Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

jayrider

My 03 Jeep Liberty only has 27k miles but it's an automatic. :P

kyfdx

330i ZHP in Denver?

Hmmmm... I'm going to be out there in about 7 weeks... :surprise:

breld

Yeah - you can check it out on cars.com, using a denver zip code (80237). It's listed at just under $26k. Doubt it will be there in seven weeks unfortunately.

kyfdx

Shewwww... at that price, it might be....

It's always something.... Snow country, and no heated seats... :surprise:

qbrozen

Well that is pretty far outside the 95 percentile male range. Be hard to fit in lots of vehicles when you are that tall.

Yup. It is my cross to carry.

To add to the BMW weirdness we got a 2003 528i wagon with really low miles.

Thankfully I already bought something much less expensive, so I get to dodge THAT bullet.

kyfdx

To add to the BMW weirdness we got a 2003 528i wagon with really low miles.


525i or 530i... or some other year...

stickguy

well, you took my bullet, so I am still in the market!

Not knowing what the site is, how about a link? And a pirce would be nice (on the site of course) which may take care of my interest pretty quick.

Ah heck, it's only money. The mortgage company has plenty, and my kid doesn't really need to go back to college for a 2nd year, does he?

british_rover

Not on your site yet? Not that I should be looking.

Cars this nice and this weird don't usually show make it to our site. They usually get sold before they even make it to the lot. This car has a list of people already looking at it so I doubt it will make it to the lot.

525i or 530i... or some other year...

See I remember it being a 525i but internally in the computer someone has it marked as a 528i. I think it really is a 525i and someone just miss entered it into the computer.

well, you took my bullet, so I am still in the market!

Not knowing what the site is, how about a link? And a pirce would be nice (on the site of course) which may take care of my interest pretty quick.

Ah heck, it's only money. The mortgage company has plenty, and my kid doesn't really need to go back to college for a 2nd year, does he?

I probably shouldn't but up direct links to the company website someone might complain but if someone else puts it up that would be ok.

roadburner

It's always something.... Snow country, and no heated seats...

I went to the site too; I was almost ready to do a fly out/drive back until I saw that... :mad:

stickguy

Rover, just curious, but what is it being listed for? Not that I would be in danger of getting it, I just like to know.

Bruner, that ZHP (that is the one you are taking about, right?) sounded perfect for you. From what I have heard (from a guy that deals with Volvos) you can add heated seats for not all that much money. If the car was otherwise perfect, and the deal was right, would that be a viable option?

I do like the heated seats in my car, but if I didn't have them, I would live. Not like missing the moonroof. Not having that is a deal breaker (for me), and I just can't bring myself to have an aftermarket one put in.

Get some nice sheepskins for the winter maybe?

qbrozen

well, you took my bullet, so I am still in the market!

Not sure which answer applies, so here are both and you get to choose. :P

1. You're welcome!
2. You snooze you lose!

Also wanted to say how much I'm loving this thing.
It still surprises me when I think, as I'm driving, how little it cost.
ALTHOUGH, (I don't remember if you work on your cars or not) if I was one to rely on the dealer's service department, I'd already have to lay out about $2k to bring it up to snuff. When it was in for the trans software update, they did a full inspection and came up with a few things. Rear brakes at $500, front spring seats at $800, climate control sensor at $500, top engine mount at $180, and standard service at $60.

Great list for me to start with. Rear brakes were $50 plus 45 mins labor. Spring seats were $40 and will probably take me 3 hours. Climate control sensor I haven't figured out the cost on ... its either $40 or $130, depending on the part number, and will take me maybe an hour. Service was already done by Torchlight and I just needed to check SS to find the reset light procedure. Got the poly engine mount from IPD for $45 and took maybe 30 mins to install (plus upgraded the trans torque rod bushes and strut bar bushes while I was at it). I also purchased all necessary supplies for the timing belt service.

michaellno

...but new tires for the L300 yesterday.

Amazing how much better it rides and steers. The Traction T/A's I had on it before were junk - I got less than 30K on them.

I also had a 4-wheel alignment done .. I don't believe it had been done in the 7+ years and 93,000 miles I've owned the car. The before and after views really weren't all that different, which I suppose is a good thing.

As I close in on the magic 100K mark, I'm thinking about all the service that the car will need. Yikes!

Plus, the VUE will need tires sometime later this year, and I need to check the ION to see how its tires are hoilding up. Both the VUE and ION are on the OEM tires - Bridgestone on the VUE, Goodyear on the ION. Both have just over 30K on the clock.

corvette

"As I close in on the magic 100K mark, I'm thinking about all the service that the car will need. Yikes!"

100k on most GM vehicles is just spark plugs, an air filter, and ATF. Does the L300 have a timing belt?

michaellno

100k on most GM vehicles is just spark plugs, an air filter, and ATF. Does the L300 have a timing belt?

Remember, my L300 has a bit of European DNA, so it may not qualify as a "regular" GM vehicle.

I'd have to look, but I think it has a timing belt. Which means the belt - and the water pump - should be done together, IIRC.

I need to check the air filters in all the cars this weekend .. I'm not terribly handy with a wrench, but I think I can do the air filters with little or no problem.

Plugs and a transmission flush, OTOH, are over my head.

Thanks for the feedback!

stickguy

glad you like the V70. I still might look at those when the time actually comes. Crazy prices on the service quotes though. I wouldn't try any of those items myself, but I expect they could all be done for 1/2 that at an indy, or fall into the catagory of "sure you can live with it"

But for what you paid, even if you dropped 2K into it, still a lot of car for the money, and something that should give years of eliable service.

And darned comfy too!

british_rover

Rover, just curious, but what is it being listed for? Not that I would be in danger of getting it, I just like to know.

Bruner, that ZHP (that is the one you are taking about, right?) sounded perfect for you. From what I have heard (from a guy that deals with Volvos) you can add heated seats for not all that much money. If the car was otherwise perfect, and the deal was right, would that be a viable option?

That BMW is still listed as incoming so not sure if this is going to be the decided upon list price or not but right now it says $14,900 and it is a 525i.

Adding just heated seats to most cars aftermarket is pretty easy. Japanese dealerships do it all the time since many of their cars don't come with heated seats. They add aftermarket leather sometimes too. Figure 300 to 500 dollars to add front heated seats to most cars.

michaellno

Adding just heated seats to most cars aftermarket is pretty easy. Japanese dealerships do it all the time since many of their cars don't come with heated seats. They add aftermarket leather sometimes too. Figure 300 to 500 dollars to add front heated seats to most cars.

When I bought my L300 in November of 2002, the car I wanted had a cloth interior. I paid something like $1500 to have leather installed, as well as adding heaters to the front seats.

Have not regretted spending that money in the 7+ years I've had the car.

british_rover

Yup that is about right. Our last 2007 S40 was a cloth interior car and in order to get the deal done we had to include leather and it was about 1,200 bucks for just adding leather as it already had heated seats.

akangl

How anyone in a somewhat cold climate lives without heated seats. My driver's side heated seat is on from October until May, I never turn the switch off, I'm always cold and that's with the car coming out of a heated garage! I do have to gripe a bit about Honda heated seats, they are so weak, my 06 Dodge Ram had heated seats to die for......left on too long they would burn your butt! My Titan was the same way, I loved it.....well, the heat, not the burnt butt part.

qbrozen

How anyone in a somewhat cold climate lives without heated seats.

LOL! So do all the dog sleds up there have bun warmers?

How in the world did our parents even survive long enough to reproduce without a toasty butt!? It boggles the mind. :P

roadburner

Bruner, that ZHP (that is the one you are taking about, right?) sounded perfect for you. From what I have heard (from a guy that deals with Volvos) you can add heated seats for not all that much money. If the car was otherwise perfect, and the deal was right, would that be a viable option?

I don't want anyone hacking into the car's electrical system; with BMWs it usually creates more problems than it solves.

I do like the heated seats in my car, but if I didn't have them, I would live. Not like missing the moonroof. Not having that is a deal breaker (for me), and I just can't bring myself to have an aftermarket one put in.

Different strokes; I prefer my cars without a hole in the roof(my salesperson had to fight tooth and nail with BMW AG to get my Club Sport built without a sunroof- even though it was officially an option). I wish I had the coin to buy a new M3 sedan; you can get it with cloth/leather and no sunroof.

british_rover

I don't want anyone hacking into the car's electrical system; with BMWs it usually creates more problems than it solves.

Its just wiring in an extra switch and power to the system not really hacking in like you would do install an aftermarket stereo system.

We have a shop that does it for us on Volvos half a dozen times a year with no problems. They do it on hundreds of Toyotas, hondas, nissans and I am sure the occasional Merc or BMW too.

roadburner

Its just wiring in an extra switch and power to the system not really hacking in like you would do install an aftermarket stereo system.

Maybe so, but I've had more than a few BMW techs(who have nothing to gain or lose either way) advise me not to attempt to add them to a late-model BMW.

british_rover

I guess anything is possible and if adding heated seats to a car was going to cause electrical problems it would be in a BMW or an older Land Rover or Jag.

akangl

LOL! So do all the dog sleds up there have bun warmers?

How in the world did our parents even survive long enough to reproduce without a toasty butt!? It boggles the mind.

LOL, I don't know, dont' have a dog sled! I don't remember the last time I owned a car without heated seats.......hmm, well, maybe I do, Zippy (04 Focus for those who don't remember Zippy) in 2004 didn't have any.

I my heated seats, leather, moonroof, AWD, and auto climate control, stuff I can't live without now.

andre1969

LOL! So do all the dog sleds up there have bun warmers?

How in the world did our parents even survive long enough to reproduce without a toasty butt!? It boggles the mind.

When I bought my 2000 Park Ave a couple months back, some of the gimmicks that sold me on that car were the sunroof and the heads-up display. But I gotta admit, I've gotten so spoiled by its heated seats, I can't imagine having a car without them.

andre1969

Zippy (04 Focus for those who don't remember Zippy) in 2004 didn't have any.


I remember Zippy, but can't remembe what happened to him. How long did he end up lasting?

fezo

Three months. At te time that was a record. :P

qbrozen

Funny enough, I just read an editorial in one of this month's car mags concerning all these options we have these days.

It is something that has also been on my mind since I started AutoX a couple of years back.

Just as the author of that article, my "must have" list consists of AC and power windows. He didn't mention power locks, but I'm sure would have, and those are on my list, too. And, again, same as him, a power seat is not required as long as the seat can adjust to a comfortable position.

Give me lightweight cloth, manual, comfortable seats. Skip the moonroof. Skip the Nav. A single-din head unit with 4 good speakers and aux input are all that is needed in the tunes department. Lightweight 17" alloy wheels (anything larger and/or with chrome is just excess).

gouldn

I couldn't agree more with qbrozen, especially with the sunroof thing.

My X3 has a huge sunroof, I live in sunny California, and I've opened it up ... once.

When I look at cars now, I look for a attribute that is almost always overlooked ... visibility. A car is simply more fun to drive if you have a unobstructed view to the sides and rear. I've found that BMWs are pretty good in this department, and Subaru tends to be the best. My Accord coupe was horrible, and really detracted form the driving experience.

lilengineerboy

I couldn't agree more with qbrozen, especially with the sunroof thing.

My X3 has a huge sunroof, I live in sunny California, and I've opened it up ... once.

I think there sunroof people and non-sunroof people, like convertible people and non-convertible people. When I was in sunny California (my life up to my mid-20s) the sunroof was always open (except in rain, and even then it was occasionally popped up, but not slid back.

In less sunny Michigan, its still open most of the time.

I have bought one car without a sunroof, and that is one of the few things we regret about that purchase...not gonna happen again.

If i was buying a race car/track car that would only see autocross and HPDE duty, I can see that as a strong requirement, but if its something I actually have to live with and drive to work and back, then I want a hole in the top.

stickguy

Moonroofs seem to fall heavily into the lvoe it or hate it catagory. I love it, and have no intention of ever having another car without one. I also hate AC for the most part, and only put that on as a last resort.

I also don't like auto climate. I would rather pick an air temp, instead of having the car alternate between freezing me and roasting me with the airflow!

Good point about visibility. Hondas used to be great for this (my 2005 accord and 2000 TL are very good, nice low belt lines, etc.). most new cars though it is like looking out of the turret of a tank. And forget seeing what is behind you, and rear 1/4 view has long since disappeared in most cars and SUVs.

I would be fine with cloth seats too, but prefer power, since it is normally easier to get the front tilted up in a power seat. I can't stand ratchet types (mazda 3) where the seat dumps you forward as you raise it.

Sandman6472

Would love these in my next car as my spinal issues continue to get worse. Every rental that has power seats make me never wanting to return it to the counter. But my current ride will be with me well into retirement so time will tell. And since we're only going to get cars the size of our Maz3vic, that really limits me in the power seat department. Wife hates used and I can see us being a 1 car family within 10 or so years anyways, so the prospects don't look to good. Unless I can convince her to go with a Sonata with power down the road as our only ride.

I need to be able to just slide over like my kids Versa but with a power option.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

lilengineerboy

The Taurus has a "multi-contour" seat that is power with memory, plus has optional air bladders in the seat that give lumbar, bolsters and massage. Its not that big of a deal, the S-class and A8 have it too, but those are 3x the cost.

akangl

I remember Zippy, but can't remembe what happened to him. How long did he end up lasting?

I had Zippy for 2 years and 54k miles, sold her to a used car dealer when I bought my 06 Ram (Horrible truck, should have kept the Titan and Zippy). She was a great little car, still regret letting her go. Last time I saw her she had a fart can and some dude smoking it up inside. :sick:

anonymousposts

It appears that my Camry is unaffected by the recall. I am due for my first oil change so I will have it checked out to be sure next week. Even if it is part of the recall, I still love my Camry. It is the perfect car to commute in. Great seats, good stereo, good gas mileage. I don't think I could deal with the LE model due to the suspension tuning, but the SE creates a good balance.

I am on the lookout for a car to flip. We've had decent luck doing this recently and have made a fair amount of extra cash. Honda and Toyotas seem the easiest way to go, though the recall may impact Toyota's desirability.

kyfdx

Of course, in warmer climates,it is mostly unneccesary..

But, living through a gray winter, and opening that shade and letting the light come through can lift your spirits (and, we have that monster sunroof in an X3, as well.. )

I had a 1st gen CR-V, which didn't have a sunroof option.. Didn't realize how much I missed it, until I got a 2nd gen model... My current daily driver doesn't have one... Don't realize how much I miss it there, until I get in my wife's X3.

As far as actually opening the glass? Not so much..

stickguy

yes, the light it lets inis nice, but I open the thing all the time. Love the feel of the sun, and all that nice fresh air. And if (like my wife) you don't like the sunbeating on (even I understand that when it is very hot), it is fantastic on a nice evening.

anything over about 45 is warm enough to open that baby up.

lilengineerboy

But, living through a gray winter, and opening that shade and letting the light come through can lift your spirits

In a way, that is kind of my pet peeve with the thing...at night if you have the thing open and/or the sun shade open, every street light and traffic light shines right in and flickers. Some genius also decided it would be good to put a big chrome H in the middle of the wheel so it reflects in your face when you drive under street lights at night.

akangl

Some genius also decided it would be good to put a big chrome H in the middle of the wheel so it reflects in your face when you drive under street lights at night.

Ya know I thought I was the only one who was slightly annoyed by this, lol. I hate it on a sunny day when I have the roof open, stupid sun hits that H and blinds me. I usually keep my hand over it if the sun is reflecting off of it.

I use the sunroof in the Pilot all summer, I love it, if its not raining its open. Heck I use it in the winter too, if its above 30 and sunny that's good enough in my book. Its nice now that the Pilot lives in a garage, don't have to worry about snow or ice getting in the track.

Hubby was so against sunroofs, for years he grumbled about the one in whichever car I had at the time. Now he has one in his Civic and loves it, says its one option he can't live without now.

breld

My first car (that I didn't inherit) was a 1990 Civic Si. It had no air conditioning or stereo (both were options) and windows you cranked down manually - but it had a power moonroof. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

I can take it or leave it nowadays, but back then I loved that roof.

Come to think of it, my second car, a 1993 Prelude Si, had one of those sunroofs (not clear) that opened up and retracted above the roof (due to the short roofline). Does any car have that currently?

And nothing beat the t-tops on my brother's Chrysler Laser XT back in the day.

rayainsw

"Come to think of it, my second car, a 1993 Prelude Si, had one of those sunroofs (not clear) that opened up and retracted above the roof (due to the short roofline). Does any car have that currently? "

2010 Camaro....

michaellno

Come to think of it, my second car, a 1993 Prelude Si, had one of those sunroofs (not clear) that opened up and retracted above the roof (due to the short roofline). Does any car have that currently?

My daughter's '06 Saturn ION has a glass moonroof that retracts outside the roof.

I almost bought a '91 Civic Si .. I, too, remember that they didn't come with A/C or stereo. Didn't buy it as I discovered that it would be rated as a 'sports car' by my insurance. Bought a '91 Sentra SE (not SE-R) instead - again, w/o A/C or stereo.

Shoulda gone with the Si.

british_rover

The really nice perfect one that everyone was drooling over?

Looks like it blew its motor on a test drive over the weekend. :sick:

Don't know exactly what the problem is yet still waiting for it to get looked at. Might have lost a head gasket and hydro-locked not sure yet.

bvdj84

I love my Sunroof!! I have it open nearly all the time in the Spring, Summer, Fall. or if its above 30. I also have heated leather seats, I will want these options in my next car. (Trading in a few months) Love it!! But, the roof is very high on my list! Nothing beats a nice summer day with the sun down on you, music playing...awesome!

qbrozen

wow!

would love to know the story on that test drive. (would be good reading on the frontlines stories board )

british_rover

Was on the second to last left hand turn before returning to the dealership. Guy was in third gear cruising at 35 or so and just poof white smoke pouring out the exhaust then the engine cut out. I wasn't on the test drive someone else was but he says it felt like a hydro-lock situation.

corvette

But did the guy end up buying the car? :P

rayainsw

"But did the guy end up buying the car?"

At a big discount?
[ kidding ]

stickguy

i will still take it, but of course I may have to adjust my offer down just a tad.

Seriously, what do you do with something like this? Attempt to fix it and sell, or just ship it to auction or a wholesaler for next to nothing, and take you giant loss?

I can't see you selling it "as is"!

And man, I bet that guy test driving it is glad it didn't make it a couple hundred more miles before blowing up.