Yeah, yeah. You guys are probably right. The jetta is the more sensible choice AND she wants it. Kinda have to give her credit for not jumping on the more luxurious Audi. We just have to find a better deal on a jetta.
But I wouldn't say it's taking more time and effort than necessary - I really enjoy the whole process. : )
It's also possible that the Jetta fits in with what her friends are driving, or will be driving.
My nephew turned 16 in August and gets his license soon. My sister and BIL have two cars - a Lincoln Navigator and a BMW 330i ZHP. He prefers the BMW (natch!) but my sister thinks it is too much car for him. The 'Gator is paid off next spring so they may go shopping at that time.
The wrench came on yesterday evening after we managed to get air into the Mazda's low rear tire and this morning it's holding. Wife will go over to T.P. this afternoon so they can check the tire for any nails or imperfections...have the road hazard policy so why not! On way home, the wrench icon came on in the Civic and damn, I'm at 15% oil life. So had that and a rotation done this morning, was there at 6:45. Re-aligned the car as I have the 3 year policy and I mentioned that the car stumbles a bit when going from brake to accelerator, a bit annoying so I asked them to check the spark plugs for possible replacement. My guy comes back and says the rear brakes need to be cleaned and adjusted and looking at my past history in the computer, there's no record of this so he does it. Tells me the plugs are fine but need that throttle body cleaning procedure from looking at it and the symptoms I gave him so he gave me the coupon price I copied and does it. Tells me it'll take another tankful to feel any difference but on the way home, it is all but gone and stumbles no more...car drives like brand new actually so The Sandman is pleased!!! Didn't realize how much driving I've done since March, last time I had the yearly oil change. Guess I'll be doing a couple of these/year now like I do for the Mazda and Versa...all this driving down to our meeting spot is adding up. Guess i should be glad I didn't take that driving job last week as the miles would've been really ramped up on my Civic like Mike's Ion, which is something I really do not want to do quite yet.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
OK, folks, here are all the entries I've seen (again, in order from lowest to highest):
steve $15,250 stick $16,178 dan $16,179 corvette $16,750 breld $16,900 nyc $17,200 sandy $17,300
And the answer is .....
$17,000 on the nose.
The appraiser - who has been with CarMax for 10 years - said that the CX-7 was very clean and would need little or no reconditioning to put on the lot. He also liked the low miles for the year - he figured about 10K per annum.
I was figuring closer to $18K, but I'm probably more emotionally invested in it.
That said, it's not going anywhere for quite a while. I'd still like to convince the spouse that a 3rd car for us to share makes sense, but I'm struggling with the economics behind my argument. The CX-7 has 41K on it and my ION has 97K - it would be nice to have something else we could drive to help keep the miles down.
The wife has mandated that if we were to do something, it would have to be a hatchback. Too bad Chevy doesn't have the Cruze hatch available here in NA - I've got over $1K of GM points available and the Sonic is just a bit too small for us.
And the Cuze is way better than the Sonic really...they look to be the same size from the outside but prefer the Cruze and definitely prefer the Verano over both but a Buick is going to be nicer than a Chevy...as GM intended it to be. And if a Verano ends up in the garage at Casa Sandman someday, that wouldn't be a bad thing either!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
My best friend drives a 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ. He got in at the end of Feb 2012 as a leftover and has since then put 40,000 miles on it. This is his 2nd Black/Black LTZ Tahoe. He traded in the 1st one (an '09) on his current one (the 2011). He's upside down on the truck because of the miles, the 0% financing for 72 months, and the negative equity he rolled over from the previous 2009 Tahoe (also 0% financing for 72 months + loads of miles). You see the pattern developing here:)
He has a very good relationship with the sales manager at an Infiniti dealership (the largest volume in the world) from 2 previous Infinitis and quite a few referrals. Long story short:
He is being offered $35,000 for his 2011 Tahoe (he owes $46K or $47K). He can lease a G37X Sedan for $211 per month (20K per year including tax + Acq fee, Plates, Reg due @ signing). If he does this, his Tahoe negative equity gets paid off in 2 years.
If he "stays the course" he'll probably keep the Tahoe for another 4 years until he's not under water anymore & have some equity to trade it in on something else.
Thoughts? Stick with the Tahoe for another 4 years or trade it in on a G37X 2 years lease now?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
A reporter is interested in speaking with a car buyer who recently purchased a new sedan, but did not consider any of the German brands (such as Volkswagen) during the shopping process. If you can assist, please contact pr@edmunds.com by Wednesday, October 23 2013.
Yeah, but what a pizza delivery vehicle. Can't beat that gas milage. 40 mpg with the 1.4 manual.
Two problems with that statement:
1) I don't plan on using a new vehicle to deliver pizza. If something happened to the ION tomorrow I'd probably take the insurance money and find a solid used Subaru.
2) That 40MPG is a highway number; in town it's upper 20's or 30 at most. Most of the delivery driving is city with a top speed limit of 45. Only rarely do I get onto the highway, and even then it's for just a few miles. The ION is rated at 24/32 and I see at most 27 on a tank.
Why did he trade the black/black 2009 Tahoe in on an (identical?) 2011 model? The G37x sounds like a great deal, but it is a very different car than the Tahoe. How are they offering that kind of deal on a G37 and getting rid of the negative equity at the same time?
Dang, that's about enough to rent a 1 bedroom apartment down here in some places! Yikes...why do folks do this kinda stuff to themselves? And to get the same exact vehicle is just plain weird to me though. At least change up the color or something. Man, I am in shock here but I've never had negative equity in a vehicle. We paid off my loan the day after we got back from our honeymoon in Aruba because the wife was having none of that loan stuff on her watch. But at the time, I had no choice because my folks would not lend me the $2500 to buy the vehicle so I had to take out a 19% loan plus the trade in I had. My folks were so pissed I quit school and went to work they denied me the help, and they had money which I had a hard time understanding. You have so much and your son asks to borrow $2500 and pay interest and am refused. From that moment on, our relationship was never the same as I finally realized that $ was more important than helping out one of their children even though they gave my older sister a brand new vehicle. Just blew me away and forever changed the parent/child dynamic! How sad really!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Ouch! Definitely would want gap insurance on that one, if it's not included in Infiniti's standard lease. If he really likes the G37x and really wants to get rid of the negative equity, that's probably the quickest way to do it. He could also just begin making extra payments on the Tahoe he already has, even though it's a 0% loan.
"...my wife was having none of that loan stuff..."
My wife couldn't understand why I wouldn't pay off the 0% loan on my Eclipse. I went to the bank and took out $4000 to show her how much I would make by investing the $25,000 instead. She still wasn't happy.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Now for 0%, it is definitely worth it to do it cause one can make more than that elsewhere. If that were to happen when I do purchase, of course I will do that but doubt that will be the case. A vehicle I do like is the Mitsu Outlander Sport but hate the dash and the audio system...it looks rugged enough and it has that versatility with the hatch. Also, they have a place on dealers row right outside of where we live next door to the Hyundai, Subaru & Mazda store. I also liked a Imprezza i saw at the mall, a small wagon version that was not to bad looking. Think the mileage could be a tad better but I liked it's looks, just wonder if the seats are comfortable. Right now, the Verano I sat in had the most comfortable seats of any vehicle, hands down.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
My friend has put the kilbash on his Tahoe for G37X deal. He's just going to ride the Tahoe out for a few more years & then do something.
I think corvette asked the question why did he change the '09 for an identical '11. This story dates back to 2007 when my friend was driving his happily leased FX 35 Sport. The next year his wife sad she "needed a big SUV with 3 rows." So he leased her a QX56. After a year or so and a few scraped bumpers & dented doors (he keeps his cars SHOWROOM shiny), she tells him, "it's too big." So they switch cars. He now gets her leased QX56 & she gets his leased FX35. He does A LOT more driving than she does. So with about 6 - 8 months left on the QX lease, he figures he's going to owe about $6K in excess mileage charges. Infiniti FS won't sell him miles cheaper or even give him a break if he leases another Infiniti early.
So he's not going to give them the QX back plus $6K, so he goes car shopping. 0% for 72 months plus a great selling price & trade in price for his QX does the trick. He rolls the $6K negative equity into the new 0% loan. He miles up the Tahoe for a few years, and then sees 0% for 72 months again. Trades the '09 in for the '11. He admits this was somewhat of a mistake, but wha can you do?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
He can lease a G37X Sedan for $211 per month (20K per year including tax + Acq fee, Plates, Reg due signing).
That alone seems nuts. That's a crazy good deal. Can you get that for yourself? haha.
I'd have to question what his ultimate goal is. Does he just want to start over again? If so, I guess it is a good way to go. I mean, if he paid $750/mo for the next 24 mos on the Tahoe, he'd have a truck with 80k miles that he owes $30k on. Not a good situation to be in, either. He'd still be upside-down. So, this way, he comes out in 2 years dead even. It is a win... I think.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Let me get this straight, he's now driving around a big SUV with 3 rows and a ton of negative equity because his wife claims they "need" it but doesn't want it as her own vehicle?
(No, I'm not married... Maybe I would understand better if I were!)
It is a CRAZY good deal, especially with 20K per year included. His Tahoe payments are $900.
Don't think for a minute I didn't think to myself... Hmmmm. I seriously doubt I could get out of my BMW lease without a serious penalty. I would currently owe the (inflated) residual plus 10 months worth of payments ($538 plus tax = $572). I'll most likely get what, $25K for a trade in?
I know lease programs change from month to month, so "you never know," but for $211 per month with $20K per year included for 2 years, I found what's replacing my BMW next September:)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Bingo! That's it right there cause if the wife ain't happy...no one is happy! I have learned to always take the course of least resistance and as I was explaining to my kid last week, one fights the important battles but if certain things aren't that big of a deal, let them slide! Just makes for a happier life all around. In my case. she wants a sub compact next time around which i think she will come to regret. She is not a car person, it is just an appliance to her. Never was this brought home to me as with her picking up another nail this weekend. She didn't notice her tire was low but one look from me and I could see it. Turns out it was a rather large nail and they did patch it yesterday, thank G-d. She does not notice things except if something like the a/c goes out. She keeps saying that she loves the way her Mazda drives, so easy to turn and she can get into any parking space so again last night, we discuss her situation. Many '14 models are out now so I ask her when does she plan to go test a few and all I get is I want to keep my Mazda. But we talk and I tell her I do not want to put anymore $ into it and now that everything works, why not see what's out there as I know we'll get bupkis for it. Again...silence so I tell her if you like your car so much, just get another one as it probably drives almost the same and it has held up well. And with the Skyactive engine, it'll be more economical. She reluctantly says she'll think about it so I am not expecting much here. I hate to get into the situation where something major goes out on it and we have to rush into some action we might regret later. Again she had said if we could wait till the summer of '14, that would suit her fine so that's the plan, wait and pray that the a/c holds up and nothing major goes wrong. just wish that she'd take over the Civic and let me get what I want to but that idea went over like a lead balloon!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I had to bring my BMW in for service (vehicle check, oil change, misaligned xenon headlights, & faulty trunk latch) so they gave me a loaner car. a 2014 328xi with 60 miles on it, brand new! So BMW has definitely been reading boards and listening to critics. They've made some small changes to the current generation 3 series to make it better than it was.
Auto Stop/Start - there was a definite harsh vibration when the 4cyl turbo motor shut down & started back up when this feature was engaged on the 2013 328xi I drove last time. The "stutter" has been completely eliminated upon shut off & start up vibration is 98% better. It is barely detectable.
Even in "ECO PRO" mode, the car isn't lethargic & sloppy handling. It will give you some power with a quick stab of the throttle & steering weight builds up nicely. In "SPORT" mode, it is a genuine driver's car. Not "roadburner track ready," but shouldn't disappoint the driving enthusiast.
Handling feel is still not as tight as I'd prefer, but maybe the "M Sport" Package would cure that.
Driving home from the dealer last night and into work this AM netted me over 31 mpg. This car definitely moves when you need it to. Engine/Transmission combination is sweet.
Here's the kicker. My current loaner has the following options: Sunroof, Heated Front Seats, Destination Charge. MSRP is $41,595.
I still don't like the screen sticking up from the dashboard!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Sandy, as I read your posts I see similarities to breld .. you are trying to project your wants and needs onto your wife just like he is onto his daughter.
Your wife will get what she wants, when she wants it. The value of her Mazda 3 will only continue to decrease - nothing to be done about it. Its just a matter of determining whether it makes sense to continue investing money into repairs or bite the bullet on a new car. Again, that's her choice to make, not yours.
As I heard on a radio show, there are no bad cars, just bad choices. If she wants a subcompact, then she should get it. If she learns that was a bad decision, then she'll be the one to have to make it right.
I know it's hard for us who love cars, but we've got to take a hands off approach with others.
There is a girl at the pizza place who wants to get a new car - specifically, a Mazda 3 in white. She currently drives a '94-'97 era Accord EX.
Told her the first two things to do are to clean the Accord top to bottom, inside and out, and to check with her local bank to see if they will pre-approve her.
Local Mazda dealer has 2 or 3 2013 3i around $17-18K. Not sure if this price is before or after the $2K rebate.
There are several points to be made here. The first is that this “deal” on the lease for the G37X sounds far too good to be true, no one reading this seems to believe it.
The second point that should be made: Do NOT roll negative equity. Just don’t do it. Your friend keeps on doing it, and digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.
He should remember The First Law of Holes: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”
Good points Michael - but gotta say, projecting your needs/desires on your daughter is a lot different than attempting to do the same with your wife. ; )
The general feedback is to go with the Jetta - it'll be cheaper, the daughter has stated it as her preference. All very good reasons.
BUT, my wife has become very keen on the A3 after looking at the available options for a Jetta. And, as I wrote in the RWTIV forum, she got out of her daughter that she likes the Audi better but thought the Jetta would be much cheaper - so she was trying to be humble and do the right thing.
Comments
They will probably consult recent auction sales like most other stores do.
That is how you come up with "real" numbers. Throw out the highs and lows and look at the averages.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
But I wouldn't say it's taking more time and effort than necessary - I really enjoy the whole process. : )
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
My nephew turned 16 in August and gets his license soon. My sister and BIL have two cars - a Lincoln Navigator and a BMW 330i ZHP. He prefers the BMW (natch!) but my sister thinks it is too much car for him. The 'Gator is paid off next spring so they may go shopping at that time.
We'll see.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
Steve 15,250
Stick 16,178
Corvette 16,750
Breld 16,900
NYC 17,200
I'll keep it open for another hour or so before posting the official 'buy it now' appraisal from CarMax.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
On way home, the wrench icon came on in the Civic and damn, I'm at 15% oil life. So had that and a rotation done this morning, was there at 6:45. Re-aligned the car as I have the 3 year policy and I mentioned that the car stumbles a bit when going from brake to accelerator, a bit annoying so I asked them to check the spark plugs for possible replacement. My guy comes back and says the rear brakes need to be cleaned and adjusted and looking at my past history in the computer, there's no record of this so he does it. Tells me the plugs are fine but need that throttle body cleaning procedure from looking at it and the symptoms I gave him so he gave me the coupon price I copied and does it. Tells me it'll take another tankful to feel any difference but on the way home, it is all but gone and stumbles no more...car drives like brand new actually so The Sandman is pleased!!!
Didn't realize how much driving I've done since March, last time I had the yearly oil change. Guess I'll be doing a couple of these/year now like I do for the Mazda and Versa...all this driving down to our meeting spot is adding up. Guess i should be glad I didn't take that driving job last week as the miles would've been really ramped up on my Civic like Mike's Ion, which is something I really do not want to do quite yet.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
This is based off of no research, but I'm a long time lurker, not a heavy poster to the forums.
Excited to hear the answer.
steve $15,250
stick $16,178
dan $16,179
corvette $16,750
breld $16,900
nyc $17,200
sandy $17,300
And the answer is .....
$17,000 on the nose.
The appraiser - who has been with CarMax for 10 years - said that the CX-7 was very clean and would need little or no reconditioning to put on the lot. He also liked the low miles for the year - he figured about 10K per annum.
I was figuring closer to $18K, but I'm probably more emotionally invested in it.
That said, it's not going anywhere for quite a while. I'd still like to convince the spouse that a 3rd car for us to share makes sense, but I'm struggling with the economics behind my argument. The CX-7 has 41K on it and my ION has 97K - it would be nice to have something else we could drive to help keep the miles down.
The wife has mandated that if we were to do something, it would have to be a hatchback. Too bad Chevy doesn't have the Cruze hatch available here in NA - I've got over $1K of GM points available and the Sonic is just a bit too small for us.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
What about an Equinox? Or a Buick Encore? Use all those GM bucks.
Equinox is too similar to the CX-7, and doesn't get that much better mileage.
Encore is something I'm more interested in, though I don't know what kind of mileage they get. Would need to get on-line and take a closer look.
Have seen a few around town. Really small, but kinda blingy on the outside. Mid 20's to start?
Could also see doing a cheap Volt lease and use the earnings to buy down the sell price.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
Yeah, given the guesses, I'm a bit surprised at how strong they valued it. You guys are usually pretty good about valuations.
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Make sure you can take the deductions, though.
He has a very good relationship with the sales manager at an Infiniti dealership (the largest volume in the world) from 2 previous Infinitis and quite a few referrals. Long story short:
He is being offered $35,000 for his 2011 Tahoe (he owes $46K or $47K). He can lease a G37X Sedan for $211 per month (20K per year including tax + Acq fee, Plates, Reg due @ signing). If he does this, his Tahoe negative equity gets paid off in 2 years.
If he "stays the course" he'll probably keep the Tahoe for another 4 years until he's not under water anymore & have some equity to trade it in on something else.
Thoughts? Stick with the Tahoe for another 4 years or trade it in on a G37X 2 years lease now?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Yeah, but what a pizza delivery vehicle. Can't beat that gas milage. 40 mpg with the 1.4 manual.
Oh, and it looks like my town has arrived. We're getting a Carmax in a store that KMart is closing.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Two problems with that statement:
1) I don't plan on using a new vehicle to deliver pizza. If something happened to the ION tomorrow I'd probably take the insurance money and find a solid used Subaru.
2) That 40MPG is a highway number; in town it's upper 20's or 30 at most. Most of the delivery driving is city with a top speed limit of 45. Only rarely do I get onto the highway, and even then it's for just a few miles. The ION is rated at 24/32 and I see at most 27 on a tank.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
There isn't a Carmax near me, but we do have a really big, spiffy Carsense, which I believe is the same deal.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I would tend to vote, in this case, that he just keep the Tahoe, make the payments (hey, free money!) and drive it until he catches up.
unless he is into insurance fraud, since wouldn't GAP insurance pay off the lease? or is the neg equity somehow seperate?
Mostly, I want to get a nice Infiniti for $211/mo with nothing down!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Get a hybrid then. Better milage in the city.
Oh, then there's still problem #1.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My wife couldn't understand why I wouldn't pay off the 0% loan on my Eclipse. I went to the bank and took out $4000 to show her how much I would make by investing the $25,000 instead. She still wasn't happy.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I think corvette asked the question why did he change the '09 for an identical '11. This story dates back to 2007 when my friend was driving his happily leased FX 35 Sport. The next year his wife sad she "needed a big SUV with 3 rows." So he leased her a QX56. After a year or so and a few scraped bumpers & dented doors (he keeps his cars SHOWROOM shiny), she tells him, "it's too big." So they switch cars. He now gets her leased QX56 & she gets his leased FX35. He does A LOT more driving than she does. So with about 6 - 8 months left on the QX lease, he figures he's going to owe about $6K in excess mileage charges. Infiniti FS won't sell him miles cheaper or even give him a break if he leases another Infiniti early.
So he's not going to give them the QX back plus $6K, so he goes car shopping. 0% for 72 months plus a great selling price & trade in price for his QX does the trick. He rolls the $6K negative equity into the new 0% loan. He miles up the Tahoe for a few years, and then sees 0% for 72 months again. Trades the '09 in for the '11. He admits this was somewhat of a mistake, but wha can you do?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
That alone seems nuts. That's a crazy good deal. Can you get that for yourself? haha.
I'd have to question what his ultimate goal is. Does he just want to start over again? If so, I guess it is a good way to go. I mean, if he paid $750/mo for the next 24 mos on the Tahoe, he'd have a truck with 80k miles that he owes $30k on. Not a good situation to be in, either. He'd still be upside-down. So, this way, he comes out in 2 years dead even. It is a win... I think.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
(No, I'm not married... Maybe I would understand better if I were!)
Don't think for a minute I didn't think to myself... Hmmmm. I seriously doubt I could get out of my BMW lease without a serious penalty. I would currently owe the (inflated) residual plus 10 months worth of payments ($538 plus tax = $572). I'll most likely get what, $25K for a trade in?
I know lease programs change from month to month, so "you never know," but for $211 per month with $20K per year included for 2 years, I found what's replacing my BMW next September:)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
But yes, he originally got the big SUV (QX56) because his wife claimed they needed it, then decided a year and a half later that it was too big.
If you aren't married, you won't understand. "Happy wife = Happy life."
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
In my case. she wants a sub compact next time around which i think she will come to regret. She is not a car person, it is just an appliance to her. Never was this brought home to me as with her picking up another nail this weekend. She didn't notice her tire was low but one look from me and I could see it. Turns out it was a rather large nail and they did patch it yesterday, thank G-d. She does not notice things except if something like the a/c goes out. She keeps saying that she loves the way her Mazda drives, so easy to turn and she can get into any parking space so again last night, we discuss her situation. Many '14 models are out now so I ask her when does she plan to go test a few and all I get is I want to keep my Mazda. But we talk and I tell her I do not want to put anymore $ into it and now that everything works, why not see what's out there as I know we'll get bupkis for it. Again...silence so I tell her if you like your car so much, just get another one as it probably drives almost the same and it has held up well. And with the Skyactive engine, it'll be more economical. She reluctantly says she'll think about it so I am not expecting much here.
I hate to get into the situation where something major goes out on it and we have to rush into some action we might regret later. Again she had said if we could wait till the summer of '14, that would suit her fine so that's the plan, wait and pray that the a/c holds up and nothing major goes wrong. just wish that she'd take over the Civic and let me get what I want to but that idea went over like a lead balloon!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Auto Stop/Start - there was a definite harsh vibration when the 4cyl turbo motor shut down & started back up when this feature was engaged on the 2013 328xi I drove last time. The "stutter" has been completely eliminated upon shut off & start up vibration is 98% better. It is barely detectable.
Even in "ECO PRO" mode, the car isn't lethargic & sloppy handling. It will give you some power with a quick stab of the throttle & steering weight builds up nicely. In "SPORT" mode, it is a genuine driver's car. Not "roadburner track ready," but shouldn't disappoint the driving enthusiast.
Handling feel is still not as tight as I'd prefer, but maybe the "M Sport" Package would cure that.
Driving home from the dealer last night and into work this AM netted me over 31 mpg. This car definitely moves when you need it to. Engine/Transmission combination is sweet.
Here's the kicker. My current loaner has the following options: Sunroof, Heated Front Seats, Destination Charge. MSRP is $41,595.
I still don't like the screen sticking up from the dashboard!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Your wife will get what she wants, when she wants it. The value of her Mazda 3 will only continue to decrease - nothing to be done about it. Its just a matter of determining whether it makes sense to continue investing money into repairs or bite the bullet on a new car. Again, that's her choice to make, not yours.
As I heard on a radio show, there are no bad cars, just bad choices. If she wants a subcompact, then she should get it. If she learns that was a bad decision, then she'll be the one to have to make it right.
I know it's hard for us who love cars, but we've got to take a hands off approach with others.
There is a girl at the pizza place who wants to get a new car - specifically, a Mazda 3 in white. She currently drives a '94-'97 era Accord EX.
Told her the first two things to do are to clean the Accord top to bottom, inside and out, and to check with her local bank to see if they will pre-approve her.
Local Mazda dealer has 2 or 3 2013 3i around $17-18K. Not sure if this price is before or after the $2K rebate.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
The second point that should be made: Do NOT roll negative equity. Just don’t do it. Your friend keeps on doing it, and digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.
He should remember The First Law of Holes: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
BUT, my wife has become very keen on the A3 after looking at the available options for a Jetta. And, as I wrote in the RWTIV forum, she got out of her daughter that she likes the Audi better but thought the Jetta would be much cheaper - so she was trying to be humble and do the right thing.
FWIW, here is the ad:
'08 Audi A3
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman