Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

ateixeira

A soft top is fun with the top down.

A hard top is fun with the top UP. You get a coupe, too.

stever

Ever wonder why you can't go to Walmart and buy a new car?

Ever wonder why you can't curbstone and sell used cars without a storefront?

Ever wonder why a manufacturer doesn't jerk the franchise of your awful local dealer? Chrysler and GM had trouble dumping franchises even with the bankruptcy court behind them.

Dealers have had a strong lobby for umpteen years and the dealer franchise laws reflect that. There may have been a good reason for protecting dealers from the manufacturers umpteen years ago, but good luck getting changes made nowadays.

fintail

"Ever wonder why you can't go to Walmart and buy a new car? "

Because we don't have Chinese cars yet?

Otherwise, yeah, you get the laws you pay for. It's capitalism and all.

stever

Maybe someone can start selling cars like they used to sell oleo around here. You buy the margarine in one place and the dye to color it yellow somewhere else.

I'd like a Body by Fisher please. The Nissan V6 and 5 speed manual are getting shipped from TN next week. :shades:

roadburner

There is no reason why you couldn't rev the snot out of an automatic, BTW.

You can, but most slushbox owners won't. I really like the way the RX-8 R3 handles, but I can't see buying a car with such a poor horsepower to mpg ratio.

breld

Another fun Saturday of browsing car lots, and we came out of this one with some ideas we're excited about.

Started out at a BMW dealer to look at some used manual 3's - the problem is my wife wants "her" 3 with a manual, meaning she wants the same interior color, sport package, etc., and that's tough to find. In any case, none of the candidates did much for her and she threw out the idea that perhaps she should broaden her mindset and look at something that would drive like her 3, but offer better room in the rear seat for the kids. So, we spent much of our time looking at the X3 - they had a few used 2011's (new style). Well, she really took to those and I can see us ending up with one. Unfortunately, since that new style just came out last year, there obviously isn't much selection on the used market, and what is there is priced close to new.

Since we switched gears by looking at the X3, we also took a look at XC60's and Q5's. We liked the looks of the Volvo, but didn't care much for the way it drove. The Q5 was better. The rear seat room in both the Volvo and Audi seemed more cramped than the BMW, and since that was the major reason my wife took to the X3, we have that at the top of our list.

And then perhaps less exciting, we also looked at minivans, and I really like that new Odyssey. As much as I like our CX-9, I could see replacing it with the Honda in the near future.

fezo

I was looking at the 200 convertible (and several other Chrysler things) at the Philly Auto Show on Saturday. I am really impressed with the makeovers that Fiat has done on the Chryslers. They look really nice inside.

I still like ragtops. I remember the last time Bentley designed a convertible that some writer was surprised they didn't do a retractable hardtop and the Bentley guy said it took away from the romance of a convertible. I agree with that. I like the fact that when you drive in the rain it sounds like a tent inside. That's part of a convertible.

While on the subject, I was concerned that with all the restrictions on me after my upcoming medical issues (won't be able to do yard work, pet the dog without immediately washing my hands.. stuff like that) that the convertible would be an issue. The doc says no. Go ahead. I go in mid-March (finally! An almost date!) and should be back home early July. Almost a hole summer! No ocean, though.

michaellno

I've been in California since last Thursday visiting with family. Got a question for y'all under the category of "What's wrong with the car?"

Mom and Dad's 2003 Hyundai Sonata (2.7L V6) has a whopping 28,500 miles on it, but is having a strange problem.

When you start it, it cranks for 5-7 seconds before catching, and even then if you put a little gas into it, the engine feels like it may die before it revs up.

It's at the local indy shop at the moment, but thought I'd ping the group here to see if there are any thoughts. The battery was replaced just a couple of months ago. If this were an engine with a carb, it would be like it's flooded, but that shouldn't happen with a fuel injected engine -- should it?

BTW, weather has been perfect all weekend. A few Santa Ana winds on Friday and Saturday, but just gorgeous today. A friend of mine and I went to Montecito for breakfast and I really wish we had a convertible instead of his '94 Infiniti J30 with 160K on the clock.

Flying back tomorrow and will be in the "office" on Wednesday.

stever

Does this happen every time or just the first crank after it's been sitting for a while or overnight?

Might try posting in Edmunds Answers too; different crowd hangs out there (and the software isn't flaky today, like it is on the forums currently).

qbrozen

Well, could be a number of things, of course, but it sounds like the fuel system is losing pressure as it sits, which could point to the pump.

qbrozen

Ever wonder why you can't go to Walmart and buy a new car?

Not once.

Ever wonder why you can't curbstone and sell used cars without a storefront?

You can't? Huh. Wouldn't know that around here.

Ever wonder why a manufacturer doesn't jerk the franchise of your awful local dealer?

I always assumed simple greed. The store is the manufacturer's customer. You don't fire your customers (well, very rarely would you).

ateixeira

The 200 'vert is one of those half-way updated cars. It got a new powertrain, but the interior is a refresh and it the chassis was not a ground-up redesign, so it's not like the Durango and Grand Cherokee in that way.

The interior is decent, but not great. There's a lot of vinyl and hard surfaces, but convertible interiors have to be designed to withstand direct sunlight and humidity, so that could be why.

I sat in the back and had legroom if the front seat was moved forward (my step mom is short, so I'd sit behind her if I rode with her). There was no center arm rest in the back. I think I'd be OK for an hour or so but I'd feel cramped on the 3 hours it would take to get to the beach.

Should be a good touring vehicle for the two of them, though.

corvette

You don't fire your customers (well, very rarely would you).

Sometimes things work out differently than you expect. The best client at my consulting business is one I fired not once, but twice.

fezo

HAppy to see that answer. Fuel pump is my first guess. Of course you have the advantage of knowing what you're talking about....

stickguy

I wonder if Jmonroe was out there messing around with it?

anonymousposts

We love our Odyssey. However if you google 2011 Ody transmission problems, it is a bit concerning.

breld

I knew there were problems with some Honda trannies several years ago, but I figured they had been addressed - perhaps not? Seems like the google search didn't discriminate between any years, or generations for that matter.

With regard to the 5-speed and 6-speed, I wonder if the problems are more related to one or the other.

tifighter

It seems like the only minivan that doesn't have tranny issues, or some other major mechanical risk is the Sienna. I know everyone hates the interior quality, but if I were in the market, that's what I'd look at, and I'm generally more of a Honda guy...

tjc78

We have a guy here in the office who has an 05ish Ody for his wife and at 75K are on their 5th (yes 5!) transmission. Three have been on Honda's dime, one they split and this last one was completely on him. The funny thing he talks about how great a vehicle it is for his family. Huh? After the second one in warranty the "for-sale" sign would have been up.

I know they go on lots of trips loading it up, etc but no mini-van was abused more than the Town and Country we used at the office and at welll over 100K that was on its original transmission (and its not like Chrysler doesn't have their fair share of tranny issues).

stickguy

from reading on the tranny issues, it seems that the current models have problems related to the TC. Not sure if it is mechanical or software related.

the older ones just crapped out internally.

stickguy

You had to post that, since I have a 2005 Ody that just ticked over 70K?

but in this case, it makes no sense. How could you possibly go through them that fast? Is he taking it to Englishtown?

smells to me like there is some other issue that they aren't resolving, but that is just a 10,000' WAG.

Oh, and if it was mine? The sign would have been up after the 1st replacement most likely. My wife has a zero tollerance policy for an unreliable car. If it strands her once, she will never drive it again.

stickguy

OK, the 2001 325i is now up on the Torchlight site. Looks nice, I even like the colors. You can tell it is old though, since it has a tapedeck! Though that can come in handy for using an XM unit (that is how we do it in my son's Acura TL since that has a tape deck too).

Not sure about the price? Opinions on that?

now if I just had an expert local to parlin to do a PPI on the good looking stuff he has...

http://www.torchlightmotors.com/newandusedcars/5241/1591074/aa92abda-ecdc-4811-9- ba6-05e906302073/none/2001-BMW-3Series-Parlin-NJ-08859.aspx

isellhondas

The later Odyssey transmssions had few problems.

If a person has gone through FIVE transmissions, I'm sorry, but the word ABUSE comes to mind!

In our shop, Odyssyes would come in with Class 3 trailer hitches and roof racks installed. The interiors would be thrashed and the few oil changes the car had were done at Wal Mart.

Still for Honda, the transmission problems were totally out of character.

qbrozen

Ah well. Good news. This is very likely the one that went through the NJ auction just last Wednesday at $5550. Condition rated as Above Average.

Gray, 98,078 miles, automatic. Gotta be it.

tjc78

You had to post that, since I have a 2005 Ody that just ticked over 70K?

but in this case, it makes no sense. How could you possibly go through them that fast? Is he taking it to Englishtown?

I have no idea. I always wonder if it is an exaggeration or what. That is a lot of bad luck. I know he is a heavy foot and one of the raplacements came during a family trip (claims it went out on the highway). I know Honda did indeed have problems with the Ody's transmissions, but it can't be this bad.

If I did own one, I know that I would be religious with fluid changes just to be sure.

stickguy

so $6,990 actually sounds like a fair price if it is that clean and freshly serviced. especially if it turns out that the tires and brakes have lots of life left.

qbrozen

oh, i like that '98 XC70 he has, too. Nice seats. I believe those are SE seats. Unless they were standard in the XC. I've only seen them on SE T5s before.

kyfdx

Steel Gray is the all-time best color for an E46... Is that gray leather?

No bun warmers...

Asking price seems reasonable.... $6500-$6700 should take it home...

tjc78

Condition rated as Above Average

It does look really clean.

On a side note, I love it when dealers pull the front seats really forward to give the illusion of rear leg room. That 3 looks huges in the back, until you can see the tracks of the seats because they are all the way up.

qbrozen

its a great price if he really bought it for $5550. Could be he paid that because it has all new stuff on it and didn't have to do anything.

As it is, after fees and transport, he's into it for like $6k. So $1k profit? That's skinny.

stickguy

I let the dealer do all the maintenance on ours (outside of tires) to make sure there is a solid paper trail. And I have the trans fluid changed 9by them) every 30K, so they have done it 2x so far.

I do have a trailer hitch, but no wiring. We use it once a year to tote a bike rack. Has never towed anything.

So, if something does go wrong, certainly a strong case to argue for some extended consideration! Because if mine goes out with mileage in the 70Ks, then they really are not up to the task.

stickguy

assuming that is the same one I guess it is.

Maybe I should change my plans for Saturday morning (though with my luck, it will turn out to be a steal that gets stolen before then!)

still doesn't change the fact that I would be buying it on gut feeling (the smell test!) and faith in what he was telling me.

kyfdx

I think the condition report on auctions is strictly related to the miles/year... so, low miles/year equals above average..

E46s actually have decent back seat leg room, with an average height driver... Plus, if you are tall, they have an extremely long front/rear adjustment track... almost anyone can find a good seating position..

qbrozen

Nope. There are others that sold with even lower miles that are listed as average.

qbrozen

he won't let you take it to a shop, by the way. Only choice is to bring a mechanic with you.

stickguy

that ain't happening.

is he reliable enough to trust on how the car is presented? I can tell a lot anyway by how it drives, but I certainly am not pulling wheels to check the brakes, things like that.

He does tout the 3 month warranty. no idea how good that is, but hopefully it would protect from big hidden issues. Certainly better than nothing!

qbrozen

his 90-day warranty is only for his shop. So you'd have to get it back there for any problems.

On most cars with alloy wheels, you are often able to see the brakes without pulling a wheel.

Take a nice long test drive down to my house. Haha. We can drive it on the ramps, jack it up, even put a generic scanner on it.

Come to think of it, I don't know what would prevent you from taking it to a shop. He says no .... yet he let me test drive the volvo by myself. So how would he know where I took it?

stickguy

Tough getting a pad depth that way, but better than nothing!

True about taking it someplace on a test drive. I guess it is more around not wanting to have to coordinate taking it someplace for a day?

If they really do service it and check brakes, etc and report out that is nice to have.

nyccarguy

Where's the front left center cap? Why is the steering wheel cocked in every picture, but the wheels are straight?

qbrozen

actually, there are 2 sets of external pics (car in different place for some than others). So who knows when the internals were taken. With such a slight tilt to the wheel, it would be a tire angle that is tough to spot in those pics.

I just noticed something at the bottom. It says "nationally recognized 3-month warranty." Maybe he changed plans.

nyccarguy

im sure you are right. Saw the pics quickly on my iPhone.

corvette

I love how many people will religiously change the engine oil every 3,000 miles but totally ignore any other type of maintenance to the air filter, transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid, etc.

michaellno

When I left town yesterday, the shop still hadn't pinpointed any issues with the folks' Sonata. I'm thinking either fuel pump or something with the injectors. Despite the low miles (28.5K in just under 9 years), the car gets driven almost every day, just not a lot of distance to the grocery store or the drug store - the two most common destinations for them.

Had a little extra time yesterday, so the son and I stopped by the Infiniti dealer to see what they had. Took a little test drive of an '08 G37S Coupe - 6-speed manual, black on black, 28K miles, CPO.

Exhaust note was quite nice, though I wonder if it would be a bit intrusive on a daily basis. Clutch and shifter were easy to manipulate, even though I'm out of practice. Very quick, as you would imagine with 330 HP. Handled well, though the test drive route was flat and straight, by and large.

Asking price was $31K, which seems high, but who am I to say.

All in all, a nice way to kill 30 minutes.

tjc78

When I left town yesterday, the shop still hadn't pinpointed any issues with the folks' Sonata. I'm thinking either fuel pump or something with the injectors. Despite the low miles (28.5K in just under 9 years), the car gets driven almost every day, just not a lot of distance to the grocery store or the drug store - the two most common destinations for them.

Honestly, I would take it out on the highway and give it an "Italian Tune Up" In other words lay into a little and let it run. The poor thing probably barely makes it up to operating temp most of time and that engine probably hasn't seen north of 4K in ages.

au1994

I always thought the Infiniti exhaust note is something that would grate on my nerves over time. Sure every once in a while it might sound cool but to me its just over the point of being "boy racer-ish".

fintail

The G coupes must have some kind of special sound deadening inside, the drone would get very annoying IMO if it was constant. I'm not a fan of that exhaust note.

I agree about the Sonata, go drive it hard for a little bit and see what happens.

kyfdx

We have a G-sedan... slushbox...

I hear the exhaust, but it sounds good to me... better inside the car than out... Outside, sounds thrashy... but, smooth from the driver's seat.. I'd swear they have some way to pipe the sound into the car...

3 months, so far... and, the sound is fine.... not a big fan of the rest of the car, overall. (but, it's the wife's ride, not mine...)

tjc78

I've ridden in my boss's G a number of times and I would agree that it certainly sounds better in the car than out. I would prefer it quieter, but I do drive a Buick so take that with a grain of salt.

anonymousposts

I did a search for 2011 Odyssey transmission and found several examples of both the 5 and 6 speed having problems. It seems to be a continued problem with the torque converter, similar to the 05-10 Odysseys. Ours occasionally gives the perception that the engine is lugging. It typically happens between 40-50 mph. It continues for a few seconds until the transmission shifts. Whether it is a sign of a problem or just a characteristic, I'm not sure, but we probably won't have it long enough to find out.

stickguy

"we probably won't have it long enough to find out."

talk about a sure bet...