Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

[Deleted User]

One of our favorites episodes of Ultimate Factories is the making of the Z4 - in fact the vehicle they show going through the process was made for someone here in Denver. Ironically, when they come to drive it home, he had done something to his leg and his wife ends up being the one taking the wheel. They are super nice cars, wouldn't worry too much about getting grief at school - people save and spend in different ways. I on the other hand am hoping to number my days of driving the smaller cars, had a three level spine fusion last Thursday, resting at home now trying to catch up on all the posts! How's your daughter enjoying her Mini?

fintail

This is an ultimate car factory

michaellno

Thanks for the feedback, and hope you recover quickly from your procedure.

The daughter loves, loves, loves her MINI. She fills it up every other week for about $35 per tank - I'm guessing she puts 91 into it. Wife, who rides with her frequently, says she drives it like its meant to be driven - quickly. There are two roundabouts close to our house, and the daughter says she can take them at 40 - yikes!

So, all is well in the land of MINI-dom.

bumpy

She sounds like a good candidate for autocross, and the Mini is a good ride for that.

michaellno

She sounds like a good candidate for autocross, and the Mini is a good ride for that.

Funny you should mention that .. a few weeks ago, she got a flyer from MINI inviting her to a MINI only autocross event up in Denver. She wasn't interested .. she's not terribly social and not fond of large crowds of strangers.

Kirstie_H

If you live in or near Las Vegas and recently bought, or considered buying, a used car and would be willing to speak to a reporter about your experience, please contact pr@edmunds.com by September 15, 2010.

roadburner

I was high bidder on a really nice E28 M5 on eBay- the only problem was the seller ended the auction with 12 hours to go... :mad:
The car was immaculate- fitted with Euro bumpers and lights, 17" BBS RGR wheels($2860/set!), and a Miller Performance MAF conversion.
Oh well...

corvette

"She wasn't interested .. she's not terribly social and not fond of large crowds of strangers."

She should join the young misanthropes club (there's quite a large membership, but we never hold meetings because it would involve unnecessary interaction with people)... :P

akangl

After a lot of thought we decided we don't want a 4th vehicle to deal with and since I refuse to give up my Pilot (just turned 60k, love my car!), the obvious choice to leave is the civic.

Hubby is a pro at hitting critters with the civic, the bumper shows it too! He's going to drive the Explorer most of the winter (pray he doesn't wreck it!) and then we are going to pick up another truck at some point. He easily got 20 mpg from his 06 Ram 3500 dually, so should be able to do the same with a single rear wheel diesel. So instead of paying off the Pilot this winter we'll pay off the civic and sell it, then pay cash for a used diesel truck. The increase in fuel cost from his commute will be a non-issue since we won't have that second car payment.

Can't say as I'll be sad to see the civic go, never really liked that car, although its been problem free in 54k miles. The Explorer will be happy, instead of sitting outside it will get a spot in the garage.......although we will have to get its oil leak fixed, it makes too much of a mess on the garage floor.

Course now that he's getting another truck he's talking about finding a truck camper and going hunting up north next fall. Men!

jayrider

Instead of fixing the oil leak, put a lasagna pan under the drip and once a week pour the "gravy" back in the crankcase. Very eco friendly.

tjc78

My first car leaked a little oil and my stepdad wouldn't allow it in the driveway (it was nice new concrete) unless I put cardboard under it. I eventually had a new pan gasket put on, so I didn't have to worry about it.

akangl

Instead of fixing the oil leak, put a lasagna pan under the drip and once a week pour the "gravy" back in the crankcase. Very eco friendly.

I'd rather fix it since its rather unpredictable on how much oil it leaks and its going to be driven 500 miles/week. Sometimes it doesn't leak but a few drops, other times it loses a quart. Plus I can't stand having a vehicle that leaks, just kind of a pet peeve of mine and the reason more then one of my vehicles has found a new home.

mark156

Akangl, I thought the Explorer was for your son? Is he going to walk to school now in the cold Alaskan winter? :surprise:

Mark156

Sandman6472

It should be so reliable...mine is just great...has never left me stranded. Just like the energizer bunny...it keeps going...and going...and going. It handles whatever I throw at it...eventhogh I really want a more luxurious & comfortable daily driver, in reality' it's not needed one bit! Yay for me!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stickguy

saw this listed at one of your previous haunts. Not the wagon I want, but it has some other attributes that reeled me in. Wonder what this is really worth? I would guess low 7s on a trade, so non-dealer (real dealer) retail maybe 8.5K? from here, if it checked out nice, might not be a bad deal at about 9K?

http://torchlightmotors.com/inventory_detail.html?vin=YV1RS53D132285050

akangl

I thought the Explorer was for your son? Is he going to walk to school now in the cold Alaskan winter?

It is his, but he doesn't have a license, he wasn't ready to get it this year. Next year he'll have it and the Explorer will still be around I'm sure.

kyfdx

Pretty cool.. pretty low mileage, as well..

Sandman6472

Just got home from the dealer after sitting in a Sport model. Was looking for a Touring model but had none. The seats were pretty comfortable even with my spinal issues and even the back seat wasn't too bad but the front seats can't be all the way back though. No telescoping wheel, a major goof on Mazda's part but everything falls to place. Power locks are on the lower center console right below the aux/usb connection...an odd place but easy to get to. The climate controls seem to be from the last generation of Japanese cars though. Didn't like the bolt on wheel covers, prefer the alloys that are on the Touring edition.

Wifey has let me know that she wants to go down a size in cars, like the girls Accent & Versa. I don't agree but she has to drive it on a daily basis, not me. Still, I want her to test drive as many of these cars as possible so when the time comes, she'll know exactly what she wants. Our time frame wil be for a 2012 model, this way I'll know she'll have stability control on whatever she wants. Supposed to be mandatory that year. It'll be interesting to see how the M2 and the Fiesta drive back to back. She already knows how the Accent will drive & likes it. By then, the Accent & the Elantra will have a new model out with styling cues from the Sonata I hope, as I find that car the new benchmark style wise of the affordable family sedans.

It's gonna be a good year to be test driving all these new models and time will tell what she chooses.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

nippononly

Mazda dealers seem to be only ordering Sport models - I can't find a Mazda2 Touring to try out either! Agree that the alloys are a must, and besides even the Touring isn't very expensive with a stick.

No available factory moonroof though, and I just discovered that the new CRZ is the same - no factory moonroof available on any trim. Will likely be a deal-breaker for me at $20K+. :-(

C&D just did a 3-way test with Fiesta, M2, and Fit and actually liked the Fit the most. Sounded like the M2 had the best handling though. Wonder how much the Abarth will cost when it gets here.... :shades:

stickguy

I saw that too, and typical for C&D, they jprobably weighted the scoring differently than 98% of potential buyers (meaning the FIesta would finish ahead of the 2, and possibly the Fit based on highway driving).

Also, they tested sticks. From other reviews, I would assume that if they tested AT versions (as the majority of these will be sold as), the Fiesta would vault ahead.

nippononly

I figure that for anyone who cared about driving at all, the Fit's paddle-operated automatic would be preferable to the Fiesta's non-shiftable 6-speed. But it is certainly true that Americans rarely want a car that handles, especially in the subcompact realm, typically viewed as grocery-getter cars in mission.

The M2's handling is described as being pretty great for a $15K car. Reviews I see of the Fiesta continue to describe it as "the car that drives like a much bigger car....Ford has managed to achieve a ride that should suit people downsizing from SUVs and large sedans...". Needless to say, such descriptions make me cringe. I want a small car that uses its small size and weight to maximum advantage for handling and fuel economy.

Looks like the Mazda2's automatic is geared for sport, which is partly why its mileage kinda stinks. OTOH, the Fit's 5-speed with paddles only gets the same EPA rating (despite having an extra ratio)....but the base model without the paddles does a couple of points better (and probably SUCKS to drive).

Looks like if you are spending $20K, the Mini still reigns supreme. If you are only spending $14-15K though, I would think the 2 is a strong contender.

Saw a Yaris LB stick shift with power package over the weekend advertised at $13,648 including the rebate Toyota is running (2010 models). Saw a couple of them actually - the dealer I was at had 2 including a red one. That seems like a heck of a deal given the standard ESC/6 airbags/ABS on that model, if you don't mind a car that drives like schlock.

Sandman6472

Not a ford fan here but we'll give the Fiesta a shot & test drive it along with the others in our target group. I know ford still owns a part of mazda but we love our current m3 and it's been very reliable over the past 79k miles, so willing to overlook that negative. We know what the Versa & Accent drive like, our girls already have them & love 'em. Wife has no problem withan Accent but I really want her to check out the new Elantra that's due any time.
Our time frame is to buy a 2012 model as I want her to have stability control on her new car...don't want to comprimise on this but will if her current ride just dies on us, but that's not likely. Should be fun!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stickguy

not that I have not driven either, and only sat in the FIesta. so, this is my interpretation from lots of reading.

the 2 seems to be more of a "cheap" car. actually, more old fashioned reminding me of the sub compacts I had back in the day (mazda 323, Dodge colt). more minimalistic. probably more of a local use car, and not for highway traveling.

THe FIesta seems more substantial (and I guess it is, being heavier), an dis the one I would pick if I was doing a lot of traveling with it. Also had (in person) a very nice interior.

The Fit, from all the reviews I ever read, does not seem to be a very good highway car. But certainly roomy.

Sandman6472

She wants a sedan only but when I showed her the cover in the hatch of the M2, said it could work. I've heard the interior is a bit nicer in the Fiesta also so can't wait to sit in it & test drive one. Even though we'd never buy anything German, will give the new jetta a shot also...looks great in the pics I've seen, very upscale actually.
For some reason she likes the Accent/Versa size that our girls drive but I prefer the M3 size...I drive a Civic. But willing test & consider all on our short list.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stickguy

what is a decent price range for this oddball?

2004 BMW 330i convertible.I think it is a stick, but ad just says 6 speed. 103K on it.

listed at 12,795 at a local lot type place, but they seem to have some newer and nicer stuff.

this is in the autoshopper, so nothing I have seen in person.

kyfdx

Wow... that is a lot of miles for a ragtop..

The auto in '04 was a 5-speed automatic, so it almost has to be a manual, if the ad is accurate, at all..

We leased an '05... 3 years and about 44K miles.. Pretty much Honda-like reliability for the first three years... No top issues, other than an adjustment right after we got it.. The top mechanism is really slick, with no boot to put on.. The inline-6 has 225 hp, and is very responsive, even with the slushbox... With winter tires, it was a tank... my wife never got stuck...anywhere..

Value? No clue on a 'vert with over 100K.... Depending on options that was a $48K-$52K car, new....

stickguy

and, this is in NJ, so winter time is coming up fast. and I doubt the guy wants to sit on it all winter.

as a 3rd car/toy, the miles don't bother me, if the condition belies them. and of course, it is cheap enough!

tifighter

I looked into E46 converts a little last year. Nice cars. Make sure that the power top works perfectly, cause they are major money to fix.

Karen_S

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Or, click on my screen name for my contact info and send your email to me. I will forward it to Edmunds PR.

fezo

Throw in air fare to Santa Monica and a hotel and I'm all set....

All this on the secrets of buying an 97 Camry....

qbrozen

That's a really great find.

Believe it or not, though, he's actually HIGH on this one. It is worth low 6s on a trade. If he sticks to his non-negotiable guns, its a no sale, I'm afraid. Needs to knock off at least a grand.

stickguy

sounds like the type of unit to wait until Dec 1, and hope for a cold blast, then offer him 9K and see what happens when the 1st snow hits!

6 on a trade though? still seems low, but I am sure that in our area, being a convertible (seasonal) and a high line with high miles (scary), it could be a tough unit to move.

qbrozen

ouch. miles are a killer. Well, trade-in starts at $8500. The adds are as follows:
Performance pack - $900
Premium - $500
Sport - $550

qbrozen

that was the volvo that was $6k. BMW is above at $8500+

stickguy

forgot about the volvo. attention span of a 2 year old over here.

so the BMW at about 10K retail when the weather gets cold is actually reasonable I guess.

not that I need either one.

Now, a t5 2003-2004 V70 with a stick, that I would be all over.

atill mad that JRL sold that red 2001 5 speed one the day before I was going to meet him to look at it. Dumb thing gets no action for 3 weeks, and as soon as I realize it has a moonroof and call him, boom, someone else shows up and takes it home.

fezo

And to think I hesitated on that in consideration of your interest.....

I liked that a lot but you were probably making the call just as I saw your posting. Bummer.

I think my game plan now is to wait a year because the van will then be paid off and I can sell it privately. What I replace it with? I'm still all over the map. I just know it will be smaller and should get better mileage.

qbrozen

so the BMW at about 10K retail when the weather gets cold is actually reasonable I guess.

Reasonable? Not really. At $10k, even with none of the extra options, would be a great deal for you.

stickguy

Well, if the vert is trade about 8.5, maybe 10.5 when the weather gets bad. I would not buy something like this unless it was a really good deal anyway.

also, it is at a smaller local lot (not that close to me, in vineland, about 45 minutes and not the greatest area). so who knows the history, but I would not be paying top dollar for the dealer.

stickguy

I would have looked at it sooner, but I could have sworn it did not have a moonroof. and that is a deal breaker to me.

it wasn't until JRL was calling "last call" on it that he said it did, in fact, have a roof.
but I do feel bad if you were actually interested, but it sounds like you weren't dying for it!

at the time, I was working about 10 minutes from his house. I did talk to him, but he was out that day, so I was supposed to go see it the next day at lunch. Instead, get a message from him that someone showed up out of the blue the night before, offered up money and took it home.

If I had known (or if he had known!) there was any other interest, I would have tried to see it that night on the way home.

but as always, snooze you lose!

kyfdx

Options are everything on a 3-series, as far as real world numbers...

On a convertible, I'd think the stick-shift would be a big hit.. especially to a used car dealer (so..you got that going for you, Carl). You'd be able to see the Performance Pkg... M3 front bumper, 18" wheels, etc.. Sport and Premium packages would be a big plus...

fezo

Oh,you were way ahead of me. Even if you weren't I did indeed snooze...

michaellno

In today's mail, I got an offer from Jaguar / Callaway. Test drive any Jaguar and get a Callaway putter (value $160). Buy a Jaguar and get a full set of Callaway clubs (value up to $2500, depending upon which model is purchased).

I am so not in the market, but a new putter is always nice (I have an Odyssey putter already). I did contact the Jaguar dealer in the Springs via email to see what they say about a test drive; I'll be down there tomorrow and will have some time available.

Checking the Jaguar website, it looks as if the least expensive model is the XF at $52K - a bit out of my budget range.

kerryfl

I received this offer also but misplaced the card. Do you have the web address to put the code I get into it? Much appreciated! Lady golfer!

jayrider

As a golfer, i'd also be interested in that putter if it can give me the correct line and speed needed to sink it. Unfortunately, there is no such thing and even if there was, I'd still have to putt the ball myself which means " Odyssey, we have a problem."

fezo

A word of advice on putters.

Never, ever tell your foursome that your putter sucks. Even at the cost of admitting you can't putt to save your life.

I spent many years with a couple of putters I didn't like. Invariably if I mentioned this on a course someone would pull a putter than was taking up space in their bag and never used and give it to me. I had a lovely collection of the worst putters you've ever seen....

michaellno

Here is the website for the Jag / Callaway offer

However, you need two codes .. the 4 character code from the dealer as well as the 10 character code that was on the mailer itself.

stickguy

was out today running some errands, so decided to make a few stops to see some newly released cars.

1st stop Volvo to see an S60. Turns out they get released next Tuesday, but at least I got invited to a launch party wing-ding.

Stopped at Chevy to see a Cruze. Turns out they are due "any day".

But, I still learned a few things:

1) Volvo dealer had a burgandy XC70 sitting in the showroom. This I really, really liked. Wish my wife drove something like that instaed of a 6 YO Odyssey minibarge.
2) Camaros must be fairly popular. The chevy dealer must have had 20 sitting out front (and I even read someplace reecently that they have moved around 100K units so far).
3) I can actually sit in a camaro and not cream my head, as long as I put the seat all the way down, and rake it back like a Gangsta'. Not at all the way I like to sit. Oh, and you can't see out of it.
4) The equinox had a cheesy interior, and poorly designed seats. And at a MSRP of 29.5 for a FWD 4 cyl, not cheap enough to make up for it.

stickguy

I have an OT (professional) question for you. If you have a chance, can you drop me an email (in profile). Yours is private.

akangl

I love my Pilot, I really do, BUT I'm bored to death with it. The sad part is I can't justify a reason, besides being bored with it, to trade it in. Its never had a repair, unless a headlight bulb counts, its never done anything wrong, it drives beautifully. I need to do some maintenance to it, timing belt, brakes, trans fluid changed, rear diff fluid changed, and air filters (engine and cabin), will be doing that stuff soon, probably not at the dealer either since they are so dang expensive.

I have my eye on what I'd like to drive, but hubby says no, he's putting his foot down, says the Pilot still has 3 years and 60k left on its extended warranty and I'm going to drive it at least that long. SOOOOO BORED..... :sick:

stickguy

my SIL once used her accord needing new wiper blades and to have the heads on the tape deck cleaned as an excuse to trade it in on a Volvo.

she does have a short attention span though. 3 years is a miracle for her (even when she leases, it never makes the full term by a couple of months).

also, 60K on a timing belt? Is that some kind of ultra severe schedule due to the cold?