Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

rayainsw

I would be quite interested to read your your impressions
of the new Caddy CTS.
- Ray
Not seen one 'in the flesh' yet...

nyccarguy

I'll try to get to as much as I can, but I'll have my 6 year old & 4 year old in tow, so I can't get to as much as I used to.

bossman141

Will cut out of work for a couple hours and head over there. Will report back as well.

xwesx

Get them hooked early! Check out the WRX STi concept if you can!

I can almost see myself tolerating NY long enough to attend an auto show like this.... :shades:

isellhondas

The number of failed A/C compressors on CRV's has been grossly overblown.

Yes, some failed.

People with 150,000 miles complained in forums whan their A/C compressor went.

mark156

It has been decided that we need/want to trade two cars for one. The old '90 500 SL with 56,000 miles has a small hesitation problem and the drivers door will not lock electrically from the key hole..... I can lock it from the master lock at the trunk. The hesitation is pretty bad at start off, doesn't die out but runs good at speed. I'm on the second tank of fuel injection cleaner.... it has helped in the past but it could be something else.

We want to also trade the 2001 Mercedes S500 with almost 89,000 miles, runs and looks good with a couple of door dings.

Should I make the effort to fix the SL? Or just trade as is? Would a car not running perfect take that big of a hit?

Thinking of a new Jaguar XJL.... might wait for a 2014 if there is not a good selection of 2013's. I would like AWD.

Has anybody heard if the Jaguar is updating the XJ in '14?

Opinions appreciated.

Mark156

stickguy

always a tough call. Has it been looked at? Maybe take it in for diagnostics to find out what the $ hit is, and then decide. if it is cheap, do it. if major, just let them worry about it. On something that old, they probably have the hidden surprise repair cost built in anyway.

at least if you don't have it looked at, you have plausible deniability in case they ask if there is anything wrong with it!

fintail

I agree. Have a good (independent is what I would use) shop look at the SL. Hopefully just an ignition component at fault. Probably not prudent to spent much to have it fixed, but you could come out ahead if it isn't cheap. Sad thing about those R129s, they are nice looking and early ones are getting old enough to almost be kind of vintage, but they just aren't worth a lot.

mark156

Our vintage Mercedes SL style ran from 1990-2002....... who would want an old one when you could get a nice clean 2002 final version Silver Arrow?

Mark156

Sandman6472

I used to go every year also...I miss it! Haven't been to the Miami show since I got hurt back in 2005 but next weekend, the smaller Ft. Lauderdale show is on so since I'm downtown most everyday now, I will try to check it out. It's a lot smaller than Miami's but still a good way to see a lot of the new models. Could go if I get out early one day.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

rayainsw

Or you could sell them both and buy
one of these ?

http://blog.caranddriver.com/grosser-gravy-10-things-you-didn%E2%80%99t-know-abo- ut-the-mercedes-benz-600/

Sandman6472

It must've been a sign yesterday...on I-95 and not much traffic. Suddenly, three vehicles go by me in a row. A RX 330, a C Class and finally a 3 Series...and then nothing for a short bit. Must be a sign from above as I was just thinking about what I really would love to do eventually. Guess the big guy up above does hear us when we pray. I too this as a positive sign and now am content to wait until he decides the time is right for me to move onto the next vehicle.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

isellhondas

You need to get your Mercedes looked at. It may be something minor.

If you trade it in, they will assume it's the worst thing possible to protect themselves. Usually that turns out to be the case!

fintail

Fun read. That would be about the ultimate piece of engineering, and the ultimate money pit. But if you've got it, flaunt it.

fintail

The only problem is that the final run car will cost literally 100% more. Many people who buy old SLs now are sunny day drivers on a moderate budget, where 10K is more appealing than 20K.

For your car, I would set a threshold, say 1K. If it can be fixed for that, do it, otherwise, move on. At least the SL should be worth about the same as the S500, no mean feat as it is a bit older.

graphicguy

The RX8 fiasco happened for the 2004 model year. I bought one of the first RX8s in my city in 2003.

The first RX8s were advertised to have 250HP. The number was actually 232 HP. Some dyno'd it saying HP was actually closer to 215-220 HP.

Anyway, Mazda offered those early buyers (like me) the option of giving the cars back for a full refund. Or, keeping the car and getting a $500 check plus free maintenance for the 4 year warranty period.

I think mazda brought out the RX8 before it was ready for prime time as it burned a lot of oil and gas and was prone to flooding and blowing out its seals.

Too bad. They were fun cars with a 9K RPM red line.

mark156

Today, I dropped off the '90 SL to the repair shop. They will let me know in a few days. I just hate to trade a car in when it's not running right.

I'll let you know what the verdict is.

More than likely, I will get it fixed and focus on a 2014 model vehicle for the two old cars to be traded :surprise: .

M156

mark156

Just what I need is another OLD car but that 600 is a beauty!! :P

M156

kyfdx

This one is a little closer to home... 4.5 hour drive..

Another Saabaru.. identical to the last one

stickguy

identical, other than the extra 15K on the clock (not a big deal) and $2,500 on the sticker (big deal!)

looks pretty clean on my little screen though. But I expect you will have trouble getting Bradd all the way out there to check it out for you!

28firefighter

I used to live not far from this particular dealer -- mixed reviews, to say the least. But you are not shopping the dealer, you're shopping the car.

If I still lived there, I'd go check it out!

kyfdx

Yeah.. more money, but looks a lot better...

Still way cheaper than a comparable WRX wagon...

Close enough for us to take the day to go see it...

steine13

>> Der Große Mercedes

Beautiful car indeed.
But it grinds me that it's known as "Grosser" in the English-speaking world, that is to say: outside of France and inside the internet.

That word makes no sense.. it's as if the Germans decided that the long-wheelbase Lincoln Town Car should be known as the "Larger."

It's like reading a Japanese owner's manual from the 70s. Sheesh.
-Mathias

jayrider

You pay extra this time of year ---- the used car dealers ramp prices up as folks get their tax refunds to use for down payments.

crkyolfrt

Looks pretty clean, but then they do have an on sight collision centre...

And can a person really trust a dealer that doesn't even know which end the pedals hinge from? :surprise:

But being a non-smoker is a huge plus. 2500 extra is not chump change though. Since they were the selling dealer, if they can show all the service records tho is also huge. If no crash repairs, and if really is a non-smokers (as opposed to chemically cleaned) it really is probably well worth the premium over the other one.

Makes me almost wanna do a search for one in Cda. I am looking for a 2nd car. Although was looking for something extra good on fuel but only 2WD. Sure would be a fun car to own though. And a bonus for me to have a backup AWD'r...Ironically, it would cost a hair more in gas due to getting slightly better mpg, but requiring premium.

Ya know...in looking over some of their other offerings..it is almost like they are apologetic when they priced this one...It is easily one of the better deals they have.

nyccarguy

A little far for me to check out;). I know it has more miles and has a higher asking price, but just from the 1 pic I can tell the difference between the 2 cars is night and day. I know it is a little more than you absolutely want to spend, but if you had bought the NJ car & put $2500 into it, it still wouldn't be as nice. Good luck & keep us in the know.

nyccarguy

Having an extra car is really convenient. Like for instance, let's say (looking around) you lease a car. Even though you took out a 20,000 mile per year lease, you still manage to go over the miles (don't know anybody here in that particular situation). I've got my Prelude to drive.

When my wife's Pilot goes in for service, we "night drop" it. She takes my BMW for the day and I take the Prelude.

fintail

Hopefully it is a small issue. You know how MBs are - it is either minor or catastrophic.

Maybe have it detailed before trade, too - that can reap a positive return.

Sandman6472

Got a text and they need me at 10 for a couple Miami to West Palm runs...yay! Two days off & I am ready to rock and roll here! Hopefully we'll have something else to do. Supposedly, Hertz needs multiple runs this week so we'll see what really happens and how many we really do end up with. Probably need to leave early on Thursday as we're having a postal dinner with the old "dinner club" and I'm in charge of it. Not sure where we're going to eat yet, leaving that to my best girl, but Thursday night seems to be the best night for everyone. Hoping to get at least 40 hours of work in this week though as we could use the funds as the wife hasn't found another job yet and doubt she will until after the 15th. Hopefully her friend will come through with another job like he did a few years ago since mine is so hit or miss and the Hertz gig might not happen...think they are looking for a younger man personally so by ignoring me, they think I'll just go away. We shall see about that though!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stickguy

took a nice 7 hour trip today from Jersey to NC (out near Greensboro). RDX did good. nice road car. comfy, power to spare, feels like it is loafing at 70 and you could probably do 100 without noticing. Creeping over 80 was not a problem. Gotta say a 4 cyl would get better around town MPG, but blasting down the highway the excess of reserve power is nice to have.

besides, on the NJ to NC main run per the TC I got 28.5. that was mainly running at 70-75 and once we hit rt. 85, closer to 80 a lot of the time. Might not get much better than that out of a CR-V.

Does need a bigger gas tank though. 16 gallons is just too small.

mark156

Hopefully it is a small issue. You know how MBs are - it is either minor or catastrophic.

Maybe have it detailed before trade, too - that can reap a positive return.

Actually, the car is in great clean condition, recent Michelins, new soft top and shines as it's always been garaged.

But, you are right, there is no middle ground, minor or catastrophic. LOL!

M156

kyfdx

That's great mileage..

We did some shopping today..

Looked at an '06 A3 w/100K miles for $10.5K
Drove an '08 GTI w/84K miles for $13.9K
Drove an '04 MINI Cooper S w/81K miles for $11K
Drove an '06 WRX w/129K miles for $10.5K

Busy day... :surprise:

Sandman6472

Guess ya got a 6 under the hood...for some reason thought it was a larger 2.5 4 cylinder...I know the 2.3 in the Mazda3 is one powerful little engine and moves that thing quite quickly. Finally saw an new RDX in the parking lot of Sports Authority the other morning and it is a really nice suv, not too big and not too small...the right size really. A bit pricey for my tastes but I guess if my wife had wanted one, there'd have been one in the garage as she usually gets what she wants. She never wanted a minivan or small ute as we had enough kidlings for one and I never thought about driving one at the time. Guess if my side of the gearage was bigger I might have thought more about it. And at work, I drove the smaller Dodge Caravan for my postal route and it was a nice size van...felt very comfortable driving it actually and it did get dec decent mileage. But I only drove it about 12 miles /day round trip and only had it on 95 once or twice. But looking back, I could've lived with one as a d d. Always went the econocar route.

About to walk out the door for work. Glad to be going back and have decided that I'd rather work more hours now as I've been home all those months and it was plenty. Funny how G-d knew that my body, and mind, needed that down time to heal myself so I could resume my life and eventually go back to work, something I never thought I'd ever do again. I was in that deep depression 14 or so months ago and never thought I'd come out the other side. But with his help and my family's love and support, I did emerge a healthier guy. Also, posting and reading in here definitely helped my mind to think about other stuff besides my pain as I found that once I got involved in something else, I didn't have time to think about how painful everything felt. The mind is an incredible thing...it can do so much when in the proper frame of mind. I am walking proof of that.

Now, I have a few rentals to move. Later dude!

The Happy Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

Always liked the A3 as I like a small hatch for it's versatility but it's basically a VW and with all those electrical gremlins I've heard about, I'd never pull the trigger. Even the S40 I really really wanted a few years back I didn't get because my mechanic talked me out of it as he said I'd be a fool to trade the Civic on it...he told me to stay put with the reliable Honda which is what I did. I still long for one when I see a nice S40 drive past me but remember all the $ I didn't spend these past 4 years and I forget about it. But now, I am ready to tackle the next level and move past the econocar. We shall see...I know I talk about it a lot but one day, I'll come in here and post about my new ABCmobile and will be as happy as a pig in s--t, well, y'all know what I mean here!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stickguy

it is a 3.5l V6. sweet engine for sure. lots of power, and on the highway it has the cylinder shut down technology. So can be cruising on the highway at 75 showing instant MPG of 40, so I can tell when it is loafing at 2K running on 2 cylinders.

It was too pricey for my taste too, but the wife was fixated on it, so a few K more than we would have been spending was OK. she deserved it, and had been drving a minivan for 17 years.

besides, at this point, it is our only "real" car, and we take it everywhere. Since my daughter took over the volvo, I only have my little intergra for errands duty, but we never take that anywhere. Easier to have a nice car when you dno't need a 2nd good one!

kyfdx

So..another possibility..

2011 X3 for sale locally.. by owner... Well equipped, new body style. 28K miles.. asking $33K.. The cheapest X3 on AutoTrader is $32K, with most being mid-upper 30s....

This is my wife's all-time favorite vehicle..... Her Infiniti lease is up in 19 months... So... I'd buy this for her, drive her Infiniti, and let my son drive my BMW for the next 19 months...

I'd still have to replace the Infiniti when the lease is up.... I could either get myself something then, or take the BMW back (with less miles than I would have driven it), and then look for something else for my son..

Of course... spending $30K now vs. $10K-$12K... but, also getting my wife a vehicle she will drive for at least 6-7 years.. (she is taking a buyout and retiring at some point this year)... HHHHHMMMMMMMM..... :surprise:

jpp75

Completely agree, I'm in the same position with my G37x. Taking it to Colorado this summer added more miles than I had planned, I'll probably still be OK at the end of the lease but I'm currently about 2,500 miles ahead of where I "should" be at this point. I've put about 2,200 miles on the Pathfinder since October, which are miles that would have been on the car otherwise. I generally prefer driving the Pathfinder more than the car anyway so it's not a sacrifice, but I do like having an extra vehicle.

jpp75

As nyccarguy said this one definitely looks better than the last one, you can tell that just from the pics. Oddly enough I saw 2 of these yesterday while out running errands. I can't remember the last time I saw one, let alone two in the same day.

Sandman6472

My wife isn't the kind to spend $ like that yet she likes to spend on meals and going away so everyone has their own particular likes and dislikes. As for me, I'd do like your wife and get the nicer vehicle which will happen eventually. As I've already stated numerous times, the Civic is in such pristine shape that it would be very foolish to trade it in after I've taken such great care of it. If my son wants it, we'll work out something with easy payments but that would be the only way it leaves the stable right now...this is the logical thing to do. I did almost go look at a beautiful blue 07 RX 350 on the way home and was in the lane to turn but moved over at the last minute...it's at a dealer and since it is Sunday, didn't want to bother a sales person today...I can go during the week when it is slow. But do want to test drive it just to see. It would be the perfect lux fun vehicle for me but it really is just a dream. But for kicks, will go test it out to see if I even like the rig, who knows, I might hate it! Doubtful though but it is a 6 cylinder and premium is "recommended" which is the kiss of death to me as I prefer using 87 in all our vehicles,

We always take the Mazda when we go any where and right now, it is pretty clean except for the oxidized headlamps which I do have to get taken care of soon. Told her after tax season I'll do her car stuff.. Probably do my oil change this week or next week though it does say 40% oil life left. It's been just over a year and about 5k miles so think I am safe here till this or next week. Am glad the Mazda is holding up so well as I only want her to buy when she's ready what she really wants...I just hope I can convince her to try enough vehicles so she can make an informed decision...who knows, she might just find that another Mazda3 is the way to go...and I would be just as happy!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stickguy

my wife did say when I got sweaty about the cost "not like I do anything else". WHich is true. we live pretty simply. No exotic restaurants or vacations. Just college costs!

this car though came with a 10 year commitment. so better have something you like and want (and trust) that long.

and I don't miss the van at all. Just the rare times I need the room. But I can have mulch delivered instead of buying bags. And we will figure out some way to move my son back from college!

I also thought it was a good time to move it along. Still worth a decent amount, and was going to need some decent $ into it soon. I also did not have real faith it was going to go another few years without issues.

so, no looking back, even though I hate making the payment!

Sandman6472

Mine says the same thing when I want her to do things like buy her car or fix up the house...funny how women think alike. Now we're arguing about redoing the master bath and kitchen as I want to move forward and she does not. Same with her vehicle. I already have the funds set aside for the house and she has the cash for the vehicle so I don't see the problem. I guess I'll have to just start the ball rolling if I want anything done. Since we plan to be here for at least another four to five years, I feel the time is now to start on the kitchen or the bath. Just getting her to commit is the problem. When we did the kids bathroom, she let me do it all and she was happy with the results and I think she should trust my judgement with these projects and let me do them. I figure about $16k total which should be no problem very soon. I think it will turn out nice personally as my taste isn't that bad...lol!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stever

Hm, does your wife have a mustache? (I've had one for decades).

Sorry, horribly off-topic.

Sandman6472

The only one with a stache here is me...lol! My wife just has very definite ideas about many things in life...and I just have to keep her in line in such a way so she has no idea what I am doing. It seems to work as I've found with marriage that there are certain things that one lets slide but some things that one must take a stand for. So I pick my battles carefully and luckily, I'm pretty laid back for the most part and don't have to pull the reins in that often...but when I do, she knows she's crossed that line and proceeds to go back on the other side! It all works out in the end though. And I'm sure most marriages are this way also, it's just that I'm one who'll admit it! That's the difference here.

The Mustached Sandman :sick: :shades:

steine13

I dunno, Steve, to me that site sounds like it has great advice, ca. 1993.

Things have changed a lot since then, but even if I had to do my grad school days over -- and that WAS during the early 90s -- one thing I might change is not have a long line of $1000 clunkers but buy one good car on credit, call it good, and concentrate on important things.

It sure was fun, though...

At any rate, a car is an excellent investment, so long as it gets your behind to your job on time every day. If you can walk or bike, and I do, so much the better, but the important part is the getting there... a $20k car, bought new and kept a decade, is hardly a frivolity. More to the point, buying older & cheaper might save you a few bucks, but won't make a hill of beans worth of difference for you average middle-class wage earner.

Cheers -m

stever

a $20k car, bought new and kept a decade, is hardly a frivolity.

You sound like my wife. :P Have to agree that buying new has worked well for us, since we do drive them for a decade or more.

But, unless you are a cab driver perhaps, I find it hard to call a car an investment.

You guys are investing in your hobby, so that's okay.

nyccarguy

That's pretty impressive mpg for an AWD V6 powered SUV. I'm glad you guys are happy with your RDX.

nyccarguy

2011. That's an I6, not the turbo 4 banger, right?

Sounds like a good plan IF you are willing to GIVE your son your beloved ZHP 330ci:)

kyfdx

Yeah... 2011-12 are six cylinder. The 2013 model came out last Spring with the turbo-4. Don't want that one.

Not that fired up about driving the Infiniti for the next 1.5 years, either.. But, that's how much I love my wife..

nyccarguy

Well guys, I don't really have a detailed (or even semi detailed) review of this year's auto show @ The Javitz Center. It is somewhat difficult to concentrate on cars while trying to get my 6 year old out of cars in a timely fashion and keep other people from closing car doors on my 4 year old's fingers (I managed to do this myself while he was exiting a Wrangler Unlimited).

Since both my sons are old enough to not require 5 point harnesses (just high back boosters), we decided to take the Prelude (that I washed and polished yesterday).

Andre's (my 6 year old) favorite car at the show was "The Black Dodge Dart with the Black Wheels."
Henry (my 4 year old) likes "The Hondas."

I can tell you that the new C7 Corvette is breathtaking (I'm a big fan of the current C6). The Chevrolet design team did an absolutely incredible job. I can't wait to start seeing these things on the road.

The Cadillac ATS is a very small car. Small trunk. Very small back seat. My E90 328xi, which is no huge car by any means "seems" bigger. I'd have a hard time squeezing the kids in the back with their car seats or stopping at Costco (for a normal trip) on the way home from work.

Mercedes-Benz were ALL LOCKED! Gorgeous, but locked.

BMW had its fine lineup of $50,000 + cars. The one that particularly caught my eye was the F31 328xi Wagon. It is the best looking version of the new F30 3 series. Dark Blue Metallic Paint, Sand Leather, Sports Package, AWD. I didn't see the sticker, but that's easily a $50K car. I liked the Valencia Orange Z4 too.

Honda seems to have stepped up their game since softening up and cheapening their cars a few years back. The Civic EXL w/ NAV I sat in was genuinely a nice car. I dig the 2 step dash too. They seemed to be pushing "Hondas are reliable, but fun to drive too."

I was really impressed with the Accord EXL V6 w/ NAV I sat in. The interior was beautifully crafted and very refined. They had a fantastic display how their different side view cameras work.

The New CTS was on display, but I couldn't sit in it (sorry Ray). I think the New Chevrolet SS IS going to be one helluva road ripper. The interior looked nice too.

Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge are on a roll. People were waiting to check out everything from 300Cs to Dodge Charger Daytonas. The 2014 Grand Cherokee will continue to be a home run.

Ford had a gorgeous Grabber Blue 5.0 Mustang GT Coupe that was just begging for someone to swindle the keys away from a "product specialist."

Next year I'll be in "car shopping" mode at the car show as my lease will be up in September 2014. I really like the Wrangler Unlimited. 4 doors, 4 Wheel Drive, Convertible, insane resale value, cool, nicely done interior...

fintail

Not written by someone who likes cars or driving, that's for sure. Some people need to live a little. Imagine living like Scrooge, kicking the bucket, never having enjoyed the fruits of your labor. That's as bad as too much debt.