Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

@jmonroe1 said:

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I think you said that wrong.

jmonroe

Fixed! Thank-you. Posting and cooking shouldn’t be permitted!

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Pan fried pork chops again?

jmonroe

nyccarguy

@jmonroe1 said:
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Pan fried pork chops again?

jmonroe

No. Pan fried chicken cutlets.

nyccarguy

Crazy night with the snow yesterday. My 14 year old son was supposed to have a hockey game at 8:15 last night. The team they were supposed to play was from further north. He plays hockey in Greenwich which is literally the southern most town in the state of CT. The other team cancelled and for good reason. Coach said they gave the ice, so let’s practice. Since the Jeep was in the garage and the Tacoma was clean, I took the Highlander. Snow was wet and very heavy. Cars without snow shoes or AwD/4wD were getting stuck going up hills. The Highlander’s AWD system performed very well. We made it to about a block away from the rink which is up on a hill. The cops were there and made us turn around. Cars were struggling to get up and sliding down. Back home we went.

Then my daughter (12) was at a Bat-Mitzvah in White Plains, NY about 18 miles away. She was supposed to be picked up at 11:00 pm along with 2 friends. Gave myself plenty of time and the Highlander handled unplowed highways (95) like a champ.

stickguy

I just finished my second shoveling of the day. got the bulk this morning, and what looked to be a couple of more inches before it tailed off just now. Very wet and heavy so I think it was starting to compress. at least down to the pavement so as soon as the sun gets on it tomorrow, my driveway and sidewalks will be dry. Next week should be fun. supposed to get a little more snow or mixed stuff Tuesday, then pushing 50 and heavy rain Wednesday. Going to be one heck of a sloppy mess out there but at least it might wash away all the salt!

Good thing I have no place to go until the end of the week.

ab348

Stick, you still have the snowblower we convinced you to buy when you got the house? Why not use that?

stickguy

Did not feel like getting it out of the shed and blowing a path across the lawn. The garage is too small to fit that in with the cars so it is not at all convenient. This was not enough snow to require anything more than a shovel. Got a nice workout too.

stickguy

it was also the heavy, wet snow that tends to clog up a snow blower. Spend more time trying to dislodge that than actually clearing!

sda

stickguy said:

it was also the heavy, wet snow that tends to clog up a snow blower. Spend more time trying to dislodge that than actually clearing!

I’m glad we get little snow, though it brings the area to its knees. Ice storms are worse but not frequent. Stores love them, shelves are cleared!

stickguy

at least up here, they are used to snow and prepared for it. Schools will be open tomorrow and life will go on like normal.

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

@jmonroe1 said:

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Pan fried pork chops again?

jmonroe

No. Pan fried chicken cutlets.

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Well, at least, that has a chance of being kosher.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

Did not feel like getting it out of the shed and blowing a path across the lawn. The garage is too small to fit that in with the cars so it is not at all convenient. This was not enough snow to require anything more than a shovel. Got a nice workout too.

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Over the years I’ve heard several doctors say shoveling snow is NOT a “nice workout”, it’s a pretty good killer for men who are 60+. Around here emergency rooms get a pretty good workout attending to 60 + year olds when it snows. And they always say the same thing…”let the kid down the street shovel it for you and if there aren’t any kids leave it alone”. I’ve found that to be a very good excuse for not shoveling. I do have a small snow blower but I’ve refrained from using even that the last few years.

jmonroe

stickguy

not like wrestling the beast of a snowblower around is light work!

I don't over exert. probably.

xwesx

@nyccarguy You mentioned, a couple pages back, that you still get a little water in the basement during wet spells.

What did they do to seal you up, again?

benjaminh

As we all know, the Ford Mustang Mach-E was supposed to compete with the Model Y. The Y sold close to 400k in the US last year, while the Mach-E sold 40,000.

Ford said in a press release at the end of 2022 that "The company is accelerating Mustang Mach-E production and targeting global annual production rate of 270,000..."

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2022/11/30/ford-builds-150-000th-mustang-mach-e--available-in-37-countries-.html

But Mach-E sales have seemingly already peaked.

Meanwhile Y sales are soaring toward half a million a year in the US in 2024, with nearly a million additional Ys this year for the rest of the world. This means that the Y will almost certainly outsell the Toyota Corolla this year. The Corolla has been the best-selling car worldwide for decades, selling just over a million a year.

This video gives some reasons why the Mach-E hasn't met expectations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZqZCymWSmg

qbrozen

My theory is that a majority of EV drivers 1) don’t want to be seen in a Ford, because that’s for peasants and/or 2) want to drive a dedicated EV brand so everyone can clearly see how pious they are.

And, please note I said majority, not everyone. I know we have Tesla owners here but Edmunds is never the place you’ll find the majority of anything.

EDIT: 3) they put the Mustang name on it. Idiots.

benjaminh

Since it started producing EVs, Tesla has sold about 5 million from 2008 to 2023. This year Tesla will probably sell about 2.3 million worldwide, and next year probably 2.7 million. So in 2024 and 2025 total Tesla sales will probably equal the numbers sold in the previous 15 years.

https://insideevs.com/news/692819/tesla-production-sites-model-assignment-october2023/#:~:text=Tesla's total installed manufacturing capacity,and over 375,000 Giga Texas).

"Tesla's total installed manufacturing capacity is more than 2,350,000 per year (up to 650,000 at the Tesla Factory, over 950,000 at the Giga Shanghai, over 375,000 at Giga Berlin, and over 375,000 Giga Texas)."

https://ir.tesla.com/press-release/tesla-vehicle-production-deliveries-and-date-financial-results-webcast-fourth-quarter-2023

benjaminh

Tesla's big price cuts in the last year show that as production numbers have zoomed that the normal things about supply and demand apply. When will Tesla "hit a wall"—as Ford has with the Mach-E? In other words, will Tesla reach a point where price cuts, while still giving a reasonable profit, won't increase demand enough to sell all of the available supply? I wonder if that point might even be approaching by the end of 2024.

Probably by 2026 Tesla's Austin factory will be able to build nearly 1 million EVs a year. Seems like they would definitely be hitting a wall by that point, but by then the long-planned sub-$30k EV will be for sale. That unnamed vehicle is the one that Tesla has predicted will eventually outsell the Y. So around half of the Austin factory capacity will be for this affordable EV, which is maybe how they will avoid hitting a wall.

nyccarguy

xwesx said:

@nyccarguy You mentioned, a couple pages back, that you still get a little water in the basement during wet spells.

What did they do to seal you up, again?

There is a company called Connecticut Basement Systems. They dug up the concrete around the inside perimeter of my basement and installed a plastic channel that is a 1/4" away from the walls which leads to my sump pump.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

@pensfan83 said:

@au1994 said:

Give it just a little more time. Dealers are stuck with some stuff they overpaid for and are hoping for a sucker to come along and help them out.

They've been priced like that for the better part of a year though. And this one just popped up around a week ago in my Autotrader list so people must still be paying.

https://www.deanhonda.com/auto/used-2019-volkswagen-golf-gti-se-pittsburgh-pa/85279288/

So a brand new GTI S DSG at $33,190 seems like a good deal.

I’ve driven a few like that and they’re fun but only $6k off after 5 years seems steep.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

not like wrestling the beast of a snowblower around is light work!

I don't over exert. probably.

The widow-maker

ab348

More Musk-related woes have popped up with widespread allegations of Elon having problems with use of illegal drugs and the famously passive Board of the company possibly having to finally do something about the genius and his misbehavior. From Business Insider today:

"Senior figures across Musk's companies have raised concerns about the billionaire's drug use, which reportedly includes cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, and ketamine, according to the WSJ. One Tesla board director was reportedly so alarmed they decided not to run for reelection.

The WSJ also reported that SpaceX executives feared Musk may have been under the influence during an "unhinged" and "cringeworthy" SpaceX staff meeting, and that Tesla board members had similar concerns when he tweeted that he was considering taking the company private in 2018."

BI also had a piece based on WSJ reporting about his pattern of behavior and how some company directors were concerned:

A former director at Tesla was so concerned about Elon Musk's drug use and unpredictable behavior that she chose not to stand for reelection to the electric car company's board, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

Linda Johnson Rice, who served a two-year term on the company's board ending in 2019, confided in Tesla board members on more than one occasion about her worries related to his substance use, The Journal reported.

Rice also informally asked if the board should investigate Musk's drug use — which includes ketamine, LSD, cocaine, and ecstasy, according to people familiar with the matter — but her concerns were ignored, per the outlet.

The extensive report from The Journal details how executives across Musk's companies have grappled with how to manage his drug use and erratic public appearances and statements.

At Tesla, some current directors have sought out help from Musk's brother, Kimbal, over his behavior, but The Journal reported they have been careful not to use the word "drugs" when relaying their concerns.

According to the outlet, others have speculated the billionaire businessman was under the influence when he tweeted in 2018 that he had "funding secured" to take the car company private at $420 a share. The tweet, which shot Tesla shares up 6% the following day, triggered an SEC investigation that resulted in $40 million worth of fines against Musk — though he did not admit wrongdoing.


Just based upon his erratic behavior after acquiring Twitter and driving that into the ground, the drug allegations could have some legs.

stickguy

@kyfdx said:
The widow-maker

Worse to get no exercise and sit in the recliner all day.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

@kyfdx said:

The widow-maker

Worse to get no exercise and sit in the recliner all day.

That doesn't have to be either/or. You can get exercise without risking your life.

ab348

I had an appointment with my Cardiologist just before Christmas. As I was preparing to leave, he specifically called out "No snow shoveling!" as doctor's orders.

laurasdada

stickguy said:

@kyfdx said:

The widow-maker

Worse to get no exercise and sit in the recliner all day.

Thanks for destroying my retirement dream plan.

fintail

Not a chronic buyer, but a good friend just made an interesting punch. He's a MB enthusiast, maybe 12 years younger than I, and we have similar taste in cars. He currently has a 300CD and a W211 E320 Bluetec that is getting long in the tooth and he knows replacement will eventually be necessary. He also has a wife and wants a kid, so he wants something for them too.

From the BMW dealer in Bellevue (AutoNation, just like the nearby MB dealer), he picked up a 2019 E450 wagon, local car from new, something like 46K on it (listing is already removed, they never uploaded pics). The interesting bit is that it is a virtually full option car, hard loaded, from what I can tell everything but heated rear seats, and I am unsure if it has full air suspension (something that would worry me). It has among other luxuries: designo interior with alcantara headliner, drivers assist, surround view/parking, intelligent LED, pano, warmth and comfort, and 3 options that are quite rare as a group - soft close, HUD, and acoustic comfort - I don't know if I have seen all of these options in tandem. MSRP must have been over 90K when new. I think the asking price was 41-42K. A sport trim car so no formal grille or hood ornament, but it's hard to be that picky with a rare used car. I think he's pretty happy with it already, and for the price, I think it was a decent deal - that's a lot of car, the platform is solid, and the styling and tech still feel current.

roadburner

The Sahara and X1 stay in the downstairs garage so on the off chance we do get a significant snow accumulation there's no reason to shovel anything.

mjfloyd1

@kyfdx said:
The widow-maker

The LAD artery can be unforgiving.

My FIL got lucky. He ignored jaw pain with exertion until he had pain at rest one day. Had a CABG and doing well at 81

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

well, all reports are that auction values (and trade in, carvana, etc.) have come down, and inventories are up. But as always, the absolute last thing to come down will be dealer asking prices.

I just saw a video about CarMax and how they are refusing to cut their retail prices but instead send old inventory to auction for an even lower price. What’s the logic behind that?

stickguy

Probably don’t want to set precedent.

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

xwesx said:

@nyccarguy You mentioned, a couple pages back, that you still get a little water in the basement during wet spells.

What did they do to seal you up, again?

There is a company called Connecticut Basement Systems. They dug up the concrete around the inside perimeter of my basement and installed a plastic channel that is a 1/4" away from the walls which leads to my sump pump.

That's excellent! I think that's the most effective method of preventing water incursion. If you're still getting water on the floor in that corner, there's a good chance it is coming in from the wall and trickling down on the inside rather than coming up from the floor.... or, the system's ability to percolate and purge water is being exceeded by the rate at which the water, having saturated the surrounding soils, can move through the soils into the channel. Clay soils can be a real PITA when it comes to that sort of thing.

You may need to dig down on the exterior at that corner and address the issue from there. additional drainage on that perimeter corner, then tied into the existing channel (should be accessible from the outside if they put it that close to the perimeter), combined with sealing the exterior wall, should do the trick. Not easy stuff, but doable.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

@kyfdx said:

The widow-maker

Worse to get no exercise and sit in the recliner all day.

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Really? It hasn’t hurt me much. Exercise is over rated. I mean over exerted.

jmonroe

imidazol97

qbrozen said:

My theory is that a majority of EV drivers 1) don’t want to be seen in a Ford, because that’s for peasants and/or 2) want to drive a dedicated EV brand so everyone can clearly see how pious they are.

And, please note I said majority, not everyone. I know we have Tesla owners here but Edmunds is never the place you’ll find the majority of anything.

EDIT: 3) they put the Mustang name on it. Idiots.

Good analysis.

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

I just saw a video about CarMax and how they are refusing to cut their retail prices but instead send old inventory to auction for an even lower price. What’s the logic behind that?

Cutting off their nose to spite their face, but I'm sure they're not the only dealer group that does that.

explorerx4

As discussed before, Mach E lost a lot of momentum due to early problems, including a pretty big stop sale.
I saw them piled up in 21 at my local dealer, all with not for sale marked on the windshields.
There were probably all customer ordered cars.
General reviews on it were pretty positive.

pensfan83

We received maybe a couple of inches of wet snow mid-day Saturday and didn't bother

corvette said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I just saw a video about CarMax and how they are refusing to cut their retail prices but instead send old inventory to auction for an even lower price. What’s the logic behind that?

Cutting off their nose to spite their face, but I'm sure they're not the only dealer group that does that.

Instead of selling a single unit to a consumer for a straight loss is there a tax benefit to writing off multiple units at a loss maybe?

fintail

Another buyer to live vicariously through. My friend with the CT6 PHEV is reaching his last straw I think - it has had some recent drivability quirks, and last week started leaking/dripping water through the sunroof control buttons - apparently something with the sunroof drains. Dealer told him to keep the car in a garage, which is not a thing for many in western WA. This irritated him highly, and now he is shopping - he also has a divorce being finalized soon, so he wants to get this out of the way (CT6 was the ex's idea, who now has their MKZ as the Caddy was "too big"). Being single has perks.

So far, he has told me about driving Civic, base Accord, Corolla and Elantra hybrids. Not happy with any as apparently lumbar seat is only for top trim, and he says they feel "cheap" inside (no kidding). He wants to keep a budget around 30K, I told him he needs to increase that if he wants premium feel, or shop used cars, maybe find a replacement for the MKZ that he was fond of. I also might have him look at VW for interior feel. He's not a fan of CUVs, but he does like the Maverick (which in proper trim will be more than he wants to spend). He also told me he is going to test drive a 28K Sentra, which seems steep. I suspect there will be a little negative equity to deal with, too. Maybe I don't want to live vicariously through this experience.

xwesx

He is going to have trouble with that budget after coming out of luxury makes.

I suggest he try a Subaru Crosstrek. He can get into those, new, at decent trims near his budget point. Used might be a little less, but not much, so why not get new? He could also get into an Impreza, which is nearly the same car, for thousands less at the same trim levels.

laurasdada

fintail said:

Another buyer to live vicariously through. My friend with the CT6 PHEV is reaching his last straw I think - it has had some recent drivability quirks, and last week started leaking/dripping water through the sunroof control buttons - apparently something with the sunroof drains. Dealer told him to keep the car in a garage, which is not a thing for many in western WA. This irritated him highly, and now he is shopping - he also has a divorce being finalized soon, so he wants to get this out of the way (CT6 was the ex's idea, who now has their MKZ as the Caddy was "too big"). Being single has perks.

So far, he has told me about driving Civic, base Accord, Corolla and Elantra hybrids. Not happy with any as apparently lumbar seat is only for top trim, and he says they feel "cheap" inside (no kidding). He wants to keep a budget around 30K, I told him he needs to increase that if he wants premium feel, or shop used cars, maybe find a replacement for the MKZ that he was fond of. I also might have him look at VW for interior feel. He's not a fan of CUVs, but he does like the Maverick (which in proper trim will be more than he wants to spend). He also told me he is going to test drive a 28K Sentra, which seems steep. I suspect there will be a little negative equity to deal with, too. Maybe I don't want to live vicariously through this experience.

Friends don't let friends buy GM!

ab348

laurasdada said:

Friends don't let friends buy GM!

Hey!!!

His friend needs to find a decent Cadillac dealer.

imidazol97

laurasdada said:

fintail said:

Another buyer to live vicariously through. My friend with the CT6 PHEV is reaching his last straw I think - it has had some recent drivability quirks, and last week started leaking/dripping water through the sunroof control buttons - apparently something with the sunroof drains. Dealer told him to keep the car in a garage, which is not a thing for many in western WA. This irritated him highly, and now he is shopping - he also has a divorce being finalized soon, so he wants to get this out of the way (CT6 was the ex's idea, who now has their MKZ as the Caddy was "too big"). Being single has perks.

So far, he has told me about driving Civic, base Accord, Corolla and Elantra hybrids. Not happy with any as apparently lumbar seat is only for top trim, and he says they feel "cheap" inside (no kidding). He wants to keep a budget around 30K, I told him he needs to increase that if he wants premium feel, or shop used cars, maybe find a replacement for the MKZ that he was fond of. I also might have him look at VW for interior feel. He's not a fan of CUVs, but he does like the Maverick (which in proper trim will be more than he wants to spend). He also told me he is going to test drive a 28K Sentra, which seems steep. I suspect there will be a little negative equity to deal with, too. Maybe I don't want to live vicariously through this experience.

Friends don't let friends buy GM!

Only GM cars have troubles with sunroof drains.

Michaell

Re: VW interiors - some are better than others. I drove an Atlas last year, and was unimpressed with the interior materials. It reminded me of the '99 Ford Expedition we had.

fintail

xwesx said:

He is going to have trouble with that budget after coming out of luxury makes.

I suggest he try a Subaru Crosstrek. He can get into those, new, at decent trims near his budget point. Used might be a little less, but not much, so why not get new? He could also get into an Impreza, which is nearly the same car, for thousands less at the same trim levels.

Good suggestion. High resale in this area too, so a safe purchase.

venture

fintail said:

xwesx said:

He is going to have trouble with that budget after coming out of luxury makes.

I suggest he try a Subaru Crosstrek. He can get into those, new, at decent trims near his budget point. Used might be a little less, but not much, so why not get new? He could also get into an Impreza, which is nearly the same car, for thousands less at the same trim levels.

Good suggestion. High resale in this area too, so a safe purchase.

Also - Look at an Impreza too, unless he needs that much clearance. A Crosstrek is, basically, a raised Impreza...and the Impreza is about $2,000 less expensive.

corvette

@imidazol97 said:
Only GM cars have troubles with sunroof drains.

My G37 (which someone had incorrectly applied a bunch of goop to the windshield to try to fix, and for which I had to buy a set of double hinged needle nose pliers to install a replacement sunroof drain without tearing the dash apart) certainly didn’t!

corvette

Since I still have no registration or plate on the Volt, after several calls and texts to the dealer, I thought about all the horror stories you hear about dealers taking trades and not paying off the liens, etc… had a complaint in the envelope ready to send to the Motor Vehicle Commission tomorrow, and lo and behold, the salesman called this afternoon and agreed to meet at the county clerk branch next week. They are closed this week because Kentucky is changing from “plate stays with the vehicle” to “plate stays with the person who bought the plate” in 2024 and they are updating their systems.

qbrozen

@oldfarmer50 said:
I just saw a video about CarMax and how they are refusing to cut their retail prices but instead send old inventory to auction for an even lower price. What’s the logic behind that?

That’s something I have always wondered myself. I’d think a loss could be written off no matter where the sale. Only thing I can think is the risk/reward involved. For one, much more paperwork for retail. For another, and more critical, there is liability when selling to a consumer. So at what profit is it worth it? I certainly have no idea.

benjaminh

The manual transmission is gone for the 2025 VW GTI.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46317501/2025-vw-golf-gti-prototype-revealed/

"Sadly, there will be no manual transmission offered, as VW confirmed 2024 would be the last year for the three-pedal GTI."

xwesx

Now that is just horrifying.

ab348

venture said:

fintail said:

xwesx said:

He is going to have trouble with that budget after coming out of luxury makes.

I suggest he try a Subaru Crosstrek. He can get into those, new, at decent trims near his budget point. Used might be a little less, but not much, so why not get new? He could also get into an Impreza, which is nearly the same car, for thousands less at the same trim levels.

Good suggestion. High resale in this area too, so a safe purchase.

Also - Look at an Impreza too, unless he needs that much clearance. A Crosstrek is, basically, a raised Impreza...and the Impreza is about $2,000 less expensive.

Nothing will remind him of his financial setbacks resulting from his divorce more than getting behind the wheel of a Subaru after driving Cadillacs and Lincolns.