Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

jpp75

berri said:

You can't second guess yourself in life. Once you make your decision you just gotta roll with it and not get ulcers replaying it all. I think scope creep is pretty true in most facets of life really. I also don't think it's all bad in buying or leasing a car. When I was a young lieutenant just out of college I decided to save some bucks and buy a relatively stripped car. It was a decision I regretted and kind of spoiled my attitude toward the car until I traded it (for a much nicer equipped replacement).

I did that when I bought my first car as well, I went with the practical choice over the car I really wanted. I hated that car from day one, even though it was paid for and would have gone 200k easily I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

fezo

berri said:

You can't second guess yourself in life. Once you make your decision you just gotta roll with it and not get ulcers replaying it all. I think scope creep is pretty true in most facets of life really. I also don't think it's all bad in buying or leasing a car. When I was a young lieutenant just out of college I decided to save some bucks and buy a relatively stripped car. It was a decision I regretted and kind of spoiled my attitude toward the car until I traded it (for a much nicer equipped replacement).

You are wise, my friend. I think I took 60 years to learn that.

suydam

I drove cheap cars because I couldn't afford better ones. Some of them were very reliable and even kind of fun, like my late 80s Mazda and the early 90s Civic. But I like things a bit more luxe now

roadburner

jpp5862 said:

I did that when I bought my first car as well, I went with the practical choice over the car I really wanted. I hated that car from day one, even though it was paid for and would have gone 200k easily I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

It's burned me a couple of times, but I almost never allow even a shred practicality to be the final arbiter of my vehicle selection- although I'm sure I'll wind up laying on my deathbed thinking: "I sure wish I had bought practical appliances instead of my M6, Club Sport, 2002, or Mazdaspeed 3..."

breld

My $.02 - if you decide to keep the Mazda6 for yourself 'cause you like the way it drives more than the Sonata, spring for the GT. You seem to like sunroofs so much, I think that alone would be worth it, not to mention the heated seats, real leather, and other goodies that come with the upgrade.

If it's for the daughter, the Touring is really nice and well equipped as is.

I assume you found the 19" wheels and low profile tires that go along with that to be okay? Unfortunately, no getting around that with either model.

fezo

roadburner said:

jpp5862 said:

I did that when I bought my first car as well, I went with the practical choice over the car I really wanted. I hated that car from day one, even though it was paid for and would have gone 200k easily I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

It's burned me a couple of times, but I almost never allow even a shred practicality to be the final arbiter of my vehicle selection- although I'm sure I'll wind up laying on my deathbed thinking: "I sure wish I had bought practical appliances instead of my M6, Club Sport, 2002, or Mazdaspeed 3..."

I'll bet you will.

Stick, go for the Mazda and get the stick you prefer. The rest of the family will manage. You know who you are and you've taken care of your own. Treat yourself this time. Your daughter will love the hand me down Sonata.

I love my 5 but I miss a stick every day. At one point I'll get an old Miata to feed that need.

corvette

I remember Sandy uses the Waze app. I tried it and am very impressed so far. I never liked the accuracy of the traffic reports/detours on my Garmin, so I'm going to give Waze a shot. Very nice that it will often it will report a car stopped on the side of the road before you get to it.

nelsonf

I love Waze. Been using it for a couple months now, and find it pretty accurate. The Terminator voice is kind of fun too.

corvette

You definitely need the car charger plugged in--GPS + data usage + screen on all the time = massive battery drain. Also, if people are reporting incidents while driving, I don't think the alerts are a net benefit to safety. If the people making reports are passengers, I do think it improves safety.

stickguy

yes, waze requires a charger. and large data plan.

I'm too worn out these days to deal with that. easier to just drive a little slower.

tommister2

I really enjoy Waze. According to the data usage tracker on my phone it doesn't use much data. It does consume massive amounts of battery. 

stickguy

so, discussed options with the wife, and have revised the plan. I have decided to just say to heck with it, and send my car off to school with the princess. I really don't use it that much, and will use it likely even less in the fall.

So instead of rushing into another payment, I will just continue to car share (2 for the 3 of us) the rest of the summer, and decide in late August what to do once she leaves. That way, I save another couple of month of car insurance, and no payments. Also gives me a chance to get the Acura paid off before I go shopping again. Will not be a huge problem if I have to share briefly with the wife.

cheap leases are always around. Can just wait for the end of summer/labor day blow outs.

Though my current grand scheme is to take advantage, and get a true 2nd car. Something fun maybe, like a sports car. Or a little PU. just something to have as a spare (and yes, I realize that I could have just kept the Volvo and had almost the same result. but not the fun).

not sure what I would get. or how old (no payments is nice!). But at least can have some fun looking.

all this, subject to change. but the Kid will be excited to find out she is back to getting the Sonata (which she really wanted anyway). And I can worry about later, later.

seems like a solid plan. If anyone sees holes in it, let me know!

28firefighter

Just make sure you ultimately end up with something that you like, Stick. 

Otherwise, it seems like a solid plan. 

suydam

Anyone taking bets as to how long till ride sharing loses its charm?

corvette

suydam said:

Anyone taking bets as to how long till ride sharing loses its charm?

Put me in for 2 weeks.

stickguy

We did it before. not that big of a deal right now. I work from home, and she works at a Panera about 5 minutes from our house. So if I need the car when she is working, I can just drop her off. My wife works close, and can WFH too if needed, so I pretty much can have one of the 2 cars whenever I need one. When the wife and I are together, only need one.

bigger issue when we are sharing 1 car. That will never work, but that doesn't happen until the end of August.

heck, if I found out on short notice that I had to go out of town (meaning, more old people issues to deal with), I could pick up a new car with about 2 hours lead time!

so, we shall see how being frugal works.

xwesx

suydam said:

Anyone taking bets as to how long till ride sharing loses its charm?

LOL

I didn't make it two weeks. But, I also decided on the cheap option that stick mentioned (no payments ARE nice), so it was one of those cases where once you find what fits the bill, ya gotta jump on it. It's been a month so far and I'm still happy with the car.

Now, if only I could get the hitch dislodged from the receiver..... :@

corvette

xwesx said:

Now, if only I could get the hitch dislodged from the receiver..... :@

Liquid Wrench? Smells awful, though.

xwesx

corvette said:

xwesx said:

Now, if only I could get the hitch dislodged from the receiver..... :@

Liquid Wrench? Smells awful, though.

Tried it. Nada. Maybe if I could literally soak it in the stuff for a couple days. Another suggested a vinegar bath, which I did a couple weeks ago. I managed to get it to move just a tiny bit (in, not out, unfortunately), but it did wash a fair bit of rusty crud out of there. I'm trying it again as we speak. I think I'll give it a few more chain-yanks with my truck afterward to see if I can get any movement. If not, I'm just going to replace the whole thing; it's just not worth the &*%&!# aggravation. LOL

stickguy

can try heating it with a torch. might loosen it up. though I would take it off the car first, if you haven't already!

Michaell

stickguy said:

can try heating it with a torch. might loosen it up. though I would take it off the car first, if you haven't already!

Isn't that what Edd China does on Wheeler Dealers?

qbrozen

definitely try a torch. The ball bar is solid steel, while the receiver is an open box. That SHOULD expand away from the solid bar.

Although, I agree it is probably not worth the trouble.

stickguy

Yes, I have seen Edd do it a number of times. I learn a lot of tricks from the tall man.

qbrozen

I was thinking about that show this weekend. That is the one I really miss not having cable TV any longer.

stever

My wife and I shared one car for seven years in the 80s and are a bit over a year of sharing the current van. We have access to a backup ride from a friend a few miles away if the car needs to go to the shop, and we're trying whether to decide to keep the van as a "pickup" when we finally get a new (and smaller) ride.

A spare could be handy but I'd really rather not have to stick two cars in the garage and with all the critters chewing the wiring around the neighborhood, I don't want to park one outside full time if I can help it.

stickguy

Once daughter goes back I will have an empty bay. That goes against the laws of nature. not filling it with junk, so will need a car instead!

We also don't have chewing critter issues.

ab348

qbrozen said:

I was thinking about that show this weekend. That is the one I really miss not having cable TV any longer.

Most episodes are on YouTube, but I find watching there not quite the same.

ab348

stickguy said:

Once daughter goes back I will have an empty bay. That goes against the laws of nature. not filling it with junk, so will need a car instead!

We also don't have chewing critter issues.

In your situation I might be tempted to get a truck. As a homeowner it would be very useful for hauling stuff.

xwesx

stickguy said:

can try heating it with a torch. might loosen it up. though I would take it off the car first, if you haven't already!

Yeah, I considered the torch option, but that's definitely tricky with the clearances I have on this car, and if I took the time to remove the thing, there's no way I would bother with it after that. At ~$150 for a new receiver (and a Class III at that), it's just not worth the time. Besides, it's easy to get leverage on something like this when it is attached to a 3500# anchor. Once removed from the car? Not so much. LOL

Anyhow, SUCCESS!!!! After a 36-hour soak in the vinegar bath and four yanks with a chain attached to my C20, the fifth pull had it free this morning. I was in a hurry, so I did not get a chance to inspect the condition of the receiver, but the hitch itself actually looked pretty good. A wire brush, oil, and some elbow grease should have it back in business.

It was actually a really great feeling as I was coming to a stop after the fifth pull, thinking that the chain had come loose again (it came loose after the second pull), to hear my son yelling, "You did it, dad! It came out!!!"

imidazol97

xwesx said:

1974 Pinto wagon.

I just read your signature line and noticed the '74 Pinto. Have you posted pictures of it?

I don't believe I've seen more than 1 Pinto of any body style at the summer cruise ins
I have hit in the last year. I'd estimate 2000 vehicles or more and don't recall a Pinto.
Mavericks, a few.

slorenzen

imidazol97 said:

xwesx said:

1974 Pinto wagon.

I just read your signature line and noticed the '74 Pinto. Have you posted pictures of it?

I don't believe I've seen more than 1 Pinto of any body style at the summer cruise ins
I have hit in the last year. I'd estimate 2000 vehicles or more and don't recall a Pinto.
Mavericks, a few.

That's because they all got rear-ended and exploded...

stever

stickguy said:

Once daughter goes back I will have an empty bay. That goes against the laws of nature. not filling it with junk, so will need a car instead!

We also don't have chewing critter issues.

Yep, it's the law for sure - my other bay is more than half full.

My sister had about $4,000 worth of wiring problems with mice or something chewing in her engine compartment and she's back in NE Virginia. Some say Subarus have tasty wiring anyway though. I got major brownie points for telling her to call her insurance company and they covered it.

Emailed the local Honda dealer to see if the two HR-Vs in their online inventory are really in stock. That was an hour ago and no reply yet.

xwesx

stever said:

Some say Subarus have tasty wiring anyway though.

Cayenne pepper in an aqueous solution. Spray it onto surfaces that you do not want critters chewing/accessing. It is amazingly effective, and imagining the horrible suffering they experience upon their one and only attempt brings me an evil satisfaction.

xwesx

imidazol97 said:

I just read your signature line and noticed the '74 Pinto. Have you posted pictures of it?

Oh, no.... we're not going there again!

My poor old pinto has visited here a time or two. It's not show material.

imidazol97

slorenzen said:

That's because they all got rear-ended and exploded...

I would suspect they rusted away too quickly to be saved
in many cases as a more likely event.

stever

xwesx said:

stever said:

Some say Subarus have tasty wiring anyway though.

Cayenne pepper

I'd probably have to move again if the locals caught me feeding "chiles" of any sort to the critters.

nelsonf

qbrozen said:

I was thinking about that show this weekend. That is the one I really miss not having cable TV any longer.

Same here. It's available on iTunes at least.

corvette

ab348 said:

Most episodes are on YouTube, but I find watching there not quite the same.

Get a Chromecast! Best $30 I ever spent.

qbrozen

oh, I HATE the chromecast. It is sitting in a box somewhere now. I tried that very briefly before a Roku came up on discount one day. LOVE the Roku. Wound up getting 1 for the bedroom later, too.

stickguy

man, the women in my family. Can't please them. sprung the plan du jour on the princess. Apparently she was all psyched for a 6. But will probably come around to getting the Sonata after all. Not that she trusts me at this point, since the plan seems to change day to day (well, I guess that is accurate). At this point, she has removed herself from the process, and will take whatever I give her the keys to!

Wife just got tired of hearing from her, and would just go buy another car to be done with it, money be damned.

corvette

qbrozen said:

oh, I HATE the chromecast. It is sitting in a box somewhere now. I tried that very briefly before a Roku came up on discount one day. LOVE the Roku. Wound up getting 1 for the bedroom later, too.

The killer app with the Chromecast, for me, was being able to cast any browser tab from my laptop onto the TV. All those online video sites that aren't native to your DVD player or smart TV, you can just play on your computer and cast to the Chromecast.

The rear entertainment system in my Yukon only has RCA cable hookups. No HDMI. I think you can play a DVD from the audio system. Guess I will have to get some type of adapter if my dog wants to watch movies from the laptop/tablet back there.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

man, the women in my family. Can't please them. sprung the plan du jour on the princess. Apparently she was all psyched for a 6. But will probably come around to getting the Sonata after all. Not that she trusts me at this point, since the plan seems to change day to day (well, I guess that is accurate). At this point, she has removed herself from the process, and will take whatever I give her the keys to!

Wife just got tired of hearing from her, and would just go buy another car to be done with it, money be damned.

Maybe a Prius will shut her up?

stickguy

Here's a crazy idea. A cheap, we got too many and they gotta go, lease on a Mini. Man, that would be quite a change from a bargelike Sonata!

Also would qualify as a fun toy type of car I guess.

pretty sure I better go look into this one by myself. Something to do tomorrow night! Though I am guessing it could have a high, "what the heck did I just do?" potential.

28firefighter

Punch pending. Offer is signed and supposedly picking it up tomorrow assuming no surprises at the dealer. 

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

Punch pending. Offer is signed and supposedly picking it up tomorrow assuming no surprises at the dealer. 

Again? Same dealer? Different dealer?

28firefighter

Different vehicle, different dealer. Much better experience so far. 

Wife saw a 2015 Escape the other day and wanted to drive it. So, we did. Surprisingly nice vehicle. Sent offers out today and one bit....

suydam

Stick, what investment does your daughter have in the process? If she isn't paying for any of it (insurance?), why expect her to be involved in anything other than the fun part? And the fun is getting old at this point. That's just human nature. If you told her that paying X more dollars than the Camry meant that much less for other things she might want, that might change things a little. Or not. You are weighing the pros and cons but I wouldn't expect her to be that interested until you actually produce a car. So enjoy the hunt on your own.

kyfdx

suydam said:

Stick, what investment does your daughter have in the process? If she isn't paying for any of it (insurance?), why expect her to be involved in anything other than the fun part? And the fun is getting old at this point. That's just human nature. If you told her that paying X more dollars than the Camry meant that much less for other things she might want, that might change things a little. Or not. You are weighing the pros and cons but I wouldn't expect her to be that interested until you actually produce a car. So enjoy the hunt on your own.

And.. after that, he can start picking out all of her clothes..

Michaell

stickguy said:

Here's a crazy idea. A cheap, we got too many and they gotta go, lease on a Mini. Man, that would be quite a change from a bargelike Sonata!

Also would qualify as a fun toy type of car I guess.

pretty sure I better go look into this one by myself. Something to do tomorrow night! Though I am guessing it could have a high, "what the heck did I just do?" potential.

Over in the MINI forum, a poster got a quote of $205/mo before tax on a Cooper Hardtop. Not many details, so I don't know how strong that offer is.

This same poster decided against a $160/mo lease on a Mazda 3 I Sport - too boring, she said.

BTW, when I took my daughter's MINI in for service, I got a new '15 Hardtop as a loaner. That new 3-cyl turbo engine is a hoot! I think you'd like it, though I suspect the premium fuel requirement would get old.

qbrozen

corvette said:

The killer app with the Chromecast, for me, was being able to cast any browser tab from my laptop onto the TV. All those online video sites that aren't native to your DVD player or smart TV, you can just play on your computer and cast to the Chromecast.

That's the thing I wanted it for, but it would not work right for me. Really low res, choppy pic, voices not synced with lips, etc.