Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

fintail

2 x W126 and a W140...I can't argue against that, combine it with a few of the others and you have a win.

Sandman6472

Neighbor down the street has this car in a blue/blue combo which looks stunning. Kicker is she's got 89k and wants $12k to pay off the loan. Seems a bit high but the exterior looks flawless. Still, seems a bit high. Heck, I've seen 2004 models going for the mid $13's. But these could be a great fun car down here in South Florida with the nice weather approaching. And I'm due to retire on January 1st...!

Wife would go ballistic though. Will keep playing the lotto & just maybe. Still waiting on my small inheritance to come through also.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

mark156

------That E320 is a classic, IMHO. What color?-----

It's Polar White with a black convertible top and grey leather. 37,500 original miles since new.. I love that car!!

corvette

That's quite a fleet you have there. It would be a headache just scheduling and going to service appointments, assuming each one gets a service at least once per year!

mark156

----That's quite a fleet you have there. It would be a headache just scheduling and going to service appointments, assuming each one gets a service at least once per year!-----

You know, it's not too bad. The Dynasty and the Rolls are currently in the shop. The Dynasty needs two new chassis batteries and a new hydraulic reservoir tank (cracked). We just finished a 13 state, 4,200 mile trip. The Rolls has been running hot the last couple of months so it's getting a new pressure valve on the radiator and a new thermostat. The Land Rover was just in the shop for a computer update.

I keep four cars at one house and three at the other. The Motorhome is normally in a storage garage in Southern California when not used.

I guess it keeps me out of trouble. :P

Mark156

fintail

You know, it's still not too late to adopt me. I am sure my fintail would get along with your SC... :shades:

akangl

Its been a whole week since the Pilot left, at first I regretted it, but now I'm glad to only be making 1 car payment. The Explorer is happier now after a visit to the mechanic and with being driven more. Its not a bad little truck, quirky as anything, but overall fairly reliable.

I'm going to wait until mid winter to buy a truck and I will only buy what I can pay cash for, still leaving enough money to buy a horse trailer as well. I'm really enjoying not having that extra car payment and intend on keeping it that way.

Now if I can just get my son to quit begging me to put a new stereo in the Explorer all will be good. :sick:

michaellno

Now if I can just get my son to quit begging me to put a new stereo in the Explorer all will be good.

Awww, c'mon Mom ... a decent head unit with aux / USB capability can't be more than $100 or so, plus installation.

Are you afraid that the new stereo will double the value of the Explorer?

:P

But, I hear you. Next summer, we'll be down to just one car payment as well, so I completely understand where you are coming from. The good news is that the ION should only have 50-55K on the clock when the title shows up, so it should have 3-5 years of service left.

But, I do keep thinking about a fun car, which would mean another payment. Decisions, decisions.

stickguy

what's that?

akangl

Are you afraid that the new stereo will double the value of the Explorer

Simply filling the tank with gas does that! :P

Stereo is around $200 installed for a decent cd player with usb port, maybe after I get some winter tires for it I'll think about adding a stereo.

I just spent $611 on winter tires for the civic, only its second set, not too bad considering how many miles it packs on.

mark156

Kinda wondering about your list......

Is the TT gone?

Mark156

stickguy

Just read the home page first drive on the ford C-maxx. I want one. Now. exactly what we are looking for (well, in my opinion, still working on the wife) to replace the Odyssey down the road. really down need a barge that big any more, and the ford looks a whole lot more functional and roomy (and cheaper) than a small/mid-size CUV. and way better expected MPG.

the fact that they are touting it as having excellent handling and driving dynamics, another major plus.

now just have to figure out how to pay for it, but it isn't coming out for about a year yet, so got time on that.

and of course the big decision, negotiating with the wife whether to get the stick model! I am thinking no at this point, but who knows.

I actually taught her to drive stick after we got married, then sold he AT car out from under her (so stick or walk). She DD'd a manual for at least 8 years until child #2 and minivan #1 showed up, so it could happen.

akangl

Is the TT gone

Yes, its been gone since April, sold it for twice its nada retail value which surprised the heck out of me. I had 10 phone calls, 2 emails, and 4 hrs from the time I placed the ad it was pulling out of my driveway.

We just have the Civic and the Explorer now.

I was brave and drove the Explorer 55 miles from home today to get a few errands done. It did ok, was a rather humbling experience, I had to do the speed limit, anything more and it protests. I still don't trust it, not sure what, but something bothers me about it. I'm going to get my son something different next summer and offload the Explorer. I can't put my finger on what's bugging me about it, but I get a really strange feeling when I drive it that its not long for this world.

I did learn tonight that driving it at night is a bad idea, it has no license plate lights and that is a big reason cops use to pull people over at night around here. When the Explorer was rearended years ago it messed up the bumper and the lights, so not fixable without more $$$ spent then I care to spend.

*sigh* I want a newer truck.

corvette

Would a drill and some duct tape fix the license plate lights? Or allow you to stick on aftermarket lights?

grandtotal

Would a drill and some duct tape fix the license plate lights? Or allow you to stick on aftermarket lights?

Of course it would. But that's not what is going on here. What's happening is that Jolie is building a case for replacing the Explorer sooner (much sooner) rather than later. So, don't waste your breath, it's now just a question of before Thanksgiving or after. My money is on before.

mark156

Wow, you were lucky on the TT, you did excellent on that. The Explorer sounds like a decent 'bridge' car until the next vehicle. Maybe the Civic would be good for your son when the time comes and you AND hubby can get two new vehicles!

Just think how good a year-end deal would be on two '10's'..... you could even talk to the Fleet Manager! You could get a new GMC Yukon Denali XL and hubby could get a diesel GMC dually, four door, 4x4.

Seems like the license plates lights on the Explorer shouldn't be a big deal to fix but I'm not a mechanic.

Mark156

stickguy

isn't night in th ewinter in alaska like 18 hours long? Leaving very little time to actually drive without lights?

Forget Thanksgiving. Heck, forget Halloween. I am taking the under on Columbus day.

and with the wiring still around someplace in the truck (behind the bumper), having someone handly (liek the mechanic in the family) rig up something should not be too hard. No more difficult than hooking up trailer lights.

fezo

Yeah, if you are doing and over/under with Thanksgiving I don't think you'd get one person to bet over.

Columbus Day? I'll take the over but I'm a little shaky on that.

akangl

As much as I'd love to unload the Exploder I'm stuck with it until at least after Christmas. I cannot buy anything until late december at the earliest. Believe me if I could buy right now I'd be on my way to the nearest car lot!

I'll have hubby look at the lights on the explorer, maybe he can fix it (yeah right). The one person who could for sure fix it without costing me money is my little brother and he's in texas. Need to fix the interior light too, oh and the brake light......what is it with lights lately? Even the Civic has a DRL out.

I plan on buying my son an older Honda Accord with around 100k or less on the clock. Reliable, good gas mileage, and safe. Hubby has the Civic for probably 2-3 more years, then our daughter will probably take it. Let's see, 3 more years at 25k/year.....it'll be around 125k at that point, not too bad.

This is turning out to be the hardest 3-4 months of my car driving life!

fezo

OK, I'm better with the over on Columbus Day.

I'll still take the under on Halloween.

grandtotal

Forget Thanksgiving.

I'm in Canada. Thanksgiving is next Monday here, I forgot you don't celebrate it until November in the U.S. We celebrate it early because we have so much more to be thankful for. I'm sticking with Thanksgiving. Heck that's nearly a week, it wouldn't surprise me if Jolie had bought a Denali by then and then sold it again to buy an Armada.

akangl

Heck that's nearly a week, it wouldn't surprise me if Jolie had bought a Denali by then and then sold it again to buy an Armada.

Nah, don't want an suv, if I wanted an suv I would have kept the Pilot. I need a truck, like with a bed to haul hay and stuff.

I'm telling you, it'll be after Christmas, just wait and see. Not only that but I'll be smart and buy within my budget. Just watch, you'll see.

stickguy

took my daughter to the mall today (hey, have to do something on a school holiday!). On the way home, she pipes up with "hey, we should stop and look at cars!". I am so proud.

and not for her, since she doesn't turn 15 until next month, and can't drive until 16. Although she does like to point out what she does and doesn't like, and what is too ugly to be seen in! She wants a VW, typical teenage girl! Beetle of course, or a Jetta. Guess they really are chick cars...

we did stop at a Ford place to look at an edge (the wife is mumbling about something smaller than a minivan, and not minivanish, but still with cargo room). Did not drive, just sat in and played with in the showroom.

Very nice, comfortable, seemed roomy. But my gosh, the price! Over 34K for an SEL, and that did not have AWD (if you are buying a "truck" like this, might as well get that too!) or the big moonroof. Add that in, even if you could get it on an SEL, and you are probably over 37-38K!

It was nice and all, but I ain't spending thta kind of coin on something like this. ANd if I was, could probably get a nice X5 CPO for the same money.

Heck, the C-maxx when it shows up would probably be a much more practical and economical choice (and yes, I am cheap!) Plus more fun to drive, and you can get it with a stick!

michaellno

Had to get new tires for the ION yesterday. 43K on the OEM Goodyears and they were not going to survive another winter.

Got some Falken Ziex 912's ... buy 3, get 1 free, plus a 4-wheel alignment, taxes and fees for just under $400. Not cheap, but as winter approaches I feel more secure.

Next up - brakes.

stick - I hear ya on the cost of SUV's (CUV's?). I was at the Chevrolet dealer over the weekend and was appalled at how much they are asking for Equinoxes - $35K in some cases!

No Cruzes on the lot, but lots of Malibus.

tjc78

Got some Falken Ziex 912's ... buy 3, get 1 free, plus a 4-wheel alignment, taxes and fees for just under $400. Not cheap, but as winter approaches I feel more secure.

Last set of tires and alignment I did was on my 06 Avalon.... $850 :surprise: I think you did ok!

stickguy

when I was looking at the Edge, the SEL had the "small" 18" wheels. plenty big enough (and pricey!) for me.

I mentioned to the salesguy hovering around that I was afraid to thin how expensive the 22" ones were to replace, and how little chance of finding one if you shreadded a tire out in the sticks (heck, anywhere) unless Ford dealers were required to always have some in stock!

another deal breaker on the Edge though (and a issue with a lot of cars, compromising purpose): One of the compromises of getting rid of the minivan is having to use the cargo bag a little more often (like maybe at Christmas, for sure going to the beach). Well, a "must have" for me is a moonroof. ONly one available on the Edge is the big vista roof. And with that, you can't get the roof rails, so no bag going up there!

The panaramic roofs are neat, and it would be great on a normal car, but for the travel/pack mule family vehicle, losing roof access is just dumb.

tjc78

My Stepdad looked at the Edge and was thinking about it for my Mother. He generally buys cars that aren't really equipped, however, even at modest equipment levels he felt the price was high.

.

michaellno

I've only got 195/60-15's on the ION, so it's not hard to find a tire in the $60-80 range that is all season with decent specs.

Stick - my wife also likes the Edge, especially the vista roof.

However, she's also seen pictures of the new MINI Countryman and, I have to admit, it's quite a cute little fella. Not sure about the cargo space - the Clubman seems to have a fair amount, and the Countryman is several inches longer than that. With 180HP and a curb weight of just over 3000 pounds (with ALL4), it won't scream, but it's expected to get over 30MPG on the highway.

The downside is that it only seats 4.

corvette

Look at the Murano. I think they start around $30k. It hasn't succumbed to size/weight inflation with the new model.

stickguy

my son came home for the weekend from college (fall break of 2 days) with the TL that he has with him this semester. Filled up the tank for him, and the darn thing got a solid 30 after a 240 mile trip (mostly highway, with about 30 miles local country roads) and a few days and 30 miles running around town.

with that use, on a "big" (my standards) luxury car to pull 30 is pretty danged good IMO. especially with 154K on the clock.

Guess the lecture about keeping the speed down must have been heard. He did say that traffic was light and he was able to use the CC for long stretches.

kyfdx

Filled up my son's Acura Legend, tonight... 2 miles to school, each way..

15 mpg.. :P

fintail

That's barely better than my E55 in town, and it has a much bigger and more powerful engine.

I'm on a little road trip in the car now...on a good day's drive including a mountain pass and some 75-80mph cruising, averaged 24.2 mpg per the trip computer, not too bad for such a beast...should be able to hit 25 easy on flatter ground.

kyfdx

I think it's the extremely short trip, twice each day... 25 mph speed limit.. It would probably do around 18 mpg, in normal city driving...

1992 fuel/electronic/transmission components.. not quite up to modern car standards..

stickguy

saw a gen 1 FS in front of a house near me. Goldish color. Looks OK from driving past. Want 2K for it (written on the windshield so easy to see).

akangl

Filled up my son's Acura Legend, tonight... 2 miles to school, each way..

15 mpg

Ouch......last fill up on the Explorer was just over 17 mpg. That was mostly driving 13 miles to the barn and 13 miles back through stop and go stupid drivers. I wasn't too disappointed in the old beast. At least it quit leaving its mark on the garage floor :sick:

Hubby likes to point out that he gets 36 mpg + with the Civic, but his commute is 99% hwy.

michaellno

The ION is still pulling down a solid 24-27 MPG with mostly city driving ... EPA states 24 city, 32 highway, so I can't complain too much.

The VUE gets, under normal circumstances, 19-21 ... the wife's commute is about 15 miles, most of it on a 2-lane road with a 55MPH speed limit. Only 3 stoplights to navigate.

No idea how well the MINI does. All I hear is that it needs gas every other week and it costs about $35 per tank (premium recommended). Daughter's commute is the same as the wife's, as they both work for the school district. Hours are different, so they can't carpool. I'd guess she's getting around 30 MPG (EPA says 25/33 with the 6-speed automatic).

fintail

My car is the latest in late 90s tech...of course, a big engine doesn't have to work as hard at speed.

A gold car was mentioned...at least half of Legends had to have been gold/bronze/tan

fintail

My car is the latest in late 90s tech...of course, a big engine doesn't have to work as hard at speed.

A gold car was mentioned...at least half of Legends had to have been gold/bronze/tan

28firefighter

My 330xi is pulling around 31 mpg on the highway and about 18 in the city. Still far far better than my 09 4 cylinder Subaru Legacy that would pull 14.1 mpg in the city. Also a lot more fun to drive, but I am still getting used to the idea of paying for premium fuel.

qbrozen

well, since we are sharing...

GTI has been in the mid-to-high 26s lately, and that's without trying. Guess it just got used to me??

The mazda5 is usually in the mid 25s.

Not sure about the Saab, as I'm never the one to fill it. But based on the OBC readings, I believe it is somewhere north of 27.

jayrider

Priu is at 51 mpg for first 3k miles. Handles well - plenty of passing power and absorbs bumps and expansion joints nicely.

stickguy

for the first time in ages, I got a test drive promo solicitation in the mail today. Take a test drive, get a $50 amex gift card back.

kicker though, is it is from BMW. And heck yeah I am going to use it! Might not end well, but I will take my chances.

anyone know if the X1 is out yet? My dream car at the moment (and given the current budget, a dream is all it likely will be!)

kyfdx

The X1 isn't out yet... won't be available in stick, either...

The re-designed X3 is out in December or January...

Our 2nd-generation Legend is white, and has been in the family since it was new.. only 38K miles...

Found a car on-line, that if it had been available for this price back in April, would probably be in my garage, today...
Coupe!

stickguy

that is interesting. Too bad no moonroof. Would take it off my list, if it was ever on it! I did always like the prior genertion coupe (bread van), and that did get a moonroof eventually I think.

Also, the sports suspension and crazy low (35s) tires are not a good match for the bomb crater roads in NJ and PA that I have to put up with! And being run flats, that ride must be punishingly stiff.

kyfdx

Yeah... I don't think that model is available with a sunroof.. sort of like the Cayman.... too swoopy..

Love the sport, the M-sport seats and the red leather, though... Not very practical... but, there you go....

I liked the previous generation coupe, too.... their gathering was known as dorkfest... gotta like that..

fintail

After bragging about my decent mpg, I drove for several more hours today and averaged about 24.5, which included a little spurt into the triple digits. As I was feeling smug about the car running well, I started it up after a break and got the beloved ABS/BAS failure light. This time it didn't go away after I started it again. It drives normally, there's a sensor having a problem. This is what makes me fear an aging German car. Luckily the error did stop after about 5 starts - seeing lights on the dash drives me nuts.

stever

the prior generation coupe (bread van)

The Z3? A bread van? My neighbor had one of those; I like the Z4 but still think the Z3 may be a tad better looking.

Chronic car buying ... er, my 11 year old van got a brand spanking new windshield today. :shades:

kyfdx

Z3 coupe...

stever

Ah, thanks. Looks like a hatchback. The X3 bled down eh?

Was the MGB-GT a "coupe" then? Wiki says it was both a hatchback and a coupé. My sister had one of those for a while. BRG and everything.

kyfdx

I guess technically, they would be hatchbacks.... but, I call just about any 2-door car a coupe.... BMW calls them coupes...

I think the one in that picture is an M coupe...