Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

28firefighter said:

But. I loved the S3...

Well, there's a very well cared for example for sale here in the Denver area now.

Michaell

The S4 is a manual. 

I figure they will dump the Sedona next, now that the caregiver has a minivan. 

28firefighter

breld said:

But. I loved the S3...

Well, there's a very well cared for example for sale here in the Denver area now.

If I had my sights set on being a single man, I would be there. 

I really am in love with the GTI, though, so I am not in any hurry to switch. 

breld

Well, to be clear, our son's caregiver doesn't live with us, so that van isn't in our household. Though one is off to college next year, we still have enough opportunities with the 4 kids that we need the seating capacity. So, the Sedona stays, unless we were to find a 3-row SUV we can't live without.

Speaking of, before we went to the dealership with the X5, we stopped by a Mercedes dealer and checked out a couple used GL450's (thanks for the suggestion @nyccarguy). I was impressed - it lives up to its reputation as one of the nicest 3-row SUVs. Having never owned a Mercedes, it certainly lived up to what I expected - very smooth and comfortable. The V-8 was nice. The third row has "real" seats, and access is pretty good. I like the somewhat understated looks and sharp lines. Sort of reminds me of a large Grand Cherokee - which I consider a compliment.

Definitely would work as a minivan replacement. Though of course with the wife's new X5, my appetite for switching out the minivan for an SUV is mostly quelled. And, even used, it's still a costly vehicle.

breld

28firefighter said:

breld said:

28firefighter said:

But. I loved the S3...

Well, there's a very well cared for example for sale here in the Denver area now.

If I had my sights set on being a single man, I would be there. 

I really am in love with the GTI, though, so I am not in any hurry to switch. 

To be honest, my wife continued to pine a little for the GTI she traded. Not that the S3 isn't nicer in many ways, but bang for your buck, you just can't beat that GTI.

So, you're in good shape.

carnaught

Breld, I see you are working on being the CCBA Grand Poobah for 2016, as you were in 2015.

Congrats, and enjoy!

roadburner

It's official: My wife repossessed the X3 and we sent my son back to SC in the 328i. I think my wife has said "I can't tell you how glad I am to get the X3 back!" at least a half dozen times over the past two days...

Michaell

roadburner said:

It's official: My wife repossessed the X3 and we sent my son back to SC in the 328i. I think my wife has said "I can't tell you how glad I am to get the X3 back!" at least a half dozen times over the past two days...

You think the decision was driven by easier entry / exit of the X3?

roadburner

Michaell said:

You think the decision was driven by easier entry / exit of the X3?

No; her all-time favorite BMW was her 1998 318ti. I actually like the X3 better as well. I think the E90 is the platform where BMW first began to soften up the base model to molify the "wearers" and thus force enthusiasts to buy a Sport or M Sport if you wanted decent seats and BMW levels of handling. They perfected that philosophy with the F30, which in base form is an anodyne marshmallow(and don't get me started on the F10 5er, which is a snoozemobile no matter how you option it). Munich has backed away from that a bit with their LCI(facelifted) 3er, but it's still, as one wag put it, "More Buick than Bimmer."
Even with 182k on the clock the X3 is tight and rattle-free. Not quick by any metric, it can still keep up with traffic and cruise at 80-90 mph with no problem whatsoever.

corvette

roadburner said:

It's official: My wife repossessed the X3 and we sent my son back to SC in the 328i. I think my wife has said "I can't tell you how glad I am to get the X3 back!" at least a half dozen times over the past two days...

Happy wife, happy life... I'm guessing an X3 3.0i would have been moderately better at being quick.

roadburner

A 3.0i of the same vintage was a bit quicker but didn't really feel quicker. The 3.0si X3s were the ones that really did feel like there was a healthy horsepower boost.

kyfdx

roadburner said:

A 3.0i of the same vintage was a bit quicker but didn't really feel quicker. The 3.0si X3s were the ones that really did feel like there was a healthy horsepower boost.

Yeah.. we had an '08 with the 3.0si. 255 HP. It was very powerful, but unfortunately was killed due to CAFE scores. My wife's 2011 model with the same size engine has 25 HP less, and you can tell.

breld

So, a quick technical question regarding wheels.

The X5 clearly has a winter set of wheels on it, thought they're still nice BMW wheels. Nice for this time of year, since I don't have to rush out to find some winter tires, but I would like to "upgrade" them back to a 19" setup for the spring and summer.

I like the stock wheels from the sport package, but don't really want to go for a staggered setup. I can't imagine there'd be any problem in buying 4 of the slightly narrower "front" wheels and using those all the way around, right?

corvette

I doubt it would be a problem, so long as the load rating for the narrower tires is sufficient.

stickguy

should not be a problem. As long as the overall diameter is the same, car won't know the difference. I assume the wheels/tires on it now are the same size all around? Plus I assume that the X5 came that way (1 size) standard.

stickguy

I feel kind of bummed not being in the market any time soon (fall 2017). But, I did point out to the wife why it is important to go to the car show next month anyway. Quite likely I will be shopping for a lightly used higher end car, which means the stuff that is out now is what I will be looking at used later in 2017!

breld

Oh yes, the car show is absolutely a must! And your specific reasoning is definitely sound as far as looking at new cars that will be used in a year or two.

kyfdx

breld said:

So, a quick technical question regarding wheels.

The X5 clearly has a winter set of wheels on it, thought they're still nice BMW wheels. Nice for this time of year, since I don't have to rush out to find some winter tires, but I would like to "upgrade" them back to a 19" setup for the spring and summer.

I like the stock wheels from the sport package, but don't really want to go for a staggered setup. I can't imagine there'd be any problem in buying 4 of the slightly narrower "front" wheels and using those all the way around, right?

You have to watch for offsets. Front wheels might be offset differently, and though they will likely fit, they may sit too far in to look good on the rear.

Michaell

breld said:

Oh yes, the car show is absolutely a must! And your specific reasoning is definitely sound as far as looking at new cars that will be used in a year or two.

 We  need to meet up this year! 

stickguy

I go every year regardless. Haven't missed in the 30 years since I moved to Philly. Some years I even go more than once.

never know when you need something unexpectedly. Plus I look at it like taking courses to keep a professional certification. How can I present myself as an expert, if I am not up on all the new options?

fintail

Congrats on the X5. The diesel is definitely the best choice for one, even the 6cyl is hilariously thirsty.

stickguy

I googled for some pictures, and ended up reading this series of LT reviews. Pretty impressive. I want one!

http://www.thedieseldriver.com/2012/06/introducing-the-diesel-drivers-new-long-term-car-the-2012-bmw-x5-xdrive35d/

Mr_Shiftright

I always thought diesels in SUVs made way more sense than in little cars.

Michaell

 I was lucky enough to drive an X5 diesel when I worked the BMW golf tournament the year before last.  Deceptively quick, and very nicely  laid out  

nyccarguy

@breld - Congrats on the X5 diesel punch!  That's a nice ride.  So there was only a $500 difference in price between your wife's S3 (2014?) & a 2012 X5 Diesel?  Was the price on the X5 that good or did your S4 depreciate much more rapidly than you expected?  How many miles on the S3?

roadburner

kyfdx beat me to it, but make sure the narrower front wheels are the correct offset for the rear. The new Mustang has different offsets and problems ensue if you swap them back to front

jpp75

@breld Congrats on the X5, I agree the diesel is the motor to get. It's a sharp looking vehicle!

nelsonf

Michaell said:

No shopping for me, today. One of our dogs needed an emergency trip to the vet and now has a bandage on his left rear leg. Wife had a hair appt, so I'm on dog sitting duty. 

Stick, the Sedona is a lease. May be tougher to get out of it. 

Uh oh. Does your dog have to wear the "cone of shame"? Hopefully your pup will have a speedy recovery!

Michaell

nelsonf said:

No shopping for me, today. One of our dogs needed an emergency trip to the vet and now has a bandage on his left rear leg. Wife had a hair appt, so I'm on dog sitting duty. 

Stick, the Sedona is a lease. May be tougher to get out of it. 

Uh oh. Does your dog have to wear the "cone of shame"? Hopefully your pup will have a speedy recovery!

 The vet gave us a cone for him to wear, but he's actually been very good and hasn't chewed at his bandage at all 

anony336

The X5 is one of my favorite SUV's. I drove a 2012 with the 4.4L V8. Loved the handling, ride.... Pretty much everything about it. Except the gas mileage. I averaged 17 MPG. The gas hand literally started dropping as soon as I left the gas pump.

corvette

I got on BMW's website and optioned up a 2016 X5 xDrive40e (the plug-in hybrid) to over $80k, and I didn't check all the boxes. It appears that a rear view camera (standard equipment on a Honda Fit) is an extra cost option on a BMW in 2016. :@

stickguy

my SIL has a fairly new X5 3.5i. Very sharp, Trying to remember exactly when they got it, but I assume it is a 2014 (the redesigned model). hard to tell by looking, since they pretty much look the same!

breld

Michaell said:

breld said:

Oh yes, the car show is absolutely a must! And your specific reasoning is definitely sound as far as looking at new cars that will be used in a year or two.

 We  need to meet up this year! 

Definitely!

breld

nyccarguy said:

@breld - Congrats on the X5 diesel punch!  That's a nice ride.  So there was only a $500 difference in price between your wife's S3 (2014?) & a 2012 X5 Diesel?  Was the price on the X5 that good or did your S4 depreciate much more rapidly than you expected?  How many miles on the S3?

The S3 was a 2015 and had 8,700 miles on it. It definitely depreciated more than I would've expected (and I'm pretty realistic on those things), but all in all I was pretty happy on the straight swap.

We're pretty particular on colors and equipment on our BMWs - wife loves the oyster interior, has just a few exterior colors she likes, and definitely wanted the sport package. And the diesel was our preference. So, it was quite serendipitous that such a vehicle was available at an Audi dealership, which I figured gave us the best chance at a high trade value.

The very high end of KBB trade was about $600 less than the KBB "fair purchase price" on the X5, so I pushed for a straight trade - they initially came back at $1,400, but before long we settled at $500.

At the very least, having made the move, we were happy to have broken the streak of buying new. Easy to be seduced by the new models, but there's definitely a greater sense of satisfaction in finding a "gem" on the used market.

breld

As always, thanks for all the compliments and encouraging words on the X5.

I drove it around a bit today running some errands, and became more and more impressed. The diesel "clatter" is very noticeable at idle and light acceleration, but it's sort of charming and fun. At speed it seems as quiet as any other X5.

There's a bit of hesitation at launch, but once it gets going the torque is apparent. The new model has an 8 speed versus the 6 in this older model - I imagine those 2 extra gears make a nice difference in acceleration. They definitely make a significant different in MPG.

Understanding it's still an SUV, it handles very well and, IMO, has that "old" BMW feel. The steering is heavy, in a good way. Perhaps a bit too heavy around a parking lot, but I'll take it. All the controls are familiar and reminiscent (naturally) of our departed E90s.

Happy to have it in the stable!

breld

corvette said:

I got on BMW's website and optioned up a 2016 X5 xDrive40e (the plug-in hybrid) to over $80k, and I didn't check all the boxes. It appears that a rear view camera (standard equipment on a Honda Fit) is an extra cost option on a BMW in 2016. :@

Yeah - we were certainly impressed with the new examples we drove a couple weeks ago. And I was enthralled with that 40e model. Didn't get a chance to drive the diesel version of the new model, but from what I've read, that's the better way to go for efficiency.

But you're right - they are pricey. We probably could get by with "only" a $70k version , but are infinitely happier with our 30k mile used version at half the price.

au1994

@breld...congrats on the X5. That's a great color combo!!

kyfdx

Need opinions here:

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/38972/toyota/prius/2007-touring-prius-90k-miles-should-i-buy-for-my-teen#latest

graphicguy

Breld....congrats on the punch. Nice SUV......! I like them.

Mr_Shiftright

corvette said:

I got on BMW's website and optioned up a 2016 X5 xDrive40e (the plug-in hybrid) to over $80k, and I didn't check all the boxes. It appears that a rear view camera (standard equipment on a Honda Fit) is an extra cost option on a BMW in 2016. :@

Hah! Porsche is even better at the "endless options" list. You can run up a Porsche 911 with an additional $52.000 in options!

The largest percent increase possible on a vehicle (% of options cost over MSRP base model) is actually a Ford F150. Go figure.

xwesx

I finally made it to the end of the new posts, again, so I figure this time I should remember to put in my "guess" for 2016.... I'll stick with 31! I have a good feeling about that number this year. It was only those last-minute shenanigans that blew it out of the water in 2015.

Congrats on the X5, breld; I think diesel is definitely the way to go in that class.

nyccarguy

I always comment on my Legacy's adequate power output. 2 times over the weekend I could have used some more juice:

Friday night on my way to my Brother-In-Law's father's wake. With the Legacy I've got to wait a long time at an exit ramp with a stop sign at the end of it, then floor it to get uphill while the traffic on the 2 lane highway I'm merging onto has cars barreling downhill at me. I find myself saying "cmon baby, you can do it" until I reach a comfortable cruising speed at the crest of the hill.

Saturday afternoon on my way home from work. I'm in the right lane of I-95 northbound with my cruise set at 65 mph. There is a new Jeep Cherokee approaching behind me at an alarmingly rapid rate and a tractor trailer next to me. I floored the gas pedal to try and move from the right lane into the center lane in front of the tractor trailer to avoid the clown in the jeep behind me. I backed off when I realized I didn't have enough power on tap to get in front of the tractor trailer without making it a close call. The lunatic in the Jeep thought about passing me on the shoulder, but just decided it was a better idea to ride my rear bumper until I got off the next exit.

Mr_Shiftright

Legacy engine is a bit rough around the edges. It could use an upgrade.

breld

@nyccarguy - Once again, there's a lightly used, well taken care of S3 available here in the Denver area that would certainly solve your power concerns. I'm sure the dealership here can ship. I'll even check it out for you.

xwesx

The Enabler Strikes Back

news at ten....

Sandman6472

Been down with a stomach virus since Friday and there were like 71 posts to get through, this forum has definitely picked up. Great color combo on the BMW and 30K is really just a drop in the bucket for a 4 year old vehicle. Not sure I could be comfortable going diesel as not to sure how many local stations sell it. But seems a lot of folks love 'em so they must know something.
Back to work tomorrow...glad it's only a part time gig with flexibility. Just hope I feel better!

The Sandman

tifighter

Nice find @breld . I test drove one of those 2 years ago and liked the diesel. Multi-contour seats are a must for sure, and hard to find.

nyccarguy

breld said:

@nyccarguy - Once again, there's a lightly used, well taken care of S3 available here in the Denver area that would certainly solve your power concerns. I'm sure the dealership here can ship. I'll even check it out for you.

@breld - what are they asking for it compared to what they gave you for it?  How much cheaper is it than a new one?

rayainsw

"2017 Ford Fusion gets 325-hp Sport model with AWD" and MSRP $34,350.
I find this interesting...
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/01/11/2017-ford-fusion-sport-detroit-auto-show/

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

breld said:

@nyccarguy - Once again, there's a lightly used, well taken care of S3 available here in the Denver area that would certainly solve your power concerns. I'm sure the dealership here can ship. I'll even check it out for you.

@breld - what are they asking for it compared to what they gave you for it?  How much cheaper is it than a new one?

 My guess – and it's only A guess – is this a dealer is probably asking about 38,000 or $39,000 for it