Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

stickguy

Parking is not bad next year. She is in campus apartments next year. Nice normal lot, some "protected" spits, and right in front of her building. I would not send a new car to school if it had to be dumped in some remote, long term type lot.

suydam

All the dings in my daughter's car came from apartment or dorm lots just like you describe. Many colleges such as ours don't use remote lots any more because they are too dangerous. The weirdest accident was an entire roof's worth of snow and ice sliding off -- directly onto her car. She was not in it at the time. Completely shattered the windshield and dented the hood. College paid to repair fortunately.

28firefighter

After I moved on from my Taurus, I paid extra to private parking company for Garage parking instead of the university because I didn't trust the folks driving in the university lot.

stickguy

Can't vouch for driving skills, but at her school, most of the kids have better cars than me.

jpp75

28firefighter said:

I think you're enabling yourself, Stick. 

I like the 3 at 205 a month.

I agree, I'd take the 3i touring at that price over the Camry.

Michaell

jpp5862 said:

28firefighter said:

I think you're enabling yourself, Stick. 

I like the 3 at 205 a month.

I agree, I'd take the 3i touring at that price over the Camry.

I'm going to be the contrarian and go with the Camry:

1. $20/mo x 36 months = $720 savings
2. Larger car = more carrying capacity when going to/from school
3. Larger car = more compliant ride on the rough roads of I-95
4. Not a huge MPG penalty
5. Lower insurance costs?

Don't get me wrong - I like the 3. I just think the Camry is a better choice in this situation.

stickguy

Michael, all the same points I think of. Kid gets input, but she knows I get final say. She will learn to love whatever I get!

Sales manager from Honda called today. I toldcsalesguy last night we had a few more to drive, and potentially would look to buy Saturday. SM was all "what can I do to get you to skip other places and buy accord today?" I almost told him to meet Camry quote. Not that I expect he could, but would be fun to hear what he said!

roadburner

au1994 said:

28firefighter said:

I think you're enabling yourself, Stick. 

I like the 3 at 205 a month.

Yep, at nearly the same money the 3 would appeal to me much, much more than the Camry.

And the 3 is safer; with the Camry you run the very real risk of dying- of boredom.

kyfdx

@stickguy Does she go to USC?

28firefighter

I'll throw another candidate into the mix:

Volkswagen Tiguan S 4Motion
They have $3000 dealer lease cash plus what appears to be an additional $1500 bonus cash on them. Residuals are reasonable - I was seeing 0 down leases out here on an SE 4Motion with Appearance for $260/month including 9.8% tax.

fezo

And when it inevitably breaks down from some electrical glitch hey'll send a guy to help yo push it to the Volkswagen dealership...

I'm with the 3 myself.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Michael, all the same points I think of. Kid gets input, but she knows I get final say. She will learn to love whatever I get!

Sales manager from Honda called today. I toldcsalesguy last night we had a few more to drive, and potentially would look to buy Saturday. SM was all "what can I do to get you to skip other places and buy accord today?" I almost told him to meet Camry quote. Not that I expect he could, but would be fun to hear what he said!

stick, why not tell the Honda guy that? what's the worst that could happen - that they meet (or beat) the $185/mo quote on the Camry? You're looking at the LX or the Sport?

28firefighter

fezo said:

And when it inevitably breaks down from some electrical glitch hey'll send a guy to help yo push it to the Volkswagen dealership...

I'm with the 3 myself.

Touche.

stickguy

My daughter loves the Tiguan. A friend of hers has a nice loaded white one. I'm not doing a vw though. Certainly not that one!

We liked the accord sport. It at least has done style. And better seats.

stickguy

Oh, if after today we decide accord, I'll email him back with the challenge!

stever

Lil' help please (really should just send 'em here...)

Mazda3 vs All Contenders

jpp75

stickguy said:

Michael, all the same points I think of. Kid gets input, but she knows I get final say. She will learn to love whatever I get!

Sales manager from Honda called today. I toldcsalesguy last night we had a few more to drive, and potentially would look to buy Saturday. SM was all "what can I do to get you to skip other places and buy accord today?" I almost told him to meet Camry quote. Not that I expect he could, but would be fun to hear what he said!

You should have told him to meet the quote, worst case scenario is he actually matches it.

Michaell

Just found out that my company has a partner deal with VW - $500 under invoice on any model, plus any incentives.

This is in addition to partnering with Audi, Chrysler, Ford, GM, MB and Volvo.

GTI manual 2-door with sunroof and convenience package prices out at $26,203...

Just sayin'

28firefighter

Michaell said:

Just found out that my company has a partner deal with VW - $500 under invoice on any model, plus any incentives.

This is in addition to partnering with Audi, Chrysler, Ford, GM, MB and Volvo.

GTI manual 2-door with sunroof and convenience package prices out at $26,203...

Just sayin'

Can you gift it to friends and family?

Michaell

28firefighter said:

Michaell said:

Just found out that my company has a partner deal with VW - $500 under invoice on any model, plus any incentives.

This is in addition to partnering with Audi, Chrysler, Ford, GM, MB and Volvo.

GTI manual 2-door with sunroof and convenience package prices out at $26,203...

Just sayin'

Can you gift it to friends and family?

Household members only, it looks like. Looks like a pay stub is required as well as the partner certificate.

laurasdada

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

Michaell said:

Just found out that my company has a partner deal with VW - $500 under invoice on any model, plus any incentives.

This is in addition to partnering with Audi, Chrysler, Ford, GM, MB and Volvo.

GTI manual 2-door with sunroof and convenience package prices out at $26,203...

Just sayin'

Can you gift it to friends and family?

Household members only, it looks like. Looks like a pay stub is required as well as the partner certificate.

Are you looking to adopt? I've already been to college and had braces...

brian125

According to my neighbor Here in NY/ NJ a leased Camry is harder to return dinged up or some what . Toyota is a pain in the butt about this oppose to other brands that might be more forgiving. This from my neighbors mouth not mine he leases Toyota's a lot. ( I don't lease)

I found a couple of deals for my neighbor that seems pretty good also .

2015 Altima, S with drivers and display pk, rear view camera, 6way pw seat. $179 3yr 36k 1k out of pocket includes 1st month pymt.

2016 Mazda6 sport................. $229 36/12k. oop tax, tags and doc fee. Msrp...24,270

2015 Camry LE...................... $179 36/ 12k

@stickguy Camry SE lease for $189 is not possible with the dealers I called around my area. ( that is truly a great deal) if dealer was not baiting him.

I'd love to adopt a 18yr old and lease him/ her that Camry.

15 Malibu LT w LT1 pk and convience pk............ $210 36/12k 1400 out of pocket.

corvette

Honda Finance used to have one of the more generous lease turn-in policies in terms of wear and tear. Also, they include gap insurance, which many makes do not.

breld

@stickguy - definitely make note of the NVH levels on the Mazda3, particularly on the highway. The car is actually very quiet and composed on good roads, but I find the road noise to be pretty loud on rougher roads. Not sure how much the 18" wheels on the "s" model contribute to that. Something like the Camry or Accord would be much quieter, I suspect.

It's nothing I regret with regard to my purchase, but it's not too often I'm on a rough road for extended amounts of time.

28firefighter

corvette said:

Honda Finance used to have one of the more generous lease turn-in policies in terms of wear and tear. Also, they include gap insurance, which many makes do not.

Really? I thought it was pretty standard on leases these days. VW told me it was included in my CC lease.

breld

Took my stepdaughter's A3 in to swap out the winter tires for the all seasons (a little late), and found that two of the tires were pretty worn out and in need of replacement.

I generally hate to have mismatched tires on a car, but two of the tires, for some reason, were still at 7/32nds, so had a lot of life in them. So, I just replaced two of the tires.

Anyhow, apparently one of her rims is bent - the tire shop said it wasn't all that bad, but that happens to be the tire that seems to be losing some pressure lately. In any case, I think I'm gonna start browsing craigslist for some new wheels for her car. Not a fan of the stock wheels anyway. So that's fun little quest.

On another wheel note, I sold the extra set of wheels/tires that came with the ZHP we recently acquired. Not much, but got $350 for them - so when I offset that with the cost of the car, I feel like I got a better deal!

breld

So, in looking for new wheels for the A3, I'm quite sure wheels from a Golf, GTI and maybe Jetta would fit, as well as possibly an A4.

If I match up on wheel size, offset and bolt pattern, is there anything else I need to consider on proper fitment?

stickguy

Talk to Sandy. he is an expert on all things VW wheels!

bolt pattern will be the same. so just use the calculator at miata.net if you are changing wheel size. other than that, yes, offset is key.

stickguy

so, did the rest of our test driving. with some interesting results.

drove a Camry SE. nice long drive, variety of roads. It was OK. nothing special to me. But I would not be riding in the (not comfortable) passenger seat. Kid drove.

at the end, as we were driving off, I got her feedback. She hated it. wasn't comfortable, didn't like pedals, among other things. Said she would rather keep the old car! So, I don't think I need to push it on her, regardless of the deal.

then drove the 3, figuring it was going to get her excited, and I would go with it. so she drove a i touring around. at the end, got her feedback. Did not really like it that much. Found it to be kind of small, and did not like the interior. also a bit loud. Not bad, but not what she was expecting.

I think what tipped the scales was having tried out (and gotten used to) mid size cars.

also sat in a Legacy. she still likes those (it is nice). I doubt it will ever come close to the budget price, but will find out tomorrow. will also reach back out to the Honda SM, and tell him if he wants to try to sell me, go for it.

so, the 2 great deals are not going to be taken now. slim chance an Accord follows us home Friday. But most likely, I will just defer until the 4th of July sales, and go hard there (I have no life anyway). In the interim, I will clean up the Volvo and work on selling it. And will test a few more options (maybe Altima, another that she really does not like, but has never driven, and a snooze.

good thing I really don't need it for another couple of months!

stickguy

oh, I am also going to ask my Mazda dude for a $ on the 6 instead. overall, a midsize will just make a lot more sense. Who knows, maybe they really need to get rid of these!

kyfdx

stickguy said:

oh, I am also going to ask my Mazda dude for a $ on the 6 instead. overall, a midsize will just make a lot more sense. Who knows, maybe they really need to get rid of these!

Something to note... Toyota leases don't include GAP insurance. I agree with previous comment about a Honda lease being "safer" and easier at turn-in than Toyota.

stickguy

Forgot to mention. was at the Acura dealer today (30K service on the RDX. a bit ouchie, with trans and transfer case/differential fluid changes!). So of course I browsed around. There was a gorgeous (IMO!) TLX out front, so a salesdude gave me the keys (too hot for him to come out at first!). Black copper pearl over tan (picture below, looks great in the sun). This was a base 2.4, but still quite loaded. Very nice seats. I loved it. MSRP was 32.5K. Too bad I am not shopping for something nice right now!

ticked every box, but typical of Honda/Acura, missing one thing. No BLIS. add that, and it would be perfect for me. Oh, and a spare tire (same deal on the ILX). I did peek, and positive in the ILX you can drop a spare in, and 99% sure on the TLX. that would be a must have.

Michaell

stickguy said:

so, did the rest of our test driving. with some interesting results.

drove a Camry SE. nice long drive, variety of roads. It was OK. nothing special to me. But I would not be riding in the (not comfortable) passenger seat. Kid drove.

at the end, as we were driving off, I got her feedback. She hated it. wasn't comfortable, didn't like pedals, among other things. Said she would rather keep the old car! So, I don't think I need to push it on her, regardless of the deal.

then drove the 3, figuring it was going to get her excited, and I would go with it. so she drove a i touring around. at the end, got her feedback. Did not really like it that much. Found it to be kind of small, and did not like the interior. also a bit loud. Not bad, but not what she was expecting.

I think what tipped the scales was having tried out (and gotten used to) mid size cars.

also sat in a Legacy. she still likes those (it is nice). I doubt it will ever come close to the budget price, but will find out tomorrow. will also reach back out to the Honda SM, and tell him if he wants to try to sell me, go for it.

so, the 2 great deals are not going to be taken now. slim chance an Accord follows us home Friday. But most likely, I will just defer until the 4th of July sales, and go hard there (I have no life anyway). In the interim, I will clean up the Volvo and work on selling it. And will test a few more options (maybe Altima, another that she really does not like, but has never driven, and a snooze.

good thing I really don't need it for another couple of months!

Disappointing, but she's gotta be comfortable in it, no matter what.

Have you considered the Kia Optima? Some pretty decent lease cash on those. EX trim might have all the bells and whistles you both want.

Same with the 2015 Mazda 6 - now that the 16's are available, I suspect you could find a dealer willing to give you a killer price on that.

And yes, the timeline works in your favor. No rush, gives you plenty of time to look at and drive all the candidates.

Sandman6472

Golf coming home today, a starter pin was causing the issue but will know more once I get the invoice. Leaving for work soon and luckily only a 1/2 day. The Jetta is nice enough but big, even bigger than our A3. Glad when the Golf is back in the garage!!!

The Sandman

Michaell

Good to hear, Sandy.

The Outback is scheduled for its first service a week from Saturday, just in time for our road trip to Sedona the following day. First service is on the house - not sure what it includes, but I do have one extra request for them.

Apparently, there was a bit of a rush to PDI the car, and the wheels weren't fully cleaned. Lots of residue from the tape used to cover them. I'll ask them to clean it up nicely.

The voucher I have states that either 0W-20 or 5W-30 oil can be used ... can someone tell me the difference?

Road trip will be broken up with an overnight stop in Santa Fe - just under 400 miles on day 1, and just over 400 miles on day 2. Should be able to do each leg on a single tank of gas.

Really need some warm weather - we've had exactly 3 days of sunshine in the month of May. I feel like I've been teleported to the Pacific NW. The only positive from it has been that the delivery business has been good this past month.

graphicguy

stickguy said:

Forgot to mention. was at the Acura dealer today (30K service on the RDX. a bit ouchie, with trans and transfer case/differential fluid changes!). So of course I browsed around. There was a gorgeous (IMO!) TLX out front, so a salesdude gave me the keys (too hot for him to come out at first!). Black copper pearl over tan (picture below, looks great in the sun). This was a base 2.4, but still quite loaded. Very nice seats. I loved it. MSRP was 32.5K. Too bad I am not shopping for something nice right now!

ticked every box, but typical of Honda/Acura, missing one thing. No BLIS. add that, and it would be perfect for me. Oh, and a spare tire (same deal on the ILX). I did peek, and positive in the ILX you can drop a spare in, and 99% sure on the TLX. that would be a must have.

Ooohhhh....very pretty! I think either the Tech or Advance packages have BLIS. Spare tires? Long gone, on the vast majority of cars, I'm afraid! One place where safety took a back seat to cost cutting.

nyccarguy

Michaell said:

Good to hear, Sandy.

The Outback is scheduled for its first service a week from Saturday, just in time for our road trip to Sedona the following day. First service is on the house - not sure what it includes, but I do have one extra request for them.

Apparently, there was a bit of a rush to PDI the car, and the wheels weren't fully cleaned. Lots of residue from the tape used to cover them. I'll ask them to clean it up nicely.

The voucher I have states that either 0W-20 or 5W-30 oil can be used ... can someone tell me the difference?

Road trip will be broken up with an overnight stop in Santa Fe - just under 400 miles on day 1, and just over 400 miles on day 2. Should be able to do each leg on a single tank of gas.

Really need some warm weather - we've had exactly 3 days of sunshine in the month of May. I feel like I've been teleported to the Pacific NW. The only positive from it has been that the delivery business has been good this past month.

I had my 1st service done at 7,500 miles. They did a synthetic oil change, filter change, tire rotation, & brake inspection. I'm at 14,154 right now and need to make my second service appointment. Synthetic oil change, filter change, brake inspection, tire rotation, & as @tyguy advised, a rear differential fluid change with 75W 90 Fully Synthetic Gear Oil.

stickguy

I asked my Mazda guy for #s on a 6. And Honda SM for his best offer on the accord. And Subaru sales lady is getting numbers on that today. So we shall see.

I decided to have her drive an Altima too since that is the other cheap midsize with the range of a camel. She does like the optima. So might look at that.

stickguy

Also, no spare is a deal breaker to me. Most cars that did away still have the well. Elantra even offers tire as an option. The ILX has a place for it. Even has the bracket you use to screw down the spare. Just need the bits and pieces.

Michaell

stickguy said:

I asked my Mazda guy for #s on a 6. And Honda SM for his best offer on the accord. And Subaru sales lady is getting numbers on that today. So we shall see.

I decided to have her drive an Altima too since that is the other cheap midsize with the range of a camel. She does like the optima. So might look at that.

Sounds good .. let us know when you need the lease numbers.

stickguy

Heading there now!

breld

That Mazda6 might be the perfect fit, if the numbers work out. Like @michaell pointed out, they should be eager to move any 2015's left at this point. Though the interior improvements on the 2016 sure are nice.

I drove the Mazda6 and Mazda3 back to back, and there is a notable improvement in overall ride quality with the 6, so that could be very compelling for you and your daughter. Naturally, it also feels roomier in the interior. Knowing all that, I still went with the 3 'cause I thought it was a bit more nimble.

corvette

graphicguy said:

Forgot to mention. was at the Acura dealer today (30K service on the RDX. a bit ouchie, with trans and transfer case/differential fluid changes!). So of course I browsed around. There was a gorgeous (IMO!) TLX out front, so a salesdude gave me the keys (too hot for him to come out at first!). Black copper pearl over tan (picture below, looks great in the sun). This was a base 2.4, but still quite loaded. Very nice seats. I loved it. MSRP was 32.5K. Too bad I am not shopping for something nice right now! ticked every box, but typical of Honda/Acura, missing one thing. No BLIS. add that, and it would be perfect for me. Oh, and a spare tire (same deal on the ILX). I did peek, and positive in the ILX you can drop a spare in, and 99% sure on the TLX. that would be a must have.

Ooohhhh....very pretty! I think either the Tech or Advance packages have BLIS. Spare tires? Long gone, on the vast majority of cars, I'm afraid! One place where safety took a back seat to cost cutting.

Actually, I think it was both for cost cutting and weight savings to improve MPG. Adding a spare wheel, tire, and jack after you have bought a car gets really expensive unless you can find cheap ones that fit on eBay or at a junkyard. I'm sure it's cheaper if you're an OEM equipping thousands of vehicles. 

breld

I like that TLX too - was very impressed with the test drive I had a few months ago of a 4 cylinder Tech package. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of interior room and the level of quality in the materials. Wasn't the fastest thing, but I did enjoy the feel of the great Honda 4 cylinder. And, to be fair, I was still in my 535i at the time; compared to my current ride, the transition to the TLX would be just fine, I suspect.

When I'm ready to go back to the automatic, the TLX will definitely be on my list.

corvette

That sounds like an upcoming punch, breld.  

stevedebi

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

oh, I am also going to ask my Mazda dude for a $ on the 6 instead. overall, a midsize will just make a lot more sense. Who knows, maybe they really need to get rid of these!

Something to note... Toyota leases don't include GAP insurance. I agree with previous comment about a Honda lease being "safer" and easier at turn-in than Toyota.

Or insist on them putting gap insurance into the package. They will do that, I believe. Costs more, of course, but vital on any loan or lease where you are technically "upside down" on the car value.

breld

corvette said:

That sounds like an upcoming punch, breld.  

I know, I know - that's exactly what it sounds like. Particularly with the addition of the "fun" 330ci with the manual.

But, I have my mind set on getting out of the current car payment situation and am pretty determined to do so.

We'll see.

stickguy

Got a quote on the 6. $30/mo more for 6 touring vs. 3 touring. Sport is $10 cheaper, so touring is no brainer.

$235 is no Camry price, but in the big scheme, $50 month won't break the bank! That's for the I touring. Bigger, faster, more comfy, and power seats. All good features.

28firefighter

Are Mazda's lease rates and incentives regional?  There is not a single deal like that on a 6 Touring out my way. 

breld

Based on you and your daughter's experience in test driving the Camry, sounds like it's just not a good option anyway, so may as well throw out that $185/month payment out of the comparison, really.

So, doing that, $235/month for a Mazda6i Touring sounds like a great deal for a much more dynamic and pleasing car. Not to mention the additional features on that Mazda6 - BLIS, leather seating, etc.

I assume that is for a 2015? Or by chance is it for a new 2016?

It does come with those 19" wheels though - I know how you feel about those low profile tires.