Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

fintail

I don't think he quite grasps how the end of a lease works. It's his first time. I told him he's lucky to walk away.

His Prius is a C, which probably makes a normal one look like an S-Class.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

fezo said:

Gotta hold out for that next Mazdaspeed I'm really hoping the do a the speed treatment on the 6 again. A hatch or wagon 6 is too much to hope for.

If I end up in a GTI it's Mazda's fault.

Spotted a MazdaSpeed 6 on the used car lot of a Subaru dealer, today

One of my co-workers at the pizza place drives a MazdaSpeed 6. Nice car.

rayainsw

I will pass 1,000 miles in a few days - so, an update on the Charger:

There is so much that I like about this car and that I am enjoying - I know I will leave stuff out, but here goes.
Starting with how it looks, from the outside – I find the styling, the lines, the wheels – all very much to my liking. It is [ obviously ] a rather large car, but I find the proportions make it look ‘just right’. Some details, like the LED fog lights mounted low in the front fascia, the shape of the side windows, the shape of the tail lights, the integration of all the styling elements – just looks well done, to me. The paint looks excellent – and as little ‘orange peel’ effect as I have seen on a new car in quite a while. The panel fit is also very tight. Overall assembly quality appears very good – no squeaks, rattles, moans or groans - even over rough railroad crossings.

The inside – the seats are large and I find them very comfortable. The range of adjustments, the heat, the back support [ including up \ down as well as more \ less lumbar ] feels great. The side bolsters are well placed – they provide support but do not get in the way. The startup sounds like a big honkin’ V8. Not loud enough to annoy my neighbors as I idle out of my subdivision at 5:40 on weekday morning - subdued - but exhaust note is enough sound for me to notice and enjoy on acceleration. And at cruise on city streets and on the highway, the sound drops off to barely audible. In fact, with the sunroof in vent position, at 65 to 80 mph on the highway - the whole car feels quite relaxed and smooth and all sound retreats to the background. Allowing enjoyment of the excellent sound system.

The dash does a lot of tricks. I find the display of information clear and crisp – and there are a lot of choices. I can even see weather radar maps! Cool. The fully integrated navigation system works nicely [ it looks like it was designed by the same folks that did my Garmin portable Nav unit ] and the screen is large and sharp. It will show me current local gasoline prices when I happen to be out of town. Etc. Etc.

The heated steering wheel, in the chilly weather we have had here – often in the 20s and 30s lately – is even more wonderful that I expected. I do hate wearing gloves, particularly when driving. This feature is a real treat! The heat comes up quickly and the ventilated seats [ tried once on a sunny 60 degree day ] I expect will also be a welcome addition to my comfort, come Summer. The controls all work intuitively and smoothly – and feel like quality pieces. The entire interior looks and feels to me like the quality of the materials, finish and fit are well thought out and well executed. There is even lighting around the rim of each cupholder! The trunk is [ as expected ] huge – and the rear seats [ also heated ] will also fold down.

The acceleration is a real treat. Effortless thrust always instantly available. At mid-13s in the quarter mile, it is not the quickest car I have ever had [ that would be the 2007 Corvette ] but it is quite a lot quicker than the GTI [ of course ] and in line with the Pontiac G8 GT V8 and the BMW 335iS I had. Very satisfying acceleration. Helped by the 8-speed automatic, that offers entertaining acceleration at low or high speeds, shifting quickly but smoothly – and very low engine RPM at cruise. 80 MPH is still well below 2,000 RPM.

The handling, where and how I drive, is excellent. Again, it is a large car, but it is quite responsive - quickly takes a mid-corner set and is stable at the speeds I feel are safe on public roads. Little roll. Good grip. No tire squeal when pushed moderately hard. Steering is very good. Good feedback but well filtered. No problems there. The ride is very good as well, particularly given the handling and the very low profile tires. I find absolutely no harshness – and excellent control under all conditions. Well damped body motions. Braking as well, is just excellent – solid feel and quick, sure stopping power.

The only real drawback here, for me [ besides costing somewhat more than the GTI – though quite a bit less than the BMW I had, or any comparable new BMW I would be interested in ] is the MPG. I am seeing low 20s in my overall driving, so far. The GTI showed high 20s in identical driving. I see high 20s in my commute to work – at 65 to 75 MPH on the Interstate. This is an acceptable trade-off for the torque and acceleration that I really enjoy. With an 18.5 gallon fuel tank, I can still stop for gas only once a week, typically. And the V8 is designed to run best on mid-grade gasoline – a $0.15 per gallon saving there vs. premium!

So – yes, I am very happy with my choice. This is likely the last time will be able to buy a nice, new car. I wanted it to be something ‘special’ – but within a reasonable budget. This is clearly NOT a BMW or an Audi – but the price \ value proposition for me here is just great!
- Ray
This is working out very well, so far!

jpp75

@rayainsw‌

Great write up, really glad you are enjoying the Charger!

jayrider

Nice write up Ray, how are the seats. I checked out the Charger two years ago thinking that it would give me the AWD sedan I wanted. The seats were way too firm -- felt like I was sitting on top of the seat. When I checked out the LaCrosse, it was way more to my liking. I really like the new model.

nyccarguy

Great write up Ray! I'm happ you like your Charger!

carnaught

Ray, great review. Glad you are enjoying!

Similarly, wifey is very much enjoying my punch for the year, her '15 Accord Hybrid Touring......a very different car from your Charger, but despite temporarily low gas prices, we're digging our actual calculated 50 mpg and awesome quality.

rayainsw

'The seats were way too firm' - jayrider
The seats are completely different from
previous years.
Seating is a very individual \ personal preference,
of course, but I find them firm but certainly
not hard. The seat bottom is long enough
for good under thigh support And the range of
adjustments I would expect to allow most any
size driver to find a comfortable position.
I actually [ as I always do before signing on
the dotted line ] sat in the driver's seat for over
a half hour at the Dealer - to make as sure as
possible that I would be OK with the seat
and the seating position.
- Ray
I would suggest a test drive - and a test sit...

graphicguy

Ray.....thanks for your write up. Good to hear you like the Charger.

breld

Great write up Ray. Thanks for sharing - sounds like a great all-around car.

corvette

Glad to hear you're still liking the Charger. It sounds really nice!

Sandman6472

Drive a lot of Chargers at work and they are a very nice vehicle, whenever we have one, it is rented very quickly.
Was able to pair my new cell the other morning quite easily, amazing how a satellite so many miles above the earth can direct and redirect the signals to make this happen so quickly. Took less than 4 minutes and I also got a bit confused so had to restart the process once, very impressive to say the least. Think the sales guy said I could pair 4 different cells in the audio system. Wishing the Fender system had a bit more loudness to it and don't want to spend anymore money on it to get it where I want it at this time. My audio guy figured I'd need to spend a good $1200 with the existing parts which is a bit more than I want to spend right now. Also need to get the windows tinted before the summer heat sets in so figure to do that this year and put off any audio improvements till 2016. This could all change but figure this Golf is a keeper for me so I know I will improve the audio in due time. Still deciding if we're both going to continue the Sirius/XM radio as I'm on the fence while the wife is all in, something I never expected honestly! Will look into a 2 vehicle subscription and see where that leaves us price wise.

The Sandman

jayrider

sandman_6472 said:

Drive a lot of Chargers at work and they are a very nice vehicle, whenever we have one, it is rented very quickly.
Was able to pair my new cell the other morning quite easily, amazing how a satellite so many miles above the earth can direct and redirect the signals to make this happen so quickly. Took less than 4 minutes and I also got a bit confused so had to restart the process once, very impressive to say the least. Think the sales guy said I could pair 4 different cells in the audio system. Wishing the Fender system had a bit more loudness to it and don't want to spend anymore money on it to get it where I want it at this time. My audio guy figured I'd need to spend a good $1200 with the existing parts which is a bit more than I want to spend right now. Also need to get the windows tinted before the summer heat sets in so figure to do that this year and put off any audio improvements till 2016. This could all change but figure this Golf is a keeper for me so I know I will improve the audio in due time. Still deciding if we're both going to continue the Sirius/XM radio as I'm on the fence while the wife is all in, something I never expected honestly! Will look into a 2 vehicle subscription and see where that leaves us price wise.

The Sandman

There are no good deals for multiple cars. You need to negotiate the $89 yearly price for each car. I checked this out thoroughly 2 years ago.

suydam

Yes, and you can get the same price, but if you don't call and threaten to leave, they will raise it automatically. It's worth the aggravation to me because I can get every sports event I want, and several music stations I like, as opposed to the crap that's on regular radio.

corvette

Yeah, it's something like $25 for 5 months or $30 for 6 months if you prepay (my dad does this), then they automatically bill you at the full retail rate unless you cancel. I think it's a sleazy business practice and I prefer to avoid doing business with companies with that type of business model, although it doesn't seem to have hurt SiruisXM. I will enjoy my free two weeks of XM from 2/4 through 2/17, but won't subscribe.

venture

corvette said:

Yeah, it's something like $25 for 5 months or $30 for 6 months if you prepay (my dad does this), then they automatically bill you at the full retail rate unless you cancel. I think it's a sleazy business practice and I prefer to avoid doing business with companies with that type of business model, although it doesn't seem to have hurt SiruisXM. I will enjoy my free two weeks of XM from 2/4 through 2/17, but won't subscribe.

When I call to negotiate a price they always want my credit card information; which I refuse to give them. They say it will cost me $2 if they send me an invoice. I always tell them they already sent me 3 or 4 letters asking me to renew. They can send an invoice without cost too.

They always do.

I'm sure the fact that you don't really care if you renew is in your favor.

roadburner

rayainsw said:

'The seats were way too firm' - jayrider
The seats are completely different from
previous years.
Seating is a very individual \ personal preference,
of course, but I find them firm but certainly
not hard. The seat bottom is long enough
for good under thigh support And the range of
adjustments I would expect to allow most any
size driver to find a comfortable position.
I actually [ as I always do before signing on
the dotted line ] sat in the driver's seat for over
a half hour at the Dealer - to make as sure as
possible that I would be OK with the seat
and the seating position.
- Ray
I would suggest a test drive - and a test sit...

The Charger R/T I looked at had the leather/suede seats. Very comfortable.

Sandman6472

So no multi-car discounts or anything close to it...bummer as you'd think they'd want to give customers an added incentive to sign up multiple vehicles. I know it was really hard to get the refund on the Tucson, she kept trying to get me to add it on to the Golf's free 3 monther and finally caved into my refund request. I had my subscription for $8.25/month last time and this time, am shooting for lower and hoping they have a 6 month super low rate as I've got a feeling the wife will grow tired of it after that amount of time since she only listens to the Broadway channel. I, on the other hand, listen to 6,7,8,25,26,27,31,& 32 on a regular basis plus a few others and have yet to listen to my ipod more than a few times...for me, it makes sense to keep it but I want the lowest price possible. If not, I have no problem going back to my ipod full time for awhile...it's just I do like the variety and the never knowing what'll play next on XM, I kinda know what my ipod has on it and it can bore me a bit.
I know they will start calling her this month so I need her to prepare to bargain. With tax season in full swing for her and her new part time gig with Intuit, her free time is limited and I need her to basically let me get her the best rate when they call. And since I got mine almost 2 weeks after hers, they will be calling me soon also...just want the best price we can get here.

The Sandman

hdfatboygirl

I see most of you have lots cars. LOL well I own a Fatboy 09 Harley Davidson. An a 2000 monte carlo ss with 42,000 miles. I need some help.the car awesome a guy pulled out in front me...doing over 4200. In damages. My car is worth more than blue book an not one around here as clean or low miles to compare with. An I can't take 4900. It's way less than I pd. What am I gonna do? An I have so many ?s..

graphicguy

hdfatboygirl said:

I see most of you have lots cars. LOL well I own a Fatboy 09 Harley Davidson. An a 2000 monte carlo ss with 42,000 miles. I need some help.the car awesome a guy pulled out in front me...doing over 4200. In damages. My car is worth more than blue book an not one around here as clean or low miles to compare with. An I can't take 4900. It's way less than I pd. What am I gonna do? An I have so many ?s..

Little tough to follow, but let me see if this is what's happening. You have a '00 Monte Carlo with 42,000 miles on it. Someone hit you while you were driving the Monte Carlo. They did $4,200 in damages.

While not the end all to beat all, I did a quick look up on Kelly Blue Book. In good condition (which is probably the best condition you can hope for with a 15 year old car), they have it pegged at $3,800. Is it worth more than Blue Book? As most of us here will tell you, it's worth whatever someone's willing to pay for it. In your case, it's a 15 year old car, albeit with low mileage.

Don't know what you paid for it, but that's irrelevant as it doesn't affect what it's worth.

I know this isn't news you may want to hear, but I don't know that there's an easier way to proceed.

You might want to push for $4,500. But, usually the insurance companies are pretty staunch in their numbers (unless someone was injured in the crash, which is a whole different discussion). At the end of the day, personally I'd take the $4,200 as it actually sounds pretty generous. Take your losses and move on.

Wish you the best.

brian125

hdfatboygirl,

I did not understand your post fully but Agree with what @graphicguy said........... either take the loss and move on . Your vehicle will probably show up on Carfax with this accident. Potential buyers / Trade in will affect your sale price now. OR

You could have vehicle fixed by Ins. and keep car..................... Unless Ins. deems it totaled . Then you have to figure retail value of car minus your Ins. deductible.

steine13

If they offered you $4,900, they are totalling the car.

Before you make a decision, get some recommendations for a good shop -- not a cheap body shop, but a good one with a reasonable owner -- and ask them what they'll charge to fix the damage if it's on your own private nickel.

I had a shop owner once explain it to me "If it comes from Citizen's insurance, then it's all by a list. Remove this piece of trim, take off that fixture.. then later reinstall. And there's a charge for every little step. If it's coming out of your pocket, then it's .. (thinks, pencils, erases, adds, ...) fifteen hundred bucks. If you go through the insurance, it's $2,438.49. You said your deductible is $1,000. What do you want to do?" So I just paid for it out of pocket and my insurance rates didn't go up.

So you may wind up with $4,900 and have to look for a new car.

Or you may wind up with a well-repaired, salvage-titled Monte Carlo SS + some cash money.
Before you go that route, you have to "buy" the car from the insurance company; the $4,900 is when they total it, then the car is theirs. If you keep the car and they hand you the money, it'll be less, close to $4k I'm guessing. I'm sure they have no interest in the car and will be happy to "sell" it to you cheaply. It does have some value as scrap and for recycling, though.

I understand that none of this is particularly appetizing, but as I see it, these are your only options.

BTW, if the insurance company totals a car, they have to give you enough to buy a similar car, at retail, including taxes. Unforunately, it's going to be uphill convincing anyone that an '00 Monte Carlo is worth more than $5...

Good luck,
-Mathias

carnaught

sandman_6472 said:

So no multi-car discounts or anything close to it...bummer as you'd think they'd want to give customers an added incentive to sign up multiple vehicles. I know it was really hard to get the refund on the Tucson, she kept trying to get me to add it on to the Golf's free 3 monther and finally caved into my refund request. I had my subscription for $8.25/month last time and this time, am shooting for lower and hoping they have a 6 month super low rate as I've got a feeling the wife will grow tired of it after that amount of time since she only listens to the Broadway channel. I, on the other hand, listen to 6,7,8,25,26,27,31,& 32 on a regular basis plus a few others and have yet to listen to my ipod more than a few times...for me, it makes sense to keep it but I want the lowest price possible. If not, I have no problem going back to my ipod full time for awhile...it's just I do like the variety and the never knowing what'll play next on XM, I kinda know what my ipod has on it and it can bore me a bit.
I know they will start calling her this month so I need her to prepare to bargain. With tax season in full swing for her and her new part time gig with Intuit, her free time is limited and I need her to basically let me get her the best rate when they call. And since I got mine almost 2 weeks after hers, they will be calling me soon also...just want the best price we can get here.

The Sandman

Sandy, I will never pay the retail price for XM/Sirius. It is simply not worth it. I usually have gotten the $25+fees for 5 mos. rate. There is a 6 mos. for ~$30+ they might offer you. In order to get these PROMOTIONAL RATES, you must either be about to come off a paid subscription or have already let your free or paid subscription expire. The two most important ways of obtaining and keeping the promotional rate are: 1) always talk to the "cancellation department" and tell them you are going to cancel as their programing isn't worth it to you at their full rate, and you would just as well listen to your iPod music or Pandora. Be ready to cancel if they will not give you the promotional rate. Number 2) is to set a reminder on your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphone's calendar to call them (days or a week) BEFORE the promotional rate expires, in order to re-up the promotional rate, again talking to the cancellation department. Otherwise, the offer will automatically revert to their full price plan. At this point they have your CC to charge. This has always worked for me, I know it and they know it.

stever

The stock is up, the number of subscribers is up, car sales are up and the churn rate is down. Sirius has been making most of their money lately from converting trial listeners to subscribers (from both new car owners and from activating radios in used cars for a free trial, like they did in my used van).

With all that "good" news, I wonder if the higher ups will tell the call centers to crack down on the renewal discounts at some point.

Their earnings report will be out Thursday - if you like listening to Sirius, you may want to hope for lousy numbers and a growing churn rate. Otherwise, buy the stock.

imidazol97

hdfatboygirl said:

I need some help.the car awesome a guy pulled out in front me...doing over 4200. In damages.

Do you have a picture of the car's damage? If not, how are the front doors? Did the damage all end at the front end or is the passenger compartment stressed from the impact? In other words, is this all the front fenders and hood or is there more?

That would affect whether I'd want to have it fixed and own it. I had a lady hit me in the rear of a 70 Mustang where the front A-pillars & windshield moved forward slightly from the impact. Done.

hdfatboygirl

carnaught

Re: XM/Sirius subscribers:

stever said:

With all that "good" news, I wonder if the higher ups will tell the call centers to crack down on the renewal discounts at some point.

The question is, are they better off financially having "X" number of discounted subscribers, or to have these people not subscribe? On a personal level, how much are they going to make from me if I have a promotional subscription vs. how much are they going to make from me if I don't subscribe at all?

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, usually the insurance company will charge you 10-13% of the damages to get your own car back---and of course it will be under salvage title.

Keep in mind that what they are offering you must also include sales tax and license fees, so if that's not in their $4900 offer, you can add another 10% to that, more or less---so you may end up with more like $5400.

Their settlement offer is quite fair according to the current Fair Market Value and add-on for low miles and outstanding condition. I don't think you're going to do better unfortunately.

slorenzen

My daughter's Mazda was rear-ended several years ago, and the body shop, by finding used parts, was able to keep the car from being classified as totaled.

Perhaps that would work for this Monte Carlo as well?

graphicguy

hdfatboygirl said:

So, just on the cosmetic side (as best anyone can tell from a pic, without inspecting the damage in person), you need a front quarter panel, a front qtr panel liner, a front bumper, a new bottom aero piece, probably a new hood, a new headlight assembly. You hope that the door wasn't compromised. May or may not need a coil, shock, shock tower, sundry nuts, bolts and bits.

Then there's bondo work, paint, etc. If there's any damage at all to the front steering rack, you'd be well over $5K to fix that.

As I see it, $4,200 damage is a pretty fair estimate.

I don't think you're being ripped off by the insurance company, nor whomever gave you the repair estimate.

If you really like the car that much, buy it from the insurance company for between $500-$600. Take their settlement check. Take it to the nearest trade school and turn them loose on it. You'll probably get away with a repair for parts cost only. Given the age of the car, I'd use "reconditioned" parts. That way, you still have a low mileage car, that's worth something to you.

Not sure what drivetrain came in those cars, but I'm betting it's a version of GM's old 3800 V6. If you're lucky, it's the supercharged version. If not, it's still a good motor that's really durable. I'm betting it has GM's corporate 4 speed automatic trans, too. That should last a long time, too.

All-in-all, you might have a car that, once repaired, will last another 3-4, maybe even 5 years with no major $$$ invested in it.

xwesx

Just taking a look at the provided photos, it looks like you took really good care of the car. If there was ever a MY 2000 Monte Carlo that was worthy of some damage repair, that's probably it.

imidazol97

It looks like the door is in the frame okay. Looks like the impact missed the bumper guard behind the covering. I see hoods for $100-200 on car-part.com in A condition. Fender for rt ft 150-200. Then lots of little parts. The bumper covering probably can be a remanufactured unit. Lots of little parts behind bumper and headlight. Painting would be a big cost.

I'd see a couple more shops with the idea of repairing it not with new parts. Try to see if insurance will avoid totalling it to avoid the salvage title stigma.

It looks like you're able to drive the car. Is it rolling smoothly? It hink I'd want to repair it. Especially if I'm upside down on the loan.

stever

carnaught said:

The question is, are they better off financially having "X" number of discounted subscribers, or to have these people not subscribe?

Good question. Keeping the churn rate down was important for propping up the stock but they may be beyond that worry now.

Sandman6472

At this point, they haven't started to call yet and now the wife is sayin' maybe it's just not worth it for her. I listen to multiple stations so it's worth it to me but since she only listens to one, c d's would be optimal for her listening habits. Time will tell!
Been actually a bit slow at work, sent us home early Friday but worked some of us over on Saturday. Today I left early to see my pain doctor so I have 7 hours left this week to get to my 24 number, so that's basically all day tomorrow. Worst case scenario, they send us home early tomorrow and I have to do maybe 2 to 3 on Wednesday but hope not to as that's another trip down there. Really am liking having Wednesday and Thursdays off to be honest!

The Sandman

nyccarguy

We got another decent snow storm today. I was really able to get a feel for the Legacy's AWD system and see what all the hype is about. I backed out of the garage and could feel the car sink into the deep, wet, snow. Pulling out of my driveway & onto my unplowed street was a snap. The streets were plowed, but snow covered. I could really feel all 4 wheels working as they transferred power from front to back & side to side. Even the interstates were in terrible shape. I was able to pull into & out of snow covered lanes without incident. The Legacy felt very stable & secure. When I got to work, there was a line to et into the parking lot. So I parallel parked the car in an unplowed snow embankment. Then snow turned to ice & the NYC plow trucks made a few passes. Parked in snow & ice up half way up its wheels, I was able to pull out of the spot as if it were a beautiful, sunny day. Tonight I was able to have fun with the Legacy on the side roads. 7K miles & I'm really impressed:)

venture

nyccarguy said:

We got another decent snow storm today. I was really able to get a feel for the Legacy's AWD system and see what all the hype is about. I backed out of the garage and could feel the car sink into the deep, wet, snow. Pulling out of my driveway & onto my unplowed street was a snap. The streets were plowed, but snow covered. I could really feel all 4 wheels working as they transferred power from front to back & side to side. Even the interstates were in terrible shape. I was able to pull into & out of snow covered lanes without incident. The Legacy felt very stable & secure. When I got to work, there was a line to et into the parking lot. So I parallel parked the car in an unplowed snow embankment. Then snow turned to ice & the NYC plow trucks made a few passes. Parked in snow & ice up half way up its wheels, I was able to pull out of the spot as if it were a beautiful, sunny day. Tonight I was able to have fun with the Legacy on the side roads. 7K miles & I'm really impressed:)

My wife must be having a similar experience with her new Forester. She's a very cautious driver, no matter the weather, but I have not heard a word about any problems she had with snow. Although she did complain about the snow that was sticking to the wheel wells and making a noise when her tires hit it last evening. After a night in the garage that is all gone now.

This is her third Forester. The first one she had I put winter tires on it. I told her she could go get the plow drivers to make sure they got to work. The second one and this one I didn't get her winter tires to see if there was any difference to her. Not a single complaint.

My AWD Fusion is much better in the snow than I thought it would be too, but not as good as the Subaru for sure. I had already researched winter tires and wheels at Tire Rack, but it doesn't appear I will get them. And yes, I know winter tires would be better for these kinds of conditions instead of the all-seasons. I even took it up a very steep hill right after a snowfall to see what would happen. It climbed right up. I'm just careful when there is snow or ice around as far as stopping and cornering. Here in PA we are used to it.

venture

graphicguy said:

hdfatboygirl said:

Not sure what drivetrain came in those cars, but I'm betting it's a version of GM's old 3800 V6. If you're lucky, it's the supercharged version. If not, it's still a good motor that's really durable. I'm betting it has GM's corporate 4 speed automatic trans, too. That should last a long time, too.

All-in-all, you might have a car that, once repaired, will last another 3-4, maybe even 5 years with no major $$$ invested in it.

It's an SS so it has the 3.4 liter, dual overhead cam engine if I'm remembering correctly. I had one and traded it in when there started to be complaints about them disintegrating. Evidently that didn't happen as frequently as feared.

jpp75

nyccarguy said:

We got another decent snow storm today. I was really able to get a feel for the Legacy's AWD system and see what all the hype is about. I backed out of the garage and could feel the car sink into the deep, wet, snow. Pulling out of my driveway & onto my unplowed street was a snap. The streets were plowed, but snow covered. I could really feel all 4 wheels working as they transferred power from front to back & side to side. Even the interstates were in terrible shape. I was able to pull into & out of snow covered lanes without incident. The Legacy felt very stable & secure. When I got to work, there was a line to et into the parking lot. So I parallel parked the car in an unplowed snow embankment. Then snow turned to ice & the NYC plow trucks made a few passes. Parked in snow & ice up half way up its wheels, I was able to pull out of the spot as if it were a beautiful, sunny day. Tonight I was able to have fun with the Legacy on the side roads. 7K miles & I'm really impressed:)

@nyccarguy‌

Glad to hear the Legacy performed so well. That's especially impressive about the parking spot, that's when you know the AWD is worth it.

graphicguy

venture....I think (not sure) the 3.4L came in the "normal" Monte Carlo (and Grand Prix, and Regal). The SS Monte either had the 3.8L or the Supercharged version of the same engine. I don't recall when they started using the Supercharged version of the 3.8L I know Pontiac put it in the Grad Prix and Buick used in in the Regal and Riviera. I just don't recall the year(s) they started to use it. Given those were all on the same platform, I thought the engine choices were identical for the Monte, too.

I'm too lazy to look it up right now....;)

venture

graphicguy said:

venture....I think (not sure) the 3.4L came in the "normal" Monte Carlo (and Grand Prix, and Regal). The SS Monte either had the 3.8L or the Supercharged version of the same engine. I don't recall when they started using the Supercharged version of the 3.8L I know Pontiac put it in the Grad Prix and Buick used in in the Regal and Riviera. I just don't recall the year(s) they started to use it. Given those were all on the same platform, I thought the engine choices were identical for the Monte, too.

I'm too lazy to look it up right now....;)

I looked it up and you're right. I must have been confusing it with my former Monte Carlo. It was a Z34 so that was the one with the 3.4. Things get foggy after a while.

graphicguy

venture said:

graphicguy said:

venture....I think (not sure) the 3.4L came in the "normal" Monte Carlo (and Grand Prix, and Regal). The SS Monte either had the 3.8L or the Supercharged version of the same engine. I don't recall when they started using the Supercharged version of the 3.8L I know Pontiac put it in the Grad Prix and Buick used in in the Regal and Riviera. I just don't recall the year(s) they started to use it. Given those were all on the same platform, I thought the engine choices were identical for the Monte, too.

I'm too lazy to look it up right now....;)

I looked it up and you're right. I must have been confusing it with my former Monte Carlo. It was a Z34 so that was the one with the 3.4. Things get foggy after a while.

I had a neighbor that had one of those 3.4, but his was a DOHC version. That was a sleeper and nice little performer overall given the period. He drove his for over 10 years and 120K miles, IIRC....all with no major incidents.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

We got another decent snow storm today. I was really able to get a feel for the Legacy's AWD system and see what all the hype is about. I backed out of the garage and could feel the car sink into the deep, wet, snow. Pulling out of my driveway & onto my unplowed street was a snap. The streets were plowed, but snow covered. I could really feel all 4 wheels working as they transferred power from front to back & side to side. Even the interstates were in terrible shape. I was able to pull into & out of snow covered lanes without incident. The Legacy felt very stable & secure. When I got to work, there was a line to et into the parking lot. So I parallel parked the car in an unplowed snow embankment. Then snow turned to ice & the NYC plow trucks made a few passes. Parked in snow & ice up half way up its wheels, I was able to pull out of the spot as if it were a beautiful, sunny day. Tonight I was able to have fun with the Legacy on the side roads. 7K miles & I'm really impressed:)

It's good to know that your AWD capability is exemplary, isn't it? Several years ago I had an early docket scheduled in a town about 60 miles away. A Winter Storm Warning was in effect but the Court Clerk assured me that they never cancelled court. I took the Wrangler of course and when I got there the only place to park near the courthouse was covered with a 3' pile of snow. I drove the Jeep right on top of the pile, jumped out, and made it to my docket 10 minutes early.

rayainsw

I had a 1991 Pontiac - Grand Prix STE - with the 3.4 DOHC
- and the 5-speed manual trans.
The engine required some revs to produce HP - and meaningful
acceleration, but it was a fun car to drive.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/rayainsw/media/GrandPrix1991GPSTE001crop_zpsd3191f32.jpg.html

- Ray
Now hooked on TQ...

laurasdada

Big time snow here in Boston (home of the Super Bowl Champion Patriots, for those that missed the game). I was one of very few to drive to work Monday. Low visibility, plows out, slippery. So, I pushed the "snow" button in the Jag, the sunroof opened and so did the glovebox. So, all is well in Lucas-land!

Just kidding, the Jag is handling the snow quite well, better with the snow settings engaged. Plan to take it to Maine or New Hampster in a couple of weeks skiing. Heated steering wheel continues to be the greatest invention in the history of Mankind!

boomchek

Hope you guys have some good winter rubber on your cars. It makes all the difference. Good video showing AWD Subaru on summers vs RWD BMW with winters.

I have winters on my 07 328i and it makes a huge difference. We went up to the mountains this new year's and the BMw climbed up a steep icy hill with no issues whatsoever while a friend's Avalanche was sliding around in 4WD with his all seasons.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STaximkaQxo

rayainsw

'I pushed the "snow" button in the Jag, the sunroof opened and so did the glovebox.'
Biggest laugh of my day, so far!
Thanks!
- Ray
Fiat electrics of the late 1960s were no better than Lucas,
in my experience...

nyccarguy

@boomchek‌

Glad to see you back posting my friend. I know the advantages of winter tires as well as how well they work. I switched every December & then back every April on my Prelude for the better part of 9 years. I never got stuck once. I leased an AWD 2011 328xi back in March of 2012 and was so confident in its AWD system with all season tires, that I decided I could be lazy and get by with AWD/All Seasons. I'd never even attempt to drive any car (FWD, RWD, or 4WD/AWD) during the cold winter months with snow on the ground. We do get snow in southern New England, but not so much that it justifies me buying a set of winter tires and an AWD vehicle.

ab348

I always had snow tires when I was driving to/from work every day along with the occasional road trip. Now that I have retired I can pick and choose when I drive (mostly for groceries, etc) so I did not buy snows for it given that, especially since it has AWD. I don't drive in storms like we had yesterday now so it is all good. Heck, I barely drive at all in the winter. I get worked up when I hear calls in the media for mandatory snow tires because it would be a totally wasted purchase in my case.

stickguy

well, the Volvo has been safely delivered to NC. drive down was uneventful. Breezed right along, and even got about 32MPG. the trip and some running around taking me to the airport added up to close to 600 miles. Hopefully it behaves for the princess, because I have no tollerence for long distance problem resolution. 1 and done failure plan!

interesting, we stopped at a Toyota dealer Sunday (they were closed) just to kill some time. I showed her a Corolla on the apron. She actually kind of liked it! Good thing, because if the Volvo craps out, she is getting the cheapest decent car I can find to lease, and it just might be a Corolla. But, we shall see.

Michaell

stickguy said:

well, the Volvo has been safely delivered to NC. drive down was uneventful. Breezed right along, and even got about 32MPG. the trip and some running around taking me to the airport added up to close to 600 miles. Hopefully it behaves for the princess, because I have no tollerence for long distance problem resolution. 1 and done failure plan!

interesting, we stopped at a Toyota dealer Sunday (they were closed) just to kill some time. I showed her a Corolla on the apron. She actually kind of liked it! Good thing, because if the Volvo craps out, she is getting the cheapest decent car I can find to lease, and it just might be a Corolla. But, we shall see.

Should also consider the Elantra and Forte, for good measure.

Or, if you're willing to go down a size, the Accent or Rio. Feature rich for not many bucks.