Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

gouldn

Which site gives you a history report for a buck?

tjc78

When I traveled a lot for work I always used National for rentals. I think over the years there weren't many cars I didnt have.

The most common were Impalas, G6s previous gen LaCrosses, etc. I usually tried to find a Grand Marquis but National didn't have them on the aisle too often.

Best rentals were a Maxima, DTS, and of course a Town Car.

stickguy

https://www.vehiclehistory.com/

looks pretty much like the other sites when you see the end product. I just don't think it captures all the maintenance stuff that Carfax (sometimes) shows.

in my case, when I put my Vin in carfas, it told me there was only 1 history record anyway.

graphicguy

Mostly used Hertz for rentals, but occasionally National and even Enterprise. Even had to go to the 3rd tier lots (Dollar, Budget, etc), too.

From memory over the last 5 years...the more memorable rentals...

-Mini Cooper, turbo.....stick, at Dollar. I don't know how, or why this car was available. But, I think my rate was less than $20/day....for something like a Hyundai Accent. The lady at the counter asked if I could drive a stick (I can, very well as a matter of fact). She said the Mini showed up about a month ago. No one would rent it because it was a manual trans. She would let me have it for the same price as the Accent. I was all over it. Had it for a week. What a fun rental.

-Hertz....Mustang Shelby special....because they screwed up my original reservation, they put me on one of those. Fun!

-Hertz....Mercedes C class...again, one of those cars that no one was renting that they "upgraded" me to at no charge, being a frequent renter. Not my cup of tea, but appreciated the gesture.

Too many Buicks, Malibus, Escorts, Corollas, Camries, Impalas, Crown Vics, etc to remember.

andre1969

what do y'all think of this? I can't link it directly, but here's the info...

Leftover new 2012 Ram ST RWD, regular cab, 8-foot bed
5.7 Hemi, automatic transmission, power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control.
$19,601.

Only downside is that they only have two of them, one gray and one silver. Not my first choice.
And, they don't have a sliding rear window. Although, that may not be all that important. It's a lifesaver in my '85 Silverado, with its broken a/c and driver's side power window that stopped working, but in a new truck where everything functions, probably not that critical. :P

michaellno

Leftover new 2012 Ram ST RWD, regular cab, 8-foot bed
5.7 Hemi, automatic transmission, power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control.
$19,601.

Would this be your DD - and you finally sell the Park Avenue to your roomie?

Given how short your drive is, I gotta believe the MPG of the truck would be about the same as the PA.

You're replacing two vehicles with one ... but, if you don't like the color options, then does it really matter?

EDIT - just built your truck on the website. $26,xxx with a $3K rebate, so it seems your price of $19,xxx seems pretty good. Cloth or vinyl seats?

And, FWIW, I like the silver over the grey.

andre1969

Cloth seats...kinda cheap looking actually, but for $19,601 I'm not expecting RRRRich CoRRRRRinthian Leather, or even Bonneville Brougham Valencia Velour!

here's a pic of the silver truck.

And yeah, it would be my daily driver. MPG is rated at 14/20, and the Hemi requires mid-grade fuel. In contrast, the Park Ave is rated 16/25 (today's standards...original window sticker was 18/27) and takes premium. Since I bought the Park Ave, it's averaged about 21 mpg total. I've gotten as high as 28-30 on the highway, but as bad as 15-16 locally (usually in the winter)

One down-side would be that I do go into DC fairly regularly, and parallel-parking a beast like this might be a chore.

Maybe I could borrow back the Park Ave for when I go into DC...but then, I dunno if I want the roomie driving my brand-new truck!

benjaminh

Andre: Is there a work reason you need this? If so, seems like a great deal. Otherwise, why????

andre1969

Nah, no work reason. I guess I've just always grown up having a truck in the family. I think I get it from my Granddad. His first "truck" was actually a 1939 or so Plymouth sedan that he cut the back off of and modified! His last was the '85 Silverado that I still have. Still runs pretty well, but it's showing its age in other ways (rust, loose suspension, peripheral stuff like the a/c, power window, etc failing).

Now I personally have only had the truck for about 10 years, but before that, have always had access to a truck. Either this one, or one of my uncle's trucks.

I really don't *need* the thing. My '85 Silverado will probably last a few more years. I think it's just a combination of a low price, and the stock market's sweet little uptick yesterday that triggered my want for this thing.

I use my '85 occasionally to haul things to the dump, move firewood, drag things, etc. So, it does get roughed up from time to time, has been stuck in the mud, etc. Maybe I better re-think if I want to put a brand-new truck through all that! Although if I don't use it for that, kinda defeats the purpose of what a truck is for!

corvette

Sounds like a good deal. I think the long bed models look awkward, and would probably want to avoid that unless I really needed to haul large things. I actually prefer Ram's vinyl seats to cloth.

qbrozen

Sorry I'm late to the party, stick. You could have gotten a report for free. Just use the Ebay local classifieds to post your van for sale. It is free for most sellers and includes the free autocheck.

au1994

Price is great. I had an 07 reg cab in white w/gray interior. SLT trim and the 4.7 V-8. But mine was the 6ft bed. Good truck, no problems in the couple of yrs I owned it. I'd be worried about the longer bed as you mentioned. Seems that parking spaces are getting smaller and I wouldn't even attempt to parallel park it.

It is what it is...a pretty basic truck that (I think) looks pretty good. Mileage is as mileage does. It ain't no Prius!

andre1969

How did you like that 4.7 V-8? This dealer (Waldorf Dodge) also has a few leftovers with that engine, for around $18,300. And one of them is blue, a color I like better.

I'm sure the 4.7, while no powerhouse, is probably more than adequate. And I'm sure it has to be a better performer than the old 165hp 305-4bbl in my '85 Silverado! It has the added bonus of not needing mid-grade fuel like the Hemi. But, I figured that, since the Hemi is only $1300 more, I might as well live a little!

ateixeira

With so many $50k loaded crew cab trucks rolling around, it's easy to forget you can get a lot of bang for the buck for under $20k.

Reverse sticker shock. Want a RWD V8? Consider pickups!

andre1969

Reverse sticker shock. Want a RWD V8? Consider pickups!

How's this for sticker shock...Granddad paid about $13,500 for his '85 Silverado. I don't know if that was the price of just the car or the total, out-the-door price. I have a feeling it was OTD. Adjust for inflation, and that's like $28,750 today!

Going the other way, this $19,601 Ram pickup, in 1985 dollars, would be about $9200.

Sticker shock can be a funny thing though. I remember back in 1985, we all thought $13,500 was a cheap price for Granddad's truck, as it was equipped pretty nicely...two tone paint, the extra wide 15x8 Rally wheels, cruise control, tilt wheel, AM/FM stereo with FOUR speakers! Power windows/locks. Upgraded interior with carpet on the door panels, and cloth inserts but, oddly, a vinyl seat.

Yet today, I mentally struggle with the thought of parting with what would probably be around $21-22K with tax, tags, et al. Probably, because it's something that, even though it's a good deal, is something I don't really need.

ateixeira

If I can't afford another new Miata next time maybe I'll buy that and just get a Sawzall.

$18k is CHEAP! :surprise:

au1994

How did you like that 4.7 V-8?

More than adequate describes it very well. Just fine for a regualar cab, might have been a little pokey if it was the 4dr or if I towed something heavy but I don't and liked the engine.

xwesx

I'd go with the smaller engine if it gets better fuel economy and runs on regular; especially if you plan to use it for a daily driver! Trucks nowadays are pretty comfy compared to mine or yours (69/85), so that may not be much of an issue, if any, when considering the change from the Park Avenue.

Short wheel base might be worth considering for city driving, especially if this is a half-ton truck. One can easily overload an eight-foot bed on a half-ton. Six feet is about right if you were to fill the box, plus the tailgate will give you the extra length you need if you haul 4x8 sheets of plywood or something in it. That said, a standard cab with an 8-foot bed is a pretty small rig in my opinion. I've parallel parked my '69 C20 many times with no problem; it's only 19' long (less than 2' longer than the Park Avenue).

stickguy

had the S40 in to the dealer for the first time since I bought it (about 7 months or so) for an oil change/inspection. Got a clean bill of health. They checked out everything, and did not find anything to try and upsell me on. Only thing noted was the R. motor mount was getting a little soft (sagging?) but not anything needing to be dealt with. Kind of like the dentist, they put a "watch" on it for the next service.

so at least I know now that everything is good to go, and can feel comfortable (well, in the car) turning my daughter lose in it when she gets her license in a few months!

jayrider

Here's a thought. Dodge is selling new grand caravans for about 20k around here. They come with the stow and go seats. Put all the seats down and you have a nice space for stuff. Decent mpg and the option of transporting the andre clan down to the river for a picnic. For hauling stuff, put a sheet of cardboard and an old king size sheet on the floor. Everything stays nice and dry and reasonably secure.

michaellno

Here's a thought. Dodge is selling new grand caravans for about 20k around here. They come with the stow and go seats.

Wow ... andre driving a minivan ... that brought a smile to my face!

Heck, even the family guys around here are ditching their minivans (stick, I'm looking at you when I type this).

ateixeira

Do it! Do it! Do it!

{from Starsky & Hutch}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoqDYcCDOTg&feature=related

Vans are funny, you resist tooth and nail and then when you finally get one you wonder why you waited so long.

Unless you're single and it's your only car, that is.

stickguy

hey, at least it is a Mopar, right? Get him a beep beep horn and some fake Hemi badges, and good to go!

And pretty soon, I will have as many kids to tote around in the family mobile as Andre. My oldest is a senior now in college, so hopefully out on his own in 8 months or so (plus he has a car). And the younger one is a HS junior now, and can go solo in November. Still will travel with us n holdidays, etc. but no real need for massive people capacity.

cargo area, that could still be an issue (wife travels real heavy!). Can't wait til Christmas when I make he select half the stuff she piles up to go, because it is staying behind.

michaellno

And pretty soon, I will have as many kids to tote around in the family mobile as Andre. My oldest is a senior now in college, so hopefully out on his own in 8 months or so (plus he has a car). And the younger one is a HS junior now, and can go solo in November. Still will travel with us n holdidays, etc. but no real need for massive people capacity.

You hope. I've still got one at home who graduated college then came back. And my son is still living with his mom in CA and he's 23.

xwesx

Vans are fantastic. If I could only have one vehicle, it would be a van - simply because it is the most versatile of all types and represents the best balance.

I asked my wife before we bought the Fiesta whether it might be better to go the opposite route and get another van. In the end, we decided that it just wasn't worth the FE hit and extra cost for the number of times the extra capacity would really come in handy.

Heck, we went camping with our Fiesta the day after we bought it. It was pretty comfy, fit all of our necessary camping gear, and netted over 38 mpg. On the tank I'm currently draining, after ~150 miles, I'm a little over 41 mpg (and that's all local driving!). I'd feel fortunate to be at 50% of that had I bought a van!

You might ask me again in a few years when the kids are double in size, though.

tifighter

I like the looks of the 2014 Transit Connect they just revealed the other day. But I'd really prefer to have AWD, and the TC won't have it.

xwesx

AWD is certainly a rare commodity these days in US vans! I think the Sienna minivan is the only one that can readily be had with it. Sad, really, given that in the 1990s AWD was more prolific in that class than any other (except 4WD in pickups, of course). Not surprisingly, the vast majority of old vans that keep getting tossed about out there (in Alaska, anyway) are primarily AWD because people put more effort into keeping them on the road.

The '14 Transit Connect looks nice, anyway... looks to use the new Escape's front end. It is nice to see that Ford is FINALLY overhauling their full size van! I'm sad to see them discontinue the Econoline nameplate (it will be called "Transit" instead), but it's only a name. They claim to plan to offer it with either a turbodiesel or Ecoboost V6. Both should be great options.

Looks like my sweet old '69 Econoline just earned another notch on the "historical" scale. :shades:

tifighter

Yeah, Sienna is it for a factory offering. Lately, I am really digging the full size Quigley NV though. They are mighty big, though.

akangl

Took the Sierra into town to run some errands, have been noticing something odd about the ride. I've kind of blown it off as maybe shocks or something and I'd get it looked at later. I stopped by Midas to talk to my favorite manager about alignments (Civic and Sierra). I mentioned the odd ride, he grabbed my keys and took the truck for a drive, came back and looked the tires over. Rear pass side had separated cords/tread in the middle of the tread and was bulged out. He said it wasn't safe to drive and they changed the tire for me, put the spare on the front (spare is new, other tires are 20%) and the front tire on the back at no charge. Guess that's what I get for trying to squeak by all summer on iffy tires. Civic and Sierra get new winter tires in 10 days when the tire sales start......bye bye $1500+$250 for alignments.

After that lovely adventure I realized I forgot to return movies. So I grabbed my keys and figured I'd take the Yaris (least it has tread on the tires, unlike the other 2). Put the key in the ignition and tried to start it, it turns over but won't start. I checked the car over, could find nothing wrong. Then it hit me (a thought, not the car) we hadn't used my key since we bought the car. So I get my daughter's key, yup that was the problem.

All I needed was a speeding ticket to make it a trifecta! :sick:

isellhondas

I'm surprised Midas didn't try to sell you new struts and everything else.

It sounds like whoever sold you that Yaris slipped you a non chipped key.

Shame on them!

akangl

I'm surprised Midas didn't try to sell you new struts and everything else.

It sounds like whoever sold you that Yaris slipped you a non chipped key.

Shame on them!

As far as Midas goes, I'd trust this local Midas with anything, they do all non-warranty work on our vehicles. They did all the work on the Escort. The manager has never been anything but wonderful to me. A couple times I've thought a vehicle has needed brake work and took it in, they told me no, save my money, it didn't need it for a while. Not all Midas shops are the same, we happen to have a great one here.

The Yaris came out of the GM dealer's rental fleet, so the key belonged to it, who knows what happened, I'll check at the Toyota dealer next week. If its going to cost me anything to fix it I know the GM dealer will cover it with no question. I bought my truck there 5 months ago and they have gone out of their way to make me happy.

Now if you want stories of the bad dealers and repair shops in Alaska.......I could write book! I'm lucky to have stumbled on to the few good ones I have and I hang on to them, make sure they know I appreciate them. That reminds me, I need to pick up a box of Alaska Wildberry Chocolate for the manager at Midas next week.......after saving me from a blow out with that tire yesterday I'd say he deserves it!

rayainsw

I am still about a year away from making a final choice for a new car, but it has been one year since picking up the BMW in Munich, so I scheduled an oil change & check-up at the dealer south of Atlanta where I arranged that lease. They are also a MINI dealer now, so I took advantage of the opportunity to test drive a Countryman S automatic. Equipped with sunroof, center armrest – and little else.
Executive summary:
I enjoyed driving it. Quite a lot.
A few details: The ride was much as I expected – not plush, exactly, but quite reasonable, given the size, the weight, the wheelbase and the run-flat tires. Not really very smooth, except on very smooth pavement – but never harsh either.
The acceleration was also acceptable. [ remember that I am used to cars capable of 13.x – or even 12.x quarter mile times. The Countryman, even an S , is certainly not capable of anything near those numbers. ] I think that, without the 120 pounds or so of extra ‘ballast’ in the right seat [ a. k. a. - sales associate ] it could rise to the level of ‘enjoyable’.
Part of what helped make the drive enjoyable was the new[er] paddle shifters implementation. These are different than the 2007 I have driven a number of times. Both paddles provide either upshift [ pull ] or downshift [ push ] much like the shifters in the 2007 Corvette I had. Braking and handling seemed fine – I certainly did not push the car. Steering was well weighted, accurate and light – but not too light for me. Torque steer was certainly noticeable at times [ something I am not used to ] but I do not know if I would find it objectionable, long term.
NVH was much as I expected in this class [ just over 30,000 dollars MSRP, 4 cylinders, 3,000 pounds ] but no worse. I could certainly hear and feel the engine working, but not in an obnoxious way.
The seats appear basically comfortable, for me. This unit had the black cloth with red pinstripes – attractive – to me. I did not spend a lot of time adjusting them – no seat bottom tilt available [ according to the sales associate ] may be an issue for me – limiting under thigh support. It also appears that there is no height adjustment for the seat belt anchor – odd. Otherwise, the interior is ‘very MINI’.
Anyway – so far, this makes the cut and remains on my list – to examine more closely, next year.
Cheers,
- Ray
Still a long way from the next CCBA ticket punch . . .

isellhondas

I'm happy you have a decent Midas shop. I am well aware that there are good and the ones that try to upsell everything they can.

Since mufflers stopped being a routine replacement item, they HAD to turn to other ways of surviving.

If you find a good shop, stick with them!

breld

We test drove a Countryman (S AWD) awhile back shortly after we had purchased our GTI. I expected to feel a little regret over not looking closer at that, but came away very happy with our choice - the GTI doesn't have as much character, but overall, we thought it was just a better driving car. If you've never had one, I would highly recommend it.

breld

Had some extra time this afternoon, so I thought I'd get to know some of these high MPG hatchbacks out there.

Drove a Mazda3i Touring, 6-speed manual and really liked it. Absolutely loved the shift feel - I dare say it reminded me of the Miata - just really nice short, precise shifts. Given the EPA ratings, I thought it had plenty of power. You can't get the manual trannie with such things as leather, nav, sunroof, etc., but at $20k MSRP, you still get bluetooth and an aux input, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and controls on that wheel.

Then stopped next door at the Ford dealer, which didn't have one Focus with a manual trannie.

Two more blocks to the Hyundai dealer, and they had an Elantra GT with the 6-speed. This particular one had a panoramic sunroof, leather and all the other tech goodies that Hyundai is including these days - MSRP of about $22k. Not quite as fun as the Mazda, but still a very impressive ride and decent shifter. Acceleration was about the same. I really like the fact that you can get the sunroof and leather along with the manual trannie. I'd definitely consider it.

Driving anywhere from 60-80 miles per weekday, I've really been considering something like these cars. The main issue would be selling my 530i, which would be a really hard thing to do - maybe a couple more years.

breld

By the way Stick - I still think the RDX was clearly the right choice, but this Hyundai dealer had loads of new Santa Fes, and I thought they did a great job with them. Sort of Escape-like, but I think Hyundai pulled it off better than Ford.

stickguy

I agree about the santa fe compared tot he Ford. Seemed like more car for the money, and a nicer package. Roomier too.

still trying to figure out the RDX tech goodies. Been poking around with the audio system. Managed to get it streaming Pandora (unintentionally!). Mostly trying to find an ipod that it wants to play. I have an assortment of older ones that we used in the van (no problem), but the RDX is picky. Keeps telling me they are an "unsupported version".

I need to get something newer from my daughter, and may have to try her touch (that she still uses) since I know that should work.

I did copy some songs onto a flash drive, and that worked. You just don't get all the same functionality (random play, playlists) as with the ipod, or as much on the screen. Plus purchased music does not copy (protected file type).

I suppose the answer is just sync my wife's iphone to itunes and let her use that. Only problem is, a lot of the music she wants is on my daughters computer, so I have to copy that to mine first. Family plan for sunday morning: get Mom music!

corvette

The iPod nano is pretty cheap, if it's compatible with the RDX, but obviously won't do any type of streaming. It would be convenient to leave it plugged in all the time and just plug it in to your computer to sync every month or two.

stickguy

that is what I wanted to do. Just keep it in the car plugged in hidden in the cubby. Just want to find one that works! without buying another one of course.

nyccarguy

I had this problem with my TSX. Using an iPod touch was no problem, but every so often it would tell me my iPhone 4 was unsupported. I had to sync with the computer & revert back to the "old" software. You might have to opposite problem I did since my TSX had an '09 build date which was before my iPhone 4 came out. Yours is probably too new for the old iPods & you may have to sync & download new software. Make sense?

stickguy

I already made sure that the ipod itself was updated to the newest software. this was an older nano. No luck.

one of today's project is to get my daughter to unearth the rest of her ipod collection (apparently there is also a nano vidieo (newer model) and a touch in it!). I will keep trying until I find one that works.

she just doesn't want me to pilfer the touch from her, since she wants to use that in "her" car when the time comes.

stickguy

well, to answer my own post.

success. Daughter updated her nano software, we plugged it and, and music played. Pretty cool really. You see all the info you would get on the ipod (artist/album/title), plus the cover artwork and it even shows how long is left in the song. Plus you can use the stereo controls to run the ipod (change tracks, pick artist or play list, put on shuffle).

I am liking this modern technology stuff.

rayainsw

The GTI is on the list - just wanted to 'taste' the Countryman,
while I was there. Will likely test a 2013 [ Countryman was a 2012 ]
GTI along with several other '13s when the time comes.
- Ray
My 'short list' is actually pretty long, right now...

breld

2014 GTI will be an all new model and looks to be nice - no doubt improved performance and efficiency. Timing may work out well with the end of your lease.

roadburner

They are also a MINI dealer now, so I took advantage of the opportunity to test drive a Countryman S automatic. Equipped with sunroof, center armrest – and little else.

My wife really liked the MCS Countryman we tested; I also thought it was kind of fun. She went with an E90 328i because she wanted a little more carrying capacity as well as the fact that the local Mini dealer has a service department that takes 7-10 days to schedule a service date while our BMW dealer can get us in in a day or two- and same day in an "emergency"(nail in a tire, or similar). The BMW dealer treats us like they want our business in saes and service, while the Mini tealer acts like they don't care either way...
I was just happy to get her back in a RWD BMW.

nyccarguy

Thanks for the nice write up on the Mazda 3. I'd consider a Grand Touring i Automatic. My wife and I need to switch cars during the week sometimes & she doesn't drive stick. I like the tech pkg that gives you Xenon Lights on a 20 something thousand dollar car. I also like that I could pay it off in 3 years.

michaellno

Speaking of test drives, I took one on Saturday as well. Something a little out of the ordinary for me ...

... a Prius C

As you all know, my '06 ION is driven primarily for pizza delivery duties and errand running around town. I've been getting 23-25MPG, and the thought of doubling that number (Prius C is rated at 53/46/50) is enticing.

Nice little car. Still not liking the idea of a CVT, but for an around town runner, it would fit the bill. Lots of tech - I drove the "3" trim level which comes with nav - and I can see how folks start to drive it like a video game in order to get the best mileage.

However, it was still $23K - ouch!

ak - I, too, have a local Midas shop I swear by for the ION. I know they won't try to take advantage of me.

nyc - had the wife test drive a Mazda 3 GT w/ auto. That SkyActiv engine and transmission combo is quite nice. She felt it had enough pep to satisfy her. However, the '13 model is supposed to have a few more goodies available - USB port being one of them.

nyccarguy

I've been following the Prius C on inside line's long term test. They aren't cheap at all. For similar money, I'll take the driving enjoyment of a SkyActive 3 for 10+ less mpg anyway. Thanks for that write up on the 3 SkyActiv Auto. I'll be in the market for a car probably Labor Day 2014.

michaellno

I've been following the Prius C on inside line's long term test. They aren't cheap at all. For similar money, I'll take the driving enjoyment of a SkyActive 3 for 10+ less mpg anyway. Thanks for that write up on the 3 SkyActiv Auto. I'll be in the market for a car probably Labor Day 2014.

I like the 3 as well, but our needs are quite different .. you've got a fairly lengthy commute, mostly on highways, so the highway mileage of the 3 is a priority.

About 90% of my driving is in town, with lots of starts and stops, which is tailor made for a hybrid. The 3 gets either 28 or 29 MPG in town (depending on transmission), so not enough of an increase from what I'm getting with the ION to make a huge difference.

However, I'm hoping to have retired from the second job by the time I am in the market for a new car.

ateixeira

Those vans are huge, and so boxy. Usually there's at least a little bit of curvature on the sides, those are panel-flat.