Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

iluvmysephia1

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.

Oh, yeah, Mrs.iluvmysephia1 and I do move around a lot. One could say that we are getting our retirement touring out of the way...early. I work in Allied Health and since I value things like...umm...my sanity, I leave a job if things aren't going copasetically. I thought my 20-year career at The Boeing Company in Everett, WA, sometimes involved politics.

When I got to the Medical field I learned what a field loaded with politics can really be like. Nuff said, Sam Elliott. I am liking Dodge City, KS. Dennis Hopper lived here until about age 4 -said all he could remember was the noises of the trains. They can get loud here. They have a statue of Dennis Hopper here and I intend to find it one day. It's supposedly over by the Santa Fe Depot. This town has a good-sized concert venue/theater, the 5,000 seat United Wireless Arena (saw Boston and Blue Oyster Cult there in August) and a lot of western-influenced character.

Working here has been...pleasant. I am the Captain of my Lab...I am the only one there. Pressure? Nah. Politics here seem do-able so far.

I am a fan of Scion's, people. I was dead-set on getting a Scion tC for a while but wanted 4-doors. I looked at the Scion xA and read everything I could get my hands on online. Wanted one. Have never bought one.

The Scion iM is an interesting little car and one that eventually I may want to explore. The Scion iA is a re-badged Mazda 2 in the now. Mazda may be selling their newly-designed 2 in other countries but they're not doing that here. While I was concentrating at work they signed this deal with Toyota. One of those partnerships. So, the Scion iA is going to be a great car, people. It's just not what I want - but, to be fair, I would want to sit in one and take a drive in it. Small engine - 108 horses or so. Comes with a 6-speed stick, which would be a for sure for me.

Now, the subject of my earlier post - the new Scion iM. Ladies and gentlemen - I have seen this car for a few months, but, I have not concentrated on it's real "vibe." Since it's out now at store lots, I decided to look at some reviews. It's getting good reviews so far - the car will not be everyone's cup of tea. It might be mine - just one of the nice attributes is the backup camera. Nice ta have! The curving line on the dash that sort of directs your eye over to the right is...different. But that's Scion - they are all about being different. I like what Toyota is doing for both of these new Scion offerings, and, I think people will respond in kind and respond fairly well.

If they love cars and are serious about buying a new inexpensive rig - people are buying up old fave Kia's in respectable numbers these days - they will test drive and love and buy these two new Scion's. The iM especially excites me - I love that Scion engineers have worked at lowering cabin noise with proper dampening materials.
I'm not gonna lie ta you baby - I don't thrive on powerful...motors. So, the power Scion will build in to their new iM is going to be adequate and fine for a new Midwestern boy from the Pacific NW like me.

I like it's lines - I have studied them - and I like the color Spring Green - and I like the metallic blue on the iM. I love that I can buy one with a 6-speed stick. I would not do what I decided ta do when I bought my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS in Rally Red - that being purchase one with the automatic CVT transmission. I would wait until I could get an iM with the standard 6-speed transmission. That would be to maximize the overall power experience when driving this European Toyota Aureas/Yaris turned-American Scion iM.

OK - we're not going to overdo this post so I'll leave this one as it stands. On it's own.

ab348

rny421 said:

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.

Heh. Just for fun I built one like that on Volvo Canada's site. C$69,000.

stever

Scion is such an afterthought in the US, I'm surprised that Toyota hasn't pulled the plug on the brand and converted the dealerships to Prius dealers. Better grab one while you can, @iluvmysephia1 - it may be wind up being a Camry Scion iM.

Mr_Shiftright

I think the Mustang GT350R is right up your alley.

So what can you do to the 335i to breath on it?

roadburner said:

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.

qbrozen

The usual turbo stuff: tune, downpipes, intercooler, meth injection for the brave.

theoretically, I was probably around 380-400 hp on my 135i before it became too unreliable for me. 

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

I think the Mustang GT350R is right up your alley.

So what can you do to the 335i to breath on it?

I would love a GT350R; unfortunately, my budget doesn't...
As for the 335i, the brakes and suspension are already pretty well sorted. All I'd probably do to the engine is add the BMW M Performance Power Kit (PPK); the nice thing about the PPK is that it preserves the CPO warranty as well as the original warranty- it makes 336 bhp and 377 lb-ft torque on the dyno (performed by Dinan and at a 15% drivetrain loss).

Mr_Shiftright

Oh yeah, that kit isn't too expensive---like $1500 bucks if you do it yourself, something like that?

cdnpinhead

roadburner said:

Pretty much the twin of this car:

Very nice. Hope it's priced somewhat reasonably.

henryn

Most likely everyone here remembers me bragging about the service department at West Houston Volkswagen. They are really nice people to do business with, and always treated me very well. Recently, there have been some very good deals offered up on new Volkswagens. I read an article just this past week which said that VW of America was offering twice the industry average for rebates / incentives.

So of course, I have been monitoring the local dealers web sites, looking for great deals. I am not above taking advantage of someone else’s misfortune. Today, WestHoustonVw.com, the dealer I mentioned above, threw up some unbelievable prices. $16,182 for a 2015 Passat 1.8T Limited. This is about $2k better than any other dealer in town, and piqued my curiosity.

I called, talked to a salesman. “Yes, we have several in stock, at that price. If you qualify for the loyalty incentive ($2k), I can sell you that car at that price. If you have great credit, I can finance you for 60 months at 0% at that price.” So I drove across town, in the rain. Guess what? The salesman is a lying [non-permissible content removed]. There is a $3k lease incentive. You have to lease to get that price, they will not / can not sell at that price.

Oh, and another $1,000 of that is in a trade incentive. So you have to qualify for the loyalty incentive, you have to lease, and you have to have a trade in. They could have said that on the web page. And for dang sure, they should have said it on the phone.

West Houston Volkswagen has a world class service department. They really take care of you, treat you nicely, go to bat for you getting things taken care of out of warranty. But you do NOT want to try and buy anything there.

Michaell

henryn said:

Most likely everyone here remembers me bragging about the service department at West Houston Volkswagen. They are really nice people to do business with, and always treated me very well. Recently, there have been some very good deals offered up on new Volkswagens. I read an article just this past week which said that VW of America was offering twice the industry average for rebates / incentives. So of course, I have been monitoring the local dealers web sites, looking for great deals. I am not above taking advantage of someone else’s misfortune. Today, WestHoustonVw.com, the dealer I mentioned above, threw up some unbelievable prices. $16,182 for a 2015 Passat 1.8T Limited. This is about $2k better than any other dealer in town, and piqued my curiosity. I called, talked to a salesman. “Yes, we have several in stock, at that price. If you qualify for the loyalty incentive ($2k), I can sell you that car at that price. If you have great credit, I can finance you for 60 months at 0% at that price.” So I drove across town, in the rain. Guess what? The salesman is a lying [non-permissible content removed]. There is a $3k lease incentive. You have to lease to get that price, they will not / can not sell at that price. Oh, and another $1,000 of that is in a trade incentive. So you have to qualify for the loyalty incentive, you have to lease, and you have to have a trade in. They could have said that on the web page. And for dang sure, they should have said it on the phone. West Houston Volkswagen has a world class service department. They really take care of you, treat you nicely, go to bat for you getting things taken care of out of warranty. But you do NOT want to try and buy anything there.

I think @firefighter28 and I explored this with GTI pricing at that exact dealer. Found the same thing with the incentives. 

stever

Don't just tell us @henryn, tell the world.

28firefighter

Michaell said:

henryn said:

Most likely everyone here remembers me bragging about the service department at West Houston Volkswagen. They are really nice people to do business with, and always treated me very well. Recently, there have been some very good deals offered up on new Volkswagens. I read an article just this past week which said that VW of America was offering twice the industry average for rebates / incentives. So of course, I have been monitoring the local dealers web sites, looking for great deals. I am not above taking advantage of someone else’s misfortune. Today, WestHoustonVw.com, the dealer I mentioned above, threw up some unbelievable prices. $16,182 for a 2015 Passat 1.8T Limited. This is about $2k better than any other dealer in town, and piqued my curiosity. I called, talked to a salesman. “Yes, we have several in stock, at that price. If you qualify for the loyalty incentive ($2k), I can sell you that car at that price. If you have great credit, I can finance you for 60 months at 0% at that price.” So I drove across town, in the rain. Guess what? The salesman is a lying [non-permissible content removed]. There is a $3k lease incentive. You have to lease to get that price, they will not / can not sell at that price. Oh, and another $1,000 of that is in a trade incentive. So you have to qualify for the loyalty incentive, you have to lease, and you have to have a trade in. They could have said that on the web page. And for dang sure, they should have said it on the phone. West Houston Volkswagen has a world class service department. They really take care of you, treat you nicely, go to bat for you getting things taken care of out of warranty. But you do NOT want to try and buy anything there.

I think @firefighter28 and I explored this with GTI pricing at that exact dealer. Found the same thing with the incentives. 

Yup!  It's definitely discounted pricing but it has a lot of fine print. 

breld

Finally got around to putting the winter tires/wheels on the S3 - kept the summer wheels from my wife's GTI for the winter set on the S3. I'm really pleased with the way they look on the Audi, and it was nice to not have to buy a new set of wheels this time around. I have some Audi center caps on order to complete the look.

28firefighter

@breld that is a hot ride. Not bad for winter wheels at all...

breld

@28firefighter - Thanks!

nyccarguy

@breld - very sexy

Michaell

@breld - now its unstoppable should we ever get snow

berri

Looks freshly washed to boot!

nyccarguy

Found this S60 R Design at a local Volvo dealer:

http://www.mtkiscovolvo.com/certified/Volvo/2013-Volvo-S60-c2e726530a0e0ae770a424f22ceeca91.htm

2013 with 21K miles with a $28K asking price

Dealer also has a 2013 S60 T5 AWD

http://www.mtkiscovolvo.com/certified/Volvo/2013-Volvo-S60-71491c1b0a0e0a17714745fbc8375e91.htm


$24K asking price with 14K miles

breld

Michaell said:

@breld - now its unstoppable should we ever get snow

Yeah, last year I waited until the last minute (the first snow) to get all three cars done and, not surprisingly, spent the entire day at discount tire.

This year I'm more proactive and now have all three cars swapped out - now it probably won't snow for awhile, which is fine with me.

breld

nyccarguy said:

Found this S60 R Design at a local Volvo dealer:

http://www.mtkiscovolvo.com/certified/Volvo/2013-Volvo-S60-c2e726530a0e0ae770a424f22ceeca91.htm

2013 with 21K miles with a $28K asking price

Dealer also has a 2013 S60 T5 AWD

http://www.mtkiscovolvo.com/certified/Volvo/2013-Volvo-S60-71491c1b0a0e0a17714745fbc8375e91.htm


$24K asking price with 14K miles

Nice cars! Especially for the money. I'm a sucker for the R design touches.

nyccarguy

Even though it as more miles, I think the $4K or so might be worth it or a turbo inline 6 with 300 hp/ 325 lb ft of torque. These cas have $50K stickers when new, right?

stickguy

I like Volvos. always have. But I would hold out for one of the newer ones (2015 in the S60?) with the 2.0l engine, and interior upgrades.

stickguy

browsed the rest of their inventory. this one, it purrty!

http://www.mtkiscovolvo.com/certified/Volvo/2015-Volvo-V60-500131440a0a00de72b40a82ecb061d5.htm

jpp75

stickguy said:

browsed the rest of their inventory. this one, it purrty!

http://www.mtkiscovolvo.com/certified/Volvo/2015-Volvo-V60-500131440a0a00de72b40a82ecb061d5.htm

Very nice, and that's not a bad price at all. I always liked the TSX wagon and wish I had looked at the V60 more when I got the S60.

iluvmysephia1

Great ride, breld. You're in Denver, right? I'm about what...400 miles east of you or so? The locals here in Dodge City tell me we get snow here fairly regularly but my Director tells me that to live 20 miles away from here in a town called Minneola, KS, wouldn't be a difficult winter commute. And she's lived here many, many years. So that's good.

Denver would be snowier no doubt, I'm sure. Nice choice of color and wheels - it's hot!

stickguy

Here's one for OldFarmer. Look at those miles! Looks clean, so legit. Plus, it even comes with the geezer roof package! Could drive to Fla. and fit right in.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-1996-cadillac-seville-4dr_luxury_sedan_sls-used-14298814.html

breld

iluvmysephia1 said:

Great ride, breld. You're in Denver, right? I'm about what...400 miles east of you or so? The locals here in Dodge City tell me we get snow here fairly regularly but my Director tells me that to live 20 miles away from here in a town called Minneola, KS, wouldn't be a difficult winter commute. And she's lived here many, many years. So that's good.

Denver would be snowier no doubt, I'm sure. Nice choice of color and wheels - it's hot!

Yup, here in the Denver area. Our winters have been pretty mild for quite a few years now, but our opinion is that it only takes one time being stuck in the snow (or worse yet, getting into an accident) to wish you had the winter tires on, even if they're pointless the rest of the time.

Sandman6472

Now that's a red on the S3...wow! Have seen the A3/S3 in all colors now and love the white like ours or the silver. If things had turned out differently, we'd have gotten the black over black one but I was able to get the local guy to come down to our price for the white over black that the wife really wanted. At that time, end of November and early December, color choices were few and far between for a vehicle equipped the way ours was so it came down to either black or white. Think if we had bought at a later date, more colors would've been available and she might've chose another silver as it's pretty good looking in that color also.
Luckily, our store gives free car washes and being literally so close that we could probably walk there, it gets down about every other week. They also vacuum it also...this service is a nice perk and the wife will take it in and not wait for me to do it. It just needs a good coat of wax one of these days soon.

The Sandman

kyfdx

My winter tires went on today. Had to buy a new set for the kid. $718. ouch

Sandman6472

Had a talk with my oldest this weekend about her next vehicle since her '09 Nissan Versa SL hatch has close to 75K on the clock. She loves the new Versa Note hatch and they are nice, we have a bunch in our Hertz fleet but told her that there's so much out there in her $20K budget and to look at everything to see what fits your needs. She's techy so needs the up to the minute tech stuff and drives a lot for her job. A hatch works great for her but she could make do without one. Also good mileage numbers are a must with a compact size, a mid sizer just will not work. Many many choices out there and will need to drive as many as we can till she finds the one. Her Versa has been super reliable and has never left her stranded and she likes Nissan. Personally, think the Altima hits all her buttons except size. But, will have her try one just in case.
Luckily we have time on our side as suspect she'll want a 2017 model. Hopefully there will be a bunch of new models with up to the minute tech in her price range.

The Sandman

stickguy

everything these days has all that good connectivity tech stuff pretty much. so hard to go wrong.

corvette

Goodyear Eagle LS-2s on the Yukon. They are not reviewed well for snow/ice traction, although I have AWD, so that should help. I'm only a mile away from work, so I guess I can always walk. They also close the office when it's really bad.

Sandy, why doesn't she want a midsize car? If it's only because of MPG, I think the Altima gets 38 MPG highway.

suydam

Altima feels like a boat to drive compared to the Versa. Why the urge to replace if she likes it and it's reliable? I realize this may be the wrong forum to raise that question.

Sandman6472

Figure by 90K, she'll be looking for something newer. I know the Altima gets stellar mpg's, we just happen to all prefer smaller vehicles. But once we do start to look, I'll just point her in the direction like I did with the wife but the final decision will be hers. Just want her happy like I wanted with the Mrs., don't want to hear complaints a month or two in that "I should've gotten this or that"...best to just point out different alternatives and back away until I am called upon for help. My kid likes cars more than she'd like to admit...think some of me rubbed off on her, but just a small part. For me, this is a passion!

The Sandman

iluvmysephia1

sandman would she be interested in what is becoming the car I am starting to get interested in? The 2016 Scion iM. I would choose the 6-speed standard tranny - backup camera, the U.S.-spec iM features a high-strength body, four-wheel independent suspension with a double-wishbone layout in the rear similar to one utilized in the Scion tC coupe. 17-inch wheels are standard equipment and come with 225/45R/17 tires - not a must but the 17" tires would be nice to have for this size of rig.

The iM's optional CVT is also shared with the Corolla and has seven pre-programmed steps and can be controlled manually. A Sport mode is also standard and changes the CVT's "shift" points, accelerator responsiveness, and the electric power steering's weighting. As is standard-you would want to choose the 6-speed stick with this car. It would immensely affect the enjoyment of the hatchback.

Inside, the 2016 iM comes with a long list of standard features including a six-speaker Pioneer sound system, a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 4.2-inch TFT display, rearview camera, (I gotta tell you the rear-view camera would be nice here in Dodge City - I'm starting to notice that the 2011 Kia Soul base I drive has a rear quarter-panel blind spot but also it's just hard to get a good backup angle going with the car - a backup camera would be a nice thing ta have as standard equipment)and dual-zone climate control. Navigation is available as a dealer-installed accessory. Like all Scion models, the iM will be available a long list of available of personalization options through the dealer. TRD accessories such as anti-roll bars, lower springs, and a performance air intake will also be available.

Some more inside the cabin information - it comes with a large glove box and center console storage, numerous cubby holes for small items throughout the cabin, and standard 60/40 split-folding rear seats to expand the cargo area for those runs to Ikea. Additional standard features include power-folding side mirrors, dual-zone climate control, and auto on/off headlights. The auto-off headlights I could take or leave but the dual-zone climate control would be great. Oh it has the telescopic steering wheel, too, something a lot of car enthusiasts seem ta drool over - I don't get it but I'll take their word for it.

The 2016 Scion iM will go on sale in September, and pricing for the manual transmission model comes in at $19,290. For some of us economy car enthusiasts that might seem a bit high. Remember though that the 2016 Scion iM is a Toyota Auris from Europe plopped on to a Scion tC platform. That platform is sprung for driving fun with it's double wishbone four-wheel independent suspension. Reviewers are getting some roll from the rear when accelerating hard in to turns - something iluvmysephia1 would probably do about once every 12 months.

Fuel economy is projected at an EPA-rated 27/36 mpg city/highway with the manual and 30/37 mpg with the CVT. One set of reviewers posted saying they averaged 32mpg in a mix of city and highway driving their 2016 Scion iM presscar.

TRD accessories such as lowering springs, anti-roll bars, and an air intake system will be offered, if you, unlike me, might find the straight-from-the-factory getup short for your liking. I've been there-done that enough to know now that I won't need to tear my iM apart and put it back together again. I don't know if those people are car enthusiasts as much as they are gluttons for punishment. I highly suspect the latter. Pet owners will also be happy to know that Scion will make a range of accessories available for shuttling furry friends, including dog harnesses and door guards.

I love these 17" alloys that come standard - they seem ta hit the right wheel buttons with me with this rig.


2016 Scion iM

stever

The adoption rate on backup cams has been pretty good. They will be required in all new cars by 2018. The NHTSA probably could have moved that date up a couple of years.

Next up, cameras to replace mirrors.

robr2

stever said:

The adoption rate on backup cams has been pretty good. They will be required in all new cars by 2018. The NHTSA probably could have moved that date up a couple of years.

Next up, cameras to replace mirrors.

The original mandate was 2014 but the industry managed to get NHTSA to push it 2018.

qbrozen

Volvos:

783 miles on a "used" v60? Huh. Well, examples with 10k are only getting $27k at auction and figure $30k retail, so I'd personally have a helluva time paying $6k more to save a few miles. 60 cents a mile is excessive. Maybe $1500 more if you are generous.

Not sure I'm seeing the correct R Design, but I see a white one with near 30k on the clock on their site. Tough to know a good price on these as they aren't too common. Back in June, a couple went for $27k-$28k. Most recently, in early Sept, a grey one with 19k miles hit $24,250. So, who knows?

The standard T5 AWD with 15k miles is about $18k-$19k at the block. Even $23k CPO is pushing it, IMHO.

rayainsw

Road Trip -
I drove the Charger to North Georgia on Saturday morning.
The trip reminded me of so many things I like
and enjoy about this car.
Some pictures [ not of the car ] here:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/rayainsw/slideshow/2015 amicalola falls?sort=3

- Ray
Happy Dodge Driver...

roadburner

Well, the 335i is off the table- turns out it is a 2015 and not a 2013; which prices it outside of my budget.
So... it looks like I'm back to a Boss 302, a Mustang GT w/Performance Pkg. , or a WRX STI.

stever

robr2 said:

The original mandate was 2014 but the industry managed to get NHTSA to push it 2018.

They should have stuck with that deadline. Handy gizmos. Every car we've tested in the last year has had one, including the "lowly" HR-V. In fact, that one was one of the best we've seen.

Michaell

stever said:

robr2 said:

The original mandate was 2014 but the industry managed to get NHTSA to push it 2018.

They should have stuck with that deadline. Handy gizmos. Every car we've tested in the last year has had one, including the "lowly" HR-V. In fact, that one was one of the best we've seen.

Whatever replaces the Elantra GT next year will need to have the rear view camera. The wife's Outback has it and it's great.

robr2

stever said:

They should have stuck with that deadline. Handy gizmos. Every car we've tested in the last year has had one, including the "lowly" HR-V. In fact, that one was one of the best we've seen.

Honda committed to rear view cameras for all vehicles in 2013 IRC.

The reason for the push back was that so many vehicles were already existing and in "final" design for the 2014-2015 model years that the cost to redesign would be very high.

suydam

But now everyone expects to have them.

stickguy

RB, if it is nice and what you want, stretch the budget. It's only money. Can't take it with you!

slorenzen

rayainsw said:

Road Trip -
I drove the Charger to North Georgia on Saturday morning.
The trip reminded me of so many things I like
and enjoy about this car.
Some pictures [ not of the car ] here:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/rayainsw/slideshow/2015 amicalola falls?sort=3

- Ray
Happy Dodge Driver...

Beautiful!

Is this near Deloniga?(sp?)

My son did his Ranger mountain training there...really tough terrain...

rayainsw

Yes - Dahlonega - about 20 miles west of there.

iluvmysephia1

RB, if it is nice and what you want, stretch the budget. It's only money. Can't take it with you!

See that, Mrs.iluvmysephia1? See it? I mean, if we're working and we're happy, clap your hands. Clap! Clap! Clap!

And ta further ignite my afterburners to drive ta Wichita or Oklahoma City to at least test drive a 2016 Scion iM, Mrs.iluv started a part-time job this morning.

stevedebi

sandman_6472 said:

Figure by 90K, she'll be looking for something newer. I know the Altima gets stellar mpg's, we just happen to all prefer smaller vehicles. But once we do start to look, I'll just point her in the direction like I did with the wife but the final decision will be hers. Just want her happy like I wanted with the Mrs., don't want to hear complaints a month or two in that "I should've gotten this or that"...best to just point out different alternatives and back away until I am called upon for help. My kid likes cars more than she'd like to admit...think some of me rubbed off on her, but just a small part. For me, this is a passion!

The Sandman

Only going for new? I really like my C-Max, which is very comfortable. Pretty good deals on the Energi if that is available where you live. You can easily get 40 MPG in town and on the road, and it drives and rides well. Of course, you have to be OK with the style, but drive one and you will be surprised.