Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

roadburner

Well obviously I wouldn't buy any vintage car without a thorough PPI by someone who knows the Marque. The key to the Interceptors is no underbody, inner rocker, or rear hatch rust; everything else can be dealt with fairly inexpensively.

rayainsw

Drove the new ride home this weekend.
More on the car & the process
when I have a few minutes to write it up...
Possibly tonight.
- Ray
The web site page still shows it - now as 'sold' ...
http://www.gunthervwbuford.com/vehicle/2013-Volkswagen-GTI-Buford-798251.html

breld

The short road trip to South Dakota was a great success - the kids all really appreciated it, which opens up opportunities for more road trips in the future.

Despite being just days before Sturgis, they areas were not very busy. We stayed at an old historic home in Custer built in 1882 (found it on vrbo.com) - it was a great alternative to local hotels and I'd highly recommend it.

We spent the first evening after arriving in S. Dakota at Mt. Rushmore. The next day was filled with local touristy places - "Cosmos" mystery area (look it up), Bear Country, Christmas Village and Rushmore Caves. All places I would tend to bypass, but that's what we were there for - the local flavor and strange things you can't find anywhere else.

xwesx mentioned Sylvan Lake - we ended up going there on a whim and it turned out to be our favorite part of the vacation. Beautiful lake, fun and easy hiking (except for the 30 minutes or so my 8 year old spent upset and crying after taking a pretty good spill, skinning up his knee ).



We had such a good time hiking around there and I had to remind myself that we have such places locally in Colorado - just need to make more of a point to get up to the mountains with the family.

We finished up Saturday at Crazy Horse and then drove on home to Denver, encountering thunder storm and tornado warnings along the way - an adventure of it own!

tifighter

Congrats!

Its funny, I've been thinking about one of these off and on recently. How do you like the DSG with the 2.0T? I've only driven DSG with a TDI didn't think it worked for the diesel. Also, curious why you didn't keep the 3 coupe...any issues?

rayainsw

'How do you like the DSG with the 2.0T?'
Short answer - I like it a lot.
- Ray
Longer answer soon .....

andres3

I think the DSG is the best transmission every conceived and implemented (I(I've had it for nearly 103,000 miles in my '06 Audi A3 2.0T). It combines perfectly with the wonderful 2.0T motor.

The DSG is still my favorite part of the car.

I think he made a great decision as the FIATS are just too small, and the 2.0T too superior to anything FIAT has.

Knowing he's a manual driver though, I'm surprised the Golf/GTI R didn't tempt him. It's nearly stickering for $38K (that's probably why), but it's a great car, but you do have to get a manual.

I went to the VW dealer yesterday and they had not 2, not 3, but 4 Golf R's!!! 2 were 2 door, 2 were 4-door, and I bet they'd be willing to wheel and deal having so many. I was shocked they had more than one (if that!).

By the way, that Blue is the nicest color I've ever seen on a GTI. It seems they've finally expanded their color selection as in the past it has been abysmal.

corvette

You have tons of hiking/outdoor places in Colorado. I'm guessing there are more outdoor recreation opportunities per capita than any other state. I absolutely loved driving up Mount Evans when I was there a few years ago--I thought it was a lot nicer than Pikes Peak.

tifighter

I just found that the DSG programming was not well suited to the TDI. It wanted to move the car to redline when floored, but anything past 3k rpm and you are out of the torque band and the car falls on its face. That's why I ask about the GTI; the 2.0T power delivery is probably well suited to the DSG.

I do like that blue, as well.

breld

And I love those wheels on your 2013 model - much nicer than the "Hot Wheels" style ones I had on my 2012.

I'm sure you'll explain in your upcoming post, but why not wait until the updated 2014 model is available next year?

rayainsw

fair warning - long post

The goals I set – I was looking for a lower cost, but still enough [ German ? ] driving enjoyment to keep me satisfied for at least a couple of years. I was looking for the best ‘bang for my buck’.

I really looked all over the map. Including:
Infiniti G37 short term lease.
Chrysler 300C Hemi – reviewed here a while back.
Another new BMW – another 335, a lease on a new 535i, a used 550, even a 535d.
[ diesel, TQ 400+ - but not cheap, and still not available at any local dealer ]
BMW [ trying to work with 2 different dealers ] never offered a compelling reason for me to continue with their brand. Either a new lease, or to buy out the 335. Very odd.
Various used Audis.
Honda Accord V6 Sedan. Very nice car – drove 2. Probably a more rational choice than the VW – however: More expensive. No paddle shift nor manual lever shift in any V6 sedan. The delay between signaling a request for a shift [ up or down ] and shift execution was very long. Longer than I recall in any such ‘request \ response’ lag in any car I have driven in the past 10 years. Though Honda marketing materials specifically references ‘rev match on downshift’ = “The Drive-by-Wire™ throttle system also creates a "blip" of the throttle to help match gear speeds while downshifting.” – I observed no such action in my several attempts, during the test drives. Without this, the downshifts were not nearly as smooth as I expected. I use the manual shift feature a lot. I know that I would miss some aspects I now really appreciate. And, with a V6 Sedan, you must have leather seats. But I digress.

I also considered several others.

So – last Saturday morning I drove a 2013 VW GTI – DSG, Convenience Package & Sunroof. MSRP = $28,870. All I wanted & nothing more.

Clearly, this is not in the same class, regarding acceleration & many other aspects, as my 335iS. However, I do find it a lot of fun to drive. The acceleration is certainly adequate – and delivered in an entertaining manner. It feels light on its feet – it weighs about 3,160. The BMW weighs approx. 3,600. I could discern no FWD torque steer in moderate driving. The turbo 2.0L motor really pulls well from low RPM – something I appreciate. TQ peaks at only 1,700 RPM. And sounds happy at high RPM as well.

In the few miles I have driven so far, it always feels nimble, but also ‘planted’ – solid & secure in cornering and cruising. The ride suits me just fine. Short wheelbase, 40 series tires and the GTI suspension result in some chop, of course – but the ride \ handling compromises work for me.

The 6-speed DSG works well, for me. The shifts up & down in automatic or manual mode are quick & smooth. The console lever allows manual up & down shifts and there are also steering wheel paddles. These paddles are always active – in Drive as well as in Sport and in Manual mode. The DSG’s response to shift commands is immediate. I do often use both, as appropriate for the situation. There is also a ‘kick-down’ switch. This is also something I find occasionally useful!

The exhaust is noticeable on acceleration, though not loud. A pleasant tone, to my ears. And at cruise [ 65 – 80 ] everything fades to a distant hum. Wind noise [ with the sunroof in Vent ] road noise and engine noise all die away. Nice.

I am impressed with the fit, finish and materials quality inside – particularly at the price point. Except for the center seats fabric, the interior is basically all black. I may have to do something about that. I understand that there are a few aftermarket options here. The seats fit me perfectly. Immediately comfortable and very supportive. Multiple, useful adjustments – including lumbar support.

As many here may know, there have already been several published tests of the 2015 GTI – and GTD. Evolutionary, in most respects, but offering a rather substantial increase in Torque. I decided not to wait – largely because [ though VW appear to have addressed their reliability issues ] I do not think it wise to select an early build, first model year VW. We shall see . . .

rayainsw

Other aspects of this GTI that particularly interested me:
Good quality cloth finished seats. I do not generally find leather particularly desirable as a seating surface.
An adjustable [ up\down & fore\aft ] cloth covered front center armrest.
The tires are NOT run-flats. And there is a spare.
The city EPA rating for the GTI is exactly the same as the highway rating for my BMW.
[ That will likely save me $50+ in gas per month. ]
My dealer will shortly be an APR dealer.
[ Their tune = more Torque. Yummmmmm. ]
Opening the sunroof to vent still allows the sunshade to be fully closed – there are vents in the front of the sunshade. This completely blocks the Atlanta area summer sun but allows good flow of fresh air.
This particular unit did not have the Navigation system – and my [ recent, $279 @ Best Buy ] Garmin does everything I need, and more, so that is just fine with me. Savings there = $1,500.
This was the only one this color anywhere around here – and I really do like the shade.
I happen to like the style of these 18” wheels.
Red brake calipers – and a blue car? Hmmmm.
4 seats and 4 doors to conveniently access those seats.
That is all I can think of, right now.
Cheers,
- Ray
Happy with the car, so far !!!!

I will detail “the deal” in a separate post

rayainsw

I was in a position where what I still owed on the BMW lease is actually more than offset by the Multiple Security Deposits they owe me back at lease-end.

The dealer’s best and final offer, on July 31st, was $2,249 below invoice –
in fact well below ‘invoice less holdback’.
- PLUS a 0% APR loan for 60 months.

I did not expect the no interest loan deal to continue – so.
Sounded like a fair deal to me.
Sign & drive, I did.
- Ray
Driving . . .

rayainsw

Congrats on the new vehicle!
- Ray
Hope you enjoy it for a looooong time....
[ CCBA inside joke ]

nyccarguy

Congrats Ray! Sounds like you are really happy with the car which is the most important part of "the deal." The fact that you got free financing + over $2K under invoice is just the icing on the cake! I look forward to hearing about your ownership experience;)

ohenryx

Honda Accord V6 Sedan.
...
And, with a V6 Sedan, you must have leather seats.
...
I do not generally find leather particularly desirable as a seating surface.
...


I have no particular objections to leather seats, but I don't like the idea of being forced to pay for it in order to get the V6 engine. I was seriously thinking about a new Accord earlier this year, until I discovered that I could not obtain the V6 without a sunroof? Seriously? No V6 without a sunroof? (I dislike sunroofs.)

The turbo 2.0L motor really pulls well from low RPM – something I appreciate. TQ peaks at only 1,700 RPM. And sounds happy at high RPM as well.

That engine is one of the best reasons to purchase a VW. And you can no longer get it in the Passat. What were they thinking?

My dealer will shortly be an APR dealer.
[ Their tune = more Torque. Yummmmmm. ]


I'm very interested in hearing your impressions of the APR tune. In the meantime, enjoy your new ride!

corvette

"The exhaust is noticeable on acceleration, though not loud."

You know that they install a speaker (called the soundaktor) near the firewall to create a fake engine/exhaust note? I thought the growl was a little excessive (especially when you're not pushing the engine very hard) and unplugged mine. It's extremely quiet now.

I agree with your other comments on the GTI and Accord. I like the features offered by the Accord Touring (which is only offered with a V6), but after reading several reviews of the Accord, I think the four-cylinder model is the one to get. Their CVT (only offered on the four cylinder) is supposed to be extremely responsive, but you can't get shift paddles unless you get the Accord Sport, which doesn't have much other equipment.

The spare on my GLI has a yellow warning sticker indicating that I shouldn't exceed 55 MPH, however, when I had to install it, I noticed that it's a standard 205/55/16 tire, not a mini donut, so I didn't feel nervous about driving a more normal speed. I'm betting the GTI has a full-size spare, as well.

breld

Congrats!

If you remember, I went from a 2012 GTI to my 335 (well, with an A5 thrown in there). Of course the 335 offers more in the way of power and handling from a RWD (or AWD in my case) platform, but I sorely miss my GTI and imagine I will have another one someday. It's not that I want it instead of my 335 - I just want a GTI also :P .

The 4-door hatchback configuration is so versatile. The interior quality is up to par with the German luxury brands, I think. And I never was left wanting for more power or even cornering capabilities. I found the "stutter" upon takeoff as the front wheels found traction to be the only annoyance.

Enjoy!

xwesx

Well, I have to say that you have one lucky kid if she gets to regularly drive a brand new Explorer Limited! No kid really deserves to drive a new car, let a lone a (near?) luxury car. :P

----

On a separate note, I rolled 30,000 on my Fiesta this weekend (started with a little under 14K less than a year ago when I bought it). I left Palmer at about 0500, so traffic was really light, and was getting 44 mpg after 60 miles of driving north (driving 50-to-60 depending on the zone). But, once I hit the 65 SL portion of the Parks, I bumped it to 70 for basically the rest of the trip to Fairbanks, and the car settled at 39 mpg after 330 miles.

I'm still debating whether the 5 mpg was worth the 30 minutes saved. I saved about 8% in time, but lost 11% in fuel economy. Ah, life's little choices....

tifighter

Thanks for the review, Ray. Very interesting.

I recently drove the Accord Sport with the CVT. It works pretty well, to the point that you stop thinking about it, even on a shorter test drive. And I'm no CVT lover...the Altima rentals I've had come to mind.

I'm going to try to drive the new Mazda 6 here soon. It is supposed to be a dynamic car. And it will have to be - local dealers here have little inventory and, as a result, are not too willing to deal. Hard to wrap my head around paying more for a 6 than an Accord...especially since the Accord is sort of the gold standard of resale, reliability etc. But the 6 GT is seriously well-equipped. We'll see.

rayainsw

'"stutter" upon takeoff as the front wheels found traction'

I suppose a thousand dollars worth of Michelin Pilot Sports
in OEM size would help with that...
- Ray
Not in the cards - just yet...

xwesx

Sounds like a fantastic trip, breld, and that's definitely a gorgeous photo of the lake!!! That's the one downside of granite.... it's not very forgiving on the skin!

We visited a couple of caves while we were there. Rushmore, and, I think, Crystal? Definitely something that should be done when visiting the Black Hills; caves are really an amazing experience. I remember seeing billboards for Cosmos while we were there, but we didn't bite. We were actually only in the area for two days, mostly with the intent of visiting some good friends who were running a youth camp there. We went on a long walk with them that first evening and they took us to an old (1800s) mine that was way up into a hillside. That was pretty neat, but we didn't have the constitution to brave the mine proper.

Did you stay in this place? That looks like it would have been great! We tend to camp.

breld

Yeah - that's the house we stayed in. With all the kids, it was difficult to find a hotel room (or rooms) to accommodate all of us, so this house was outstanding. There was a "Galaga" arcade game and a pinball machine in the game room. The boys loved that (after I allowed them to play once I had a nostalgic round with Galaga :P ).

The house was in a great location - there was a steakhouse across the street, a pizza place nearby, a Dairy Queen a block east, and "The Purple Pie Place" a block west (the place is purple, not the pie). What else do you need?

xwesx

What else do you need?

Other than maybe two hours of sleep, I'd say you're about set! A house like that is definitely a place you would need/want to have for several days in order to enjoy it to the fullest.

stickguy

2nd step is finding money (that is the one where I always seem to trip up...).

anyway, had the Volvo in for it's annual service today, and while I was there took a new S60 for a ride. Very impressed. quite the upgrade from my 2007 NA S40, but at the same time, felt familiar. I could very easily live with one. to me, the perfect size. Big enough, but still compact. And very quick (I drove a T5 FWD, albeit briefly).

the 3 months no payments (up to $450/month I did find out) and 1K loyalty rebate (but only $500 on a lease) were certainly an enticement. Plus, they had a few service loaners, that first offer (on the test drive) was 4K off sticker (plus the loyalty) so before even haggling, 4.5 or 5K off MSRP.

plus they had exactly the car I wanted, and even in a color I actually really liked (Flamenco red) which I was surprised at (the like, not that they had one). I really don't need one now, and should not be taking on a payment, so I stopped short of getting a lease quote!

did get a new motor mount on the S40. and soon, new brake pads. And maybe a CV boot. Ah, the joys of an older car! Though to be fair, in 1.5 years, I have done absolutely nothing to it other than 1 oil change, a tire balance, and new wiper blades.

corvette

Does yours have the Dunlop tires? Other than the sidewall bubble I got early on, they seem okay, so far, in spite of their awful reputation. They have good traction, whether the road is wet or dry. Haven't yet tried them in the snow, but they have a nice tread pattern which looks like it will handle snow okay. On broken pavement, I do get a pretty strong "thumping" sound from them. Wear is hard to gauge at this point, but I'm guessing they'll last about 30,000 miles if I continue to drive mostly on the highway with about 20% city mileage.

rayainsw

'Does yours have the Dunlop tires?'
Yes - the SP Sport 01 A/S.
- Ray
Not really stressed them - yet...

stever

I have that lake post saved since we plan to take the northern route home. Check out my odometer pic over in Road Trips. :shades:

crkyolfrt

Very sharp looking V Dub! As for the red calipers with blue..I've seen this before and I have to say it easily works on your new ride.. Just love those rims..
That bugger will be such a tight little handler...3100lbs of sturdy..
only way it could be better is if it was a rear driver of course. But then it would be 3200+..
Very interested to read about the well controlled torque steer, (around town not too aggressive) given the boost available with that mill. Well done VW.

akangl

Well, I have to say that you have one lucky kid if she gets to regularly drive a brand new Explorer Limited! No kid really deserves to drive a new car, let a lone a (near?) luxury car.

I let her drive it before it even turned 100 miles. I trust her and she is a very good driver. I'd rather have her driving the Explorer rather than an old beater. She's getting her license this month or next, she has to since I've been so sick. I ended up in the ER last night, ambulance ride there, expensive taxi ride home since hubby is out of town. :sick:

On another note, the Focus has around 24k on it now in 11 months of driving. Hubby still loves it, it's been problem free, and averages 36 mpg consistently. Good little car.

akangl

Congrats on the new vehicle!
- Ray
Hope you enjoy it for a looooong time....
[ CCBA inside joke ]

Funny, but I know you guys are already taking bets on the next purchase.

Congrats on your new GTI, love those cars, sold a new red one back in 97 when I sold cars at the vw/nissan/Honda dealer. Military guy bought it, he loved it.

xwesx

Ah, very nice, Steve! For the benefit of others who may be curious.... It's post 387 in the "Road Trip!" thread.

:shades:

corvette

It appears we just missed the summer sale on APR reflashes. I'm interested to hear your impressions of the tune, as well. The stock 2.0T has good power off the line, but seems to run out of breath above 60 MPH or so. I'm thinking a tune might make it feel a little more like my old 540i.

rayainsw

If I do have the APR tune applied, I will certainly post here.
There are many, many posts by others who
have had APR tunes...
[ EDIT - Looks like APR has sales fairly often. ]
- Ray
Happy with 'stock' - so far ......

michaellno

Chronic Tire Buyers Anonymous.

Hello, my name is Michael, and I buy a lot of tires.

Hello, Michael!

Within the next month or so, I'll need to get two tires for the ION and a full set for the CX-7. I bought two for the ION earlier this year.

Wow, that's a lot, Michael

The two for the ION should be pretty straightforward. Discount Tire did the first two for $137 installed - this was with a credit for the crappy Yokohamas they installed a year or so earlier and lasted about 20-25K. Not sure I'll be able to get off as cheaply this time around, but I should still be comfortably under $200. Some no name brand - Arizonian? - but with the way I chew through them, it's probably better that I go cheap and replace frequently.

Yeah, you're probably right on that account

The CX-7 is a different matter altogether.

How's that, Michael?

235/55-19's, is why. The cheapest (well, least expensive) tire offered by Discount is the new Bridgestone Dueler 422 Ecopia - at $193 a corner, before tax, installation, TPMS rebuild and other fees.

Whoa, that's a lot.

Prices go up from there. The most expensive is the Michelin Latitude Sport, at a whopping $304 each.

Yikes .. you're not driving a BMW; it's just a Mazda.

Exactly. Anyway, the good news is that a Firestore Tire and Car Care center recently opened in my town. Discount, all in, wanted $952.62 through their on-line quoting tool. I called Firestone and they initially quoted me $984.76, but when I told them about the Discount quote, they lowered the price to $930.81.

I think we can see where this is going, Michael

Yep .. called the local Discount store directly and got them to give me the $952.62 quote. Told them about the Firestone quote and they immediately beat it by lowering their price to $915.04. And Discount also told me their quote includes a pro-rated warranty.

So what's next, Michael?

I'm wondering how long I can go back and forth with the two stores. Each tells me that the quote is good for a month, and I gotta believe that there will be a point where one store is unable to beat the others price.

What say you, my CTBA brethren? Should I keep pushing?

Go for it!

Any thoughts are most welcome. The Ecopia is getting a lot of airtime on TV, but little in the way of reviews. 65K warranty, decent treadwear. I'm a little concerned about snow - the tread pattern seems more suited for rain than anything worse. But, it states all season, so it should be OK.

jayrider

Can't advise you on the tire deal, but that was a great narrative. Great writing chops !

michaellno

Can't advise you on the tire deal, but that was a great narrative. Great writing chops !

Thanks - not sure exactly where that came from. I guess I get inspired from time to time.

Back in late 1998, the wife really wanted a New Beetle. After we bought one, i found a VW forum and started posting as if the car was the poster. We had named it "Beauty" (to go along with our "Beast" - a '99 Ford Expedition), so I created a user profile and proceeded to post in the first person.

Was fun for a while but got tiring to keep it up.

Any and all thoughts about new shoes for the Mazda are most welcome.

jayrider

Take the deal to your Mazda dealer. Dealers around here are getting aggressive selling tires. I saw a super price for 4 tires for my Prius at the dealer last time I was in for service. They say they will beat any deal. Still have awhile before I need them so I didn't pay close attention but it did seem reasonable.

stever

Finally a thread in here I can relate to. :-)

I hope I'm done with my annual (or worse) flat tire record. Both rides have pretty new Nokian WR-G2s on them and I'm liking them on the van and on the Subaru.

I wouldn't be surprised if your tire stores use the same distributor - may as well go with the one you like best. How far you want to push them is another story. At this point, you need to be tipping the installer on the side. :-)

kyfdx

Nokians are pricy.... I had the previous model WR on my '02 CR-V and loved them.. you probably have more into the two sets of tires than the van is worth...

corvette

I'd look into some midrange tires instead of just putting the cheapest thing available on the Ion. Yes, they probably won't last long if you're doing deliveries, but the cheap ones will probably last even less long. I think Kumho and Continental have some tires that are decently priced and will last longer than the deep-discount ones.

As far as negotiating the prices on the CX-7, I doubt you can get them much lower--you're already down to a $15 negotiating differential. Is there a plus-zero size tire that is more affordably priced? If the car is a long-term keeper and tire costs are a concern, you might even swap out the wheels for 18s or even 17s if they will fit.

I have purchased two sets of tires from Discount Tire Direct, and their customer service was outstanding. I also had my sidewall-bubbled tire on my GLI changed out at a Discount Tire store, and was impressed with the service there, as well. I wouldn't feel bad about buying something from them.

akangl

Chronic Tire Buyers Anonymous

That would define me.....all of our cars have 2 sets of tires and usually at least one of them has a second set of wheels and tire pressure sensors. The Focus gets a new set of winter tires every other fall and new summer tires every couple summers. That's how it was with the Civic.

I still have Chippy's set of winter tires/wheels/tire pressure sensors in the garage, I'll put them up for sale closer to winter.

I already checked on the price of Blizzaks for the Explorer and about died.........$360 each! 255/50R20......OUCH! I'll probably buy some wheels and tire pressure sensors next year since the tires are so expensive, unless I can score a deal off CL, that's doubtful though since the Explorer is a 2014.

Last fall we spent about $2000 on winter tires, new ones for the Focus and Chippy and scored a decent set of used winter tires for the Yaris off CL for $60.

Since we will most likely be adding a truck to the stable that will be another set of winter tires needed. Hubby is driving me nuts about buying a truck for him, he's wanted one for a while since I didn't like Chippy getting dirty.

akangl

Finally had a nice day to wash the Focus and Explorer. I have to say I love the Ruby Red color on the Explorer, the Focus is Red Candy, side by side I like the deeper red of the Explorer.

Explorer and Focus

Explorer

stever

Both sets are 17"ers so that helps.

The van has a trade-in value of $333 so the new tires didn't quite double the value. :-)

tifighter

Wow, they match

akangl

Wow, they match

Almost but not quite. The ruby red metallic replaced the red candy metallic in 2013. Hubby's Focus was the last red candy Focus in the state when we bought it last year. My '11 F-150 was red candy as well, neat color but I like the ruby red better.

jayrider

Did some checking on new tires for my Prius and it looks like 4-500 bucks will be the price for all 4. I always trade out with decent tread on the old ones. Instead of paying for a disposal fee, I take them to a used tire retailer and $5 each for them.

jpp75

Both are great looking cars!

Congrats on the punch, you'll be happy with the Explorer, I've always enjoyed them when I had one as a rental.

rayainsw

I snapped 1 cell phone picture of the BMW and the VW
@ the dealer...

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/rayainsw/media/2013%20GTI/mybmwandthevwsamelight- photo4crop_zps5dbfba08.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

xwesx

he's wanted one for a while since I didn't like Chippy getting dirty.

Ah, so the truth comes out! That's much like having a quarter horse, but only riding it in parades.... :P

For your Explorer, you might consider going with a 17 or 18" rim on it (assuming a 17" would fit; I'm sure an 18" would). A 17" rim would likely drop the cost of your tires by a full $100 each (no joke!). Even if you splurge and spend like $800 or 900 on a set of rims, you'll make up that cost quickly.

It never ceases to amaze me how ridiculously over-sized rims are these days.

xwesx

Nice, Ray! That's some crazy interior pattern going on in the GTI!