Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

rayainsw

'Nice enough, but I wasn't ready to pull the trigger.'
So - what were the issues?
- Ray
Just curious - and looking at a 335iS - next year....

jayrider

CCBA rule #1 may apply. If all you can say about a car after a test drive is "nice enough" , you need to keep looking. Congrats. You need to check the dealer in a few days to see if the car is sold. Sales dude may have been playing you a bit.

michaellno

CCBA rule #1 may apply. If all you can say about a car after a test drive is "nice enough" , you need to keep looking.

I may have to respectfully disagree .. doesn't the first "C" stand for "Chronic"? The idea is that you get bored with your cars often, therefore selling or trading them in for fresh iron.

If you fall in love with something, wouldn't you then have to give up your membership card since you're out of the market?

For example, how much did ak love her Pilot? Yet it only was in her stable for a year or two before it got sold. And, as much as she is currently gushing about the MDX she'll be getting later this winter, how much you wanna bet it won't last 36 months?

However, having said that, I know that rb is very particular about what he'll buy, so it stands to reason that the best decision was the one he made, and to pass on the 335i.

stickguy

(and I am putting RB in this catagory) are often better off buying new. Especially on something like a BMW, where there are a lot of options and customizations possible, and you want somewthing that is relatively stripped (without common features).

Like the 318ti without a roof, a relatively oddball car.

so while there are competing forces acting here (wanting something specifiic vs. not wanting to pay for it), if you are going to keep the thing for 15+ years, wrench open the wallet (assuming there is enough in there) and pay a little extra.

Head down to the dealer, and order the exact oddball set of features you want. Heck, pop over to Germany and pick it up Euro delivery too

akangl

:sick: For example, how much did ak love her Pilot? Yet it only was in her stable for a year or two before it got sold. And, as much as she is currently gushing about the MDX she'll be getting later this winter, how much you wanna bet it won't last 36 months?

Actually the Pilot was in my stable for 38 months and selling it was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I regret it every day. If I could rewind the clock and not sell it I would!

I like the MDX, its a nice car, its a Honda, and I'm sure it'll be every bit as reliable as the Pilot was. Do I love it? No Can I live with it for a few years? Yup, gonna have to.

I think my CCB ways have slowed, I can usually live with a car for a while it seems. Well, unless its a cranky 93 Exploder, then, no, I can't live with that, although the 95 F-250 isn't much less cranky. However, the F-250 is very useful and will stick around for a while.

To be honest there really isn't a single SUV on the market that I really can say I love. I liked the Jeep GC, it was nice, probably my favorite of the bunch, BUT, Chrysler's financial position and past reliability made me far to nervous to actually order a Jeep.

If someone said you can have ANY car you want, cost is no factor.......I'd want my 07 Pilot back. :sick:

woodyww

Actually the Pilot was in my stable for 38 months and selling it was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I regret it every day. If I could rewind the clock and not sell it I would!

I haven't checked this forum for a long time--Everything seems pretty much the same. :P So I missed why akangl sold the Pilot. And you don't have the MDX yet? I'm not sure why someone would like an MDX less than a Pilot? Isn't the MDX a luxo version of the Pilot?

It's OK to miss cars that you've sold. But I'm looking at the MDX on the Acura website right now--it looks REALLY nice, esp. the interior--I'd be a happy camper in one of those, if I could afford it.

fezo

I know originally the MDX was a little smaller than teh Pilot. i have no idea if that is still the case.

A friend of mine has an MDX with a gazillion miles on it. The only reason he got the Acura instead of the Honda was that the Pilot was brand new at the time and they were putting ADM on them. The Acura was actually cheaper at that time!

akangl

I haven't checked this forum for a long time--Everything seems pretty much the same. So I missed why akangl sold the Pilot. And you don't have the MDX yet? I'm not sure why someone would like an MDX less than a Pilot? Isn't the MDX a luxo version of the Pilot?

It's OK to miss cars that you've sold. But I'm looking at the MDX on the Acura website right now--it looks REALLY nice, esp. the interior--I'd be a happy camper in one of those, if I could afford it.

I sold the Pilot for a couple different reasons, at the time I needed a truck and the plan was to buy a newer truck, plus the seats in the Pilot made it quite painfully for my to drive with my worsening back problems. Of course 2 weeks after I sold the Pilot I stumbled on a really nice 95 F-250 that fit the bill for a truck perfectly and it was cheap.

I ordered the MDX, the dealer didn't have the color combo I wanted, so the easiest way to get it was to order it. Also that keeps them from putting accessories on it I don't want. This dealer loves to put $3k worth of crap on their cars, stuff I certainly don't want.

The MDX is nice, its quiet, drives well, good AWD, but no, it doesn't excite me. Haven't found that since I sold the Pilot. :sick: Maybe I'll change my mind after owning it for a while, I don't know. Either way it'll be in the stable for a long while.

roadburner

So - what were the issues?

No issues really; I just can't get excited about the color combination, and the overally styling also leaves me a bit cold. If it was a coupe and it had the Coral Red leather I'd like it a lot more.
This sweetheart REALLY tempts me, but the potential for some expensive repairs is a bit sobering. Still, I sometimes think I need to buy one now as we will likely never see big powerful V8s much longer, what with CAFE and the environmental hysteria...

stickguy

that is a sweet looking car. A bit bright, but nice.

28firefighter

That M5 has been my dream car, in that exact color, since it came out. You'd obviously get a PPI, and if everything checks out, at 41k miles you should be okay for at least a little while. In theory.

jayrider

It has low miles and was checked over by the dealer. The price is low enough to offset repairs which may never occur. Probably has a history -- if it drives great and you like it --- roll the dice. You don't want to be on your death bed thinking " I wish I'd have sprung for that blue beemer" Remember, the only thing you can take with you is a good meal.

roadburner

I have a friend who lives nearby and he's offered to check it out. We shall see...

qbrozen

damn that's sweet.

I thought M cars are supposed to be reliable ... or is that a myth?

check out that gas mileage readout, though! Were the salepeople out drag racing it or what?

FWIW, trade-in is in the $14k-$15k range.

woodyww

I don't know how many E39 M5's with 41K miles (did I get that right?) there are? With NAV even? Of course a recent 1 or 3-series would make more "sense", probably.

When you say it's a "sweetheart", it sure looks like one. Expensive repairs? Anything "could" happen, with any expensive 10 y.o. german car. But I'm drooling over that M5, & the super-low miles will attract more buyers if you sell it someday......

roadburner

I thought M cars are supposed to be reliable ... or is that a myth?

The M5 isn't all that expensive to own if you do some of the work yourself and know decent sources for parts. The there are some little known secrets, like an ECU reflash which eliminates the CEL generated by clogged air pump passages in the cylinder heads. Otherwise its a job requiring the heads to be pulled($2000 or more if you're lucky).

fintail

Aren't some of those cars known to have cooling system issues?

roadburner

All E39s(but especially the V8s) usually require radiator and thermostat replacement prior to 100K. You just have to consider it preventative maintenance, and you can do it for @$700 or less as it's a fairly simple weekend DIY project.

qbrozen

Honestly, as long as the engine (top and bottom) and trans don't require rebuilding before 150k, and as long as I'm not left stranded more than once in its life, I consider a car reliable.

So when can we expect pics of the M5 in your driveway?

If it weren't for the deplorable gas mileage, I'd probably be scheming a way to buy it myself right now.

roadburner

So when can we expect pics of the M5 in your driveway?

I'm working on it...

28firefighter

So what is the story 'burner? I see Blue in your future.

roadburner

I'm trying to coordinate a PPI- hard to do when you live in a different state.

corvette

If it was a mistake to sell the Pilot, have you tried looking for a used 2007 Pilot like the one you sold? It would probably be cheaper than a new MDX.

stickguy

and still have the same poor seat comfort that led to the demise of the original!

akangl

If it was a mistake to sell the Pilot, have you tried looking for a used 2007 Pilot like the one you sold? It would probably be cheaper than a new MDX.

I did look around, but the only 07-08 Pilots available are either EX (no leather or roof) or SE (no leather, but has sunroof). The price on the 08 SE was $29k if I remember right and it had accident history, which is typical for used cars up here. I can't stomach paying $29k for a car that could have been purchased for $30k new in 08.

A used 07-08 Pilot EX-L is pretty much a rare beast up here. I could have asked more for mine and probably got it.

My MDX has still not been ordered, the salesguy has my deposit, but can't order for another few days I guess. If I can't get the color I want I'm going to wait and try to find one in the next few months. I changed the color I wanted and he said he wasn't sure he could get it, but would let me know.

Three months now without a car is starting to wear on me. The truck is fine if I have to go somewhere close by, but not long trips. With hubby working lots of overtime the Civic is rarely here, it spends more time 300 miles away.

mark156

Well, a year has passed owning the 2010 Land Rover LR4 HSE. I have 10,500 miles on it now and can't be happier with the way it handles/performs, etc. I can tell a real difference from the '06 LR3. The LR4 has new suspension and a redesigned interior. I like it so much better as the handling and seat comfort is superior. I've put more miles on this one than in the '06 in the first year (8,500 in the '06).

The horse power increased from 300 to 375 and gets better gas mileage. I was getting 11 in the LR3 in the city and I get 12-13 in the LR4.

Now, the 2001 Mercedes S500 is needing to go. Can't decided what to replace it with. Was thinking the new Jaguar XJ but my Automobile magazine said the nav system was slow and is not what should be expected of a car in it's price range. The Audi came out on top tech-wise. The S500 has 84,000+ miles and has been a good car. Originally, the car started having problems under warranty until the wiring harness was changed. After that, very reliable.

Mark156

akangl

Now, the 2001 Mercedes S500 is needing to go. Can't decided what to replace it with.

Have you looked at the new Acura TL? I hadn't even given one a glance, but was flipping through the channels the other night and stumbled on to a show that was testing the TL. Really interesting show, looks like a super nice car, especially with the SH-AWD. Watched them race 2 of them around a track, they didn't have anything bad to say about the cars.

Now my hubby is NOT by any means a car person, he hates anything to do with them. He loved his truck, but has never warmed up to a car. He sat there and watched the whole 30 minute show and kept saying wow, that's a nice car. Now for the past few days all he's talked about is wanting to look at a TL. I have never seen him so interested in something that wasn't a 1 ton dually.

fintail

The Germans are head over heels in love with the ICE in the A8 - but I don't know if I'd want to risk an Audi for 10 year ownership (as you seem to keep cars for a long time). Maybe they are better now, but I don't see many first-gen A8s out there.

mark156

Another glitch in changing the Mercedes out is we've inherited a 2007 Lincoln Town Car (off white, light tan leather)... pretty car and drives very nice. I think it has about 20,000 miles on it. So, the rush to change out the S500 has been put on the back burner but it's time for it to go.

The Lincoln is nice.... too 'old man' for me but nice. That's one reason the S500 miles have been kept low in the last year. Although, neither have been driven in 4 months as we were in California during that time.

I'll have to take a look at the TL but that's the smaller Acura, right. The RL is the large one. I'll also take a look at the Audi A8. If Mercedes would get rid of the complicated 'knob'... we would have a new S550 in the driveway tomorrow. If our TN town had a Bentley dealer, there would be a new Bentley Continental Flying Spur in the garage or maybe the new Bentley Muslanne! The nearest Bentley dealer is in St. Louis and then Atlanta (too far away for service). :sick: The Bentley has a very easy knob to understand and use.

Mark156

fintail

Maybe the next S will have a touchscreen system like the A8, but that's a few years off yet. For ease of use, that's probably the best. I've read nothing but good about the MMI in the A8, but maybe not from unbiased sources. BMW is still complicated too, but I've figured it out in the times I've used it. But if one wants it to be intuitive...not something Germans excel at.

RL is the big Acura but not big like a S or A8 etc...might get a good deal on one though, they barely sell.

Don't have to worry about any of that with a TC, it's like a brand new vintage car.

corvette

Yeah, the RL is the big Acura and comes standard with all-wheel drive. It's only available with a V6 and five-speed automatic, which makes it look bad compared to the competition.

In addition to the German cars, you might check out the Infiniti M56 and Lexus LS460.

fintail

I wonder if it sells 1000 units a year now. I can't imagine.

I've seen a couple more M56 lately, doesn't warm my heart. Exhaust has way too much of that Nissan-Infiniti drone too, noise doesn't mean sport.

I "built my own" A8 last night for kicks...110K! I thought they'd be some kind of value alternative to the other big Germans. Not anymore.

stever

Audi can't seem to obtain the same cachet as Mercedes, even though the reviews are generally good. It's not affordable nor is the A8 an "entry-level" ride. It offers superior performance in a class of its own. (I'm borrowing some superlatives here from the Washington Post).

But even overlooking the front maw (if you could...), for those bucks most luxury buyers would rather have a MB I think. Going beyond the brand status thing, the MB may hold its value better too, having been associated with luxo rides for a lot longer. No one ever got fired buying IBM.

One thing's for sure - not many of us are chronically buying them.

fintail

I think the resale on big Audis is kind of weak - not long ago, parts support for obsolete models was much weaker than the competition, and that hurt the image. Not to mention endless reams of problems that seem to follow pre-2005 A6s and early A8s.

A8 only dates to the late 90s...its tough to break in to an established market without being both better and cheaper than the dominators.

Don't get me wrong, I think they are lovely cars (especially in S form)...but the market reacts different, and the big mouth bass look probably polarizes some as well.

stever

Get a 2011 VW Jetta for $6k. There's a cheap addition to your collection.

steve_, "Auto Parts Bargains and Coupons" #429, 13 Dec 2010 12:49 pm

jayrider

If the price doesn't include tax-title-license-paint sealant-fabric guard-credit life-key insurance-window etching and extended warranty -- I'm not interested. :P

stever

I'm sure Uncle will tax you on the full MSRP.

btw, signing up for the site is "limited".

qbrozen

Yup. Just found out the same thing. How much you want to bet I am permitted the great privelege of membership AFTER this event?

stever

I wouldn't sweat it - they let me in and I just signed up a couple of hours ago. :shades:

There's only 3 Jettas available at that price and somehow the whole sale benefits charity.

qbrozen

you're right. I did get "accepted." Now, however, I can't get the android app. Keeps erroring out on my phone. And it seems you need that to even try to get 1 of the 3 cars. I think its at noon tomorrow (?).

stever

Yeah, I don't do cells or apps so I didn't pay much attention to the first contest day.

michaellno

I test drove a MINI Cooper S convertible last Wednesday. Hot chocolate with black cloth interior and black roof. 6 speed, minimally optioned with cold weather pkg and maybe one or two other items.

Salesman tossed me the keys and told me to go have fun. Some city, some 4 lane suburban roads, a short shot of highway.

Thoughts:

* I can't imagine what the sport suspension and 17" wheels would be like. the 16" wheels and tires were rough enough. Though, it's more a sports car than commuter, so the rough ride isn't completely unexpected.

* Manual transmission was sweet! Very easy to drive in traffic.

* No turbo lag ... just seamless power all over the rev band. The highway on-ramp doubles as a 6% grade (up) and I just flew up it.

* Visibility isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The test drive was with the top up (early morning, cold temps) and the mirrors did a better than adequate job of letting me know where everybody else was - of course, being in a car that's not much larger than a telephone booth also helps. There are (small) rear side windows that help, too.

MSRP was $29.9, and MINI is currently running a 0.9% APR special on all 2011 MINIs. Still puts the payment over $500/month, which is at the high end of my budget when I'm ready to pull the trigger next summer.

Overall, a nice car, but I think I like the Z4 just a little bit more.

akangl

I couldn't stand it, I had to call to see what the status was. He said that he was restricted this month on ordering and could not order an MDX. So, he called the district manager and within hours a 2011 Acura MDX tech in grigio/ebony was showing up on his order screen. He said to expect the car around the end of February, but could be sooner. Now I'm a bit excited......ok, really excited, lol.

After this our next search will be for an AWD sedan to replace the Civic in the next year. The tentative plan is to pass the Civic on to our son when he gets back from basic, that way he has a nice, reliable car to start out with.

roadburner

...to order a 128i Coupe- Alpine White with Coral Red Leather. Equipped the way I want it(Cold Weather, Convenience, M Sport, and Value packages-plus Harman-Kardon audio) the MSRP is 36,050. However, my dealer is willing to knock $2,050 off of that, BMW kicks in a $1,500 "Holiday Cash" rebate, and I get another $500 from the BMW Car Club- so the bottom line is actually $32,000. Not cheap, but I'll probably keep it for ten or more years. Don't laugh; I've had my 318ti for fifteen years and my Wrangler for almost nine.

qbrozen

how low is he now on that 135?

What happened to that low mileage M5, by the way?

roadburner

how low is he now on that 135?

I haven't made a counter-offer; I'm tempted to offer $36,500 OTD. I doubt that they'd bite.

What happened to that low mileage M5, by the way?

That dealer has a less than positive reputation and it's just too much hassle to try and set up a PPI from so far away. I also found out the car has had three owners; that's not unusual for a ten year old car- but it is a bit odd when the car has less than 50K on the clock.

kyfdx

I think that's a good plan... I like a few more options than that, but it looks good!

corvette

A 135 would be closer to an M3 or M5, or are you looking for a spiritual successor to the 2002 and 318ti?

28firefighter

BMW left me stranded tonight. Sitting a stop light driving home from school, I started smelling coolant and then looked at my temp gauge just in time to see it running towards the red. Pulled over immediately and shut the car off to find coolant pouring out of the bottom of the engine towards the top front. At the very least a cracked expansion tank, I'm sure. Hoping it wasn't a failing water pump that caused it and hoping I caught it quick enough that I didn't damage the head gasket. Towed it to the mechanic and will hear more on Monday.

Whats more money, right?

The worst part? I still love the car. I'm not even mad - but it was depressing watching it get flatbed to the shop. Never had a car leave me stranded like that before.

EDIT: OK I am a little mad, but mostly at myself. I knew that the cooling system was probably on borrowed time at 85k miles in a harsh climate (extreme temperatures on both ends), but I convinced myself that it could wait until February or March.

stickguy

bummer, but hopefully you caught it in time and are only out the cost of the tow (in addition to the repair you needed to do anyway).

and remember, there is a reason they call it PREVENTIVE maintenance!