Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

Hey, we traded in our CX-7 for the Outback to avoid the cost of the 60,000 mile service...

I wonder, the dealer must know it’s due for what I’m assuming is a pricey service. Does he offer you less as a trade because of known service needs he has to fix or does he just pass it along to the next buyer and hope he can nick them for the repairs?

kyfdx

You'd be shocked at how dealers don't care about your service history...

nyccarguy

Congrats on the @carnaught ! Nice rig! I like the color combo!

jmonroe1

mjfloyd1 said:

Audi has VagCom free app with a PC and a VagCom cable to retract the electronic parking brake. Otherwise was a straight forward rotor and pad job.

You can actually disconnect the connector to the electronic parking brake and connect clips and 12 volt power and retract the rear pistons with no special tools.

————————————————
Yep and here’s how to do it:

https://youtu.be/ROD94-ufg2o

Where there’s a will there’s a way.

I, personally, would check the connector with a meter to determine positive from negative before connecting to a battery to ensure the piston retracts the first time, rather than trial and error, but it seems to work even if you guess wrong.

jmonroe

stickguy

I assume dealers ignore service intervals like that. Might do an oil change if anything.

roadburner

At BMW I would get some lease returns that had a service due. I could have charged the lessee $300 and left it at that but in almost all cases I could run the car over to the service lane before grounding the car and get the work done under the maintenance plan.

stickguy

Carvana must be getting ready for higher prices. They just upped the offer on my maverick by $200. No I did not ask. They just email it occasionally.

sda

This is the fourth cutting so far. What you see is a weeks growth. Never mind the clover and weeds. We don't use weed killer in the back yard. This is the pooches stomping ground. I don't think an electric mower would handle this yard. The "Profesional Series" Briggs and Stratton engine struggled somewhat in certain areas necessitating not utilizing the full 23 inch cut width. For some reason the pic will not attach. No big loss.

explorerx4

I last cut my lawn on Dec 29th.

au1994

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

My SIL traded in an accord on a Volvo because it needed wiper blades and the cassette deck heads needed to be cleaned.

That kind of plays to the old joke that the time to trade is when the ash tray is full.😅

One of my dads favorite sayings and he is proof that CCBA is genetic.

roadburner

Haven't cut my lawn since October. I have a lawn company make the first cut and then I take over a week or two later...

jmonroe1

sda said:

This is the fourth cutting so far. What you see is a weeks growth. Never mind the clover and weeds. We don't use weed killer in the back yard. This is the pooches stomping ground. I don't think an electric mower would handle this yard. The "Profesional Series" Briggs and Stratton engine struggled somewhat in certain areas necessitating not utilizing the full 23 inch cut width. For some reason the pic will not attach. No big loss.

————————————————
Pay your dues.

jmonroe

kyfdx

explorerx4 said:

I last cut my lawn on Dec 29th.

Seek help

tjc78

@explorerx4 said:
I last cut my lawn on Dec 29th.

Me too ..2017

explorerx4

@kyfdx,
It was about 70 degrees and sunny that day. It completely turned after that.

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

Michaell said:

Hey, we traded in our CX-7 for the Outback to avoid the cost of the 60,000 mile service...

I wonder, the dealer must know it’s due for what I’m assuming is a pricey service. Does he offer you less as a trade because of known service needs he has to fix or does he just pass it along to the next buyer and hope he can nick them for the repairs?

I traded it in at a different dealer of the same auto group. They lowballed the trade until I pulled out the CarMax appraisal, which they quickly matched. An extra $2000.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

@kyfdx,
It was about 70 degrees and sunny that day. It completely turned after that.

Weird weather in upstate NY today. 50 miles south it was 70, here it was 39. No mowing for me.

au1994

kyfdx said:

You'd be shocked at how dealers don't care about your service history...

Yeah, they don’t care. I’ve tracked some of my trades on line and dog slobber in the back seats has still been there in the dealer pics and I’ve test driven cars that have supposedly been through the “rigorous multipoint preowned certification “ that have bald tires and lights on the dashboard.

qbrozen

I have no idea why, because it doesn't fit any of my needs, but I want this.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d16f6704-17c1-4a4b-9290-00809021eadc/

explorerx4

@qbrozen,
That looks like a great tow pig.

stickguy

I am not likely to be mowing for another month. Lawn is still matted down from winter and no indication it will get warm or sunny for many weeks to come.

stickguy

If the mini was a stick I could be interested.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

I have no idea why, because it doesn't fit any of my needs, but I want this.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d16f6704-17c1-4a4b-9290-00809021eadc/

————————————————
Why? Because just because.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I have no idea why, because it doesn't fit any of my needs, but I want this.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d16f6704-17c1-4a4b-9290-00809021eadc/

I like the Mini. Handles well and the interior seems bigger than you’d think. I even like the toggle switch start button on the newer ones.

28firefighter

Punch to report. We signed for a 2024 Grand Cherokee 4xE with Luxury II package in Rocky Mountain over Black interior. First month and tags at signing, $395 a month including tax. 24 months, 10k a year. Huge discount, big rebates, basically no interest money factor through Stellantis.

It was the most Stellantis of buying experiences ever. First they tried to jack up the deal, then I had to wait hours for finance (even with an appointment), then got the hard/sleazy sell in the finance office. To top it off after all was said and done, we are in a GC 4xE loaner for the weekend because they have a software recall on ours that needs to be handled on Monday.

If I wasn’t an educated shopper who understood the maneuvering of the deal, ripe for getting taken advantage of.

sda

28firefighter said:

Punch to report. We signed for a 2024 Grand Cherokee 4xE with Luxury II package in Rocky Mountain over Black interior. First month and tags at signing, $395 a month including tax. 24 months, 10k a year. Huge discount, big rebates, basically no interest money factor through Stellantis.

It was the most Stellantis of buying experiences ever. First they tried to jack up the deal, then I had to wait hours for finance (even with an appointment), then got the hard/sleazy sell in the finance office. To top it off after all was said and done, we are in a GC 4xE loaner for the weekend because they have a software recall on ours that needs to be handled on Monday.

If I wasn’t an educated shopper who understood the maneuvering of the deal, ripe for getting taken advantage of.

Bye bye Audi?

anonymousposts2025

Almost made a punch. We decided to check out the Equinox EV. The dealer we went to had one left. 2025 AWD 3RS with most options (super cruise, panoramic roof, convenience). MSRP was $56,300 and they had added wheel locks and LoJack - neither of which we want or care about.

The offered a 24 month / 10k lease for $340 down / $340 month plus tax.

Seemed a little high. We walked away. Not sure if we’ll go back and counter or look for one without as many options. Really hadn’t planned on buying one with super cruise.

jmonroe1

sda said:

28firefighter said:

Punch to report. We signed for a 2024 Grand Cherokee 4xE with Luxury II package in Rocky Mountain over Black interior. First month and tags at signing, $395 a month including tax. 24 months, 10k a year. Huge discount, big rebates, basically no interest money factor through Stellantis.

It was the most Stellantis of buying experiences ever. First they tried to jack up the deal, then I had to wait hours for finance (even with an appointment), then got the hard/sleazy sell in the finance office. To top it off after all was said and done, we are in a GC 4xE loaner for the weekend because they have a software recall on ours that needs to be handled on Monday.

If I wasn’t an educated shopper who understood the maneuvering of the deal, ripe for getting taken advantage of.

Bye bye Audi?

————————————————
I guess it’s not worth much if you can’t stop it.

jmonroe

stickguy

Good deal on the jeep.

28firefighter

Audi is likely gone tomorrow. Someone made me a stupid buy offer on it close to what I paid.

Michaell

28firefighter said:

Punch to report. We signed for a 2024 Grand Cherokee 4xE with Luxury II package in Rocky Mountain over Black interior. First month and tags at signing, $395 a month including tax. 24 months, 10k a year. Huge discount, big rebates, basically no interest money factor through Stellantis.

It was the most Stellantis of buying experiences ever. First they tried to jack up the deal, then I had to wait hours for finance (even with an appointment), then got the hard/sleazy sell in the finance office. To top it off after all was said and done, we are in a GC 4xE loaner for the weekend because they have a software recall on ours that needs to be handled on Monday.

If I wasn’t an educated shopper who understood the maneuvering of the deal, ripe for getting taken advantage of.

Which trim did you choose?

I was able to drive the JGC 4xe that @jpp75 got - I thought it was a pretty nice (about 50-60 miles home from the dealer).

28firefighter

Just the base 4XE with Luxury II group and painted 20” rims. Basically a limited GC. That was the best value without stuff we didn’t want. Our loaner until Monday is an Overland and it’s absolutely overkill - things like heads up display, passenger side screen, McIntosh audio etc and an $80k MSRP.

kyfdx

My son and I looked at a vehicle for him, yesterday.

2011 X3 3.5i (300 hp twin-turbo six)
Space Gray over Mojave leather
Every package except upgraded audio
101K miles
$8750 asking

It's really nice, but he has a hand-me-down Impreza hatch from his wife. 2014 with 115K miles.

Not sure if it's worth $2-$3K to "upgrade" to the BMW. Doesn't gain anything in longevity, and likely has slightly higher maintenance costs and definitely higher fuel costs, going forward. Higher possibility of catastrophic repair issues.

Pros: Slightly more room for passengers/cargo. 300 HP! Great looks, more enjoyable drive.

He's in the process of changing careers, and in a year, he'd have the money to really upgrade, if that's what he wants.. decisions, decisions..

au1994

28firefighter said:

Punch to report. We signed for a 2024 Grand Cherokee 4xE with Luxury II package in Rocky Mountain over Black interior. First month and tags at signing, $395 a month including tax. 24 months, 10k a year. Huge discount, big rebates, basically no interest money factor through Stellantis.

It was the most Stellantis of buying experiences ever. First they tried to jack up the deal, then I had to wait hours for finance (even with an appointment), then got the hard/sleazy sell in the finance office. To top it off after all was said and done, we are in a GC 4xE loaner for the weekend because they have a software recall on ours that needs to be handled on Monday.

If I wasn’t an educated shopper who understood the maneuvering of the deal, ripe for getting taken advantage of.

That is an awesome deal. Is the range the same as the Wrangler on full electric? I guess Stellantis dealers just can’t help themselves. They tried to change what they were giving me (exact payoff) on my Wrangler in my deal.

The Rocky Mountain color is great btw!

stickguy

Website says 25 miles electric

I looked at the specs. Not quite as big as I thought. About 8 inches shorter than a maverick but 5” wider. But about 8” longer than an RDX. Only a few inches wider. Does tow a heck of a lot more.

qbrozen

@kyfdx said:
My son and I looked at a vehicle for him, yesterday.

2011 X3 3.5i (300 hp twin-turbo six)
Space Gray over Mojave leather
Every package except upgraded audio
101K miles
$8750 asking

It's really nice, but he has a hand-me-down Impreza hatch from his wife. 2014 with 115K miles.

Not sure if it's worth $2-$3K to "upgrade" to the BMW. Doesn't gain anything in longevity, and likely has slightly higher maintenance costs and definitely higher fuel costs, going forward. Higher possibility of catastrophic repair issues.

Pros: Slightly more room for passengers/cargo. 300 HP! Great looks, more enjoyable drive.

He's in the process of changing careers, and in a year, he'd have the money to really upgrade, if that's what he wants.. decisions, decisions..

I have found those with far fewer miles still sub $10k, but the reliability research worried me quite a bit.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

@kyfdx said:

My son and I looked at a vehicle for him, yesterday.

2011 X3 3.5i (300 hp twin-turbo six)

Space Gray over Mojave leather

Every package except upgraded audio

101K miles

$8750 asking

It's really nice, but he has a hand-me-down Impreza hatch from his wife. 2014 with 115K miles.

Not sure if it's worth $2-$3K to "upgrade" to the BMW. Doesn't gain anything in longevity, and likely has slightly higher maintenance costs and definitely higher fuel costs, going forward. Higher possibility of catastrophic repair issues.

Pros: Slightly more room for passengers/cargo. 300 HP! Great looks, more enjoyable drive.

He's in the process of changing careers, and in a year, he'd have the money to really upgrade, if that's what he wants.. decisions, decisions..

I have found those with far fewer miles still sub $10k, but the reliability research worried me quite a bit.

If it hadn't been the 3.5, we wouldn't have even looked at it. She has extensive service records for the last four years, plus some before she owned it. But, yeah.. plenty of stuff with that drivetrain that could virtually total the car, if it goes bad.

nyccarguy

@28firefighter said:
Audi is likely gone tomorrow. Someone made me a stupid buy offer on it close to what I paid.

Can’t argue with that!

Someone like a dealer or someone “if you ever want to sell that, I’ll buy it?”

nyccarguy

@kyfdx said:
If it hadn't been the 3.5, we wouldn't have even looked at it. She has extensive service records for the last four years, plus some before she owned it. But, yeah.. plenty of stuff with that drivetrain that could virtually total the car, if it goes bad.

When it goes bad.

nyccarguy

@28firefighter

Congrats on the GC 4xe. It’s rarely an easy transaction with one of these Stellantis dealers. Good job sticking to your guns.

greg1288

An article on cars.com did an analysis of the vehicles in 2024 with the highest domestic content percentages which includes parts used in assembly or in their words:

Our study ranks 100 vehicles judged through the same five criteria as it’s been since the 2020 edition: assembly location, parts content, engine origin, transmission origin and U.S. manufacturing workforce. More than 400 vehicles of model-year 2024 vintage were analyzed to qualify the 100 vehicles on the list.

The top ten vehicles in order:
1. Tesla Y
2. Honda Passport
3. VW ID4
4. Tesla S
5. Honda Odyssey
6. Honda Ridgeline
7. Toyota Camry
8. Jeep Gladiator
9. Tesla X
10. Lexus TX

Of the first 25 vehicles:
Stellantis - 2
Tesla - 4
VW- 1
Toyota - 6
Honda - 9
GM - 2
H/K - 1

Of the top 50:
Stellantis - 7
Tesla - 4
VW - 1
Toyota - 9
Honda - 9
H/K - 4
Ford - 2
GM - 12
Nissan - 2

Out of the top 100:
Stellantis - 9
Ford - 12
Tesla - 4
VW - 2
Honda - 13
Toyota - 15
H/K - 8
GM - 18
MB - 3
Subaru - 4
Mazda - 1
BMW - 4

This is relevant considering the upcoming tariffs. My take is that at the last minute Trump will reduce them to 10% after some concessions and then the stock market will soar. Please note my math might be a bit off. There is also a study of the least domestic contented vehicles which I haven't read yet.

greg1288

Peter Navarro just now said only 19% if the vehicles sold have engines and transmissions made in the U.S.

Because half of all completed vehicles sold are imported, that means that 60% of the power trains of other half that are assembled here are imported. It is understandable that the auto unions like the tariffs.

suydam

anonymousposts2025 said:

Almost made a punch. We decided to check out the Equinox EV. The dealer we went to had one left. 2025 AWD 3RS with most options (super cruise, panoramic roof, convenience). MSRP was $56,300 and they had added wheel locks and LoJack - neither of which we want or care about.

The offered a 24 month / 10k lease for $340 down / $340 month plus tax.

Seemed a little high. We walked away. Not sure if we’ll go back and counter or look for one without as many options. Really hadn’t planned on buying one with super cruise.

Incentives should lower the price considerably. Around here no one is paying MSRP for EVs. That said, $340/mo seems pretty good.

graphicguy

suydam said:

anonymousposts2025 said:

Almost made a punch. We decided to check out the Equinox EV. The dealer we went to had one left. 2025 AWD 3RS with most options (super cruise, panoramic roof, convenience). MSRP was $56,300 and they had added wheel locks and LoJack - neither of which we want or care about.

The offered a 24 month / 10k lease for $340 down / $340 month plus tax.

Seemed a little high. We walked away. Not sure if we’ll go back and counter or look for one without as many options. Really hadn’t planned on buying one with super cruise.

Incentives should lower the price considerably. Around here no one is paying MSRP for EVs. That said, $340/mo seems pretty good.

That seems like a strong offer for a total loaded Equinox EV. Agree that no one should be paying anywhere near MSRP for ANY vehicle right now. Would let the dealership know that the reason you're walking is they had an addendum sticker.

Tariffs on parts is going to raise the price of cars. This is not going to go well for the auto manufacturers. I'm 8 months in on my 24 month lease on the EV6. I know the residual is inflated. So, won't buy at the end of lease, even though it's been a great car.

Even those well reviewed Chevy Trax vehicles are going to go way up in price from their budget friendly prices right now.

For the first time in a very long time, I will probably replace the EV6 with a used car.

sda

I haven't done my Sunday car browsing in a while. This very clean 06 Cadillac with 42k was front and center.
CarMax was overflowing with vehicles.

28firefighter

Alrighty. Audi is sold. I had a really solid offer of $13k from a local dealer, but, I took a rock to the windshield and it cracked on the way over. So they hit me for that and then noticed the front brakes. So I took $12 and said thank you.

I’m happy, wife is happy, cash in hand.

qbrozen

Another one that doesn’t meet my needs, but definitely tempting. If the link doesn’t work, it is a JDM turbo ‘99 Legacy wagon for $8500.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15Z1xvkZ2b/?mibextid=wwXIfr

corvette

kyfdx said:

My son and I looked at a vehicle for him, yesterday.

2011 X3 3.5i (300 hp twin-turbo six)

Didn't you just trade in an X3?

sda

CarMax had a 23 Maverick Lariat with 36k for $30998. It looked to be lightly optioned and somewhat worn. A thorough detailing needed.

kyfdx

corvette said:

kyfdx said:

My son and I looked at a vehicle for him, yesterday.

2011 X3 3.5i (300 hp twin-turbo six)

Didn't you just trade in an X3?

Yes.. lol