Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

akangl

Looked at the mustang again today, hubby went with and drove it. He isn't sure, said he needs to look at the challenger again. Me.....my reasonable side is seriously fighting with my CCBA side........ :sick:

stickguy

I am trying to sugar coat this to be nice.

But, you are nuts.

nippononly

When you've got a really bad case of CCBS, it's hard even to keep a car you have loved for every minute you have had it.....akangl, don't sell the Pilot! You will regret it!
But when you do trade the Pilot, go with the '11 Mustang, not the 2-ton Challenger! :-P

grandtotal

Yup, I suspect a bad decision coming soon. Sorry to be harsh but this is no time to be taking on more debt when you don't need to.

dstarinieri

At least let them work the kinks out of a first year model if you go with the Mustang. I agree with the others and wait to buy it. How is is going to work in the snow?

kyfdx

Reasonable side? :surprise:

akangl

Reasonable side?

Yes, I have one......somewhere. I doubt seriously that I will buy a new car, I really do love my Pilot.

The mustang and challenger are both super nice cars, but both of them I can find a reason not to like. The mustang has no available sunroof, just an optional glass roof that doesn't open, that to me is a major no no. I love my sunroof! The challenger, a few things bugged me about it, the long hood, lots of blind spots, and its hefty price tag. I hate blind spots, that is one thing that will really bug me about a car.

I'm comfortable with the Pilot, its been the most reliable car I've ever owned, it drives nice, and its amazing on bad roads. So I think my long lost reasonable side is going to win over my ever present CCBA side. In 2 weeks the Pilot will be 3 years old.

stickguy

well, not having an open roof takes it off my list for sure.

of course, there is an easy way around that with the Mustang!

and of those 3, the Ford is the only one that I could ever imaging having myself.

qbrozen

Well, I've only had the volvo about 6 months and I'm already having thoughts of trading. It just hasn't endeared itself to me like my S70 did. Yeah, its comfy and its fast. I am, however, worried about its long-term reliability.

It has been just OK so far, but it has been having glitches that are completely random and can't be reproduced at will. Such as trying to stall some mornings on startup, cruise cutting out on occassion towards the end of my commute, CD player failing to work on 2 occassions (until turning the car off and on again, then its magically fixed), and, finally, yesterday, the transmission seemed to get tripped up a bit after taking one fast corner. Now, of course, that last one could be completely my fault and how I was treating the gas and steering wheel at that precise moment... but given the weak transmissions on these, I am admittedly overly sensitive to how it is working.

None of this, mind you, would bother me on a car with a proven track record. So, yeah, I'm being an alarmist.... but all the same... trade value right now looks to be just $800 less than I paid for it 6 months ago, so it wouldn't hurt at all to dump it now if I want.

Question is: where to go from here? Up until this morning, I thought maybe I'd wait for the Nissan Juke to arrive... but then I read pricing is starting near $20k. No thanks. Alfa is still too far out. Mini SUV will be too expensive. So we're back to used. I did see a 4-door '07 GTI for $14,995. Hmmmm...

tifighter

You have to admit, looking at a VW in the name of less glitches could only happen in CCBA.

corvette

If only everything in life were as reliable as a VW... You'd never get on a plane again!

qbrozen

hehe.
yeah.... kinda self-destructive, no?

So a dealer in NY is advertising an '08 Rabbit 4-door manual trans with 35k miles for $9995. I emailed the dealer asking what is wrong with it (Galves trade-in is just about $10k on this car). The reply was "it had just 1 fender bender. the car is 100% perfect."

Hmmm.... still suspicious. I mean, if they only want $9995, just take it to dealer auction. I have now asked for a copy of the history report. If it checks out, I might have to make the drive on Saturday. I haven't checked the address yet, but should be between 1 hour to 90 minutes away.

grandtotal

If something seems too good to be true...

tifighter

Salvage title. Guaranteed...

qbrozen

that's what I asked in my original email. "Does it have salvage title or any accident history?"
Guess I could pull my own report, but don't want to spend the money just to be disappointed. She hasn't responded to my request. If it gets nearer the weekend, maybe I'll bother to call.

jayrider

Sounds like they would prefer to sell to a different sort of buyer. You ask too many questions.

stickguy

where in NY? I will be in state this weekend too, but probably much farther up.

10K sounds cheap. bet it is one of the strippos they were advertising for a cheap lease (so no options). or something else funky.

Pretty sure though that a base rabbit won't be too exciting, not with that 5 cyl.

Now, a 4 door GTI? Nice driving piece. I looked at one (must have been about december, 2008?) with a DSG. nice, nice car.

qbrozen

LI city. There really aren't any "strippos" that I know of. Standard equipment on the 2-door is power windows, keyless entry, aux input, etc. The 4-door adds heated seats and moonroof. At least that's what a Rabbit owner told me. This one does have all the aforementioned. I only care about those first 3 things. Moonroof and heated seats are not requirements for me, but they are there, nonetheless.

And I did find it pretty exciting, personally, piloting one around the autoX track. Very nimble and plenty of power. I think it is an often overlooked car ... especially the '08s, which bumped power to 170hp and nearly 180 lb-ft torque. And this is a 3k-lb package with electric steering. Yeah, the GTI has 30 more hp and torque, but packs on an extra 100 lbs. No doubt it is still faster... but also about $3k more used.

qbrozen

I think I forgot to mention that we did, in fact, buy my dad's Saab ragtop this past weekend. So we are back to 5 cars. If I do trade the volvo for something fun and with a stick, I'm pretty sure I'll be selling the Z.

lemmer

How can forget to mention that?

Did the Saab grow on after your initial impressions?

kyfdx

I think I've seen 4-door Rabbits without moonroofs... as always, I could be mistaken..

I'd be more interested in the GTI for $15K, as well..

qbrozen

It did a bit. I took it out one night for a spin and actually put the top down. Pretty much transformed the car.

In any case, it was only the wife's opinion that mattered. She kept hedging that she'd prefer a C70, so I finally got her to go test drive one. She did like it more, but not enough to justify the extra $$ (about $1500 more for a comparable year/miles/etc).

qbrozen

really? So 10k more miles,just 30hp more, for an extra $3k? What am I missing?

Kirstie_H

A reporter is hoping to interview people who want to buy a car but are hesitant because of the economy. Please email pr@edmunds.com before 6pm Eastern today, July 1, 2010, with your daytime contact info and a few words about your situation.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

tifighter

see Woody around recently? I haven't seen him post in quite a while. The other day, i saw a nice E39 wagon and it made me wonder how his is doing...

kyfdx

It isn't just horsepower... My Subie has 170 hp, but it starts wheezing above 4000 rpm... My wife had a 184 hp six-cylinder with a slushbox that was 5 times as much fun..

Also... tighter suspension, nicer interior, more goodies...

If you are just looking for a great deal on a commuter car, that's one thing... but, you say you get bored easily...

qbrozen

The subie's AWD is a huge hinderance. And that Subie engine is kind of a dog. I don't know what it is. Just doesn't rev freely. Again, probably could attribute that to the AWD sucking the power.

In any case, don't forget, I have driven the Rabbit at an autoX. Test drives usually don't demonstrate a car's capabilities quite so well. So I would HOPE I got a good feel for it. Who knows? I could change my mind when driven on the street.

corvette

"If you are just looking for a great deal on a commuter car, that's one thing... but, you say you get bored easily..."

One of my uncles is a CCBA extraordinaire. After one of his purchases, he declared, "I'm over the car thing." I think that was about 20 cars ago.

The VW 2.0T is a great engine. No turbo lag, smooth, plenty of torque. I've test driven a FWD A3 with a manual, and it was a rocket in that car. The A4 I had with AWD and an automatic wasn't a rocket, but it was still very capable.

qbrozen

so that particular Rabbit is out. I called the dealership today to request the history report. Guy on phone said it was perfect and clean history... no need to see it. Uh... yeah, right. Told him another salesperson already told me it had an accident, so I want to see the report. He said I have to come into the showroom to see it.

So I did some digging on the net and found many bad writeups on these guys. Several reports of $2k-$3k in "fees" added to the price.

Moving on.

Wife thinks I should go see a Mini Cooper S, since I've been drooling over them for like 8 years now. I might... but I don't have any hopes of it fitting 2 kids in the back.

There is still that GTI. Also have found a couple of mazdaspeed3s and a WRX wagon. Only 1 manual bimmer wagon so far, and its AWD. boo!

stickguy

damn man, you are all over the place. A V70 to a roller skate?

the mini is a blast. Someone over at SS has a 2005 (red) for sale now for 14K that sounds very, very nice. But, the backseat is an issue. I drove one when they first came out, and loved it (as did my kids), but even then, my daughter could not sit behind me, and no chance now. I assume being tall you will have the seatback hitting the back seat.

I thought of it more as a 2 seater, with a big cargo area!

if you want a speed3, just buy roadburners. It will force him into buying something new!

I am still mad I didn't look at that one 325iT a few months back. They don't come up too often. ANd I think at some point, they only made them with AWD (but that might be just the current body style).

qbrozen

I really really have to stick to my guns this time. Something small, light, and WITH A STICK!

Let's see... here is my browsing list as of 8:48 pm 7/2:
protege5
mazda3 hatch
vibe GT
matrix GTS
rabbit
GTI
Mini S
RX8 (real wildcard here... i don't think i could live with the mileage)

qbrozen

so found a few eastward to go see. None are the "One" I would purchase, but the closest to home I've found that will give me an idea if I should pursue further. This morning it is to Neptune for an RX8 and GTI (allbeit a 2-door), then to Ocean for a Mini S, then maybe back around to East Brunswick for a mazdaspeed3. I have yet to find a Matrix, Vibe, or Rabbit close to home.

The Mini that has my eye is a bit further away. An '04 with 65k miles, grey with white top and stripes, sport pack, leather, moonroof, etc. Asking $12,500 (actually a fair price).

The RX8 I like is also further away... a red '05 Shinka w/55k asking $14k (should be able to get down to $12.5).

And the GTI is out in west jersey... the aforementioned 4-door with 43k miles. An '07 with asking price of $14k (actually CHEAP, as trade-in is $13k).

Of note, I also found a Protege5 out in PA with just 60k miles. Ridiculous asking price of $10k is double trade value. And an '05 WRX wagon up in Passaic with 60k and an asking price of $12.5k (also more than fair price).

Ya know, a bit late to think of this, but Stick, Fezo, and I should have gotten together this morning for the shopping trip.

nippononly

an '05 Civic SI has caught my eye - 75K, silver, looks to be in very good shape with new tires. Might look at it this weekend - yes I know it is too soon to be contemplating another purchase as the OBS is only 15 months old, but it's not like I'm contemplating a NEW car, and anyway we wants what we wants.....

The only problem is the ridiculous asking price of $13K - it is at a Honda dealer, it is 1-owner, blah blah blah.

So then I discovered another one which only has 57K and is blue, which color I prefer, but it is an hour's drive away. So I might go see that one too if I can fnd the time this weekend. They are asking $11,5. I am thinking I would pay $10K for one of these if it was in really good shape - I always preferred the old hatchback style to the new one, even though I know the new one is faster. I like having cars you hardly ever see on the road.

Do you think $10K is too much, assuming clean CARFAX and good condition? SI are always high-priced, but they are usually a lot of fun and last a long time. I drove one of these when they were new and always kicked myself for not going ahead with the purchase.....

Sandman6472

My 1st time on Ebay I won the auction for 4 rims from a '05 S I and they look great on my '06 Civic LX...a nice sporty look. Would've preferred the '05 S I but can't drive a stick anymore and with my debilitating spinal issues, wouldn't be a good idea. Nice cars though.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

qbrozen

$10k would be more like the dealer number. $9k private party.

But it is a Civic, so who knows? if you don't pay more, someone else probably will.

qbrozen

I did it. I went ahead and have drank from the GTI fountain. Ugh! Why?! Now I want one.

Mini and RX8 = too small.

VW was quite fun. And I could even get away with a 2-door. The one I drove was white and CPO... but with 67k, just a bit too miley for me. So then we took the hike out to west jersey to check out the black 4-door. Great asking price, clean car... but then we got to my trade. They were $2500 below Galves (VW dealer with the white one was right with Galves). So it was a wasted trip.

roadburner

I did it. I went ahead and have drank from the GTI fountain. Ugh! Why?! Now I want one.

Back in 2007 I was all set to buy a new 5-door GTI, but the imbecile Louisville area VW dealers wouldn't order a car equipped the way I wanted it(upgraded sound system, heated seats, and no hole in the roof). They told me that ordering a car was incredibly difficult and that I wouldn't get the car for 5-6 months.
Morons.

anonymousposts

Looks like we will be adding a new addition to the family. Checked out some Sienna SE's but Toyota has the options really messed up so no go. The Camry will stay but the IS250 and the RAV4 may go for one car that's more family friendly.

nippononly

But it is a Civic, so who knows? if you don't pay more, someone else probably will

Yes, that's the problem, especially with SIs - there's a sucker born every minute.

Checked out the blue one that was lower-priced, it has been modded to the hilt. I'm surprised a dealer would put one like that on their lot, but either way it's not for me - I only buy used cars in factory stock condition (radios are an exception). Maybe that's why they had no pics on their website.

The silver one (which IS all stock) has "almost sold" twice now, and those guys are hard-nosed so I kinda doubt I could get them to take $10K. Oh well, let someone else buy it. I can always buy one of the newer-type SIs at some point. They sold a lot more of the '06-'10s, so they are a lot easier to find used.

grandtotal

Congratulations.

Try and make the right purchase first time because your disposable is about to be reduced dramatically!

Sandman6472

Congrats!!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

akangl

Anony......gratz!!!

I'm still thinking mustang, but I think for now I'm going to wait. Maybe next year, now just doesn't feel like the right time to let the Pilot go. I want a new car.....been eating the same vanilla ice cream for nearly 3 years now, but I can't find anything that make me WANT to trade the Pilot in. I get close, look at numbers, then get this sickening feeling when things get serious and I start thinking about not having the Pilot anymore.

Maybe I've just had the Pilot too long and am so used to it that change is difficult, I don't know, never had this problem before.

andre1969

for Nissan Altima hybrids.

I saw a low-mileage 2009 over Memorial Day weekend, when we dropped off my buddy's 2006 Xterra for servicing. Back then, I think they wanted something like $22,900. Well, they still have it. Now it's down to $19,983.

I'm still not in the market anytime soon; well, I guess if my Park Ave got totaled, I would be. Still, this thing must be haunting my subconscious, if I thought enough of it to look on the dealer's website and see if it was still there.

qbrozen

On GTIs, cause I can't get anyone to sell me one.

I've tried to buy 3 so far, with no luck. My numbers are completely fair and realistic, as far as Galves goes... problem is, nobody wants to use Galves for THEIR GTI. Just had a song-and-dance over the phone with a VW dealer who tells me "oh, GTIs are going for $2k over Galves." Huh. Really? Interesting. That's great and all, but, as I explained to him, what matters to ME is that if I were to try to trade one in... guess what number they would give me?

I'm kind of stumped. I have never been in this exact situation before. I don't usually go into a deal saying I know the trade-in values of the car, but when it gets to that point and I finally show my cards, that's usually when the dealer stops playing games and we make a fair deal. It just ain't workin this time.

So, let's see... we had a 4-door Black '06 with 49k miles... fail. A Grey 2-door '07 CPO with 58k miles... fail. And now the original White '07 2-door with 67k miles I test drove... fail. I did make a low offer on that last one because of the miles and the fact it needs new tires and probably a full service... but that is why its worth what its worth. They were asking $13,995 and I came in at $12,500. Trade-in value in that condition is right around $10,500. So $2k over is quite fair, IMHO. If they were at all receptive... maybe, possibly, I could have wandered up to $13k. But they said they weren't moving off $13,995. Maybe I'll wait a day or 2 and make the $13k offer.

stickguy

you were busy, while I was driving to NY, wallowing in the pool, and drinking.

with the GTIs, never hurts to make the offer in writing, and tell them to call when they are ready. Sometimes it happens.

I assume you wil try to private sale the V70?

And congrats Anony. Is this bun #2 or 3? either way, #2 really puts you over the top on space requirements! That is when we went from a Sube wagon to a Minivan.

stickguy

was at my BILs house this weekend. And noticed that there was a new nose poking out of the garage, where my SILs Yukon normally sits.

well, turns out that the GMC (think it was a 2006, maybe a 2007 I guess) got traded for a BMW 5 series, so now they have an almost matched set of those.

THe Yukon was a SWB denali, fully loaded. End up getting 32.5K on the trade in (higher than I would have thought, but it was pristine, and not many miles). And the BMW was a 535 xdrive, which went for invoice - 5K of BMW "get them off the lots" money. Not sure what the MSRP was, but doesn't sound like th enet difference was too brutal.

Nice car. Dark brownish/red over black leather. Not sure if it had Nav but I assume it does.

Will have to hustle a drive in it when we see them again in a few weeks.

qbrozen

private selling the volvo did come to mind. Not sure I will. The VW dealer with the white one said they would be at $6k on it, so that's fine with me. That's $6420 with the tax savings. If I try selling it on my own, I'd list it at $7995 and take $7k... BUT, bank has the title, which is a hassle I'd rather not deal with.

PLUS, to be perfectly honest, I have yet to do the timing belt change. I already bought all the parts, but have not had the time to do the work. Trading it would save me that effort, too.

anonymousposts

This is bun #2. We found a decently priced 08 Odyssey EX with 44k but it seems there are some horror stories on the internet about the current generation of Odysseys. That has me a little worried. The new Sienna SE can not be had with some options that Gee "has to have". Otherwise that would be our first choice.

Stickguy: I dont seem to recall hearing much in the way of problems with your Odyssey. Any advice?

stickguy

nothing really major lately. quite a few teething pains (it is on it's 3rd steering rack or PS pump, something in there).

there have been a lot of people with early trans failures, and the 2007+ seem to have issues with the torque converters.

other than that, the usual squeaks and rattles you get with a minivan.

I would not get another one myself, but we are down to 1 kid at home, so the capacity is less of an issue.

qbrozen

Only 2 kids? No need for a minivan.
Get yerself a wagon, small crossover, or microvan (mazda5).
Better mileage, cheaper, and loads more fun to drive.

Heck, you have a RAV4? Why would you need more room than that?