Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner

Looks good in the pictures, but the instrument cluster and radio LCDs are messed up.

I saw that the dash cluster and MID displays were missing pixels. I'd just remove them and ship them off to VDOrepair.com for a permanent repair.
As for the price, I think $10,000 would be a fair price; their aren't many manual M Sports to be found. And it isn't Black or Titanium Silver... :P

kyfdx

Dang.... really low miles.... and, all the right equipment....

Love those style 42 wheels... too bad shipo isn't around any more to see it...

roadburner

Dang.... really low miles.... and, all the right equipment...

I like the power of the 540i, but the 530i is much more DIY friendly, is a bit better balanced, and has rack and pinion steering instead of recirculating ball...

ateixeira

Manual Pre-Bangle and no iDrive?

Pshhh, make an offer....

ronsteve

That was a huge blessing in disguise; Oxmorons Mazda is a shady operation from the get-go.

I'm inclined to agree with you, without ever having been in the Mazda store. We had my wife's Elantra in the Hyundai store for some work not long after we moved up here, and I wasn't a fan. They definitely have that slimy old-school car dealer feel.

I'd love to get her to have a look at the Mazda3 SkyActiv when she replaces the Elantra next year, but with such a craptastic dealer I'm not sure it's worth it.

I think her short list is the Jetta and Impreza... any experiences with Bachman that y'all can share?

breld

Mmmm, very nice. Basically a carbon copy of my Topaz Blue one.

Pricing may be a bit high, but FWIW, I paid $12,900 for mine a year ago. It only had 58k miles when I purchased it, but I knew the price was a bit high when you look at auction/trade values. But then again, how many of these low mileage examples of a manual/sport E39 are you going to find? This was one of those times when I ignored the usual approach of "trade value plus $xx profit," and just took into account the rarity of the car and how much car I was getting for the money.

I'd get it - and I already put my money where my mouth is.

roadburner

I think her short list is the Jetta and Impreza... any experiences with Bachman that y'all can share?

In 2005 we shopped a new Forester at Bachman- but my wife decided that she'd rather have a CPO X3.
In 2007 I looked at a new GTI at Bachman. The salesperson I dealt with was a nice guy, but the problem was that the dealership didn't want to order a car to my specs- they made it sound as if special-ordering a new VW had a difficulty rating right up there with achieving cold fusion.
As for service, I can't really say, although I know that in 2007 the service department did not know that the DSG required service every 40k, but apparently that is a far too common misconception- see: Roadburner's Volkswagen Dealer DSG Knowledge Survey!

Sandman6472

Sat in a new Sentra SL with leather yesterday and was very impressed with the car...puts my '06 Civic interior to shame really. Ergonomically, things were where they should be and loved the mini Altima look of the car. The seats were comfortable also and it will definitely go on my short list in about 4 or so years. I also really liked the Kia Soul and can see why there are so many on the road. Plenty of room and the surfaces and switchgear were all pretty nice...didn't like the seat fabric, would've preferred a single color grippier material but that's why they have seat covers. Should drive nicely with the 205/55/16 sneakers I'd think. Funny thing is that most of the folks I've seen driving them have middle aged folk instead of the younger crowd which I think it's targeted at. They have a cream colored one which is a real looker too!

The new Verano is quite nice also though the view out the back isn't so great with the large headrests...but I felt extremely comfortable in the power thrones actually. Buick has done a fine job here just wish the epa numbers were a bit better...kinda thirsty 2.4 engine. If Honda can make a 2.4 with decent mileage I'm sure GM can do the same thing. But overall, great job Buick!! This is one American car that I wouldn't mind as my daily driver.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

breld

Just based on looking at pictures, it sure seems Nissan has finally pulled the Sentra out of the seemingly afterthought approach to design of recent years.

On another note, given that I've been looking at the TSX wagon (which I may pull the trigger on soon) and some used 3-series wagons, I thought I'd check out the current Outback last night.

Now I recognize that those "sport" wagons are not the target of the Outback, but I was surprised at how much I disliked the way it drove. Nothing very inspiring about the drivetrain or the handling. Of course, it does have AWD, giving it a distinct advantage over the Acura, and has loads more room than either the Acura or BMW, so it does have appeal as a family hauler.

I also hadn't realized how much the price had crept up on these Outbacks. I looked at a Limited 2.5i with moonroof but no nav, and I think it came to $34k.

Of course, it didn't help that it was like pulling teeth to get any attention at the dealer, and then the young salesperson had to take down all my information, including color choice, on paper before I got to even try the car out.

ateixeira

Sentra may be among the most improved players.

We had the outgoing one as a service loaner and it had my wife asking for the Kia Rio service loaner she got the time before.

The old Rio.

rayainsw

I test drove a V6 Sedan – and posted my impressions here:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f25f394/48!keywords=allin%3Amsgtex- - - t%20limit%3A.ee9e22f%20rayainsw#MSG48
‘The lane departure warning activated on a two lane road--apparently, the car thought I was about to stuff it into the ditch.’ – I had exactly the same thing happen. The LDW can, in fact, be left off – and it will stay off.
‘ . . . the six-speed automatic hesitated to kick down, which is probably part of the reason it claims to get 34 MPG on the highway.’ – I drove the V6 Coupe, primarily because it does have steering wheel paddles, allowing a measure of additional transmission control. Does not work as well as the DCT in the BMW I drive currently, but that is clearly not a fair comparison.
‘ . . . despite the narrow (215mm, if memory serves) tires.’ The Coupe has 235/45x18s,
= = =
My impressions of the V6 Coupe test drive:
I do want to be fair here, coming from a $50,000 car to a $30,000 car there are clearly going to be some compromises – and I am trying to set expectations appropriately. Some things are actually better in the Accord than in my BMW – ride quality & fuel economy, for example: different priorities.
This 6 cylinder Coupe was quiet and smooth. Even with the sunroof in full tilt-up \ vent position, wind noise [ up to 65 or so, at least – as fast as I drove it ] was very well controlled. The ride was very good. The engine was barely audible except on acceleration at substantial throttle openings. The seats felt substantial and comfortable and supportive. The outward visibility forward and to the sides is excellent. To the rear – ok, and typical of a coupe.
So – having driven a V6 Sedan a few weeks ago, I was focused on the differences – primarily the option to manually control the automatic transmission with the steering wheel mounted paddles. I was somewhat disappointed in several aspects of this implementation. [ I have been driving cars with a manually controllable automatic transmission since 1999. ]
Primarily, 2 objections:
1 - The delay between signaling a request for a shift [ up or down ] and shift execution was rather long. As long as I recall in any such ‘request \ response’ lag in any car I have driven in the past 10 years. Probably just something I would have to ‘get used to’.
2 – Though Honda marketing materials specifically references ‘rev match on downshift’ = “The Drive-by-Wire™ throttle system also creates a "blip" of the throttle to help match gear speeds while downshifting.” – I observed no such action in my several attempts, during the test drive. Without this, the downshifts were not as smooth as I expected \ hoped.
I use the manual shift feature a lot. I know that I would miss some aspects that I now really appreciate. Oh, well. Though I enjoy this feature now, I can certainly do without it
So.
The Honda Accord V6 Coupe remains on the short list – but I have reservations.
= = =
I drove a second [ identical, except for color ] V6 Coupe a couple of weeks later. The drive was good - I am warming up to this car - especially after driving a new infiniti G37 Coupe the same morning.

FWIW.
- Ray
Maybe not even 2 cents worth . . .?

corvette

...any experiences with Bachman that y'all can share?

When I was looking for bids for someone to buy my old Jetta several years ago, the sales manager was a complete jerk. I ended up selling it to Carmax. Haven't been back there since.

breld

Speaking of Carmax, I'm pretty excited that their first two stores in the Denver area are opening up soon (one just opened, and another should follow soon). Seems like a nice play to look for used cars.

nyccarguy

Well, my friend's Tiguan saga is finally on its way to a close. If any of you care to remember, the dealer near my house originally said they would match the $391/month offer. They didn't. So I had my friend call the dealer (Sunrise VW, Long Island) that gave us the $391 offer to see if that price would be the same on an in stock vehicle (White/Black Interior) as one that had to be located (White/Beige Interior). The salesman wrote us an email today stating that he had mistakenly quoted us a 42 month payment on a 36 month lease.

All the while I had been emailing this salesman at Platinum VW (Long Island) trying to keep him in the loop. He told me straight up, there's no way they are going to lease you the car at that price for 36 months. Their $391 payment works out for a 42 month lease, not the 36 months you are interested in. He was right. I called my friend today and told her to call this gentleman and give him a deposit for the car. Maybe she'll get the car this weekend.

xwesx

I was very disappointed with the fourth generation Outback when it was first introduced for the 2010 model year. While it did make some major gains in the passenger comfort realm, it moved completely away from being a driver's car. Driving the 2009 version compared to the 2010, one would only find a single similarity: The model name.

Combining that with the styling and the price increases (again, compared to the 2009), and I didn't seriously consider it when we bought our new car in Sept of 2009. And, I'd owned three Outbacks previously.

tjc78

Well, that kinda sucks. Just a quick question, what is VWs bumper to bumper warranty? If its the typical 3/36 your friend will be 6 months on a lease w/o a warranty. Not something I would do especially on a VW.

nyccarguy

its 36 months/36K miles which is the precise reason I told her to stick with the 36 month lease as opposed to the 42 month lease.

So in the end she's going to be paying $399/month for 36 months.

tjc78

OK. For a few bucks more a month, its certainly a better deal to go for 36 months.

kyfdx

I'm trying to figure out how I can get that 5-series...

Hmmmm... might have to buy it for the boy... Anyone need a 20 yr old Acura and a 25 yr old BMW?

stickguy

serious depreciation in 14,000 miles. But nice upgrade over the 135!

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3387732938.html

stickguy

but, I like this. A lot. Seems like a lot of car for the money, and sounds like the type you want to find. And in the next town over!

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3378402984.html

fintail

I've heard the transmissions in those mid 00s Maseratis are terrible,

SL looks like a fair deal if it all checks out.

nyccarguy

That's a sharp looking Mercedes. Love the look of that era SL with those 5 spoke AMG wheels. That's the 3 valve per cylinder V8, right?

fintail

Wheels + side skirts were part of a sport package, and they do make a nice impact. You are correct about the engine, offered from 1999+.

Best R129 SL is a "silver arrow" edition, but a very late car like this one is good too.

nyccarguy

I worked for a direct mail ad agency way back when & MB was one of their big clients. I was one of the "car guys" in the agency even though I was a low man on the production department totem pole. High level people would come to me to make sure the right pictures were with the right cars as far as year to year changes go.

One day the people who worked on the MB account were invited to MB HQ in NJ to test drive all of their 2001 models. That SL was one of the cars I drove, along with a pre-production CL500. The CL was the 1st car IIRC to have the "brake assist" technology. The marketing guy explained how advanced it was and how it ONLY slams on the brakes if it senses a panic stop. He said: nobody I know has been able to "outsmart" the computer. I did, on the 1st try too;).

kyfdx

That Mercedes SL is the same price as the 5-series, of similar age....

Something is out of whack... the SL was twice the price of the BMW, when new...

stickguy

a real time capsule that would freak my daughter out.

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3435372992.html

It's a convertible! It's a stick! It is cheap! But is it a smart idea?

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3442595819.html

Old Farmer special

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3383611787.html

corvette

"What could possibly go wrong?"

stickguy

as long as I never took it out of the garage, probably nothing.

fintail

Two different eras in those cars. That SL was one of the last of the overengineered cars, the CL from the time of technology for the sake of technology. The C215 (CL 2000-2006) had a lot of bleeding edge tech - active body control, adaptive cruise, and more. My E55 has brake assist, car gets fooled on steep hills if I hit the brakes at lowish speeds past a certain threshold, and will stop hard - not an intended result. What did you do to trick the system?

nyccarguy

Those overengineered Mercedes were some of my favorite cars back then. My parents had a 1990 300E, then a 1998 CLK 320. I was actually a "Mercedes guy" for a long time. I loved the way they looked and were over engineered. I wanted a 1st gen CLK 430 sooooo badly. With the V8 & AMG wheels, that car was just drop dead gorgeous. Those 400Es, 500Es & then subsequent E430 Sport Pkgs cars were very cool imho. This was before I became addicted to BMWs:)

I remember being impressed by the active body control. I just remember flooring it from 30 & the car getting to 60 quite rapidly. I lifted off the gas and then started to brake. The pedal went DOWN, quick.

michaellno

Speaking of Carmax, I'm pretty excited that their first two stores in the Denver area are opening up soon (one just opened, and another should follow soon). Seems like a nice place to look for used cars.

I saw the one on Broadway last week when I took the MINI in for service. Where is the other one located?

I know there is a Carmax in Colo Springs - a quick look at their website seemed to show pretty high prices, IMO.

ateixeira

Cambiocorsa is a red flag on that one. Look for a manual.

ateixeira

Never liked those side skirts, kinda Cavalier Z24-ish to me.

I do like the substantive wheels and it also includes a hard top (that's probably worth more than a grand by itself).

People will think you have more money than you actually have (good or bad, you decide).

qbrozen

yup. Exactly. I wouldn't touch that trans. That'll be due for a clutch in about 6k more miles to the tune of $4k.

fintail

The old 300E was from the good old overengineered days. The round light times must have been exciting as it was a new design theme that most people seemed to like - but the quality could be hit and miss. Like an early CLK - exciting looking for the period, but a degree or two below an old E coupe in terms of material quality. And the big cars with the futuristic tech could be troublesome. For a C208 (CLK), I would go AMG, the period AMG cars seem to be less troublesome than normals, and generally have nicer trim. The 500Es are eventual collectibles and have stopped depreciating now. The old AMGs have slowed down and will probably hit the bottom of the curve within a few years. Much more subtle cars than the "look at me" models of today.

qbrozen

I think there may be a good chance I'll sell off the wife's 300E in the spring. She's just not cut out for an old car. She has no patience and is much more interested in a reliable and consistent appliance.

So then I'll be looking for another vehicle. It could be for me or her. If I come across one for myself, then I'll give her my volvo.

nyccarguy

One of the things I used to love about the old over engineered MBs was that they were unassuming & built like tanks.

fintail

There's something to be said for a fast car that doesn't scream it to the world. The market today gives little value to subtlety - too much about bling and swag and ostentatiousness today. 500E would blow the doors off virtually anything on the road - but unless you knew what to look for, you'd never know.

The way the doors close on those cars, how the switchgear operates, few have came close.

laurasdada

Local Fisker (Jag/LR/Fisker) dealer just emailed me the above deal. For anyone interested in a Fisker, such a deal. Unfortunatley, there does not appear to be a lot of interest (well, interested enough to actually buy!), hence the above deal! Still, good looking piece of iron.

$3500 for a Granada!!!! Well, at least you can't tell it from your neighbor's Mercedes...

xwesx

Mitsubishi - I think my biggest concern would be the insurance for a teen! But, then, there's also the potential engine issues if it was run through the paces by its former owner(s).

Grand Marquis. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to look at a car that was advertised as a "LEPr." What's going to fall off next? :P

nyccarguy

I absolutely LOVE when I see one of those body style 400Es pass me.

ateixeira

I bet the insurance claim from all the ones that burned during Sandy made for their best sales month ever.

tjc78

Grand Marquis. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to look at a car that was advertised as a "LEPr." What's going to fall off next

LOL. I don't even know what that LEPr means. In 03 there was GS, LS, and LS Ultimate.

nyccarguy

1992 Mercedes-Benz 400E

tjc78

That's a good looking car. I'd have a tough time opening my wallet for almost 10K for it.

jayrider

Waiting for spring to get a new car for your wife ? Maybe. Looking for the actual car? That's already started. It's all about the chase.

nyccarguy

For the amount of driving I do (close to 20K per year), it would be difficult to justify. Especially with RWD & no traction/stability control (I'd have to budget for snow tires). With 94,000 miles, I could realistically drive it for 3 years & 60K miles. You just have to ask yourself, what maintenance items will have to be replaced preventitivelty? What kind of scheduled maintenance is called for? Even with low miles, some things do NEED replacement after 20 years. For $10K, the car would cost $278 to drive + insurance, maintenance, & repairs. Fintail? $150/month for repairs? For less than $430 per month it might be one helluva ride :shades:

ateixeira

$150/month for repairs?

I wouldn't expect any luxury car that age to be that predictable. Could be thousands, could cost nothing.

fintail

Looks nice, but a bit overpriced - maybe 30% or more. Miles are low and I am sure it is immaculate, but it is a 20 year old German car. Like ateixeira says, things can happen at any time, especially if pressed into 15K+ miles a year of regular use when it has been babied for 5K miles a year its entire life. Or maybe nothing would happen the entire time. Rolling the dice. Maybe better for a sunny day driver or weekend car. But - cheaper than most new cars even with maintenance.

For that style, I would choose 500E. Rare, developed with Porsche, insanely expensive (80K in 1992 money), eventual minor collectible. I wouldn't abuse it in harsh northeast commuting though.