Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

28firefighter

Was out and about running a couple errands during lunch today and saw this on the lot at the local BMW dealer. https://www.bmwlynnwood.com/used-Lynnwood-2015-BMW-X3-xDrive28d-5UXWY3C55F0F83929

Good heartbreaker for someone.

xwesx

@qbrozen From a purchase standpoint, I feel like the Toyota might give you more upside potential unless interest is strong on the auction. The Honda is probably more of a sure thing in terms of the speed at which you could turn it around.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

Was out and about running a couple errands during lunch today and saw this on the lot at the local BMW dealer. https://www.bmwlynnwood.com/used-Lynnwood-2015-BMW-X3-xDrive28d-5UXWY3C55F0F83929

Good heartbreaker for someone.

That's nice.

xwesx

I like the diesel! With the miles, though, it's probably ready for something major.... if not the EGR, then either DPF, SCR parts, or both.

kyfdx

Not bad miles for a 9 year old diesel, though.

It's really loaded with options.

28firefighter

One owner - clearly bought it, loved it, traded it - my guess is likely a custom order of some kind given the options.

Still going to be a heartbreaker. As @xwesx says - going to be due for a lot.

If it were available with the CarMax warranty that'd be another story....

qbrozen

After staring at it for a while, I backed off the Honda. The condition wasn't wow'ing me. Usually a 4 is very good but rarely do I see it with a C grade interior and C exterior.

The Toyo doesn't go off till tomorrow night.

Meanwhile... I came upon 2 other interesting vehicles. A '96 Volvo 850R with seats I've never seen before and a blue I don't think I've seen before (without bidding, I won't know if it is original). I'd post a pic if I could (but the seats look like the tan version of these: https://elwoodindustries.com/850Rseats.html). Miles are quite low at less than 45k. I bet it goes for a pretty penny, though. It is, however, RHD. I likely won't bother, but it is nice to see a clean low-mileage R.

The other is not in a condition I'd ever bid on, save for the fact this is really rare. A '95 Fiat Panda 4x4 manual trans. Blue with a red rollback top. This also happens to be LHD. About 75k'ish miles. It is an R, meaning accident history, and current condition is a C/C. It doesn't look bad in the low-res pics, and the plaid seats are snazzy. They look like the ones in this example: https://ruylclassics.nl/ClassicCars/fiat-panda-4x4-jan-2002/?taal=EN
I'm really considering this one, even in the questionable condition. I'll probably punk out, though.

corvette

Found this cool old sign in Seymour, Indiana my travels yesterday. Apparently there were more than one of these stores. One of my childhood friends owns the building where another store was located in Madison.

corvette

@qbrozen - That 850R sounds interesting. I seem to remember that the T5-R was only available in black or yellow, production was extremely limited, and I think all the interiors were black, but I think the 850R came later and was more widely available.

au1994

If I am going to get a Maverick, the dealer I’m using says it’s a 4 month lead-time now. That means within the next 30-45 days I’ve got to make my decision and place my order. Not that he’s going to hold me to it if I change my mind.

So today I drove of all things, a 4Runner. Is it old school and analog? Yes. A little crude and rough? Yes. But I have to say, it wasn’t bad. I was able to get comfortable which had been a problem with Toyotas and their flat floor. The old V6 and 5spd automatic isn’t going to win any races but it’s fine. MPG estimates are terrible though, 17-19. Rode well and very roomy on the inside. This was an SR5 Premium 4x4 and stickered for $51k with a bunch of SE Toyota add on BS. I don’t think I’d kick it out of the garage. I like the tougher, truckier look of it over the Pathfinder. I think there is a redesign for ‘25 so maybe they will start incentivizing the ‘24’s.

Not hearing of any deals on the new Tacoma or Frontier right now.

I did get an email from Chrysler Financial or whatever they call themselves today with a copy to the dealer saying I have equity to roll into another Jeep. I know at best I am even but I still sent a note to the dealer “hey I’m interested” but heard nothing. As I said, I wouldn’t kick a JGC out of the garage either.

The Maverick is certainly the cost and value leader in this game. Even a Lariat is going to come very well equipped at ~$40k which I am not touching in any of the SUVs above.

stickguy

I like that panda. Might change if I drove it though. and getting parts I imagine is a big issue.

I can only imagine my wife’s face if I brought that home.

mjfloyd1

@corvette said:
Found this cool old sign in Seymour, Indiana my travels yesterday. Apparently there were more than one of these stores. One of my childhood friends owns the building where another store was located in Madison.

Were you born in a small town - like Johnny Cougar Mellencamp in Seymour IN?

xwesx

28firefighter said:

One owner - clearly bought it, loved it, traded it - my guess is likely a custom order of some kind given the options.

Still going to be a heartbreaker. As @xwesx says - going to be due for a lot.

If it were available with the CarMax warranty that'd be another story....

Is that car actually black? For some reason, it strikes me as dark blue, but the description claims black.

mjfloyd1

Carbon black has a lot of metallic in it and it is a chameleon in different lighting.

jmonroe1

28firefighter said:

Was out and about running a couple errands during lunch today and saw this on the lot at the local BMW dealer. https://www.bmwlynnwood.com/used-Lynnwood-2015-BMW-X3-xDrive28d-5UXWY3C55F0F83929

Good heartbreaker for someone.

————————————————
As long as it ain’t yours.

jmonroe

au1994

Carbon Black Metallic is an amazing color on that X3.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

Was out and about running a couple errands during lunch today and saw this on the lot at the local BMW dealer. https://www.bmwlynnwood.com/used-Lynnwood-2015-BMW-X3-xDrive28d-5UXWY3C55F0F83929

Good heartbreaker for someone.

Ouch, that mileage. Somebody must have enjoyed driving it but then again that’s only 12k miles a year.

qbrozen

corvette said:

Found this cool old sign in Seymour, Indiana my travels yesterday. Apparently there were more than one of these stores. One of my childhood friends owns the building where another store was located in Madison.

such a good looking trucklet.

stickguy

that X3 is pretty sharp. I love the interior.

stickguy

AU, have you had a chance to get some real wheel time in a Maverick?

breld

Received this in the mail from Chevrolet this past weekend. I think I deserve bonus points for actually still owning the car. 😀

qbrozen

corvette said:

Found this cool old sign in Seymour, Indiana my travels yesterday. Apparently there were more than one of these stores. One of my childhood friends owns the building where another store was located in Madison.

such a good looking trucklet.

jmonroe1

28firefighter said:

One owner - clearly bought it, loved it, traded it - my guess is likely a custom order of some kind given the options.

Still going to be a heartbreaker. As @xwesx says - going to be due for a lot.

If it were available with the CarMax warranty that'd be another story....

————————————————
Then that’d be another 3 grand.

jmonroe

corvette

qbrozen said:

such a good looking trucklet.

Thanks! It was dirty in that picture (and still is), but you can't really tell. I've grown to love the steel wheels. It very much punches above its weight and price class. Hate to admit it in this group, but I hope to keep it around for a long while.

corvette

In other news, it appears Chevrolet has extended the warranty for the battery ECM in the Volt--likely to avoid being forced to recall them, which is slightly reassuring. Once the Maverick is paid off (late 2025), I may consider replacing the Volt with a pure EV.

stickguy

qbrozen said:

corvette said:

Found this cool old sign in Seymour, Indiana my travels yesterday. Apparently there were more than one of these stores. One of my childhood friends owns the building where another store was located in Madison.

such a good looking trucklet.

Looks even better in blue!

roadburner

I've been reading about the 2025 Mercedes-AMG E53; a PHEV with 576 hp and a pure EV range of about 40 miles. I wish that they would fit that powertrain into the C Class, as I'm not all that enamored with a four cylinder cranked up to 11.

explorerx4

Sometimes you miss out on a bargain.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2007-ford-mustang-shelby-gt500-coupe-49/

clm8

mjfloyd1 said:

@corvette said:

Found this cool old sign in Seymour, Indiana my travels yesterday. Apparently there were more than one of these stores. One of my childhood friends owns the building where another store was located in Madison.

Were you born in a small town - like Johnny Cougar Mellencamp in Seymour IN?

That's where I was born, my wife too. She grew up there, I moved a little north.

nyccarguy

@au1994 said:
If I am going to get a Maverick, the dealer I’m using says it’s a 4 month lead-time now. That means within the next 30-45 days I’ve got to make my decision and place my order. Not that he’s going to hold me to it if I change my mind.

So today I drove of all things, a 4Runner. Is it old school and analog? Yes. A little crude and rough? Yes. But I have to say, it wasn’t bad. I was able to get comfortable which had been a problem with Toyotas and their flat floor. The old V6 and 5spd automatic isn’t going to win any races but it’s fine. MPG estimates are terrible though, 17-19. Rode well and very roomy on the inside. This was an SR5 Premium 4x4 and stickered for $51k with a bunch of SE Toyota add on BS. I don’t think I’d kick it out of the garage. I like the tougher, truckier look of it over the Pathfinder. I think there is a redesign for ‘25 so maybe they will start incentivizing the ‘24’s.

Not hearing of any deals on the new Tacoma or Frontier right now.

I did get an email from Chrysler Financial or whatever they call themselves today with a copy to the dealer saying I have equity to roll into another Jeep. I know at best I am even but I still sent a note to the dealer “hey I’m interested” but heard nothing. As I said, I wouldn’t kick a JGC out of the garage either.

The Maverick is certainly the cost and value leader in this game. Even a Lariat is going to come very well equipped at ~$40k which I am not touching in any of the SUVs above.

I’m very curious to see if you can get your hands on a Limited. The Limiteds have the adaptive TSS suspension that the GX has. I love the look of the 4Runner.

The PA broker that @corvette and I have both leased from has been advertising thousands off sticker on 4Runners and leasing numbers in the $5s. Although those might have been leftover 2023s. Might be worth it for you to buy up north and have it shipped so you don’t have to deal with SET?

mjfloyd1

@clm8 said:
That's where I was born, my wife too. She grew up there, I moved a little north.

Columbus? I work there a couple of days a month.

I grew up in Vincennes- now in Bloomington

roadburner

explorerx4 said:

Sometimes you miss out on a bargain.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2007-ford-mustang-shelby-gt500-coupe-49/

I'd rather have this one:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2007-ford-mustang-saleen-parnelli-jones-edition-3/

clm8

mjfloyd1 said:

@clm8 said:

That's where I was born, my wife too. She grew up there, I moved a little north.

Columbus? I work there a couple of days a month.

I grew up in Vincennes- now in Bloomington

Yes, Columbus. Went to IU.

mjfloyd1

@roadburner said:
I'd rather have this one:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2007-ford-mustang-saleen-parnelli-jones-edition-3/

How did you let that one get away?

explorerx4

@roadburner,
That thing looks like a Pep Boys dream car.

Michaell

OK, I need all y'alls help.

A friend of a friend had her car blow up over the weekend. 2010 Hyundai Accent, bought within the last year with 120K on it, for $3K. Had it inspected by a mechanic, came back clean.

Timing chain broke (current odometer reading is around 133K) and, being an interference engine, the pistons and cylinders danced an unnatural dance. Preliminary estimate is north of $2K to fix.

Should she bite the bullet and invest the money in a repair, or should she hunt for a replacement? Finding anything under $5K is a challenge, as you all know, but I've found several candidates with similar mileage. She's not picky about what she gets, though she did mention she'd like something that can "handle snow better".

corvette

mjfloyd1 said:

I grew up in Vincennes- now in Bloomington

Then you're qualified to answer... Bobe's Pizza - worth a trip? And if so, which one?

corvette

@Michaell - if this person has decent credit, it might be time to finance something newer and move up the automotive food chain. Sinking over $2k into a 14 year old vehicle you bought a year ago and probably don't know the full history of doesn't sound like a win to me.

corvette

@nyccarguy @au1994 - I'm not sure what it costs to ship, but it's super easy to fly into the Philly airport, take the train (which drops you off across the street from the Toyota dealer), and drive back, which is what I did.

stickguy

$2k sounds like a drop in the bucket for an interference engine that was trashed. Likely could end up well above that I would think. Really depends on how comfortable with the estimate you are, and more importantly, how is the rest of the car? Not worth spending the money on the engine if the tranny is on the way out the door.

nyccarguy

@Michaell said:
OK, I need all y'alls help.

A friend of a friend had her car blow up over the weekend. 2010 Hyundai Accent, bought within the last year with 120K on it, for $3K. Had it inspected by a mechanic, came back clean.

Timing chain broke (current odometer reading is around 133K) and, being an interference engine, the pistons and cylinders danced an unnatural dance. Preliminary estimate is north of $2K to fix.

Should she bite the bullet and invest the money in a repair, or should she hunt for a replacement? Finding anything under $5K is a challenge, as you all know, but I've found several candidates with similar mileage. She's not picky about what she gets, though she did mention she'd like something that can "handle snow better".

It’s a tough spot to be in for sure. Anything she finds under $8K is going to need something. Whether it is now or in 6 months all depends on how well the car was treated. Is the damage estimate $2K or is it going to be $3,500 when it’s all said and done. Get the car fixed and at least she’ll know it was repaired properly? Better to deal with the devil you know than the devil you don’t?

xwesx

corvette said:

@Michaell - if this person has decent credit, it might be time to finance something newer and move up the automotive food chain. Sinking over $2k into a 14 year old vehicle you bought a year ago and probably don't know the full history of doesn't sound like a win to me.

While I fully agree with this, I would also offer the caveat that replacing the engine, if it can be done for under $3K, is preferable to rolling the dice on another $5K vehicle.

stickguy

for under 3K you are getting a junkyard unit so entirely possible you go through this again soon because those engines are not known for aging gracefully.

tifighter

Rumors from the twitterverse that Jaguar is done this year. Tata wants to spin it off, maybe sell it to a Chinese company who wants to use the brand to export globally. Multiple dealers confirming that there have been two rounds of buybacks, offers of extra Range Rover allocations, etc to close them out of the brand. Wild if true…

stickguy

Laura's dada is going to have a major sad now.

pensfan83

I'm sad about this

qbrozen

@Michaell said:
OK, I need all y'alls help.

A friend of a friend had her car blow up over the weekend. 2010 Hyundai Accent, bought within the last year with 120K on it, for $3K. Had it inspected by a mechanic, came back clean.

Timing chain broke (current odometer reading is around 133K) and, being an interference engine, the pistons and cylinders danced an unnatural dance. Preliminary estimate is north of $2K to fix.

Should she bite the bullet and invest the money in a repair, or should she hunt for a replacement? Finding anything under $5K is a challenge, as you all know, but I've found several candidates with similar mileage. She's not picky about what she gets, though she did mention she'd like something that can "handle snow better".

As others mentioned, some of this depends on the rest of the car. But she could drop the cash and have the transmission break the next day. Of course, could have that happen on another used car, too. I usually look at it this way: if I’m shopping, would I choose to buy this car for $2k after it is fixed?

I’d also note that, if the “fix” is dropping in a junkyard engine, I wouldn’t do it. If getting a new chain, tensioner, guides, and a reman’d head for that price, I probably would. As others said here, too, that price seems too good to be true. Could get the head off and say “whoops. Pistons damaged, too.”

mjfloyd1

@corvette said:
Then you're qualified to answer... Bobe's Pizza - worth a trip? And if so, which one?

If you like really tomato-y sauce you will like it. I’ve never really liked it so…I’m not your best person for this. I’ll check with my wife - there is a Bobe’s in Lawrenceville IL as well.

venture

pensfan83 said:

I'm sad about this

Man! That's about a 9.8 on the suck-o-meter. How did that happen?

mjfloyd1

Looks like classic curb damage to my eye. Metal vs concrete and concrete wins