double whammy on the big tires. They cost a lot more, but they also tend to wear out faster!
And synthetic oil? With a turbo, probably can't hurt, but you should be fine with whatever the manual says.
and aren't turbos water cooled now? don't know if they keep circulating or not after shut down, but 30 seconds is probably overkill, unless you are going straight from full power to off!
I see tirerack has a few cheaper options, but nothing I'd suggest.
I wonder if prices will come down as those bigger wheels and low-profile tires become more common?
For instance, eons ago, I used to like to run 225/70/R14 tires on the back of my '68 Dart, and 205/70/R14's up front. Those 225's used to be really expensive, but eventually that size became more and more common, and the price came down. I think one big factor was that For Ranger going to that size, or maybe it was the first Explorer?
Even today I don't think they're THAT hard to find, although 14" rims in general are pretty scarce these days. My '67 Catalina convertible had 215/75/R14's on it, which are almost impossible to find these days. That was a major influence on me upgrading to non-correct, but good looking 15" Rally 2 wheels (technically, I don't think they were offered on big Pontiacs until 1969). I have 225/70/R15's on it. Hopefully that size will stay around awhile.
given the out-of-whack price structure for used cars up your way, I think you got a fantastic deal!
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!
After getting the car inside and thawed out the summer tires on it aren't that bad. I think I'm going to get a set of studded tires if I can secure a second set of wheels for it, the wrecking yard is working on that now.
As for flipping the car, no way, this car has to get through 2 teenagers, its so hard to find a GOOD older car that I won't be giving it up any time soon.
I was a bit worried that after it was inside the garage and thawed out I'd find leaks, but nope, nothing, not a drop. I do need to fix the driver's side automatic seatbelt, I think it needs a motor, easy enough, just have to narrow down the issue and prowl the wrecking yard. For now the fuse is pulled and the seatbelt is in the locked position.
It gets a new stereo on Monday, the old factory cassette deck works fine, but I'd rather put some new tunes in it. I love fixing up older cars, lol.
I'll get a picture of it up tomorrow, really not a bad car. No major damage, paint looks good, no accident damage, really its in better shape then a lot of 5-7 year old cars.
you are right that finding a good, cheap car for a teenager is not easy, and if you get a good one, you hang onto it and hope nothing bad happens.
Knock wood, but so far the TL my son (at college) is doing fine. 26 months so far, and it better last through the rest of his college time (currently a Sophomore). Not bad for 2K purchase, though i did through struts and tires on it. Still getting our moneys worth out of it.
and best of all, it is a solid, safe car for longer drives and (god forbidden) if something bad happened in it.
for some reason, my daughter wants nothing to do with it (she can get a permit late this year_. Not that it matters, since he has dibs on it. Though I can let her drive it when it is home.
Fuel: As I said; use a 93 octane name brand fuel- BP, Chevron, Shell, etc.
Oil: I use Mobil 1 5W-30 in my MS3, which has the same engine as the CX-7. The oil meets Honda/Acura's stringent HTO-6 standard. I run a used oil analysis at every oil change and the UOA results indicate that 5000 miles is a fairly conservative interval. I'm currently pushing it out to 6500 mile to see how the oil holds up. Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 would also be a good choice.
Be very afraid if the service adviser tells you Mazda does not recommend synthetic oil in your application, as it means that the idiot doesn't know the difference between a turbocharged inline four and a rotary engine.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
After taking a good hard look at the key (only 1) that came with the Escort, I think its safe to say I've NEVER seen such a worn down key. It almost looks shaved, but it isn't, its just worn almost to nothing.
I took the key to a locksmith today and she spent about 30 minutes under a magnifying glass counting out various number which I guessed meant where she thought the grooves should be. She commented it was the worst key she had ever seen.
She cut 2 keys, wouldn't let me pay for them, told me to come back tomorrow with the car and we'd try to get something to work. I got home and imagine my shock when one of the 2 new keys actually works. Now that's talent! So I'll go back tomorrow and have her cut me a couple more.
I had forgotten about letting the engine idle for 30 seconds before shutting it off ... I need to pass that along to the wife.
Oil - manual says 5W-30, and I think I'll take rb's advice to run Mobil 1 through it. The manual also stipulates 7500 miles between oil changes, but that seems a bit too long, so I'll probably do it every 5K.
There is no 93 octane available in Colorado .. I checked the place where I normally get my fuel and they offer 85, 87 and 91. Manual says 91, so that's what it'll get. Still only $3.35/gal - Colorado has some of the lowest gas prices in the country due to local oil shale supply and a refinery in Denver.
One thing that I noticed while perusing the manual last night ... there is a line item in the maintenance schedule for rear diff and transaxle fluid changes, but it says it should be done at 28K if you tow a lot, drive dusty roads and some other 'severe duty' scenarios, but no recommendation on if those conditions don't apply. I may poke around on the 'net in some Mazda owners forums to see what's suggested.
Stopped by the dealer last night, and found that one of my two salesman (they split the deal) has left. Turns out he was a GSM at one of the companies' stores in the mountains, then got transferred to the Mazda store in town and was put back onto the floor. Apparently, he and the Mazda GSM didn't see eye to eye so he left.
I was eyeing the MS3 while there ... nice car, but given the stories from rb, not sure that I'd want to go down that path.
Nah, it's an altitude thing. In New Mexico they offer an 86 octane (?!), though I don't remember if that is regular or mid-grade. When we drive through in May on our way to AZ I'll take a look. It may be 86, 88 and 92.
I'm expecting prices close to $4 a gallon by that time, which eats into the entertainment budget.
We tend to fill up at convenient spots - Raton, Santa Fe or Albuquerque and Gallup, NM - rather than wait for the tank to get close to empty.
Two other nifty features I forgot to mention - Xenon HIDs (with adjustable height) and a distance to empty calculation on the trip computer.
Got Sirius going last night as well - 6 free months, though it's unlikely that we'll keep the subscription past that. Wife says there is too much talk now on the music channels.
I wonder if prices will come down as those bigger wheels and low-profile tires become more common?
Probably to some degree. I think part of the extra cost is that the lower profile tires have to have stiffer sidewalls to compensate for the late of breathing room. I could be wrong. Just a guess.
Certainly, prices on 17s and 18s have decreased in the past decade or so.
But I don't know about 19s. With smaller cars getting more and more popular, I think 19s will forever be rare. For me personally, 18 is the limit.
'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
Decided to take the Escort to a mechanic today to have it looked over and see what the heck is up with the brakes.
Here is the list of what he found wrong.....and I really think he had to dig hard to get this list:
RF high beam is out....I knew that Needs the serpentine belt replaced....yup, knew that too Brakes look great Master Cylinder is bad......I was pretty sure it was, just tried to tell myself it wasn't
Grand total of repairs it needs......$415
He could find NOTHING else wrong with the car mechanically, not even a leak. I'm pretty darn proud of myself. Its getting its repairs this afternoon. Not too bad for a $1000 car, even the mechanic said he was amazed I got it that cheap considering its in great shape.
Here is the list of what he found wrong.....and I really think he had to dig hard to get this list:
RF high beam is out....I knew that Needs the serpentine belt replaced....yup, knew that too Brakes look great Master Cylinder is bad......I was pretty sure it was, just tried to tell myself it wasn't
Grand total of repairs it needs......$415
On one hand, only $400 is not to bad for a car as old as the Escort.
On the other hand, it's 40% of the purchase price.
But, I'd bet that after you fixed everything up, you could sell it for close to $2K in your market.
Let me see if this picture will post at the correct size:
On one hand, only $400 is not to bad for a car as old as the Escort.
On the other hand, it's 40% of the purchase price.
But, I'd bet that after you fixed everything up, you could sell it for close to $2K in your market.
Possibly, but I have zero intention of selling it. Cheap used cars are not easy to find up here and finding one in great shape is even harder. Even rarer is to find one that doesn't have a ton of body work and a long accident history. Needless to say the Escort has a home for a long time.
Now the Pilot on the other hand....while I do like it, I can say for sure it won't be around for as long as the 07. Even hubby has said it won't be around for long, the more he drives it the less he likes it.
Needless to say the Escort has a home for a long time.
Now the Pilot on the other hand....while I do like it, I can say for sure it won't be around for as long as the 07. Even hubby has said it won't be around for long, the more he drives it the less he likes it.
You know I'm just giving you grief -- we go way back to when you owned the Jetta!
But, I find it interesting that the cheap car will be around longer than the brand new one.
However, in thinking about it, we do the same thing around here. The '05 VUE got traded in for the '08 VUE while I still had my '03 L300, and the '08 VUE got ditched for the '10 CX-7 while the '06 ION sticks around.
Are y'all serious? I will never understand this kind of stuff...seems like since I've been on this website, maybe since 2001, it's always the same and I'd bet y'all have had, what, 30 vehicles in that time? I'm just dumbfounded with this kind of track record...y'all seem to buy loads of good cars but dislike 99% of them within months, even weeks. Remember Anony & Gee, they had a similar buying spree for awhile, maybe liking 90% of what they bought but liking most of them. Guess we just see car buying differently and trust me, I have the same real passion for cars since I was about 4. Even mentioned to my kid last night that I really need to find a part time gig in the auto industry when I do decide what I'll do next, hell, I'm in here multiple times daily I love it so much.
But hey, good luck with whatever y'all end up doing. We just look at the buying game from opposites sides of the aisle.
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)
Sandman, if the regular posters in this forum were to list out all the cars they've had, you'd fall out of your chair.
anon and gee had an in as she worked for a dealer and had access to trade ins before they went onto the lot.
but, different strokes for different folks. I suspect many of us here have a passion for cars that we can indulge with our pocketbooks. Fiscally responsible? Debatable. Fun? Absolutely.
Lessee, in 2001 we had a '99 Expedition and a '99 VW New Beetle. Since then, we've had:
2003 Saturn L300 - kept 7 years and traded 2003 Ford Focus ZX5 - kept 3 years and traded 2005 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded 2006 Saturn ION - still with us - will be 5 years in June 2008 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded 2010 MINI Cooper - still with us - will be 1 in April 2010 Mazda CX-7 - just acquired
So, 7 transactions in 10 years ... an average of 1 every 18 months. Maybe above average for the folks here.
I'm way below average. We're a 2-driver household & we've bought the following over the past 25 years:
1987 Honda Accord LXi 1992 Ford Taurus LX 1999 Lexus ES 300 2001 BMW 330i (mid-life crisis car - still have) 2006 Honda CR-V (probably the only CR-V with stick in the NY metro area - still have) 2007 Lexus ES 350 (still have)
That's 6 cars in 25 years for 2 drivers, & we still have 3 of them.
We're both retired now, so I'd like to reduce the fleet to 2 cars. I'm kicking around the notion of selling the 330i & the CR-V & replacing them with a small, upscale SUV - something along the lines of a BMW X-3 or an Audi Q5.
You could do worse. Although it's 5+ years old, it has only 14K on the clock. That's because I telecommuted 2 or 3 days/week when I was working. When I had to go into the office, I drove it 3 miles to the local railroad station's parking garage.
Replaced the awful Bridgestone Duelers with Michelin Harmonys a few months ago. Also added an iPod adapter.
I am falling way behind. Only 2 cars in the last 5 years, and they were both for my son (4/2008 and 12/2008). My car was purchased 12/2005, and wife's van 12/2004.
and at this pace, between the economy impact and college costs, none of the 3 are likely going anywhere soon! Unless i sell the accord and find a beater!
of course, we don't drive much, so the 2005 Hondas are both right about 60K (59,950 and ~62K)
at least before the accord, I was moving them like Qbrozen! In the space of about 2 years, I went from a maxima, added a maita, then sold the miata and traded the max on a tC, then traded that for the Accord.
the wife's cars always lasted about 6 years at least, unless they were problematic.
so, only car on the horizon is something in about a year for my daughter, who will be driving by then.
Replaced the awful Bridgestone Duelers with Michelin Harmonys a few months ago.
What is it about the Bridgestones that make them so awful? Both the '05 and the '08 VUEs had the Duelers on them ... 235/60-17. Both times I replaced them with Coopers. I got about 30-35K on the OEMs on the '05 and close to 40K on the '08.
Guess what? The CX-7 has Bridgetones on them .. I need to look closer at what model they are .. not sure that they're the Duelers. I noticed that the CX-7 next to the one we bought had Goodyear Eagle RS-A's on it ... and I've heard they are even worse than the Bridgestones.
Lousy ride & so-so grip. My hunch is that Honda picked them for the CR-V because they look as if they might have some off-road capability, even though the CR-V has no business going off-road. Hell, it's basically a jacked-up Civic with an Accord engine & part-time 4WD.
I didn't wait for my Duelers to wear out. The Michelins are vastly superior - smoother & quieter ride on dry roads & much grippier in the white stuff. We in the Northeast were hammered by snowstorms this winter, but our CR-V had no trouble getting around. No fuss, no muss, no drama.
It's an EX, with alloys & sunroof. For some reason, Honda didn't offer a stick on the lower line LX or the top-of-the-line LX - only on the mid-line EX.
Tried one before I got my Civic...probably should've gone that route for the higher seating position. The new one's are simply great but a bit big for me now. And I'm out of the market for at least another 5 years with the way I've been wracking up those miles...only 404 since mid October. Maybe even 6 years...makes no sense unless it gets taken out. See many CR-V's down south so they must be doing something right.
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)
I would use synthetic oil with the turbo, if I planned to own it after the warranty expired. If you're going to dump it before the warranty is up, regular oil should be fine.
I don't think it's necessary to let the engine idle for 30 seconds before shutdown unless you've been running it hard.
Nah, I'll hang on to the Pilot until I don't need it anymore, probably 2-3 years. If I do get rid of it, its replacement will have to be used and that alone will make me keep it.
I do have a soft spot for older cars though, maybe I feel like I'm rescuing them and fixing them back up. Right now we have 4 vehicles and while I find that excessive, they all have a purpose.
It was kinda fun cruising around in the Escort today, except the stopping part, that wasn't fun, I was really glad it has a manual transmission. Hopefully we get it back by the weekend, they ended up with a wrong master cylinder for it. The guy that called me was too funny, he asked if the car could spend the night, just the way he asked made me laugh.
Oh and yes, we've had around 30 +/- vehicles.........since 1993 that is and that counts various ones I've drug home from the junkyard and fixed up to be sold too.
Lessee, in 2001 we had a '99 Expedition and a '99 VW New Beetle. Since then, we've had:
2003 Saturn L300 - kept 7 years and traded 2003 Ford Focus ZX5 - kept 3 years and traded 2005 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded 2006 Saturn ION - still with us - will be 5 years in June 2008 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded 2010 MINI Cooper - still with us - will be 1 in April 2010 Mazda CX-7 - just acquired
In 2001 we had:
1993 Nissan Pathfinder SE(purchased in 1994, sold in 2003) 1995 BMW 318ti(purchased new in 1995, still have) 1997 BMW 528i(purchased in 2001, sold in 2005)
Since then...
1996 Triumph Speed Triple(9/05- still have) 2004 BMW X3 2.5(12/05- still have) 2007 Mazdaspeed 3(7/07- still have) 1975 BMW 2002A(10/08- still have)
So I'm a lightweight in this company...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
1988 Acura Integra - kept 4 years and traded 1991 Ford Ranger SuperCab - kept 4 years and sold 1993 Mazda 626 ES - kept 4 years and traded 1995 Chevrolet 1500 Extended Cab - kept 9 years and sold 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport - kept 5 years and traded 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 - still have w/ 37K miles 2002 Mercury Mountaineer - kept 3 years and traded 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche - still have w/ 44K miles 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara - kept 1 year and traded 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe - still have w/ 39K miles 2011 Ford Mustang GT - bought 12/10 and still have w/ 3K miles
Company cars from 1995 through 2009:
1995 Dodge Neon 1997 Pontiac Sunfire 2000 Chevrolet Malibu 2003 Dodge Intrepid 2006 Dodge Magnum
Everything on the list was delivered as new with the exception of the Trans Am, which I purchased at 8 months and 6K miles.
Total number of drivers has always been two. Wife says I have an obsession, which is why I'm on this board to begin with.....
2024 Ram 1500 Longhorn, 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2019 Ford Mustang GT Premium, 2016 Kia Optima SX, 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6
I don't understand either. People who constantly swap cars lose so much money in the process that it just makes no sense whatever.
And, they always have an excuse. they never say.." I just got tired of it" or "The novality wore off". Tehre is alwasy some REASON they just have to buy something different.
I used to be a bt guilty of this myself until I did the math and realized how much money we were wasting.
I've bought quite a few nice 7-12 year old cars that were in good shape. I would keep them a few months or maybe a couple of years and just decide to sell them and buy something different.
Sometimes I would lose a bit, sometimes I would break even and there were times I actually sold them for more than I paid.
Can't do this with new cars. By the time you consider the horrible depreciation, sales tax etc, it's financial suicide.
At least that's one thing we don't have up here......yet. Only fees tacked on to the price of the car are doc fees (usually $199-$299) and tags ($250ish).
Hard to believe my Pilot is a month old and has ~3300 miles on it. I really hope that slows down soon.
As we know from playing this game in the past, no one can match the lists of Jolie and Anony...
Well, now, wait a sec, excuse me while I flex and strut about shamelessly ... Jolie said we've had ~30. If I include my wife's cars, that's another 9 on my list during our 10 years of marriage, bringing my total to 31. :P I may not be in the lead here, but I'm probably not far off the podium.
As far as this talk about wasting money .... yeah, OK, its not fiscally responsible ... but most money is wasted on one thing or another. You can waste it in fancy restaurants, you can waste it on more square footage than you comfortably need, you can waste it on landscaping, the list goes on and on. Other than the bare essentials to live, one could argue it is all a waste.
'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
As far as this talk about wasting money .... yeah, OK, its not fiscally responsible ... but most money is wasted on one thing or another. You can waste it in fancy restaurants, you can waste it on more square footage than you comfortably need, you can waste it on landscaping, the list goes on and on. Other than the bare essentials to live, one could argue it is all a waste.
+1 on that comment, q.
We all choose to spend (or save) our money differently.
At the moment, I live in a house that would be considered small for 3 adults (1600 sq. ft.). But, it works for us and keeps our mortgage payments low, allowing us to buy a new car from time to time.
Others will sock it all into stocks, bonds or other investments.
Others still will spend the equivalent of a years' worth of car payments for a week at Aspen or Vail.
I don't begrudge what folks make or spend. Heck, I know we all wish we had mark156's income stream --- but we don't.
In fact, it's kinda fun to live vicariously through the folks on these boards.
Comments
And synthetic oil? With a turbo, probably can't hurt, but you should be fine with whatever the manual says.
and aren't turbos water cooled now? don't know if they keep circulating or not after shut down, but 30 seconds is probably overkill, unless you are going straight from full power to off!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I see tirerack has a few cheaper options, but nothing I'd suggest.
I wonder if prices will come down as those bigger wheels and low-profile tires become more common?
For instance, eons ago, I used to like to run 225/70/R14 tires on the back of my '68 Dart, and 205/70/R14's up front. Those 225's used to be really expensive, but eventually that size became more and more common, and the price came down. I think one big factor was that For Ranger going to that size, or maybe it was the first Explorer?
Even today I don't think they're THAT hard to find, although 14" rims in general are pretty scarce these days. My '67 Catalina convertible had 215/75/R14's on it, which are almost impossible to find these days. That was a major influence on me upgrading to non-correct, but good looking 15" Rally 2 wheels (technically, I don't think they were offered on big Pontiacs until 1969). I have 225/70/R15's on it. Hopefully that size will stay around awhile.
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!
After getting the car inside and thawed out the summer tires on it aren't that bad. I think I'm going to get a set of studded tires if I can secure a second set of wheels for it, the wrecking yard is working on that now.
As for flipping the car, no way, this car has to get through 2 teenagers, its so hard to find a GOOD older car that I won't be giving it up any time soon.
I was a bit worried that after it was inside the garage and thawed out I'd find leaks, but nope, nothing, not a drop. I do need to fix the driver's side automatic seatbelt, I think it needs a motor, easy enough, just have to narrow down the issue and prowl the wrecking yard. For now the fuse is pulled and the seatbelt is in the locked position.
It gets a new stereo on Monday, the old factory cassette deck works fine, but I'd rather put some new tunes in it. I love fixing up older cars, lol.
I'll get a picture of it up tomorrow, really not a bad car. No major damage, paint looks good, no accident damage, really its in better shape then a lot of 5-7 year old cars.
Knock wood, but so far the TL my son (at college) is doing fine. 26 months so far, and it better last through the rest of his college time (currently a Sophomore). Not bad for 2K purchase, though i did through struts and tires on it. Still getting our moneys worth out of it.
and best of all, it is a solid, safe car for longer drives and (god forbidden) if something bad happened in it.
for some reason, my daughter wants nothing to do with it (she can get a permit late this year_. Not that it matters, since he has dibs on it. Though I can let her drive it when it is home.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Oil: I use Mobil 1 5W-30 in my MS3, which has the same engine as the CX-7. The oil meets Honda/Acura's stringent HTO-6 standard. I run a used oil analysis at every oil change and the UOA results indicate that 5000 miles is a fairly conservative interval. I'm currently pushing it out to 6500 mile to see how the oil holds up. Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 would also be a good choice.
Be very afraid if the service adviser tells you Mazda does not recommend synthetic oil in your application, as it means that the idiot doesn't know the difference between a turbocharged inline four and a rotary engine.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I took the key to a locksmith today and she spent about 30 minutes under a magnifying glass counting out various number which I guessed meant where she thought the grooves should be. She commented it was the worst key she had ever seen.
She cut 2 keys, wouldn't let me pay for them, told me to come back tomorrow with the car and we'd try to get something to work. I got home and imagine my shock when one of the 2 new keys actually works. Now that's talent! So I'll go back tomorrow and have her cut me a couple more.
I had forgotten about letting the engine idle for 30 seconds before shutting it off ... I need to pass that along to the wife.
Oil - manual says 5W-30, and I think I'll take rb's advice to run Mobil 1 through it. The manual also stipulates 7500 miles between oil changes, but that seems a bit too long, so I'll probably do it every 5K.
There is no 93 octane available in Colorado .. I checked the place where I normally get my fuel and they offer 85, 87 and 91. Manual says 91, so that's what it'll get. Still only $3.35/gal - Colorado has some of the lowest gas prices in the country due to local oil shale supply and a refinery in Denver.
One thing that I noticed while perusing the manual last night ... there is a line item in the maintenance schedule for rear diff and transaxle fluid changes, but it says it should be done at 28K if you tow a lot, drive dusty roads and some other 'severe duty' scenarios, but no recommendation on if those conditions don't apply. I may poke around on the 'net in some Mazda owners forums to see what's suggested.
Stopped by the dealer last night, and found that one of my two salesman (they split the deal) has left. Turns out he was a GSM at one of the companies' stores in the mountains, then got transferred to the Mazda store in town and was put back onto the floor. Apparently, he and the Mazda GSM didn't see eye to eye so he left.
I was eyeing the MS3 while there ... nice car, but given the stories from rb, not sure that I'd want to go down that path.
Sounds like the oil companies have numbed you out!
And you call yourself civilized....
Nah, it's an altitude thing. In New Mexico they offer an 86 octane (?!), though I don't remember if that is regular or mid-grade. When we drive through in May on our way to AZ I'll take a look. It may be 86, 88 and 92.
I'm expecting prices close to $4 a gallon by that time, which eats into the entertainment budget.
We tend to fill up at convenient spots - Raton, Santa Fe or Albuquerque and Gallup, NM - rather than wait for the tank to get close to empty.
Two other nifty features I forgot to mention - Xenon HIDs (with adjustable height) and a distance to empty calculation on the trip computer.
Got Sirius going last night as well - 6 free months, though it's unlikely that we'll keep the subscription past that. Wife says there is too much talk now on the music channels.
Probably to some degree. I think part of the extra cost is that the lower profile tires have to have stiffer sidewalls to compensate for the late of breathing room. I could be wrong. Just a guess.
Certainly, prices on 17s and 18s have decreased in the past decade or so.
But I don't know about 19s. With smaller cars getting more and more popular, I think 19s will forever be rare. For me personally, 18 is the limit.
'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
You just did that to show off that you know how to spell Albuquerque.
Here is the list of what he found wrong.....and I really think he had to dig hard to get this list:
RF high beam is out....I knew that
Needs the serpentine belt replaced....yup, knew that too
Brakes look great
Master Cylinder is bad......I was pretty sure it was, just tried to tell myself it wasn't
Grand total of repairs it needs......$415
He could find NOTHING else wrong with the car mechanically, not even a leak. I'm pretty darn proud of myself. Its getting its repairs this afternoon. Not too bad for a $1000 car, even the mechanic said he was amazed I got it that cheap considering its in great shape.
RF high beam is out....I knew that
Needs the serpentine belt replaced....yup, knew that too
Brakes look great
Master Cylinder is bad......I was pretty sure it was, just tried to tell myself it wasn't
Grand total of repairs it needs......$415
On one hand, only $400 is not to bad for a car as old as the Escort.
On the other hand, it's 40% of the purchase price.
But, I'd bet that after you fixed everything up, you could sell it for close to $2K in your market.
Let me see if this picture will post at the correct size:
On the other hand, it's 40% of the purchase price.
But, I'd bet that after you fixed everything up, you could sell it for close to $2K in your market.
Possibly, but I have zero intention of selling it. Cheap used cars are not easy to find up here and finding one in great shape is even harder. Even rarer is to find one that doesn't have a ton of body work and a long accident history. Needless to say the Escort has a home for a long time.
Now the Pilot on the other hand....while I do like it, I can say for sure it won't be around for as long as the 07. Even hubby has said it won't be around for long, the more he drives it the less he likes it.
Now the Pilot on the other hand....while I do like it, I can say for sure it won't be around for as long as the 07. Even hubby has said it won't be around for long, the more he drives it the less he likes it.
You know I'm just giving you grief -- we go way back to when you owned the Jetta!
But, I find it interesting that the cheap car will be around longer than the brand new one.
However, in thinking about it, we do the same thing around here. The '05 VUE got traded in for the '08 VUE while I still had my '03 L300, and the '08 VUE got ditched for the '10 CX-7 while the '06 ION sticks around.
But hey, good luck with whatever y'all end up doing. We just look at the buying game from opposites sides of the aisle.
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)
anon and gee had an in as she worked for a dealer and had access to trade ins before they went onto the lot.
but, different strokes for different folks. I suspect many of us here have a passion for cars that we can indulge with our pocketbooks. Fiscally responsible? Debatable. Fun? Absolutely.
Lessee, in 2001 we had a '99 Expedition and a '99 VW New Beetle. Since then, we've had:
2003 Saturn L300 - kept 7 years and traded
2003 Ford Focus ZX5 - kept 3 years and traded
2005 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded
2006 Saturn ION - still with us - will be 5 years in June
2008 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded
2010 MINI Cooper - still with us - will be 1 in April
2010 Mazda CX-7 - just acquired
So, 7 transactions in 10 years ... an average of 1 every 18 months. Maybe above average for the folks here.
1987 Honda Accord LXi
1992 Ford Taurus LX
1999 Lexus ES 300
2001 BMW 330i (mid-life crisis car - still have)
2006 Honda CR-V (probably the only CR-V with stick in the NY metro area - still have)
2007 Lexus ES 350 (still have)
That's 6 cars in 25 years for 2 drivers, & we still have 3 of them.
We're both retired now, so I'd like to reduce the fleet to 2 cars. I'm kicking around the notion of selling the 330i & the CR-V & replacing them with a small, upscale SUV - something along the lines of a BMW X-3 or an Audi Q5.
'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
Replaced the awful Bridgestone Duelers with Michelin Harmonys a few months ago. Also added an iPod adapter.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
and at this pace, between the economy impact and college costs, none of the 3 are likely going anywhere soon! Unless i sell the accord and find a beater!
of course, we don't drive much, so the 2005 Hondas are both right about 60K (59,950 and ~62K)
at least before the accord, I was moving them like Qbrozen! In the space of about 2 years, I went from a maxima, added a maita, then sold the miata and traded the max on a tC, then traded that for the Accord.
the wife's cars always lasted about 6 years at least, unless they were problematic.
so, only car on the horizon is something in about a year for my daughter, who will be driving by then.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
What is it about the Bridgestones that make them so awful? Both the '05 and the '08 VUEs had the Duelers on them ... 235/60-17. Both times I replaced them with Coopers. I got about 30-35K on the OEMs on the '05 and close to 40K on the '08.
Guess what? The CX-7 has Bridgetones on them .. I need to look closer at what model they are .. not sure that they're the Duelers. I noticed that the CX-7 next to the one we bought had Goodyear Eagle RS-A's on it ... and I've heard they are even worse than the Bridgestones.
I didn't wait for my Duelers to wear out. The Michelins are vastly superior - smoother & quieter ride on dry roads & much grippier in the white stuff. We in the Northeast were hammered by snowstorms this winter, but our CR-V had no trouble getting around. No fuss, no muss, no drama.
I don't remember Bridgestone models anymore but I remember they made good ones for my old Maxima. That was a lot of years ago.
besides Fez, I need you to buy my accord so I have the cash for it!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Color is red, with beige fabric upholstery.
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)
See many CR-V's down south so they must be doing something right.
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 don't think it's necessary to let the engine idle for 30 seconds before shutdown unless you've been running it hard.
Nah, I'll hang on to the Pilot until I don't need it anymore, probably 2-3 years. If I do get rid of it, its replacement will have to be used and that alone will make me keep it.
I do have a soft spot for older cars though, maybe I feel like I'm rescuing them and fixing them back up. Right now we have 4 vehicles and while I find that excessive, they all have a purpose.
It was kinda fun cruising around in the Escort today, except the stopping part, that wasn't fun, I was really glad it has a manual transmission. Hopefully we get it back by the weekend, they ended up with a wrong master cylinder for it. The guy that called me was too funny, he asked if the car could spend the night, just the way he asked made me laugh.
Oh and yes, we've had around 30 +/- vehicles.........since 1993 that is and that counts various ones I've drug home from the junkyard and fixed up to be sold too.
2003 Saturn L300 - kept 7 years and traded
2003 Ford Focus ZX5 - kept 3 years and traded
2005 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded
2006 Saturn ION - still with us - will be 5 years in June
2008 Saturn VUE - kept 3 years and traded
2010 MINI Cooper - still with us - will be 1 in April
2010 Mazda CX-7 - just acquired
In 2001 we had:
1993 Nissan Pathfinder SE(purchased in 1994, sold in 2003)
1995 BMW 318ti(purchased new in 1995, still have)
1997 BMW 528i(purchased in 2001, sold in 2005)
Since then...
1996 Triumph Speed Triple(9/05- still have)
2004 BMW X3 2.5(12/05- still have)
2007 Mazdaspeed 3(7/07- still have)
1975 BMW 2002A(10/08- still have)
So I'm a lightweight in this company...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
lets see, we had a 1999 Nissan Quest, and I dumped a 1995 Mystique for a 1998 maxima in spring, 2001.
2001 Miata (bought 11/03, sold 6/2004)
2005 Scion tC (bought 8/2004)
2005 honda Odyssey (12/2004, still have, replaced Quest) still have.
2005 honda Accord (12/2005 leftover, traded in Scion). still have
1998 Contour (bought 4/2008, sold 3/2009)
2000 Acura Tl (bought 12/2008, still have)
I did my best to make the 2005 model year a big one!
pretty sad there. 4 cars in 25 months (late 2003 - late 2005).
the last 2 were for my son. so the "real" car trades have really dried up!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
1988 Acura Integra - kept 4 years and traded
1991 Ford Ranger SuperCab - kept 4 years and sold
1993 Mazda 626 ES - kept 4 years and traded
1995 Chevrolet 1500 Extended Cab - kept 9 years and sold
1997 Pontiac Trans Sport - kept 5 years and traded
2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 - still have w/ 37K miles
2002 Mercury Mountaineer - kept 3 years and traded
2005 Chevrolet Avalanche - still have w/ 44K miles
2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara - kept 1 year and traded
2007 Hyundai Santa Fe - still have w/ 39K miles
2011 Ford Mustang GT - bought 12/10 and still have w/ 3K miles
Company cars from 1995 through 2009:
1995 Dodge Neon
1997 Pontiac Sunfire
2000 Chevrolet Malibu
2003 Dodge Intrepid
2006 Dodge Magnum
Everything on the list was delivered as new with the exception of the Trans Am, which I purchased at 8 months and 6K miles.
Total number of drivers has always been two. Wife says I have an obsession, which is why I'm on this board to begin with.....
2024 Ram 1500 Longhorn, 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2019 Ford Mustang GT Premium, 2016 Kia Optima SX, 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6
And, they always have an excuse. they never say.." I just got tired of it" or "The novality wore off". Tehre is alwasy some REASON they just have to buy something different.
I used to be a bt guilty of this myself until I did the math and realized how much money we were wasting.
That's exactly what happened to me!
I've bought quite a few nice 7-12 year old cars that were in good shape. I would keep them a few months or maybe a couple of years and just decide to sell them and buy something different.
Sometimes I would lose a bit, sometimes I would break even and there were times I actually sold them for more than I paid.
Can't do this with new cars. By the time you consider the horrible depreciation, sales tax etc, it's financial suicide.
At least that's one thing we don't have up here......yet. Only fees tacked on to the price of the car are doc fees (usually $199-$299) and tags ($250ish).
Hard to believe my Pilot is a month old and has ~3300 miles on it. I really hope that slows down soon.
2001 started with-
1990 Honda Accord
1990 Honda CRX
90 Audi 100 Wagon
91 Audi 90 Quattro 20v
94 Isuzu Trooper
00 Honda Accord V6 Coupe
00 BMW Z3
03 Mazda Protege5
06 Subaru Forester
08 Honda Pilot
08 RDX
10 Nissan Versa
And since RB counted a motorcycle-
06 Suzuki DL 650
06 Triumph Sprint ST
06 Honda ST1300A
As we know from playing this game in the past, no one can match the lists of Jolie and Anony...
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
Well, now, wait a sec, excuse me while I flex and strut about shamelessly ... Jolie said we've had ~30. If I include my wife's cars, that's another 9 on my list during our 10 years of marriage, bringing my total to 31. :P
I may not be in the lead here, but I'm probably not far off the podium.
As far as this talk about wasting money .... yeah, OK, its not fiscally responsible ... but most money is wasted on one thing or another. You can waste it in fancy restaurants, you can waste it on more square footage than you comfortably need, you can waste it on landscaping, the list goes on and on. Other than the bare essentials to live, one could argue it is all a waste.
'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
By the time I was 21 I had been through 47 cars.
A buddy kept a long lost log until he finally gave up.
None were new and most were pretty old and ratty with a couple of great exceptions.
+1 on that comment, q.
We all choose to spend (or save) our money differently.
At the moment, I live in a house that would be considered small for 3 adults (1600 sq. ft.). But, it works for us and keeps our mortgage payments low, allowing us to buy a new car from time to time.
Others will sock it all into stocks, bonds or other investments.
Others still will spend the equivalent of a years' worth of car payments for a week at Aspen or Vail.
I don't begrudge what folks make or spend. Heck, I know we all wish we had mark156's income stream --- but we don't.
In fact, it's kinda fun to live vicariously through the folks on these boards.