Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

@oldfarmer50 said:
I was going to say that if they tend to go over mileage why not buy instead of lease but then I saw the $4k lease incentive. Any similar discounts if you buy?

They have low-ish financing, which is actually cheaper than the money factor on the lease. The $4K lease cash sweetens the deal and eats up a large portion of the negative equity. I think if they had exceptionally low financing rates 0.9 - 2.9% I might have pushed them to finance. The lease cash plus better program makes the RX cheaper to lease than the less expensive NX.

explorerx4

This reminds me that we've saved a decent chunk of change because Ohio does not have property tax on automobiles.
Also, no tiered vehicle sales tax.

corvette

@nyccarguy - which Lexus did she end up with?

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

@xwesx said:

So, did they walk away with a new lease or just numbers for now?

They are picking it up Friday!

————————————————-
Sounds like a decent deal. Is it a 2024 or 2025?

jmonroe

nyccarguy

@corvette said:
@nyccarguy - which Lexus did she end up with?

She’s getting another RX350 Premium AWD - Iridium/Black. This will be their 3rd RX350.

nyccarguy

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————-
Sounds like a decent deal. Is it a 2024 or 2025?

jmonroe

It is a 2024.

Sandman6472

UPS delivered the iPhone 15 Pro Max tonight and it sure is BIG! Came with a case on both sides which probably adds to the weight. It's waterproof so will keep it for the time being. Transferring data as we type right now so should take awhile. Was pretty easy as the 15 recognized the 12 and after a few presses on each device, boom...the transfer of data began. Will be interesting to see how I like it going forward. Personally, I would've just got the regular iPhone 15 with 128 gigs but can't argue with getting a free phone, just over one year old. Now, will either just offer my 12 to the Mrs. to replace her XR or put it away as a spare smartphone as the only other one is an android Windows unit from maybe 15 years ago. Turns on & all but that is it.

kyfdx

Every new iPhone is bigger than my iPhone 12 mini. I wouldn't be able to get a MAX model out of my pocket. I'd have to carry a messenger bag..

stickguy

Same reason I stick with the standard size. Plus I can hold it in one hand.

mjfloyd1

Insert man hands joke here😇

ab348

The “standard size” iPhone 15/16 is far bigger than the ones that were basic size of just a few years ago. I thought I would be happy with the smaller one like I always had but when I got the 15 it was bigger and I liked it a lot better. I don’t know about the jumbo ones I see now though.

tjc78

I’ve had the largest screen since they came out with it way back when on the 6 Plus model.

My work phone is the smaller size and I don’t enjoy using it as much.

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

I’ve had the largest screen since they came out with it way back when on the 6 Plus model.

My work phone is the smaller size and I don’t enjoy using it as much.

I had the standard 8, and my 12 mini is smaller in size, but with a bigger screen.

The new SE has been re-done, but still has a home button. A bigger screen than the old one, and maybe smaller than an 8? Definitely thinner. But, still bigger than my 12 mini

stickguy

I was sure I was going to hate not having a home button. Took about 5 minutes to forget it ever existed.

breld

Took my 911 in to have the coolant leak checked out. I got a call today from the service advisor confirming that yes, they did find a slight coolant leak from the water pump. He had already called Fidelity to initiate the claim process under the warranty, and they’ll be sending out an inspector to confirm what they found, given it’s an expensive repair.

So for one thing, awesome that the warranty I purchased is commonly used at Porsche dealers (which is why I bought the one I did).

But I had to point out that Porsche has a technical bulletin extending the warranty for this specific issue on my specific year and model. He said he didn’t see anything in the system about it, so I sent him the document from Porsche.

I suppose I don’t care how it’s covered as long as it’s not out of my pocket, but seems strange to me that the Porsche coverage wouldn’t be the first line of defense. For that matter, if I was the warranty company, I would ensure there was no coverage from the manufacturer.

jmonroe1

breld said:

Took my 911 in to have the coolant leak checked out. I got a call today from the service advisor confirming that yes, they did find a slight coolant leak from the water pump. He had already called Fidelity to initiate the claim process under the warranty, and they’ll be sending out an inspector to confirm what they found, given it’s an expensive repair.

So for one thing, awesome that the warranty I purchased is commonly used at Porsche dealers (which is why I bought the one I did).

But I had to point out that Porsche has a technical bulletin extending the warranty for this specific issue on my specific year and model. He said he didn’t see anything in the system about it, so I sent him the document from Porsche.

I suppose I don’t care how it’s covered as long as it’s not out of my pocket, but seems strange to me that the Porsche coverage wouldn’t be the first line of defense. For that matter, if I was the warranty company, I would ensure there was no coverage from the manufacturer.

————————————————
I’m sure you’ll be OK but with all the hacking of systems today it wouldn’t be an out of the realm of possibility that some finagling has happened. But from what you said, you seem to be covered either way.

I can’t imagine an extended warranty company would pay if it is legit that Porsche has an extended warranty on the pump.

jmonroe

corvette

Dealer honor being what it is, the dealer might be inclined towards using the third party warranty because it pays higher labor rates vs. Porsche warranty rates.

jmonroe1

corvette said:

Dealer honor being what it is, the dealer might be inclined towards using the third party warranty because it pays higher labor rates vs. Porsche warranty rates.

————————————————-
Would a dealer really do that?

jmonroe

xwesx

corvette said:

Dealer honor being what it is, the dealer might be inclined towards using the third party warranty because it pays higher labor rates vs. Porsche warranty rates.

Exactly my thoughts, but also agree that the warranty company is likely to ensure it is not manufacturer-covered first. But, if the dealer could get the third-party company to cover it, then they billed the manufacturer for their cost..... Hmm.

stickguy

if there is one thing guaranteed about warranty companies, they are not going to pay before they discount every possible way not to.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

corvette said:

Dealer honor being what it is, the dealer might be inclined towards using the third party warranty because it pays higher labor rates vs. Porsche warranty rates.

Exactly my thoughts, but also agree that the warranty company is likely to ensure it is not manufacturer-covered first. But, if the dealer could get the third-party company to cover it, then they billed the manufacturer for their cost..... Hmm.

————————————————
Are you implying this type of repair could fall into the double-dipping category? What a country.

jmonroe

Sandman6472

Was quite easy moving things over, though it took a few hours to do. Also, some websites needed me to sign in again, but expected a few hiccups along the way. Just need to call HR tomorrow to sign into my Enterprise account as it needs the company name or something like that. But that should be a quick thing to do . Not super happy with the bigger size and weight of the phone as she has one of those cases that cover everything which, I think, adds to the weight. I might just get myself a different case from wish.com just for the back & sides and a screen protector for the glass like I have on my iPhone 12 just to make it lighter to use. I knew I'd need a phone within a couple of years as that's when the Apple updates won't take on the 12 anymore but this opportunity came my way, so I moved my timeline up a bit. It was a very nice gesture and am thankful for it. My 12 will just be the spare phone in the house as the Mrs. likes her current XR and recently got a new battery for it, so she wants to keep it. Understand completely but now we'll have an extra just in case I decide to go for a regular size iPhone 16 next year. Want to give the bigger phone a chance as I might just end up loving it sooner then later.

xwesx

jmonroe1 said:

Are you implying this type of repair could fall into the double-dipping category? What a country.

jmonroe

No, I was saying the dealer gets the higher rate, and then the warranty company gets their money back from the manufacturer.... so, in the end, the manufacturer just pays a reasonable cost for the repair rather than leaving the dealer holding the bag.

mjfloyd1

@breld said:
Took my 911 in to have the coolant leak checked out. I got a call today from the service advisor confirming that yes, they did find a slight coolant leak from the water pump. He had already called Fidelity to initiate the claim process under the warranty, and they’ll be sending out an inspector to confirm what they found, given it’s an expensive repair.

So for one thing, awesome that the warranty I purchased is commonly used at Porsche dealers (which is why I bought the one I did).

But I had to point out that Porsche has a technical bulletin extending the warranty for this specific issue on my specific year and model. He said he didn’t see anything in the system about it, so I sent him the document from Porsche.

I suppose I don’t care how it’s covered as long as it’s not out of my pocket, but seems strange to me that the Porsche coverage wouldn’t be the first line of defense. For that matter, if I was the warranty company, I would ensure there was no coverage from the manufacturer.

So what’s the replacement vehicle after you walk the lot?😇

breld

Just got a call from the service advisor who confirmed the water pump repair is indeed covered by Porsche's extended warranty for the defect, so they would not have to tap into my service plan/warranty and could initiate the repair immediately.

I'm still curious as to how I had to bring it up and provide the technical bulletin.

qbrozen

@breld said:
Just got a call from the service advisor who confirmed the water pump repair is indeed covered by Porsche's extended warranty for the defect, so they would not have to tap into my service plan/warranty and could initiate the repair immediately.

I'm still curious as to how I had to bring it up and provide the technical bulletin.

As others suggested, I think he was playing dumb so they might get more money from the 3rd party than from Porsche.

ab348

Surprising and unfortunate news today, as GM announced they are discontinuing production of the small Cadillac XT4 crossover in January when they retool the Kansas City plant to retool for the new Volt. The XT4 was one of the few of those that I liked.

Michaell

ab348 said:

Surprising and unfortunate news today, as GM announced they are discontinuing production of the small Cadillac XT4 crossover in January when they retool the Kansas City plant to retool for the new Volt. The XT4 was one of the few of those that I liked.

When my sister was shopping for a small SUV a few years ago, we test drove a used XT4 Sport. Not a bad package, in my opinion.

What is the world coming to when SUVs are starting to get cancelled?

explorerx4

XT4 and XT5 are pretty close, so they kind of overlap.

Sandman6472

Wonder how small the XT4 really is? Gotta feeling it's over 175"'s so probably not something I'd even consider. Would be a hoot to end up in a GM product after starting my vehicle ownership in one, a 1967 Olds Cutlass Supreme 4-door. When we married back in 1981, the Mrs. was driving a 2-door Buick Skylark which drove surprisingly well for what it was. Once we had 2 children, one day a 1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme showed up in our townhouses one deeded parking spot outside the front door. Her dad threw her the keys & said enjoy your new ride & drove off in the Skylark, never to be seen again! And what a nice vehicle that '85 Cutlass Supreme was! Drove beautifully and was more then enough room for baby car seats even though at that time, we had no clue one more baby would be arriving in the family! By that time, our oldest was in a booster seat while the other two were in their car seats...guess timing is everything. The Mrs. never wanted a minivan which would've been quite handy for us, but wanted a 4-door sedan every time. And I had mostly 2-door vehicles with a couple 4-door's thrown in the mix. And now, we only look at small compacts & sub-compacts even though not many exist in the marketplace.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

XT4 and XT5 are pretty close, so they kind of overlap.

Not really. I’ve driven the XT4, the XT5 and the XT6 back when my car was still under warranty/free service which entitled you to a loaner Cadillac. I had 2 XT4s and liked them both as they felt nimble and were reasonably zippy, with the only downside for me being a too-growly engine under load which needed better sound insulation. I didn’t like the 5 at all as it felt much bigger, not nimble at all, and was saddled with styling I didn’t like (I hated the shape of the greenhouse). It just didn’t seem to drive very well. Oddly enough, I liked the XT6 I had much better as I thought it looked better and drove far better than the 5 for reasons I can’t explain. I’m not usually a fan of big SUVs but I really liked the 6.

Sandman6472

Breld, glad you did your homework with the extended warranty, something the service folks should've known about. Doubt yours was the first they've seen with the same issue. But whatever, it's going to be fixed at no cost to you which is all that matters really. The way y'all swap out vehicles, doubt the cost to maintain them is all that much. And seems like overall, the price of buying, leasing, then trading is that prohibitive or the fleet wouldn't change so often. I'm sure you've done spreadsheets showing the actual costs and hopefully come out making a few bucks. Definitely give the both of you credit for making such quick decisions on when to move certain vehicles. Having as much "analysis paralysis" like I do, just amazes me the way y'all make it look so seamless. I usually agonize for a good 7 days before I finally decide to pull the trigger, and then, I sometimes doubt myself. I guess that this is the first time I've found a vehicle I like so much, like Bradd and his Prelude. But, it's fun to watch y'all swap out your garage like you do...what fun that much be!!!

explorerx4

@ab348,
The XT6 is much larger than the 5 or 4.

nyccarguy

I had a few minutes tonight before picking up my daughter from ice skating practice. There are a few dealers not too far from the rink. First stop was the GMC dealer. Lots of big sierras, Yukon Denalis, & Electric Hummers. I was looking at the Canyon. I’ve seen a few Colorados & Canyons on the road and think GM nailed it in the styling department. The only canyons athey had that I saw were elevations & AT4s. AT4s have $46-$47K stickers. Elevations had $47-48K stickers. One thing I noticed is that the AT4s had spray in bed liners while the Elevations had painted steel bed liners. Even if you don’t put your truck to truck use (I don’t), a steel painted bed liner is going to scratch. I say spray em all or make em composite like my Tacoma.

Next was the Ford dealer. Lots of Broncos and modified F150s, a few Raptors too. They had 1 Maverick XLT with a $34K sticker. I think it was the 2.0T AWD, Tow Pkg. looked nice. I know @stickguy & @corvette have one. Nice truck. Next to it they had a very basic Ranger. $36K sticker. Steel bed no liner. I don’t see any of these on the road ever.

Not that I’m looking to get rid of my Tacoma SR. The PA broker that I used is currently leasing SR, SR5, & Sport Tacomas with higher MSRPs for cheaper or what I pay for my SR.

qbrozen

Could be an interesting beater here from stickguy’s old stomping grounds.
https://www.cherryhilltriplex.com/auto/used-2005-mercedes-benz-c-class-240-cherry-hill-nj/94839523/

explorerx4

Discount over 50% of asking price? OK.

stickguy

I like those models. Hate the triplex though. Scummy.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Could be an interesting beater here from stickguy’s old stomping grounds.
https://www.cherryhilltriplex.com/auto/used-2005-mercedes-benz-c-class-240-cherry-hill-nj/94839523/

Seems like a decent little beater for that price. I could have used that in Ohio had I not already bought the pickup.

I'm sure I could haul sand/gravel in this. (I'm joking, sheesh!)

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Could be an interesting beater here from stickguy’s old stomping grounds.
https://www.cherryhilltriplex.com/auto/used-2005-mercedes-benz-c-class-240-cherry-hill-nj/94839523/

What problems did the dealer discover that dropped the price more than 50%? Still, a 20 year old model is probably a lot less complex than a modern one so cheaper to fix.

explorerx4

@oldfarmer50,
I'm thinking a prospecrive buyer had a PPI done.

28firefighter

I remember watching the triplex automall infomercials on Saturday mornings sometimes as a kid. Was scummy then…

ab348

explorerx4 said:

@ab348,
The XT6 is much larger than the 5 or 4.

Yes, I know, I drove it as I mentioned. My ranking from most liked to least would be 6, 4, and 5 bringing up the rear.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

@breld said:

Just got a call from the service advisor who confirmed the water pump repair is indeed covered by Porsche's extended warranty for the defect, so they would not have to tap into my service plan/warranty and could initiate the repair immediately.

I'm still curious as to how I had to bring it up and provide the technical bulletin.

As others suggested, I think he was playing dumb so they might get more money from the 3rd party than from Porsche.

————————————————
You have to be careful when you do that. If you play dumb to many times, folks will begin to think you’re actually dumb. Now how do I know that?

jmonroe

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

I had a few minutes tonight before picking up my daughter from ice skating practice. There are a few dealers not too far from the rink. First stop was the GMC dealer. Lots of big sierras, Yukon Denalis, & Electric Hummers. I was looking at the Canyon. I’ve seen a few Colorados & Canyons on the road and think GM nailed it in the styling department. The only canyons athey had that I saw were elevations & AT4s. AT4s have $46-$47K stickers. Elevations had $47-48K stickers. One thing I noticed is that the AT4s had spray in bed liners while the Elevations had painted steel bed liners. Even if you don’t put your truck to truck use (I don’t), a steel painted bed liner is going to scratch. I say spray em all or make em composite like my Tacoma.

Next was the Ford dealer. Lots of Broncos and modified F150s, a few Raptors too. They had 1 Maverick XLT with a $34K sticker. I think it was the 2.0T AWD, Tow Pkg. looked nice. I know @stickguy & @corvette have one. Nice truck. Next to it they had a very basic Ranger. $36K sticker. Steel bed no liner. I don’t see any of these on the road ever.

Not that I’m looking to get rid of my Tacoma SR. The PA broker that I used is currently leasing SR, SR5, & Sport Tacomas with higher MSRPs for cheaper or what I pay for my SR.

————————————————
What are “painted steel bed liners”?

jmonroe

qbrozen

@oldfarmer50 said:
What problems did the dealer discover that dropped the price more than 50%? Still, a 20 year old model is probably a lot less complex than a modern one so cheaper to fix.

50% off after the 200% markup. They learned it from the mattress store next door.

mjfloyd1

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
What are “painted steel bed liners”?

jmonroe

I think he meant just painted metal bed like they normally come from the factory???

mjfloyd1

@ab348 said:
Surprising and unfortunate news today, as GM announced they are discontinuing production of the small Cadillac XT4 crossover in January when they retool the Kansas City plant to retool for the new Volt. The XT4 was one of the few of those that I liked.

You better go buy one quick so you can be the proud owner of an orphaned new car😂

Speaking of orphaned vehicles, I saw a Saturn with a paper plate the other day…

nyccarguy

mjfloyd1 said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————

What are “painted steel bed liners”?

jmonroe

I think he meant just painted metal bed like they normally come from the factory???

Yes. Thank-you for clarifying.

mb_enthusiast

nyccarguy said:

mb_enthusiast said:

What Audi SUV can you lease for $700-800/mo?

It all depends.... Are we talking $0 Cap Cost reduction? $0 Due At Signing? 1st Payment Due At Signing with taxes & fees rolled into the payment? Lease term? What model?

1st due at signing with taxes and dealer fees. We are in Illinois, so it will be 8.25% and a few hundred bucks.

kyfdx said:

mb_enthusiast said:

What Audi SUV can you lease for $700-800/mo?

Most likely, an EV

I would be all for it, but they are going to push back. The condo they are in right now does not have charging and the predominately elderly residents will likely never be in favor of the investment required. They are moving, but I do not know the timeline.

They asked me to set up appointments at Audi and Toyota...unfortunately...I am not sure what we are supposed to be looking at...

Honestly, any recommendations are appreciated regardless of brand. However, dad prefers European.

28firefighter

My Dad was in town this week visiting. Today I took the afternoon off and we went car shopping. He’s looking to replace his Q5 - he’s had it for 5 years and put 80k miles on it - had 75k when he got it.

He really likes the new 2024 Land Cruiser so we went to look at it. It’s probably overkill, but he doesn’t want the Lexus badge and likes the lower key look. While he won’t off road recreationally, he does travel by car a lot for work including seeing patients in rural areas in the middle of winter, so it’s not totally crazy.

We drove a former dealer demo heritage edition. I didn’t hate it. It feels very premium inside and, if you covered the badge, you would assume it was a Lexus. Exterior looks sharp and rugged, if not a bit overdone with cladding. The hybrid 4 cylinder turbo didn’t feel underpowered but it definitely had a bit of groan to it - you knew it was working. Other oddities? The hatch area is very shallow due to the hybrid battery lifting the floor about 3”. I’m not sure how that works for people who need the storage. Also the hatch area has air vents and couple holders like it could have a third row, even though it doesn’t here.

This one was certified, priced around $80k and we didn’t negotiate because he wasn’t buying today. Feels like a lot of coin to me, but his money.