Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner

breld said:

Yup, same salesperson said something similar about the Focus RS. What's funny is, while a very cool offering from Ford, it's not like it's breaking totally new ground, what with the WRX/STI and Golf R already available. Good competition from Ford, but not necessarily at a large premium.

Exactly. MSRP on a Focus optioned to my specs is $39k; a similarly equipped WRX STI or Golf R is under $37k. If the RS was a really superior AWD rat racer I could see paying an extra $2k for it- but $12k more? No way in H*ll!

tjc78

A 39K Focus

You would be better off getting a CPO 135 and modding the heck out of it.

stevedebi

Mr_Shiftright said:

Here's some photos of a 2008 BMW 650i convertible for sale. Scroll down to pictures of the console and tell me what you see.

2008 BMW 650i For Sale

Asking $31,900, comes with (allegedly) very comprehensive extended warranty to 108K miles. Mileage is 31,965.

Not my cup of tea---more of a "boulevardier" kind of car, but 360 ponies should move it along okay.

Why would a stickshift have a "sport" button?

nyccarguy

I know a lot of us are Tesla fans, but the math seems "off" with these people:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/12/29/save-more-than-spent-on-tesla-model-s/

We never get the whole story. What were they driving before? There's no way spending $75K on a car or "$61K after tax credits can "save you money.

tjc78

stevedebi said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Here's some photos of a 2008 BMW 650i convertible for sale. Scroll down to pictures of the console and tell me what you see.

2008 BMW 650i For Sale

Asking $31,900, comes with (allegedly) very comprehensive extended warranty to 108K miles. Mileage is 31,965.

Not my cup of tea---more of a "boulevardier" kind of car, but 360 ponies should move it along okay.

Why would a stickshift have a "sport" button?

Probably has an active suspension that can be firmed up.

fintail

Yep, the original piece is funny. They financed with a sweetheart loan, and get this - converted their basement (with the monies from a previous vehicle) to an apartment, and are using that income to subsidize the car payment. It's all about running costs, not about purchasing.

Also some sketchy numbers there - $4000/yr to run a car for a 13 mile commute, but almost no costs for the Tesla? I am pretty sure they require an annual service. And at 10 years? I wouldn't want one.

13K+ in tax breaks, I am rolling my eyes to the point where it is audible.

nyccarguy said:

I know a lot of us are Tesla fans, but the math seems "off" with these people:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/12/29/save-more-than-spent-on-tesla-model-s/

We never get the whole story. What were they driving before? There's no way spending $75K on a car or "$61K after tax credits can "save you money.

au1994

breld said:

@nyccarguy - well said on the Jeep GC. That certainly jives with my first take on it. Sounds like the used market could be a good way to go on something like that if the residuals are truly that low. I did point out to my wife that the XC90 we looked at was barely $5k more than the Jeep from earlier in the day. And, that Jeep was "merely" a Limited model, not the Overland or Summit.

This Volvo dealer in particular is always overly proud of their vehicles when we've visited them. They act as though nothing else comes close to comparing to their product - kinda funny. If they would acknowledge that there are other good choices out there, I'd respect them a bit more. Though I do have to admit their passion for the product is admirable.

And hmmm, used GT350's in a year? I'll keep my eye out!

That sums up our impression of the GC as well. Overland was our consideration as well and while leases and cash were strong it just came down to a "for the same money or a little more...." Type of conversations. I think they are darn nice looking though.

anony336

2015 Sienna - May 7,  2015
2015 Prius - December 27, 2015

and with that, I realize I have lost all of my cool points. At least we have the Accord. 

stever

Pretty cool pair of rides to me.

stickguy

I understand the thoughts on the roof of that convertible. But, life ain't free. If I wanted a slick roof Camry, I could get one and be bored.

at least with the hardtop, no worries about having to replace the cloth roof!

plus, the huge benefit is you get normal sized windows so there is actual visibility out of the thing!

I showed it to the wife. this one, she really liked. Just trotted out that pesky "but we don't need a car now" argument. In a couple of years though, who knows?

roadburner

stevedebi said:

Why would a stickshift have a "sport" button?

Active steering, adaptive suspension, active roll stabilization, and throttle mapping.

corvette

anony336 said:

You're right. It had been so long, I couldn't recover my old log-in. Good to be back. We did punch our card twice this year, but will probably be a big 0 for 2016. With 3 kids now, our options are limited. We have the minivan for kid duty, a stick 2013 Accord, and ... Wait for it.... A Prius. Thr Prius just made sense with my commute and the current deals on them. (We got $7500 off of msrp). We also have a 2006 Highlander that we will be selling since we just added the Prius. 

Welcome back! Thanks to michaell's organizational skills, we've gotten all sophisticated and keep a semi-official punch list (along with predictions of how many punches our group will have the following year). Were any of those purchases made this year? If so, give me an approximate date and I'll add them to the punch list.

Sandman6472

That brown BMW is absolutely gorgeous though a bit too big for my tastes, the 1 Series really is the perfect vehicle if I ever were to get a BMW, that or the X1. That's why I love our A3 and Golf so much, the smaller size makes it so much fun to zip around in them and have to admit, the 1.8t engine is sweet! Again last night, I let the wife know that if she does tire of the A3 early, I would seriously give her what the dealer would and take it over as my d d. I'd just sell the Golf and throw in the extra cash needed and be done with it. Since I am racking up the miles faster then she is, it just makes perfect sense for me to just take it off her hands at some point. Probably would be cheaper than a CPO X1.
Will eventually get into the BMW store and test a X1 just to see if I even like the way it drives. Then I want to check out a CPO MB GLA and the GLE...might be cool to have an MB in the garage! Think the Audi and VW have spoiled me so much that I'm not sure I'd want to go back to any foreign or domestic at this point...hell, they have spoiled me! And coming in here will just make me do something crazy eventually! Luckily, I have the luxury of driving so many different vehicles at work and if I play my cards right, I can keep this gig until I turn 65 and retire again. Now, that would be pretty cool!!

The Sandman

corvette

breld said:

Yeah, I get a little nervous myself on the power top on our E46. Maybe the cloth top puts less stress on the motor making it more reliable, but I'm sure that's be an expensive fix if something went wrong.

Motor or not, the fabric eventually wears out. You probably won't keep it long enough to experience that, though!

corvette

nyccarguy said:

I know a lot of us are Tesla fans, but the math seems "off" with these people...

I looked into this (with a Leaf, not a Tesla)... The $7,500 federal tax credit is not refundable. If you owe less than $7,500 in federal income taxes, you don't get the full benefit of the credit. This is part of why Leafs are so cheap to purchase used. Suffice it to say, the target demographic is not a person who files taxes as a single person with enough deductions/deferrals to put them in a relatively low tax bracket.

anon336, I got your punches registered. We're up to 35 for the year.

nyccarguy

anony336 said:

2015 Sienna - May 7,  2015
2015 Prius - December 27, 2015

and with that, I realize I have lost all of my cool points. At least we have the Accord. 

Don't worry about cool points here.  You are a card carrying CCBA member.  We don't judge around here.  There are plenty of normal cars around here (Pliot, Town & Country, Accord, Sonata, Legacy...) among the cooler cars (CTS V-Sport, 318ti, Mustang GTs, Prelude, S3, S4, ZHP...).

anony336

nyccarguy said:

anony336 said:

2015 Sienna - May 7,  2015
2015 Prius - December 27, 2015

and with that, I realize I have lost all of my cool points. At least we have the Accord. 

Don't worry about cool points here.  You are a card carrying CCBA member.  We don't judge around here.  There are plenty of normal cars around here (Pliot, Town & Country, Accord, Sonata, Legacy...) among the cooler cars (CTS V-Sport, 318ti, Mustang GTs, Prelude, S3, S4, ZHP...).

 we have had the Accord for 3 years. It's a great car. Can't see ourselves parting with it anytime soon. We toyed with the idea of trading the Sienna for an older Odyssey, but it just didn't make sense since the Sienna has 7k miles and the Ody had 135k. Can't wait until 2030 when I can have w fun car again.... 

qbrozen

I crawled around the 3 xc90s sitting on the showroom floor of the dealer we bought the land rover from. They have 3 different seat styles now. The R-design seats are the most aggresive; very sportscar like. I preferred the mid-range seat that had more bolstering than the base but less than the R-design. Big ipad-like center console is cool, as is the LCD dash. BUT, two things really bugged me. 1. They are EXPENSIVE! And 2. Of the three there, 2 had the windows rolled all the way down and when I closed the door on those, the window rattled in the door like a '70s American coupe. Pretty atrocious, if you ask me. Makes me question the overall build quality.

as for me punching next year, I think you are right that the only chance would be an exchange of the volvo; however, that car is worth way more to us than I could ever get for it, so I'm pretty sure that is staying with us till it dies.

suydam

35!! Looks like CCBA is mirroring the car market as a whole which is having a record year.

carnaught

Gentlemen, after saying probably no punches for the Carnaught family in 2016, I've reconsidered. There's a probably 2017 Audi A4 or S4 in the Spring. Stay tuned....

Happy New Year's to all!

graphicguy

EOY shopping......headed over to the Jag dealer (per @laurasdada suggestion). Test drove a drop dead gorgeous '15 silver XF with tan leather interior that felt and looked better than any thrones currently in residing in the GG Estate. 3.0 Supercharged V6 that actually felt slower than my 2.0 turbo CTS. Not sure why. Maybe that's just keeping in the character that the manufacturer wants....(take it easy, no hurry). IT drove well, had AWD that seemed unobtrusive while quite secure in the rain. Great ride...decent handling.

It was all loaded up....Meridian stereo, trick shifter KNOB that actually rises out of the console, vents that actually rotate out of sight when the car is off. Just some crazy features. And here I thought the motorized cup holder cover in the CTS was over the top.

Low $60s sticker. They said they'd be aggressive...figuring mid $50s when push comes to shove. Everything is covered, maintenance, warranty...everything for 5/60 (like I'd ever keep a car that long).

Quite a nice car that might tempt me. Wish it had a little more sport. Can't really fault its luxury, though.

Onto the Benz dealer....drove a C300 and C400. Added an E350 for good measure. In the C Class, it ties the Jag for a drop dead gorgeous interior. C300 feels a bit slow (compared to my CTS). C400 is much quicker, but not certain it's better because you feel more "heft" in the car. Handled well. Given I've driven my sister's C300 (previous gen) and tested the current gen quite a bit, the drive wasn't much of a surprise. It's secure and serene.

Low $50s for a fairly loaded up C300, with my company discount, mid $40s would be the buy price. Still, no leather at that price???????? I know some love the "MB-tex" vinyl, but I can tell it's vinyl.

E350...I can see its appeal to Driver and Mike. It is a very nice car. But, I land more on the sport side of things. The E is at the opposite end. It's a cruiser. Conservative, stable, etc. That's not a bad thing, just not what I'm looking for.

The one I drove was stickered mid $60s. Price is fixed with my company. About $10K off MSRP, so decent discount.

The issue is putting a number on the '16 CTS. Jag dealer group also owns a Caddy store. They came in about $1,500 less than I paid for it, which I thought was quite aggressive.

Benz used car manager came in at twice that, stating it's new, right color, right options, probably an easy sell. I could probably move their needle a bit if I were to march in their showroom tomorrow checkbook in hand.

Bottom line, it's going to cost me money. As I was driving home, I played good cop/bad cop in my own mind with my car. This version of the CTS is quite good, probably as good as any of the cars I had tested, better than some. I hate what Cadillac has put me, and my late Mother through over the years, though. I hate to reward them in any way for the way they treated us.

I know the phone calls from dealers are going to start here fast and furious in pretty short order and the clock ticks down on this year.

I'm not shopping any more. More interested in the Jag than the Benz(es). Lexus F Sports after that....then all the rest. As my more practical side takes hold, I really like THIS CTS, too.

stickguy

at this point, if you do the math from new, aren't you ahead of the game $ wise (and no, I am not factoring the major pain in the rump aggravation you went through!)

the 2014 would have depreciated to much less than you are getting quoted on the 2016 I assume. And given history, you might just be shopping that by now anyway. Or are you saying that it is $1,500 less than you originally paid for the 2014? If so, that is a screaming great ROI!

anyway, at this point, especially given the type of iron you are looking at, it really should be about your happiness and peace of mind. So do what feels right for you, and get the car you really want to have for the next 2-3 (1?) years. Just pay attention to likely depreciation over that time on any of these (especially a 2015 now that 2016s are out, and that Jag is getting a redesign soon).

tommister2

@graphicguy, I completely agree with @stickguy.

I think I would get out of that Caddy now, especially if it costs $3000 or less to do so. From my own past experience, every time I looked at it I would get a little ticked off about what happened. However, if you do like it, maybe you can take Mike's advice and keep it a few more months. What would keep you sane? I look forward to reading about your decision.

houdini1

Not real serious, but my local MB dealer has a sweet 2014 E 250 diesel just off a one year lease with 21,000 miles priced at $42,500. It is one owner, leased and serviced there and clean carfax. Luxury model plus prem pkg. auto, AWD, etc. Thoughts on pricing or anything else? Orig. msrp was around $61,000.

anony336

stickguy said:

I can't wait to sit in the XC90 next month at the auto show. Looks gorgeous, but well out of my price range! actually, maybe the next car. One option is get a fancy new(er) "family truckster" and sell the Acura (don't need 2) and I would replace that with a cheaper fun car. Could fit in the budget instead of keeping the RDX and getting a sedan for most duties. Decisions, decisions. and a 650i stickshift? Is that a 1 of 1 in this country?

I am still in the dealership world. The 650 has a horrible reputation. A good extended warranty will set you back 20% of the price of the car. 

Mr_Shiftright

I think that 650 that was advertised supposedly had some deluxe extended warranty good until 108,000 miles. I'm sure such an insurance policy was pricey on a car like that.

Sandman6472

GG, take it from me, get out now while the $ is there! Every day you walk into your garage, you're going to look at the CTS and remember the tumult they put you through plus what happened to mom. Eventually, you're going to hate even cleaning the vehicle. Best just to put this chapter to bed, get out of it and move on to something else. Trust me, once you find "the one", you'll never look back! Where does the wife weigh in on this situation?
Today at work, we had to take a Hyundai Tucson to the airport as it was a wholesale. Same year as mine, same color but different trim. I only got to sit in the back seat but have driven a couple the last few weeks. My only thought was happiness, happiness in that I traded something I really wasn't happy with...and I really have never looked back. Even though your situation was a lot different and potentially could of caused you a lot of damage with how badly yours drove at times, for your own sanity...and happiness, just trade and don't look back! For a small amount of $, look at what you could get into...how cool would a new Jag be or even a MB!
Go for it dude!!!

The Sandman

fintail

CPO? Have a link? Option load will determine a lot. At that MSRP it likely isn't a leather car, if that matters to you.

houdini1 said:

Not real serious, but my local MB dealer has a sweet 2014 E 250 diesel just off a one year lease with 21,000 miles priced at $42,500. It is one owner, leased and serviced there and clean carfax. Luxury model plus prem pkg. auto, AWD, etc. Thoughts on pricing or anything else? Orig. msrp was around $61,000.

nyccarguy

We all justify our Chronic Car buying (ahem) hobby in different ways.  One way to keep punching the card is to maintain other vehicles in the fleet obsessively so they will last a long time after they are paid off so eventually you will have a greater budget to either pay the other car off quicker & acquire another car or have a big chunk of equity for a more expensive car.  The maintenance light (B16) came on the Pilot about a month ago (I know, I shouldn't wait a month) with about 20% oil life left.  Currently it is at 5%.  

I Called the mechanic & told him what I wanted done (oil & filter change, differential fluid change, AT Fluid Change).  He asked if I could get the parts because he had a few cars in the shop & didn't have time to run to the dealer.  

I got really busy at work, got tired of waiting on hold with the local dealers' parts departments, and couldn't find how much of each fluid I needed (VTM-4 Fluid & ATF), so I ordered online from H and A Accessories.  They are a Honda dealer in Citrus Heights, CA that I used in the past to buy things for my Prelude.  There were a few sites that were a little less expensive, but they either didn't have or wouldn't allow me to select certain items (one site didn't have the ATF, another wouldn't ship the VTM-4 fluid).  The only thing that bothered me was that I had to pay $25 for UPS ground (which took about 2 weeks to get here) shipping on $66.71 worth of parts so in retrospect I could have just walked into a dealer's parts dept & paid full asking price.  H and A's website is very easy to navigate.  They show the MSRP, their price, & always have better prices for buying in bulk.  

I've got 5 quarts of Mobil 1 5w 20 (Pilot calls for 4.5 quarts) from Costco, a gallon of VTM-4 Fluid, 4 quarts of Honda ATF, a genuine Honda oil filter (bought a 3 pack) with crush washer (bought 3 of those also), along with crush washers for the transmission fluid drain & fill as well as the differential fluid drain.  So I'll call the mechanic & schedule a time to bring it in early next week.

I don't know if I posted the ending to my tire story.  After buying 4 new tires from Costco last month, I had a blowout on my wAy to pick up my son from hockey practice last week.  Costco stepped up without question & ordered me a brand new tire at no charge (part of their road hazard warranty).  The only bad part is that they ordered the tire the night right before XMas eve (Thursday) & the tire wouldn't even ship from their MD warehouse until Monday.  The new tire is in.  I'm going to close up early tomorrow (1:00 pm) & have it installed.

Thanks for reading.  Goodnight!

stickguy

No clue if I could save money doing it differently, but I just let the Acura dealer do the fluids when it is time. Usually just do it when I am in for an express oil change. Just so much easier. Plus, I like the fact that they are the only ones that touch the "oily bits" (homage to Edd), especially since it is under warranty. Don't want any JMonroe issues! And I don't have to chase around after different appointments and leaving the car.

Good news on your tire BTW. Nice that the road hazard paid off for you. I hope to get quite a bit more time out of the sneakers on the RDX (at 33k, still lots of tread), though for the first time on Xmas eve, on a wet road, I got a smidge of wheel spin. Usually a sign they are starting to lose the grip even if not to wear bars. I hope to not have to replace them before next winter, but we shall see. Might be an expensive Xmas present for the wife!

tommister2

@nyccarguy If you haven't already, you should check out Bernardi Honda parts online. They have prices similar to H and A but they are on the east coast so shipping costs less and is quicker.

jpp75

nyccarguy said:

@graphicguy - Like me, I know you are a big fan of Honda/Acura products. I'd steer clear of the TLX SH AWD. There are a lot of people out there in internet land who love pretty much everything about the car, but are complaining about the 9-Speed Automatic's "jerky" 2-3 upshift. They have crazy lease cash on them right now and if I was in the market could probably lease one for not that much considering it is a $42K car (Tech Pkg & AWD).

I have a good friend who is also a big fan of Honda/Acura products and is leasing a TLX, V6 Advance Package but only FWD. I've driven it a few times and agree, that 9 speed transmission needs some work. 1-2 and 2-3 are very "jerky", putting it in sport mode seems to help some but it's still there.

He keeps hoping they will fix it with some kind of software update, but I'm leery of that. I'd lease if I was getting one.

houdini1

fintail said:

CPO? Have a link? Option load will determine a lot. At that MSRP it likely isn't a leather car, if that matters to you.

houdini1 said:

Not real serious, but my local MB dealer has a sweet 2014 E 250 diesel just off a one year lease with 21,000 miles priced at $42,500. It is one owner, leased and serviced there and clean carfax. Luxury model plus prem pkg. auto, AWD, etc. Thoughts on pricing or anything else? Orig. msrp was around $61,000.

Thanks for reply fin. Correct, no leather. MBTEX is fine by me. In addition to the prem pkg $3870. , the luxury pkg is standard, comfort box, rearview camera, navigation, split folding rear seats, wood leather steering wheel, keyless go, electronic trunk opener, hands free access. Base price $53,900. total msrp incl. dest $61,005.

They also have a 2014 E 350 which is identical except for engine, etc. for $1,000. less. It also has about 20,000 miles. I am also aware that a totally new E class, designated as a 2017 is due out in mid 2017.

nyccarguy

@jpp5862 - I've read quite a few reviews that praise the V6 Powered AWD TLX for so many things, but the tranny gets knocked way too often.  I'm sure if you complain, they'll issue a software update.  Complain multiple times and you'll get a new transmission.  Either way, it's not a risk I'm willing to take with a $42K car.  

Besides the transmission, what do you think of the V6 TLX otherwise?

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

@jpp5862 - I've read quite a few reviews that praise the V6 Powered AWD TLX for so many things, but the tranny gets knocked way too often.  I'm sure if you complain, they'll issue a software update.  Complain multiple times and you'll get a new transmission.  Either way, it's not a risk I'm willing to take with a $42K car.  

Besides the transmission, what do you think of the V6 TLX otherwise?

I love me some TLs. I have test driven the TLX a couple of times. Never noticed the trans issue. But, it sounds like something you wouldn't necessarily notice unless you lived with the car for awhile.

Having exhaustively test driven a BUNCH of cars in the last several months, I came away impressed with the value quotient of the TLX...especially the Advanced SH AWD versions.

But, it hasn't been lost on me that I'm in the minority. I liked the styling of the previous gen (heck, I had one in the stable). I must have been the only one though.

Maybe wait until the 2016s hit the dealers lots? Acura usually doesn't make much ballyhoo about updates to current models. But, if Honda's recent mindset is any indication, using the Civic as an example, they may do some quick retooling of the TLX.

It's getting pretty hard to differenciate the top line Accord from the TLX these days. The ILX has been widely panned as a Civic that's too expensive. The RLX hasn't been a player in the lux field for so long, I wonder why Acura even bothers. That can't be good for Acura.

graphicguy

Car shopping...as expected, I'm getting dealer phone calls about every other hour.

Come to the conclusion, I don't want to add financial penalties to my mental irritation that I've been through with this Cadillac. The CTS is running well. It seems to be a good car, so far. I do like it. It touches all of my buttons. So, I'll sit tight for a bit.

Thanks for all the insight from my Edmunds friends.

And.......Have a safe, and wonderful start to 2016.

Michaell

graphicguy said:

Car shopping...as expected, I'm getting dealer phone calls about every other hour.

Come to the conclusion, I don't want to add financial penalties to my mental irritation that I've been through with this Cadillac. The CTS is running well. It seems to be a good car, so far. I do like it. It touches all of my buttons. So, I'll sit tight for a bit.

Thanks for all the insight from my Edmunds friends.

And.......Have a safe, and wonderful start to 2016.

Nothing wrong with standing pat. Making a deal for the deal's sake may not be the best approach.

(trust me, I'm having the same thoughts about getting out of my Elantra GT lease early, given the fantastic deals available from Hyundai at the moment. My car goes in for service on Saturday; anything is possible)

qbrozen

GG - like stick, I'm a bit confused by what you mean when you say "less than what you paid." If you mean what you paid on the 2014, then that seems great for you if you really want out of it. It will depreciate like a rock, so if you have any doubts at all, I say dump it now while you the gettin is good.

HOWEVER, you obviously aren't smitten with anything you have driven so far. Like you, I found the Jag to be a bit boring, and I even drove the previous 5.0 V8 version. I have not tried any new Benzes, and I don't trust BMW these days. Not sure what your pricerange is, but may I suggest taking a look at the Macan? You won't get a deal, and it would probably be in the mid $60s by the time you are done. Have you tried Audi? I've never been a fan, but when you read so many great things, it is hard to ignore.

nyccarguy

@graphicguy - I definitely don't want you to buy a car just because its a good deal, especially at the price point you are looking at.  I also don't want you to be disappointed in April (or anytime in 2016) when the Caddy is worth a lot less than what you are being offered now.  

Like @qbrozen said, you need to be "smitten" like you were with your 335xi, TL SH AWD, your S4 before its issues, as well as your '14 CTS, & your '15 CTS.

I have always been a fan of the last generation TL in its SH-AWD w/ Tech guise.  I liked it even more once they refreshed in 2012.  I've seen a few very low mileage 2013s & even a few off lease 36 - 40k mile 2012s.  They hold their value quite well.  As with most low mileage, cream puff, CPO luxury vehicles, the dealers are proud of their 2013 & 2014s.  I'm a little afraid of the "off lease" CPO models because I don't know their history.  Did the owners use PUG as directed?  Did they use synthetic oil from the Acura dealer or did they just go to Jiffy Lube?  Did they change the brake fluid?  What about the differential fluid?  I'm sure a 36 - 40 K mile CPO will need brakes & tires sooner rather than later.

i happen to like the TLX's understated looks along with its value quotient.  A lot of car for the money.  You won't be happy with a loaded up Accord Touring.  Hard to go back to FWD when you've been driving AWD/RWD for so many years.

fintail

A luxury trim car like that is actually pretty rare - as likely 95% of the cars sold in NA have the "sport" trim (also no charge). That is if it is actually a luxury trim car - sometimes dealers put funny things in the blanks.

Premium package would include the camera, nav; keyless go gives the trunk (which I find handy) and push button; wood wheel is an option, split seats are too. Does it have standard or full LED lights? I love the lighting package on these cars.

New E should be on our roads by summer 2016.

houdini1 said:

Thanks for reply fin. Correct, no leather. MBTEX is fine by me. In addition to the prem pkg $3870. , the luxury pkg is standard, comfort box, rearview camera, navigation, split folding rear seats, wood leather steering wheel, keyless go, electronic trunk opener, hands free access. Base price $53,900. total msrp incl. dest $61,005.

They also have a 2014 E 350 which is identical except for engine, etc. for $1,000. less. It also has about 20,000 miles. I am also aware that a totally new E class, designated as a 2017 is due out in mid 2017.

breld

I'm just fessing up ahead of time - we're going car "looking" today.

Gonna check out the SUV offerings from BMW and MB. On another note, the BMW dealership near us is advertising $8k off of 3'er wagons.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

GG - like stick, I'm a bit confused by what you mean when you say "less than what you paid." If you mean what you paid on the 2014, then that seems great for you if you really want out of it. It will depreciate like a rock, so if you have any doubts at all, I say dump it now while you the gettin is good.

HOWEVER, you obviously aren't smitten with anything you have driven so far. Like you, I found the Jag to be a bit boring, and I even drove the previous 5.0 V8 version. I have not tried any new Benzes, and I don't trust BMW these days. Not sure what your pricerange is, but may I suggest taking a look at the Macan? You won't get a deal, and it would probably be in the mid $60s by the time you are done. Have you tried Audi? I've never been a fan, but when you read so many great things, it is hard to ignore.

Thanks Q. I was "getting on" the CTS driving last night. I was thinking of your car. I do really like that 2.0T in my CTS. Not sure what they did with it, but it certainly performs way better than the one that was in my '14. And, I don't think it is only because of the new transmission. It even sounds a lot better.

I can't even imagine what your V-Sport must feel like.

You're right. Nothing really bowled me over, otherwise I would have pulled the trigger.

Gotta admit, the cars that are in this segment are all good. They all have the latest and greatest you can get on cars these days. They're all good performers. But, you can tell which way their respective manufacturers are pointing them and how they define "luxury".

Cadillac puts the CTS squarely in the sport/luxury compartment vs some of the others putting the luxury before the sport.

All of them are good looking cars, but as always, it comes down to what you like.

I'm happy (right now)!

nyccarguy

breld said:

I'm just fessing up ahead of time - we're going car "looking" today. Gonna check out the SUV offerings from BMW and MB. On another note, the BMW dealership near us is advertising $8k off of 3'er wagons.

Uh oh.  Don't finalize your 2015 list yet @corvette!  Somebody's not done

stever

lol, with this crowd we could have 5 more deals done before the chili falls at midnight.

nyccarguy

I'm out.  I haven't had time to get my Legacy repaired from its parking lot incident a few months back.

Mr_Shiftright

I rented a 2016 Ford Fusion Titanium the other day. Pretty nice car I must say! Plenty of power, handles well, (Titanium has the handling package) solid feel to it, leather, lots of bells and whistles....well, for me perhaps TOO many bells and whistles. The touch screen already looks like a swarm of monkeys have been pawing it after eating bananas, and the user interface is rather maddening. Makes you what to pound your fist on it. I much prefer the normal buttons to control climate and radio at least. Only real complaints so far are my suffering a concussion every time I try to enter the car, and the too-short thigh supports, which make you feel like you are teetering on the seat bottom. Rather lofty MSRP, too, on the loaded Titanium trim. Would I buy one? Yeah, maybe, if it was $25,000--$28,000 bucks and had a manual transmission. The one I rented priced out at about $31K. Certainly this car is a contender in mid-size sedans. It felt about as fast as my Mini Cooper S, with its 240HP, ----so no rocket ship but good enough for life on 2016 roads. Gee, a manual transmission would be fun in this car. It'll never happen. I'd guess the AWD model is a little porkier.

nyccarguy

Mr_Shiftright said:

I rented a 2016 Ford Fusion Titanium the other day. Pretty nice car I must say! Plenty of power, handles well, (Titanium has the handling package) solid feel to it, leather, lots of bells and whistles....well, for me perhaps TOO many bells and whistles. The touch screen already looks like a swarm of monkeys have been pawing it after eating bananas, and the user interface is rather maddening. Makes you what to pound your fist on it. I much prefer the normal buttons to control climate and radio at least. Only real complaints so far are my suffering a concussion every time I try to enter the car, and the too-short thigh supports, which make you feel like you are teetering on the seat bottom. Rather lofty MSRP, too, on the loaded Titanium trim. Would I buy one? Yeah, maybe, if it was $25,000--$28,000 bucks and had a manual transmission. The one I rented priced out at about $31K. Certainly this car is a contender in mid-size sedans. It felt about as fast as my Mini Cooper S, with its 240HP, ----so no rocket ship but good enough for life on 2016 roads. Gee, a manual transmission would be fun in this car. It'll never happen. I'd guess the AWD model is a little porkier.

These Fusions sell for THOUSANDS less than sticker. There is ALWAYS incentives plus cheap financing plus bonus cash available. They are really sharp looking. The only other car in the mid sized sedan class I'd consider as it offers AWD.

Mr_Shiftright

I have to say I was impressed. I flogged it as much as I dared on its tires and it was OK. But I'm just not ready for an automatic in a sedan (it's fine in my pickup truck). Once I become older, more toothless, more hairless, and I'm living at Carnage Hill Home, shaking my fist out the window at kids on skateboards, (oh excuse me---hoverboards) then maybe I'll get myself a 4-door automatic sedan.

suydam

The hybrid version is pretty nice too. I was impressed. And I don't shop Fords.

Mr_Shiftright

AWD is a nice option as well, although from what I've read, it's going to slow the car down and dent the MPG--which isn't all that great in its class as it is.