Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

@breld said:
Thanks so much again for all the advice and travel tips for NY/NJ.

Getting quite excited!

Have fun. For where you ended up staying Newark would be a heck of a lot closer but not a bad run to philly airport

breld

You're definitely right - for the same airfare (back when I bought it in November), Philly was direct and Newark and the NY airports had layovers. Back then it didn't seem like a big deal, but now that it's a reality, it would be nice to be flying into Newark. Oh well - not gonna complain.

kyfdx

That car is in N.E. Philadelphia... Car lot is in an industrial park, about 5 miles off the PA Turnpike... Just saying....

corvette

@qbrozen said:
Sweet looking E39 6-cyl sport with no reserve!

That's the same color as my old 2003 540i M-sport. Great color! That one has really low miles, but also has a lot of scratches and dents on the outside.

corvette

@kyfdx@Edmunds said:
That is on their website for $8500??!! Something has to be wrong with that car... Anyone familiar with that dealer? That would be a steal..

Check their eBay feedback profile. All positive, but a lot of comments like "lots of undisclosed damage, odometer statement incorrect by 1000miles" (why did they leave positive feedback?) and "seller wasn't completely thorough with description" and "good except a couple issues not mentioned in description."

kyfdx

Yeah... Seems like one of those lots that take desirable cars that are past their prime.. and, then price them accordingly. I'm always looking for a deal, but when you see a car that is a couple of thousand cheaper than you expected, there might be a reason... no free lunch in the used car buying business... The low miles on that one are tempting, though... And, it has all the right options... Sport, stick, heated seats, xenons.. premium package.. And, I even like the color. Wheels are a little chewed up, though..

qbrozen

well, its not "priced" at anything on ebay. They are hoping the bidding will get up to a number they want. And, if it doesn't, they'll probably just kill the auction and claim it was sold.

kyfdx

@qbrozen said:
well, its not "priced" at anything on ebay. They are hoping the bidding will get up to a number they want. And, if it doesn't, they'll probably just kill the auction and claim it was sold.

Follow my link... they have it for $8500 on their website...

Here it is, again:

http://www.phillyauto.com/detail-446-2003-BMW-5-Series

jayrider

I bet they have Whiz in the rear end.

Sandman6472

Yes NY, I really am loving the Tuscon more than I thought I would and especially after having driven the Tiguan again. To get the Tiguan the way I wanted would've been pushing the $30k mark, something I would never ever do as my price point ceiling was $20k plus my old Civic OTD. I did like the Outlander SE but not as much and ditto for the Buick Encore but something about the looks of the Buick drove it to the bottom of the short list. Finally drove a Mazda CX-5 today and though nice enough, it didn't do anything for me. Sorry I passed up test driving the Subaru Forrester because I really do like the exterior looks and stance of the vehicle. Liked the CRV but too big, ditto with the Ford Escape and the Nissan Rogue was pretty meh to begin with. But deep down, the VW Tiguan was just exactly what I thought I wanted but the price point was just too high for me and that reliability issue was bothering me. The Tuscon hit all the boxes and their were no cons, only pros and that's how we got to it in our garage. As y'all know, I was always looking for years there but that last 6 weeks before my December 1st purchase were really an education.
Had the Mitsubishi dealer accepted my offer and let me pick it up the next day, I would've bought the Sport SE with that rocking' Rockford Fosgate audio system and been happy but the fates had decided that the Hyundai was for me. Now I have to wait and see what Mrs. Sandman will do and when but gotta feeling that late 2014 or early 2015 will be her time frame and she has no problem with an odd year vehicle except anything with a "13" in it as I found out!

The Sandman

ab348

@stickguy said:
also had a nice 2013 Sonata SE 2.0T on the floor. Pretty well loaded (roof + navi package) though with cloth seats (leather bolsters at least). MSRP ~ 29.5 for 274 HP. I have to imagine there was a serious discount available on that unit.

Reports are that Hyundai USA is way oversupplied with leftover 2013 models and they are dumping them with huge incentives to dealers. If you could live with a Hyundai it might be had at a good price.

oldfarmer50

@qbrozen said:
[Sweet looking E39 6-cyl sport with no reserve!]

That's a lot of car with not much milage for $4100. Wonder how high it will go.

oldfarmer50

@ab348 said:

I wouldn't mind a nice Genesis coupe. How's the supply on those?

stever

Looks like 315 new (2013) ones are available within 50 miles of Beverly Hills. About 175 within 200 miles of Chattanooga.

Sandman6472

Have 2 Hyundai's in the fleet now and they are awesome vehicles and we've had them all. We also have a Mazda and Nissan and am pleased with them all with no major issues as of yet. Had one warranty issue with the kid's '08 Accent but was fixed within 2 hours in the 4th year of ownership. Went in and they saw the issue, told me to hang out in the waiting area and about 1.5 hours later, we're done and out the door with a $0.00 bill...made a believer out of me so a couple months ago, bought a 2nd Hyundai. The wife is either gonna add another Hyundai to the fleet or another Mazda truth be told within a year I predict. And the '09 Versa is just about to hit the 50k mark and expect that she'll keep it until 150k at least. The cvt tranny works seamlessly with no issues at all and we're all pretty happy with it.
I was real close to getting that Lexus 200H CT as it drove very nicely and it's a real looker. The only problem was that it was very difficult for me to get in and out of and it was a bit pricey for a used one with over 30k on the clock...new the price is outrageous but it is a real looker and I was wickedly close to pulling the trigger on it at Carmax. But I had to walk when push came to shove and even that '05 black BMW drop top couldn't get me to open my wallet. i ended up on the opposite side of the spectrum with what I bought but one guy here in Edmunds Forums guessed right out of the box what i purchased. I was amazed but after all those years of talking about my next vehicle, some already knew my thought process. And it's been no secret that Hyundai had wowed me with my kid's '08 Accent...the lowest priced vehicle they offer in the US but good enough to impress me and make me leave the traditional big 3 from Japan!

The Sandman

qbrozen

@kyfdx@Edmunds said:

Oh ok. Thought everyone was getting excited about the current bid price. Well I'm on the wrong device at the moment to look it up but I'd bet that's a fair enough price. Can't imagine the auction value would be much over $6k on something of that age, regardless of the miles (which account for very little when it gets that old as far as bidding dealers are concerned).

stickguy

Q, I read the autocheck and it sold at auction in December. That would be interesting to know (what they paid for it).

clean carcheck, and darned if it really does look like a 1 owner car from Maryland.

breld

If they've listed it at $8,500 on their website, $8k would probably take it, no? Assuming you really didn't have to put too much money into it, that really is quite a deal. But what's your guys' take on that rear bumper - it's not lining up right with the rest of the trunk - almost seems warped.

Makes the $10-11k we're looking for on our 530i seem at least a bit high.

And you're right kyfdx - I just so happen to be flying to Philly in a few hours!

nyccarguy

@corvette

What's the 411 on your GLI? All fixed? How's it drive? You going to look to trade out?

qbrozen

@stickguy said:
Q, I read the autocheck and it sold at auction in December.

Yeah, I checked. It wasn't Manheim. But if past sales at Manheim is a good indication, it should have sold for somewhere in the $6s, as I guessed.

So got the wife to at least drive past the Nissan dealer this morning. She got out and looked in a Sentra. She liked it and thought it roomy, but admitted she doesn't want to give up hatchback functionality. So we'll keep holding out. Either finish out the lease and switch manufacturers or take a look at a Versa hatch if a great lease deal materializes on those.

stickguy

@qbrozen said:
So got the wife to at least drive past the Nissan dealer this morning. She got out and looked in a Sentra. She liked it and thought it roomy, but admitted she doesn't want to give up hatchback functionality. So we'll keep holding out. Either finish out the lease and switch manufacturers or take a look at a Versa hatch if a great lease deal materializes on those.

you have about 19 cars laying around to pick from, so should not be that hard to finish the lease. It hopefully gets warm soon enough, and you can always use it on weekends for running around locally.

I can't see you guys liking a Sentra. My dad has the last generation, and it is an OK little car, but nothing I would ever consider owning. And from what I read when they came out, the current style is an also-ran in the class.

just wait it out, and get something you actually want.

corvette

@nyccarguy said:
corvette

What's the 411 on your GLI? All fixed? How's it drive? You going to look to trade out?

It is "fixed," although there are a couple of issues. The leather on the steering wheel has a bunch of gouges on it (I took photos as soon as I noticed it) and there's at least one paint defect. It still drives great. I'm undecided on keeping it at this point, but won't be trading it in the next couple of months.

Last year, I renovated my kitchen, and this year, I'm renovating my garage! Got a huge storage cabinet, those rails to go on the wall to hold shovels, rakes, and brooms, and I'm probably buying a riding mower to avoid paying a lawn service (as I've done for the past 6+ years), so that takes precedence for now. Given the constantly changing plans of those in this group, once I buy the riding mower, I'll probably decide to sell the house and move somewhere where I won't need a riding mower!

Mr_Shiftright

Just a thought:

nyccarguy

@corvette

As long as you are happy with the repair and the car drives as it did before you got hit, then why not keep it for a little while. Funny, we're sort of in the same boat, different oceans I guess. I bought a self propelled push mower last spring so I don't have to pay the landscaper. My wife and I desperately need to redo our kitchen. The mid 1980's cabinets & doors are literally falling off the hinges. We've been talking about the kitchen project for 2 years now & hopefully won't spend the money elsewhere. We've got to get some estimates & a nice tax return will help get the ball rolling. When the lease is up on my BMW, we've decided to get something cheaper (price wise & payment wise).

nyccarguy

There is hope for future generations of car nuts. This afternoon after work, while eating lunch, thumbing through the local screamers, & looking at edmunds on my iPad, my 7 year old son asks me what I'm looking at. I tell him: "car stuff, want to see?" I showed him the Subaru website & how you can configure a car and color it... I'm showing him the Impreza 5 door & the XV Crosstrek that we checked out at the car show last week. He sees a BRZ and pushes on it right away. He's mesmerized by the style...

corvette

@nyccarguy said:
My wife and I desperately need to redo our kitchen. The mid 1980's cabinets & doors are literally falling off the hinges.

I was lucky, my cabinets were still structurally sound so I just had them painted and they've held up well. Also did new countertops and a tile backsplash.
Go for it, you'll be glad you did it.

stickguy

kitchens can get expensive. Trust me on this one.

speaking of kids and cars, my son spent last night at a friends place, and mentioned that one guy had a 2013 Elantra limited, so he got to drive it. Said it was OK, but not anything that would make him veer away from the mazda 3 or Jetta.

also rode in a 2010 Mustang GT convertible. Seemed to think the back seat was not that bad (not much leg room, but comfy seats). So now he is sitting here, looking up used GT converts from 2010 - 2012. Kid is nuts.

Michaell

@stickguy said:
also rode in a 2010 Mustang GT convertible. Seemed to think the back seat was not that bad (not much leg room, but comfy seats). So now he is sitting here, looking up used GT converts from 2010 - 2012. Kid is nuts.

Stick, there comes a time where you've got to let the kids make their own decision even if you disagree with it.

I wasn't thrilled when my step daughter decided to get the MINI, but she's happy with it and in the long run that's what's important.

stickguy

well, I was going to get this BMW, until I saw how much was due at signing. I could probably come up with 28mill, maybe 30mill, but that is my limit.

>

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breld

That fine print always sneaks up on you on those lease deals!

breld

So far so good on the trip. Easy drive up from philly to jersey in the rental Chevy Cruze. The only other choice was a corolla, so I went for the Cruze. It really is a nice little car. Certainly can't complain at $38 for the weekend.

Took a bus into the city and showed my son around Times Square a bit and had some great pizza. Must get some sleep at some point.

nyccarguy

@breld

Glad you made it in ok. Have a fantastic time!

stever

@stickguy, that's an odd bit of

formatting.

Guess we'll edit the right angles out at some point, but I want to show it off first. My guess is that it's related to the quote feature and it's trying to nest a bunch of empty quotes.

Forecast via SB Nation: "Game time will feature cloudy to mostly cloudy skies, winds out of the west and eventually the northwest between five and fifteen miles per hour. Temperature for kick off will be around the low to mid 40s and falling into the upper 30s to just near 40 by the time the game is over."

stickguy

Steve, that did come through funny. It was actually a picture of the car. I tried to edit to remove but could not even figure out what code it was, so I left it in.

And if that weather forecast is correct, it might not even set a record for lowest temp in a SB (which I believe was 39).

stickguy

Glad you made it in to the city Breld. Yeah, you are super close to the Lincoln tunnel. Have taken the bus into the city that way many times, and the Port Authority bus station is conveniently right at times square where the festivities were set up.

stickguy

new favorite fantasy car in my house. My son stumbled upon the new Audi A3 and went through the build one site. Nice looking, and compared to some of the other comparable cars, very well equipped. Can actually get a base model and not be missing anything important. It comes with Xenons, 12 way power seat, leather seats and panoramic moonroof. Add climate package for $500 and a couple of miscellaneous options and get a nice package for a sticker of around 32K.

I am quite proud that before he even gets the first "starter" car he is planning for the next one, for when he hopes to be making bigger money.

brian125

Speaking about Audi....

I test drove and really like the S-6 Audi. This car is the total package ...IMHO.. At 420 hp the S-6 really moves and handles great. My R-spec Genesis has 430 hp but that sporty ride in the audi you cant compare. My problem with the S-6 Audi is head and leg room comfort. Cant justify 70k to be cramped like that. Moving up to the A-8 is to much cash for a vehicle at this point in my life.
I think I need to start a petition for a law suit against these car companies for us Bigger guys.

Need a extended version

stickguy

Probably (thanks to the continuing crapadelick weather patterns) not before the car show, but I need to swing by and test drive an A-3 I think. At least I will get to check it out next week at the car show.

and man, I wonder if Breld is still glad he broke open the piggy bank to go to the super bowl?

abacomike

@stickguy said:
"and man, I wonder if Breld is still glad he broke open the piggy bank to go to the super bowl?"

This could go down in history as one of the most awful superbowls ever played. Seattle is doing a great job, but the offense of Denver is more like an injured duck trying to fly but falling to the ground at every attempt.

I remember the Bears when they stomped all over New England thanks to Walter Payton and his cohorts. But in the modern era, this one is a stiff!

Sandman6472

The Mazda needs a new headlight we found out tonight at dinner. As I was approaching her car, noticed the right front one was burned out and she never realized it. Will need to get that taken care of within a day or two. The wife saw the door protectors I had installed and commented how nice they look...she never noticed the burgundy stripe between the 2 black ones so I know it was the right color choice...it doesn't stand out in any way which is the look I was going for. She again commented on what a nice looking vehicle it is so guess she's over her objection to me purchasing it...finally! And as she was driving away I did notice how really nice her generation of the 3 really is...it has held up well over time and even though the new 2014 is drop dead gorgeous, I can wait awhile until she decides to get the 2015 model which is my prediction here...she will forgo the Hyundai Accent for another Mazda3 because it is just that good!

The Sandman

stickguy

coming up on an anniversary here. Next week we will have had our Volvo for a full 2 years. I even have to go get it inspected again before the end of the month (you get 2 years in Jersey now on a used car, but 5 on a new one).

Time flies.

stickguy

@sandman_6472 said:
, I can wait awhile until she decides to get the 2015 model which is my prediction here...she will forgo the Hyundai Accent for another Mazda3 because it is just that good!

The Sandman

I do think the new style 3 is a real improvement over the previous generation. they kept the good parts (actually improving them) and really upgraded the weaker parts. Definitely feels like a higher-end car.

nyccarguy

@sandman

Burnt out headlight? Your wife will probably just say: "so what? I just won't drive at night."

nyccarguy

@breld

Sorry about your Broncos buddy! Have a safe trip home!

xwesx

Well, I didn't watch it, but if the score is any indication.... that game was brutal! I hope you had a fun time, breld, despite the outcome (and, possibly, the weather)!

oldfarmer50

@stickguy said:

I even have to go get it inspected again before the end of the month (you get 2 years in Jersey now on a used car, but 5 on a new one).

Time flies.

In NY it's every year no matter if it's new or 50 years old. State must be making money on it somehow because the garages aren't. Even the littlest mom&pop shop had to buy expensive equipment to interface with DMV so they can prove they aren't cheating on the pollution tests. Half my fleet is too old for the computers to talk so it's kind of a joke.

Crooked shops were making money just slapping stickers so the state limits the number of inspections they can in a month.

Makes it a pain if you don't remember to do it until the end of the month.

laurasdada

@abacomike said:
stickguy said:

I remember the Bears when they stomped all over New England thanks to Walter Payton and his cohorts. But in the modern era, this one is a stiff!

Hey, at least the Pats actually led early in that game!

I can't believe that was the same Denver team that put such a hurtin' on the Pats a couple of weeks ago. I don't know, if the Pats had made this year's SB, it might have been that Bears SB game all over again!!!

Sorry, Denver fans. The agony of defeat.

isellhondas

Denver did nothing wrong. Seattle just dominated from the very start. It's about time Seattle had some kind of a winning team! Now, if the Mariners can win the World Series!

abacomike

@isellhondas said:
Denver did nothing wrong. Seattle just dominated from the very start. It's about time Seattle had some kind of a winning team! Now, if the Mariners can win the World Series!

Congratulations, isell. Never said that Seattle didn't play well. They had GREAT defense and their offense was out of sight. But Denver was blown away mainly because of mistakes that were made by the Center on the first series (touchback) and by two interceptions. When a team is down that much in the first quarter, it's very difficult to play "catch-up" when you are playing against the NFC champs.

It makes no difference to me who wins and who loses because there were no teams playing that I root for. But you must admit, if you are watching the game to see "great football" and to sit on the edge of your seat because the two best teams in football are playing each other, you were sorely disappointed. Close games are what makes football exciting. But there was absolutely nothing exciting about yesterday's game because it was a blow-out. I turned off the game in the middle of the second quarter and never turned it back on again. I am sure there are many millions of people who did the same thing. Think of all those advertisers and all the money they spent for ads and 1/3 of the normal viewers never stayed around to watch those ads.

It was a great football game if you were rooting for Seattle, but if you were just looking at the game to see great football, like I said, very disappointed.

isellhondas

Well, I disagree. It WAS "great football" just one sided and kinda boring. I'm glad Seattle won but I would have liked to see a closer score. With Seattle's defense Manning just couldn't get the ball in the hands of his teammates. I still think Manning is a great QB.