Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

pensfan83

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

The issue is more that dealers don’t state the apr which buyers understand (well, most of them!). And that I bet is intentional.

Except, technically, it isn't an APR. Most dealers don't advertise the APR, either, as they want to mark it up without you knowing.

That's more of a dealer issue than a math problem

For the Passport we knew what the CPO rates were from Honda Finance, told them the term we wanted, the cash we were putting down, and assumed no add ons to give them an OTD offer. First sheet that came back included terms ranging from 48 to 72 with something around 10% APR I think. I have to assume that includes the 2% reserve available to the dealer for markup.

oldfarmer50

anonymousposts2025 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

Nothing wrong with the Sienna but I don’t see much difference between it and a Pacifica. The Buick Enclave might be the bargain compared the Asian selections.

My sister-in-law had a Pacifica as a company car, it needed a few new transmissions while she had it. I would stay far away.

Change the fluid more often.

oldfarmer50

Buyer beware.

https://youtu.be/WMPMPx3TLG0?si=yk7jiM6xK4rHkmOv

nyccarguy

@pensfan83 said:
For the Passport we knew what the CPO rates were from Honda Finance, told them the term we wanted, the cash we were putting down, and assumed no add ons to give them an OTD offer. First sheet that came back included terms ranging from 48 to 72 with something around 10% APR I think. I have to assume that includes the 2% reserve available to the dealer for markup.

Did you negotiate off of their advertised price or did you think it was priced right? I know, I know. Everything is negotiable.

cdnpinhead

oldfarmer50 said:

Change the fluid more often.

Well, based on my experience (admittedly 20+ years ago) I'd go for annually, possibly monthly. My car, my mother-in-law's car and my wife's minivan all required major automatic transmission work back in the '80s and '90s. That was my first (and last) automatic transmission and my last Chrysler (or whatever they're called this week) vehicle.

YMMV.

nyccarguy

@anonymousposts2025

Welcome back BTW. Back to your original stick shift question. The Civic Si is an excellent choice. Have you thought about a WRX?

tifighter

Wish you could get a nicer GR Corolla?

https://youtu.be/Fki9I0K-i08?si=9fQt0YJ1jGFguqWq

Keep wishing, I guess.

tifighter

@anonymousposts2025 said:
We have an empty space in the garage.. what’s everyone driving these days?

We’ve been all over the place looking at small and sporty (Civic SI, Lexus IS) or another EV ( Prologue).

I drove the IS500 twice, thinking that was where I was headed. But I couldn’t get past how much the transmission strangled that V8. That 8-speed was so lethargic.

Now, no so such issues with my friend, Manuel…

corvette

My 2024 Altima rental seems to be missing the wallowy suspension of my Ariya, but it has quite a bit of road noise (which the Ariya doesn't). Filled up for the second time today after almost 450 miles of driving in near-ideal conditions (65-70 MPH limit interstate + national park with 35-45 MPH limits and only a few stops), and my manually calculated MPG was a hair over 36. Trip computer claimed I got 39. CarPlay sometimes fails to launch, but this isn't unique to Nissan. The audio quality is good. I don't care for the fake, simulated shifts on the CVT--just keep it in the appropriate power band for the amount of thrust I'm requesting.

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

My 2024 Altima rental seems to be missing the wallowy suspension of my Ariya, but it has quite a bit of road noise (which the Ariya doesn't). Filled up for the second time today after almost 450 miles of driving in near-ideal conditions (65-70 MPH limit interstate + national park with 35-45 MPH limits and only a few stops), and my manually calculated MPG was a hair over 36. Trip computer claimed I got 39. CarPlay sometimes fails to launch, but this isn't unique to Nissan. The audio quality is good. I don't care for the fake, simulated shifts on the CVT--just keep it in the appropriate power band for the amount of thrust I'm requesting.

Road noise could be the tires. Rental companies tend to go for the low bid brands.

anonymousposts2025

nyccarguy said:

@anonymousposts2025 said:

We picked up a 2014 Odyssey late last year. We had a 2020 Sienna XLE but sold it because we thought one was leaving the nest. Our 19 year old appears to be comfortable living here so that was a mistake. We don’t like new Siennas or Odysseys and didn’t want to sell the Tesla or RAV4 at that time. It has 140k, but works for our needs.

Just curious, how is the odyssey? Have you had to do any major maintenance items? You had it checked out before you bought it? How many miles were on your Sienna? Which do you prefer?

The Odyssey is great. We bought it last year with 130k. 2014 EX-L. The previous owner bought it as a CPO with 30k. They did nothing but change the oil. It had four different brands of tires and needed all major maintenance. We did the timing belt, spark plugs, transmission fluid, control arms, and shocks. The used car market is rough in this area. By the time we came across this Odyssey we had seen bullet holes, replaced odometers, etc. This one had a legit ownership history and we would rather do the maintenance ourselves anyways.

We bought our Sienna new. It was a 2020 XLE. We sold it in 2022 with 25k.

Pros and cons to both. For us, we prefer the Odyssey more. The Sienna had more space and more power. The Odyssey drives better and gets better gas mileage.

pensfan83

@nyccarguy said:

@pensfan83 said:
For the Passport we knew what the CPO rates were from Honda Finance, told them the term we wanted, the cash we were putting down, and assumed no add ons to give them an OTD offer. First sheet that came back included terms ranging from 48 to 72 with something around 10% APR I think. I have to assume that includes the 2% reserve available to the dealer for markup.

Did you negotiate off of their advertised price or did you think it was priced right? I know, I know. Everything is negotiable.

No, I think it was priced fairly. It was on the lot around 2.5 months and been reduced in price about $2,800 off the original asking price. A search of comps found most with more miles were priced higher, some not certified. I asked if they would throw in a cargo mat but they threw in an extra free oil change instead.

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

Road noise could be the tires. Rental companies tend to go for the low bid brands.

I think they are OE Kumhos, the car only has 19k on it.

anonymousposts2025

We ended up buying a 2025 Civic Si last night. Paid MSRP and qualified for a rebate. Not the greatest deal, but not the worst.

We looked at a variety of cars and ruled them out for various reasons.

Model 3: We had a 2022. Overall, great car with typical Tesla build quality issues. Not a fan of the updates to the 2025 model - so even with the great deals on Teslas we ruled this out.
Golf GTI / Jetta GLI: Appealing, but we haven't had great experience with VW (we purchased a 2022 ID4 Pro S AWD - sold it after a few months due to glitches. A Tiguan we owned years ago also had its share of glitches).
Integra A-Spec / Tech manual: Tempting. Had more features than the Si. Didn't care for the styling of the rear end. Deals were much better on the Integra than on the Si. Dealers also seemed to have a lot of them sitting.
WRX: Passing thought. In the end, we didn't look because we don't care for what they have done with the interior styling.
Lexus IS: Passing thought. Beautiful car. We really wanted a manual though.
Prologue: We like EV's, like the styling of the Prologue. We read of a few issues with the suspension on this and it's GM twins. We also don't really need another SUV. Great lease deals on these right now though.

explorerx4

Went to the tree lighting at my grandkid's school last evening and who do I think I see? The Benz sales manager from some of those video's I posted.
Didn't bother him, it was family time. When I got home I watched his latest video, made the same day and he was wearing the same coat. Then I was sure it was him.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

Went to the tree lighting at my grandkid's school last evening and who do I think I see? The Benz sales manager from some of those video's I posted.
Didn't bother him, it was family time. When I got home I watched his latest video, made the same day and he was wearing the same coat. Then I was sure it was him.

————————————————
The only way you could have proven that was to have posted a pic of the two of you together then posted it in here. So, probably never happened.

jmonroe

roadburner

I stopped bt the M-B dealer today. As expected, things were very busy. The sales guy I talked to was very nice but the problem was that the GLC was being detailed and he couldn't get it out for a test drive. I'm hoping to drop by Thursday if my jury trial gets bumped (please!).
There was a new C4w in the showroom; the interior looks much better than it photographs. Mercedes has also gone to a touchscreen but it's built into the upper console so it's much easier to reach than the half-*ssed abomination used on the BMWs. Still, I really dislike touchscreens as I don't like taking my eyes of the road. I think automakers like touchscreens because they are cheaper than switches and they also wow the wearers- who could not care less about the driving experience.
If I was forced to replace the C43 I think I'd move up to an E53- which gets a twin turbo I6 as opposed to a four cylinder cranked up to way past 11.

explorerx4

@jmoroe1,
I reach out to the person I thought it was and got a response that I took as a positive, so I'm pretty confident in my post.

Michaell

Member needs help dealing with negative equity

Y'all are gonna love this post....

xwesx

Huh. Speaking of vehicle debt, I paid off the Crosstrek a couple days ago. My wife said, "okay, so now you just have to not go making any car deals." I replied, "Uh, okay, well hold on, I need to make a quick call, then...."

nyccarguy

@anonymousposts2025

What color is your new Civic SI? Congrats! It is a 2024 or 2025?

anonymousposts2025

@nyccarguy said:
@anonymousposts2025

What color is your new Civic SI? Congrats! It is a 2024 or 2025?

2025 - Platinum White Pearl

It’s a blast to drive. Not fast, but fun. It can fit four of us in moderate comfort and is getting 35mpg so far.

28firefighter

Congrats! Can’t go wrong with a Civic Si at MSRP

jmonroe1

Thanks for your help @anonymousposts2025 with a punch in here this month. I’m beginning to think we’re going to need help from outsiders like you if we’re going to top our 2023 punches for this year. Hate to have a December to remember for the wrong reason.

jmonroe

sda

@jmonroe1 said:
Thanks for your help @anonymousposts2025 with a punch in here this month. I’m beginning to think we’re going to need help from outsiders like you if we’re going to top our 2023 punches for this year. Hate to have a December to remember for the wrong reason.

jmonroe

Isn't it time for you to step up and replace the Genny?

au1994

Uhhh…they are not outsiders, more like OG’s.

roadburner

I received my navigation update USBs from Jeep a couple of days ago and I just got around to installing it. Get this- it requires 23 separate steps, including once again putting the telematics in Dealer Mode, sending information to the Mothership, and generating another activation code. So far the Jeep has sat running for nearly an hour, and the update is only at 12%. Contrast that with Mercedes, which is a 4 step process (3 once the download manager is installed)- and that's only for map regions that aren't automatically downloaded OTA. BMW's process is similar. Crazy.

jmonroe1

au1994 said:

Uhhh…they are not outsiders, more like OG’s.

————————————————
Huh? That went right over my head.

jmonroe

stickguy

Old Guard. They started the place pretty much.

corvette

@stickguy said:
Old Guard. They started the place pretty much.

Since I just returned from LA, I’m particularly qualified to tell you that it stands for Original Gangsta.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

Old Guard. They started the place pretty much.

————————————————
OK, but does that apply to @anonymousposts2025? Probably not since he only has 8 posts as of this post.

jmonroe

nyccarguy

@anono> @jmonroe1 said:

Thanks for your help @anonymousposts2025 with a punch in here this month. I’m beginning to think we’re going to need help from outsiders like you if we’re going to top our 2023 punches for this year. Hate to have a December to remember for the wrong reason.

jmonroe

@anonymousposts2025 used to be @anonymousposts . They (2 people) punched the CCBA Card like @breld & his wife back in the day.

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

@anono> @jmonroe1 said:

Thanks for your help @anonymousposts2025 with a punch in here this month. I’m beginning to think we’re going to need help from outsiders like you if we’re going to top our 2023 punches for this year. Hate to have a December to remember for the wrong reason.

jmonroe

@anonymousposts2025 used to be @anonymousposts . They (2 people) punched the CCBA Card like @breld & his wife back in the day.

————————————————
OK, now I get it but I wonder why the name change?

jmonroe

stickguy

of all people, you are asking why a name change!

jmonroe1

@anon

stickguy said:

of all people, you are asking why a name change!

————————————————
Yeah, but @anonymousposts disappeared for a good while. I got back on the horse almost immediately.

jmonroe

anonymousposts2025

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————
OK, now I get it but I wonder why the name change?

jmonroe

Couldn’t retrieve my old log-in. The email we originally used was based on a 02 Civic Si.. that’s how old it was. Had to start over with a new account. @gee35coupe is my better half. He was pretty active in here back in those days too.

jmonroe1

anonymousposts2025 said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————

OK, now I get it but I wonder why the name change?

jmonroe

Couldn’t retrieve my old log-in. The email we originally used was based on a 02 Civic Si.. that’s how old it was. Had to start over with a new account. @gee35coupe is my better half. He was pretty active in here back in those days too.

————————————————
I think it was in 2018 when Edmunds did something with their log in procedures and I had to go to my new name @jmonroe1 (I used to be @jmonroe) when I first got in here in mid 2005. I lost a lot of seniority and posts but Edmunds was gracious enough to waive my dues for a few months. It’s tough to start over again as a newbie but I sucked it up and continued posting.

jmonroe

nyccarguy

@anonymousposts2025 said:

@nyccarguy said:
@anonymousposts2025

What color is your new Civic SI? Congrats! It is a 2024 or 2025?

2025 - Platinum White Pearl

It’s a blast to drive. Not fast, but fun. It can fit four of us in moderate comfort and is getting 35mpg so far.

Sweet car & color! Enjoy! Summer tires too? It’s a really sharp car for less than $32K.

nyccarguy

@stickguy said:
of all people, you are asking why a name change!

I guess a lot of us could use a name change: I’d be know as suburbantoyotactdad

stickguy

Hybridguy? Slushboxguy?

Sandman6472

Got in a whole bunch of new 2025 Hyundai Kona's at work the other day so hopefully, will be able to get some seat time in a few of them sooner then later. Think their "SEL" models but not positive...will need to get a better look at them. We've been getting in a whole slew of new vehicles lately with Pacifica's & Mitsubishi Mirage's leading the pack. Guessing they got a great deal on the Mirage's and did get to see a Mulroney sticker, $18,015.00. Sure they got a fleet discount to get an even lower price to sweeten the deal. Most branches don't seem to want them but, they drive like the appliances they are. Basic transportation, if you will.

qbrozen

@kyfdx said:
It may seem that way, but it's a straightforward calculation.

They don't determine the money factor, then calculate what APR that might be.
They determine the APR (just like a loan), then convert it to a money factor for ease in calculation.

As I mentioned, it's easy to understand if you do the reverse calculation.

And... not a secret!

Oh, I know the math. And I know it is straightforward WHEN YOU KNOW THE CALCULATION. My point, albeit obscured, was that they honestly could have done it in an infinite number of ways. I find it odd and humorous that this particular way somehow became so widely used.

And, of course, as you know, there are some lenders who use an APR for leases, so the convoluted MF isn’t universal.

Michaell

Member needs help with a battery tender:

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/71855/general/x/recommendation-for-battery-maintainer#latest

anonymousposts2025

@nyccarguy said:

@anonymousposts2025 said:

@nyccarguy said:
@anonymousposts2025

What color is your new Civic SI? Congrats! It is a 2024 or 2025?

2025 - Platinum White Pearl

It’s a blast to drive. Not fast, but fun. It can fit four of us in moderate comfort and is getting 35mpg so far.

Sweet car & color! Enjoy! Summer tires too? It’s a really sharp car for less than $32K.

No summer tires. It has the Goodyear all-seasons. Fine for right now, but they will turn into Michelins when we get some use out of them.

tjc78

@qbrozen said:

@kyfdx said:
It may seem that way, but it's a straightforward calculation.

They don't determine the money factor, then calculate what APR that might be.
They determine the APR (just like a loan), then convert it to a money factor for ease in calculation.

As I mentioned, it's easy to understand if you do the reverse calculation.

And... not a secret!

Oh, I know the math. And I know it is straightforward WHEN YOU KNOW THE CALCULATION. My point, albeit obscured, was that they honestly could have done it in an infinite number of ways. I find it odd and humorous that this particular way somehow became so widely used.

And, of course, as you know, there are some lenders who use an APR for leases, so the convoluted MF isn’t universal.

Ford uses APR not sure who else.

Michaell

tjc78 said:

@qbrozen said:

@kyfdx said:

It may seem that way, but it's a straightforward calculation.

They don't determine the money factor, then calculate what APR that might be.

They determine the APR (just like a loan), then convert it to a money factor for ease in calculation.

As I mentioned, it's easy to understand if you do the reverse calculation.

And... not a secret!

Oh, I know the math. And I know it is straightforward WHEN YOU KNOW THE CALCULATION. My point, albeit obscured, was that they honestly could have done it in an infinite number of ways. I find it odd and humorous that this particular way somehow became so widely used.

And, of course, as you know, there are some lenders who use an APR for leases, so the convoluted MF isn’t universal.

Ford uses APR not sure who else.

Lincoln (duh!).

Mitsubishi used to, before they switched banks to Santander.

stickguy

The local Mitsubishi dealers around the corner from me (where old farmer got his Eclipse). Every time I go past I am shocked that they are still in business.

explorerx4

There's a YT guy who makes videos about buying/selling high end used cars.
He has a Mitubishi dealership, probably just for the license.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Hybridguy? Slushboxguy?

I would be retiredfarmer50.😬

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Got in a whole bunch of new 2025 Hyundai Kona's at work the other day so hopefully, will be able to get some seat time in a few of them sooner then later. Think their "SEL" models but not positive...will need to get a better look at them. We've been getting in a whole slew of new vehicles lately with Pacifica's & Mitsubishi Mirage's leading the pack. Guessing they got a great deal on the Mirage's and did get to see a Mulroney sticker, $18,015.00. Sure they got a fleet discount to get an even lower price to sweeten the deal. Most branches don't seem to want them but, they drive like the appliances they are. Basic transportation, if you will.

I drove a Mirage today and once you got used to the pointing and laughing…it was ok.🤣