvo.com/commercial-new/Volvo/2021-Volvo-V60+Cross+Country-east-hanover-nj-af4395040a0e0a6b0a53c4e313ed387d.htm

But programs aren't very good right now. I'd need a 20% pre-incentive discount to get the payment within even $30 of where she wants to be. Used to be able to get that kind of discount on S60 loaners, but I doubt they'd do that on a V60 in this environment.

Nice colors! I'm not sure about that white hood, though....