Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

andres3

qbrozen said:

Tale of 2 Insurance Valuations.

Helping my friend fight with NJM on her Pilot that was taken by the fire. Oddly, they made a very fair offer on her father's Jeep that was there. $19k for a 2010 Wrangler Islander with 56k miles and a past reported accident. I told her that was honestly good enough and we could fight for maybe a few hundred more, but why bother? The Pilot, OTOH, is a few grand short. 2014 Touring AWD with Nav & RES (was that standard on Touring?) with just 73k miles. They are offering $23k. I can't find anything close to it for $23k. I wrote on her behalf an extensive email with search results from neighboring states, adjustment for miles, etc. But they are saying, even though there is only 1 within 25 miles that has even under 100k miles, we aren't allowed to use comps that are further away than 25 miles, not allowed to use any year other than 2014, not allowed to use other trims. Then they aren't using that 1 example as gospel. They are pulling up one with over 130k and one with over 150k and averaging those in, then adding $1900 for miles. From what I can see, they are calculating 4 cents per mile! Oh, hell no. Sure, sure, go ahead and find a 50k-mile SUV from the past decade and pay just $4k less than a 150k-mile SUV. Good luck.

The thing about Insurance companies is they lack logic and are actually very poor at math. They lack consistency, and don't really follow any rules, guidelines, or procedures. Well, one procedure is followed, and that is to act in bad faith on every claim.

YMMV

breld

I'd definitely consider the GR Corolla, particularly if it comes in around $30-35k as is being estimated (or maybe that's more of a hope).

Nice to have more options...I remember so well from my younger days the great hot hatch comparisons in the car mags (all print versions of course!)...Civic Si, Dodge Colt, GTI, etc. Seems there may be a resurgence.

If only Mazda would get in the game again, but this Corolla seems to fit the role well.

roadburner

@nyccarguy said:
The GR Corolla looks promising!

I’m definitely interested in the Circuit Edition- assuming that the actual performance is as good as the specs indicate; 300 hp with Torsten diffs front and rear as well as 3 pedals. I kept hoping the rumored 300 hp AWD MS3 would see production so perhaps this is deja vu all over again.

xwesx

henryn said:

My father was an auto mechanic, he worked in dealerships when I was young. Later on, he had his own independent repair shop. I don't claim to be a mechanic, not by any stretch, but I have spent quite a few hours in professional garages. I have seen my share of engines where a rod bearing or main bearing "spun", and I have seen connecting rods which broke and went through the side of the block. I have seen engines where the timing belt slipped and the valves encountered the top of the piston. And an engine overheated to the point where the head cracked. But you know what I have never seen? A car that caught on fire because the engine "grenaded".

Car fires are caused by electrical shorts. Or fuel leaks. At least, that has always been my experience. Now I did see one fire in a front wheel, apparently the brake caliper had stuck and the driver just kept on driving despite the noise and the smoke until the bearing grease actually caught on fire. I would call that "driver fault" causing the fire, rather than mechanical failure. But that's just me.

Yeah, I have had some terrible oil leaks over the years, and some of them have generated copious amounts of smoke due to the oil leaking down onto the exhaust system, but never any flames. Even wit the 2010 Forester pouring oil onto the exhaust through South Dakota at 105F (ambient). No fires.

corvette

@qbrozen - I’d ask them whether they have verified that those “comps” have had the (expensive) timing belt service performed by an authorized mechanic, as they are both due for it at that mileage, and it should be presumed that a valid comparable vehicle is in well maintained condition.

mjfloyd1

@roadburner said:

@nyccarguy said:
The GR Corolla looks promising!

I’m definitely interested in the Circuit Edition- assuming that the actual performance is as good as the specs indicate; 300 hp with Torsten diffs front and rear as well as 3 pedals. I kept hoping the rumored 300 hp AWD MS3 would see production so perhaps this is deja vu all over again.

Three cylinder with 300 HP on that GR Corolla. Wow.

mjfloyd1

@qbrozen said:
Tale of 2 Insurance Valuations.

Helping my friend fight with NJM on her Pilot that was taken by the fire. Oddly, they made a very fair offer on her father's Jeep that was there. $19k for a 2010 Wrangler Islander with 56k miles and a past reported accident. I told her that was honestly good enough and we could fight for maybe a few hundred more, but why bother? The Pilot, OTOH, is a few grand short. 2014 Touring AWD with Nav & RES (was that standard on Touring?) with just 73k miles. They are offering $23k. I can't find anything close to it for $23k. I wrote on her behalf an extensive email with search results from neighboring states, adjustment for miles, etc. But they are saying, even though there is only 1 within 25 miles that has even under 100k miles, we aren't allowed to use comps that are further away than 25 miles, not allowed to use any year other than 2014, not allowed to use other trims. Then they aren't using that 1 example as gospel. They are pulling up one with over 130k and one with over 150k and averaging those in, then adding $1900 for miles. From what I can see, they are calculating 4 cents per mile! Oh, hell no. Sure, sure, go ahead and find a 50k-mile SUV from the past decade and pay just $4k less than a 150k-mile SUV. Good luck.

Looks like the 2014 Pilot Touring did come standard with NAV and RES. Only choice was AWD vs FWD.

This is the same thing that you helped me with on the Q7 - thanks again.

qbrozen

@mjfloyd1 said:

@qbrozen said:
Tale of 2 Insurance Valuations.

Helping my friend fight with NJM on her Pilot that was taken by the fire. Oddly, they made a very fair offer on her father's Jeep that was there. $19k for a 2010 Wrangler Islander with 56k miles and a past reported accident. I told her that was honestly good enough and we could fight for maybe a few hundred more, but why bother? The Pilot, OTOH, is a few grand short. 2014 Touring AWD with Nav & RES (was that standard on Touring?) with just 73k miles. They are offering $23k. I can't find anything close to it for $23k. I wrote on her behalf an extensive email with search results from neighboring states, adjustment for miles, etc. But they are saying, even though there is only 1 within 25 miles that has even under 100k miles, we aren't allowed to use comps that are further away than 25 miles, not allowed to use any year other than 2014, not allowed to use other trims. Then they aren't using that 1 example as gospel. They are pulling up one with over 130k and one with over 150k and averaging those in, then adding $1900 for miles. From what I can see, they are calculating 4 cents per mile! Oh, hell no. Sure, sure, go ahead and find a 50k-mile SUV from the past decade and pay just $4k less than a 150k-mile SUV. Good luck.

Looks like the 2014 Pilot Touring did come standard with NAV and RES. Only choice was AWD vs FWD.

This is the same thing that you helped me with on the Q7 - thanks again.

I’ve told her your story. Hopefully they aren’t as hard-headed as your company was. At least she is short only $3k vs your huge gap.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen said:
Too early to know for sure, but I have a feeling I’d prefer the GTI. Estimates are they will be very close in quickness at least, and I wouldn’t have to suffer a Corolla interior.

Have you not listened to anybody’s tales of woe from VW products over the past 2 decades since you’ve been on this board? I’ll take a Corolla interior over VW reliability.

nyccarguy

@mjfloyd1 said:

@roadburner said:

@nyccarguy said:
The GR Corolla looks promising!

I’m definitely interested in the Circuit Edition- assuming that the actual performance is as good as the specs indicate; 300 hp with Torsten diffs front and rear as well as 3 pedals. I kept hoping the rumored 300 hp AWD MS3 would see production so perhaps this is deja vu all over again.

Three cylinder with 300 HP on that GR Corolla. Wow.

I was impressed when I saw that number. They are going straight for the Civic Type R’s throat.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen said:

Too early to know for sure, but I have a feeling I’d prefer the GTI. Estimates are they will be very close in quickness at least, and I wouldn’t have to suffer a Corolla interior.

Have you not listened to anybody’s tales of woe from VW products over the past 2 decades since you’ve been on this board? I’ll take a Corolla interior over VW reliability.

Speaking of VW's, the newer ones have self healing self-correcting abilities. My wife's '19 Tiguan had the infamous CEL light come on one day, but was gone the next.

henryn

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen said:

Too early to know for sure, but I have a feeling I’d prefer the GTI. Estimates are they will be very close in quickness at least, and I wouldn’t have to suffer a Corolla interior.

Have you not listened to anybody’s tales of woe from VW products over the past 2 decades since you’ve been on this board? I’ll take a Corolla interior over VW reliability.

Obviously you forget whom you're talking to. This man is fearless, he once owned a used (very used) Land Rover. I've never known anyone brave enough to do that, at least not anyone semi-knowledgeable on the subject. If you don't know anything about them, that doesn't count, but he knew and did it anyway...

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

Have you not listened to anybody’s tales of woe from VW products over the past 2 decades since you’ve been on this board? I’ll take a Corolla interior over VW reliability.

Pretty sure we've had good luck with GTIs around here.

qbrozen

Oh, and I've crossed another one off my sig today. Just got back from signing over a 4xE to a local dealer group. Not a home run on this one but good enough. Approx $4k. I was not comfortable having so many cars in the driveway. lol.

pensfan83

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen said:

Too early to know for sure, but I have a feeling I’d prefer the GTI. Estimates are they will be very close in quickness at least, and I wouldn’t have to suffer a Corolla interior.

Have you not listened to anybody’s tales of woe from VW products over the past 2 decades since you’ve been on this board? I’ll take a Corolla interior over VW reliability.

*slowly closes browser filled with searches of late model GTIs*

au1994

nyccarguy said:

The GR Corolla looks promising!

I’ve still got to wrap my head around a 3 cylinder performance car. The mention of 3 cylinders just brings up images of a Geo Metro!

Michaell

pensfan83 said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen said:

Too early to know for sure, but I have a feeling I’d prefer the GTI. Estimates are they will be very close in quickness at least, and I wouldn’t have to suffer a Corolla interior.

Have you not listened to anybody’s tales of woe from VW products over the past 2 decades since you’ve been on this board? I’ll take a Corolla interior over VW reliability.

*slowly closes browser filled with searches of late model GTIs*


Hey!

Welcome back!

I see your sig line hasn't been updated. Whatcha been doing with your free time?

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

@mjfloyd1 said:

@roadburner said:

@nyccarguy said:

The GR Corolla looks promising!

I’m definitely interested in the Circuit Edition- assuming that the actual performance is as good as the specs indicate; 300 hp with Torsten diffs front and rear as well as 3 pedals. I kept hoping the rumored 300 hp AWD MS3 would see production so perhaps this is deja vu all over again.

Three cylinder with 300 HP on that GR Corolla. Wow.

I was impressed when I saw that number. They are going straight for the Civic Type R’s throat.

The Circuit Edition gets you all the performance goodies(including a CF roof) as well as a JBL audio system and heated seats and wheel.

qbrozen

Biggest problem with the Corolla is having to deal with a Toyota dealer.

laurasdada

Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!
Better to be lucky than good.

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

henryn said:

My father was an auto mechanic, he worked in dealerships when I was young. Later on, he had his own independent repair shop. I don't claim to be a mechanic, not by any stretch, but I have spent quite a few hours in professional garages. I have seen my share of engines where a rod bearing or main bearing "spun", and I have seen connecting rods which broke and went through the side of the block. I have seen engines where the timing belt slipped and the valves encountered the top of the piston. And an engine overheated to the point where the head cracked. But you know what I have never seen? A car that caught on fire because the engine "grenaded".

Car fires are caused by electrical shorts. Or fuel leaks. At least, that has always been my experience. Now I did see one fire in a front wheel, apparently the brake caliper had stuck and the driver just kept on driving despite the noise and the smoke until the bearing grease actually caught on fire. I would call that "driver fault" causing the fire, rather than mechanical failure. But that's just me.

Yeah, I have had some terrible oil leaks over the years, and some of them have generated copious amounts of smoke due to the oil leaking down onto the exhaust system, but never any flames. Even wit the 2010 Forester pouring oil onto the exhaust through South Dakota at 105F (ambient). No fires.

This is similar to the recall notice I got from Kia.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2020/RCONL-20V750-9839.pdf

It mentions engine fires from “engine defects” which means catastrophic failure due to poor manufacturing. I don’t know how this causes fires but evidently it does. From what I’ve read the engine does “grenade”, tossing parts through the block.

xwesx

au1994 said:

nyccarguy said:

The GR Corolla looks promising!

I’ve still got to wrap my head around a 3 cylinder performance car. The mention of 3 cylinders just brings up images of a Geo Metro!

I was thinking Subaru Justy... but I get your point!

28firefighter

@pensfan83 said:
slowly closes browser filled with searches of late model GTIs

New phone, who dis?

roadburner

@qbrozen said:
Biggest problem with the Corolla is having to deal with a Toyota dealer.

Couldn’t be any worse than my local VW dealers.

corvette

roadburner said:

Couldn’t be any worse than my local VW dealers.

At least there, you can pick your poison. With most of the luxury marques, the one store is the only one in town.

nyccarguy

@pensfan83 said:
slowly closes browser filled with searches of late model GTIs

Hey buddy! Welcome back!

roadburner

@laurasdada said:
Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!
Better to be lucky than good.

I’ve owned BMWs For 39 years, a Jeep for 20, and a MINI for 5. According to some automotive “experts” I should be living in a cardboard box under an expressway overpass.

qbrozen

@roadburner said:

@laurasdada said:
Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!
Better to be lucky than good.

I’ve owned BMWs For 39 years, a Jeep for 20, and a MINI for 5. According to some automotive “experts” I should be living in a cardboard box under an expressway overpass.

Nothing wrong with any of those. Well, BMW can be bad if we’re talking v12.

The guy that buys nothing but British vehicles… that’s the one to worry about.

fintail

Oh, the peanut gallery comments I heard when I bought the fintail. 27 years ago. I still own the car, so there's that.

Mind you, there are some MBs (and BMWs, and cars from most brands) I wouldn't take for free, but if one does it right, these cars aren't dramatic to live with.

roadburner said:

@laurasdada said:

Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!

Better to be lucky than good.

I’ve owned BMWs For 39 years, a Jeep for 20, and a MINI for 5. According to some automotive “experts” I should be living in a cardboard box under an expressway overpass.

roadburner

fintail said:

Oh, the peanut gallery comments I heard when I bought the fintail. 27 years ago. I still own the car, so there's that.

Mind you, there are some MBs (and BMWs, and cars from most brands) I wouldn't take for free, but if one does it right, these cars aren't dramatic to live with.

roadburner said:

@laurasdada said:

Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!

Better to be lucky than good.

I’ve owned BMWs For 39 years, a Jeep for 20, and a MINI for 5. According to some automotive “experts” I should be living in a cardboard box under an expressway overpass.

Exactly- I avoid cars like the V10 M5 and some of the V8s.

roadburner

My son's first two cars; he received the BMW on Christmas 1995 and the Jeep on Christmas 1997. I think that they still look pretty good a couple of decades later.

au1994

fintail said:

Oh, the peanut gallery comments I heard when I bought the fintail. 27 years ago. I still own the car, so there's that.

Mind you, there are some MBs (and BMWs, and cars from most brands) I wouldn't take for free, but if one does it right, these cars aren't dramatic to live with.

roadburner said:

@laurasdada said:

Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!

Better to be lucky than good.

I’ve owned BMWs For 39 years, a Jeep for 20, and a MINI for 5. According to some automotive “experts” I should be living in a cardboard box under an expressway overpass.

No, they are not and its the uninformed owner that screams the loudest. Facts are facts, a 10 year old BMW is going to be more expensive to maintain than a 10 year old Honda but its still more fun to drive!

roadburner

au1994 said:

fintail said:

Oh, the peanut gallery comments I heard when I bought the fintail. 27 years ago. I still own the car, so there's that.

Mind you, there are some MBs (and BMWs, and cars from most brands) I wouldn't take for free, but if one does it right, these cars aren't dramatic to live with.

roadburner said:

@laurasdada said:

Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!

Better to be lucky than good.

I’ve owned BMWs For 39 years, a Jeep for 20, and a MINI for 5. According to some automotive “experts” I should be living in a cardboard box under an expressway overpass.

No, they are not and its the uninformed owner that screams the loudest. Facts are facts, a 10 year old BMW is going to be more expensive to maintain than a 10 year old Honda but its still more fun to drive!


Yes, the uninformed who buy a cheap BMW without any research and without a pre-purchase inspection.

mjfloyd1

@roadburner

2017 M2 with 22K miles. Handshaker asking less than $50K

https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1901172

pensfan83

Michaell said:

pensfan83 said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen said:

Too early to know for sure, but I have a feeling I’d prefer the GTI. Estimates are they will be very close in quickness at least, and I wouldn’t have to suffer a Corolla interior.

Have you not listened to anybody’s tales of woe from VW products over the past 2 decades since you’ve been on this board? I’ll take a Corolla interior over VW reliability.

*slowly closes browser filled with searches of late model GTIs*

Hey!

Welcome back!

I see your sig line hasn't been updated. Whatcha been doing with your free time?


Probably not too much different than everyone else here. My company went through a big acquisition last year so that kept me very busy for most of the past 10 months and work travel has picked up slightly though it will never be what it was, even though I now have direct reports in more cities vs. pre-pandemic. Went on a few vacations to Boston to visit family, once with kids and once without, and spent time in Charleston as well with another family.

british_rover

@xwesx said:
Yeah, I have had some terrible oil leaks over the years, and some of them have generated copious amounts of smoke due to the oil leaking down onto the exhaust system, but never any flames. Even wit the 2010 Forester pouring oil onto the exhaust through South Dakota at 105F (ambient). No fires.

Motor oil will absolutely start a fire in the right environment and so will transmission fluid, just look at how well use oil heaters work, but sometimes it is gasoline that has gotten into the crankcase that starts the fire.

We working on a four cylinder Fiero many years ago that must have had a horrible blow by problem. Guy in the pit dropped the oil and I could smell the raw gas fumes. Never had a chance to warn him before he started taking off the oil filter and the hot oil hitting the exhaust started a fire.

Luckily there wasn't anything else nearby that was flammable so it went out on its own before I got the fire extinguisher on it.

Sandman6472

Had a set back at physical therapy on Thursday, apparently the vertigo I'm suffering with is a bit worse than we all thought. Still curable according to my physical therapist but just might take longer then just the 3 weeks my script said. Definitely helping so hoping my pain doc will write another script for more because I can't be left where I am now. Luckily the p t location isn't too far from the house. Just want it all over now...want my life back!
Had a cool front go through the beginning of the week and that'll be the last one until October or November later on this year. Had a decent winter down here with maybe 10 or so cold fronts going through but did get down to the mid-30's on three different nights which is cold for us. Wife even put the heat on for the first time in a few years. I just throw a towel in the dryer for about 10 minutes before I shower and then wrap it in my robe so when I unfold it, warms me right up. Works almost as good as a heated towel bar which we do not have.

roadburner

@mjfloyd1 said:
@roadburner

2017 M2 with 22K miles. Handshaker asking less than $50K

https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1901172

Nice, but I want a M2 Comp- 2019 and up.

Sandman6472

Saw a new Corolla Cross in black yesterday and liked the way it looked. Would never go with black here in South Florida to be honest but do like the dark red color Toyota has. But still leaning towards the Windchill Pearl color with the two-one interior as my #1 choice. As much as I'd love to get the Mini Cooper Countryman, best I don't even consider one as it's going to either be a Toyota, Hyundai/Kia or Honda. Saw another Ionic5 and liked it plus that EV Kia that actor guy is pushing on t v as am still intrigued by an EV going forward. So, won't say a "no" to an EV quite yet as for one with a 300 mile range, would have no range anxiety whatsoever and think it could be a lot of fun also. Just the thought of not having to put anymore petrol in my vehicle makes me smile!

explorerx4

I saw a Corola Cross on my walk yesterday. Lots of angles, kind of looks like it was designed to look it already had a couple of accidents.

breld

Out early to hit some tennis balls and this is in the parking lot. Sharp.

mjfloyd1

@roadburner said:

@mjfloyd1 said:
@roadburner

2017 M2 with 22K miles. Handshaker asking less than $50K

https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1901172

Nice, but I want a M2 Comp- 2019 and up.

It has Comp seats and I figured you would Carbahn ECU flash it anyway…

jmonroe1

breld said:

Out early to hit some tennis balls and this is in the parking lot. Sharp.

That sounds like you’re giving us a hint of what to look forward to this month.

jmonroe

Sandman6472

Seems like I'm about the only one liking the new Corolla Cross in here but that's o k as there's a butt for every seat I'm guessing. At this stage of my life, just want a drama free vehicle experience going forward. And I know with Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Kia, I'll get exactly what I'm looking for. Throw in a decent sound system and a roof on top, I'm good. Don't drive much anymore which is a good thing as my health hasn't been the best lately. Luckily I get to drive a whole bunch of different makes at Enterprise with Ford's being the latest new vehicles arriving to be put into our fleet. We got in Escapes, Edge's & Explorers this past week and was most impressed with the Edge to be honest. Even though it's a bit too big for my tastes, the interior was tweaked very nicely and especially enjoyed the tablet style infotainment controls. Didn't look flimsy or cheap by any means, a bit upscale truth be told. Plenty of power with a push of the accelerator and seat was extremely comfortable. I'm usually not a Ford guy by any stretch but if I were in the market for this size vehicle, the Edge would be on my short list as I was that impressed with it overall. "Good job Ford"...three words I never ever thought I'd ever be saying!!

xwesx

I'm not sure how long the CC has been around now. I don't recall ever seeing one in the wild, which is strange because Toyota, as a brand, is one of the more common sights around here (as everywhere, I imagine). As such, I have no opinion formed one way or another on it. My general impression is that it is just Toyota's way of ensuring the survival of the model (Corolla) as consumer tastes shift. After all, Corolla is Toyota's best-selling vehicle ever.

I see many, many Prius, Sienna, and pickups, but not much else.

At the end of the day, Sandy, you know what you are satisfied owning, so don't let our opinions sway yours unless you're specifically asking for advice!

xwesx

Sandman6472 said:

I know with Hyundai and Kia I'll get exactly what I'm looking for.

An engine fire?

.......Tehehehehehehehe.... I jest; I jest.

corvette

I think this is the first ID.4 I’ve seen parked anywhere. For the Louisville area folks, the new(ish) Waterfront Botanical Gardens is a nice, free, attraction and an excellent repurposing of an old landfill. It’s still under development, but what’s there is nicely done.

laurasdada

roadburner said:

@laurasdada said:

Now 11 years owning Jag and Audi. And, my wallet lives to tell!

Better to be lucky than good.

I’ve owned BMWs For 39 years, a Jeep for 20, and a MINI for 5. According to some automotive “experts” I should be living in a cardboard box under an expressway overpass.

Well, I didn't say anything about my living quarters...

laurasdada

So, the other night at dinner, the better 75% looked me in the eyes, and in a very serious tone, said, "We need to talk. It's about you." Uh oh....
She went on to say that I didn't seem to love my A7 as much as I loved my Jags; do you want to get a new car? Well, yes. In addition to the A7, of course! Marge Simpson noise response, but I think I done real good, companion-wise, the second time around!
It's not that I don't enjoy the A7, like the XF, it's a lovely GT. The Jag (no lightweight) was just more fun to drive, more analog. The handling belied it's girth. Quirky British vs Cool German.
I'm nearing 500 miles since the last tank of dino juice, still at 5/8 tank and 105mpg last I checked.

Still, perhaps a Jag F-Type would take me back to future a bit. Or, to keep it all in the Teutonic family, Cayman/911. I'm a constant shopper, but pulling the trigger doth taketh its time. The yin to breld/qbrozen yang.

Michaell

Been doing some serious research on various EV / PHEV models; actually got the wife and stepdaughter to engage and offer opinions on what they like / dislike.

We'll see where this takes us. Good to have @breld and @jpp75 available, as they are more knowledgeable than YHS on these things.