Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

The Charger certainly makes a strong case for itself. Personally, I'd be interested in the SRT 392 with leather and nav, which stickers for $51,580. Funny enough, the street price (at the moment) is almost exactly what I paid for my CTS at $49,235 (vs $49000 for mine). What I dislike about it is its 4400 lb, though. Dodge needs to put that car on a diet.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

The Charger certainly makes a strong case for itself. Personally, I'd be interested in the SRT 392 with leather and nav, which stickers for $51,580. Funny enough, the street price (at the moment) is almost exactly what I paid for my CTS at $49,235 (vs $49000 for mine). What I dislike about it is its 4400 lb, though. Dodge needs to put that car on a diet.

Maybe the next version ... there does seem to be a weight-loss mania affecting the automakers lately.

stevedebi

Michaell said:

qbrozen said:

The Charger certainly makes a strong case for itself. Personally, I'd be interested in the SRT 392 with leather and nav, which stickers for $51,580. Funny enough, the street price (at the moment) is almost exactly what I paid for my CTS at $49,235 (vs $49000 for mine). What I dislike about it is its 4400 lb, though. Dodge needs to put that car on a diet.

Maybe the next version ... there does seem to be a weight-loss mania affecting the automakers lately.

Not that it matters to a Charger, but dropping lbs is the easiest way to up the MPG. That is the sole reason for the weight stripping. Just look at the F150 for example.

henryn

No actual experience myself, but from what I've been reading that hasn't paid off very well for Ford with the new aluminum body F150.

Don't get me wrong, I own a 2013 F150 Crew Cab with the V8, and I am amazed that this thing can achieve over 21 mpg on the road. But the 700 lb weight loss on the new 2015 model doesn't seem to have translated into significant MPG improvements.

qbrozen

I believe the mags have found the weight loss is not as great as Ford had advertised. According to some info, they were comparing their new 2.7 Ecoboost vs the previous V8 model to claim that 700 lbs.

Still, though, I believe I read somewhere it was more in the order of 400 lbs, but that's a good 8% or so on a truck. The mpg ratings have gone up about 8-10% or so, I believe, so not bad.

xwesx

As with people, I suspect that manufacturers realize it is far easier to put on the weight than to take it off again.

Michaell

Should this poster repaint their classic car with a different color?

Weigh in with your opinions here ....

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/33804/dodge/x/classic-car-value#latest

roadburner

qbrozen said:

I believe the mags have found the weight loss is not as great as Ford had advertised. According to some info, they were comparing their new 2.7 Ecoboost vs the previous V8 model to claim that 700 lbs.

Still, though, I believe I read somewhere it was more in the order of 400 lbs, but that's a good 8% or so on a truck. The mpg ratings have gone up about 8-10% or so, I believe, so not bad.

As I mentioned in another topic, Mazda has cut the weight of the new Mazda down to close to what the original car weighed. In fact, Mazda brought a 1st generation Miata to the international launch of the new model-all to show that the new car remains true to the spirit of the original.

Sandman6472

Personally, I think I've found the perfect vehicle, one that I think will keep me happy for many many years to come...I smile every time I walk into the garage and see them both. Just wish the wife was as smitten but to her, it's just an appliance, though an expensive one.
Tire icon was on this morning on way into the office, stopped at the Tires Plus next door and turns out the tires were over inflated...they dropped the pressures and all is well again. They told me to keep the factory specs, which call for 32 lbs. all around. They are there now and the icon is gone.

The Sandman

graphicguy

ab348 said:

Geez, I've only been here since forever and am about to make my 20,000th post here. That ought to be worth a cookie.

They told me I got "Edmunds swag" because I was handsome and uber charming. Not sure about the rest of you folks...

stever

Don't forget that you got that Modesty Badge the first week you were here too!

stickguy

not in my family, but I got play by play on a new purchase. My son was texting me since yesterday that he was "helping" a friend at work look at cars. He went yesterday and drove a Fiesta ST. did not end up getting it. Apparently they would not take his offer. plus he was not overwhelmed. Low rent interior seemed to be an issue. I suggested a GTI, though was told that was supposed to be out of budget.

so I hear today, they were going "just to look" at GTIs (I actually suggested a base Golf if $$ were an issue). Yup, the friend bought a GTI. Black, DSG, base model with the classic plaid seats and no moonroof. Also has summer tires, so not sure if that means performance pack? Being as they live in Albany, it does mean he will be buying snow tires next fall!

son I think is Jonesing even harder. Yes, I told him he needs to ride out the rest of his lease. See if it actually happens though.

stever

I looked at a used truck for a friend today. Going to take it to my mechanic tomorrow for a pre-purchase inspection, and if it all goes well, I'll have a good friend hating my guts for sucking him into the purchase.

au1994

stickguy said:

not in my family, but I got play by play on a new purchase. My son was texting me since yesterday that he was "helping" a friend at work look at cars. He went yesterday and drove a Fiesta ST. did not end up getting it. Apparently they would not take his offer. plus he was not overwhelmed. Low rent interior seemed to be an issue. I suggested a GTI, though was told that was supposed to be out of budget.

so I hear today, they were going "just to look" at GTIs (I actually suggested a base Golf if $$ were an issue). Yup, the friend bought a GTI. Black, DSG, base model with the classic plaid seats and no moonroof. Also has summer tires, so not sure if that means performance pack? Being as they live in Albany, it does mean he will be buying snow tires next fall!

son I think is Jonesing even harder. Yes, I told him he needs to ride out the rest of his lease. See if it actually happens though.

Nice! Buying by proxy is almost as much fun! I really like the GTI. The MKVII's are becoming more and more common around since they have been out for a while. I'd love to see how one with the perf pack performs. Also wish you could get the plaid seats on the high end model in lieu of the leather.

kyfdx

I think summer tires are actually standard.. But, where we live, they all come with the optional all-seasons.

rayainsw

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1504_2015_dodge_charger_rt_scat_pack_first_test/

qbrozen

hmmm... I seem to be missing the part of the review article with the actual review.

Mr_Shiftright

Now you know your BS meter goes off when you read eBay ads about little $69 devices or funky air filters that "increase your gas mileage up to 25%!"

qbrozen said:

I believe the mags have found the weight loss is not as great as Ford had advertised. According to some info, they were comparing their new 2.7 Ecoboost vs the previous V8 model to claim that 700 lbs.

Still, though, I believe I read somewhere it was more in the order of 400 lbs, but that's a good 8% or so on a truck. The mpg ratings have gone up about 8-10% or so, I believe, so not bad.

saratogasteve

Michaell said:

saratogasteve said:

I saw the leading topic here, read the first post, then fast forwarded to the last post and can see the topic covers just about anything. With that said I wanted to share my experiences after spending way too much time researching the right car to buy and then seeking quotes via e-mail while visiting some lots to look at colors, see touch feel and drive the vehicle.

I never discus pricing while at the delaership. When I'm there it's either to kick the tires, ask a few questions or sign the deal. That means I negotiate by phone or e-mail. I live in an area that is well employed and flush with cash, which often means I might travel two hours or more to find the right vehicle at the right price. I begin my contact with random internet requests for quotes or "e-pricing" as some dealers call it. I find it both frustrating and amusing that we're told to "click here" for a "no hassle" special internet quote, only to be sent an e-mail asking me to set up a special "VIP test drive" or some other hokey hoop to jump through in order to get a simple quote.

Eventually someone with the right equipment on their lot will respond with a very well detail quote, including all fees and a vin with all the equipment and the price looks to be genuinely aggressive. It's the aha moment where I have finally found a dealer that is willing to honor the "no hassle price" that the internet tries to promise and give me a price that's attractive.

Out of 7 requests for my no hassle special e-price, I get 6 requests for more information and one internet sales manager who sees exactly what I'm looking for and gives me a true no hassle price. He's two hours away, but he's cut to the chase without any games. That's the way I like it and that's they guy that will get my business.

I did eventually get pricing from other dealers, but their bids were not as competitive and their offer to match other offers just doesn't sit well with me because the guy that was straight with me in the first place is the guy who should get my business.

Welcome, Steve .. and what car was this that you are looking for? Stick around; you'll find that someone here is always looking for their next ride.

I ended up purchasing a 2015 Highlander XLE AWD at invoice plus tax and title. Foud the exact car I was looking for at a dealer about an hours drive from home. They agreed to the price I was seeking by e-mail and made the process reasonable when I arrived the next day. Took me close to 3 hours to get out of there with the paperwork, explanation of the features and the dreaded after market sell of things like fabric protectent and extended warranties of which I never ever ever never ever ever ever buy. I can say this till I'm blue in the face and they will still ask one more time if I'm sure.

I'm enjoying the ride.

jayrider

saratogasteve said:

Michaell said:

saratogasteve said:

I saw the leading topic here, read the first post, then fast forwarded to the last post and can see the topic covers just about anything. With that said I wanted to share my experiences after spending way too much time researching the right car to buy and then seeking quotes via e-mail while visiting some lots to look at colors, see touch feel and drive the vehicle.

I never discus pricing while at the delaership. When I'm there it's either to kick the tires, ask a few questions or sign the deal. That means I negotiate by phone or e-mail. I live in an area that is well employed and flush with cash, which often means I might travel two hours or more to find the right vehicle at the right price. I begin my contact with random internet requests for quotes or "e-pricing" as some dealers call it. I find it both frustrating and amusing that we're told to "click here" for a "no hassle" special internet quote, only to be sent an e-mail asking me to set up a special "VIP test drive" or some other hokey hoop to jump through in order to get a simple quote.

Eventually someone with the right equipment on their lot will respond with a very well detail quote, including all fees and a vin with all the equipment and the price looks to be genuinely aggressive. It's the aha moment where I have finally found a dealer that is willing to honor the "no hassle price" that the internet tries to promise and give me a price that's attractive.

Out of 7 requests for my no hassle special e-price, I get 6 requests for more information and one internet sales manager who sees exactly what I'm looking for and gives me a true no hassle price. He's two hours away, but he's cut to the chase without any games. That's the way I like it and that's they guy that will get my business.

I did eventually get pricing from other dealers, but their bids were not as competitive and their offer to match other offers just doesn't sit well with me because the guy that was straight with me in the first place is the guy who should get my business.

Welcome, Steve .. and what car was this that you are looking for? Stick around; you'll find that someone here is always looking for their next ride.

I ended up purchasing a 2015 Highlander XLE AWD at invoice plus tax and title. Foud the exact car I was looking for at a dealer about an hours drive from home. They agreed to the price I was seeking by e-mail and made the process reasonable when I arrived the next day. Took me close to 3 hours to get out of there with the paperwork, explanation of the features and the dreaded after market sell of things like fabric protectent and extended warranties of which I never ever ever never ever ever ever buy. I can say this till I'm blue in the face and they will still ask one more time if I'm sure.

I'm enjoying the ride.

You chose ---------- wisely.

corvette

Sat in a Highlander at the auto show and was very impressed. Nice ride!

stever

Ugh, seller had to work and missed the mechanic inspection. Or so he said. Supposed to take it over tomorrow afternoon but I've greased the wheels at least.

roadburner

Patience is a virtue- I hope...
2017 Mazdaspeed 3

Michaell

roadburner said:

Patience is a virtue- I hope...
2017 Mazdaspeed 3

Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

I may have to rethink my budget next year when my lease is up ... a $30K 300HP AWD hot hatch would tick all the right boxes.

nyccarguy

roadburner said:

Patience is a virtue- I hope...
2017 Mazdaspeed 3

i'll bite. very slick looking. No hood scoop either will make it quite the sleeper. I just hope it isn't $35K.

fezo

Oh, please, please, please...

This would take me away from the Volkwagen siren that is singing me toward a GTI. I'm looking at least two years down the road so the timing could be perfect.

roadburner

I'm guessing a base price under $30k topping out at maybe $33k for one in Grand Touring trim.
Speaking of which, I sat in a 2016 CX-5 Grand Touring and the interior is just flat-out stunning- much nicer than the BMW trucks and possibly the equal of the Audi 4X4s:

kyfdx

Mazda3 GT hatchback already starts at close to $27K for a 2015 model..

I'm going to guess $35K for the typical MazdaSpeed3 in 2017...

corvette

I'm guessing that's an artist's rendering of the MS3. Looks a little low to the ground, and those look like 19 or 20" wheels.

Michaell

corvette said:

I'm guessing that's an artist's rendering of the MS3. Looks a little low to the ground, and those look like 19 or 20" wheels.

Doesn't the 3 already have 18" wheels as an option on the GT? 19" or 20" wheels may not be much of a stretch for a purpose built hot hatch. With dedicated summer rubber.

rayainsw

Trip Report
Executive summary:
The car lived up to [ or exceeded ] all of my expectations.

The trip:
Duluth, GA to St. Augustine, FL and back. 812 miles over 2 driving days.
First & most important, the Charger did not miss a beat over the trip. It ran perfectly. Secondly, and almost as important, I arrived feeling comfortable and with no aches, pains or stiffness from sitting in the driver’s seat for over 5 hours. Excellent comfort and support from the seat & an excellent highway ride.

The past couple of cars I have had have struggled to even approach their EPA rated highway MPG over a full tank, even when driven under close to ‘ideal’ real-world highway conditions. The EPA highway rating for the Charger [ V8, 8-speed automatic ] is 25 MPG. Over the drive from a fill in Ellenwood, just south of Atlanta, to St. Augustine [ 364.5 miles ] the Charger’s MPG was 26.2. 13.9 gallons of mid-grade.
[ The dashboard showed one quarter remaining – of an 18.5 gal. tank. And ‘Range’ showed as 104 more miles. ]

I really, primarily care about 2 ‘Range’-s:
1 = Can I drive for at least a week of my typical commuting between gas refueling stops? Approx. 300 miles – into and out of MidTown Atlanta.
And 2 = When I am ‘on the road’, driving at reasonable highway or secondary road speeds, can I comfortably exceed my typical full day of driving without having to make a fuel stop? Meaning over 350 miles.

[[ Note: I drove on this trip, as I always do, almost exclusively with the automatic in Manual mode – which does not allow the V8 to utilize 4-cylinder mode. And I made no particular efforts to maximize MPG – just moving with the flow of traffic = generally 65 to 78 MPH. Utilized cruise control where prudent. Most of the trip, the trans. was locked in eighth gear – at around 1500 RPM. ]]

I filled the tank on the return trip at a lunch stop, again just south of Atlanta. When I pulled into my garage, after driving just over 50 miles, the ‘Range’ display read 456 miles. That would be a total of just over 500 miles on a tank. FWIW.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/rayainsw/slideshow/0 2015 rookery?sort=9

nyccarguy

@rayainsw - thanks for sharing your photos. They are gorgeous! I'm glad you seem to be really happy with your Charger. I am starting to see them every so often in the wild and even the "mild" versions (base wheels, V6) look good. I love the LED lights in front. It completely modernizes the Charger.

I'm a "range junkie" too. I driver 65 miles per day, 6 days a week, plus my car sees some local action on Saturday afternoon & Sunday. I can easily get over 400 miles on a tank with my Legacy.

Your MPG is impressive for that highway trip. Our driving styles seem to be very similar. I usually set my cruise between 60 & 70 on my commute when I can. We've got some low speed limits here in the NYC metro area.

My Legacy also has an 18.5 gal tank. I just filled up this AM with 60 miles DTE and 418.4 miles on the trip odometer. I took 15.74 Gallons of RUG which yielded me 26.6 mpg. Given your car's 5.7 L 375 hp V8, I'll take the .4 mpg penalty for an extra 200 hp over my Legacy's 175 hp:)

Range is my biggest complaint about our Pilot. 360 miles (or so) is all I can take. For an SUV that can seat my family of 5 with all of our gear comfortably, I expect more.

suydam

Range is important to me too. I want a range of around 500 miles for long trips, which I get with my Accord, and 400 around town, which I get with my Encore. That was one of my reasons for letting go of our two previous vehicles. And I agree with you that comfort on long trips especially is extremely important.

graphicguy

Ray....thanks for the update. Funny thing about range.....you don't realize how important it is (especially on a long trip) until you drive a car that really is a bother when it comes to range. I found that to be an issue in the '04 RX8 I once owned. Granted, I flogged it pretty regularly. But, I sometimes felt fortunate to get barely over 200 miles on a full tank. That said, I really had a hard time cracking 15 MPG in that car, too. Way too many runs to redline at 9K RPM.

Current CTS on a trip? 400 miles per tank. MPG in the neighborhood of high 20s. Very pleased with that, given I keep the turbo on the boil most of the time.

Like Bradd, I'm seeing more and more current gen Chargers out on the road. Not many current Challengers, but plenty of Chargers. Like'm both.

stickguy

Range is the biggest flaw of our RDX. Only a 16 gallon tank. And I always fill up by the quarter tank mark. Barely 200 miles around town and I am looking. 350 on highway and I am having a panic attack, and that is if I am really pushing the hyper miling!

Especially annoying in that I can't make it to my daughters college (about 440 miles) without stopping for gas.

No issues with sonata. That usually has a DTE OF 500 or so when I fill up. Just did a trip to baltimore this weekend, and overall (highway and local) was a tick over 33. With an 18.5 gallon tank, that works!

fezo

The Mazda is an automatic refill at 300 miles, but that's a 6 cyl and I love flogging the thing. Could likely do better but in no hurry to find out.

The Prius is good for 500 miles no sweat.

Michaell

Haven't really tested the range on the new Outback .. wife likes it filled at the beginning of the week, regardless.

The Elantra is good for 300 miles per tank - but, that's like 90% city driving. Got asked to work a delivery shift yesterday (they were down a driver). Ended up with over 130 miles in 8 hours and 26 deliveries.

stever

Any pickup fans?

Which truck is best for my needs....

Michaell

stever said:

Any pickup fans?

Which truck is best for my needs....

Fans ... who knows.

Opinions .. we got lots of those.

henryn

The guy needs a heavy duty truck, 3/4 ton diesel.

Sandman6472

Getting around 410 per tankful on the Golf which is not that bad for a small vehicle, and better than the Tucson got. Definitely love the turbo engine and it scoots this runabout nicely on the expressway where I do 90% of my driving now, never at a loss for acceleration when needed to pass others. Stopped by the dealer today because wasn't sure what prepaid maintenance I bought...get the 10k gratis and prepaid for the 20k and 30k. Saw my service advisor to confirm this and he gave me a printout showing me this so now I know for sure. Running about 1200 miles/month and at about 5200 right now...advisor said I could get the first service done as early as 9.5k if I choose to.
Glad I got the blue color as don't see to many of these on the roads, mostly white or black. The alloys from the Jetta SEL give it a nice look, different than most other Golfs...did see the ones I originally wanted on a TDI model this morning but due to a communications issue, I didn't get what I originally thought I was getting. Still prefer what I was supposed to get but such is life, at least I got the correct 17" size and the vibration is gone, probably due to the slight wearing of the tires, but they still look brand new.
I am happy with this vehicle, very very happy!!!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Did the bathfitter thing in our master walk down shower yesterday and turned out pretty nice...didn't want to do a full gut job at this juncture so started here and will have the room painted to better match the new color scheme. My handyman is coming over to look at the job plus to reinstall the towel rack the wife broke, long story! Figure we'll be moving on within the next 4 to 6 years so going to do as little as possible unless we do decide to stay a longer time. But looking like we will probably relocate to the Ft. Myers area to follow our pharmacist daughter eventually.
The Bathfitter looks nice and was fractionally cheaper than doing a whole gut job...will be able to use the shower by Thursday night, giving it a longer than normal curing time since it was a pretty big job with numerous panels...want the adhesive to get a strong bond so decided to triple the drying time and the installers agreed on this. Luckily we have the 2nd bathroom we redid totally about 5 years ago which still looks brand new!

The Sandman

nyccarguy

Just got a call from the dealer where we bought our Pilot 3 years & 11 months ago. The woman on the phone wanted to know that 2011 pilots are in high demand and they most likely have a potential buyer for my 2011 Pilot. Would I consider trading it in and keeping my payment at its current $678.66 level? Hmmmm... Let me think about this for a second... Do I look like an Amateur to you? You want me to trade in my wife's truck with 12 months left to pay off and a whole bunch of equity, get a new one which will cost thousands less than we paid and keep the same payment? I politely declined and said no thank-you. We plan on keeping the Pilot for the long haul.

breld

Michaell said:

roadburner said:

Patience is a virtue- I hope...
2017 Mazdaspeed 3

Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

I may have to rethink my budget next year when my lease is up ... a $30K 300HP AWD hot hatch would tick all the right boxes.

Well Michael, if your budget doesn't quite stretch that far, I'll have a well kept Mazda3 that you can buy so I can trade up.

I knew from the outset that if I enjoyed my Mazda3 enough, I could see upgrading to the Mazdaspeed version when it comes out. Certainly wouldn't mind the extra horses, but it's really the AWD I'd like.

Even though the rumors indicate it may beat the WRX on horsepower, and add AWD to the mix over a GTI, I still think it will have to play nicely in the price range of those competitors. My 3S GT hatch had an MSRP of about $26,500 (not including the dealer added appearance package). I imagine you'll get a Touring trim and a Grand Touring trim on the Mazdaspeed3, with the Touring trim coming in around $28k, and the Grand Touring a bit over $30k. Apples to apples from a trim perspective, that's about a $4k premium for the turbo, AWD and other cosmetic features (wheels, body kit, etc.). Plausible?

breld

Speaking of gas tank ranges, I'm getting right around 400 miles per tank (that's according to the trip computer) on the 13.2 gallon tank on the Mazda. So, averaging around 30-31 mpg overall, which I'm happy with considering the amount of time I'm commuting at 80 mph on our toll road. At more "normal" highway speeds, I see it getting closer to mid-30's.

The range is not much less than my 535i, but with the much smaller tank and regular gas requirement, the cost of each fill-up is very nice.

jayrider

breld said:

Speaking of gas tank ranges, I'm getting right around 400 miles per tank (that's according to the trip computer) on the 13.2 gallon tank on the Mazda. So, averaging around 30-31 mpg overall, which I'm happy with considering the amount of time I'm commuting at 80 mph on our toll road. At more "normal" highway speeds, I see it getting closer to mid-30's.

The range is not much less than my 535i, but with the much smaller tank and regular gas requirement, the cost of each fill-up is very nice.

I have no problem with fuel range. I drive so little. But getting gas at the local QT is like stepping into fast food heaven. The coffee is great too with about 1000 ways to flavor it. Can't wait til the tank drops low.

corvette

sandman_6472 said:

Did the bathfitter thing in our master walk down shower yesterday and turned out pretty nice...didn't want to do a full gut job at this juncture so started here and will have the room painted to better match the new color scheme.

I had the cabinets painted and countertops replaced (by a contractor) and replaced the tile backsplash (with my dad's help) in my old house. Also got a new dishwasher, sink, and faucet. Amazing what a big change you can make for $5,000 or so, as opposed to gutting the kitchen and spending $20k or more.

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

roadburner said:

Patience is a virtue- I hope...
2017 Mazdaspeed 3

Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

I may have to rethink my budget next year when my lease is up ... a $30K 300HP AWD hot hatch would tick all the right boxes.

Well Michael, if your budget doesn't quite stretch that far, I'll have a well kept Mazda3 that you can buy so I can trade up.

I knew from the outset that if I enjoyed my Mazda3 enough, I could see upgrading to the Mazdaspeed version when it comes out. Certainly wouldn't mind the extra horses, but it's really the AWD I'd like.

Even though the rumors indicate it may beat the WRX on horsepower, and add AWD to the mix over a GTI, I still think it will have to play nicely in the price range of those competitors. My 3S GT hatch had an MSRP of about $26,500 (not including the dealer added appearance package). I imagine you'll get a Touring trim and a Grand Touring trim on the Mazdaspeed3, with the Touring trim coming in around $28k, and the Grand Touring a bit over $30k. Apples to apples from a trim perspective, that's about a $4k premium for the turbo, AWD and other cosmetic features (wheels, body kit, etc.). Plausible?

Thanks, breld. I'll keep that in mind.

Though I'm thinking more and more that my next ride will be AWD, I'm keeping all my options open.

fezo

Without seeing one yet obviously I'd have the Mazdaspeed 3 at the top of the list as my next car. I view at saving me from another go at a Volkswagen.

OTOH we likely need something that at times can hold four people with their luggage including a guitar. For a few days and being picky about what you're doing you could do it in the Prius. I could get forced larger or I could decide I can rent when I need something big.

There's still that possibility of small ute - like a CVR, Forester or a CX5. Biggest trick would be getting a stick.

The other wild card in there is the fact that within the next few weeks we are installing solar electric. If I could get an in my range electric vehicle that had enough range to satisfy me I could see doing that. Heck, that $35K Tesla coming up could sorely test things.

au1994

corvette said:

sandman_6472 said:

Did the bathfitter thing in our master walk down shower yesterday and turned out pretty nice...didn't want to do a full gut job at this juncture so started here and will have the room painted to better match the new color scheme.

I had the cabinets painted and countertops replaced (by a contractor) and replaced the tile backsplash (with my dad's help) in my old house. Also got a new dishwasher, sink, and faucet. Amazing what a big change you can make for $5,000 or so, as opposed to gutting the kitchen and spending $20k or more.

Ditto that. Around the holidays last year I put granite, new sink and faucet, new cook top and new cabinet hardware in in the kitchen. Slapped a new coat of paint on the wall and it looks like I spend 4x my all in 5k number.