After a lot of thought and another drive to work, hubby has decided to keep his Civic. We are having HID lights installed this week and he's going to drive it for a another few years. One of the guys he works with has an 04 and when hubby mentioned trading his 09 in the guy was outraged. He said that thing isn't even broke in yet, you need to drive it into the ground! Hubby mentioned to me that the Civic has never failed to get him to work and back home in 2 1/2 years, he had no good reason to trade the car in.
So, this opens up some cash to buy my son a car. I plan on making this a lesson in what not to do when buying a used car. Last night was a perfect example. I saw a 1994 Honda Accord EX listed on CL for $2300, so I called and we went to look at it. The guy said it had just over 30k miles on it and was involved in minor accident with a moose. We get there and sure enough the odometer says 30,430 miles, but the wear on the car said otherwise. It ran well, shifted fine, seemed like an ok car.........not for $2300 though.
We left and came home, I pulled a car fax.......the car had an inspection 4/30/10 and was reported to have 107,183 miles on it.........yeah, 30k miles, lol. Back looking today, how hard can it be to find a $2k car that's fit for a first time driver?
And, a "minor" accident with a moose? Is that even possible?
Yeah he for sure "clocked" that Accord. Shame because I would have been interested even if it was over 100k if the price was right.
Minor accident with a moose? Yeah, its possible, not likely, but possible. He said it was a baby moose and looking at the damage on the car, yeah, it probably was. The hood was crinkled, core suppose was trashed, and the grill was gone. As far as moose/vehicle accidents go, its about as minor as you can get.
Going to go look at a 2002 Grand Prix GT and a 2001 Saturn L200 in a little while. Might check out a 97 Corolla as well. I'd really like to put the kid in something with airbags and 4-wheel abs.
Wow, I was right. Only reason it popped into my mind was because one dealer was trying to push a leftover 2010 CX-7 grand touring on hubby when he was thinking about trading the Civic in.
Wow, I was right. Only reason it popped into my mind was because one dealer was trying to push a leftover 2010 CX-7 grand touring on hubby when he was thinking about trading the Civic in.
Ding, ding, ding .... we've got a winner!
2010 Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring, Silver with Black leather. One of 9 2010's that were on the lot (4 black, 3 silver, 2 blue).
Nice dealership, and we're comfortable with the deal. Wife likes the power of the turbo 4. Mileage is about the same (17/23 vs. 16/22 on the VUE), but she got back all the features the '08 VUE didn't have - leather, sunroof, heated mirrors - plus some new stuff - nav, rear view camera, bluetooth.
I like the color and the miles are low, but the price seems high for a two year old car.
Of course, look at any dealer listing and they're asking absolutely SILLY money for '08-09 Outbacks, even down here in the Carolinas. KBB seems pretty inflated too.
Maybe a good one will show up in the softer summer market... maybe I shoulda held out for one instead of jumping on the Volvo back in '07.
I saw an ad for a '97 OB the other day with over 180k miles and an asking price of around $6,000. And that was a private party sale. My '97 Limited with 80k must be worth $10k at least.
The CX-7 is a nice vehicle. Have sat in a few, and really liked them.
so at least we have discovered that the MPG concept was just a scam to get a bunch of toys that she really wanted.
although it could get a bit better MPG on the highway, certainly not gonna be enough of a difference to make up for the purchase cost!
and doesn't this require premium?
Nope, this wasn't done for economic reasons. But, the wife is happy, and as husbands, isn't that what we want?
Regarding premium: here in Colorado, most stations offer three octanes due to the high altitude - 85, 87 and 89 (91 may be available from some stations). The dealer suggested that 87 would work fine, so long as every 6-7 tanks, 89 (or 91, if available) was run through it. I'll need to read the manual to see what the manufacturer says.
Surprisingly, it's 600 pounds lighter than the VUE, so even though the CX-7 has less HP (244 vs. 257) the power to weight ratio is better (15.52 lbs/hp vs. 16.83).
The last thing of note is the tire size - 19" wheels with 235/55 tires on them. Makes the car stick to the road quite nicely, but the ride doesn't seem to be as harsh as one would have thought.
It's very sporty looking .. it 2" shorter than the VUE and it has no roof rails, so even though it's SUV shaped, it doesn't shout "soccer mom".
More like "Hey, I may have loads of room, but I'm still sporty enough to take corners at speeds 50% higher than what's posted. What say we go have us some fun?"
Like fezo said, the original idea was related to having to put some extra miles on during the summer, so wanting better MPG. of course, once the rear wiper arm broke, it was obvious that it was no longer safe to drive!
and I have been married long enough that I'm more interested in getting something I want at this point! Just don't tell my wife that I said that.
related to premium, I have a 2000 Acura Tl that is supposed to have premium, but it has always been run on mid-grade (155K on it now, some seems to have not hurt it). Originally my sisters car, and early on she tired regular and it was not happy, but she found no difference using mid grade instead of premium (and never have I in the 2 years it has been mine).
The fussiest car I ever had in terms of what you put in it was that old 69 Volvo 142, It not only wanted premium but had its preferences as to brand. I can't remember now the ones it didn't like but I remember that Shell, Amoco and Mobil were favorites.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I ran Kroger premium in my MS3 and the EGR valve begin to trip a CEL by 50,000 miles; I switched to BP 93 and the light stayed off for 10,000 miles before I had to replace the valve. I would be extremely hesitant to run that motor on anything other than a brand name premium fuel.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
My 68 volvo 142 wouldn't start in the morning if it rained during the night. Water would condense under the distributer cap. Had to wait til it dried out or pull it and take a rag to it. All the plastic knobs on the dash broke off as well. Driving to Kalamazoo, Michigan in Jan. 1969 -- listening to the Superbowl ran out of gas. Got out of the car on the interstate and locked my keys and wallet in the car. Tow truck driver said he'd slide a wire into the cab and unlock the car. Since the windows slid into deep channels in the door frame the car was jimmy proof. Drove me to my dorm room where I had an extra key. I hated that car.
Turns out it's another go at keeping michaelll in the pizzamobile......
Actually, I'm cutting back on the number of days I'm doing the second job, now that we're in a better place financially. However, I still like the social aspect of pizza delivery; when you spend 8-9 hours a day in a home office, talking to people via instant messaging, emails and conference calls, some human contact is nice. And, I won't lie, the extra money is nice, too.
of course, once the rear wiper arm broke, it was obvious that it was no longer safe to drive!
OK, I suppose I'm not going to get out of explaining this ... yes, the rear wiper arm broke. Took it to the Chevrolet dealer for repair on Saturday. Part not in - "we can get it from the other store; come back in a couple of hours". I return, only to find out that the other store sold the only other wiper arm they had in stock, so it had to be ordered from the warehouse. 3 to 5 business days to arrive.
I was frustrated that, in the past two trips to the dealer for the VUE, the parts weren't in and we had to wait. The first time, the car was disassembled and it took 5 days to put it back together. The thought of driving an "orphan" grated on me - I don't have the time or patience to make two trips to the dealer each time something needed repair.
(yes, I know this is also true with the ION, but really, it's just a Chevrolet Cobalt with plastic instead of steel, so I can probably get anything done at my local Chevrolet dealer, not the "authorized Saturn Service center" - the VUE was still under warranty and so must go to the dealer farther away)
I suppose my subconscious took me to a few dealers. My wife was teaching all day Saturday in Denver, and we rode together so I could get the VUE fixed. Since I had time on my hands, I hit a few dealers to see what was out there.
Subaru - as noted, I looked at the Outback 3.6 Limited. Wasn't approached, no test drive, didn't even sit in one as they were all locked.
Mitsu / Kia - New Sorrento is nice, but a bit generic looking. There was an Outlander GT on the lot, fully loaded. I was approached, but declined to sit in anything as the dealer just seemed a bit 'skeezy' to me.
Mazda - Was impressed with the features of the CX-7, plus the deals available on the leftover '10's were pretty decent, too. Wife normally hates car dealers (which is why we kept buying Saturns), but they treated her with respect.
Found a really nice, perfect, teenager car last night and bought it. Really it was too nice of a car to walk away from. The kid is happy, he gets his license the end of this month and now has a car to drive.
I had a friend offer me a 2002 Subaru Forester with 47k on it for $4500, but I just didn't want to spend that much $$$. I had a pretty set budget of $2500 and found there was VERY little in that range. Alaska is just not a good place to find a cheap car, if it runs and has a heater its usually priced at $1500+ regardless of anything wrong with it. I saw some real, um, "winners" yesterday, most happily leaking oil at a rapid rate while they ran and all were priced above $3k. Or they had been wrecked and had an "interesting" repair job.
So when I saw the ad for a 1995 Ford Escort LX last night with an asking price of $1200 I called. Went to look at it, nice clean little car that ran perfect and didn't leak. Has some miles on it, but I know Escorts, they run forever. It needs some minor things, but overall is in great shape, no wrecks, no miscolored body panels, no weird smells, or damage to the interior. Paid $1000 for it and I have no doubt I can easily resell it for that after a summer of driving.
$? How much for the Vue & how much for "Zoomie"? Our Mazda3 is still running strong at 87k & Auto Zone got rid of the engine light so all is well. Mazda's are good cars, Roadburner's is probably the exception, and she'll really like it. A turbo, wouldn't touch one myself but different strokes I guess. I've seem a few blue one's...now that's a sharp color, but the silver won't show the dirt, so a win/win here.
Personally, I knew you'd have a new ride within the week with all the talk about being in a better place financially...it's just the nature of the beast in here. But everyone's happy & still have two autos under warranty..."who could ask for more"!!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Just changed the rear wiper on my jeep liberty. Original since 2003. Free install at Auto Zone. Huge difference. If I still have the truck in 7 years will do it again.
Let's just say I'm comfortable with the deal that was struck and leave it at that.
Given that the ION will be paid off in 3 months, I felt we could splurge a little bit with the new ride for the wife. I'll probably keep the ION for quite a while; now that I've put on some new fancy wheels it's amazing how much more I like it (seems silly, doesn't it?).
Wonder what else I can do to 'bling' it up? A good interior detailing is in order, but I probably won't do that until I've retired from the pizza delivery business.
She's happy with all the new creature comforts that it comes with; I'm happy, as the fleet manager, that I now have two cars that have dealer networks that aren't going anywhere soon (MINI and Mazda).
Wife will be taking it to Colorado Springs this weekend, so I'll be curious if she feels a difference between the new car and the VUE on the highway. We are heading to Sedona, AZ in May, and I'm looking forward to a nice long road trip to get away from life for a week. About 800 miles one way - we'll take two days to get there and 2 to get home, plus 4 nights in Sedona.
Wheels? Not at all. I bought on Ebay wheels from a 2005 Civic SI for my '06 Civic & still love 'em...very unique & don't see many around. Didn't want the same old EX wheels so got a great deal on Ebay. Only needed new lugs & was all set. Still keeping the steelies & plastic covers in the garage just in case. But I definitely understand how much more you like the Ion now as wheels can make a huge difference & as for me, I plan to keep it for a long while now due to our changed financial position.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Thanks for the affirmation. I, too, have kept the old steelies in the boxes the new wheels came in.
I suppose I could mount winter tires on them for the few months a year we get poor weather, but the all season tires I'm using now work fine 98% of the time (I got stuck on Super Bowl Sunday delivering pizzas because I was dumb and drove into a bank of snow in a neighborhood where the plow had pushed snow to the side of the road).
Ah yes, tires, that's what I'm trying to find for the Escort, its tires are well, lacking tread. Nobody stocks a 175/65R14 anymore, lol.
After looking the car over in the daylight, I don't think we did too bad. It needs 1 alloy wheel, already found one that matches at a junkyard. It needs tires and a good cleaning, but doesn't leak and starts up just fine in the cold. What more can you ask for in the $1k price bracket?
I'm going to bring it in the garage today and let it thaw out for 3 days, the Civic isn't here and I'm sure won't mind sharing its garage spot. I did notice that nearly everything needed for a tune up is in the back of it, plus antifreeze, a belt, and an emergency kit. Heck the car still has its original owner's manual complete with ESC paperwork and insurance cards in it.
jolie, given the out-of-whack price structure for used cars up your way, I think you got a fantastic deal!
I agree with lemmer ... 185/60's ought to work just fine, and should be more available from local tire stores.
Nothing like taking a beater and applying some old fashioned elbow grease to make it shine, both inside and out. Sort of a real world "Wheeler Dealers".
Would love to see some before and after pictures. Heck, this being CCBA, perhaps your son will want to flip it for a profit and get something else after 6-9 months!
...and I know we're quite a ways away from having to worry about it, but I did some tire pricing for the CX-7 last night.
Gonna have to sock away some serious jack for this baby ... looks like prices start around $175 a tire and head north quickly ... easy to spend $225-250 a corner when the time comes.
Will have some time tonight to review the owners manual in detail (wife is teaching, and I just bum around for 3 hours waiting). Questions to be answered:
1) How does the nav system work? 2) Recommended octane 3) Maintenance schedule ... first time owning a turbo engine and I want to do everything I can to make it last.
Dealer suggested that the first maintenance be done at 5K .. should I invest in synthetic oil? I'll probably want to get this done before we go to AZ at the end of May for our vacation, so I want to be well educated when I visit the dealer.
Your salesperson should have gone over all of that with you!
As the cars became more and more complicated doing a delivery became longer and longer. No fun on a busy day after making a nothing deal on the car in the first place if that's what happened.
Personally, I think synthetics are a waste of money but others won't agree on this.
Congrats Michael on the CX-7. Sounds like it's really loaded up! I've really enjoyed my CX-9, and I am sure you and your wife will enjoy your Mazda as well.
Did you get it down at McDonald Automotive? I got mine at Groove, and their service has been pretty good.
I don't know if this still applies, but back in the day, you wanted to let the engine idle for 30 seconds or so before turning it off, to allow the turbo to spool down while there's oil pressure.
If there is no gravity from reservoir (or otherwise artificial) oil feed to the bearings after engine shutdown, then yes I believe so. More important if he lived at the top of a hill or any time the turbo was spooling due to working. Best 30/40 seconds a person could invest.
Gonna have to sock away some serious jack for this baby ... looks like prices start around $175 a tire and head north quickly ... easy to spend $225-250 a corner when the time comes.
Ah, the downside of 19" wheels.
I see tirerack has a few cheaper options, but nothing I'd suggest.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Comments
2) It's not a prestige brand (Cadillac and Acura have been guessed)
3) Fully loaded
4) Not a Subie or VW
5) SUV (is this true? or did we all just assume that part?)
6) Was available as 2010 model
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
5) SUV (is this true? or did we all just assume that part?)
6) Was available as 2010 model
I'm going to guess a Mazda CX-7 grand touring, although I don't know if those can actually reach the $35k mark.
So, this opens up some cash to buy my son a car. I plan on making this a lesson in what not to do when buying a used car. Last night was a perfect example. I saw a 1994 Honda Accord EX listed on CL for $2300, so I called and we went to look at it. The guy said it had just over 30k miles on it and was involved in minor accident with a moose. We get there and sure enough the odometer says 30,430 miles, but the wear on the car said otherwise. It ran well, shifted fine, seemed like an ok car.........not for $2300 though.
We left and came home, I pulled a car fax.......the car had an inspection 4/30/10 and was reported to have 107,183 miles on it.........yeah, 30k miles, lol. Back looking today, how hard can it be to find a $2k car that's fit for a first time driver?
I didn't know people were doing that anymore.
And, a "minor" accident with a moose? Is that even possible?
I didn't know people were doing that anymore.
And, a "minor" accident with a moose? Is that even possible?
Yeah he for sure "clocked" that Accord. Shame because I would have been interested even if it was over 100k if the price was right.
Minor accident with a moose? Yeah, its possible, not likely, but possible. He said it was a baby moose and looking at the damage on the car, yeah, it probably was. The hood was crinkled, core suppose was trashed, and the grill was gone. As far as moose/vehicle accidents go, its about as minor as you can get.
Going to go look at a 2002 Grand Prix GT and a 2001 Saturn L200 in a little while. Might check out a 97 Corolla as well. I'd really like to put the kid in something with airbags and 4-wheel abs.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Wow, I was right. Only reason it popped into my mind was because one dealer was trying to push a leftover 2010 CX-7 grand touring on hubby when he was thinking about trading the Civic in.
Wow, I was right. Only reason it popped into my mind was because one dealer was trying to push a leftover 2010 CX-7 grand touring on hubby when he was thinking about trading the Civic in.
Ding, ding, ding .... we've got a winner!
2010 Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring, Silver with Black leather. One of 9 2010's that were on the lot (4 black, 3 silver, 2 blue).
Nice dealership, and we're comfortable with the deal. Wife likes the power of the turbo 4. Mileage is about the same (17/23 vs. 16/22 on the VUE), but she got back all the features the '08 VUE didn't have - leather, sunroof, heated mirrors - plus some new stuff - nav, rear view camera, bluetooth.
I'll try to get a picture of it ....
Of course, look at any dealer listing and they're asking absolutely SILLY money for '08-09 Outbacks, even down here in the Carolinas. KBB seems pretty inflated too.
Maybe a good one will show up in the softer summer market... maybe I shoulda held out for one instead of jumping on the Volvo back in '07.
so at least we have discovered that the MPG concept was just a scam to get a bunch of toys that she really wanted.
although it could get a bit better MPG on the highway, certainly not gonna be enough of a difference to make up for the purchase cost!
and doesn't this require premium?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
LOL, maybe ... maybe not.
Ah, I lied anyway - 146k and he's down to $4,500 already. Must have looked up TMV. And then added $1,000.
so at least we have discovered that the MPG concept was just a scam to get a bunch of toys that she really wanted.
although it could get a bit better MPG on the highway, certainly not gonna be enough of a difference to make up for the purchase cost!
and doesn't this require premium?
Nope, this wasn't done for economic reasons. But, the wife is happy, and as husbands, isn't that what we want?
Regarding premium: here in Colorado, most stations offer three octanes due to the high altitude - 85, 87 and 89 (91 may be available from some stations). The dealer suggested that 87 would work fine, so long as every 6-7 tanks, 89 (or 91, if available) was run through it. I'll need to read the manual to see what the manufacturer says.
Surprisingly, it's 600 pounds lighter than the VUE, so even though the CX-7 has less HP (244 vs. 257) the power to weight ratio is better (15.52 lbs/hp vs. 16.83).
The last thing of note is the tire size - 19" wheels with 235/55 tires on them. Makes the car stick to the road quite nicely, but the ride doesn't seem to be as harsh as one would have thought.
It's very sporty looking .. it 2" shorter than the VUE and it has no roof rails, so even though it's SUV shaped, it doesn't shout "soccer mom".
More like "Hey, I may have loads of room, but I'm still sporty enough to take corners at speeds 50% higher than what's posted. What say we go have us some fun?"
and I have been married long enough that I'm more interested in getting something I want at this point! Just don't tell my wife that I said that.
related to premium, I have a 2000 Acura Tl that is supposed to have premium, but it has always been run on mid-grade (155K on it now, some seems to have not hurt it). Originally my sisters car, and early on she tired regular and it was not happy, but she found no difference using mid grade instead of premium (and never have I in the 2 years it has been mine).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Glad to work from home. The RDX is for weekend ski/bike duty.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
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Actually, I'm cutting back on the number of days I'm doing the second job, now that we're in a better place financially. However, I still like the social aspect of pizza delivery; when you spend 8-9 hours a day in a home office, talking to people via instant messaging, emails and conference calls, some human contact is nice. And, I won't lie, the extra money is nice, too.
of course, once the rear wiper arm broke, it was obvious that it was no longer safe to drive!
OK, I suppose I'm not going to get out of explaining this ... yes, the rear wiper arm broke. Took it to the Chevrolet dealer for repair on Saturday. Part not in - "we can get it from the other store; come back in a couple of hours". I return, only to find out that the other store sold the only other wiper arm they had in stock, so it had to be ordered from the warehouse. 3 to 5 business days to arrive.
I was frustrated that, in the past two trips to the dealer for the VUE, the parts weren't in and we had to wait. The first time, the car was disassembled and it took 5 days to put it back together. The thought of driving an "orphan" grated on me - I don't have the time or patience to make two trips to the dealer each time something needed repair.
(yes, I know this is also true with the ION, but really, it's just a Chevrolet Cobalt with plastic instead of steel, so I can probably get anything done at my local Chevrolet dealer, not the "authorized Saturn Service center" - the VUE was still under warranty and so must go to the dealer farther away)
I suppose my subconscious took me to a few dealers. My wife was teaching all day Saturday in Denver, and we rode together so I could get the VUE fixed. Since I had time on my hands, I hit a few dealers to see what was out there.
Subaru - as noted, I looked at the Outback 3.6 Limited. Wasn't approached, no test drive, didn't even sit in one as they were all locked.
Mitsu / Kia - New Sorrento is nice, but a bit generic looking. There was an Outlander GT on the lot, fully loaded. I was approached, but declined to sit in anything as the dealer just seemed a bit 'skeezy' to me.
Mazda - Was impressed with the features of the CX-7, plus the deals available on the leftover '10's were pretty decent, too. Wife normally hates car dealers (which is why we kept buying Saturns), but they treated her with respect.
I'm the fussy guy who changes my front blades twice a year but I think the rear one is the original!
I had a friend offer me a 2002 Subaru Forester with 47k on it for $4500, but I just didn't want to spend that much $$$. I had a pretty set budget of $2500 and found there was VERY little in that range. Alaska is just not a good place to find a cheap car, if it runs and has a heater its usually priced at $1500+ regardless of anything wrong with it. I saw some real, um, "winners" yesterday, most happily leaking oil at a rapid rate while they ran and all were priced above $3k. Or they had been wrecked and had an "interesting" repair job.
So when I saw the ad for a 1995 Ford Escort LX last night with an asking price of $1200 I called. Went to look at it, nice clean little car that ran perfect and didn't leak. Has some miles on it, but I know Escorts, they run forever. It needs some minor things, but overall is in great shape, no wrecks, no miscolored body panels, no weird smells, or damage to the interior. Paid $1000 for it and I have no doubt I can easily resell it for that after a summer of driving.
Those are pretty good little cars and for 1000.00 you'll always be able to get your money back out of it.
So - in Alaska - would that be a 'midnight sunroof' ?
Naw, a sunroof in the summer and a moonroof in the winter.
I didn't get the pun until after I posted my response.
I was taking a more literal interpretation of the statement.
WeatherTech front mats ordered for the CX-7 .. which apparently has a name now --- "Zoomie".
Now to get a "Zoom Zoom" sticker for the rear window.
Personally, I knew you'd have a new ride within the week with all the talk about being in a better place financially...it's just the nature of the beast in here. But everyone's happy & still have two autos under warranty..."who could ask for more"!!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Let's just say I'm comfortable with the deal that was struck and leave it at that.
Given that the ION will be paid off in 3 months, I felt we could splurge a little bit with the new ride for the wife. I'll probably keep the ION for quite a while; now that I've put on some new fancy wheels it's amazing how much more I like it (seems silly, doesn't it?).
Wonder what else I can do to 'bling' it up? A good interior detailing is in order, but I probably won't do that until I've retired from the pizza delivery business.
She's happy with all the new creature comforts that it comes with; I'm happy, as the fleet manager, that I now have two cars that have dealer networks that aren't going anywhere soon (MINI and Mazda).
Wife will be taking it to Colorado Springs this weekend, so I'll be curious if she feels a difference between the new car and the VUE on the highway. We are heading to Sedona, AZ in May, and I'm looking forward to a nice long road trip to get away from life for a week. About 800 miles one way - we'll take two days to get there and 2 to get home, plus 4 nights in Sedona.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I suppose I could mount winter tires on them for the few months a year we get poor weather, but the all season tires I'm using now work fine 98% of the time (I got stuck on Super Bowl Sunday delivering pizzas because I was dumb and drove into a bank of snow in a neighborhood where the plow had pushed snow to the side of the road).
After looking the car over in the daylight, I don't think we did too bad. It needs 1 alloy wheel, already found one that matches at a junkyard. It needs tires and a good cleaning, but doesn't leak and starts up just fine in the cold. What more can you ask for in the $1k price bracket?
I'm going to bring it in the garage today and let it thaw out for 3 days, the Civic isn't here and I'm sure won't mind sharing its garage spot. I did notice that nearly everything needed for a tune up is in the back of it, plus antifreeze, a belt, and an emergency kit. Heck the car still has its original owner's manual complete with ESC paperwork and insurance cards in it.
I agree with lemmer ... 185/60's ought to work just fine, and should be more available from local tire stores.
Nothing like taking a beater and applying some old fashioned elbow grease to make it shine, both inside and out. Sort of a real world "Wheeler Dealers".
Would love to see some before and after pictures. Heck, this being CCBA, perhaps your son will want to flip it for a profit and get something else after 6-9 months!
Gonna have to sock away some serious jack for this baby ... looks like prices start around $175 a tire and head north quickly ... easy to spend $225-250 a corner when the time comes.
Will have some time tonight to review the owners manual in detail (wife is teaching, and I just bum around for 3 hours waiting). Questions to be answered:
1) How does the nav system work?
2) Recommended octane
3) Maintenance schedule ... first time owning a turbo engine and I want to do everything I can to make it last.
Dealer suggested that the first maintenance be done at 5K .. should I invest in synthetic oil? I'll probably want to get this done before we go to AZ at the end of May for our vacation, so I want to be well educated when I visit the dealer.
As the cars became more and more complicated doing a delivery became longer and longer. No fun on a busy day after making a nothing deal on the car in the first place if that's what happened.
Personally, I think synthetics are a waste of money but others won't agree on this.
Did you get it down at McDonald Automotive? I got mine at Groove, and their service has been pretty good.
Have fun!
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
I did get the Mazda at Groove, Bruce. McDonald is just a bit too far away from me in Castle Rock, though we did get our VW from them many years ago.
it prevents "coking" in the turbo housing.
is this still true?
Sam
Ah, the downside of 19" wheels.
I see tirerack has a few cheaper options, but nothing I'd suggest.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S