Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

@xwesx said:
Very thoughtful gifts! Good thing she only used a fraction of the photos of your cars.

Kind of makes me want to seek them all out. Obviously, she used what she could find. Personally, I wouldn’t have bothered with the Ioniq nor LS-v8, for starters. Lol.

xwesx

@roadburner

The first rule of marketing is to never set expectations too high! It's never a bad thing for people to get more than they expected, but if you go the other way.... WATCH OUT!!!!

roadburner

@xwesx

Agreed, but a lot manufacturers have advertised range estimates on the optimistic side.

explorerx4

Took the Explorer for it's first carwash(touchless) the yesterday.
One thing that doesn't get cleaned very well are the wheel barrels.
The front brakes are large but somewhat inset and the rear brakes are smaller, so I was able to clean things up pretty nicely with a damp cloth.
Also realized the wheels have 7 spokes, thought there were 8.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

Took the Explorer for it's first carwash(touchless) the yesterday.
One thing that doesn't get cleaned very well are the wheel barrels.
The front brakes are large but somewhat inset and the rear brakes are smaller, so I was able to clean things up pretty nicely with a damp cloth.
Also realized the wheels have 7 spokes, thought there were 8.

————————————————
So, you got the downsized model that’s easier to clean.

jmonroe

ab348

qbrozen said:

Got some gifts this morn. Signs for my garage and my wife put together a poster of random cars of mine/ours she found pics of.

Your silver MR2 looks a lot like my silver MR2!

Sandman6472

Been in the hospital, went in on the night of the second and came home on the fifth. Slept through my birthday on the first...missed it all! Thought I had sepsis again but turns out it was a combination of a bad cough, urinary tract infection and the BPPV vertigo. Was on i v fluids for the three days I was in the hospital with mega antibiotics as they just wasn't sure. My wife and daughter called the paramedics as I wasn't feeling well and was totally incoherent, didn't know my name or who they were...had no idea what the date even was! Must've been a bit scary for them as I can't recall much except that both arms are bruised up from the multiple i v's going into them.
No driving for the next few weeks as I recover, a bad thing as it's starting to get busy. But my health has to come first I guess...will listen to what my doctors say on this.

jmonroe1

@Sandman6472, that was some scary stuff you went through. A couple people I know had urinary track infections and it pretty much wiped them out for a couple days until the meds got it under control. The strange thing is that they got that infection while in the hospital for something completely unrelated to that type of infection. I obviously don’t know where that infection starts but I was led to believe that hospitals are a good place to get it.

Take care and let us know how you’re doing.

jmonroe

stickguy

well, if you want to get a serious, potentially life threatening, infection the hospital is the best place to go to do it.

stickguy

Sandy, hang in there and hopefully things get better soon health wise. Like they say, getting old ain't for sissies.

au1994

stickguy said:

well, if you want to get a serious, potentially life threatening, infection the hospital is the best place to go to do it.

Scary but true.

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Been in the hospital, went in on the night of the second and came home on the fifth. Slept through my birthday on the first...missed it all! Thought I had sepsis again but turns out it was a combination of a bad cough, urinary tract infection and the BPPV vertigo. Was on i v fluids for the three days I was in the hospital with mega antibiotics as they just wasn't sure. My wife and daughter called the paramedics as I wasn't feeling well and was totally incoherent, didn't know my name or who they were...had no idea what the date even was! Must've been a bit scary for them as I can't recall much except that both arms are bruised up from the multiple i v's going into them.
No driving for the next few weeks as I recover, a bad thing as it's starting to get busy. But my health has to come first I guess...will listen to what my doctors say on this.

Sorry to hear that Sandy, stay home and rest. I would think you deserve it.

tjc78

Feel better soon Sandy. Rough start to the month!

kyfdx

The lady that cleans our house showed up in a new car, today.

2024 Mazda CX-5 Premium.

It's very, very nice.

stickguy

I do like those. came close to getting one before we got the 2nd RDX

au1994

Yes, one of my employees has one in that stunning red Mazda has. Its a sharp ride!

tjc78

I rented one of those and really liked it except for the antiquated knob for the infotainment.

ab348

The 6-speed automatic is also somewhat less than cutting-edge.

carnaught

Hospital acquired infections are called nosocomial infections (nothing to do with the nose).

nyccarguy

Sandy - wishing you a speedy recovery. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

The lady that cleans our house showed up in a new car, today.

2024 Mazda CX-5 Premium.

It's very, very nice.

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You must be paying too much to have your house cleaned. Years ago, the cleaning lady we had showed up in a hooptie that @oldfarmer50 would kick to the curb. I think that was for show. Kinda like doctors years ago drove Buicks to make their house calls instead of Cadillacs. Just so their patients wouldn’t think they were being over charged.

jmonroe

stickguy

@ab348 said:
The 6-speed automatic is also somewhat less than cutting-edge.

But the drivetrain is simple and reliable.

ab348

stickguy said:

@ab348 said:

The 6-speed automatic is also somewhat less than cutting-edge.

But the drivetrain is simple and reliable.

They said that about the Model T as well.

stickguy

Some ways 6 speeds are better. Less gear hunting.

kyfdx

jmonroe1 said:

kyfdx said:

The lady that cleans our house showed up in a new car, today.

2024 Mazda CX-5 Premium.

It's very, very nice.

————————————————
You must be paying too much to have your house cleaned. Years ago, the cleaning lady we had showed up in a hooptie that @oldfarmer50 would kick to the curb. I think that was for show. Kinda like doctors years ago drove Buicks to make their house calls instead of Cadillacs. Just so their patients wouldn’t think they were being over charged.

jmonroe

You get someone good and trustworthy, they are worth their weight in gold. I finally had to tell my wife: "Quit telling your friends about our house cleaner. They'll pay her more than we do, and you won't have her any more."

stickguy

My housekeeper has been pretty bad lately but I’m afraid to complain or she won’t cook dinner.

qbrozen

So here is something interesting: At an online dealer auction I frequent (where I bought both the Maser and Xterra), a 1967 Dodge Coronet came up. Same exterior and interior color as mine. But NOT an R/T. Just a 500 with a 383 engine. Paint/clearcoat issues throughout and surface rust underneath. Hideous aftermarket wire wheels. AC, heat, radio, and wipers all inoperative. SOLD for $27k. What?! Gives me high hopes for my R/T ... when it is running again.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

So here is something interesting: At an online dealer auction I frequent (where I bought both the Maser and Xterra), a 1967 Dodge Coronet came up. Same exterior and interior color as mine. But NOT an R/T. Just a 500 with a 383 engine. Paint/clearcoat issues throughout and surface rust underneath. Hideous aftermarket wire wheels. AC, heat, radio, and wipers all inoperative. SOLD for $27k. What?! Gives me high hopes for my R/T ... when it is running again.

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I think you’re right. Might even get $28K for yours.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

My housekeeper has been pretty bad lately but I’m afraid to complain or she won’t cook dinner.

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I know what you mean. It’s a helpless feeling.

jmonroe

explorerx4

That Coronet will probably show up at Mecum or BJ with a Hemi and a 4 speed in it in about a year,

stickguy

And if they put in a new crate hemi it would be a much nicer driving car!

nyccarguy

@explorerx4 said:
That Coronet will probably show up at Mecum or BJ with a **numbers matching******Hemi and a 4 speed in it in about a year,

explorerx4

@nyccarguy,
HA HA, that's what I should have posted, I just wasn't sure about going there.

Sandman6472

Yes, Mazda does make a stunning wine red color on their vehicles. I read that for 2024, they're going to fix their antiquated infotainment systems to be more mainstream and user friendly. Forget that they're a true safety hazard! Hated ours in the 2005 Mazda 3s that we had as it was truly the worst system I've ever used! Great vehicle otherwise though.

Sandman6472

Looks like I'm not going to be driving for the next few weeks. The wife & daughter will be doing the trip to St. Augustine solo next week taking her Audi. It's only a 3-day trip so best I stay home to rest. I'll be going up on the 23rd as we need to take the Hyundai and the Audi as she'll be moving for good. I'll sit in the passenger seat unless they really need me to drive a bit on I-95. We're going to the kids in St. Cloud for Thanksgiving and then onto her new apartment on the 24th. Me getting sick right now isn't the best thing but it's just what it is I guess. Think between my wife, both daughters and my son-in-law, they'll have things covered. Only her personal stuff plus two stools for the island need to be moved as she gave us her old bed and couch...she wanted to start with new this time.
Thanks for all the good wishes folks! It was a pretty bad few days there and trust me, this vertigo is awful! We just need to figure out why it's coming back like it's doing...so frequently. Makes zero sense really and when it hits, my world is spinning 24/7! I hope none of y'all ever get this because it does rock your world for a time. But, trying to stay optimistic here and hoping for the best. The family consensus so far is for me to cut back to just two days a week at work going forward which is probably the right move. Or maybe a M-W-F schedule like I used to have at Hertz to give my body the rest it seems to need. Luckily, I don't have to work at all but am happier when I do go in as I still love the job! Only thing I hate is driving those large 15-pack Transit vans which is well known at work. Just not comfortable driving any large vehicle. Can finally drive a F-150 or Ram truck now but, took awhile to get used to the size. There's a reason I drive a VW Golf!

roadburner

My wife and I spent the day running errands. I drove the C43 for the morning/early afternoon errands but took the Sahara for a couple of late aftenoon runs. My wife absolutely loves the C43 but after riding in the Wrangler she said that she thought that it was as comfortable as she would want. I'm glad we are on the same wavelength.

corvette

@Sandman6472 - it sounds like you're feeling better, hope you continue to improve!

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Looks like I'm not going to be driving for the next few weeks. The wife & daughter will be doing the trip to St. Augustine solo next week taking her Audi. It's only a 3-day trip so best I stay home to rest. I'll be going up on the 23rd as we need to take the Hyundai and the Audi as she'll be moving for good. I'll sit in the passenger seat unless they really need me to drive a bit on I-95. We're going to the kids in St. Cloud for Thanksgiving and then onto her new apartment on the 24th. Me getting sick right now isn't the best thing but it's just what it is I guess. Think between my wife, both daughters and my son-in-law, they'll have things covered. Only her personal stuff plus two stools for the island need to be moved as she gave us her old bed and couch...she wanted to start with new this time.
Thanks for all the good wishes folks! It was a pretty bad few days there and trust me, this vertigo is awful! We just need to figure out why it's coming back like it's doing...so frequently. Makes zero sense really and when it hits, my world is spinning 24/7! I hope none of y'all ever get this because it does rock your world for a time. But, trying to stay optimistic here and hoping for the best. The family consensus so far is for me to cut back to just two days a week at work going forward which is probably the right move. Or maybe a M-W-F schedule like I used to have at Hertz to give my body the rest it seems to need. Luckily, I don't have to work at all but am happier when I do go in as I still love the job! Only thing I hate is driving those large 15-pack Transit vans which is well known at work. Just not comfortable driving any large vehicle. Can finally drive a F-150 or Ram truck now but, took awhile to get used to the size. There's a reason I drive a VW Golf!

The only time I dislike large vehicles is when I have to park them in slots at the airport garage. It’s bad enough to have people walking behind a SUV as you try to back into the small parking spots but when people let their kids run along side or behind a big PU or van it’s downright scary.

On the vertigo issue, has your doctor considered medication as the cause? My wife gets dizzy occasionally and I suspect that it might be one of her medications causing it.

roadburner

@Sandman6472 When my wife had vertigo she went to an audiologist who used a table that moves around. She said it definitely worked for her.

qbrozen

Gave my wife a choice today and was surprised by the outcome.

1. Buy an extended warranty for the S90 for $3200 to cover the next 6 years or up to 112,000 miles. We owe $16.6k on it, and current offer from Carvana is $24.2k.
2. Trade it now for a 2-yr lease on an XC90 T8. Equity we have in the S90 would pay all the up fronts plus the 10 MSDs and have a payment very similar to her current payment. Of course, she'd have no vehicle in 2 years and have just the $3500 in MSDs in hand.

The way I see it, it is pretty much a wash right now. But obviously leans towards the S90 for overall ownership cost the longer you keep it.

She debated it a little and ultimately decided to keep the S90. I thought for sure she'd just at an XC90. Hey, good for her. Honestly, I hate getting in and out of the S90 because it is so damned low to the ground, but that's not her problem.

stickguy

I forgot you even still had an S90. But good decision since you have the Sprinter on hand if you need to carry a lot of people.

I am so used to higher ride heights now (Maverick has perfect hip point to slide right in or out, and RDX is pretty close) that when I do get into a low car it seems odd.

qbrozen

somehow, the Charger is not that low. It is a good height. Not slide in and out, of course, but easier than the S90 or even my WRX was. Is there such a measurement as seat height from ground? They should provide that for us old folk.

stickguy

there is. I think that is what is called hip point (literally how far off the ground your hip is).

My dream of a Miata, or even a 2 series, might die when I finally find one and my wife can't get in or out without flopping onto the driveway. Might have to try a 2 door wrangler, though she for some reason dislikes Jeeps, and I doubt would appreciate the ride.

tjc78

The Volvo sedans are very low. The Mercedes we just got is no better, but so comfortable once you’re inside.

stickguy

I actually saw a Volvo V90 wagon today on temp tags (from Vermont of course). Black cladding fender flares so I guess could be an XC90, but looked low like a normal wagon. And it was badged V90, but maybe they changed that for the new design.

I liked it. low and sleek, definitely did not look like a CUV. And probably very rare car.

kyfdx

Try a Cayman!

Michaell

stickguy said:

I actually saw a Volvo V90 wagon today on temp tags (from Vermont of course). Black cladding fender flares so I guess could be an XC90, but looked low like a normal wagon. And it was badged V90, but maybe they changed that for the new design.

I liked it. low and sleek, definitely did not look like a CUV. And probably very rare car.

V90 Cross Country, I'd say - kinda like an Outback. Both @breld and @jpp75 have had one, at one time.

With the T6 engine, quite the tasty ride.

Sandman6472

Sat in a new Audi Q3 today so my wife could check it out. Decided to cancel the Pacifica for Wednesday since I'll be staying home and put her into a Q3 if they can save it for her. Her "EPC" light is still acting weird, turn on the car...it comes on. Turn off the car and restart...it goes away. Something to do with her battery we think since it all started back when she got a new battery here at the house eleven months ago. That battery was replaced last month and the "EPC" issue is still there. That, and a small coolant leak, means her A3 is going in to be checked on Monday.If finished by Wednesday, it should be, she'll take the A3 and we'll do a rental on the 23rd, as that trip I'm going on.
This first trip is to get her keys to the brand new apartment and to sign paperwork & other set-up stuff at her new job. She starts on the 27th of this month. The new bed is coming on the 16th plus we need to get the internet set up...little stuff like that. Since I'm not too quick on my feet right now, it's been decided that I should stay home which I totally agree with. I'd just slow them down as I'm dizzy most of the time & can not move very quickly. The extra weeks rest will make me feel more confident when we take both vehicles up on the 23rd. We'll stay a few days, find her a new couch, do some shopping and leave on that Saturday afternoon, the 25th. By then, think she'll be happy to see us gone so she can start her new "adventure". We'll FaceTime and text as much as we do now it's just that instead of being 20 minutes away, we'll now be four hours away.
Think I'm definitely getting better each day that goes by, a good thing. Start my physical therapy next week which includes positioning my head in various positions to help move the crystals in my inner ear. That and the Meclizine I take for it have worked twice in the past so have no reason to think it won't work this time. But finding out why it keeps coming back & how to make it permanently go away are the next steps needed so I can get back to my life! If things go as I hope they will, plan on seeing my primary by months end & get back to work by the first Of December if allowed. I need to get out of the house & behind the wheel and think everything will fall back into place.

Sandman6472

We also had another discussion where I mentioned that if my wife can't trust her vehicle anymore, then the time has come to replace it. It's that simple really. Sat her in a new 2023 A3 today and she did like the changes from her current 2015 model. Very familiar she commented which is a good thing. Sure, the price has gone up by a nice clip but she's not worried about that...she has more available than I do to purchase things like this. We also talked about my situation and flat out told her I'm just not ready to make a move quite yet. Also, I don't have the assets right now to plunk down $30K on a vehicle.
She mentioned trying a new Hyundai Kona which think she'd like but doubt I'd buy the same vehicle as she would. Not sure she'd like the Q3 but it would also be familiar to her. So, we shall see. Best case scenario is for Audi to fix her vehicle and get another year out of it. It takes her much longer to find and then purchase a vehicle than I do. What I do in about two weeks takes her like two months...I can usually tell within five minutes if a vehicle is going to work for me while she needs multiple test drives to get to that same point. With my Golf, I knew within five minutes I'd own it one day soon...a week later, it was on my side of the garage.
But, if one can't trust their current vehicle then, it's time to do something about it. And we all arrive at that point differently.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

somehow, the Charger is not that low. It is a good height. Not slide in and out, of course, but easier than the S90 or even my WRX was. Is there such a measurement as seat height from ground? They should provide that for us old folk.

Because of my wife’s mobility issues I needed a car that she neither had to climb up into or fall down into. The old PT Cruiser was perfect so I measured the height of the seat from the ground and took the tape measure to work. The Kia Soul hit the sweet spot and it was cheap as heck.

Sold.