Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

sda said:

This is as close to getting a GTI that I've gotten. Bought new in Sept 94, a 95 Jetta GLX VR6, 5 sp. It had the optional black leather interior with Recaro like seats. I paid an extra $300 for the keyless remote entry. What was neat is the ignition key had a built in flashlight that was activated by pressing the VW logo. Fun car, VR6 was smooth and came alive past 3500 rpm with a very nice sound. I think the car was listed around $21k.

I like it! I was graduating college in 1994, so these were on my radar. Ended up with a '93 Honda Prelude Si - I was definitely more of a Honda fanboy back then.

andres3

breld said:

sda said:

This is as close to getting a GTI that I've gotten. Bought new in Sept 94, a 95 Jetta GLX VR6, 5 sp. It had the optional black leather interior with Recaro like seats. I paid an extra $300 for the keyless remote entry. What was neat is the ignition key had a built in flashlight that was activated by pressing the VW logo. Fun car, VR6 was smooth and came alive past 3500 rpm with a very nice sound. I think the car was listed around $21k.

I like it! I was graduating college in 1994, so these were on my radar. Ended up with a '93 Honda Prelude Si - I was definitely more of a Honda fanboy back then.

Early 90's was Honda's prime, that's why! They were still a major league contributor to making good cars until about the mid 00's. After that... pretty blah until the '14 Accord redesign.

kyfdx

sda said:

This is as close to getting a GTI that I've gotten. Bought new in Sept 94, a 95 Jetta GLX VR6, 5 sp. It had the optional black leather interior with Recaro like seats. I paid an extra $300 for the keyless remote entry. What was neat is the ignition key had a built in flashlight that was activated by pressing the VW logo. Fun car, VR6 was smooth and came alive past 3500 rpm with a very nice sound. I think the car was listed around $21k.

Nice car... drove a slightly used one once... Punch it in 2nd gear and hello torque steer!! It would have done a Saab proud. I wanted it really bad, but too much for my budget at the time.

PF_Flyer

A reporter is looking to speak with car shoppers who recently purchased a truck or SUV instead of a coupe or sedan because they were influenced (at least in part) by today's low gas prices. If this sounds like your experience and you're willing to help, please contact pr@edmunds.com by no later than May 24, 2016.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

sda said:

This is as close to getting a GTI that I've gotten. Bought new in Sept 94, a 95 Jetta GLX VR6, 5 sp. It had the optional black leather interior with Recaro like seats. I paid an extra $300 for the keyless remote entry. What was neat is the ignition key had a built in flashlight that was activated by pressing the VW logo. Fun car, VR6 was smooth and came alive past 3500 rpm with a very nice sound. I think the car was listed around $21k.

Nice car... drove a slightly used one once... Punch it in 2nd gear and hello torque steer!! It would have done a Saab proud. I wanted it really bad, but too much for my budget at the time.

When we owned our '99 VW Beetle, I was given a Golf VR6 as a loaner. Loved that engine! Smooth and powerful.

eriknorcal

Got an offer on my potential money pit 540i. looking at some other options in and around $5-7k, found a 2002 Merc E55 Amg. I already had one, a buddy of mine has one and also is a Mercedes technician and he claims they're the best Mercedes you could possibly buy. Very few problems and maintenance is cheap.

The 02 is local for $6900, 139k miles. Currently in Mexico but when I get back this weekend I'll be taking a peek.

nyccarguy

eriknorcal said:

Got an offer on my potential money pit 540i. looking at some other options in and around $5-7k, found a 2002 Merc E55 Amg. I already had one, a buddy of mine has one and also is a Mercedes technician and he claims they're the best Mercedes you could possibly buy. Very few problems and maintenance is cheap.

The 02 is local for $6900, 139k miles. Currently in Mexico but when I get back this weekend I'll be taking a peek.

Just to clarify, you are in Mexico or the car is in Mexico?

eriknorcal

nyccarguy said:

eriknorcal said:

Got an offer on my potential money pit 540i. looking at some other options in and around $5-7k, found a 2002 Merc E55 Amg. I already had one, a buddy of mine has one and also is a Mercedes technician and he claims they're the best Mercedes you could possibly buy. Very few problems and maintenance is cheap.

The 02 is local for $6900, 139k miles. Currently in Mexico but when I get back this weekend I'll be taking a peek.

Just to clarify, you are in Mexico or the car is in Mexico?

Oops, I'm in Mexico on vaca. Sorry I've had a long day boat trip combined with many alcoholic drinks, lol.

stever

Hm, you're on a cow in Mexico? Not sure if I trust my Bing Translator....

Now someone will ask if you rented a Nova.

I dunno, 14 year old luxury car. What could go wrong?

eriknorcal

stever said:

Hm, you're on a cow in Mexico? Not sure if I trust my Bing Translator.... Now someone will ask if you rented a Nova. I dunno, 14 year old luxury car. What could go wrong?

I almost rode a burro, buts that's another story for another time

You'd be surprised with these Mercedes, I've seen many with around and over 200k with nothing but motor mounts, brakes, tires, fluids and the occasional mass air sensor or two. 

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/most-fun-for-25000-19992002-mercedes-benz-e55-amg-page-7

Mr_Shiftright

Did you read this part?

"Still, bulletproof engineering combined with attentive maintenance couldn’t keep every problem at bay. English was forced to replace the transmission in late 2006, costing him $6500"

corvette

stever said:

I dunno, 14 year old luxury car. What could go wrong?

A German one, too.

fintail

The transmissions in those cars need fluid changes religiously every 40-50K miles, or they fail. That was the era of the "lifetime" transmission fluid, which of course is impossible and should have landed MB and others in serious legal trouble (but the golden rule always wins). A key to keeping the MAF going is to use stock filters.

The biggest Achilles heel for the W210 E55 is rust - they eventually dissolve in harsh climates. Mechanically, they are very solid, but the turn of the century wasn't the golden age of MB, so they will have quirks, mainly related to material quality and some electrical stuff.

eriknorcal

Mr_Shiftright said:

Did you read this part? "Still, bulletproof engineering combined with attentive maintenance couldn’t keep every problem at bay. English was forced to replace the transmission in late 2006, costing him $6500"

It's cost him that much sure, but I know a so-called wizard of benz's and he sells reman ones for $2k. And that's worst worst case scenario. 

eriknorcal

fintail said:

The transmissions in those cars need fluid changes religiously every 40-50K miles, or they fail. That was the era of the "lifetime" transmission fluid, which of course is impossible and should have landed MB and others in serious legal trouble (but the golden rule always wins). A key to keeping the MAF going is to use stock filters. The biggest Achilles heel for the W210 E55 is rust - they eventually dissolve in harsh climates. Mechanically, they are very solid, but the turn of the century wasn't the golden age of MB, so they will have quirks, mainly related to material quality and some electrical stuff.

Right- I never unserstood BMW and Mercedes sealed for like units. Makes no sense! 

Luckily where I live in California, rust is a non-issue. So as long as the car came from my area it'll be fine. My buddy has worked with Benz on and off for 10 years and swears up and down the 210 e55 is the best car Benz has ever put out. Not to mention it's the last of the fully hand built Affalterbach cars.   

eriknorcal

I'm also still considering a Lexus Gs430, just not as much character and I'm not impressed with the interior quality from that era of Lexus and toyotas, namely the leather. If not religiously kept up it goes to crap with age, and the stitching comes apart. Mechanically speaking though, they are pretty much perfect.

fintail

They were really cutting costs during that era, I am sure that's behind it.

I am on the west coast too , they don't really rust here, but one should inspect with a fine tooth comb just in case. I bought an 02 at ~25K miles and had it as a DD for about 7 years. It wasn't 100% flawless, but it was as solid as any car of its type could be, and had no mechanical issues. I eventually felt like it was time to move on, as I didn't want to get too attached (I already have one "forever car"), and parted ways. Of course I have a little sellers remorse, and no regrets about ownership. I would do it again, if the car was really pristine, and an all-options car for rarity.

Here's my car, uncommon color (Tectite Grey) which had the relatively rare options of ventilated seats and COMAND:



Here's a period promo video about W210 E55 production - this shows the bodies were already assembled, shipped to Affalterbach for powertrain and trim installation. AMG was definitely more special then - these cars sold several hunded per year in the US, as opposed to several thousand for W211 onwards:

https://youtu.be/gAcGHkhmZMY

eriknorcal said:

Right- I never unserstood BMW and Mercedes sealed for like units. Makes no sense! 

Luckily where I live in California, rust is a non-issue. So as long as the car came from my area it'll be fine. My buddy has worked with Benz on and off for 10 years and swears up and down the 210 e55 is the best car Benz has ever put out. Not to mention it's the last of the fully hand built Affalterbach cars.   

Michaell

Father, forgive me.

The E-GT is at 44,2xx miles as of today, and I'm really thinking of ditching it for a new 2017 Elantra. Looked at the inventory at my local dealer, and they have a red over grey SE with both the popular package and tech package.

Plugging their numbers into my lease calculator (and adding $600 for the damaged bumper on my car), I still end up at a payment less than $200/mo, with 8% tax.

I know we talked about why this isn't a good idea (new job a long way from home, etc.), but, darnit Jim, I'm a car buyer, not a doctor, and this is CCBA.

stickguy

there are some good reasons to do it, if the numbers are killer. first, you will need a car in a few months. And likely are not going to be able to put a lot down. So either lease again, or buy something with little down and long payments, and not something too expensive. This would include buying out the E-GT.

the Elantra is also cheaper per month, and will be less than the note on a 50K GT in a few months.

if the big worry is needing to put even more miles down the line with a new job, just look at this as buying the Elantra, just taking advantage of the lease incentives to get out from under the GT. 3 years from now, you either turn it back (assuming miles are under control) or just buy it to keep.

to me, the only reason not to do this is if you really think you are getting to November, and cutting back 1 car (dumping the E GT and not replacing it), or getting a super cheap beater instead. If your alternate plan is to buy out the GT, swapping for an Elantra does make sense.

stickguy

also, I have decided that I am not looking forward to dealing with the end of the lease. Getting something new to replace it will be nice, but so much stress, being forced to get something.

good thing I am starting the process 18 months early!

eriknorcal

fintail said:

They were really cutting costs during that era, I am sure that's behind it. I am on the west coast too , they don't really rust here, but one should inspect with a fine tooth comb just in case. I bought an 02 at ~25K miles and had it as a DD for about 7 years. It wasn't 100% flawless, but it was as solid as any car of its type could be, and had no mechanical issues. I eventually felt like it was time to move on, as I didn't want to get too attached (I already have one "forever car"), and parted ways. Of course I have a little sellers remorse, and no regrets about ownership. I would do it again, if the car was really pristine, and an all-options car for rarity. Here's my car, uncommon color (Tectite Grey) which had the relatively rare options of ventilated seats and COMAND: Here's a period promo video about W210 E55 production - this shows the bodies were already assembled, shipped to Affalterbach for powertrain and trim installation. AMG was definitely more special then - these cars sold several hunded per year in the US, as opposed to several thousand for W211 onwards: https://youtu.be/gAcGHkhmZMY

Right- I never unserstood BMW and Mercedes sealed for like units. Makes no sense! 

Luckily where I live in California, rust is a non-issue. So as long as the car came from my area it'll be fine. My buddy has worked with Benz on and off for 10 years and swears up and down the 210 e55 is the best car Benz has ever put out. Not to mention it's the last of the fully hand built Affalterbach cars.   

Oh that's the same color my buddy's car is! I've never seen a grey 210, and you had one how cool. You didn't happen to sell it to someone who works at mbz in Eldorado hills? Off chance I'm sure. Too bad you didn't hang onto it.

I had an 01, but it was a 4 owner car that was definitely ran on a plastic spoon budget, my father-in-law ended up buying it from me.  

The 210s are relatively rare, there are a few running around my town(my old one included, black), a silver one and the grey one which belongs to my friend. I know what I'm getting myself into with another one, but as long as it's well sorted I'm not very concerned. I have many connects on parts and mechanics, and I'm not afraid to get my hands a little dirty. After getting the BMW I currently have and finding about the multitude of 20+ hour repairs, I'm not keen on them. Nothing against BMWs at all but at least the Mercedes from the 210 era have pretty damn solid main components that will likely not leave you stranded.    

fintail

I live in the Seattle area, sold it locally. I have seen it once or twice since I sold it. If I had the space to just accumulate cars, I would have kept it, but I can't keep a herd. My car was low miles when I bought it, but the prior owner was careless, some parking bumps I eventually removed.

I see a few around here too, I think when new they mainly sold on the west coast and NE. Several silver ones, a black one here and there, other colors are much less common. I know a good indy mechanic too, who helped keep the car on the road without too much drama. I had a couple electrical issues during my time with the car, along with some things under (aftermarket) warranty. It never stranded me or anything. The worst expense was tires and brakes, the warranty covered most faults while it was in effect, and it had few issues after. I think MBs of this era often hold up better than similar year BMWs, if anything, maybe because they are driven more gently. I am really picky about cosmetic condition, I would need one with excellent paint and interior along with the mechanical bits.

eriknorcal said:

Oh that's the same color my buddy's car is! I've never seen a grey 210, and you had one how cool. You didn't happen to sell it to someone who works at mbz in Eldorado hills? Off chance I'm sure. Too bad you didn't hang onto it.

I had an 01, but it was a 4 owner car that was definitely ran on a plastic spoon budget, my father-in-law ended up buying it from me.  

The 210s are relatively rare, there are a few running around my town(my old one included, black), a silver one and the grey one which belongs to my friend. I know what I'm getting myself into with another one, but as long as it's well sorted I'm not very concerned. I have many connects on parts and mechanics, and I'm not afraid to get my hands a little dirty. After getting the BMW I currently have and finding about the multitude of 20+ hour repairs, I'm not keen on them. Nothing against BMWs at all but at least the Mercedes from the 210 era have pretty damn solid main components that will likely not leave you stranded.    

breld

Michaell said:

Father, forgive me.

The E-GT is at 44,2xx miles as of today, and I'm really thinking of ditching it for a new 2017 Elantra. Looked at the inventory at my local dealer, and they have a red over grey SE with both the popular package and tech package.

Plugging their numbers into my lease calculator (and adding $600 for the damaged bumper on my car), I still end up at a payment less than $200/mo, with 8% tax.

I know we talked about why this isn't a good idea (new job a long way from home, etc.), but, darnit Jim, I'm a car buyer, not a doctor, and this is CCBA.

Just checked out the website - that's a really well equipped car with brand new styling for a sub-$200 monthly lease!

Seems to me it's a decent way to go. A very affordable payment on a really nice car. I seem to remember you liking the overall interior space when we looked at it at the car show. Thing is, WHEN you land your new job, would that make you want to increase the car budget anyway? My guess is no, so if there's a good way to get out of the current (over mileage) lease and into the new one and maintain the low payment, certainly worth considering.

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

Father, forgive me.

The E-GT is at 44,2xx miles as of today, and I'm really thinking of ditching it for a new 2017 Elantra. Looked at the inventory at my local dealer, and they have a red over grey SE with both the popular package and tech package.

Plugging their numbers into my lease calculator (and adding $600 for the damaged bumper on my car), I still end up at a payment less than $200/mo, with 8% tax.

I know we talked about why this isn't a good idea (new job a long way from home, etc.), but, darnit Jim, I'm a car buyer, not a doctor, and this is CCBA.

Just checked out the website - that's a really well equipped car with brand new styling for a sub-$200 monthly lease!

Seems to me it's a decent way to go. A very affordable payment on a really nice car. I seem to remember you liking the overall interior space when we looked at it at the car show. Thing is, WHEN you land your new job, would that make you want to increase the car budget anyway? My guess is no, so if there's a good way to get out of the current (over mileage) lease and into the new one and maintain the low payment, certainly worth considering.

Nah, my car budget really wouldn't change with a new job. I'd be perfectly content with the SE and the popular and tech packages:

rear view camera
Apple / Android integration
proximity key / push button start
heated seats
XM

In fact, the only thing I wouldn't have is Nav - but, the Apple integration takes care of that.

It's the path of least resistance ... I was really hoping to spend time test driving a bunch of stuff to figure out what I want, but the Elantra is a nice car that I fit in.

Now, do I talk to the wife about it first or simply park the new car in the driveway and see what happens?

nyccarguy

The Pilot is officially MINE!  It is 5 years old today & I just made my final payment!  Hooray for me!

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

The Pilot is officially MINE!  It is 5 years old today & I just made my final payment!  Hooray for me!

How many miles does it have?

Still as tight as it was when new?

How much longer do you plan to keep it?

Does the wife still like it?

stickguy

Michael, I always believed in living by the motto "it is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission"

stickguy

Next summer the RDX will be paid off. First car I ever owned that I did not pay off years early. College bills. Gotta love them.

nyccarguy

I just got off the phone with my wife to tell her the good news.  I'm more worried about it now than when we 1st got it. Lol!

Current mileage is 76,621.  So probably 76,625 by the time she gets home tonight.

The truck has held up remarkably well.  It is mechanically sound.  The steering wheel is starting to shake when I tap the brakes on the highway.  I'll havecthe mechanic look at it.  According to my records, front brake pads were replaced and the rotors were resurfaced at 58,995 miles, so it might be time for new front pads & rotors.

The driver's side visor doesn't go all the way up.  My wife drives with it in the down position (which drives me nuts) and leaves it down (also drives me crazy).  I have been putting off getting that fixed for a while.

The second row passenger side doesn't fold down all the way.  A clip or spring broke in the handle.  I need to get that fixed.  Ive also been putting that off.

Hopefully we'll keep it for at least another 5 years.  right now I'm not too keen on the idea of spending upwards of $40K on a 3 Row SUV.

My wife drives it because that's the family vehicle.  She likes driving my Subaru much better.  She just likes driving a car in general much better than an SUV.

sda

<The driver's side visor doesn't go all the way up. My wife drives with it in the down position (which drives me nuts) and leaves it down (also drives me crazy).

There might be a TSB or recall on the visor. On our 09 Civic we received a letter from Honda covering the visors for an extended period of time, I think 10 yrs, 120k. Something that was internally located in the visor would fail and the visor would not stay in the up position. Just a thought..

stickguy

sound like dumb little items, that the dealer would charge a fortune to fix.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

sound like dumb little items, that the dealer would charge a fortune to fix.

That's why I've been putting it off

carnaught

Catching up on posts.....Congrats to GC's son on the GTI, and nice work on the negotiations.

eriknorcal

fintail said:

I live in the Seattle area, sold it locally. I have seen it once or twice since I sold it. If I had the space to just accumulate cars, I would have kept it, but I can't keep a herd. My car was low miles when I bought it, but the prior owner was careless, some parking bumps I eventually removed. I see a few around here too, I think when new they mainly sold on the west coast and NE. Several silver ones, a black one here and there, other colors are much less common. I know a good indy mechanic too, who helped keep the car on the road without too much drama. I had a couple electrical issues during my time with the car, along with some things under (aftermarket) warranty. It never stranded me or anything. The worst expense was tires and brakes, the warranty covered most faults while it was in effect, and it had few issues after. I think MBs of this era often hold up better than similar year BMWs, if anything, maybe because they are driven more gently. I am really picky about cosmetic condition, I would need one with excellent paint and interior along with the mechanical bits.

Oh that's the same color my buddy's car is! I've never seen a grey 210, and you had one how cool. You didn't happen to sell it to someone who works at mbz in Eldorado hills? Off chance I'm sure. Too bad you didn't hang onto it.

I had an 01, but it was a 4 owner car that was definitely ran on a plastic spoon budget, my father-in-law ended up buying it from me.  

The 210s are relatively rare, there are a few running around my town(my old one included, black), a silver one and the grey one which belongs to my friend. I know what I'm getting myself into with another one, but as long as it's well sorted I'm not very concerned. I have many connects on parts and mechanics, and I'm not afraid to get my hands a little dirty. After getting the BMW I currently have and finding about the multitude of 20+ hour repairs, I'm not keen on them. Nothing against BMWs at all but at least the Mercedes from the 210 era have pretty damn solid main components that will likely not leave you stranded.    

Oh okay, gotcha. IMO unless you're rich, you have to have A) a good Indy mechanic or know people in the business. I honesty couldn't even afford to pay for labor from my local Indy shops, my Benz friend charges me $50 an hour, and he can also get me OEM parts for nearly cost. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to afford to run something like a 210, and no way I could afford a 211.. The airmatic is ludicrously expensive when it breaks.

ill be updating when I see that particular car hopefully this weekend, and I'll bring my friend along to give me the go ahead.

suydam

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

Father, forgive me.

Now, do I talk to the wife about it first or simply park the new car in the driveway and see what happens?

Long as you plan on sleeping there.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

I just got off the phone with my wife to tell her the good news.  I'm more worried about it now than when we 1st got it. Lol!

Current mileage is 76,621.  So probably 76,625 by the time she gets home tonight.

The truck has held up remarkably well.  It is mechanically sound.  The steering wheel is starting to shake when I tap the brakes on the highway.  I'll havecthe mechanic look at it.  According to my records, front brake pads were replaced and the rotors were resurfaced at 58,995 miles, so it might be time for new front pads & rotors.

The driver's side visor doesn't go all the way up.  My wife drives with it in the down position (which drives me nuts) and leaves it down (also drives me crazy).  I have been putting off getting that fixed for a while.

The second row passenger side doesn't fold down all the way.  A clip or spring broke in the handle.  I need to get that fixed.  Ive also been putting that off.

Hopefully we'll keep it for at least another 5 years.  right now I'm not too keen on the idea of spending upwards of $40K on a 3 Row SUV.

My wife drives it because that's the family vehicle.  She likes driving my Subaru much better.  She just likes driving a car in general much better than an SUV.

Congrats on the payoff!! I too hate little nagging items like you mentioned. There never seems to be the right time to take it to the dealer and as mentioned would cost you an arm and a leg. Check You Tube. When I had the ZHP I found a ton of helpful videos on replacing or re attaching trim pieces. Little projects that I had avoided before as I was sure it required some special tool which the video put to rest. Only thing I bought was a set of trim pulling tools from Amazon for about $25.

Michaell

suydam said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

Father, forgive me.

Now, do I talk to the wife about it first or simply park the new car in the driveway and see what happens?

Long as you plan on sleeping there.

I need that laugh.

For the first time, my wife is driving the Elantra. She went to leave for work today and we noticed the left rear tire is flat on the Outback.

So, I'm waiting for AAA to come and switch out the tire, then I'll be getting it repaired. Off to the wife's office to swap cars, then a doctor's appointment. Yay me!

rayainsw

Since Infiniti has now [ finally ] released pricing for
their 2016 Q50 Sport 3.0t - the 300HP version -
I 'built' one.
Starting MSRP [ they said ] is 43,900 [ plus dest. ]
So much is 'Required' Options \ Packages, that the
actual minimum MSRP = Build Total*: $51,145
- Ray
Harumph ......

henryn

Michaell said:

I need that laugh.

For the first time, my wife is driving the Elantra. She went to leave for work today and we noticed the left rear tire is flat on the Outback.

So, I'm waiting for AAA to come and switch out the tire, then I'll be getting it repaired. Off to the wife's office to swap cars, then a doctor's appointment. Yay me!

Back when I was married, I did that routine many times. The wife left for work earlier than I did, and I had much more vacation time, so she would just take my car and run off if there was a low tire, or she heard a funny noise, or ...

Curious why you're waiting for AAA?

Michaell

henryn said:

I need that laugh. For the first time, my wife is driving the Elantra. She went to leave for work today and we noticed the left rear tire is flat on the Outback. So, I'm waiting for AAA to come and switch out the tire, then I'll be getting it repaired. Off to the wife's office to swap cars, then a doctor's appointment. Yay me!

Back when I was married, I did that routine many times. The wife left for work earlier than I did, and I had much more vacation time, so she would just take my car and run off if there was a low tire, or she heard a funny noise, or ... Curious why you're waiting for AAA?

Because I'm mechanically inept. Gotta get some value for the dues. 

andres3

Michaell said:

henryn said:

Michaell said:

I need that laugh.

For the first time, my wife is driving the Elantra. She went to leave for work today and we noticed the left rear tire is flat on the Outback.

So, I'm waiting for AAA to come and switch out the tire, then I'll be getting it repaired. Off to the wife's office to swap cars, then a doctor's appointment. Yay me!

Back when I was married, I did that routine many times. The wife left for work earlier than I did, and I had much more vacation time, so she would just take my car and run off if there was a low tire, or she heard a funny noise, or ...

Curious why you're waiting for AAA?

Because I'm mechanically inept. Gotta get some value for the dues. 

My father bought me AAA as a gift. I told him it was redundant for an Audi's first 4 years or 50K miles, but he insisted, and said use it anyway. I will say they seem to be faster (have used them twice in recent memory, once for my father's vehicle when I was visiting as he didn't want to use his limited amount of uses per year (they cap amount of uses/year). Certainly faster than when I used Audi Roadside Assistance (which wasn't terrible either, but typical).

The way Audi's are laid out in the trunk, it is as much work taking all the tools out and putting them back in their places as changing the tire yourself. I figure why get your hands dirty, let AAA handle it.

As to AAA insurance, they are on my boycott list for supporting red-light cameras in the false name of safety, and they know better too, it's a sold-out position to the almighty dollar.

andres3

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

Father, forgive me.

The E-GT is at 44,2xx miles as of today, and I'm really thinking of ditching it for a new 2017 Elantra. Looked at the inventory at my local dealer, and they have a red over grey SE with both the popular package and tech package.

Plugging their numbers into my lease calculator (and adding $600 for the damaged bumper on my car), I still end up at a payment less than $200/mo, with 8% tax.

I know we talked about why this isn't a good idea (new job a long way from home, etc.), but, darnit Jim, I'm a car buyer, not a doctor, and this is CCBA.

Just checked out the website - that's a really well equipped car with brand new styling for a sub-$200 monthly lease!

Seems to me it's a decent way to go. A very affordable payment on a really nice car. I seem to remember you liking the overall interior space when we looked at it at the car show. Thing is, WHEN you land your new job, would that make you want to increase the car budget anyway? My guess is no, so if there's a good way to get out of the current (over mileage) lease and into the new one and maintain the low payment, certainly worth considering.

Nah, my car budget really wouldn't change with a new job. I'd be perfectly content with the SE and the popular and tech packages:

rear view camera
Apple / Android integration
proximity key / push button start
heated seats
XM

In fact, the only thing I wouldn't have is Nav - but, the Apple integration takes care of that.

It's the path of least resistance ... I was really hoping to spend time test driving a bunch of stuff to figure out what I want, but the Elantra is a nice car that I fit in.

Now, do I talk to the wife about it first or simply park the new car in the driveway and see what happens?

What's the rush? If you want to test drive other options, go test drive them.

andres3

rayainsw said:

Since Infiniti has now [ finally ] released pricing for
their 2016 Q50 Sport 3.0t - the 300HP version -
I 'built' one.
Starting MSRP [ they said ] is 43,900 [ plus dest. ]
So much is 'Required' Options \ Packages, that the
actual minimum MSRP = Build Total*: $51,145
- Ray
Harumph ......

300 HP? Seems like they are going the wrong direction; wasn't the old one 328? Sure, there might be more torque now, but I don't recommend cars go down in HP and call it "advancement." Losing 5-10 HP is one thing, but 10%?

abacomike

andres3 said:

Since Infiniti has now [ finally ] released pricing for their 2016 Q50 Sport 3.0t - the 300HP version - I 'built' one. Starting MSRP [ they said ] is 43,900 [ plus dest. ] So much is 'Required' Options \ Packages, that the actual minimum MSRP = Build Total*: $51,145 - Ray Harumph ......

300 HP? Seems like they are going the wrong direction; wasn't the old one 328? Sure, there might be more torque now, but I don't recommend cars go down in HP and call it "advancement." Losing 5-10 HP is one thing, but 10%?

They have a 400 hp version in the Q50 sedan. 

It's a 4 door sedan and it's called the "Red Sport 400"!  If you look up Infiniti Q50, it's shown as a special edition - not cheap - $55,000+.  

stickguy

I think there is another model above that one. But I can suck it up and live with 300, though I might be afraid to leave my neighborhood with something that underpowered!

stickguy

Michael, I assume the attraction of the Elantra, besides being a nice car and great deal, is that you can trade out of your E-GT early and make the miles vaporize?

stickguy

was car looking with my daughter this week (she came home to visit). She has the gene too, about always looking at nice things! one car she specifically mentioned seeing that she liked? The new Malibu.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Michael, I assume the attraction of the Elantra, besides being a nice car and great deal, is that you can trade out of your E-GT early and make the miles vaporize?

Yes, very easy to address the miles and the damage if I stay with the same brand.

And, this is the #1 volume Hyundai dealer in the state, so they are always motivated to move stock.

andres3

Speaking of used cars, does a used car under $5K count as a punch? I saw a '06 Ford Taurus SEL parked on a street right by where I live with a for sale sign on it for $5,000 obo. Was in "fair" shape on the outside, with new-ish but cheap tires. The inside looked like it held up well for a Ford. I think if the price is fair it would be low mileage, otherwise high asking price?

stickguy

it is a nice car. I was very impressed with the one at the car show. pretty much a "right sized" Sonata (quite roomy inside). And your model has a ton of good stuff for $21,085!

only things I actually want/need/require that it is missing are a moonroof (can be done on the limited) and a power driver's seat (ditto). I am happy to have cloth seats. And 16" wheels.

I would be interested in trying the Eco, to get the turbo engine and DCT. Looks like that one is about $1k more comparably equipped. Probably much rarer.

I assume of course you are looking at 2017s?