You don't have to bite your tongue; just express yourself in a nice, pleasant way. Contrary to your early perceptions, we try to be a nice group of people here. You mentioned that we just kiss each other all of the time to boost our own egos. That's not true. Many of us have been here together for years. We've been through illnesses, divorce, financial reversals, car problems, and even the death of family, friends, and one of our beloved posters. We don't mean to appear snobbish or closed circle. We don't always agree here, but we try to state our differences in a non-offensive way. This is not your typical Edmunds site; it's unique by the fact that we enjoy each other's company and can discuss a variety of topics. You mentioned that you had been flagged a few times on another thread. We don't do that here. Once in a while, someone here may get upset. We try to communicate and take care of ourselves. Personally, I'm happy for you to join us BUT you will have to play nice.
@Michaell@Edmunds said:she has a co-worker with an XC90 who complains about reliability issues.
Granted, it's a sample of one, but the wife says to cross it off the list.
On the other hand, there are people who drive Volvos for 100,000s of miles, and there seems to be a lot of older ones still around. But, it just seems better to go with something with a better record, and there are some other compelling choices out there.
@stickguy said:
can everyone just drop the drama and grandstanding, and go back to our pleasant, important, vital discussions? Toasters maybe? Dental floss?
Must be something left that we can ponder.
I will even take one for the team and do some car shopping tomorrow. I'll drop a "who wants to sell a car tonight" when I walk in, and see what I can get stirred up from that.
Toasters and dental floss? LOL! You made my day---great post!
@bwia said:Speaking of Taj Mahal style dealerships.
My example is a bit different. My closest bmw dealer is truly a Taj Mahal and I have bought cars there in the past. The dealership where I bought my 535 is 30 minutes further away, and it is an older style place. But, when it comes down to saving $6000, I prefer to buy from the older place. For service, I go to the closer Taj....closer plus all the benefits.
A fellow was on the radio saying dealers may post the invoice price of a car, but, it is almost meaningless....because of rebates, buying in volume, etc.
A car salesman (he said he wasn't a salesman, but he was an associate), called in and said dealers make $1200 to $1800 per car.
I checked out the first guys website and this is what he offers. He made it sound like he was doing the public a service for free, but he does charge it seems.
Would you consider buying a car like this?:
Best Price Reports: $75+tax
Full Concierge Service: Flat fee $295+tax
Our Full Concierge Service includes:
We'll fully negotiate the price on your behalf with the dealer of your choice. If your dealer is not competitive, we will find one that is.
We will ensure you get all the rebates and discounts available.
We will negotiate the value of your trade-in, if you have one, and
In most cases, we will get some of those unnecessary extra fees reduced or even waived, saving you even more.
Regardless of where you buy your vehicle, it can be serviced at any dealership of your choice.
We will ultimately be putting your new car deal through a franchised dealer so you are still eligible for all the Rebates, Promotions and Low Interest Rates!
Dad's dementia is getting worse every month. The last few days I noticed his short-term memory is almost non-existent. It is so depressing to see this happening to someone I love and care for. He can't even help me with meals any longer and he losing his balance frequently.
I am at a loss as to what to do. We go out for dinner at least twice a week now to relieve me of cooking every night. But he is constantly asking questions to which I have answered numerous times but forgot what I said - sometimes 10 minutes ago.
I guess I need to take him to our doctor so he can get a referral to a good neurologist. He puts up a good front to others, but from day to day, he is definitely losing it.
I vowed that I would care for him so long as he can take care of his own hygiene needs, which he seems to take care of quite well, to date. But often I will get up at 3;00 AM and see the light on in his room with him struggling to read his statements and adding up his assets but because of his macular degeneration, he does not succeed. He must be so unhappy but he plugs along - I'm proud of him for that.
He got new hearing aids a month ago, but last week, his left hearing aid pops out all the time and falls to the ground when he chews his food. I had to laugh as he laughed with me - so we are going back to the audiologist Wednesday - they will have to make him a new one that will stay in.
But, it's not a happy situation for him. I wish I could do more, but I know nothing will help him.
Oh Mike, your situation brings back such sad memories. I remember the constant repeat questions from Mom, along with her falls and her inability to take care of her affairs. I hate to tell you this, but you're not far away now from having to make some major decisions. You must also consider your own health issues. I know that it is so hard for you to care for your dad. Whatever decisions you have to make, let there be no guilt. You've done a great job so far, but you may need to let professionals take over soon. You're on my prayer list.
Mike...sorry to hear about your Father. Went through that with both my late parents. It's hard to understand, let alone see those you love so much go through.
Driver...it seems every once in a great while there pops up some sort of "service" that takes the job of buying a car as a business. Personally, with 20 minutes of internet time, I can come up with a price sheet that I'll present to the dealer.
Used cars, and particularly trade-ins are a bit of pricing voodoo. KBB and NADA (the services most have at their fingertips) are wrong most of the time. Black Book and Galves, which most of us don't have access to, seem to be closer to real pricing. Of course, those sources are usually put the lowest numbers on the trades.
Personally, I put out a number that I think I could sell a trade for on my own. If I can get within $200-$300 of that number as a trade, I figure I'm ahead of the game given that in OH we only pay taxes on the delta between the new car value and the used car value.
Richard...just as a follow up to your post, I like most everyone here at Edmunds. That said, I'm not feeling the desire to kiss any of you. Hope that doesn't make me a bad person.
@graphicguy said:
Mike...sorry to hear about your Father. Went through that with both my late parents. It's hard to understand, let alone see those you love so much go through.
Driver...it seems every once in a great while there pops up some sort of "service" that takes the job of buying a car as a business. Personally, with 20 minutes of internet time, I can come up with a price sheet that I'll present to the dealer.
Used cars, and particularly trade-ins are a bit of pricing voodoo. KBB and NADA (the services most have at their fingertips) are wrong most of the time. Black Book and Galves, which most of us don't have access to, seem to be closer to real pricing. Of course, those sources are usually put the lowest numbers on the trades.
Personally, I put out a number that I think I could sell a trade for on my own. If I can get within $200-$300 of that number as a trade, I figure I'm ahead of the game given that in OH we only pay taxes on the delta between the new car value and the used car value.
Richard...just as a follow up to your post, I like most everyone here at Edmunds. That said, I'm not feeling the desire to kiss any of you. Hope that doesn't make me a bad person.
@sterlingdog said:Good luck with your dad as well. You are so right about taking one day at a time---anything more is too overwhelming in these situations.
Richard
A lot of us have parents who have passed on, or need help...it's difficult.
Just something to think about on a related subject. My wife had a friend who unexpectedly died a few months ago. My wife is helping the friends husband who is 87, and not very mobile. His estate is worth a few million dollars and he has only two relatives (nephew and neice) who live in another country in Europe, and who visit to insure their inheritance.
They talked him into putting bank accounts and his house into joint ownership, so that if he was incapacitated, they could make life giving decisions, and in case of death, they would avoid probate fees. Many people do this, and it can be very costly ---joint ownership.
For example, if the nephew were to rack up gambling debts, his creditors could raid this gentleman's bank account. If he is incapable of thinking, his relatives could put him in a minimal care facility - think YMCA, sell the house, and split the proceeds.
Having joint accounts only works if you trust the persons on the account 100%. It isn't good if there are other siblings, they can try something....and, at best, there could be a major falling out with family members.
Fortunately we caught this in time, and we contacted our friends lawyers. He will cancel joint power of attorney and executors of his will...it hadn't been registered yet. Lawyer said he could cancel joint accounts at the banks.
Writing wills and managing power of attorney are very serious things and require a lot of time and expertise. Remember, taxes have to be paid, houses sold, etc. Don't try to do it with amateurs.
"Mike, you may know if this is true or not. When we were looking for our 1999 Mercedes, one salesman was showing us how safe a Mercedes was."
I don't know driver. I'm sorry that I am not able to help you out.
But as for Mercedes, I was reading about recalls in this morning's paper and the article cited that Mercedes has the lowest recall rate per 100 cars sold in the US of all other manufacturers. I was somewhat taken aback by that statistic. BMW was one of the top five with the lowest recall rate as well.
I heard on FBN that there was a serious problem with the airbags of 2001-? Chevrolet Impalas that resulted in deaths. I hope this is not another one of those issues that were known but not revealed.
I have always wondered how much testing goes into the component parts of manufactured vehicles when assembled. I know that testing is/should be vital, however I would think that with the thousands upon thousands of components that are in these cars that testing would reveal defects before they cause serious problems.
Compare the manufacture of Boeing aircraft with the manufacture of vehicles. Can you imagine what would happen if Boeing aircraft were recalled as often as vehicles for defects? The airlines would face significant drops in passenger miles. I sure would think twice before boarding a plane !
When a plane has a defect though, you are talking hundreds of lives. I don't know if you ever watched the show "Mayday!" on Discovery, but they do many episodes on airplane crashes and many of them are due to design or design/training issues. I watched one about the Airbus crash in NYC in November, 2001 recently, where the pilot's flawed training led him to do a control maneuver that caused the vertical stabilizer to break off. Hundreds of people died. I would not have thought it possible for that to occur from something that the controls allowed you to do. There was another I saw a while back about a control unit for the rudder on (I think) 737s that could stick in full deflection mode because of a design flaw and made it almost impossible to control the aircraft.
So while they aren't recalled as often, they are recalled, and the reason for the recall is often the deaths of a whole planeful of people.
@graphicguy said:Richard...just as a follow up to your post, I like most everyone here at Edmunds. That said, I'm not feeling the desire to kiss any of you.
@ab348 said:When a plane has a defect though, you are talking hundreds of lives.
In Malcom Gladwell's book the Outliers many airplane accidents were caused by a cutural incident. Happens in certain cultures, one's that may defer the last word to the pilot. For example, the co-pilot has spotted a problem, he doesn't want to override the pilot.
They are working on this one by giving additional training - trying to teach the copilots opinion is as important as the pilots..
Thanks for letting me vent about my poor Dad. I have no one else to talk to except my son and my daughter, both of whom live thousands of miles away and have lives of their own.
Also, thanks to you for the kind comments in response to my dissertations. It's nice to have friends, even though faceless, to support you when you're down.
Richard, I think I might squeeze out a kiss on your forehead if I met you - you are a kind and gentle man - much gentler than most of us - although driver, believe it or not, I believe is gentle as well.
@abacomike said:
Also, thanks to you for the kind comments in response to my dissertations. It's nice to have friends, even though faceless, to support you when you're down.
I'll add my good wishes to the pile. I'm fortunate in that my parents are both in good health, but that can't last forever, and I hope that when difficult times come, I handle them as well as you do.
Faceless? Why, most aren't faceless. Sure, some like Richard have a heart for a mouth, or an "x" for eyes like genericram, but they're there!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
@Kirstie@Edmunds said:
Faceless? Why, most aren't faceless. Sure, some like Richard have a heart for a mouth, or an "x" for eyes like genericram, but they're there!
Well, yes, I have to agree literally with you on that, Kirstie. Of course they have faces. They have hearts, as well.
Wouldn't it be great one day if we had a REUNION or something like that - maybe a convention in Sedonna, Ft. Lauderdale or Palm Springs/Palm Desert/La Quinta some day soon during the winter months when most would jump at an opportunity to go "warm" for a few days. We could make reservations at a nice hotel, rental cars, etc., and finally get a chance to meet.
I've heard of groups doing that on facebook, twitter, etc. It would be fun. I would get a kick out of meeting Richard, Snakeweasel, Fezo, nyccarguy, stickguy, graphicguy, Kirstie, michaell, driver, ab, Isell, genericram, jmonroe (wherever he is), boomchek, houdini, mako, olfarmer, venture, roadburner, bwia, cdnpinhead, laurasdada, and all the rest of you guys whose screen names escape me for the moment (please forgive me if I left you out - not intentional).
Mike: Heartbreaking, I hope for only the best for you and your Dad. My father is 80 and 3000 miles away. Luckily, my brother and his family are only 10 minutes away from him and a wonderful source of support for him. And, vice versa.
Good group of posters here, everyone is entitiled to an opinion. It's a message board, no need to attack, feel attacked or even respond! It's anonymous-ish...
I am a UConn alumnus. Woo Hoo! Complete the sweep tonight, ladies!
And a Mets fan, now more a Red Sox fan due to geography and whatever it is that they put in the (love that dirty) drinking water around here. Always disliked the Yankees, but would never, ever chant "Yankess s**k!" Classless.
I'm considering buying a Shinola watch. Any thoughts? I'd think of buying a car, but I just did and unless the lottery finally, finally, finally, finally....cooperates, not for a few years.
My first Dealership Mahal was our Lexus shop. It went from small and nice to a new spot a few miles south and palatial! Part of a huge owner group, one billionaire owner. All thanks to the skinny deals we all get! Jag/LR dealers I visited were nice, but modest. Really, HC Lexus is the only Mahal around here, I think.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
@graphicguy said:
That said, I'm not feeling the desire to kiss any of you. Hope that doesn't make me a bad person.
But....you haven't seen what I look like yet. Let's not jump to any hasty conclusions. Ha, ha. Just kidding, of course. Glad to see the forum getting back to normal.
Mike, sorry to hear about your dad's worsening condition. Take care and know I admire the work you're doing on his behalf.
That would be fun!
It appears that we are going to buy a legit travel trailer this summer (the 3/4-ton pickup needs a job), and we plan to spend some of winter time in Florida. Sounds like a good place to me!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
@abacomike said:
Wouldn't it be great one day if we had a REUNION or something like that - maybe a convention in Sedonna, Ft. Lauderdale or Palm Springs/Palm Desert/La Quinta some day soon during the winter months when most would jump at an opportunity to go "warm" for a few days. We could make reservations at a nice hotel, rental cars, etc., and finally get a chance to meet.
From 1989 to 2003 I traveled for business. The Edmunds forums started up in either '96 or '97, so I've been lucky to meet up with a number of posters over the years. The only one still (semi) active on these boards is fezo. Somewhere there are pictures of that night in NJ ... don't know who has them!
Was hoping to meet Richard when he came through Colorado a few years back on his cross-country road trip, but we couldn't make the schedules work.
Am also hoping to meet up with one of the hosts later this year.
"My first Dealership Mahal was our Lexus shop. It went from small and nice to a new spot a few miles south and palatial! Part of a huge owner group, one billionaire owner. All thanks to the skinny deals we all get! Jag/LR dealers I visited were nice, but modest. Really, HC Lexus is the only Mahal around here, I think."
Down here, only one dealership comes to mind that I would consider a true "TAJ", and that's JM Lexus, the world's largest and highest volume dealership in the world.
They built a huge service facility next to their huge showroom. They have close to 1500 new cars on their new car lots. They are so big, they bought several acres diagonally across the street for a separate pre-owned facility.
On the second floor of the service center, they have a huge physical fitness center for customers, a huge dining facility, and they serve finger sandwiches and other refreshments throughout the day. An elevator takes you up to that floor.
When I worked there, they always had bagels, creamcheese, lattes and sodas all day long.
Southeast Toyota and JM Enterprises (JM for Jim Moran whose family now owns Southeast Toyota and JM Lexus) is the largest distributorship of Toyota and Lexus in the country. The Moran Family (all privately owned) is the distributor so they make money on every Lexus and Toyota and Scion sold in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina. So the huge Lexus dealership (the first Lexus dealership originally built in 1989 in the US) is just a drop in the bucket to the company.
Yes, family had a condo in Boca for ~25 years, my parents retired to it. My aunt and cousin are still in Boca. I believe my first 5 star meal was at La Vielle Maison, but I've heard they've lost a star or two. If still open? Fond memories of dining at the Boca Hotel Club with my Dad's wealthy friend who would torture me with tales of the cars he would buy (toys), e.g. Lotus Esprit sans submarine option. "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!"
My Dad often talked about JM and being the original and current Toyota distributor for the region. Wow, Moran family, you have chosen wisely!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
It's funny but after working at all types of dealerships, I like the one I'm at the most.
I went from working in fancy multi million dollar new car dealerships, to a used car lot in an industrial area with an old building pieced together from multiple older buildings.
I just find it that it's more laid back, with no dress code, no multiple managers, no corporate crap; just the lot, the cars, and the customers. No distractions. There is no corporate mould that we need to fit. (EDIT: And almost no stress either.) We can actually be ourselves which is nice in a working environment.
I never thought I would say that, especially after coming from a brand new ultra fancy multi million dollar Italian exotic car dealership that I worked at a year prior to this job.
"Yes, family had a condo in Boca for ~25 years, my parents retired to it."
Most of Boca Raton is quite nice - they keep the city clean - even the far southern part - which is close to me.
I am sure you know that car dealerships are not permitted in Boca Raton. The only place that I know of that has one or two cars in a showroom is the new Tesla Store in the Boca Town Center Mall. I am going to guess that the city council passed an ordinance permitting the exception due to the fact that it is totally electric.
@boomchek said:
It's funny but after working at all types of dealerships, I like the one I'm at the most.
I went from working in fancy multi million dollar new car dealerships, to a used car lot in an industrial area with an old building pieced together from multiple older buildings.
I just find it that it's more laid back, with no dress code, no multiple managers, no corporate crap; just the lot, the cars, and the customers. No distractions. There is no corporate mould that we need to fit. (EDIT: And almost no stress either.) We can actually be ourselves which is nice in a working environment.
I never thought I would say that, especially after coming from a brand new ultra fancy multi million dollar Italian exotic car dealership that I worked at a year prior to this job.
Ty...I'm sure you're a fine looking person, but I must think of my reputation. LOL!
Boom....I know a guy with minority interest in an old, well established used car lot in an older, less well kept part of Cincinnati. Funny, he says almost the same exact thing as you....low stress, no corporate bloat and infrasructure. He even paraprases you...."just the cars, the customers and financing". That last part is where he's making money. I wouldn't describe his business as "buy here...pay here", but it's not far off.
I think Mike mentiones turning cars is a way of churning cash, too. That's also true....and also what could be the underbelly of the biz.
@abacomike said: THANKS FOR THE GROUP HUG FROM ALL OF YOU
Thanks for letting me vent about my poor Dad. I have no one else to talk to except my son and my daughter, both of whom live thousands of miles away and have lives of their own.
Also, thanks to you for the kind comments in response to my dissertations. It's nice to have friends, even though faceless, to support you when you're down.
Richard, I think I might squeeze out a kiss on your forehead if I met you - you are a kind and gentle man - much gentler than most of us - although driver, believe it or not, I believe is gentle as well.
Again, thanks!
My wife and I had to deal with dementia with both of our mothers; you will be in our prayers...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I like that Rolls/Bentley dealer. We have a Mercedes dealership in town, and I don't know how it compares to the ones in Miami. But, they do have a full Spa, a Cafe, Virtual golf, a theatre, and aesthetics salon. Also, heated porcelain floors, soft jazz and a concierge – who takes your coat and brings you a cappuccino made from Italian espresso beans
It has a 20-foot-high spinning Mercedes-Benz logo and has 65,000-square-feet. I looked at the garage and it was white tiles, and you really could eat off of it.
In one part of the article, a Mazda dealer said this;
“It actually costs less to buy a new car now than it did 10 years ago.” And the average return on every car sold in Canada in 2012 was a meagre 2.25 per cent, according to a recent study by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
That niece and nephew remind me of ourselves. We spent a lot of time and money getting our Wills, POA, Living Wills, funeral arrangements, etc. written and recorded. You are correct; it requires a good estate attorney. I would never be so foolish as to agree to joint ownership. In fact, the way that my niece and nephew spend money, we decided on a trust document and an annual percentage amount for distribution. They are in for a surprise, plus a few other little surprises----as in the fact that those two are not the only ones in our Wills.
But as for Mercedes, I was reading about recalls in this morning's paper and the article cited that Mercedes has the lowest recall rate per 100 cars sold in the US of all other manufacturers. I was somewhat taken aback by that statistic. BMW was one of the top five with the lowest recall rate as well.
It seems to me that it would be more economical for the manufacturer to do it right the first time. It has to be expensive to source replacement parts and pay for the labor to install them, not to mention the bad PR and possibility of lawsuits.
Here's an example of something that should never have happened and is going to cost Ford money - If you remember I bought a 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium a few weeks ago. A couple of days after I got it I noticed that the rear seat bottom was not for a Titanium model; it was for the SE which is one model lower. The rear seat backs are correct. Now Ford has to get the proper seat cushion, ship it to my dealer, and pay labor costs to swap them out. What a waste of resources for a stupid error. Surely they didn't think the owner wouldn't notice - would they?
Maybe I'll get that new leather smell back for a few days.
Reminds me of when I sold Chryslers. One Chrysler 300(I think it was 08 or 09) we got from the factory had leather seats in the front and cloth bench in the back. How nobody noticed this on the assembly line, or in quality control I have no clue.
Or one time a new Chrysler Sebring Convertible came in. I was playing around with it in the showroom and noticed that one of the rear tail lights were loose. Turns out it wasn't even bolted on, just stuck into its place, wiring plugged in but no actual nuts were secured to hold it to the body.
@boomchek said:
Oh I was just curious, I've been on these boards on and off for about 10 years and seen you as long here too, but never thought you were in sales until your comment of that you'd "be retired if every phone customer who said they'd buy would actually come in and buy". Funny but true.
Well I was in sales in the past but those days are behind me. While I was good at it it really wasn't my cup of tea. Currently one of the things I do is taxes and we get people making appointments or calling and saying they will be right in and they never show up. It is a problem with many professions.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
@abacomike said:
Compare the manufacture of Boeing aircraft with the manufacture of vehicles. Can you imagine what would happen if Boeing aircraft were recalled as often as vehicles for defects? The airlines would face significant drops in passenger miles. I sure would think twice before boarding a plane !
There are times when a particular model of plane is grounded until some issue is resolved or an investigation is completed.
That being said commercial aircraft have mechanics going over them on a daily (or almost daily) basis. It wouldn't be a problem for Boeing to tell an airline to include this or that next time a plane is getting serviced.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
"But, they do have a full Spa, a Cafe, Virtual golf, a theatre, and aesthetics salon. Also, heated porcelain floors, soft jazz and a concierge – who takes your coat and brings you a cappuccino made from Italian espresso beans..."
I'm envious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My dealership is nice, but nothing like yours. Concierge? Cappuccino? Theater? Aesthetics salon?
" They are in for a surprise, plus a few other little surprises----as in the fact that those two are not the only ones in our Wills."
Ahhhhh, I would love to be a fly on the wall in your attorney 's office to snap a few pictures of the nieces and nephews at the reading of your will. That's what sitcoms are made of!
Dad and I went to NYY Steakhouse at the Casino this evening. Lobster tails, sautéed skillet potatoes with onions, a complimentary bottle of imported Champagne (making up for our bad experience with our waiter 2 weeks ago), a huge wedge of chocolate layer cake for Dad , NY cheesecake for me and a cappuccino and great service.
I have a smile on my face that even if the paramedics pick up my body tomorrow morning, they'll know I died and went to heaven.
@driver100 said:
Volvo makes good solid cars for the most part. They aren't flashy, and they don't have the road handling or feel of say a bmw. There forte is safety, and they are built to the highest safety standards.
Not only that but they seemed to be built to last. I had a friend that came from a family of Volvo owners and they all seemed to have cars well into the 200K's. My friends uncle gave him his old Volvo with close to 350K miles on it and my friend drove it close to another 100K miles.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
@abacomike said:
Wouldn't it be great one day if we had a REUNION or something like that - maybe a convention in Sedonna, Ft. Lauderdale or Palm Springs/Palm Desert/La Quinta some day soon during the winter months when most would jump at an opportunity to go "warm" for a few days. We could make reservations at a nice hotel, rental cars, etc., and finally get a chance to meet.
Lets go for some irony in a meeting and meet on a warm summer day on Mackinac Island where cars have been banned for over 100 years.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
@snakeweasel said:
Lets go for some irony in a meeting and meet on a warm summer day on Mackinac Island where cars have been banned for over 100 years.
What a great idea and what a BEAUTIFUL place to meet.
@abacomike said:My dealership is nice, but nothing like yours. Concierge? Cappuccino? Theater? Aesthetics salon? I'm moving to Canada!
Unfortunately, the bad news is, you'll pay about 20% more to buy the same car in Canada.
btw....thanks for the nice words about being kind and gentle. you are an excellent judge of character. Seriously, we have all got along well here for a long time, being respectful of our differing views, there is a way to make a point...... and a way not to.
Comments
You don't have to bite your tongue; just express yourself in a nice, pleasant way. Contrary to your early perceptions, we try to be a nice group of people here. You mentioned that we just kiss each other all of the time to boost our own egos. That's not true. Many of us have been here together for years. We've been through illnesses, divorce, financial reversals, car problems, and even the death of family, friends, and one of our beloved posters. We don't mean to appear snobbish or closed circle. We don't always agree here, but we try to state our differences in a non-offensive way. This is not your typical Edmunds site; it's unique by the fact that we enjoy each other's company and can discuss a variety of topics. You mentioned that you had been flagged a few times on another thread. We don't do that here. Once in a while, someone here may get upset. We try to communicate and take care of ourselves. Personally, I'm happy for you to join us BUT you will have to play nice.
Richard
Granted, it's a sample of one, but the wife says to cross it off the list.
On the other hand, there are people who drive Volvos for 100,000s of miles, and there seems to be a lot of older ones still around. But, it just seems better to go with something with a better record, and there are some other compelling choices out there.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Toasters and dental floss? LOL! You made my day---great post!
Richard
My example is a bit different. My closest bmw dealer is truly a Taj Mahal and I have bought cars there in the past. The dealership where I bought my 535 is 30 minutes further away, and it is an older style place. But, when it comes down to saving $6000, I prefer to buy from the older place. For service, I go to the closer Taj....closer plus all the benefits.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
A fellow was on the radio saying dealers may post the invoice price of a car, but, it is almost meaningless....because of rebates, buying in volume, etc.
A car salesman (he said he wasn't a salesman, but he was an associate), called in and said dealers make $1200 to $1800 per car.
I checked out the first guys website and this is what he offers. He made it sound like he was doing the public a service for free, but he does charge it seems.
Would you consider buying a car like this?:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Oh Mike, your situation brings back such sad memories. I remember the constant repeat questions from Mom, along with her falls and her inability to take care of her affairs. I hate to tell you this, but you're not far away now from having to make some major decisions. You must also consider your own health issues. I know that it is so hard for you to care for your dad. Whatever decisions you have to make, let there be no guilt. You've done a great job so far, but you may need to let professionals take over soon. You're on my prayer list.
Richard
Good luck with your dad as well. You are so right about taking one day at a time---anything more is too overwhelming in these situations.
Richard
Mike...sorry to hear about your Father. Went through that with both my late parents. It's hard to understand, let alone see those you love so much go through.
Driver...it seems every once in a great while there pops up some sort of "service" that takes the job of buying a car as a business. Personally, with 20 minutes of internet time, I can come up with a price sheet that I'll present to the dealer.
Used cars, and particularly trade-ins are a bit of pricing voodoo. KBB and NADA (the services most have at their fingertips) are wrong most of the time. Black Book and Galves, which most of us don't have access to, seem to be closer to real pricing. Of course, those sources are usually put the lowest numbers on the trades.
Personally, I put out a number that I think I could sell a trade for on my own. If I can get within $200-$300 of that number as a trade, I figure I'm ahead of the game given that in OH we only pay taxes on the delta between the new car value and the used car value.
Richard...just as a follow up to your post, I like most everyone here at Edmunds. That said, I'm not feeling the desire to kiss any of you. Hope that doesn't make me a bad person.
Mike,
So sorry about your dad. My MIL is, I'm afraid heading in that direction at age 85.
The Rolling Stones were right...
" What a drag it is getting old"
I agree. A virtual hug will be fine with me.
Richard
Car Brokers...I thought they had all gone away.
Dime a dozen and they don't do a think a savvy buyer can't do for themselves.
A lot of us have parents who have passed on, or need help...it's difficult.
Just something to think about on a related subject. My wife had a friend who unexpectedly died a few months ago. My wife is helping the friends husband who is 87, and not very mobile. His estate is worth a few million dollars and he has only two relatives (nephew and neice) who live in another country in Europe, and who visit to insure their inheritance.
They talked him into putting bank accounts and his house into joint ownership, so that if he was incapacitated, they could make life giving decisions, and in case of death, they would avoid probate fees. Many people do this, and it can be very costly ---joint ownership.
For example, if the nephew were to rack up gambling debts, his creditors could raid this gentleman's bank account. If he is incapable of thinking, his relatives could put him in a minimal care facility - think YMCA, sell the house, and split the proceeds.
Having joint accounts only works if you trust the persons on the account 100%. It isn't good if there are other siblings, they can try something....and, at best, there could be a major falling out with family members.
Fortunately we caught this in time, and we contacted our friends lawyers. He will cancel joint power of attorney and executors of his will...it hadn't been registered yet. Lawyer said he could cancel joint accounts at the banks.
Writing wills and managing power of attorney are very serious things and require a lot of time and expertise. Remember, taxes have to be paid, houses sold, etc. Don't try to do it with amateurs.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
"Mike, you may know if this is true or not. When we were looking for our 1999 Mercedes, one salesman was showing us how safe a Mercedes was."
I don't know driver. I'm sorry that I am not able to help you out.
But as for Mercedes, I was reading about recalls in this morning's paper and the article cited that Mercedes has the lowest recall rate per 100 cars sold in the US of all other manufacturers. I was somewhat taken aback by that statistic. BMW was one of the top five with the lowest recall rate as well.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
When a plane has a defect though, you are talking hundreds of lives. I don't know if you ever watched the show "Mayday!" on Discovery, but they do many episodes on airplane crashes and many of them are due to design or design/training issues. I watched one about the Airbus crash in NYC in November, 2001 recently, where the pilot's flawed training led him to do a control maneuver that caused the vertical stabilizer to break off. Hundreds of people died. I would not have thought it possible for that to occur from something that the controls allowed you to do. There was another I saw a while back about a control unit for the rudder on (I think) 737s that could stick in full deflection mode because of a design flaw and made it almost impossible to control the aircraft.
So while they aren't recalled as often, they are recalled, and the reason for the recall is often the deaths of a whole planeful of people.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
What about a group hug?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
In Malcom Gladwell's book the Outliers many airplane accidents were caused by a cutural incident. Happens in certain cultures, one's that may defer the last word to the pilot. For example, the co-pilot has spotted a problem, he doesn't want to override the pilot.
They are working on this one by giving additional training - trying to teach the copilots opinion is as important as the pilots..
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
THANKS FOR THE GROUP HUG FROM ALL OF YOU
Thanks for letting me vent about my poor Dad. I have no one else to talk to except my son and my daughter, both of whom live thousands of miles away and have lives of their own.
Also, thanks to you for the kind comments in response to my dissertations. It's nice to have friends, even though faceless, to support you when you're down.
Richard, I think I might squeeze out a kiss on your forehead if I met you - you are a kind and gentle man - much gentler than most of us - although driver, believe it or not, I believe is gentle as well.
Again, thanks!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I'll add my good wishes to the pile. I'm fortunate in that my parents are both in good health, but that can't last forever, and I hope that when difficult times come, I handle them as well as you do.
Faceless? Why, most aren't faceless. Sure, some like Richard have a heart for a mouth, or an "x" for eyes like genericram, but they're there!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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Well, yes, I have to agree literally with you on that, Kirstie. Of course they have faces. They have hearts, as well.
Wouldn't it be great one day if we had a REUNION or something like that - maybe a convention in Sedonna, Ft. Lauderdale or Palm Springs/Palm Desert/La Quinta some day soon during the winter months when most would jump at an opportunity to go "warm" for a few days. We could make reservations at a nice hotel, rental cars, etc., and finally get a chance to meet.
I've heard of groups doing that on facebook, twitter, etc. It would be fun. I would get a kick out of meeting Richard, Snakeweasel, Fezo, nyccarguy, stickguy, graphicguy, Kirstie, michaell, driver, ab, Isell, genericram, jmonroe (wherever he is), boomchek, houdini, mako, olfarmer, venture, roadburner, bwia, cdnpinhead, laurasdada, and all the rest of you guys whose screen names escape me for the moment (please forgive me if I left you out - not intentional).
What do you think about that?
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Random thoughts:
Mike: Heartbreaking, I hope for only the best for you and your Dad. My father is 80 and 3000 miles away. Luckily, my brother and his family are only 10 minutes away from him and a wonderful source of support for him. And, vice versa.
Good group of posters here, everyone is entitiled to an opinion. It's a message board, no need to attack, feel attacked or even respond! It's anonymous-ish...
I am a UConn alumnus. Woo Hoo! Complete the sweep tonight, ladies!
And a Mets fan, now more a Red Sox fan due to geography and whatever it is that they put in the (love that dirty) drinking water around here. Always disliked the Yankees, but would never, ever chant "Yankess s**k!" Classless.
I'm considering buying a Shinola watch. Any thoughts? I'd think of buying a car, but I just did and unless the lottery finally, finally, finally, finally....cooperates, not for a few years.
My first Dealership Mahal was our Lexus shop. It went from small and nice to a new spot a few miles south and palatial! Part of a huge owner group, one billionaire owner. All thanks to the skinny deals we all get! Jag/LR dealers I visited were nice, but modest. Really, HC Lexus is the only Mahal around here, I think.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
But....you haven't seen what I look like yet. Let's not jump to any hasty conclusions. Ha, ha. Just kidding, of course. Glad to see the forum getting back to normal.
Mike, sorry to hear about your dad's worsening condition. Take care and know I admire the work you're doing on his behalf.
That would be fun!
It appears that we are going to buy a legit travel trailer this summer (the 3/4-ton pickup needs a job), and we plan to spend some of winter time in Florida. Sounds like a good place to me!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
From 1989 to 2003 I traveled for business. The Edmunds forums started up in either '96 or '97, so I've been lucky to meet up with a number of posters over the years. The only one still (semi) active on these boards is fezo. Somewhere there are pictures of that night in NJ ... don't know who has them!
Was hoping to meet Richard when he came through Colorado a few years back on his cross-country road trip, but we couldn't make the schedules work.
Am also hoping to meet up with one of the hosts later this year.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
"My first Dealership Mahal was our Lexus shop. It went from small and nice to a new spot a few miles south and palatial! Part of a huge owner group, one billionaire owner. All thanks to the skinny deals we all get! Jag/LR dealers I visited were nice, but modest. Really, HC Lexus is the only Mahal around here, I think."
Down here, only one dealership comes to mind that I would consider a true "TAJ", and that's JM Lexus, the world's largest and highest volume dealership in the world.
They built a huge service facility next to their huge showroom. They have close to 1500 new cars on their new car lots. They are so big, they bought several acres diagonally across the street for a separate pre-owned facility.
On the second floor of the service center, they have a huge physical fitness center for customers, a huge dining facility, and they serve finger sandwiches and other refreshments throughout the day. An elevator takes you up to that floor.
When I worked there, they always had bagels, creamcheese, lattes and sodas all day long.
Southeast Toyota and JM Enterprises (JM for Jim Moran whose family now owns Southeast Toyota and JM Lexus) is the largest distributorship of Toyota and Lexus in the country. The Moran Family (all privately owned) is the distributor so they make money on every Lexus and Toyota and Scion sold in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina. So the huge Lexus dealership (the first Lexus dealership originally built in 1989 in the US) is just a drop in the bucket to the company.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
"...and we plan to spend some of winter time in Florida. Sounds like a good place to me!"
If you get as far south as Palm Beach or Broward County (Southeast Coast), let me know - would love to meet you and your family.
Same offer goes to all who venture down the peninsula to the Southeast Coast.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Yes, family had a condo in Boca for ~25 years, my parents retired to it. My aunt and cousin are still in Boca. I believe my first 5 star meal was at La Vielle Maison, but I've heard they've lost a star or two. If still open? Fond memories of dining at the Boca Hotel Club with my Dad's wealthy friend who would torture me with tales of the cars he would buy (toys), e.g. Lotus Esprit sans submarine option. "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!"
My Dad often talked about JM and being the original and current Toyota distributor for the region. Wow, Moran family, you have chosen wisely!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
It's funny but after working at all types of dealerships, I like the one I'm at the most.
I went from working in fancy multi million dollar new car dealerships, to a used car lot in an industrial area with an old building pieced together from multiple older buildings.
I just find it that it's more laid back, with no dress code, no multiple managers, no corporate crap; just the lot, the cars, and the customers. No distractions. There is no corporate mould that we need to fit. (EDIT: And almost no stress either.) We can actually be ourselves which is nice in a working environment.
I never thought I would say that, especially after coming from a brand new ultra fancy multi million dollar Italian exotic car dealership that I worked at a year prior to this job.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
"Yes, family had a condo in Boca for ~25 years, my parents retired to it."
Most of Boca Raton is quite nice - they keep the city clean - even the far southern part - which is close to me.
I am sure you know that car dealerships are not permitted in Boca Raton. The only place that I know of that has one or two cars in a showroom is the new Tesla Store in the Boca Town Center Mall. I am going to guess that the city council passed an ordinance permitting the exception due to the fact that it is totally electric.
One day I am going to have to look into that.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Ty...I'm sure you're a fine looking person, but I must think of my reputation.
LOL!
Boom....I know a guy with minority interest in an old, well established used car lot in an older, less well kept part of Cincinnati. Funny, he says almost the same exact thing as you....low stress, no corporate bloat and infrasructure. He even paraprases you...."just the cars, the customers and financing". That last part is where he's making money. I wouldn't describe his business as "buy here...pay here", but it's not far off.
I think Mike mentiones turning cars is a way of churning cash, too. That's also true....and also what could be the underbelly of the biz.
He loves it, though!
http://www.albersrollsbentley.com/company-history/
The antithesis of the Taj-mega-hal dealer.
This is on the north side of the Indy metro area.
LAS VEGAS! Cheap flights, cheap rooms etc......
My wife and I had to deal with dementia with both of our mothers; you will be in our prayers...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I like that Rolls/Bentley dealer. We have a Mercedes dealership in town, and I don't know how it compares to the ones in Miami. But, they do have a full Spa, a Cafe, Virtual golf, a theatre, and aesthetics salon. Also, heated porcelain floors, soft jazz and a concierge – who takes your coat and brings you a cappuccino made from Italian espresso beans
It has a 20-foot-high spinning Mercedes-Benz logo and has 65,000-square-feet. I looked at the garage and it was white tiles, and you really could eat off of it.
In one part of the article, a Mazda dealer said this;
“It actually costs less to buy a new car now than it did 10 years ago.” And the average return on every car sold in Canada in 2012 was a meagre 2.25 per cent, according to a recent study by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That niece and nephew remind me of ourselves. We spent a lot of time and money getting our Wills, POA, Living Wills, funeral arrangements, etc. written and recorded. You are correct; it requires a good estate attorney. I would never be so foolish as to agree to joint ownership. In fact, the way that my niece and nephew spend money, we decided on a trust document and an annual percentage amount for distribution. They are in for a surprise, plus a few other little surprises----as in the fact that those two are not the only ones in our Wills.
Richard
It seems to me that it would be more economical for the manufacturer to do it right the first time. It has to be expensive to source replacement parts and pay for the labor to install them, not to mention the bad PR and possibility of lawsuits.
Here's an example of something that should never have happened and is going to cost Ford money - If you remember I bought a 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium a few weeks ago. A couple of days after I got it I noticed that the rear seat bottom was not for a Titanium model; it was for the SE which is one model lower. The rear seat backs are correct. Now Ford has to get the proper seat cushion, ship it to my dealer, and pay labor costs to swap them out. What a waste of resources for a stupid error. Surely they didn't think the owner wouldn't notice - would they?
Maybe I'll get that new leather smell back for a few days.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Now, THAT is funny!
I don't doubt that some buyers wouldn't have ever noticed but not many!
Stupid error? Yep!
Those are VERY nice looking cars BTW!
I guess they use different leather or something?
Would not give me too much confidence.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Reminds me of when I sold Chryslers. One Chrysler 300(I think it was 08 or 09) we got from the factory had leather seats in the front and cloth bench in the back. How nobody noticed this on the assembly line, or in quality control I have no clue.
Or one time a new Chrysler Sebring Convertible came in. I was playing around with it in the showroom and noticed that one of the rear tail lights were loose. Turns out it wasn't even bolted on, just stuck into its place, wiring plugged in but no actual nuts were secured to hold it to the body.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Well I was in sales in the past but those days are behind me. While I was good at it it really wasn't my cup of tea. Currently one of the things I do is taxes and we get people making appointments or calling and saying they will be right in and they never show up. It is a problem with many professions.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
There are times when a particular model of plane is grounded until some issue is resolved or an investigation is completed.
That being said commercial aircraft have mechanics going over them on a daily (or almost daily) basis. It wouldn't be a problem for Boeing to tell an airline to include this or that next time a plane is getting serviced.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
"But, they do have a full Spa, a Cafe, Virtual golf, a theatre, and aesthetics salon. Also, heated porcelain floors, soft jazz and a concierge – who takes your coat and brings you a cappuccino made from Italian espresso beans..."
I'm envious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My dealership is nice, but nothing like yours. Concierge? Cappuccino? Theater? Aesthetics salon?
I'm moving to Canada!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
" They are in for a surprise, plus a few other little surprises----as in the fact that those two are not the only ones in our Wills."
Ahhhhh, I would love to be a fly on the wall in your attorney 's office to snap a few pictures of the nieces and nephews at the reading of your will. That's what sitcoms are made of!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
"LAS VEGAS....."
Not a bad choice, but we need warmth on the winter, and Vegas is cold in the winter. - but cheap!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Dad and I went to NYY Steakhouse at the Casino this evening. Lobster tails, sautéed skillet potatoes with onions, a complimentary bottle of imported Champagne (making up for our bad experience with our waiter 2 weeks ago), a huge wedge of chocolate layer cake for Dad , NY cheesecake for me and a cappuccino and great service.
I have a smile on my face that even if the paramedics pick up my body tomorrow morning, they'll know I died and went to heaven.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Not only that but they seemed to be built to last. I had a friend that came from a family of Volvo owners and they all seemed to have cars well into the 200K's. My friends uncle gave him his old Volvo with close to 350K miles on it and my friend drove it close to another 100K miles.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Lets go for some irony in a meeting and meet on a warm summer day on Mackinac Island where cars have been banned for over 100 years.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
"Lets go for some irony in a meeting and meet on a warm summer day on Mackinac Island where cars have been banned for over 100 years."
No cars? That's HERESY! I'd probably develop apoplexy in less than. 24 hours!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
What a great idea and what a BEAUTIFUL place to meet.
Richard
Unfortunately, the bad news is, you'll pay about 20% more to buy the same car in Canada.
btw....thanks for the nice words about being kind and gentle. you are an excellent judge of character. Seriously, we have all got along well here for a long time, being respectful of our differing views, there is a way to make a point...... and a way not to.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Mackinac. The boat ride over to the island is pretty fun. If you bring a bike, you have to dodge the horse apples in the road.