Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

I love the seats on that Pug. Saw lots of them in Portugal.

pensfan83

Prelude has a new garage mate.

corvette

They don't make 'em like that anymore! Is this a punch?

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

When I put up my little table to sell vegetables from the farm I had to get a permit to put up a sign and they wanted me to hire a surveyor to site it. I managed to get a work around using the existing survey of the house. When I put up the sign the inspector claimed I put the post 2” off from the actual permitted location but in his great generosity allowed it to remain.

Sounds like your own version of Clarkson’s Farm.

explorerx4

1986 Crown Vistoria?

pensfan83

@corvette said:
They don't make 'em like that anymore! Is this a punch?

Lol, no. This is the garage I rent for the Prelude, I rent half and another person rents half, however last fall there was a Corvette in that space.

jmonroe1

pensfan83 said:

@corvette said:

They don't make 'em like that anymore! Is this a punch?

Lol, no. This is the garage I rent for the Prelude, I rent half and another person rents half, however last fall there was a Corvette in that space.

————————————————
So, you’re saying the neighborhood is going down hill.

jmonroe

stickguy

Someone needs to tell this dealer the market has changed.

tifighter

@28firefighter said:
Took my nephew to the LeMay Museum yesterday for the Shinka JDM exhibit. Super cool.

We were going the same day, around 2pm until a last second audible changed our plan. One of these days…

tjc78

@explorerx4 said:
1986 Crown Vistoria?

I would say you are pretty close… grill is 83-87 but that decal in the driver’s window I think is 86 forward so it could be an 86 or 87.

That is very much a base model. You don’t see the bumpers with out the vinyl strips too often.

nyccarguy

Looks like it has a 3rd brake light, so that means it is '86+

kyfdx

@stickguy The Versa doesn't have a viable lease program. So, it's really not the dealer. The banks don't want that car back after three years.

stickguy

Dealer is still advertising it on Rodo. I know there are taxes and fees also but payment is only about $4k less after 3 years than MSRP on it. If you really want a versa for some reason would be nuts to lease installed if buy.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

Dealer is still advertising it on Rodo. I know there are taxes and fees also but payment is only about $4k less after 3 years than MSRP on it. If you really want a versa for some reason would be nuts to lease installed if buy.

Some cars you just can't lease.. The super low-priced ones are generally the worst.

ab348

For reasons that are a mystery, I am suddenly seeing lots of videos suggested to me on YT dealing with the Mazda CX-70 and CX-90. I was largely unaware of these and have yet to see one on the roads. I should swing by the dealer sometime to look at one in person. It seems rather huge but so are it's 3-row SUV competitors.

For such a big beast, I don't mind the styling and the interior looks nicely done. But the engineering and development process seems bizarre. The Mazda culture of wanting superior driving dynamics seemed to trump common sense so they made a number of dubious decisions that led to its release before the development was completed, probably because they had invested so much into the all-new platform and design that they needed whatever revenue they could get as soon as they could get it. But the questionable decisions went well beyond that, like choosing to develop a new inline-6 engine for it and then shoving it well back in the chassis for better weight distribution, which meant they couldn't use a regular torque converter in the transmission and which also caused the cabin's roominess to be compromised. Despite what must surely have been a staggering amount of money spent designing the inline 6 and new in-house 8-speed automatic, most reviewers think that the plug-in hybrid version using Mazda's ubiquitous 2.5 4-banger and an electric motor drives much better.

Some of the comments from reviewers are almost unheard of these days. The one that Mazda fanboys Savagegeese on YT reviewed drove so badly at the launch event that they wouldn't even release their video for a long time thereafter. Complaints about jerky transmissions, a noisy engine, clunky suspension and slow steering were common. Some of those have been subsequently addressed with software updates but some are baked-in. From what I can tell, the pendulum swung way too far in the zoom-zoom direction for the development engineers when what most big SUV buyers want isn't a sports-car experience but comfort and room instead. It's a shame. Like a lot of 3-row SUVs the 3rd row is useless except for kids, but the 2-row CX-70 seems a happier setup with lots of cargo space instead of the dubious 3rd row. They differentiate the 70 with a different lower front fascia and black exterior bits that are chrome on the 90, and offer different colors inside and out. There is both a red and a white interior that looks great. But oddly, they kept the 90 version's interior panels from the third row in the cargo area of the 70, so your bags of mulch can enjoy a cool drink since they have their own cupholders.

I can see a book or at least a longish article coming out when the dust settles on this.

nyccarguy

This past Saturday, we went to Jones Beach to see the Air Show. It was a picture perfect, gorgeous day. Hot, but not too hot. A nice breeze and clear skies. As always, the display put on by our military was an incredible site to see. I packed up the Jeep with our beach chairs, some toys, a cooler, beach bag, beach cart, snacks, & change of clothes for the 5 of us. Everything fit perfectly in the tall, squared off cargo area. I did notice that my rear defroster is no longer connected. Jeep replaced the entire rear glass assembly under warranty sometime last year. The odometer also rolled over the magical 36,000 mile mark.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

Dealer is still advertising it on Rodo. I know there are taxes and fees also but payment is only about $4k less after 3 years than MSRP on it. If you really want a versa for some reason would be nuts to lease installed if buy.

Some cars you just can't lease.. The super low-priced ones are generally the worst.

And the higher priced, higher end models are usually discounted the most (because they sit on the dealer lots longer), but the lease programs are still terrible.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

@stickguy The Versa doesn't have a viable lease program. So, it's really not the dealer. The banks don't want that car back after three years.

This is a BIG indicator that this is a horrible car to purchase.

stickguy

I would guess after 3 years it would still be worth more than $4k! Not that I would want one.

Checked and can get a $44k ridgeline RTL instead for about $35 more per month both S&D. Seems like an obvious decision to me!

I was tempted.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Someone needs to tell this dealer the market has changed.

$441 for a low mile Versa lease? Wow!

I was just musing how much I saved by financing my truck out of my bank account instead of taking a loan @9.25% from my credit union (top tier rate for an 11 year old vehicle). Assuming a 24 month loan my payments would be $687/mo as oppose to just reimbursing my bank account $600/mo and having it paid off in the same 2 years. I’ll save almost $2100.

After about 900 miles of ownership I noted that gas mileage is 16.5 city and 27+ highway. Not bad for a 300hp. engine.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

For reasons that are a mystery, I am suddenly seeing lots of videos suggested to me on YT dealing with the Mazda CX-70 and CX-90. I was largely unaware of these and have yet to see one on the roads. I should swing by the dealer sometime to look at one in person. It seems rather huge but so are it's 3-row SUV competitors.

For such a big beast, I don't mind the styling and the interior looks nicely done. But the engineering and development process seems bizarre. The Mazda culture of wanting superior driving dynamics seemed to trump common sense so they made a number of dubious decisions that led to its release before the development was completed, probably because they had invested so much into the all-new platform and design that they needed whatever revenue they could get as soon as they could get it. But the questionable decisions went well beyond that, like choosing to develop a new inline-6 engine for it and then shoving it well back in the chassis for better weight distribution, which meant they couldn't use a regular torque converter in the transmission and which also caused the cabin's roominess to be compromised. Despite what must surely have been a staggering amount of money spent designing the inline 6 and new in-house 8-speed automatic, most reviewers think that the plug-in hybrid version using Mazda's ubiquitous 2.5 4-banger and an electric motor drives much better.

Some of the comments from reviewers are almost unheard of these days. The one that Mazda fanboys Savagegeese on YT reviewed drove so badly at the launch event that they wouldn't even release their video for a long time thereafter. Complaints about jerky transmissions, a noisy engine, clunky suspension and slow steering were common. Some of those have been subsequently addressed with software updates but some are baked-in. From what I can tell, the pendulum swung way too far in the zoom-zoom direction for the development engineers when what most big SUV buyers want isn't a sports-car experience but comfort and room instead. It's a shame. Like a lot of 3-row SUVs the 3rd row is useless except for kids, but the 2-row CX-70 seems a happier setup with lots of cargo space instead of the dubious 3rd row. They differentiate the 70 with a different lower front fascia and black exterior bits that are chrome on the 90, and offer different colors inside and out. There is both a red and a white interior that looks great. But oddly, they kept the 90 version's interior panels from the third row in the cargo area of the 70, so your bags of mulch can enjoy a cool drink since they have their own cupholders.

I can see a book or at least a longish article coming out when the dust settles on this.

I see the CX50 as being in that sweet spot of being neither too big or too small. The CX90 is a barge and the CX30 seems a little cramped to me. To be honest I never heard of a CX70.

I admit I have no use for a third row seat or a ride like a living room couch.

tjc78

I had a CX-90 as a rental. Very nice large SUV. My Mother is loving her CX-50 so far. It’s a nice size but I’d wager a little smaller than the others in its class (same comment for the 90 as well)

pensfan83

tjc78 said:

@explorerx4 said:

1986 Crown Vistoria?

I would say you are pretty close… grill is 83-87 but that decal in the driver’s window I think is 86 forward so it could be an 86 or 87.

That is very much a base model. You don’t see the bumpers with out the vinyl strips too often.

I figured you would know about this one.

kyfdx

@qbrozen Found you a Citroen
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-citroen-cx25-gti-turbo-2/

andres3

qbrozen said:

@andres3 said:

So other than still needing to fix the slightly leaking thermostat housing in the TTS, the S4 and TTS have been good.

Eh, ya know, just a little nothing $2k leak in one and a little nothing entire engine in the other. A perfectly happy and loyal customer through and through.

$2K? That's the STEALERship price!!! Much less at a reputable shop with a $156/hour labor rate. 4.8 hour job though. Parts are fairly inexpensive. A good shop will come in not much over half the dealership price.

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

laurasdada said:

Stop scaring me.

Signed,
Audi A7 owner (luckily a PHEV is much less complex than their ICE cars, of course)

————————————————
Plus, you don’t track your Audi.

jmonroe

The class action settlement doesn't exclude cars that have been tracked.

xwesx

Michaell said:

kyfdx said:

RE: Setback requirements. In a lot of places, you can place a detached garage right on the property line, if you choose.

Setbacks are what caused us to move into our current house.

I wouldn't worry about it. You'll get back on your feet soon!

28firefighter

My/ @breld ’s ZHP is back on BaT.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-bmw-330i-zhp-sedan-33/

xwesx

That car sure gets around!

andres3

I TRIED TO make a punch yesterday on a Macan Turbo, my price was 39,000 and they were at 39,999. It's an AutoNation Lexus dealership and they apparently think they are Carmax and won't haggle the price, and they really mean it. I thought for sure they'd cave, but they didn't; apparently the GM loves the car more than they want to sell it. Just a few weeks ago they were like $500 lower but instead of going down to my number they decided that pricing it higher would sell it better; then came back down again but not quite to where they were before.

It did have noticeable minor rashes/light scraping along the bottom on the front and rear of the right side doors (passenger side). Might buff out..... or might be what is left after someone already spent time buffing out scrapes that looked worse before being detailed. Hard to tell. Either way, I'm standing by my number, and so is the dealership.

It's old man beige/gold colored, so a tough sell in 2024. I'm one of the few that doesn't mind it much as it's not white/black/gray/silver, which I'd mind more (with the exception possibly of white). Also, the interior isn't black, and that's a plus in my book.

I'm still a bit shocked they turned down the offer.

corvette

If they haggle with you, they have to be willing to do it with everyone.

xwesx

At this point, they're probably thinking the same thing you are: If you're only $1,000 apart, why not just close the gap?

andres3

xwesx said:

At this point, they're probably thinking the same thing you are: If you're only $1,000 apart, why not just close the gap?

Scrapes on the lower doors is my excuse.
As I said, they may or may not buff out. Also, I bought this used car with lower miles a few years ago, and you may have heard this story, the low miles didn't save me from a catastrophic issue.... so tough for me to go up. Gun shy on used cars, even lower mileage ones.

The cars been sitting at this dealership like 2 months or more now.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen said:

@venture said:

My oldest grandson is looking to buy his first car. He wants a Nissan Altima AWD for some reason. Probably a 2022 or 2023 with his budget.

I can't think of a reason for him to not do this, other than for what it is.

Reasons not to?

1. CVT

2. CVT

3. CVT

4. SEE reasons 1-3

I didn’t want to be the guy sounding the “Nissans are junk alarm,” but @qbrozen ssud it perfectly! What’s your grandson’s budget? Have you looked at Subarus?

He's 19. I have no idea why he seems to be stuck on Altima's. He said he doesn't want to spend much more than $20-$22K. He's not a car guy - obviously.

I've looked at Subaru's. He doesn't want a C/SUV. That leaves him the Legacy. He's driving a CrossTrek now so the Impreza is out.

I don't know how I had my nose dragged into this.

Nissan builds some nice engines..The 3.5L V6 is relatively powerful and the 2.5L 4cyl. Can get 40mpg. I assume they have improved the CVTs as well.

Assuming improvements can get one into trouble.

breld

28firefighter said:

My/ @breld ’s ZHP is back on BaT.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-bmw-330i-zhp-sedan-33/

I actually exchanged a few texts with the current owner last week. He basically “scratched the itch” of owning the ZHP and was ready to move on. As a reminder, he’s the same owner who bought my wife’s 6-speed manual E91 several years back.

Michaell

andres3 said:

I TRIED TO make a punch yesterday on a Macan Turbo, my price was 39,000 and they were at 39,999. It's an AutoNation Lexus dealership and they apparently think they are Carmax and won't haggle the price, and they really mean it. I thought for sure they'd cave, but they didn't; apparently the GM loves the car more than they want to sell it. Just a few weeks ago they were like $500 lower but instead of going down to my number they decided that pricing it higher would sell it better; then came back down again but not quite to where they were before.

It did have noticeable minor rashes/light scraping along the bottom on the front and rear of the right side doors (passenger side). Might buff out..... or might be what is left after someone already spent time buffing out scrapes that looked worse before being detailed. Hard to tell. Either way, I'm standing by my number, and so is the dealership.

It's old man beige/gold colored, so a tough sell in 2024. I'm one of the few that doesn't mind it much as it's not white/black/gray/silver, which I'd mind more (with the exception possibly of white). Also, the interior isn't black, and that's a plus in my book.

I'm still a bit shocked they turned down the offer.

Escondido Lexus? That's where I found the XC40 my sister ended up buying.

Bummer that you couldn't bridge a $1K gap in price.

corvette

Here's a link to a recent podcast about car colors and why achromatic colors (black, grey, silver, white) are so popular now. Some interesting statistics, including that achromatic colors comprise 80% of new vehicle sales today, versus 36% fifty years ago.

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/car-colors/

I still like my Cactus Grey Maverick, it was (and is) my favorite of the colors available on the XL trim level at the time.

au1994

I’m a fan of the achromatic colors. Terrain was my second choice for the Maverick and I love the cement color from
Toyota.

But there’s just something about a bright, popping red…

andres3

Michaell said:

andres3 said:

I TRIED TO make a punch yesterday on a Macan Turbo, my price was 39,000 and they were at 39,999. It's an AutoNation Lexus dealership and they apparently think they are Carmax and won't haggle the price, and they really mean it. I thought for sure they'd cave, but they didn't; apparently the GM loves the car more than they want to sell it. Just a few weeks ago they were like $500 lower but instead of going down to my number they decided that pricing it higher would sell it better; then came back down again but not quite to where they were before.

It did have noticeable minor rashes/light scraping along the bottom on the front and rear of the right side doors (passenger side). Might buff out..... or might be what is left after someone already spent time buffing out scrapes that looked worse before being detailed. Hard to tell. Either way, I'm standing by my number, and so is the dealership.

It's old man beige/gold colored, so a tough sell in 2024. I'm one of the few that doesn't mind it much as it's not white/black/gray/silver, which I'd mind more (with the exception possibly of white). Also, the interior isn't black, and that's a plus in my book.

I'm still a bit shocked they turned down the offer.

Escondido Lexus? That's where I found the XC40 my sister ended up buying.

Bummer that you couldn't bridge a $1K gap in price.

Lexus of Cerritos; had a weekend trip up to Big Bear and put the dealership on my route home (a bit out of the way but not nearly as out of the way as driving from San Diego). Gave them the whole holiday weekend to sell it at their asking price by showing up Monday on the Holiday.

au1994

Getting a little concerned about my lease turn in inspection. I’ve got some trail pinstripes and scuffs on the bumper.

A Jeep did Jeep things.

qbrozen

@28firefighter said:
My/ @breld ’s ZHP is back on BaT.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-bmw-330i-zhp-sedan-33/

Good god, what a whore of a car! Lol

stickguy

This is a really cool car. Love the color combo. Must be fun.

https://bringatrailer.com/chevrolet/corvette/

Michaell

stickguy said:

This is a really cool car. Love the color combo. Must be fun.

https://bringatrailer.com/chevrolet/corvette/

Which one? That link takes me to the main Corvette page

28firefighter

How is that an allowable word in the Edmonds dictionary but I can’t spell out PITA without getting censored.

stickguy

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-chevrolet-corvette-convertible-19/

Michaell

stickguy said:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-chevrolet-corvette-convertible-19/

That’s sharp

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

I TRIED TO make a punch yesterday on a Macan Turbo, my price was 39,000 and they were at 39,999. It's an AutoNation Lexus dealership and they apparently think they are Carmax and won't haggle the price, and they really mean it. I thought for sure they'd cave, but they didn't; apparently the GM loves the car more than they want to sell it. Just a few weeks ago they were like $500 lower but instead of going down to my number they decided that pricing it higher would sell it better; then came back down again but not quite to where they were before.

It did have noticeable minor rashes/light scraping along the bottom on the front and rear of the right side doors (passenger side). Might buff out..... or might be what is left after someone already spent time buffing out scrapes that looked worse before being detailed. Hard to tell. Either way, I'm standing by my number, and so is the dealership.

It's old man beige/gold colored, so a tough sell in 2024. I'm one of the few that doesn't mind it much as it's not white/black/gray/silver, which I'd mind more (with the exception possibly of white). Also, the interior isn't black, and that's a plus in my book.

I'm still a bit shocked they turned down the offer.

I ran into the same thing with my truck. I had to come up $500 to get the dealer to come down $500. Normally I would have just kept looking but it was an unusual configuration with such low mileage I knew I’d never find one like it again.

I guess dealers are just too used to having it their own way.

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

Here's a link to a recent podcast about car colors and why achromatic colors (black, grey, silver, white) are so popular now. Some interesting statistics, including that achromatic colors comprise 80% of new vehicle sales today, versus 36% fifty years ago.

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/car-colors/

I still like my Cactus Grey Maverick, it was (and is) my favorite of the colors available on the XL trim level at the time.

Shamed to say, I actually had to look up what achromatic meant but I guess as in many things I’m a contrarian. I hate the bland colors available today. I love the bright cherry red that Mazda offers, the teal blue that Honda and Mitsubishi had and even the champagne gold that a few different car manufacturers produced a few years back. I also like the metallic paints over the current plain battleship greys.

It depends on the car too. My sporty cars always had to be some kind of red but for an appliance like my Kia, any old silver grey will do.

I think manufacturers hesitate to get too dramatic with their color choices out of fear that the color’s popularity will wane.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-chevrolet-corvette-convertible-19/

That’s the pinnacle of old school Corvettes but that TMU would scare me. I’d also want to know what’s under that new paint.

venture

The used car situation for my grandson has taken an odd turn. I wanted to say an ugly turn, but I don't know that it's really ugly; just strange.

He seems to have the same concept of money that his dad had/has. My daughter is re-married so the original moron is not around all that much.

A few weeks ago, I told him that I would give him $1,000 toward the down payment. He said that would really help. The word "really" got my attention, but I let it go.

Now I find out that he has saved "about" a thousand dollars toward a car. After deciding he wanted to get something a year ago! How he thinks he can manage a $400 or $500 a month car payment when he only saved about $85 a month for the last year is anyone's guess. He has a decent job for a 19 year-old so there is really no excuse.

I told him I would buy the car and he could pay me back to save on interest. I'm definitely having second thoughts now.

I discussed the situation with my daughter, and she didn't know that he has only saved around $1,000. We agreed that he is not ready.

The original moron asked me to go with him to look at new cars once. The very first thing he said to the salesman was how much he was paying a month and how much he wants to pay a month going forward. I didn't go with him again. It was hopeless.