Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

It is only this man's opinion, but I think the problem with Kia and Hyundai isn't the product but rather the dealers. Lots of screamer ads, "we'll finance anybody with a pulse" and sales tactics from the dark days of the industry.

If corporate could improve the quality of the dealership experience to be on par with Honda or Toyota, then you might see sales really start to trend upward.

stever

suydam said:

I'm kinda interested in checking out the new Chevy Volt.

Me too - did an inventory search last week and nothing in stock near me.

In the news - German Cars Are Less Reliable Than You Think, Finds Warranty Wise (fleetpoint.org)

Michaell

Michaell said:

It is only this man's opinion, but I think the problem with Kia and Hyundai isn't the product but rather the dealers. Lots of screamer ads, "we'll finance anybody with a pulse" and sales tactics from the dark days of the industry.

If corporate could improve the quality of the dealership experience to be on par with Honda or Toyota, then you might see sales really start to trend upward.

@breld - how was your experience when you leased the Sedona?

fintail

In the British news, anyway - where there are so many models not offered in NA, one needs a supercomputer to track them all.

stever said:

In the news - German Cars Are Less Reliable Than You Think, Finds Warranty Wise (fleetpoint.org)

stever

I like warranty links like that but really these days, the headline should be "cars continue to get better and better".

stickguy

My hyundai dealer is top notch, but I think that has to do with the ownership chain (still family owned). Even though it is over in Philly. Nice facilities, great people, wonderful approach. Every bit as nice as any Honda dealer I have been to, and on par with the BMW palace or any other foreign mainstream.

Kia? 2 near me. One is OK. a bit old school, but friendly enough. The other I won't step into. Part of a small auto row (same owners) that are heavy on the BK? No problem! We finance anyone! what payment can you afford? old school approach. Basically need a shower after you escape (same as the Dodge/jeep across the street). They also have Mitsu still I think.

breld

Michaell said:

Michaell said:

It is only this man's opinion, but I think the problem with Kia and Hyundai isn't the product but rather the dealers. Lots of screamer ads, "we'll finance anybody with a pulse" and sales tactics from the dark days of the industry.

If corporate could improve the quality of the dealership experience to be on par with Honda or Toyota, then you might see sales really start to trend upward.

@breld - how was your experience when you leased the Sedona?

I actually had a great experience leasing the Sedona when I finally ended up at a good dealer. The first one we went to wasn't really willing to budge very much and acted as though we were crazy for what we were asking. They are in a part of town where I think they take advantage of customers.

Then, we tried another dealer who almost immediately agreed to our numbers and gave us great trade value on the odyssey. When I provided my schedule of how I came up with the lease numbers, the sales manager came by and agreed to it. I like it when we cut to the chase.

Probably similar to most brands - lot of variability among dealerships.

js06gv

Michaell said:

It is only this man's opinion, but I think the problem with Kia and Hyundai isn't the product but rather the dealers. Lots of screamer ads, "we'll finance anybody with a pulse" and sales tactics from the dark days of the industry.

If corporate could improve the quality of the dealership experience to be on par with Honda or Toyota, then you might see sales really start to trend upward.

Agree completely. Hyundai came along faster on that front but Kia has likely been overlooked by many because most of the dealers are old school clowns that people stay away from in droves. My Kia dealer is part of a very reputable dealership group in the Dallas area and, as such, was professional and a pleasure to deal with. However, I cannot think of another Kia dealer in all of DFW that I would consider visiting, let alone buy from. It's really too bad that Kia Corporate doesn't have more control over this because the cars are very competitive and really quite good.

Sandman6472

Will have to read that article about German vehicles being less reliable. I knew this going in and even told my wife about this fact but we both decided to go for it and we haven't looked back. My mechanic did tell us to lease and not buy but we both do between 13K to 14.5K per year so decided against it.
So far the A3 has been flawless and I had one issue that wasn't very common. They handled it properly, gave me a loaner over a holiday weekend and finally found the issue. Since it didn't happen on a regular basis, all the ducks had to be in a row for the issue to show itself, a funky wire in the starter. I was pleased with the outcome and the way VW handled it.
I will read the article later today and report my thoughts. But, with almost 18 months in, we are both pleased with our vehicles and would recommend them to everyone!

The Sandman

qbrozen

So the first issue with my Caddy has reared its head. On Saturday afternoon, I was driving in some stop and go traffic and noticed a rattle at low rpms when I tap the gas. I thought "oh boy, maybe that's the wastegate rattle problem that many folks have had." Well, on Sunday, the noise became something entirely different. Now it sounds like a bad exhaust leak from under the car. The car sounds like a Civic with no muffler. It is really annoying. So I guess the rattle was either wastegates which have now broken or the exhaust itself.

Anyway, working on making an appointment. An hour and 15 min drive to my dealer does not make for easy planning.

Michaell

I get to schedule a trip to the dealer for the Outback. Got a letter in the mail yesterday telling me that there is a potential problem with the electronic parking brake. Will take about 30 minutes to sort out.

I suppose I'll have lots of time on my hands to get this done!

sda

I was at the Honda dealer yesterday and took a brief test drive of a new Civic EXL with the 1.5 turbo. Wow, what a difference compared to the 09 Civic EX that we had. Sharp looking, good quality interior with lots of features, firm yet comfortable ride, responsive handling and effortless power. For just under $24k, it is a decent value. I could easily own one

stickguy

You take it all the way back down to Desimone? A lot closer to me than you!

corvette

The Volt is a neat concept. I haven't driven one but used ones are available at a hefty discount to their original MSRP due to the tax credit available to the first owner. 

kyfdx

Who ever said German cars were reliable?

I guess you could argue reliable, as long as you noted high-maintenance.

kyfdx

So, anyway, a dilemma with my son's car. Has an aftermarket adjustable suspension of unknown origin. It was just into my independent mechanic, who says the rear sway bar links are broken. "If you can get me the links, I'll repair it". Hmmmmm

stever

js06gv said:

My Kia dealer is part of a very reputable dealership group in the Dallas area and, as such, was professional and a pleasure to deal with. However, I cannot think of another Kia dealer in all of DFW that I would consider visiting, let alone buy from.

I had a limited email exchange with Patterson Kia of Arlington a couple of weeks ago. Limited, but enough to tell me that they were of the old school, hide the ball, bait and switch kind of outfit.

Who's your dealer?

Sandman6472

Fun to drive is exactly the way I'd describe VW/Audi vehicles. I was hooked the moment I test drove the wife's A3 and just knew that I'd have to jump ship if in fact she did buy it. She did and on a whim, stopped into the local VW store. And after ruling out the Jetta, the Golf was the perfect choice. Luckily, the wife told me to do what I wanted since the bill was going to be paid by me and I went forward. Haven't looked back yet and it's still a blast to drive!

The Sandman

js06gv

stever said:

js06gv said:

My Kia dealer is part of a very reputable dealership group in the Dallas area and, as such, was professional and a pleasure to deal with. However, I cannot think of another Kia dealer in all of DFW that I would consider visiting, let alone buy from.

I had a limited email exchange with Patterson Kia of Arlington a couple of weeks ago. Limited, but enough to tell me that they were of the old school, hide the ball, bait and switch kind of outfit.

Who's your dealer?

Huffines. Locations in McKinney and Denton.

stever

Thanks - of course my Abilene area friend (my excuse for a visit to Dallas) is leaving for AK for the summer today, so it's unlikely that I'll look into making that all day drive over that way. They don't have my color in stock today anyway. But you never know....

roadburner

kyfdx said:

So, anyway, a dilemma with my son's car. Has an aftermarket adjustable suspension of unknown origin. It was just into my independent mechanic, who says the rear sway bar links are broken. "If you can get me the links, I'll repair it". Hmmmmm

Shouldn't be too hard to find; I know there were a bunch of different brands and designs available for my MS3. Get one of them and start looking online. For example, E46 M3 links fit some MS3s...

js06gv

stever said:

Thanks - of course my Abilene area friend (my excuse for a visit to Dallas) is leaving for AK for the summer today, so it's unlikely that I'll look into making that all day drive over that way. They don't have my color in stock today anyway. But you never know....

Let me know if I can help. Only drawback with this dealer is my salesman and he sales mgr have moved on, so having to establish new contacts there. The McKinney location has a sister Hyundai dealership next door if that's also on your list. I've done business with them for years as well.

stever

Thanks again @js06gv.

Even though the local Kia dealer has a lousy reputation, I've had good email and in-person exchanges with the sales manager here. He's still looking for me but it's a multi-chain store and he doesn't have much influence with what gets ordered.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

You take it all the way back down to Desimone? A lot closer to me than you!

Holman.

I only have 1 choice closer to work, and they push unnecessary services, so I won't go there. I scheduled for Tuesday, and they'll have a loaner for me.

nyccarguy

sda said:

I was at the Honda dealer yesterday and took a brief test drive of a new Civic EXL with the 1.5 turbo. Wow, what a difference compared to the 09 Civic EX that we had. Sharp looking, good quality interior with lots of features, firm yet comfortable ride, responsive handling and effortless power. For just under $24k, it is a decent value. I could easily own one

The new civic with the turbo motor is getting good reviews & write ups.  I'll be afraid to test drive the new Civic Si if it comes out with a higher output turbo engine & some form of DSG transmission.

Sandman6472

Had to take a new 2016 Kia Soul to maintenance yesterday because a bolt fell out of the drivers door so the door closed but was difficult to do so. An easy issue to fix but just shows that things can happen to any vehicle no matter what the brand. Again, not a serious issue like some others and have no doubt that it's probably been fixed by now and ready to rent out again.
It's been a real education my last couple of years working for Hertz. I never realized the logistics that go into running a rental car company or the vast number of vehicles they have. Some vehicles are only kept for a set period of time or mileage and then taken out of service. Others go for a longer rental period and then sold on the open market. Just depends on what their fate is in use by Hertz. Am sure it's the same at all the rental company's because the fleets need to be turned over on a regular basis because no one wants to rent a high mileage vehicle to be honest.
I was surprised as to how good the company is with oil changes and such. At a certain mileage point, oil changes must be done and I can tell you first hand that they are done. Our maintenance facility is really top notch as is the body damage area because accidents do happen. All in all, it's been a real education for me and I am really enjoying my time as an employee. And let's be honest, how cool is it to get the opportunity to drive so many different kinds of vehicles where the petrol is paid by someone else! I just love my job!!

The Sandman

andres3

breld said:

@andres3 - really like that TT. Reminds me a bit of my wife's '08 TT coupe that was silver with red interior - the one she had for about 3 months.

3 months? Goodness, that has to be some sort of record, but maybe not around here.

stickguy

3 months isn't even a record for the Brelds I don't think.

Q, Holman is what I meant (I knew you bought it there). I just forget sometimes and use the old name! Still amazed by how many cars they have over there, especially in the gigantic BMW store.

nyccarguy

andres3 said:

@andres3 - really like that TT. Reminds me a bit of my wife's '08 TT coupe that was silver with red interior - the one she had for about 3 months.

3 months? Goodness, that has to be some sort of record, but maybe not around here.

That's not even the best part about the story.  I think they flew to Michigan and drove it back to Denver.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

andres3 said:

@andres3 - really like that TT. Reminds me a bit of my wife's '08 TT coupe that was silver with red interior - the one she had for about 3 months.

3 months? Goodness, that has to be some sort of record, but maybe not around here.

That's not even the best part about the story.  I think they flew to Michigan and drove it back to Denver.

Chicago. 

I'm currently at the local Carmax getting an appraisal on the outback. 2015 3.6R with 13,000 miles, wilderness green with ivory leather. 

Any guesses on where they will price it?

stickguy

28K

Mr_Shiftright

$25K-$26K

stickguy

damn, price is dropping like a stone. better sell quick.

Michaell

I found a couple of nice cars here

2012 G25x with 12k for $21,500

2008 EX35 with 42k for $19,000

stickguy

one thing I have never found browsing the carmax inventory listings, is cars that were a good deal. Mostly tend to be way top of the market priced, and not always the creampuffs they claim to always have.

stickguy

here's a low mile caddy, if you don't mind RWD.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-cadillac-cts_sedan-4dr_sedan_3_0l_rwd-used-14991704.html

same year, 19K more miles, but AWD and more loaded for about the same price.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-cadillac-cts_sedan-4dr_sedan_3_0l_rwd-used-14991704.html

suydam

Michaell said:

nyccarguy said:

andres3 said:

breld said:

@andres3 - really like that TT. Reminds me a bit of my wife's '08 TT coupe that was silver with red interior - the one she had for about 3 months.

3 months? Goodness, that has to be some sort of record, but maybe not around here.

That's not even the best part about the story.  I think they flew to Michigan and drove it back to Denver.

Chicago. 

I'm currently at the local Carmax getting an appraisal on the outback. 2015 3.6R with 13,000 miles, wilderness green with ivory leather. 

Any guesses on where they will price it?

You're selling the Outback?

henryn

sda said:

I was at the Honda dealer yesterday and took a brief test drive of a new Civic EXL with the 1.5 turbo. Wow, what a difference compared to the 09 Civic EX that we had. Sharp looking, good quality interior with lots of features, firm yet comfortable ride, responsive handling and effortless power. For just under $24k, it is a decent value. I could easily own one

As a big proponent of turbo charged engines, I took notice when they started selling the higher end Civics with the 1.5 turbo. I haven't had the chance for a "trial fit", and I really doubt there will be enough room inside of one for me, but I really should try one on for size.

henryn

stever said:

js06gv said:

My Kia dealer is part of a very reputable dealership group in the Dallas area and, as such, was professional and a pleasure to deal with. However, I cannot think of another Kia dealer in all of DFW that I would consider visiting, let alone buy from.

I had a limited email exchange with Patterson Kia of Arlington a couple of weeks ago. Limited, but enough to tell me that they were of the old school, hide the ball, bait and switch kind of outfit.

Who's your dealer?

I'm too far away, but I could recommend the Kia dealer where I went for a test drive of the Soul 2 weeks ago. No bait and switch, no BS. The salesman was knowledgeable, and offered me a very good price, right up front. About $500 under truecar, and no mop and glo or nitrogen filled tires or ...

Michaell

And one more - 2011 A4 with 40k priced at $20k

Michaell

stickguy said:

here's a low mile caddy, if you don't mind RWD. http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-cadillac-cts_sedan-4dr_sedan_3_0l_rwd-used-14991704.html same year, 19K more miles, but AWD and more loaded for about the same price. http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-cadillac-cts_sedan-4dr_sedan_3_0l_rwd-used-14991704.html

Ok that second one is nice. 

Michaell

suydam said:

nyccarguy said:

andres3 said:

@andres3 - really like that TT. Reminds me a bit of my wife's '08 TT coupe that was silver with red interior - the one she had for about 3 months.

3 months? Goodness, that has to be some sort of record, but maybe not around here.

That's not even the best part about the story.  I think they flew to Michigan and drove it back to Denver.

Chicago. 

I'm currently at the local Carmax getting an appraisal on the outback. 2015 3.6R with 13,000 miles, wilderness green with ivory leather. 

Any guesses on where they will price it?

You're selling the Outback?

With the imminent job loss, thinking of ways to trim the budget

Michaell

And the Carmax offer was ...

$30k

imidazol97

sandman_6472 said:

I was surprised as to how good the company is with oil changes and such. At a certain mileage point, oil changes must be done and I can tell you first hand that they are done. Our maintenance facility is really top notch as is the body damage area because accidents do happen.
The Sandman

I'm glad Sand6472 mentioned that. That's what I've been told locally and that encouraged me to buy my second off lease/rental vehicle. It may be better maintained than one owned privately and traded after 10 months.

stickguy

Just realized I posted the same link twice. Oops. Here's the loaded 3.6 AWD.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2012-cadillac-cts_sedan-4dr_sedan_3_6l_performance_awd-used-14991755.html

But if down budgeting, I would always go cheap, or don't bother. Interesting oddball with the miles

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2010-toyota-camry-used-14960696.html

In any case, go cheap or go home. And ideally, if you do it, get something that you can ultimately keep.

andres3

qbrozen said:

So the first issue with my Caddy has reared its head. On Saturday afternoon, I was driving in some stop and go traffic and noticed a rattle at low rpms when I tap the gas. I thought "oh boy, maybe that's the wastegate rattle problem that many folks have had." Well, on Sunday, the noise became something entirely different. Now it sounds like a bad exhaust leak from under the car. The car sounds like a Civic with no muffler. It is really annoying. So I guess the rattle was either wastegates which have now broken or the exhaust itself.

Anyway, working on making an appointment. An hour and 15 min drive to my dealer does not make for easy planning.

Why so far? Is it because of unacceptable Cadillac dealerships that are closer?

corvette

Michaell said:

And the Carmax offer was ...

$30k

Wow, that is higher than I figured. What was MSRP when it was new?

Michaell

corvette said:

Michaell said:

And the Carmax offer was ...

$30k

Wow, that is higher than I figured. What was MSRP when it was new?

$36K and change.

Retail on the '15 3.6R's is $33-35K, with 10-20K on them. I figured a $30K trade value .. you guys forgot to include the Colorado Subaru uplift in your guesses.

This was simply a fact finding visit.

The wife mentioned (in passing) about cutting the car payment, so I figured I'd get a trade value to start.

No idea what she would want. I picked the two Infinitis as they both have sixes in them, and both have push button start, heated seats, AWD and are XM capable.

The other alternative is to get a new entry level Subaru (Impreza or CrossTrek), but she likes having HP under her right foot.

stickguy

Only makes sense to me if you have a lot of equity in it, and can either drop down to 1 less car, or want to do a lease. Something like a Santa Fe sport turbo.

If you have a large loan, hard to cash out much equity, or lower your payment.

Mr_Shiftright

corvette said:

Michaell said:

And the Carmax offer was ...

$30k

Wow, that is higher than I figured. What was MSRP when it was new?

Very strong price by California standards. That's retail money for us. I'll have to mind my zipcodes next time, and also remember that Denver is boomtown, or so I've read.