Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

xwesx

corvette said:

You had an interior detailing done on the Forester? I thought you were a diy guy? 

LOL!

I'm working 16-hour days lately, so not much time for that sort of stuff. Plus, I don't mind cleaning out the inside of a car (my Fiesta looked AWESOME when I sold it), but I don't have the equipment to give this car the deep cleaning it needed. I had to get rid of dog odor, and vacuuming plus a dash treatment just wasn't going to cut it.

nyccarguy

Picked the car up from service. It was pretty quick & painless. Service advisor called mid AM & asked if I wanted to change the cabin filter & air filter. I declined & told him I would take care of that myself.

My credit card will have an extra $253.55 charge on it nex month. Here's the breakdown:

Full Synthetic oil change (6 quarts of 0w 20, Filter, & gasket) including labor: $60.93

Tire rotation: $19.95

Drain & Fill rear differential fluid with 75w 90 Synthetic Gear Oil: (3 quarts of 75w 90 @ $19.23 each plus 1 hour of Labor @ $120): $177.69

I printed up a $25.00 off any service of $200 or more & handed it to them at the time of write up.

Overall a great experience. Dropped the car off on my way home last night, picked it up on my way home tonight. I was provided with a loaner car free of charge.

I liked the XV Crosstrek, but was happy to get back into my car. The Legacy is much smoother & I immediately felt the extra grunt that my car's 2.5 has over the Crosstrek's 2.0.

I'll see them again in 7,500 miles. I should get in & out for about $70 plus tax.

Michaell

 I decided to set up a loaner car when I  Bring the outback in for service this Saturday 

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

Picked the car up from service. It was pretty quick & painless.

They must have done more than the rear diff. That's a LOT of oil for a rear differential. Perhaps rear + center/front? Rear diff in a Subie usually is 0.8qt; I think the front is something like 1.5-2.

It's nice when you can find a good place to have your car serviced! I'm always on the defensive when I take my car into the local Subaru dealer. They seem to do good work, but I don't trust them at all with my cars.

stickguy

My acura dealer offers loaners, but I have never taken one. I've never been there for more than about an hour. so I browse around the showroom, watch a little TV, and be done.

Just had the 30K service done, that was an extra hit (the usual oil change + rotation with a coupon is about $60 + tax). Oil, rotation, trans fluid and front diff fluid changes. Those fluids add up! I think it came out to about $299 OTD.

I did the cabin filter already (quite dirty, nice and easy to change). Was going to do the air filter, but no one carried it. So I paid the dealer price to buy one and take home ($30). Service guy said $20 to install, so I passed on that.

when I put it in, turned out to be the easiest one I ever changed. Took longer to rip open the package and find my maglite to make sure I didn't miss any clips. 2 tension hooks, then lift up the front of the cover. Old one out (also much dirtier than I expected it to be), new one in, snap snap and away we go.

Thankfully nothing expensive for a while. I think rear diff is due at 45K.

corvette

Rear diff? Is that part of Subaru's maintenance schedule now, or are you planning on keeping it forever?

nyccarguy

xwesx said:

nyccarguy said:

Picked the car up from service. It was pretty quick & painless.

They must have done more than the rear diff. That's a LOT of oil for a rear differential. Perhaps rear + center/front? Rear diff in a Subie usually is 0.8qt; I think the front is something like 1.5-2.

It's nice when you can find a good place to have your car serviced! I'm always on the defensive when I take my car into the local Subaru dealer. They seem to do good work, but I don't trust them at all with my cars.

@xwesx - it does say: "performed front & rear differential service." So that answers your question

nyccarguy

corvette said:

Rear diff? Is that part of Subaru's maintenance schedule now, or are you planning on keeping it forever?

Another poster @tyguy who seems to know a whole helluva lot more about Subarus than I do. He suggested to change the differential fluid at 15K, 30K, then follow Subaru's normal schedule which is every 30K I think. This could turn into a forever car. I took out a 6 year loan. 2 years after it should be paid off, my oldest son will be 16. What better first car than a 175 horsepower, 4 cylinder sedan is there?

I could always get the itch and buy something with RWD & a V8 . Keeping the Legacy as my foul weather friend. Who knows?

nyccarguy

@stickguy - my schedule doesn't permit waiting around. I leave for work at 6:20 - 6:30 in the morning and don't leave work until 5:30 pm. I leave early to drop off & pick up.

stickguy

Acura recommended an early rear diff fluid change too. that came up at 15K, then will be every 30K I think.

cheap enough insurance, since the RDX is also supposed to be a forever car (at least 10 years).

roadburner

BMW used to call for a diff oil change at 5k and after that every 40k- until Munich started picking up the tab, at which point it became a "Lifetime Fill."

au1994

roadburner said:

BMW used to call for a diff oil change at 5k and after that every 40k- until Munich started picking up the tab, at which point it became a "Lifetime Fill."

Funny how that happened, right?

au1994

Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

stickguy

My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.

au1994

stickguy said:

My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.

I could try to claim a familial punch as my parents bought a 1.8T SEL Premium Passat yesterday. Hopefully will get some seat time this weekend. I am very curious to see how the 1.8 pushes around the bigger car.

fintail

MB did that with transmission services in the late 90s, and shockingly, transmissions failed on some models around or before 100K. Then they moved away from it, Funny how that works.

I wonder if any BMW model has differential failure issues at 100-150K.

roadburner said:

BMW used to call for a diff oil change at 5k and after that every 40k- until Munich started picking up the tab, at which point it became a "Lifetime Fill."

corvette

au1994 said:

My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.

I could try to claim a familial punch as my parents bought a 1.8T SEL Premium Passat yesterday. Hopefully will get some seat time this weekend. I am very curious to see how the 1.8 pushes around the bigger car.

I don't think the Passat weighs a lot more than the Jetta, but does feel like a bigger car on the road. 

breld

au1994 said:

stickguy said:

My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.

I could try to claim a familial punch as my parents bought a 1.8T SEL Premium Passat yesterday. Hopefully will get some seat time this weekend. I am very curious to see how the 1.8 pushes around the bigger car.

I was quite pleased with the performance of the 1.8T in the Passat I had, particularly in sport mode. Not surprisingly, feels like a 2.0T "lite." And I was definitely impressed with the MPG I was getting from that engine in such a relatively large car.

I'll be interested to hear your impressions of it.

breld

au1994 said:

Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.

corvette

I was looking at the Yukon the other day. Oil filter goes on from the bottom, very well protected from road debris, but may be difficult to change without ramps. I can use my fluid extractor down the dipstick tube. On the other hand, the dealer only charges $30 for a conventional oil change, up to 6 quarts. Being a 2008, it doesn't require Dexos semi-synthetic. I think there are only two lube points.

I've never had an AWD truck before, so I'm not sure whether the front or rear tires will tend to wear more quickly, for timing my tire rotations? I know the Audi A4 Quattro (FWD-based) wore the front tires more than the rears, but there wasn't as much of a difference as there was with a FWD car.

stickguy

And, once again breld has both feet out on the slippery slope!

au1994

breld said:

au1994 said:

Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.

The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!

xwesx

corvette said:

I've never had an AWD truck before, so I'm not sure whether the front or rear tires will tend to wear more quickly, for timing my tire rotations? I know the Audi A4 Quattro (FWD-based) wore the front tires more than the rears, but there wasn't as much of a difference as there was with a FWD car.

I certainly notice that my FWD cars wear the front tires faster, on the order of about 1 extra millimeter per season (I change out tires every six months, basically, so rotate at that time from season to season which is typically 5000 to 7500 miles each). So, the first season, the fronts will be 1mm lower than rears, the next season they will be equal (rinse & repeat). On my Subarus, they are basically identical season after season (I'm a fairly spirited driver, too, especially in the winter months).

Michaell

au1994 said:

breld said:

au1994 said:

Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.

The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!

It's up to the banks to promote shorter term lease programs. The only good 24 month program I know of is on the Nissan Leaf; not a car for you if you like BMW's. Chrysler was promoting 24 (and 42) month programs in May, but again, probably nothing in their inventory you'd like.

au1994

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

breld said:

au1994 said:

Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.

The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!

It's up to the banks to promote shorter term lease programs. The only good 24 month program I know of is on the Nissan Leaf; not a car for you if you like BMW's. Chrysler was promoting 24 (and 42) month programs in May, but again, probably nothing in their inventory you'd like.

I thought Mercedes cranked out some decent 24 or 27 month programs, particularly on the E Class. That's a bit more than what I am looking for this time around.

Michaell

au1994 said:

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

breld said:

au1994 said:

Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.

The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!

It's up to the banks to promote shorter term lease programs. The only good 24 month program I know of is on the Nissan Leaf; not a car for you if you like BMW's. Chrysler was promoting 24 (and 42) month programs in May, but again, probably nothing in their inventory you'd like.

I thought Mercedes cranked out some decent 24 or 27 month programs, particularly on the E Class. That's a bit more than what I am looking for this time around.

Yeah, the E-class has a 27 month program that uses the 24 month residuals; only for the 2015 E350 RWD and 4Matic sedans, though.

Sandman6472

The 1.8t is turning out to be a snarky little engine and has a lot of grunt when needed. I always keep the tranny in "D" mode and never "S", what's really the difference? I have noticed in "S", it tends to downshift at higher rpm's, but not really sure why? Please explain so I can get the most out of my Golf. The few times I've driven the A3, it's driven a bit smoother than mine but maybe I'm wrong because have heard it's basically the same vehicle underneath?
Need to read my manual about when to change fluids...get the 10k gratis and prepaid for the 20k and 30k services as they were much cheaper upfront.

The Sandman

stickguy

usually the sport mode makes it a little more high strung. Doesn't upshift as early, and downshifts quick. D mode tries to get into a top gear ASAP, and stay there as long as possible, trading off performance for MPG.

if you are fine with how it drives in D, leave it there. Or try S for a few days to compare.

The A3 has the same basic powertrain, but I am sure it has some improvements, and more sound deadening. So similar, but not quite the same sounds about right.

Mr_Shiftright

maybe it does that to keep the engine "on cam"?

Sandman6472

Yep, definitely quieter with nicer interior appointments. I know the wife keeps hers in "D" all the time and after the first week, I followed her lead. I try to eek out as much mileage as I can though using the a/c is a must here in South Florida...most folks drive over the 65 mph that most of my commute is so I have to keep up. The last 10 miles are on I-75 where the limit jumps to 70 though most go around 77 or so. And I've been the only driver the whole time I've owned it though think my oldest did drive it home once.
The only regret at this time is not getting the lighting package and maybe even the navi though I doubt I'd have used it much...those lights are pretty cool but the extra price didn't seem worth it at the time. Besides that, love this vehicle and couldn't ask for anything more!

The Sandman

sda

stickguy said:

usually the sport mode makes it a little more high strung. Doesn't upshift as early, and downshifts quick. D mode tries to get into a top gear ASAP, and stay there as long as possible, trading off performance for MPG.

if you are fine with how it drives in D, leave it there. Or try S for a few days to compare.

The A3 has the same basic powertrain, but I am sure it has some improvements, and more sound deadening. So similar, but not quite the same sounds about right.

My experience with VWs in the past using Sport is that, yes it held the gears longer before upshifting, and was quicker to downshift but would not upshift to the highest gear regardless of speed. As such, I rarely used Sport mode as it meant me switching back to Normal to get high gear.

qbrozen

in the CCBA spirit, I had some thoughts this morning. Mind you, I am standing pat until things shake out, but I've got some pokers in the fire. If we move south, I will definitely have to reduce the fleet before going. And, depending on the circumstances, I may even need to trade the CTS on something substantially less expensive. I don't want to, but it might be necessary to make things work. We'll see. In the meantime, I was just trying to think "what would I get?"

Another GTI came to mind - although this time with a DSG (gasp!). OR could go for one of those CPO S60s I've been casually looking at for my wife, but it would be mine instead. Its alot of car for $19k-$20k. Just not sure it would be sporty enough for me. I definitely have concerns about sacrificing performance and/or luxury and winding up regretting the decision. But, obviously, I'm going to have to give up something if I'm trying to get something that much cheaper than the CTS.

breld

@qbrozen - always fun to think about options. Having had the wife's TT (briefly) and the stepdaughter's A3, and having test driven previous generations of the GTI with the DSG, I do think they made improvements to that transmission with the MK7 model. So, it could be an acceptable transition for you.

I agree that S60 is a lot of car for the money. After it being mentioned here yesterday, I was curious enough to look at local used inventory - nice, luxury AWD for very low $20k's? Great deal.

breld

sandman_6472 said:

The 1.8t is turning out to be a snarky little engine and has a lot of grunt when needed. I always keep the tranny in "D" mode and never "S", what's really the difference? I have noticed in "S", it tends to downshift at higher rpm's, but not really sure why? Please explain so I can get the most out of my Golf. The few times I've driven the A3, it's driven a bit smoother than mine but maybe I'm wrong because have heard it's basically the same vehicle underneath?
Need to read my manual about when to change fluids...get the 10k gratis and prepaid for the 20k and 30k services as they were much cheaper upfront.

The Sandman

If I'm not mistaken Sandy, the Audi has the DSG trannie. From my experience, I really enjoyed the sport mode in my Passat, with the traditional 6-speed auto (same as your Golf I imagine). But I find the sport mode in both the wife's GTI and the stepdaughter's A3 (both with that DSG trannie) to be overly aggressive and, thus, a bit jerky.

Point is, it might make more sense for you in your Golf than your wife's A3.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

in the CCBA spirit, I had some thoughts this morning. Mind you, I am standing pat until things shake out, but I've got some pokers in the fire. If we move south, I will definitely have to reduce the fleet before going. And, depending on the circumstances, I may even need to trade the CTS on something substantially less expensive. I don't want to, but it might be necessary to make things work. We'll see. In the meantime, I was just trying to think "what would I get?"

Another GTI came to mind - although this time with a DSG (gasp!). OR could go for one of those CPO S60s I've been casually looking at for my wife, but it would be mine instead. Its alot of car for $19k-$20k. Just not sure it would be sporty enough for me. I definitely have concerns about sacrificing performance and/or luxury and winding up regretting the decision. But, obviously, I'm going to have to give up something if I'm trying to get something that much cheaper than the CTS.

Always an interesting concept. Let's work backwards here to try and figure things out for you. Obviously you are going to keep the T & C. You should have NO PROBLEM getting rid of the Fit. It would get snapped up real quick on swap a lease or lease trader. You might even have equity in it by the time you are ready. Even if it is $500 or $1000, you can use that as a down payment & the trade price to offset sales tax on the new punch. Maybe sell the Volvo privately & see if you can get a strong buy bid from Car Max on your Caddy. You might need the funds from the Volvo to pay so you aren't buried with negative equity in the Caddy.

au1994

You may remember my parents bought a Passat earlier this week...so far neither the dealer nor Sirius can get the radio to work and the dealer can't locate the floor mats.

Oh and it took them over an hour to get into the finance guys office.

roadburner

I firmly believe that VWoA actively rewards inept/substandard dealerships- and penalizes any dealerships that show the slightest evidence of competence.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

Always an interesting concept. Let's work backwards here to try and figure things out for you. Obviously you are going to keep the T & C. You should have NO PROBLEM getting rid of the Fit. It would get snapped up real quick on swap a lease or lease trader. You might even have equity in it by the time you are ready. Even if it is $500 or $1000, you can use that as a down payment & the trade price to offset sales tax on the new punch. Maybe sell the Volvo privately & see if you can get a strong buy bid from Car Max on your Caddy. You might need the funds from the Volvo to pay so you aren't buried with negative equity in the Caddy.

Largely how I'd go, except the Fit isn't a lease. But, yes, I'd probably have to go with carmax for one of them. Given the cost of the "new" car, I'd trade either the Fit or the Caddy, depending on the offer, to negate the tax. So I'd probably get Carmax offers for both vehicles, then go to volvo dealer and see how they hit them and trade the one closest to carmax bid and sell the other to carmax.

The volvo would be a quick street sell. Still has relatively low miles.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

nyccarguy said:

Always an interesting concept. Let's work backwards here to try and figure things out for you. Obviously you are going to keep the T & C. You should have NO PROBLEM getting rid of the Fit. It would get snapped up real quick on swap a lease or lease trader. You might even have equity in it by the time you are ready. Even if it is $500 or $1000, you can use that as a down payment & the trade price to offset sales tax on the new punch. Maybe sell the Volvo privately & see if you can get a strong buy bid from Car Max on your Caddy. You might need the funds from the Volvo to pay so you aren't buried with negative equity in the Caddy.

Largely how I'd go, except the Fit isn't a lease. But, yes, I'd probably have to go with carmax for one of them. Given the cost of the "new" car, I'd trade either the Fit or the Caddy, depending on the offer, to negate the tax. So I'd probably get Carmax offers for both vehicles, then go to volvo dealer and see how they hit them and trade the one closest to carmax bid and sell the other to carmax.

The volvo would be a quick street sell. Still has relatively low miles.

Dude, I must be loosing it. I swear I thought you leased that Fit. Were you toying with the idea of leasing it at one point? No, that's right. You took out a 63 month loan, right?

qbrozen

hmmm... i think it was 66 months. I put a good amount down and got.. I think 2.2%. Of course, it would be the cheapest route of all to keep the Fit, but no way I'd tolerate that as my only car.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

no way I'd tolerate that as my only car.

LOL! Oh, come on, Q! You could do it! I managed thirty-three months with my Fiesta before I finally decided I had enough.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

hmmm... i think it was 66 months. I put a good amount down and got.. I think 2.2%. Of course, it would be the cheapest route of all to keep the Fit, but no way I'd tolerate that as my only car.

It is a bit rough having a slow roller as a daily driver. For now at least you can enjoy the CTS V-Sport's twin turbo V6 (450 hp?) when you don't drive the Fit. Tough turning 3 into 1. The CTS V-Sport was expensive to begin with, so when you say "cheaper," are you talking $20K, $30K, or $40K?

Have you considered checking out a Charger RT with a HEMI & Track Pack? Not cheap as far as MSRPs go, but I believe you get a healthy discount off MSRP.

Why the need for a cheaper car? I always hear about "how cheap houses are in the south compared to northeast."

I don't have to tell you to look at the big picture. You are smart enough to know that. If you've got to go down to 1 car, sell the Fit to CARMAX, sell the Volvo privately (just wait for @stickguy to sell his 1st), & drive the Caddy for a few more years so you don't take a bath on it.

rny421

@qbrozen: If you move south, why would you have to consider selling the Cadillac? I do recommend the Volvo S60 though. They make a great used buy. I got mine back in August - 2012 T6 AWD, leather, xenons, heated seats, sunroof, 23k miles for $24,500. I've been very happy with it. Decent gas mileage, QUICK, and good looking IMO. The only thing I don't like is that it does ride a little rough. It definitely crashes hard over potholes. I just replaced the tires, and it's still a little stiff. I wanted the Continental DWS, but they were on backorder, and I didn't have much time, so I went with the Nokians. I'll go for Continentals next time.

Volvo has a great CPO warranty - 7 years/100k miles. As I'm sure you know, pay attention to the in-service date though, because that can differ almost 12 months on the same model year vehicle. I didn't go CPO, and knock on wood, no issues with it in the 10 months that I've had it.

corvette

roadburner said:

I firmly believe that VWoA actively rewards inept/substandard dealerships- and penalizes any dealerships that show the slightest evidence of competence.

Indeed. The sales/finance experience I had when I bought the GLI was very smooth, but the service and body repair were inept.

corvette

So, I was working on the cranky third row seat (the half which couldn't be removed), and thought a latch had failed. $130 part, $105 at most online GM dealerships. Found it on eBay for $43 shipped, Bought It Now. Once the new part arrived, I realized that the original part was fine, but some of the cables had popped loose. No returns. Not the car's fault, I will chalk that up to owner incompetence.

Now that I've reattached the cables and put the covers back on the seat, it works fine. Since that's not coming out of the maintenance and repair budget this month, I guess I have extra funds to change the transmission fluid.

fezo

A - I was wary of a Mazda 5 as the only car but I'm rather enjoying it. I'll grant you it's more car than a Fit.

Sandman6472

The jury is still out on VW for me. The issue I had with the wheel/tire swap was a very specific one and I, we, should've done our due diligence to make sure the size was correct. Sure, they should've known but I also should've gotten down and looked at the tire size when we went up in the garage to look at the wheels on the 1st swap. Their tire guy knew his stuff though and from 10 feet away, he knew they'd put on the wrong size, 16"'s vs. 17"'s...they looked the same to me. But once that problem was fixed, all was well until the "ECP" light came on and then the interior lights not going off. They definitely handled things right, put me in a loaner once they saw it wasn't fixable right then. So, they are definitely trying when an issue does crop up as I can't hold them entirely at fault for the rim issues.
Hoping for no more unexpected issues from either vehicle in the future...I am the eternal optimist!

The Sandman

stickguy

Took princess out today and stopped at a Mazda dealer in NH. man, they have a lot of 3 hatches. And many stick shifts.

Anyway, sat in a couple of 3GTs. An I and an s. Liked them more than touring. Very much like the 6, just shrunken. So that could still be a good option eventually.

Michaell

Stopped at a Mazda dealer today as well. Saw a beautiful blue 2016 6 i Touring with a sick shift!  $24k sticker. 

The salesman I talked with could be a member here. Three weeks ago he sold his MB E500 4Matic and bought a Chevy duramax pickup with 176,000 miles on it. 

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

Why the need for a cheaper car? I always hear about "how cheap houses are in the south compared to northeast."

A big reason we would even consider a move south is to become a 1-income family. That would involve tightening our belts a bit. If my wife could be the one to find a job, that would be ideal, as I have several ways of pulling in extra income without having to take a full-time job. For her set of skills, it is full-time or nothing. This is mostly just "what if" thinking. For example, one job in the works is of great interest to me but the projected salary would make it tough to have the kind of home we'd want, so I was pondering what I COULD do to make it work out if I really wanted it. Just to put it in a bit of perspective, I pay a little over $1k/mo for the Caddy and Honda. I can obviously free up quite a bit of money, if needed, by changing 2 for 1.

Charger isn't a bad suggestion. Something to consider.