Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stever

New Soul packages have been announced for 2016, and it sounds like some of the "Eyesight" features are now available. And the price for that goodie package to get forward-collision and lane-departure is only an extra $4,400.

Michaell

stever said:

New Soul packages have been announced for 2016, and it sounds like some of the "Eyesight" features are now available. And the price for that goodie package to get forward-collision and lane-departure is only an extra $4,400.

Wow .. does that take the price over the $30K barrier?

au1994

Forgive the Audi ignorance but is the 4cyl in the A6 a different engine than the 4 in the A3&4? HP rating is significantly higher.

Michaell

au1994 said:

Forgive the Audi ignorance but is the 4cyl in the A6 a different engine than the 4 in the A3&4? HP rating is significantly higher.

They are both the 2.0T engines; wasn't aware of any HP differences between the different models. Same engine used in the A5, Q3 and Q5 as well.

au1994

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

Forgive the Audi ignorance but is the 4cyl in the A6 a different engine than the 4 in the A3&4? HP rating is significantly higher.

They are both the 2.0T engines; wasn't aware of any HP differences between the different models. Same engine used in the A5, Q3 and Q5 as well.

That's what I thought but a local dealer site lists A6 2.0 hp as 252 and A3/4 as 220.

stever

Michaell said:

stever said:

New Soul packages have been announced for 2016, and it sounds like some of the "Eyesight" features are now available. And the price for that goodie package to get forward-collision and lane-departure is only an extra $4,400.

Wow .. does that take the price over the $30K barrier?

It'd be close - we had an OTD offer on a '14 a year ago April for $24,500 OTD if we financed it through Kia ($25,5 cash price). That was for a Soul + with Primo package. Forgot the TMV but that quote was really good at the time.

Sounds like the new safety package is only available with the !, meaning I'd get stuck with the bigger wheels I don't really want. Maybe the stop/start will be available though - right now only the base has that.

Currently, if you add in the Whole Shabang package on the !, your MSRP is just a tad over $30,000. TMV is around $28k.

breld

au1994 said:

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

Forgive the Audi ignorance but is the 4cyl in the A6 a different engine than the 4 in the A3&4? HP rating is significantly higher.

They are both the 2.0T engines; wasn't aware of any HP differences between the different models. Same engine used in the A5, Q3 and Q5 as well.

That's what I thought but a local dealer site lists A6 2.0 hp as 252 and A3/4 as 220.

Without knowing the technical details, there are several iterations of the 2.0T, tuned to different levels.

As stated above, 220 on the A3/A4, 252 in the A6....200 in the Q3, 292 in the S3 (and Golf R)!

I believe the 2017 A4 will have the 252 hp version, along with a lower hp version as a base model, to compete with the 320i.

iluvmysephia1

New Soul packages have been announced for 2016, and it sounds like some of the "Eyesight" features are now available. And the price for that goodie package to get forward-collision and lane-departure is only an extra $4,400.

stever, that's all - $4,400? Whew! I won't be opting for that upgrade. That's a big part of why I love Kia Motors of South Korea - unbeatable bang for the buck. I'll baby our '11 Kia Soul 5-speed base in clear white. I do love that this car is rattle-free, has a great stereo with a CD player (I'm still in CD - mode, I even joined the CD era kind of...umm...late. Stuck with my cassettes as long as I could ) in it, even.

If I traded up for a new Soul I wouldn't get a CD player and would either have to swap out for a stereo that does or learn some newer technology with an MP3 player or something else.

Still loving this car and it's unique style. Kia's selling a ton of 'em, too. They're all over the place!

imidazol97

stever said:

Sounds like the new safety package is only available with the !, meaning I'd get stuck with the bigger wheels I don't really want. Maybe the stop/start will be available though - right now only the base has that.

Start/stop isn't standard?

stever said:

Currently, if you add in the Whole Shabang package on the !, your MSRP is just a tad over $30,000. TMV is around $28k.

That's a lot of money for a Soul. I thought the Forté of Kia was low pricing. (pun intended)

iluvmysephia1

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/03/dealership-joyride-kia-soul-video/

Check out the link above ta read a story about a mechanic that took this girl's Kia Soul out for a "joyride" that ended up being 4 days. While he was supposedly searching for a speed-sensitive radio volume part problem of some sort. The problem never got solved but the dealership really got in to trouble as a result!

stever

Gee, all the tech was trying to do was reproduce the problem. He kind of blasted through the one light but I didn't really see much in the way of hijinks.

Okay, I'm wondering if the Soul/Prius/Sportwagen/Encore/CX-3/HR-V whatever would handle these loads. Last night I was gifted a nice shop stool, and took home two bar stools in boxes. Today the boxes are reduced to one and we have two assembled bar stools in the van, a Little Giant style 14' ladder sideways behind the front seats, a 6'x4' Turkish rug on top of the ladder, some recycling and the cooler that mostly lives in the van.

Maybe we should just keep it as a pickup.

suydam

If you haul that much on a regular basis you probably want a bigger vehicle. For me, that would be so rare -- I'd just borrow my neighbor's truck. Certainly not a reason to have one on a daily basis. But some folks do carry a lot fairly often. My friend has the truck because they have horses.

breld

iluvmysephia1 said:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/03/dealership-joyride-kia-soul-video/

Check out the link above ta read a story about a mechanic that took this girl's Kia Soul out for a "joyride" that ended up being 4 days. While he was supposedly searching for a speed-sensitive radio volume part problem of some sort. The problem never got solved but the dealership really got in to trouble as a result!

That was right in my part of town! Pretty funny story, but not for the owner. They interviewed the her and she said something like the only thing the dealership could do to make it right would be to buy her car back and pay off her loan.

breld

Another Saturday without the kids, so out car shopping we went.

• A4 with sport (and sport plus) packages - actually liked the A4 quite a bit - it was an auto. With a sport suspension, it actually handles pretty well. Still think the acceleration with that 2.0t is pretty good.
  
• S4 manual. Naturally I liked this a lot. Unlike the WRX I tested earlier in the year, I thought it was easy to drive the car "slow" or "casually," but of course when you want to push it, it does everything well. Wonderful balance of luxury and sport.
  
• S4 auto. A little more detached from the driving experience, but man, that auto is quick off the line. It also does a great job of rev-matching and just seems to be in the right gear all the time.
  
• 328d wagon - felt very...ordinary. Not significantly better than the Golf Wagon I drove a while back. Also didn't like the look of the "luxury" line, in or out.
  
• 428i gran coupe (xdrive) - liked this much better than the 3'er wagon. The gas engine seems to have better torque available higher in the range. This was also a "sport" version - the seats, wheels and overall interior were much more to my liking.
  
• Used S4 manual - 2013 CPO with 21k miles. Drove great, but color wouldn't be my first choice, and didn't have all the equipment I would like. That's what you get with used, but the savings off a new one wasn't substantial enough to justify the sacrifice.
  

Whew! That's a fun day. Kudos to the wonderful wife for participating!

breld

So....

After all those test drives and much discussion with the wife, I think I may very well end up going with a new S4, unless a "perfect" CPO ones turns up.

I've been pretty committed to buying used, particularly with the luxury makes. And that has worked out well with most of the cars we've done that with. But the S4s seem to really hold their value well, making the case for a used one a bit harder. Obviously you pay more to acquire the car, but basically, without getting too geeky with the accounting, I think the depreciation years 1-3 is about the same as 4-6.

For instance, the 535i I bought last year stickered for about $65k new. Let's say a good deal could be had for about $61k or so. I bought it 3 years, 21k miles later for $38k. $27k and 42% depreciation. That makes sense.

The new S4 I looked at? Stickers for $57k, dealer got to $54k pretty quickly (for a 2016). The 3 year, 22k mile old CPO one I looked at? Listed at $42k (maybe some wiggle room?). $12k and 22% depreciation.

Anyway - I know it sounds like simple justification, but I'm getting pretty comfortable with going new on an S4.

White or Sepang Blue?

nyccarguy

@breld - Didn't you have an A5 that you didn't LOVE? Is the S4 that much faster & more buttoned down?

breld

nyccarguy said:

@breld - Didn't you have an A5 that you didn't LOVE? Is the S4 that much faster & more buttoned down?

You are correct. And yes.

The A5 was fast enough for my taste with the 2.0T. It just didn't have that solid buttoned down sporty feel I was craving. It looked exotic, but drove like an Accord coupe - not necessarily a bad thing, just didn't live up to its looks, IMO.

I traded that A5 for the m-sport 335xi and got what I wanted. And, to be honest, of all the cars I've had since then, that 335 is the one I miss the most. The S4 replicates that balance well - I'd say with upping both the luxury/comfort and sport aspects at the same time.

Here's the tough thing - the 428i I'd like gets into the low-mid $50k's range easily. That's only a few grand shy of the S4. I like the styling of that Gran Coupe, but man the S4 sure offers a compelling alternative. Performance besting the 335/435 at around the price of the 328/428.

Another tough decision - that new A4 platform comes out early next year, the S4 probably later in the year. Logic tells me I should wait, but that's not my strong suit.

graphicguy

iluvmysephia1 said:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/03/dealership-joyride-kia-soul-video/

Check out the link above ta read a story about a mechanic that took this girl's Kia Soul out for a "joyride" that ended up being 4 days. While he was supposedly searching for a speed-sensitive radio volume part problem of some sort. The problem never got solved but the dealership really got in to trouble as a result!

Being embroiled myself in a battle with Cadillac to repurchase my nightmare CTS, I understnad the disappointment in a car company or a dealership that just can't seem to fix your car or offer any sort of decent customer service.

However, I have to say that the Kia's owner is being somewhat unreasonable. Should an employee have driven her car on personal business? No, of course not. But, how about a free tank of gas to make up for the 200 miles they drove it. That sounds about right.

js06gv

However, I have to say that the Kia's owner is being somewhat unreasonable. Should an employee have driven her car on personal business? No, of course not. But, how about a free tank of gas to make up for the 200 miles they drove it. That sounds about right.


My wife was listening over my shoulder when I played the video and said the exact same thing. I'm not buying the "what's in the owners manual" bit. The Soul owner knew she had them with the news story and all and went for the gusto. Seems a little greedy, but I'd sure be ticked if it happened to me so who knows? My real question is who has dash cams in personal vehicles and for what reason?

houdini1

graphicguy said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/03/dealership-joyride-kia-soul-video/

Check out the link above ta read a story about a mechanic that took this girl's Kia Soul out for a "joyride" that ended up being 4 days. While he was supposedly searching for a speed-sensitive radio volume part problem of some sort. The problem never got solved but the dealership really got in to trouble as a result!

Being embroiled myself in a battle with Cadillac to repurchase my nightmare CTS, I understnad the disappointment in a car company or a dealership that just can't seem to fix your car or offer any sort of decent customer service.

However, I have to say that the Kia's owner is being somewhat unreasonable. Should an employee have driven her car on personal business? No, of course not. But, how about a free tank of gas to make up for the 200 miles they drove it. That sounds about right.

If I read the story correctly, the dealership did indeed buy the car back, probably from all the adverse publicity. They said they would auction the car off and give the proceeds to charity. The offending employee was fired.

corvette

js06gv said:

My real question is who has dash cams in personal vehicles and for what reason?

Many people have them. They are more common in Russia where insurance fraud is rampant. But, I can see it being an advantage in instances such as Akangl's daughter's wreck, where both parties claim to have a green light.

Many people will lie given the opportunity. Given that willingness plus the number of nitwits I see on the road, I have actually looked into installing one myself.

stever

js06gv said:

However, I have to say that the Kia's owner is being somewhat unreasonable. Should an employee have driven her car on personal business? No, of course not.

I dunno, if I have an intermittent issue, I want the tech to drive my car around and see if it'll act up for them. And it makes sense to combine trips when they do that - instead of waiting for the parts runner, just take my car to the jobber, or even home overnight. 200 miles over four days isn't an extreme amount.

iluvmysephia1

Being embroiled myself in a battle with Cadillac to repurchase my nightmare CTS, I understnad the disappointment in a car company or a dealership that just can't seem to fix your car or offer any sort of decent customer service.

However, I have to say that the Kia's owner is being somewhat unreasonable. Should an employee have driven her car on personal business? No, of course not. But, how about a free tank of gas to make up for the 200 miles they drove it. That sounds about right.


graphicguy - yep, the offending dealer was extremely fair to this girl in the aftermath. Fired the offending mechanic, offered to buy back the rig, too? What's wrong with that compensation?

If it were me I'd take a tank of gas, insist on the problem getting fixed and accept a "buyout of the 200 miles". What's that worth, anyway. $100? When I first started reading the article it sounded like the car was trashed - as in pounded in to a fire hydrant, scraped along some other cars or who knows what.

She's a bit demanding and yes, sometimes it does take a bit of driving the car to figure out the problem with it.

28firefighter

corvette said:

My real question is who has dash cams in personal vehicles and for what reason?

Many people have them. They are more common in Russia where insurance fraud is rampant. But, I can see it being an advantage in instances such as Akangl's daughter's wreck, where both parties claim to have a green light. Many people will lie given the opportunity. Given that willingness plus the number of nitwits I see on the road, I have actually looked into installing one myself.

My best friend had a 2013 WRX STi and he had a dash cam facing in and one facing out so he could make sure the car wasn't being taken for a joyride when he had it serviced.

He even told the service dept they were there and he still had someone take it out that did not believe him. 

houdini1

iluvmysephia1 said:

Being embroiled myself in a battle with Cadillac to repurchase my nightmare CTS, I understnad the disappointment in a car company or a dealership that just can't seem to fix your car or offer any sort of decent customer service.

However, I have to say that the Kia's owner is being somewhat unreasonable. Should an employee have driven her car on personal business? No, of course not. But, how about a free tank of gas to make up for the 200 miles they drove it. That sounds about right.


graphicguy - yep, the offending dealer was extremely fair to this girl in the aftermath. Fired the offending mechanic, offered to buy back the rig, too? What's wrong with that compensation?

If it were me I'd take a tank of gas, insist on the problem getting fixed and accept a "buyout of the 200 miles". What's that worth, anyway. $100? When I first started reading the article it sounded like the car was trashed - as in pounded in to a fire hydrant, scraped along some other cars or who knows what.

She's a bit demanding and yes, sometimes it does take a bit of driving the car to figure out the problem with it.

I think the dealer really handled this one poorly. The owner got PO'ed because the first time she brought this incident to their attention they just blew her off. Then she went public. If they had just fixed her car at no charge and given her a check for a couple of hundred bucks they could have avoided a big hassle and a lot of bad publicity.

fezo

I agree completely. They lost big because they blew her off when she had a legitimate case. No pity on the dealership here.

Meanwhile, the local Kia guy has Optimas loaded up to over $40! Not this bit. Wouldn't care if it included a time travel option.

stickguy

40K? What do they have on it, $4,000 wheels and a 3K spoiler kit?

stickguy

Fezo, I was surrounded by old miatas today. when to a party, and 2 of the (old) guys there (one mid 60s, the other early 70s) brought their Miatas. Both 99s. a green AT, and a silver 5 speed (with aftermarket wheels). beautiful day in upstate NY on a lake in the Adirondacks, and both had the tops down.

houdini1

The upcoming Miata has some big changes. I recently read a review (they liked it) that said the new one is about 200 lbs. lighter, a little less H.P., and a little smaller, but drives and handles even better than before. I am 72 and that thing has been calling my name for a while ! Just hate to be such a darn stereotype !

fezo

Whatever you do don't fall for a Miata with an automatic. That is sacrilege. I hear the new ones have gone back to the tiny trunk and now no glove box.

I fought the stereotype a long time. Just had to have, but then I'm a young whippersnapper. Won't turn 65 until January.

Every review I've read of the 16 (which is only the fourth generation) has been nothing short of raves. Green with tan is perfect. Red with tan is darn close. If you want to do it exactly wrong get a white one with an automatic....

stever

Here's a '90 that perhaps was white when new. Yep, automatic.

fezo

He didn't have to list that it had a paint job as they didn't make orange ones. (That's almost appealing in a 72 914 kind of way. ) New roof since it has a glass window which wasn't original until 1999. The roll bars are silly as the road is more likely to flip than the Miata is. If it didn't have the automatic it would be a nice little buy.

Top covers are always funny to me. I never have the time for them, though it does have an easy one to put up.

Mr_Shiftright

Not the best year for a Miata. Look for the notorious "crank nose" problem and sticking brake caliper slide pins.

stever said:

Here's a '90 that perhaps was white when new. Yep, automatic.

stickguy

The crankshaft on my 1986 323 broke like that. Needn't realize it impacted the mustard too.

I ended up with a used engine put in.

fezo

As I understand it by 99 they had fixed that. If not I may be a Miata owner for a shorter time than I think. It's great and I did anything I could figure it might need.

houdini1

fezo said:

As I understand it by 99 they had fixed that. If not I may be a Miata owner for a shorter time than I think. It's great and I did anything I could figure it might need.

Surely it was fixed in the ensuing 9 years ! No, I would never buy an automatic. What would be the point? Love the tan over green.

Mr_Shiftright

I think it was squared away by mid 1991. Not sure when the brake caliper problem was corrected.

cdnpinhead

I drove a '91 Miata 56K miles and a '94 22K, all over the western U.S. and Canada. Had a transmission issue with the '91, but otherwise nothing at all significant. This from someone who drove a '65 MGB (used) 104K miles in 3.5 years. Traded it in on a 240-Z that I drove 224K miles. I like simple fun cars that aren't too expensive.

There aren't very many any more.

Mr_Shiftright

MGBs are great. Very rugged, easy to fix and any part you can name readily available. I wouldn't call a Miata "simple" -- you'll need more tools than you did for the MGB--but it's certainly manageable for the DIYer.

Michaell

Color me aggravated. 

Went in for a tire rotation. Was told my tires are at 4, 3, 3 and 2/32, so no rotation was allowed. 

In in addition it was suggested that I get new tires. After 11,000 miles! The guy at the tire shop explained to me that Colorafo ranks third in tire wear in the U.S. - behind only Hawaii and Alaska. Apparently we use a high granite content in our asphalt. The other two states use volcanic rock. 

Not sure how much of this to believe - I was told I'd get a pro-rated credit on the tires. 

Not a cost I was expecting to incur. Again. On a leased car. 

xwesx

Wow; that's incredible wear for only 11,000 miles. What tires are these, again? And, you already replaced a set? Ouch.

Hell, even on my winter tires, I still get 20-30K miles (depending on brand) before I event start considering them for replacement, and I guarantee that they still have a LOT more tread than 2-4/32nds!

Michaell

Falken Sincera SN828 is what's on there now.

Bought them on 10/10/14 and my car had just over 18K on the clock. Now I'm at 30,5xx miles. These had a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty.

Sheesh.

Michaell

On a more positive note, I completed my reservation for my annual Supercar Driving experience. This year I'll get 3 laps in a Lamborghini LP560-4 at Pikes Peak Int'l Raceway on Saturday, 12 September.

xwesx

Michaell said:

Falken Sincera SN828 is what's on there now.

Bought them on 10/10/14 and my car had just over 18K on the clock. Now I'm at 30,5xx miles. These had a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty.

Sheesh.

Ridiculous! I would demand a prorata credit toward a replacement set to include the mount/balance cost. Then, when the replacement set dies just as early a death (assuming poor quality and not just an odd batch), get a new set of tires that are NOT Falken. If you're lucky, the tires will last through the end of the lease, and then it's not your problem anymore.

Michaell

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

Falken Sincera SN828 is what's on there now.

Bought them on 10/10/14 and my car had just over 18K on the clock. Now I'm at 30,5xx miles. These had a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty.

Sheesh.

Ridiculous! I would demand a prorata credit toward a replacement set to include the mount/balance cost. Then, when the replacement set dies just as early a death (assuming poor quality and not just an odd batch), get a new set of tires that are NOT Falken. If you're lucky, the tires will last through the end of the lease, and then it's not your problem anymore.

Have to give that some thought. With winter weather just around the corner, I don't think I can avoid getting new shoes. Only 15 months left in the lease.

kyfdx

Michaell said:

Falken Sincera SN828 is what's on there now.

Bought them on 10/10/14 and my car had just over 18K on the clock. Now I'm at 30,5xx miles. These had a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty.

Sheesh.

You needed tires at 18K miles? And, now again at 30K?

Hey Mario, ease up a little...

Anyway.. is this on the Elantra?

thebean

Man, that some bad Falken tires.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

Falken Sincera SN828 is what's on there now.

Bought them on 10/10/14 and my car had just over 18K on the clock. Now I'm at 30,5xx miles. These had a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty.

Sheesh.

You needed tires at 18K miles? And, now again at 30K?

Hey Mario, ease up a little...

Anyway.. is this on the Elantra?

Yes, this is the Elantra. Most of my driving is in town doing pizza delivery. I didn't think I was that hard on my tires, but the evidence seems to suggest otherwise.

The MINI will need new tires soon as well - fortunately, my daughter is on the hook for those.

kyfdx

Ouch.. I can get 20K out of my Pilot Super Sports... I could get more, but they are such good tires, I never want to slow down for the curves.. My brakes last forever, though..

I'm not much for Falkens, Hankooks, etc.. I seem to do better with Pirelli, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Ouch.. I can get 20K out of my Pilot Super Sports... I could get more, but they are such good tires, I never want to slow down for the curves.. My brakes last forever, though..

I'm not much for Falkens, Hankooks, etc.. I seem to do better with Pirelli, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin.

Yeah, I'm starting to recognize that.

I'm also considering getting off the lease treadmill next year and finding something used for my next ride. Currently, I'm fixated on the Infiniti G25X - I know, a slower version of the G37 we all know and love. But, the 218HP would be just fine for me, along with the AWD and the creature comforts (backup cam, Bluetooth, heated leather, etc.). Buy used and drive into the ground - a buddy has a J30 with over 200K on the clock.

Problem is, they are still commanding low $20's at the dealer with under 50,000 miles.