Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

mjfloyd1

The 4xe come standard with LED headlights and Alpine premium sound

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

@nyccarguy said:

Getting the Cross Climate 2s installed on the Highlander later this evening (5:30 PM) at Costco. We are going to look at a few colleges over the next several weeks (Ithaca, Vermont, American, Brandies, High Point) along with a hockey tournament sprinkled in (Marlboro, MA) so I'm happy to make the switch now. For logistical reasons (my wife won't be home in time), I took the Highlander to work and my wife is driving the Tacoma that doesn't have running boards. She's 5'4".

I’ve been to Ithaca and Burlington. Both nice towns. Better like hills in Ithaca though.

I went to Ithaca. Graduated in 1998.

stickguy

Then you know. My son went to the college on the north hill.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

Then you know. My son went to the college on the north hill.

We are looking there too. They have a program he's interested in.

stickguy

My daughter got accepted into one interesting one. Something like public policy? Really interesting. But got in on a 1 year deferral (would have gone to community college for 1 year to take core course the. Transfer in) and she did not really want to do that.

stickguy

Labor and industrial relations! Looked it up.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

Labor and industrial relations! Looked it up.

That's the one. Industrial & Labor Relations.

roadburner

stickguy said:

Can’t you still order one? I seem to recall that’s what the Jeep flipper crew did in the past. Spec out your unicorn and get exactly what you want.

The one I was looking at stickered for $69k and had 14k miles on it- the dealer was asking $45k. Aside from color, I wouldn't option it any differently.

roadburner

mjfloyd1 said:

The 4xe come standard with LED headlights and Alpine premium sound

I think that only applies to the Sahara and Rubicon.

tjc78

Yeah I am pretty sure the 4XE I had as a rental didn’t have the Alpine stereo.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

So the salesperson called me last night and told me that the Rubicon 4xe sold. I’m leaning towards waiting for another Rubicon to show up. Unfortunately most of them lack all of the features I want- LED headlamps, CWP, and premium sound. The one that got away had most every option save the power top which I do not want under any circumstances.

Wait, first it was available, then it sold, then it was available again, then it sold again? What kind of mind games are they playing?

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

@nyccarguy said:

Getting the Cross Climate 2s installed on the Highlander later this evening (5:30 PM) at Costco. We are going to look at a few colleges over the next several weeks (Ithaca, Vermont, American, Brandies, High Point) along with a hockey tournament sprinkled in (Marlboro, MA) so I'm happy to make the switch now. For logistical reasons (my wife won't be home in time), I took the Highlander to work and my wife is driving the Tacoma that doesn't have running boards. She's 5'4".

I’ve been to Ithaca and Burlington. Both nice towns. Better like hills in Ithaca though.

Better skiing near Burlington.

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

Yeah I am pretty sure the 4XE I had as a rental didn’t have the Alpine stereo.

I think he meant the Rubicon 4XE has it standard, as that was the vehicle in question.

venture

My Subaru sales guy emailed me and said the 2024 Legacy Sport they ordered for me is there. He is off tomorrow so I said I would stop Thursday after lunch.

Now I have to decide whether to get it or not. Subaru USA is sending a voucher for $750 which would grease the rails a little bit. (Just a simple phone call).

I mentioned to Mrs. venture that maybe I should just get the Legacy and keep the BMW. I was told that was a bad idea.

If I do get it, they will be writing me a pretty hefty check.

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

Getting the Cross Climate 2s installed on the Highlander later this evening (5:30 PM) at Costco. We are going to look at a few colleges over the next several weeks (Ithaca, Vermont, American, Brandies, High Point) along with a hockey tournament sprinkled in (Marlboro, MA) so I'm happy to make the switch now. For logistical reasons (my wife won't be home in time), I took the Highlander to work and my wife is driving the Tacoma that doesn't have running boards. She's 5'4".

————————————————
5’4”, she’s a giant. Mrs. j has shrunk to 5’ 1/2” over the years. She started out at 5’ 3” IIRC. If you want to see something funny you should see her getting into her sons GMC. I’ll admit it has running boards but it’s still a site to behold and she refuses any help.

jmonroe

mjfloyd1

roadburner said:

mjfloyd1 said:

The 4xe come standard with LED headlights and Alpine premium sound

I think that only applies to the Sahara and Rubicon.

They only had Sahara and Rubicon when I got my two. I forgot they now make other models. Whoops.

It does make sense for those two options because of lower power draw with LED headlights and a digital amp - I assumed that it was intentional

jmonroe1

venture said:

My Subaru sales guy emailed me and said the 2024 Legacy Sport they ordered for me is there. He is off tomorrow so I said I would stop Thursday after lunch.

Now I have to decide whether to get it or not. Subaru USA is sending a voucher for $750 which would grease the rails a little bit. (Just a simple phone call).

I mentioned to Mrs. venture that maybe I should just get the Legacy and keep the BMW. I was told that was a bad idea.

If I do get it, they will be writing me a pretty hefty check.

————————————————
You’re not a newly wed so I’m sure you’ve had bad ideas before. Why not give it another try. You probably have more experience by now.

jmonroe

mjfloyd1

venture said:

My Subaru sales guy emailed me and said the 2024 Legacy Sport they ordered for me is there. He is off tomorrow so I said I would stop Thursday after lunch.

Now I have to decide whether to get it or not. Subaru USA is sending a voucher for $750 which would grease the rails a little bit. (Just a simple phone call).

I mentioned to Mrs. venture that maybe I should just get the Legacy and keep the BMW. I was told that was a bad idea.

If I do get it, they will be writing me a pretty hefty check.

What’s the trade in value vs what you paid? Is this one going to sting?

tifighter

Two months in and finally road tripping in the MDX. This is all she’s got, Captain-

All highway, and up then down a 5500ft mountain pass. Not amazing, although it beats the 21mpg highway rating.

andres3

Anyone here have any interest in a clean 65,000 mile S4 with a fairly almost perfectly clean bill of health at the last service with Liqui-Moly 5w-40 oil change?

I'd sell at private party value (fair price) but not trade-in value. As much as I love the car and not trying to get rid of it; it might be time for something new and to scratch the CCBA itch.

Driving both of my Audi's, it's clear I'd rather part with the S4 than the TTS, the TTS is even better. Of course, if someone had a TTRS to trade, then it makes sense to get rid of the TTS, but only then.

qbrozen

Disappointing day. Not quite the spec nor condition I hoped for, and, to add insult to injury, I don’t even fit in the darned thing. Guess I’ll be on the lookout for a 4wd Kei Van instead.

corvette

@tifighter - I'm assuming it just says "fuel range low" once it gets below a quarter tank or so? Because 91 miles of range seems at odds with 278.5 miles on the tank and roughly 3/8 remaining.

tjc78

@qbrozen said:
Disappointing day. Not quite the spec nor condition I hoped for, and, to add insult to injury, I don’t even fit in the darned thing. Guess I’ll be on the lookout for a 4wd Kei Van instead.

Pretty cool truck nonetheless! Assuming there is virtually no leg room in there and a very upright steering wheel.

explorerx4

Fill up to fill up is the only way to measure. Tank size is 18.5 gallons.
With a 50 mile reserve(rounding to 2 gallons), (278 + 91) / 16.5 = 22.4.
BTW, there's no bigger liar than the MPG readout on my Explorer.

qbrozen

tjc78 said:

@qbrozen said:

Disappointing day. Not quite the spec nor condition I hoped for, and, to add insult to injury, I don’t even fit in the darned thing. Guess I’ll be on the lookout for a 4wd Kei Van instead.

Pretty cool truck nonetheless! Assuming there is virtually no leg room in there and a very upright steering wheel.

And very upright seat with zero adjustment. It isn't even a seat. It is two upholstered pads bolted to the bottom and back of the cab.

tjc78

@qbrozen said:
And very upright seat with zero adjustment. It isn't even a seat. It is two upholstered pads bolted to the bottom and back of the cab.

Oh jeez! Worse than I thought. You think you can retrofit something with tracks into it? Maybe an 80s Ranger or something else with a really small cab?

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

Fill up to fill up is the only way to measure. Tank size is 18.5 gallons.
With a 50 mile reserve(rounding to 2 gallons), (278 + 91) / 16.5 = 22.4.
BTW, there's no bigger liar than the MPG readout on my Explorer.

————————————————
Something like, “figures don’t lie but liars figure”.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@jmonroe1,
Most people are not as in tune to fuel mileage calcs as I am.
I have a fuel mileage logs(hand written and a spreadsheet) on my Mustang going back 32+ years.

mjfloyd1

@andres3 said:
Anyone here have any interest in a clean 65,000 mile S4 with a fairly almost perfectly clean bill of health at the last service with Liqui-Moly 5w-40 oil change?

I'd sell at private party value (fair price) but not trade-in value. As much as I love the car and not trying to get rid of it; it might be time for something new and to scratch the CCBA itch.

Driving both of my Audi's, it's clear I'd rather part with the S4 than the TTS, the TTS is even better. Of course, if someone had a TTRS to trade, then it makes sense to get rid of the TTS, but only then.

This is the one with the replacement engine?

What’s the trade towards a TTRS? Maybe trade both?

How many key fobs?😂

Does it come with a RiteAid watch?😂

stickguy

I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

nyccarguy

@andres3 - not going to lie, it’s not going to be pretty trying to get rid of that S4. I know you keep it in immaculate condition, but the instant anybody sees a replacement engine and the fact you track the car, they are going to assume the worst.

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

@andres3 - not going to lie, it’s not going to be pretty trying to get rid of that S4. I know you keep it in immaculate condition, but the instant anybody sees a replacement engine and the fact you track the car, they are going to assume the worst.

don't tell them.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

So the salesperson called me last night and told me that the Rubicon 4xe sold. I’m leaning towards waiting for another Rubicon to show up. Unfortunately most of them lack all of the features I want- LED headlamps, CWP, and premium sound. The one that got away had most every option save the power top which I do not want under any circumstances.

Wait, first it was available, then it sold, then it was available again, then it sold again? What kind of mind games are they playing?

The car was marked as sold but the owner had it. No mind games, just inventory confusion.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
Most people are not as in tune to fuel mileage calcs as I am.
I have a fuel mileage logs(hand written and a spreadsheet) on my Mustang going back 32+ years.

————————————————
Not trying to argue but what do you do with 32 + years of fuel mileage data?

I know I’m the odd ball here because I don’t consider MPG when I buy a car. I buy cars with the biggest engine for the model I want. So, I know the MPG is not going to be good. In fact, far from it.

Yes, I’ve checked it a few times because of different driving conditions, just for fun, but I know it’s not going to change very much. It’s a fixed number and I can’t do anything about it.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

————————————————
I’ve said this before, doing a disc brake job is one of the easiest things you can do on a car. Easier than changing plugs that are against the firewall.

If you want some fun do a drum brake job with hold down springs, return springs and self adjusting mechanisms. After that, disc brakes are a walk in the park. And if you’re only replacing the rotors (no pads) it doesn’t even register on the skill level chart.

jmonroe

venture

jmonroe1 said:

venture said:

My Subaru sales guy emailed me and said the 2024 Legacy Sport they ordered for me is there. He is off tomorrow so I said I would stop Thursday after lunch.

Now I have to decide whether to get it or not. Subaru USA is sending a voucher for $750 which would grease the rails a little bit. (Just a simple phone call).

I mentioned to Mrs. venture that maybe I should just get the Legacy and keep the BMW. I was told that was a bad idea.

If I do get it, they will be writing me a pretty hefty check.

————————————————
You’re not a newly wed so I’m sure you’ve had bad ideas before. Why not give it another try. You probably have more experience by now.

jmonroe

I have a lot more experience. That's why I'm not arguing about it.

venture

mjfloyd1 said:

venture said:

My Subaru sales guy emailed me and said the 2024 Legacy Sport they ordered for me is there. He is off tomorrow so I said I would stop Thursday after lunch.

Now I have to decide whether to get it or not. Subaru USA is sending a voucher for $750 which would grease the rails a little bit. (Just a simple phone call).

I mentioned to Mrs. venture that maybe I should just get the Legacy and keep the BMW. I was told that was a bad idea.

If I do get it, they will be writing me a pretty hefty check.

What’s the trade in value vs what you paid? Is this one going to sting?

It's not as bad as I thought it would be.

venture

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

————————————————
I’ve said this before, doing a disc brake job is one of the easiest things you can do on a car. Easier than changing plugs that are against the firewall.

If you want some fun do a drum brake job with hold down springs, return springs and self adjusting mechanisms. After that, disc brakes are a walk in the park. And if you’re only replacing the rotors (no pads) it doesn’t even register on the skill level chart.

jmonroe

I remember changing shoes and wondering which eye was going to get gouged out when the spring slipped out of the channel locks.

tjc78

@stickguy said:
I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

Warranty didn’t cover the rotors? I had a little pulsation on the XC and the dealer replaced them under warranty, no charge

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

Anyone here have any interest in a clean 65,000 mile S4 with a fairly almost perfectly clean bill of health at the last service with Liqui-Moly 5w-40 oil change?

I'd sell at private party value (fair price) but not trade-in value. As much as I love the car and not trying to get rid of it; it might be time for something new and to scratch the CCBA itch.

Driving both of my Audi's, it's clear I'd rather part with the S4 than the TTS, the TTS is even better. Of course, if someone had a TTRS to trade, then it makes sense to get rid of the TTS, but only then.

Is this the car that blew up on the road?

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Disappointing day. Not quite the spec nor condition I hoped for, and, to add insult to injury, I don’t even fit in the darned thing. Guess I’ll be on the lookout for a 4wd Kei Van instead.

Those things were made for a much shorter demographic. What was wrong with the condition? It doesn’t look rusty in the picture.

With that Scooby Doo Mystery Machine stripe on the side, your van looks fast even standing still.

stickguy

@tjc78 said:

@stickguy said:
I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

Warranty didn’t cover the rotors? I had a little pulsation on the XC and the dealer replaced them under warranty, no charge

They said no. I would have argued but not my car. He did learn not to take it to the dealer for non warranty items though!

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

————————————————
I’ve said this before, doing a disc brake job is one of the easiest things you can do on a car. Easier than changing plugs that are against the firewall.

If you want some fun do a drum brake job with hold down springs, return springs and self adjusting mechanisms. After that, disc brakes are a walk in the park. And if you’re only replacing the rotors (no pads) it doesn’t even register on the skill level chart.

jmonroe

I picked up a Mini at the dealer the other day and the bill for rear brakes was $900. That’s pretty close to the $2000 much disputed BMW full brake jobs that I’ve heard about.

tjc78

@stickguy said:

@tjc78 said:

@stickguy said:
I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

Warranty didn’t cover the rotors? I had a little pulsation on the XC and the dealer replaced them under warranty, no charge

They said no. I would have argued but not my car. He did learn not to take it to the dealer for non warranty items though!

Yeah I’d have argued too! Volvo was no questions asked. I thought they would have cut them, but it stated replacement on the invoice.

qbrozen

@tjc78 , that would net less room, though. I need the seat to go down and back further, and since it is already just pads bolted to the extreme limits of the cab, there is nowhere to go.

@oldfarmer50 , paint is faded and there are patches of silver paint covering rust. The spots feel solid so it could just have been surface rust. There is a patch of some kind of glue/putty on one of the frame rails. I have to remove that and see if it is covering a problem. Not sure what else it would be for, unless it was holding something there for whatever reason.

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

————————————————
I’ve said this before, doing a disc brake job is one of the easiest things you can do on a car. Easier than changing plugs that are against the firewall.

If you want some fun do a drum brake job with hold down springs, return springs and self adjusting mechanisms. After that, disc brakes are a walk in the park. And if you’re only replacing the rotors (no pads) it doesn’t even register on the skill level chart.

jmonroe

I picked up a Mini at the dealer the other day and the bill for rear brakes was $900. That’s pretty close to the $2000 much disputed BMW full brake jobs that I’ve heard about.

No doubt. Most BMW dealers are in the $1500-$2000 range for brakes (for both axles)

kyfdx

@qbrozen Stick-shift? 4WD?

I love those little trucks.. but, I wouldn't want one.

qbrozen

@kyfdx said:
@qbrozen Stick-shift? 4WD?

I love those little trucks.. but, I wouldn't want one.

Yes and yes.

I thought turbo, too, but it is not. Just a higher spec NA (twin cam 12v 3-cyl). No AC and crank windows.
Oh and manual steering so larger tires could be problematic.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

@kyfdx said:
@qbrozen Stick-shift? 4WD?

I love those little trucks.. but, I wouldn't want one.

Yes and yes.

I thought turbo, too, but it is not. Just a higher spec NA (twin cam 12v 3-cyl). No AC and crank windows.

Oh and manual steering so larger tires could be problematic.

Somebody will want it.. That's the purpose, right? Sell and make money?

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

I'm still trying to convince my son to not buy out his S4 next spring. I think that is a 2021 MY. He likes it. Less so after dropping a lot of money recently at 20K miles on new front rotors!

————————————————
I’ve said this before, doing a disc brake job is one of the easiest things you can do on a car. Easier than changing plugs that are against the firewall.

If you want some fun do a drum brake job with hold down springs, return springs and self adjusting mechanisms. After that, disc brakes are a walk in the park. And if you’re only replacing the rotors (no pads) it doesn’t even register on the skill level chart.

jmonroe

I picked up a Mini at the dealer the other day and the bill for rear brakes was $900. That’s pretty close to the $2000 much disputed BMW full brake jobs that I’ve heard about.

We spent over $800 on our MINIs front rotors and pads. European parts can get pricey.

EDIT - this was not at the dealer, either.