Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

tjc78

I've had heated seats on my last 3 cars. I have never used them, the car heats up so fast I never felt the need.

ateixeira

I wish my convertible had them. Mazda packaged in a bunch of stuff I didn't want in order to get seat heaters, so I passed, but it's the one thing I miss (wife's car has 'em).

fezo

I wish my convertible had them.

Mine does.

Of course I bought used and they happened to be there. Also, shall we say that driving a Solara vs. a Miata involves a certain amount of sacrifice.

mark156

I dropped my 2010 Land Rover to the dealer yesterday to have my 2 yr. service done. Sitting on the showroom floor was the new 2012 Land Rover Evoque. They come in 2 or 4 door models..... very nice looking vehicle.

I sat in the driver's seat and the rear seat and they are comfortable but not a huge amount of leg room in the rear but adequate. The list price was $54K.... what really irks me is that the dealer had a $5,000 Dealer Mark-up added to the sticker which made the car $59K.

Does that turn you guys off as much as it does me? If I really wanted a car I would be willing to pay list price and have in the past but I will NEVER pay over list. :sick:

Mark156

boomchek

I was just commenting on the "I spotted a new (insert make/model) board" that I see them a bit now as I work close to a LR dealer. I attended the Evoque release party and although I love the car's design, the price approaches about $75k cdn for a loaded one here.

The $5k markup is for those who must have the newest thing first. I don't think the local dealer does it here.

oldfarmer50

"...I'm gonna go test drive a BMW just to see what everyone is talking about..."

I'm with you on that. I want to drive a BMW 3 at least once before I go senile. I'd have to go rent a suit though or they wouldn't let me in the door. I remember some of the sales guys saying they judge a potential buyer on his watch and his shoes too.

Better get your bling on.

boomchek

Since I picked up an 07 328i for my wife, I fell in love with Bimmers (this is our first one). Just absolute joy to drive everytime you get behind the wheel. It's mainly my wife's car but I use it quite a bit too.

oldfarmer50

"...Orange is a love it or hate it color..."

Agreed but a really radical car can usually support a radical color like Orange. Kind of like a tattoo on a super model...who cares! I can't imagine that color on a Civic.

oldfarmer50

"...Orange is a perfectly sellable color-in 1974..."

In 1974 my future wife bought a car that had orange shag carpet and was gold on the outside:

http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2010/09/19/21/32/1974_dodge_charger-pic-7- 177891942253763090.jpeg

Looked just like this except for the side stripe.

It was so beautiful I married her just so i could drive it.

oldfarmer50

"...Debate!..."

Personally, I'd be afraid that the M3 had been beaten to death on the track (why else have it?). That's my fear of any performance car not just BMWs.

But I'm crazy so don't listen to me. :sick:

isellhondas

" Better get your bling on"

Be careful, we can spot a fake Rolex!

kyfdx

..if they'll sell a car to me, then image has nothing to do with it...

Sandman6472

My daily dress is now a shirt, shorts & my trusty flip flops...I also wear a Timex Ironman watch so no bling here...I'm a pretty simple guy who happens to also walk with a cane. they really have no idea if I can afford a new Bimmer or not really...and it a few weeks, I will be able to buy a good number of 'em, but again, they shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Here in South Florida, many folks dress similarly and a whole bunch of 'em are pretty well off, so any store which uses clothes, shoes & watchs as benchmarks is gonna lose many potential sales. luckily I finally trimmed my facial hair last night and got rid of that scruffy look I'm so fond of!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fintail

I never wear anything better than a t-shirt and jeans when I go car-looking, never had a problem being able to sit in or drive what I want...but I do live in a casual area, I wear my nice watch on weekends, and I pull up in a pristine if not latest style MB, so maybe that adds to it.

steine13

"[..] I pull up in a pristine if not latest style MB [..]"

And that is why you get treated with respect at car dealerships.

qbrozen

I'd have to go rent a suit though or they wouldn't let me in the door. I remember some of the sales guys saying they judge a potential buyer on his watch and his shoes too.

I showed up today with a darth vader t-shirt, barn jacket, and baggy jeans (Friday is casual day at work). Salesman came out about 5 mins after I arrived and treated me just fine. I told him exactly what I was looking for and that they didn't have it, but asked if he'd be so kind as to let me drive the $30k 335 coupe just to see if I like the drivetrain and seat. "No problem."

isellhondas

It's not so much the clothes.

A "non serious" shopper just has a certain look and although we can sometimes be wrong, the instincts of a veteran are usually dead on.

Joyriders were always the worst and they usually had a certain look about them when they walked in.

Nothing like getting ambushed be a "stroke" on a busy Saturday.

I was always patient and nice to them and, yes, they sometimes turned into buyers but not very often.

boomchek

You can just tell after a 2 minute conversation usually.

akangl

In many parts of the U.S. heated seats would be of zero value to most people.

That's one of my favorite options on my F-150, even with a garage I use the heated seats all winter. I have the cooled seats too, but don't use them very much.

Speaking of my F-150 I picked it up this evening all fixed, oil changed, and even has the door rattle fixed. Worthington Ford paid for the rental and the oil change, all in the name of keeping a customer happy, can't complain about that. No more issues with the 4WD at least for now, but the tech assured me that the new transfer case had the updated part to fix a known issue with the early 2011 F-150s. He said it shouldn't do it again, I already notice a difference with how the 4WD works, much quicker and easier.

oldfarmer50

"...image has nothing to do about it..."

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Once when buying a new car I asked for the 0% financing. The salesman looked at my shabby clothes and said: "that's just for people with good credit". Another time at the auto show a salesman was reluctant to let me even sit in his Accord.

On the other hand, this year at the auto show a BMW guy talked my ear off trying to get me interested in a 1 series. Maybe he liked my Timex.

kyfdx

My phone displays the time.... I don't wear a watch....

isellhondas

I met Cal Worthington one time.

I wonder if he's even alive anymore?

qbrozen

Sigh. Well, I went this morn and got myself a good (pretty long) test drive in an 08 135 auto. This one has 30k miles and every option.

BTW, CPO 08 bimmers are available this month for 0% for 24 mos, 0.9 for 48 months, or 3.9 for 60 PLUS they will make first 2 payments for you. Pretty sweet deal on that 48 mo plan.

Anyhow, in short, It turns out the trans isn't everything I hoped for. RB was right about it upshifting at redline by itself. And it will downshift itself. And not because it needs to but just because it feels like it. There was even one instance where I demanded 3rd, the car shifted to 3rd for all of 1 second, then decided "oh, you don't really want third in this instance, so here is second back for you. You're welcome." Ugh!!

So disappointing. It is sad that Nissan and Mazda can let you do what you want with your auto trans but The Ultimate Driving machine can't. If only I could find one that has the brain of a Mazda unit with the speed and smoothness of this ZF box.

So, you say get a stick. Well, truth be told, it turns out part of the appeal here was the auto box. When I think about a stick, I'm just not so gung-ho to make the switch. I am a bit tired of dealing with a clutch but I still want complete say over which gear I'm in. So...hmmm... SMG??

stickguy

The AT wouldn't bother me. Then again, I wouldn't be using the paddles all that much (more likely in bad weather, or as a toy), and I never go near redline anyway. And don't race.

so most likely, it would be perfect for me. I do recall that the AT in the BMW was one fo the few that I actually liked. Can't stand the one in our odyssey.

Sandman6472

Which is why I've let the wife know that weekends are off limits now since we are not ready to buy...Monday thru Thursdays are for our test drives at this point. She resisted at first but finally got her to understand. And our buying time frame is at least a year from now at the earliest as long as we can keep "zoom zooming" with her current ride. And I know we can...and we have use of the kids car thru next August before she starts pharmacy school.

Now to actually get her into the showroom before tax season kicks in full throttle, after mid February, she'll have no time for all this.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

I always tell any salesman if I'm ready to buy now or not. This kind of lets him be on the same page with me. If he starts with the "what can I do to make you buy today" stuff, I know he is not listening to me so might as well stop right here. But am always up front so when we're ready to buy, tell 'em that also...makes for an easier time of things.

Speaking of the 1 Series, it also sounds perfect for me but the doors would hold me back due to my poor upper body strength, but if I did buy one, I know the wife would take it over in a short period of time. But still am not ready to part with my wonderful Civic and won't for the forseeable future...unless I win the lottery. So I stay with it for now...actually not a bad thing especially since it's got a pretty decent sound system I added within a year of purchase. It still keeps a smile on my face!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

isellhondas

I don't understand.

Why wouldn't you want the transmission to upshift at redline?

It's designed that way to protect the engines from blowing up!

I'm guessing the downshifts are doping the same thing?

stickguy

if you are picking gars, you want to be the one to decide when to change.

Of course it should stop the engine from overrevving, but if you want to sit at redline all day in 3rd, gear, who is the car to decide otherwise?

isellhondas

I think it's considerate that you are limiting your test drives to non busy times but I don't understand why anyone would want to drive cars when their timeframe is "at least a year from now"

I mean, after a year, you'll forget what you liked and didn't like.

I just don't understand, that's all.

qbrozen

What stick guy said. It's up to me. The car with a manual trans manages to not blow up. To answer your question about why you would not want to upshift, it is a racing thing. There are instances, such as approaching a turn, where an upshift 20 feet before the braking zone and subsequent downshift in the turn take up more precious time than just bouncing it off the rev limiter for a brief time.

This is VERY common in autoX, which is why it is important to me.

akangl

I met Cal Worthington one time.

I wonder if he's even alive anymore?

Yup he is, just got re-married too. He's in his 80s, um, 87ish I think.

I like his dealership up here, there's a Ford dealer just 15 miles from me, but I'd rather drive the 70 miles to Worthington Ford. They've always been good to me.

When I was looking at trading in the '11 Pilot I went to the local Ford dealer, Kendall Ford. Looked around, found a truck I liked, all was well until they offered me $10k for the Pilot, all because it had been in an accident. Um, it wasn't totaled, they just didn't want it. That was it for me, I'll only use Worthington Ford from here on out.

Sandman6472

Trust me, she'll remember what she likes and what she didn't. She'll know what she wants and that will be that. I need her to know what exactly she wants so when the time comes, I'm ready to negotiate. This is just the way we work, understandable to us so that's all that matters. Would never ever want to make a salesperson miss a sale and we try to only go at off times.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

isellhondas

Oh, O.K. I just didn't know why you would want to push your engine past redline but, then, I've never raced a car on a track.

Only in a straight line quarter mile.

isellhondas

OK, makes sense.

We all work differently so you're right...that's all that matters!

Sandman6472

Keeping her happy is my main concern and I need to have her car running properly at all times. She has so much on her plate so this is something I need to deal with. All she'll need to do is tell me what she wants and when and I'll do it. All she needs to do is write the check! Just wish I had one of you sales guys to buy from...would lessen the stress level dramatically!

Next up on the test drive list is the Mazda3 with the SkyActive engine. This time we won't be checking out the S model as it's a bit pricey compared to when we bought our current S in 2005. Thinking the I Touring would be the best option, so we'll test that model. Personally, I'd rather she gets a different brand this time around so there'll be no same old/same old going on. So, we'll have to see where this goes.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

oldfarmer50

"...My phone display the time....I don't wear a watch..."

Show-off. My phone makes phone calls and hangs on the wall. :sick:

stickguy

Was doing some winter prep today and it was time for a wash and wax on the minivan. Did the wash, and thought it seemed pretty smooth. Turns out I did the wax job back in August, and forgot I did (I only do 2x a year, getting ready for winter and cleaning up after). Looks like I combined the 2 this year!

so, I just cleaned the insides (dash, windows, vacuum). This includes garbage disposal, and I finally cleaned out the middle seat pockets (on the back of the front seats). Man, what a load of crap from 7 years of the kids sitting there. Tossed a bunch, and brought a small amount in for my daughter to look at and put away or toss.

so of course, my wife got nervous asking why I was cleaning out her car! Thought I had some kind of nefarious plan to get rid of it now. And this time, I really was just tired of the crap in there! But, never hurts to be prepared.

stickguy

I like to point out models for her to look at, and colors. At Target today, there was a Tiguan, Highlander and Cayenne parked in a row. Pointed out the VW. She loved the dark blue color. But said to small. And when i told her what it was, got a "I don't like VW" response. But, she seemed to like the look of the Highlander, and the size. So, not sure how small I can get down to, but I am going to work hard.

Don't tell JMonroe, but the upcoming Santa Fe could be the sweet spot.

corvette

Your phone makes phone calls? I can't remember whether mine does that or not, I mostly use it for browsing the Internet and streaming Pandora. :P

roadburner

So disappointing. It is sad that Nissan and Mazda can let you do what you want with your auto trans but The Ultimate Driving machine can't.

Yep, you can't give a BMW autobox orders- only suggestions...

I am a bit tired of dealing with a clutch but I still want complete say over which gear I'm in. So...hmmm... SMG??

Go ahead and try it, but if you don't like the automatic I suspect you will despise the SMG. I think that a DCT would be the best choice for you; they really are quite good- I'd even take one.

roadburner

I don't understand.

Why wouldn't you want the transmission to upshift at redline?

It's designed that way to protect the engines from blowing up!

The car already has a rev limiter built into the engine management computer, so why not let the transmission stay in that gear(just like you can with a manual)?

I'm guessing the downshifts are doing the same thing?

Nope. I don't have a problem with the automatic preventing a downshift that would cause a mechanical over-rev, but what this box does is decide on its own what gear you should be in and it consequently second-guesses every down and up shift. Meh.

Funny thing; the 42 year old ZF 3 HP12 three speed automatic in my son's '02 does a much better job of responding to my wishes(I guess a manual linkage trumps an electronic "logic" sequence). On top of that, many contemporary tests found the automatic 2002 to be just as fast -or at most a half-second slower- than a manual '02 in the standing quarter mile!

nyccarguy

I know you may have to wait a while for these to pop up on the used market, but I think starting this my (2011), 135i autos are DCTs, not traditional slushboxes. I know someone who is my age (35) & has been a die hard stick driver his entire life. He had an '08 911 C2 w/ a 6 speed. He got rear ended & the car was never right after it was fixed. He traded in for a 2011 M3 DCT Cabrio. He LOVES the DCT!

qbrozen

RB, does the smg make its own gear changes if you are in manual mode?

qbrozen

was in 2011? I didn't know they had changed at all until I was at a dealer. He was going to let me test drive a new one since he didn't have any used. But I was browsing the sales brochure while he was looking for keys (2012 model) and saw the blurb about the 7-speed DCT. So I asked if he was showing me a 2012. He said yes. I pointed out the trans difference, so I wouldn't be interested in trying it out since it wouldn't apply to the used one I'm seeking.

At this point, I may have to wait for a PDK-equipped Porsche to dip down into my pricerange.

stickguy

took advantage of the nice weather today, and got my Accord washed and waxed. After a vacuum yesterday, it is looking pretty good. Hope it survives my daughter, who can (in theory) start driving it in 3 days.

worst part (not not my ulcer)? With the stick, she will screw up my seat (finally have it set just right) every time she drives it. Considering there is a 10" height difference, that seat motor is going to get a workout.

almost worth getting my "new" car now, so she can be the primary on that one!

rayainsw

Sadly – based on what you did not like about the automatic, I am fairly certain that you would not like the DCT. It does downshift, even in ‘manual’ mode – when RPM drop below about 1100 RPM. And it does upshift if you hit the redline at WOT.
- Ray
Quite happy with this behavior – in street driving. . .

tjc78

that seat motor is going to get a workout.

almost worth getting my "new" car now, so she can be the primary on that one!

I think that justifies a new car purchase!

You and q should meet up and go shopping together.

All this transmission talk has my head hurting.... I just want to put it in drive and go. My last few cars have had the "manu-matic" and I really think its just a gimmick.

michaellno

My last few cars have had the "manu-matic" and I really think its just a gimmick.

That may be true in NJ, but here in Colorado, it's a nice feature to have.

We've had a series of snow storm here over the past week, and the drive my wife and daughter makes to work (approx. 15 miles) includes one pretty decent descent down a hill / canyon. The 6-speed auto on the CX-7 includes the "manu-matic" option, except the up- and down-shifts are reversed from where they were on our old '08 Saturn VUE.

The first time my wife attempted to downshift to a lower gear she went the wrong way and was frustrated that nothing happened. After I explained to her that you push up for a downshift (eg 4-3) and down for an upshift (3-4) she was much happier.

Nice to have the option of using engine braking to slow down rather than use the brakes. Even with ABS, the roads can be so slippery that you can lose control pretty easy.

oldfarmer50

"...My last few cars have had "manu-matic"..."

My Eclipse has that and you can hold it at 300rpm over redline all day long without it shifting. I have only bounced it off the rev limiter a few times by accident. I haven't use that feature in years as I was afraid it would increase wear on the tranny.

For those who like DCT I think the Mitsu EVO has that in newer models.

If transmission talk makes your head hurt, THIS will make you cry

http://www.rr.com/autos/topic/article/rr/55255121/56976537/Fleet_of_Ferraris_rui- ned_in_Japan_sportscar_pileup

nyccarguy

Oldfarmer - pretty much the same with the auto trans on my 2010 Acura TSX. I agree with you that I don't hold it at the redline that much for fear I'll do damage to the torque converter. It still feels artificial.