Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy · April 2012

At the price, I was interested in riding the roller coaster of a 10 YO Audi, since it only has 60K on it.

Until I got to the good parts: "salvage title" and "won't start and we can't figure out why"

Hey, what could possibly go wrong, right?

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2946091663.html

stickguy · April 2012

I really need to stay off of Craig's...

This actually looks like it could be a good deal. Not a bad price, and I am aprtial to 1 owner cars in expensive neighborhoods! If it comes with papers, the price is not too bad (I don't think).

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2945395304.html

tjc78 · April 2012

I like that style 5er. Could do worse for 4600.

isellhondas · April 2012

Some people buy used cars with one thing in mind. The odometer reading!

They will overlook a lot of things but if the car has "low miles" that's the main thing.

kyfdx · April 2012

meh... seems boring.. :P

mvs1 · April 2012

I would agree, while its not the only factor. It is the single largest indicator of remaining life in a vehicle. Manufacturers use this to determine at what point in a vehicles life they will no longer certify it.

All things being equal vehicle mileage is the single greatest influencer of overall value of as well (i.e. what you can get by selling/trading in) said vehicle.

Saying you have a lightly used (highway driven) 100,000 mile vehicle, is akin to saying you are a 57 year old teenage heart throb.

isellhondas · April 2012

I agree about the influence on value but mileage is a very inaccurate way of accessing a car's condition.

I have seen a LOT of cars with 150,000 miles that were well maintained and not skimped on that were in better shape than cars with half that number of miles.

Yet, when shopping for a used car, people spend thousands of dollars more just because of low miles.

In the old days, a lot of the car lots had a "cure" for high miles!

mvs1 · April 2012

Yes mileage is but one variable....quite possibly the most influential, that's merely my point. My old accord had 220,000 on the clock and ran like a champ just like it did at 80,000 miles, because I took care of it. Selling it I would get more if I had closer to the 80k miles though.

Yes, the good old days weren't that far back actually. Many a car had dialed back odometers and then advertised as 'cream puffs'

isellhondas · April 2012

They used to have guys who would travel from lot to lot "clocking" cars just like the windshield ding guys do now. They carried what looked like a doctor's bag and they worked quickly!

tjc78 · April 2012

Not to mention in those days you could simply disconnect the speedometer and could drive forever not putting a single mile on the car.

michaellno · April 2012

Not to mention in those days you could simply disconnect the speedometer and could drive forever not putting a single mile on the car.

When I was in HS, I knew a guy who did that. He was a friend of the family of a girl I was dating at the time, and he bought a Pace Car Corvette - probably around '81 or '82. He disconnected the speedometer as he felt it would help the value of the car when he eventually sold it. He estimated his speed by using the tach.

graphicguy · April 2012

Oh my.....someone needs to slap that guy in the back of the head. I like his qualifier that his new ride must be fast. I thought those flames made the BMW fast? :sick:

graphicguy · April 2012

stickguy...if you're going to keep that SAAB you showed the listing for until the wheels fell off, then it might be worth it. However, as of right now, it's still not clear who is going to keep making parts for them (if anyone). The number of garages who will continue to train techs on how to maintain SAABs will dwindle.

Not saying anything about them as worthy cars. I see late model examples every once in a great while cruising the local streets. They looked like they were getting their act together in recent years. But, I would get a service manual, and put some parts on the shelf to keep as the ones in the SAAB go bad.

It's a white elephant!

graphicguy · April 2012

isellhondas....I'll defer to you as you have a whole lot more experience than I do regarding used cars.

However, be it right or be it wrong, I've always used the odo reading as a gage on any used car I've bought. Even if the oil was religiously changed, the trans and coolant religiously changed, the brakes religiously checked and changed, etc, a car body, all the fittings, bolts, screws, glue takes a beating over those miles.

Corrosive elements seep into crevices over a period of time.

In short, 100,000 miles can cause a good bit of wear and tear. That's not to say you can't find a cherry that was garage kept, never hit a pot hole, never saw a salt crystal, etc. Those exist. Tough finding them, though.

Then again, I don't buy a used car very often.

isellhondas · April 2012

I didn't mean to imply that miles aren't important. They are.

I just meant to say that low miles don't always equate to a good car and there are a lot of cars out there with high miles that can be a great value and have a lot of life left in them.

For some shoppers ALL they care about are miles and that is a foolish way to evaluate a car's condition.

qbrozen · April 2012

funny enough ... after we had talked about this black trim on the 540s, I went home and looked at my car. Sure enough, my trim is actually black! Its just so much less noticeable thanks to the very dark blue color of the car. I definitely wouldn't like it against lighter paint.

stickguy · April 2012

well, miles do vary. It is a lot harder on a car that lives in an extreme climate (like the colder part of NY) that parks outside, and has a lot of cold starts and short hops where it never gets warmed up. 10 years and 60K of that can wear a car out.

contrast that to a car that lives in a garage in a temperate climate, and is used for a daily highway commute of 40 miles each way, so it always gets fully warmed up. 5 years of that might add up to 90K, and a car that is barely broken in!

I see the point that miles are kind of a "standard", but every car has to be evaluated individually. The Volvo I just bought was like the 2nd scenario, barely 5 YO but relatively high miles for its age, but priced accordingly to reflect that. And still very good condition.

also, fit my needs, because it just gets used for putting around town, and soon for my daughter's HS runabout. So over the next 6 years (how long I hope to keep it through her college years!) if nothing goes wrong the miles are going to even out to average.

corvette · April 2012

It seems like many of the older MBs, BMWs, and Volvos had black trim on the bumpers and on the door protectors. The modern trend is to have monochrome everything.

I remember when Honda used black trim on their LX models and painted trim on the EX models, which made the difference between the two very noticeable. I think they have relented and the newer Accord and Civic LX have painted trim.

qbrozen · April 2012

That was the case when the Pilot was first introduced, too. Had to step up to the EX to avoid the black trim dorkiness.

kyfdx · April 2012

In '97, you also got alloys, rear disc brakes and 5 more horsepower with the EX Accord!!

kyfdx · April 2012

I did end up going to New Orleans for the Final Four.. A good time was had by all..

We rented a new Nissan Altima for the trip..

akangl · April 2012

Traded in the 2011 F-150 (aka The Princess) for a 2007 GMC Sierra SLT 2500HD Duramax diesel with 41k miles on it. One owner truck in amazing condition, fully loaded with leather, sunroof, even rear DVD, basically all the goodies. Ended up only losing about $5k on the F-150, dealer stepped up, it was Easter Sunday and they wanted to make a deal.

In a funny twist of fate I ended up buying the truck at a GMC dealership from the brother of a guy I used to work for at another GMC dealership.

stickguy · April 2012

congrats. sounds like like a much better beast to haul you out of the wilderness.

tjc78 · April 2012

diesel

Enough said! I have driven a Sliverado pretty much equipped like yours. Nice truck and the powertrain is effortless.

Congrats. Like Stick said it will be a much better vehicle to tow with. I bet you will also make up some of the $$ you lost on the F150 in fuel savings over the long trip.

qbrozen · April 2012

So the 135 is in for service. They gave me a 2011 non-sport 128i automatic loaner. Simply put (and I hope I don't offend anyone here ... I don't think anyone owns one, though?), I can't believe these 2 cars are related, let alone the same car with different packages. Engine is coarse and loud, transmission is slow to respond to commands, and the seat is flat and uncomfortable. If I had driven this car prior to a 135, I never would have gone any further in the search.

I can only give it a couple of positive remarks. With the 17" wheels, non-runflats, and non-sport suspension, it is definitely more compliant. It also responds to steering inputs quicker.

I'm surprised by the engine. It just isn't melodic or smooth like a BMW I6 should be. What is up with that? Maybe I've just become spoiled by the turbo I6.

rayainsw · April 2012

I drove the 335iS to the mountains this weekend.
[ Duluth to Amicalola Falls, in North Georgia. ]
When I returned, I had driven 112.5 miles
up and back [ filled the tank and reset the odometer
just after I left the house ] and displayed average mpg was 27.6.
[ So, actual was probably just under 27.0 ]
About a third of the driving was on well surfaced, 2lane
country roads. Curves. Elevation changes. Fun.
[ I do really enjoy driving this car ! ]
- Ray
Addicted to the turbo I6s TQ, smoothness, sound, etc.

qbrozen · April 2012

Don't know if you've seen this, but here is a fun groupon.

I'm not sure if its all that great or not. I'd obviously opt to drive. But even at $33/lap, it seems kinda pricey. It is a long course, though. Tough call.

tjc78 · April 2012

Looks like a fun time. The price is expensive, but the Groupon appears to be much less than the pricing on their website. I was poking around the site and all the cars are automatics except the Lotus. I'd probably take the Bentley of the Aston.

I wish I would have seen this before the guys booked something else for my bachelor party. It would have a made a great activity earlier in the day.

graphicguy · April 2012

ray....while not nearly as fun as your drive, I did drive from Cincinnati to Indianapolis to visit my sister for Easter Sunday. Only used a 1/2 tank of gas (Costco premium). But, I filled up my 335i xDrive right before I left, and immediately after I returned.

All highway, doing about 75-85 MPH most of the way. 29.6 MPG was what I figured manually, 29.7 MPG was what the car's computer said (which is surprisingly quite accurate). Real pleased with that.

If the weather holds out, the GF and I will be doing a little back road driving heading to Amish country this weekend.

That should be big fun, too.

qbrozen · April 2012

I can't seem to get up there. I can sort of keep it near 30 mpg on the highway, but it never seems to balance out the few miles of surface streets I drive. My best average thus far on a tank was 26mpg.

the 1 is rated slightly lower than the 3, though, believe it or not. I guess its less aerodynamic shape cancels out the weight advantage, and then some.

corvette · April 2012

I'm sure I've said this here before, but the 94-95 Accord EX four cylinder was the high water mark for that model. The V6 had a chrome grille that looked less sporty than the painted one on the four-banger, and I think the V6 also had alloy wheels that resembled hubcaps (the alloys on the four cylinder EX looked much better). Then they plastered the chrome grille and new taillights on all of the models when they refreshed the car in 1996.

nyccarguy · April 2012

My In-Laws bought this for me for my birthday last week. I seriously cannot wait to go! Not sure which car I'm going to drive. I'm torn between the Gallardo & the F430. I'm leaning toward the F430 because I've always wanted to drive a Ferrari.

tjc78 · April 2012

Report back, I am seriously considering doing this. I would love to drive the Lambo, but I'm sure it would be super tight inside for me.

kyfdx · April 2012

Must have got a bad one... I don't see any big difference between my inline-6 and the newer model.... in all the loaners that I've had..

But, doesn't the 128i also have runflats?

graphicguy · April 2012

q....don't know if it would make that much of a difference, but the drive from Cincinnati to Indianapolis was done on relatively flat roads. I was in the "fast lane" the whole way, and didn't have to slow down at all for traffic in front of me. I would say I only drove 4-5 miles of it on surface streets as my sister's house is relatively close to I-74.

26 isn't shabby, though.

Surprising about the 1 series MPG. When I was looking, I test drove a 135i convertible. That was large fun. But, I had my heart set on the x35 turbo I6. And, they wanted more for that 135i convertible than what I was able to buy the 335i coupe for.

rayainsw · April 2012

That is all I see on the BMW USA web site.
No 'go flat's...
- Ray
Not as low profile, perhaps?
Edit: All seasons?

qbrozen · April 2012

yes, they had all-seasons on this car. I'm almost certain non-runflat. Unless RFTs have come a long way toward impersonating regular tires. Maybe they put the RFTs aside until they want to sell the loaner?? I dunno.

Just got back. Man, what great service. Did everything I asked and then some. Makes me kind sad I only have 4k miles left on the service/warranty. Oh well.

qbrozen · April 2012

I have a feeling you don't get a choice. Or at least not much of one. They also have something in the fine print about restrictions on those folks over 6'3" ... or somewhere around there. I'm 6'5".

EDIT: found it again... All participants to a driving experience or a ride-along must be taller than 30 and no taller than 61.

So I couldn't do it if I wanted to.

kyfdx · April 2012

I bet they were runflats... On the 2011+ models that have all-seasons.... I can't tell the difference...

They are way better than 3 or 4 years ago... at least with non-summer rubber..

qbrozen · April 2012

Huh.
Yeah, I guess it probably was these:

I really wouldn't have thought they could make them with such tall sidewalls. And apparently they are 16s, not even 17s.

stickguy · April 2012

looks like fun, but an expensive 2 minutes or so.

Couldn't you just go down to Kerbeck's in Palmyra, and take some test drives, and get the same buzz? a few hot passes on the 130-73 cloverleaf should do it!

stickguy · April 2012

on our trip to NC (outer banks), the Odyssey did well. Came down the "back" way (rt 13 to the CB bridge-tunnel), which has a fair amount of local stretches, so a fair amount of stopping for lights, etc. Then a bunch of local highways. 359 miles, took 6.5 hours (including a stop at subway), so traffic was not bad. Overall, got a smidge over 26mpg. Certainly helps not blasting along at 75+

that was IIRC the highest I have ever gotten on a tank.

stickguy · April 2012

Oh, got to ride in one of these for 2 hours today. Actually in the back. probably an early 00s model? The curvy style.

Not exactly the same set up though, since this was an "outback" tour truck tooling along the beaches and behind the dunes sightseeing the wild horse preserve. Man, you get wind(and sand) blasted sitting on benches, up above cab height, with no wind screen!

Next time I do this, I am renting a jeep and driving myself. Looks to be quite the fun time.

stever · April 2012

Ah, the joys of small town life. My "father in law" hasn't been too healthy the last two months and asked me to sell his old truck for $500. Edmunds pegged it at $1,000 in average condition. Their housekeeper was interested but didn't move on it yesterday when they found out they were going to sell it, so I ran an ad on craigslist, asking $1,000.

The ad had a one line description, a couple of photos and the only contact info was the anonymous craigslist address.

This morning a guy showed up unannounced at their house and said he'd buy it (without even driving it). When I got the call about it, I was scratching my head trying to figure out how he tracked the truck down with no local contact info.

Turns out he's a mechanic and had worked on the truck before and recognized it from the photo, and thought the price was fair. So he drove over to the house and did the deal.

rayainsw · April 2012

Very cool story!
- Ray
Not living in a small town any more....

akangl · April 2012

diesel

Enough said! I have driven a Sliverado pretty much equipped like yours. Nice truck and the powertrain is effortless.

Congrats. Like Stick said it will be a much better vehicle to tow with. I bet you will also make up some of the $$ you lost on the F150 in fuel savings over the long trip

It is effortless, I've been very impressed by the truck. Its smooth and quiet, the transmission is wonderful, its shifting is without fault. So unlike the F-150 which was bump shifting, double shifting, and was known to get stuck in second or third gear at 60 mph (kinda fun if you don't look at where the rpms are!).

The other thing that has absolutely blown me away about the Duramax is the fuel economy, the F-150 averaged about 16-17 mpg mixed city/hwy, so far the Duramax has averaged 18-19 mpg in the same driving. On the highway it easily gets over 20 mpg. Very impressive for a 3/4 ton truck.

Only downside I've found........have to shut the truck off to order when going through the drive thru!

graphicguy · April 2012

Steve....now that's a cool story. Might want to post it in he SFTSFL thread. Lord only knows what the topic is over there these days......LOL!

(sent from a quasi-small town on the outskirts of a quasi-big town)

tjc78 · April 2012

Lord only knows what the topic is over there these days......LOL!

Dishwashers and extended warranties.....

stever · April 2012

My mother in law has the title and bill of sale prepped and I removed the plates. Still waiting on the guy to scrape up the money.

I asked her this morning if he was really going to come back - she said sure, he's a "Solsburg" or something like that. Meaning she knew the family and was willing to hold it for him. We'll see, but she's probably right.

Her hubby is also selling some old model airplane parts so I prepped those for him. He said go call Jay so and so, he got a lot of stuff from me 5 years ago. So I called and the guy is coming over to look it over this afternoon. I asked how much he wanted for the parts - "whatever Jay thinks it's worth will be fine".

anonymousposts · April 2012

Looking at a 2008 328i. Automatic, sport package, premium, no NAV, cold weather. It has 30k. Nice ride and price seems pretty fair. $23,300. No accidents and 1 owner. Will drive it and see what happens.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy