Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

isellhondas

My only worry would be finding body and trim parts.

Someone backs into it and damages the grill or some other part that may be difficult or near impossible to find.

Then what?

I could be dead wrong on this and parts may be in good supply?

kyfdx

So far.. no problem finding parts... Will that last for ten more years? Beats me...

I can still buy new body parts for an '87 BMW... Granted, BMW is still in business, but if there is demand, there will be parts..

After that, the wrecking yard, I guess..

EDIT: These cars were made by FUJI (Subaru) in Japan... If they are still making body parts for the WRX from that year, they could still make them for the Saab version, I'd guess... Saab didn't make any of the parts..

jayrider

Why would you need to be concerned about body parts. All you need is a pry bar, dent puller and a few body hammers. As long as the doors close and the tires don't scrape the fenders, you're good to go. :shades:

stickguy

worst case, you swap on a Subaru part. Still gonna fit.

there were also a few other advantages (for some of us). IIRC, you could get power leather seats and a moonroof not available on the Sube version.

to me, that was key. Along with getting it a whole bunch cheaper.

ronsteve

there were also a few other advantages (for some of us). IIRC, you could get power leather seats and a moonroof not available on the Sube version.

Which did well enough that Subaru started selling a WRX Limited with those very goodies.

to me, that was key. Along with getting it a whole bunch cheaper.

That was right in the midst of the US automakers doing "employee pricing" and those really did roll out the door cheap. Now the used Subies command silly money, but then again a "gently used" Subaru is truly a rare and valuable find.

nyccarguy

I had a really nice conversation with kyfdx tonight. From what he tells me, used WRXs of the same vintage that he's seen have loads more miles on them and have asking prices way higher than the Saabaru Aero. We'll keep you posted on what goes down. For now, keep your fingers crossed & wish him well!

stickguy

I like this blue one. Color and premium interior. Can't tell about a roof.

not much more, but was the other one an Aero? The 2nd listing is another beige Aero, little hire on the miles.

Even better, local, there is a 5 speed one!

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=08043&endYear=20- - 14&modelCode1=9-2X&startYear=1981&makeCode1=SAAB&sellerTypes=b&numRecords=25&sea- - rchRadius=50&captureSearch=true&Log=0

kyfdx

The Linear model doesn't have the turbo engine.... It's just an Impreza wagon.. The 2nd one is an automatic..

I wondered why those didn't come up in my search..

kyfdx

That's right! nyccarguy is a man of action!

Now, we just have to hope the car doesn't sell to someone else before the weekend.

stickguy

you were looking at an Aero AT, right? Or did you want a 5 sped? I forget what the one in Passaic looks like.

I also tried cars. com and came up with 5 within 50 miles (including a couple of private sales). Autotrader only popped up the 2.

EDIT: N/M. I found the link, and see that it is a turbo 5 speed. Just needs the moonroof to be prefect!

yeah, near me, only found a base 5 speed and turbo AT.

kyfdx

Only stickshifts need apply...

It's this one: '05 9-2X Aero

nyccarguy

I should be over in NJ about 24 hours from now. I'm getting "the new car jitters" & the 92X Aero isn't even for me;)

What's the guy's name I'm supposed to see?

As of today, I've officially had my 2011 328xi for 1 year. I've only got it for another 18 months. I'm at 20,500 miles, so I'm definitely going to have to pace myself a little. Not a problem as I can drive the Prelude more now that its getting nicer out & I can swap rides with the wife. I'm still in love with the way my E90 drives. I'm happy I ditched the TSX!

Kirstie_H

We had a similar discussion, but Edmunds wants to pick your brains:
How Would You Improve the Car-Buying Experience?

tifighter

Messing around with autotrader today. What do the BMW guys think about this one listed locally? Not a big BMW guy, but this one seems pretty nice.

stickguy

I love it. and want it. Bad. You should buy it for me and ship it out to NJ for me. talk about perfect colors and equipment. I could be really, really happy with that one.

not certified, but you do have 2.5 years and 35K factory BtoB and maintenance left on it.

no clue about the price but does not seem crazy, but I am not a good one to say.

stickguy

hey, did your son pick a school? Just thought of that because in today's mail was a big envelope from South Carolina (my daughter is a HS junior so we get lots and lots of college "junk" mail).

qbrozen

Having sampled the non-sport seats, I can safely say I would never buy a modern BMW without the sport pack.

stickguy

the ones I sat in seemed pretty darned comfortable.

and remember, some people are more "broad in the beam" and not planning on doing auto-X, so confining seats are not always better.

but I have always loved the pull out thigh bolster, Can never have a long enough cushion for me.

kyfdx

What's the guy's name I'm supposed to see?


Jaime (pronounced Jamie)

As of 2:15 pm, today... it's still available.... lol..

kyfdx

I think the base seats in the E90 and the X3 are better than the base seats in an E46.... We've had three E46s, and the one without sport seats was definitely not my favorite...

Drove an '05 X3 with stick and sport package a week ago... Pretty cool, but too much money and too many miles..

Love the blue on that one, though....

ronsteve

but I have always loved the pull out thigh bolster, Can never have a long enough cushion for me.

I second that!

So many of the stick-shift cars I have test-driven (and the Saturn I owned way back in the 1990s) left me wishing for that. I think the most tragic "too-short" cushion was on the non-Limited WRX/cloth 9-2X's that I drove.

stickguy

Bradd better leave a trail of bread crumbs. Never know what happens when you head into the north jersey used car world. SOme interesting areas up there.

stickguy

I have rejected cars I otherwise liked either because the seat cushion was not long enough, or the seat bottom did not tilt up far enough in the front. I hate to feel like I am falling out the front of the seat.

nyccarguy

I agree with you stick. My 5' 10" 155 lb frame is built for sport seats. My E90 DOES NOT have them and I find the regular seats very comfortable. That's not saying I wouldn't LOVE to have that adjustable thigh bolster.

nyccarguy

Nice color combination. My wife had an '07 X3 in Montego Blue that she loved. Now her Pilot is Polished Metal (dark grey) and she often finds herself standing next to the wrong truck in the parking lot trying to open it with the remote.

That Oyster interior is gorgeous! Too light for me though. Interesting that car (with less equipment than mine) is selling for close to what BMWFS says my car will be worth in 18 months with 50,000 miles on the clock.

stever

If the Saabaru deal falls apart, I'd be happy to go check out this creampuff for you.

xwesx

Whoa! Dang; I'd call the whole Saab thing off right now! Why look any further? :P

nyccarguy

There are some pretty seedy areas of North Jersey that make where I work in The South Bronx look like Beverly Hills. It looks like from the pics that there's a DD right next door, so I should be OK.

kyfdx

Thanks Steve... that's a great find.. :surprise:

I think it's probably easier to get a car home from Jersey, than where you live...

kyfdx

What's a DD? I did notice there is a grocery store across the street, and the Google pic was from 2008, and they had a full lot of cars for sale, then.... so, I guess that's a good sign..

Didn't look too seedy...

michaellno

What's a DD?

If I'm not mistaken, DD refers to Dunkin' Donuts, the pit stop for all folks north of the Mason-Dixon line.

qbrozen

I've had 1'er and 3'er loaners with the regular seats and hated them. Even the seats in my wife's van give better support. But everyone is different.

nyccarguy

I really do hope this works out. Compared to WRX prices, this thing is a screaming bargain. Did a quick AT search on WRXs under $10K for sale within 300 miles. Most cars listed are '02s (bug eye style) with between 120K & 220K miles.

kyfdx

Yeah... me, too...

If you check Manheim (qbrozen?), it's not a killer deal... but, there really isn't enough of a sample size to know...

But, for real value, the WRX books for $1800 more, and most asking prices are a couple thousand north of book.... So, real-world price seems to be about $4K less than a comparable WRX wagon...

Plus, it's cheap enough, that even if all that turns out to be wrong, the starting number is low enough that depreciation isn't a real concern...

(dealer emailed me at 3:52 pm that we were in the clear for today, and confirming appointment for tomorrow... not that I'm worried.. lol)

jayrider

You might want to try for a deal on shipping the car to you -- maybe split the cost. Then compare that to the cost of flying, gas, motels and time.

kyfdx

I can't ship it cheap enough... I've done the math.

$395 one-way ticket
$50 cab fare to car lot.
$100 gas to drive back..

Flight leaves at 0630, arrives at 0800...
640 miles home... If I can leave by 1100, I'm home by 11:00 pm, at latest..

If I had to spend the night, the math gets closer...

kyfdx

.. I've never been to Passaic, so there's that....

stickguy

I have a plan. We can probably ferry it in shifts across the country for you. Bradd can drive it to me. I can take it out to jMonroe land. You can work out the rest of the way from there!

fintail

The adjustable thigh support might be the best BMW ergonomic trait. I like that too, and don't see why it doesn't exist in more cars. Some non-tiny cars have OK thigh support, but to be able to adjust it how you want it seems like a no-brainer. I've seen it in the S-class, but not in any smaller MB sedans. Shouldn't cost that much to make. Some cars seem to be designed for people who are 5'5" and 100 lbs (some Japanese motorcycles seem to do this too), not all of us are petite.

kyfdx

That's a good idea...

Each person could also pay for a commensurate portion of the car, as well... by the time I get it, might only be out a couple grand..

laurasdada

Every road trip, be it 1, 100 or 1000 miles begins for my wife at Dunkin's! She gets the coffee, my son and I take care of the donuts! Sorry, Tim Hortons. DD rules, eh!

stickguy

well, most likely after Bradd dropped it off here, you would have to fly into Philly to pry the keys out of my hand.

too mad you aren't in NC. I am going down there next weekend anyway.

I also did not realize how far North Passaic was. I grew up (and my parents still live) only about 20 miles above that, so probably an OK area. I thought it was down closer to Newark.

Probably convenient for you, because it is about 15 minutes away from hopping onto route 78, then hammer down until you are home (Kentucky, right?)

kyfdx

I am in KY, but within the Cincinnati metro area..

So, down I-78 to I-70 to Columbus, then down I-71.. Or, straight across I-80 to I-71, then south...

I've never done that North route, though... so, probably stick to the turnpike..

stickguy

80 is about 5 minutes from Passaic. Boring road once you hit the water gap. I never use 78 so can't comment on that, but I think once you hit PA, it is a lot of nothing for a long time.

according to mapquest, 80 is shorter and quicker. And I think once you hit PA can make good time.

breld

The 328xi is nice - I like the color combo.

My wife and I are actually big fans of the Oyster interior (and the Lemon that they offered previously), but I have to admit, the interior in her X3 was taking on a bit of a blue tint from her jeans in the one year she drove it. She's said many times that while she liked the look of the Oyster, she appreciates the brown interior in her 3-er wagon.

Also, that one has the short shifter kit - I doubt it was a factory option outside of the M-sport package, so was probably installed afterward. It's a nice addition.

nyccarguy

Oh, & I forgot to mention the best part...

I get to test drive a 225 horsepower, turbocharged, AWD car with a stick shift.

kyfdx

I'm happy for you.. :P

js06gv

Pulled the trigger on a new 2013 F-150 King Ranch 2WD. Some background....I've been a GM fan for most of my life with some Fords sprinkled in. Things took a turn when I surprised my wife with a new 2011 Mustang GT at XMas 2010, after having chosen it over a Camaro. Fast forward to today, and here I am selling my old Avalanche (which I still love) and carting home a Ford. It's the new Kodiak Brown color which looks fabulous. After I talked my wife into why I needed a new truck (really didn't but that's why I'm on this board right?) and coming to an agreement about how much I'd spend, she got in it when I arrived home and immediately accused me of spending at least 5 grand more than I did just based on the fancy interior. Love this truck!

stickguy

that is probably the best reason for me not to do it. It might not end well after I get hooked. I imagine that is one fun set-up. Plus I love small hatch/wagons.

stickguy

Congratulations. I'm not a truck guy, but sounds like a nice one. They do have fancy interiors.