Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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I'll always want a car that handles well & that will scoot when I step on it. It's just that I'm less willing to spend the extra $$ for the car that's best in class.
Isn't a more relevant comparison with Tiger Woods now? With cars and ....
And, I agree with the above sentiments regarding major metro areas. I was in California last week visiting family. Flew to LAX then a buddy picked me up last Sunday night. At 6PM, the 405 felt like rush hour, though moving around 55-60 MPH.
The population of my old hometown is now pushing 200,000. Roads have more cars on them than ever before - which might explain why my folks 2003 Sonata, bought new, has less than 24K on the odometer. They just don't want to drive any more than they absolutely have to.
OTOH, my son's '97 Mustang, which he got with 84K on the clock less than a year ago, now has over 98K. He's been to NorCal once or twice, plus a lot of trips into LA (about 45-60 miles depending on where he's going).
Cell phones have certainly reduced the attention span of drivers, no doubt.
Would you care to explain yourself? Money wise it would seem you've lost a lot in depreciation, taxes etc.
I've owned 5 cars thus far. For the most part I've kept them till the wheels fell off. :sick:
That was special - it was the first car I remember my dad ever owning.
Wow! Just curious, was 1954 a bad year, or you really like that model year?
A lot of those came from when I was a teenager working in a gas station part time.
People would get tired of fixing their old cars and I would buy them for very little money. I would fix whatever was broken. I would drive them until the novality wore off and resell them. I would detail them and shine them up. I would park them on the corner of the station with a For Sale sign. They never lasted long.
I guess this would be called "curbstoning" today although most of the time I made very, if any money. I just enjoyed doing this.
The 1951 Chevy lasted about three days when a buddy fell in love with it and practially begged me to sell it to him. I did for what I paid for it.
Another time I was in a junkyard when I spotted a very nice 1951 Ford Woody!
They were going to pull some parts and crush it. It had a rear end that howled like a banchee. He sold it to me for 100.00!
Another buddy pestered me to death to let him have it and I kept saying no until he offered me a 50.00 profit...Done!
Anyone want me to do Fords next or are you bored to death?
Or someone can give me a make and I'll tell you what (if any) I've owned.
I'm only on my 10th car but then I'm in my early 30s. The only one I lost money on was the stupid 01 mb c-class I bought below book too and I sank money into it for repairs and lost a ton on it after 2 years. :lemon:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
that being said, i miss driving a stick, so i am trying to figure out a way to get back to that type of vehicle.
OK lets get to the basics of my argument. I jumped in here after the comment about a certain model of car that "doesn't age well and is expensive to fix". So lets stay with that topic. So say you only watch TV 2 hours a day. Would you rather have a 20 inch cathode tube TV that will turn on when you want it to or a 52 inch flat screen that may or may not turn on for you to watch whatever you want and will cost you $100 every time it breaks down?
My issue is not spending the money but spending the money on something that has less than stellar reliability.
I put on 175K miles on a $12K Hyundai and only put into it regular routine maintenance. I would expect a $50K BMW to be at least just as good. I know a few MB owners that put up with stuff that comes with their $50K car that they would never put up with on any other product, that is what I can't understand.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
1955 Studebaker President 327 V-8 auto 1 6 volt electrical system battery always dead 12 months
1962 Renault Dauphine 4 cyl stick 1 no power always in shop skipped college classes to fix 12 months
1957 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 excellent car much fun John and I had fun in this car 2-3 years
1956 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 bought for parts for 57 MGA 2-3 years
1963 Triumph Spitfire Conv 4 cyl 4 speed 2 blew up on Pa Turnpike drove NJ to Pa many times 2 years
1962 Ford T-Bird 390 V-8 auto 8 Owned in Navy Many going to/from Pa miles Nice 2 years
1964 Pontiac Grand Prix V-8 auto 6 bought from grandad totaled while parked at dentist 2-3 years
1965 Ford Mustang Conv 6 cyl stick 7 nice car ran good small eng bought from Gary Stewart 3 years
*1971 Olds Cutlass Conv Rocket V-8 auto 10 Best Car to this date Most Power Fun 5-6 years
1977 Pontiac Firebird V-8 auto 4 First Brand New Car Not as good as Olds 6 months
1974 Toyota Celica 4 cyl auto 3 received on trade for Firebird totaled in snow storm 6 days
1968 Ford Mustang 6 cyl auto 8 2nd car to AZ Got hit in rear. Traded for pickup 2-3 years
1972 Jeep Wagoneer Big V-8 4WD auto 6 Drove to Arizona used as camper 2 years
1962 Chevy Pickup with camper V-8 stick 4 AZ truck no rust drove it to Va Bch sold to Jim Gallentine 1 year
1972 Ford Mustang V-8 auto good runner 9 Excellent car very fast Most comfortable car to date 1 year
1976 Dodge Van 225 slant six auto 2 Nice Looking, had interior done piece of junk to drive 1 year
1973 Chevy Caprice Classic 400 ci V-8 auto 9 First Luxury car with A/C and cloth interior 6-7 years
1971 Chevy Camaro (Z-28) 350 V-8 4 speed 9 Fast car Had racing stripes, dual mufflers, air shocks 5-6 years
1984 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 8 Had etched windows. Nice Ran Good 3-4 years
1965 Ford Mustang 6 cyl stick 5 Auction Car Looked nice ran fair Dad stole it from me 1 year
1982 Olds Station Wagon V-6 auto 6 Auction car ran good many accessories 3-4 years
1978 Chevy pickup V-8 4WD auto (old blue) 6 Old Blue bought from Sam Heavy Duty truck 4-5 years
1973 Chevy Corvette Conv V-8 auto 5 Black car without A/C no good in Va 6 months
1978 Pontiac Trans Am V-8 auto 4 Shaker Hood was nice looking but blew con rod bearing 6 months
1984 Olds Cutlass V-6 auto 4 door 6 Many trips to work in this car very reliable 5 years
1986 Cadillac Brougham V-8 auto 8 First leather seat car Extreme Luxury for a 7 yr old car 3-4 years
1986 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 6 White Blazer only had it a short time 1 year
1996 Dodge Dakota Sport V-8 auto 4WD 4 Faulty trans shift points. Nice, new, but didn't like it 1 year
1990 GMC Z-71 pickup V-8 auto 4WD 8 Traded Dakota for non-Dodge Excellent GMC 9 years
1989 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto Lifted High 6 White Dolphin 38 in tires Lifted Big Tall Truck Won Trophy 1 year
1994 Ford Explorer Ltd V-6 auto 9 Beautiful Truck Ran great Comfortable seats 130k mis 3-4 years
2000 Chevy Z-71 V-8 auto 4WD 9 First Really expensive vehicle ($31k) Heated seats loaded 3 years
1989 Cadillac Allante V-8 auto 9 Way expensive to fix ABS. Nice car too expensive to keep 6 months
*1998 Ford Mustang GT V-8 auto 10 Best Car Super Sound System Comfortable seats Power! 14 months
*1998 Chevy Corvette V-8 auto Bright Red 10 Bought from Hall Chev. low miles (19k) sold to retire NICE 12 months
2003 Toyota 4 Runner Sport 4WD 9 Bought Dec, 2003 for trip to Wisconsin. Traded Mustang 2 1/2 years
1970 Mustang Mach 1 with Shaker Hood 351 7 Dad gave it to me for work done. Put 4K in. sold for $8500 6 months
1990 Toyota 4Runner 4WD SR5 V6 5 Bought for work miles Retired and sold it next day at a loss 3 Months
1999 Tahoe for Debi Traded 90 PU 8 Debi sure likes it. Rides nice. All Options 14 months
2006 Toyota Solara SLE V6 9 Nice luxury car Very comfy seats 30 MPG 160MPH Speedo 4 years
*1967 Camaro SS 350 4 speed from Dad 10 Very nice original 67k miles pure factory condition sold $25k
*1938 Bantam Roadster perfect from Dad 10 Perfectly restored Bantam Roadster 4 cyl 22 hp very cute sold $12k
1991 Camaro Z28 Convertible Automatic 9 Complete rebuild 420HP A/C Auto Fast Car Stroker Motor current
2001 GMC Yukon Denali 9 Traded 99 Tahoe so as to have 6L engine, HID lights etc. current
2002 GMC Safari Van ebay $2100 9 Bought off ebay cheap, quick fixes and drive it all the time current
2010 Toyota Avalon Limited 10 Traded Solara at Ramey. Makes mom's rides better. 4 door current
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2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Actually I'm not sure much of anything is better just because it costs more. Water boils nicely on my $400 electric stove -- don't think it would boil any better on a 5k designer model.
my kitchen would look more upscale. :shades:
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
there is more to writing than grammar. composition is also important. :P
Richard
Richard
I'm on my 24th car, and I'm in my ...well, you're about right for your age. :shades:
Richard
BTW, have you ever considered using capital letters in your posts? :P
Richard
Richard
It was beautiful--as long as I didn't drive it. Otherwise road dust showed up. A splash of water behind a wheel attracted all the dust in the Kansas dust bowl within a few minutes.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I thought it would be silly to get a stick for all the obvious reasons. But when I tried it....I loved it. The only thing is, I hope I don't break an arm or a leg or I'll be in a lot of trouble.
However, I think the extra exercise is good for me, and it keeps the brain working too, which is important these days.
Explorer, I enjoyed reading your comments about the Taurus. I was looking in one and thought the windows look so small for the size of car....especially from the inside. A fellow at tennis was an exec for Ford and he gets a new car every 6 months. No wonder these companies have financial problems! He drove in with his new Taurus. Another guy asked him why he bought such an ugly car. When you think about it, the Taurus can be viewed 2 ways, refreshing and new, or an over bloated whale....depends on how you feel that day I suppose.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Perfect reply. The only thing is the $5k model will have a digital count down and the burner can be set to large pan or small.
Basically it is true, everyone wants ultimate reliability, but they will put up with a few more repairs to be driving a car they can really enjoy. Great cornering, fantastic handling, real leather, lots of pick up....priceless!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Unbelievable, the tension is all gone. The employee who was being verbally abused works twice as hard and enjoys working again. It is actually pleasant being at work again. Thanks, your comments were very helpful and very accurate.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Growing up, my dream car would have been a Porsche 911 Targa. One of the late 80's models is what I always envisioned. One day we had a relatively new 911 turned in as a trade. I begged the sales manager to let me drive it for a few days & he agreed. I knew after a short 10 minute drive that I was not a fan of Porsche ergonomics & ride quality. There was basically nothing (other than looks) on that car that did anything for me. I handed the keys back to the manager after my lunch break. My dream was forever shattered.
What cars have you worked up in your mind only to be let down by the real thing?
You're welcome. It looks better in Excel with dividers. The 1-10 number after description was my personal rating. A few had an *. Those were my favorites.
98 Mustang was one I didn't want to part with. Wifey had to go to Wisconsin in Dec. 2002 and insisted on a new 4WD. I had a Corvette and the GT Mustang and didn't want to part with either one. I was a happy camper.
New 4Runner was OK, but I sure missed the Mustang. Power, tunes, handling, exhaust note. Is there any other reason to like a particular car? Dave
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
If you have driven a Town Car or a Grand Marquis. the Taurus will seem small.
Richard
I think every guy has an exact idea of his perfect car tattooed in his brain. Most people dance around it for practical reasons, but it's always there and won't go away until the dream is realized.
Joel, If you're out there reading this. A 2003 Mustang GT in Charcoal Gray with yellow accents and the Mach 1000 (3 amps in the trunk) stereo system. Cloth seats with high bolsters and a Paxton supercharger and we're all set.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
1968 Buick Special Deluxe 6-passenger station wagon.
1975 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1979 Buick Park Avenue
1979 Ford LTD taxicab
1979 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency
1985 Chrysler Fifth Avenue - sold to my brother
1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic - first new car
1988 Buick Park Avenue
1988 Ford LTD Crown Victoria LX
1989 Cadillac Brougham - purchased new - currently own
1989 Mercury Grand Marquis LS
1994 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
2002 Cadillac Seville STS
2005 Mercury Grand Marquis LS - currently own
2007 Cadillac DTS Performance - currently own
I think the GM and LTC actually seem smaller in a way. Since the windows are bigger and the beltline is lower, they appear to be lighter and more open inside and better proportioned over-all. The Taurus has the edgy new look of the Chrysler 300, smaller windows, high beltline, small roof.
I think they are trying to give it the look of a fortress, or a tank, or something (maybe a false feeling of more security - more metal). I have always had an interest in design and that is just the opinion of a semi-literate design critic.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That's quite a list. Maybe we need a new board....Who can Top This?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I fail to understand why reliability in any car isn't a given. We know that manufacturers know how to build a reliable vehicle, but why is it so often at the middle to lower end of the market?
To pay more for a car that's fun to drive, or has better materials, or an esoteric design, or even has a perceived upward mobility factor, makes perfect sense to me because you're getting added value for your money.
However, to then have to accept a decrease in reliability as part of that package, which means it's unable to fulfill its most basic design concept, i.e. to always be available for safe reliable transportation from A to B, totally negates the high end benefits you've paid for.
While a good warranty can mitigate the financial aspect of issue somewhat, it in no way makes up for loss of a meeting or trip. If travelling in an average vehicle means a much greater chance of arriving at my destination without a detour on the back of a flatbed, I'll take the average reliable sedan every time.
Actually, although that's how I feel it's not what I do. My driving is split between two vehicles that aren't average sedans at all and are very reliable; though they're the exception rather than the rule.
I guess I just got up feeling grumpy this morning, that's all.
1940 - Bought from a lawyer in the Cadillac-La Salle Club
1958 - What a beauty!
1986 - Cimarron- Bought new- long painful story
1991 Sedan De Ville
I think I'm forgetting one.
Oh well, I can only name 20 kids from Kindergarden now.
Now THERE'S a phrase I haven't heard in a long time! Can't remember the last time I've heard a Froggie the Gremlin reference....
(hosts - please note that Gremlin makes this car related...)
I made that list 20 years ago when I was sent to Excel school and needed to open a spreadsheet. Always the gearhead my list was, of course...Cars. I just update it every so often. One thing I learned about computers in 1986 was to do backups often. Hence, the list lives on.
ps You know all the deleted posts from around the 6,500-7,500 post era? I have a lot of those conversations as well. (copied before they were deleted). Isell had plenty of gripes with customers and posters back then. He's mellowed a lot. I save everything.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/54-COUPE-602-GM-Crate-AC-4sp-Drivable-Custom-in-V- A_W0QQitemZ250567436697QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item3a56fba999#v4-- 37
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali