Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

akangl

We decided it was time for the Civic to go. I agree that 108k was nothing on a Civic, but between the harsh weather, his drive, and the jerks at the Honda dealer it was just time. We were in for a battle over the hole in the radiator, yup, hole in the radiator, nothing like finding that when you're driving. They claim collision damage, um, it hit a coyote 4 years ago and cracked the bumper....nothing to do with the radiator, it hit ptarmagan a year ago, killing about 20 or so, broke the grille and left a dent in the A/C condensor, again, nothing to do with the radiator. Whatever, that was the last straw, we figured we better know what was up before we made a final decision. Today was D-day.

The Civic is gone, dealer gave us $6500 hard money against invoice (there is no money in cars now, not even in holdback) on the new car and there was also a $2k rebate. The car parked in the garage now is a Red Candy 2012 Ford Focus SE, 5-spd manual, heated seats, sunroof, spoiler, a few other interesting options, NO SYNC thank goodness! Its quiet, comfortable, 4 door, and no Honda dealer to tell us its our fault. Hubby is happy and that's all that matters.

Nothing else to replace, my Sierra will stay in the darn garage and away from car lots!

stever

Remind me again, is this the Anchorage Honda dealer?

Congrats! A 5 speed would be nice in my garage too.

nyccarguy

Awesome! Congrats & Mazel Tov on the new Focus. I'm very interested in hearing your (& your hysband's) impressions & how it holds up in the rough Aladka climate.

corvette

"My AWD (rwd based) '11 328xi recommends against rotating tires."

Judging from my E39, if you don't rotate, it's likely that the fronts will begin to get a sawtooth wear pattern on the outside edges. Eventually this will result in tire noise. I have 3,000 miles on the tires on my E39, and can already feel this wear pattern on the fronts, and to a lesser extent, the same pattern on the inside edges of the rear tires (it's less prominent on the rears). I'm planning to have them rotated before the 5,000 mile mark. That said, the AWD may reduce the irregular wear. IMO, BMW's recommendation against tire rotation is the cause of many of the complaints you read about tire noise after 10-20,000 miles.

corvette

Congratulations! I haven't driven the current model, but the Focus is supposed to be one of the most refined small cars. The heated seats will be very nice in the winter.

stickguy

I do like the focus sedan. There are about 3-4 in my neighborhood now, and they look pretty sharp.

I have never driven one though. And won't be in the market for something like this any time soon.

maybe next year though, when my son gets a job, I think he needs to get something much newer if he is driving real miles to get to a job!

fezo

I'm a lot happier to here you got the Focus instead of the Sonic.

stickguy

no doubt which one I would pick under any circumstances, and factoring in his commute, a much better choice IMO.

akangl

I'm a lot happier to here you got the Focus instead of the Sonic.

After a lot of reading last night and taking to heart what you guys all said about the Sonic we decided to start looking again.

I happened to look at Ford's website this morning and was building a Focus, realized it was in our price range. I searched the 2 closest dealers inventories and found the exact car hubby wanted. As soon as I read off the options and color he could not get moving fast enough.

The Focus is fun to drive, very quiet, handles great, just all around a very pleasant car that feels so much more solid than the Civic ever did. No where near as rough or loud as the Civic. Hubby will enjoy his drive instead of dreading it.

This is our 2nd Focus, the first one (my beloved Zippy) was fantastic and I expect this one will be too. I feel we made the right decision. Don't look for any more punches in my card for a long time.......3 this year is ENOUGH!!!

isellhondas

Hell, when I ran an auto center it WAS (gasp) more than 30 years ago and it was a huge no no at the time.

Directionals? What were those?

We used to even do split rims! What fun!

Most of you guys probably don't know what they are!

isellhondas

I used to get a lot of internet inquiries from the Anchorage area because of what was said to be a cavalier attitude from that "only game in town" Honda dealer. They usually were just using me as a threat to get them to drop their prices which they usualy did.

It costs a lot to ship a car to Alaska and the dealers there are well aware of it.

So they would lower their price enough so the customers would buy there knowing it's a PITA and expensive to ship cars to AK.

Not defending that store one bit but a hold in a radiator won't happen unless it get's hit by something. It could have been a rock that nailed it.

Any warranty company would have refused to compensate that store if they were to take a look at your damaged radiator.

Lastly, congrats! I am very impressed with what Ford has done with the Focus! Ford didn't need us taxpayers to bail them out either!

stever

I had a few "issues" with the Anchorage Honda dealer when I tried to buy an '99 Odyssey from them. Figured after a decade they'd get better with their "issues" but it doesn't sound like it.

Worked out well though; just rolled over 178,000 miles in the '99 Quest we got instead. Few may remember, but Akangl had one of those too.

isellhondas

The new 1999 Odysseys were red hot and rocking! Those were great times to be in the business. People paid the price or they bought something else.

There was no need to act cocky though.

akangl has had at least one of everything do no surprise there!

stever

I went home to get my checkbook thinking I had a deal for MSRP. That's when the "third guy" wound up killing the deal by trying for more money. With all the transmission issues early Odyssey's had, I suspect it was a good thing. My wife didn't care for how the dash cramped the passenger side either. I liked it well enough though.

isellhondas

Funny how things seem to work out!

stever

Yeah.

On the other hand, I could have driven it for a couple of years and sold it for what I paid for it. Might have gotten sucked into joining CCBA though if that had happened.

akangl

I used to get a lot of internet inquiries from the Anchorage area because of what was said to be a cavalier attitude from that "only game in town" Honda dealer. They usually were just using me as a threat to get them to drop their prices which they usualy did.

I hate the attitude they have, there are 2 honda dealers in Alaska and they both play the same stupid games with sales and service. That I won't miss.

As for the radiator, who knows what happened, I couldn't see any damage to it. To me it looked like the corner separated, there was no damage, just coolant coming out of the seam in the corner. Its not really in an area anything could hit it, too much around it to hit way before it gets to the radiator. It's a first for me, never seen one do that.

Its the Ford dealer's problem now and boy oh boy at $6500 into that car is it ever a problem! Front end damage will cost around $500-$800 to fix and then run it through the shop, yup, they will own that car for a bit if they want to retail it.

corvette

The only problem I have with the Focus is that it's easy for me to get on the configurator and check all the boxes and end up with a Titanium model for $27,000+. At that point, you're in Jetta GLI/Golf GTI territory. :P

andre1969

We used to even do split rims! What fun!

Most of you guys probably don't know what they are!

I think I do. Years ago, I thought about buying a 1974 Travco motorhome. One of several things that made me change my mind was the wheels and tires. It used split rims and had a hard-to-find 17.5" tire size. And every single one was dry-rotted and just waiting to blow!

nyccarguy

The GTI/GLI might be more rewarding to drive, but then you've got to look for a new car before the warranty is up. Not a problem here on CCBA anyway.

If you are going to check all the boxes on a Focus Titanium & consider a GTI/GLI, then why not a Focus ST?

corvette

No DSG on the Focus ST is a deal-killer for me.

stickguy

To each his own.

The Ford DSG on it would be the deal breaker for me!

isellhondas

Big difference between a "hole" in a radiator and a leaking seam.

Still, if the warranty company would have covered it why would they care? Oh well...

I thought there was a Honda Dealer in Fairbanks? They have a tiny one in Juneau that sells other makes too. Since there ae no roads in or out of Juneau, they REALLY have a grip on the market!

Enjoy your new ride!

michaellno

The Ford DSG on it would be the deal breaker for me!

+1, stick. The fact that the Focus ST comes only with a manual makes it quite desirable.

Would also like to see the Fiesta ST (1.6L Ecoboost, 180HP), find it's way to our shores as well.

nyccarguy

Forgot about that corvette. Only 1 manual transmission vehicle allowed in my house at a time. Right now (& for the foreseeable future), that vehicle is my 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH.

laurasdada

Irrational car desire is taking over: I think I want a Fisker Karma, the local Jag dealer is also a Fisker dealer. Let me just check the ol' window sticker....Ok, never mind.

Still, sure is pretty. And I could do my rt commute on electric alone, so theoretically good for Mr. Environment. Gas is up to $4.16/gallon. Dealer notes they ain't selling many, so maybe a good deal to be had. Plus big tax credit. Wow, it's beginning to make sense. Let me just check the 'ol window sticker again...Ok, never mind.

What's that you say? Tha Atlantic is coming, at ~ half the Karma price? Uh, oh. Let me just check the bank account...Ok, never mind! :sick:

Anyone here been to Bermuda? Any suggestions on restaurants, sights to see?

stickguy

the odds of ending up with a 5,000# lawn ornament in a few years, when it craps out, the company is kaput, and parts don't exist is enough to scare me off! unless you are Bill Gates and can just junk it after a couple years and not miss the money, beware!

Bermuda? been there 3 times, though the last was on my honeymoon (and considering my oldest is a senior in college now, that was a long time ago!). My parents go every year though. I can ask them.

usual sites. Hamiliton, the lighthouse, pink sand beach. Rent mopeds, that is fun. And relax a lot, it is not a go go go type of place.

ateixeira

Red Candy 2012 Ford Focus SE, 5-spd manual, heated seats, sunroof, spoiler, a few other interesting options, NO SYNC

That's how I'd want one, perhaps minus the spoiler.

Congrats!

Will miss vicariously shopping through you!

laurasdada

Thanks, long weekend trip. First time, a birthday present to my wife. Staying by the lighthouse, so on the list. But, yes, I think pink sand beaches will be the order of the day. And Hamilton, free ferry between Fairmont hotels. Perfect for me, the speed. I have two: slow and "somebody poke him, see if he's alive!"

Yeah, the Fisker is for when the stupid Powerball bozos pull the correct numbers. Every time I play, I tell them exactly which six numbers to pick and in what order. I mean, really, it's right there on my ticket! How hard can it be. Yet, they keep screwing it up. Oye.

xwesx

Sounds like a great buy given the short time-frame given to the research! I'm starting to feel the same way about Kendall (deals Honda in Fairbanks). I had my Forester in there a couple weeks ago and they found a leaking oil pressure sending unit. I told them to replace it under warranty, to which they replied that it wasn't a warranty item. I was going to fight with them about it, but just decided that a $10 part wasn't worth the effort. I picked up a new one and spent the five minutes need to replace it. Peace of mind... priceless!

I really like the Focus as well. Good fuel economy, passenger space is nearly identical to the Fiesta, but cargo space is much improved. Unfortunately (for me), cost was also higher, with no other benefit that I could see than the extra cargo space. I like that you picked up a manual!

xwesx

Would also like to see the Fiesta ST (1.6L Ecoboost, 180HP), find it's way to our shores as well.

Yes... yes!

Actually, I don't care anymore on that point. If Ford would have made a commitment on it prior to 8/23, I would have waited to buy one. As it is, I'm happy with my choice (but I won't be getting an ST, either).

120 HP on an open differential is fun enough; I can't imagine what an extra 60 horses on an LSD would do (not to mention all the other various upgrades). If I put the revs in the sweet spot, that little car comes alive.

michaellno

Wow, all of this car buying is giving me the joneses (sp?).

Did ak really punch her card twice in a matter of weeks (Yaris and Focus)?

The one thing I hope the Fiesta ST comes with is a 6-speed manual. For some reason, the 5-speeds in the Focus and Fiesta seem so ... so ... 1990's.

Of course, I drove a manual 4-speed Pontiac Sunbird when I was in college, so I remember when a 5-speed manual was considered exotic.

Now Porsche has a 7-speed manual available for the 911 ... and automatic transmissions from multiple manufacturers have 8 speeds in them.

breld

Coincidentally, I test drove a Focus yesterday, much like the one Akangl just bought.

But starting from the beginning...

1) Drove a Cruze Eco. Surprised at how nicely the engine performed - never would guess it's rated at 42 mpg. Shift feel was acceptable, handling was pretty soft, but the brake feel was terrible (are they regenerative or something?). But overall, I was impressed with what you got for $20k MSRP (having never considered a Chevy before either).

2) On to a 2nd drive of the Mazda3i Touring. Still nice, but not quite as enthralled as before, though the shifting and performance were still great. Looks like the 2013 model will offer more features available with the manual - salesperson thought the Grand Touring may be available with it, which would be more enticing.

3) Mazda dealer was also a Ford dealer, so the salesperson found me a Focus SE (hatch) with a manual. I really liked that (nice choice Akangl!) - smooth ride and power delivery. I think the styling, exterior and interior, is a welcome improvement over the Mazda. But a bit less MPG, at 36 with the manual, and I fear the absence of a 6th gear would make it difficult to achieve even that on my 37 mile leg of the commute where I'm cruising at 75-80 mph. What do you think?

4) As my final stop for the day, looked at the Golf TDI. Probably my favorite ride of the day - not surprising since I liked my GTI so well - but also the priciest. The sounds of the drivetrain were not as pleasing as the GTI, but the overall handling and acceleration (at least at normal speeds) wasn't all that off. Not a bad penalty for getting 40-50 MPG. They were pushing a leftover 2012 2-door with sunroof and nav for $25k. With that equipment, it wasn't all that much more than the other competitors.

By the way, while the salesperson was trying to locate a manual Focus, I poked through the ST in the showroom. I'm a fairly lean guy, but I'd definitely have to keep it that way to fit in those Recaros! It was a sharp car, and with a base price of around $25k, would be hard to justify a well-loaded "base" Focus (the one I test drove had the Ford Mysync gadgets and all and stickered for $24k). I mean, 32 mpg on the highway ain't all that bad, right? Hmmm. :P

qbrozen

Well, what made me look was that article recently here on Edmunds about cars under $25k, or some such thing. But I came to find out they were way off. For example, the listed the Cayman. Yeah, right... the lowest WHOLESALE number is just under $25k, and its not an example you'd want.

I did notice, however, that '05 Quattroportes have broken under the $24k mark at the block.

Too bad I'd have to get an '07 to get the better transmission. But, no, seriously, my 1'er isn't going anyway.

xwesx

I agree that the ST should have a 6-speed, and I think it will (if they offer the Fiesta ST at all in this market). The Focus ST has a 6, and the "prototype" Fiesta ST shown at various auto shows last fall and winter did, too.

Honestly, though, the 5-speed is perfect in the NA Fiesta. The car is quite responsive and peppy when the engine is over 2500-3000 RPM, but is a dog under that. Even running the highway at 3300 RPM, it is quiet and delivers ~40 mpg, so I won't complain a bit. I rarely have to shift it on the Parks, even pulling the bigger hills. The sixth gear might put it lower on the tach, but it would require a downshift every time one hit a mild grade in order to hold speed.

On the ST, the six speed is likely more close-ratio in the lower gears to help acceleration, so sixth is probably a little taller than my five-speed, but not by much. It just gets to cruising speed faster. :shades:

breld

So has the 1'er got you a bit off manual trannies?

I ask, 'cause I was a bit regretful at first with the auto in my A5, but I'm really starting to appreciate it. I'm realizing that the shortcomings I've experienced in other autos are largely mitigated in the A5 - like coming out of a turn and pressing the throttle, and having the car pick the right gear.

It just seems to know where it should be most of the time.

I still want at least one manual in the fleet to drive for the fun of it, but I'm finding I'm okay with it being more of an occasional thing.

xwesx

I mean, 32 mpg on the highway ain't all that bad, right?

For a 260 HP rocket? No, I'd say not!

Their packaging on it is horrid, I think, but their base price is pretty good. I briefly considered it when I started feeling like Fiesta ST was more an more of a no-go (by Ford) in North America, but then stumbled across the used Fiesta and my practical side took over for good. :P

After 320 (local) miles on my current tank, with the fuel economy sitting at 39.6, I have a hard time being disappointed with my choice!

breld

Honestly, though, the 5-speed is perfect in the NA Fiesta. The car is quite responsive and peppy when the engine is over 2500-3000 RPM, but is a dog under that. Even running the highway at 3300 RPM, it is quiet and delivers ~40 mpg, so I won't complain a bit.

I like everything else about the Focus, so based on your experience, I'll keep it on the list. At a rating of 36 mpg, I was just concerned that I'd be getting low 30's at 75-80 mph on the highway.

xwesx

I doubt it, but I haven't driven my Fiesta at sustained speeds of 75-80. When I ran it at 70 for 320 miles with four people and a stuffed hatch, it returned 39 mpg (rated 38 highway with the manual). So, I think you could make EPA at those speeds with just the driver and probably exceed EPA (easily) if you were running the same commute at 65-70.

We'll have to see what akangl's husband reports! Or, what she reports on is behalf....

akangl

Did ak really punch her card twice in a matter of weeks (Yaris and Focus)?

I don't know if I should hang my head in shame or be proud, but yes I did. Bought the Yaris September 1st and the Focus September 12th.

So to recap this year, bought my 2007 GMC Sierra 2500HD Duramax on April 8th, then the 2011 Toyota Yaris on September 1st, followed closely by the 2012 Ford Focus on September 12th.

*hands in my CCBA card* PLEASE someone protect me from myself! :sick:

akangl

We'll have to see what akangl's husband reports! Or, what she reports on is behalf....

First drive to work is tonight, so we'll see, car only has just over 100 miles on it at this point so not sure if it will get better as it ages. Right now its at 35 mpg on the message center, that's mixed city/hwy.

He's a lot happier with the Focus and didn't hesitate to trade the Civic once he found the exact car he wanted, not to mention who's going to turn down $6500 hard money on a banged up 09 Civic with 108k miles???

akangl

Quit buying cars or get a bigger garage......

roadburner

I mean, 32 mpg on the highway ain't all that bad, right? Hmmm

I average 26-28 mpg in my Mazdaspeed 3, and that includes a bit of "spirited" driving. With the Mazdaspeed Cold Air Intake it's making @287 bhp at the crank.

roadburner

First, I won a set of four Michelin tires, any type up to 22". I already had a set of 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 wheels that I bought off eBay, so I went back to eBay and found a new set of OEM TPMS for @50% off MSRP. Next I used my certificate and ordered a set of Pilot Super Sport tires and had the local shop put it all together and I installed them on the Mazdaspeed 3. All I can say is, WOW! They are even stickier than the Dunlop Star Specs I have on the ti. Tons of grip and incredibly responsive to steering inputs. I had to drive to a rural county today for a hearing and the car simply devoured the winding two lanes all the way there and back. I can't wait to track it- maybe at Mid Ohio in October.

Next, my wife's CPO 328i came with 17" Continental ContiSportContact 2 SSR summer tires. I called up Tire Rack and ordered a set of 205/55-16 Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT tires mounted on Sport Edition F10 wheels:



So now I have two sets of tires to store. I bought Tire Rack's wall mounted rack which is where the Mazda's wheels are stored:



While I have a Tire Rack "Tire Garage" for the 328i wheels:



Oh yes, I also have a set of 15" OEM BMW wheels that fit the ti- stacked in a corner...

akangl

I bough Tire Rack's wall mounted rack which is where the Mazda's wheels are stored:

I might have to get a couple of those. We have 2 sets of tires (one winter/one summer) for each vehicle, thankfully for now we have our trailer to store them in. Wow, that's 3 sets laying around at any given time, ugh, plus 2 spare tires for the trailer. Going to start looking like a tire shop.

I'm thinking about going to a 17 or 18" wheel on the Sierra for summertime, only hang up is fuel economy. It currently has the boring stock 16s on it which are fine for winter tires. However since it needs summer tires anyway next spring......

roadburner

The rack saves floor space; but each wheel/tire weighs @45 lbs- so muscling them onto the rack is a bit tough...

qbrozen

So has the 1'er got you a bit off manual trannies?

ummm... not really a clearcut answer here. I still think I made the right decision for THIS car.

qbrozen

Oh, I would so belong in that thread.

I like the tire shelf, but just didn't have a good place for it in my garage. What I wound up doing at one point was buying 4 heavy duty shelf brackets from home depot. I bent the ends up and just hung 1 wheel/tire on each bracket so they were flat against the wall.

I currently have 2 extra sets of wheels (18" and 17") and a total of 25 unmounted tires of varying sizes and remaining life.

breld

Yeah, I know what you mean. The particular car's character, dynamics and intended use has a lot to do with whether a manual or automatic fits best.

And some manufacturers just can't seem to get the shift feel right - like the manual was an afterthought. Years ago, I shopped the then new Saab 9-3 and found a manual, but hated the feel of it and ended up with a TSX.

xwesx

Hah! That's me, too. Thankfully, I have a 43-year-old van that works very well as a mobile storage unit. I keep all my spare tires (twelve of them, all mounted) in there in neat stacks, along with all of my spare rabbit and chicken food (keeps the critters out of it!). Plus, I don't have to remove any of it when I use the van from time to time for a recreational outing, so no harm, no foul.

Once my garage becomes a garage, the wall-mounted units from TR look appealing. I might also just use a HD Gorilla rack without the shelf installed, so the sides of the tires simply rest on the rails. Either way should work. I like to make the most of my space, so I'm sure I'll come up with a solution that maximizes what I have available.

My new tires for the Fiesta just came in earlier this week. I ended up getting them from Tire Rack, but through Sears. Oddly, that saved me $100 compared to if I had purchased them from TR directly. :confuse:

I bought 15" Sport Edition CE wheels with Blizzak WS70's mounted on them. I skipped the TPMS; I hate nanny tech. It still ran me $873.