Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

nyccarguy

Hello everybody from Gaithersburg, MD. I just realized I can post from my iPhone so I figured, why not?

First and foremost, Mazel Tov & Congrats to @tifighter on his leaf punch & to @gouldn on his TSX Wagon Punch!

@tifighter - did you get killed on the Accord?

@gouldn - you are going to love your TSX Wagon. I had a 2010 Sedan that was a great car until I saw crazy lease deals on leftover E90 BMW 328xi sedans;)

@roadburnet- the 338 xd I drove was smooth and extremely efficient. If that's your car of choice, then I'd wait a little while. I don't think the diesels are selling as well as BMW anticipated. I've literally seen 2 or 3 on the road & the rest are all service loaners. I think dealers are ordering them, punching them as sold, pocketing the rebate money, then selling them 5K or 10K later. You might be able to pick one up on the cheap. Is it me, or do the F30s have HUGE headrests?

roadburner

@nyccarguy- yeah, those headrests are big. I'm not in love with the 328d, but I did like it better than just about every other F30 I've driven...

roadburner

@corvette said:
I'm probably being daft, but how could it be CPO? It's a one-owner BMW at a Volvo dealer.

The Carfax shows it was sold as a CPO out of FL. Neither my SA or I believe that it is...

roadburner

I finally got around to installing the James Barone Racing rear anti-roll bar(and billet bushing mounts) on the Mazda; it is an extremely impressive piece. I decided to try the bar's intermediate setting, which is 50% stiffer than the OEM bar. I took a short blast down a deserted rural two lane and I am 100% satisfied with the setup(my only other suspension mods are KONI FSDs and 225/45-18 Pilot Super Sports on 2nd Gen. MS3 wheels ). I think I'll take it to a track day or two before trying the stiffest setting, which is 88% stiffer than OEM. A very nice improvement for less than $200...

kyfdx

Advice needed:

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/19463/general/x/shopping-for-a-used-suv#latest

stickguy

advice given.

kyfdx

@stickguy said:
advice given.

Thanks... I know we can count on you guys..

stickguy

Is that a polite way of saying that we have no life to speak of?

breld

I'm sure others here are too, but I'm anxious to see how the new Acura TLX is received. Initial reviews seem pretty positive (Edmunds and Car & Driver), stating they thought it was "right-sized" much like a 3-series.

They seemed to have priced it well, with plenty of standard equipment. Base 4-cyl starting in the low $30's, $35k with tech package. And AWD V6 (standard with tech) in the low $40's, and topping out around $45k with everything. Appropriately covers the space previously occupied by the TSX and TL.

AWD would be nice, but personally, a 4-cyl with tech at $35k seems to be a good buy, and a nice alternative to an Accord, if one wants something a bit more distinctive.

carnaught

Re: the new TLX, I'm sure it is a good driver, reliable and oozing quality but I can't get past it's looks, which is unappealing to me. This is subject to my seeing it in person, up close.

corvette

I had to go to Discount Tire today. I had just adjusted tire pressures a couple of weeks ago, but the TPMS light came on last night and the right front tire had lost about 7 pounds of pressure. Looked at the tread and found a nail in the tire.

They repaired the hole, set the tire pressures on all four tires, reset the (indirect) TPMS, put on some tire gloss, and had me out within 30 minutes. Very clean facility and professional and courteous staff. They are by far the best tire chain I've been to.

If I ever keep a car long enough to need new tires, I'll definitely buy them there!

stickguy

That last line should be the CCBA official motto.

Except for mike, where you substitute oil change for tires.

breld

I never go anywhere other than Discount Tire - I like a company that has consistently good service regardless of which shop you go to.

Michaell

+1 on Discount.

I'm in my rental for the next few days while the E-GT is in for some body work.

Hertz Local set me up in a 2013 Altima S. 34,000 miles on it. Sparsely equipped. I'm gonna have to dig out my iPod so I have some decent tunes while I deliver. Aux port only. Seems OK, but I've only driven it home from the shop. I'll know more after my shifts tonight and tomorrow.

nyccarguy

Which of my cars got better gas mileage over the last 300 miles?

296.6 Miles Driven - 11.72 Gallons of gas used = 25.31 MPG

306.0 Miles Driven - 12.63 Gallons of gas used = 24.23 MPG

HINT: neither of these is my BMW.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the end for my beloved 2011 328xi. I washed it before we left for vacation 2 weeks ago. Last night I gave the interior a thorough cleaning. The car should show nicely for the official lease end inspection tomorrow afternoon. My final payment is due on 8/22.

stickguy

that was quick. I remember when you brought it home. Time flies.

nyccarguy

Yup. There's 2 1/2 years gone by in a flash!

stickguy

you want a flash? Wait until you are getting ready to take your baby off to college, which I get to do in 2 weeks.

roadburner

@stickguy said:
you want a flash? Wait until you are getting ready to take your baby off to college, which I get to do in 2 weeks.

Exactly!!!

au1994

RE: TLX...looks are subjective of course but I think it looks kinda nice. Would need to drive one as both the 4 and 6 are down on power on paper at least but maybe they drive ok. Like all Acura's they look to be well equipped for the buck. My fear is that after a few years of I6 BMW,rwd smoothness the conversion back to FWD on a daily basis would be tough. My understanding is even the SH-AWD is canted to FWD unless the situation calls for different.

RE: Discount Tire...+3, on the few occasions a car has remained in my stable long enough to warrant tire replacement, they are head and shoulders above the others.

kyfdx

@nyccarguy said:
Which of my cars got better gas mileage over the last 300 miles?

296.6 Miles Driven - 11.72 Gallons of gas used = 25.31 MPG

306.0 Miles Driven - 12.63 Gallons of gas used = 24.23 MPG

HINT: neither of these is my BMW.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the end for my beloved 2011 328xi. I washed it before we left for vacation 2 weeks ago. Last night I gave the interior a thorough cleaning. The car should show nicely for the official lease end inspection tomorrow afternoon. My final payment is due on 8/22.

I'm betting on the Pilot for the better fuel mileage

rayainsw

nyccarguy -

HINT: neither of these is my BMW..

So - 'lease turn-in' is imminent -

did I miss a post stating what you plan for a replacement?

= Ray

Replaced my BMW 3 with a VW - primarily for cost reasons ......

nyccarguy

The host with the most gets it right on the 1st shot. My Pilot's average mileage is approximately 16 mpg. I was able to bump it up to about 18 on the trip. Thank cruise control and flat highways on PA & MD for my 25.3 mpg average (actual, not the trip computer).

graphicguy

Another vote for Discount Tire.

NYC....any final thoughts on the BMW?

au1994....have been commenting over in the Entry Level Luxury Perfomance thread.

Got the chance to drive both the 4 and 6 cyl TLS on Monday. I currently have a '13 TL SH AWD with 19" wheels, and consider it a very good ride/handling car. But, it has the great torque vectoring feature. IIRC, for front to rear torque split, it can send up to 70% of torque to the rear wheels. I would challenge anyone who didn't know which wheels were driving to tell me if it was FWD or RWD. Same goes for Audi's FWD platform. Point is, the engineering has become very, very good in these FWD platforms.

While it was only about a 10 mile test drive, the TLS with it's 4 wheel steering (P-AWS) is good at the same thing.

The suspension on these is among the best I've ever driven.

Sandman6472

Confused as to why Honda's require regular while Acura's call for premium? Makes no sense since underneath, they seem to be almost identical. Have always had vehicles that use regular and will continue to do so but I just don't get why Honda/Acura does this.

On the vehicle front, got a funny feeling that a compact is going to win out for the other half's new daily driver. She says she doesn't mind the smaller engine in the Accent but it's a big difference from her 2.3 in the Mazda and the extra square feet is something else to consider. I had to drive a new Accent yesterday and must admit I prefer the next size up for so many reasons and in most cases, the mpg's are almost identical. I've driven so many different vehicles at work and I honestly believe the best vehicle for her is going to be the Hyundai Elantra. It does everything well and to her, her vehicle is just an appliance...she needs it to start every time and be somewhat "cheap to keep". I know she really wants the 5 year bumper to bumper warranty that I have because of the stellar history we have had with the kids Accent, only 1 warranty issue in that 5 year period. And personally, even though she loves her Mazda3s, the price of the new one's has gotten to that over $24k point and I think she wants to stay at the $20k price point. And she did mention the other day that fixing the a/c on her car might be a viable alternative but I asked her truthfully, when do you just say enough is enough already?

To be continued!

The Sandman

breld

Yeah, the TLX's looks don't tug at my heart like, let's say, the 4-series Gran Coupe, but (without having driven one) I like the overall package it offers wrapped in a handsome exterior. I appreciate that for what I'd consider a reasonable premium, you can get the inherent "goodness" of the current Accord in a more upscale package.

Speaking strictly MSRPs, a 4-cyl Accord EX-L w/nav is just under $31k, while the base TLX w/tech is just under $36k. $5k seems pretty modest for the more distinctive sheetmetal and interior (subjective, of course), the 8-speed auto, P-AWS and longer warranty, as well as the badge, for whatever that's worth.

Graphicguy - any other impressions to share on the TLX test drives, particularly compared to your current TL? How were the trannies? Interior quality? Sheetmetal in person?

suydam

Sandman, check Elantra's visibility. Just had a new Corolla as rental and was pleasantly surprised at its good visibility and the standard backup camera. Also surprised that it was more comfortable to drive than I think of Toyotas (especially Camry which feels like a boat to me). We will be interested to see what you all decide to get.

au1994

@GG: thanks for the info on the Acura. I'm about a year and a half from my next car (I know, an eternity in this crowd ) so I have plenty of time to test drive and let some sweet lease deals present themselves.

@breld: we must be cut from very much the same cloth! I love, love, love the 4 series GC. I don't love the price. A 435 is up to or over 60k and a 428 easily hits 50 or over in these parts. Given my professed love for the I6, the 4 cyl at that kind of $ might be hard to stomach.

I did get the 335i washed at lunch. Its still a darn good looking car and I love the I6 and 8spd combo. Just wish that darn electric steering was better.

Oh well, maybe BMW will listen and improve it a bit by the time my lease is up. Oh and I would likely spring for DHP this time!

laurasdada

@stickguy said:
you want a flash? Wait until you are getting ready to take your baby off to college, which I get to do in 2 weeks.

We took our baby girl to college a year ago. And, it's been a year since! Usain Bolt/Bugatti Veyton has nothing on Father Time when it comes to speed.

breld

Oh boy - my 11 year old is starting middle school in a couple of weeks and that alone has me freaked out. Don't want to even think about college, though I know it's gonna come quicker than I can imagine. My stepdaughter will be a junior this year in HS, so we'll be experiencing that soon enough.

breld

@au1994 said:
breld: we must be cut from very much the same cloth! I love, love, love the 4 series GC. I don't love the price. A 435 is up to or over 60k and a 428 easily hits 50 or over in these parts. Given my professed love for the I6, the 4 cyl at that kind of $ might be hard to stomach.

I did get the 335i washed at lunch. Its still a darn good looking car and I love the I6 and 8spd combo. Just wish that darn electric steering was better.

I think I'd be okay with the 428i GC - I like the I6 on my 5-series, but with a 3/4 series the 4 cyl seems to do well. And on top of that, I'd do the same thing as my 535i and look at used ones in 2-3 years. I don't know though - I'm really appreciating the roominess of my 5 and may not want to give that up.

corvette

sandman, I don't know if anyone answered your question, but I think the engines in Acuras are tuned differently than Hondas, which is also why the Acuras tend to get lower MPG (better performance and responsiveness at the expense of MPG).

stickguy

hard to see what they did. I compared the V6 in my RDX to the Accord (same engine family), and it was pretty much identical. Output, but also the compression ratio. so hard to see what the reason was, so I assume it falls into the "get a little more something with premium" and not "do damage if you don't use premium". Considering I never wind it out to high revs, I doubt I ever hit the bonus level!

nyccarguy

GG - I'll do a "long term wrap-up" when I turn the car in.

Sandman6472

Seems to me Acura and Honda should use the Honda engines because they seem to run more efficiently with better mpg figures. Looking back, my Civic was pretty economical and wish I had the same numbers with the Tuscon especially now since my commute is a bit longer. I probably should've waited a few months to buy because if I did, I suspect the Civic would still be in the garage right now. Hell, if the wife had green lighted that '05 3 Series drop top, I'd have 2 vehicles now but in a way, it was a good thing. But if the first one I tried, the gray over black drop top had the same specs as the black one, I would've pushed back a bit harder because I truly really liked that color combo. And trust me, I bet if I had bought the bimmer, she would've eventually taken it over as her d d. Funny how the decisions we make could've turned out differently if we had just chosen curtain B instead of curtain A!

The Sandman

suydam

I really love the mpg on my Accord. It's a wonderful car. I wouldn't pay extra for the Acura.

henryn

RE: octane requirements, Acura vs Honda

This is all down to the computer programming. Aftermarket “programmers” and “performance chips” just change the computer programming, dial in more timing advance, add a few horsepower and make the use of 93 octane mandatory. If you go to the Ford or Chevrolet pickup forums (there are many), this is a very frequent topic of discussion.

A few years back, I bought a “performance chip” for my 97 F150 with 5.4L V8. The company selling the chip promised 20 rear wheel horsepower. I never had the truck on a dyno, so I can neither confirm or deny. What I can tell you is, there was a BIG increase in off-throttle response.

I had a 30 day return window, but after the first time I drove the truck with the chip installed, it was “No way is this going back!!!”

stickguy

Henry, I think you hit on the key point. The programming will look at the extra octane in the Acura, and under certain conditions dial-in the more aggressive tuning. But if it isn't there (the octane), it just uses the base/default/Honda settings.

I have used both, and not noticed any difference. Actually, the couple of best MPG tanks I have had were on RUG.

Michaell

There has been so much talk (both here and on the new "Buying and Selling Cars" discussions) about buying low mileage Florida cars, that I had to share a story.

A FB friend of mine - who I first met here at Edmunds many years ago when he lived up north then relocated to Tampa - just bought an '04 Mercury Grand Marquis with only 27,000 miles on it. Virtually perfect condition.

Traded in a mid 90's T-Bird on it.

Update on the Altima rental - I've done a couple of delivery shifts in it now and have a bit more of an opinion on my likes and dislikes.

First, I really like the keyless entry and push button start. One less thing I have to fumble with as I'm getting food into the car. Quite convenient.

It's spacious and quiet riding, for the most part. With 34,000 miles on it, there are a few squeaks and moans when I go over bumps. The brakes squeal a bit from time to time.

No feel at all through the steering wheel. I'm glad my Hyundai has the button that allows me to (artificially) boost the feel. This thing is dead. I'm noticing the same feeling when I drive the wife's CX-7, too. Geez, I hope that someone, somewhere, has maintained steering feel in their cars.

Handles like a pig. I know, it's a mid-sized sedan, but I could get the front wheels to screech even at moderate speeds. Low resistance Michelins are to blame?

Still getting used to the CVT - after my experience in the Sonata Hybrid rental I had in CA, this feels very different.

Infotainment sucks. No USB, no satellite radio. Choices are AM/FM or an AUX jack for my iPod.

Good gas mileage, however. If I'm reading the dashboard right, this tank has gone over 500 miles already and there is still over 100 miles left to empty. MPG computer shows 26.3 - don't know if that's a lifetime number or just for this tank. I got the car with just over a 1/2 tank of gas in it and I've done close to 200 miles already. I'll probably have to put gas in it, as I learned that the E-GT will be in the shop until Monday.

Last, I pulled a fintail and ran it through the car wash - wife thought I was crazy to spend my own money to do that. It was filthy on the outside - bird crap on the paint, and dust on the rear window obscured my vision. Now I need to clean the inside of the windshield - afternoon sun makes the view hazy.

stever

Lol, I was relating a car rental "fintail" story to my family just yesterday.

jayrider

@suydam said:
I really love the mpg on my Accord. It's a wonderful car. I wouldn't pay extra for the Acura.

I take it that a bit more exclusivity and prestige isn't a factor in choosing your car. Congrats.

suydam

No. I did pay more for my Maxima in the day because I didn't like the interior or the driving dynamics of the Accord. But the new Accord has all that and more these days.

henryn

@Michaell
There has been so much talk (both here and on the new "Buying and Selling Cars" discussions) about buying low mileage Florida cars, that I had to share a story.

A FB friend of mine - who I first met here at Edmunds many years ago when he lived up north then relocated to Tampa - just bought an '04 Mercury Grand Marquis with only 27,000 miles on it. Virtually perfect condition.

Such cars are out there. The trick is to find one that won't cost you an arm and a leg.Here's a 2005 Cadillac Deville, one owner, with only 32k miles. Very, very nice. But the dealer wants $12k for it. Ouch!

[http://sewell.com/VehicleDetails/used-2005-Cadillac-DeVille-4dr_Sdn-Houston-TX/2314120943]

henryn

Or how about this 2004 Buick Park Avenue, with only 22k miles. $9,999, ouch again!

http://www.emmonsmotorcompany.com/Used-2004-Buick-Park-Avenue-Sedan-Pasadena-TX/vd/21194915

Mr_Shiftright

The dealer knows that is silly money. Home run price is maybe $8000.

graphicguy

My wife likes her Accord. It is a nice car for the money. But, my TL definitely has the better suspension, more premium features, materials. The sport seats and steering wheel alone are worth the price of admission for the Acura.

I like her car. I much prefer to drive mine every day, though.

breld

Not unexpectedly, there are some minor growing pains with the new GTI.

I mentioned it before, but soon after we brought it home, I noticed one of the chrome trim pieces on the grill was loose. Then, yesterday, my wife and I were in the garage and I pointed out that, according to her front emblem, she no longer had a "GTI" but just a "G".

We dropped by the dealership this morning on the way into work, and they are replacing the front grill, and they also mentioned that another trim piece on the hatchback was known to be prone to loosening and, sure enough, ours was doing so.

So, a bit annoying, but I fully expected there would be some issues with the new model and new factory. If it's limited to these kind of issues, I'm okay with that.

breld

@graphicguy said:
My wife likes her Accord. It is a nice car for the money. But, my TL definitely has the better suspension, more premium features, materials. The sport seats and steering wheel alone are worth the price of admission for the Acura.

I like her car. I much prefer to drive mine every day, though.

Yeah, any exclusivity or prestige from an Acura versus a Honda may be negligible (less so than other luxury brands I'd say), but there are some very tangible features added to a TL or TLX over an Accord that make up the price difference. Whether they're worth it to the buyer is up to the individual, of course. As I mentioned previously, I personally would shell out the extra $5k or so for the TLX over a comparably equipped Accord. And that only reflects my admiration and respect for the Accord.

breld

Having been a long-time Honda fan, I've always admired Acuras - my brother had an Integra GS-R back in '95, I had the first model year TSX.

Acura has always struggled with diversifying itself from Honda - more so than Infiniti and Lexus, with their more RWD biased lineups. But part of me wonders if Acura should just simply embrace their association with Honda. With only my own feelings to go off of, it seems to me that Acura owners appreciate the Honda "heritage" behind their cars, whereas Infiniti and Lexus owners don't necessarily hold the same fondness for Nissan and Toyota.

If Acura can just concentrate on adding some of that racing and performance heritage to the lineup, maybe they can regain (or form) a distinct identity again.

Just my humble thoughts.

breld

While we're talking Hondas (or, at least, I was )....

I responded to a craigslist ad yesterday for a 1990 CRX Si in yellow. Based on pictures, description and videos linked from the ad, it looked to be in very nice condition for such a car. It's exactly what I wanted way back in 1990, but instead went with a more practical Civic Si with backseats.

Never got a response and noticed the ad was deleted this morning - not surprising for such a car. He was asking $4,500 firm, which is a pretty good premium for the car, but if in the condition he represented, probably worth it.