Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

oldfarmer50

laurasdada said:

Road trip to the lovely Cooperstown, NY and the Baseball Hall of Fame (Oh, so that's where you've gone, Joe DiMaggio!). The XF was all of pace with grace. Effortless, comfortable cruise, whether 70, 80, 90 or more mphs. Great soundtrack thanks to Meridian sound and my iPod, 10 CDs on the hard drive and Susan and Butch in the CD player. Punctuated by the less pleasing tones of my V1 detector, but no unwanted encounters.

582 miles, avg. 60mph and 28.4 mpg.

The Hall, of course, was fab. Many memories, a few tearful. And, along with Derek Jeter, the Henry Aaron (et. al.) exhibit to remind one in this Lebron Kardashian "look at me all the time" era that one can live and comport themselves with grace and a quiet digity. Let your actions and deeds speak louder than your words. A life lived of pace and grace.

I was going to ask how you did 90 anywhere in NY without a cop dropping out of the trees but I guess your radar detector worked.

qbrozen

This is after driving back to work from the gas station, then driving home last night, then driving to work again this morn. 75% highway driving at 70-72mph, fair weather, no AC, some stop and go for a mile or so each way, the other 25% on 40-50mph backroads. Now, normally, I average just below EPA highway ratings on most of our cars with the same commute. Granted, I have yet to measure the accuracy of the OBC, but it can't be THAT far off unless its completely broken. EPA 37 highway? Really??

Michaell

Sad news to report.

The daughter's MINI was caught in a major hailstorm yesterday -- reports were ping pong ball sized hail (she works about 15 miles north of where we live - all I saw yesterday was lots of rain). Her car suffered moderate to heavy damage on the hood and roof, and the plastic bit at the base of the windshield is cracked in several places.

She's deciding whether or not to file a claim.

qbrozen

what is there to decide? What other choice would there be? That's going to be a BIG bill.

rayainsw

Michaell - Fixing hail damage = very expensive indeed,
- in my experience...

Good luck!

= Ray

Only happened to me once in almost 50 years of car ownership...

Michaell

Never mind .. I just saw a claim report on our printer. I'm sure I'll be in charge of getting the car to/from the local body shop.

graphicguy

Michaell said:

Never mind .. I just saw a claim report on our printer. I'm sure I'll be in charge of getting the car to/from the local body shop.

This was a few years ago, i was shopping for a car, and was at the local Infiniti dealer looking at a G coupe. In the front of the dealership, they had some coupes, but none on the color I wanted. Sales person walks me to the very back of the dealership, where a new shipment had come in and were waiting for PPI.

Apparently, the trubk that brought in about 10 of them went through a major hail storm. I saw two of them being worked on. I would think the "pop a dent" guys would be working on them. But, these must have been so bad that they had probably 50% of the body covered in bondo...in a bunch of 2"-3" patches, all over the cars ready for primer and paint.

I asked the sales person about them, he relayed what happened. He also said they received insurance money, so if I wanted, I could make one "helluva deal" on one. New car? All bondo'd up? I took a pass.

nyccarguy

Agreed. Do it now, so the adjusters don't get too backed up. At least your daughter wasn't hurt.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

Agreed. Do it now, so the adjusters don't get too backed up. At least your daughter wasn't hurt.

The Hyundai dealer where I got my Elantra is only a mile or so from the wife and daughter's office. They had quite a bit of damage to their inventory, according to the local news.

Daughter was inside when the storm hit; her car was in the parking lot.

I'll keep everyone posted on the progress of the claim and the repairs.

breld

Michaell said:

nyccarguy said:

Agreed. Do it now, so the adjusters don't get too backed up. At least your daughter wasn't hurt.

The Hyundai dealer where I got my Elantra is only a mile or so from the wife and daughter's office. They had quite a bit of damage to their inventory, according to the local news.

Daughter was inside when the storm hit; her car was in the parking lot.

I'll keep everyone posted on the progress of the claim and the repairs.

I watched that storm from my office window, thankful that we have a garage at our workplace. Granted, we only had pea-sized hail at our office in the tech center, but when the storm rolled in, it was like day turned to night.

breld

qbrozen said:

This is after driving back to work from the gas station, then driving home last night, then driving to work again this morn. 75% highway driving at 70-72mph, fair weather, no AC, some stop and go for a mile or so each way, the other 25% on 40-50mph backroads. Now, normally, I average just below EPA highway ratings on most of our cars with the same commute. Granted, I have yet to measure the accuracy of the OBC, but it can't be THAT far off unless its completely broken. EPA 37 highway? Really??

Jealous of the great MPG. That's the only thing I dislike on the 535i - coming from the Passat where I was averaging mid to upper-30's MPG on the highway (compared to low-mid 20's in the 535i). With the miles I drive on a daily basis, there's definitely a noticeable uptick in the fuel costs each month.

Did a little research online last night since the football game turned out to be so boring - I could see replacing the 5 with a 328d in a couple years when they're used. 43 mpg highway is pretty nice. If I don't want to give up the comfort of the 5, a 535d gets 34 mpg. Still also like the Accord Hybrid - with a sizable tank, the range on that car is pretty impressive with its 45/50 mpg.

laurasdada

I was going to ask how you did 90 anywhere in NY without a cop dropping out of the trees but I guess your radar detector worked.



I kept the speed between 75-79mph most of the trip (the keep it 14mph over the posted limit max theory) and heeded the V1. Made sure I wasn't the only/lead car above the limit and didn't plant myself in the left lane the whole way. Blasts much above 80 were brief, but did have to keep an eye on the speedo, the XF has no issues, nor noticeable change in demeanor as you approach/exceed triple digits. And, of course, luck... Lovely ride along 88.

breld

I just had to intervene to speak to a mechanic that my mom got all angry at regarding her '01 VW Passat. There's a warning light that came on that they're trying to diagnose - this after my mom spent a few hundred dollars to get something else addressed a couple of months ago. She wanted answers right away and they were unable to do so, and she pulled the discrimination card out .

Anyway, if I could convince her to allow me to, I'd love to sell her VW and get her into something like a late model Fit or Civic. Her Passat has ridiculously low miles for a 14 year old car - something like 50-60k miles. But I suspect just with the age, this will not be the last of the annoying issues with the VW.

Seems like finding a private buyer for the Passat wouldn't be too hard - someone will love the low miles, and it's obviously in nice shape. It's the 1.8T engine with leather, sunroof, etc.

And just browsing cars.com, seems something like a 2012 Civic would be a good buy. That 2012 initial redesign is much maligned, but for my mom, that would be a great reliable car.

sb55

laurasdada said:

I kept the speed between 75-79mph most of the trip (the keep it 14mph over the posted limit max theory) and heeded the V1. Made sure I wasn't the only/lead car above the limit and didn't plant myself in the left lane the whole way. Blasts much above 80 were brief, but did have to keep an eye on the speedo, the XF has no issues, nor noticeable change in demeanor as you approach/exceed triple digits. And, of course, luck... Lovely ride along 88.

Did you really like Route 88? I drove it last March and thought it was awful. Tha-thunk, tha-thunk all the way from Binghamton to Albany. Have they repaved it? I saw it being built when I went to SUNY Cobleskill in the mid 70's and wondered if was touched since it was built.
I admit that I was in my just traded 2010 GMC Sierra which isn't like my BMW, but after a 3,000 mile trip it was the worst part.

laurasdada

Did you really like Route 88? I drove it last March and thought it was awful. Tha-thunk, tha-thunk all the way from Binghamton to Albany. Have they repaved it? I saw it being built when I went to SUNY Cobleskill in the mid 70's and wondered if was touched since it was built.
I admit that I was in my just traded 2010 GMC Sierra which isn't like my BMW, but after a 3,000 mile trip it was the worst part.

No, not so much the road. You're right, still thunking along. But, the Jag smoothed it out nicely (but still the sound. So, I turn the Meridian up to 11). I was actually referring to the scenery surrounding the road, Catskills and the early Fall colors. Wonderful reminder that NY is much more than the five boroughs.

roadburner

breld said:

Jealous of the great MPG. That's the only thing I dislike on the 535i - coming from the Passat where I was averaging mid to upper-30's MPG on the highway (compared to low-mid 20's in the 535i). With the miles I drive on a daily basis, there's definitely a noticeable uptick in the fuel costs each month.

Did a little research online last night since the football game turned out to be so boring - I could see replacing the 5 with a 328d in a couple years when they're used. 43 mpg highway is pretty nice. If I don't want to give up the comfort of the 5, a 535d gets 34 mpg. Still also like the Accord Hybrid - with a sizable tank, the range on that car is pretty impressive with its 45/50 mpg.

My Mazda does a pretty good job of balancing power and fuel economy. With the relatively mild Hypertech tune the motor is making over 300 hp yet it will return 29-20 mpg at a 75 mph cruise and 26-27 mpg in suburban driving.

nyccarguy

@roadburner‌

I'm impressed with my Legacy so far. I'm curious if you've ever been in the mood to try a WRX or a very pricey STi.

tifighter

Reading the press release on the 15 CRV. Full Accord drivetrain, mpg boost, Touring model...sounds like this thing means business.

stickguy

I saw that they were going with the CVT. Is the engine changing too? When I test drove it the drive to me was quite underwhelming. More noise than motion.

henryn

stickguy said:

I saw that they were going with the CVT. Is the engine changing too? When I test drove it the drive to me was quite underwhelming. More noise than motion.

Look here:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1094689_2015-honda-cr-v-goes-on-sale-tomorrow-priced-from-23320#src=10065

Quoting:
Bigger changes are found under the hood, where Honda has dropped in its new, direct-injected Earth Dreams Technology i-VTEC engine, mated to an improved continuously variable transmission. That brings an 11 percent increase in torque -- up to 181 ft-lbs from 163 ft-lbs -- though it still delivers last year's 185 hp.

Fuel economy is given a boost, too. Front-wheel-drive models earn 27 city/34 highway mpg, while all-wheel-drive variants earn 26/33 mpg. That's a pretty substantial improvement over 2014's 23/31 mpg for FWD models and 22/30 mpg for AWDs.

Sandman6472

Never really considered a CRV last year though the upcoming smaller model does intrigue me, just not sure of it's name right now. Also saw a new GLA at the MB dealer the other day while picking up a rental...sweet vehicle but it's a brand I just could not ever buy, same as a BMW. As much as I am enjoying the Tuscon, looking like I'll be doing between 13k to 15k/year, hit 13,250 today, so by the time I retire for the second time, it'll be time for a low mileage replacement. I don't want anything bigger than what I have right now and I won't go any smaller so we'll see what the market place has to offer by then.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Big changes at work with one driver resigning and another one not showing up plus new locations we have to cover...going to be interesting to see how management handles things. As of last night, hit 32.5 hours so was told I'm done for the week. Website shows they're looking for 5 drivers but with the supposed 24 hour/week limit, not many knocking down the door to come on board. Asked for more hours and was told that the 24 status quo is still in effect even with season starting shortly...dumb move I think. Not sure what my old employer in Lauderdale will do about my request to come back on a limited basis but if they do call me, I'm there as not going to return to the West Palm gig at this juncture even though their ad is on Craigslist again...the combo of distance, lower pay/run and the insurance charge each work day just isn't worth it to me. If they call me to come back though, I might consider it...that extra mileage each time adds up and not impressed with the caliber of folks they hire.

The Sandman

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

@roadburner‌

I'm impressed with my Legacy so far. I'm curious if you've ever been in the mood to try a WRX or a very pricey STi.

I'd be interested in the new STi; it's getting uniformly good reviews. The older cars were OK, but they aren't appreciably quicker than the MS3- although AWD is definitely an asset for a small hatch with a lot of power...

nyccarguy

The big problem I see with the STi is the $40K price tag that comes along with it. Supposedly it is a monster though:)

roadburner

It seems like apart from the BRZ/FR-S, Miata, GTI, and Fiesta ST there isn't much high performance fun to be had in the sub $30k compact segment...

qbrozen

And a couple of those are debatable as to being "high performance."

roadburner

Well, I probably should have said "vehicles for enthusiasts."

corvette

stickguy said:

I saw that they were going with the CVT. Is the engine changing too? When I test drove it the drive to me was quite underwhelming. More noise than motion.

My neighbor bought a 2014, I thought it was rather noisy in the back seat on the interstate, but a really nice car other than that. One of the reviews I saw claimed structural/crash test improvements and improved sound deadening on the 2015 model. The Cars.com review claimed the CVT was slow off the line, which is different than the reviews I've read on the Accord.

Pricing on the Touring is extremely competitive for a loaded CUV ($33,600 for an AWD Touring), considering the Touring offers lane keep assist, a forward collision mitigating braking system, adaptive cruise control, and a power tailgate, features not often seen on non-luxury CUVs.

stickguy

so, I am now short a car. Moving the wrong direction of course, but that does open up the possibility of buying a replacement! After 6 good years with me (after 9 with my sister) the "family" Acura TL has left for a new home. Somewhat sad to see it go, but it was time.

a guy responded to CL ad late this afternoon, and said he was in next town over looking at another car, and if he did not buy he would come look at mine. Shortly after, he called wanting to come look. 20 minutes later, he was there and I was waiting for the wife to get home with it (she took it to work to park in the big lot with a sign in window). She arrived moments later.

so, we took a ride while is wife and 2 kids waited in their car. Not surprisingly, he thought it drove real nice, and was super clean. Checked under the hood and all was well (he apparently does his own maintenance, and drives a semi for a living).

told me about the car he looked at earlier. Lots of stories, and quite sketchy. Mine, was neither. so, on the way back into neighborhood, he made an offer. I was asking $2950, he offered 2500 cash right now, we bumped it to 2,600 and deal was done. He has a nice car that I hope gives him many good miles. I got rid of a car I did not need and freed up driveway space, and don't have to worry about something going blammo.

I just did some Q&D math. I actually made $600 appreciation on it. Factoring in all the repairs/upkeep (outside of oil changes, stuff like tires/struts/alternator), and it cost me about $30/mo for almost 6 years to own (excluding gas and insurance of course). Can't buy a new on for that much!

Now at least I know what I will be driving. Just have to decide for sure that I want to keep the Volvo for the duration of daughters college time, so another 4 (at least 3) years. Probably makes sense to throw new suspension in it, and just keep it as long as I am not doing that many miles.

but the ad stays up. If I get a bite, I get to buy a new one!

stickguy

oh, side benefit if I keep the current fleet. Can pay off the RDX and go back to having no payments for a while. That will be nice.

nyccarguy

I sat in a BRZ @ the dealer the other day. Looks like it'd be fun. Great seats!

stickguy

I don't fit in one, but still kind of a neat car.

stever

Fingers crossed on the Volvo - may be bad luck not to change your sig now though.

stickguy

oh, forgot about changing that. Better do it now.

nyccarguy

Nice going! Congrats on the Acura sale Stick!

nyccarguy

Craig will buy your Volvo from you. He has an affinity for Volvos with over 100K on the odometer:)

stickguy

interesting idea, but not his style. No warning lights lit up on the dash.

tifighter

corvette said:

My neighbor bought a 2014, I thought it was rather noisy in the back seat on the interstate, but a really nice car other than that. One of the reviews I saw claimed structural/crash test improvements and improved sound deadening on the 2015 model. The Cars.com review claimed the CVT was slow off the line, which is different than the reviews I've read on the Accord.

I'd be curious to drive it. Power train on my 13 Accord was very good, and I'd be surprised if it was radically different on this CRV, though I guess it's possible.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

Sad news to report.

The daughter's MINI was caught in a major hailstorm yesterday -- reports were ping pong ball sized hail (she works about 15 miles north of where we live - all I saw yesterday was lots of rain). Her car suffered moderate to heavy damage on the hood and roof, and the plastic bit at the base of the windshield is cracked in several places.

She's deciding whether or not to file a claim.

In the old days the repair shop would just take a torch to those dents and the metal would "remember" and pop back into position. Metal is too thin these days I guess and they body filler it all back to normal.

Makes you want to look up under the hood of every potential purchase for repaired hail damage.

oldfarmer50

sb55 said:

laurasdada said:

I kept the speed between 75-79mph most of the trip (the keep it 14mph over the posted limit max theory) and heeded the V1. Made sure I wasn't the only/lead car above the limit and didn't plant myself in the left lane the whole way. Blasts much above 80 were brief, but did have to keep an eye on the speedo, the XF has no issues, nor noticeable change in demeanor as you approach/exceed triple digits. And, of course, luck... Lovely ride along 88.

Did you really like Route 88? I drove it last March and thought it was awful. Tha-thunk, tha-thunk all the way from Binghamton to Albany. Have they repaved it? I saw it being built when I went to SUNY Cobleskill in the mid 70's and wondered if was touched since it was built.
I admit that I was in my just traded 2010 GMC Sierra which isn't like my BMW, but after a 3,000 mile trip it was the worst part.

No, the thunka-thunka is still there. Use to drive 88 from Albany to Binghamton on business all the time. For all it's flaws it was much better than taking Rt. 7 through all those speed trap villages.

Interesting you went to Cobleskill in the 70s. That was about the time I gave myself a self-taught Horticulture degree from there by obtaining the reading list for the courses and obtaining all the books on the sly from the campus bookstore. Told them I was buying the books for a sick relative who couldn't make it himself. They were probably just glad to make the sale.

In other news, a coworker bought herself a 2007 350Z. Told me I can take it for a spin if I want. I WANT. She's a grandmother 3 times over. What's the world coming too?

oldfarmer50

sandman_6472 said:

Big changes at work with one driver resigning and another one not showing up plus new locations we have to cover...going to be interesting to see how management handles things. As of last night, hit 32.5 hours so was told I'm done for the week. Website shows they're looking for 5 drivers but with the supposed 24 hour/week limit, not many knocking down the door to come on board. Asked for more hours and was told that the 24 status quo is still in effect even with season starting shortly...dumb move I think. Not sure what my old employer in Lauderdale will do about my request to come back on a limited basis but if they do call me, I'm there as not going to return to the West Palm gig at this juncture even though their ad is on Craigslist again...the combo of distance, lower pay/run and the insurance charge each work day just isn't worth it to me. If they call me to come back though, I might consider it...that extra mileage each time adds up and not impressed with the caliber of folks they hire.

The Sandman

I know that most employers won't hire for more than 29 hours any more to avoid the cost of providing mandated health insurance but 24 seems a bit extreme. I feel sorry for young folks just starting out.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

Craig will buy your Volvo from you. He has an affinity for Volvos with over 100K on the odometer:)

My son's friend (the car scrapper) has a 96 Volvo sitting in my yard with a little emblem on the hood which says "Volvo high milage club--over 100k"

Too bad this one blew a head gasket and fried the engine. Crusher material.

graphicguy

Mentioned awhile ago my best friend ordered a new Corvette. I went with him last night to pick it up.....
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0EYuGjZmxZsXFA


Outstanding job Chevrolet!

rayainsw

2015?

8-speed automatic - or 7 speed manual?

= Ray

Almost the same color as my 2007 . . . .

qbrozen

something tells me that design won't stand the test of time. could just be me, of course.

graphicguy

rayainsw said:

2015?

8-speed automatic - or 7 speed manual?

= Ray

Almost the same color as my 2007 . . . .

'15.....manual! Prettier in person than in pics.

graphicguy

It's not often a car leaves me at a loss for things I would have done differently. This new Corvette changes that. I have never driven any vehicle that does so many things, so well, mostly better than just about anything else on the road, and is so thrilling to drive. I have never said this, but the new Corvette is a bargain (my friend's is a covertible with the Z51 package. Just an incredible machine, all the way around.

For those who are curious, it's a hair under $70K.

stickguy

Nice color. Looks fast.

fintail

Definitely a design from a certain point in time, but it is an improvement, and it is more exotic looking than prior models. It needs to be. The design will age better than 2011 era Hyundais anyway.

I loathe the front side markers though, that whole regulation is dopey.

qbrozen said:

something tells me that design won't stand the test of time. could just be me, of course.

sb55

Oldfarmer said:

Interesting you went to Cobleskill in the 70s. That was about the time I gave myself a self-taught Horticulture degree from there by obtaining the reading list for the courses and obtaining all the books on the sly from the campus bookstore. Told them I was buying the books for a sick relative who couldn't make it himself. They were probably just glad to make the sale.

I actually got a "Animal Husbandry" degree. I was a dairy farmer for a while after graduation. Too many 4:00 am milkings got pretty old fast when I was in my 20's. My next job was in a factory in NYC. Big change, and I commuted for 30 years. I ended up buying the company and I was able to semi-retire before age 55 after I sold it in 2007. My wife thinks that we work harder at our Vermont summer cottage rental business than we ever did before. (It has morphed/grown into a 6 month rental season). But, I love it and can "putter" all day.