Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

ohenryx

One of the first two. The first one is at a dealer lot, if the 2nd one was being sold directly by the original owner, so that I could talk to him and possibly get service records, then I would go for the 2nd one.

Sandman6472

Beautiful automobile there though I still prefer the S40 size vehicle. Almost snagged a 2008 S40 back in the summer of 2009 but my mechanic, and wife, both talked me out of it...looking back, probably should of thrown caution to the wind and just done it as I still love that generation S40. My one neighbor has had a Volvo since the mid '80's and she loves them...had a S80 and now a S60 wagon in white, stunning vehicle. It's funny, whenever I see a pic of a really nice vehicle like that red S60, I get the itch and even picked up a couple of those used car rags at the supermarket the other day just to see what's out there. This one place has only lease turn backs and always has some interesting vehicles for not to bad prices...am tempted to just go take a ride one day and test drive a few...could be fun. That itch resurfaces every so often especially when I see a particularly nice vehicle and now that I do get to drive so many different makes and models, I could be persuaded to trade if all the variables line up!

Really need to get the wife squared away first and got a feeling if something else major crops up, she might just be ready sooner than the end of the year! This latest noise is getting to her now!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

First one I think. Has a clean CARFAX for what that's worth.

tjc78

First one for sure. It's really loaded up and looks nice. My mom had a 96 Thinderbird (same car) with the 3.8. It was a turd.

tifighter

So today I drove this 3er. I'm thinking about it. It is nearly how I would spec one; I know Roadburner wouldn't approve of x-drive, but I'm guessing I ski more than he does.

Sport pkg, nice color. Low miles. Full service history. No nav, my preference. Run-flats, boo. Shifter throws feel a little long. Dealer was very low-pressure. I wish it had the fold down rear seat or at least a ski pass-thru. But they did offer me more for the Miata than Q valued it on the trade-in thread, which was a nice surprise. And its CPO, so warranty thru 2016, subsidized interest rates, etc.

The price feels a little tall, but its a rare spec and the dealer knows it. Like I said, I'm thinking about it...

oldfarmer50

That's a nice car. Glad to see that Bimmers come in colors other than grey or black. Love to get the story on the previous owner who only drove less than 6k miles a year. If it was some old guy I'd jump on it. If it was a young kid who took it to the track and got it repossessed maybe not. :lemon:

kyfdx

One note.... I don't think the heated steering wheel is compatible with the sport package... that part might be wrong...

It sucks about the rear seats... but, that's pretty typical for BMW sedans.. (and our Infiniti, for that matter).

jayrider

If you really want the folding rear seats, tell the dealer to keep an eye out for one. If you are going to make a commitment to a 3 series -- get what you want. A little patience now can make a difference down the road.

roadburner

I suck the last seven digits of the VIN into the Online BMW VIN Decoder and it does how the car having a heated steering wheel. The only things I wouldn't like are the xDrive and the lack of either the Hi-Fi or H-K audio upgrades.

nyccarguy

My car has the base stereo and it is very weak. Heated steering wheels were available on SP equipped cars, but not ///M Sport Equipped cars.

Like all low mileage, stick shift equipped BMWs, the price just seems way too high. Let's take it to qbrozen and see what a car like that does at the auction. $6K less than its asking price?

rayainsw

I plugged my VIN in a while back.
Production date happened to be
1 day before MY birthday - in 2011.
- Ray
Picked up about 1 month later, in Munich ...

roadburner

2008 C-Class Sport mit der stick

tifighter

It definitely had the heated wheel, or at least the button for it.

What's funny is the G37x sedan rear seats do not fold as you note, but the seats in the coupe do.

tifighter

If you are going to make a commitment to a 3 series -- get what you want. A little patience now can make a difference down the road.

Good advice. I'm not totally set on a 3, but I've been keeping an eye out in seattle and the bay area since spring. This is only the 3rd xi I've seen with a stick, and the first with the sport pack. I'd love to find a not-black manual xi wagon w/sport, but we all know the odds of finding that...

I may break down and test drive a Golf R. Even though I know better.

fintail

That's a rarity. I 've read varying opinions of how good that unit is.

tifighter

Like all low mileage, stick shift equipped BMWs, the price just seems way too high.

I agree. The lowest stick xi I've seen was a CPO 10 non-sport with 42k miles; dealer was asking $28k.

Since moving back to the PNW from the bay area a few weeks ago, I've noticed that the market here is smaller and higher priced than SF. Then again, maybe that's why their trade number came in higher than I was expecting.

corvette

The stick shift is particularly unusual on a Merc. I thought you had a bad experience trying to purchase from that dealer?

roadburner

I thought you had a bad experience trying to purchase from that dealer?

I did with the New Car Sales Manager on the Mini side; if I was interested I'd find a salesperson in the M-B Pre-Owned showroom.

stickguy

I like that Benz. Miles are pretty steep though for a 2008. So not at that price.

I recall test driving a C class stick when they first game out in that newer body style. Early 2000s someplace I assume. Seem to recall it was not the nicest driving manual I had ever experienced.

stickguy

got a call this AM on my cell. Local number, so I answered. Turned out to be a salesguy from the local Volvo dealer, letting me know they were offering $550 or $1000 loyalty rebates to us loyal Volvo owners. And just wanted to make sure I got the Email about it! They really want to get me in there.

Need to wait and see what happens when the '14s start to show up. Will have to let me contact (who happens to own and run the place!) know that when they happen to need to lease one out for the deal of the century, to give me a call!

nyccarguy

How do you make a great car even better? Change the tires. These Michelins are quieter, smoother, and absorb unavoidable pot hole hits much better. They hook up quicker and have a higher limit of grip than the stock Continentals. I'm impressed! Now 2 of our 3 cars are riding on Michelins.

Sandman6472

Did a trip to Orlando and then a double run from Lauderdale to Miami yesterday and got to drive a 6 cylinder Jeep Wrangler Limited Sport up there with a busted top...it was open air driving the whole way up and luckily the rain quit for the 1st time in 3 days. Drove a newish Kia Soul back down and then a Town & Country and Sienna on the Miami runs. A long 12 hour day but was all over the place on different vehicles. The chase vehicle on the last run back to Lauderdale was a GLK 450 which I got stuck in the back seat for...really wanted to drive it to compare to the recent X3 and X5 that I drove a few weeks back. Luckily, we do work for Sixt pretty regularly so I'm sure to eventually get some seat time in one and hopefully it'll be for one of the longer trips we take...seems I just start to get comfortable on the Lauderdale to Miami or Miami to West Palm trips and then we're done. The best way to really get the feel for these vehicles is doing the Orlando or Tampa runs. Can't wait till we get into October so work will pick up...last check was only for 2 jobs and this week have only done 2. Ideally, I'd like to work every other day if not every day but I find my spine starts to really hurt after 4 or 5 days of continual driving...every other day seems to be the optimal mix for me so I get a decent check. Unfortunately we're in that famine mode right now with too many workers so the boss is trying to spread it around somewhat evenly though that gets hard sometimes as the grapevine has told me! It's funny how we all find out who worked and how many days but that's part of the game I guess. He knows that I'm free anytime and only have 1 obligation every 3 months that i can not miss but I'm flexible every other day no matter what time. All I know is right now, I wanna work! Those 2 + years in the house really showed me that I need to be out and about doing something I love and this job is it. And with the group of folks we have in place, the drama has disappeared...those few folks really seemed to upset the balance and with them pretty much gone, it's a much nicer and happier place to be. Right now...all is grand!!!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

nyccarguy

I'm really curious to hear some more in depth coverage of your drive in the Wrangler!

Sandman6472

I was very impressed overall with this model but it was nicely optioned with nice alloys and white letter tires, so much nicer than the Jeep mail vehicle I used to drive back in the early 80's! Not quite sure what extras the "Limited Sports" package adds but I'm thinking if one has the extra funds, it would be well spent on this package. What really surprised me the most was how smooth it drove on the turnpike with the top folded back. I tried first having no windows cracked and then all four cracked a bit and went with the latter. The truck had just over 10.6k on it and it tracked very straight with minimal steering correction needed...the tires looked brand new actually and a co-worker mentioned this very fact to me after we arrived at the Orlando airport location, an out parcel really. As I said earlier, being exposed to the elements had no no effect on the smoothness on any sort of road even a short bit of construction I encountered. I could really see having this as my daily driver if I needed such a large vehicle. The seats were pretty comfy and after almost 3 hours of driving with just a short stop to throw a few gallons in, my spine felt good enough where I got back into a Kia Soul for the return trip to Lauderdale.

Took a few minutes to acquaint myself with the switches and other stuff but everything fell to hand easily. Luckily the radio had an aux input so I could play my iPod and the sound quality wasn't that bad really as it did have tweeters on the upper dash...not a system for a true audiophile, but the music came through loud and clear and made the drive very enjoyable. The engine pulled nicely when I needed to pass any other vehicles though I used cruise most of the time and the brakes were top notch with a very linear pedal which installed total confidence...am betting that there was a 6 cylinder under the hood as it shifted very smoothly also with no distinct feeling of shift changes. The mirrors were excellent and having the top down gave me excellent visibility all around. I'd say on a scale of 1 to 10, this vehicle would rank a 9 as it was that good. I was a bit hesitant at first but within 5 minutes I knew I made the right choice in volunteering to drive it and like I said earlier, I could live with this Jeep on a daily basis for years to come, it just did everything right! And lastly, the gas mileage wasn't that bad and the only reason we put in 5 gallons was just for safety sake and that the other two drivers were already so far ahead that we didn't want to waste time running out of petrol. At this time we didn't know that there was going to be additional work added on to us...but I felt it was best to be cautious and get some petrol as my boss told me it was my decision.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

nyccarguy

Excellent & on point as always Sandy! Thank-you!

rayainsw

I had my 2011 BMW in for service on Saturday morning. I had a few local errands to run, so I requested a loaner. They gave me a 2013 328iX Sedan.

My impressions are [ obviously ] colored by nearly 2 years of driving my 335iS coupe. 6 cylinders, MSport, DCT, etc. I am also, clearly, NOT the target demographic for such a 3 series. Setting that aside, as best I can, here are my thoughts:

The car – mineral gray exterior [ ho hum ], black interior [ in Georgia? ], AWD \ Xdrive [ in Georgia? ] Premium & Technology Packages. No Sport package. Just over 2,000 miles. When I built one like it on the BMW web site, the MSRP looks like approx. $46.5K.

I don’t think I exceeded 65 mph, did not have any opportunity to hit a highway. The 4 cylinder provides what I’ll call ‘adequate’ acceleration. At least for someone actually interested in a car like this. It had the auto stop \ restart ‘feature’ – which I immediately turned off. The engine and 8-speed automatic trans. worked well together, in D or when I utilized Manual mode via the console shift lever. One issue I know I would have here is that there were no shift paddles on the steering wheel. I would certainly miss that – I use both methods in my car quite often, as circumstances dictate.

The NVH emanating from the engine compartment is probably not going to dissuade many who are shopping this vehicle. If they did not know it was not a 6 cylinder, most could not likely tell – and \ or would not care. It was certainly never loud, even when pushed past 4,000 RPM. OTOH, those sensitive to such things [ including me ] would almost certainly discern that the noise generated by the engine was ‘just noise’ – not the smooth & melodious 6-cylinder sounds I’ve known & appreciate. I even felt \ heard a low speed drone \ resonance at approx. 1,500 – 1,800 RPM in top gear [ 55 – 65 MPH ] that I think could be annoying. Not really loud, but irritating in quality – to me. Mine sounds & feels quite happy all the way down to below 1,000 RPM in any gear. And it sounds & feels better and better as RPM rise.

I did not find the ride luxurious by any stretch. Shod with 225/50 x 17 tires, I expected better. The steering was very light. [ Some will like that. ] But it provided very little feedback. I felt largely disconnected from the wheels.

The seats [ again, non Sport ] felt [ and are ] rather flat. I did not feel well supported, even in very moderate driving. I do not think I could live with these.

The HUD was a nice touch. Something I have had in a few vehicles, and I do miss occasionally. The sunroof shade now has a number of louvers at the leading edge. This allows the sunroof in vent position, without a strip of direct sunlight across the front of the opening. A nice touch.

The Ultimate Driving Machine? Not in the traditional BMW sense, I think.

- Ray
Just my 2¢ . . .

au1994

You hit on the reason I went with a 335 instead of another 328. It has to be the inline 6 to be a 3 series to me.

I have the sport line this time around and it was mostly to get the seats. I think they are great!

Steering feel is well documented here and elsewhere. I hope BMW gets the message and improves it over the life of this gen 3 series.

I think mine rides very well but have the 19in wheel pkg.

We must use the same dealer in the Atlanta area. I would guess that 80% of their 3 series inventory has black interior. I just do not understand that. My new one is coral red with black highlights and while still warm it loads better than my 328 coupe which was black on black.

stever

We had a good response earlier this month, but would like some more responses, if someone missed the other post.

A reporter would like to speak to a recent new car buyer who is 60 years old or older, and who plans to buy more vehicles in the future for a story about how Baby Boomers are driving the car market. If you are an older Baby Boomer and you would like to share your story, please send your daytime contact information to PR@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, 7/24/13 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

nyccarguy

With 38K + on the Pilot's clock it's time for our annual family vacation. Tomorrow AM we're heading from our house in CT to Philadelphia, then to our nation's capital until Friday, then on to Charlotte, NC until Wednesday.

I cleaned the Pilot inside & out, top to bottom on Saturday after work. Filled 'er up with 87 this afternoon & just finished packing up. Strapped the DVD players to the headrests & we will be ready to Rock N Roll tomorrow AM.

Prelude will occupy the garage while we're gone & my BMW will stand in the driveway on guard;)

tifighter

As noted last week, I've been thinking about that montego blue 328. Another one has surfaced locally. 2011 xDrive sedan, 6MT with sport package, 18k miles. Alpine white with black leather. CPO, one year newer so more warranty and has the folding rear seat the 10 lacked. No idrive, which is my preference. It also has the upgraded audio. But no xenons. Asking $31.8k. A bit more than the blue one, but it is newer. I may try to go take a look tomorrow.

stickguy

enjoy the trip. and don't forget to wave when you are near Cherry hill (exit 32 on 295 will do!)

stickguy

you managed to find one that combines my least favorite exterior color, with my least favorite interior. Other than that, a nicely equipped car that I could force myself to drive, if someone would be so kind as to buy it for me.

stickguy

had some time to kill today (hey an afternoon with no conference calls, and lite on the email, had to do something, right?). So my daughter wanted to wash Roberto (the Volvo) because it was quite dirty, and windows hard to see out of. so, got that done with her help. So that got me in the mood, so I finally tackled the horribleness that was the TL after a couple of years parked outside, under trees. felt like sandpaper, and the windows were practically opaque.

So, for the first time, I bought a clay bar kit. After a wash (that alone made a big difference) (and worked up quite a sweat) I put it in the garage to cool off. Then I clayed it (surprisingly quick and easy), which made a huge difference getting the grit off. Then a nice coat of mcgwires cleaner wax, and it is shinier and smoother than since before I bought it. Even vacuumed it out (no clue last time that happened!) so it is as nice as it is ever going to be at this point.

The enabling part? My wife (unprompted) this evening mentioned that she was looking at the companies benefits site (found a Hertz discount), and discovered that there is a discount program for Volvo (and a few others). Not sure she should have been telling me that, but hey, she started it!

akangl

Hubby and I have come to the conclusion that Chippy probably needs to go. He said looking at it realistically the truck is not what we need, it's expensive to drive/maintain, and not at all practical. He wants to get himself a decent 1/2 ton truck that he can take hunting, take the dog to the lake, haul trash, and whatever else. He won't do any of that with Chippy, he says she's just too nice of a truck.

So he sent me looking yesterday. We plan on leasing since I don't drive much and we like to have one car under warranty. I figured if I could find something that wowed me I would think about it. Looked at the BMW X5, really liked it but there was small things I didn't like, the dash, the $1700 option just to get the 3rd row seat, but it was nice. Next was the Audi Q7, condescending sales guy and a very minivan looking SUV had me leaving in under 2 mins without a test drive. Volvo XC90 was nice but felt lethargic and dated. Skipped the Mazda since I already know I don't like it, nissan had nothing I wanted. Drove a '14 Acura MDX, very nice car, sporty feeling and lots of power, but the ride was a bit firmer than I expected. Glanced at the Hyundai Santa Fe since son likes his Hyundai, yeah, that glance lasted about a minute. Last I decided to stop by Toyota, ended up driving a Highlander, oddly enough I really liked it. It was pleasant, comfortable, rode nice, and was well, a Toyota. Did any of them wow me enough? Honesty, I don't know, Chippy is still in the garage and I'm not jumping to sign a lease, time will tell I guess.

Yes I love my truck, but to use a 3/4 ton diesel as a glorified car is pretty silly, not to mention expensive. Hubby really wants his own truck but he knows that wont happen while Chippy is here since I can't justify 2 trucks.

On another note, we received the title to the Focus in the mail from Ford motor credit, that's a nice feeling.

tjc78

Wave again at exit 28! Enjoy the trip. Hit up Tony Luke's (front and oregon) for some good sandwiches or DiNics in the Reading Terminal Market (12th and arch) for a Roast Pork Italian!

michaellno

stick - good on ya for getting after the TL. Perhaps in preparation for a sale?

The company I work for also has discounts for purchasing cars - GM, Ford, Chrysler, Audi, MB and Volvo.

ak - selling Chippy? I need to go back a few weeks and find the post where you proclaimed that you weren't going to do that.

stickguy

Ak has been known to change her mind on occasion, so are you really surprised?

I would be happy to sell the TL now (before something else goes!) and after the detail, it would probably be even easier. Still a lot of nicks and scratches, but it looks pretty good for it's age. And only about 30 miles short of 170,000 now! Alas, spending the money at the moment does not make sense, but if they kid gets a real job (he has a temp one lined up starting in September for decent money, but only 3 miles from the house, so not really justifying a car in his name) it will happen quick.

one problem with getting rid of the TL? I have my 17yo assigned to it for insurance purposes, so if we replace it with a new car, we will have only full coverage ones so rates will go way up/

xwesx

I'm starting to think that Steve (was it Steve) may actually be an Oracle. Hahahaha.

You were just all over the place in your looking, which tells me you aren't *really* looking yet. :P Some attachments are hard to separate.

breld

Both nice cars - having the folding rear seat and extra year warranty for about the same price, this white one seems like a good choice as long as you like the color. I've had white on black before (a Passat) - it may not be exciting, but it's a clean, sporty look.

If neither really fits the bill, maybe you should just be a bit patient. I mean, you found two sport package manual 328s in one week. Others will pop up if you have the time.

breld

Out of curiousity, I did some searches for used FR-S's and BRZs. There's a reasonable selection out there, which I attribute to the potentially impulsive nature of such a purchase.

They're not terribly expensive to begin with (especially the Scions), so even with nominal depreciation, there are several listed around $22k or so. I wonder how long before they're into the teens - at that price, I'd be tempted to buy one and enjoy it for a little while.

Has anyone driven one of these yet?

stickguy

I never drove one, but sat in a few times. A bit too confined (seats) for me at this point. And I know my wife would hate it!

Plus no moonroof. Of course that is a deal breaker!

stever

There's one in the fleet. It was cruising around Utah at last report.

tifighter

Good points.

I actually like the white just fine, so that's not a big issue for me. Its a last-year manual E90 with sport pack, no idrive with a folding rear seat. No major complaints here.

akangl

You were just all over the place in your looking, which tells me you aren't *really* looking yet. Some attachments are hard to separate.

You're right on both points. My heart isn't into it but reality is hubby's right, it makes no sense to keep Chippy. I will admit that maneuvering and parking an SUV is so much easier, but I've grown used to having to plan my parking with Chippy. Haven't had this hard of a time punching my CCBA card in years. I told hubby that we have lots of time since I'm not due until January. So maybe sometime between now and next summer I'll find a way to part with my truck. :sick:

Kirstie_H

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+edmunds/posts/CMK35ZmphMB

akangl

ak - selling Chippy? I need to go back a few weeks and find the post where you proclaimed that you weren't going to do that.

I hadn't planned on it, I'd really like to keep it, but its costing an arm and a leg to drive as a glorified car. I wish I could make it more practical. This reminds me of when hubby had to sell his dually, he certainly didn't want to and agonized, changed his mind, and finally gave in to reality. :sick:

stickguy

Reality bites.

at least, that has usually been my experience!

akangl

Reality bites.

at least, that has usually been my experience!

Sadly it does. Hubby likes the look of the Highlander and the lease deal. I like the Highlander, it reminds me a lot of my 07 Pilot. We'll see, I told him I'm in no hurry. He wants a truck of his own so is encouraging me to let Chippy go. :sick:

tjc78

The Highlander is a nice SUV. Roomy, drives nice and rides fairly well. The Toyota 2GR V6 is in IMO one the best V6s out there today. Very smooth and loves to rev.

stickguy

wife and I drove one last year when we were looking. She drove, I rode (I only bothered to drive if she liked it). She did not care for it all that much. Felt very big, bulky and "truckish". of course, Jolie coming out of a massive PU would probably think it felt like a sports car...

was very roomy and comfortable though. Lousy MPG ratings I think.

but the lease deals seem strong, so that is important.