Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

corvette said:

@Michaell - that kind of looks like an old-school design Lexus dealership (early 1990s to early 2000s), but with some modern touches like the second floor above the service bay. Nice looking XC40, though!

Went back to the dealer after my sister got off work. Naturally, this went to the top of the list.

Now to get her husband on board. Uphill battle, me thinks.

This is my whip for the week:

Best view of that car! To be honest, I was expecting it to actually look like a 20-year-old Hyundai. That thing is as nice as one of those ever was! I like it.

At first I thought it was a Buick Century.

sda

@corvette Remind us, what color and options did you select on the Maverick?

explorerx4

@corvette,
Glad to see some kind of progress on your Mav.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

I was supposed to look at a 2007 Miata yesterday, right in town. But when I pinged the guy he had just sold it. Snooze you lose as always. Still need to find one for a test sit! No rush, probably better to wait for the first frost when snow will be coming soon, and it’s time for toys to go into hibernation. If there will ever be a deal to be had, that’s the time! And probably fewer buyers competing.

For that reason I’d keep my summer toy over the winter and sell it in the spring. You could get lucky though, find someone who lost their winter storage or needs the cash for heat bills.

happens to a lot of people. both situations.

stickguy

I have not bothered to call Ford to ask. Though I have gotten emails all along so at some point they would let me know. And I think my dealer does a good job keeping on top of things. I still am hoping to get bumped to 2023.

corvette

Also, there were way, way more sales droids running around the Toyota dealership than I would expect given that their lot is perhaps half full. I'm assuming their volume must be pretty good and it's just a case of most vehicles being sold before they hit the lot.

@sda - XL, EcoBoost with AWD, CoPilot 360 package in Cactus Grey (the same color as Mrs. @breld 's Bronco). I will likely have the dealer add floor mats, soft tonneau cover, and either a bed mat or a spray in bed liner.

I'm very undecided on the bed mat vs. bed liner. I doubt I would ever haul anything which would scratch the bed, and if I did scratch it up, could just have the spray in bed liner done later to cover it up.

stickguy

I noticed that too at the Ford dealer. Place was full of sales people at the front desk (managers) and individual stations. they all seemed pretty busy too.

I agree that the real difference is just not having hundreds of cars rotting on the lot.

xwesx

My son is determined to find a car before we head back to Alaska. I told him he doesn't really need one at the moment (still has open access to our 2013 Forester), but he's determined. I guess it is something about it being "his."

Anyhow, sellers in this region are such flakes! Seriously, actually getting a response from one of them... I get this giddy feeling like I just won a lottery or something. Even if they are just saying they sold it or are about to sell it, I still feel this elation that they actually communicated with me. /sigh

andres3

breld said:

@andres3 said:

$30K lost in 2 months? He should have traded it in and got a car that's priced more stable. $30K is a lot to lose in 2 months.

Apparently a broker was gonna buy his S Plaid for $130k in March and the dealer encouraged him to “pre-trade,” but he held on and the recent offer was $100k.

Can’t say the brand new M3 Comp in Brooklyn Gray available for sale wasn’t a little tempting.

That's 5 months ago, but still, 30K depreciation is a lot for a single vehicle in 5 months. I think some new Bugatti's might suffer less depreciation then that!

ab348

corvette said:

Turned in the Tundra this afternoon, super easy process, just needed to sign the odometer disclosure. As luck would have it, I also hit up Ford's chat system, and my Maverick is scheduled for production the week of October 10 and has a VIN assigned. So, that's progress! I was strongly considering switching to an XLT if it got bumped to a 2023, but this saves me having to make that decision.

So Ford is going to still be building 2022 models in October? That seems very late for them to be in production. I wonder when 2023 models begin?

stickguy

I think they might still be making them into November. entirely possible some people will take delivery of their new 2022 model year, in calendar year 2023.

corvette

What @stickguy said... I'm not thrilled about the prospect of getting a "new" 2022 model year car at the end of 2022/beginning of 2023, but it's a lot better than not having one at all. Also makes planning the trip to pick it up difficult with respect to my needing to use seven PTO days before the end of the year since I can only roll over five, so it would be helpful to know right now whether I can pick it up this year or not.

stickguy

if they make yours close to that date should be fine. Where is this one coming into? Granger?

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I have not bothered to call Ford to ask. Though I have gotten emails all along so at some point they would let me know. And I think my dealer does a good job keeping on top of things. I still am hoping to get bumped to 2023.

You said you drive on I-87. I saw a Maverick Thursday around exit 10. It was the lighter grey one that I think you said you had. If the first letter in you license plate was K it might have been you.

I must say, you look a lot younger than I thought. About 30?

corvette

stickguy said:

if they make yours close to that date should be fine. Where is this one coming into? Granger?

Yes, outside of Des Moines.

roadburner

I checked out the M2 tonight; what I thought was merely poor photography turned out to be a matte wrap in light gray. Ugh. Scratch another car off my list.
Next, I stopped by my BMW dealer; lots of RWD 330i sedans, which I don't find to be all that exciting. Also a lot of X3 four bangers. Yawn. The only entertaining cars I found wre a CPO X3 M and an M550i- both out of my price range.

qbrozen

roadburner said:

I checked out the M2 tonight; what I thought was merely poor photography turned out to be a matte wrap in light gray. Ugh. Scratch another car off my list.

Next, I stopped by my BMW dealer; lots of RWD 330i sedans, which I don't find to be all that exciting. Also a lot of X3 four bangers. Yawn. The only entertaining cars I found wre a CPO X3 M and an M550i- both out of my price range.

what color is under the wrap?

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

I have not bothered to call Ford to ask. Though I have gotten emails all along so at some point they would let me know. And I think my dealer does a good job keeping on top of things. I still am hoping to get bumped to 2023.

You said you drive on I-87. I saw a Maverick Thursday around exit 10. It was the lighter grey one that I think you said you had. If the first letter in you license plate was K it might have been you.

I must say, you look a lot younger than I thought. About 30?

got the K right but that seems to be where they are for new plates. mine is dark gray and I have lapped 30 and don't look half my age!

stickguy

stickguy

actually looks darker if not in the sun I think.

corvette

@stickguy - my dad's Ranger is the same color, Carbonized Gray, I think.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

roadburner said:

I checked out the M2 tonight; what I thought was merely poor photography turned out to be a matte wrap in light gray. Ugh. Scratch another car off my list.

Next, I stopped by my BMW dealer; lots of RWD 330i sedans, which I don't find to be all that exciting. Also a lot of X3 four bangers. Yawn. The only entertaining cars I found wre a CPO X3 M and an M550i- both out of my price range.

what color is under the wrap?

Alpine white, but the whole car just gave me a bad vibe.

Michaell

Thanks for the comments on moms Sonata. My sister had gotten it washed a couple of days before I took that picture.

After having driven it for a few days, including the trip from San Diego to Ventura county, it drives about as well as it looks. The mileage isn’t so great – I hope to have some harder numbers in the next couple of days – and I miss having a rearview camera, but other than that it’s quiet, rides well, has OK power.

We have probably put more money into it in the last two years than it’s worth, but my sister tells me all the time that everybody she encounters when she’s driving it has asked if it was for sale. I will cross 47,000 miles on it on my drive back to San Diego on Sunday.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

I checked out the M2 tonight; what I thought was merely poor photography turned out to be a matte wrap in light gray. Ugh. Scratch another car off my list.

Next, I stopped by my BMW dealer; lots of RWD 330i sedans, which I don't find to be all that exciting. Also a lot of X3 four bangers. Yawn. The only entertaining cars I found wre a CPO X3 M and an M550i- both out of my price range.

I always assume a wrap is hiding something bad. And matte? Ugh, indeed.

sda

Michaell said:

Thanks for the comments on moms Sonata. My sister had gotten it washed a couple of days before I took that picture.

After having driven it for a few days, including the trip from San Diego to Ventura county, it drives about as well as it looks. The mileage isn’t so great – I hope to have some harder numbers in the next couple of days – and I miss having a rearview camera, but other than that it’s quiet, rides well, has OK power.

We have probably put more money into it in the last two years than it’s worth, but my sister tells me all the time that everybody she encounters when she’s driving it has asked if it was for sale. I will cross 47,000 miles on it on my drive back to San Diego on Sunday.

IIRC the V6, quicker than the 4 but no hot rod, low to mid 20s mpg. It does look clean and really like the color. The tail lights on that model were similar to those on the Olds Intrigue. I wonder who copied who? If I see a similar Hyundai/Kia model on the road around here, typically the clear coat is gone and the car appears to be on life support.

nyccarguy

You Sonata looks fantastic @Michaell . It’s amazing how well an almost 20 year old car car drive today, compared with 2003 (that is the year of the Sonata, correct?), when the 20 year old car would have been from 1983. Glad you are enjoying it!

Michaell

The sonata has the 2.7 V6 with, I think, 170 HP. And yeah, 2003 model year. I think dad paid less than $17k before TTL, which is what a 4-cylinder Camry was selling for.

My sister and I have added about 12,000 miles in the two years since we moved mom to San Diego.

oldfarmer50

Here’s a puzzler I saw this morning.

I saw what looked like a BMW X5 parked on a lawn with a $38,000 price tag on it. Would any of you plunk down that much money for a lawn car? I’m not slamming selling a car like that per se but when I’ve done it I’m selling a vehicle for 38 hundred not 38 thousand.

Would you expect the buyer to come with a shopping bag full of cash?

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

Here’s a puzzler I saw this morning.

I saw what looked like a BMW X5 parked on a lawn with a $38,000 price tag on it. Would any of you plunk down that much money for a lawn car? I’m not slamming selling a car like that per se but when I’ve done it I’m selling a vehicle for 38 hundred not 38 thousand.

Would you expect the buyer to come with a shopping bag full of cash?

The check from their bank loan will give you real US dollars.

breld

@roadburner will appreciate this. My current obsession (which changes weekly if not daily anyway) is finding a nice previous gen M240i. Driving that 2019 convertible last week reminded me what a great car that is to drive, and at this point, it’s starting to have that “classic” BMW feel IMO.

I’m a sucker for the newest designs, so had thought I’d want to order a new M240i (and given market prices these days, it’s not a bad idea from a value perspective), but I was really drawn to that gray/cognac convertible from an aesthetic perspective in addition to the drive, so that speaks well of its design.

A manual m240i RWD would be a great update to the ZHP (if/when I chose to move on). But I did find myself appreciating that top down feel way more than I anticipated. So right now, that’s my focus.

In addition to that mineral gray/cognac one, there’s also a 2020 low mile example in a neighboring state in Long Beach Blue. Kinda cool to have a “mostly” M2 exclusive color. My wife would say it’s too “turquoisey” but I’m always drawn to it, and it looks sharp with the black trim.

roadburner

@oldfarmer50 said:
Here’s a puzzler I saw this morning.

I saw what looked like a BMW X5 parked on a lawn with a $38,000 price tag on it. Would any of you plunk down that much money for a lawn car? I’m not slamming selling a car like that per se but when I’ve done it I’m selling a vehicle for 38 hundred not 38 thousand.

Would you expect the buyer to come with a shopping bag full of cash?

In 1995 I sold my M6 to a private party for $24k. That said, he was a club member who owned an Ace Hardware store in Lexington. He didn’t even test drive it; he wrote me a check for $5k that night and picked it up the next day and paid the remainder.
Funny thing- I advertised it in the local club newsletter as well as the national magazine. I got calls asking if it was still for sale for months afterwards.

roadburner

@breld said:
@roadburner will appreciate this. My current obsession (which changes weekly if not daily anyway) is finding a nice previous gen M240i. Driving that 2019 convertible last week reminded me what a great car that is to drive, and at this point, it’s starting to have that “classic” BMW feel IMO.

I’m a sucker for the newest designs, so had thought I’d want to order a new M240i (and given market prices these days, it’s not a bad idea from a value perspective), but I was really drawn to that gray/cognac convertible from an aesthetic perspective in addition to the drive, so that speaks well of its design.

A manual m240i RWD would be a great update to the ZHP (if/when I chose to move on). But I did find myself appreciating that top down feel way more than I anticipated. So right now, that’s my focus.

In addition to that mineral gray/cognac one, there’s also a 2020 low mile example in a neighboring state in Long Beach Blue. Kinda cool to have a “mostly” M2 exclusive color. My wife would say it’s too “turquoisey” but I’m always drawn to it, and it looks sharp with the black trim.

Honestly, if I could find a CPO 2019 or 2020 M240i manual with H-K, CWP, and the Technology Package I’d probably grab it- as long as it wasn’t black or white.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

Here’s a puzzler I saw this morning.

I saw what looked like a BMW X5 parked on a lawn with a $38,000 price tag on it. Would any of you plunk down that much money for a lawn car? I’m not slamming selling a car like that per se but when I’ve done it I’m selling a vehicle for 38 hundred not 38 thousand.

Would you expect the buyer to come with a shopping bag full of cash?

In 1995 I sold my M6 to a private party for $24k. That said, he was a club member who owned an Ace Hardware store in Lexington. He didn’t even test drive it; he wrote me a check for $5k that night and picked it up the next day and paid the remainder.

Funny thing- I advertised it in the local club newsletter as well as the national magazine. I got calls asking if it was still for sale for months afterwards.

Would you have done that deal with a total stranger? I did a lawn sale once for $500 on a junker. The guy gave me a $100 down and said he be back after he persuaded his girlfriend to give him the rest. He was so shady that I was hesitant to do a $500 deal.

BTW, that blue BMW you posted is a convertible. I thought you hated those. Nice color though.

jmonroe1

@breld said:
@roadburner will appreciate this. My current obsession (which changes weekly if not daily anyway) is finding a nice previous gen M240i. Driving that 2019 convertible last week reminded me what a great car that is to drive, and at this point, it’s starting to have that “classic” BMW feel IMO.

I’m a sucker for the newest designs, so had thought I’d want to order a new M240i (and given market prices these days, it’s not a bad idea from a value perspective), but I was really drawn to that gray/cognac convertible from an aesthetic perspective in addition to the drive, so that speaks well of its design.

A manual m240i RWD would be a great update to the ZHP (if/when I chose to move on). But I did find myself appreciating that top down feel way more than I anticipated. So right now, that’s my focus.

In addition to that mineral gray/cognac one, there’s also a 2020 low mile example in a neighboring state in Long Beach Blue. Kinda cool to have a “mostly” M2 exclusive color. My wife would say it’s too “turquoisey” but I’m always drawn to it, and it looks sharp with the black trim.

————————————————-
Yeah, it’s too “turquoisey”.

I’d go with that gray/cognac job.

jmonroe

fintail

That Sonata is an ultra low mileage preservation piece, right? Keep it up - in another decade or so it will have weirdo special interest value. I know a teenage enthusiast who is really into 90s Korean cars, a high spec Daewoo Lanos is his dream car.

Michaell said:

corvette said:

@Michaell - that kind of looks like an old-school design Lexus dealership (early 1990s to early 2000s), but with some modern touches like the second floor above the service bay. Nice looking XC40, though!

Went back to the dealer after my sister got off work. Naturally, this went to the top of the list.

Now to get her husband on board. Uphill battle, me thinks.

This is my whip for the week:

andres3

roadburner said:

@breld said:
@roadburner will appreciate this. My current obsession (which changes weekly if not daily anyway) is finding a nice previous gen M240i. Driving that 2019 convertible last week reminded me what a great car that is to drive, and at this point, it’s starting to have that “classic” BMW feel IMO.

I’m a sucker for the newest designs, so had thought I’d want to order a new M240i (and given market prices these days, it’s not a bad idea from a value perspective), but I was really drawn to that gray/cognac convertible from an aesthetic perspective in addition to the drive, so that speaks well of its design.

A manual m240i RWD would be a great update to the ZHP (if/when I chose to move on). But I did find myself appreciating that top down feel way more than I anticipated. So right now, that’s my focus.

In addition to that mineral gray/cognac one, there’s also a 2020 low mile example in a neighboring state in Long Beach Blue. Kinda cool to have a “mostly” M2 exclusive color. My wife would say it’s too “turquoisey” but I’m always drawn to it, and it looks sharp with the black trim.

Honestly, if I could find a CPO 2019 or 2020 M240i manual with H-K, CWP, and the Technology Package I’d probably grab it- as long as it wasn’t black or white.

I'm not a big fan of long beach blue, but it's better than boring white and old man gray in my opinion. And black is just a hotter (in a bad way) version of gray.

fintail

Co-worker has an upper trim 2021 Crosstrek. I haven't driven it, but I have ridden in it, and the engine seems fine, no apparent straining or slowness. The older ones have kind of a wheezy reputation (and what is it with some older Subarus that always sound like they are in too high of a gear?).

stickguy said:

I got bored after we got home from looking at family room furniture again (carefully trying to steer my wife away from the super expensive sectional that the lady at the fancy furniture store did a good job upselling. and pointing her to a very good set that costs half as much but seems just as nice). So I did more searching on new car options for her.

though I did mention that really could go back to 1 but I would prefer a spare, but could replace hers with a toy and cover that need. Her response was "I don't want to drive the truck" I pointed out it was really a midsize SUV with the rear roof cut off. But will need to work on that some more.

from checking every brand I would consider buying, came up with a pretty long list of smaller CUVs/tall hatchs. a few that are reasonably affordable. and plenty that are fancier and more expensive (some quite a bit). maybe I missed something, but I don't think so. I might do some browsing when things settle down and we have time, but probably nothing on the lot to look at or drive anyway!

the list:

Normal, reasonably affordable cars.

Subaru crosstrek
Honda HRV (actually the longest car on this list after the redesign, and probably the slowest. not a good combo)
Hyundai Kona

More expensive stuff the wife would pick:

BMW X2
MB GLA
Lexus U250 (the MPG champ!)
Volvo XC40 (really like these but very pricey now)
Mini Countryman Cooper S all4 (I think the cheapest of the expensive models and quite nicely loaded)
Audi Q3

breld

roadburner said:

@breld said:
@roadburner will appreciate this. My current obsession (which changes weekly if not daily anyway) is finding a nice previous gen M240i. Driving that 2019 convertible last week reminded me what a great car that is to drive, and at this point, it’s starting to have that “classic” BMW feel IMO.

I’m a sucker for the newest designs, so had thought I’d want to order a new M240i (and given market prices these days, it’s not a bad idea from a value perspective), but I was really drawn to that gray/cognac convertible from an aesthetic perspective in addition to the drive, so that speaks well of its design.

A manual m240i RWD would be a great update to the ZHP (if/when I chose to move on). But I did find myself appreciating that top down feel way more than I anticipated. So right now, that’s my focus.

In addition to that mineral gray/cognac one, there’s also a 2020 low mile example in a neighboring state in Long Beach Blue. Kinda cool to have a “mostly” M2 exclusive color. My wife would say it’s too “turquoisey” but I’m always drawn to it, and it looks sharp with the black trim.

Honestly, if I could find a CPO 2019 or 2020 M240i manual with H-K, CWP, and the Technology Package I’d probably grab it- as long as it wasn’t black or white.

I’m in the Chicago area this weekend visiting my son at school. I’m half-tempted to go check this out while I’m in the area…sunset orange manual M240i.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/12edfc7f-9b68-4c15-b0f1-3d5017c424d8/

roadburner

@breld said:
@roadburner will appreciate this. My current obsession (which changes weekly if not daily anyway) is finding a nice previous gen M240i. Driving that 2019 convertible last week reminded me what a great car that is to drive, and at this point, it’s starting to have that “classic” BMW feel IMO.

I’m a sucker for the newest designs, so had thought I’d want to order a new M240i (and given market prices these days, it’s not a bad idea from a value perspective), but I was really drawn to that gray/cognac convertible from an aesthetic perspective in addition to the drive, so that speaks well of its design.

A manual m240i RWD would be a great update to the ZHP (if/when I chose to move on). But I did find myself appreciating that top down feel way more than I anticipated. So right now, that’s my focus.

In addition to that mineral gray/cognac one, there’s also a 2020 low mile example in a neighboring state in Long Beach Blue. Kinda cool to have a “mostly” M2 exclusive color. My wife would say it’s too “turquoisey” but I’m always drawn to it, and it looks sharp with the black trim.

@oldfarmer50 said:
Would you have done that deal with a total stranger? I did a lawn sale once for $500 on a junker. The guy gave me a $100 down and said he be back after he persuaded his girlfriend to give him the rest. He was so shady that I was hesitant to do a $500 deal.

BTW, that blue BMW you posted is a convertible. I thought you hated those. Nice color though.

I did have a complete stranger call, although my local indie shop vouched for him. I sold it before he could come look at it.
I don't recall posting any convertibles; although you are correct in that I have no interest in owning one.

roadburner

@breld said:
I’m in the Chicago area this weekend visiting my son at school. I’m half-tempted to go check this out while I’m in the area…sunset orange manual M240i.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/12edfc7f-9b68-4c15-b0f1-3d5017c424d8/

I saw that one, only thing it's missing is H-K; although a Bavsound speaker/subwoofer upgrade would probably end up sounding better than the H-K for $1148...

tifighter

@breld said:
I’m in the Chicago area this weekend visiting my son at school. I’m half-tempted to go check this out while I’m in the area…sunset orange manual M240i.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/12edfc7f-9b68-4c15-b0f1-3d5017c424d8/

Door sill pic - was it originally a Canadian car? You like hockey, so that’s probably fine.

The real question here is coupe or convertible. If convertible, then you know what you have to do. And there are manual cars that occasionally come up. If coupe, then at $46K, we are getting very near the crossover with the OG M2. When 240 coupes go over $42k or so, that’s when I start looking around at the options.

andres3

I see the m240i as a $39K car at about 17K miles, but:

That's the auto. Manual purists will pay more for a manual. SMG/DSG purists will pay more for the M2 with one. How much more? Now if you can answer that, you have a crystal ball.

breld

Agreed on pricing…it seems OG M2s, M240i’s and M2 Comps have all converged a bit in this market where there should really be some clearer separation in pricing.

As things hopefully settle, I think a decent M2 Comp should have a 5 in front of the price, an OG M2 a 4 and an M240i a 3.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

@breld said:
@roadburner will appreciate this. My current obsession (which changes weekly if not daily anyway) is finding a nice previous gen M240i. Driving that 2019 convertible last week reminded me what a great car that is to drive, and at this point, it’s starting to have that “classic” BMW feel IMO.

I’m a sucker for the newest designs, so had thought I’d want to order a new M240i (and given market prices these days, it’s not a bad idea from a value perspective), but I was really drawn to that gray/cognac convertible from an aesthetic perspective in addition to the drive, so that speaks well of its design.

A manual m240i RWD would be a great update to the ZHP (if/when I chose to move on). But I did find myself appreciating that top down feel way more than I anticipated. So right now, that’s my focus.

In addition to that mineral gray/cognac one, there’s also a 2020 low mile example in a neighboring state in Long Beach Blue. Kinda cool to have a “mostly” M2 exclusive color. My wife would say it’s too “turquoisey” but I’m always drawn to it, and it looks sharp with the black trim.

@oldfarmer50 said:

Would you have done that deal with a total stranger? I did a lawn sale once for $500 on a junker. The guy gave me a $100 down and said he be back after he persuaded his girlfriend to give him the rest. He was so shady that I was hesitant to do a $500 deal.

BTW, that blue BMW you posted is a convertible. I thought you hated those. Nice color though.

I did have a complete stranger call, although my local indie shop vouched for him. I sold it before he could come look at it.

I don't recall posting any convertibles; although you are correct in that I have no interest in owning one.

Sorry, that was breld.

corvette

There was an Elantra N at the local Cars & Coffee this morning, and some other cool stuff. The N looks good in black with the red accents. They didn’t advertise that the one here is “bring your own coffee,” though.

jmonroe1

@fintail said:
That Sonata is an ultra low mileage preservation piece, right? Keep it up - in another decade or so it will have weirdo special interest value. I know a teenage enthusiast who is really into 90s Korean cars, a high spec Daewoo Lanos is his dream car.

————————————————
So, what you’re saying is, you know a weirdo. You need a real life.

FWIW, that 2003 Sonata looks like the same body style as our infamous 2005 XG 350 (with the 3.5 V6) that blew an engine at around 43/44 K miles in 2012. Up until that happened it was a very good car.

jmonroe

mjfloyd1

@tifighter said:

@breld said:
I’m in the Chicago area this weekend visiting my son at school. I’m half-tempted to go check this out while I’m in the area…sunset orange manual M240i.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/12edfc7f-9b68-4c15-b0f1-3d5017c424d8/

Door sill pic - was it originally a Canadian car? You like hockey, so that’s probably fine.

The real question here is coupe or convertible. If convertible, then you know what you have to do. And there are manual cars that occasionally come up. If coupe, then at $46K, we are getting very near the crossover with the OG M2. When 240 coupes go over $42k or so, that’s when I start looking around at the options.

Carfax does show it as Canadian car

tifighter

@breld said:
Agreed on pricing…it seems OG M2s, M240i’s and M2 Comps have all converged a bit in this market where there should really be some clearer separation in pricing.

As things hopefully settle, I think a decent M2 Comp should have a 5 in front of the price, an OG M2 a 4 and an M240i a 3.

This will sound self-serving, unintended of course, but you should try a Z4. The last gen is like a more comfortable Miata with a manual as an option, and the current one is sort of a fabric roof Supra. Given your history with both of those, it might be worth a look. And it’s tall guy friendly.

fintail

Hey, it's not me There's a very real 90s nostalgia movement out there, however, maybe no different than those who got into Edsels and Hudsons in the 70s when there was a 50s nostalgia movement.

IIRC those V6s had a fun rep (if it's the same unit as in the early Sedona) - V8 mpg with 4cyl performance.

jmonroe1 said:

@fintail said:

That Sonata is an ultra low mileage preservation piece, right? Keep it up - in another decade or so it will have weirdo special interest value. I know a teenage enthusiast who is really into 90s Korean cars, a high spec Daewoo Lanos is his dream car.

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So, what you’re saying is, you know a weirdo. You need a real life.

FWIW, that 2003 Sonata looks like the same body style as our infamous 2005 XG 350 (with the 3.5 V6) that blew an engine at around 43/44 K miles in 2012. Up until that happened it was a very good car.

jmonroe

roadburner

At my wife's behest, I took the 2019 C43 for an extended test drive this afternoon. Full report to follow, but no punch.