Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

oldfarmer50

Haven't posted here since March seeing that my addiction has been in remission. However, it's been 11 months since I bought a car and the 2015 Mustang GT has me up at night.

Very little pricing info out there. Is MSRP the best I can do on this new model especially if I want to order it just the way I want?

If I wanted a better deal how long in the season do you think I'd have to wait until the initial hysteria, dealer ADM baloney fades? I suppose I could wait until 2016 but the itch is powerful.

stickguy

I assume the Mustangs are on the lots now? If so, give it a couple of months for the early "gotta have its" to get sated, and supplies to ramp up. Conveniently, that will be around the time winter descends on your area. Once the first snow hits, I would bet mustang sales go into remission. So go shopping when there are a couple inches on the ground.

hopefully by then you can find what you want in stock to deal on. Though if you want to order, you should be able to find a dealer that will do it for a few $100 over invoice. As long as they aren't selling everything they have before it hits the lot.

so, show up on Halloween and play trick or treat?

oldfarmer50

"...I assume the Mustangs are on the lots now?..."

Not that I can tell. I did a 200 miles search on Edmunds and only found 3. 2 in NJ and 1 in NH.

stickguy

@oldfarmer50 said:
"...I assume the Mustangs are on the lots now?..."

Not that I can tell. I did a 200 miles search on Edmunds and only found 3. 2 in NJ and 1 in NH.

where in Jersey? I'll run over and take a look for you!

oh, and don't assume they are really on the ground. some dealers show way early.

roadburner

@stever said:
roadburner, mine was closer to $250, a lot of dough back in the day. Campy hubs and sew-ups, but mediocre Huret derailleurs. Had to go to New Orleans to find anything. And after paying that much, it didn't have the gold highlights around the lugs but the rear stays were chromed as well as half the fork.

So I went to the drugstore and got some gold Testor's and added that myself. Fun memories.

My restorer switched the plastic Simplex Prestige derailleur for a SunTour GT; I had previously installed a SunTour AR front derailleur so that stayed. The shift levers were replaced with Suntour pieces and moved from the down tube to the head tube. He also installed a cotterless crankset. The Avocet saddle I had installed in the '80s also stayed. The new tires are 28-630 Continental Ultra Sports. Rode it for a few miles tonight and I couldn't be happier...

stever

Sweet, I never got around to moving my shifters "up" and always found the down tube location a bit dicey. I did the Icelandic Air backpack thing in '73 and brought a rim back as a carry-on and this bell from Luxembourg.

We need to get @driver100 over here to show off the shots of his new ride he ordered.

Mr_Shiftright

I still have my Schwinn Paramount but it's not the early rare kind. This one is like from 1991 or so.

jayrider

@oldfarmer50 said:
"...I assume the Mustangs are on the lots now?..."

Not that I can tell. I did a 200 miles search on Edmunds and only found 3. 2 in NJ and 1 in NH.

Sounds like you really want the Mustang bad.

Figure 6-7k more for the 2015 at msrp vs the discounts on the 2014's.

You have to pay to play when the new model debuts. Not that much over 10 years to get what you want when you want it. Once you get your hands on a new one, the decision may be clearer. Could be WOW ! or WHOA !

roadburner

@Mr_Shiftright said:
I still have my Schwinn Paramount but it's not the early rare kind. This one is like from 1991 or so.

My restorer was telling me an early Paramount can bring north of $3000; my Raleigh might be worth $500.

oldfarmer50

@stickguy said:
oh, and don't assume they are really on the ground. some dealers show way early.

I think the place was called Tom's Ford.

oldfarmer50

@jayrider said:
....want the Mustang bad.

My obsession waxes and wanes.

You have a good point since I haven't even seen one in person. I'm going on reports of the new spec and photos.

Michaell

@oldfarmer50 said:
My obsession waxes and wanes.

You have a good point since I haven't even seen one in person. I'm going on reports of the new spec and photos.

You aren't the only one with a fixation on the Mustang GT. I'd love to get one in white.

Although, at this point, I suspect you are a lot closer to ownership than I am.

breld

Count me in on the new Mustang too. It obviously keeps with the retro look, but when I saw it in person at the Denver Auto Show, something about the lines and proportions just really struck me. And for me, I'd go for the 4 cyl ecoboost. Maybe I could retrofit a double wing in the back and tack on an "SVO" badge on the back.

stickguy

It was very striking in person.

stickguy

Also very little stock of 14s left. When I was searching yesterday it seemed the big dealers near me maybe had 3 or so.

nyccarguy

@breld‌

The 4 cyl Turbo (ecoboost) Mustang is perfect for you. This way you can trade up for a V8 powered GT 6 months later;)

graphicguy

Wife has been procrastinating getting her windows tinted on her Accord (negotiated as part of her deal a few months ago). Before school starts, I suggested she get it done. I told her I'd rent a car and she could use my TL for a day.

So, we drop off the car at the dealership last night. Rental agency picks me up (didn't know Hertz did that). I'm driving a Toyota Camry SE with 24 miles on it. $25/day. Feeling a bit special about that....until, I drive it.

OK...admittedly, it's been a while since I was in a Toyota. But, they have really fallen off their game with the lowering of the interior materials. Doesn't drive badly....in a vanilla sedan kind of way.

What once was a high quality sedan at a decent price has turned into "let's see how cheaply we can make this thing" car.

I know since the reorganization of GM, that Toyota is at the top spot as a volume car producer. But, they aren't doing themselves any favors.

I see them them following in GM's footsteps (and not in a good way) before long. Those who don't observe the past, are doomed to repeat it.

stickguy

Was the Camry the old style or new? If new really sad. I never got around to test driving one since I probably won't get new for a while yet. Though done if the leases advertised in the paper were crazy low. But then I would have to drive it.

henryn

@graphicguy‌
...Toyota. But, they have really fallen off their game with the lowering of the interior materials.

I haven't been in a Camry recently, but I was in a rental Impala LS a few weeks back. That thing was so ugly, so cheap (inside), it left me thinking "Yugo".

iluvmysephia1

The Toyota Solara might suit you more. Still vanilla Toyota driving. Just a titch bigger in dimensions. I don't like it nor would consider parting pesos for it. Or dollars.

oldfarmer50

@Michaell said:
Although, at this point, I suspect you are a lot closer to ownership than I am.

Don't be too sure. I obsessed over getting the Eclipse for two years.

If you want a white Mustang mako1a has a 2013 GT that he was thinking of trading a while back.

qbrozen

@corvette‌ - our T&C is a finance. After seeing the lease rate through an Indy bank, it was better to go with the finance deal through Chrysler in the long run. Also got a lifetime factory warranty, so I'm hoping this one is with us till it is buried.

On the new Mustang, I gotta say that I'm glad to have my 2013. I really don't like the looks of the new one. Too tiburon'ish for my tastes. Although, admittedly, I have only seen the pictures.

corvette

qbrozen, I corrected the entry for your T&C. With ownership, you don't have as much of an incentive to wait until the end of a lease to trade!

henryn, I would take the interior of the current Impala (not the Impala Limited rental fleet model) over the Camry any day.

graphicguy, I think I missed your wife's Accord purchase (lease?) on the list. What year and trim level? I agree with you wholeheartedly on the Camry's interior. I think the gauge cluster looks particularly appalling, or at least it did on the 2011-2014 models. Not sure if that was corrected as part of a refresh. It's still a good seller, so most people may not care.

Sandman6472

Yes, I work for a Hertz HLE and we do the "pick you up and drop you off" thing just like our competition now. And our office is quite busy doing this service. Have to agree with you on the Camry and fleet sales Impala...decent vehicles but very appliancey to be honest...they get one from point A to point B with no fuss, but also with no pizazz either...just good basic transportation.
I do like working for Hertz very much and hope to be employed by them for many years to come, or at least until I retire, again, at 65.

The Sandman

nyccarguy

@sandman_6472‌

glad you are enjoying your gig working for Hertz.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen‌

How's the new van doing on the road trip?

Michaell

@nyccarguy said:
qbrozen‌

How's the new van doing on the road trip?

I think q is renting an Escape for his travels out west....

nyccarguy

I genuinely have a CCBA "problem." I've got a reason (expiring lease) to punch my card (not that you need a reason). I've decided not to (punch my card) in the interest of my kitchen remodeling project. People are starting to ask me: "What are you going to get next?" "Are you getting another Bimmer?" I tell them my plan of driving my Prelude for now. They all ask me: "You think it can handle a daily commute?"

Edmunds is BY FAR my favorite web site. I only post on a few boards here, but monitor many others. It is so tempting looking at all the deals & incentives. 0.9% Financing for 72 months on VW TDIs, 0% for 60 months on Prius, .00001 mf on Prius with 60% (36 month) or 70% (24 month CCBA special) residual, loyalty & competitive cash from Honda. Then I look at the total cost of the lease, add $1000 for acquisition & disposition fees, $350 for new CT plates & registration, plus $1000 for snow tires (if not AWD/4WD) and say: nah. not worth it.

I picked a good time to swap out suspension parts on my Prelude (next week). The H & R (OE Sport) Springs are on sale as are the Koni Yellows. Once those go in, my Prelude should drive better than new, so i won't feel the need to scratch the CCBA itch.

Michaell

@nyccarguy said:
I genuinely have a CCBA "problem." I've got a reason (expiring lease) to punch my card (not that you need a reason). I've decided not to (punch my card) in the interest of my kitchen remodeling project. People are starting to ask me: "What are you going to get next?" "Are you getting another Bimmer?" I tell them my plan of driving my Prelude for now. They all ask me: "You think it can handle a daily commute?"

Edmunds is BY FAR my favorite web site. I only post on a few boards here, but monitor many others. It is so tempting looking at all the deals & incentives. 0.9% Financing for 72 months on VW TDIs, 0% for 60 months on Prius, .00001 mf on Prius with 60% (36 month) or 70% (24 month CCBA special) residual, loyalty & competitive cash from Honda. Then I look at the total cost of the lease, add $1000 for acquisition & disposition fees, $350 for new CT plates & registration, plus $1000 for snow tires (if not AWD/4WD) and say: nah. not worth it.

I picked a good time to swap out suspension parts on my Prelude (next week). The H & R (OE Sport) Springs are on sale as are the Koni Yellows. Once those go in, my Prelude should drive better than new, so i won't feel the need to scratch the CCBA itch.

I think it's maturity that you're seeing. I think some of us may question the wisdom of pressing the Prelude into DDD, given its age and miles. As this has always been your 'fun' car, there is a certain amount of logic to getting something cheap to handle the daily slog to work and back, not to mention the times when you'll want to put the kids in the back, and the groceries in the trunk.

I'm not pushing for you to get something new - and I understand the desire to take the BMW payment and put it into the kitchen remodel fund.

I suppose if push comes to shove, you can always cheap lease something at any time down the road; doesn't have to be the day after the BMW is returned.

stickguy

Also this means only 1 car in household your wife can drive. So you better not ever need the pilot!

stever

@nyccarguy said:
"What are you going to get next?"

Tell 'em a Sub-Zero Pro 48, Jenn-Air, Enameled Lava countertops, copper range hood, and East Indian Rosewood cabinets. Just the cabinets will set you back a Tesla S.

breld

@Michaell said:
I suppose if push comes to shove, you can always cheap lease something at any time down the road; doesn't have to be the day after the BMW is returned.

Yup - I think that's the best advice. You're fortunate to be in a position where you don't HAVE to replace the BMW. Live with the Prelude for awhile and if you find it's not suiting your commuting needs very well, we'll all be happy to spend your money for you! Lot of attractive leases out there for great commuting, if not exciting, cars.

breld

Just as an aside, my tennis doubles partner is an insurance agent, so after another seemingly exorbitant renewal increase on my current auto policy, I had him price it out. With all the same coverages, I'll be saving $1,300 a year. I'm excited about the savings, but also a little bitter with my current insurance company.

With the new policy, the highest premium by far is on the Audi A3, since it's my stepdaughter's primary car. That makes sense, as opposed to my previous carrier, which just had an overall increase for all the cars when we added her to the policy.

nyccarguy

@stickguy‌

You know I was thinking about that the other day. My wife usually works 1 Sunday every month. So that leaves me home with the kiddos. I'd obviously need the Pilot for those days & she can't drive the Prelude. So she suggested she could either get dropped off (2.5 miles away), ride her bike (when the weather is nice), or call a Taxi (can't be THAT expensive).

@‌Michaell

It was my DD for the 1st 9 years of it's life. I can put 2 kids in the back (the boys are in booster seats). I have done a few Costco runs in it and it works.

I can always wait & see. There will always be something out there for me.

xwesx

@Michaell said:
I think q is renting an Escape for his travels out west....

How appropriate! LOL

xwesx

@nyccarguy said:
I picked a good time to swap out suspension parts on my Prelude (next week). The H & R (OE Sport) Springs are on sale as are the Koni Yellows. Once those go in, my Prelude should drive better than new, so i won't feel the need to scratch the CCBA itch.

I'm telling you, NY, after you put those new struts, etc., on the car, you can consider the itch as SCRATCHED!

xwesx

@breld said:
I'm excited about the savings, but also a little bitter with my current insurance company.

breld

@xwesx said:

I'm going from Liberty Mutual to State Farm. So both big companies. I never really had any issues with Liberty, and they did provide quite a savings when I switched to them several years ago, but the rates just kept increasing year over year to the point I figured I may as well shop it.

Michaell

@breld said:
I'm going from Liberty Mutual to State Farm. So both big companies. I never really had any issues with Liberty, and they did provide quite a savings when I switched to them several years ago, but the rates just kept increasing year over year to the point I figured I may as well shop it.

I've been with State Farm for as long as I've been in Colorado - 21 years (!) this month. While I've had my fair share of claims - hey, I had a stepson who was accident prone in his teenaged years - I haven't seen the kind of rate increases you are referring to.

Of course, my recent 'oopsie' is running $2900 - and I'm still waiting for the car to come back from the body shop - so I may be premature when I say that. We'll see what the renewal premium looks like.

oldfarmer50

@breld said:
I'm going from Liberty Mutual to State Farm. So both big companies. I never really had any issues with Liberty, and they did provide quite a savings when I switched to them several years ago, but the rates just kept increasing year over year to the point I figured I may as well shop it.

Could we be seeing the new paradigm of the insurance business? Maybe they figure that every year you don't make a claim you become more likely to do so. Perhaps they want to get rid of you after 5 years so they jack up your rates, drive you away and make a killing in the meantime.

jayrider

Nyccarguy ---- We have 37k miles on the 2010 Prius. My wife and I love the driving experience even though others trash it. It's roomy, drives smooth and quiet --- the steering and suspension work fine together. I would really have to work hard to get her to part with it. Having said that, I'm not sure the hybrid cost is worth it when you buy new. The lease may be different. Room wise, it compares favorably with a Malibu, Fusion or 200. The hatchback is the plus for us. No recommendations --- just my experience --- your needs, likes and budget should be your guide.

Mr_Shiftright

I think the new Paradigm is to offer you better rates than you're getting and then jack you up after a couple of years.

stever

@oldfarmer50 said:
Perhaps they want to get rid of you after 5 years so they jack up your rates

Every two or three I check rates; no loyalty here, it's all about the cost. I think I've been with most of the majors (except Allstate and Geico) over the years. Now with a local company and they've been good with a couple of towing claims.

xwesx

@Mr_Shiftright said:
I think the new Paradigm is to offer you better rates than you're getting and then jack you up after a couple of years.

That's certainly possible. I thought that was the case with State Farm just last month! They offered me a rate that was 55% of the rate my main company, Allstate, offered when I was planning to buy the Fiesta. Allstate literally wanted enough to insure it that the cost was a deal-breaker for me to even buy the car. So, I took a chance and opened a policy with State Farm to insure the Fiesta only. Two years later, the renewal policy went up by $30/mo!

I was pretty livid about it, but, ironically, my reaction must have made somebody's ears burn at the local office. A rep called me within about ten minutes of me wracking my brain as to what I was going to do about this increase. She said that at the two-year point, they are not allowed to use credit rating when offering a policy renewal, so the rates go to their default (credit-less), all other things being equal. I had to consent to allow them to do the credit rating, at which time they offered a renewal that was on par with the prior six-month policy.

Funny thing, though.... Every since that day, I am thinking more and more about just selling my car. Without it, I am 100% debt-free (not that I owe all that much on the little thing). The problem is that I just don't want to go back to a single DD, and I already promised myself that I would not buy another "new" car until I finish the house and have a garage in which to park it. And... that could be a while!

And, on top of that, @fintail, @gagrice, and @nycarguy have me seriously considering a diesel for my next purchase. So, I'm torn between settling for what's out there currently (assuming I were to actually replace my Fiesta) or just sitting tight and seeing how the market develops.

stickguy

don't worry. Insurance companies have departments that do nothing but figure out how much they can raise your rates every year without pissing you off enough to shop around. they figure you won't notice the $100-$200 each time (or whatever they can get away with) which really ads up after a few years.

that, and they offer teaser subsidized deals to get new customers in. Hence, the need to switch every few years.

roadburner

@xwesx said:
I'm telling you, NY, after you put those new struts, etc., on the car, you can consider the itch as SCRATCHED!

Agreed! With the FSDs/strut bushings/bearings, Pilot Super Sports, JBR rear bar, and Hypertech tune my MS3 is like a new car- and all for less than $2500(I won the Michelins ).

About the only cars I could see replacing it with would be either a M235i or Boss 302.

stickguy

pressing the old car into travel duty again, for the first time since my son got his VW. have to make a family situation run up to NY for a few days, so leaving the wife with her RDX, and taking the old TL. Hope it does well on the trip. If not, the "sell all the old stuff and get something cheap new" plan could get off life support!

actually, this car has always liked highway cruising more than lumping around town. tends to drive better after getting a chance to stretch its legs. Just that at 175K, you never know!

nyccarguy

@roadburner‌

One of my favorite modifications I made to my Prelude many moons ago was a set of thicker SUSPENSION TECHNIQUES anti-roll bars. I'm really excited to see how the new springs/struts transform the Prelude.

@‌stickguy

Yesterday AM, I saw a TL of your vintage towing a boat on 95 South in New Rochelle. You'll be OK

stickguy

I'm not really worried about it. though the way things have been going into the dumper around here lately, maybe I should be.

roadburner

@nyccarguy said:
roadburner‌

One of my favorite modifications I made to my Prelude many moons ago was a set of thicker SUSPENSION TECHNIQUES anti-roll bars. I'm really excited to see how the new springs/struts transform the Prelude.

The James Barone Racing rear bar and billet bushing brackets are excellent pieces, and the price was right; too bad they aren't visible, as they look darned impressive....