Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

fintail

I like my pano roof too - it was a must have feature on the car (ie; no roof, no deal). I don't open the sunroof much (want to keep the new car smell in), but I always have the pano shade open.

abacomike

"Congrats on the 2014. Must be cool having one of the first ones."

Thanks, tjc. I really didn't look at it that way, but I guess you are right. Just had it to my tint guy this afternoon for that new 3M Crystalline tint. Down here, the worst enemy of a car and it's interior is the sun. It's a little on the pricy side as far as tints go, but well worth the protection.

jpp75

Great pic fintail. I love both cars.

corvette

"Down here, the worst enemy of a car and it's interior is the sun."

Is that really a concern, since you'll probably trade it in within 12 months? :P

Sandman6472

We had the lightest tint put on all 4 vehicles and even that stops a lot of the heat that we get down here and helps the a/c not work so hard to cool down the interior. And at night there's no vision problem...I had the darker tint years ago and it was harder to see out the rear at night time so decided to go with the lightest this time around...and it was also an easier sell to the wife and girls as they were afraid of the darker tints...and they have to be happy or my life isn't!

The Sandman

abacomike

"Is that really a concern, since you'll probably trade it in within 12 months? "

This one stays on the family until 2016, and only if they change the body, which is what is projected. No reason to change cars any sooner, but I've said that before!

abacomike

"..I had the darker tint years ago and it was harder to see out the rear at night time so decided to go with the lightest this time around"

Exactly, Sandman. I did the same this time. All I want from a tint is ultra violet protection, heat reduction and glare reduction, while maintaining optimum night vision.

graphicguy

Mike...just saw you took delivery of your '14 E Class. I'll pile on and offer my congrats, too.

Sounds like a wonderful car.

abacomike

"Mike...just saw you took delivery of your '14 E Class. I'll pile on and offer my congrats, too"

Thanks, graphicguy. Yes, it is a honey - they did a great job on the Sport refresh, with lots of new safety technology. They added a new standard feature called "Collision Prevention" which uses radar to provide info to the computer for imminent frontal collisions causing a series of auto computer reactions. Also, they added Eco Start/Stop and predictor lines in backup camera as sort of a graphic monitor.

I have lots of reading to do to get up to speed on the new technologies. It also has web access through satellite connectivity when car is stationary.

Again, thanks for the well wishes.

ateixeira

I'd like to see them add rear collision prevention. Shoot paint balls at tail gaters.

fintail

Went and checked out the 14 E-class in the showroom here. March build date, so a very new car. It was an E350 sport 4Matic, silver on black, standard sunroof, standard lights, tex, AMG wheels, wood wheel, spoiler. As it had the basic lights, they didn't wow me - as I suspected, there is an old fashioned reflector part of the light assembly. I do like how the side marker is integrated into the light assembly. The real change is inside. I like the extra aluminum trim, especially on the sides of the console, and the seat controls. Flat bottom steering wheel is cool, too. I think most of the money went inside. March marks 4 years of W212 production, perhaps tooling costs are fairly well amortized now, and this update isn't costing MB much. It'll provide at least a short spike in sales. Someone else came in to check it out while I was there, too.

abacomike

"Went and checked out the 14 E-class in the showroom here. March build date, so a very new car. It was an E350 sport 4Matic, silver on black, standard sunroof, standard lights, tex, AMG wheels, wood wheel, spoiler."

Yes, and some very big changes in the Mbrace apps - like direct access to the web. Honestly, I did not see the standard light model yet - from what I've been told, the full LED light package uses only LED lighting. Also, rear lights are all LED's as well.

I personally prefer mbtex over leather, but I couldn't get ventilated seats without leather. Down here, ventilated seats are important from mid-May through end of October because of the extreme heat coupled by extreme humidity.

fintail

I prefer tex too. No maintenance, and it is probably the best pleather on the market. Maybe because most mass market leather is pretty low end (Asian brands especially), the average person can't tell the difference.

I have yet to use any of the mbrace stuff - I certainly wouldn't want to pay for it, and none of it looks useful to me. My car has LED tail lights too - probably came for the 12 update when all cars gained LED running lights as well.

Sandman6472

We moved 196 vehicles with 11 workers for most of the day but before 9 and after 6, there were 5 of us...got off about 8:10 this evening and am beat! No news about tomorrow yet so we'll see but I really would like to take a long drive...this in and out stuff is a bit hard on my spine. Finally got to drive a few Sonata's today and wow, this is a really great vehicle, absolutely! The new '13 I drove had under 3k on the clock and it was outstanding...the fabric was particularly unusual, a bit nubby but very comfortable. I can see why Hyundai is selling so many of these puppies, really. Also drove a few Kia Rio's and a couple Hyundai Accents and had a talk with the wife after I ate. Explained to her that frankly, these are not the vehicle for her as I don't think she'd be happy with them over the long haul...they are not like her Mazda in any way, shape or form. Asked her to please test drive what ever she chooses very carefully, even to rent one of whatever she wants and see if she can live with it on a daily basis.

Right now there are so many great vehicles on the market that the choices are endless. But one should really take the time and rent whatever they think they really want to make sure as I bet there's nothing worse than purchasing something that you really don't like and end up hating it soon after. Could be a very costly mistake so renting is the perfect solution. Driving another Escape and a couple of Sportage's just reenforced my desire for a small ute next time out...it's just the best choice for an aging boomer like myself with a bad spine, the perfect vehicle with easy ingress/egress and something that can get out of it's own way!

The Sandman

thenewguy23

You have to put a small chip type thing in there while you turn over the ignition in order for the car to start. Wondering what it is and why it is there?

corvette

This used to be a type of aftermarket anti-theft device, if memory serves. I don't think they were ever very popular due to the hassle factor.

abacomike

"I have yet to use any of the mbrace stuff - I certainly wouldn't want to pay for it, and none of it looks useful to me. My car has LED tail lights too - probably came for the 12 update when all cars gained LED running lights as well."

After the 6 month complimentary Mbrace services, I renew the basic service for only one reason - stolen vehicle recovery. It costs $240 a year for a two-year pkg., which is fully refundable. I save $175 a year on my compressive insurance, so it almost pays for itself. Calls to Mbrace are on cell tower support, however if you press the emergency button "SOS" it goes out via satellite GPS signal.

As for LED's, I really like them on the new car. I wouldn't buy any other make of vehicle in this price range, and believe me I've owned them all. The only car I "covet", which I will never own due to cost and financial constraints is the Rolls Royce Ghost.

ateixeira

Coming from an Aveo, a Rio will feel like an upgrade.

But...it's an econobox. A nice one, but expect any more than that and you'll come out disappointed.

Sandman6472

Granted, but I think she'll be terribly disappointed if she doesn't stay in the compact class and then I'll be hearing the complaints...would rather he get something a little nicer up front and enjoy it for the duration as we keep our vehicles for some time now, she's already at 119k and going strong! Am trying to convince her to possibly rent what she wants to see how it'll work out on a daily basis. As for me, I'm content with my Civic and it's size...a smaller vehicle would just be too small for me.

The Sandman

ateixeira

I'd step up one class - lots of good choices. Focus, Elantra GT, Golf TDI, Mazda3, Impreza, etc.

More substance for not a lot more $$$.

Sandman6472

I'm really pushing for the Elantra as I thinks it's the best in this class bar none. Drove about 20 Foci yesterday and though nice, it's just missing that modern feel that the Elantra has...the Focus feels like an old vehicle and not as modern. The Elantra is the benchmark in this class and am very excited to see what the new Corolla is going to look like as I've always loved Corolla's and would love to have another Toyota in the garage.

The Sandman

ateixeira

You have the benefit of having done multiple test drives, even long distance tests.

I bet you're not allowed to, but can you bring a passenger along one day?

stickguy

I think the subcompact class is a tough sell now. I like smaller cars, but don't want to go tiny! and the compacts are pretty big these days, and don't seem to give up anything in RW MPG. and even the price is not that far apart.

so more comfort, more overall usability (a "real" car), similar money, often more nice features, better performance, etc. all in a still tidy size package.

If I was going to get a new car for myself, and had not hit powerball, it would be something in that compact class but with lots of goodies.

fintail

If the stuff was free, I might use it, maybe I am a little cynical about paying extra for simple services when laying down so much for a car to begin with. I am not too worried about theft anyway - it's Hondas that are always stolen here.

I am glad you are so happy with your W212s - I didn't really shop anything else when I got mine (I wanted diesel), and it was almost kind of an impulse buy, but nothing else in the category really attracted me anyway. The 5er is just as soft and even more boring looking, Infiniti is weird, I don't like the popup nav in A6, and GS doesn't wow me other than a couple interior finishes.

I find the Ghost to be more tasteful than the Phantom, but it's F01 7er roots are very obvious to my eyes.

ateixeira

Interestingly, they used mbrace to catch the Boston bombers:

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/28/boston-bombers-were-tracked-using-mercedes-mb- race-w-video/

tjc78

"I'm really pushing for the Elantra as I thinks it's the best in this class bar none"

I don't have any experience with the newest model Elantra, but I have to say if its as good or better than the previous generation you may be right. My wife had an 08 and while I generally loath small cars it wasn't a bad ride. Decent power, fairly comfortable and good on gas. Aside from a battery in 4 years &32K it needed nothing. I once drove it 6 hours and was surprised at how comfortable I was.

abacomike

"I find the Ghost to be more tasteful than the Phantom, but it's F01 7er roots are very obvious to my eyes."

That's exactly how I feel about the Ghost. They always keep one on display in the Boca Raton Town Center Mall. Just the right size, style, and actually the pricing isn't that bad - the one they have on display is $296,000, which isn't bad considering what you're getting.

They also have a Bentley on display, but it doesn't compare in style and stance to the Rolls, even at $240,000.

But both are way out of my league - I'd rather buy a nice condo or house.

andres3

Audi is introducing a vastly improved A3 and S3 apparently in Spring of 2014; which is when I think I'll be in the market for a new or newer car. I think the new S3 would be awesome, but I'm worried it'll be longer before the S3 is available than the A3 based on Audi's history (if ever). I don't think I want to really wait too much past the end of 2013 actually, so Spring is already putting it off longer than I want.

Also, I'm considering maybe a 2 - 3 year old S4 instead. What vehicles should I look at and compare before making my final decision? Obvious to me would be C350, 335is, and ATS.

How much do you think the new A3 and S3 would be priced at?

The S4 is heavier than I'd like, and it appears Audi has done the new S3 right and shaved about 200 lbs from the current A3.

stickguy

well, the new A3 is going to be a 4 door not the hatch, so that will be different. Will be interesting to see what it resembles. I am guessing the last (2000-2005ish) 3 series sedan? The last Jetta?

ateixeira

Isn't this the new one?

http://youtu.be/GF6PDp1INEQ

Exterior looks handsome. Interior is textbook Audi, I just don't like the pop up Nav screen, it should be integrated.

Sandman6472

No way, no how. Would love to take the wife but can't. Insurance problems I guess. Yes, I do drive so many new vehicles and it's great actually!

The Sandman

mark156

Interesting that you mentioned the RR Ghost. I just sat in one last week as the 'nearby' dealership brought a RR Ghost, Bentley GTC and a Maserati conv. for display to introduce themselves to our local market. I wish that they had a Bentley Muslanne on show but they didn't bring one. The dealership is 200 miles from our town.

At our home in California, it's only about 9 miles away from the house. So, servicing is not an issue.

1,800 miles away at our main home, I'm a little bit leery of buying a car that will need servicing 200 miles away. They will pickup and deliver free under warranty (assuming as we didn't get that far in conversation).

If we decide on the Ghost, I would go for the LWB version. Buying a car like that, you need the rear seat room. One thing that worries me is that when you open a 'suicide door', it would be easier to bump the car next to you if they are too close. If you are going to use a Valet, no problem!

I think I would lean towards the Muslanne as I really like the performance of our GTC and the 'sportiness' of a Bentley. The 'upper-end' choices we have in our home town are:

Mercedes Benz
Jaguar
BMW
Audi
Porsche
Lexus
Infinity
Acura
Cadillac
Lincoln

Mark156

fintail

The Bentley sedan isn't bad - new coupes are a bit too roundy at front for me. I like the big old style Bentleys (Arnage etc) more though, and those can be had for not much today - maintenance has to be murder.

Can't buy a detached house in my zip code for 300K, but I could get an OK little condo. Probably a better use of funds than a quickly depreciating Anglo-Teutonic car.

Sandman6472

Got to drive a few of these on Sunday and was very impressed by them...I especially liked the nubby fabric on the '13 model which barely had 2k on the clock. The power for a 4 cylinder was quite fluid and the vehicle was super smooth, giving the accelerator just a slight amount of pressure produced peppy speed but it didn't snap my neck back...very fluid. I can see why these things are selling very briskly and definitely prefer this vehicle over the Toyota Camry, even more than the Buick Lacrosse I drove the same day! Am very curious to now drive a new Accord though I haven't seen a one yet on anyone's lot. There have been a few Civic's in Dollars fleet but not many. But I've heard from a friend who just bought a Sport model that it's the best vehicle on the planet and worth every penny they spent, and he said they spent north of $26k, a lot of $ for an Accord!

Have missed getting a genesis when we drive for Sixt but have heard they are just absolutely the nicest thing from the Hyundai stable. If the Sonata is any indication of how well their larger vehicles perform, it should be a real winner. And down here in South Florida, I do see plenty of them on the roads and from what I've read, the fun, quality etc. is a real outstanding bargain for the price of entry. It's also a very nice looking vehicle to boot, looks a bit Lexus ES to me and I have to assume that the ES is it's direct competition. And again, those sell briskly in my market with many Lexi dealers in the tri-county area. In reality though, MB, Lexus & BMW do very well down here with Lexus and BMW having the lions share of this luxo market...seems like so many men & women prefer these brands no matter what age. A bit to rich for my blood but doing a short term lease seems to be a good way to go especially a 2 year commitment. A fellow member in these forums has put that idea into my head for my next vehicle as it would definitely scratch that itch I have for something out of the box since I've always gone the econocar route. A 2 year lease would be long enough to satisfy that itch without breaking the bank and would be a heck of a lot of fun. And since I am super careful with my own vehicles and always do the proper maintenance, I am seriously considering this option come 2016 or 2017.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Mike, I passed your place today while driving home and thought about you and your new toy. One day soon, I'd really love to stop over and see the new arrival and possibly have you take me out for a spin. From pics I've seen online, it looks to be an exceptional vehicle and since I pass your development almost daily, it's not out of the way. I've never met anyone in person from these forums yet but it could be fun. I literally live no more than 10 minutes from your place and I think it would be fun. Just think about it as I know between your dad and your health issues, your plate is pretty full. But would be fun to finally meet you & see the new arrival at the same time.

Sandy,The Sandman

abacomike

" But would be fun to finally meet you & see the new arrival at the same time."

There is no reason not to meet - could stop off for some coffee and chat. I'm free most days for lunch, at least until May 14th, the day of my shoulder surgery. Be more than happy to meet you for a bite of lunch and jabber jaw for a while. Name the day, time and place to meet.

abacomike

"Interesting that you mentioned the RR Ghost"

One of my neighbors has a dark green Bentley Sedan ($230,000 model) so I see it every day. My preference is still the RR Ghost. The suicide doors are not a factor to me since we rarely have to use the back seat. Don't particularly care for their coupe or convertible Bentley's. I think my preference for the ghost deals strictly with style and stance.

Remember, VW or Audi and BMW are the manufacturers of these fine vehicles now and each has 80% German parts. There is still something about a well built car.

All AMG Mercedes vehicles have a certain amount of hand built features, like the engine. For the money, I personally prefer Mercedes over all the other luxury makes. I've owned Lexus (had lots of problems with them), BMW's (also lots of problems with them), Infiniti, Cadillac, Audi. The Mercedes vehicles had the fewest problems (I've owned 10 in the last 15 years).

rayainsw

I took a road trip last week. Drove from north of Atlanta to Orlando, then to St. Augustine and back.

The BMW ran perfectly – total just under 1,000 miles, in just over 2 days of actual driving.

Averaged 27 MPG – in 90+% highway driving, running at 65 to 77 MPH most of the time.
[ EPA highway rating = 24 MPG. ]

The driving was comfortable & efficient.
- Ray
Still feel that I am receiving fair value for the price paid . . .

mark156

Abacomike, we just wanted to look at something other than Mercedes as we've had one or more in the garage (one of us) since 1973. Currently, we have 3 aging Mercedes that really need to go.

Fin, if you don't spend the money on something frivolous, Uncle Sam will get it. Just going through that now with the passing of two relatives..... why give it to the gov. when you can have a garage filled with top-of-the-line cars?

M156

ateixeira

My dad was turning 70 and I told him, live it up! Why leave stuff for people to fight over? Spend it while you can enjoy it yourself.

We had a family reunion for his 70th birthday and had the time of our lives.

He got a loaded up 200 convertible shortly after that. His version of a "splurge". Nicest car he owned prior to that was a '72 Buick Electra.

fintail

That's right. Like they say, the best retirement plan is the one where the check to the undertaker bounces.

I don't like the idea of people wasting what I worked for, even if they are family. I picture my brother buying a jetboat or a rock crawler truck and my niece buying a pack of designer dogs, should I expire and they benefit. My money is mine to waste :shades:

Speaking of that, I see Ducati is waiving the first 5 payments on many bikes. Too bad their rates are so high - I can use a line of credit that I have and have no interest for 18 months or something, if I pay it off by then.

fintail

2013 Accords aren't in fleets yet, AFAIK. The previous style would pop up now and then, usually lower spec. Civics are also quite rare. Honda is a lot less into fleets than Toyota or Nissan.

I saw a basic 2013 Accord being offered for 20K - seems like a hell of a deal, even for a lowly LX car (but you still get wheels, backup cam, etc).

The higher line brands are doing well for what you mention - leases. If everyone had to finance them conventionally, sales would be far lower, as the leases usually have subsidies, so payments would be much higher. I wonder what percentage of each sells to leasers.

ateixeira

With DI and a 6 speed manual you wouldn't be bored, either.

I'm sure they're hoping to bait-and-switch customers to a CVT or even a higher line model.

fintail

I have no real desire for a manual here - hills and dense traffic remove all the fun. Maybe for a Sunday fun car, but an Accord isn't meant for that. The cheap one I saw was a CVT of course.

ateixeira

That's a good discount, then. I'm sure the fine print says add freight and $400 processing.

Still not bad.

stever

The Accord was the most considered car on Edmunds last week.

Top 3 brands were Toyota, Ford and Honda.

fintail

The 20K on this one was on a windshield tag - so I think that was it. MSRP was 23K, IIRC. Highest volume Honda dealer in the state, so they can probably afford to blow them out.

Unfortunately, I like cars with sunroofs and pleather-leather interiors, so up goes the price.

Sandman6472

Did more lot to lot today...moved 150 today and drove many mid sizers. Since I haven't driven the new Accord, I can not comment on it but the best vehicles in this class are the Altima and the Sonata/Optima twins followed closely by the Camry and the Fusion. The Altima has a fantastic seat fabric on the S model and has enough creature comforts for most with brisk acceleration. The CVT tranny is worlds better than the model it replaces. The Sonata and Optima are two vehicles that should be considered by anyone thinking of purchasing in this class. These two are quick, comfortable and affordable...now who could ask for anything more. I think Ford did an admirable job with the new Fusion and the interior is extremely nice but the driveabiltiy leaves me rather cold, it does everything well but gets lost in the crowd. Which leaves the old benchmark Camry...nice seat fabric and a great engine which never sounds over worked, at least on my travels, and I understand why it sells in the numbers it does...it's like one's comfy chair, driving it is just like coming home.

From what I've read and talking with a friend who bought a Sport model last month, it is the new benchmark in this class...it hits all the boxes and the CVT is supposed to be outstanding. Great gas mileage with a comfortable and ergonomic interior, I'm betting that it will dethrone the Camry as the best selling car in America this time next year. I am very anxious to try one very soon!

The Sandman

stever

Funny, I bet I haven't ridden in 150 different cars in the last 60 years.

kyfdx

I think I rode in that many, just in high school..