Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

corvette

The GLI got a pretty nasty parking lot ding on this trip. A very small dent but a lot of dark red paint transferred from somebody's door or other part. I thought it was bird droppings at first but realized differently once I got home.

The sad part is it didn't bother me as much as it should. I cleaned the area with quick detailer, got out the rubbing compound, and it now looks like a small rub in the clearcoat... Probably 90% better. The car looks good when it's clean, but it's becoming a beater in my mind.

stickguy

no matter how hard you try, if you use it, it will get some "patina". I don't obsess, even though it bugs me. As long as nothing severe, I get over it.

reminds me. I need to get out there and touch up the scratch my wife put in the RDX. that is noticeable since it went through the grey into the white.

nyccarguy

@stickguy‌

I know I'll qualify for Subaru's 2.9% for 72 month special financing, but I told the sales guy if he can get me a better rate from another lender, then I'll go that route.

qbrozen

actually received a $250 paypal deposit from the buyer around midnight last night. Still no message or reply to my email, though.

stever

Spam filter? Seems an odd way to do business.

qbrozen

I've sent him 2 messages now. 1 through ebay and 1 straight from my personal box to his (well, actually, it seems he has 2 emails, which might be part of the problem).

henryn

qbrozen said:

I've sent him 2 messages now. 1 through ebay and 1 straight from my personal box to his (well, actually, it seems he has 2 emails, which might be part of the problem).

Not everyone sets on top of their mailbox, watching it like a hawk. Believe it or not, there are still people in this world who don't forward their emails to their smartphone so they can check emails while in the restroom (or whatever)!

henryn

stickguy said:

I wish I had a place on a busy road where I could leave one of the cars for a while, but I can't think of one that works.

This is still my favorite way to sell a used car, especially if you're in a small town (which I used to be). There was an open lot in the middle of downtown, which belonged to the local home town bank. They were kind enough to allow everyone to use it, and you would find used cars, trucks, boats, RV's, whatever.

Then some idiot had his car broken into while it was sitting there, and he tried to claim damages from the bank ("Failure to provide adequate security"). The bank had no choice but to close off the empty lot and ask the police to run off anyone who attempted to use it. I really hate it when some idiot ruins things for everyone else.

There used to be what were called "park and sell" lots. You left your car with them, they "showed" the car to potential buyers, and kept a percentage of the sale price when it did sell. Those seem to have all gone away now.

stickguy

Well if he sent some money already, sounds like he plans to buy it. If not, free money!

Mr_Shiftright

Test Drove a 2015 Mercedes C300 yesterday, Pretty nice mid-size car, although I think I'd opt for the C400 V-6. That 4 cylinder turbo has plenty of power but it does get a little thrashy in the higher revs.

Aside from the rather awkward NAV screen, which I think one would get used to, I found the stop/start function REALLY annoying. Yes, you can switch it off, but you have to do that EVERY time you start the car. The complaint? After stopping at a light, and having the engine shut down, when you start it up you get a little "burp" from the engine---like a stagger or a misfire.

I tried a 2014 E350 with the stop/start, and same thing. Perhaps some finesse with the gas pedal would mitigate this, but based on that one feature, I'd hesitate to own the car. I hope some clever person comes up with a get-around pretty soon.

Other than that, all the new technology (that console "mouse" is pretty neat) , the styling, ride, handling----all really appealing. The 2015 C class really did equal the 2014 E class I drove in all respects (except that the E class was a V-6, and you can tell).

qbrozen

yeah, its just odd. Maybe he's really busy. But to ignore my first message and then send a deposit with no note? Just odd.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

Test Drove a 2015 Mercedes C300 yesterday, Pretty nice mid-size car, although I think I'd opt for the C400 V-6. That 4 cylinder turbo has plenty of power but it does get a little thrashy in the higher revs.

Aside from the rather awkward NAV screen, which I think one would get used to, I found the stop/start function REALLY annoying. Yes, you can switch it off, but you have to do that EVERY time you start the car. The complaint? After stopping at a light, and having the engine shut down, when you start it up you get a little "burp" from the engine---like a stagger or a misfire.

I tried a 2014 E350 with the stop/start, and same thing. Perhaps some finesse with the gas pedal would mitigate this, but based on that one feature, I'd hesitate to own the car. I hope some clever person comes up with a get-around pretty soon.

Other than that, all the new technology (that console "mouse" is pretty neat) , the styling, ride, handling----all really appealing. The 2015 C class really did equal the 2014 E class I drove in all respects (except that the E class was a V-6, and you can tell).

I sat in one in the showroom a couple of weeks ago and thought the interior was a big step up from the previous one. I thought I would hate the iPad attached to the dash, but didn't - it just seemed to fit there. One thing I was a bit disappointed in was that the drivers compartment felt a bit narrow to me, or maybe it was just an awkward placement of the door armrest, but the door when closed made it feel really confining.

As for the stop/start, what kind of time lag are we talking here before it shuts of? Hopefully not at a stop sign?

stever

Maybe a scam?

qbrozen

for me? nah. None of those. It sold through Ebay and I never click a link in any paypal email. I navigate to their website through my browser and log in to see my activity. The $250 really is there (well, minus fees! arg!).

kyfdx

henryn said:

qbrozen said:

I've sent him 2 messages now. 1 through ebay and 1 straight from my personal box to his (well, actually, it seems he has 2 emails, which might be part of the problem).

Not everyone sets on top of their mailbox, watching it like a hawk. Believe it or not, there are still people in this world who don't forward their emails to their smartphone so they can check emails while in the restroom (or whatever)!

What's a smartphone?

qbrozen

mike piazza Honda called me today to let me know they got a manual EX in. That's much much closer to work, so hopefully I can get over there tomorrow.

fintail

C400 is the way to go. Much higher feature engine, and the car comes with loads more equipment. You pay for it of course, but I'd do it. I also still have an issue paying 50K for a 4cyl car built in Alabama - as I have yet to see a US model W205 with a "W" VIN. At least give me a nice TT 6. It equals the E almost in price, too! In fact, MSRP for MSRP, the E will probably lease and maybe even finance cheaper.

I suspect there are software hacks for the eco feature already.

Mr_Shiftright said:

Test Drove a 2015 Mercedes C300 yesterday, Pretty nice mid-size car, although I think I'd opt for the C400 V-6. That 4 cylinder turbo has plenty of power but it does get a little thrashy in the higher revs.

abacomike

@fintail said:

"C400 is the way to go. Much higher feature engine, and the car comes with loads more equipment. You pay for it of course, but I'd do it."

I drove the C400 day before yesterday - it was a rocket!  Beautiful styling, great handling, high end interior treatments.  Has the same engine as my E400 has (on its way to US port of entry already).

Mr_Shiftright

I'm not sure how long you have to stop before stop/start kicks in, and I'm not sure that any software hack is going to fix how it feels when in operation---unless the hack can disable it permanently. I'm sure it's there in order to get some EPA rating. As it is, it would be a deal breaker for me. I don't want to drive a car that chugs like a flooded 4-barrel carburetor when you take off from a dead start. Disabling it every time you enter the car is very tiresome.

fintail

I have yet to see a C400 in person yet, but I might test drive one for the hell of it. The interior is definitely a jump up, just like the current S-class it mimics. Just so pricey - there'll be little difference between a loaded C and a nicely optioned but not loaded E.

Regarding stop-start, there's probably a way one can modulate the gas pedal to stop the car but not engage the eco junk. I had a rental Audi in Germany with the feature - I quickly learned how to keep the car stopped without engaging the function. It's really inconvenient when one needs to quickly merge onto a fast road, every second counts.

abacomike said:

@fintail said:

"C400 is the way to go. Much higher feature engine, and the car comes with loads more equipment. You pay for it of course, but I'd do it."

I drove the C400 day before yesterday - it was a rocket!  Beautiful styling, great handling, high end interior treatments.  Has the same engine as my E400 has (on its way to US port of entry already).

Mr_Shiftright

So you mean keeping light pressure on the gas pedal when stopped, or do you mean using two feet?

kyfdx

BMW now has the ability to turn off the stop/start via program. So, you don't have to do it, each time. I'll guess that just about all makes will include that option, at some point.

Mr_Shiftright

The sooner the better, unless they can figure out how to make it seamless. It's really awful as it is. Remember when (or maybe you don't) your choke flap loaded up your carburetor on a cold day as you tried to pull away at a light? It reminded me of that.

qbrozen

Dropped a deposit on a 2015 Fit LX manual today.

The End.

nyccarguy

NICE!

stickguy

Figured you would once you drove one.

laurasdada

While I have nothing to compare it to, I don't find the stop/start in my XF overly obtrusive. As mentioned earlier, I've learned to work with gas/brake so as not to trigger it if I don't desire. Or, just hit the button to disable, for example, in commuting traffic.

jayrider

qbrozen said:

Dropped a deposit on a 2015 Fit LX manual today.

The End.

Kicking A** and Taking Names !!

ab348

qbrozen said:

Dropped a deposit on a 2015 Fit LX manual today.

The End.

Does the dealer know when they will get one? Or what colors/equipment it may have?

corvette

Congrats, qbrozen! Did they take the Benz as a trade, or did the buyer come through?

gouldn

Congrats to qbrozen! I bet you picked one of the lowest depreciating new cars on the market.

qbrozen

It will be an LX manual. I have requested dark grey or white. They figure it could be a 4-week wait.

In fashion very unlike me, I agreed to full MSRP. Only reason being that this dealer's fees are so crazy low ($133) compared to NJ that it would have been nearly the same to get it for $16k and pay $399 doc fee. And, hell, $399 ain't even all that high around here. PLUS, free oil changes for life. All in all, about $100 more than I was targeting but the oil changes will make up for that easily. I'm happy about the "deal." And I was willing to stretch to give the sale to the one salesperson who even cared enough to call me as soon as she got one in.

The Benz buyer did, in fact, break his silence late last night. He is looking forward to it, will pay the balance by the Tues deadline, and will come to my office by train next Fri.

My remaining task is turning in the Leaf.

stever

Good to hear the Benz buyer is "real". Sounds like it's all coming together nicely.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

yeah, its just odd. Maybe he's really busy. But to ignore my first message and then send a deposit with no note? Just odd.

Are you sure this isn't some PayPal scam?

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Dropped a deposit on a 2015 Fit LX manual today.

The End.

What kind of story is that? Make something up if you have to. Feed us!

stever

Sometimes posts are easy to overlook - I had the same question and it's legit per this post of @qbrozen.

kyfdx

@qbrozen You should have some real world input for this new member..

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/20263/general/x/1987-toyota-mr2-for-first-car#latest

stickguy

so Q, how about some driving impressions? Obviously you liked it. I assume it was vastly roomier than the other choices.

I was thinking that if I was getting something just for me, and wanted cheap, one of those could be better than used. But only if it was a stick, meaning it would have to come after something for the kid to use.

stickguy

OK, slightly different than a Fit, but does it make me weird that I have a strange attraction to this one? RWD, and love the color. Seems like a fair amount of car for 15.5k I guess.

http://redlineweb.homenetinc.com/holmancadillacv2/details/2010-Cadillac-CTS-Sedan/1G6DA5EG5A0107390/

qbrozen

Whoops. Forgot to talk about the car. haha. So, yeah, obviously the room is tremendous. I didn't get an extensive test drive, but what I immediately noticed is how different it is from the other options. And the engine feels much strong than the numbers would lead you to believe. Whereas the others fell absolutely flat in 2nd gear, the Fit will pull from low RPMs, even in 5th gear. It does seem to have a taller first gear, though. You really have to give it revs to get it going from a dead stop. The first time I tried to take off, I checked to make sure the ebrake wasn't engaged. Just something to get used to. What also really stood out for me is how much more solid it feels. More than once, we were approaching a bump or pothole and I braced myself expecting havoc, but the car turned them into light thuds.

Benz buyer just sent me the balance tonight. That was quick. Still planning on coming next Friday to get it, though.

js06gv

stickguy said:

OK, slightly different than a Fit, but does it make me weird that I have a strange attraction to this one? RWD, and love the color. Seems like a fair amount of car for 15.5k I guess.

http://redlineweb.homenetinc.com/holmancadillacv2/details/2010-Cadillac-CTS-Sedan/1G6DA5EG5A0107390/

Black cherry is my favorite color on the CTS, especially with the cream colored guts.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen‌

The Fit is very impressive and well screwed together for a small vehicle. Suspension tuning & engine refinement is where Honda shines compared to the competition. Congrats! You are going to be happy!

roadburner

Congrats, qbrozen!

ab348

js06gv said:

stickguy said:

OK, slightly different than a Fit, but does it make me weird that I have a strange attraction to this one? RWD, and love the color. Seems like a fair amount of car for 15.5k I guess.

http://redlineweb.homenetinc.com/holmancadillacv2/details/2010-Cadillac-CTS-Sedan/1G6DA5EG5A0107390/

Black cherry is my favorite color on the CTS, especially with the cream colored guts.

It reads as black unless it is in full sun. For that reason I never liked that paint color. Good that the interior is not black though.

qbrozen

stick - I gotta wonder why so cheap. Lowest one at auction with under 50k miles was over $15k.

I really like the color combo.

graphicguy

Q....big congratz. As most know, I like Honda products.

Stick....my son did not inherit my CCBA gene. He did inherit a love for fast, and barring that, good handling cars. As you say, it's their money now. Happy (and quite proud) that my son hasn't come to "Bank of Dad" looking for a withdrawal in a couple of years.

nyccarguy

So I'm sitting at my BMW dealer after turning my car in.  I'm officially a former BMW owner.  Cleaning out the car last night was a little sad.  I'm waiting for my ride to come & get me.  Gives me time to wander the lot.  Holy sticker shock batman.    It almost seems that BMW CPO cars are their entry level vehicles.

2011 328xis like the one I just turned in with 40 - 50 K miles have asking prices in the high $20K range.  

CPO X3s have sticker prices in the low $30K neighborhood.  

High $30s will get you into any number of (White or Black) 320i sedans.  

Got $40K to spend and you can drive home in a highly optioned X1.

328xi sedans go for the high $40s.  They actually have a few Sport Line 328s.  You can also get into a 228xi x drive.

 $60 K gets you into a 235i M or 435i Coupe

fintail

That might be the strategy with leases - off-lease vehicles are the new value leaders.

My local dealer had an M4 for something like 86K, and numerous 3ers at 60K.

qbrozen

$60k is flat out nuts for a 3, 2, or 4 thats not an M3 or M4, IMHO.

sb55

I guess that you should "punch" me. I traded a 2010 GMC Sierra for a 2014 Chevy Silverado. It's really a nice upgrade. It's a double cab 4x4 in "brownstone metallic" exterior color with the brown interior. Since we live on a dirt road in northern Vermont, I will just call it dirt road color:) I was happy with the deal I got. Due to huge rebates and high trade value, my last truck cost about $2000./ year to own. I am OK with that.