Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

ateixeira

I was hiding behind 180 new computers, 148 tablets, and 85 smart phones that I deployed this summer.

Exhausting.

On the bright side, I got a new everything, including a Galaxy S4. Had an iPhone 5 for a short period, but traded, and now I'm thinking about trading that for a Note 3.

One cool thing about working my tail off is that I have to learn everything in order to support it. So more work, but more toys for me. :shades:

stever

All this time I assumed you were at the beach and had completely unplugged. I kept checking Helmet Head's FB page to make sure you weren't swimming with the fishes. :-)

stickguy

We can plan together next summer on the cheap lease plan, since with any luck, I might be able to pull that off too.

my problem is, I will actually be in position to get damned near anything. Convertible, pick up, 2 seater, you name it. Just needs an AT and be something I could let my daughter drive when she is home from college.

breld

Not sure if anyone else is interested, but I was anxious to hear the pricing on the accord hybrid (non-plugin). Available in EX, EX-L and touring trim levels, the pricing starts at just under $30k, and goes up to about $35k.

Nice, comfortable, roomy sedan getting 50 mpg on the highway? I like it! It'll be interesting to see if Honda achieves those EPA ratings (unlike Ford with its Fusion).

Of course, the regular accord does pretty well for mileage, so is the premium for the hybrid worth it? I see a spreadsheet in my future!

28firefighter

Deals pending - C30 should be gone Sunday, new car pending shortly before or after.

Anyone want to try and guess what I am ending up with? I've been all over the place, so this should be interesting.

stickguy

I was going to guess VW. Jetta GLI? Or a GTI?

or maybe an S60.

damn, at this point, I can't remember what your criteria was, and why you are getting rid of a low mile C30. Other than, of course, because you can!

nyccarguy

You are so a candidate for a Jeep Wrangler

nyccarguy

As long as I can get it with those 18" Sport wheels, dual exhaust, & a lip spoiler I'm game:). $30K MSRP Accord buys you a delicious V6 (w/o NAV) though that still gets respectable gas mileage (especially for the power it puts out).

nyccarguy

I'm with stick - GTI

28firefighter

I could come up with reasons as to why - but mostly that I've had it almost 3 years and I've got the itch, and its not a terrible decision financially.

It is a VW, neither a GLI nor a GTI.

nyccarguy

Golf TDI

rayainsw

Passat?
- Ray
Had one - 10 years ago - nice car.....

Sandman6472

I bought something...a '14 Mac Pro computer...my kid has it at her place and is transferring my few files over to it from my p c. It was time to replace and decided to go Apple this time since she bought one and we had bought our son one years ago...well, he just sent us the bill for it so technically I did buy it. So far, it is great and can't wait to get it home and really have some fun with it!

Also, decided to have eye surgery in a couple of weeks to correct my vision. I am myopic in that I see near out of my left eye and distance from my right. Can't do contacts and tired of glasses as the vision isn't that great truthfully...saw a story in the paper about my condition and how this guy can cure it so I went yesterday...walked out with an appointment scheduled. Now all I have to do is pay for it...insurance won't cover much but I am willing to cover the rest to get almost perfect vision. They even have a service to pick me up and deposit me back home which I signed up for so I can spare the family and they can help me when I get home though the doc said I should be able to go back to work the next day! Let my boss know which day not to schedule me and am doing this before things really kick in. Pretty excited and have no reservations at all and all I need to do is convince the other half who is skeptical right now! I sure saw this coming!

The Sandman

stever

near out of my left eye and distance from my right

A lot of people do that intentionally. Monovision. I did that for a while with contacts and my wife is naturally that way. Now I have a movable lens after doing my cataracts. You should enjoy a better depth of field after getting this procedure done though.

28firefighter

Getting warmer.

au1994

Passat CC?

corvette

I don't think they're referring to the base hybrid as an EX. It seems to have a blend of equipment from the LX and EX (no sunroof, but has the Lanewatch camera).

corvette

I love my Macs... On the other hand, the new iPhone 5S was kind of a disappointment in terms of having a small screen, which is why I ordered an Android this time around.

nyccarguy

He got a Tiguan

breld

I love my Apple products too. I have a pretty old MacBook pro that's held up nicely, my wife has an iMac, my stepdaughter has a MacBook, we all have iPhones, and my wife and I have become inseparable from our iPad Minis.

breld

So, is it the Tiguan, or is that still a guess?

We've mentioned most of the VW line at this point. Perhaps an EOS?

Wait, I know, I know - a nice, lightly used Eurovan.

rayainsw

Golf R?

breld

You would think the opposite would happen when you purchase a car, but much of the time, for me, making a purchase just fuels the whole thing and I can't stop looking for the next thing.

It wears off, but I think it takes a while for me to come off the "high" (hey, no Colorado jokes) of buying a car. I was eyeing a seemingly well-priced, slightly used Elantra GT; I was out test driving an Accord Sport last week; I like our "new" E46 so much I've been checking listings for a 325xi... It never ends.

For quite awhile now I've really been wanting a practical, high MPG car for all my commuting. That's my plan for next year - the E46 'vert was just a fun way to scratch the itch until then. But I end up with all these toys (other than the van), and I don't want to give any of them up.

Here's my latest idea - once my stepdaughter gets more accomplished at driving, I can pass off the 330ci to her and trade in the Veloster for my practical car of choice. She's happy, I get to keep all the BMWs in the family, and I still get my practical commuting car. Worked well with the 530i, which resides at my in-laws!

So, that's my current obsession - Accord, Golf TDI, Mazda3, Mazda6. Oh, and I really want another GTI at some point.

Thanks for allowing me to vent. It's good therapy.

breld

You're right - I forgot the EX comes with a sunroof but the "base" hybrid does not. From what I could see, not even counting the sunroof, there's a premium of about $3,500 for the hybrid.

For the mileage I drive, comparing the combined EPA rating of the I-4 CVT Accord to the Hybrid, I'd save about $900 per year. That's pretty significant and could almost make sense (well, for those people who keep their cars for a long time).

But that's comparing the MSRP of an EX vs. the base Hybrid. Like nyc, I like that Sport model a lot, and then we're talking more like a $5k difference just in MSRP - probably more with street price.

For a lot of buyers, the hybrid will bring bragging rights for the 50 mpg (it does have a nice ring to it), but the mileage on the non-hybrids are pretty darn good these days.

stever

Meanwhile, gas is under $3 a gallon in parts of South Carolina and getting close in TN, TX and AZ.

So buy now, wait for the inevitable gas price bump and then flip it. Profit. :-)

tifighter

FWIW, I'm easily beating the EPA combined number with my 4 cyl Accord, and its not at all broken in yet. Even in heavy stop and go, I don't think I'd see the 30 mpg the EPA lists unless I cranked the A/C to max and floored it a lot.

When I have to go into the office, its nearly 30 miles 95% freeway and I see 40mpg avg for the drive, including morning engine warm-up, regularly. 36-37 on the return trip, but the afternoon traffic is much, much heavier.

nyccarguy

Good to see you are happy with the gas mileage, how bout the rest of the car. What do you love? Are you disappointed with anything so far?

qbrozen

I find it hard to believe there are so many mentions of the Accord around here.

But, I guess I should consider that I made that mistake once myself, so we're probably all bound to make the same mistake.

stickguy

I liked my quite a bit. And do think the new model is sharp looking. But I highly doubt my needs will ever again be such that I need a car like that.

stickguy

I seem to have a problem. Now that I can (finally!) pretty much get anything I want (well, next summer I guess), I can't come close to deciding what to do. In the past, there were always enough parameters to seriously shrink the list of possibilities.

now, I go not only car to car, but class to class. Compact pick up? Wrangler? Mustang? Today's fixation, a Z4? Some "normal" car on a cheap cheap lease?

I may never be able to figure it out (though my likely lack of budget might help with that). About the only real criteria for this one is an AT, and something I am willing to let my daughter drive when she is home (but won't be going to the HS, AKA dent and scratch central, by then!).

Bradd might be right. A 2 door Wrangler could be a fun option. But man, a Z4...

rayainsw

Preface: I did not select the GTI expecting hypermileage.
I did expect a substantial increase over the BMW.

The EPA rates the GTI w/DSG at 24 MPG City & 33 Highway.

Assuming a 50/50 split, I would expect something like 28.5 MPG.
I actually do drive in [ way too much ] heavy traffic, with looong stoplight ‘city’ traffic. Commuting in and out of midtown Atlanta, stop & slow, running errands, etc. Though I do also typically run a ‘speed limit plus’ drive in to work most mornings – about 20 miles of Interstate @ 65 to 75 MPH – arriving at the office by 6:15 or so. When I fill the tank at Quik Trip, after driving a couple of miles from my house, and jump on the Interstate for that 20 mile drive, the trip computer now shows 38 MPG when I exit. And it has been reading about one to 1.5 MPG high compared with Excel calculation.

Now that I am past break-in [ at 2,500+ miles ] my average over the past few fills has settled in to [ drum roll, please ]
28.5 MPG.

Humph. Acceptable. Way better than the BMW.

- Ray
Not quite 4 cylinder Accord MPG, but OK with me . . .

nyccarguy

Under $3/gallon? It is still just OVER $4/gallon in CT. I filled up the BMW at Costco yesterday @ $3.999/gallon (93 Octane) which is in NY on my way home.

I drove very conservatively last week & got 351 miles out of the tank of gas. It lasted me from Tuesday through Monday, so not quite a whole week. Set my cruise at 65, shut the car off at long traffic lights (BMW says to do this in the owner's manual). Most of the week the OBC had the MPG up over the 24 mark, but I sat in some heavy traffic driving across town from my job to Yankee Stadium on Friday night. 22.2 mpg according to my fuelly dashboard.

nyccarguy

Impressive indeed! Glad you are loving your GTI!

stickguy

When I was in SC last month, I was shocked to see gas cheaper than NJ.

and last week in NY (Rockland, and just over the Jersey line) it was something crazy like $4.39 for regular. I guess they know only people not paying attention don't jump over to Montvale, so they might as well soak them good!

nyccarguy

How's your Mom, BTW??

Gas in Rockland is very expensive, about the same price as lower Fairfield County, CT. My parents & my sister (Rockland residents) ALWAYS buy Jersey Gas. Dad stops on Route 46 right over the GW bridge on his was home from work. My Mom always seems to be in Paramus Park or Garden State plaza at least once per week. My sister makes it a point to go to Montvale for gas too.

ateixeira

Accord got my attention and I hadn't looked at sedans in years. This is Honda's gigantic apology for their weaker recent efforts, and I feel like they overcompensated.

Bummer they priced the hybrid so high, though. Competitors are closer to $27k. Fusion's tiny gas tank doesn't offer the range I'd like, and it's not meeting MPG forecasts. I figured the Accord would be more fun than the Camry, but for $3k more? Ouch.

Not that I'm really looking, but I'm always window shopping.

tifighter

how bout the rest of the car. What do you love? Are you disappointed with anything so far?

Pros : Comfort is very good. Bottom seat cushions are longer than the ones in my Acura, which as a taller guy, I prefer. Ride quality/handling compromise is good, a sportier tire would improve ultimate grip, but the eco tires also help get the impressive mileage. I think the road noise is well isolated, but I'm coming from a Miata, not a Buick. Unlike most new designs, you can actually see out of it. The CVT is a winner; the first and only one I've ever gotten along with and found responsive. I thought I'd miss paddle shifters, but this transmission doesn't need them. The car feels quick; I don't see the need for the V6 for me. Infotainment system has a lot of features and flexibility. I like the lanewatch and forward collision systems, both seem well implemented. Love the smart key. Range - some people on the Accord forums are seeing 700 mile range on highway trips, which is really impressive.

Cons : lane departure seems random, I shut it off. Infotainment system has a steep learning curve, and sometimes gets tripped up between sources. Example, if I'm connected via USB and Bluetooth and select Pandora, it hangs up for a minute. If I then select FM, then switch right back to Pandora, then it connects instantly. Weird. Stereo only average, and this is the upgraded one. Moonroof cover is flimsy. Back seats should really fold 60/40.

Other cars I looked at - Mazda6 (post 33298), Passat and CPO 328. 6 looks outstanding, has a sluggish transmission, and was over $3k more to buy, and I qualified for mazda loyalty. Inventory is scarce and the dealers are proud of them. Passat TDI / DSG combo didn't work for me as I've written before. But there were deals to be had. CPO 328...you know all about this one. In the end, $30k for a a sport pkg car that would be out of B2B warr in 2 or 3 years and be 5 years old felt like a bad call for a daily driver. Prices in the PNW market are high...your prices will likely be lower.

ateixeira

Remind me, EX CVT? How much?

700 miles sounds great. And we're not even talking about the hybrid.

I've been so happy with my smart phone that I may not need much tech in my next car. Just a vent mount.

tifighter

Bought the car near the beginning of Aug, fuelly shows avg price per gallon at $3.82 on 4 fills for an avg cost per mile in the 11 cent range.

tifighter

Remind me, EX CVT? How much?

EXL. I likes me the leathery bun warmers and seat memory. $26k but the prices paid guys are doing better. Of particular interest to you, I got $16k trade on the Miata, which felt pretty strong to me. Having been back in the PNW now for a few months, I'm still surprised how much higher car prices here vs the bay area. At least it makes for a strong trade market.

ateixeira

Even the base LX has an 8" backup screen and alloys standard. Honda got it right this time. Or they re-contented, to put it another way.

stickguy

I lived in PR for 6 years when I was old enough to have my own car, and probably bought gas in town once. The shell station just over the border? that was always packed.

Thanks for asking about my mom. Still in ICU, trying to get stable. still crossing our fingers.

nyccarguy

So I blurted out some cars on my short list for when my BMW lease is up the other day. I came up with some sticker prices & invoice costs (which I hope to be paying a bit less than). All models are 2014 with auto trans

Honda Accord Sport - $25,305 $23,225
Honda Accord EX - $26,470 $24,288
Passat TDI SE w/ sunroof - $29,115 $27,955
Jetta TDI Premium - $$26,775 $25,737
VW Golf TDI - $27,120 $26,068
VW GTI - $27,015 $25,967

roadburner

28.5 MPG

That's about what my Mazdaspeed 3 averages. I think that is a perfectly acceptable number- especially when you consider the level of performance both hot hatches deliver.

28firefighter

The winner is a CC. VW released an insane amount of lease cash for the month of september - $5000 lease cash + massive manufacturer to dealer incentives.

I'll give you the details when the deal is signed, but I just put a deposit down an hour ago.

kyfdx

I would pick any of those VWs over either Honda...

tifighter

Congrats!

We've got to get those punches up if we are going to hit my number...

corvette

"Back seats should really fold 60/40."

This is one of those goofy Honda quirks that just won't go away. I guess you have to upgrade to one of the SUVs or downgrade to a Civic to get a split folding rear seat!

Another goofy quirk: The Nissan Altima (current generation, as well as the last generation [which I owned]) doesn't offer a grab handle above the driver's door. The Murano does. I'm not sure about other Nissans. It's very nice to have on a long trip to stretch your arms.

jayrider

By keeping your options open, you were able to find the super deal at the right time. Good lesson here. make a list and look for the best deal on the list. Timing is everything as well as knowing the facts. You have been talking about a new ride for a while -- your patience has paid off. Congrats !

breld

Wow! Your real world gas mileage on the Accord makes it that much more difficult to justify the hybrid. Interesting indeed.