Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

british_rover

The Land Rover Discovery's optional upgraded radio/nav unit was a becker unit up until 2004 when the Disco was replaced by the LR3. My client that has the 2006 F430 has what looks to be the exact same becker head unit.

fintail

Are they still labeled Becker in those cars?

I am pretty sure Becker is still involved with Mercedes ICE, but they haven't been labeled Becker since 1990 or 1991 IIRC.

roadburner

Have you reached an impasse on the M5?

I'm going to let the dealer sit on it a while longer. They are advertising the thing everywhere(with "Must Sell" in the ad copy), but since I have a decent offer on the MS3 from Carmax I can expand my search options a bit. I think my wife is more ticked off at the BMW dealer than I am; the ads mentioning that the car had been inspected really made her angry...
Anyway, if it's still sitting on the lot next week I think I'll offer them $15,000 OTD. If they don't take it they can always buy some more "Must Sell" ads :P

british_rover

I don't remember would have to find one and look at it. It might say becker on the screen when you turn on the radio but I am not sure.

jayrider

Offer them the 15k otd today. Xmas eve is a great day to deal. Say they have til close of business to accept. Tell them deal is good til close of business today -- will bring deposit as soon as you get the mgr approval. You have other cars on the list. Worth a shot.

woodyww

I think I agree with your wife. Personally, I'd never do business at that dealer again, if I could help it. You obviously can't trust them; who knows what they'll pull next, even if you make another "deal" with them?

Here's what I did when a Saab salesman insulted me in the early '90's, went on a rant about what a "d-b" I was for trying to trade in a 6 mo. old VW, on & on, it was nasty-- I found a year old saab at a local used car dealer, great price, great trade-in on the VW, bought a saab from them instead.

Every time I took the car into the Saab dealer for service (they had a great service dept), I could see that nasty salesman glaring at me thru the windows. Anyway I loved the car, the Saab dealer service dept was great, & ticking off the rude saab salesman was like a "bonus".......

roadburner

I think I agree with your wife. Personally, I'd never do business at that dealer again, if I could help it. You obviously can't trust them; who knows what they'll pull next, even if you make another "deal" with them?

The thing is, I still think that my salesperson is a straight shooter(we've bought two cars from him with absolutely no hassle)- it's the UCM who is playing games.

andre1969

took my uncle and grandmom down in the Park Ave today, to see my Mom and stepdad. I reset the trip computer just before pulling out of my grandmother's driveway. When we pulled into my Mom's driveway, it said the average was 26.7 mpg...not bad considering it wasn't a straight highway run. By the time we got back home, the total average had dropped a bit to 26. Traffic was worse as it was raining, hard at times, and overall speeds were slower. Still, I'm pretty happy. I doubt the Intrepid would have done that well. I know those trip computers aren't always totally accurate, but I'd guess it's still within a couple mpg. I doubt if the Intrepid would have done quite that well. My uncle's Corolla would have probably done around 33-35 on that trip. But, as my uncle pointed out, I wouldn't have arrived nearly as comfortably, and probably would've been cramped up. And, that was when I noticed that my body was remarkably free from aches and pains after that ~1 hour ride. Usually the Intrepid would be bugging my legs or my back in that amount of time, while the Corolla could wreak havoc on me after about 10-15 minutes!

Grandmom loved the car, but then cars like this are probably like aphrodesiacs for senior citizens. :P

imidazol97

>then cars like this are probably like aphrodesiacs for senior citizens.

I hope that's meant as a positive comment! grin.

> that was when I noticed that my body was remarkably free from aches and pains after that

Just rode from W. Ohio to Michigan near western Detroit for 2.5 hours in the rear seat of the leSabre and am very comfortable. The Park Avenue has about 1.5-2 inch more leg room and maybe slightly better seats.

>dropped to 26

If that includes the cold start and initial few minutes of driving, in cold temps that's likely a good mileage figure. Was the road 55 or more mph or was the car going into 3rd gear at times?

andre1969

I hope that's meant as a positive comment! grin.

Oh I'm going to probably be making jokes like that for years! :P Actually, I almost lost it the other day at work when one of the secretaries saw my car and complimented it. I have no idea how old this lady really is, but I think she's pushing 70. She said "That car really suits you!" But, if it makes ya feel any better, she drives a ~2000 Camry. So maybe what they say is true....Toyota is the Buick of the new millenium!

As for seat comfort, the Park Ave is great with legroom, lower back support, and thigh support. Better in all those regards than the Intrepid was, although to be fair the Intrepid was a base model and probably about half the MSRP. This Park Ave feels a bit more like my '79 5th Ave, or '76 LeMans, and I mean that in a good way! I was able to drive the LeMans all the way back from Cincinatti without any aches or pains.

As for the fuel economy, starting off from my grandmother's, the engine was hot, as I'd already been driving around. But from my Mom's, on the way back, it did have to warm back up. And there were enough traffic lights, both coming and going, that the car went through all the gears. I probably got up to around 75 mph max on the way down, as the weather was nice, but no more than about 65 on the way back. But if it could manage 26 round trip on that journey, I'm sure on my highway runs to the car shows in PA, it'll have no trouble breaking 30!

roadburner

The dealer even listed the M5 on eBay. The shrewd UCM sceduled the auction to end today -Christmas Morning(!)- at 10:00 AM. High bid(not me) was $13,000, which wasn't enough to meet the reserve. I hope it stays on their lot until next Christmas...

corvette

He put a reserve on it? What a wimp! Hasn't anyone told him that all the cool kids list their eBay auctions with no reserve?

kyfdx

An Imola Red 330i with Performance Package!!

Unfortunately, it was just visiting my next door neighbor on Christmas Day..

jayrider

No 330i for you, kyfdx --- you'd put your eye out.

kyfdx

Yeah... I never got that BB gun, either...

aearle

If I post here, will people see my post on Facebook? This is a test.

fezo

Hey, Andre! When are we getting the whole car treatment in pictures? The snow is melting now. No excuses....

andre1969

The snow is melting now. No excuses....

Yeah, but with all that rain coming down, we've gone straight from snow season to mud season!

fezo

Yeah, we've got a real bumper crop of mud going on. At least our snow held through Christmas. We had tow fee and other than where the plows really piled it up it's all gone!

roadburner

An Imola Red 330i with Performance Package!!

Unfortunately, it was just visiting my next door neighbor on Christmas Day...

Enthusiast Auto has a 2004 Imola ZHP.
It's just up the road...

kyfdx

Yeah... other than the tinted windows, looks like a decent price, and nice low miles, too..

As of Xmas Day, I've got 7 months to go on my lease.. so, not quite in the market just yet.. But, if Santa had left me one, I wouldn't have been mad..

roadburner

Yeah, I don't like the tint either. Nice looking car, though. I'd buy this puppy in a heartbeat if it wasn't a slushbox; I love the color, the wheels, and the fact that the sled has the CWP.

qbrozen

Geesh. What are those? Canadian prices?

$27k for an E30 M3?!
$4k for a standard E30 coupe with 157k miles, body damage, poorly fitting hood, worn seats, missing dash underside, and wrong wheels?

I like that M5 wagon, though. Not for sale? Huh. Why show it, then? Eh, not that it matters. They'd probably want $50k for it, judging by their other prices.

roadburner

That's stupid money for the ratty E30, but E30 M3s are starting to appreciate in value. I have first dibs on a white/tan 1988 with 53k, but I'd hate to mile it up as a daily driver...

kyfdx

Most of those E30 M3s that they have are highly modified.. 300 hp beasts... big dollars.. but, even cheap ones are around $20K now..

Not a fan of 4-door E36 M3s.. Wouldn't mind a coupe, though..

andre1969

I got my new insurance statement in the mail, which reflects dropping the Intrepid and adding the Buick. I opened it up, wondering how much my rates are going up. To my surprise, they're actually going down! Not a whole lot...just enough that I'm getting a $13 credit for the remainder of my policy period, which ends 3/23/10. So I guess that's good for about 52 bucks over the course of a year.

I guess that reduction reflects lower claims rates with a Park Ave vs an Intrepid, or perhaps the Park Aves tend to be cheaper to repair when they get wrecked?

jayrider

Along with a mercury grand marquis your park avenue puts you on the grandpa class insurance rating page. Nothing wrong with that -- just make sure you never turn right on a red light [no matter how clear the intersection]or you might lose your place on the list.

roadburner

I guess that reduction reflects lower claims rates with a Park Ave vs an Intrepid, or perhaps the Park Aves tend to be cheaper to repair when they get wrecked?

I think it's because 99% of Park Avenues are never driven faster than 45 mph... :P

roadburner

just make sure you never turn right on a red light [no matter how clear the intersection]or you might lose your place on the list.

And keep your left turn signal activated at all times- especially when driving on the interstate.

imidazol97

>just make sure you never turn right on a red light [no matter how clear the intersection]or you might lose your place on the list.

And keep your left turn signal activated at all times- especially when driving on the interstate.

You'all are describing more Toyota drivers than Buick drivers in this area.

I drove interstate from W. Ohio to Nashville and back and then W. Ohio to Canton, Mi and back since Christmas season started, and the only driver I saw driving with their turn signal on was a Camry driver.

ghulet

c'mon you guys....I'd invite ANY of you to come to Chicago and you'd be pleasantly surprised if any driver in front of you used turn signals at all (or had functioning tail-lights).

jayrider

Don't care what driver issues exist in Chicago -- the beef sandwiches make it all worth while.

andre1969

driving in to work, I reset the trip computer again, to see what kind of mileage I'd get. 14.8. :sick: But when you figure a cold start, ~30 degrees, and my short 5 mile commute, maybe that's not so bad? In the wintertime, my Intrepid did as bad as 16.5-17 mpg, and this Park Ave is a bigger, heavier, more powerful car.

In the parking lot this morning, there was a pretty grayish-blue LeSabre, that would just have matched the hair in Grandma's wig. :P

imidazol97

14.8 seems pretty low. Did that include idling time while you scraped windows, e.g.?

I usually would start rolling, gently, by a minute and half or two minutes. And the transmission fluid seems pretty stiff for the first few milees of driving. When the radiator warms up the transmission oil seems to flow better. If you old girl hasn't had the trans fluid drained and refilled, I'd consider doing that and using Dexron VI. It seems to have a more consistent viscosity; I'd read, right or wrong, that it's more synthetic in its nature than Dexron IIIE, IF that's what she came with.

andre1969

Luckily I didn't have to scrape the windows, but I did reset the computer the moment I started the car. I watched the coolant temp readout, and once it hit about 50 degrees, I started rolling out gently. So I'd guess the car was idling for about 40 seconds or so? Maybe a minute?

The transmission fluid looks nice, fresh and pink, so I'm guessing it was changed very recently. Next time it's changed though, I'll get them to put in that Dexron VI stuff. Even if I have to pay extra for it.

I think that low mileage is just a result of my ultra-short commute. It's really only about 3.5 miles, but I take a back way in that stretches it out to about 5, just to give the car a bit more running/warming up time. Plus, it's fairly hilly between work and home. And I don't think coasting on the down grades totally cancels out the extra effort required to climb those hills in the first place.

I guess something else to consider is that I'm just going by what the readout on the trip computer says. And I've heard those things aren't always very accurate. I'll do the old pen and paper method when I fill up the car, which should be a bit more accurate. Presuming the dealership gave me the car with a full tank! :surprise:

woodyww

Probably the best mileage to expect with a large car, auto trans, short trips. My 6 cyl. auto bmw has been showing 14.8 on the trip computer, worst it's ever shown, but all short trips, stop&go traffic. Of course with a low-mileage car, the depreciation, repairs, insurance, maintenence, will dwarf the fuel expense.

I do admit I've been obsessive about checking the mpg on my cars with every fill-up, for a long time. And tracking the expenses on each car (since the computer era).

jayrider

Don't know if this is the best place to post this but anyone have any experience with late model mb e350 4matics, audi a4 avant quattro's, or 528xi's. Lots of cpo's around--audi is the cheapest- mb and bmw pretty close. Going to test drive them and figure the bmw may ride too firm but more fun? Staying within the warranty - 8-10k miles /year then trade or sell after 3 years. Any stand out as best bets for all around value/enjoyment?

andre1969

I did a little better on the trip home. Managed 17.2 mpg. Part of the improvement probably came from warmer temps, as I think it got up to about 40. At least, when I started the car, the monitor said the coolant was at 41 degrees. I think the lowest I've seen that go to was 12! I also lucked out because only two traffic lights caught me, and even then, I didn't have to sit through the whole cycle...they were already red when I got up to them. On a bad day, I could have all eight lights catch me. Plus, sometimes I have a hard time making the left turn onto my home street, which is across sometimes-heavy traffic, and no traffic light. Even that was easy today.

corvette

I like the A4, but a Quattro wagon is going to take a performance hit if it has the Tiptronic and the 2.0T. A lot of weight and power sapping features there.

jayrider

My performance needs have waned. All I need is enough power to safely enter the interstate and zip around the occaisional Park Avenue. I'm leaning a bit toward the E because of the cabin. The appointments and seats look perfect. This will be my first and probably last luxury vehicle. Just want to see how it is to have something special in the ride department before i get to old to be extravagant.

kyfdx

You don't need a luxury ride to go to Al's Beef!!

If you get a late model BMW, then your maintenance is covered.... Considering the substantial service costs of the Euro luxury makes, that would sway me, some...

The Audis will be easier to find, however..

imidazol97

Cold starts with our cars are always in an attached garage so they're in the 50s or worst about 45 on cold mornings. If the average on our car with DIC readout drops below 22 with lots of short trips to the grocery, Walmart, friend's house, 3 miles to school, etc., I'd be real surprised. Usually it's 24.5 when I'm driving the trips.

jayrider

That's absolutely the truth, kyfdx and of course you know the difference between truth and fiction. Fiction usually makes sense. Make mine wet with peppers. :P

ghulet

would that be with 'sport peppers', giardinera, jalapenos or pepperoncinis (which I prefer, but only about half the beef joints have them; if they don't, I like giardinera)? And the Chicago-style Italian beef proper terminology for 'wet' would be 'dipped' or 'soaked'.

qbrozen

audi is the cheapest

And for good reason. First, they are cheaper when new, so it stands to reason. Second, and more importantly, you are comparing the A4 to the bigger benz and bimmer. You should be looking at the A6 if you want something comparably sized. OR, you should be looking 3-series and C-class. And THIRD, the audi seems to have far worse resale.

kyfdx

Dipped, with hot and sweet.... :P

andre1969

Well, after what I just experienced this morning, that Park Ave seems almost like a hybrid! I drove my '85 Silverado today and filled it up. MPG came out to around 8.7. :surprise: Now a great deal of that time was spent idling, getting stuck and un-stuck in the snow, stuck in a traffic jam for about a half-hour, etc. But still...ouch.

jayrider

Thanks for setting me straight on the proper terminology,ghulet, now I'm hungry but the italian beef in St. Louis is very disappointing. Like the "philly" cheesesteaks. Lived in both cities and the wannabes are never as good as the real thing.

Back to cars -- yeah the A6 is more in line with the 528 and the E class but with the a4 avant still enough room and it is my lower priced fall-back model. The jetta sportwagon would be a player but the seats are a bit too bolstered for my love handles and I'm not going to go cheap out on this car anyway.

k is right on the bmw cpo deal including the maintenance vs mb but as long as I'm under warranty not a big issue. Local indy shop is great and does the 10k service for $140. Once a year -- no problem. Really like the 528 and the E class so the deal will be a factor. I'd expect the bmw to be easier to resell but don't know for sure.

andre1969

killing my fuel economy. I had to run home for lunch, so I dropped my truck off and drove the Park Ave back in. Well, I decided to take one of my back routes into work, that stretches it out to about 9 miles. This time, I averaged 19.5 mpg. For comparison, yesterday's 14.8 and 17.2 mpg recordings were done on a ~4.6 mile run.

woodyww

You need to own a Range Rover (or probably any large V8 SUV) for awhile. Getting 10.8 actual mpg; 300-ish miles on a 25 gal. tank, is very sobering. Oh, but you have the P/U, which gets even worse mileage.....wow.