Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

carnaught

"Yeah I noticed that. 17/24 for the G35X."

Yeah, I got 24 mpg combined in a later model G37....only so-so.

Michaell

carnaught said:

"Yeah I noticed that. 17/24 for the G35X." Yeah, I got 24 mpg combined in a later model G37....only so-so.

 if I ever retire from pizza delivery, something like that might work for me. 

fintail

I remember looking at an early G35 sedan when it wasn't very old. Nice that the exhaust wasn't as drony as the G35 coupes, but that mid 00s Nisfiniti plastic, which the interior was bathed in, looked and felt painfully cheap for something at that price point.

corvette said:

Those first-gen G35s guzzle gas, especially the AWD ones. But they were hailed as a 3-series fighter at the time.

I've had to navigate parking structures in the Yukon the past couple of days. I hate parking structures anyway, but it's unnerving when your roof is so close to the ceiling!

jpp75

carnaught said:

"Yeah I noticed that. 17/24 for the G35X."

Yeah, I got 24 mpg combined in a later model G37....only so-so.

My 2012 G37x was about 18 city, 27 hwy. Not great and it required premium fuel, but I really enjoyed driving that car. The Q50 that replaced the G37x is a great car in its own rights, but at the end of the day I preferred the drive/feel of the G37x.

Sandman6472

Got that cable from Amazon.com to sync my android phone with the iPod connection which came in my Golf, has a mini usb connection so fits right into the charging slot...works great and for $2.31, my issue is solved. VW had a similar connector cable but the other end was a regular usb port and they wanted $46+ tax for it so mine was so much cheaper and smartphone specific as this one was very specific, what I wanted.
I do prefer android while my oldest loves her iPhone and think the wife will settle on an android once she decides the time is right to give up her windows phone. Prefer a larger phone so got an LG small "phablet" they call it, has a 5.7 screen which I prefer. Wanted the Samsung Edge but was just more than I wanted to spend at the time I got the LG Vista. Using the AT&T Next Plan since didn't want any contract on any of our phones. And to keep our multiple discounts, this was the best way to go. Our son got his own plan a couple months back so down to 4 lines on our family plan and expect one or both girls to also leave eventually even though I've told them we're happy to have them on our family plan.

The Sandman

suydam

jpp5862 said:

carnaught said:

"Yeah I noticed that. 17/24 for the G35X."

Yeah, I got 24 mpg combined in a later model G37....only so-so.

My 2012 G37x was about 18 city, 27 hwy. Not great and it required premium fuel, but I really enjoyed driving that car.

My 01 Maxima too. Loved driving that car but I like the FE -- on regular gas -- on my Accord so much more. That was a huge jump -- not just 1 or 2 mpg. Our monthly gas bill is less than half what it was, and that was before gas prices dropped.

jeffb0101

Mine also had numerous window regulator problems. The back windows would get stuck down and the front drivers window literally fell into the door one day. The ABS module also once went out and had to be repaired to the tune of like $1200. There were many more things but I can't remember them all. 

Sandman6472

Have noticed lower petrol bills since getting the Golf last December and will be doing about 12K this year now that I no longer work part time in West Palm Beach. Really was the smart move and keeping the miles down on the car is another plus. That extra 76 miles of driving each day began to take it's toll on me, especially on the way home after work. Didn't mind the drive there but after driving all day, just wasn't up to that drive back afterwards. Might eventually decide to go back one day but for right now, the one gig is plenty.

The Sandman

stickguy

put gas in the RDX for the first time in ages (maybe a month? being away for 10 days with it in the garage helped!). Paid $1.99 for mid grade. PUG was $2.19. RUG was $1.79. Might need to fill up the Sonata in a few weeks even.

not going anywhere certainly keeps down the gas usage. Finally ticked over 7,000 miles on the Sonata this weekend. About 1 week short of 11 months on that, so not wearing it out.

stickguy

Sandy, glad you finally got your cable and it is working fine. Now you can relax!

qbrozen

I averaged slightly north of 21 mpg with my '04 G35x. Really horrible, IMHO. I didn't think it would be that bad since I average about 25.5 with my 350Z. The AWD and auto trans had a much harsher effect than I anticipated. It got the same mileage as my Lincoln LS V8 and the same as my Mustang GT and now the same as the CTS V sport. Considering the G35x was only 260 hp, gas guzzler is certainly apt.

nyccarguy

My Legacy is officially 1 year old today! I'll have some numbers for the board later when my wife gets home from grocery shopping.

corvette

stickguy said:

Sandy, glad you finally got your cable and it is working fine. Now you can relax!

I often buy more than one of the ultra-cheap cables because there is a decent chance they won't last long.

Here is a lithograph of a BMW showroom some of you might appreciate--it was in the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

nyccarguy

2015 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited
Total Vehicle Miles after 1 year: 18,962
Maintenance: 7,744 miles - Full Synthetic Oil & Filter Change. Tire Rotation. $0 (picked up by my salesman as part of "the deal." (Rye Subaru)

14,331 miles - Full Synthetic Oil & Filter Change. Tire Rotation. Rear Differential Drained & Filled with 75 w90 Full Synthetic Gear Oil. $253.55 (Rye Subaru)

Average MPG: 26
Best MPG: 28.9
Fuel Cost per Mile Driven: .101

Sandman6472

Waited till 9450 to do my first synthetic oil change even though it called for it every 10K miles, just felt that was too long...the wife's A3 called for the first one at 5K. Next time, plan to not wait so long as I've already paid for the 20K and 30K services upfront. If mileage go like it is now, should be around 34K once the last pre-paid service is done. After that, will probably go to a local indie German vehicle mechanic I've heard good things about.
Drove the A3 yesterday and noticed there was more resistance pushing down on the accelerator than mine, mine felt better and I also have almost 2K more miles on the clock. While reading the C&D review on their '15 Golf, read that theirs had a re=flash for the auto tranny for similar issues that I am having...will mention this next time I'm at the dealer and see if it'll help. Not sure if it was a "quiet" TSB or not, will have to read the article again to make sure. Sometimes, mine's a little "herky jerky" like it's stumbling a bit...could just be the turbo also, just not sure but plan to mention this to my service advisor and get feedback. If it's something that can be resolved, why not!

The Sandman

nyccarguy

BTW, if any of you guys wants to give me about $70K - $75K, I'd LOVE a Porsche Macan S! WOW!

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

BTW, if any of you guys wants to give me about $70K - $75K, I'd LOVE a Porsche Macan S! WOW!

If you front me the cash to unlock some funds I've got in Nigeria, I'll be happy to give you some of the proceeds for the Porsche.

qbrozen

The Macan S I was going to order came in at about $63k, IIRC. That was with all the performance options checked.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

The Macan S I was going to order came in at about $63k, IIRC. That was with all the performance options checked.

Me too. I figured $70K with Tax. I saw a Black Macan S on my way into the city the other night. It just had the P O R S C H E on the back and no Macan badge. It is just gorgeous. It hits all the right notes for me too. 340 hp twin turbo V6, AWD, Adjustable Suspension. I think I'd do Black/Black or Black with red Interior.

stever

Edmunds really loved their '15 long term tester.

stickguy

best tank 28.9 Bradd? Guess you never took an actually highway trip.

I don't get near that around town, but have easily gotten low-mid 30s on trips with the Sonata.

I tend to be all or nothing. Local short hops, or a trip. Rarely that mid-level driving to get to the combined MPG rating.

also did the first oil change at 6 months/3,200 miles or so (they paid). Will do the next one at about the 1 year mark, which will probably be around 7,500-8K at most. They are picking that one up too. after that, will probably follow the normal use 7.500miles/1 year whichever comes first schedule.

that is one thing I find out on the Sonata. For all the gadgets and gizmos, it does not have a maintenance minder to tell you when to come in for service.

Sandman6472

The VW tells you when it gets to 900 miles to go as does the A3 the wife told me. Loved that feature in the Civic I had and think all vehicles should have it...just makes life a bit easier to know when to actually go as it's one of those things that some might actually put off unless they are warned on a re-occurring basis. As I've aged, have become more of a procrastinator and a real pack rat according to the family. Tend to pick up pens and such where ever I go and papers and such...every couple of years, my middle child makes me clean things out but it's a tough job for me to do. Did clean out the car last week but got a wash/wax so easier to do when things are organized. Found a place for $32.00 and they do a decent job and since my spinal issues prevent me from doing this anymore, figure it's well worth it. Car looks brand new now and naturally, it's gonna rain any minute!

The Sandman

suydam

The maintenance minder on the Honda is not a set interval. Sensors read the quality of oil and when it gets to 15% the little wrench shows up on the dashboard. So far it's typically been around 8500 miles for me.

roadburner

The RB Finalist List(as of today- and always subject to change/upheaval )

2013 Boss 302
2015 Camaro 1LE
2013 Challenger SRT8
2015 Mustang GT Performance Package
2016 STI

xwesx

tifighter said:

She is out of town at a conference until the weekend and has no idea I bought this. Before everyone starts suggesting lawyers, she was aware that things were at Defcon 2 when she left.

@tifighter - How did the homecoming go?

breld

roadburner said:

The RB Finalist List(as of today- and always subject to change/upheaval )

2013 Boss 302
2015 Camaro 1LE
2013 Challenger SRT8
2015 Mustang GT Performance Package
2016 STI

"One of these things is not like the other..."

henryn

suydam said:

The maintenance minder on the Honda is not a set interval. Sensors read the quality of oil and when it gets to 15% the little wrench shows up on the dashboard. So far it's typically been around 8500 miles for me.

Well, no, actually, that's not how it works. See this link:

johnsautospa.com/News-and-Tips-How-Oil-Change-Indicators-Work.html

Regardless of the automaker, today's oil life reminder systems all have one thing in common: They do not physically measure the condition of the motor oil in the crankcase. That's worth saying one more time. Oil life reminder systems do not measure the actual condition of the oil, meaning they can't tell if the oil is contaminated with coolant, if the additives packages is depleted and (in most cases) if it is low.

suydam

All I meant was it isn't a set system whereby it automatically goes off at a set point such as 7500 miles but instead uses a sensor system. Also, Honda does not recommend synthetic oil for its vehicles.

stickguy

Not actually sensors. Some sort of algorithm based on usage.

tifighter

xwesx said:

tifighter said:

She is out of town at a conference until the weekend and has no idea I bought this. Before everyone starts suggesting lawyers, she was aware that things were at Defcon 2 when she left.

@tifighter - How did the homecoming go?

Ha! When she first sat in it, her two questions were 1. how do I start it and 2. where do I change the radio stations? My wife doesn't care about cars, but she has actually made one or two comments about it. Once a few days ago on how it was quieter than the old car, and again yesterday about liking the seats. So that's good. Incidentally, we took it for its first proper drive yesterday, 90 minutes or so each way up, then down Chinook Pass (sea level to 5400 ft and back) for a dayhike. Trip computer shows 29mpg average for the trip. Don't know accurate it is yet, but if it's close, I'm pretty happy with that.

jpp75

stickguy said:

Not actually sensors. Some sort of algorithm based on usage.

How far we've come from the "Maintenance Minder" Honda used to have. My 1996 Accord had an indicator below the speedometer. It was green until you hit a certain mileage, then flipped to yellow and eventually red.

New cars do the same thing but give us more detail about the percentage, time and are based on more scientific measures than mileage.

Same thing with the "fuel economy" gauges GM used in the late 70's and early 80's. Same concept, better presentation these days.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

suydam

" In addition, engine sensors detect driving conditions to recommend when an oil change is recommended and send that information to the Maintenance Minder. Regular scheduled maintenance helps prevent problems before they occur."

xwesx

tifighter said:

Ha! When she first sat in it, her two questions were 1. how do I start it and 2. where do I change the radio stations? My wife doesn't care about cars, but she has actually made one or two comments about it. Once a few days ago on how it was quieter than the old car, and again yesterday about liking the seats. So that's good. Incidentally, we took it for its first proper drive yesterday, 90 minutes or so each way up, then down Chinook Pass (sea level to 5400 ft and back) for a dayhike. Trip computer shows 29mpg average for the trip. Don't know accurate it is yet, but if it's close, I'm pretty happy with that.

Yeah, shoot! That's two wins in a row there! It's a pretty rare tank (or trip) when we ever hit 29 average on our Forester. Sometimes, but rare.

Our newest vehicle fiasco: There was a vole in the (2010) Forester. Not a happy time for my wife! It was in quarantine mode last week, which means I drove it to work. But, that wasn't all bad, because we had a pretty decent snowfall of about 8" (wet, sloppy stuff!) on Friday, which made for enjoyable driving (as long as I remembered to shut off VDC).

The forecast on that day called for partly cloudy and warm temps through the first part of this week, but then it just rained all weekend (most of Friday's snow is gone, and what isn't gone is slush). And, we're apparently in for another 8" or so of snow tomorrow. So much for getting ready for winter! /sigh

Actually, now that I think about it, my wife didn't mention that it's okay for me to drive my own car again, yet I took it to work today..... [glances at his phone nervously....]

tifighter

Ugh, we have some voles that are wreaking havoc on our front yard. It is a full on war zone.

Sandman6472

As of today, New York trip has been canceled or postponed...not well enough to travel that long of a period. Just couldn't make the plane reservations since those are super hard to cancel. Have decided instead to go to Marco Island for a few days of beach time. Got a killer rate at the Hilton, thank you wife, so should be fun and it's less than 2 hours from the house. Timing was just off for going up north and I was really agonizing over it...the minute I decided it was off, instant relief, like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Just was not meant to be at this time!

The Sandman

suydam

Sounds like you'll have a great time!

nyccarguy

@stickguy - it's all commuting (6 days a week) and local driving on the weekend. The Pilot does our long haul family duties. I think the 1st trip I'm going to take it on will be on our anniversary weekend. My 9 year old has a hockey tournament in Marlboro, MA Friday - Sunday. I'm going to surprise wifey & head up there with my son & daughter Saturday after work (10/23).

stickguy

I almost moved to Marlboro many years ago for a job change. Still regret not doing it. Pretty area.

When you aren't toting around all the kids, the sedan is a much nicer travel option!

nyccarguy

Agreed. My wife prefers driving a sedan to her Pilot. This past Saturday night we had Billy Joel tickets at the Garden. My son had a hockey game, so all 5 of us loaded up in the Pilot & went to his hockey game. My in-laws who so graciously came up to watch the kids so we could have a night out met us at the ice rink. Now the ice rink is by the water on the far side of 95. Mao we took thebPilot into the city by ourselves.

henryn

We have a punch!

2015 F150 crew cab, XLT, bronze fire metallic
2.7L twin turbo

nyccarguy

YES! Way to go @henryn Congrats on the punch! You know we want details! Did you finally get what you wanted for your 2013?

graphicguy

henryn said:

We have a punch!

2015 F150 crew cab, XLT, bronze fire metallic
2.7L twin turbo

Cool....congratz!

Michaell

henryn said:

We have a punch!

2015 F150 crew cab, XLT, bronze fire metallic
2.7L twin turbo

Congrats! I'll be curious about your opinions on the 2.7L EcoBoost engine in your truck.

Any chance we can get a picture?

au1994

henryn said:

We have a punch!

2015 F150 crew cab, XLT, bronze fire metallic
2.7L twin turbo

Congrats!

Even though I have no need for a truck I find myself very attracted to the new F-150. Enjoy and would be interested in your thoughts on the performance of the EcoBoost.

jpp75

henryn said:

We have a punch!

2015 F150 crew cab, XLT, bronze fire metallic
2.7L twin turbo

Congrats Henry! Look forward to hearing the details, and more importantly your ownership experience!!

stever

Congrats! - my brother likes his 2013 F-150 so well that they usually travel in it now instead of their Odyssey.

tifighter

Congrats! Looking forward to hearing about it; the new F150's seem mighty nice.

xwesx

Yes, indeed; congrats, Henry! I see the new F150s all over the place up here. It's a little surprising just how many are on the roads already, and most of them that I am close enough to look over have an Ecoboost badge on them, so it must be a pretty popular option.

henryn

Okay, first the truck. No pictures yet, probably not until the weekend. It is “Bronze Fire Metallic”, looks very pretty to me.

I did quite a bit of reading (and viewing on youtube) of performance tests, and comparisons of the Ecoboost engines (3.5L and 2.7L) against the rest of the world. The 2.7L is indeed a mighty engine, it is faster in 0 to 60 and 1/8 mile tests than the 3.5L, which is in turn faster than the Ford 5.0L V8, which is in turn faster than the Chevy 5.3L V8.

You do give up about 3,000 lbs in towing capacity, but I am not going to be towing anything heavy, only a light trailer occasionally. This newer 2015 has the lighter aluminum body panels, and it does feel “lighter on it’s feet”, more maneuverable. The engine is very responsive, but I do miss the V8 sound. I’ll have to get used to that.

There is one series of videos on youtube, put up by “The Fast Lane Truck”. They pulled a 7,200 pound trailer up a mountain highway in Colorado, with the 2.7L, the 3.5L, and the Dodge diesel. Very surprisingly to me, the Dodge with the 3.0 diesel could not maintain the legal speed limit. Both of the Ford ecoboost engines could easily exceed the speed limit all of the way up the mountain.

And the gentleman doing the testing said the 2.7L engine felt livelier than the 3.5L, even with the 7,200 lb trailer attached.

This is a slightly upscale model from my 2013, has the bigger in dash screen and a rear view camera, which I absolutely love. How did we exist without backup cameras?

The 2.7L engine also comes with auto-stop-start, which I have barely noticed so far. There is a defeat button on the dash, but I’m not sure whether I will use it. The one time I noticed it, I was stopped, waiting to turn left. When traffic cleared, I tried to move the steering wheel as I was releasing the brake. The steering wheel didn’t want to move at first, and then suddenly it did respond, leaving me with a “WTH?” moment. And, then, of course, it occurred to me what had just happened.

Next post: The Deal, and The Aftermath!

henryn

This is not only the end of the month, but also the end of the quarter, and (almost) the end of the model year, so an excellent time to find deals.

I received $5,050 in rebates and incentives, and with the dealer discount, my final price was slightly more than $10k off of the MSRP of $41k. My 2013 brought $25,000 as a trade in, against an auction value of $26,000 (thanks to @qbrozen for the information). Which is about as expected, no surprises. And really quite nice, considering I only paid $26.1k 24 months ago, brand new. (Over $7k on rebates and incentives at that time).

The finance office had a new gimmick, one of the computer screens built into the desk top, with a touch interface. And there were many more papers, and many more signatures required, both electronic and ink. Which I now strongly suspect was a deliberate ploy. By the end of the process, I had lost track of what I was signing, what I had already signed, and just what the H-E-double-L was going on.

After I got home, I went over everything very thoroughly, and found a mysterious $700 charge. The line item said something about “xxxxx insurance”. So this morning, I was at their front door at 9 a.m. when they opened, and asked about this mysterious $700. Turns out to be “gap insurance”. Now get this, ladies and gentlemen: I financed a small amount, $14k, just in order to get their “finance incentive” ($750 if memory serves). $14k loan against a brand new truck with an MSRP of $41k, and they stick me with “gap insurance” to the tune of $700. Without telling me, without asking me, just stick it in the paperwork.

The Sales Manager tells me they will take care of it, right away. And we only have to change 1 paper, only 1 signature. I say, “No. We do it all again. Every bit of it. From beginning to end. And you explain every line on every document, every number, every single piece of paper.” Took about an hour, and two of the forms they had to call someone else to ask questions, no one at the dealership actually knew what they were doing.