Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

au1994

I would not want to be in front of them as they approach a red light.

kyfdx

au1994 said:

I would not want to be in front of them as they approach a red light.

Or, changing lanes on the freeway...

corvette

Can’t believe the tires haven’t popped.

jmonroe1

@nyccarguy said:

Hey, I didn’t buy this van just to take the kids to their sporting events.

Jmonroe

xwesx

Minivans are one of the most versatile designs ever made. Certainly the most versatile and compact design. While that one is clearly overloaded, for an equal weight, they handle it better, I think, than a half-ton pickup because their load sits much more evenly loaded between wheelbase as opposed to balancing over the rear axle alone.

It is not chance that they are a favorite target of thieves for transporting stolen cargo.

tjc78

@xwesx said:
Minivans are one of the most versatile designs ever made. Certainly the most versatile and compact design. While that one is clearly overloaded, for an equal weight, they handle it better, I think, than a half-ton pickup because their load sits much more evenly loaded between wheelbase as opposed to balancing over the rear axle alone.

It is not chance that they are a favorite target of thieves for transporting stolen cargo.

I’ve talked about this before but years ago at my old job we had a 96 Town and Country minivan. We used to load that thing up like it was a 2500 HD pickup. I don’t know how we didn’t blow it up.

jmonroe1

@xwesx said:
Minivans are one of the most versatile designs ever made. Certainly the most versatile and compact design. While that one is clearly overloaded, for an equal weight, they handle it better, I think, than a half-ton pickup because their load sits much more evenly loaded between wheelbase as opposed to balancing over the rear axle alone.

It is not chance that they are a favorite target of thieves for transporting stolen cargo.

As I mentioned before Son #1 has a bad engine in his ‘15 Kia van with 110K miles on it (still no word if Kia will do all/some goodwill replacement of it).

He has had 3 vans so far but doesn’t need one now. Wants to get a Telluride type thing now. He always felt uneasy about saying he had a “van” but has to admit they are the most versatile vehicle you can have when your kids are growing up and into sports, especially hauling around hockey gear.

He’s almost smiling that he won’t have to see a “van” in his garage anymore.

jmonroe

sda

I've never understood the stigma of mini-van vs SUV. They both look utilitarian and are meant to be people movers and/or hold cargo. I prefer the mini-van, which are hardly mini anymore. They have more room, ride and drive better and often get better mpg. If I needed to haul a heavy trailer or boat then a HD pickup gets the job.

[Deleted User]

We swore we'd never drive a mini-van for whatever reason. Then when the boys were born, we could barely fit three car seats across the 2nd row of the 4Runner. The Odyssey was one of the best vehicles we've ever owned for the same reasons @sda mentioned. And it had plenty of power to warrant that "look" from mom23 when the punks next to us thought they could take us when the light turned green!

tifighter

Screw stigma - I'd like a minivan that I could use for hiking/biking/mountain biking/skiing. Bikes go in back, has AWD minimum or 4wd, and useful ground clearance. All of the current AWD offerings are pretty low to the ground, or don't have removable seats. And the Sprinter class is just ginormous.

jmonroe1

@tifighter said:
Screw stigma - I'd like a minivan that I could use for hiking/biking/mountain biking/skiing. Bikes go in back, has AWD minimum or 4wd, and useful ground clearance. All of the current AWD offerings are pretty low to the ground, or don't have removable seats. And the Sprinter class is just ginormous.

Would you be interested in a 2015 Kia van that needs an engine? Other than that it’s in pretty good shape for it’s age. Don’t know how we’d have been able to get the family (7 of us) to Myrtle Beach about 5 times without it. It also has roof rails for a carrier up top too, and oh, a bike rack that can handle 4 bikes. Going once, going twice. You better hurry up.

jmonroe

au1994

tifighter said:

Screw stigma - I'd like a minivan that I could use for hiking/biking/mountain biking/skiing. Bikes go in back, has AWD minimum or 4wd, and useful ground clearance. All of the current AWD offerings are pretty low to the ground, or don't have removable seats. And the Sprinter class is just ginormous.

That’d be the Honda Element.

au1994

Man, these were nice looking…

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-acura-rsx-4/

Michaell

au1994 said:

Man, these were nice looking…

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-acura-rsx-4/

$15-20K, when all is said and done.

au1994

Yep, with only 30k on the clock, no doubt.

stickguy

Oh wow. I love those. Even in that color! I might register to bid on it. Doubt I’d win, but hard to tell where this goes. Great low miles, but a plain base model in boring colors.

Too bad it’s not still in NJ so I could go get it.

au1994

Oh if it was a Type R with those miles we’d be looking at a sale price to match the miles.

tjc78

That’s going to bring stupid money

stickguy

Already jumped to $5k.

And back then, I don’t think they could hardly give them away.

28firefighter

tifighter said:

Screw stigma - I'd like a minivan that I could use for hiking/biking/mountain biking/skiing. Bikes go in back, has AWD minimum or 4wd, and useful ground clearance. All of the current AWD offerings are pretty low to the ground, or don't have removable seats. And the Sprinter class is just ginormous.

I'd like a Pacifica 392. Why you ask? Well...why not?

tifighter

au1994 said:

tifighter said:

Screw stigma - I'd like a minivan that I could use for hiking/biking/mountain biking/skiing. Bikes go in back, has AWD minimum or 4wd, and useful ground clearance. All of the current AWD offerings are pretty low to the ground, or don't have removable seats. And the Sprinter class is just ginormous.

That’d be the Honda Element.

Too small. Mountain bikes inside - with the wheels on.

au1994

stickguy

RSX up to 10k already. That escalated quickly.

tifighter

au1994 said:

Meh. 26" wheels with small frames (look at the head tubes). Still, it will work for some people. I'd like a minivan that a 29er could roll into, wheels on. With no intrusion into the front row. And 7"+ ground clearance. Like the Vito/Metris 4x4 we don't get.

It's funny that Toyota has this Sienna Woodland thing coming out, but you can't take the seats out. Missed opportunity given one of the minivan strengths is practicality.

explorerx4

@28firefighter,
Here you go:
https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/mercedes-benz-r63-amg-was-rare-v8-powered-minivan-our-dreams-257149

28firefighter

explorerx4 said:

@28firefighter,
Here you go:
https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/mercedes-benz-r63-amg-was-rare-v8-powered-minivan-our-dreams-257149

Not exactly what I had in mind.

tjc78

@28firefighter said:
I'd like a Pacifica 392. Why you ask? Well...why not?

Sub 5 second Minivan. Yeah I’d dig that.

In some sick way I’d always thought it would be cool to hot rod one of these. Yes I know .. I’m not right in the head.

92 Grand Caravan ES, they made 9 or 10 of them

xwesx

explorerx4 said:

@28firefighter,
Here you go:
https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/mercedes-benz-r63-amg-was-rare-v8-powered-minivan-our-dreams-257149

Yeah, not exactly a minivan. It's a station wagon; MB version of the Pacifica (before it was actually a minivan).

explorerx4

Can anyone get closer? HA HA

jmonroe1

@tjc78 said:

@28firefighter said:
I'd like a Pacifica 392. Why you ask? Well...why not?

Sub 5 second Minivan. Yeah I’d dig that.

In some sick way I’d always thought it would be cool to hot rod one of these. Yes I know .. I’m not right in the head.

92 Grand Caravan ES, they made 9 or 10 of them

Where are you right?

jmonroe

corvette

au1994 said:

That’d be the Honda Element.

My parents had one and loved it. I thought it was noisy, underpowered, and had terrible blind spots... The Prius is also noisy and underpowered, but will easily do 40+ MPG on the highway, whereas the Element might get 25 with a heavy tailwind.

I wouldn't mind an AWD minivan, so long as it was adequately discounted to reflect the market reality that "most people" would prefer a CUV. The AWD Sienna used to omit a spare tire, which is also undesirable to me.

roadburner

jmonroe1 said:

@xwesx said:

Minivans are one of the most versatile designs ever made. Certainly the most versatile and compact design. While that one is clearly overloaded, for an equal weight, they handle it better, I think, than a half-ton pickup because their load sits much more evenly loaded between wheelbase as opposed to balancing over the rear axle alone.

It is not chance that they are a favorite target of thieves for transporting stolen cargo.

As I mentioned before Son #1 has a bad engine in his ‘15 Kia van with 110K miles on it (still no word if Kia will do all/some goodwill replacement of it).

He has had 3 vans so far but doesn’t need one now. Wants to get a Telluride type thing now. He always felt uneasy about saying he had a “van” but has to admit they are the most versatile vehicle you can have when your kids are growing up and into sports, especially hauling around hockey gear.

He’s almost smiling that he won’t have to see a “van” in his garage anymore.

jmonroe

My wife hates minivan more than I do- of course having only one kid let us get away with using the Club sport for vacations.
Which was nice.

roadburner

I've almost talked my wife into letting me bid on this.

stickguy

Got lost looking at the auction sites. I don't know where BaT comes up with so many cars to list, or keeps track of them all with the sellers. 425+ active listings now. wow.

but, I saw this. Test drove one when they first came out, and it was quite fun. Plus I fit way better than in a same vintage Miata. The big problem is not enough room to carry a box of tissues. Not with 2 people. might get a couple of sports bag in it, as long as the passenger did not mind having on their lap. So taking it for a weekend away, not happening.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-toyota-mr2-spyder-14/

stickguy

roadburner said:

I've almost talked my wife into letting me bid on this.

nice looking. just a bit cheaper than a real one too!

qbrozen

@roadburner said:
I've almost talked my wife into letting me bid on this.

I can’t believe some idiot is looking at this kit car and complaining the mirrors aren’t positioned like an original Daytona. You’d think maybe the fact it has a 351W, just for starters, would tip him off that it isn’t supposed to be a perfect replica. Or point out one of another 100 things that don’t match. Nah, let’s talk about mirror adjustment. Sigh.

oldfarmer50

mjfloyd1 said:

Up to 150k miles or for an additional 150k miles?

The letter I got simply said “15 years/150,000 miles” so I’m assuming that’s total not additional.

Oh BTW, I got to drive a Stinger GT today. Very fast. I also got to drive a new Jeep Wagoneer. Very smooth, which it should be for $90k+. Reminds me of a Lincoln Navigator or Chevy Tahoe.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Sandy, there is a big difference between a base 2.0 slushbox Kona and a 1.6t DSG model. vastly quicker and more entertaining overall. And sounds neat.

Then there’s the EV Kona if you really want acceleration. It’s not Tesla fast but it’s fast.

oldfarmer50

au1994 said:

Man, these were nice looking…

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-acura-rsx-4/

I always wanted one of those but they stopped making them just before I was in the market.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

tifighter said:

Screw stigma - I'd like a minivan that I could use for hiking/biking/mountain biking/skiing. Bikes go in back, has AWD minimum or 4wd, and useful ground clearance. All of the current AWD offerings are pretty low to the ground, or don't have removable seats. And the Sprinter class is just ginormous.

I'd like a Pacifica 392. Why you ask? Well...why not?

A 392 in a FWD van? You can spin the wheels all day long with the 3.6L as it is.

explorerx4

3G being shut down starting next year. Some brands will be affected up through 2021 model years.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/how-the-3g-shutdown-in-2022-could-screw-your-car/ar-AARF1Ri?ocid=hponeservicefeed

nyccarguy

au1994 said:

Man, these were nice looking…

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-acura-rsx-4/

$10k Already and it isn't even a Type S. The RSX was on my radar back in 2002 when I was shopping for my Prelude. My goal was to buy a Prelude Type SH. If I couldn't find a Type SH Prelude, I was going to search for a Base Prelude with a stick. If no 5 Speed Preludes were around, I was going to check out the RSX.

On paper, the RSX Type S was a much better all around car than the Prelude. It was lighter and faster to 60 mph (by almost a second). It had an extra cog in the transmission and got better fuel economy. It had a more driver focused interior, a nicer interior, and a longer warranty. It was a hatchback instead of a coupe. HID lights from the factory instead of those reflective halogens on my car.

As someone who had wanted a 4th Generation Prelude, then a 5th Generation, I didn't LOVE the fact that Acura switched from 4 Wheel Double Wishbone Suspension to MacPherson Struts Up front and a multi-link in the rear. It also took me a while to warm up to the styling.

graphicguy

I flipped a well used F150 a few months ago to a guy who had a 1 year old Toyota Sienna. He gave me a ride in it when we went to his bank for a cashier’s check. I was duly impressed. I can certainly see the appeal of minivans, at least the Toyota versions.

Rode like a Lexus and seemed to have nice build quality.

ab348

nyccarguy said:

As someone who had wanted a 4th Generation Prelude, then a 5th Generation, I didn't LOVE the fact that Acura switched from 4 Wheel Double Wishbone Suspension to MacPherson Struts Up front and a multi-link in the rear. It also took me a while to warm up to the styling.

The styling on these was a half-hearted effort at best. They never looked right, and appeared too much like just a slightly modded Civic. This was not a good period for Honda.

stickguy

Newer minivans are basically luxury cars. Similar to top trim level pick ups. And are incredibly useful.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

@xwesx said:

Minivans are one of the most versatile designs ever made. Certainly the most versatile and compact design. While that one is clearly overloaded, for an equal weight, they handle it better, I think, than a half-ton pickup because their load sits much more evenly loaded between wheelbase as opposed to balancing over the rear axle alone.

It is not chance that they are a favorite target of thieves for transporting stolen cargo.

As I mentioned before Son #1 has a bad engine in his ‘15 Kia van with 110K miles on it (still no word if Kia will do all/some goodwill replacement of it).

He has had 3 vans so far but doesn’t need one now. Wants to get a Telluride type thing now. He always felt uneasy about saying he had a “van” but has to admit they are the most versatile vehicle you can have when your kids are growing up and into sports, especially hauling around hockey gear.

He’s almost smiling that he won’t have to see a “van” in his garage anymore.

jmonroe

My wife hates minivan more than I do- of course having only one kid let us get away with using the Club sport for vacations.
Which was nice.

Just got the bad news on my kid’s Fusion. It wasn’t a head gasket, thank goodness but it was a gasket related to the timing chain cover which was an even bigger job. $2500 which include a free oil pan because the tech cracked it while doing the other work.

On most of the old cars I run it wouldn’t be worth it but at 38k miles it’s probably still worth more than I paid for it 18 months ago considering the market.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

3G being shut down starting next year. Some brands will be affected up through 2021 model years.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/how-the-3g-shutdown-in-2022-could-screw-your-car/ar-AARF1Ri?ocid=hponeservicefeed

My 3g tracPhone already was losing features so I got a 4g version. You’d think that for 20 bucks I would get more than 3 years out of it. :@

Fortunately my cars are pretty light on tech features so I’ll never notice them not working.

qbrozen

Just to see where I stand, I submitted the mach-e to a couple of the usual suspects. Winner thus far is ALgo (who I sold my Jeep to) at $50,500. That would put me at $10k in my favor.

nyccarguy

Made it official this AM. Still waiting for my 2021 4xe to be repaired & delivered. Placed my order for a '22. Hydro/Saddle, Anti-Spin, Gorilla Glass, All Weather Mats, Open Sky Roof, Safety, Advanced Safety, Towing. Same as the 2021 Except the '21 has a Black Interior and I didn't order the Anti-Spin Diff.

stickguy

Keeping them both or getting into flipping?