Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

@rayainsw said:
Michaell@Edmunds
So, will you have an opportunity to drive the new MINI?

Congrats! Enjoy!

• Ray

In wait mode . . .

Only when it has to go to the dealer for service.

The joys of being the 'fleet manager'....

Michaell

@breld said:
By the way, you were the one who referred me to John Friend over at the BMW shop - did you know he's now a manager at the Honda shop?

One other comment from the purchase yesterday - learned that Schomp will be breaking ground soon next to their BMW dealership to build new showrooms for both the MINI and Honda franchises.

This means that my drive to the dealer for service just got about 30% shorter.

isellhondas

@Michaell@Edmunds said:

I didn't know that. I have friends in Oxnard including the guy who runs the HUGE facility where all of the bananas come through. Nice area!

Michaell

@isellhondas said:
I didn't know that. I have friends in Oxnard including the guy who runs the HUGE facility where all of the bananas come through. Nice area!

My mom has been there since she was 9; dad was stationed at the base in the 50's.

I try to get out there every year or two to visit.

breld

Congrats on the smooth deal on the countryman! Glad to hear schomp came through for you on the trade and made it so easy.

Michaell

@breld said:
Congrats on the smooth deal on the countryman! Glad to hear schomp came through for you on the trade and made it so easy.

Thanks. Second purchase from them; both have been pretty painless.

Gonna have to try it at the BMW store some day.

Tomorrow would have been a good day for her to have ALL4 - expecting 8-12" of snow through tomorrow, and the Roadster S ought to be a whole lotta fun to get to work in.

nyccarguy

@michaell@edmunds

Mazel-Tov & Congrats on the "MINI" Punch! Nice to hear a dealer (even though its 1 price place) did right on the trade & is giving you a loaner until your daughter's ALL4 comes in!

Michaell

@nyccarguy said:
michaell@edmunds

Mazel-Tov & Congrats on the "MINI" Punch! Nice to hear a dealer (even though its 1 price place) did right on the trade & is giving you a loaner until your daughter's ALL4 comes in!

Thanks. The trade in is already on-line:

ralphschompmini.com/VehicleDetails/used-2010-MINI-Cooper_Hardtop--Littleton-CO/2232174443

Almost $3800 of profit on it at the moment. breld, do you know if Schomp is 'one price' on their used cars as well?

jayrider

@Michaell@Edmunds said:
Almost $3800 of profit on it at the moment. breld, do you know if Schomp is 'one price' on their used cars as well?

The asking price is right on the money.

breld

@Michaell@Edmunds said:
Almost $3800 of profit on it at the moment. breld, do you know if Schomp is 'one price' on their used cars as well?

Yup - no haggle on the used ones as well. Of course, they'll lower them as time passes, but at any given time, there's no negotiation. Come to think of it, both cars we've bought from Schomp have been used ones.

gouldn

Didn't you say it was an automatic? That link points to a manual.

breld

I know 318ti's generally are, and should be, pretty cheap. But if the miles and condition of this one are legitimate, doesn't it seem a little too good to be true?

Original owner, 45k miles 318ti

kyfdx

Maybe he just wants to get it sold?

I guess I can believe the price, more than I could believe the odometer... Who can drive a car that little? And, why are all of these cars in Colorado?

stickguy

Heck, if it is as described, I would grab it at that price, even without a sunroof.''

Heck, Roadburner should buy it to have a spare since he is obsessed with not having a hole in the roof.

breld

I responded to the ad and am awaiting a response. For that price, wouldn't mind having another 318ti.

Michaell

@gouldn said:
Didn't you say it was an automatic? That link points to a manual.

Yeah, I noticed that as well. If you go into the detailed description it says it's an auto, but in the specs section they say manual. I'm guessing someone clicked on the wrong buttons hen adding it to the inventory website.

Michaell

@breld said:
I know 318ti's generally are, and should be, pretty cheap. But if the miles and condition of this one are legitimate, doesn't it seem a little too good to be true?

Original owner, 45k miles 318ti

When I clicked on the link it was "flags for removal"

Sold already?

breld

Well, maybe it was indeed too good to be true. "Flagged for removal" usually there was something fishy with the ad. When they're sold, the message is usually "Deleted by author."

I never did receive a response on my e-mail request in any case.

kyfdx

@breld .. I see you are at it again! Good luck with the sale.

I'm guessing that the 318ti ad was an old one, that was copied and the price lowered... and sent out by a scammer... That's probably why it was removed.

jayrider

@kyfdx%40Edmunds said:
breld .. I see you are at it again! Good luck with the sale.

I'm guessing that the 318ti ad was an old one, that was copied and the price lowered... and sent out by a scammer... That's probably why it was removed.

Isn't it sad that all the really good deals are fake. Kind of like all the leasing ads. "Lease this car for only $99 per month !" small print -- with $4000 down. They should try that for sales. " Brand new BMW 535 loaded -- only $1000." [With $65000 down- taxes/title extra."

fezo

Boy, I've missed life in here. Situation is probably the same as when I was last in here. Pretty well all recovered except for a compromised immune system. It seems to work for me but doc says until the numbers are right I am on the DL. Truth be told it wouldn't pay to go back to work. Between SS and pension I'm breaking about even. Once I'm on straight SS instead of disability then I could do some work to supplement my income but I've never had the energy of most people. We'll see. Right now it's out of my hands.

I have a buy that happened months ago and a sell (actually a give away) coming up.

Somewhere last year I bought daughter #2 an 04 Camry with 191K on it that had been owned by a Toyota mechanic. It's like having a new 04 Camry.

Daughter #1 has moved out on her own. As soon as her insurance comes through I'll give her the 00 Accord with 310K on it. She'd like to run it forever.

fintail

There was with a local lot who actually did that - they'd offer insanely low payments, but the fine print said something like "with $25K down or trade equity"- I kid you not, it was that much. They didn't try it for long, I suspect someone complained and maybe a regulator stepped in. Talk about shady.

Nice to see you, fezo.

@jayrider said:
Isn't it sad that all the really good deals are fake. Kind of like all the leasing ads. "Lease this car for only $99 per month !" small print -- with $4000 down. They should try that for sales. " Brand new BMW 535 loaded -- only $1000." [With $65000 down- taxes/title extra."

breld

@kyfdx%40Edmunds said:
breld .. I see you are at it again! Good luck with the sale.

Thanks! Yup - the wife's looked at enough TTs that she decided she's ready to move on. We actually tried to deal on one last night, but they couldn't come through on the trade. Not surprising, given the unique nature of the wagon. So, as you saw, we promptly went home and posted it for sale.

qbrozen

went to the nissan dealer today with that "$2999 down $59/mo for 24 mos" Altima ad. I knew, of course, there were other fees to take into account, but man did they pile on the FEES. Somehow came up with $2441 worth. That's pretty amazing. Coupled with the supposed expiration of the pull ahead program, the deal was far far from happening.

Anyway, its a pretty nice car. Lots of neat features in the simple S model. I was a bit disappointed in the OBC's reading for our little 7-mile test drive. It wasn't very much stop and go and spent most of the time cruising at a steady 50mph. At the end of the loops, it was reading just a tad over 29mpg. No idea how accurate it is, but I still thought it should have been reading quite a bit higher based on the EPA numbers.

iluvmysephia1

Hey, fezo, long time no talk to. You still on the CPAP machine at night? I'm now doing Sleep Tech. work full time for a New Mexico hospital.

boomchek

@qbrozen said:
went to the nissan dealer today with that "$2999 down $59/mo for 24 mos" Altima ad. I knew, of course, there were other fees to take into account, but man did they pile on the FEES. Somehow came up with $2441 worth. That's pretty amazing. Coupled with the supposed expiration of the pull ahead program, the deal was far far from happening.

Anyway, its a pretty nice car. Lots of neat features in the simple S model. I was a bit disappointed in the OBC's reading for our little 7-mile test drive. It wasn't very much stop and go and spent most of the time cruising at a steady 50mph. At the end of the loops, it was reading just a tad over 29mpg. No idea how accurate it is, but I still thought it should have been reading quite a bit higher based on the EPA numbers.

One thing I will tell you about on board computers and fuel economy readings, they will always show very high numbers for cars on the lot.

Many cars on the lots are driven very short distances, they're warmed up and left idling, moved around the lot, so fuel economy figures will always be through the roof.

tifighter

Yeah, I think if I did a 7-mile drive on the Accord with a cold engine, it probably wouldn't be any better.

But 42.1mpg avg on the 30 mile drive (all freeway) into the office this morning. Warmer weather sure helps.

rayainsw

I see pricing is up on the 2015 GTI:

http://wot.motortrend.com/1404_2015_volkswagen_golf_gti_gets_more_goodies_priced_at_25215.html

• Ray

2013 driver, currently . . .

nyccarguy

@qbrozen‌

did you notice anything lacking specifically from the Altima S? Anything that would make you absolutely step up to the next model?

stickguy

@nyccarguy said:
qbrozen‌

did you notice anything lacking specifically from the Altima S? Anything that would make you absolutely step up to the next model?

not Q, but I will take a stab, having just driven an SV! assuming I can remember...

Let's see. you have to move up to the SV if you want auto CC or a moonroof. There are also some niceties that are not standard on the base S, but available in an options package (that is standard on the SV). This includes the connectivity apps, touch screen display, backup camera and satellite radio. So pretty much to me the key item is the moonroof. If you don't want that, an S with the display audio package and sport package (for alloys and remote ignition) will pretty much give you what you need (for probably about the same price as an SV)

nyccarguy

What's the Altima drive like? Is it more Camry-like (smooth & isolated) or Accord-like (somewhat sporty, smooth power train)?

nyccarguy

@stickguy‌

Gotcha, so it is one of those deals if you put an option pkg on the S, you might as well go for the SV?

stickguy

S to SV, probably. Very similar to the Mazda 3 touring loaded vs. a grand touring. Me, I require the moonroof, so that makes it an easy answer!

I did not drive too far, but I put it more on the mazda/honda side. Not at all camry like. Good ride and quiet, but nice enough handling. Closer to sport than cushy basically. Might need more time to get familiar with the CVT. I did accelerate hard from one light, so got to here is jump to 4K revs and sit there. Different, but no big deal. And very quiet cruising.

I liked it a lot more than I expected. Would only get it if I got into a long commute, but it should push 40 on straight highway runs, and has the 18 gallon tank, so combined with the "zero gravity" seats, could be a fine distance runner!

suydam

I would say the Altima is closer to Accord than Camry, but cushier than the previous version. It's very nice.

qbrozen

Nissan typically leans to the sporty side. It was a pretty solid ride. Personally, I wouldn't want anything more than the S. I hate moonroofs. Power seat, Bluetooth, aux input, auto headlights, and keyless entry and start are all standard on the S, so that ticks all the right boxes for me. Seats are pretty nice, although still not up to Volvo standards, but that would be asking a lot in a $22k car. They even had a base S with the Java metallic color and light interior, which is exactly what I wanted. Oh well.

BTW, numbers they hit me with would have worked out to ~$280/mo, $0 out of pocket, 24-mo, 12k lease. With some shuffling, I'm sure $250 would have been easy enough to do.

Michaell

@qbrozen said:
Nissan typically leans to the sporty side. It was a pretty solid ride. Personally, I wouldn't want anything more than the S. I hate moonroofs. Power seat, Bluetooth, aux input, auto headlights, and keyless entry and start are all standard on the S, so that ticks all the right boxes for me. Seats are pretty nice, although still not up to Volvo standards, but that would be asking a lot in a $22k car. They even had a base S with the Java metallic color and light interior, which is exactly what I wanted. Oh well.

BTW, numbers they hit me with would have worked out to ~$280/mo, $0 out of pocket, 24-mo, 12k lease. With some shuffling, I'm sure $250 would have been easy enough to do.

Would they be taking back the Leaf?

Update on the MINI deal - still waiting for the car to be prepped and delivered. Daughter wanted the windows tinted, so that may take an extra day to complete.

Also, was going through the paperwork on the old MINI and found that we are entitled to a pro-rated refund of the extended warranty we bought for it. I've put a call into the MINI dealer and hope to hear back from one of the business managers later today to figure out the process.

abacomike

@Michaell@Edmunds said:
Also, was going through the paperwork on the old MINI and found that we are entitled to a pro-rated refund of the extended warranty we bought for it. I've put a call into the MINI dealer and hope to hear back from one of the business managers later today to figure out the process.

I didn't know you bought a MINI - congratulations and good luck with it. I've test-driven them and they are a kick to drive - very low to the center of gravity and quite perky. Just enjoy it.

Michaell

@abacomike said:
I didn't know you bought a MINI - congratulations and good luck with it. I've test-driven them and they are a kick to drive - very low to the center of gravity and quite perky. Just enjoy it.

I didn't - daughter did. 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4, loaded.

She traded in a 2010 MINI Cooper Hardtop.

"MINI for Life!" is her mantra.

breld

Well, I didn't think it'd take long. My wife found a TT she liked a whole lot (mostly due to the color combo) in the Chicago area. I called the dealership this morning, and made an offer. They finally came back a few hundred higher than we wanted, so we accepted. We've booked a flight to Midway on Friday using miles, and will be driving her TT back to Denver!

Here are the specifics:

2008 TT 3.2 Quattro
9,800 miles
Silver over red leather (that's the part that reeled in the wife)
Nicely optioned with navigation, upgraded stereo, etc.
They shared the original sticker with us - $50,600.

Here's the listing - I assume they'll have it up until we actually take delivery.

Wife's new ride

We've always said we'd be up for a road trip to pick up a car, and now we get to do it!

Michaell

@breld said:
Well, I didn't think it'd take long. My wife found a TT she liked a whole lot (mostly due to the color combo) in the Chicago area. I called the dealership this morning, and made an offer. They finally came back a few hundred higher than we wanted, so we accepted. We've booked a flight to Midway on Friday using miles, and will be driving her TT back to Denver!

Here are the specifics:

2008 TT 3.2 Quattro
9,800 miles
Silver over red leather (that's the part that reeled in the wife)
Nicely optioned with navigation, upgraded stereo, etc.
They shared the original sticker with us - $50,600.

Here's the listing - I assume they'll have it up until we actually take delivery.

Wife's new ride

We've always said we'd be up for a road trip to pick up a car, and now we get to do it!

Wow! Nice!

1500 miles a year? Wonder why so low?

But, a great reason to do a road trip. You know you're adding 10% to the miles just to get it back to Colorado.

corvette

Congratulations, breld, the TT looks great! Things have been slow for a while, but we've had three purchases in the past week, and are now up to 10 for the year.

stever

Fun! In theory I can get a free pass from my sister to go pick up a car, but we have a houseguest at the moment who has a Prius. And lots of horror stories about it.

tifighter

@breld You know how to keep it fresh! Big fan of red interiors, nice.

breld

Thanks for the nice wishes. Of course, I have a wagon to sell now.

I'm not particularly worried about it, but neither of us have driven a TT with the V6, just the 2.0T. As you all know, we love the VW turbo engines, but the V6 might be a fun bonus.

Miles are crazy low, but probably not too shocking for the type of car it is.

So in a matter of months, we've more or less transformed ourselves from a BMW family to a VW/Audi family! A little sad - but things can change fast!

stickguy

Keep wagon until you get home. In case the TT goes on market instead.

corvette

@stickguy said:
Keep wagon until you get home. In case the TT goes on market instead.

I like the way you think. His family has only bought two cars so far this year.

carnaught

@breld said:
Well, I didn't think it'd take long. My wife found a TT she liked a whole lot (mostly due to the color combo) in the Chicago area. I called the dealership this morning, and made an offer. They finally came back a few hundred higher than we wanted, so we accepted. We've booked a flight to Midway on Friday using miles, and will be driving her TT back to Denver!

Here are the specifics:

2008 TT 3.2 Quattro
9,800 miles
Silver over red leather (that's the part that reeled in the wife)
Nicely optioned with navigation, upgraded stereo, etc.
They shared the original sticker with us - $50,600.

Here's the listing - I assume they'll have it up until we actually take delivery.

Wife's new ride

We've always said we'd be up for a road trip to pick up a car, and now we get to do it!

I've always liked red interiors. Looks like fun, congrats.

stickguy

that is quite a change though, going from a wagon (even a 3 series) to essentially a 2 seat sporty car. I'm guessing some other vehicle will replace the wagon as the DD, and the TT becomes a garage queen toy?

stickguy

Carnaught, I like red too (darker red). My wife has other opinions, so if I want a red interior I have to make sure and not show her the car first!

breld

Yes, it is a change, particularly coming from someone who claimed she didn't like coupes. The bigger change came when her daughter started driving a couple of months ago. All of a sudden, my wife is very rarely using a backseat anymore, so that sort of opened up the door for this "fun" car.

It may be a little bit of a stretch, but the wife loved the Kharmann Ghias when she was younger, and she says the TT has always caught her eye in the same vein.

It's certainly not the worst thing to still have the wagon for the time being. But when it does go, there's always the van or my Passat when she does need the extra seats.