Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

I can certainly appreciate you may be in the mood for something different when your lease is up, but for $25k, a CPO 328xi may be perfect - and may have a longer warranty than a new Honda.

And by the way, I for one don't get tired of your ramblings - it's gonna be fun hearing of your journey toward an eventual purchase.

28firefighter

Agreed - don't stop the ramblings!

Sandman6472

Yes, and they are pretty severe at times but I love the look of the new Mini and want something totally not me. I'm sure I'll be changing my preferences a bunch of times before now and when I do eventually purchase. Logically i know that an econobox is the prudent thing to do and the wife agrees but the car lover in me wants more and I think I can make everyone happy with my eventual choice but I've still got a few years here, as I just rolled over to 45k this week. Hopefully my job will keep going strong, though with the lack of work lately I am a bit scared, and I'll be able to keep driving these cool vehicles so I will know exactly what I want...and can afford!

But I always have to keep my spinal issues in the equation as I need a vehicle I can get into and actually drive!

The Sandman

rayainsw

ohenryx

I assume this is some sort of spoof? My first thought was spam, advertising of the worst sort, but after actually reading the two posts, I think it is some sort of spoof.

stever

Just good old spam.

laurasdada

In my travels yesterday, did a lap of the local Cadillac dealer. See if the '14 CTS was on the lot. Didn't see one, but I did see:

XTS with the "Presidential Package!:" Black car, complete fake convertible roof (four door, with sunroof) and gold emblems and pinstriping! Guess Obama's coming to town to buy this? I mean, this car is obviously not for the hoi poloi, as the windshield was wildly and colorfully marked noting its Presidential Pkg!

There are flames on my BMW!

Of course, no offense meant to those of you who may find this a worthy option...

ohenryx

Are you, perchance, in Florida? I would think most of the potential customers for this "fake convertible roof" would be in Florida.

Obligatory disclaimer: No offense intended, of course. (smile)

laurasdada

No, Florida North: South Suburban Boston. You know, home of the Red Sox and (according to some, worst ever) 4-0 Patriots! But, better to be a bad 4-0 than a really, really good 0-4!

nyccarguy

There's an "Auto Shopper" Insert in today's NY Post. A BMW dealer on Long Island is advertising some interesting cars that might catch my eye if I'm in the market say... less than a year from now:

2011 328xi 18K miles $27,997
2011 328xi 25K miles $28,444
2011 335xi 29K miles $31,997

I'm sure if I focus my efforts the CPO route, I'll be able to buy a 2011 with 1/2 or less than 1/2 the (50K) miles my car will have CPO for less than my car's buyout.

stickguy

well, I am a Giant's fan, so I know what a really bad 0-4 team looks like.

and hey, Caddy had to produce something for the traditional buyer. Like Lemko.

stickguy

I just have trouble thinking of spending that much money on a 3 MY old car. Just seems like if I am blowing that much coin, I should be getting brand spanking new!

tifighter

I just have trouble thinking of spending that much money on a 3 MY old car. Just seems like if I am blowing that much coin, I should be getting brand spanking new!

I agree. You'll get 2, maybe 3 years of warranty tops, on something that can cost a lot once you are out of warranty.

nyccarguy

Stick, I'm with you brotha. Between the Yanks not making the playoffs & the Giants playing dreadfully, it is a rough time of year to be a NY Sports fan.

stickguy

well, you did mention the one positive. I'll let you guess what that means (but I share something with Fezo).

nyccarguy

While yes a 2011 will be 3 MY old in 2014, the cars' inservice dates will be only around 2 1/2 years old with between 20 & 30K miles. Worst case scenerio is I'm looking at a car with 30,000 miles which would give me only 1 year of b2b warranty/free maintenance (I'd hit 50K at this point). Then I'd be covered under the CPO warranty for another 2 1/2 years after that (at which point I'd be at 100K). So I'm actually getting more warranty coverage than if I buy the BMW new (2 1/2 years).

Yes, spending between $25K & $30K on a used car is not something I've done in the past & will have to get comfortable with (Roadburner, kyfdx, & breld have gotten some great CPO BMWs). Just remember, a new 335xi had a sticker price of well over. $50K when new.

Michaell

J E T S!

Here in Bronco-land, we're all worried that the hype of the offense wii cause them to score only 30 points against the Cowboys on Sunday.

And, will they cover the likely 25-28 point spread against the Jaguars the week after next.

tifighter

Just remember, a new 335xi had a sticker price of well over. $50K when new.

Sure, I get that. Which means you get to pay for issues on a $50k car in 2 or 3 years out of pocket. But I'm conservative; I won't take out a car loan over 3 years either.

ateixeira

I bet GM cringes when they see stuff like that. They're trying very hard to shed that image, the CTS' early reviews peg it at the sporty end of that segment, and they love the ATS.

XTS is more traditional Cadillac, though.

nyccarguy

Point taken. I've also got to weigh the fact that I'll be making loan payments on a car with over 100,000 miles at some point. Again, let's use 30K as a mile benchmark.

End of:

Year 1 - 50,000 miles
Year 2 - 70,000 miles
Year 3 - 90,000 miles
Year 4 - 110,000 miles
Year 5 - 130,000 miles

Now I've still got 2 1/2 years left on the Pilot Loan to pay off. So after that, I'll hopefully be able to pay off whatever car I get next quicker than 5 years.

I don't mind taking out a 5 year loan, since interest rates are so low.

fintail

Dealer franchises should be threatened with revocation for such stuff.

ateixeira

Maybe don't provide any -V models to them.

corvette

"I don't mind taking out a 5 year loan, since interest rates are so low."

Ditto. If you trade in a paid off car (like I did), you probably won't have negative equity at any point, either. I used to abhor debt, but see little reason to scramble to pay off a modest student loan at around 3% and a car note at 1.99%.

fintail

There has to be a way for GM to take action - if GM really cares at all. I am sure the head beancounter still believes "a sale is a sale".

ateixeira

Denying the performance vehicles seems fair and prudent.

breld

Obviously I'm all for buying these CPO cars. From the cost perspective, I think depreciation is a significant factor. You can spend $25k on a 2-3 year old BMW or a brand new Accord - the depreciation over the next 2-3 years should be less on the used car than the new one, assuming you buy it right.

Now, Hondas hold their value so well that may not be a big difference, but it's certainly something to consider in the purchase decision.

The maintenance cost is another matter - again, a good independent mechanic makes all the difference in the world.

breld

Okay, I'm a bit sheepish about this, but if I can't be honest in this forum, where could I? :P

My wife and I hate the Veloster.

Well, hate may be a bit strong, but it's not far from the truth.

It's stylish and has nice features, particularly for a base car. But...

It rides really rough on not-so-perfect roads, the blind spots are pretty bad, some of it's tech features are buggy, and the transmission and engine don't play well together, to the point that it's disconcerting at times. Most of this I should've uncovered during the test drive, but, well, I didn't.

So, yes, we may actually consider a replacement. Fortunately, we got a good price on it - kbb trade (FWIW) is within hundreds of what we bought it for. So, other than a little embarrassment, the financial hit may be minimal.

Candidates? Civic, Mazda3, Jetta, ???? - probably used/CPO unless an amazing deal were to be had on new. Suggestions welcome.

I know it's flaky - be kind.

stickguy

remind me, but wasn't the Hyundai supposed to be for one of the kids to use? If so, let them keep it. You have what, 75 cars? Just drive something else.

OK< now that we got that nonsense out of the way, you probably won't like anything else, but at least supply criteria. Who is going to drive this, and in what type of use?

my feelings off your list is the 3. did not like the Jetta, and the Civic is too cheap. The Mazda has the best shot of making you happy.

qbrozen

criteria would definitely help. I guess if you bought a Veloster, you weren't terribly concerned with interior space. I worry, however, that your complaint about the ride quality will apply to pretty much any economy car.

I couldn't suggest a current gen Jetta, but maybe a previous gen CPO? Or go with a Golf, which hasn't suffered the cost cutting that the Jetta has. The VW ride and build quality really is above the standard econocar fare.

stickguy

I have thought about getting a golf for myself when it is time. always like them, and it really fits my needs (well, what I think they are) perfectly. And if they end up with the 1.8T engine instead of the 5 cyl dog, even better!

Michaell

While we're all about the punches here, let me see if I've got the history right.

This is the second car you've bought for your daughter (who doesn't get her license until next spring) that you're going to get rid of - the VW Beetle being the first.

Can you be a member of CCBA and not have a license? Sheesh.

With that said, what criteria do you have for the replacement? 2 doors or 4? Automatic? Size? Budget?

We all stand ready to help you spend your money.

And, I'll be curious if you get close to KBB value on the trade. I'm hearing that more and more dealers are chopping values on the trade to make up for the skinny deals on the new car sale.

breld

Well yes, that Veloster is for my step-daughter, who gets her license in March. So, my wife and I are certainly trying to keep in mind that it's not for our needs. The rough ride is really not a big deal for the short commuting she will be doing, but the blind spots and hesitation issues give me a little concern from a safety perspective (I'm fully aware that stinks of justification, though there is at least some validity to it).

I've generally had good luck getting at or near KBB for trade offers by shopping around enough (and obviously I make sure the price on the purchased car is in line as well). If it was too out of whack I just wouldn't do anything.

So, 2 or 4 doors, but would probably prefer 4. Something compact so it's easier to handle for a young driver. Automatic definitely. Budget of around $16k or so.

breld

I drove a '13 Civic over lunch earlier and thought it was pretty nice. Has anyone driven the '12 versus the '13? I know they made a host of improvements for '13, but there seem to be good deals on slightly used '12's.

My wife keeps on sending me listings like this:

28firefighters old ride

I don't think she saw it is a manual (rare as it is).

I kinda like this one for the price:

'09 Jetta

We had a Jetta of that era - nice car. Low miles. TDI issues back then?

jayrider

A great car for a 16 year old would be a used Honda Insight. Nice and roomy -- great mpg--safe--a bit slow and used ones can be had for 12k. She can always drive on of you better drives from time to time.

suydam

I have to say for a 16 year old big, old, and slow. Used Camry or Buick is perfect. Small compact, not such a great idea. Something you don't care if it gets dinged in a high school parking lot by another 16 year old. Now if you want it for yourself too, that's another story.

breld

Well, an Insight certainly is a good suggestion, but we did have one and didn't care much for it. Good buys on the used market though.

Sandman6472

And we're just the opposite...we hate debt of any kind, period! To give an example...I was myopic until yesterday when I had eye surgery in my left one to get rid of the problem. Still not back to normal but getting better 36 hours out. Was offered 0% financing or putting the charge on the credit card and just decided to charge it and pay it off in a week or two. Decided that I didn't want to write a check for 24 months to pay for it and since we're not making that much on the funds, went with the credit card. Plus we get points that we can convert to dollars and use as statement credit which I did and actually got a nice percentage back. I'm sure others would've jumped at the chance but we hate debt.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

I've driven both the '12 and '13 Civic's and was very underwhelmed with both...not a vehicle I would buy right now. Personally, I think my '06 drives better at 45k than the newer ones I've driven at work. I think the Elantra and Forte are better driving vehicles, heck, even the Jetta blows it out of the water! Got a feeling that the Mazda3 is going to be the best bang for the buck in this class now that the new model is out. I'd say go with the Focus but that tranny is still a bit wonkey and it's been the same in every one I've driven these past few months...Ford really needs to fix this issue once and for all!

I am interested in what y'all come up with as I'll be in the market in either 2016 or 2017 and not sure which way I'm going to go as I'm tired of econoboxes but not sure I want to spend over $20k cash for a vehicle. Part of me wants fun and different but that logical and practical side comes into play also but luckily, I have a few years to decide and newer editions will be on the market by then.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

corvette

Glad your eye surgery went okay. I do agree that a lot of the 0% promotions are not worth messing with.

jayrider

Found the perfect vehicle for your family. Toyota FJ Cruiser. Awd is under 30k and MT estimates the retained value after 5 years at 85%.

stickguy

Just for variety, try a Subaru Impreza. Totally different than a Veloster for sure. Depending on trim level and deals, could be new, or slightly used.

What year was the redesign, 2012?

28firefighter

As someone who just flipped a C30, I can tell you they are not great bargains used - they seem to hold their value quite well.

As far as the TDI, I seem to recall hearing about fuel pump issues on 2009/2010 TDIs but I might be wrong.

breld

Yeah - 2012. I do like the impreza, except for the cvt.

Would certainly be a practical, safe choice with its awd.

breld

Yeah, the c30 is something more what my wife would like more than what would be a good choice for her daughter. Fwiw, how did your c30 treat you?

Actually, used CCs seem to be good buys. Seems easy to find nice ones for $17-18k. Quite a car for that, though perhaps a bit too mature for a young driver.

au1994

Don't know how you feel about the Elantra but maybe if you were somewhat trading "like for like" at the Hyundai place you might make out better.

Any VW with the 2.0T is good. Thats a great engine but agree with others that a 16 yr old might find the CC a bit stogy. I like the Jetta and Golf.

Mazda3 seems to get consistantly good marks and I like the looks. Civic...well they sell them by the truckload so they must be doing something right. Poor logic I know but you would certainly have the peace of mind with buying a Honda.

I like the suggestion of the Impreza. If nothing else it would be unique in the world of Civirolla's.

Michaell

I like the suggestion of the Impreza. If nothing else it would be unique in the world of Civirolla's.

Um, breld lives in Colorado. Subarus are just as common, it seems, as Civics and Corollas.

au1994

Oops...forgot about that.

jpp75

I enjoy your ramblings as well because they pretty much echo what I'm going through. The lease on my G37x is up in early January, it makes no sense to buy it out and not sure I would want to. I've enjoyed it but there's better options out there now.

I'm debating the lease vs. buy, and then what do lease or buy?? The new Q50 is nice, loved driving the hybrid but some of the issues being reported with the infotainment system leave me a little leery, plus it's pricey.

Need to drive the new IS, again with all the stuff I want it gets a bit pricey too, but it would last longer than I need it to.

Then there's practicality, I'd like better fuel economy, but not sure I'd be happy going the Prius or CT200h route....

So I play out a lot of the same things you do, and it's fun to listen to your thoughts.

qbrozen

sort of..
Spotted a rather rare a desirable volvo on craigs that was grossly underpriced. '98 V70 T5 manual. 180k big miles, but the interior looked great and the guys on swedespeed would have gladly doubled my money for me if it checked out. Had plans to go see it Sat morn, but the seller texted me last night to say it sold. Ah well. It was just going to be a flip, but the money would have been nice.

stickguy

It might depress me, but I gotta ask. How much was he looking to get for it? because dang, I would be all over a clean one of those if it was cheap.

rare bird too.