Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

Ad heading for the Buick says CXL.

I believe the ad says CX and if you scroll the pictures it says CX on the trunk lid.

tjc78

It looks too equipped to be a CX. Either way it’s a bad ad and maybe even a scam.

I haven’t weeded through the waters for a cheapie in many many years. It seems to be a jungle.

Wife is not impressed by this search at all.

Found this one this morning. If it checks out, wont last at this price

https://www.facebook.com/share/14DYx8LNfuR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

Ad heading for the Buick says CXL.

I believe the ad says CX and if you scroll the pictures it says CX on the trunk lid.

The Buick brochure posted earlier says leather could not be had on the CX and the v8 engine was not an option.

Is the VIN posted? That can be decoded to determine the model as built when new.
Hiding the VIN would seem to be indicative of a scam with all the discrepancies in the build for a CX.

corvette

@tjc78 - it says it was listed 32 weeks ago... that's the only red flag I'd need.

stickguy

Since it runs (no scammer will post a video of that) seems like a killer deal on the TC. must be something wrong with it.

tjc78

@corvette said:
@tjc78 - it says it was listed 32 weeks ago... that's the only red flag I'd need.

Ok - I really need to start looking at the posted date……

stickguy

Maybe I’m a chicken but the only way I would be shopping in that market is if it was a family friend or relative deal

stickguy

I would (at least in the old days) also likely end up with a cheap lease to beat up in (extra miles and salty roads) allowing for something fun or nice to be on hand for enjoyment driving.

stickguy

Posting this for Tom. I used to work near valley forge and live in NJ and had to drive the full length of this each way every day. Could not do it at my age I don’t think.

Not for the faint of heart at any time and during rush hour a true nightmare.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QQIskJYjF8k&pp=ygUic2NodXlsa2lsbCBleHByZXNzd2F5IHBoaWxhZGVscGhpYQ%3D%3D

tjc78

@stickguy said:
I would (at least in the old days) also likely end up with a cheap lease to beat up in (extra miles and salty roads) allowing for something fun or nice to be on hand for enjoyment driving.

I went down that road and overkill … I was
close on one of those stupid priced ZDX leases.

I am out of my element with miled up beaters but if I get a Panther I’m super familiar with them and would feel ok with one.

explorerx4

The narrator in the I-76 video was complaining about left exits.
Hartford has some left side entrance ramps on I-84 and I-91.

qbrozen

I keep bouncing. I went back to “I’m just going to keep my truck” yesterday afternoon to “I should get something the wife will also drive since she now commutes 3 days a week and is miling up her Volvo” last night.

PLUS, my son complains the back seat of the Alfa is too small, so that has wound up being less of a family vehicle than I hoped. Maybe I’ll reluctantly sell that, too.

pensfan83

What about a Trailblazer SS? Or a Trackhawk/SRT-8 Grand Cherokee?

tjc78

@stickguy said:
Posting this for Tom. I used to work near valley forge and live in NJ and had to drive the full length of this each way every day. Could not do it at my age I don’t think.

Not for the faint of heart at any time and during rush hour a true nightmare.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QQIskJYjF8k&pp=ygUic2NodXlsa2lsbCBleHByZXNzd2F5IHBoaWxhZGVscGhpYQ%3D%3D

In the late 90s I did that commute too. Totally awful

Michaell

Watching that video makes me appreciate I-76 here in Colorado, which runs in a NE/SW direction to connect I-70 in Denver to I-80 in eastern Nebraska.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————

We’re in the new millennium but that’s as old school as you can get. Probably had a 4 square sheet in his desk drawer too.

jmonroe

Yup. If you can’t evolve, you die off. Places like this are barely hanging on and will soon be gone.

Some dealerships are still trying to live the life they had when there was no inventory during and right after the COVID shutdown. Unless you were a "lay down", they don't want to provide info to you. Further, I found some were more focused on what the dealership wanted than what the customer wanted. Not a good way to do business relationships for $10s of thousands purchases.

qbrozen

@pensfan83 said:
What about a Trailblazer SS? Or a Trackhawk/SRT-8 Grand Cherokee?

Sure! Find me a 2011+ with under 80k miles for under $20k.

I messaged a dealership about a Cayenne last night. No reply.

qbrozen

Hmmmm… can tune to 375 hp and is rated for 4400 lbs towing in the EU.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/406202797

stickguy

Nice winter beater. Geneva is nice up in the finger lakes. At least in spring and summer for wine tours. And you would pass through Watkins glen to get there (at the bottom of Seneca lake).

stickguy

How about one of these? Not sure what the 6 can tow. But my brief search did not turn up any SS versions with the V8

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/740323891?allListingType=all-cars&city=Latham&makeCode=SAAB&modelCode=97X&searchRadius=500&state=NY&clickType=listing

qbrozen

That doesn’t hit on my “quick” requirement

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

Hmmmm… can tune to 375 hp and is rated for 4400 lbs towing in the EU.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/406202797

Paging @tifighter to the white courtesy phone.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

It looks too equipped to be a CX. Either way it’s a bad ad and maybe even a scam.

I haven’t weeded through the waters for a cheapie in many many years. It seems to be a jungle.

Wife is not impressed by this search at all.

Found this one this morning. If it checks out, wont last at this price

https://www.facebook.com/share/14DYx8LNfuR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

————————————————
I agree that’s a very good price if it actually lives up to the write up but beware of the whopper ADM. he never mentioned that.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

corvette said:

@tjc78 - it says it was listed 32 weeks ago... that's the only red flag I'd need.

————————————————
The link I get says, “listed more than a week ago” and I can’t find anything else.

jmonroe

stickguy

How fast do you need to go towing?

qbrozen

@stickguy said:
How fast do you need to go towing?

It as fast as when not towing

stickguy

Came up with a new plan thanks to QB. This one seems like a winner. Ran it past the wife. I think I can win her over.

I get her a new car (compact CUV of some sort like an X3 or XC60) that she will like and we can use for traveling. Preferably a hybrid or plug in. And get a light duty utility trailer for hauling junk around. The new car would just need to be able to tow a decent amount (3,500# say). That covers her, traveling, and my truck use needs.

That frees me up to get any fun car I want, including something with a manual trans.

I think it is a great plan. Even better if the stock market stops cratering someday.

explorerx4

I see 32 weeks in the ad just above the location info.

stickguy

@qbrozen said:

@stickguy said:
How fast do you need to go towing?

It as fast as when not towing

That’s what the SS version is for.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

It looks too equipped to be a CX. Either way it’s a bad ad and maybe even a scam.

I haven’t weeded through the waters for a cheapie in many many years. It seems to be a jungle.

Wife is not impressed by this search at all.

Found this one this morning. If it checks out, wont last at this price

https://www.facebook.com/share/14DYx8LNfuR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

I think that once Craigslist started charging for car ads many scammers moved over to Marketplace.

xwesx

tjc78 said:

Found this one this morning. If it checks out, wont last at this price

https://www.facebook.com/share/14DYx8LNfuR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

That one looks so worn, though!

xwesx

Michaell said:

Watching that video makes me appreciate I-76 here in Colorado, which runs in a NE/SW direction to connect I-70 in Denver to I-80 in eastern Nebraska.

Yeah, I've been on a whole lot of I76, and I never found it to be an issue (or, at least, any more so than any other interstate). It even has the added benefit of having some really breathtaking views across southern PA! However, I also have never driven on it any further east than central PA.

stickguy

The schuykill might carry an interstate designation but it is really a wildly overloaded scenic parkway for much of it. And local urban highway for the rest.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

It as fast as when not towing

You should take a look at a Q7 TDI. 7700# towing (and it will do it... well!) while being reasonably spunky. The supercharged V6 is a pretty good tower, too, and better on the spunky spectrum, even if far, FAR worse on the fuel economy side of the coin! They are at the bottom of the depreciation curve now for the 4L (2006-2015) versions. So, unless you're looking to buy one off BaT, these are <$10,000 all day and <$15,000 for very low mile examples.

There is a large amount of aftermarket support for tuning (both engine and transmission) that will really wake these beasts up, too.

ab348

stickguy said:

Came up with a new plan thanks to QB. This one seems like a winner. Ran it past the wife. I think I can win her over.

The delusion, it is very strong.

BTW, more for @Kirstie_H : the quote function worked first time on @stickguy ’s post. But the emoji for whatever the one I manually repositioned above is called (: D) always inserts itself ahead of the first character of the post, not where your cursor is.

tifighter

Interesting move from MB-

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a64019571/mercedes-benz-electric-van-prototype-drive/

28firefighter

Ah yes the Schuylkill...good times good times.

tjc78

It’s the “sure-kill” expressway

tjc78

@xwesx said:
That one looks so worn, though!

It’s a beater!

At my sub 4K budget can’t be too choosy.

corvette

tifighter said:

Interesting move from MB-

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a64019571/mercedes-benz-electric-van-prototype-drive/

They saw VW charging $70k for a milquetoast e-van, and decided they needed to make something better that they could charge more for.

stickguy

was chatting with my daughter (big Volvo fan) who was on board with getting my wife a snazzy new car. But she pointed out the much simpler version of the plan. Throw a trailer hitch on the Acura, get a trailer, and flip the truck for a sports car since the wife is not impacted. Cost neutral (roughly) and I don't have to get approval! An RDX only tows 1,500 pounds but the 5x8 utility trailers only weigh 500#s so that still leaves a lot of carrying capacity. It could work.

if nothing else, I have an excuse to stop at some car dealers now! She won't care if it doesn't involve selling her car. And she is really bored being cooped up in the house all the time.

qbrozen

My biggest holdup is that I DON’T want to go to car dealers. Working from home has made me even more introverted than I used to be.

explorerx4

@qbrozen,
Quit trying to be a Gen Z like your kids.

qbrozen

@explorerx4 said:
@qbrozen,
Quit trying to be a Gen Z like your kids.

Hey, they rippin ME off. I was a shut-in before it was popular!

tjc78

@qbrozen said:
My biggest holdup is that I DON’T want to go to car dealers. Working from home has made me even more introverted than I used to be.

I’m right with you. I haven’t bought a car in a dealer since 2019 and really don’t want to start now.

On a side note after 5 years of WFH I’m 100% not digging being back in 4 days.

au1994

tjc78 said:

@qbrozen said:

My biggest holdup is that I DON’T want to go to car dealers. Working from home has made me even more introverted than I used to be.

I’m right with you. I haven’t bought a car in a dealer since 2019 and really don’t want to start now.

On a side note after 5 years of WFH I’m 100% not digging being back in 4 days.

They have been pushing us for 3 days in but I am resisting. I’ve had a heavy travel schedule lately so I don’t agree with showing up on Friday if I’ve been gone all week.

I do enjoy being in and interacting with people but I am not a fan of mandates. Like you mentioned many of us were 100% wfh for 5 years so that became the new normal.

stickguy

I’m never going back in. This is my last real job that I’ll retire from. Plus our only office is in Dallas and that is a really long commute!

qbrozen

Luckily, my home office (which isn't even a real office) is about 600 miles away.

My wife's company is forcing 3 days a week for their employees now. Worse, she can't even go to the closest office all 3 days. She does that once (~29 miles one way) and then 2 days at the further office (~43 miles). And those are a very brutal extra 14 miles that adds roughly 30 mins on average.

tjc78

@qbrozen said:
Luckily, my home office (which isn't even a real office) is about 600 miles away.

My wife's company is forcing 3 days a week for their employees now. Worse, she can't even go to the closest office all 3 days. She does that once (~29 miles one way) and then 2 days at the further office (~43 miles). And those are a very brutal extra 14 miles that adds roughly 30 mins on average.

My issue is, I work for very small company now and 95% of my interaction is with overseas vendors and the remote sales team. The only person I really speak to in the office is the President and so far we have had a 5 min conversation each morning. Otherwise, I am in my office all day just plugging away. My commute is 32 miles each way. 45 in at least an hour home.

I could be much more effective being in my office at home by 6:30 or so and getting some emails answered and returned before China goes to sleep rather than sitting in my car.

breld

We never went fully WFH except for when it was mandated from the state. We settled in at 3 days/week in the office and that seems to have gone very well. Shockingly, Mondays and Fridays tend to be light in the office.

My boss has recently broached the idea of going to 4 days a week. I kindly offered my opinion that it would indeed make an impact on our personnel, and our HR director more than affirmed that thought, so we may hold off on that.