Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

lemmer · June 2008

Yes. Like many people, I think this guy really had his "needs" and his "wants" highly confused.

corvette · June 2008

The V8 Envoy is not that roomy, and gets similar mileage to the X5 (although I think it doesn't require premium like the BMW). I'm certain the driving experience doesn't compare between the two...

I don't know that a used Toyota or Lexus anything will ever be "cheap." I'd bet that the values of used domestic SUVs will be the most impacted by high gas prices.

woodyww · June 2008

Like many people, I think this guy really had his "needs" and his "wants" highly confused.

Uh, isn't that called being a Car Addict? :shades:

woodyww · June 2008

You do realize it is approaching 35 cents PER MILE to drive a Land Cruiser, right?!

Well, this is the place to auto-fantasize, right, w/o it costing anything? But you're right, I'm not gonna really buy a TLC. Tell the truth, the 17/22 mpg I'm getting in my 5 series wagon is not killing me now, but doesn't seem as reasonable as it used to. I do find myself planning local shopping trips more carefully, as a 17 mile R/T costs $4.

Best thing I did was to trade my '98 RangeRover for the E39 wagon. That beast got 10.8 mpg around town. 300 miles on a 25 gal. tank, & I thought that was expensive even in 2001.....

british_rover · June 2008

A 2008 Model Range Rover does about 550 miles on a 24.5 gallon tank so they have improved somewhat.

fintail · June 2008

In the city?

british_rover · June 2008

Nah that is a pure highway number. They were rated 18 or 19 mph depending on if you use the 2008 or 2007 EPA test but you can get 21 or 22 mpg with the right driving style.

kyfdx · June 2008

with the right driving style.

Yeah... raw egg between foot and gas pedal... :surprise:

british_rover · June 2008

Bah I have gotten as high as 23 mpg out of one of those and so have two of my co-workers. It just takes smooth driving inputs and keeping your speed under 70 mph. The trick is to use the accelerator very smoothly and slowly because that ZF six speed shifts so fast you can go from sixth gear to third gear in the blink of an eye.

They don't get very good gas mileage taching over 6,000 rpms in third gear at 75 mph.

fezo · June 2008

Yeah... raw egg between foot and gas pedal...

It's a little rough on the carpet....

corvette · June 2008

My 3-series would get around 34 MPG (according to the computer, averaged over a long distance) at 70 MPH, and 30-32 at 75-80. Only car I've ever had where I could exceed the EPA rating.

Highest I have ever seen in the Audi was 29 MPG (over a full tank). It doesn't have a MPG calculator, only a distance-to-empty... And, with gas as high as it is, I drive it until it's as close to empty as possible to delay the pain of filling up.

fintail · June 2008

I don't doubt they can do well over 20 on the highway...I can get 25mpg out of my E55 if I take it easy. In city traffic, especially here with negligently sequenced lights, I rarely break 15mpg.

guss · June 2008

I used to run my cars until the low fuel light came on. Now that prices are rising daily I will fill up at the half way mark. I figure buy it while it's cheaper. Back in the 70's for a while there they were blaiming the crisis on topping off, I haven't heard that one yet with the current run up of prices.

lilengineerboy · June 2008

I used to run my cars until the low fuel light came on. Now that prices are rising daily I will fill up at the half way mark. I figure buy it while it's cheaper. Back in the 70's for a while there they were blaiming the crisis on topping off, I haven't heard that one yet with the current run up of prices

After growing up on California's central coast, I have been taught never to let my car drop below 1/4 tank and refill more at the 1/2 tank mark. Widlfires, torrential rains, floods, mudslides, earthquakes and rolling blackouts all affect fuel supply, and I want to be able to evacuate if necessary. In Michigan, its less of an issue, but still, knowing I can get out of the area if there is another huge blackout like in 2002 or 3, or if there is some type of attack on the country, is important to me.

mark156 · June 2008

I have decided to sell my 2000 E430 sport. I've got to make room for the new car when it comes, hopefully, by the end of the year.

Stats..
2000 MB E430 sport
Brilliant Silver with Ash leather
Orthopedic adjustable front seats
6 CD changer
39,400 miles

I see on ebay they are 'asking' anywhere from $13K-$16K with 60,000 miles to 140,000 miles.

I'll check at Carmax to see what they say and I might try a private sale.

The new car itch has been activated! :P

Mark156

corvette · June 2008

I think it's a good candidate for a private sale... One owner, low mileage, and I'm sure you have all the service records. The body repair is a negative, especially in that market, but if you have the records showing that it was truly a minor repair, I don't think it should hurt the prospects that much.

(What will probably hurt the prospects more, is the fact that it's a V8 car that drinks premium fuel... :P )

It never really occurred to me that premium fuel is now at a 35-40 cent premium, until I filled up today! I've heard people talk about buying a horse, but you have to feed them whether you ride them or not...

woodyww · June 2008

you can get 21 or 22 mpg with the right driving style

Do you tell your customers that? More importantly, do you still have customers for Range Rovers? (I guess the rich can pay anything for gas tho).

It's interesting, 21-22-23 mpg hwy is about what I get with my 6 cyl. bmw E39, which weighs what, at least a 1000 lbs. less, & no 4wd? (I can get the readout @25 mpg at 70 mph, but pit stops & toll booths lowers it).

More than anything with my Range Rover, was the gas spent driving it every few weeks to & from the dealership or other repair shops......at 10.8-12mpg, like adding insult to injury.......

british_rover · June 2008

Do you tell your customers that? More importantly, do you still have customers for Range Rovers? (I guess the rich can pay anything for gas tho).

Yup because it says so right under the highway number on the Range Rover. Just under the 18 mpg highway rating are words that say something to the effect of, "depending on conditions mpg between 14 and 22 can be expected."

I can get higher then 22 but I don't usually mention that as there are kinds of issues with claiming gas mileage that is higher then the EPA sticker. Never mind that using the pre 2007 test the Range Rover got between 19 and 20 highway and the disclaimer on the bottom said I think 16-24 as the possible range.

So far this month we have delivered seven new Land Rovers. The only model we haven't sold this month is a LR2 the most fuel efficient one... :surprise:

We have also delivered four pre-owned Land Rovers and a large assortment of off brand used vehicles.

kyfdx · June 2008

I don't think that is what it states...

More like: Vehicles in this class achieve ratings in the range of 14 and 22 mpg..

I might be wrong... but, go look... and get back to us..

british_rover · June 2008

Ohh I have a picture...

Lets see if this stretches the forum too much.

If it does I will resize it but I really would rather not.

kyfdx · June 2008

I stand corrrected!!

british_rover · June 2008

And that is for the 400 hp Supercharged Range Rover so I would expect the 305 hp ones to do a little better in real life driving.

nippononly · June 2008

so which TWO PERCENT of the Range Rover Sport is American-made?! ;-)

british_rover · June 2008

Ehh thats the Range Rover not Range Rover Sport and I honestly have no idea.

On the Sport the power mirror and power adjustable steering wheel controls are pulled right off the Ford parts bin so I guess those are American made. On the Range Rover most of the interior switch gear was pulled right from the BMW 7 series so I assume it is made by Siemens.

mattandi · June 2008

hehe

Estimated annual fuel costs based on $2.80 per gallon. Those were the good ol' days.

woodyww · June 2008

I noticed the "Combined" EPA mileage on the window sticker of 14......I'm glad the EPA is doing that now, 'cause the city/hwy ratings are usually optimistic I think.

So far this month we have delivered seven new Land Rovers.

That's truly astonishing. But I guess the rich still don't have to worry about gas mileage on giant SUV's even at $4+ gas.

I won't even mention Peak Oil, our dependence on foreign oil, the always precarious Middle East, Global Warming, Etc. It's either comical, or sad.......esp. when you read all the news about many people frantically dumping their big SUV's to buy economy cars.....just to be able to afford to go to work.....

qbrozen · June 2008

no buying this weekend?
You guys are gonna make me go and buy another one just to support the board?
I saw a '68 Toyota Corona at a used car dealer (of all places). ;P

Personally, I may become a chronic tire buyer. Took the G35X to my first autocross this weekend at Englishtown. I absolutely shredded the all-season radials. I realized this can be addicting and I'll be doing this quite a bit, so I placed a call yesterday to tirerack and ordered up a complete set of rims and ultra high performance rubber. Figure I'll drive to the track and swap on the spot just for racing, then swap back and drive home. The wheels aren't very attractive, but since they are for track-only, I don't care much. They should be here early next week in time for the June 28th event.

lilengineerboy · June 2008

Personally, I may become a chronic tire buyer. Took the G35X to my first autocross this weekend at Englishtown. I absolutely shredded the all-season radials. I realized this can be addicting and I'll be doing this quite a bit, so I placed a call yesterday to tirerack and ordered up a complete set of rims and ultra high performance rubber. Figure I'll drive to the track and swap on the spot just for racing, then swap back and drive home

Track wheels and tires for the Contour was the best investment I made. I bought stock wheels in the stock size used, and then fitted them with BFG Comp T/A R1s (the bees knees at the time) in a +0 size. A phenominal improvement in handling (although it did bump me out of the "stock tire/amateur bracket), and I still got a full lifetime out of the SP4000s.
There are nuances to inflation pressure and other things to help get rid of some of the understeer. You also kind of learn where the limit is so you don't overdrive the car.
Man, is that a good time.

kyfdx · June 2008

Sounds like you better keep the Accord around for awhile... you might need it.. :surprise: :P

bumpy · June 2008

so I placed a call yesterday to tirerack and ordered up a complete set of rims and ultra high performance rubber. Figure I'll drive to the track and swap on the spot just for racing, then swap back and drive home.

Yeah, there are lots of people who drive to the track and swap tires. Don't forget the torque wrench.

qbrozen · June 2008

Don't forget the torque wrench.

bah! I'm old fashioned (or at least, I learned from someone who is old fashioned). My elbow is my torque wrench. ;b

bumpy · June 2008

High-performance driving is not the time to be guessing how tight the lugnuts are. :sick:

Use the wrench.

qbrozen · June 2008

Those were the wrong nuts, apparently. No way all 4 are coming off due to incorrect torque specs.

guss · June 2008

My guess is he had some really sick friends.

nippononly · June 2008

"no buying this weekend?"

I came this close this week to buying an '05 Civic EX-SE coupe, 5-speed stick, 47K miles, blue. Brand new tires (cheapo brand though), in very nice shape, not certified even though it was for sale at a Honda dealer. The CARFAX looked good, one owner, showed it to have actually hit the road in late '04, dealer was asking $13999, I wouldn't pay more than $11,5, they wouldn't go for it.

This was a car that only stickered for around $17K when it was brand new, and the brand new '08 model right now stickers for $19,3, I could get it for about $18,3 without any negotiation just by going through AAA buying service. So I figure no way am I going to pay $13K for a 4-year-old model, especially since the '08 has better fuel economy, way more power, and standard side curtains (and what I would say are better-looking rims, although the SE rims on the '05 certainly weren't a deal-breaker).

I mean, yes it's a Honda, but STILL. So, no sale. Sigh.

I have begun noticing used Fits at dealers listed at outrageous prices - $20-22K or more, when the new ones sticker for about $16K - and have heard from several sources that the new Corollas, which were easy to get discounts on two months ago, are now selling close to sticker. So maybe the market for small fuel-efficient cars really is THAT crunched now.

All I know is when I went to trade in the Echo, which gets more than 40 mpg all the time and is in great shape, the guy gave me the usual song and dance about how he couldn't sell that car, no-one is buying right now, and his maximum offer would not exceed Kelly wholesale. :sick:

mark156 · June 2008

You guys won't believe what Carmax offered to buy my 2000 Mercedes E430 Sport...

Only 39,350 miles, excellent condition for the year......

They offered $9,000! I told them I could use it as a door stop for that much money! LOL! ...... and will !!!!

From what I can gather, retail would be something like $16,000 to $18,000 at a dealer... I would think a private sale I could get something like $14,000-$16,000, but we'll see.

I might just give it to a relative rather than give it to a dealer.

Mark156

[Deleted User] · June 2008

I might just give it to a relative rather than give it to a dealer

...that's my Uncle Mark, heart of gold!

guss · June 2008

My observation from driving thru the dealers lots is that Honda has alot more Civics available than Toyota has Corollas. My guess is that since the '09 Corolla is new , that their was more of a natural demand for them to begin with. I can't understand it because I thought the Civic was a better car, the space age styling may put some people off but I like it.

Most of the Civics I noticed were EXs, so maybe people are bottom feeding on the LX.

lemmer · June 2008

I'm feeling generous today. Sight unseen, I'll give you $9,100 cash.

nippononly · June 2008

for used Civics again last night, found even more ludicrous prices out there. Example: '05 Civic EX-SE 5 speed 2-door, 34K miles, certified, offered at $19,995. Bear in mind the sticker on better-equipped more powerful BRAND NEW '08 EXs is $19,305. And yes, they had some of those in stock at this dealership.

Example: '04 Corolla S, 82K miles, 5 speed, 2 different brands of tires on the car, $11,995. This, for a car as common as air, that sold and sells for roughly $17K brand new.

I WAS gratified to see that the Honda dealers I visited were not marking up the small fuel-efficient models. They clearly were doing brisk business in Civics - at one I visited the lot was mostly bare in that corner, and the last Civic hybrid was going out the door at the very moment I was there.

Anyway, I think my casual pursuit of a nice used Civic is over - the prices are ridiculous right now. I DO have half an eye on a nice used Celica GTS that seems reasonably priced - I might go check it out tonight...

qbrozen · June 2008

Well, if a Celica GTS catches your eye, I was just saying on the Project Cars board that I saw in the local autoshopper a '96 Prelude Vtec with less than 100k miles for $4500.

I wouldn't touch a used Civic ... ever. Its just not worth it to me. A used Protege/mazda3 is more fun and much less $$. Heck, my BIL is currently leasing a nicely equipped mazda3s. Original sticker was near $20k. He's got a 27mo/27k lease with a $12k residual. So $12k for a 2-yr-old model with only 27k miles seems like a screaming deal compared to what you are seeing out there on its competitors. I hope he thinks long and hard about buying it at the end.

I've also noticed used Scions are pretty inexpensive. Very low-mileage Xbs in the $11k range, for example.

On a semi-side note, a claimed stock Fit was embarassing much more capable cars at the autoX. He was running times in line with the Miatas!

stever · June 2008

You guys probably would save a lot of money if you'd just band together and rotate your car to the next guy every three or four months. Y'all can meet at my house to do the swaps; I'm halfway between Akangl and everyone else. There's plenty of parking room in my pasture and I'll only ask dibs on getting first choice of what to drive myself.

We can let Mark update the fleet with some brand new metal every six months.

kyfdx · June 2008

Proteges are getting hard to find... and, have experienced the same rise in price as every other subcompact..

But, I agree.. I'd rather have one of those, than a Civic...

Steve.. I'll be the "east of the Mississippi" swap point.. Just as soon as Mark gets me that Mercedes..

stever · June 2008

Boy, the sacrifices we make for CarSpace.

Can I borrow your Nuvi btw? :shades:

fintail · June 2008

I'm not surprised. I bet something like that would be relatively slow to sell on a lot right now, everyone is after econoboxes.

I think you could get 15K for it privately, but much more might be tough.

qbrozen · June 2008

You guys probably would save a lot of money if you'd just band together and rotate your car to the next guy every three or four months.

I think that's an AWESOME idea!

Of course, there's that whole insurance thing to worry about. Hmmm...

kyfdx · June 2008

Sure you can!! Think you can find your way to my house to pick it up?

nippononly · June 2008

I saw one nice Prelude which I am also going to take a look at, an '01 SH I think it was? It had around 100K on it, they wanted about $9 grand, silver, stick shift. I have never owned any of the last-gen Preludes, but I loved older ones I owned in the past.

I have also seen ads for one or two Mazda Pro5s, which I also like, but that is a car that never sold in big numbers and they are hard to find. Ditto an Impreza 2.5RS of less than ten years' age, another car I would be most interested in picking up used. I did see one that looked promising, blue, but a little worn out for its age.

By comparison, it is easy to find used Celica GTSs, and I always liked the look of those.

lemmer · June 2008

Funny you should mention the Prelude and Celica GTS. I am interested in those also, but most of the ones around here are autos. I would assume that an auto would particularly suck the life out of a Celica.

How much would you pay for the silver Prelude assuming it checks out?

fezo · June 2008

A Celica does OK with an auto. I bought a 99 Celica GT convertible a couple of months ago. I'd have preferred a stick but had to go with what was available. I would expect a stick to be loads more fun.

That swapping car thought sounds like an idea I had years ago that would be perfect for CCBs - the Car of the Month Club. You'd join and pay a monthly fee giving you a car out of the fleet for a month before trading for the next one. Figuring out the nuts and bolts of making that work is beyond me so I never went very far with the idea.

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