Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

So there seems to be some confusion about some of VW's current incentives. I've checked out the fine print on VW's website:

The $2000 Loyalty Bonus is available for all VWs. If you get a Passat Limited Edition, they will give you $2000 VW Credit Bonus Plus 0% Financing for 60 months. Any other gasser passats get $1000 VW Credit Bonus plus 0% for 60 months.

Still nothing that jumps out at me (GTI wise) that's nationally advertised. I think once November rolls around VW will be singing a different tune.

stever

Durn incentives - I'm confused by sort of similar language for a Lincoln MKZ right now.

qbrozen

What is posted there seems pretty straightforward to me. Special financing on top of $1250 or $2250 rebate, depending if you own a Lincoln or another car.

Heck of a lease deal on that car, though, so I probably wouldn't buy one.

au1994

tjc78 said:

Not quite sure what sedan would do it, but the Impala, LaCrosse, MKZ and ES 350 would probably be on the list.

Good points, used pickups get stupid money. I'd bet depending on the incentives and financing a new one may not be much more per month.

I'm with you on this one. I'd love to have an older, but not beater, PU around. Neither of us wants to daily drive one and we have no space for extra cars. I think the new Canyon/Colorodao is a sharp looking truck too but Michaell is right, they get expensive in a hurry. I bet the previous gen is a bargain in the used car market right now.

stickguy

Not from my looking recently at PUs. Not too old colorados were still asking silly money.

roadburner

The only PU I'd want in my garage would be either a Dodge SRT-10 or a Raptor. Anything more pedestrian I'd just rather rent.

Michaell

roadburner said:

The only PU I'd want in my garage would be either a Dodge SRT-10 or a Raptor. Anything more pedestrian I'd just rather rent.

And a winning lottery ticket to cover the gas costs.

qbrozen

4-door Colorado diesel would be quite interesting to me. But, yeah, if I was going purely on desire, the Raptor is my current pick.

stickguy

I would love to see the new world ranger come over. That looks neat.

Sandman6472

Drove some nice iron today. Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave, bunch of Ford Foci and a beautiful brand new, 3K on the clock, dark blue over black Chrysler 300. All I can say about the 300 is "outstanding" vehicle! Drove crazy good, comfortable leather seats and power up the wazoo when needed. Too bad I only got to drive it about 5 miles back to our store but they really are a stellar vehicle, with a real distinctive look in the market place. GM really did good with the Transverse/Enclave twins also but think the Chevy version could be the better bargain as to me, they drove almost the same. The cream pearl paint gave the Buick the edge on looks and sure it looks very nice all detailed up.
Glad I took that week off because I came back loving my job. Hertz has ramped up purchases lately so seeing more and more vehicles with lower miles on them when they get to us and noy that many vehicles with over 60k floating around. I used to work for a couple companies that transported the wholesales and turn backs for Hertz and the lot from where we used to get them has thinned out dramatically...now see a bunch of the new vehicles there getting pdi'd and their plates being put on so they can go to the airport to be rented. There is a lot of logistics to swap plates and registrations with all the vehicles Hertz has. The computer system is very sophisticated because when May comes around, we get a lot of stickers to attach to the license plates of many vehicles since for Florida plates, they have to be on by the end of June. Even the ones from other states, the computer knows what location they are at and the proper stickers and paperwork is sent to their current location. A lot of work to keep track of all the vehicles they own.

The Sandman

stickguy

I should have gone into logistics. I'm fascinated with how they do some of this stuff, keeping track of all the cars.

that, and the offload from the boats storage facility Kia has in Philly. 1000s of cars parked end to end. Mystery to me how they keep track of all the cars, keys, etc. and get the right ones at the right time.

Sandman6472

I did it a couple of years ago at Hertz and it came down to positioning the vehicles and putting the keys in order for each row we made. Every other row went the other way and similar classes of vehicles were put in certain rows going different directions. We used a large number of people, about 20, so as to make it easier to get the job done. It's all in the planning and having the key master know exactly which row goes with each class of vehicle. Totally enjoyed the whole thing and would do it again in a heartbeat. Just wish Hertz would up our hours from the 24 they randomly chose. Even with the 30 I was first asked to work, that's still considered part time and benefits I already get as a government employee.
Only had one driver show up Monday and heard the big guy was pretty angry but...a few of us have approached him about bumping up our hours which he constantly refuses saying it's coming from above him. So now, they want to hire more people but most folks will not work for 24 hours at minimum wage unless they are a retiree like myself or have another part time gig. What the new plan is for me to work Monday, Tuesday & Friday to cover the busiest days...guess they know that I show up and even with my spinal issues, haven't called in sick and did that only once. I personally would like another few hours and hoping with season coming within weeks, hoping they will face reality!

The Sandman

nyccarguy

They have some ridiculous deals on 2015 RX350s right now. People are leasing $50K Lexuses for the mid $400 per month.

stickguy

but then you have to drive an RX350.

No offense to the Lexus fans out there. i would take one if you want to give it to me.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

They have some ridiculous deals on 2015 RX350s right now. People are leasing $50K Lexuses for the mid $400 per month.

Dang, not my first or second choice either but that is a lot of luxury for the buck.

roadburner

stickguy said:

but then you have to drive an RX350.

Yeah, that car definitely lacks the "Gottahaveit!!!" factor for me. Not a bad vehicle, just light-years away from my cup of tea.

tjc78

If my wife wasn't really set on an Enclave, I would have considered an RX.  A mid 400s payment on one is a great deal.  

qbrozen

surfing around today, as usual, and just taking a looksee into current mazda lease deals. My dealer of preference had a link on their website to "value your car." Ok, fine, sure. Of course, it wants my phone and email to do so. I have a junk email account, so I used that, and I gave a bogus phone. The quote came up instantly online. Fine.

Then I get 3 emails. 1 from a guy saying he is working on my request, 1 from a woman telling me the other guy is working on my request, then a 3rd email from the same woman asking me if the phone number I gave is a good number to call me at.

So I replied, "No. It is a bogus number. I don't know why you need to call me since your website gave me the value of my car when I clicked the link. If you need to communicate further, please continue to use this email." No response since.

corvette

That's really annoying. I suspect they are trying to meet some sort of metric for responding to email and fulfilling the letter of that metric but not the intended purpose of helping the customer. Have noticed this with other dealers.

au1994

corvette said:

That's really annoying. I suspect they are trying to meet some sort of metric for responding to email and fulfilling the letter of that metric but not the intended purpose of helping the customer. Have noticed this with other dealers.

I think a high % of that content is automated. The other thing that annoys me is when you check the box that email is your preferred contact method, you still get a phone call.

carnaught

au1994 said:

corvette said:

I think a high % of that content is automated. The other thing that annoys me is when you check the box that email is your preferred contact method, you still get a phone call.

How about when you UNCHECK the box which gives them permission to send you future offers, advertisements, etc., but you still get them?

henryn

This morning I received a phone call trying to sell me an extended warranty for my 2004 Buick Le Sabre. Which is interesting, because I don’t own a 2004 Le Sabre. I have never owned any Le Sabre, period.

About 2 weeks ago, I helped out a friend of mine who does own a 2004 Buick Le Sabre. I shopped on Amazon, and Rock Auto, for the parts. One of those two just sold my phone number. I know that Amazon has my phone number due to my Prime account, etc. But I don’t think Rock Auto does.

Interesting. And kinda p_____ me off, too.

carnaught

I think that's precisely why I'm getting more solicitation, survey, and other trash phone calls, by far, than ever before. And, so much for having a registered "DO NOT CALL" phone number..... .

berri

The DNC program is about as effective as the effort to stop Chinese and Russian cyber hacking and attacks. You want to stop unsolicited calls, just pass laws outlawing phone solicitation with significant penalties when disobeyed. Heck, the industry doesn't even employ those many people anymore. If it moves to foreign countries, just start clamping down and interfering with those countries phone calls here. Sometimes Uncle needs to grow a set.

au1994

Maybe I am just lucky but I find the DNC works pretty well. The only calls I get are from charities I have donated to in the past and it is my understanding that is allowed.

carnaught

berri said:

The DNC program is about as effective as the effort to stop Chinese and Russian cyber hacking and attacks. You want to stop unsolicited calls, just pass laws outlawing phone solicitation with significant penalties when disobeyed. Heck, the industry doesn't even employ those many people anymore. If it moves to foreign countries, just start clamping down and interfering with those countries phone calls here. Sometimes Uncle needs to grow a set.

They also need to stop political phone calls. They seem to have an indefinite "free pass", and considering we are already barraged with politics on the media, they are more than intrusive.

iluvmysephia1

This guy in Kansas here is starting to get pulled by a rig he likes. Let me describe it to you here. It's the 2016 Scion iM. Seems I either like Mitsubishi's, Kia's, Scion's or that boxy Nissan cube.

In fact, the 2016 Scion iM could just be a bargain compared to many other low-priced hatchbacks, it comes standard with a Pioneer 7-inch touchscreen, seven-speaker audio, dual-zone automatic climate control system, a backup camera, 17-inch wheels, automatic on/off headlights, heated outside mirrors, LED daytime lamps and keyless entry.

Maintenance comes free for the first two years or 24,000 miles whichever comes first. It is pricing MSRP at $19,255, which includes the destination charge. That price is for the 2016 Scion iM with the 6-speed standard transmission.

All iMs come with a 1.8-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that develops 137 horsepower and 126 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. There's some good driving reviews on the car. It's ride in the test-driven car was surprisingly good. I haven't test-drove one, but I have read a few reviews and also I've zeroed in on an iM in Scion's Spring Green color above for sale at a Wichita dealer. It comes with front MacPherson strut suspension and rear double wishbone configuration that soaks up so many bumps and vibrations that passengers thought the iM was more expensive than it is.

The car does lean in the corners, but the electric power steering felt fairy realistic to the reviewer of the article I am looking at now online.

Another cool thing I just discovered in the review is this: the iM's interior is quieter than expected, with road, wind and vehicle noise nicely subdued. The biggest noise intruder in the test-driven iM was the four-cylinder engine that droned and sounded strained when hard-pressed to accelerate. Man, am I ever used to this with the 3 Kia's I've owned. I'd be right at home, gentlemen! The fabric seats have good-looking upholstery with accent stitching. The steering wheel comes standard with leather trim. Neither is expected at this price.

Good reviews on the front bucket seats, which provided good, firm support on four-plus-hour drives. Passengers in the iM back seat sit theater style — higher than the front-seat riders — on a flat, cushioned bench. More good news -there's an unexpectedly generous amount of headroom back there — 37.5 inches so the high seat position doesn't make headroom feel cramped.

Eight cupholders are at the ready and there are many cubbies for storage.

The rear seatbacks split 60/40 and fold flat to maximize cargo space, which measures 20.8 cubic feet when the rear seats are in use.

OK, here's the thing on the body styling - on the outside, the iM has an upscale shape and it's styling is similar to that of the CT200h from Toyota's luxury Lexus line. Here ya go -the truth is, the iM is closest to the looks of the Toyota Auris — a hatchback sold in countries around the world but not the U.S. In the U.S. Toyota offers the small hatchback called the Yaris. This new 2016 Scion iM is a larger vehicle and design than the Toyota Yaris and it will offer much more comfortable driving accommodations for a foreign vehicle enthusiast like myself.

Not that I'm planning on buying one. Yeah, right.

For these reviewers the car averaged 30.2 mpg for a range of 422 miles.

The federal government rates the iM with CVT at 28 mpg in city driving and 37 mpg on the highway.

At today's prices for regular gasoline, it cost less than $33 to fill the 14-gallon tank.

One more thing: The iM has a new sedan sibling offering, the iA, which also is arriving in Scion dealerships for the 2016 model year. Supposedly the new Scion iA is a rebadged Mazda 2. More on that later, I suppose. I don't much like the iA's design but this iM I do like quite a bit. Not really unhappy with my 2011 Kia Soul 5-speed stick clear white base, either.



2016 Scion iM

What's kind of interesting here is that I've found a picture of a 2016 Scion iM in both the blue and silver color choices - my two favorite colors for this newfound plaything.

breld

Michaell said:

I took a page out of the @breld playbook and wandered the lot at the local Carmax tonight. Sightings and observations:

Two VW TDIs - a Jetta wagon and a Golf. 

How long has the Lancer been available with AWD?

Several Infiniti G's - all with RWD (!).

I do like CarMax for browsing the used car market, but overall they give me the creeps. It just strikes me as such a "preying" environment, taking advantage of those individuals who don't want to shop around, hate negotiating and may have bad credit.

Of course, on the other hand, it offers a nice clean environment for those who don't want to shop around, hate negotiating and may have bad credit.

TDIs? Could be a tough sell, but I'm sure CarMax can find a buyer. Lancer with AWD? I didn't realize that either (other than the Evo of course) - I actually saw one the other day that I thought looked quite nice. And RWD Infiniti Gs in Colorado? That's definitely par for the course for CarMax, carrying the stuff most dealers don't want. When my wife and I were browsing, she noticed a FWD Enclave - I imagine there are buyers who just assume an SUV in this market must be AWD and don't even realize it's not until long after the purchase.

breld

Just a quick update on the current ride - I am REALLY enjoying the S4. All in all, it is turning out to be a great fit and balance for the things I like out of a car - sporty handling but still comfortable and quiet; plenty of power on tap, roomy cabin in a relatively compact size, and of course, the six-speed manual.

I would prefer a hatchback or wagon, but wouldn't trade the driving experience of the S4 at this point for a 3'er wagon or 4-series GC. And the trunk of the Audi is plenty big for my purposes - so functionally there isn't a compromise, I just happen to like a more unique body style than the sedan. I believe there's an A5/S5 four-door hatch in Europe? If they bring that over I think I'd be making a switch.

jpp75

breld said:

Just a quick update on the current ride - I am REALLY enjoying the S4. All in all, it is turning out to be a great fit and balance for the things I like out of a car - sporty handling but still comfortable and quiet; plenty of power on tap, roomy cabin in a relatively compact size, and of course, the six-speed manual.

I would prefer a hatchback or wagon, but wouldn't trade the driving experience of the S4 at this point for a 3'er wagon or 4-series GC. And the trunk of the Audi is plenty big for my purposes - so functionally there isn't a compromise, I just happen to like a more unique body style than the sedan. I believe there's an A5/S5 four-door hatch in Europe? If they bring that over I think I'd be making a switch.

Glad you are enjoying the S4. A guy in our neighborhood has an S5 and he loves it.

I'm still enjoying the Volvo, but with all the VW stuff going on I keep going back to the Touareg I've always wanted. Maybe I should just get it out of my system.

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

I took a page out of the @breld playbook and wandered the lot at the local Carmax tonight. Sightings and observations:

Two VW TDIs - a Jetta wagon and a Golf. 

How long has the Lancer been available with AWD?

Several Infiniti G's - all with RWD (!).

I do like CarMax for browsing the used car market, but overall they give me the creeps. It just strikes me as such a "preying" environment, taking advantage of those individuals who don't want to shop around, hate negotiating and may have bad credit.

Of course, on the other hand, it offers a nice clean environment for those who don't want to shop around, hate negotiating and may have bad credit.

TDIs? Could be a tough sell, but I'm sure CarMax can find a buyer. Lancer with AWD? I didn't realize that either (other than the Evo of course) - I actually saw one the other day that I thought looked quite nice. And RWD Infiniti Gs in Colorado? That's definitely par for the course for CarMax, carrying the stuff most dealers don't want. When my wife and I were browsing, she noticed a FWD Enclave - I imagine there are buyers who just assume an SUV in this market must be AWD and don't even realize it's not until long after the purchase.

Had a long talk with the sales guy ... there are 5 CarMax's in Colorado, so 1200-1500 cars to choose from. He likes the low pressure approach to sales - no haggle. As @breld noted, this can either be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.

On the window sticker, there are three payments - one for "good" credit (5% APR), "decent" credit (10%) and "not so good" credit (15%). Assumes $0 down. Sales guy says he's seen APRs as low as 1.94%.

I've been intrigued by the Lancer AWD. In addition to the Evo, the SE and Ralliart trims come with AWD. Looking at local inventory, the SE stickers for about $23K with the premium package (sunroof, upgraded stereo, keyless entry), but transaction prices are in the $18-19K range. It comes with the 2.4L engine and CVT, which I could live with. MPG isn't all that great, however - 22/29. But, more punch than the 2.0L found in the Impreza, which I think it would compete with.

And, I took a look at the iM iluv mentioned a few posts above. It does look like the Lexus CT, and it seems pretty well loaded for the price. My guess, however, is that it doesn't lease all that well - Scion's never have, I've learned.

stickguy

Sephia, you are in Kansas now? Man you get around.

and the IM and IA are totally different cars I think. I know the A (4 door) is just a rebaged (and engined) Mazda 2.

The IM actually reminds me a lot of the old Matrix. I always liked the functionality of those.

tifighter

jpp5862 said:

I'm still enjoying the Volvo, but with all the VW stuff going on I keep going back to the Touareg I've always wanted. Maybe I should just get it out of my system.

I get the Touareg thing. Like I mentioned earlier, there were some great deals on the gassers, and that was before the current VW scandal...

jpp75

tifighter said:

jpp5862 said:

I'm still enjoying the Volvo, but with all the VW stuff going on I keep going back to the Touareg I've always wanted. Maybe I should just get it out of my system.

I get the Touareg thing. Like I mentioned earlier, there were some great deals on the gassers, and that was before the current VW scandal...

There were and still are some great deals. I don't need the diesel and wouldn't drive enough to recoup the cost so a gasser V6 would be fine for me. I had one for a rental last year, drove it a few hundred miles over a few days and loved it. I've always had a thing for the Touareg, but the "that's too much for a VW" and the potential reliability issues always kept me away.

xwesx

stickguy said:

Sephia, you are in Kansas now? Man you get around.

I was thinking the same thing when I read the iM post: "Wait, what happened to Moses Lake?!" I feel a little gypped that there was no mention of this in the Road Trips thread! LOL!

rny421

This isn't a punch for me, it was for my mother, but I was directly involved. We got rid of her XC90 with over 100k miles. I tried to get her to look at a bunch of offerings: Lexus RX/NX, BMW X3/X5, Audi Q5, Acura MDX/RDX, and the Volvo XC90/XC60. She's not really interested in car shopping, so we only looked at a few vehicles:

We started off by driving a BMW X3. Nice vehicle, but I'll never understand why they only take you for a short spin around the block. If I (well, my parents) am about to spend $50k+ on a vehicle, (yes, even the 28i can push $50k+) you better bet that I'm going to need more than a 4 mile loop on city streets without any expressway. She wasn't crazy about it.

Next stop is the the Volvo dealership and drive a new XC90 and an XC60. The XC90 is beautiful, but I worry about the large touch screen for her. It's not like the newer iterations of MyFordTouch, where it has redundant controls for the climate control or radio. So essentially you're using an iPad while driving. It seems dangerous even to me, even as a "Gen Y" child.

After driving the XC60, she knew that's what she wanted. We left with a 2016 XC60 T6 AWD. It's a beautiful car. Hopefully this one will give her as many trouble free miles as her last two XC90s have. So, in addition to my S60 - I guess we're sort of a mini Volvo family?

jpp75

Congrats rny! The XC60 is a great vehicle and will be perfect for your mother.

tifighter

Congrats! There has definitely been a Volvo vibe around here recently.

stickguy

we drove an XC60 before we bought the RDX. really liked it, except the seat belt cut across my wife's neck. That, and it was quite a bit more expensive! but darned nice car.

ab348

They are really nice, but I just built one online the way I'd like and it was $62K - and that wasn't anywhere close to top of the line.

corvette

Sheesh, $62k is XC90 territory here in the US. Not sure how they're priced in Canada.

roadburner

I was prowling my BMW dealer's used car lot today and saw an Estoril Blue F30 335i M Sport. At first I thought it was the xDrive automatic that they were having trouble unloading, but it turns out that this is a one owner local car that was just traded- and-incredibly-it's RWD and has a manual transmission. It also has most every available option, including M Sport brakes as well as the M Performance aerodynamics. Don't know the price, mileage, or CPO status, but the car may be worth considering. It's nowhere near as quick as I'd prefer, but that can be fixed easily enough. I had whittled my choices down to a 2013 Boss 302, a new Mustang GT Premium with the Performance Package, and the new WRX STI. Now this shows up to possibly muddy the waters.

stickguy

2 door I assume? what year?

does sound nice. And I like the color.

roadburner

It's a 2013 sedan.

stickguy

That would work for me.

As long as it has a moonroo

f.

rny421

ab348 said:

They are really nice, but I just built one online the way I'd like and it was $62K - and that wasn't anywhere close to top of the line.

Wow - car prices in Canada are crazy! It's a 2016 T6 Platinum, which is their top of the line (except for the R-Design, or the inscription package). So it has everything you'd want - Navigation, xenons, keyless start, power tailgate, adaptive cruise, rear camera, front and rear parking sensors, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, and probably more that I'm forgetting. It stickered for $51,300, and we got it for $48,900, which I felt was fair, then minus another $1,000 for owner loyalty. Only got $5,200 for the trade, which I thought was low, but it was in line with what the other dealerships offered, including CarMax. It did need new tires, but other than that it was a pretty good car.

The thing that is odd is that you can get a comparably equipped T6 XC90 (the 4 cylinder engine) for not much more money - in the mid $50s. I love the looks of it, but I don't even know if I'd want the "iPad-like" controls.

roadburner

Pretty much the twin of this car:

stickguy

snazzy. Probably quite fun to drive too. At least by my comparables.

roadburner

It has the Adaptive M Suspension and Variable Sport Steering, which are must-haves if you want a 3 Series that actually drives like a BMW. I could do without some of the gadgets, but you can't be ultra-picky in the used market.

fintail

Remember, due to a resource extraction and housing-obsessed economy among other factors, the Loonie is depressed right now, trading around 75 US cents for a while now. That makes a 62K car more like 46.5K, or not too far out of line with US prices.

For MB at least, Canadian spec cars also offer different option groupings, sometimes making comparison of identical cars difficult.