Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

stickguy

If this happened to me, I would probably take it as a sign to go buy something fun to tide me over. And worry about the excess down the line if the wreck ever got fixed. Though if need be we could easily just live with 1 car indefinitely. I just don't want to.

28firefighter

No it’s definitely structural. Pulling it out won’t work at all.

graphicguy

@sb55 Congrats on the Crown. Sweet!

sb55

nyccarguy said:

sb55 said:

New car purchased yesterday. Toyota Crown Signia Limited to replace the Venza.
But dumb question. How do I change the signature line? I went to my profile and didn't see a place to do it.

Nice! Big Congrats! Color combo?

Diamond White metallic with saddle brown interior.

sb55

Here are a couple of pics. We "ordered" it waiting for allocation in the colors we wanted from a dealer in New Hampshire a couple of months ago and because they were willing to deal. The the local dealers were holding to sticker price.

I haven't taken any of our actual car, but you get the idea.

kyfdx

@sb55 Wow, that's really nice.

Not being a car guy ( ), I didn't even know that the Signia was a different car..

nyccarguy

Ok. So I’m far enough along in the process that I can share my Tacoma’s new destination. When I leased the new Camry, the dealer offered me $26K for it. I brought it to Carmax and they offered me $30K for it. ALGO & Give Me The VIN also offered me $30K. Carvana came back with $31,800. Neither ALGO or Give Me The VIN would match Carvana’s price.

I kept seeing ads on Facebook for a company called Driveway. I submitted my Tacoma’s in for to them and the spit $32,100 back at me which is pending a virtual inspection. The virtual inspection was basically me taking a bunch of photos on a website. The problem is that there’s no internet access. So I had to snap a photo, then run into the house to connect to WiFi, then repeat. Now I disclosed the chip in the windshield and the small scrape on the front 1/4 panel & front bumper. I admit the truck was filthy when I took the photos, but it was in the high 90s and I wasn’t about to start washing it.

I don’t hear from them for about 2 days, then I call. They tell me their virtual inspection team graded my truck in “fair” condition which was the 3rd wrung down on n their scale. They sent me their report noting multiple scratches including damage to the rear tailgate which was actually bird poop that made a straight line down the tailgate. Many of the scratches they saw were actually reflections.

I called up and spoke to them explaining this and sent them photos of when I detailed the truck 2 weeks prior. They called back and said hey would honor their offer of $32,100. It is a little more than $2K more than my payoff.

kyfdx

@nyccarguy I hope that goes through. You really skated on that lease.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

28firefighter said:

This just keeps getting better. Damage estimate is now up to $13k, needs a new rear quarter panel welded in. But…wait for it…there are no rear quarter panels available because the car is so new as is this particular body style.

“Could be 6 weeks to 6 months…we just don’t know.”

6 months of a rental car is going to add up fast.

Is there any structural damage impacting how it drives? Like a bent frame would? or is this really just cosmetic? If so, I would not mind at all getting it cheap as is, having it pulled out as best as possible, and living with it having some "Patina" for the next decade.

Hey, I suggested that and almost lost my membership. 😥

tjc78

@sb55
Congrats! That interior is sweet!

@nyccarguy
Well done - you can’t complain about that truck and the final outcome.

@28firefighter
We will gladly enable you in the quest for a third vehicle… but man I’d be so livid right now.

Oh … if anyone is keeping track we are at nearly six weeks and the dealer has still not paid off my trade. They got a nasty gram this morning.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

@sb55 Congrats on the Crown. Sweet!

Ditto, I didn’t even know they made a wagon version.

sda

While having an oil change on the Arteon I looked at the new Tiguan. It looks nice and is

competitively priced. The avacado green complements the vehicle.

kyfdx

Every time I see a Tiguan or a CR-V, I think it's the next bigger model.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

Ok. So I’m far enough along in the process that I can share my Tacoma’s new destination. When I leased the new Camry, the dealer offered me $26K for it. I brought it to Carmax and they offered me $30K for it. ALGO & Give Me The VIN also offered me $30K. Carvana came back with $31,800. Neither ALGO or Give Me The VIN would match Carvana’s price.

I kept seeing ads on Facebook for a company called Driveway. I submitted my Tacoma’s in for to them and the spit $32,100 back at me which is pending a virtual inspection. The virtual inspection was basically me taking a bunch of photos on a website. The problem is that there’s no internet access. So I had to snap a photo, then run into the house to connect to WiFi, then repeat. Now I disclosed the chip in the windshield and the small scrape on the front 1/4 panel & front bumper. I admit the truck was filthy when I took the photos, but it was in the high 90s and I wasn’t about to start washing it.

I don’t hear from them for about 2 days, then I call. They tell me their virtual inspection team graded my truck in “fair” condition which was the 3rd wrung down on n their scale. They sent me their report noting multiple scratches including damage to the rear tailgate which was actually bird poop that made a straight line down the tailgate. Many of the scratches they saw were actually reflections.

I called up and spoke to them explaining this and sent them photos of when I detailed the truck 2 weeks prior. They called back and said hey would honor their offer of $32,100. It is a little more than $2K more than my payoff.

Sounds like a great deal. Just keep it away from the birds until you get the check.

rogwar36

what is a captive lease offer?

kyfdx

rogwar36 said:

what is a captive lease offer?

Sounds like the Honda to consumer lease incentive

tjc78

@sda said:
While having an oil change on the Arteon I looked at the new Tiguan. It looks nice and is

competitively priced. The avacado green complements the vehicle.

I like those but the wheels are deal breaker for me. Not sure I would want bright silver but a nice gunmetal would look so much better. Even a silver with a lot of black accents

qbrozen

@rogwar36 said:
what is a captive lease offer?

That’s when the salesperson locks you in their office until you accept their offer.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

Every time I see a Tiguan or a CR-V, I think it's the next bigger model.

I was going to ask what class of SUV the Tiguan competes in. It does look bigger than a RAV4, CX50...

nyccarguy

That Tiguan is a nice looking SUV.

kyfdx

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

Every time I see a Tiguan or a CR-V, I think it's the next bigger model.

I was going to ask what class of SUV the Tiguan competes in. It does look bigger than a RAV4, CX50...

I don't think it's actually much different. But, they've definitely styled it to look that way.

mjfloyd1

@qbrozen said:

@rogwar36 said:
what is a captive lease offer?

That’s when the salesperson locks you in their office until you accept their offer.

When I was younger and trying to negotiate and trade and new car purchase, I did once have them hold my trade in keys hostage. Maddening

breld

My son’s Tiguan is 4 years old now and he just said the other day how much he loves his car. That’s a good thing, but does make me realize he does not share the same obsession as his father. The Tiguan is a really nice compact SUV, and this new version is very handsome.

On another note, we just got back from a family vacation in Maui. With six of us, I reserved a full-size SUV, which was actually cheaper than a minivan. I had the choice of a Tahoe or Expedition and went with the Chevy. Not a huge deal, but I was halfway to the hotel when I realized it didn’t have blind spot monitoring. I was shocked a car that size didn’t have it as standard. No issues getting around in it though, and I came to enjoy the heft of the vehicle. I was pretty selective of my parking spots though…meaning I was happy to go out to the fringes where no one else was parked.

breld

Catching up on posts…

@sb55 - congrats on the Crown Signia!

@28firefighter - ugh! That’s all…just…UGH!

@nyccarguy - congrats on the Tacoma trade…well done!

Back to the 911 talk…I’m very curious to test out a current version 911 to see how it feels compared to my 2017. The fact the current one has become so refined is probably a good thing when it comes to resale on mine. I will say my 2017 is harsher over bumps than I would have expected, much of which is likely due to the 20” wheel setup. I also have a squeak somewhere that could be the suspension, which I’ll have checked out next time it’s in the shop. Having said all that, I love the drive and overall experience of the car.

The BRZ has been wonderful. The shifter feels great, flooring it without getting to illegal speeds too quickly is fun, and the suspension is shockingly compliant.

On the EV front, my latest obsession is the Lucid Air. Lease deals are pretty attractive, in that I could get into one for the same or less than the outgoing Audi. I’m also interested in the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq9. And then there’s the lightly used CPO BMW i5 M60 that has been sitting for over a month with commensurate price reductions.

corvette

The Ariya ran out of washer fluid the other day. No warning light. I guess they know that Big Altima Energy types will just ignore the light anyway. The cap includes a pipette that will give you a level reading if you keep your thumb over the hole on the cap, but the pipette hose can be easily pulled off, and you know someone eventually will.

28firefighter

My name is 28FF and I have a problem. It has been 30 minutes since my last vehicle purchase.

tjc78

@28firefighter said:
My name is 28FF and I have a problem. It has been 30 minutes since my last vehicle purchase.

Posts like this are what we live for around here.

nyccarguy

@28firefighter said:
My name is 28FF and I have a problem. It has been 30 minutes since my last vehicle purchase.

You bought another Jetta?

venture

mjfloyd1 said:

@qbrozen said:

@rogwar36 said:

what is a captive lease offer?

That’s when the salesperson locks you in their office until you accept their offer.

When I was younger and trying to negotiate and trade and new car purchase, I did once have them hold my trade in keys hostage. Maddening

I won't go in the F&I office anymore without knowing where my trade-in is my keys in my pocket.

steine13

Long time no post -- I've not been a member in good standing, having bought a 2017 Grand Caravan and a 2021 Impreza and then nothing for a long time. I just got a remarkably sweet 2007 Chevrolet G1500 passenger van, but that's hardly your-all's speed. Well, maybe @oldfarmer50 or @xwesx ...

The reason I'm here: I've been asked to assist a new colleague and her husband in buying a car.. they just came here from Korea, which is where they're from, and they worked in Japan for many years also. They have a budget of around 40k and want to buy either a Rav4 or a Camry. I'm completely out of that market, so I can keep them from buying the VIN etching, mop&glow etc. but I have no feel for pricing. Leasing is out as no green card yet.

Surely there is "swarm" wisdom in this august group...?
I'd be grateful for some pointers.

And since it's been so long... this is still in mid-Michigan, which at least used-to-be about the best place on earth to buy a Toyota, things still being domestic-biased.

FWIW I'm also going to suggest looking at the Outback, which is something like the standard answer where I work. There I'm on slightly firmer ground.. I think the Outback is a little "soft" because there's a lot of supply.

cheers -mathias

corvette

@steine13 - I'll PM you the info for the Toyota broker @nyccarguy and I have used with good results.

nyccarguy

The much unloved (compared to the Prius) base model 2013 Honda Insight. Missing a hub cap - not a good sign.

https://www.hondaofstamford.com/inventory/used-2013-honda-insight-base-fwd-compact-jhmze2h32ds005048/

28firefighter

I bought a 2004 Porsche 996 Carrera 4S Cabrio with 30k miles on it. Stack of service records ($25k in last 2 years including IMS/RMS), front end PPF, etc. Picked it up under MMR with a 5 year 60k bumper to bumper warranty through their Porsche store for comically cheap.

Picking it up when we get back from Walla Walla while they deal with a couple we owe items.

tjc78

@28firefighter said:
I bought a 2004 Porsche 996 Carrera 4S Cabrio with 30k miles on it. Stack of service records ($25k in last 2 years including IMS/RMS), front end PPF, etc. Picked it up under MMR with a 5 year 60k bumper to bumper warranty through their Porsche store for comically cheap.

Picking it up when we get back from Walla Walla while they deal with a couple we owe items.

Wow - I did not see that coming.

Congrats!!

28firefighter

The plan will be to flip the GLI when it is finally fixed.

corvette

@28firefighter - wow! We want pics! How does the warranty work on something that old--I assume it's an aftermarket warranty? Are you planning on doing a Doug Demuro and trying to put 60k on it in the next five years to get all of the warranty benefits?

corvette

I'm seeing a lot of Hyundai Konas lately. Not sure which trims other than the N-line have monochrome paint without the black plastic cladding, but it looks nicer like that.

28firefighter

I really don’t want to drive around in a broken car all summer> @corvette said:

@28firefighter - wow! We want pics! How does the warranty work on something that old--I assume it's an aftermarket warranty? Are you planning on doing a Doug Demuro and trying to put 60k on it in the next five years to get all of the warranty benefits?

The extended warranty was [very cheap redacted] with zero deductible. Which makes zero sense. The finance guy and I expected it to be triple that. I confirmed their Porsche store honors it and they pay their rates.

corvette

At that price, I'd have concerns about the warranty company going out of business, but you might have some recourse against the dealer that sold it if they did.

mjfloyd1

Considering trading 4xe for 2025 4Runner. Choices are red sport premium with black softex, heritage blue TRD premium with black softex or heritage blue limited hybrid with portobello leather or heritage blue non hybrid with black leather.

Heritage blue limited non hybrid is
56,945.39+ tax tags 499 doc. Pickup or ships from northwest USA
61,385 msrp
Shipping is $1500’or less

Heritage blue limited hybrid lwith portobello is MSRP
Less 2k and I can trade my jeep so drive there and back. $738.5 doc

Red sport premium is

53,646.39+ tax tags 499 doc
57,715 msrp
Shipping is $1500

TRD premium is heritage blue with black softex
MSRP less 2k and I can trade Jeep. $738.5 doc

Carvana buy on Jeep is $29400 but I only paid 44k for it 4 yr ago after the PHEV rebate. Waiting for dealers trade amount but there is tax only on trade difference.

I’d like a sunroof….

I drove a 2025 taco TRD sport white with black softex. Tons of torque. Black softex interior was ok ish

Strangely I like the look of the red sport premium best but not a fan of black interior. Could switch it out for tan katzkins for $2k but then I should just get the limited that has leather and also an upgraded adaptive suspension and 350 degree camera.

I assume that the lower trims would hold their value better since I’ll dump it after a few years.

I just figured out that only the limited, TRF pro, platinum and trail hunter have front parking sensors. Ugh.

Please talk me out of it

mjfloyd1

@28firefighter said:
I bought a 2004 Porsche 996 Carrera 4S Cabrio with 30k miles on it. Stack of service records ($25k in last 2 years including IMS/RMS), front end PPF, etc. Picked it up under MMR with a 5 year 60k bumper to bumper warranty through their Porsche store for comically cheap.

Picking it up when we get back from Walla Walla while they deal with a couple we owe items.

I’d assume it is a decent warranty that the Porsche dealer accepts ? Drive it like you “borrowed” it

28firefighter

Yes it is. I tripled checked they will honor it at their labor rates.

oldfarmer50

“Long time no post -- I've not been a member in good standing, having bought a 2017 Grand Caravan and a 2021 Impreza and then nothing for a long time. I just got a remarkably sweet 2007 Chevrolet G1500 passenger van, but that's hardly your-all's speed. Well, maybe @oldfarmer50 or @xwesx ...”

I just got rid of my 2004 Chevy Cargo van last year. They tend to rust out in northern areas, I hope you got one that didn’t.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

The much unloved (compared to the Prius) base model 2013 Honda Insight. Missing a hub cap - not a good sign.

https://www.hondaofstamford.com/inventory/used-2013-honda-insight-base-fwd-compact-jhmze2h32ds005048/

Why would they present it like that? Couldn’t they swap a hubcap from the other side? Unless both of those are missing too.🥲

28firefighter

Also I’m fully aware this is insane, illogical, and completely impulsive. But as the children say, YOLO.

explorerx4

All those 4Runner choices seem to be a Whole bunch of Nope.

stickguy

interesting move, daily driving a 2006 Porsche.

roadburner

28firefighter said:

I bought a 2004 Porsche 996 Carrera 4S Cabrio with 30k miles on it. Stack of service records ($25k in last 2 years including IMS/RMS), front end PPF, etc. Picked it up under MMR with a 5 year 60k bumper to bumper warranty through their Porsche store for comically cheap.

Picking it up when we get back from Walla Walla while they deal with a couple we owe items.

Congrats!

sda

@corvette said:

The Ariya ran out of washer fluid the other day. No warning light. I guess they know that Big Altima Energy types will just ignore the light anyway. The cap includes a pipette that will give you a level reading if you keep your thumb over the hole on the cap, but the pipette hose can be easily pulled off, and you know someone eventually will.

I haven't seen that type before. It works, cool. But I doubt many would not know how to use it.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

The plan will be to flip the GLI when it is finally fixed.

Buying a 20 yr old Porsche seems like a perfectly reasonable plan. 🤷‍♂️