Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

au1994

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.

Yes, report it. I’ve done it once. Ride was a way old Sonata in the condition you would expect. She was blasting rap which makes me want to stick a screwdriver in my ear. She also hit 40 on our street which I did correct on the spot.

kyfdx

Got a Lyft in LA, that was a 10 yr old Altima, in predictable shape.

But, he was a great driver and very personable. 🤷‍♂️

tjc78

Uber … funny this comes up.

Thursday night we went to see Chris Stapleton (amazing BTW). We took an Uber in without issue. Getting out was a challenge. We ended up rolling the dice and took a scab driver that was there at the venue (after waiting a while). There was four of us so wasn’t too worried and we weren’t going to our house.

At any rate it was a very well used first gen RDX and he tried his best to kill us!

andres3

28firefighter said:

@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.

Report the shot suspension that's uncomfortable or the near-miss rear-ending?

28firefighter

@andres3 said:
Report the shot suspension that's uncomfortable or the near-miss rear-ending?

You can report it as a safety issue.

au1994

tjc78 said:

Uber … funny this comes up.

Thursday night we went to see Chris Stapleton (amazing BTW). We took an Uber in without issue. Getting out was a challenge. We ended up rolling the dice and took a scab driver that was there at the venue (after waiting a while). There was four of us so wasn’t too worried and we weren’t going to our house.

At any rate it was a very well used first gen RDX and he tried his best to kill us!

100% Stapleton is amazing. Marcus King opened for him and gained himself a new fan.

andres3

'17 with less than 14K miles worth a big premium - I got burned by low mile used car last time.

'21 with 2 accidents instead? If the repairs are "unnoticeable" perhaps? Actually, it's a '20 with high miles and 1 accident, or a '20 with 2 accidents but still low 22K miles.

roadburner

@benjaminh - Whatever you do DON'T buy a RWD vehicle unless you live in a perfectly flat desert area- they are lethal in the rain, never mind snow.

suydam

Well here it is! Chevy Blazer EV 2LT, loaded with everything the RS has except the 21” tires and quite a bit cheaper. Sterling gray metallic (the only LT on the lot). What a great driving vehicle this is!

kyfdx

Looks great!

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

Got a Lyft in LA, that was a 10 yr old Altima, in predictable shape.

But, he was a great driver and very personable. 🤷‍♂️

My son still does LYFT and he is a very capable driver ( he ought to be, I taught him) but once he had a rider complain to the company that he was speeding (he wasn’t). I think sometimes people do that trying to get a free ride. He also gets a lot of kooks, drunks and women who want to tell him about their troubled love life.

The only way to make any money in ride share is to get the most depreciated car that is eligible so that your capital investment is low. That’s why I got him the low mile Fusion. It was in good shape and had 5 years of eligibility so he could mile it up with the expectation it would still be in good shape. We keep it well maintained for the passengers safety but mainly for his.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

@benjaminh - Whatever you do DON'T buy a RWD vehicle unless you live in a perfectly flat desert area- they are lethal in the rain, never mind snow.

I have two rear wheel drive vehicles, one of which I drive in winter. I guess I’m lucky to still be alive.😂

laurasdada

roadburner said:

@benjaminh - Whatever you do DON'T buy a RWD vehicle unless you live in a perfectly flat desert area- they are lethal in the rain, never mind snow.

Is it April 1 again?!

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

@benjaminh - Whatever you do DON'T buy a RWD vehicle unless you live in a perfectly flat desert area- they are lethal in the rain, never mind snow.

I have two rear wheel drive vehicles, one of which I drive in winter. I guess I’m lucky to still be alive.😂

Apparently I’ve been dodging death up here in the Great White North in my RWD ATS for nearly 7 years.

tjc78

@au1994 said:
100% Stapleton is amazing. Marcus King opened for him and gained himself a new fan.

Yes! Marcus was very good. Where did you see him?

I’ve seen him twice. Vocals are fantastic but what you don’t realize is how amazing a guitar player he is until you see him live.

au1994

tjc78 said:

@au1994 said:

100% Stapleton is amazing. Marcus King opened for him and gained himself a new fan.

Yes! Marcus was very good. Where did you see him?

I’ve seen him twice. Vocals are fantastic but what you don’t realize is how amazing a guitar player he is until you see him live.

Ameris Bank Amphitheater. And yes, his guitar skills only match his vocals which are awesome! His wife is great as well.

nyccarguy

While I was outside weeding and mulching, my sons decided to wash my truck. They had fun. I had to go over it with the sponge to get what they missed. Then polished it. Came out good.

kyfdx

Saw Marcus in Cincinnati about 5 years ago. Opened for Drive By Truckers and Tedeschi Trucks Band.

My son saw him last week in Lexington, KY at the Rail Bird Festival.

suydam

We saw Tedeschi Trucks with Little Feat a couple of days ago!

tjc78

@au1994 said:
Ameris Bank Amphitheater. And yes, his guitar skills only match his vocals which are awesome! His wife is great as well.

The first time we saw him he performed with his wife. This time he didn’t. Agree they were great together!!

Michaell

@nyccarguy - the truck looks good all cleaned up. Too bad it’s a lease - some nice wheels would really make it pop.

nyccarguy

@Michaell said:
@nyccarguy - the truck looks good all cleaned up. Too bad it’s a lease - some nice wheels would really make it pop.

Like the Bronze TRD Pro Wheels? I agree that the steelies are very plain Jane. A few exterior pieces really to turn the Taco SR into a cool looking truck. My best friend had a ‘22? access cab SR 4cyl Tacoma Black that he had as a delivery truck for a few years. He gave it to his son as his 1st car. He took the lettering off of it, bought some TRD Off Road wheels & new tires for it, plus a new Grill. It looks great.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

@Michaell said:
@nyccarguy - the truck looks good all cleaned up. Too bad it’s a lease - some nice wheels would really make it pop.

Like the Bronze TRD Pro Wheels? I agree that the steelies are very plain Jane. A few exterior pieces really to turn the Taco SR into a cool looking truck. My best friend had a ‘22? access cab SR 4cyl Tacoma Black that he had as a delivery truck for a few years. He gave it to his son as his 1st car. He took the lettering off of it, bought some TRD Off Road wheels & new tires for it, plus a new Grill. It looks great.

There are probably a bazillion choices of wheels, most of which would look good. But, yeah, bronze with the black paint would be cool.

venture

Michaell said:

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

Most people don't really want advice. They want you to agree and confirm their assumptions.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

While I was outside weeding and mulching, my sons decided to wash my truck. They had fun. I had to go over it with the sponge to get what they missed. Then polished it. Came out good.

Black is the most beautiful color….for the first 10 minutes..😉

stickguy

I have wash clay and wax the truck on my schedule for today. One it stops raining. More fun than packing boxes.

kyfdx

venture said:

Michaell said:

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

Most people don't really want advice. They want you to agree and confirm their assumptions.

It's the rule of 21s. They ask up to 21 people, until they hear what they want to hear.

kyfdx

suydam said:

We saw Tedeschi Trucks with Little Feat a couple of days ago!

Tedeschi Trucks is very good. Not sure who leads Little Feat, now. Were they good?

Little Feat is playing here in Cincinnati in the next couple weeks with Los Lobos.

Are you still in Ohio?

qbrozen

Little Feat is still around? That’s crazy. Nobody I know except my brother has ever even heard of them whenever I play their music.

greg128

suydam said:

Well here it is! Chevy Blazer EV 2LT, loaded with everything the RS has except the 21” tires and quite a bit cheaper. Sterling gray metallic (the only LT on the lot). What a great driving vehicle this is!

One of the best looking EVs IMO. Good luck! With incentives these seem to be reasonably priced. Hopefully GM has gotten the bugs out of the Ultium platform

Michaell

Re: nephew. He ended up going with Kumho - they were offering a buy 3, get 1 free deal. Also got an alignment, new brake pads all around and new rotors on the rear.

His Forte has about 55,000 on it.

suydam

I think the keyboardist, Bill Payne, is an original member of Little Feat, and some of the others have played with them for many years. They were fantastic! They actually have a new studio album I’m going to check out. Talk about a blast from the blast! LF and Los Lobos would be a good double bill.
We retired and moved back to Southern California. We had many good years in Ohio, AND it’s nice to be back home. I had a kidney transplant at the Cleveland Clinic many years ago, so I go back once a year for my yearly appointment and to visit friends.

roadburner

venture said:

Michaell said:

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

Most people don't really want advice. They want you to agree and confirm their assumptions.

mjfloyd1

@Michaell said:
Re: nephew. He ended up going with Kumho - they were offering a buy 3, get 1 free deal. Also got an alignment, new brake pads all around and new rotors on the rear.

His Forte has about 55,000 on it.

Did you ever figure out what series tires were correct for your ?sisters SUV?

Michaell

mjfloyd1 said:

@Michaell said:

Re: nephew. He ended up going with Kumho - they were offering a buy 3, get 1 free deal. Also got an alignment, new brake pads all around and new rotors on the rear.

His Forte has about 55,000 on it.

Did you ever figure out what series tires were correct for your ?sisters SUV?

No. But, she bought the other two last week, so now she has all 4 that are the same brand, and size.

nyccarguy

@roadburner said:

Like Albert Barisi from The Sopranos

kyfdx

suydam said:

I think the keyboardist, Bill Payne, is an original member of Little Feat, and some of the others have played with them for many years. They were fantastic! They actually have a new studio album I’m going to check out. Talk about a blast from the blast! LF and Los Lobos would be a good double bill.
We retired and moved back to Southern California. We had many good years in Ohio, AND it’s nice to be back home. I had a kidney transplant at the Cleveland Clinic many years ago, so I go back once a year for my yearly appointment and to visit friends.

Like Lovin Spooful said: plenty of guitarist from Nashville. And, vocalist, etc. No issues keeping these bands going.

explorerx4

Has anyone actually done this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dv-vEz0plc

tifighter

After a week at Tahoe, getting 24mpg with this Pacifica. That’s going over 9000 ft Mt Rose pass twice, so I feel like that’s respectable.

benjaminh

On a recent trip to Colorado my wife and I had a Chrysler Pacifica as a rental from Budget for almost a whole week, and we liked it pretty well. Lots of room of course, nice power, and the wireless AndroidAuto/Carplay was good once we figured out how to set it up. It was a family gathering for a graduation, and we did use it a few times with six and even seven passengers. Rental price for a week with tax and a tank of gas was about $650, which was only a little more than a "premium sedan." It seemed a little poignant to me the Chrysler, formerly the champs of the minivan, were now down to just this one model iirc. But it did seem like they'd learned a lot over forty years of building them, and it seemed pretty good. The starting msrp for the Chrysler Pacifica is about $42k or so.

My sister and her family still have their 2015 Honda Odyssey that I advised them to get back when it was new. It's been a good vehicles for their family/friends/carpooling/taking trips. A remarkable thing was that on the way back from the Denver airport to Fort Collins, going about 55-65 mph because of traffic, the Odyssey got over 50 mpg for that trip according to the trip computer. That cylinder deactivation really works. Running three cylinders with a nine-speed transmission delivers great highway mpg. I was impressed, and asked my wife if she wanted one of those as her next car. She rightly said we just don't need something that big. But a lot of value for the money in that Odyssey in EX trim, which has an msrp of $40k. Still, that's 8k more than the AWD Camry hybrid LE we're considering, and city mpg in the Odyssey is about 18-22, compared to 50 for the Camry.

oldfarmer50

tifighter said:

After a week at Tahoe, getting 24mpg with this Pacifica. That’s going over 9000 ft Mt Rose pass twice, so I feel like that’s respectable.

I think ours get 28 or so on the highway even hauling a bunch of grumpy old men.🥸

oldfarmer50

." It seemed a little poignant to me the Chrysler, formerly the champs of the minivan, were now down to just this one model iirc“.

Have they discontinued the lower trim Voyager version? We still have a few in the fleet and the cloth seats are more comfortable during long trips. Of course the smart phone addicts complain about the lack of charging ports in the seat backs which the higher level Pacifica features.

ronsteve

oldfarmer50 said:

tifighter said:

After a week at Tahoe, getting 24mpg with this Pacifica. That’s going over 9000 ft Mt Rose pass twice, so I feel like that’s respectable.

I think ours get 28 or so on the highway even hauling a bunch of grumpy old men.🥸

I have found the MPG is better at altitude. A couple of rentals that I spent a lot of time with at 5000-7000 feet averaged 27-28mpg vs their EPA highway number of 23.

cdnpinhead

You are exactly right. I do a lot of driving at high elevations, and it makes a very noticeable difference.

Michaell

Leasehackers, here's one for you.

2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD. $63K MSRP.

First payment only DAS, and an 18 month, 10K/year payment of a paltry $128/mo.

au1994

Michaell said:

Leasehackers, here's one for you.

2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD. $63K MSRP.

First payment only DAS, and an 18 month, 10K/year payment of a paltry $128/mo.

Wow…The Maverick might have to wait. I wouldn’t love it, might even hate it but that would be nice monthly savings on what I project my Mav nut to be lease or buy.

breld

Michaell said:

Leasehackers, here's one for you.

2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ AWD. $63K MSRP.

First payment only DAS, and an 18 month, 10K/year payment of a paltry $128/mo.

Wow. Deals like these could be a good approach to driving an EV for the next few years until that market stabilizes (if it ever does).

Michaell

And, for only 18 months, so plenty of time to see what happens with the EV tech in the meantime.

There are extra incentives for the 18 month term only on the Ariya.

pensfan83

MSD's can't be used on Nissan, right? Just Infiniti?

Michaell

pensfan83 said:

MSD's can't be used on Nissan, right? Just Infiniti?

I don't have an MSD program listed for Nissan, but they do offer a one-pay program ... but, that MF is actually worse than the supported rates from NMAC.