Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

corvette

Well, there really are things about a luxury car that are different from a mainstream car. On the other hand, things like keyless entry and leather seats have percolated down to the point where they're available on economy cars nowadays. And, the current lot of mainstream cars are incredibly good.

FWIW, the front seats in my Altima are quite a bit wider and flatter than I would like. I'm sure the seats in the C-class would be ideal!

nippononly

Now I understand ... this is more like "we are chronic buyers and are happy to be so".

Pretty much.......although I seem to be in remission, haven't purchased a new car for myself in over 3 years or a new car at all in 22 months.

Well it has been 15.5 months since my last purchase (he said through gritted teeth! :-P) and I'm jones'ing so bad for a new one I just don't know what to do with myself. So far I have held off and done the responsible thing.....anyone see the new ads from BMW? $0 down, sign and drive, $409/mo for a new 328i. I find myself drawn towards the BMW dealer, although the usual hangups about long-term German reliability are ever-present.......and of course it is a week until the new CRZ finally shows up, which could be kind of fun and a WHOLE lot cheaper to operate than a 328.....still prefer a truly LIGHT car, all other things being equal.

tifighter

Nippon-

You have been talking about that CR-Z for a long, long time. You have to buy it now.

Sincerely,
Your Enabler

kyfdx

Forget that Honda..... leave the Subaru behind... come on over to the dark side...

If you lease that BMW, you won't have to worry about "long-term German reliability".. All your costs will be covered..

andre1969

Nah, he'd have a bunch of "malaise era" American bikes. Not sure what the malaise era of American cycling was, though...

Well, I do remember getting a bike around 1978...don't know much about it except that it was some loud 70's color. I think a fluorescent greenish-yellow, and I want to say parts of it faded to red or burgundy or something like that.

It was a bike that, by 1981 or so, if you rode it, the other kids would have laughed at you. And thankfully, just before Christmas, that bike disappeared. I thought it got stolen. And then for Christmas my grandparents got me a new bike. Rugged, mountain/dirt-bike looking thing that looked thoroughly up-to-date.

I also found out the truth about my old 70's bike. My grandparents gave it to some friends of ours down in southern VA that were falling on hard times, so they'd have something to give to their kids. And then got me the new one for Christmas.

I have a bike now, that's just some cheap thing I got from WalMart back in the late 90's. Nothing special, but it gets the job done.

au1994

I had a Smokey and the Bandit bike for a while. Got it probably around the 78 timeframe as well. It had a bunch of plastic add on bits and "bandit" stickers. I thought it was pretty cool at the time.

nippononly

I'm kind of with tifighter on this one - I HAVE to buy the CRZ now don't I?! Besides, reviewers all hate it and the public thinks it's ugly. Over the years I have bought every model that came along with those qualifications. ;-)

But yes, the BMW looks interesting. Of course, if I were buying a heavy German car I would probably be more tempted to go for a C300 - they just need a sign and drive lease for less than $409/mo and I am THERE! :-P

andre1969

I don't think the CRZ is too bad looking. Kinda cartoonish looking though. It makes me think a bit of the Mach 6 in the new Speed Racer cartoons.

fezo

OK, so now we're talking. You've got a WalMart bike as your daily peddler. Now we need to find good malaise bikes (corvette was right). What the heck was the name they sold those knock offs from Western Auto? Maybe that's where we need to start.

Of course when my older brother got a new Schwinn my folks got me a used Huffy - actually I think it was a rebadge from Monkey Wards.

stever

The knock off? Maybe a Western Flyer or a genuine "English Racer". I was taking Sturmey-Archer hubs apart when I was ten (and mostly getting them back together). Then had a Schwinn Varsity in '68 followed by a Belgium made ten speed that I drove 7 hours to New Orleans to pick up. I paid $250 for that back in '71 and my mother thought I was nuts. But I rode it for 20+ years before giving it away.

Unlike some guys with their first cars, I didn't love it enough to go track down another one just like it off eBay for $1,000. :shades:

fintail

I had a Dukes of Hazzard Big Wheel when I was little ...is that malaisey? :shades:

andre1969

When I was a kid we used to sometimes have races with our Big Wheels (one of my cousins had a Mean Green Machine) around my grandmother's cousin's swimming pool. They'd often turn into demolition derbies. Sometimes someone would fall into the pool, or flip over on the concrete if they turned too quick and got hit. Probably a miracle we all survived to adulthood!

fezo

Big Wheels were after my time.

The kid next door had some little battery powered car big enough to ride one kid on. It gave new definition to the term slow but we loved it. Heck, it probably accelerated more quickly than my old Volvo...

fintail

I remember destroying the front wheel on those things, as the handbrake didn't really work - at least not in the insane way I rode mine. I acquired several injuries on the couple of those things I had. Things were different then...helmet or protection, wouldn't have even thought of it.

I then learned how to ride a 2 wheeler when I was maybe in 1st grade, in 2nd grade I got a BMX bike that I abused heavily, then another - but was never very good at the stunts, so in 5th grade or so I moved up to a mountain bike.

Sandman6472

Awesome car...loved my test drive last week...prefer it over the 328...like the dash better, easier to read in my opinion. BMW dash is harder for me to read.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

carnaught

BMW 3-Series drives better though, at least IMO.

anonymousposts

We thought long and hard about the transmission issue and just can't come up with a better minivan option. Neither one of us are really SUV people so to buy one would be to trade one a few months later. We drove a new Sienna and it just didn't "move" us. So we are taking our chances with the Ody. It's still under warranty a bit longer and we got a great deal on it.

We do have a chance to buy a 2004 Sienna with leather, NAV, DVD, and 98k for around $9000. Only problem with it is that there is a flaw with the door check strap weld. Basically, it cracks. Which means that when you open the door there is a terrible popping sound. The only sure-fire fix is to replace the door which costs around $1500. Toyota did have an extended warranty to 5 years and 100k. But at 6 years old, we are just outside that window. We have a call into our local service department to see if Toyota would offer any good will assistance, so we will keep our fingers crossed.

guss

Enjoy the hunt, when else would you get to ride in such nice cars. But in the end I suspect you are a lot like me and just too frugal to drop that much into a depreciating asset. Bottom line the guilt will kill you tying up that much money. I am not opposed to trading but once you get into new luxury German cars you really start to get into some money. Unless you decide to lease, but you seem to be a buy and keeper.

$16k to $18k seems to be my sweet spot. If needed I can get out of it without losing to much money. Unlike a luxury car that you will never loose too much .

stickguy

Wanted to see a Fiesta in the flesh. Really nice car actually, but you can tell they went out of their way to style it (particularly the interior) for a youthful domegraphic. The neon green paint did not help either.

outside of that, it was impressive. Very roomy up front, and I could easily fit my 6' tall body in th rear seat behind me. Seats were also quite roomy, and seemed very comfortable. hatch area a bit small (but could only see from the interior, since the hatch was stuck shut due to a dead battery!

They also had a seda, and the trunk on that was surprisingly large.

DId not drive. Just sat. But, if I was in the market for a little car like this, it would get a serious look.

paulhuang

Beyond the purchase price, maintenance also costs more for a Mercedes. An $18k used C-class will be much more expensive to keep running than an $18K new Civic.

I rented a C300 from Hertz in Long Beach last year (saw it on the lot and decided to upgrade to it on the spot) and drove it for about 200 miles over two days. It was a pretty nice car and drove pretty well. It felt pretty sporty handling-wise but wasn't super strong acceleration-wise.

stickguy

when you start having back issues, a car with great seats is a godsend. One reason I really love Volvos is the thrones.

THere have been many cars (oddly, including a current generation civic) that I have crossed off the list largely due to uncomfortable (to me) seats. Although this does include cars where you can't tilt up the front edge enough (civic again, and the mazda 3) or that have too short a cushion (lack of thigh support).

Sandman6472

Guss, you nailed me...I just couldn't do it, I'm not that comfortable spending over $18k either...it's just not me. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I won the lottery or if my windfall was going to be larger that it is. It's fun to test 'em and imagine it in my garage, but the reality is it ain't gonna happen! :-(.

Got all 4 of the cars detailed this past weekend so I'm happy. My guy did as good of a job as the Mercedes Benz guy did...for a whole lot cheaper. But since I had a coupon, it was gratis on my local MB dealer. Driving home, my Civic just went over 28.8k and it still drives like new, so it's staying around. My tempurpedic seat cushion is helping my spinal issues so I'm done. Nice to dream though!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

nippononly

An $18k used C-class will be much more expensive to keep running than an $18K new Civic.

That's a given. The real question IMO is which will cost you more to keep going, an $18K C300 or an $18K 328i. My guess is the 328i for the current-gen model.

That both would be high-cost to operate is what keeps me going for something new and in a cheaper class, but one day I vow I will buy myself a really nice car new. Perhaps for my 50th b/d......

fezo

Where's roadburner when you need him? He'll be all over your 3281 being expensive to maintain.....

michaellno

but one day I vow I will buy myself a really nice car new. Perhaps for my 50th b/d......

As my 50th is coming up in just a few short years (December 2013), I'm in agreement with that statement. Hope to be in a position to buy a 'fun' car that is used on sunny days.

fezo

Dang! I could have been driving one for 9 years already.

michaellno

Dang! I could have been driving one for 9 years already.

Yeah, but you've owned convertibles already in your past ... I still haven't bought my first one yet.

Sandman6472

In a few months, I'll have missed my 50th by 6 years...I'm always a bit behind...story of my life! Picked up a used car rag this morning & my eye goes right to the C300 on whatever page has one...must be a sign from above! Oh well, happy with what I got & now I hear my just graduated boy is talking about a car...and he's got no $...I already know where this is going. Since he's moving back to St. Louis in 2 weeks, how is the public transportation there? Looks like he's going to have to use it for the time being...not buying a 5th car that fast. Time will tell but I think wifey will cave way before I do...jeeech! Thank g-d some $ is coming my way.

Thr Sandman :sick: :shades:

stickguy

oddly, my 14 YO daughter sent me a random text yesterday about the C300 being a sharp looking car. we saw one a few weeks back on vacation, and she liked it. Maybe Sandman should adopt her? Maybe he can afford to keep her in designer jeans...

I also saw a C350 in a nice dark silver today, and it looked really, really nice. Not that I am in the market for either one, but if I was, I would actually give it a look along with the 3 series I yearn for.

jayrider

public transportation in st. louis is bad and good. Depends on where you work and live. The city and the county suburbs inside of 270 are pretty good with trains and busses. I live on the east side and the train goes east to scott airforce base with lots of stops. They have free parking but there aren't many apts within walking distance of the stations. Gas is cheap now so you can get a deal on a number of subcompacts. Won't even suggest any -- let your fingers find the one you want.

Sandman6472

Trust me, I'm a pretty conservative guy...when one has 3 kids who like to spend $, I have to try to be on the conservative side. I don't mind used cars but the wife insists on only new, so she & the kids will get new. Especially with retirement coming the end of the year, I'll tighten my belt even more since I don't plan to do anything for awhile. Wifey already wants me to take a tax class to help her in her business, but I'm not to keen on that prospect yet...maybe for the 2011 tax year.
We don't drive expensive cars and our house is a pretty basic 4/2 ranch which needs a new kitchen & master bath plus flooring. We did do the kids bathroom last year & nothing else yet. Just your average folk who live within their means with no debt whatsoever...values I'm teaching my kids.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

He's already got am apartment & a roommate...just not sure where in the city. Will give you a heads up when I know. As for a car for him, it'll be something along the line of what his 2 sisters got recently...economical & affordable. So many good choices out there.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

andre1969

Yeah, but you've owned convertibles already in your past ... I still haven't bought my first one yet.

I bought my '67 Catalina convertible at the ripe old age of 24, and still have it, 16+ years later. I find that, the older I get, the less of a fascination I have with convertibles. I drove the thing to Macungie PA for a car show a couple weeks ago. Out on the highway, once the sun set, it got too danged chilly, so I pulled off at a rest area just over the PA line, and put the top and windows up. The next day, with the top down, it was hot as blazes with that black vinyl.

It's a sado-masochistic sort of love affair, I guess. In small doses it can be fun and exciting, but I don't know if I'd want to drive a convertible on a daily basis.

I wonder if I deprived myself in the long run, by getting most of the cars I really wanted at a fairly young age. I was only 20 when I bought the DeSoto, 24 when I bought the Catalina. I always wanted a '76-77 LeMans, and got one when I turned 35. And I've always had a morbid sort of fascination with the Mopar R-body, and have had three of them now.

But at this point, there really isn't much else out there that I really aspire to. Maybe a '61-62 Cadillac, or a '61 Pontiac, but that's about it. Maybe I need loftier goals?

One thing I've also noticed, about modern convertibles, is that they just don't give you the open-air, being one with nature sort of feeling the older ones do. The beltlines are just too high, and the winshield and its thick pillars rake back so far, and the way the rear end kicks up, and the headrests on the seats, it just makes me feel every bit as hemmed in as if I was in a closed coupe.

stever

modern convertibles, is that they just don't give you the open-air

My first and only was a '74 CJ-5. About year 3, as the fabric gave way, it was at best a safari top rig with some lose flaps flopping about. I was a frozen one with nature for a few winter months there until I traded it. Guess I'm due for another one soon (a convertible, not a Jeep).

Could have sold the van yesterday but it was the first day of the ad so I got greedy and didn't want to come down too much. Probably won't get another call. :shades:

Sandman6472

Had these growing up but really prefer the '62 Sedan De Ville...classy car. Ours was in white with a blue interior which was a nice combo. The '64 was a blue with a blue vinyl roof...think they became popular starting that year. Nice car also but by then, the fins had definitely shrunk in size. Our '60 sedan had fins that could put an eye out... remember my dad telling us that as we ran around the car playing!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fezo

I was 49 when I got the first convertible. Almost right on schedule. One of my brothers has had one as a daily driver for years.

As much as I liked the Celica before it became a canvas coupe I have to say with the top down the Sebring was great. Slow but comfy and a killer stereo that was up to the task.

We'll see. In a year when I pay off the van I'll sell it and buy something a car - not van - with whatever I get for it.

andre1969

I actually know someone who has a scar above his eye from his childhood. He was running around, playing with the other neighborhood kids, tripped, and fell...right into the fint of a '61 or '62 Cadillac!

akangl

No matter how hard I try I can't bring myself to give up the Pilot. So we went to the RV dealer this morning to see if there was any TT it could pull.......came away very disappointed, there really isn't any hardsided TT that will work safely.

So that left no option if we wanted to RV again, but to sell the Pilot. I refuse, I said forget the vacation, we'll do without it, I am not selling my Pilot. As we were driving back home hubby looks over and says......what about a motorhome? Maybe a Class C or older Class A.......ya know I never even thought of that.

Search of classifieds finds the perfect one in CA, course I'm not ready to jump yet, but soon. Then we started talking about what vehicle to tow behind it......turns out none of the 3 we have are 4 flat towable, figures.

So we'll have to get the motorhome and then find maybe a jeep wrangler or something like that to set up as a dinghy. Five week vacation in the lower 48 here we come next summer!!! Best part is I get to keep my Pilot.

stickguy

well, that certainly sounds quite expensive for something you might use 1 time a year.

call me crazy (would not be the first), but overall, wouldn't it be vastly cheaper to either rent a motorhome, or even better, just rent a pick up to pull your TT when you need it?

Heck, given how expensive a decent motor home is (since you still need your pilot, plus another car to tow), wouldn't it just be cheaper to buy a pick up, and keep the pilot for normal use?

benjaminh

What are the best internet services for pre-negotiating the price of a new car?

The only one I seem to remember right now is carpricesecrets--but with that one you have to give them an email address and contact info first before you get a price. There was one I thought that gave you price even before you entered all your email and contact info, but I can't be sure. That would be useful for my sister who is buying a car right now and is still in the comparison shopping stage.

Thanks in advance, Ben

jayrider

Can't say they are the best but truecar and autobrag are options as well as overstock.

fezo

I'm with the rent a motorhome or pickup when you need it school of thought.

Heck, wait until Mark chimes in and convince him he needs to shuttle you around. He'll probbaly be towing the Bentley!

mark156

Did someone say motorhome?

Mark156

mark156

We rented 3 motorhomes before the 'BIG' purchase. In '04, we rented an '04 Fleetwood Tioga class C, 31ft, one slide. Then in '05, we moved up the ladder and rented a '05 Fleetwood Expedition class A, 38 ft., 3 slides, diesel. Then in '06, an '06 Fleetwood Expedition, 38 ft., 4 slides, diesel.

In January '07, we ordered an '08 Monaco Dynasty just the way we wanted it and we took delivery at the factory in Oregon on April 10th, 2007. (42 ft, tandem axle, 4 slides, king bed, dishwasher, stackable washer and dryer, solar panel, full size fridge, leather furniture, outside TV, 425 hp Cummins diesel, etc.). The coach is all electric (no propane) and has 10 batteries, 2 chassis, 8 house. We have the diesel fired Aqua Hot water heating/furnace system, 10,000 Onan quiet diesel generator, 3 roof airs that are also heat pumps.

Currently, we have 34,000 miles on the odometer and are camped next to the Yellowstone National Park.

Mark156

akangl

We thought about renting a motorhome, but at ~$200/day x 35 days for our vacation = $7000, pretty pricey really. So our thinking is that we will pick up a decent older diesel pusher for less then $20k, drive it on our vacation, and drive it home, if we like it, great, we'll keep it and use it, or if we decide we don't like it, sell it for a profit. The used RV market up here is nuts, there is very little selection and what is out there is priced at 2-3 times its book value.

If we go with a motorhome we will be skipping the tow vehicle to save $$$, just rent a car if we are in one spot for a few days and need a car.

Personally I'd rather have a TT, but to do that I have to give up the Pilot. Renting a truck to pull a TT is impossible, believe me I tried for 2 summers to find one and nothing, that's why I sold the TT that we had.

Now if I do decide to give up the Pilot (unlikely, but could happen) and pick up a suburban, then we will purchase a ultra light bunkhouse TT in the states for around $7k or less. Then we use it on vacation, bring it home, clean it up, throw it on CL and sell it for $9k+ easy or keep it and use it.

Now off to the dealer to find out how much the 60k service and timing belt are going to cost me.........considering the 30k service was $500 I'd imagine this isn't going to be pretty either. :sick:

stickguy

why so soon? severe duty schedule due to the cold? I know normal interval is 105K

tjc78

I was thinking the same thing. A guy here at work just had the belt done on his 4yr old 60K mile Tucson. I questioned it and the dealer said after 4 years it was due. Maybe I am cheap, but unless it is an interference engine 60K seems awful early to me.

mark156

Akangl, to get an idea of pricing of used diesel coaches, go to:

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/diesel/diesel-motorhomes.htm

This place is in Houston, TX, and is highly regarded in the motorhome world as to see how things are priced, etc.

In my opinion, the cheapest way to go would be to get the Suburban and buy a TT. A motorhome has a lot of systems that need attention whereas the TT is better when stored, especially in AK.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Mark156

stickguy

how much is this 2002 M5 really worth?

http://www.cherryhilljeep.com/

FOr some reason, the page does not seem to follow the car you are looking at, but in their used car section, they have a black on black 2002 M5, 6 speed. Just curious how far out of line they are price wise.

jayrider

unless you like living on the edge, motor homes should have a thorough check up before you start up and winterize the unit at the end of the season. Not cheap.