Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

My son (with the Jetta) mentioned this evening that he saw a couple of GLIs on the way home from work, and that he kinda wishes he had gotten that instead (fiscal responsibility be damned). Plus the other day he was talking about wanting a convertible for his next car. And only 3 months into a 36 month lease!

stever

lol, like father, like son.

Kirstie_H

A reporter would like to speak to someone who recently got into a car accident and was spared injury after the car's knee, hip, curtain and/or front airbags were deployed. If you believe a car's many airbags saved you from injury in a car accident, and you want to share your story, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than Friday, May 9, 2014 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.

jpp75

@Stever@Edmunds said:
nyccarguy and jpp5862, coming from the Quest the 1.6l felt plenty peppy for us. Very comfy seating, although the passenger seat in the Titanium one we tested didn't have power for some reason and the adjustment wasn't ideal. The My Touch is a concern and the sunroof was disappointing (started too far back for the driver to appreciate it, especially compared to the one in the Edge.

Going to have to peruse the real world MPG numbers; doesn't sound encouraging there.

@Stever@Edmunds‌ I was never impressed with the MPG numbers on the Escape... but that was more relative to the EPA tests, I've found the Escape to be comparable to others in the class. That is odd about the Titanium not having power seat adjustments for the passenger, I've always driven them so I never noticed if mine had them or not.

Personally I've never had a problem with My Ford Touch, it can be a bit slow at times but it works and I like the layout/features.

xwesx

I rode in one last Sept when the Subaru was in the shop for a morning, and it was an interesting experience. The car was roomy and comfy, but it was also disconcerting in that it was eerily similar to my Fiesta in terms of the interior layout. Eerily similar. Almost like it was simply a larger version of the same.

But, it was also peppy and handled well (handling compared to our Forester, not the Fiesta).

breld

Took my wife over to the VW dealer during our lunch hour to check out some used CC's. Still a little tempting based on 1) the somewhat improved athleticism of the car vs. the Passat and 2) the overall looks of it, which I love - especially the 2013 facelift.

But, fact is, I really am liking the comfort of the Passat - both in roominess and handling. The sportiness I crave generally has a tradeoff in that comfort. And for my commuting car, it's hard to beat the Passat. My wife, though she'd obviously be fine with the CC, admitted the Passat beats it in the comfort aspect - at least from a passenger perspective.

So, while I was at the dealer, I asked the service dept if they are able to swap out the base audio with an OEM nav unit if I get my hands on one, and they said it was straightforward, and they charge an hour of labor for it. There are plenty of folks looking to sell their OEM nav units from late model VWs, so I think I'm gonna go that route. The touchscreen and navigation will address my main regrets on the model I got.

And then seriously look at a Civic Si for the fun car.

qbrozen

Really? Huh. I'm surprised. Usually its a different harness.

corvette

Nice. The Passat has the larger nav screen, right? On the GLI, you get downgraded to a smaller display if you opt for navigation. The xenons and keyless ignition are really nice, but the nav is almost worthless (no traffic info, either).

breld

Well, I'm doing my research now on the validity of the plug 'no play potential.

The passat is available with the larger screen on the SEL model, but the sun & nav models come with the smaller screen model. The smaller one is apparently quicker in response than the larger one. So I'm not yet sure which one to go with.

corvette

I think the larger screen one has traffic info. I don't use nav very often, but when I do, about half the time, I will plug in my Garmin, since it works better and has traffic support.

fezo

xwesx -" The car was roomy and comfy, but it was also disconcerting in that it was eerily similar to my Fiesta in terms of the interior layout. Eerily similar. Almost like it was simply a larger version of the same."

Ford has been up to that trick a long time. When I had the notorious Windstall its dash looked like a giant Escort.

stever

Another day, another dealer. We've gone full circle. Back to the Prius V. Found a Three in silver with the panoramic roof and aftermarket heated seats for $27,800 before taxes. Just about to pull the trigger. Did TMV from the sales desk and got to see the "dealer" invoice stuff. Had the guy laughing at me after I said I wasn't a grinder and then started talking about spiffs and holdback. :-) But I really haven't done my pricing due diligence.

nyccarguy

@roadburner‌

I know you've said in the past, but what headlight bulbs do you like? Sylvania? My buddy with the Wrangler has picked up on one of its (seemingly) only major faults, the headlights stink!

stickguy

Bradd, this should take care of it.

nyccarguy

Ha!

roadburner

@nyccarguy said:
roadburner‌

I know you've said in the past, but what headlight bulbs do you like? Sylvania? My buddy with the Wrangler has picked up on one of its (seemingly) only major faults, the headlights stink!

If he wants to try bulbs alone I'd suggest Phillips X-tremeVision bulbs. The US Sylvania bulbs are not the equal of their European Osram counterparts. That said, the general consensus is that the OEM headlamps are garbage and the best upgrade is a total replacement with either H4 halogen lamps, HIDs, or LEDs. This article is a good evaluation of what is available.

fezo

I know! I know! Osran Nightbreakers. He introduced me to them. One burned out and I couldn't get in there and replace it. The mechanic put a pretty competitive bulb in there but I have no idea what it is.

This was supposed to have gone last night.....

Those Phillips Xtreme are new on me...

They really changed

xwesx

I had some of the Xtreme bulbs in my Forester (H11 for low beams, I think?). They only lasted a year, but were good bulbs in terms of vision.

My current preference is Wagner TruView. Wagner does not market these as extra-bright bulbs but rather as low-glare. I have a vision issue in one eye due to a cornea puncture many years ago, so glare is an issue for me at night. I find these bulbs to be fantastic with glare (too bad everyone else doesn't use them!), and they provide very good visibility due to their spectrum.

xwesx

LightForce a nice auxiliary lights as well. I had a set of those I originally mounted on my '96 Outback, then switched to my Escort a few years after the Outback's destruction. Yes, the lights were on the Outback the night of its demise and were ripped off the car, yet both suffered little to no damage and were still serviceable! Tough little buggers....

I wired them into my high-beam circuit and sold the car with the lights affixed.

stickguy

You should see the mooses (meese?) with those babies

xwesx

Moose is moose is moose!

And, seeing moose is more a factor of attentiveness than lighting. Those darn things are relatively invisible at night. Something about that dull brown fur.... their eyes don't glint and their fur has no sheen; they're really quite hard to spot unless you catch them in motion.

fezo

And they can do quite an amount of damage to car and driver and still walk away!

seank2

This may belong over at RWTIV, but the group here seems to be the most knowledgeable.

So, here's the situation: my diesel Mercedes R-Class is just back from another weeklong stay at my indie shop. Its had $9,000 worth of warranty work since last June. So, needless to say, it's leaving, quickly. I travel extensively all over rural South Georgia, with the occasional need to carry clients with me. I average 22-25,000 miles a year, so a lease is out of the question. Fuel economy is important, but I'll give up some of that for some comfort and sport. The question is, what to get?

It has to have 4 doors, leather, and bluetooth. I'd like to keep my purchase price around $25,000, and probably used, since I get killed on the depreciation with all the miles anyway. I know I should be practical and get something like an Accord, Altima etc, or a Passat TDI. But there are several dealers I pass with regularity that have more interesting things that tempt me. I've looked at a 2011 Chrysler 300C, loaded with everything except a sunroof (!?); 2011 black on black (my least favorite color combo) Taurus SHO; Lexus ES350, Genesis among others. Because of the miles, I feel like I should avoid BMW, MB, Audi etc, plus the fact they're more than I want to spend.

So, since it's my firm's money you're spending, what are your thoughts. I'm located in a small town on I-95 in south Georgia, so Jacksonville, Florida is the biggest town to buy, but I'll go to Atlanta or anywhere in between for the right one.

jpp75

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Another day, another dealer. We've gone full circle. Back to the Prius V. Found a Three in silver with the panoramic roof and aftermarket heated seats for $27,800 before taxes. Just about to pull the trigger. Did TMV from the sales desk and got to see the "dealer" invoice stuff. Had the guy laughing at me after I said I wasn't a grinder and then started talking about spiffs and holdback. :-) But I really haven't done my pricing due diligence.

The Prius is a tried and true drivetrain, plenty out there with as many miles as your Quest. I seem to recall you all weren't in love with the Prius V though? You keep cars forever, just make sure it's what you really want.

With that said I've had plenty of the regular Prius as rentals. Lower end models but very competent at what they do.

jpp75

@seank2 said:
This may belong over at RWTIV, but the group here seems to be the most knowledgeable.

So, here's the situation: my diesel Mercedes R-Class is just back from another weeklong stay at my indie shop. Its had $9,000 worth of warranty work since last June. So, needless to say, it's leaving, quickly. I travel extensively all over rural South Georgia, with the occasional need to carry clients with me. I average 22-25,000 miles a year, so a lease is out of the question. Fuel economy is important, but I'll give up some of that for some comfort and sport. The question is, what to get?

It has to have 4 doors, leather, and bluetooth. I'd like to keep my purchase price around $25,000, and probably used, since I get killed on the depreciation with all the miles anyway. I know I should be practical and get something like an Accord, Altima etc, or a Passat TDI. But there are several dealers I pass with regularity that have more interesting things that tempt me. I've looked at a 2011 Chrysler 300C, loaded with everything except a sunroof (!?); 2011 black on black (my least favorite color combo) Taurus SHO; Lexus ES350, Genesis among others. Because of the miles, I feel like I should avoid BMW, MB, Audi etc, plus the fact they're more than I want to spend.

So, since it's my firm's money you're spending, what are your thoughts. I'm located in a small town on I-95 in south Georgia, so Jacksonville, Florida is the biggest town to buy, but I'll go to Atlanta or anywhere in between for the right one.

Seank2, I'd say you're in the right place. I used to travel extensively over the Carolinas and Virginias by car and like you occasionally had clients in the car. I bought a used Avalon from a friend and found it perfect for my needs. It was my "work car" and I rarely drove it around town, but for long days on the road it was perfect. Probably a little light on the sport side but good gas mileage, comfortable, plenty of amenities and easy to maintain. I averaged 40k miles a year in that job and always enjoyed driving the Avalon on the work trips.

The 300 is probably a good choice as well, although I always felt the 300 and Taurus had poor visibility, the windows were just too small for the car and made it feel somewhat claustrophobic.

The Genesis seems like a good car, had them for rentals several times and they check the boxes, but I'm not sure about the long term reliability for the miles you'll be putting on them.

You might also look at an Infiniti M, I would suspect you can get a used one in your price range with the features you want. I've become a fan after owning a couple of Infinitis recently, for me it's a good mix of sporty, comfortable and affordable.

It's always fun helping others find a new car. Keep us posted on your search.

stever

@jpp5862, thanks. The competition is stiff in the segment we're looking at ($25k to $30k) and we're really more interested in driving a gadget than a car. So we're going to be pretty happy with most anything. Besides the Prius, a semi-loaded Soul is in the top two and ventilated seats would be nice when we move out of the snow zone.

stickguy

I think the Lexus is a good option for comfort, features, reliability (even at higher miles) and MPG. Will also do fine with a new Accord EX-l and save more on gas.

ab348

@seank2: In addition to the other suggestions, don't overlook a gently used Buick Lacrosse from 2010 on up. That is a car often overlooked and it is an excellent machine.

jpp75

@Stever@Edmunds said:
jpp5862, thanks. The competition is stiff in the segment we're looking at ($25k to $30k) and we're really more interested in driving a gadget than a car. So we're going to be pretty happy with most anything. Besides the Prius, a semi-loaded Soul is in the top two and ventilated seats would be nice when we move out of the snow zone.

The only complaint I have on my Q50 is no ventilated seats, it's a trade off for a great car but I do miss them.

I'd go with a Prius V any day over the Soul. The Soul isn't horrible, and Toyota isn't what it was 15 years ago, but you'll still fare better with the Prius over the long haul.

jpp75

@stickguy said:
I think the Lexus is a good option for comfort, features, reliability (even at higher miles) and MPG. Will also do fine with a new Accord EX-l and save more on gas.

And the Accord has to be sportier than the ES, but close enough in comfort to justify the price difference.

stever

@jpp5862, I'm a bit tired of driving them forever and yeah, few cars out there seem "horrible". Most are pretty darn good. Makes choosing more difficult. Not quite ready to flip them every six months however.

suydam

The Accord EX-L has 4 doors, leather and bluetooth. It's really comfortable and handles well. I just drove 300 miles, got 38 mpg, so I still have half a tank left. Love the audio interface, alternated between XM and my ipod the whole way. I really love this car. Before you write it off you might give it a try. There is a lot of competition among midsize cars, so it really boils down to what you like.

Sandman6472

The wife and girls are going away next week and I've got the Accent in the garage right now. Plan to use it to go to work this week and blow out the engine a bit since it never sees the highway except when I get it. For a '08 model with less than 14k, it looks in great shape and the tires are pristine in their tread. Need to have it detailed but will probably do all that in August when it gets it's yearly oil and filter change. For basic cheap transport, it really is a very nice small vehicle though it'll be a bit strange to drive a regular vehicle again since I am so used to my Tuscon cuv, a vehicle that I love more and more every time I drive it! When I drive a Civic at work now I wonder to myself how I ever drove one for so long but I still think my generation was the best one with the current generation inferior in looks and driveability! Drove a new Sportage the other day and if the Kia dealer was across the street where the Hyundai is, I'd probably have that in the garage right now since they are so closely related. I truly really love the cuv size vehicle as they drive very carlike but have that better seating position. I also love the ease of egress/ingress especially with my bad spine and know it was the right time to get out of my Civic even though some in my house thought the opposite. Just hit 7200 miles this week with a little over 5 months of ownership but since I no longer drive up to West Palm multiple times/week, the mileage numbers have come down to a more manageable level. Still looks like I'll be putting on 15k/year though and with the reduced miles/gallon, a bit more out of pocket but I don't care...I really really like this vehicle!

The Sandman

corvette

Keep an eye on the tires on the Accent if they're original to the car. They can develop weather cracking, especially out in the Florida heat, especially if it's parked outside and gets a lot of sun. At some point, they will be due for replacement because of age and not wear--some people say that's between 6-10 years.

stever

Plan B - the original idea was to sell the Outback and drive the van to NM later this summer. The cascading mechanical issues with the Quest have nixed that idea, so we've been shopping the downsized rigs (and getting called out by Xwesx, who knows that our clutter won't fit in a Prius V. ).

So the brilliant idea this morning is just to buy a different used van and drive it out to NM and get something new and better on gas next year.

corvette

That requires two purchases instead of one. I like it.

Sandman6472

A visual inspection show the tires all good but once I get it on the highway this week, I'll know better. Got the tires filled on the Mazda3 as the wife and girls are going to Daytona and St. Augustine this week. With over 131k on the car, it still drives o k and the a/c is still working. The plan is to wait till the last week of December and get a '15 model, either another 3 or an Accent but I think once she drives the Elantra, that'll be her next ride. Time will tell unless something major happens and then, it's gone as we're not throwing much $ into this puppy anymore. Another oil change or 2 and hopefully that'll be it. I like the long warranty I got on my Hyundai and would be thrilled if she follows suit, just one less thing to worry about!

The Sandman

28firefighter

Wow! I disappear for a few weeks and I have nearly 600 posts across the two threads I follow. Between work travel, travel for weddings, and moving into the new house, I haven't had 10 minutes to myself.

2013 CC - Breld, I read a few pages back that you're interested in one of these. I love mine and find it to be a good balance of the old european feeling VWs at a very reasonable price point (I'm paying around $280/month including WA tax with 0 due at signing). My only complaint is that the dash rattles a bit more than I care for, which I'll have looked at during my next service appointment. Other than that, no issues whatsoever mechanically or otherwise. I've only driven the new Passat with a 5 cylinder engine, and that was grossly underpowered and felt much cheaper inside than mine.

In other news, I have been dealing with a bunch of drama with my wife's 2011 Mazda 3 with 18,000 miles. The car had a synthetic oil change approximately 3000 miles ago (January) at which time all fluids were inspected and in the green. When I took the car to get gas this week, I checked the oil and it was down a full quart. No signs of leaking or burning. I topped it off and took it into Mazda ASAP. They could not find any signs of consumption, leaking or burning, but did notice that the transmission fluid was down nearly a pint and a half without any signs of consumption or leaking. They topped it off and want to see the car back in 1000 miles (or sooner if I see fluid levels dropping again). I'm at a complete loss - the car is only 2 years old (2011 bought in January 2012) and has been serviced regularly by Mazda. With only 7 months left on the warranty, I'm eager to see what may or may not show itself...

stickguy

entirely possible the guy that did a short job, and assumed stuff was good? Maybe it came that way?

I agree though that if you are sure everything is spot on, recheck in 1K and odds are they will still be. Certainly the tranny.

28firefighter

I did have them go back through their records and it is documented from the last service visit that the transmission fluid was fine, so at least I have the decline documented for warranty purposes.

I've heard of oil consumption, but transmission fluid consumption is a new one to me - I always thought it was fine or it leaked...

corvette

Some leaks aren't always apparent on a visual inspection. Some won't even leave a spot on your garage or driveway!

seank2

Thank you, everyone, for all the suggestions. I have looked at a Buick Lacrosse, and was very impressed with it. Same for an Acura TL, although I'm not sure the non-SH AWD version, especially without the tech pack, is worth the price premium over an Accord.

The dealer with the 300 C also has a 2013 Accord EXVL (V6) which I will probably look at. I've had Hondas of varying models over the years, and while not the most exciting car on the road, it ticks all the right boxes, and will likely be super reliable. I've not driven a new Accord with the 4 cylinder and CVT, so I need to drive one of those too.

I just wanted to be sure there wasn't something I was missing that I really need to check out. I'll keep everyone posted, as the search continues in earnest now.

qbrozen

Some good suggestions for the work vehicle. The 300 is a bit tricky. I think only the redesigned interior is worth a look, which puts you in, I believe, a 2013+, which then puts you out of budget for a luxury model even with the V6. Only a base model could be had for $25k.

I would think the depreciation shouldn't matter much considering you are "using up" the vehicle so quickly. But reliability is, of course, paramount. So the Lexus/Avalon seem like really good bets. A 2011 Avalon Limited with under 30k should just squeak in at your budget.

roadburner

My dealer group cut the price on the 2012 Regal GS again- it's now $25k. CPO and just 23k miles. Even I would be tempted if it had @100 more horsepower- or weighed @500 lbs. less.

qbrozen

I was not expecting to see a stick shift. Man, that's really gotta kill the resale of a Buick.

Well, a white one with 1k fewer miles traded dealer hands in Florida about 3 weeks ago for $22,700, but that was an automatic. On most normal workaday sedans, you are talking about a $1k-$1200 hit with the 3rd pedal. I'd bet its at least $2k on a Buick.

roadburner

@qbrozen said:
I was not expecting to see a stick shift. Man, that's really gotta kill the resale of a Buick.

Well, a white one with 1k fewer miles traded dealer hands in Florida about 3 weeks ago for $22,700, but that was an automatic. On most normal workaday sedans, you are talking about a $1k-$1200 hit with the 3rd pedal. I'd bet its at least $2k on a Buick.

If it hangs around and drops below $20k I may actually go for it- that's a lot of car for the money- an Opel Insignia for all practical purposes(I wonder if it's possible to swap all the Buick badges for Opel or Vauxhall emblems?)

qbrozen

i'd be surprised if it drops that low, but you never know.
I think they'd probably take their chances at auction rather than take less than $22k.

Always reminds me of my dealings with a particular BMW dealer back when shopping for my 135i. They had been stuck with this unit for longer than they liked, apparently, and they were just about to send it off to auction when I happened upon it. Even my offer of $2k above reasonable auction value could not dissuade the GM from denying me the purchase and sending it off to the block instead. Cutting off your nose to spite your face? Good luck with that business model.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen‌

What do you think of this 2014 Altima 2.5S?

I'm on the work PC, so the link should work. Just in case it doesn't, here are the particulars: 2014 Altima 2.5S
White/Black Cloth
CVT
3900 miles
at a dealer asking $18,950

or are the deals on the new ones so good, it doesn't make sense to buy used?

qbrozen

yes, its one of those problems where the used versions are too high to make sense. Truecar has them brand new for $19.8k. Auction has them at $17-$17.5 with under 5k miles. So dealers really need to be getting new money for those to make sense. Obviously, this particular dealer has priced this aggressively and with new transactions in mind, so it gets you about $1k off. Not sure I'd make that deal, personally, but I suppose if someone had a strict budget in mind, it might work.

nyccarguy

Thank-you kind sir:)