Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

mjfloyd1

Article about cars with big grilles - a big mouth can wreck a pretty face😂

https://www.autoweek.com/opinion/a42958388/dave-rand-commentary-on-large-automotive-grilles/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_aut&utm_medium=email&date=022223&utm_campaign=nl30627314&user_email=aa8fb836422a392012af3c9116972e4ed85fd20fd898fd1602bc92f77eeabc60&GID=aa8fb836422a392012af3c9116972e4ed85fd20fd898fd1602bc92f77eeabc60&utm_term=AAA -- High Minus Dormant and 90 Day Non Openers

Sandman6472

Our son & daughter-in-law bought a new 2023 Subaru Impreza Base 4-door in black on Saturday. Ended up trading in their 2008 Subaru Impreza with just over 128K on the clock. After much thought & talking with us, decided against the 2019 Subaru Impreza Limited 5-door in blue with 15,400 on the clock. It had been in a "minor" hit back in 2019 which is something to take into account. Spent a bit less on the new 2023 but guess that's because it has less premium equipment than the older model. Since it's his first new car, figured getting a fresh new unit would make the most sense even though the 2019 was a CPO unit. This way, they have a vehicle with zero issues and honestly, there's nothing like a new vehicle!
Don't know any other details yet but they seem very happy. they ended it taking it home that same day, something I don't like to do. But, they were o k with it and guessing the insurance company gives folks a few days until they get all the details about taking off the old vehicle & adding the new one to the policy. Forget really, as we haven't bought anything since December of 2014 and I took mine home the next day.
We're very happy for them & hope to see it when we go to Chicago, hopefully later in 2023.

qbrozen

son passed his test.
Despite all my wife's hand-wringing, they weren't terribly strict. They probably wouldn't have cared about the handbrake. I had forgotten to grab the reflector tags for new drivers that NJ requires be put on the license plates. I said I would just explain, if it came up, that this is a loaner and they can't expect us to put them on every car he MAY drive. But the topic didn't even come up. Neither did the CEL that decided to pop up on our way to the test facility. I wonder if they would have noticed my son's car not having an inspection sticker.

Sandman6472

Back at work yesterday with a new crew & lead driver. Day went quite well & glad the lead let everyone know that I'm a permanent member of the crew now so we're all on the same page. Think I'll be much happier going forward and best part is that I'm off two days in a row now. Working a Monday, Tuesday & Friday schedule going forward. Sure, I'll miss having a 3-day weekend but, more important health wise that I have a couple days off to rest up. Like today, slept in a bit and just finished showering. Guess my body needed the rest and I took it. Did volunteer to work if they needed me but was told they're fine. I feel like I'm starting a new job right now so obviously, this new schedule is so much better for me going forward.
My old lead & crew weren't happy I left & they kind of put me on the spot yesterday when I got there. But now, I must put me first & my health and that's exactly what I did. Very happy indeed!

nyccarguy

son passed his test.

Awesome! Congrats!

stickguy

breld said:

@stickguy - your experience with the previous WRX is similar to mine. With nice weather and an itch to test some fun cars on Saturday, I decided to try out the new WRX mostly on a whim, and was obviously impressed with the change in feel...the rest is history.

Give one a shot...could be right up your alley. Or...wait about 6 months and come out for some hiking in Denver and then drive home in a lightly used WRX.

do you take trade ins?

stickguy

Companies/employers like to try and guilt you. "loyalty" and all that. Don't fall for it, all just nonsense. They don't give one iota of it to you, and as soon as they don't need you have no hesitation to dump you like a hot potato.

stickguy

Actually took a test drive today. first one in a very long time. And actually my first time driving any kind of hybrid. Probably a smart idea since I am buying one soon!

it was a new version CRX sport hybrid. actually a very impressive vehicle. Nice upgrades over the prior version. Definitely a learning curve to the hybrid aspect. Was weird starting off with the engine shut down, and getting all the way out of the parking lot on battery power. but after that just drove normally. if they engine shut down I did not notice. Drivetrain aside, it was nicely loaded and very roomy. Interior could pass for an Acura (though this version had cloth seats).

one oddity (sneaky, and I doubt many buyers would notice) is feature delete. BLIS is standard on this trim level, but at the bottom of the sticker, was a note that it had BSM delete and MSRP was reduced $500. they did not show it as a $ line item which might get people to notice it. I would be really upset if I looked at the Honda website and it said that was standard, and I got home to find out it was missing. I saw it and mentioned it to the salesguy, so no clue if they would point it out or not (I certainly hope so).

Dark gray with charcoal seats. a bit dour. I liked the red over oyster one much better but that was a gas EXL.

dealer was fair though. Selling at straight sticker, no add ons at all. This was also their only stock hybrid.

Not looking for me. have been consulting with my son because his fiancé has a leased Fit that is done in a few months so need to plan a replacement, and might decide to do something now instead of waiting. and the hybrid CRV is on top of the list.

sda

stickguy said:

Companies/employers like to try and guilt you. "loyalty" and all that. Don't fall for it, all just nonsense. They don't give one iota of it to you, and as soon as they don't need you have no hesitation to dump you like a hot potato.

Uh oh, where did that come from? Sadly a lot of truth to that. I was displaced (position eliminated and rolled into another department) after 28 years in 2016. I am still climbing back up the ranks.

qbrozen

Tapping out on C&B for the Pajero. Final straw: I get a message saying "what's up with the title mileage being higher than what is actually on the odo?" I checked my paperwork and, while I maybe meant to write 156,xxx, I actually wrote 166,xxx. Or maybe I multiplied by .65 rather than .62. Whatever. They wrote back that they want me to get a corrected title. I said "no thanks." I further explained that, knowing NJ, it will be far far easier for me to drive another 10k instead. I'm submitted to BaT now to see if it bothers them.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

son passed his test.
Despite all my wife's hand-wringing, they weren't terribly strict. They probably wouldn't have cared about the handbrake. I had forgotten to grab the reflector tags for new drivers that NJ requires be put on the license plates. I said I would just explain, if it came up, that this is a loaner and they can't expect us to put them on every car he MAY drive. But the topic didn't even come up. Neither did the CEL that decided to pop up on our way to the test facility. I wonder if they would have noticed my son's car not having an inspection sticker.

Boy NJ seems more concerned with directing business to their friends and nit picking regulations than if the kid can actually drive. That may explain some of my experiences driving in NJ.

au1994

sda said:

stickguy said:

Companies/employers like to try and guilt you. "loyalty" and all that. Don't fall for it, all just nonsense. They don't give one iota of it to you, and as soon as they don't need you have no hesitation to dump you like a hot potato.

Uh oh, where did that come from? Sadly a lot of truth to that. I was displaced (position eliminated and rolled into another department) after 28 years in 2016. I am still climbing back up the ranks.

Yep, you are just a number or even less in a lot of companies. I got caught up in some office politics and nepotism mess in ‘15. Its taken a couple of false starts and bad jobs until I found my current role to get me back to where I was.

stickguy

sda said:

stickguy said:

Companies/employers like to try and guilt you. "loyalty" and all that. Don't fall for it, all just nonsense. They don't give one iota of it to you, and as soon as they don't need you have no hesitation to dump you like a hot potato.

Uh oh, where did that come from? Sadly a lot of truth to that. I was displaced (position eliminated and rolled into another department) after 28 years in 2016. I am still climbing back up the ranks.

recent personal experience! and being a man of the world....

oh, and a cynic.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

son passed his test.
Despite all my wife's hand-wringing, they weren't terribly strict. They probably wouldn't have cared about the handbrake. I had forgotten to grab the reflector tags for new drivers that NJ requires be put on the license plates. I said I would just explain, if it came up, that this is a loaner and they can't expect us to put them on every car he MAY drive. But the topic didn't even come up. Neither did the CEL that decided to pop up on our way to the test facility. I wonder if they would have noticed my son's car not having an inspection sticker.

Boy NJ seems more concerned with directing business to their friends and nit picking regulations than if the kid can actually drive. That may explain some of my experiences driving in NJ.

mostly it is about safety. Probably learned the hard way. the handbrake requirement goes way back I think, and is all about the tester being able to do something in an emergency other than try to grab the wheel or jump out.

and I can understand requiring the car to be safe and legal. at bare minimum licensed/registered and insured. I imagine the state (DMV) could face serious liability if they took some kid out in a dangerous or uninsured car and they hit someone.

the driving school requirement, NY never had that. Since I doubt the local mom and pop driving school lobby was paying off the politicians, I assume they put that in place after seeing how badly most parents drove and tried to teach. yes it cost a little bit, but I was happy to pay to get that initial break in period out of the way on someone else's car!

I have no clue if any other state has a requirement like that.

kyfdx

@stickguy Must be a real problem with chips. I'm seeing lease numbers on Accord Hybrids with "no BSI" listed as a separate model.

stickguy

the salesguy was nice when I mentioned it (I was probably the only person who ever actually noticed). Basically it is a trim level now. they have the option of ordering with or without, but with gets very limited production. without, they get stock so they picked stuff on the lot even if missing a key feature.

he did say the sport touring (top line model) was coming in with it.

I think the discount was about $571, so will have a real impact on pricing. and unlike some of the gm stuff that was left off, you could never add it back on.

I told my son to look out for it on the sticker. Not sure if they would buy without it if that was the only choice, but I know they want to have it especially on a bigger CUV like that with the typical lousy visibility.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

Boy NJ seems more concerned with directing business to their friends and nit picking regulations than if the kid can actually drive. That may explain some of my experiences driving in NJ.

The test itself was an absurd joke.

This was done on a closed course:
Begin with a right turn from a stop sign. Turn right again into a stall where you parallel park. Pull a K-turn out of that parking spot. Stop and drive in reverse for 20 feet. Stop, pull forward and onto a 1/4-mile winding loop at about 10 mph until you come to another stop sign. Stop. Turn right. Stop. Test over.

stickguy

our location (cherry hill) started in the DMV lot, did the parallel park, and if they did not auto fail that, then they went out on a loop of local roads. I guess some sites still do it all on site.

less of an issue I guess since basically the driving instructor can pass them (they have to get the certificate from that to even be allowed to take the road test).

you would be surprised how many people that have been driving a long time probably would fail that test. Mainly because they can't come close to parallel parking. My wife probably has done that once in the last 30 years. She also hates backing up (she would never be willing to back into a parking space).

xwesx

breld said:

The current state of the Honda market saddens and frustrates me.

Having owned a 1990 Civic Si, 1993 Prelude Si, 2004 TSX and more recently the Type R, I’ve been pretty passionate about their products. But the dealerships have become so arrogant with the success of their products.

My 18 year old would like a Civic, but the markups, even on something without an “Si” or “Type R” badge cause us to consider other brands.

Well, at least it isn't arrogance to the same degree as 1980s Honda dealers.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Ha. Crazy, right?

MVC says it needs a handbrake in the center. That eliminates the Charger. MVC says reg and inspection have to be current, so goodbye Opel and Fiat. He wants it to be small, so that eliminates the Charger again as well as the Sprinter and S90. No RHD, so scratch all those (not inspected anyway). Doesn’t know how to drive a stick yet (I want him to get comfortable driving first), so no WRX for him.

My son tested in our 2013 Subaru Forester (MT). The tester was impressed and said that he was only the third person he'd seen use a manual transmission car for the road test, and the only one that did so by choice.

The handbrake thing seems ridiculous considering that, in modern cars, they are a rare sight.

xwesx

breld said:

I included that second to last picture to show the contrast between the two whites. The Mercedes almost looks yellow compared to the more grayish tint white of the Subaru.

Yes it does! I like the more yellowish hue better, but probably best not to intentionally park next to a stark white car. LOL

If the WRX had white wheels.... Man, that car would really pop!

xwesx

Subaru's shifter feel of the 5MT versus the now-ubiquitous 6MT is night-and-day different. While I still cannot fully get used to the weird ring you have to pull to shift into reverse, the smoothness and "notchiness" of the 6-speed is pleasantly surprising.

It also has a way better grab point on the clutch. I'm not sure when they moved to the 6-speed across the line-up, but it wasn't all that long ago that it was available only the WRX STi.

explorerx4

Out with the old.


In with the new. It was raining so not a great pic.

xwesx

Sneaky!

Is the new one a little smaller (external dimensions)? How is the interior space?

explorerx4

@xwesx,
The new one longer and lower than the MKC. 2nd row is much roomier.
Haven't sat the the driver's seat yet.

tjc78

@xwesx said:
Yes it does! I like the more yellowish hue better, but probably best not to intentionally park next to a stark white car. LOL

If the WRX had white wheels.... Man, that car would really pop!

White wheels? 1994 would call and want it back!

@qbrozen
Congrats! And also condolences for your wallet adding him to your insurance!

@stickguy
I took my test in Cherry Hill and it was exactly the same back then

@explorerx4
Looks good in there. Every time I see an Aviator I’d think it would be a good replacement for the XC, but wife said she wants a sedan. Lincoln makes some good looking SUVs with awesome interiors

breld

xwesx said:

Subaru's shifter feel of the 5MT versus the now-ubiquitous 6MT is night-and-day different. While I still cannot fully get used to the weird ring you have to pull to shift into reverse, the smoothness and "notchiness" of the 6-speed is pleasantly surprising.

It also has a way better grab point on the clutch. I'm not sure when they moved to the 6-speed across the line-up, but it wasn't all that long ago that it was available only the WRX STi.

Funny story...the saleslady that was helping me with the WRX couldn't drive a stick, so I was pulling it out of a tight spot in the lot where I had to do a 2-point turn. So pulled forward close to a parked car in front of me, and then needed to reverse a bit to complete the turn. I pulled the shifter toward me and up instinctively to go into reverse. She let out a little yelp as I inched forward instead of reverse! Nothing bad happened, but I learned quickly the different shift pattern for reverse between Subaru and BMW.

stickguy

well, the situation escalated quickly.

in the AM, was chatting with my son about the technicalities of getting out of an AHF lease in NY. Short answer, not easy so Carmax became a much less viable option. As of noon, next step was they would talk to the dealer a weak from Friday when my DIL to be was taking her car in for an oil change.

Oh, for those not following along, she has a Fit on lease that ends somewhere around 7/1, so they were planning what to do with it. Working concept had been letting her parents buy it out, though after research that would mean she bought it and registered/paid tax, then could sell to them. Dealer couldn't. The lease was good, so there was some decent equity in a base Fit, making a family takeover more complicated.

back to the story... Next I got a text from son along the lines of "she might be more impulsive than me with cars". Turns out she checked and the dealer close to them happened to have the dream spec (CRV hybrid sport in Meteorite gray) in stock (exactly the same as the one I drove today 1/2 hour north of them). And at both dealers, it was the only hybrid they had. So that escalated into "we are going over to look at it and talk to them about options"

that led to a call that they had numbers presented and discussing what made sense, and if they should worry about Fit going down in value. short answer, they likely had no risk in waiting, so left it at that.

took about 45 seconds after call ended to get the text "going for it, picking it up tomorrow".

since then, been consulting in to the finance office process. Which ended up with them getting a 10 year/unlimited (or 100,000 miles, I forget which) BtoB warranty (I assume Hondacare but need to confirm). Goal is to keep it as long as possible so makes sense for them.

Deal ended up being straight MSRP, no ADM or pack stuff. And they had $3,000 in equity in the Fit to put toward a down payment. In this market, for a car in very short supply, seems like a reasonable deal.

roadburner

breld said:

xwesx said:

Subaru's shifter feel of the 5MT versus the now-ubiquitous 6MT is night-and-day different. While I still cannot fully get used to the weird ring you have to pull to shift into reverse, the smoothness and "notchiness" of the 6-speed is pleasantly surprising.

It also has a way better grab point on the clutch. I'm not sure when they moved to the 6-speed across the line-up, but it wasn't all that long ago that it was available only the WRX STi.

Funny story...the saleslady that was helping me with the WRX couldn't drive a stick, so I was pulling it out of a tight spot in the lot where I had to do a 2-point turn. So pulled forward close to a parked car in front of me, and then needed to reverse a bit to complete the turn. I pulled the shifter toward me and up instinctively to go into reverse. She let out a little yelp as I inched forward instead of reverse! Nothing bad happened, but I learned quickly the different shift pattern for reverse between Subaru and BMW.

Same situation here with the Wrangler and the Club Sport. Right and down on the Jeep, left and up on the BMW.

xwesx

Wow! Waste not, want not! Congrats to them.

Keeping it long term.... let's see how that works out!

stickguy

this is her dream car, and she is clear she intends to keep it long term (until the wheels fall off). I think she well. My son, his car could flip a lot more often!

they are getting married next summer (2024). So even if these things take the common course of kids, etc., it should cover them for a long time.

stickguy

took the plunge tonight. sent all my documents to Carvana. Hoping for the best!

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

On the black lug nuts buy a can of spray paint and save $243.

————————————————

More like a savings of $249.22.

jmonroe

But added weight of the black paint Okay, joking.

andres3

breld said:

I included that second to last picture to show the contrast between the two whites. The Mercedes almost looks yellow compared to the more grayish tint white of the Subaru.

Are you sure the Mercedes is washed? LOL. It looks almost ivory/cream compared to the white Subaru. Our Alltrack was Pure white.

andres3

Riverdale NJ Kia loves TTRS'.... they have another high mile '18 Red TTRS that needs to be test driven.

I figure I got 3rd degree burned by a low mile used Audi, better to go high mile used Audi in the future as the worst it could do is 2nd degree burns in comparison.

stickguy

qbrozen

@andres3 said:
better to go high mile used Audi in the future as the worst it could do is 2nd degree burns in comparison.

Sure. Or, better still, no Audi

stickguy

might go with direct deposit for my Carvana payoff. wonder if that would get in quicker than getting a check and driving straight to the bank?

mjfloyd1

stickguy said:

well, the situation escalated quickly.

in the AM, was chatting with my son about the technicalities of getting out of an AHF lease in NY. Short answer, not easy so Carmax became a much less viable option. As of noon, next step was they would talk to the dealer a weak from Friday when my DIL to be was taking her car in for an oil change.

Oh, for those not following along, she has a Fit on lease that ends somewhere around 7/1, so they were planning what to do with it. Working concept had been letting her parents buy it out, though after research that would mean she bought it and registered/paid tax, then could sell to them. Dealer couldn't. The lease was good, so there was some decent equity in a base Fit, making a family takeover more complicated.

back to the story... Next I got a text from son along the lines of "she might be more impulsive than me with cars". Turns out she checked and the dealer close to them happened to have the dream spec (CRV hybrid sport in Meteorite gray) in stock (exactly the same as the one I drove today 1/2 hour north of them). And at both dealers, it was the only hybrid they had. So that escalated into "we are going over to look at it and talk to them about options"

that led to a call that they had numbers presented and discussing what made sense, and if they should worry about Fit going down in value. short answer, they likely had no risk in waiting, so left it at that.

took about 45 seconds after call ended to get the text "going for it, picking it up tomorrow".

since then, been consulting in to the finance office process. Which ended up with them getting a 10 year/unlimited (or 100,000 miles, I forget which) BtoB warranty (I assume Hondacare but need to confirm). Goal is to keep it as long as possible so makes sense for them.

Deal ended up being straight MSRP, no ADM or pack stuff. And they had $3,000 in equity in the Fit to put toward a down payment. In this market, for a car in very short supply, seems like a reasonable deal.

I believe the longest Hondacare warranty to be 8 yr /120,000 miles. Check to see what they bought as Hyannis Honda sells them cheap and it doesn’t make sense to get anything other than a $0 deductible as the $100 deductible policies are usually $100 more so you are money ahead after the first claim.

If they didn’t get Hondacare or it is more expensive than Hyannis Honda, I’d cancel and buy from Hyannis

mjfloyd1

andres3 said:

breld said:

I included that second to last picture to show the contrast between the two whites. The Mercedes almost looks yellow compared to the more grayish tint white of the Subaru.

Are you sure the Mercedes is washed? LOL. It looks almost ivory/cream compared to the white Subaru. Our Alltrack was Pure white.

It doesn’t matter as one of them will be gone soon so there won’t be another side by side comparison of the different whites😂

stickguy

mjfloyd1 said:

stickguy said:

well, the situation escalated quickly.

in the AM, was chatting with my son about the technicalities of getting out of an AHF lease in NY. Short answer, not easy so Carmax became a much less viable option. As of noon, next step was they would talk to the dealer a weak from Friday when my DIL to be was taking her car in for an oil change.

Oh, for those not following along, she has a Fit on lease that ends somewhere around 7/1, so they were planning what to do with it. Working concept had been letting her parents buy it out, though after research that would mean she bought it and registered/paid tax, then could sell to them. Dealer couldn't. The lease was good, so there was some decent equity in a base Fit, making a family takeover more complicated.

back to the story... Next I got a text from son along the lines of "she might be more impulsive than me with cars". Turns out she checked and the dealer close to them happened to have the dream spec (CRV hybrid sport in Meteorite gray) in stock (exactly the same as the one I drove today 1/2 hour north of them). And at both dealers, it was the only hybrid they had. So that escalated into "we are going over to look at it and talk to them about options"

that led to a call that they had numbers presented and discussing what made sense, and if they should worry about Fit going down in value. short answer, they likely had no risk in waiting, so left it at that.

took about 45 seconds after call ended to get the text "going for it, picking it up tomorrow".

since then, been consulting in to the finance office process. Which ended up with them getting a 10 year/unlimited (or 100,000 miles, I forget which) BtoB warranty (I assume Hondacare but need to confirm). Goal is to keep it as long as possible so makes sense for them.

Deal ended up being straight MSRP, no ADM or pack stuff. And they had $3,000 in equity in the Fit to put toward a down payment. In this market, for a car in very short supply, seems like a reasonable deal.

I believe the longest Hondacare warranty to be 8 yr /120,000 miles. Check to see what they bought as Hyannis Honda sells them cheap and it doesn’t make sense to get anything other than a $0 deductible as the $100 deductible policies are usually $100 more so you are money ahead after the first claim.

If they didn’t get Hondacare or it is more expensive than Hyannis Honda, I’d cancel and buy from Hyannis

thanks. I looked at their site and found the info about it, and passed along to my son. They are supposed to pick it up end of the day I think, so told him to contact that dealer in the morning. You can add it after purchase at the same cost anyway, just not conveniently rolled into the payment (but at today's interest rates, not sure you want to do that anyway!)

you were right, 8 years was the longest they listed. I already discussed with him about confirming what company backed the warranty the dealer was pushing, and pass if it was not Hondacare.

xwesx

Active week! Keep 'em coming!

xwesx

Random thought:

We should have a CCBA meet up next summer when I'm down that way. I think there are a good half-dozen of us within a few-hundred-mile diameter of one another in the, uh, "greater Ohio" area....

We could do a "cars & coffee" sort of thing somewhere in the general area of Columbus, which is pretty central to Pittsburg, Cincinatti, Louisville, Cleveland, Erie, etc. Maybe find a small town near there with an interesting hook.

Michaell

xwesx said:

Random thought:

We should have a CCBA meet up next summer when I'm down that way. I think there are a good half-dozen of us within a few-hundred-mile diameter of one another in the, uh, "greater Ohio" area....

We could do a "cars & coffee" sort of thing somewhere in the general area of Columbus, which is pretty central to Pittsburg, Cincinatti, Louisville, Cleveland, Erie, etc. Maybe find a small town near there with an interesting hook.

Only if you're able to stop in Colorado this time and meet up with the contingent here.

But, I like the idea.

tjc78

@Michaell said:
Only if you're able to stop in Colorado this time and meet up with the contingent here.

But, I like the idea.

How far is the CO group from Fort Collins or Denver airport?

stickguy

Just keep going to near NYC and you can pick up at least 5 of us there!

stickguy

More info on warranty. Looks like it might be offered by Zurich. Anyone familiar with them? Supposedly can only be sold by dealer at time if purchase.

Looks like they will pass on that and investigate cheap hondacare options instead. Hopefully getting price on that before they go pick it up.

explorerx4

I updated the EZ Pass info to reflect the change to the Corsair today.
Before that, her MKC was listed as Model 'Other' because they never added MKC to the selection list.

nyccarguy

@explorerx4 - NICE JOB! The Corsair is a sharp looking SUV.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

might go with direct deposit for my Carvana payoff. wonder if that would get in quicker than getting a check and driving straight to the bank?

Definitely. Also, you'll have access to the funds sooner.