Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

ab348

Y’know, I had my ‘02 FWD Intrigue with what I think was 215HP and drove it every year in winter snow w/o any problems. Always had good snow tires.

benjaminh

Here's a pic I just took of one of my Michelin CC2 tires after 30,000 miles. Got them 2.5 years ago and they've been rotated regularly. They were advertised as a 60k tire, but to me the tread doesn't look like it's halfway done. Maybe ⅓? Consumer Reports estimated that CC2s might last as long as 80k, and that seems like a good guess.

If we do get a Camry I probably wouldn't be able to wait four years to get the oem tires replaced. Even if it costs us 2-4 of our 50 mpg I'd probably want the Michelin tires sooner rather than later. Maybe even right away. Is there a way to sell or get credit for new tires that you don't want on a new car? Of course Toyota must have worked with Firestone to maximize those tires for mpg, and so maybe we should give them a go and see if we can live with them. Since it'll be my wife's car, she might be able to tolerate the oem tires. But since she's had Michelins on her CR-V even she's used to that level of traction and performance, even if she rarely uses it. Anyway, the thin tires on the Camry only cost about $750 to replace at Costco, including installation, warranty, and sales tax.

xwesx

You can always go with an alternate size (such as a 215 or 225) by lowering the ratio number to keep it at or near the same total circumference, if you prefer more tire on the road. Again, small loss in economy, but... choices.

As for reuse of the new tires, I don't know that you'll find a place, even the dealer, that will give you credit for the tires being swapped out, but you can always sell them on Marketplace or CL or whatnot. $200 or less for the set would probably find a willing buyer quickly.

benjaminh

I'm overthinking this and already shooting our potential savings on gas in the foot. We should just use those oem tires and see how they do.

explorerx4

A lot of AWD cars start out sending power to all 4 wheels, then cut off power to the non primary axle as speed builds.

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

You can always go with an alternate size (such as a 215 or 225) by lowering the ratio number to keep it at or near the same total circumference, if you prefer more tire on the road. Again, small loss in economy, but... choices.

As for reuse of the new tires, I don't know that you'll find a place, even the dealer, that will give you credit for the tires being swapped out, but you can always sell them on Marketplace or CL or whatnot. $200 or less for the set would probably find a willing buyer quickly.

I’ve tried selling tires on CL with no results even at give away prices. Wheels are a different story.

benjaminh

ab348 said:

Y’know, I had my ‘02 FWD Intrigue with what I think was 215HP and drove it every year in winter snow w/o any problems. Always had good snow tires.

About how many years/miles did you end up going with our Oldsmobile Intrigue? Are you still shopping for a new car? Now that Mazda is off the list is there another brand you're considering?

Yeah, maybe we should save the money and just skip the AWD for the Camry.

corvette

kyfdx said:

It wouldn't even be much fun...

Rule 41 of the Internet: It would be, for some people, but this is a family-friendly forum.

corvette

stickguy said:

I really don’t see the need for AWD on a Camry hybrid.

It's probably a pretty popular option. I think it's more popular in Canada. I prefer AWD on my daily driver, and we don't usually get that much snow, but when we do, I know I won't have to bother shoveling my driveway.

suydam

Speaking of tires, one of the few differences between the loaded Chevy Blazer EV LT and the RS is tire size. The RS has 21” tires, the LT 19”. I didn’t notice any difference test driving them both, but is there any advantage either way (besides the fact that replacement costs on 21” tires would be pricier)?

andres3

suydam said:

Speaking of tires, one of the few differences between the loaded Chevy Blazer EV LT and the RS is tire size. The RS has 21” tires, the LT 19”. I didn’t notice any difference test driving them both, but is there any advantage either way (besides the fact that replacement costs on 21” tires would be pricier)?

The chicks dig 21 inchers. Other than looks/aesthetics, there's no real benefit to 21 over 19.

corvette

Less sidewall squish/squirm in corners with the lower profile tires. The 19s are likely to be more resistant to pothole damage than the 21s.

ab348

benjaminh said:

ab348 said:

Y’know, I had my ‘02 FWD Intrigue with what I think was 215HP and drove it every year in winter snow w/o any problems. Always had good snow tires.

About how many years/miles did you end up going with our Oldsmobile Intrigue? Are you still shopping for a new car? Now that Mazda is off the list is there another brand you're considering?

Yeah, maybe we should save the money and just skip the AWD for the Camry.

I kept it for 6 years and about 50,000 miles. Traded it on a new 2009 Buick Lacrosse which I didn’t like as much. I’m not actively shopping right now as the ATS is still nearly perfect and since I’m retired I don’t drive much at all. I still like to stay aware of what’s new and see if anything Intrigues me, pardon the pun.

suydam

My daughter lived and drove just fine in Vermont and New Hampshire for years with the FWD Camry. That said, now she’s a huge fan of the AWD RAV4 they bought a few years back.

jmonroe1

benjaminh said:

Here's a pic I just took of one of my Michelin CC2 tires after 30,000 miles. Got them 2.5 years ago and they've been rotated regularly. They were advertised as a 60k tire, but to me the tread doesn't look like it's halfway done. Maybe ⅓? Consumer Reports estimated that CC2s might last as long as 80k, and that seems like a good guess.

If we do get a Camry I probably wouldn't be able to wait four years to get the oem tires replaced. Even if it costs us 2-4 of our 50 mpg I'd probably want the Michelin tires sooner rather than later. Maybe even right away. Is there a way to sell or get credit for new tires that you don't want on a new car? Of course Toyota must have worked with Firestone to maximize those tires for mpg, and so maybe we should give them a go and see if we can live with them. Since it'll be my wife's car, she might be able to tolerate the oem tires. But since she's had Michelins on her CR-V even she's used to that level of traction and performance, even if she rarely uses it. Anyway, the thin tires on the Camry only cost about $750 to replace at Costco, including installation, warranty, and sales tax.

————————————————
I’ve never gotten any where close to 60K miles on any tire I’ve ever owned and I don’t buy cheap tires.

If I ever, even once, got 60K miles on a set of tires, I’d kiss the manufacturer on the lips.

jmonroe

benjaminh

I've driven fine in the snow with my TLX FWD, and did with my previous fwd Accords. Just go slowly and cautiously in most situations. But there are some situations with hills where you need to gain a bit of momentum. Still, I feel that in some situations AWD helps.

$1500 for the awd on the Camry isn't all that much from my pov. We'll eventually be in some situations where we might regret it if we didn't get it. Who knows what the future holds, but this is the car that my spouse is thinking she might drive into retirement. Knock on wood, but we're probably still 8-9 years away from that.

I'm still planning to keep my 2018 TLX long-term as well. It currently has 77,500 miles, and I'm about to take it in for an oil change, tire rotation, and to get new wiper blades. I imagine they'll try to sell me more services, but maybe I'll be able to hold them off. At my current rate of driving I might get to 100k sometime 2026. I'm actually planning another epic road trip for July of this year, which might take me all the way to California and back. That trip alone will be a lot of miles. Mostly I'll be visiting family and friends, and going to museums, but maybe I should even find a dirt road somewhere to explore....?

benjaminh

jmonroe1 said:

I’ve never gotten any where close to 60K miles on any tire I’ve ever owned and I don’t buy cheap tires.

If I ever, even once, got 60K miles on a set of tires, I’d kiss the manufacturer on the lips.

jmonroe

If you try these tires you might make it to 60k. Does anyone else here have CC2 tires, or am I the only one?

If you run with performance tires I guess those are only rated to last 30-40k or so.

xwesx

oldfarmer50 said:

I’ve tried selling tires on CL with no results even at give away prices. Wheels are a different story.

Interesting. I've had success doing so; I usually put them up for $60-100 for a set of four, generally with about 7/32" of tread remaining. Maybe it's an Alaska thing.

explorerx4

My daughter got 72K out of her Continental Contitracs and replaced them because winter was approaching.

xwesx

benjaminh said:

I've driven fine in the snow with my TLX FWD, and did with my previous fwd Accords. Just go slowly and cautiously in most situations. But there are some situations with hills where you need to gain a bit of momentum. Still, I feel that in some situations AWD helps.

$1500 for the awd on the Camry isn't all that much from my pov. We'll eventually be in some situations where we might regret it if we didn't get it. Who knows what the future holds, but this is the car that my spouse is thinking she might drive into retirement. Knock on wood, but we're probably still 8-9 years away from that.

I'm still planning to keep my 2018 TLX long-term as well. It currently has 77,500 miles, and I'm about to take it in for an oil change, tire rotation, and to get new wiper blades. I imagine they'll try to sell me more services, but maybe I'll be able to hold them off. At my current rate of driving I might get to 100k sometime 2026. I'm actually planning another epic road trip for July of this year, which might take me all the way to California and back. That trip alone will be a lot of miles. Mostly I'll be visiting family and friends, and going to museums, but maybe I should even find a dirt road somewhere to explore....?

I think the AWD option is definitely worth the price of entry. Even with this type of AWD, which isn't stellar, it will help you when/if you need it. And, always a bonus on the sale end, too, so you probably won't be out much, if anything, on the price differential.

xwesx

@benjaminh I bought a couple sets of Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires over the years, which were a predecessor, basically, to the CrossClimates. FANTASTIC tires, and they wore quite well, too. I got about 70,000 miles out of my first set, and they were still on the car when it was lost, so I suspect I could have comfortably driven them 90,000 miles before I needed to consider replacement. I want to say I put around 60,000 miles on the second set, which were on my 2010 Forester, and those were ready for replacement. But, we took a couple of long road trips (~12,000 miles) with lots of weight in the car, so I suspect those tires wore faster just due to the extra weight involved.

I know two families who use the CC2s here in Fairbanks, and they both praise the tires, too. One uses them year-round (the other, seasonally).

xwesx

Ah, dang it.... four posts in a row (I apologize). I wanted to note that, from a handling perspective, I doubt that many of us would notice the different in performance between 19" and 21" tires in terms of sidewall flex. Maybe @roadburner and @andres3 ! When I put the 18" Cooper Discoverers on my Q7, I noticed that the ride was more compliant, for sure, but it didn't feel any different to me taking on the twisties. Same is true for my Forester going from 17" stock down to 15". I'd say I am somewhat spirited in my driving, but I rarely drive it like I stole it....

I'd say the description earlier of the wife's use of grab handles about sums it up.

Michaell

I’ve got the CC2’s on the Outback.

Probably 11,000 miles on them and they still look new.

stickguy

I still miss my TLX A spec. One of the few I regret letting go. If Covid had not come along when it did I would have kept it through to lease end, and quite likely bought it out.

explorerx4

@xwesx,
We had a couple sets of those TripleTreds on our 04 Escape. I switched from the OEM tires early because they were so bad. They were an excellemt tire. got at least 60K out of each set.

Michaell

My youngest nephew needs tires for his 2019 (?) Kia Forte.

I pointed him to the traditional brands, but he came asking about Falken and Kumho?

Any experience or opinions?

stickguy

I had kuhmos on my leased Sonata. They seemed like adequate tires. But I only had about 20k on the car when it went back.

corvette

I had a set of Kumhos on the 540i--it was one of a handful of brands that had a single model that would fit the staggered fitment. They were really good. It really depends a lot on the model of tire, as even traditional brands have some tires that are duds.

I'd check the reviews on Tire Rack, that is usually my go-to.

explorerx4

Good advice from Corvette. I only look at customer reviews from a similar climate to where I live.

Michaell

I pointed him to Tire Rack. Not sure if he took the advice.

Michaell

Doesn’t someone’s relative have a Telluride?

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/07/business/kia-recalling-463000-telluride-suvs?cid=ios_app

stickguy

My Son bought one last year. I need to ask him if his got recalled.

explorerx4

2nd time it's had a park outside recall.

stickguy

a complete non-issue if you just put the parking brake on.

Edit: didn't read before posting. I thought this was the recall for the front end piece that can come apart and keep it from staying in park.

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

Doesn’t someone’s relative have a Telluride?

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/07/business/kia-recalling-463000-telluride-suvs?cid=ios_app

————————————————-
I’m surprised Kia didn’t tell the owners to take their Tellurides to a dealer quickly so that the dealer could pull the fuse and or the relay that powers the seats until they could schedule the recall fix.

If I was the owner of a Telluride, I’d put the seats in the position of the person who most occupies that seat, then do a fuse or relay pulling. Too bad about the memory function but I wouldn’t park my car outside until they get around to fixing it.

But as one of our poster buddies has warned, “have a fire bottle handy when working with automotive fuses”.

jmonroe

kyfdx

corvette said:

Less sidewall squish/squirm in corners with the lower profile tires. The 19s are likely to be more resistant to pothole damage than the 21s.

At 19", how much squirm? After 19", it's all for looks

oldfarmer50

benjaminh said:

jmonroe1 said:

I’ve never gotten any where close to 60K miles on any tire I’ve ever owned and I don’t buy cheap tires.

If I ever, even once, got 60K miles on a set of tires, I’d kiss the manufacturer on the lips.

jmonroe

If you try these tires you might make it to 60k. Does anyone else here have CC2 tires, or am I the only one?

If you run with performance tires I guess those are only rated to last 30-40k or so.

I put them on my son’s Fusion last fall.

28firefighter

Lots of posts today…but…I think I caught a whiff of someone considering a used, out of warranty, 528i? At least go for something fun…

benjaminh

28firefighter said:

Lots of posts today…but…I think I caught a whiff of someone considering a used, out of warranty, 528i? At least go for something fun…

I'm currently driving a non-turbo Acura with less power than that 528i and I'm still having fun. I agree with that saying that for some people it's more fun to drive a comparatively slow car a bit fast. I've only gotten one speeding ticket in my 44 years of driving (although I've deserved more), and so I just enjoy putting some zip in my driving. But I'm not a speed demon.

But owning an out-of-warranty BMW would be a continual worry. It looks like the car has been really well taken care of, but when buying a car I ask myself whether it makes sense to keep it 8-10 years, and in this case it doesn't. It was a childhood dream to own a BMW or Mercedes someday. More than 50 years ago I rode in a BMW 2002, and it seemed like a car that was a lot of fun, even though it was slow by today's standards. But I can just imagine on that 528i needing to replace the turbo, suspension parts, electronics, etc.

The styling of that 2016 528i is I think is really good. Over the last several years the mutant kidney grills of the newer BMWs seem like something out of a nightmare from my pov.

benjaminh

Consumer Reports on how long two Michelin tires might last...

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/tires/how-long-do-tires-last-consumer-reports-treadwear-testing-a5353952733/

"Last year eight almost identical Toyota Camrys were used in our treadwear test over a six-month period. We tested 64 tires for a total of 1,024,000 tire miles. Technicians drove in 500-mile shifts. These road warriors typically operated two shifts a day, excluding weekends and holidays....Two top-rated tires from Michelin (the Defender T+H all-season tire and CrossClimate2 all-weather tire in the performance all-season category) projected out to 85,000 miles of tread life in CR’s test."

tjc78

Had the Ram serviced at the small time dealer near my house.

7 qts synthetic, filter and a rotation for $115 w/tax.

For the once a year its required well worth the money. Nice little dealer, very helpful and only tried to sell me a cabin filter which I know I need but I’ll do myself and save a few bucks.

I preferred this to the mega dealers I’ve been dealing with. Quite frankly got treated much better there than at my first experience with the Mercedes dealer

mjfloyd1

breld said:

On the SUV/CUV front, our needs have changed as well as the kids have moved on to college and out of the household (mostly). We still like to have one capable hauler for the Home Depot/Costco trips, the occasional night out with friends/kids and the road trips that we hope to do more of.

The wife having the X5 and now the Allroad frees me up somewhat, although I have to admit I like the ease of throwing my tennis equipment in the back of the hatch in the e-tron. But I could see going the route of something like the i5 next go around. I've also been curious about a Genesis Electrified G80...local dealer has a "used" one with 500 miles (probably a demo?) that's like $30k off MSRP.

Unless you buy a electric vehicle with pretty good range, even though they depreciate quickly, I’d worry that you would have a paper weight as the battery technology seems to be evolving and range seems to be increasing. I think range anxiety is a real thing for many people.

I do get the temptation- especially for @breld, as you obviously need an Audi with the shadow line package in your garage 😂

mjfloyd1

corvette said:

Less sidewall squish/squirm in corners with the lower profile tires. The 19s are likely to be more resistant to pothole damage than the 21s.

Less curb damage with the 19 inchers too

ab348

The other day I was sitting at a traffic light in a large retail shopping park when this appeared on the cross street in front of me, going past. I did a double-take and thought "WTH is THAT?!?" It looked incredibly sleek. At a distance and moving I could not ID it. For some reason I thought it was a Kia perhaps. It wasn't.



It is a Polestar 3. I've seen a few of the more boxy Polestar sedans around locally as the Volvo dealer sells them. Why it was here I don't know since I didn't think these were available yet. But what a great-looking machine, especially in the side profile that I observed it from. Very sleek-looking.

stickguy

probably the last thing I will consider with new tires is maximum treadlife. worrying about getting them to 85K means the car would be in the 120K miles range by the end, so pushing 20 years and that is never happening! Using the 7 year age limit rule, might only be 40k.

benjaminh

I've been averaging around 14k or so a year, and so for me 6 years x 14 is 84,000. I've never gotten more than about 50k or so out of a set of tires myself, but if I can get 2 more years and 30k more miles that does save some money and trouble.

suydam

“Unless you buy a electric vehicle with pretty good range, even though they depreciate quickly, I’d worry that you would have a paper weight as the battery technology seems to be evolving and range seems to be increasing. I think range anxiety is a real thing for many people.”

We thought that might be the case 8 years ago when we got the Volt, and tech has moved ahead, but it’s still pretty popular as a used car. So I’m less worried about that. As long as an EV has a decent long range I think it will still be fine as a used car. We never drive more than 150 miles or so at a time anyway without having to stop for something.
Last time we drove cross country, we had “gas range anxiety” through much of the southwest deserts!

breld

I had a deposit on the Polestar 3 to replace my Polestar 2, but ended up going with the Audi Q8 E-tron instead. The EV market is normalizing for sure, but these new ones still carry a high price tag, whether you’re buying or leasing.

Polestar 3 is very much in the running for my next EV, but deals should be much better in a year and a half when my current lease is up. In fact, Polestar Denver has several to choose from (in-bound) right now.

corvette

My Uber ride to meet my friend to go to a beer festival this afternoon is a clapped-out first-gen Cadillac SRX. Either the suspension is shot, or the tires are overinflated (or both). It rides like a truck. And the driver nearly rear ended someone already.

28firefighter

@corvette said:
My Uber ride to meet my friend to go to a beer festival this afternoon is a clapped-out first-gen Cadillac SRX. Either the suspension is shot, or the tires are overinflated (or both). It rides like a truck. And the driver nearly rear ended someone already.

You can report this to Uber - their support is pretty good.