Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

stickguy said:

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.

Surprisingly, the G25X, even with the negative equity added in, would save us over $200/mo on the payment. And it has less miles on it than the Outback.

stickguy

Well, if you like it, and won't miss the wagon, hard to fault that.

Ultimately I would assume it becomes your car, with the wife getting something new.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Well, if you like it, and won't miss the wagon, hard to fault that.

Ultimately I would assume it becomes your car, with the wife getting something new.

Nope, I keep the E-GT until the end of the lease, then figure out something at that time.

But, the wife and daughter share commute duties. The MINI has less than 25K on it in 2 years, and that includes a trip to Salt Lake City and another to Santa Fe. The Outback has piled on the 13K in just over 14 months, and that includes the trip to Sedona.

So, a low mileage used car would work.

qbrozen

How far negative are you? What about the screamer lease deal on the Encore?

qbrozen

andres3 said:

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

Yes, that is how it started. I didn't like that the closest one pushes unnecessary services. Sure, I could say "this is what I want. do it." But I'd rather not give them my business at all. My experiences with Holman have all been positive to date, including the great purchase experience, so I'm willing to make the drive.

stever

A reporter is looking to speak with someone who recently got a great deal on a new high-end luxury vehicle (Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Porsche, Jaguar/Land Rover, etc.). If you're willing to share your story, please reach out to pr@edmunds.com by no later than Wednesday, May 18, 2016.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

How far negative are you? What about the screamer lease deal on the Encore?

Was hoping to avoid this question ... but, $7K

Some of that would be refunded back to us (extended warranty, GAP) as a lower payoff.

And, I'm not sure I see my wife

Just talked to my wife while typing this post. We're keeping the Outback. Full stop.

ab348

stickguy said:

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

That one is much nicer than the first one. Those manual transmission 3.0L CTS models hung around the dealerships here like they were embargoed. The automatic with performance package is the one to get.

henryn

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Original MSRP was “$36K and change”.

Carmax just offered you $30k, and you are $7k in the hole?

That math absolutely does not compute, unless you rolled negative equity into….

Oh, never mind.

stickguy

ab348 said:

stickguy said:

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

That one is much nicer than the first one. Those manual transmission 3.0L CTS models hung around the dealerships here like they were embargoed. The automatic with performance package is the one to get.

Oh jeez, I did not even notice it had a stick (ad lists it as an auto, the reverse of the usual goof!). Makes me much more interested. Though no moonroof, which is unacceptable.

I assume it is a better overall car with the slushbox, but I have never driven a stick version to know for sure.

andres3

stickguy said:

ab348 said:

stickguy said:

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

That one is much nicer than the first one. Those manual transmission 3.0L CTS models hung around the dealerships here like they were embargoed. The automatic with performance package is the one to get.

Oh jeez, I did not even notice it had a stick (ad lists it as an auto, the reverse of the usual goof!). Makes me much more interested. Though no moonroof, which is unacceptable.

I assume it is a better overall car with the slushbox, but I have never driven a stick version to know for sure.

I wonder how much an aftermarket hole in the roof would cost you? Are you good with a saw?

stickguy

I got a sawzall and a case of beer. Probably all I need.

actually, one of my quirks is, I won't ever have a car with an aftermarket roof put in. So if I liked that car enough to go after it, I would have to suck it up and sacrifice light and fresh air!

stickguy

here's a cute little grocery getter. Should be economical with a stick shift I assume.

http://www.aviautosales.com/2010_Dodge_Challenger_Magnolia_NJ_3346843.veh

Michaell

henryn said:

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Original MSRP was “$36K and change”. Carmax just offered you $30k, and you are $7k in the hole? That math absolutely does not compute, unless you rolled negative equity into…. Oh, never mind.

 Plus an extended warranty, plus gap coverage, Plus sales tax  

breld

Well, sounds like the wife has declared the Outback a keeper. Probably a good decision in the long run.

Michaell

breld said:

Well, sounds like the wife has declared the Outback a keeper. Probably a good decision in the long run.

I agree. Gotta work on other areas of the budget.

Michaell

stickguy said:

I got a sawzall and a case of beer. Probably all I need.

actually, one of my quirks is, I won't ever have a car with an aftermarket roof put in. So if I liked that car enough to go after it, I would have to suck it up and sacrifice light and fresh air!

My cousin and I (well, mostly my cousin) put in an aftermarket sunroof on my '79 Sunbird. Was really, really scary cutting the initial hole in the roof.

But, in the end, it all worked out. Took the car to AZ, where the sunroof without a shade wasn't as great an addition.

nyccarguy

Uh oh.  Prelude problems.  The CEL & ATTS lights went on this AM while driving in.  The car ran fine until I hit some bumper to bumper traffic.  Every time I stop, the car stalls (unless I give it gas).  Luckily my mechanic is on my way to work.  I limped over here and am waiting for him to open up.  Any guesses?  Fuel pump?  Catylitic Converter?  Fuel Filter?

sda

nyccarguy said:

Uh oh.  Prelude problems.  The CEL & ATTS lights went on this AM while driving in.  The car ran fine until I hit some bumper to bumper traffic.  Every time I stop, the car stalls (unless I give it gas).  Luckily my mechanic is on my way to work.  I limped over here and am waiting for him to open up.  Any guesses?  Fuel pump?  Catylitic Converter?  Fuel Filter?

I will be kind and say a loose ground wire which is easily found and repaired.

sda

Is the 3.0 V6 used in the CTS related to the problem prone 3.6? I've read may posts about the timing chain slipping a gear and unexplained oil burning.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

Uh oh.  Prelude problems.  The CEL & ATTS lights went on this AM while driving in.  The car ran fine until I hit some bumper to bumper traffic.  Every time I stop, the car stalls (unless I give it gas).  Luckily my mechanic is on my way to work.  I limped over here and am waiting for him to open up.  Any guesses?  Fuel pump?  Catylitic Converter?  Fuel Filter?

Sounds like something in the fuel delivery.

filter should be cheap and easy. Not sure on the pump. Just depends on where it's located.  I

Sandman6472

Had an aftermarket roof put in my 1980 Datsun 210 and what a mistake it was, leaked from day 1. The wife never ever lets me forget that one! Looking back, it was quite a dumb move on my part but living in South Florida, always wanted a sunroof.
That low monthly figure on the Buick Encore must be doing the trick as I see a lot of them on the road lately. Surprisingly, haven't seen that many in our fleet, or the Trax for that matter. Enjoyed the couple that I did drive and would have no issue having an Encore on my side of the garage. Even is close to the size I prefer, 170" or smaller. Even though the wife likes small sedans like I do, think she'd get used to it very quickly...and even like it!

The Sandman

stickguy

Bradd, it is old and miled up. Probably unsafe. You should dump it.

I'll give you $3,000 cash and pick it up Saturday. Makes sure to wash it first.

graphicguy

Bradd...usually if a fuel pump failed, it ain't running, period. So, knowing that, for teh engine to run, it needs fuel, spark and oxygen. Some guesses....oxygen sensor? Fuel filter clogged? ECU?

Just guesses.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

Uh oh.  Prelude problems.  The CEL & ATTS lights went on this AM while driving in.  The car ran fine until I hit some bumper to bumper traffic.  Every time I stop, the car stalls (unless I give it gas).  Luckily my mechanic is on my way to work.  I limped over here and am waiting for him to open up.  Any guesses?  Fuel pump?  Catylitic Converter?  Fuel Filter?

Coil pack or fuel pump/regulator

nyccarguy

How about NONE OF THE ABOVE.  User Error.  While waiting for the mechanic to show up, I thought to check the gas cap.  Yup.  I got gas this AM and didn't tighten it too much.  My mechanic hooked his computer up to the OBD and the code read "idle air control valve."  He cleared the code & said if it comes back, we know what to replace.

roadburner

The gas cap should have no effect on the IACV, I should have caught that, it was an occasional issue on the M30 "big six" BMW motors.

stickguy

For the first time in I think forever, I'm getting a loaner. Have an appointment for 1st service (plus a recall) on the Jetta next week. Dealer just called to confirm, and mentioned they have me down for a loaner that I never even requested. Sounds like fun. Hopefully something interesting.

Did a favor for my son yesterday. He can to visit for a few days, and his car was dirty so I washed it. Then decided it really needed waxing so I did that too. And debugged it. Looked vastly better when he left.

corvette

You didn't use a clay bar? Slacker. 

nyccarguy

roadburner said:

The gas cap should have no effect on the IACV, I should have caught that, it was an occasional issue on the M30 "big six" BMW motors.

My mechanic said the same thing.  All i know is that when I tightened the gas cap, the stalling stopped.  The car idles perfectly and runs strong and smooth.

stickguy

It's a lease and goes back in February. And not my car. So no.

"My" Jetta comes home Saturday for the first time since new years day. Has not been washed since then, and daughter parks under trees. She has tried to prepare me for what I am going to see. That one will need some serious clay bar action. Maybe I should let the dealer take the first pass at the wash?

andres3

nyccarguy said:

How about NONE OF THE ABOVE.  User Error.  While waiting for the mechanic to show up, I thought to check the gas cap.  Yup.  I got gas this AM and didn't tighten it too much.  My mechanic hooked his computer up to the OBD and the code read "idle air control valve."  He cleared the code & said if it comes back, we know what to replace.

That reminds me of one of my very favorite top features on the new '16 Audi TTS.

The gas tank has a cap-less opening on the right rear side of the car. A race car setup befitting of the car of course. Much, much quicker to make pit stops with no gas cap to screw off and on a million times during my life. It is super convenient and fast to fill-up now. I can do something productive with the saved time, like check e-mails. I love it.

stickguy

In jersey, the cap us the attendants problem. Just have to make dude he puts it back on.

corvette

I can't believe some states still don't allow you to pump your own fuel. Is the gas station attendant lobby that powerful in the state legislature?

stickguy

Some lobby is. But mostly, the people don't want it.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

Bradd, it is old and miled up. Probably unsafe. You should dump it.

I'll give you $3,000 cash and pick it up Saturday. Makes sure to wash it first.

$3500... hit me up.

coldinohio

the capless gas fueling is great
on several ford rentals
most new audi will get in 2017

nyccarguy

Ok so the mechanic was right.  I was a few miles from work sitting in bumper to bumper traffic when the CEL & ATTS lights once again illuminated.  As long as the car was moving at a constant speed, it was OK.  When the traffic slowed to a crawl, it started bucking like I was a stick driving novice.  Of course it was 5:30 and the mechanic was already gone for the day.  I made a few phone calls just to check if it was safe to drive the car home.  After 2 affirmatives, I soildered on home.  Kept the cruise at 60.  Sat in some heavy traffic about 3 miles from home.  I'll call the mechanic tomorrow and see if he can order the parts or if he wants me to get them.  Looks like I'll be taking the Legacy to work tomorrow.

roadburner

How hard is it to do on a 2001? On the M30 BMW motors it took maybe 10 minutes to swap in a new IACV.

iluvmysephia1

sandman - have you driven the Nissan Versa sedan? Saw one at the motel we were staying at in Russellville, AR, last Saturday. It was in that "Nissan very metallic looking blue" color - looks good ta me. Isn't this the cheapest sedan sold in America at $9,999? I don't like how they did the taillights but kind of like the front end treatment and these small sedans are all over the road system.

Ya ever driven one?

Sandman6472

Yep, we have loads of Versa's and my kid has an '09 SL hatch. More on this when I get home from work as Hertz is calling me in right now!!!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Time for a new t v.My son and his fiance fly in on Wednesday for a few days of his sisters graduation so I will take him along to buy one. He's great at putting this stuff together and can also lift heavier stuff than I can due to my spinal issues. Will get either a 48" or 50" smart t v for the family room. The time has come since one of the other t v's volume broke and it stays at one level I can barely hear. The time has come!!!

The Sandman

corvette

You may want to get a soundbar with a subwoofer, too. A lot of them are overpriced, but they generally sound a lot better than the built-in TV speakers.

Michaell

corvette said:

You may want to get a soundbar with a subwoofer, too. A lot of them are overpriced, but they generally sound a lot better than the built-in TV speakers.

+1 on that. We bought a soundbar with a wireless subwoofer with the TV in our family room. World of difference in sound quality.

Mr_Shiftright

Sometimes if you go into "Settings" you can find a better choice for sound quality, especially volume.

slorenzen

Michaell said:

corvette said:

You may want to get a soundbar with a subwoofer, too. A lot of them are overpriced, but they generally sound a lot better than the built-in TV speakers.

+1 on that. We bought a soundbar with a wireless subwoofer with the TV in our family room. World of difference in sound quality.

Or, splurge for a proper home theater system. Of course, it's better when you're spending OPM...

suydam

corvette said:

You may want to get a soundbar with a subwoofer, too. A lot of them are overpriced, but they generally sound a lot better than the built-in TV speakers.

+2. Way cheaper than a home theater system and the sound quality is so much better than the regular TV settings. If you negotiate you can often get a discounted price if you're buying the TV too.

Michaell

Back to cars ... I crossed 44K on my Elantra last night delivering. At this pace, I'm going to run out of miles in the next 3 weeks.

One day at a time, one step at a time...

Sandman6472

Folks, we're talking about an older tubed t v here, a Sylvania I bought in KMart like 18 years ago or so. It's a 27" one and fine except that the volume is stuck at one level and whatever I've tried to increase it, nothing works. Figure we've gotten our moneys worth out of it really.

The Sandman

Michaell

sandman_6472 said:

Folks, we're talking about an older tubed t v here, a Sylvania I bought in KMart like 18 years ago or so. It's a 27" one and fine except that the volume is stuck at one level and whatever I've tried to increase it, nothing works. Figure we've gotten our moneys worth out of it really.

The Sandman

Sandy, what we're suggesting is that with the new TV, you should also consider a soundbar.

Flat screen TVs have a great picture, but that thinness doesn't allow for great speakers to be installed. The sound bar will make for better sound to accompany the much improved picture.