Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

we saw the 6 also. My daughter commented that it was really big. Liked the 3 better.

nyccarguy

@stickguy said:
The Acura dealer I was at today had a nice white over black 2013 CPO TL on the floor, special holiday price of $29,000. 7.2K on it. No clue what they go for new, but nice car if you want big.

Yeah, I know, I need a slush box. A CPO '11 or '12 TL SH AWD might be in my pricing wheelhouse

ronsteve

@isellhondas said:
I've never really looked at an X1 that closely nor have I sat in one but the look smaller than a >CRV. Are they? I guess I could look up the specs myself.

One of my friends has a X1, another has a late-model (2008?) CRV. I've also had RAV4s several times as rentals, and I dare say that the X1 feels much smaller on the inside compared to the other two. But I'd also bet the X1 is worlds apart in terms of the driving experience.

corvette

@breld said:
No drives, just looked at the Mazda6 and used Accord Crosstours. Still really like the Mazda - the Touring model offers a lot for about $25k - leatherette, blind spot monitoring, touchscreen... Actually really liked the look of the Mazda3 sedan.

If you're interested in the Mazda6, watch Alex Dykes' video review on The Truth About Cars before signing on the dotted line. The infotainment system has some pretty serious issues. The Mazda3 uses a different and improved system.

@breld said:
Obviously a fellow enthusiast, I asked what he ended up with - he says he got a good deal on a trade in at his dealership - a Toyota Avalon.

There's a place for "quiet and comfortable" in addition to "fast and furious."

roadburner

@breld said:
Funny story with the young Mazda salesperson. When I told him I had a 335, he commented on how he almost bought a manual 335 recently but didn't due to some repair issues. He also previously owned an S4 and mentioned how much he likes manual trannies, which I commended him for.

Obviously a fellow enthusiast, I asked what he ended up with - he says he got a good deal on a trade in at his dealership - a Toyota Avalon.

A guy who had an S4, wanted a manual 335i and ended up in an Avalon.
That would be my textbook definition of Hell...

abacomike

TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW POSTERS HERE ON CCBA:

May all your hopes and wishes for a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS be granted to you and your entire families. BE SAFE, BE HAPPY, and above all, BE WELL!!!

nyccarguy

Merry Christmas to all of you my fellow CCBA members!

stever

And to all a new car.

stickguy

@Stever@Edmunds said:
And to all a new car.

Wait, did my daughter put you up to this?

man, that kid wants a new car bad. She finally came to the realization that I am not really going to get one now, especially if it means settling for something I don't really want just because of a good payment offer.

stever

We shopped Christmas Eve in '98 and picked up the Quest New Year's Eve. Good time to buy.

laurasdada

Hi, Folks! Merry Christmas to all. As of this writing (is the wind shifting???), I've begun the delicate dance of attempting to buy a '13 Jaguar XF. Unfortunately, with the options I require, few and far between would be an understatement as to availability. Cars.com and dealer websites are not always current, trying to simply determine if a certain stock # is still available has been a surprising Herculean task.

Shopping shall be suspended until post Xmas day, I'm hoping for better communication from the two dealers (trying to work with just one, smaller dealer, but they don't have any cars so I've sent them on a dealer swap trip) I'm working with. What will be, will be...

I had the good fortune of being in LA during the big snows here in New England last week. Returned to the XK under a blanket of wicked heavy snow. But, once cleaned off it had no problem departing the snowy and wet parking lot. Still hate the thought of trading it in, but I really don't think I want (forgive me CCB'ers for this bit of sacrilege) to have two cars. Still, there is an intriguing '05 Subaru Legacy wagon down the road... So fickle. So confused. It must be a day that ends in "y."

laurasdada

BTW, FWIW, stickguy: My daughter is ~600 miles away at school. She/we were worried about the distance, she's now home for Xmas break. She's enjoying school and her independence greatly, no home-sickness. Of course, YMMV.

If the XF thing doesn't work out, on to the A5. Those are plentiful, although the Chestnut interior I want is hard to come by.

roadburner

Merry Christmas to all- I'm still resisting the siren song of the new car lots!!!

Sandman6472

Saw a blue Mazda6 today and loved it, very nicely done Mazda although the Mazda3 is more our style. All good though.
Things are looking good here and saw the lawyer today...we are wrapping things up so by Monday things will be all done...thank G-d! This has been hanging over my head since my dad died over 28 years ago! Even though I can now afford an X1 or GLK 350, glad I was conservative and went with the Tuscon...it is the best of what I wanted to spend and like it more every day!
Happy Holidays to my Edmunds family. Thanks for putting up with my drama of purchasing my new vehicle...I know I was all over the place here but I had to go through it all, obviously, to get the best vehicle for me. Now we start with replacing the wife's Mazda3 and that could happen at any time actually!

_The Sandman _

Sandman6472

Stopped by my friends car wash place and they gifted me with a wash and wax for my Tuscon...looks sharp right now. So when the daughter got home, took her Versa up and they waxed it for me and got out a bunch of the marks on the hatch from her accident with the waste container at work. She punctured the bumper cover but they cleaned it all up best they could and it looks great. Noticed one of her alloys center cap is gone and was wondering where, besides the dealer, can I pick one up for her? It a little circle thingy with the Nissan emblem on it...any suggestions of websites that might carry this thing??

_The Sandman _

jayrider

You can find them on ebay.

tifighter

Merry X-mas to all. I hear Santa was trying to work an invoice deal on a new 4-series coupe this afternoon, so he might be a little late tonight...

stickguy

@jayrider said:
You can find them on ebay.

Midnight auto parts carries them too!

1st post on my new Xmas iPad. Love it so far. Will be much nicer than dragging my laptop around over the holidays

stever

Sweet. The Edmunds app for iPhone

stickguy

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Sweet. The Edmunds app for iPhone

Will put that on my phone. Whatever I was using on the iPad (thru safari) worked just fine!

stever

Sure, check TMV anytime you drive past a dealer. Not a dangerous tool at all. LOL.

(I have palm callouses from playing Wild West Pinball on my wife's iPad).

au1994

Merry Christmas all! Don't post a lot but read multiple times a day. May you find a new set of keys under the tree!

Sandman6472

I want an ipad myself, my daughter has a mini but I prefer the regular one but gonna wait a bit because I have spent way too much cash since October and my MacBook Pro. Funny though since my p c desktop is acting up again and since I bought the cpu tower in '05, might be time for an upgrade...not sure I can go back to a p c after having my Apple laptop and gotta feeling an Apple desk top is gonna be somewhat costly. Probably better to just use my laptop for the time being and go from there. Probably best to buy the ipad instead since the house is already wifi'd and most places now have wifi connectivity as this would be a much less expensive way to go.

_The Sandman _

au1994

I bought an iPad about 3 months ago an have probably touched my desktop twice since then.

Sandman6472

Guess it really is redundant to have both! Once my desktop keels over, think I will go the same route!

_The Sandman _

abacomike

@au1994...I bought an iPad about 3 months ago and have probably touched my desktop twice since then...

Interesting, isn't it. I got an iPhone 4S about 2 years ago and now use that for 90% of my emailing (read and send), paying bills electronically, monitoring my credit card expenditures, bank account transfers and balances, etc. I

My iPhone has now become my computer. Since I have WiFi, I have the flexibility to access the internet from any room in my house and now use it with my earphones as an iPod in the evening just before going to sleep (I fall asleep faster while listening to music).

Don't have an iPad yet, but might be on my next wish list for next Christmas.

au1994

@mik,@sandy...yep it really is redundant to have a desk top for just about everything I do. My iPhone is work issued so I do my personal surfing etc on the iPad now. With wifi in the house it is soooo convenient to hit car sites and dream. For instance in the past few days is have developed quite a crush on the GTI!

abacomike

@au1994...I have developed quite a crush on the GTI..

Normal people develop crushes on the opposite sex (or same sex to be politically correct) but Chronic Car Buyers develop crushes on cars! So you are a normal CCBA kind of person, as all of us who post here.

My crush is the Rolls Royce Ghost - something I know I'll ever own - but I can admire it from a distance every time I go to the Boca Town Center Mall - they always have one on display there from a Palm Beach Dealer.

Enjoy your crushes while you can, au1994! The GTI properly equipped and decked out is a great toy!

Sandman6472

Our house is wifi'd also but I don't think I could use my android smartphone as my basic computer...just too small of a device really. Like a laptop and a desktop since I use the laptop mostly when I am sitting in my recliner or if my back is bad and I am in bed which is why I bought one in the first place...my back was out badly and I was in bed 90% of the time so I needed a way to communicate online so I got the Walmart cheapy computer...it did what I needed it to but it went schizo back in September and instead of spending $ to get it repaired, the wife said I should just replace it. Was all set to buy another p c and had picked out the one I wanted. Took my kid to see it when I was at her place and while at Best Buy, made the quick decision to spend a whole lot more an get the MacBook pro instead...totally spur of the moment purchase as the Toshiba I wanted was about 1/2 the price. But I got a much better computer and operating system and am much happier. Now when my phone contract is up, I will get the latest Apple cell phone to replace it and be totally Applefied!!!

Funny how we rely on our devices for so much in our lives now...communications, socializing and bill paying. These machines do it all for us now which is pretty amazing actually. Right now I am in the middle of some legal stuff and I can do it all from the house. The broker and attorney fax me the documents to sign and once I gave the broker my account number and routing number of the bank, boom...it was done and the funds were in my account. No longer necessary to go to the office, get the check and then go to the bank to make the deposit...it was all done within minutes electronically! It's a whole new world folks...totally electronic world. And the only reason I went to the brokers and lawyers was to meet these guys face to face! We've been talking through our phones and computers for so long that it was finally nice to put a face with the voices after so long. Am so glad this whole situation is finally over...now my dad can finally rest in peace knowing I did the best I could with what I had. Unfortunately two of my three siblings died while trying to fight me and take my portion away from me. I always say right and the truth always win in the end!

__The Sandman

abacomike

ONE MONTH SINCE I ADDED THE CLS550 TO THE FAMILY!

After almost 4 weeks since I took home the Mercedes CLS550, I still truly enjoy driving it. The one remarkable aspect of owning my first V8 Turbo (haven't owned any V8 since 1989), is the gas consumption. I knew it would suck gas when I bought it, but I do visit the gas station more frequently than I did with the V6.

Steady highway driving at 65 mph gives me 28.3 mpg. Steady city (stop and go) driving gives me about 16 mpg. I'm getting a combined consumption of 19-20 mpg - or about 5 mpg less than I got on the V6.

The question remains - is it worth the $40 a month more I spend on gas? Yes! The seeming endless power curve in this car is unbelievable. When I need the power boost when entering an Interstate or the Turnpike, it causes the back of my head to make contact with the headrest. Truly one of the most powerful cars I've ever driven.

It's more than the 402 hp and twin turbos - it' also the 450+ lb ft of torque it possesses. Definitely, I made the right decision this time - it makes driving exciting and rewarding once again!

isellhondas

I have an Ipad but find using that crappy keyboard to be more of a task than I want to mess with.

I read a lot of messages on it but I use my tower PC to respond to everything.

I have an IPhone too but I do the same with that. I tell people DO NOT text me. CALL me and I'll answer! Yes, I can certainly text but I'm slow at it and see ZERO use for it when a simple phone call works so much better. I know, I'm a dinosaur but I like it that way!

abacomike

@isellhondas...I know I'm a dinosaur, but I like it that way...

Dinosaurs don't use cell phones or know how to use a computer - you know more about technology than you think. Besides, you could not have been successful in the car business without an excellent knowledge of technology and its benefits.

A dinosaur would look at a computer and begin to shake from a fear of having to learn how to use it. No, you're no dinosaur isell, you just have some limits on how far you will allow technology to rule your life. Nothing wrong with that approach!

ab348

I have all 3 devices and still prefer the laptop for most things. The iPad is good for reading email and web browsing but typing on it is not great and I find the lack of a mouse for copying/pasting and navigation to be painful. The iPhone is a great smartphone but I'm not doing any computing of any consequence on it. I hate dealing with Windows and MS software but it is very capable.

nyccarguy

So there was a dusting of snow last night that left maybe a 1/4" of snow on the ground. So little snow that I didn't even think about it. Driving home from my sister's house (@stuckguy, she lives close to the Pailsades Mall), I noticed the temperature hovering around the 32 degree mark. Once I crossed over the CT border on the Merritt Parkway, The temperature dropped to 27.

For those of you who don't know, the Merritt Parkway is a beautiful, 2 lane highway with lots of twists, turns, hills, & dips. The state does not salt the road due to the high percentage of homes that have well water.

The dusting of snow must have melted from cars driving over it, then the road completely froze over. The road was literally a sheet of black ice.

I kept my distance from the car in front of me and noticed my front tires spinning and the TC light flickering as I gently pressed the gas pedal. Crawling down a hill, I saw cars sliding in front of me going less than 5 mph! I stopped, eased off the brake, and my Pilot literally started sliding into the Lexus RX in the lane next to me. Very scary. No FWD cars were making it up the hill. No AWD cars with open center differentials could make it up the next hill or even get off the shoulder. I shifted the Pilot into 2nd gear, locked the center differential, and carefully crawled up the icy hill.

I made it home without incident. It was easily the most dangerous driving situation I've done.

nyccarguy

@jpp

I'm starting to see a few Q50s on the road. I saw a black one this AM on my way to Long Island. It's a beautiful car. You made a fantastic choice & I look forward to hearing your driving/ownership experiences.

stickguy

I actually got a nifty wireless keyboard to go with it. Will try that when I get home but the case folds out into a stand. Should make typing easier

stever

You get spoiled "working" on a desktop with two (or more) monitors, but I've been able to keep up the last few days on the road with the little laptop. Decent keyboard. A friend has a nice "folio" case for her iPad with a keyboard and that would work, albeit it'd be a bit cramped. My wife uses an easel type case for her iPad and it bugs me a lot. Mostly the case weighs about as much as the iPad and except for one feature - automatically coming on when you open the cover, I'd rather have a naked one and keep it as light as possible. Don't believe in putting plastic over the glass either - that's tough stuff.

Any other fun toys in the stocking for Christmas? Tire gauges? Driving gloves? (do people even use those any more?)

ab348

I have a Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad but almost never use it. It might be useful for drafting documents but I don't do that very much. I like the iPad for the most part but I hate Safari as a browser - there may be other choices but I haven't checked - and I really don't like how you don't have a mouse to select blocks of text, navigate with accuracy to a spot within a text area, navigate with arrow keys, etc.

crkyolfrt

@nyccarguy said:

snip > No AWD cars with open center differentials could make it up the next hill or even get off the shoulder. I shifted the Pilot into 2nd gear, locked the center differential, and carefully crawled up the icy hill.

I made it home without incident. It was easily the most dangerous driving situation I've done.

Good to hear..sorta makes up for it being a bit thirsty the rest of the time.

I didn't know Pilots had a locking centre dif.

Honda should put MB's 2.1 twin turbo Bluetec in that thing (swing a licensing deal of some sort..ya I know..wishful thinking, but 43-45 real world everyday mpg sure would be easy to take, eh?) and I'd be sniffing around it like dog discovering a new hydrant..

fintail

Visited my aunt yesterday - small woman in her late 60s. Randomly traded her top of the line 07 4-Runner that she paid more than 40K (!) for a new CRV, pretty loaded too. Said the Toyota was too big and she kept hitting things in her garage. Kind of amusing.

Mr_Shiftright

Her Toyota wasn't too big--her garage was too small!

tommister2

@crkyolfrt said:
Honda should put MB's 2.1 twin turbo Bluetec in that thing (swing a licensing deal of some sort..ya I know..wishful thinking, but 43-45 real world everyday mpg sure would be easy to take, eh?) and I'd be sniffing around it like dog discovering a new hydrant..

Something like that diesel would be incredible! As far as the locking diff goes, it's called VTM-4 lock. There are always arguments in the Honda forums about what exactly it is. Honda has an explanation on their own website if you are interested in reading about how it works. In simple terms, when traction is low push the button (with the trans in 1, 2 or R)

abacomike

@nyccarguy said:
So there was a dusting of snow last night that left maybe a 1/4" of snow on the ground.

And people wonder why we move to Southern California, Central and Southern Arizona, Southern Texas or South Florida when we retire! I moved from Illinois to Southern California in 1991 and lived there until 1999 - getting away from those miserable winters was a top priority of mine. I then accepted a position in northeastern Pennsylvania which was quite lucrative - but after just one winter (snow, ice, slush, cold), I quit my job and moved to Southeastern Florida. Once you've been away from those miserable winters for several years, you just can't adjust to them again - at least that's what I have found.

When in PA, I developed a chill deep in the pit of my very soul which didn't leave me for the entire winter - and I just had to get rid of that chill. Something happens to your body when you've lived in a moderate to warm environment for several years - it just cannot adapt to cold weather again - no matter how much money you are paid to live in that cold climate.

And driving in that mess is just another reason - I remember many winters in NY and Chicago where I came within an inch of my life (literally) when driving on ice. It's the scariest thing in the world when you are moving at 10 mph, in a dead skid, with no way to avoid hitting something or someone. I still have nightmares about an accident I was involved in when I lived in the Chicago suburbs.

I was on Interstate 55 heading southwest after a vicious snowstorm. There was at least 12 inches of snow on the highway - so I was driving at about 15 mph when this semi rear ended me. I had my emergency flashers on, but that didn't stop him from plowing into me. It demolished my 1988 Lincoln Town Car and sent me to the hospital for 1 month. The driver of the semi had no injuries at all. I finally got around to suing him and his company - he was cited for driving too fast for conditions and reckless driving. The money I received after the suit was settled in no way compensated me for my pain, my loss of income, my lost car and a life plagued with back problems.

No - there isn't enough money in the world that would make me move up north to live again unless I could have a summer home up north and my winter home in California or Florida - and only if I got 1 million dollars a year. I don't miss the city traffic, the lack of parking, the crime, or the climate.

Mr_Shiftright

Here's how it works:

"The Pilot employs a four-wheel drive system called Variable Torque Management 4WD (VTM-4). The VTM-4 system delivers power to all four wheels under acceleration and when wheel slippage is detected. The VTM-4 system has a dashboard switch that locks both rear half-shafts to get the driver unstuck, but it operates in just first, second, and reverse gears, and unlocks at 18 mph (29 km/h). Otherwise, the system operates primarily in front-wheel drive and sends torque to the rear wheels when spin is detected up front.

crkyolfrt

@MrShift@Edmunds said: (and tim..sorry..edit...tom)
Here's how it works:

snip

Interesting, but I wonder how they have idiot-proofed it? i.e. Having had the switch in lock, then turning sharply into a salted and wet bare pavement parking space moments later.

My 88 Camry 4x4 had a dif lock on the dash too. And was it EVER effective if you got one wheel in the air, after sliding off my steep driveway ditch once in the sleet. But off course Toyota dropped it shortly after. It had no idiot-proofing to my knowledge and I suspect it wound up more than few transfer cases

nyccarguy

@MrShift@Edmunds <---- Yeah, what he said!

nyccarguy

@crkyolfrt

It works almost like a combination of a "real truck's" 4WD High & 4WD Low Range.

The Pilot is definitely a great candidate for a diesel, but at this point I'm half way to paying ours off so we are most definitely keeping it for the long run.

corvette

@crkyolfrt said:
Interesting, but I wonder how they have idiot-proofed it?

Stability control probably helps prevent any incidents with the VTM lock turned on.

@nyccarguy said:
It works almost like a combination of a "real truck's" 4WD High & 4WD Low Range.

Or a locking rear (and center?) diff.

abacomike

$350,000 FOUND IN LAS VEGAS CAB

I heard on the news today that a cab rider left a package in the rear seat of a Las Vegas cab with $350,000 in cash.

The cab driver turned the package in to his boss - when opened, they counted $350,000 in cash. The owner gave the cabbie $1000 as a reward for finding the package and returning it to its rightful owner.

My question is - who would in his right mind be carrying $350,000 in cash in a package and be stupid enough to leave it in the back seat of a cab? Not only that, I am sure the IRS might be just a tad interested in the what, how, why!

Finally, is the reward of $1000 to the cabbie a reasonable reward for being honest enough to return the package of money?

Any thoughts about this news item? Not too off topic considering the money was found in a "car"!

roadburner

@nyccarguy: It's always nice to have the proper tool for the job!