Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I've never been good at figuring out license plates.
Mark
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Mark
I'll admit I wouldn't have if it wasn't in the context of motorhomes.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
I have to look online to see if I can get one cheaper in the US.
I asked him to duct tape the pump, but he doesn't recommend it. :sick:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I wondered how many people would get it when I put it on the truck, but then it didn't matter to me, I know what it means and that's all I care about. I think its cute and well, it fits the truck.
Sooooo, what's the latest pool on me buying something else?? LOL
I will have to buy a new windshield for my truck soon, it cracked all the way across and ended up in my line of sight, drives me nuts. Didn't make quite the same pretty designs that the driver's side window made when it broke. Then there's the broken fog light, now its got some pretty cracks going on. :sick:
In my case whenever I see a late middle age guy and the missuz (this is always the demographic) driving down the turnpike in a truck/bus chassis RV all by their lonesome,I wonder. Whats with these people? Why are they putting themselves through this? Wouldn't they be a lot happier if they just took all that money, bought a new Mercedes sedan and made reservations all across the North America at the very best hotels, say the Ritz? Certainly, it would be cheaper, they would meet a better class of people, and have more freedom to come and go as they pleased. If they had to really pretend that they were diesel truckers they could even buy an E Class Mercedes with the new diesel.
Sign me up for 365 nights at various Ritz locations instead of blowing 600K on a bus and an (unpaid) bus driver's job.
I never said I would give up regular hotel travel, having a motorhome will just enhance my travel choices.
Please don't confuse "class" with "money", those two don't always go hand in hand... (ex.. Donald Trump).
Mark156
But you guys really amaze me. I truly don't understand why anyone would want to pay to pound down the Interstate to then pull up to an RV park.
A better example would be Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, etc, etc.... They have plenty of money, are attractive, but really don't have much class in my opinion. So, inferring that people in RV parks have "less class" is incorrect.
Remember when Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie were in "It's a simple life"? They traveled the country in a GM Truck pulling an Airstream trailer. The Airstream trailer was for sale at an Airstream dealer in Irvine, CA, as I had seen it on their website. It was near where I rented motorhomes so I stopped by to see it but it wasn't there. As I recall, they were asking a normal used price for it.
Back to the motorhome lifestyle, I guess I don't understand why you don't get it. When motorhome traveling, you are in your own cocoon and you don't have to pack and unpack as you would moving from hotel to hotel. Your have your own kitchen to prepare your own food or you can eat out. Everyday, you can have a new view out your window whether you are in a big city or way out in the country.
Also, I really enjoy driving. I find class A motorhomes easy to drive and handle.
Sometimes, in smaller towns, there are not really great hotels to pick from. I drive across country several times a year and I've been caught having to accept a "lower grade" hotel because that was all that was available. Sometimes, you don't know when or where you will be stopping and have to take what's there. In a motorhome, your level of luxury is right there whether you are in a Crackle Barrel parking lot or a Outdoor Resorts RV park. Just close the curtains and you are in your mini luxury suite.
I plan on going to Yellowstone National Park this summer and maybe swing through Lake Tahoe... I will hit all 48 states before the motorhome is sold (maybe about five years). Rough estimation is that a $331,000 MSRP motorhome (minus 25% purchase price) will retail for about $90-100K (depending on mileage and condition).
For a dingy, a Jeep Liberty is popping to the top of the list because I know Jeep's have the lever to disengage the drive-train. I will just need to have the towbar installed once I purchase it.
Happy Travels... Mark156
You may say Trump has no class. But saying he doesn't have that much money is funny. He may be heavily leveraged but these days he is doing a lot more than real estate. He has his likeness on a very successful reality show and other projects. And even though very successfull people DO declare bankrupcy, I'm sure they don't end up "poor" by our meaning of the word.
It does sound like fun though...but my family would probaly prefer the nice hotels...go figure.
The Sandman
Don't have a wife or kids... just an S.O.
Going to look at motorhomes on Wednesday.... I have one salesman that is pulling units in the 400K plus range... He better offer a huge discount for that to work!
I told him $300K - $350... and he sends me invoices for much more... :confuse:
I have a feeling I'm going with the other dealer I was working with but we'll see.
Mark156
Taking my '06 Civic in for it's 1st oil change tomorrow & to have a TSB taken care of. Hopefully they will get it all done right the first time. Have also been looking on Ebay for some 16" Honda wheels to replace my steelies. Don't really need them, but new alloys would make the car look really sweet. And all I'd need is to buy the wheels & put my exisiting tires on them, as I only have 5030 miles on the car in 7 months. My son who just left to go back to school in St. Louis, put on about 500 miles in the 3 weeks he was home for vacation.
Time will tell on the alloys though. If I can find some nice looking one's with the correct fitment and all, I just might treat myself. Just have to pass it through the wife's scrutiny though. For some reason, most woman don't understand that we car lovers really enjoy customizing our rides just a bit. We don't see it as wasting money, but more of a way to enjoy our rides more. Would sure put a big smile on my face! Wish me luck!
The Sandman
Wow, I WISH I could put that few miles on a vehicle. My truck is just over 6 months old and turned 18k on Thursday. Hubby's Ram has around 12k on it so its on family duty, RV duty, grocery duty, and anything else I can find until it catches up with mine, lol.
I must say I the looks of the sedan have grown on me. Originally I only liked the coupe, but the more I see the sedans I think they have almost as nice lines.
I know what you mean about the wife. I sometimes think about looking for a set of TSX 17" for my Accord (which already has alloys), but can't really think of a justification, other than they look nice, which ain't going to fly.
Now, if I needed snows, that is the way I would go, but i suppose you don't run into that problem in sunny Fla.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Another thought would be to put your tires and wheels up on eBay/Craigslist and get new tires and wheels for your car.
I would probably stay with 16" because they are lighter and cheaper with more options right now.
I had Midas put a new muffler on Barney today. Much, much, much better sounding (read: quieter) on the drive home from the shop.
Midas also told me that it needs the front CV joint replaced. Couple hundred bucks, they said. I passed for now, since the car isn't driven very much (maybe 200 miles in the past year), and I've got until June to get everything taken care of.
Next step is to get it to pass emissions and get permanent plates for it. That has to happen by the 26th of this month.
Then:
> Front CV joint, apparently - I might get a second opinion on this
> Driver's door lock repaired - key just spins in the keyhole on the door
> Oil change and new wipers
But, now that I can actually hear the radio, I might be inclined to drive it more.
I would love to get some custom wheels for it - it has 14" rims, so I can't imagine that it would be too expensive (< $300?) to get some basic alloy wheels.
Plus, I'm thinking that somewhere down the line I'll get some new wheels for the L300 as well. The OEM chrome wheels are covered with brake dust and can't be cleaned up real well anymore.
The tires on Barney are pretty new .. I don't have the receipts, but there is quite a bit of tread left on them.
The car will ultimately end up in Southern California as a graduation present to my son in June, so it's likely that this will be the last winter the car sees. I thought it would be nice to dress it up a bit with some new alloy wheels before giving it to him.
Just so long as you are clear that you are dressing it up for YOUR benefit, not his. My guess is he'd rather you pass the money to him than have alloys on his ride (at least by the time he is living on a student's income).
I'm looking for a car with a nice manual tranny - thinking along the lines of a >94 Integra or a >95 Maxima.
Anybody have experience with those. Or any other similar cars. I prefer a 4 door, but open to 2 door as well.
I also need something any mechanic can work on, and should have a good supply of aftermarket parts.
Reliability and cost of maintenance/repair is also very important.
Suggestions, please.
Integras and Maximas are good choices as well. Stick to japanese cars and you'll fare well, even though finding a decent 5 speed might be a challenge.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
They are also well supported in engine swaps (B16a into a CRX is kind of the classic one, but H22s in an Accord are common too)
That said, depending on how big you want, the Infinity G20 of the early 90s shared a lot with the Sentra SE-R/NX2000, all of which are fun to drive. These might be below your price range at this point though, and finding a good example might be challenging.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I'm not a big fan on the pre-94 accords looks. It's like pulling teeth to find a 94-97 Accord with 5-sp.
I should have mentioned I'm in Canada (near Toronto) so it's in general a smaller market that any big US city.
qbrozen - 626? really. I have heard of spotty reliability with the 2.5 V6.
the only issue with the 626 i know of is the automatic tranny that is coupled with the 4-cylinders. Its a Ford tranny and seemingly guaranteed to crap out.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I'm thinking--get something bigger, with more headroom & cargo space--& 4wd or AWD for snow. Japanese this time instead of German or British. And a budget of hopefully under $30K. Only cars I can come up with are a used 4runner or MDX (w/o going nuts & buying a used Land Cruiser or LX470, altho I'd really like one). I've kinda ruled out cute-utes. I'm keeping a new Tacoma on the list (altho less practical for me than a SUV), & possibly a Subaru Outback turbo wagon (which is not bigger than a 5 series of course).
Any ideas from anyone? I always go thru this same schizoid process when buying a car.....
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
You don't seem to drive a lot, so fuel prices probably aren't that important.. I think it makes a lot of sense, although I'm not sure you'll pickup a lot of cargo room over your wagon.. They are a lot smaller inside than outside.
Great deals on Honda Pilots... I'd go that way, before getting an MDX. Also, more interior space than a 4Runner.
I really like Touaregs... but, not sure I'd like to own one out of warranty..
Sort of sad to think you are going from a wagon to an SUV..
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Totally off-topic, but since you know more about audio stuff than I do, are you using external speakers with your iMac, and if so, which ones did you choose?
One of the main things I don't like about the bmw wagon is a combination of the low ride height, & the short distance between the seats & roof, or between the load floor & roof. Just feels slightly claustrophobic inside, & I notice it when trying to load lots of stuff or my bike etc. (The rear hatch release breaking occasionally doesn't help loading stuff either).
Today I had myself convinced to buy a V6 AWD Rav4. Buying new can be much easier than buying used IMO. I'd have to resign myself to the "cute-ute" look, but the power of the V6, the price, etc. could sway me.....I guess I could look at used "certified" X5's, but they certainly wouldn't be more reliable than a 5-series.....
Any great lease options could sway me too.....
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
No external speakers with my iMac--I'm so obsessed with audio that I always have an excellent (separate) audio system in whatever room I have the computer in. But I'm sure there are people on some of the audio boards who know about this; try doing a web search for the words "audio", with "gone", & also "audio" with "asylum". If you find those 2 sites you can post questions, or search existing threads.
Also I don't know the sound quality from the audio outputs of an i-mac? You want to play CD's? Off the top of my head I'd think look into powered speakers like Genelec--very high quality--some audio pros use the more expensive ones--I'd think they could be hooked up to a computer?--there's a giant music store in So. IN that sells them & should know--try searching "sweet" + "water". (not supposed to list other web sites here)