Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

tjc78 · February 13

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
You’re in luck-they still make them.

jmonroe

Not like I had. The T6 powertrain is gone and only a hybrid remains making about 50 less HP.

jmonroe1 · February 13

tjc78 said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————

You’re in luck-they still make them.

jmonroe

Not like I had. The T6 powertrain is gone and only a hybrid remains making about 50 less HP.

————————————————
So you get to the beach a minute or two later. You’ll still have plenty of time there.

jmonroe

stickguy · February 13

My princess went to the dealer last night to finalize the deal on her new CX 50. and went home with her old car even though all the paperwork is done.

Turns out the dealer goofed. They thought they could swap her old plates over but turned out (probably because they were buying out her lease) that they needed fresh ones. And mass is a weird state. They don’t allow temp tags for some reason so the dealer had to go to the DMV this morning to get the new ones. At least the salesman offered to deliver it and take the old one back today to save them another trip out (about half an hour each way).

She is in love with all the fancy features. Especially wireless CarPlay and the charger pad. No more cords needed.

stickguy · February 13

Got a Good deal overall. $1,700 discount off sticker plus another $500 rebate (returning customer). And no addendum sticker of accessories. They also bumped the trade quote to get it up to the buyout amount. So basically like. Lease turn in with payment waiver. But no worries about getting dinged for damage.

explorerx4 · February 13

A lot of in car wireless phone chargers overheat the phone.
Just something to check out.

tjc78 · February 13

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
So you get to the beach a minute or two later. You’ll still have plenty of time there.

jmonroe

No one drives faster than us New Jersey folks heading to the shore!

stickguy · February 13

I can vouch for that. The AC expressway is like the autobahn. Minus any kind of lane discipline.

stickguy · February 13

Also now know that Mazda added a touch screen to their infotainment system.

ab348 · February 13

stickguy said:
Also now know that Mazda added a touch screen to their infotainment system.

Only when using CarPlay/Android Auto.

stickguy · February 13

going to be a learning curve. Already had to explain a feature she did not know about. This is her first car with a power hatch, and it opens too high and hits the garage ceiling (or door probably). So I explained that you can set the height it opens to, and how to do it. She was pleased the feature exists.

also, since it was a discussion point earlier, she ended up getting 4.9% interest rate (60 months).

sda · February 13

What trim level and color did she get? Great ride.

corvette · February 13

That's a very solid interest rate, anymore.

stickguy · February 13

black over red CX 50 hybrid. Premium model, so mid level trim but has lots of goodies.

jmonroe1 · February 13

stickguy said:
I can vouch for that. The AC expressway is like the autobahn. Minus any kind of lane discipline.

————————————————
The last time I was on the AC Expressway was in the very early 80’s. I guess some things never change.

jmonroe

suydam · February 13

explorerx4 said:
A lot of in car wireless phone chargers overheat the phone.
Just something to check out.

We have no problem with our two vehicles. I love that feature!

Sandman6472 · February 13

"The 2025 Golf GTI starts at $32,445 for the S trim, while the SE trim is priced at $37,420, with an optional Leather Seats Package available for an additional $1,300." I'd be going for another "SE" this time but not so sure about that leather seating package. Need to sit in it to decide if it's really worth it over the stock seating surfaces. I get that prices have gone up a bit since I was last in the market, December of 2014, but the difference is a lot. Think mine was $26.5K or something close to that. But hey, what am I going to do? Don't think I'll be happy with a Mini Cooper after the new car glow wears off and at least with a VW, I know what I'm getting. And not going to get something that'll have to be parked outdoors 24/7 either. But, will also need to give a Corolla Cross LE another shot. I would have to have them get me one with the JBL audio package though which might be a problem.

But, am resolved to paying close to $40K this time around. It checks all the boxes, the GTI SE, and will probably be the last vehicle I end up buying. I really do think that we'll be moving closer to our girls in the next couple of years which will mean keeping the mileage down. Luckily am in no hurry here to do anything so waiting till the end of the year could work out fine.

Sandman6472 · February 13

Have that feature in our 2023 Kona and seems to work well from what I've been told. Really never drive it much and don't plan to either. Guess I'm just used to mine when we go out. And I'd hate to be the one that has the first fender bender so, just best that I don't drive it.

Guessing 4.9% interest rate is pretty good nowadays. Took out a $2500 loan on my 1979 Datsun B-210 in 1981 and it was paid off right after we got married. Have always paid cash since then or I didn't buy. But this time, think I'll be financing a smallish amount. Would love to get 0% financing so I could invest the $25K I've got in the new car fund.

stickguy · February 13

it's only money, and not all that much in the big picture. Need to enjoy life while you still can! (says the guy that complains every day he should retire.....)

anyway, save the $1,300 on the leather package. GTIs are supposed to have tartan plaid cloth seats.

also, GTIs were always more money than a regular Golf. So that price differential in 10 years seems like a bargain. And it does look like the SE is the way to go.

I need to check one out when they hit the dealers. Maybe I can convince the wife to get one of those. But would probably have to be a DSG. Worth a try!

explorerx4 · February 13

Local dealer has been advirtising 10K off XLT F-150's, really 8K since they included a factory 2K discount above the bottom line MSRP.
As of today, they are up to 12K with some Auto Show cash.
I provided my email to get the offer.
We'll see what that is when I get the details.

roadburner · February 13

@oldfarmer50:
From Grassroots Motorsports-

Is the S550 the best Mustang to buy? Even better than the S197 and current S650? Resoundingly yes, according to Terry Fair of Vorshlag Motorsports.

The S550 (years 2015-’23), with its V8, offers more power, much better handling and just a few more pounds than the S197 (2005-’14), all for prices now in the low 20s, says Terry. He adds that the S650 (2024-’XX) is heavier than the S550 and costs more. Yes, the Dark Horse with the Handling Package is significantly better than a base S550 GT, but it costs nearly $70,000.

graphicguy · February 14

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
So my best friend is also shockingly a Chronic Car Buyer. His current fleet consists of a '24 Genesis G70 with the 6cyl turbo, a 2017 Lexus LX 570 that he bought CPO in 2020ish, a 2017 JK Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock (6MT), a 2005 LJ Wrangler (5MT), & his son's 2021ish Toyota Tacoma SR Access Cab - 4cyl. He spends a lot of time looking. The other day he found a Jeep dealer near him with hundreds of Wranglers & Gladiators literally piling up. So he decided to take a ride. The one thing that caught his eye was that this dealer has a few brand new 2023 Gladiator Sport S with an MSRP of $50K+ being advertised for $29,999 plus TTL. He drove the gladiator and liked it. Then he started asking the salesman questions. Their policy is to only sell vehicles at MSRP + $7,500 worth of mandatory add on accessories and fees (Spray On Bedliner, $1,500 doc fee...). Now the 2023s were punched as sold a while ago and only have a little less than a year & a half left on their warranty.

Now interestingly enough they have brand new, 2025 Gladiators with lower MSRPs. Low $40Kish. Selling at sticker with 0% financing.

The manager agreed to take off the $7,500 worth of extra BS. Obviously I don't think a Gladiator is worth it at MSRP. I don't even think the heavily discounted 2023 is worth it.
Am I understanding this right, they advertise for $29,999 but then insist on sticker plus $7500? That not only doesn’t make sense but seems downright illegal.

Given Stellantis' sad state of affairs, I don't know that any Jeep dealership can justify anything other than a steep discount from MSRP. Adding ADM? Well, that makes their vehicles sales proof. Stupid move on their part.

They may snag some unwitting customer who don't know the market. But, in the interim, they'll lose 10 more who will give the stickers one look and drive away.

qbrozen · February 14

@explorerx4 said:
Local dealer has been advirtising 10K off XLT F-150's, really 8K since they included a factory 2K discount above the bottom line MSRP.
As of today, they are up to 12K with some Auto Show cash.
I provided my email to get the offer.
We'll see what that is when I get the details.

Too bad it would still be a VERY expensive purchase.

XLT supercrew 4x4 with trailer brake controller, bedliner, and 3.73 LSD is a whopping $58k MSRP.

28firefighter · February 14

Finally reached my midwinter breaking point and washed and waxed both cars. Is it going to snow or rain in the next 36 minutes? Probably. Are they going to the mountains again? Yep. But they look nice for now. Q5 not pictured.

xwesx · February 14

stickguy said:
I made the wife look at the Porsche. she agreed that it was sharp looking. But expressed concern that she would not have a lot of fun with 2 bad knees getting in and out. I told her we could stop and see, then get shown into a nice Macan instead (which I assume is a common thing to happen.

Naw, just have her sit in the Cayman and, when she cannot get out of it again, that's the perfect time to convince her that you should go ahead and buy it.

stickguy · February 14

Might have to so she can get home.

oldfarmer50 · February 14

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
So my best friend is also shockingly a Chronic Car Buyer. His current fleet consists of a '24 Genesis G70 with the 6cyl turbo, a 2017 Lexus LX 570 that he bought CPO in 2020ish, a 2017 JK Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock (6MT), a 2005 LJ Wrangler (5MT), & his son's 2021ish Toyota Tacoma SR Access Cab - 4cyl. He spends a lot of time looking. The other day he found a Jeep dealer near him with hundreds of Wranglers & Gladiators literally piling up. So he decided to take a ride. The one thing that caught his eye was that this dealer has a few brand new 2023 Gladiator Sport S with an MSRP of $50K+ being advertised for $29,999 plus TTL. He drove the gladiator and liked it. Then he started asking the salesman questions. Their policy is to only sell vehicles at MSRP + $7,500 worth of mandatory add on accessories and fees (Spray On Bedliner, $1,500 doc fee...). Now the 2023s were punched as sold a while ago and only have a little less than a year & a half left on their warranty.

Now interestingly enough they have brand new, 2025 Gladiators with lower MSRPs. Low $40Kish. Selling at sticker with 0% financing.

The manager agreed to take off the $7,500 worth of extra BS. Obviously I don't think a Gladiator is worth it at MSRP. I don't even think the heavily discounted 2023 is worth it.
Am I understanding this right, they advertise for $29,999 but then insist on sticker plus $7500? That not only doesn’t make sense but seems downright illegal.
Given Stellantis' sad state of affairs, I don't know that any Jeep dealership can justify anything other than a steep discount from MSRP. Adding ADM? Well, that makes their vehicles sales proof. Stupid move on their part.

They may snag some unwitting customer who don't know the market. But, in the interim, they'll lose 10 more who will give the stickers one look and drive away.

Locally I’m seeing commercials for 10% off 2024 Wranglers but I figure a one year old car should get more like 20% discount.

jmonroe1 · February 14

xwesx said:

stickguy said:
I made the wife look at the Porsche. she agreed that it was sharp looking. But expressed concern that she would not have a lot of fun with 2 bad knees getting in and out. I told her we could stop and see, then get shown into a nice Macan instead (which I assume is a common thing to happen.
Naw, just have her sit in the Cayman and, when she cannot get out of it again, that's the perfect time to convince her that you should go ahead and buy it.

————————————————-
Uh ha, that’s a good way to wake up dead one morning.

jmonroe

mjfloyd1 · February 15

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————-
Uh ha, that’s a good way to wake up dead one morning.

jmonroe

When do dead people wake up? Never. I believe that is the difference between alive and dead but I’m no expert. There is also the whole persistent vegetative state thing but the wake up is delayed if at all. 😳

au1994 · February 15

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
So my best friend is also shockingly a Chronic Car Buyer. His current fleet consists of a '24 Genesis G70 with the 6cyl turbo, a 2017 Lexus LX 570 that he bought CPO in 2020ish, a 2017 JK Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock (6MT), a 2005 LJ Wrangler (5MT), & his son's 2021ish Toyota Tacoma SR Access Cab - 4cyl. He spends a lot of time looking. The other day he found a Jeep dealer near him with hundreds of Wranglers & Gladiators literally piling up. So he decided to take a ride. The one thing that caught his eye was that this dealer has a few brand new 2023 Gladiator Sport S with an MSRP of $50K+ being advertised for $29,999 plus TTL. He drove the gladiator and liked it. Then he started asking the salesman questions. Their policy is to only sell vehicles at MSRP + $7,500 worth of mandatory add on accessories and fees (Spray On Bedliner, $1,500 doc fee...). Now the 2023s were punched as sold a while ago and only have a little less than a year & a half left on their warranty.

Now interestingly enough they have brand new, 2025 Gladiators with lower MSRPs. Low $40Kish. Selling at sticker with 0% financing.

The manager agreed to take off the $7,500 worth of extra BS. Obviously I don't think a Gladiator is worth it at MSRP. I don't even think the heavily discounted 2023 is worth it.
Am I understanding this right, they advertise for $29,999 but then insist on sticker plus $7500? That not only doesn’t make sense but seems downright illegal.
Given Stellantis' sad state of affairs, I don't know that any Jeep dealership can justify anything other than a steep discount from MSRP. Adding ADM? Well, that makes their vehicles sales proof. Stupid move on their part.

They may snag some unwitting customer who don't know the market. But, in the interim, they'll lose 10 more who will give the stickers one look and drive away.
Locally I’m seeing commercials for 10% off 2024 Wranglers but I figure a one year old car should get more like 20% discount.

One way to find out.

mjfloyd1 · February 15

@28firefighter said:
Finally reached my midwinter breaking point and washed and waxed both cars. Is it going to snow or rain in the next 36 minutes? Probably. Are they going to the mountains again? Yep. But they look nice for now. Q5 not pictured.

You still have those black wheels on?😳. May be able to use a sharpie until a proper fix for the rim nick.

nyccarguy · February 15

@28firefighter

The WRX looks great!

28firefighter · February 15

@mjfloyd1 said:

@28firefighter said:
Finally reached my midwinter breaking point and washed and waxed both cars. Is it going to snow or rain in the next 36 minutes? Probably. Are they going to the mountains again? Yep. But they look nice for now. Q5 not pictured.

You still have those black wheels on?😳. May be able to use a sharpie until a proper fix for the rim nick.

This is not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.

tjc78 · February 15

Get an oil based paint marker from the craft store, you’ll never notice it.

28firefighter · February 15

So my dad came in from Philly late last night and I made the airport run to get him. Hit every single driving stereotype. Highlights included the left lane camper doing 45 in a 60 and the late model Nissan Altima with no bumpers and burned out headlights barreling down I-5 at 80mph in the HOV lane.

stickguy · February 15

Parked next to a new Wrx today. Showed the wife and she was not opposed. Other than the burnt orange color. So it was convenient having a blue one pop up! She likes blue.

tjc78 · February 15

28firefighter said:
So my dad came in from Philly late last night and I made the airport run to get him. Hit every single driving stereotype. Highlights included the left lane camper doing 45 in a 60 and the late model Nissan Altima with no bumpers and burned out headlights barreling down I-5 at 80mph in the HOV lane.

Since I’ve recently been driving much more and through the city…. I’ve seen some crazy stuff already. I have a lead foot and when I can’t see your headlights behind me at 80 it’s a bit annoying. Also, the Altima and Rouge stereotype is alive and well in Philly

tjc78 · February 15

$70,450 MSRP ZDX - $306 24/7500 with $1406 DAs w/no broker fee.

Hmm………

stickguy · February 15

tjc78 said:

28firefighter said:
So my dad came in from Philly late last night and I made the airport run to get him. Hit every single driving stereotype. Highlights included the left lane camper doing 45 in a 60 and the late model Nissan Altima with no bumpers and burned out headlights barreling down I-5 at 80mph in the HOV lane.

Since I’ve recently been driving much more and through the city…. I’ve seen some crazy stuff already. I have a lead foot and when I can’t see your headlights behind me at 80 it’s a bit annoying. Also, the Altima and Rouge stereotype is alive and well in Philly

what area do you have to drive to every day? Can't possibly be worse than when I drove from my place to Malvern.

tjc78 · February 15

@stickguy said:
what area do you have to drive to every day? Can't possibly be worse than when I drove from my place to Malvern.

Bensalem. Ben Franklin to I-95. Against traffic but it’s a wild ride

I don’t think I could do Malvern, KOP etc. it’s awful

explorerx4 · February 15

Have an appointment to look at F-150's tomorrow.
The deals just keep getting better and better.

oldfarmer50 · February 15

explorerx4 said:
Have an appointment to look at F-150's tomorrow.
The deals just keep getting better and better.

Do they still offer the King Ranch trim? We got a few of those in brand new a while back and I could almost see why someone would enjoy hauling construction equipment as the heated massage seats caressed your back.

nyccarguy · February 15

@au1994 said:
One way to find out.

Funny you should ask…

My friend got an email from someone higher up at the Jeep dealership he visited the other day saying I see you were at our dealership the other day and didn’t buy anything, can you tell me why.

My friend said: “because I don’t like how you tried to rip me off.” Basically explaining that he had a good experience with the sales person, but these cars are sitting on your lot and rotting with ridiculous add ons…

stickguy · February 15

tjc78 said:

@stickguy said:

what area do you have to drive to every day? Can't possibly be worse than when I drove from my place to Malvern.

Bensalem. Ben Franklin to I-95. Against traffic but it’s a wild ride

I don’t think I could do Malvern, KOP etc. it’s awful

yeah, Bensalem is not as bad. If I did not hit the Schuylkill by about 6:30 AM I was toast. You can always use 295 also so have some options.

Did they ever fix the part of the new connection ramp at 42 that collapsed? that was in limbo for a good 2 years before we left so must be going on 5 years by now. Amazing if that project is still going on at this point.

explorerx4 · February 15

@p;dfarmer50.
They still make the King Ranch but they are stupidly expensive(80K+).

nyccarguy · February 15

What’s everybody’s thoughts on a Sentra? $248 per month all in for 39/10 from a broker on LH. This is for the SV model. I know I said I didn’t want to lease another new car for my teen drivers, but this might be too good to pass up. With a sticker price of $23.4K it is much cheaper to lease than a Civic or Corolla.

stickguy · February 15

latest design has reviewed surprisingly well I believe. and on a lease any worries about long term survival of a CVT doesn't apply. Plus all the modern safety tech, and cost certainty

Michaell · February 15

stickguy said:
latest design has reviewed surprisingly well I believe. and on a lease any worries about long term survival of a CVT doesn't apply. Plus all the modern safety tech, and cost certainty

^^^ Pretty much what he said. ^^^

Hard to find 1% leases on cars in that price class - and, even if it does get dinged and dented, you just turn it in at the end of the lease. I was surprised at what was given a pass when I turned in the Jetta.

You should, however, check the insurance rates on this versus some of the used vehicles you've been eyeing. That might be a deciding factor.

tjc78 · February 16

@nyccarguy
It’s a no brainer. Keep the cash you were gonna spend on something old and put them in something safe and reliable.

Did you look at the Altima leases on LH too? They are cheap right now too. I thought I saw sub $200

oldfarmer50 · February 16

nyccarguy said:
What’s everybody’s thoughts on a Sentra? $248 per month all in for 39/10 from a broker on LH. This is for the SV model. I know I said I didn’t want to lease another new car for my teen drivers, but this might be too good to pass up. With a sticker price of $23.4K it is much cheaper to lease than a Civic or Corolla.

The Sentras I’ve driven at work seem noticeably quick and nimble. Nissan has definitely done something to perk them up. They recently were running ads comparing the Sentra to BMWs which I think is a stretch but there is a difference in driveability.

My concern would continue to be the CVT but in a lease you could just turn it in at the end.

benjaminh · February 16

nyccarguy said:
What’s everybody’s thoughts on a Sentra? $248 per month all in for 39/10 from a broker on LH. This is for the SV model. I know I said I didn’t want to lease another new car for my teen drivers, but this might be too good to pass up. With a sticker price of $23.4K it is much cheaper to lease than a Civic or Corolla.

I'd have worries about leasing a Nissan at this point, since according to some stories there's a chance Nissan might go under in the next few years, maybe even before a 39-month lease ended.

https://caredge.com/guides/nissan-layoffs-2024

https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2024/11/30/nissan-headed-for-bankruptcy-but-honda-could-save-the-day/

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a63784353/honda-nissan-partnership-talks-ended/

And now Honda isn't coming to the rescue of Nissan.

The Sentra seems cheap to me in terms of design and quality even for that end of the market.

If you can find a left over 2024 Hyundai Elantra or even Sonata that might be a better bet in the low price field.

For somewhat more the quality of a Toyota or Honda might be worth it, and the all-wheel drive of a Subaru might also be worth the extra cost, depending on the weather this vehicle might be driven in. Just my 2 cents.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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