Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Sandman6472

Not a fan of the Mazda audio systems to be honest, they really do suck! Think any audio system needs to be easy and have two dials on it like my current set up in the Golf. Super easy to use and no taking one's eyes off the road. I would have thought that by now, Mazda would've fixed theirs as I'm sure they've read anything in social media or on these car sites to know that the majority of folks really hate 'em! Would've thought they would've addressed this issue when the CX-30 came out. Think that's the main reason why I'd never consider the CX-30 on my short list.
Really do like the new 2022 Civic to be honest, Touring would be my first choice. Not a fan of the black alloys and that tractor trailer we saw the other day that only had Sports on them, all had them. My co-worker really liked them so there ya go, some really like 'em...and some don't. Regardless, Honda will sell a sh-t load of them I'm thinking even though some will be turned off by the conservative back end. I happen to like the looks of it as it looks more grown-up if you will and not that boy racer look anymore. Surprised that they've grown in size over the years to be honest...is this the smallest Honda one can get now since the Fit is now history?

Sandman6472

A shame that many car company's have given up on the sedan and moved mostly into SUV's & CUV's going forward! There still is a market for them I'm guessing, not everyone wants a five door vehicle a few more inches off the ground. I happen to do at this point in my life but that's mainly due to my health issues and they make egress and ingress so much easier plus I can also see all around me so much easier. Am glad that certain company's are continuing to offer them as there must be a very good market for them still I'd say. Just from my random sample of one family, ours, we have 3 of them currently with one 5-door, one SUV & one 2-door sports car. And guessing there are many more families out there just like ours though, I must admit, I do see many driveways in our neighborhood with two or more crossovers or SUV's.
I for one, are very happy that Toyota has decided to come out with a crossover that slots below the very popular Rav4, and as luck would have it, I got an email a week ago Wednesday about the new Corolla Cross crossover. I was thrilled beyond words because I had been hoping that someone would come up with one a bit smaller to fit on my side of our garage. And it being a Toyota is just icing on the cake, it's like G-d had read my mind recently and damn, there it was! I was so happy to be honest because I've always liked the Rav4 and this new one is almost perfect to me, with it's bigger size it's only drawback. And as much as I do like their HR-C vehicle, with the dark interior, there's a big blind spot in the rear where the outside door handle is located, and it would be a deal breaker for me or, I'd have to get one with a light interior. Guessing having a blind spot system in the vehicle would make this issue easier to live with, doubt I'd ever consider getting one. I've been hoping for some company to produce a smaller Rav4 type vehicle with better site out the back, and Toyota steps up to the plate!!! Can't really put into words how happy I am right now and I just hope it drives just as nice as the Rav4 does!

oldfarmer50

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

sda

oldfarmer50 said:

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

stickguy

Sandy, HRV is he smallest. That was basically just a lifted fit.

Radio knobs don’t matter to me. I always use the steering wheel controls. And anything test keeps the wife from constantly messing with the radio is a good thing. I hate when she does that. I should get an old Ford, with the radio to the left of the steering wheel!

qbrozen

My Jeep is in the "trim stage."
So I think that means it is about to roll out. The list says it then goes through a bunch of inspections before shipping. I have no idea how fast they move, but maybe it will ship by Tuesday?? So maybe arrival by ... well, I have no clue.

oldfarmer50

sda said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

Good question. A lot of renters don’t bother to return cars with the tank filled so I assume it will be the same with EVs. Our boss told us that the existing charging stations cost about 30 cents per KWh so the average charge costs about $9. I’m guessing most people would chose to pay the company rather than take the time to do it themselves.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

Good question. A lot of renters don’t bother to return cars with the tank filled so I assume it will be the same with EVs. Our boss told us that the existing charging stations cost about 30 cents per KWh so the average charge costs about $9. I’m guessing most people would chose to pay the company rather than take the time to do it themselves.

The last time I looked, the rental car companies were charging an exorbitant rate for gasoline if you did not return the car with the tank filled. I would expect the same business model for electric cars, but in this case it might just be worthwhile. Who wants to sit around at a charging station while your rented electric car is recharging?

If you were going to rent an electric car, you might want to ask specifically about the charge for returning the car with low battery charge. The charge might wind up being a nasty surprise.

roadburner

M2 Comp prices are all over the place- from around $58k to $68k. There’s virtually no correlation between model year, equipment and mileage. Some used cars are priced over the MSRP of some new 2021 models(something I’ve noticed with Mach 1 prices as well).
I may yet end up in a Supra 3.0.

ab348

sda said:

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

I can't see how that would be feasible for a lot of customers. I mean, you rent a car for the day, use it to do your business, then return it to the airport just in time to catch your plane out. It's not like taking 5 minutes to top off the tank. Recharging is several hours of time commitment in most cases.

sda

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

Good question. A lot of renters don’t bother to return cars with the tank filled so I assume it will be the same with EVs. Our boss told us that the existing charging stations cost about 30 cents per KWh so the average charge costs about $9. I’m guessing most people would chose to pay the company rather than take the time to do it themselves.

The last time I looked, the rental car companies were charging an exorbitant rate for gasoline if you did not return the car with the tank filled. I would expect the same business model for electric cars, but in this case it might just be worthwhile. Who wants to sit around at a charging station while your rented electric car is recharging?

If you were going to rent an electric car, you might want to ask specifically about the charge for returning the car with low battery charge. The charge might wind up being a nasty surprise.

That’s exactly what I was thinking.

breld

roadburner said:

M2 Comp prices are all over the place- from around $58k to $68k. There’s virtually no correlation between model year, equipment and mileage. Some used cars are priced over the MSRP of some new 2021 models(something I’ve noticed with Mach 1 prices as well).

I may yet end up in a Supra 3.0.

My local dealer just took in a 2020 Hockenheim Silver w/manual. It has a ding on the Carfax for "moderate to severe" impact and they're asking $63k.

EDIT: Just went to look at it on their website and it's gone. Presumably someone bought it. Crazy.

roadburner

@breld said:
My local dealer just took in a 2020 Hockenheim Silver w/manual. It has a ding on the Carfax for "moderate to severe" impact and they're asking $63k.

EDIT: Just went to look at it on their website and it's gone. Presumably someone bought it. Crazy.

That IS insane. I would be reluctant to consider it with what appears to be a significant crash on its record.

roadburner

I inventoried the model cars displayed in my office and I’m currently at 70.
Stop me before I buy again...

Michaell

roadburner said:

I inventoried the model cars displayed in my office and I’m currently at 70.

Stop me before I buy again...

Could be worse.

Could be real cars in your driveway.

xwesx

kyfdx said:

xwesx said:

If I recall correctly, the average price of a new car for 2021 is over $35,000. That seems insane to me; inflation is real!

I paid just over $23,000 for my last new car (our 2010 Forester) in September of 2009.

Only 12 short years ago...

I know! It's nuts. (I know your comment was tongue-in-cheek, but, dammit, it really was a short time ago!)

There was a time when I felt like I had increased my earnings to the point that I was finally getting the better of inflation, but this year has me rethinking that. Inflation has a way of always getting the upper hand.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

My Jeep is in the "trim stage."
So I think that means it is about to roll out. The list says it then goes through a bunch of inspections before shipping. I have no idea how fast they move, but maybe it will ship by Tuesday?? So maybe arrival by ... well, I have no clue.

Remind me: Where is the manufacturing location?

xwesx

oldfarmer50 said:

Good question. A lot of renters don’t bother to return cars with the tank filled so I assume it will be the same with EVs. Our boss told us that the existing charging stations cost about 30 cents per KWh so the average charge costs about $9. I’m guessing most people would chose to pay the company rather than take the time to do it themselves.

They should just add a flat $20 fee to the EV rentals and make no expectation that the car comes back charged.

xwesx

henryn said:

If you were going to rent an electric car, you might want to ask specifically about the charge for returning the car with low battery charge. The charge might wind up being a nasty surprise.

Har har har.....

*Shocking!*

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

Good question. A lot of renters don’t bother to return cars with the tank filled so I assume it will be the same with EVs. Our boss told us that the existing charging stations cost about 30 cents per KWh so the average charge costs about $9. I’m guessing most people would chose to pay the company rather than take the time to do it themselves.

The last time I looked, the rental car companies were charging an exorbitant rate for gasoline if you did not return the car with the tank filled. I would expect the same business model for electric cars, but in this case it might just be worthwhile. Who wants to sit around at a charging station while your rented electric car is recharging?

If you were going to rent an electric car, you might want to ask specifically about the charge for returning the car with low battery charge. The charge might wind up being a nasty surprise.

Enterprise offices I’ve been in have two gas prices. One if you pay before you drive off is comparable to gas at the pump. The other, if you return the car empty is about $2/gallon higher than market.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

Good question. A lot of renters don’t bother to return cars with the tank filled so I assume it will be the same with EVs. Our boss told us that the existing charging stations cost about 30 cents per KWh so the average charge costs about $9. I’m guessing most people would chose to pay the company rather than take the time to do it themselves.

The last time I looked, the rental car companies were charging an exorbitant rate for gasoline if you did not return the car with the tank filled. I would expect the same business model for electric cars, but in this case it might just be worthwhile. Who wants to sit around at a charging station while your rented electric car is recharging?

If you were going to rent an electric car, you might want to ask specifically about the charge for returning the car with low battery charge. The charge might wind up being a nasty surprise.

Enterprise offices I’ve been in have two gas prices. One if you pay before you drive off is comparable to gas at the pump. The other, if you return the car empty is about $2/gallon higher than market.

When I first started traveling for my employer on an expense account, I paid very close attention. I rented the mid-sized car (what the company recommended), and made sure to fill it up before returning. Then I traveled a couple of times with my boss who approved my expense accounts. He rented the full sized car, and never bothered with the gas. I asked him if I could do that, and he was cool with it, so from then on ...

tjc78

@henryn said:
When I first started traveling for my employer on an expense account, I paid very close attention. I rented the mid-sized car (what the company recommended), and made sure to fill it up before returning. Then I traveled a couple of times with my boss who approved my expense accounts. He rented the full sized car, and never bothered with the gas. I asked him if I could do that, and he was cool with it, so from then on ...

Our policy was the same mid size and you fill up.

One time I got delayed and had no choice but to return the car and take the surcharge for the fill up.

Wouldn’t you know I got questioned on it… I was not happy. All the years traveling and my boss had the nerve. I was one of the most frugal ones. I told her if she charged it back to me I’d take it above her. Perks of training the owner’s son turned VP lol

au1994

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The company got it’s first two electric Hyundai Konas in yesterday. It should be interesting renting those out as it only has a 250 mile range which will probably be less in the real world.

We have no dedicated chargers set up yet so they were plugged into a regular 110 outlet. The car says it will take 60 hours to reach full charge at that voltage. Wow.

We’re negotiating with the airport to apply for a supercharger grant which should reduce the time it takes. Evidently, with adapters, these cars will be chargeable at other brand’s stations with the exception of Tesla and Cadillac. Standardization of stations seems like an ideal area for government intervention if they really want to promote EVs. As it stands the car shows on the screen the location of the nearest recharge station but I can foresee calls from desperate customers who ran out of juice in the boondocks.

Will renters be required to bring the car back fully charged, like renting a gas fueled vehicle?

Good question. A lot of renters don’t bother to return cars with the tank filled so I assume it will be the same with EVs. Our boss told us that the existing charging stations cost about 30 cents per KWh so the average charge costs about $9. I’m guessing most people would chose to pay the company rather than take the time to do it themselves.

The last time I looked, the rental car companies were charging an exorbitant rate for gasoline if you did not return the car with the tank filled. I would expect the same business model for electric cars, but in this case it might just be worthwhile. Who wants to sit around at a charging station while your rented electric car is recharging?

If you were going to rent an electric car, you might want to ask specifically about the charge for returning the car with low battery charge. The charge might wind up being a nasty surprise.

Enterprise offices I’ve been in have two gas prices. One if you pay before you drive off is comparable to gas at the pump. The other, if you return the car empty is about $2/gallon higher than market.

When I first started traveling for my employer on an expense account, I paid very close attention. I rented the mid-sized car (what the company recommended), and made sure to fill it up before returning. Then I traveled a couple of times with my boss who approved my expense accounts. He rented the full sized car, and never bothered with the gas. I asked him if I could do that, and he was cool with it, so from then on ...

I remember those days. Can’t tell you how many meals and drinks I bought when traveling with the boss. He was also a hotel snob so even if policy dictated say a Hampton Inn near the plant, we’d end up in a snazzy Marriott or the like.

Now when I was by myself, I was respectful of the company dime. Stayed in the hinterlands and dinner was often take out brought back to my room.

With cars, we both traveled so much we got upgraded 9 times out of 10.

I can only think of one time I dropped a car off without filling up. The airport was in such a sketchy part of town, I wasn’t getting out of the car!

oldfarmer50

breld said:

roadburner said:

M2 Comp prices are all over the place- from around $58k to $68k. There’s virtually no correlation between model year, equipment and mileage. Some used cars are priced over the MSRP of some new 2021 models(something I’ve noticed with Mach 1 prices as well).

I may yet end up in a Supra 3.0.

My local dealer just took in a 2020 Hockenheim Silver w/manual. It has a ding on the Carfax for "moderate to severe" impact and they're asking $63k.

EDIT: Just went to look at it on their website and it's gone. Presumably someone bought it. Crazy.

“Moderate to severe” impact? I’d like to see a picture of that.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

breld said:

roadburner said:

M2 Comp prices are all over the place- from around $58k to $68k. There’s virtually no correlation between model year, equipment and mileage. Some used cars are priced over the MSRP of some new 2021 models(something I’ve noticed with Mach 1 prices as well).

I may yet end up in a Supra 3.0.

My local dealer just took in a 2020 Hockenheim Silver w/manual. It has a ding on the Carfax for "moderate to severe" impact and they're asking $63k.

EDIT: Just went to look at it on their website and it's gone. Presumably someone bought it. Crazy.

“Moderate to severe” impact? I’d like to see a picture of that.

Not to worry, it'll probably buff out.

au1994

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

breld said:

roadburner said:

M2 Comp prices are all over the place- from around $58k to $68k. There’s virtually no correlation between model year, equipment and mileage. Some used cars are priced over the MSRP of some new 2021 models(something I’ve noticed with Mach 1 prices as well).

I may yet end up in a Supra 3.0.

My local dealer just took in a 2020 Hockenheim Silver w/manual. It has a ding on the Carfax for "moderate to severe" impact and they're asking $63k.

EDIT: Just went to look at it on their website and it's gone. Presumably someone bought it. Crazy.

“Moderate to severe” impact? I’d like to see a picture of that.

Not to worry, it'll probably buff out.

Vroom just offered 20k on that.

Michaell

Member needs advice - buy out a lease or not?

Michaell

I never had any issue with my expenses, when I traveled - probably because, most of the time, they were charged back to the customer.

I never went overboard with my spending - mid-sized cars, reasonable meal costs, mid-grade hotels. I remember my first trip to Manhattan - I stayed at the Parker Meridien on 56th Street. I was astounded at how much it cost, per night.

With my current job, I traveled with my new manager on day 2 of employment. Flew from Denver to SFO, and went to pick out the rental from the National lot. I spied a Hemi Charger and "encouraged" her to select that. Got it out onto the highway and she approved.

qbrozen

@xwesx said:
Remind me: Where is the manufacturing location?

Toledo, I think. So it will be closer to me before it goes to the dealer.

ab348

When you're a road warrior for work, you end up staying at enough crappy hotels and eating crummy meals in restaurants or takeout places that the occasional splurge , when it happened, never bothered me much. I tried to keep that in mind with my staff if they submitted a questionable expense account. I only had one I remember questioning to the point where I had the two staffers see me in my office about it. We had retail auditors who spent 4 days a week on the road and had to stay in some pretty small towns, so I know they weren't taking advantage. But I got one expense claim for 2 nights plus meals at Cabot Links in Inverness - if you know golf, you'll be familiar with the place, and likely know it is very high end, targeting the celebrity/athlete/Wall St types who fly in via business jet to play golf for a few days. We have a store right across the street from the place. Of course, there was no other place to stay within reasonable travel time from the town (the owners of Links had bought and bulldozed the 1960s motel where they used to stay), and it wasn't like they were spending money on booze and room service - it's just the price you pay for being there. These days I believe there are some more reasonable choices there, but at the time it was the only game in town.

Sometimes you luck out too. I remember traveling to Boise for a conference in the late '90s. I was a speaker, so I wanted to be at the conference hotel, and guaranteed my room reservation as a result. My connecting flight got delayed in Minneapolis due to weather, and I ended up getting into Boise after 3:00AM. I was grateful they had a room for me as I just wanted to sleep, and the desk clerk said it wasn't the room I had booked. It turned out to be a really nice suite, but I barely saw it as I was in bed almost immediately. The next morning I was paged during the conference and the hotel manager said they had to move my bags out of the suite because someone else had it booked, and that I should pick up my new room key at the desk after lunch. I expected it, so no problem.

I picked up the key after the end of the conference proceedings that day and made my way to my new room. I unlocked the door and couldn't believe my eyes. They had given me an even bigger suite, one with a Jacuzzi in the main room as big as a swimming pool, a separate bedroom, just totally over the top. I imagine it wasn't rented out at the rack rate very often, and they charged me the same conference rate a regular room would have had.

au1994

The unexpected upgrade for a road warrior was like Christmas morning and your birthday rolled into one!

tjc78

I was always very conservative with expenses. Kept it well within company guidelines for the most part.

One time early in my career at a show I was going to dinner with the sales manager and some very good clients. Well the sales manager needed to take more clients out and Morton’s couldn’t take the larger party. So I took the original group to Morton’s. I was all of 22 and had never been. Well when I got the nearly $1000 tab I was petrified my boss at the time would be upset. Sailed right through.

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

breld said:

roadburner said:

M2 Comp prices are all over the place- from around $58k to $68k. There’s virtually no correlation between model year, equipment and mileage. Some used cars are priced over the MSRP of some new 2021 models(something I’ve noticed with Mach 1 prices as well).

I may yet end up in a Supra 3.0.

My local dealer just took in a 2020 Hockenheim Silver w/manual. It has a ding on the Carfax for "moderate to severe" impact and they're asking $63k.

EDIT: Just went to look at it on their website and it's gone. Presumably someone bought it. Crazy.

“Moderate to severe” impact? I’d like to see a picture of that.

Not to worry, it'll probably buff out.

I saw a vehicle in our lot yesterday that had been rear ended. It was so smashed in that at first I thought it was a Nissan NV200 but it turned out to be a Chrysler minivan.

au1994

Yep, I got to eat at some places I would have never otherwise been able to afford early in my career. Early as a manager I took the team to a steakhouse and blanched when I got the tab and actually considered putting part of it on my personal card. But…went through no problem.

ab348

When I first joined the civil service in ‘85 my immediate superior was the Exec Director of Finance, one down from the top. Every year about a week before Christmas he took the entire division, 20-25 folks, to lunch at a steakhouse and then we stayed for the rest of the afternoon having drinks and good times. He picked up the tab which I thought was generous of him.

One year he had to leave early for some reason. He took me aside and asked if I could put the entire bill on my credit card and get reimbursed later. I said sure. When I approached him a few days later with a bill close to $800 he said I should fill out an expense report saying I had made a few long road trips and claim the mileage that would make me square, and he would sign it off. I was horrified. I have no idea if that was what he did with his boss or not, but I refused to do it. Eventually I got a check from him. Never felt the same way about him after that.

henryn

Back in the early 70s, when things were a lot closer to what you might see on Mad Men then what you might encounter these days, we had a few wild times on the company nickel.

I was working in mainframe operations, and once or twice a year the chief scientist would come in and take over one of the computers and "tinker" with it. If things went well, when he got through tinkering he would invite us to go out with him to a gentlemen's club. Everything went on his company credit card, and I don't think anyone ever objected.

Then there was the salesman for Sperry Univac, and his famous (or infamous) acceptance parties. When he sold us a new mainframe, it would be installed and go through acceptance testing. Could take anywhere from a week to a month. And once the computer was accepted, and he got his commission, he would invite everyone involved in the acceptance tests to a party. And when I say party, I mean PARTY. He would rent the banquet hall at a fancy hotel, and spend several thousands, or god knows, tens of thousands of dollars. All of which came to a crashing halt when someone died in a drunk driving incident after one of those parties.

But d___ we had some good times while it lasted!

au1994

It continued into the 90’s in telecom. A certain supplier would come to town and it was limo, dinner, drinks, gentlemen’s club and a double handful of $$ to amuse yourself at said gentlemen’s club and did I mention more drinks? There was probably breakfast involved at some point but thats hazy.

To keep it on topic, the limo’s were always Lincolns.

ab348

I had 2 separate periods in my work career where we were a major client of Sperry Univac. I never saw expense accounts get worked out like theirs. I don’t think one of my bosses bought lunch for a couple of years, and we’re not talking diner food here. Later on in a different job I was the beneficiary of their largesse and it was a bit uncomfortable. Lots of meals, rounds of golf, booze (they had weekly Friday afternoon “drink-ups” in their office), and trips. On one of those our account rep showed up late for the first meeting and apologized by explaining that the airline had lost his luggage, so he had to find a menswear store first thing that morning and buy a couple of suits/shirts/ties/shoes, all of which he expensed. Unreal.

stickguy

I always liked being at some company event with a "big shot" who felt like spending, and just put it all on their card. Good times!

stickguy

decided to chat about cars with the wife yesterday on our evening walk. Filled her in on what the market was like now, and conceptualized about what I would do if I actually had to get something now. Probably would not be pretty. Most likely find something where there was some supply, and you could get a decent but not like it used to be lease deal, and just take that for a couple of years and see.

mostly though, just hoping that circumstances don't change before year end where I need to get something, and by then, there will be a somewhat normal supply. I am not even that worried about prices coming way down. Bigger issue is even having a normal supply of stuff to pick from!

explorerx4

Having been a back office programmer my whole career, I didn't go on too many company sponsored trips.
First one, a training session in Houston. They gave me a plane ticket to Dallas with a stopover in Houston and said just get off the plane.
I had to argue with the airline to get on a plane to get home. Don't blame them.
A few years later, went on a trip to meet clients in Chicago.
Was supposed to go to a big dinner, but decided blow it off to meet my sister and her husband at a Cubs game instead. Don't regret it.
Took a bus to get to Wrigley Field. Was definitely a minority on that ride, got lots of odd looks.

tjc78

@stickguy said:
I always liked being at some company event with a "big shot" who felt like spending, and just put it all on their card. Good times!

I was always very friendly with the Buyers.. they used to get taken OUT! Sports games, fancy dinners, drinks and more. Fun times. Now I sit in my basement office 10 hours a day.

tjc78

Just had to jump my friend’s 19 Acadia. Guess the battery is shot. Car is charging. Crappy battery life.

stickguy

out of curiosity, poked around in Rodo to see what kind of deals were out there (it's easy!)

Kona unlimited AWD or an ILX Premium both came out to be about $340/month (all with just 1st payment DAS). Off of ~$32,000 MSRP. So not exotic cars, but nice, well equipped, options. Probably were $290 6-8 months ago before prices went nuts, but beggars can't be choosers! And at least , things that would not be hard to live with. Better options than the Sentra SV at $290/month!

tjc78

I like the Kona. Same power train as Elantra sport, right?

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

Enterprise offices I’ve been in have two gas prices. One if you pay before you drive off is comparable to gas at the pump. The other, if you return the car empty is about $2/gallon higher than market.

But, they get you with prepaying for gas, as well. With the schemes that I've seen, you pay for whatever gas is in the car, and are then entitled to drop the car off on empty at no additional cost. How many people are going to drive an unfamiliar car until it's on fumes? Most people are going to return the car with several gallons of fuel (which they paid for) still in the tank.

The worst offender in recent memory, my Tundra appears to have eight or nine gallons left once the gauge is on E and it shows zero range.

stickguy

tjc78 said:

I like the Kona. Same power train as Elantra sport, right?

yeah, I like them too. It has the 1.6t/DSG. Loved that powertrain in my Elantra. But the slightly lower powered version (like they put in the Tucson). Not likely to notice the difference though. Definitely a car I would be interested in trying out. Depending on exactly what I need out of one at the time.

28firefighter

I traveled 125k miles per year domestically at the peak of my consulting days. Meant no matter what I booked per company policy, I ended up in first class, premium rental cars, and suites at virtually any hotel. I generally was pretty frugal eating out though even though I was always billable.

I happily travel one step above cargo with no status anymore in return for having breakfast with my wife and son each morning and tucking my little one in each night. A worthy trade.

au1994

tjc78 said:

@stickguy said:

I always liked being at some company event with a "big shot" who felt like spending, and just put it all on their card. Good times!

I was always very friendly with the Buyers.. they used to get taken OUT! Sports games, fancy dinners, drinks and more. Fun times. Now I sit in my basement office 10 hours a day.

Hmmm…have we met. Career purchasing guy here.

au1994

The golfers in the group will appreciate this. The one trip I was offered and had to decline was a trip on a private jet from Dallas to Brookline for the 99 Ryder Cup. The one that Justin Leonard won with that phenomenal 158 ft putt. Ok, maybe not that long.

It was just too much and the funny thing was, it was up to me to decline, nobody in leadership was telling me to decline. Another person took the trip. He was a Brit so he probably didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have.