Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

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  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 11,352
    edited May 2010
    I got a nice solicitation from GM today inviting me to buy a GM Protection Plan on my Pontiac. Yes, the Pontiac they bought back under the lemon law in January. I wrote a brief reply explaining why I was unlikely to buy it (and asking them to please remove me from their mailing list), and returned it in the postage-paid envelope.

    The Altima is doing great so far.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,536
    maybe I can figure out an excuse to get out that way tomorrow in the rain.

    gotta try and shop Hondas too. getting too busy with all these "clients"

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • billherrmannbillherrmann Member Posts: 108
    Last few years:
    02 Maxima
    03 BMW 330xi
    04 Acura TL
    05 Cadillac CTS
    06 Audi A3
    06 Lexus 350
    07 Infinity G35 xi
    08 Toyota Camry hybrid
    08 Lincoln MKZ
    09 Volvo C30
    09 Lexus IS250
    10 BMW 128 .......on May 11th...one week ago. I have a sickness!!!!
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    Nice list! Do you have a favorite?
  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    I see that you have gone from one per year to two per year.... Your disease is progressing nicely. Could 2010 be the year of three automotive purchases? :P
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    I see that you have gone from one per year to two per year..

    Maybe .. those are the model years, not necessarily the year of purchase.

    I bought two model year 2003 vehicles .. one in November, 2002 and the other in November, 2003.

    Nevertheless, yes, I would say that he qualifies for membership here.

    Welcome .. and hope you participate in our electronic therapy.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Niiice list! Seems like you could have been one of the founding members! Do you still have any of them besides the '10 BMW?

    And how would you compare and contrast the 128i and the IS250? I assume there was something you disliked enough about the IS to trade it for the 128?

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    02 Hyundai elantra-gray
    02 Hyundai elantra-red
    03 Hyundai sonata-gold
    03 Hyundai elantra GT-red
    04-Hyundai elantra GT-silver
    05- Honda Civic ex-se
    06-Acura tsx-red
    07-Mitsubishi raider truck-white
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 11,352
    "Could 2010 be the year of three automotive purchases?"

    There's hope, since we're not even halfway through the year!
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Well, the obvious, and very cheap comment is that your buying slowed down when you stopped buying Hyundai. Perhaps you didn't need to buy a new car every year when you stopped doing that? :)
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Congrats and welcome to the club. Looks like you're into mostly luxury cars which should give you bonus points in your membership!

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    edited May 2010
    chronic buyers of beaters?:

    (Since 1985, so I guess this list isn't all that impressive, but none except the 16v at the time, cost more than $4000 and most were under $2k):

    71 Buick Electra 225 four-door hardtop
    77 Chevy Caprice sedan
    85 VW Golf 5-door 5-speed
    85 VW Jetta GL 4-door 5-speed
    91 VW GTI 16v
    83 VW GTI
    85 SAAB 900 SPG
    87 SAAB 900S sedan, 5-speed
    86 SAAB 900S sedan, automatic
    90 Mazda Protege LX 5-speed
    89 VW Golf 'Wolfsburg Edition' 5-door, 5-speed
    87 Honda Accord DX sedan 5-speed
    95 Saturn SL2 sedan automatic
    88 BMW 528e automatic (currently)

    All had sunroofs, except the first two and the Accord (hence the skin cancer on my balding head). Almost all were at least 'reliable', in the starting every day sense, though all had quirks, naturally. I know I've regressed a few times, both in age and quality, but still....not a bad variety of beaters, save for a few too many SAABs and VWs (I'm a slow learner). :lemon:
    Perhaps I'll own a car built in this century soon :confuse:
  • akanglakangl Member Posts: 3,282
    *hands over CCBA president card* Looks like we have a new winner!

    In less then 2 months my Pilot will be 3 years old..........and yes, I still love it. Now that the TT is gone I have no reason to look, can't even come up with one truthfully. The Pilot is great, it has its quirks, but I still smile when I slide behind the wheel. :D
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    90 Mazda Protege LX 5-speed

    I'll be that was a blast to drive. In a previous wife-time, we owned a '91 Protege LX, but with a slushbox. We almost bought a similar car with a 5-speed to be my daily driver, but we didn't for two reasons:

    1) I didn't want two of the same make / model in the family
    2) I was really looking for a coupe at the time

    Dumb, dumb, dumb. Bought a '91 Sentra SE with a 5-speed. The Protege would have been better equipped, more powerful and more practical.

    Oh, well. Que sera, sera.
  • oldteeoldtee Member Posts: 8
    I have undertaken as this morning's mental challenge to start listing the 20 or so new cars I have bought over the past 41 yrs. I expect the memory or enthusiasm for this task will give out before I am finished but here goes:

    09 Maxima (still owned but hopefully not for much longer)
    06 Buick Lacross (lemon by definition)
    04 4Runner (my favorite and still owned and never to be sold)
    03 Acura TL (no problems but sooo boring)
    00 Subaru Outback (wife's car back then)
    99 Audi A4 (second favorite but lots of time in the shop)
    ?? Mazda Mx3 (longest we ever kept a car, 10 yrs!)
    86 Camero Iroc Z (1 yr was enough)
    (2) Mazda 626's (1 good, 1 not so good)
    (3) Dodge Chargers (71,73,76)
    80 Pontiac Firebird (thanks a lot, Knight Rider)
    79 Dodge Omni 024 (we about killed this one pulling our boat)
    76 Dodge Challenger
    76 Fiat 128 (unbelievably bad but fun to drive)
    69 Plymouth Duster (balky 3 in the floor transmission)

    Just a few used cars to add:

    94 Corvette (fun, this car could have killed me if I had been younger)
    ?? Chrysler Newport (400 c.i. V8 to pull my boat, always leaking something)
    69 VW Beetle (wife bought this one when single, great car)
    7? VW Beetle (surprise present for wife's 30th birthday)

    That is enough mental heavy lifting. I am now having a hard time finding anything on the market that I can be passionate about. Lots of very hard seats in those new GM cars. Only a turbo 4 in the Audi A4, give me a break! Mercedes, Volvo - boring! BMW - never! Keep the Ford's and the Chrysler's. Is it possible for the chronic new car buyer to become jaded?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,054
    Perhaps I'll own a car built in this century soon

    That got me thinking...I'll have to check the build date on my 2000 Park Ave. I guess it's possible that I may not have owned a car built this century yet, either! I don't remember what the build date on my 2000 Intrepid was, but considering I bought it on November 6, 1999, I know it wouldn't qualify! :P


    All had sunroofs, except the first two and the Accord (hence the skin cancer on my balding head).


    Ouch...sorry to hear that. Hope you caught it early and are keeping it at bay. I guess I should use your experience as a cautionary tale, as I finally got a car with a sunroof, and often go for the Mr. Clean/Kojak look!
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    ALL MY CARS... new & used & VERY used 1969-2010

    1961 Volkswagen Beetle - Bought in 1969 while at College. Green, 4-speed, fabric sunroof, reserve fuel tank (no gas gauge), rebuilt engine, ‘tuned’ exhaust...
    1962 Volvo PV544 - Bought in 1970
    1967 Volvo 122S - Bought in 1971 – still in college
    1972 Ford Pinto – I KNOW !!
    (NEW) Bought in Fall of 1971 – just before entering the military.
    1969 Fiat( I KNOW !) 124 Sports Coupe - Bought in Arizona in 1972
    1972 Mazda RX-2 Coupe - Bought in 1973? Wankel rotary, 4 speed.
    1969 Volvo 144S - Bought in 1974?
    1972 Volvo 164E - Bought just before leaving the Service in early 1975. 3.0 liter straight 6 cylinder motor, 4 speed + electric Overdrive. Burgundy with matching leather seats. Added tachometer, Bilstein shocks, rear antisway bar (IPD) and Ansa exhaust.
    1977 Honda Accord - (NEW) Bought in early Spring of 1977.
    1978 Audi Fox - (NEW) Bought in 1978. Silver, 4 speed.
    1980 Audi 5000S - Bought in 1982
    1983 Chevy Citation X11 – I KNOW !!
    1985 Nissan Maxima SE - (NEW) Winter of 1985
    1987 Olds Ciera GT - (NEW) I KNOW !! Spring of 1987
    1991 Pontiac Grand Prix STE - (Program car - 5K miles?) Summer of 1991 –
    1994 Buick Regal Gran Sport – I KNOW !! (NEW) in November 1994
    1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP - (NEW) in February 1997
    2000 Lincoln LS Sport – [NEW] delivered just before Thanksgiving 1999. .
    2002 VW Passat W8 – [NEW]
    2003 Lincoln LS – [NEW] another one? Really? January 2004
    2005 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP [NEW] – summer of 2005
    2007 Chevy Corvette Coupe [NEW] – ordered Sept. 2006, picked up Nov. 2006. Logged over 30,000 [ mostly delightful ] miles in 2 years. 400 HP, 6 speed automatic. Dark red.
    Current:
    2009 Pontiac G8 GT – Silver with black & red leather. Premium Package, Sport Package & Sunroof.
    2022 X3 M40i
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Boy, with a list like that you should compare notes with occupant1. Where did he go?
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    edited May 2010
    That '90 Protege was a LOT of fun to drive, though it was more than a little buzzy/high-revving on the highway (that said, it had plenty of passing power). Unfortunately, it was stolen (note to self and everyone else: don't leave your keys, with brand printed on same, on the bar when you go to the john). Naturally, it was recovered (without wheels or tires, so I had to pay to get it out of impound, pay for a tow truck AND buy new wheels and tires), the day after I purchased the '89 Golf. Oh yeah, and right after I bought it, I discovered it had 163k rather than the 90k on the odometer (it was traded to a dealer, then a curbstoner sold it to me; I wasn't so wise to this operation then). Someone made about $1000 off me.

    As for the skin cancer, I had it removed, but have a nice little dent and scar on my head. Nothing major though, it was about five years ago. My Scottish and Welsh genes don't help prevent sunburn much.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Nice list! Some questionable choices in there but lots of decent ones too. I guess the Vette is your favorite?

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • akanglakangl Member Posts: 3,282
    edited May 2010
    Let's see if I can remember all the cars on my list. These were purchased between 1993 and 2010:

    1990 Nissan Stanza XE - My first car, bought in April 1993 (used)
    1994 Mazda B4000 LE - bought in February 1994 (new)
    1993 Mazda 626 - bought in December 1994 (used)
    1994 Mazda Navajo LE - bought in May 1995 (new)
    1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo - bought in November 1996 (used)
    1994 VW Jetta - bought in March 1996 (used)
    1997 Subaru Impreza - bought in May 1997 (new)
    1992 Ford F-250 XLT - bought in May 1997 (used)
    1996 Ford Taurus - bought in February 1998 (used)
    1996 Ford Windstar - bought in August 1998 (used)
    1988 Ford F-150 - bought in October 1998 (used)
    1998 Nissan Altima LE - leased in November 1998 (new)
    1994 Chevy S-10 Blazer - bought in October 1999 (used)
    1996 GMC K2500 SLE - bought in December 1999 (used)
    2000 Subaru Impeza 2.5RS - bought in February 2000 (new)
    1999 Nissan Quest SE - bought in May 2000 (new)
    2001 VW Jetta - leased in November 2000 (new)
    1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee SE - bought in August 2001 (used)
    2001 Dodge Ram 2500 - bought in December 2001 (used)
    2002 Dodge Ram 2500 V10 - bought in May 2002 (new)
    1990 Chevy Suburban - bought in October 2002 (used)
    1994 Ford Escort - bought in December 2002 (used)
    1994 Chevy K2500 - bought in February 2003 (used)
    2001 Toyota Corolla DE - bought in April 2003 (used)
    1998 Ford Explorer Limited - bought in July 2003 (used)
    1999 Dodge Ram V10 - bought in December 2003 (used)
    2004 Ford Explorer XLS - bought in January 2004 (new)
    2004 Nissan Titan SE - bought in June 2004 (new)
    2004 Ford Focus - bought in July 2004 (new)
    2004 Nissan Titan LE - leased in December 2004 (new)
    1996 Chrysler Sebring - bought from a junkyard in April 2006 (used) fixed and resold
    2006 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW Cummins - bought July 6, 2006 (new)
    2006 Dodge Ram 3500 DRW Cummins - bought July 6, 2006 (new)
    1992 Ford F-250 XLT - bought in August 2006 (used)
    2001 Dodge Durango - bought in February 2007 (used)
    2007 Honda Pilot EX-L - bought July 13, 2007 (new) Yes that was a friday
    2007 Ford Taurus - received in trade for our business in August 2008 (used)
    2009 Honda Civic EX - bought October 6, 2008 (new)
    1993 Ford Explorer XLT - given to my son in March 2010

    Also in this time frame we purchased 2 RVs:
    2004 Jayco popup - purchased August 2004 (new)
    2004 Fleetwood Wildernes Yukon 24BH - puchased March 2005 (new)

    Wow, that's a heck of a list! :blush: We still own the 07 Pilot, 09 Civic, and 93 Explorer.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    We are not worthy! :blush:
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    OMG! I believe you had the Jetta when you first started posting ... at least, that's the car I remember you having.

    So many vehicles in the past 10 years .... 23, by my count.

    Let's see .. in the same time frame, we've owned 9:

    '99 Ford Expedition
    '99 VW New Beetle
    '02 Ford Explorer
    '03 Saturn L300
    '03 Ford Focus
    '05 Saturn VUE
    '06 Saturn ION
    '08 Saturn VUE
    '10 MINI Cooper

    We've still got the ION, the '08 VUE and the MINI.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,054
    Yeah, that list is pretty incredible. I count 26 vehicles in the timeframe since I bought my Intrepid back in November 1999. I've only bought five since then...

    2001: 1979 5th Ave
    2002: 1985 Silverado
    2005: 1976 Grand LeMans
    2007: 1979 New Yorker
    2009: 2000 Park Ave
  • oldteeoldtee Member Posts: 8
    Is there any cure for this disease? For guys my age, probably not. But maybe there is hope for some of you younger guys. If not, prepare to buy lots of nice lunches out for your significant other when you are car shopping and later to grovel for forgiveness when you have done it again. Learn from our mistakes before it is too late!
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 11,352
    "Is it possible for the chronic new car buyer to become jaded?"

    Yes... BTW, what do you dislike about the Maxima?
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    edited May 2010
    is how many of the details you all remember about those cars, especially the folks with long lists and cars that go all the way back to the 70s.

    My list of used cars, if I could remember the details of all of them, might come close to the length of some of these, but I have owned less than a dozen new cars my whole motoring life (which hit a quarter century this year):

    '94 Saturn SL2, bought 8/94, crapped out in less than 50K miles.
    '97 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, bought in 1/97, just four months before akangl bought her Impreza
    '02 Toyota Celica, bought 12/01 during Toyota's first EVER 0% for 60 months promo
    '03 Toyota Matrix, bought 8/02, just had to have one when I saw it after it came out that spring, should have kept the Celica, first Toyota I ever bought that had noticeable build and quality issues
    '04 Acura RSX, bought 2/04, why on Earth did I sell that car?
    '07 Matrix, bought 1/07, figured they must have the issues resolved by then, which they did; hadn't noticed what a crappy car to drive it was when I had the first one,
    '09 Impreza Outback Sport, bought 5/09, fabulous car which I expect to keep ten years.

    Add to that a sprinkling of close to 50 used cars and trucks in the years since '85, including the Echo I drive to work right now, which I bought when it was 3 years old, and which at 135K miles has never needed a repair (or even clutch or brake work).

    I wish I could remember all the details of all those cars, but like I said my memory is just not as good as that of some of you folks here! I do know that I have only owned 2 GM cars total - a Saturn and a Pontiac - and both sucked for reliability - and no other domestic makes, and the only Germans I have owned have been VWs and one 90s Audi which confirmed IN SPADES every negative stereotype you have ever heard about the lousy reliaibility of Audis - I eventually gave up on it after it drained my wallet dry in less than 18 months.

    And I have owned cars from most Japanese brands at one time or another, but as I sit here and think back I can't remember a single Nissan I ever owned, so I guess that 's the one exception....

    I don't think I ever want to be cured of CCBS, but I do concede that I am slowing down in my "old age". If I could realistically own a dozen, my CCBS might be mostly cured, but not only would it be difficult to keep a dozen cars in rotation, parking more than two or three at a time would be a real problem where I live. So there's the rub... :-)

    Closest I ever came to buying without doing so - I had the CCBS in check for about five minutes - was when the New Beetle came out, and I test drove a TDI twice and even sat down with the guy. He didn't want the Subaru in trade, so the offer was low, and they weren't dealing much on the price of the VW either, so in the end I thanked him for his time and walked.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • oldteeoldtee Member Posts: 8
    Lots of electrical problems with the Maxima. Came close to a lemon law case but they sent their specialist into town and finally replaced a computer module which would go nuts and roll all my windows down in the middle of the night (in the snow and rain). Ultimately the thing that disappoints about the Maxima is that it is front wheel drive. Too many horses on the front especially when turning the wheel and letting it loose. For a less enthusiastic driver it is a great ride, lots of features for the $$$, and nice to look at. With the exception of my 4Runner, it seems the more I spend on a vehicle the more problems I have.
  • oldteeoldtee Member Posts: 8
    I forgot two cars that I have owned in my previous listing, knew I had bought at least 20 new cars!

    Ford Focus SVT - 6 speed, high revs spoken here. Throw-out bearing started rattling at 7k miles. A truly unique little car to battle the mini-coopers.

    Ford Probe GT - introduced me to the wicked world of torque steer

    Now that it is all coming back to me, I think I am lucky to still be alive (and not insolvent).
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,762
    edited May 2010
    I can remember alot of details about each car on my list. I could tell you about the repairs, the hiccups, the adventures, etc. And I could probably even give a rough length of ownership.

    But to come up with dates or miles? No way. Not for all of them.

    And, yes, the rotation thing is very difficult. I have plenty of parking, but have "only" 6 cars at the moment, and I feel like half of those get neglected. They are always in need of something or another and I just can't get to it all.

    Let's see... right now:
    The Z needs front endlinks and clunks like crazy when turning the wheel, so that's parked till I fix it.
    The Benz is on the list to be sold, but it hasn't been started or moved in a few weeks. Need to pull the front speakers and detail it.
    The Bimmer is also on the block. Need to detail it and possibly repair the driver's seat.
    Volvo needs timing belt service and the CD player is broken.
    Mazda needs tires swapped.
    MR2 needs fuel filter, suspension tightened, bushings, and endlinks.

    I'm sure there's lots more. That's just off the top of my head.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Is there any cure for this disease?

    Medical science is making great strides and there is some hope of a partial cure. Indeed, some folks are in remission and have been for several years. But for the worst cases (Akangl) there is no real hope of a cure, the best that can be hoped for is to keep the symptoms under control for short periods. (Take one pretty decent SUV every four or five years and avoid exposure to dealerships as much as possible).
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Q, you can open up your own used car lot with the inventory you have on hand. Maybe you should hire a prt time car keeper/mechanic to keep your fleet in tune. :P

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • akanglakangl Member Posts: 3,282
    Is there any cure for this disease?

    Medical science is making great strides and there is some hope of a partial cure. Indeed, some folks are in remission and have been for several years. But for the worst cases (Akangl) there is no real hope of a cure, the best that can be hoped for is to keep the symptoms under control for short periods. (Take one pretty decent SUV every four or five years and avoid exposure to dealerships as much as possible).


    I don't know, I seem to have been cured......or at least I'm in remission. I had no idea the number of cars until I sat down this morning and started typing, took me over an hour to get all that down. Made me sick to my stomach when I was done and went back and counted........all I could think was wow, if I had stuck to one or two cars we'd have been so much farther ahead financially. Live and learn, but after typing all that and looking hard at it.......I believe I will be driving the Pilot for several more years. :sick:
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,528
    In two months, we've gone from two cars to four... It just drives me nuts, because the car I want to drive is always blocked in..

    When it was just three cars, I could park the 3rd one far enough back to get both cars out of the garage... So, could drive any of the three.... Now, that we have four, there are only two that we can get out at any one time..

    One of them goes away in ten weeks.... shewwwwww..

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  • oldteeoldtee Member Posts: 8
    It made me feel a bit ill as well when I looked over what I had listed, sort of like a hangover after a binge. This has been one heck of a binge for sure. And I fear there is about $50k of remaining business to be done. What a summer home I could have bought instead of all of those cars! Wish I could say I have learned a lesson after all that typing.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,696
    >the car I want to drive is always blocked in..

    That's easy to fix. New home with 3 car garage and a long driveway.

    image

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,528
    Yeah.. that's great... for a month.. ;)

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  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    edited May 2010
    corvette: Yes, we snuck one in. We bought the 98 Prelude that kept leaking oil so we sold it on CL in 2 days and bought the RAV4 instead. It's been great and Gee loves it as his daily driver. We initially bought it to drive and sell as a flip but Gee fell in love.

    I am going to try my own trip down memory lane .. Hope I don't forget anything ... Here's our list since 1995

    1998 Honda Prelude
    1989 Ford Probe
    1991 Toyota MR2
    1982 Toyota Tercel
    1991 Acura Integra
    1992 Acura Integra
    1993 Acura Integra
    1994 Acura Integra
    1993 Acura Vigor
    1989 Honda Civic wagon
    1993 Honda Civic EX
    1996 Honda Civic EX
    1998 Honda Civic EX
    1998 Honda Civic EX
    2000 Honda Civic Si
    2000 Honda CIvic Si
    1991 Honda Accord EX
    1992 Honda Accord EX
    1999 Honda Accord EX
    2001 Honda Accord EX V6
    2003 Honda Accord EX
    2004 Honda Accord EX automatic
    2004 Honda Accord EX manual
    2009 Honda Accord EX
    1994 Lexus LS400
    1995 Lexus GS300
    1998 Dodge Dakota
    2000 Chevrolet Silverado
    2001 Mazda Protege
    1997 Toyota RAV4
    2003 Acura MDX
    2004 Honda Odyssey
    2006 Acura TSX
    1989 Toyota Tercel
    1987 Toyota Corolla FX16 GTS
    1988 Toyota Corolla FX16 GTS
    1999 Lexus ES300
    2000 Lexus RX300
    2005 Infiniti G35
    2002 Honda Civic Si (totalled)
    2002 Honda Civic Si
    2003 Honda Civic Si
    1991 Nissan 300ZX

    Our current stable...
    2003 Toyota RAV4 L
    2008 Lexus IS 250
    2010 Toyota Camry
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,536
    sure this is one. It is called poverty! Certainly does put a damper on purchases. College for the kids doesnt help either.

    It does, however, open up the wonderful world of cheaper used cars! That's all I got going on right now.

    last 2 new were in 12/04 and 12/05 (an annual Christmas ritual for a while there!) Since then, just 2 older cars for my teenage son.

    Very much looking forward to the next new one, just not sure when it will be. I guess having two 2005 Hondas, both with miles in the mid-50s, doesn't make it too pressing.

    Anything for my wife will likely be new (and a LT keeper), but for me, a nicer used car upgrade.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    edited May 2010
    Your list reminded me of some very fond memories of cars I bought used - I never should have given up my '88 Corolla FX16 GTS, what a hell of a fun car that was, and that was a lasting impression that one left behind because it was more than a decade ago that I sold it. I think it would still be a ton of fun to drive today.

    I have owned every generation of Integra - including the one they called RSX in the U.S. - but never owned any other Acura - the other models don't interest me. Every generation of Integra was fantastic fun to drive, even the 120 hp model before 1990.

    I have owned every generation of Civic SI except the current one. All the earlier ones were so hyper (which is what I liked about them), the '02-'05 hatch not so much so, although it was fun in its own right. I liked the openness of the cockpit in the '02 I had.

    And now I find myself getting interested in picking up an '01-'05 RAV4, if I can find one in nice condition. The '06+ is too big, too ugly, and way too hard and cheap inside. I liked the size and looks of the earlier model. Plus if you search really hard, you can even find a stick shift. Which reminds me, that's the other car I managed to rein in my CCBS on - I came very close to buying a loaded brand new '05 RAV4L, AWD, stick shift, in '05 right as the new model was being released. I thought for sure the fact that the brand new model was arriving on the lot (and that the one I was trying to buy was a stick) would convince them to deal more than they did. My trade was slightly upside down, and they wouldn't pay what I owed for it, so I walked.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • tifightertifighter Member Posts: 3,797
    Well, clearly Jolie and Anony are the leaders here...huge lists for only going back to the mid-90's! For comparison, here's my unimpressive list from '95 onwards:

    82 Toyota Tercel
    87 VW Quantum Syncro
    90 Honda Accord 5sp
    89 Honda CRX
    89 Audi 100 Wagon
    90 Audi 90 Quattro 20V
    94 Isuzu Trooper
    00 Honda Accord Coupe V6
    02 Mazda Protege5 5sp
    00 BMW Z3
    06 Subaru Forester
    08 Honda Pilot
    10 Nissan Versa

    There is a separate motorcycle list.

    That's 13 cars over 15 years. Clearly, I have work to do to keep up in this group...

    25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0

  • billherrmannbillherrmann Member Posts: 108
    One of the prime reasons I bought the IS was the Navigation system [$2,550.]. It DID NOT work. Two trips back to the dealer were complete wastes of time. Dealer advised that Nav. system was 'OK' and that all Lexus 'work' like that!.This evaluation was made WITHOUT TEST DRIVING THE CAR!!!!!!!!!!! The N.J. Lemon Law People had a Dealer bias that was clearly obvious. I bought a $160. plug-in Garmin that worked fine and I stopped using the built in system that repeatedly got me lost. I was so POd at Lexus that I unloaded it for the BMW. Except for Nav. system, Lexus was an excellent car. BMW is 10 times more fun to drive. Bill H.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,353
    I'm not worthy by comparison, but here are the cars I've had over the years:

    1973 Volvo 144
    1974 Ford Maverick (with the coveted Luxury Decor Option)
    1977 Pontiac LeMans coupe
    1979 Chev Impala sedan
    1985 Toyota MR2
    1990 VW GTI
    1964 Buick Skylark convert
    1968 Olds Cutlass coupe
    1978 Olds Delta 88 sedan
    1979 Buick Electra Park Avenue
    2002 Olds Intrigue
    2009 Buick Allure (Lacrosse)

    Currently have the Cutlass and the Allure. The Allure, GTI, MR2, Maverick, and Volvo were bought new. Biggest lemon was the Volvo.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,054
    I have owned every generation of Integra - including the one they called RSX in the U.S. - but never owned any other Acura - the other models don't interest me. Every generation of Integra was fantastic fun to drive, even the 120 hp model before 1990.

    I can see that, since you're into smaller cars, anyway, and the rest of what Acura made/makes is probably too big for your tastes. I really liked second-gen, which I think ran from 1990-93? Nicely styled car, and even as a 4-door sedan I thought it looked really sharp.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 11,352
    Yeah, my list isn't as impressive as you guys'. Since 1998:
    1997 Pontiac Grand Am
    1999 VW Jetta
    2002 Nissan Altima
    2006 BMW 325i
    2007 Audi A4
    2008 Pontiac G6
    2009 Nissan Altima

    Longest I kept one was the Jetta, almost five years and about 92,000 miles.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    edited May 2010
    I can't decide which generation of the Integra was my favorite in the styling department - I thought they all looked great - but I will add a footnote about the '90-'93: it had those really annoying motorized seatbelts that all the cars had in those years. I always hated those.

    As for other Acura models, I test drove a TSX when it came out and tried to like it, but ultimately it was too big, the steering was too remote, and I just couldn't get into it. So I passed.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Well, clearly Jolie and Anony are the leaders here

    We'll, your list from '95 onward is still longer than mine from '74. :shades:

    '82 was a big year for Tercels it seems; I ran one of those for 17 years.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 17,075
    It just drives me nuts, because the car I want to drive is always blocked in..

    I remember that at my parent's house. I had 3 cars and then there were four other cars between my brothers and parents. The driveway held 4 comfotably, but someone was always complaining theirs was blocked in. The neighbors just loved us for taking up street parking too. I guess it didn't help that two of mine were land yachts (79 Continental and 89 Town Car).

    2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,054
    I still run into that problem, having something blocking something else in...
    image

    Now granted, this picture makes it look worse, because I have everything out of the garage, but you get the idea. And it was even worse when I still had my '68 Dart, and it was sitting in the driveway.

    I had a truckload of gravel delivered, and used it to add another parking space to the side of the garage entrance, which helps a little...
    image

    I'm also planning on putting a carport across the back of the garage, and using it to store my two New Yorkers. I just gotta remember to put the blue one in back, because it won't always start! Although this past Sunday, it was the creme 5th Ave that refused to start...thankfully just a dead battery.
  • tifightertifighter Member Posts: 3,797
    '82 was a big year for Tercels it seems; I ran one of those for 17 years.

    I just realized that mine was an '81, not '82. I'm 35 and the memory is already going. Tell me it gets better, steve... :blush:

    25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0

This discussion has been closed.

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