Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

kyfdx

corvette said:

imidazol97 said:

Do you live close enough you might make a return visit?

Yeah. I did really have to pace myself to see all three buildings plus the missile silo (and make photos).

You should have let me know. I could have directed you to all of the local taprooms on the way home!

corvette

kyfdx said:

You should have let me know. I could have directed you to all of the local taprooms on the way home!

You know, I spent the whole trip trying to find a margarita as good as the one at Havana Rumba in Louisville, and couldn't find it.

suydam

Mulling over options. We will be moving in a few months from the Midwest to the west coast. The original idea was that we bought the Honda in 2013, thinking we would keep the old Pontiac Vibe as general dog and around town car until we left and then buy a new second car out there. This plan torpedoed by the Vibe's demise in February, when we bought the Encore. Driving 2 cars out there is not enticing. Thinking now we might sell the Honda and use the $$ to buy a new compact sedan there -- Corolla or something like that. Or we could get another newer Honda out there if we decided to. It appears the Accord has held its value pretty well and it's still under warranty (just turned 25,000 miles). Crazy idea? The logistics of the move are pretty daunting as it is.

stever

We did the two car move going from Boise to the Midwest - not fun. Just drove one car out here and that was fine, even with several trips. Just nicer not driving solo.

And it gives you an excuse to go car shopping.

stickguy

Ship it. Would not be surprised if for the crazy DMV and tax costs in CA (it us California, right? If not, YMMV). You could have it trucked out. Plus you like lose money on the deal (paying dealer retail for the replacement)

28firefighter

suydam said:

Mulling over options. We will be moving in a few months from the Midwest to the west coast. The original idea was that we bought the Honda in 2013, thinking we would keep the old Pontiac Vibe as general dog and around town car until we left and then buy a new second car out there. This plan torpedoed by the Vibe's demise in February, when we bought the Encore. Driving 2 cars out there is not enticing. Thinking now we might sell the Honda and use the $$ to buy a new compact sedan there -- Corolla or something like that. Or we could get another newer Honda out there if we decided to. It appears the Accord has held its value pretty well and it's still under warranty (just turned 25,000 miles). Crazy idea? The logistics of the move are pretty daunting as it is.

Ship it, for sure. We shipped two cars from Western PA and had the inside 10 days. Rented a car here for the first week we were here in Seattle. 

Mr_Shiftright

Other states have higher DMV and tax rates than CA--not too many, but a half dozen or so do.

stickguy said:

Ship it. Would not be surprised if for the crazy DMV and tax costs in CA (it us California, right? If not, YMMV). You could have it trucked out. Plus you like lose money on the deal (paying dealer retail for the replacement)

slorenzen

Will the cars pass the California emissions?

Are cars sold nowadays considered "50-state" cars?

tifighter

Registering an out-of-state car into California is a nightmare. Even though all cars are 50 state compliant, CA will still make you earn it with extra paperwork, fees, smog inspections, etc. It will be a minimum 2 visits, at about 3-4 hours each. Hope you meant another state.

suydam

Nope. SoCal. Hmm. Another reason to only go through that mishegoss with 1 car then. We are a few months away and many decisions to make.

stever

The more stuff you can get rid of before the move the better imo. We did 3 minivan loads and that was about one too many. Digitize and downsize - it takes no time before you accumulate a house full of junk. We've only been here 9 months and we're already getting ready to craigslist some extra stuff.

My only complaint about buying in the new place is that the one dealer I'm interested in working with here seems to be stuck in the last century. I emailed a sister store this morning to make an appointment for a recall on the Dodge and immediately got two responses from salespeople wanting to know when I could come down and take a test drive. Have yet to hear anything about the service appointment. Idiots with outdated CRM packages.

I trust that most Cali dealerships are a bit more responsive but then again, who knows.

suydam

We are already downsizing. We are moving from a 5 br house on an acre, where we've lived for 20 years, to a 2 br condo. So 90% of what we own has to go. Kids all live in tiny urban apts so no help there. It's a pain but actually rather liberating. I just want less stuff to worry about.

cdnpinhead

I find it interesting that driving a car half-way across the country is perceived as a major event, nay, something to be avoided at all costs.

I used to drive for a living and still enjoy it, even in a rental Impala.

Drive car #1 to the new destination. Fly back to your original location. Repeat.

It stuns me that people who post on an automotive enthusiast board clutch their pearls when it's possible to take a couple of cross-country trips.

But that's just me. I hope I'm not bullying, but if so, so be it.

suydam

Nope. Not doing that when Trip #1 will probably involve 2 dogs and a nervous cat. Once we arrive, we're not going back! I will leave the multi cross country trip thing to much younger people. If I had pearls I would clutch them.

kyfdx

lol...

stever

You'll be wishing for a third bedroom in, oh, about two months, lol. There's always storage units. The monthly fee will remind you that you don't own stuff, it owns you.

And maybe you don't need two cars any more? (blasphemy in here I know).

xwesx

I'm with you on that one, cdn. I look for excuses to drive and certainly don't shy away from the complicated/tedious trips, either. However, I have yet to move the household across the country, so my tune might change in that scenario. Then again, I might just get a gooseneck for the pickup and load a couple of my other rigs on a flatbed to reduce the number of loads.

I'm sure the old girl is up for another cross-country in style!

Sandman6472

Eventually going to do the same thing, leave our 4/2 for something a bit smaller though at 1900 under air, this place ain't that big. But after being here since July of '87, we've accumulated a lot of stuff even after having a few garage sales. Eventually think a 3/2 villa could work but not sure where yet...hoping to work another few years as even though I'm always in pain, I do like my job at Hertz and hope to stay.
Big changes happening at work I've heard in the next month or two but they haven't sat us down yet to tell us. Could be a good thing but also, could be bad...time will tell and taking things day by day. Not looking for a transfer but it might not be my choice so the grapevine says. Again, not letting rumors and 3rd, 4th or even 5th hand info effect the way I do my job. Like I said the first day I got there, "Give me the keys and tell me where to go"!

The Sandman

P.S. "Mishegoss"...haven't heard that word in years!!!

jpp75

stever said:

You'll be wishing for a third bedroom in, oh, about two months, lol. There's always storage units. The monthly fee will remind you that you don't own stuff, it owns you.

And maybe you don't need two cars any more? (blasphemy in here I know).

I'd rather have a tiny house and more cars than a bigger house.

stever

We downsized to 1700 sq. ft. in this house but went from a postage stamp yard to a couple of acres. So lots of room to stash cars if the urge strikes. Luckily the "yard" maintenance is less here than the last place. Of course the wiring would get chewed on if I did pull an @andre1969 and start a collection.

(oh yeah, a problem with roadtripping with your stuff is the worry about someone ripping you off. We camped most of the time so the van was "right there". Some of those motel parking lots can be dicey.)

Michaell

Just spotted a noble m12 gto s3. RHD

nyccarguy

suydam said:

Mulling over options. We will be moving in a few months from the Midwest to the west coast. The original idea was that we bought the Honda in 2013, thinking we would keep the old Pontiac Vibe as general dog and around town car until we left and then buy a new second car out there. This plan torpedoed by the Vibe's demise in February, when we bought the Encore. Driving 2 cars out there is not enticing. Thinking now we might sell the Honda and use the $$ to buy a new compact sedan there -- Corolla or something like that. Or we could get another newer Honda out there if we decided to. It appears the Accord has held its value pretty well and it's still under warranty (just turned 25,000 miles). Crazy idea? The logistics of the move are pretty daunting as it is.

Spoken like a true Chronic Car Buyer. I don't feel like taking the car with us when we move, so I'll sell it & buy a new one!

breld

I'm spending the week here up in Vail for a work retreat. The "work" part is pretty minimal.

So I am mulling over my option to purchase my brother's car. He's getting close to a deal on a Q5 with his broker, and the broker has agreed to transact the deal if I want to buy his Allroad (so he still gets the trade credit).

So, I could get a 2013 Allroad with 28k miles, well-equipped with the Premium Plus package, navigation, B&O stereo, etc. And I could buy it for $29,500 (his trade plus $500).

I've always like the Audi wagons, and it would certainly fit my needs well. Since we bought the BMW 'vert recently with a stick, I could probably give up the daily stick driving with the Mazda.

But...I don't think I'm "done" with the Mazda - still really enjoying it for many reasons.

We'll see...I'm definitely leaning much more toward the side of not doing it, but thought I'd share.

breld

As for my brother, he's stuck on a specific color Q5 (Scuba Blue), the 3.0T or TDI engine, sport package and navigation. Which is to say, he's pretty specific on what he wants.

His options are 1) bring a new 2015 in from an L.A. dealer at about $3k off MSRP, 2) order a new 2016 at a bit less of a discount, or 3) look into a used one in Texas.

This used one is a CPO 2014 with a bit less than 9k miles. It's practically as he would order one. I'm strongly encouraging him to go with that option (after going through the proper due diligence to confirm the condition of the car). The Audi dealer has had it for two months and has reduced the price to $40,688 - a bit over $10k less than the new options. I think it's absolutely the right way to go - particularly with a new model due out in about a year; why pay new price for an outgoing model?

But, he seems real apprehensive about the work required to get comfortable with the condition, and get it here from some remote town in TX. I think $10k is totally worth the hassle, but I kinda enjoy the process.

Mr_Shiftright

When is the warranty up on that Audi?

breld said:

I'm spending the week here up in Vail for a work retreat. The "work" part is pretty minimal.

So I am mulling over my option to purchase my brother's car. He's getting close to a deal on a Q5 with his broker, and the broker has agreed to transact the deal if I want to buy his Allroad (so he still gets the trade credit).

So, I could get a 2013 Allroad with 28k miles, well-equipped with the Premium Plus package, navigation, B&O stereo, etc. And I could buy it for $29,500 (his trade plus $500).

I've always like the Audi wagons, and it would certainly fit my needs well. Since we bought the BMW 'vert recently with a stick, I could probably give up the daily stick driving with the Mazda.

But...I don't think I'm "done" with the Mazda - still really enjoying it for many reasons.

We'll see...I'm definitely leaning much more toward the side of not doing it, but thought I'd share.

stever

I'm close to a lot of remote towns in Texas. But I've sworn off road trips until the fall so I don't miss any more nice weather here this summer. And then we'd have to fly home. Twist my arm?

Mr_Shiftright

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the ground...just look at that price tag!

Ford's Revives The High End Pickup Truck

houdini1

breld said:

I'm spending the week here up in Vail for a work retreat. The "work" part is pretty minimal.

So I am mulling over my option to purchase my brother's car. He's getting close to a deal on a Q5 with his broker, and the broker has agreed to transact the deal if I want to buy his Allroad (so he still gets the trade credit).

So, I could get a 2013 Allroad with 28k miles, well-equipped with the Premium Plus package, navigation, B&O stereo, etc. And I could buy it for $29,500 (his trade plus $500).

I've always like the Audi wagons, and it would certainly fit my needs well. Since we bought the BMW 'vert recently with a stick, I could probably give up the daily stick driving with the Mazda.

But...I don't think I'm "done" with the Mazda - still really enjoying it for many reasons.

We'll see...I'm definitely leaning much more toward the side of not doing it, but thought I'd share.

Breld, several years ago my son got a company car and I bought his current late model Acura RL from him. I think it was an 03 or 04, and turned out to be a great car. When I went to license it, I found out in my state, Kansas, if you buy a car from a close relative, you don't have to pay sales tax. Saved me about $1200. and was a really nice surprise. Check your state.

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the ground...just look at that price tag!

Ford's Revives The High End Pickup Truck

Wow. That's some serious cash; but, hey, at least they admit that they're gunning for this target audience! You can option an F350 up that high and it is supposed to be a work truck!

xwesx

breld said:

But, he seems real apprehensive about the work required to get comfortable with the condition, and get it here from some remote town in TX. I think $10k is totally worth the hassle, but I kinda enjoy the process.

The used one is definitely the way to go; particularly if it is the TDI (in my opinion). This size of vehicle is really a sweet spot for diesel because you get truly marked increases in economy and performance while the pricing isn't all that far apart. Seriously... 9,000 miles..... if it doesn't have a crash history, what's really could be wrong with it that warranty wouldn't address (and a CPO warranty, at that)?

slorenzen

xwesx said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the ground...just look at that price tag!

Ford's Revives The High End Pickup Truck

Wow. That's some serious cash; but, hey, at least they admit that they're gunning for this target audience! You can option an F350 up that high and it is supposed to be a work truck!

Yeah, but an F350 can actually DO some serious work, whereas that 1/2 ton?

Bling.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the ground...just look at that price tag!

Ford's Revives The High End Pickup Truck

I happened to be looking at local dealer inventory of Cadillac Escalades on the weekend just for laffs. All of them here are stickered north of $100K Cdn. Not a pickup truck, but still...

xwesx

slorenzen said:

Yeah, but an F350 can actually DO some serious work, whereas that 1/2 ton?

Bling.

Quite true. However, consider that anyone that wants a truck for serious work is not going to spend 60-70K just to beat the tar out of it. No, they'll spend as little as they can while still getting maximum utility. The most work a $70K F350 is ever going to see is pulling a monstrous 40' fifth wheel trailer that cost 3x the price of the truck!

Sure, that's work for the truck, but it's work to play.

stever

hm, busy contractor, works out of the truck, gets to write it off. Why not?

I saw a F-150 (or some F-model) a few weeks back on a no-haggle lot with a $60k sticker. It was striking (the sticker, not so much the truck).

Hanging out at the Dodge dealer this afternoon getting an ignition recall done on the van - there's a R/T on the showroom floor with a "you can drive me when you buy me" sign on it. No Monroney on it but the asking price on them on their web site is ~$35k to ~$38k (looks like at least three in stock).

xwesx

stever said:

hm, busy contractor, works out of the truck, gets to write it off. Why not?

Because it costs a third to half as much, which means you get to write it off sooner and, if you play the cards right, replace it sooner to keep your maintenance costs low. I don't care how cushy it is when you drive it off the lot, it doesn't stay that way long when you work it hard so the only thing you're really doing is increasing your overhead.

corvette

ab348 said:

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the ground...just look at that price tag! Ford's Revives The High End Pickup Truck

I happened to be looking at local dealer inventory of Cadillac Escalades on the weekend just for laffs. All of them here are stickered north of $100K Cdn. Not a pickup truck, but still...

I was thinking along similar lines. A 2015 Yukon, well equipped like mine, is pushing $75k. The pickup version is probably not much cheaper. "Cheap" being a relative term. I wouldn't buy something in that price range, but if the numbers worked, I would consider leasing. 

Michaell

corvette said:

ab348 said:

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the ground...just look at that price tag! Ford's Revives The High End Pickup Truck

I happened to be looking at local dealer inventory of Cadillac Escalades on the weekend just for laffs. All of them here are stickered north of $100K Cdn. Not a pickup truck, but still...

I was thinking along similar lines. A 2015 Yukon, well equipped like mine, is pushing $75k. The pickup version is probably not much cheaper. "Cheap" being a relative term. I wouldn't buy something in that price range, but if the numbers worked, I would consider leasing. 

And I'm here to tell you they don't lease well. Seen payments of $700-800/mo on models that sticker in the $60's

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah but a 75K Yukon has a BACK END, and rows of seats and carpets. With a $75K pickup, you're getting 1/2 a vehicle. Can you imagine? "Yeah, Eddie, just use the payloader and dump that gravel in my Ford F-150 Limited"

suydam

Interesting cuz a friend of mine just got a '13 Silverado -- towing package and lots of goodies as they have horses -- for under $30k.

corvette

Michaell said:

And I'm here to tell you they don't lease well. Seen payments of $700-800/mo on models that sticker in the $60's

That's pretty bad. Strange I see so many on the road, though.

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yeah but a 75K Yukon has a BACK END, and rows of seats and carpets. With a $75K pickup, you're getting 1/2 a vehicle. Can you imagine? "Yeah, Eddie, just use the payloader and dump that gravel in my Ford F-150 Limited"

True. It used to be a pickup was significantly cheaper than the equivalent SUV. Of course, Ford doesn't exactly have an SUV equivalent to the new F-150 (Expedition is on the old platform, so far as I know).

fintail

I can believe it. 70K sticker will mean 60K selling. Cowboy Cadillacs were ~40K 20 years ago, so this isn't a big stretch, esp not when compared to price inflation in housing, medical, education, (in many cases) food, fuel, etc.

Mr_Shiftright said:

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the ground...just look at that price tag!

Ford's Revives The High End Pickup Truck

berri

I recently read that the Chevy Silverado is on the Ford 150's butt sales-wise, so yeah - $10K at least off

roadburner

cdnpinhead said:

I find it interesting that driving a car half-way across the country is perceived as a major event, nay, something to be avoided at all costs.

I used to drive for a living and still enjoy it, even in a rental Impala.

Drive car #1 to the new destination. Fly back to your original location. Repeat.

It stuns me that people who post on an automotive enthusiast board clutch their pearls when it's possible to take a couple of cross-country trips.

But that's just me. I hope I'm not bullying, but if so, so be it.

I agree 100% I love to drive a car on long trips; it beats the he11 out of being crammed into the shrieking tubes that pass for airliners these days.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, the airline industry is getting stranger and stranger. It's like, technology-wise, we are all still driving 1950s era Chevrolets. You could land a Boeing 707, which first flew commercially in 1958, at any modern airport and no one would even notice that it was 57 years old!

roadburner said:

cdnpinhead said:

I find it interesting that driving a car half-way across the country is perceived as a major event, nay, something to be avoided at all costs.

I used to drive for a living and still enjoy it, even in a rental Impala.

Drive car #1 to the new destination. Fly back to your original location. Repeat.

It stuns me that people who post on an automotive enthusiast board clutch their pearls when it's possible to take a couple of cross-country trips.

But that's just me. I hope I'm not bullying, but if so, so be it.

I agree 100% I love to drive a car on long trips; it beats the he11 out of being crammed into the shrieking tubes that pass for airliners these days.

suydam

You all do realize the difference between a fun cross country trip and MOVING across country, right?

graphicguy

I've been amazed at the price of pickups, of any stripe, probably over the last 5-6 years. Every time I go to a car show and look at the stickers, I just shake my head.

That said, these are vehicles that aren't used for hauling gravel or mulch....probably not even used for towing. They are hulky, big, blingy, vehicles that have no other purpose than to stroke the owner's financial ego.

To me, there are much better vehicles for that duty, but none of them are as big as the F150.

This was last decade but I owned a Chevy Tahoe that I dearly loved for hauling tech equipment. It was also a pleasant travel companion regardless of where I was going, with no thought ever given to the weather or road conditions I would encounter.

When I was ready to replace it, prices had escalated so much, for essentially the same vehicle I was trading, I was no longer a Tahoe customer.

breld

Mr_Shiftright said:

When is the warranty up on that Audi?

breld said:

I'm spending the week here up in Vail for a work retreat. The "work" part is pretty minimal.

So I am mulling over my option to purchase my brother's car. He's getting close to a deal on a Q5 with his broker, and the broker has agreed to transact the deal if I want to buy his Allroad (so he still gets the trade credit).

So, I could get a 2013 Allroad with 28k miles, well-equipped with the Premium Plus package, navigation, B&O stereo, etc. And I could buy it for $29,500 (his trade plus $500).

I've always like the Audi wagons, and it would certainly fit my needs well. Since we bought the BMW 'vert recently with a stick, I could probably give up the daily stick driving with the Mazda.

But...I don't think I'm "done" with the Mazda - still really enjoying it for many reasons.

We'll see...I'm definitely leaning much more toward the side of not doing it, but thought I'd share.

About a year and a half (or 22k miles) on my brother's Allroad - I assume that's the one you're asking about?

qbrozen

Well, house is up for sale. We'll see what happens. I'm going to have to visit carmax soon with the Fit and see if they'll take it off my hands for a strong price. Unfortunately, the 2016s seem to have come out early for some reason, so that may hurt. I was hoping to unload it before that happened (which I expected to be in the Fall).

Managed to keep 1 bay of my garage free for the Caddy while the other bay is filled with excess furniture. Realtor suggested, however, I fix that garage door (bottom panel is rotted), so I may need to move some of it again anyway. Oh well.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

Well, house is up for sale. We'll see what happens. I'm going to have to visit carmax soon with the Fit and see if they'll take it off my hands for a strong price. Unfortunately, the 2016s seem to have come out early for some reason, so that may hurt. I was hoping to unload it before that happened (which I expected to be in the Fall).

Managed to keep 1 bay of my garage free for the Caddy while the other bay is filled with excess furniture. Realtor suggested, however, I fix that garage door (bottom panel is rotted), so I may need to move some of it again anyway. Oh well.

Best of luck on the sale, q.

I'm in inspection heck at the moment. Buyers of our house want us to repair the roof due to hail damage - what's funny is that there isn't enough damage to warrant a full replacement of the roof.

My wife's first husband was a roofer, and her son has done some roofing as well, so she's got some knowledge on the subject - her perspective is that trying to repair a roof may create as many problems as it solves.

imidazol97

Michaell said:

I'm in inspection heck at the moment. Buyers of our house want us to repair the roof due to hail damage - what's funny is that there isn't enough damage to warrant a full replacement of the roof.

My wife's first husband was a roofer, and her son has done some roofing as well, so she's got some knowledge on the subject - her perspective is that trying to repair a roof may create as many problems as it solves.

Will your insurance company pay part or all if the roof actually does show hail damage? Or is this the inspector being picky?