Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

nyccarguy

@qbrozen‌

Those 2 subarus might seem pricey for their age & mileage. If you pick one of those up, most likely you'll be able to dump it at will and not take a bath. The second one (from the dealer in Rockland County, NY) seems like he knows his stuff. But you never know.

I was able to recover all of the vacation pictures off my canera's XD card that I had deleted off of the camera and off the hard drive. $40 well spent on MediaRECOVER.

Sandman6472

Moved the oldest kid today and had both Hyundai's and the Versa so got the girls' their oil changes/rotations. They called about the Accent's tires and said they couldn't rotate because the front reads aren't too great and since they're already almost 8, time for a new set of sneakers. Mention it to wifey since it's her d d now and she says whoa nellie! Once she gets her new ride, the Accent will sit most of the time so the plan is to hold off on new sneaks and move up her purchase date. She definitely wants a '15 model so Thanksgiving is looking good or even Labor Day but that's a bit close.
Today was a wake up call and I hope she does some serious looking...soon!

The Sandman

jayrider

@oldfarmer50 said:

newer, cheaper, slower, but no miles listed

I like that it has 0 miles. My kind of car.

Back in the 50's my uncle spun back the odometers back to zero on every used car he put on his lot. He died last year a multimillionaire.

henryn

@qbrozen said:
>

Right now, truecar is showing $26,708 for a base GT manual. $27,799 with the automatic.

And here's one for you, for $26,801. Base model 2014 Mustang GT, 6 speed standard. The only option is $395 for the paint. If you allow for that, he's under TrueCar pricing.

Yep, definitely some good deals on the 2014's.

http://tommievaughnford.com/Houston-Texas-Heights-Area/For-Sale/New/Ford/Mustang/2014-2dr-Cpe-GT-Red-Car/30437123/

corvette

sandy, they are right in that tires can wear out due to age and not tread depth. Most manufacturers say 6-10 years is the limit. I would say closer to 6 if the car sits outside all the time and closer to 10 if it's garaged.

tifighter

I managed my first 100 mile charge ("tank") on the Leaf. EPA rates the range at 84 miles; I still had 12% charge left at 101 miles and wasn't even trying really hard. I'm satisfied. Yes, I know winter will be worse...

Michaell

@sandman_6472 said:
Moved the oldest kid today and had both Hyundai's and the Versa so got the girls' their oil changes/rotations. They called about the Accent's tires and said they couldn't rotate because the front reads aren't too great and since they're already almost 8, time for a new set of sneakers. Mention it to wifey since it's her d d now and she says whoa nellie! Once she gets her new ride, the Accent will sit most of the time so the plan is to hold off on new sneaks and move up her purchase date. She definitely wants a '15 model so Thanksgiving is looking good or even Labor Day but that's a bit close.
Today was a wake up call and I hope she does some serious looking...soon!

The Sandman

Not sure I should say this, but the 2015 Mazda 3's are already on the lots... no reason to wait!

oldfarmer50

@henryn said:
qbrozen said:
Yep, definitely some good deals on the 2014's.

Dang, that's my color too. Even though I drive standard shift at work and on the farm I'd wouldn't have confidence in my shifting ability to do that car justice. Still, you had me dreaming of a flight to Houston.

Am I stupid to want the new design? That's about $7,000 extra to drive one year newer.

oldfarmer50

@jayrider said:
Back in the 50's my uncle spun back the odometers back to zero on every used car he put on his lot. He died last year a multimillionaire

He's lucky he didn't die in prison.

There was a segment on the local news last night about how easy it is to manipulate the new electronic systems in cars. Odo rollbacks, shutting off CELs, sensors etc.

Frightening.

stickguy

Farmer, yes, crazy to spend that much for an identical car 1 year newer. But, this is also a new car.

what I would do is take a test drive now of a 2014, while there are still some units (and deals) to be found. Maybe you fall in deep love, and pull the trigger. if not, be first on line to drive a 2015 when they come out. if there is a huge difference (in a good way), save your $$ and get a 15. If it does not seem better to you, grab a last one of the 14s.

qbrozen

The only advantage I see to the 2015 is the IRS. Not sure that's worth $7k. But, hey, if you can wait another year, I'm sure those will be nearly as deeply discounted.

qbrozen

Pretty good deal here.

I'm almost tempted to go check it out before even selling the Benz.
The prior accident of course being the mystery here. I'd have to see what was done to it.

breld

I always liked those Mazda6's, though a hatchback or wagon would be a bit more interesting.

I had a 4-cyl model as a rental car many years ago and really enjoyed it.

ab348

Pretty miled up though. I never thought that generation of Mazda 6 felt very robust, and the interiors seemed especially plasticky. But looking can't hurt.

stickguy

Lot of miles. Hate the tint.

oldfarmer50

@qbrozen said:
The only advantage I see to the 2015 is the IRS. Not sure that's worth $7k. But, hey, if you can wait another year, I'm sure those will be nearly as deeply discounted.

Well, it turns out I misremembered the build price so it's only $6000 more...a veritable bargain.

Also how much have those 2014s already depreciated?

oldfarmer50

@qbrozen said:
Pretty good deal here.

I'm almost tempted to go check it out before even selling the Benz.
The prior accident of course being the mystery here. I'd have to see what was done to it.

I've always liked that generation 6. It got criticized for being too small for fat Americans but I thought it was just the right size. My BIL switched from a 626 to an Altima because he didn't think the 3.0L was powerful enough (225hp.?) but with a manual tranny it could zoom zoom for you.

The accident should give you good leverage on the deal. Oh wait, CarFax says 3 accidents. Could be scratched bumpers. Looks like the third owner was a klutz.

roadburner

Wait for a 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed 6...

qbrozen

oh, i didn't even realize there was more than one. Ugh.

At ~$26k, they haven't depreciated at all. I could still trade my '13 for what I paid for it (I'd still be out tax and fees, of course).

jayrider

@qbrozen said:
[Pretty good deal here.](http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale
I'm almost tempted to go check it out before even selling the Benz.
The prior accident of course being the mystery here. I'd have to see what was done to it.

Looks like once in the rear and once in the front.

oldfarmer50

Thought one of these might be fun for a sunny day cruiser.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/ctd/4596099960.html

I've heard that it's a rebadged Miata which would make it a cheap alternative (a similar Miata would go for $4k).

I also read somewhere that it's based on the old 323 platform. Any info, opinions?

kyfdx

Not a rebadged Miata. FWD, and I think it was based on the 323 platform. Pretty crappy car, overall. About 1/5 of a Miata

stickguy

loosely on the 323 maybe. Pretty sure that came out of Australia

stickguy

Well, turns out that an RDX holds more than I thought it would. with the 60% side of the rear seat folded down, I managed to get all the stuff in to take my daughter to college with. Only thing left out was a long door mirror. Might have to replace that when we get there.

of course, it is up to the roof in places, and rear view out the back window is a bigger joke than normal, but I jammed it all in there! Though if we still had the odyssey, it would be below eye level, and look half empty.

stever

Sounds familiar - will have to take a photo later on here since the van is almost packed. Going to have to load the bikes on the roof and that will have to wait until tomorrow morning since I don't think they'd fit through the garage door, even though the bikes will be laid flat on the roof.

The worst part is going to be loading the palm tree in the back and then seeing if most of the leaves survive the next week.

stickguy

as always, the "last few things" appeared. I did take a picture. If there is an avalanche my daughter will be buried alive. Hopefully everything is secure enough.

roadburner

@oldfarmer50 said:
Thought one of these might be fun for a sunny day cruiser.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/ctd/4596099960.html

I've heard that it's a rebadged Miata which would make it a cheap alternative (a similar Miata would go for $4k).

I also read somewhere that it's based on the old 323 platform. Any info, opinions?

The Capri is another in a long line of Lincoln Mercury orphans and it is crap. The Capri can only dream of being 1/10th as good as a Miata.. A FWD Australian curiosity at best- it was the next shiny thing the Lincoln Mercury marketing suits saw after they thoroughly screwed up their most recent attempt to sell European Fords in the US. It seems that Lincoln's marketing "experts" have an attention span of no more that 24 months, usually much less- just look at how often they change their marketing slogans...

After the Capri debacle Lincoln built the LS- a really nice sport sedan that was actually comparable to a BMW or M-B. As per usual, after a couple of years the clowns lost interest in the car and went on to adopt their current mission statement: "Build blinged-out, rebadged Fords, charge a premium for them, and delude ourselves that the cars are competitive with Cadillac, Lexus, and the Europeans."

ab348

@oldfarmer50 said:
Thought one of these might be fun for a sunny day cruiser.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/ctd/4596099960.html

From the Bleak Years at Ford.

rayainsw

I took a quick test drive in a new S3 this morning. Initial impressions are quite positive. More later...

= Ray

Fun 'lunch break'!

Mr_Shiftright

Although he was dead by then, Ford was still floundering in the late 80s from the devastatingly bad leadership of Henry Ford II. Henry the Deuce turned out to be as toxic to the company as Henry the First.

stever

@stickguy, if you look closely, you'll note that I still have some space for small stuff. The two bikes will have to go on top this trip though. The three foot palm fits pretty well, but I doubt that all the leaves will survive the next 9 days.

stevedebi

@Mr_Shiftright said:
Although he was dead by then, Ford was still floundering in the late 80s from the devastatingly bad leadership of Henry Ford II. Henry the Deuce turned out to be as toxic to the company as Henry the First.

The original Henry Ford had some quirks - particularly later in life, but he did establish the company, so I'm not sure that is exactly "toxic". Without him there would be no FMC.

Michaell

@stevedebi said:
The original Henry Ford had some quirks - particularly later in life, but he did establish the company, so I'm not sure that is exactly "toxic". Without him there would be no FMC.

He almost had to have a gun put to his head to replace the Model T.

rayainsw

This S3 checks most of the important boxes for me.

Car: 2015 S3, black on black, base suspension & 18” wheels / tires.

The TQ is everpresent and always available – offering instant thrust any time, even in higher gears. One of my top ‘requirements’. [ I am a Torque Addict. ] The 2.0L 4 cylinder [ highly boosted ] engine feels and sounds much smoother than the [ not nearly as highly boosted ] 2.0L in my 2013 GTI. Sounds, and feels and pulls ‘expensive’. Pulled cleanly and smoothly from low RPM and sounded eager to run all the way to the red line. I believe the C+D 12.9 sec. quarter mile result.
[ Horsepower 292 @ 5,400–6,200 rpm
Torque 280 lb-ft @ 1,900–5,300 rpm ]

The 6 speed DCT is very responsive and the shifts, both up and down are accomplished very quickly and with no interruption in power flow. RPM match on downshifts is flawless. The paddles are active at all times, another of my requirements.

I spent several minutes looking over the interior, while my sales contact was on a call. Everything = switchgear, surfaces, displays, etc. looked and felt of appropriately high quality. The seats were immediately comfortable and felt very supportive. They have the adjustable thigh support that I like. The front center armrest is adjustable up / down & fore / aft. A nice touch that I appreciate.

The handling, on several deserted curves, was quite confidence inspiring. No feel of front heavy weight distribution. The steering works well, for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the ride, given that this did not have the Audi Mag Ride, nor the 19” wheels & tires than are required with that option. It handled the occasionally broken and deteriorating sections of asphalt and concrete pavement I encountered very well, indeed. This could save me $1,500!

Overall, I was very impressed – and [ pending a longer test drive ] this has been added to my ‘short list’ of possible next car to purchase or lease. That list includes the BMW M235i.

One minor complaint – the interior rear view mirror is oddly small & oval shaped?

That’s about it, for me.

= Ray

Very enjoyably surprised & pleased with this Audi sport sedan . . .

qbrozen

Even more than $1500 in the long run since you won't have to buy tires for 19" wheels!

Not that you would keep it through 1 set of tires. haha.

I checked out the builder yesterday and personally so no need for any options save the paint upcharge and rear side airbags (can't believe that's optional these days) for a tidy $42k.

rayainsw

S3 - 'Even more than $1500 in the long run since you won't have to buy tires for 19" wheels!

Not that you would keep it through 1 set of tires. haha'

Fact...

= Ray

Currently at less than 16,000 miles - and half tread wear on the GTI...

Mr_Shiftright

And with him, there almost wasn't one.

@stevedebi said:
The original Henry Ford had some quirks - particularly later in life, but he did establish the company, so I'm not sure that is exactly "toxic". Without him there would be no FMC.

nyccarguy

Not as exciting as @rayainsw 's S3 test drive, but I did have a chance to sample 2 vehicles on pretty much opposite spectrums. I came away impressed with both.

2013 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4Matic:

The interior is gorgeous. Every surface I touched felt as if it belonged in a $60K Luxury SUV. Seats were firm and comfortable. Power from the 3.5L V6 was always there when I needed it. The 7 Speed auto trans shifted absolutely seamlessly and downshifted easily with a quick stab of the throttle.

It has been a long time since I've driven an MB, but the ML's ride quality is definitely this car's hallmark. It was solid and smooth while soaking up every single road imperfection.

My least favorite part of the ML was it's lifeless electric power steering. Completely void of any road feel what so ever.

2009 Honda Fit Sport:

My best friend owns 2 restaurants. They used to make deliveries in Ford Econoline vans until gas shot up shortly after Katrina. Once the E350 was totaled and the E250 needed some major work to keep it road worthy, they decided to switch to smaller delivery vehicles. The Econolines got replaced by Chevrolet HHRs that barely lasted 3 years. Once the HHRs were "done," he bought 2009 Honda Fit Sports. Last night I drove one of the Fits that had 95,000 miles on it. I'm an admitted Honda Fan (I own 2), but was so impressed at how well this car that sold for well under $20K drove and has held up over the past 5 years. His guys do not drive gingerly at all and have literally beaten it within an inch of its life. The car (on its original battery) fires up and idles quietly. The steering is tight. I also knew exactly what the front tires were doing at all times. The transmission shifted crisply and the suspension was very compliant . If you are looking for something basic, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Fit to anybody. The car literally drove the same way it did off the showroom floor.

Mr_Shiftright

I've been shopping used cars for a friend's son who is off to college.

We figured that neither one of us wants to hear from the kid about car troubles, so we're stickin' pretty much to Japanese cars under 100K, you know, something where Dad can fork over maybe $5--$8K and keep the kid in wheels for 4 years.

Naturally #1 son picks things like a 2001 BMW with 149,000 miles on it or a dented Volvo S40 and we have to keep shaking our heads "no".

But holy crap! Some of the prices for clean used Toyotas! Crazy money.

slorenzen

But holy crap! Some of the prices for clean used Toyotas! Crazy money.

You seen what a 12 year old Tacoma 4WD goes for?

Mr_Shiftright

No, haven't shopped them, but if the used car market is any judged, Toyota has certainly rebounded from its UA and Sludge nightmare with its reputation intact. I have noticed that the older Toyota pickups sell for about double a Ford Ranger.

suydam

10 grand for a used Camry and he will be fine for 4 years plus grad school/first job. Worked for us. Car had over 200k when she sold it and still running fine.

Another choice that also worked for us -- Buick Le Sabre. That son still owns it.

oldfarmer50

@Mr_Shiftright said:
I've been shopping used cars for a friend's son who is off to college.

We figured that neither one of us wants to hear from the kid about car troubles, so we're stickin' pretty much to Japanese cars under 100K, you know, something where Dad can fork over maybe $5--$8K and keep the kid in wheels for 4 years.

Naturally #1 son picks things like a 2001 BMW with 149,000 miles on it or a dented Volvo S40 and we have to keep shaking our heads "no".

But holy crap! Some of the prices for clean used Toyotas! Crazy money.

Now you're in my area. $5--$8k will buy you something pretty reliable in a domestic. Something boring like a Buick Century might not go 200k miles like a Honda but should go 150k before major trouble.

Not sure where in CA you are but here's one.
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4603285475.html

xwesx

@suydam said:
10 grand for a used Camry and he will be fine for 4 years plus grad school/first job. Worked for us. Car had over 200k when she sold it and still running fine.

Another choice that also worked for us -- Buick Le Sabre. That son still owns it.

Yep; there's nothing glamorous about them, but they get the job done!

suydam

I would not get a vehicle that old myself -- I would aim for an '05 or up. More standard safety features and less likely to need something major. Buicks depreciate quickly too so you could find them in your price range.

Mr_Shiftright

At least most repair shops can fix a Buick.

kyfdx

For $7200 you can lease a Honda Fit for 3 years, and not have to worry about anything.

nyccarguy

Enabler

stever

Yeah, but you can't move half way cross the country in a Fit.

Well, I could if I weren't married.

stickguy

Got my son a 145k mile TL in senior year of HS. That took him 5 years through college and 1/2 year after, so just over 5 years and up to 175k.

Not bad for $2,000. Family deal though.