Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

We are having amazing weather here in Nags Head, NC!

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

We are having amazing weather here in Nags Head, NC!

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Seeing that could get me to rethink about not going on vacation this year.

Have a great time.

jmonroe

qbrozen

Trying to add my 2 Italians to my collectors insurance. They seem to be getting more incredulous with each request. This time, amongst the 15 questions for each vehicle, they have requested to see all of my garage spaces to prove I can actually house so many inside. (Seriously, it is only 4!) I figured I'd throw the learning down on them that I have space for 9 vehicles inside but am only requesting coverage for fewer than half. haha.

Oh, and another question this time was "how much experience do you have with RHD vehicles?" Ya know, Geico hasn't cared one bit about that detail.

explorerx4

We've been to the Outer Banks 15 times for summer vacation.
Stayed in the northern area over the bridge one time.
Nobody in the family wanted to go back there.
We prefer going south about 70 miles to Hatteras.
It all depends on what you want fo your vacation.

suydam

We took the kids once, stayed near Duck, I think. Everyone had a wonderful time! They were a good age for it, 13, 10, and 6 I think. Except the youngest had broken her wrist two weeks before jumping off a wall at her brother’s bar mitzvah party. Trying to keep a 6 year old from getting her cast wet or covered in sand was a losing battle. Oh, and she dropped my camera into the dunes at Kitty Hawk. But we rolled with those things back then way better than we would now! The place we rented had every possible type of beach equipment so that was great.

cdnpinhead

Ah, so Buellton. Lompoc or Santa Maria ... or thereabouts.

I grew up in Ventura County, so was in SB a lot as a kid.

Do they still advertise (to a fare-the-well) split pea soup at that place? If you know, you know.

suydam

They may, but its a horror best avoided. There are actually really good restaurants there now. And yes, the Sideways bar is still there too.

Michaell

cdnpinhead said:

Ah, so Buellton. Lompoc or Santa Maria ... or thereabouts.

I grew up in Ventura County, so was in SB a lot as a kid.

Do they still advertise (to a fare-the-well) split pea soup at that place? If you know, you know.

More than you ever wanted to know...

cdnpinhead

My wife and I had a pleasant visit to Solvang a couple of years ago and had a nice lunch, in spite of the overwhelming kitsch atmosphere.

It's a crap shoot these days.

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:

Ah, so Buellton. Lompoc or Santa Maria ... or thereabouts.

I grew up in Ventura County, so was in SB a lot as a kid.

Do they still advertise (to a fare-the-well) split pea soup at that place? If you know, you know.

More than you ever wanted to know...

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I can’t open that link. Anyone else having that problem or is it my old Apple phone?

jmonroe

venture

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:

Ah, so Buellton. Lompoc or Santa Maria ... or thereabouts.

I grew up in Ventura County, so was in SB a lot as a kid.

Do they still advertise (to a fare-the-well) split pea soup at that place? If you know, you know.

More than you ever wanted to know...

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I can’t open that link. Anyone else having that problem or is it my old Apple phone?

jmonroe

It opened right up for me.

ab348

jmonroe1 said:

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I can’t open that link. Anyone else having that problem or is it my old Apple phone?

It worked for me. It's a very old website so it should work fine on an old device.

jmonroe1

My phone still says…“Safari can’t open the page because the server can’t be found”. I’ve seen this before but not very often. I’m going to re-boot and see if that helps.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

jmonroe1 said:

My phone still says…“Safari can’t open the page because the server can’t be found”. I’ve seen this before but not very often. I’m going to re-boot and see if that helps.

jmonroe

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That didn’t help either. Oh well, maybe it’s beyond my comprehension.

jmonroe

corvette

How old is your phone? Anything older than the iPhone XS/XR is no longer running the latest iOS.

jmonroe1

corvette said:

How old is your phone? Anything older than the iPhone XS/XR is no longer running the latest iOS.

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It’s an iPhone SE. i can’t remember what year I got it.

jmonroe

corvette

Dropped the Ariya off last night and put the key in the dealer's drop box. It hasn't moved all day today, per the app. Called the dealer, asked what was up. Apparently they didn't check the drop box and they don't have an EV-certified tech the rest of the day, so it will be tomorrow before they can look at it.

"Since it's out of service overnight, shouldn't Nissan provide a rental?"

"No, Nissan doesn't provide rentals, some dealers may provide courtesy transportation, but it's up to them."

They aren't getting off to a great start...

BTW, the (other) local dealer I tried to buy from that didn't want to offer a dealer discount on their last 2023 on the lot no longer has that one on the lot, but instead has a different 2023. I suspect they dealer traded it, but are still stuck with a 2023 that they are unwilling to discount.

suydam

What’s the problem with it?

corvette

CEL with two codes, at least one of which indicates an issues with the DC fast charging capability, which is why I didn't take it on my recent road trip.

breld

We took a couple of test drives of the Ariya last weekend and were impressed with it for the value. Strikes me as a great first EV for a lot of drivers, but we struggled to get past the lack of one-pedal driving. The dealerships were very straightforward with lease pricing though for each trim level. So a 2024 Engage trim (I believe that’s what @corvette has) was $99/month for 24 months. That’s before taxes and a $1k Nissan loyalty rebate, so without Nissan loyalty and taxes on the rebates rolled in and sales tax on the payment itself, more like $200/month, first payment DAS.

Nicely equipped, but if you want an extra 50 miles of range (272 mile range), the Engage+ is about $50 more and the Evolve trim adds a few nice features like a sunroof and power tailgate for a little more still.

That all includes a $5,350 rebate unique to Colorado.

breld

The Model Y was returned to Tesla earlier this week, and there’s an empty spot in the garage still.

It’s like money burning a hole in our pockets.

tjc78

@breld said:
The Model Y was returned to Tesla earlier this week, and there’s an empty spot in the garage still.

It’s like money burning a hole in our pockets.

Saturday …. Any over/under takers?

ab348

breld said:

We took a couple of test drives of the Ariya last weekend and were impressed with it for the value. Strikes me as a great first EV for a lot of drivers, but we struggled to get past the lack of one-pedal driving. The dealerships were very straightforward with lease pricing though for each trim level. So a 2024 Engage trim (I believe that’s what @corvette has) was $99/month for 24 months. That’s before taxes and a $1k Nissan loyalty rebate, so without Nissan loyalty and taxes on the rebates rolled in and sales tax on the payment itself, more like $200/month, first payment DAS.

Nicely equipped, but if you want an extra 50 miles of range (272 mile range), the Engage+ is about $50 more and the Evolve trim adds a few nice features like a sunroof and power tailgate for a little more still.

That all includes a $5,350 rebate unique to Colorado.

Those sound like a heckuva deal. The dealer links at the top of the Edmunds page from Bayway are pretty good deals but don’t come close to those.

breld

It is a great deal for sure…the $99/month deals on a 150 mile range Leaf a few years ago seemed like a steal. A 205 mile range AWD electric SUV for $200 all-in is impressive.

Not sure what we’ll end up with, but do like the Hyundai products. An Ioniq 5 AWD Limited is a strong option at $380/month. Kia EV9’s, while offering more space than we necessarily need, may be at the top of our list.

nyccarguy

@corvette said:
Dropped the Ariya off last night and put the key in the dealer's drop box. It hasn't moved all day today, per the app. Called the dealer, asked what was up. **Apparently they didn't check the drop box and they don't have an EV-certified tech the rest of the day, so it will be tomorrow before they can look at it. **

"Since it's out of service overnight, shouldn't Nissan provide a rental?"

"No, Nissan doesn't provide rentals, some dealers may provide courtesy transportation, but it's up to them."

They aren't getting off to a great start...

BTW, the (other) local dealer I tried to buy from that didn't want to offer a dealer discount on their last 2023 on the lot no longer has that one on the lot, but instead has a different 2023. I suspect they dealer traded it, but are still stuck with a 2023 that they are unwilling to discount.

“Apparently they didn't check the drop box and they don't have an EV-certified tech the rest of the day, so it will be tomorrow before they can look at it.”

I experienced a problem similar to this when I brought my jeep in for service. I made an appointment, dropped it off, rented a car, got a ride to the rental car place on the other side of town (during. Rush hour) and called the next day to check on it. I got a similar story. We only have 3 techs capable of working on the PHEVs. 1 was working on something major like a fully battery replacement. The other 2 were trying to do the work of 3 or 4.

The government and auto manufacturers are trying to push these EVs on everyone. The cars are expensive, but incentives and rebates are making prices affordable. What are you supposed to do if that’s your only car? You are on a budget and get this EV for $99-$199 per month. Something goes wrong and you need a car. You can’t work from home. You’ve got to come out of pocket for Ubers ?

corvette

Dealer called - CEL not on, no "current" codes, no problem found. I quizzed the service advisor as to whether they scanned the history and he then claimed they did that, as well, and didn't turn up anything. If they didn't blindly clear all the codes, I'd bet money the codes are still there in the history when I pick it up. I'm not sure how they had no EV techs for the rest of the day but suddenly one materialized to determine my car had no problems. I'm not thrilled with them at this point.

greg1288

Finally found our previously owned 2018 Lacrosse on Carmax. I sold it to them in April for $19K. About a month ago I got a Fedex priority envelope and a corresponding email stating they had lost the title and all purchase documents. They sent a duplicate title request form which I signed and sent back. Last week I received a second envelope with the same forms. I called the local store where I sold it and were pretty much unresponsive.

I then emailed the person who requested the signature on the first envelope and she responded that she is pretty sure the second request was erroneous.

Anyway I found the car in PA. with a price of $22.9. That means if it sells they will make around $4K or $3K if they replaced the original tires which were marginal. It was pretty much a creampuff. It looks pretty good and they left the subtle silver viny which I had added around the wheel arches, on the bottom and in the rear.

https://www.carmax.com/car/25903239

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

@breld said:

The Model Y was returned to Tesla earlier this week, and there’s an empty spot in the garage still.

It’s like money burning a hole in our pockets.

Saturday …. Any over/under takers?

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Hell, if he buys it tonight it could be traded by Saturday.

jmonroe

andres3

qbrozen said:

Trying to add my 2 Italians to my collectors insurance. They seem to be getting more incredulous with each request. This time, amongst the 15 questions for each vehicle, they have requested to see all of my garage spaces to prove I can actually house so many inside. (Seriously, it is only 4!) I figured I'd throw the learning down on them that I have space for 9 vehicles inside but am only requesting coverage for fewer than half. haha.

Oh, and another question this time was "how much experience do you have with RHD vehicles?" Ya know, Geico hasn't cared one bit about that detail.

Geico didn't even care to ask how much I paid for my '21 BMW X3 40i. Guess they charge enough to cover full MSRP

andres3

breld said:

The Model Y was returned to Tesla earlier this week, and there’s an empty spot in the garage still.

It’s like money burning a hole in our pockets.

Need a clean pristine Misano Red black optics S4, or a White X3 M40i?

mjfloyd1

Why is the x3m40 already for sale?

carnaught

@mjfloyd1, a rhetorical question?

corvette

@breld - I forgot to mention, the Ariya has a great audio system. Caveat--it made me aware of the weaknesses in the Maverick's audio system, which makes me wonder whether replacing speakers (as I did in the Mustang) would greatly improve the sound (as it did in that car).

jmonroe1

corvette said:

@breld - I forgot to mention, the Ariya has a great audio system. Caveat--it made me aware of the weaknesses in the Maverick's audio system, which makes me wonder whether replacing speakers (as I did in the Mustang) would greatly improve the sound (as it did in that car).

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Unless speaker technology has changed upgrading to better speakers has always been the biggest bang for the buck. It used to be known as “a poor man’s way of thinking he’s an audiophile”.

jmonroe

corvette

jmonroe1 said:

It used to be known as “a poor man’s way of thinking he’s an audiophile”.

And that's good enough for me! I mostly listen to podcasts, so don't need great audio, but the difference is noticeable, even without music. There was a marked difference in the physical quality of the speakers I took out of the Mustang vs. the (cheapest Crutchfield was selling) ones I replaced them with.

roadburner

corvette said:

Dropped the Ariya off last night and put the key in the dealer's drop box. It hasn't moved all day today, per the app. Called the dealer, asked what was up. Apparently they didn't check the drop box and they don't have an EV-certified tech the rest of the day, so it will be tomorrow before they can look at it.

"Since it's out of service overnight, shouldn't Nissan provide a rental?"

"No, Nissan doesn't provide rentals, some dealers may provide courtesy transportation, but it's up to them."

They aren't getting off to a great start...

BTW, the (other) local dealer I tried to buy from that didn't want to offer a dealer discount on their last 2023 on the lot no longer has that one on the lot, but instead has a different 2023. I suspect they dealer traded it, but are still stuck with a 2023 that they are unwilling to discount.

Which dealer? Incompetency like that is inexcusable.

qbrozen

@andres3 said:
Geico didn't even care to ask how much I paid for my '21 BMW X3 40i. Guess they charge enough to cover full MSRP

Value was another challenge. They asked for receipts for each. I explained, “I’m attaching them but they are of little use.” And went on to explain they were both bought at wholesale auctions. The Maser had mechanical and electrical issues that have since been fixed, and I gave them several links to BAT auctions for comps. The Alfa was of course imported and the invoice doesn’t include all the fees, transport, and time involved.

Anyway, in the end, they decided to cover the Alfa but not the QP. Eh, it was worth a shot.

corvette

roadburner said:

Which dealer? Incompetency like that is inexcusable.

Wyler. If you didn't see my later message, they called later and said no problem found, can't do anything, since the MIL wasn't on, despite me providing them with the codes, and those codes should have been stored in the history.

suydam

breld said:

The Model Y was returned to Tesla earlier this week, and there’s an empty spot in the garage still.

It’s like money burning a hole in our pockets.

So you are definitely looking at an EV? We test drove the Ioniq5. It is a great vehicle, but somehow didn’t do much for us. It’s kinda low, didn’t seem to have more room than the Kia we already have — I can’t explain exactly why. But as an EV it’s one of the best for sure. Long range, adaptability of charging — people I know who have them love them.

Michaell

suydam said:

breld said:

The Model Y was returned to Tesla earlier this week, and there’s an empty spot in the garage still.

It’s like money burning a hole in our pockets.

So you are definitely looking at an EV? We test drove the Ioniq5. It is a great vehicle, but somehow didn’t do much for us. It’s kinda low, didn’t seem to have more room than the Kia we already have — I can’t explain exactly why. But as an EV it’s one of the best for sure. Long range, adaptability of charging — people I know who have them love them.

You've been away for a while. I can't tell you the number of EV's @breld and the missus have had, but let me try:

Polestar2
Model 3
Model Y
Mach E GT
e-Tron (currently in the garage)
Leaf
Rivian R1T

Have I missed anything?

qbrozen

@Michaell said:
You've been away for a while. I can't tell you the number of EV's @breld and the missus have had, but let me try:

Polestar2
Model 3
Model Y
Mach E GT
e-Tron (currently in the garage)
Leaf
Rivian R1T

Have I missed anything?

Wow. I can’t even keep track of my own stuff that well.

au1994

Michaell said:

suydam said:

breld said:

The Model Y was returned to Tesla earlier this week, and there’s an empty spot in the garage still.

It’s like money burning a hole in our pockets.

So you are definitely looking at an EV? We test drove the Ioniq5. It is a great vehicle, but somehow didn’t do much for us. It’s kinda low, didn’t seem to have more room than the Kia we already have — I can’t explain exactly why. But as an EV it’s one of the best for sure. Long range, adaptability of charging — people I know who have them love them.

You've been away for a while. I can't tell you the number of EV's @breld and the missus have had, but let me try:

Polestar2
Model 3
Model Y
Mach E GT
e-Tron (currently in the garage)
Leaf
Rivian R1T

Have I missed anything?

Looks complete! Multiple Teslas maybe?

stickguy

Base maverick stereo definitely is weak. The B&O in my current one is way better. Not as good as our Acura but perfectly acceptable. From the forums upgrading the base is not too hard. Speakers make a big difference and you can put a sub in.

ab348

Somebody here needs to spring for one of those sea-creature Ioniq 6 Hyundais. The local dealer has a bunch of new ones gathering dust on the lot.

corvette

JRGo really liked the IONIQ 5 N, but the price seems steep:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kemfDmmUN4

Michaell

corvette said:

JRGo really liked the IONIQ 5 N, but the price seems steep:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kemfDmmUN4

@breld, @jpp75 and I were talking about the N the last couple of days. Apparently, they don't lease as well as the more pedestrian trim levels. Someone on LH reported $5K down and $850/mo for one.

While it's cool, I don't think it's worth 2X of an SEL or Limited trim.

roadburner

Michaell said:

corvette said:

JRGo really liked the IONIQ 5 N, but the price seems steep:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kemfDmmUN4

@breld, @jpp75 and I were talking about the N the last couple of days. Apparently, they don't lease as well as the more pedestrian trim levels. Someone on LH reported $5K down and $850/mo for one.

While it's cool, I don't think it's worth 2X of an SEL or Limited trim.

I agree, but it's one of the few EVs I would consider owning.

tifighter

Michaell said:

corvette said:

JRGo really liked the IONIQ 5 N, but the price seems steep:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kemfDmmUN4

@breld, @jpp75 and I were talking about the N the last couple of days. Apparently, they don't lease as well as the more pedestrian trim levels. Someone on LH reported $5K down and $850/mo for one.

While it's cool, I don't think it's worth 2X of an SEL or Limited trim.

I'd like to drive the N. It sounds like something I might like.

explorerx4

I see that the software many dealerships use got hacked again.

au1994

explorerx4 said:

I see that the software many dealerships use got hacked again.

Again? Just got the JGC tag this week due to a previous hack. Purchased at the end of June.