Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

nyccarguy · April 23

tjc78 said:

@nyccarguy said:

You have to pay the dispo fee, but If there is a loyalty incentive you would still qualify.

Yes loyalty was applied. I’m so torn on the red truck.

Deal is solid but I’m a blow hard and wanted a flat $700. It beats the broker deals on LH (even figuring dispo fee)

I’m jumping ahead and will have 2 extra current truck payments and two months of insurance… but I’ll mile the current truck up in June and July which I will get my money’s worth out of.

Rams aren’t selling but the auto market is a mess right now.

Options -

Take the deal as penciled now

Wait and see if they come to me at end of the month with a better deal (doubtful)

Do nothing until last payment is made (7/2) and hope pricing hasn’t gone up. Puts me in a tough spot as I can’t be without a vehicle especially in the summer

Good job beating the broker deals on LH. With a RAM, I feel like you are in a good position to be a "blow hard" at your price. There is a huge supply of RAM 1500s out there. Maybe they all don't meet your specifications, but what you want isn't a one of one either. If you've got 2 payments left, don't stress. Just ride it out until the summer. I doubt you'll be without a vehicle for the summer.

tjc78 · April 23

I’m leaning toward that… yeah the one I’ve been dealing on is a good build for me but there are still units incoming on several dealer’s websites so presumably there will still be plenty of stock available.

If they come to me at month end maybe I’ll jump but I really think I’m gonna stand my ground on the quote I received

au1994 · April 23

Had an Altima SV for a rental this week. Not all bad. I found the power more than adequate and smooth. Ride was good from what I could tell. I was on I95 under construction for a lot of the trip so the road was in awful shape. CarPlay but not wireless. It was still easy to connect. Camera and rest if the tech were just avg though.

I can see how they move a lot of them though. Good content at a good price. It would make a great kid car @nyccarguy

nyccarguy · April 23

au1994 said:
Had an Altima SV for a rental this week. Not all bad. I found the power more than adequate and smooth. Ride was good from what I could tell. I was on I95 under construction for a lot of the trip so the road was in awful shape. CarPlay but not wireless. It was still easy to connect. Camera and rest if the tech were just avg though.

I can see how they move a lot of them though. Good content at a good price. It would make a great kid car @nyccarguy

I sat in an SR AWD at the Auto Show. MSRP was $33Kish. Very well appointed.

stickguy · April 23

I would ride out the truck lease. There will be options in July.

au1994 · April 23

I think wait as well. I’m not saying there will be no tariff impacts but thats a very fluid situation and I don’t know that its going to be as much of a sky is falling impact as originally thought. Could be wrong though!

Plenty of Ram’s in inventory that aren’t tariff impacted and I’d bet you could argue and negotiate a ‘pre-tariff’ price in July. Also you may get some pull ahead help here in another 30 days or so. Or at least find someone willing to eat a fee or 2 to move a truck.

tjc78 · April 23

I’m not pushing it. They have had the truck for 53 days so it will be nearly two months old soon. I really think they will come back to me at month end if they need to move a unit.

oldfarmer50 · April 23

nyccarguy said:

tjc78 said:

@nyccarguy said:

You have to pay the dispo fee, but If there is a loyalty incentive you would still qualify.

Yes loyalty was applied. I’m so torn on the red truck.

Deal is solid but I’m a blow hard and wanted a flat $700. It beats the broker deals on LH (even figuring dispo fee)

I’m jumping ahead and will have 2 extra current truck payments and two months of insurance… but I’ll mile the current truck up in June and July which I will get my money’s worth out of.

Rams aren’t selling but the auto market is a mess right now.

Options -

Take the deal as penciled now

Wait and see if they come to me at end of the month with a better deal (doubtful)

Do nothing until last payment is made (7/2) and hope pricing hasn’t gone up. Puts me in a tough spot as I can’t be without a vehicle especially in the summer

Good job beating the broker deals on LH. With a RAM, I feel like you are in a good position to be a "blow hard" at your price. There is a huge supply of RAM 1500s out there. Maybe they all don't meet your specifications, but what you want isn't a one of one either. If you've got 2 payments left, don't stress. Just ride it out until the summer. I doubt you'll be without a vehicle for the summer.

I just saw a YT video that said Rams have a problem with the exhaust manifolds cracking. Have they dealt with that defect by now?

stickguy · April 23

the new straight 6 engines?

explorerx4 · April 23

Here's a link to 2025 Laramie's available in zip 08755
https://www.ramtrucks.com/new-inventory.ram_1500_dt.html?modelYearCode=IUT202520&radius=100&zipCode=08755&sort=0&view=list&variation=LARAMIE®&cab=Crew+Cab&optionCodes=PRV

oldfarmer50 · April 24

stickguy said:
the new straight 6 engines?

V8s I guess. 5th generation. According to sources they used to snap the bolts but now the new manifold design cracks the manifold itself.

stickguy · April 24

Sounds like stallantis style continuous improvement.

tjc78 · April 24

@oldfarmer50
I’ll have it under warranty the entire time … I am not worrying about it.

My current Ram has been prefect so far except lately I’m smelling antifreeze after driving it. Level is good, it’s running cool and no stains in driveway. Don’t think I’m gonna do anything about it.

tjc78 · April 24

@explorerx4 said:
Here's a link to 2025 Laramie's available in zip 08755
https://www.ramtrucks.com/new-inventory.ram_1500_dt.html?modelYearCode=IUT202520&radius=100&zipCode=08755&sort=0&view=list&variation=LARAMIE®&cab=Crew+Cab&optionCodes=PRV

Thanks! Been using Car Gurus too. No shortage for sure.

qbrozen · April 24

Fire was still pretty far from me but we had bad smoke yesterday afternoon into evening. My brother lives much closer to it but still north of the evacuation areas.

They’ve arrested a 19-yr-old man for arson.

tjc78 · April 24

@qbrozen said:
Fire was still pretty far from me but we had bad smoke yesterday afternoon into evening. My brother lives much closer to it but still north of the evacuation areas.

They’ve arrested a 19-yr-old man for arson.

My wife is at the shore with the kids and when I spoke with her last night she said they could smell it pretty heavily in the morning. That’s a good 70 miles or so north of us.

nyccarguy · April 25

I’ve mentioned before that my best friend is also a Chronic Car Buyer. His purchases can be impulsive at times. Other times he zeros in on a very specific vehicle he wants and gets it at the price he wants. He started looking for a new delivery vehicle for his business to replace his aging 2012 Smart Car. Besides the Smart, his current delivery fleet consists of a 2019ish Prius L Eco, an 2 Corolla LE FWD Hybrids ('20 & '21 I think). Besides tires & oil changes, one of the Corollas had an issue with the active grill shutter that had to be replaced. All 3 vehicles have well over 100K miles. So it should come as no shock that his latest acquisition is a (drumroll please) is a Black 2025 Toyota Corolla LE Hybrid AWD.

Ok. Here's why this Corolla was so specific and not that easy to come across. I even texted Jim from LH and he basically told me that the car he's looking for only exists on Toyota's website. He wanted a Corolla Hybrid because it is the perfect car for his needs. He wanted Black because it really makes his restaurant's logo pop. He wanted AWD this time around because when it snows, he has the delivery driver go around an pickup his workers who can't get out for whatever reason (their vehicle isn't good in the snow or they got plowed in...). He also wanted an LE without any accessories (or as few as possible) and without the LE Plus (or Convenience) package. In other words, he wanted the cheapest Corolla LE Hybrid AWD.

He found the car that turned out to be in transit from the dealership he's bought 4 other cars from. Both Corollas, The Prius, & His son's 4cyl '22 SR Access Cab Tacoma that used to be a delivery truck. The salesman that he bought all 4 cars from was still there and is now a team manager. He bought the car for a discount off of MSRP plus a $999 (I know) Conveyance fee, plus tax, title, & registration.

Now here's the reason people despise the car buying process. Despite this being the 5th car he bought from this dealership and him having an 800+ credit score, they still tried to jack up the financing rate on him. They still tried to sneak in $599 for VIN Etching which wasn't even done. The came time for the extended warranty. He politely declined citing his current fleet of Toyota Hybrids and 2 former Priuses that were totaled that have only needed repairs after 120K miles. Their answer was, "Well, you know they don't make these Toyotas like they used to? Engine and Transmission yes, but all the other parts have high failure rates since COVID."

Overall he's impressed with the standard features. He said this '25 has a few things that his other 2 Corollas don't, notably the LED Lights. He said the dash is different too. It rides smooth and comfortably. It isn't overly powerful, but doesn't feel sluggish. has no problem keeping up with traffic. He actually said that instead of making this another delivery vehicle he should sell his JK Rubicon Hard Rock 6MTsince he could probably get good money for it and take this as his car up here. He lives in FL and flies up every other week. I doubt he's going to part with his JK though.

stickguy · April 25

It’s my birthday weekend. Maybe for my present the wife will go car shopping with me and look at something nice. Probably not. Plus on s again it’s supposed to be rain and crappy on Saturday when dealers are open.

tjc78 · April 25

Happy Birthday!

Michaell · April 25

Happy birthday!

au1994 · April 25

Happy birthday! Nothing like a new car as a present!

au1994 · April 25

Got up early and drove to the lake this morning with a Jeep load of plants, soil, new rugs etc, etc. Sometimes makes me wish I would have opted for the Maverick.

Now I catch myself eyeing a Ridgeline as a replacement in a couple of years. No complaints about the Jeep though. It’s a nice, comfortable ride that really will swallow a lot of stuff. Averaging right around 20 combined mpg. It’s just under 12k miles so I’m on track to be over if I’m not careful.

The Audi is at around 10k 18 months into the lease. It has been pretty flawless as well although the Audi MMI can be finicky at times. That doesn’t sit well with my wife as once when it happened she was on a road trip and she lost her navigation. I’ve completely disconnected all phones and did a hard reboot once but it still happens. It’s due for an oil change so maybe I’ll see if there is a s/w update.

nyccarguy · April 25

au1994 said:
Got up early and drove to the lake this morning with a Jeep load of plants, soil, new rugs etc, etc. Sometimes makes me wish I would have opted for the Maverick.

Now I catch myself eyeing a Ridgeline as a replacement in a couple of years. No complaints about the Jeep though. It’s a nice, comfortable ride that really will swallow a lot of stuff. Averaging right around 20 combined mpg. It’s just under 12k miles so I’m on track to be over if I’m not careful.

The Audi is at around 10k 18 months into the lease. It has been pretty flawless as well although the Audi MMI can be finicky at times. That doesn’t sit well with my wife as once when it happened she was on a road trip and she lost her navigation. I’ve completely disconnected all phones and did a hard reboot once but it still happens. It’s due for an oil change so maybe I’ll see if there is a s/w update.

I have a customer that has a Ridgeline. He loves it. He says it is the pickup truck that everybody needs, but not everybody wants. I think Honda has done a nice job updating the styling and making it look for manly and rugged.

au1994 · April 25

It really would be perfect for me. Essentially a previous gen Pilot up front and a nice sized truck bed in back with a waterproof ‘trunk’ built in.

stickguy · April 25

I considered a Ridgeline as a replacement truck if I need one. Makes more sense if the wife would be ok driving it. Likely too big for her.

sda · April 25

@stickguy said:
It’s my birthday weekend. Maybe for my present the wife will go car shopping with me and look at something nice. Probably not. Plus on s again it’s supposed to be rain and crappy on Saturday when dealers are open.

Happy Birthday 🎂

stickguy · April 25

For the truck shoppers. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BQokbz8cWm0

oldfarmer50 · April 25

nyccarguy said:
I’ve mentioned before that my best friend is also a Chronic Car Buyer. His purchases can be impulsive at times. Other times he zeros in on a very specific vehicle he wants and gets it at the price he wants. He started looking for a new delivery vehicle for his business to replace his aging 2012 Smart Car. Besides the Smart, his current delivery fleet consists of a 2019ish Prius L Eco, an 2 Corolla LE FWD Hybrids ('20 & '21 I think). Besides tires & oil changes, one of the Corollas had an issue with the active grill shutter that had to be replaced. All 3 vehicles have well over 100K miles. So it should come as no shock that his latest acquisition is a (drumroll please) is a Black 2025 Toyota Corolla LE Hybrid AWD.

Ok. Here's why this Corolla was so specific and not that easy to come across. I even texted Jim from LH and he basically told me that the car he's looking for only exists on Toyota's website. He wanted a Corolla Hybrid because it is the perfect car for his needs. He wanted Black because it really makes his restaurant's logo pop. He wanted AWD this time around because when it snows, he has the delivery driver go around an pickup his workers who can't get out for whatever reason (their vehicle isn't good in the snow or they got plowed in...). He also wanted an LE without any accessories (or as few as possible) and without the LE Plus (or Convenience) package. In other words, he wanted the cheapest Corolla LE Hybrid AWD.

He found the car that turned out to be in transit from the dealership he's bought 4 other cars from. Both Corollas, The Prius, & His son's 4cyl '22 SR Access Cab Tacoma that used to be a delivery truck. The salesman that he bought all 4 cars from was still there and is now a team manager. He bought the car for a discount off of MSRP plus a $999 (I know) Conveyance fee, plus tax, title, & registration.

Now here's the reason people despise the car buying process. Despite this being the 5th car he bought from this dealership and him having an 800+ credit score, they still tried to jack up the financing rate on him. They still tried to sneak in $599 for VIN Etching which wasn't even done. The came time for the extended warranty. He politely declined citing his current fleet of Toyota Hybrids and 2 former Priuses that were totaled that have only needed repairs after 120K miles. Their answer was, "Well, you know they don't make these Toyotas like they used to? Engine and Transmission yes, but all the other parts have high failure rates since COVID."

Overall he's impressed with the standard features. He said this '25 has a few things that his other 2 Corollas don't, notably the LED Lights. He said the dash is different too. It rides smooth and comfortably. It isn't overly powerful, but doesn't feel sluggish. has no problem keeping up with traffic. He actually said that instead of making this another delivery vehicle he should sell his JK Rubicon Hard Rock 6MTsince he could probably get good money for it and take this as his car up here. He lives in FL and flies up every other week. I doubt he's going to part with his JK though.

Ha ha even the Honda dealer I dealt with only tried to jack me for $200 for Vin etching. Were they using a gold tipped engraving pen?🤣

oldfarmer50 · April 25

au1994 said:
Got up early and drove to the lake this morning with a Jeep load of plants, soil, new rugs etc, etc. Sometimes makes me wish I would have opted for the Maverick.

Now I catch myself eyeing a Ridgeline as a replacement in a couple of years. No complaints about the Jeep though. It’s a nice, comfortable ride that really will swallow a lot of stuff. Averaging right around 20 combined mpg. It’s just under 12k miles so I’m on track to be over if I’m not careful.

The Audi is at around 10k 18 months into the lease. It has been pretty flawless as well although the Audi MMI can be finicky at times. That doesn’t sit well with my wife as once when it happened she was on a road trip and she lost her navigation. I’ve completely disconnected all phones and did a hard reboot once but it still happens. It’s due for an oil change so maybe I’ll see if there is a s/w update.

I drove a Ridgeline yesterday and I was impressed how car like it drove.

We also drove some horrible POSs yesterday. Another driver and I were each assigned rusted out completely beat up Ford dually diesel dump trucks. They were awful. My coworker took his back to the yard because of a front flat tire so it was just me. As I left the yard the dash said ‘9 miles to reduced speed, add DEF’. Then we went on a search for DEF at 6 in the morning.

Luckily we found a source and started adding the fluid. Strangely it took less than a gallon before splashing out on our shoes. I got back in and started on my 100 mile trip. I immediately noticed that adding fluid didn’t help and the distance to shut down kept counting down. It hit zero and a warning came up: ‘DEF system fault, reduced speed on next start up’. So all our efforts had been a waste of time. I got it to the auction and got the heck out of there.

But the best is yet to come.

It turns out that they pumped up the tire on the second truck and gave it to another crew. As that crew was driving on the Thruway, that very same wheel decided to follow its own path and left the truck for a trip into the woods. Fortunately, the driver got it pulled over and they sent a wrecker to pick it up. Now I know why we had to hand check every lug nut on the school buses daily.

It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.😫

explorerx4 · April 25

If you are shopping 85K to 90K trucks.

jmonroe1 · April 25

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
I’ve mentioned before that my best friend is also a Chronic Car Buyer. His purchases can be impulsive at times. Other times he zeros in on a very specific vehicle he wants and gets it at the price he wants. He started looking for a new delivery vehicle for his business to replace his aging 2012 Smart Car. Besides the Smart, his current delivery fleet consists of a 2019ish Prius L Eco, an 2 Corolla LE FWD Hybrids ('20 & '21 I think). Besides tires & oil changes, one of the Corollas had an issue with the active grill shutter that had to be replaced. All 3 vehicles have well over 100K miles. So it should come as no shock that his latest acquisition is a (drumroll please) is a Black 2025 Toyota Corolla LE Hybrid AWD.

Ok. Here's why this Corolla was so specific and not that easy to come across. I even texted Jim from LH and he basically told me that the car he's looking for only exists on Toyota's website. He wanted a Corolla Hybrid because it is the perfect car for his needs. He wanted Black because it really makes his restaurant's logo pop. He wanted AWD this time around because when it snows, he has the delivery driver go around an pickup his workers who can't get out for whatever reason (their vehicle isn't good in the snow or they got plowed in...). He also wanted an LE without any accessories (or as few as possible) and without the LE Plus (or Convenience) package. In other words, he wanted the cheapest Corolla LE Hybrid AWD.

He found the car that turned out to be in transit from the dealership he's bought 4 other cars from. Both Corollas, The Prius, & His son's 4cyl '22 SR Access Cab Tacoma that used to be a delivery truck. The salesman that he bought all 4 cars from was still there and is now a team manager. He bought the car for a discount off of MSRP plus a $999 (I know) Conveyance fee, plus tax, title, & registration.

Now here's the reason people despise the car buying process. Despite this being the 5th car he bought from this dealership and him having an 800+ credit score, they still tried to jack up the financing rate on him. They still tried to sneak in $599 for VIN Etching which wasn't even done. The came time for the extended warranty. He politely declined citing his current fleet of Toyota Hybrids and 2 former Priuses that were totaled that have only needed repairs after 120K miles. Their answer was, "Well, you know they don't make these Toyotas like they used to? Engine and Transmission yes, but all the other parts have high failure rates since COVID."

Overall he's impressed with the standard features. He said this '25 has a few things that his other 2 Corollas don't, notably the LED Lights. He said the dash is different too. It rides smooth and comfortably. It isn't overly powerful, but doesn't feel sluggish. has no problem keeping up with traffic. He actually said that instead of making this another delivery vehicle he should sell his JK Rubicon Hard Rock 6MTsince he could probably get good money for it and take this as his car up here. He lives in FL and flies up every other week. I doubt he's going to part with his JK though.

Ha ha even the Honda dealer I dealt with only tried to jack me for $200 for Vin etching. Were they using a gold tipped engraving pen?🤣

————————————————
Paying only 200 bucks for VIN etching is still a good price even if you don’t want it. Lots of folks have paid a good bit more with no complaints.

jmonroe

imidazol97 · April 25

Has vin etching benefitted anyone other than the salesman and the dealership.

nyccarguy · April 25

stickguy said:
I considered a Ridgeline as a replacement truck if I need one. Makes more sense if the wife would be ok driving it. Likely too big for her.

If the lease price is right, then why not? I'd considerate it. Honda sometimes throws lease cash or trunk (bed) money at these coupled with a higher than average residual and possibly subsidized money factor.

au1994 · April 25

stickguy said:
I considered a Ridgeline as a replacement truck if I need one. Makes more sense if the wife would be ok driving it. Likely too big for her.

Mine too although she would likely rarely drive it. She thinks the JGC is ‘huge’.

corvette · April 25

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arW47fiMRv0

On another note, the balance on the Maverick note is now officially under $5k!

explorerx4 · April 25

No hat, no gloves and can't see his breath. It's not hat cold.

stickguy · April 25

au1994 said:
Got up early and drove to the lake this morning with a Jeep load of plants, soil, new rugs etc, etc. Sometimes makes me wish I would have opted for the Maverick.

Now I catch myself eyeing a Ridgeline as a replacement in a couple of years. No complaints about the Jeep though. It’s a nice, comfortable ride that really will swallow a lot of stuff. Averaging right around 20 combined mpg. It’s just under 12k miles so I’m on track to be over if I’m not careful.

The Audi is at around 10k 18 months into the lease. It has been pretty flawless as well although the Audi MMI can be finicky at times. That doesn’t sit well with my wife as once when it happened she was on a road trip and she lost her navigation. I’ve completely disconnected all phones and did a hard reboot once but it still happens. It’s due for an oil change so maybe I’ll see if there is a s/w update.

I had to pick up potting soil for my wife's herb box that she bought. 4 backs (1 CF size I think). and of course one ripped in the cart on the way out so some dirt spilled. But throwing in the back of the Maverick, no issue. would not have wanted that in the back of an SUV. And cleaning out the bed with a leaf blower is much easier than cleaning up in the cabin.

stickguy · April 25

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:
I considered a Ridgeline as a replacement truck if I need one. Makes more sense if the wife would be ok driving it. Likely too big for her.

If the lease price is right, then why not? I'd considerate it. Honda sometimes throws lease cash or trunk (bed) money at these coupled with a higher than average residual and possibly subsidized money factor.

when I looked it was because the Honda dealer up here had it on special. a loaded one, sticker about 42K, for $400 month with nothing down (probably tax and DMV on top, but I don't remember for sure)

roadburner · April 25

stickguy said:

au1994 said:
Got up early and drove to the lake this morning with a Jeep load of plants, soil, new rugs etc, etc. Sometimes makes me wish I would have opted for the Maverick.

Now I catch myself eyeing a Ridgeline as a replacement in a couple of years. No complaints about the Jeep though. It’s a nice, comfortable ride that really will swallow a lot of stuff. Averaging right around 20 combined mpg. It’s just under 12k miles so I’m on track to be over if I’m not careful.

The Audi is at around 10k 18 months into the lease. It has been pretty flawless as well although the Audi MMI can be finicky at times. That doesn’t sit well with my wife as once when it happened she was on a road trip and she lost her navigation. I’ve completely disconnected all phones and did a hard reboot once but it still happens. It’s due for an oil change so maybe I’ll see if there is a s/w update.
I had to pick up potting soil for my wife's herb box that she bought. 4 backs (1 CF size I think). and of course one ripped in the cart on the way out so some dirt spilled. But throwing in the back of the Maverick, no issue. would not have wanted that in the back of an SUV. And cleaning out the bed with a leaf blower is much easier than cleaning up in the cabin.

I wanted to run over to the Jeep dealer today because I wanted to get a bolt that I'll need for the steering stabilizer install. My wife went along as she wanted to buy some plants as well as a couple of new end tables for the side patio. I flipped down the rear seat and we ended up putting in 3 hanging baskets, a flat of some others flowers (don't ask me what they are- I don't know and definitely don't care), and the two end tables. The plants went on the WeatherTech cargo mat, so the cleanup consisted of pulling it out and brushing it off. I also filled the Jeep up; it seems that my wife is a bit of a leadfoot- only 40.9 mpg on Shell 93 (V-Power NiTRO+).

breld · April 26

Wife and I got out early today to test out several EVs to replace the Audi Q8 when the lease is up…

BMW iX - looked at a CPO 2022 iX w/15k miles. Quiet and comfortable, but not quite as smooth as the Q8. Looks are still a little controversial, but it seems more normal now than it did a few years ago.
BMW i5 - Super serene drive with still a bit of sportiness. And this was the base edrive40 model. Plenty quick.
Honda Prologue - totally shocked us at how nice it was. The one-pedal driving was more predictable than the BMWs. Nothing particularly exciting, but very competent.
MINI Countryman SE - in line with expectations, this was the most fun of the bunch. Very fun interior with different materials and fabrics. And for better or worse, it’s grown enough in size that it was quite roomy and comfortable. My wife sat in the back seat and did comment that the ride was busier than the other rides (again, stands to reason).
Cadillac Vistiq - they just got one in, so we took a quick drive in it. It’s a 205” 3-row SUV but certainly scoots along with the electric motors. It’s be interesting to test that up against the Kia EV9 again.
Cadillac LYRIQ - took everything I liked about the Prologue, but with a more upscale feel (and more power). Super smooth and compliant ride - exactly what you’d expect in a Caddy.

Right now, the i5 would be my first choice, with the LYRIQ a close second.

Michaell · April 26

Member needs help evaluating a pair of CX-7s

stickguy · April 26

if you liked the Honda and Caddy, how about looking at the Acura version of the platform?

qbrozen · April 26

@nyccarguy said:
I’ve mentioned before that my best friend is also a Their answer was, "Well, you know they don't make these Toyotas like they used to? Engine and Transmission yes, but all the other parts have high failure rates since COVID."

I’m such a petty jerk that I would have said, “really? Oh, then I don’t want to buy the car.”

When I bought the new Honda Fit, F&I lady started in about the warranty and I said, “if it needs it, then I don’t want to buy the car. I can buy something way cooler than a Honda Fit if I’ll just have problems anyway.” She immediately stopped pushing. If she gave me a line about high failure rates, I would have told her to keep the car.

graphicguy · April 27

breld said:
Wife and I got out early today to test out several EVs to replace the Audi Q8 when the lease is up…

BMW iX - looked at a CPO 2022 iX w/15k miles. Quiet and comfortable, but not quite as smooth as the Q8. Looks are still a little controversial, but it seems more normal now than it did a few years ago.
BMW i5 - Super serene drive with still a bit of sportiness. And this was the base edrive40 model. Plenty quick.
Honda Prologue - totally shocked us at how nice it was. The one-pedal driving was more predictable than the BMWs. Nothing particularly exciting, but very competent.
MINI Countryman SE - in line with expectations, this was the most fun of the bunch. Very fun interior with different materials and fabrics. And for better or worse, it’s grown enough in size that it was quite roomy and comfortable. My wife sat in the back seat and did comment that the ride was busier than the other rides (again, stands to reason).
Cadillac Vistiq - they just got one in, so we took a quick drive in it. It’s a 205” 3-row SUV but certainly scoots along with the electric motors. It’s be interesting to test that up against the Kia EV9 again.
Cadillac LYRIQ - took everything I liked about the Prologue, but with a more upscale feel (and more power). Super smooth and compliant ride - exactly what you’d expect in a Caddy.
Right now, the i5 would be my first choice, with the LYRIQ a close second.

Came this close to getting the Prologue. Felt the same about how much I liked it when I test drove it. It was leasing extremely well at the time, too.

graphicguy · April 27

Michaell said:
Member needs help evaluating a pair of CX-7s

I took a look at the post and realized I had never driven one, nor knew anyone who ever owned one.

Owned an RX8 for a bit, but that's a totally different animal.

stickguy · April 27

Michael is the only person I knew that had one.

my take, at that age/miles, I would stay away from the turbo for sure.

nyccarguy · April 27

Did any of you guys see that guy on LH that scored the sub $300 payment on an $81K loaner or demo Silverado EV WT?

kyfdx · April 27

When the CX-7 first came out, it was turbo only. It was only the later models that offered a non-turbo engine.

Which also might explain how the later models were generally better. I think the turbo was problematic, all the way through.

stickguy · April 27

Pine Hollow auto diagnostics (love that channel) has done some videos on the CX-7 Turbo.

stickguy · April 27

nyccarguy said:
Did any of you guys see that guy on LH that scored the sub $300 payment on an $81K loaner or demo Silverado EV WT?

If someone offered that to me for realz at the dealer I would do it. And I don't even want a barge that big.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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