Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

kyfdx

Volt isn't a bad idea. Cheap leases, but, not $125 cheap.

jayrider

No plug in for me unless I have a 220 charging station installed in the garage. Not cheap unless you do it yourself.

roadburner

"...reliable daily driver. "

That bit made me LOL. I assume this was a grey market import. Those are usually bad news from a standpoint of parts availability.

If that E24 was rust free I wouldn't hesitate for a second; parts availability would not be an issue at all- my only concern would be the aftermarket A/C...

roadburner

Reality bites. A few weeks ago I did something unknown but terrible to my lower back. Kept me down for most of a weekend. When I was semi-mobile again, had to use the SUV as there was no way I could contort myself into my low-slung GT

I recently had a pinched nerve that caused me to walk around like Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein. Getting in and out and sitting didn't bother me-thank goodness-so my driving habits weren't impacted.
My worst time with lower back pain was at a Road Atlanta HPDE a few years ago; one of my students was driving a Spec E30(race car) and I had to climb over the roll cage to get in and out, and my seat was a fiberglass racing bucket. Ouch...

nyccarguy

Ok, so what's the deal with these plug in Priuses? I saw an ad in the paper today for $0 down, $259/ month plus tax for a 36 month 12K lease. What's the catch? Do you have to buy a charging station & have a licensed electrician put it in for $5K? Can the car just plug into a standard wall outlet? How much do the electric bills go up when you plug your car in?

jayrider

It HAS A CORD THE JUST PLUGS INTO A STANDARD WALL SOCKET AND CHARGES IN 3 HOURS. The 220 outlet will cost you and charges in half the time. It still has a gas engine and the benefits aren't all that great over the standard hybrid. Sounds like a nice lease and I really like how my prius rides and the roominess of the hatchback.

nyccarguy

I know you are thrilled with your Prius. I've still got many months to go on the lease of my 328xi (21, but who's counting?). So I've always got my eye on what's next.

stickguy

always have to be looking. My wife is set for 10 years, and I won't have the resources to buy something nice for at least 5.

But I am still Jonesing to go to the Philly Auto show in a couple of weeks.

about the only rational is in case my son gets a job at graduation in May, and we have to get him a car, I need to be prepared!

nyccarguy

We're set with the family hauler too. Just brought my wife's 2011 Pilot in for service the other day. It's 18 months old & has over 30,000 miles already. They changed the oil (synthetic because I'm a neurotic lunatic) & filter ($60 w/ mailer coupon), cleaned the contacts in the 2 keys, replaced the latch in the rear tailgate, & tightened up the driver's interior door panel. I'm hoping the Pilot is at least a 10 year car.

So I'm concentrating on what to do when the lease is up on my BMW. Do I buy it out? Do I buy a CPO with less miles & less equipment for cheaper than my buyout? Do I buy an '09 with low miles?

As much as I love my BMW, it would also be nice to pay a car off in 3 years & drive it for 10. Maybe a Fit Sport or Civic Sedan?

roadburner

As much as I love my BMW, it would also be nice to pay a car off in 3 years & drive it for 10. Maybe a Fit Sport or Civic Sedan?

In a year or two you should be able to get a used BRZ or FR-S or the price of a new Fit or base Civic. MUCH more fun...

oldfarmer50

"...do I buy it out..."

Would you go to a lot and buy a car that was driven 3 years in NYC potholes and salt? That would tend to scare me.

Why not just lease a new one?

oldfarmer50

Here's a way to go oldfart while still feeling like you're driving something sporty. Sure to turn heads where ever you go.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/cto/3483849656.html

michaellno

We're set with the family hauler too.

Ditto here in Colorado. The 2010 Mazda CX-7 will have been in our household 2 years at the end of February. I think it has 26-28K on it (it had almost 3K at delivery), and we're keeping the miles off of it by having my wife and daughter commute together in the daughter's MINI. Used primarily on the weekends.

I'd like to think that it'll be a 10 year car as well ---- but, if we decide to move to warmer climes after the wife gets her MEd, then the AWD Mazda could (and I stress, could) be swapped for a small CUV with 2-wheel drive.

stever

Three hours is a lot faster than I would have guessed for a standard 110 outlet.

Which Prius do you have? My wife is still actively researching the Prius v. I keep trying to tell her that both are cars are just in their young teens and haven't even reached their stride yet. :shades:

stickguy

that has you written all over it. Go for it. I just about lost my breakfast (which I have not eaten yet) when I opened the link. What a monstrosity.

but, my favorite part was this: "and even has a heavy duty tow hitch for a trailer or boat". Could you imagine towing with this freak show, on those wheels? Yowza.

fezo

I'm gonna get tossed here. We've had my daughter's Accord for 13 years.

stickguy

well, we have sort of had our TL for 13+. My sister got it in September of '99, we took it over 12/08 and still have it. So at least in the family that long.

and before this year, our cars were 7 and 8 YOs before getting replaced (Accord and Odyssey bought new).

The RDX is on the 10 year at least plan. And if I ever buy something new for me it will be a keeper.

heck, even the Volvo (going on 1 year with us next month) is supposed to get my 17YO through college.

The real problem comes when I start buying (well) used cars for myself. Then I become:

fezo

If we count by how old the car is vs. How long we've had it that 99 Celica wins.

roadburner

In descending order:

1995 318ti Club Sport: 17 years(November 1995)
1999 Wrangler: 10.5 years(May 2002)
1996 Speed Triple: 7 years(September 2005)
2004 X3 2.5: 7 years(December 2005)
2007 Mazdaspeed 3 5.5 years(July 2007)
1975 2002A: 4 years(October 2008)
2009 328i: 0.5 years(July2012)

jayrider

I got that info from the Toyota website. I think the quick charge time is possible because it is not a dedicated total electric car. The engine engages during acceleration and under any load. Technically you can get 95 mpg on on the battery alone and 50 mpg on the engine. A recent road test reported nothing close to that because of range and mixed driving. The average mpg didn't justify the plug in option when you figured in the extra cost of the option. I have a 2010 IV which has leather and a few extras. Mpg hovers around 50 -- I don't hyper mile and don't exaggerate. The car is plenty roomy -- not sure if the bigger V is worth it. They seem bullet proof throughout the model range so used may be an option. Don't know pricing but it is definitely worth a test drive. Not much action on edmunds -- check out priuschat.com. As good as way as any to waste time.

stever

Thanks. We're driving the '97 Outback this time of year and it just feels really cramped since we usually cruise around in the '99 Quest. We liked the "regular" Prius when we test drove one three or four years ago and probably could manage with just the hatch. The difference in gas savings from 40 mpg to 50 mpg isn't all that huge, but going from 20-ish that we're currently getting to 40 in any Prius is a pretty good jump.

xwesx

Wow, that's quite a fleet! Fun too.

My sad "fleet" has some big numbers, but without all of the flair.

stever

That Power Wagon in your fleet needs an overhaul from these guys.

Amazing stuff and the prices are even more amazing. Lots of flair and some big numbers.

jayrider

The Prius became roomier in 2010, so if you drove an older one, there is a difference. I figure driving the Prius for the last 30k miles saved me about $100 a month over driving something like a Venza , Crosstour. or CR-V. Not a lot when you consider the size of those vehicles vs the Prius.

stever

I see a lot of them up here in the UP but they do a good job with the roads so plowing snow isn't a concern. We like finding fun dirt roads though - how's the ground clearance been treating you?

nyccarguy

I guess January is a good a time as any to take stock in what's occupying our driveways & garages. Sorry to dissapoint, but I don't see any "punches" for us in 2013.

2001 Honda Prelude Type SH - 11 years (April 2002)
2011 Honda Pilot EX-L w/ Navigation - 1.5 years (May 2011)
2011 BMW 328xi - 9 months (March 2012)

stickguy

well, I cheated and counted the TL because it was in the gamily. Otherwise I wouldn't.

jayrider

We don't get the snow in Southwest Illinois like you get in Michigan. Since I'm retired, I wait for the roads to clear before venturing out. The tires aren't low profile and a bit narrow so that helps. A set of snow tires might be recommended if you were going to get adventurous but all in all a lot of weight is over the front wheels -- haven't heard of people complaining on the forums.
The sedan does sit a bit higher than most mid-size cars and the hip point of the front seats makes it easy to slide in -- better than my LaCrosse -- for my old carcass.

stever

The reputation for heavy lake-effect snow in the UP is way overstated based on the 2+ years we've lived here. There's barely enough on the ground right now to hide the grass. Even the beach sand isn't hard frozen yet, so the walking is still a big soft. The volcanos are fun right now though (pic from a walk earlier today).

I'm more worried about "off-roading".

Easy slide-in is a big plus. The Outback is a folder, especially compared to the van.

fintail

Hmm...I have had the E55 since 2006, and the fintail has been with me for almost exactly 18 years now. Maybe I need to add or change something...

ronsteve

There was also a time when you could get a Saab 9-2x for $19k. A WRX clone but with 2 years of free service.

It's hard to gauge right now, since there are so few on the used market, but I think the few 9-2Xs that are out there are going for significantly less than comparable Imprezas/WRXs. Saab being an orphan brand probably doesn't help...

ronsteve

2006 V70 has been with me since May 2007... I waffle back and forth between setting a timetable to replace it and just keeping it as long as it keeps finding all 5 gears.

My better half has had her '06 Elantra since early 2006, but it's getting traded within the next couple months.

stickguy

I went to look at one of the saabarus when I heard about these deals, but my local dealer had none.

the other car that I whiffed on was the bread van Si (maybe 2004?). Same deal, 20K sticker, supposedly clearing out at like 15K. I did find a deal nearby that had one late in the year, but never got up there.

a few years later, they were going for just as much.

roadburner

Wow, that's quite a fleet! Fun too.

Thanks! I consider myself to be extremely fortunate and blessed to own those vehicles. I'm probably going to sell the 2002 in the spring as I do need to let go of at least one car- but it is such a sweet drive. My wife and I took it to run errands today and it is remarkably comfortable and civilized.

oldfarmer50

But I think this guy is a little optimistic:

http://albany.craigslist.org/cto/3490483277.html

oldfarmer50

Which is fine with me because if I was in Florida I could swoop in and pick it right up.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/cto/3437078102.html

From the ad date I bet it's long gone though.

jayrider

Looks like someone likes "Dreamsicles" even more than me.

roadburner

I'd pay $6000 to have it hauled away for scrap.

oldfarmer50

"...for scrap..."

You probably overlooked that the rear seat had been replaced with woofers. :confuse:

stickguy

I would be all over that Convert, at those miles with a new tranny. Though the white on white would be hard to swallow. Can you find it in a better color?

actually white paint is fine, just need another color interior!

ateixeira

You can siphon gas out of the tank so it must be worth $40.

Actually no, leave the gas in there for when you BURN IT WITH FIRE!

jayrider

There is at least $200 worth of scrap metal -- put it on the line at a junkyard and it will get picked clean of anything useful. Very cool article on TTAC about how that works.

stickguy

a few months ago one of the car magazines did a piece on what happens to "junk" cars these days. they got an old 3 series, and followed it through the dismantling and recycling process. Quite sophisticated these days, and nothing is wasted.

stickguy

seems to be contagious. My son has been sitting around the last few days looking at cars online deciding what to get for his new car. I keep pointing out that actually spending the time trying to find a job for when he graduates might be a more productive use of time, but that goes in one ear and out the other. Something else he inherited i guess...

Was not that long ago that he was planning to keep his TL as long as possible. I think the 2 trips on a tow truck within 3 days cured him of that notion.

The loss-leader lease option for the first car, with a dedicated account with an equal amount going in per month to build up a DP for the next car, is starting to look like a good possibility. Assuming the real job happens, otherwise he will be driving the TL to his minimum wage job stocking shelves overnight at Walmart!

some good deals out there. A 2013 ATS, At with moonroof, for $299/mo with only $894 dues at signing is hard to argue with. Or a Corolla for $199 sign and drive.

breld

What do you all think a fair price would be on this? I'm mildly considering it, for its miles and relative close proximity to Colorado.

'03 325xi wagon

On another note, I looked at a local used Golf R Friday night. Certainly would be a lot of fun, but the dealer was pretty proud of it and had it priced accordingly - about $1-2k off what you could probably get a new one for. Only 6k miles and VW CPO, but still.

stickguy

well, I really like it, but not at that price for an '03. though the lower miles help.

I personally would rather have a RWD too, but I know those are a lot rarer.

oldfarmer50

"...can you find it in a better color?..."

Sure but this one will cost you another grand. That white interior was kinda weird and must be tough to keep clean.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/ctd/3476475983.html

The new tranny got me wondering what they could have done to blow the original at 46k miles.

oldfarmer50

"...325xi..."

Edmunds says in my area that it's worth $9300 plus options at the dealer so figure $10k if it's loaded. Do people really go for BMW wagons? Personally, if I was looking for a BMW I wouldn't want one not, sexy enough.

Might make the dealer willing to bargain.

stickguy

dang, I like that one. even in red. have to get it for the price of the white one though.

I really need you to get down there, do the legwork, snag the right car then I will fly down and pick it up to drive home.

stickguy

a 3 series AWD wagon is a bit of a niche product, very big with some of the outdoors types (skiers) and especially dog people.

I just like the practicality factor. Plus I have a Lab now, and it would be much more convenient for toting him around!