Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

breld said:

@roadburner - wow, that 318ti is in great shape! Very nice.

I still love it- and plan to keep it for my son to inherit. In a couple of weeks I will have had it for 20 years.

I often wish we would have held on to our 318ti - it was something we just stumbled upon on Craigslist a few years back and it turned out to be in great condition w/111k miles. We sold it when I found that E39 530i sport - made sense at the time, but may have been a nice treasure to hold onto (as would have the 530i, come to think of it). I need more garage space. And something like a "blanket" insurance policy.

Thumbs up on the more garage space! I'm really getting the hankering for a nice driver quality 2002.

A month or so ago, I was taking my wife to work ... along the way, we went past a place called "Man Caves". Wife asked what it was ... told her it was warehouse space you buy and customize for whatever purpose .. large enough to store cars, etc. She actually approved of the idea. Now, to figure out how to get the money for it - and something to put inside. Here's the link: http://mancaves.com/

Is that the one right across from Dove Valley? I drive that way often and have noticed them building them. Didn't realize they were so costly. But yes, would be cool.

That's the one. Right by wife's work. 

stickguy

interesting idea. but way too expensive.

now, one of those racetrack/car condo deals? That seems like a worthwhile investment!

28firefighter

Question for the sages here...

If I came across a leftover 2015 GTI equipped and in the color I want, what kind of discount vs a 2016 should I ask for?  I've been offered 2500 off MSRP on a 2016 before rebates. An additional 2500?

stickguy

who knows these days with VW. Ask, you may get.

but IMO if I was buying it, assuming they were pretty much equivalent, I would want at least that much to take a year old model.

28firefighter

That was my thought. They are identical, basically - the 2015 has park assist and the 2016 has a rear view camera. Also the 2016 has the new Apple CarPlay functionality which I can take or leave. 

For my purposes they are equivalent. 

au1994

Yes, I'd ask for another 2500 at this point in the month and the fact that it is VW, you may very well get it!

Sandman6472

Also, no USB port or aux input on the 2015's, two things I would've liked. Plus no push button start, at least on the "SE" version I've got. wasn't a fan of it before I had a loaner Jetta that came equipped with it...I liked the functionality of it where I could leave the key in my pocket most of the time. These few things, if I knew they'd be coming for 2016, might've made me hold off my purchase another year. Like you, the android based infotainment system is something I could take or leave as I use XM all the time...my iPod is just sitting and will decide by next March if I want to continue my subscription into 2017. Do enjoy the music on my commute to be honest.
Just wish all these things had been on my 2015!!

The Sandman

28firefighter

That's right, Sandman. I forgot about that. The USB port is actually a bit of a bummer. 

I'll keep you all posted. 

qbrozen

yup, $2500 extra depreciation from year to year is about right at that pricepoint.

ab348

Speaking of build quality issues, check out this from Edmunds on their 2015 Mustang GT. How did this design issue get missed?

http://www.edmunds.com/ford/mustang/2015/long-term-road-test/2015-ford-mustang-gt-self-clearancing-trunk-deck-lid.html

stickguy

28firefighter said:

That's right, Sandman. I forgot about that. The USB port is actually a bit of a bummer. 

I'll keep you all posted. 

USB just requires buying a cheap 30pin to USB adapter so can easily have USB Plug.

houdini1

Mr_Shiftright said:

I think Mercedes has excellent build quality.

houdini1 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

I have watched too many of my friends once-new BMWs disintegrate slowly over time to consider Roadburner's as typical. I'm sure as soon as his cars develop a deficiency, it is corrected. I mean, just look at it. This car gets exceptional care.

And I have my own Mini, which started squeaking and rattling like an old taxicab at 50,000 miles, to remind me. BMWs impress me on any number of levels, but how they are screwed together isn't one of them. I'd offer the opinion that they are built at Saab or Volvo level, at best.

kyfdx said:

Given all the E36 M3s we looked at, I can tell you that isn't typical for an E36.

Major, major interior issues with 95% of them.

But, I think any 15-25 year old car will have trim/interior issues, in general. Sunlight is not kind to plastics

(Love that interior, though)

What are the best put together cars in your opinion?

I agree. Mercedes was head and shoulders above everyone 20-30 years ago and still does a great job. IMO Lexus is now on a par with them and others have gotten closer.

suydam

Regarding the VW I would also want the backup cam.

xwesx

Wow. Okay, I found my next (and last!) vehicle. I don't think anything else will compare.....

au1994

xwesx said:

Wow. Okay, I found my next (and last!) vehicle. I don't think anything else will compare.....

That's a great way to win carpool line!

corvette

Minivans can be sexy...

Mr_Shiftright

And supercharged, too!

stever

corvette said:

Minivans can be sexy...

I love 'em but I wouldn't go that far. Actually I never got the cars are sexy thing anyway... but it's probably best not to go there.

cdnpinhead

Something about waving (your) stuff in the air comes to mind.

tjc78

@qbrozen.  Don't forget about Auto Lenders.  They gave me an almost too good to be true price for my 09 Genesis a few years back.

Sandman6472

Right Stick, my adapter actually goes into a mini-usb port so my phone syncs right into it but would rather have a factory installed unit...not a deal breaker by any means but still should've all been included with the 2015 redo.
Today must've been Kia day because I got to drive a Forte, brand new 2016 Soul and a Sorrento. Loved the Sorrento, just did everything right. Plenty of power when needed, easy to drive and shifted flawlessly, I mean shifts were not felt, they just happened. Seats were super comfortable and the vehicle felt smaller than it rally was. Kia is really producing some great product lately and just hope they address the amount of hard plastics in their dash's...need more soft touch material up front though besides that faux pas, the rest of the dash looked very modern. Also drove a 2016 Hyundai Elantra which I liked but felt like Kia just does it a bit better.
Am now seeing a lot of new product and retiring of old as think Hertz finally got the message to revamp their fleet with newer product. Very impressed with what I am seeing from my employer!

The Sandman

stickguy

tjc78 said:

@qbrozen.  Don't forget about Auto Lenders.  They gave me an almost too good to be true price for my 09 Genesis a few years back.

guess they can get away with that by being 2-3K overpriced on the retail side!

qbrozen

I did try autolenders. They were the closest but still $500 less than carsense, and that was a couple of months ago, so I'm sure they'd be even less now.

anyway, got to Carsense in Mt Holly about 11am. Guy took all of 5 mins to look at my car and said he had no problem giving me the $13k quote. Papers are signed and I'm just waiting on my wife to get me.

nyccarguy

Congrats on the sale of the Fit!

henryn

I had never heard of CarSense, had to look them up. Looks just like CarMax, only local to NE. I have always been amazed at the prices that CarMax manages to get for used cars. It's a nice place to go car shopping, compare different brands, but I can't see myself ever buying anything there.

stickguy

good job Q. I used to live about 5 minutes from there in Burlington township. They built that carsense after I moved away, and I have never stopped in, but it looks nice when I drive past on occasion.

carnaught

Q, if I may ask, why did you sell the Fit. Did you not like it, or have some issue with it?

tjc78

Glad it worked out, Q.  My experience was the opposite AL offered more than Carsense.

@Stickguy.... yes they certainly are overpriced. They must be doing right, I see plenty of their logos.  

Sandman6472

Brought the A3 over to the Audi store for it's bath/vacuum and got to sit in a S3 and S4. Both were very nicely done especially the seats in the S3. The store was pretty busy for a Saturday which bodes well that folks are buying higher priced vehicles.
Got another chance to drive the A3 and seems smoother than my Golf for some reason. Doubt I'd have any issues taking over the A3 if the wife ever decides to turn it over for something new, it is that nice of a vehicle.

The Sandman

nyccarguy

nyccarguy

Ugh!  Somebody hit & run the Legacy today.

28firefighter

@nyccarguy that is such a bummer. 

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

Ugh!  Somebody hit & run the Legacy today.

B@stards. Those cretins deserve to rot in hell...

Mr_Shiftright

Swine! Are you going to file a claim on comp/collision or just eat it?

berri

That really sucks and because it appears to be fiberglass probably can't use a dent and ding place. You either end up paying a hefty body shop fee or going to insurance and possibly getting your rate hiked. Might want to get a repair estimate before you decide.

nyccarguy

No way I'd file a claim. Besides the fact that I have a $1000 deductible, there are shops around my store that can easily pull out the dents and do a nice paint/blending & compound job. I'm guessing this will cost $300 at the most. The guy who owns the garage we park in at work has a fleet of Ford Econoline vans. It is not well lit and very narrow. One of his workers coud have done this and not even realized. I'll go see him on Monday. It is possible they cut the turn too close on the way out. I'll keep you guys in the loop.

jpp75

Ugh, that sucks @nyc_carguy. Hope you can get it fixed without too much expense and really hope someone fesses up.

suydam

Awful. I'd say it will be over a $1000 repair just because practically everything involving a car and serious dents is. Good news is it will look good as new when done.

breld

Well, wife and I are on an early morning flight to Miami tomorrow - 6:15 am!

My wife is a huge fan of TCM (turner classic movies), and they have a cruise every year. I put us on the waiting list in May, and having not heard anything I called last week to get our deposit back. Well, they ended up having a room available, so we scrambled to make arrangements and here we go.

5 nights on a Disney ship - no kids, no dogs, no work.

breld

@nyccarguy - man, that's a bummer, but at least it should be a straightforward repair.

carnaught

nyc.....been there. It really $ucks, sorry. $500-1000 is my estimate, and it will be like new.

slorenzen

seems like a good excuse to trade it in...

sorry, am in the right place?

nyccarguy

slorenzen said:

seems like a good excuse to trade it in... sorry, am in the right place?

Got to get it fixed 1st;)

fintail

Condolences on the hit and run, I had very similar damage to a rental car once. Maybe a little less, but it also knocked the inner fender loose. Rental Impala I picked up with 4 (!) miles on it. I had Amex insurance, called them as soon as I saw it. The agent at return didn't bat an eye when I pointed it out, and I never heard a word about it from the agency.

Also about build quality, I agree - MB and Lexus. In general I think MBs age better than BMWs and the like - maybe due to different owner demographics too.

iluvmysephia1

That's right, slorenzen. If a light bulb needs changing, let's just buy a new house, eh? I know what you're talking about. No new 2016 Scion iM for  iluvmysephia1. That light bulb on our '11 Kia Soul can just get changed and we'll be fine. 

Wait - what thread am I in here?

berri

Well, wife and I are on an early morning flight to Miami tomorrow - 6:15 am!

Early, but has to be before 6 am to qualify as 0 Dark Thirty Enjoy the trip and if you have time, Miami has some neat stuff to see as well.

slorenzen

iluvmysephia1 said:

That's right, slorenzen. If a light bulb needs changing, let's just buy a new house, eh? I know what you're talking about. No new 2016 Scion iM for  iluvmysephia1. That light bulb on our '11 Kia Soul can just get changed and we'll be fine. 

Wait - what thread am I in here?

I hope my comment was not received as snarky. Not my intention.

I am sorry that it happened to you, nyccarguy.

I don't swap cars like most of you do, but I'm highly entertained reading of your decisions.

Since I'm retired, I don't have need to trade cars like I used to. In fact, I have trouble justifying even owning 3 vehicles at this point.

nyccarguy

I thought your comment was great @slorenzen.  Can't trade it in with a dented front right 1/4 panel, can I?

thanks all for the condolences.  It could have been MUCH worse.  

kyfdx

Test drove a 2016 GTI, today..

Was just going to wander the lot, as this dealer is always closed on Sunday. But, new ownership and they had two people working. Salesman made me test drive it.

Anyway, it was Autobahn version (4-door), with driver assistance package (lane departure, park distance control, etc). That is a $1500 option. With some mat packages, and even with a stick, it came up to $33K! And, that's without performance or lighting package. Really nice darker blue color.

Lots of torque.. very easy to spin the wheels in first or second gear. All-season tires. Definitely faster than my car off the line.. 55 mph in 2nd gear was no issue. (speed limit was 25, so that's all I got to test out).

I mentioned that I was waiting to see if the $2000 loyalty would be extended to everyone on next month's program, and the sales manager told me to check back on Tuesday (with a knowing look). Then said, "maybe not $2000, but something is likely".

Anyway.... I think I need an SE, with performance and lighting, and without that driver assistance package. The car was rock solid and the seats are very comfortable.

corvette

kyfdx, are you getting rid of the ZHP? My GLI didn't have quite as much straight line thrust as the 540i, but made up for that by not leaking random fluids in my garage.