Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy · April 2012

I strictly maintainted my Prelude at the selling dealership. They knew me very well and I had an excellent relationship with the service advisor. When he called me to give me an estimate, I said to him: "Are you kidding me? I've never had a manual transmission car before, but you know I don't race or beat on my car at all. I thought new clutches were supposed to cost $1000, maybe $1200. This is a Prelude, not a Porsche."

Then he told me he didn't believe it either. He looked up the cost of replacing a clutch on a standard Prelude vs. a Type SH Prelude & told me about the ATTS removal & reinstall.

ateixeira · April 2012

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/1202_2012_toyota_prius_c/

10.6 seconds is nothing to brag about, but the Polo TDI with the smallest diesel engines takes some 14 seconds to hit 100kph.

Fintail defended that Polo TDI in another thread, so it's clear where his baises lie. :P

ateixeira · April 2012

Link to that where that discussion started:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1a9dde/4809#MSG4809

I don't get why people will defend a slow diesel yet criticize a (much) quicker hybrid.

fintail · April 2012

I like diesels as they usually look like normal cars, not so fond of electrics as too many seem to want to make a statement. But if I had to choose a Prius, I'd choose the C based on looks alone - they are all slow anyway, might as well look the least dorky (but still pretty dorky)

tjc78 · April 2012

But if I had to choose a Prius

That is like saying if I had to choose a prison......

ateixeira · April 2012

Neither is exactly a looker, but the c and the Polo don't really stand apart in styling.

Any how - the c is not slow for its class; the Polo TDI is.

kyfdx · April 2012

Hit a pothole on the interstate... popped my left rear tire....

ateixeira · April 2012

You definitely need a new car.

This is the CCB thread, after all.

michaellno · April 2012

Hit a pothole on the interstate... popped my left rear tire....

Ouch. I had the MINI in for service today. 2 years, < 15K on the odometer.

Dealer found a nail in one of the tires. PSI was 22, but for some reason it didn't trigger the TPMS.

New tire mounted and balanced for $180; apparently, MINI doesn't allow patches to be made. That makes for two tire replacements in 15K. Glad I'm not paying for them.

Everything else is fine with the car. Played around with the trip computer and found that the daughter is averaging 35.5 MPG.

fintail · April 2012

I see less "stinkbug" (thanks, lemko, I think) in the Polo than in the C. Of course, you can trade that for VW drama tendencies, so maybe there is no winner. Is the Polo really the clearcut competitor for the C anyway, and maybe not a larger faster less efficient diesel?

Actually, now that I think of it, if I wanted a Prius, I'd take a Lexus CT - not as dorky looking as the normal one, much nicer inside and dealer experience to match, and not a fortune more expensive than a normal loaded Prius.

And speaking of potholes, watch out...

http://youtu.be/zPJ9S5nZx3s

kyfdx · April 2012

It was a really shallow pothole, and I've still got my winter tires on (which the boy has promised to change out for me, for the last month..). But, it didn't sound good, so I started moving right, from the far left lane (of four lanes)... about a 1/4 mile later, the TPMS warning came on, and I pulled off on the berm.. a nice wide 25' spot..

Before I could even complete my call to AAA, the Ohio State Patrol was pulled up behind me. "Want me to help you change it?" Nope... AAA on the way.. it's okay.. "Are you sure? I don't mind.. I'm working until 3:00 pm, either way." No, really.. you don't have to do that. "Come on, don't you have some place to be? You don't want to be late to work, do you?"

So, since the OSP was berating me into changing my own tire, we started getting the spare out... figuring out the jack.. trying to find the lug wrench (in the tool kit, duh)... 15 minutes later, we were done...

I thank the patrolman, get back in the car, dial up AAA to cancel, just as the AAA truck is pulling up... Fast service!

Even made it to work on time!

breld · April 2012

Yes, I'd definitely give a lot of thought to the decision before going with a Prius when a 3-series is also in contention.

As some may remember, we had our Insight for four months before trading it in on a 328xi. The Prius may be a better overall car than the Insight, but it's still not gonna thrill any enthusiast as a daily driver.

qbrozen · April 2012

What's a "spare?"

:P

akangl · April 2012

What's a "spare?"

Kinda what I was thinking when my son got T-boned by the snowmobile and it destroyed his front tire. Hubby was digging around in the trunk of the car and asked me if the car had a spare, I said I think it has a donut under the floor of the trunk. Sure enough, it did and the darn thing even had air in it. Heck we even found a jack and a wrench, pretty good for a car that's a 1995. I couldn't remember the last time I'd changed a tire.

Tomorrow I get to learn how to repack bearings on a trailer and even get a lesson on changing a hub in case I'm on my own pulling the trailer through Canada this summer. Hubby wants me to be prepared to work on it if needed. My best friend says I'm better at just looking helpless and finding a guy to do it for me........:sick:

kyfdx · April 2012

It's a tall, very skinny tire... Comes in handy, if you have to get somewhere besides a tire store, that probably doesn't have your run-flat in stock, anyway...

I like 'em

ateixeira · April 2012

Prius c is pretty small, B segment like the Polo, so in Europe they'll compete directly, I imagine.

Now that the gas price panic has subsided, you can get a c with Entune/Navi and all for $21.6k (includes freight), so it's a good 10 grand less than a CT.

A small, lower price hybrid is the one that makes the most sense, to me at least. Purpose built city car.

jayrider · April 2012

Have 20k miles on my 2010 Prius IV. Very roomy and lots of cargo space. Zero problems in any area. 50 mpg average. Nice ride unless you push it into corners -- sprung a bit soft [like my 71 Nova]. The looks are OK , nothing special but when I'm driving down the road, I don't think about how my car looks. Another thing, way off the radar for car thieves. Might take your valuables if you let them in view. Not for everybody, but I bought it based on the great front seats and the hatchback configuration. I think they hold their value well but not a concern -- lost some but not all of my car fever thanks to my hobby of re-furbing old hammers. hatchets,saws, and other vintage tools. Got some posted on facebook if anyone is interested. Not selling -- just doing until the house is full. cousin d's new timey vintage saws.

fintail · April 2012

Polo sure looks smaller to me, maybe it's just shorter.

I was talking about a loaded Prius being comparable to a CT - I know a normal loaded Prius can easily hit 30K, which is virtually CT money. I doubt most hybrid customers of any size live in real urban environments. Maybe more like a good commuter for those who seldom hit the freeway.

fintail · April 2012

Good points - it's theftproof, probably won't get prowled much as the "hybrid" badge is the same kind of repellant as "diesel", and might even be less likely to be picked off by speed enforcers.

stever · April 2012

Had it on any gravel or dirt roads or construction sections? Wonder how much clearance it has in real life.

Maybe I should send you a pic of my old saw set, but they seem to be pretty common.

jayrider · April 2012

I did drive on a gravel road and it seemed fine. Of course, being on medicare, I drive with care. The ground clearance seems about par with other compact sedans. No real issues on speed bumps or parking lot berms. It's just a nice ride. The other thing I liked was the above average hip point getting in and out. You sit a bit higher than similar sedans. The guy across the street just came back from Florida in a new Corvette convertible. Emerald metallic with a tan roof. He's 60, bald, and single and has millionaire parents who are in assisted living. Took him 45 seconds to exit the vette -- I know cause I watched and timed it. And Steve, Do Not send me any of your saws -- I have all I need. I ALWAYS over buy everything and will never make any profit after deducting expenses and waste.

stever · April 2012

Thanks.

And I was talking about a set tool, not a set of saws. :-) Mine's like this.

The money some of the old saws bring is nuts.

jayrider · April 2012

Found an old one at the flea market for $5. Cleaned the rust, oil and filth then sold it for $70. Everything else I have is rescued from the landfill and recycled to my wall.

jpp75 · April 2012

A friend had an '06 Civic which I always thought was a great car. Last year while visiting him I got to drive it, even with 160k on the clock I was amazed at how solid it was and how good it drove. I'm sure if I sat in a brand new Civic I'd notice some deterioration but this car held up much better than I would have ever expected. This Civic at 160k was light years ahead of the shameful Cruze with 300 miles on it I was subjected to last week as a rental.

For the record I'm not a Hondaphile, I owned a 96 Accord, more reliable than anything but boring as hell. Not my favorite cars but I definitely understand the appeal.

jpp75 · April 2012

Give me some of what they're smoking. I bought a 2003 Maxima with 90k in 2008 for $9,000 OTD. It was an SE, decently equipped with Bose, sunroof, side airbags. I'm sure it could have been a little nicer but Maximas depreciate quickly so no way the Maxima or Infiniti are worth the asking price.

payson · April 2012

I read this forum faithfully even though I'm no longer a member of your club. My husband bought a '99 M3 last year. The clutch needs replaced. This is our first BMW, and we took it to someone that we trust that know's BMW's, and has done work on our other car's. He will make a recommendation, but put in whichever we tell him to. I know there are several option's for a new clutch. Any recommendations please? Thanks

stickguy · April 2012

was out shopping with the wife today for house stuff, and just "happened" to swing through the automall. So stopped at the Acura dealer. They had 1 new style RDX left, sitting on the apron. So a nice sales guy got the keys and opened it up so we could crawl around it.

Very nice package. Also sat in an outgoing style in the showroom. Also nice, but the new one felt a little roomier, and more upscale. But I could see being just fine this the old style.

the 2013? roomier cargo area than I expected. Very nice seats. Plenty of people space, especially in the back seat. tons of legroom.

lots of gadgets (this was a tech package). salesguy had fun showing off the voice features on the Nav ('find nearest ATM", etc.)

thought we were just going to sit, so when he asked if we wanted to drive it I was saying not now, but my wife (still shocks me to write this!) said sure since we are here (and she didn't want to stop in the first place!). So, went to the track (this complex has it's own test track you drive around). She took a few laps, then I took a few.

very nice driving. Smooth, quiet, lots of power. Steering felt nice. All low speeds, but lots of turns. Comfy seats.

so, being flavor of the month, the wife really seemed to like this one (can't blame her) and has it at the top of her list now. Though she can't really remember the Santa Fe or CX-5. Good thing I can. when we get to buy time, will have to take a day and drive all the options back to back to back.

pricey though, 38K (awd (I assume) tech package. But saw a nice X3 next door at the BMW dealer, and that was 48K! I did find out that the 2013 X3s are being built already, and will come with the 4 cyl turbo engine too. No clue about the pricing, but not expecting it to be cheap!

tjc78 · April 2012

That test track is such a great tool for them. It's smooth as glass so everything rides well on it. I remember driving one of the very first Genesis models down there. The salesman was begging me to go faster around the curves.

anonymousposts · April 2012

Right now the Prius is the front runner. We've been driving a 2007 with 13k the last few days to see how we like the Hybrids. I actually hate to admit that I like driving it. It holds the road pretty well, has great seats, has enough power, and it's hard to complain about 45 MPG without really trying. I have been 89 miles so far and the gas indicator hasn't moved. In our Tiguan or RAV4, we would have used 4 gallons of gas so far.

Since I have access to a company demo, I can get my BMW fix at any time without the long-term repair and maintenance commitment.

jayrider · April 2012

The 2010's and later are a bit bigger and they have a power mode button that adjusts the throttle that makes it feel quicker. Still very happy with my 2010 with 20k miles. The first 24k miles of service is comped and after that only an oil change [$55] every 10k miles. And nothing else for 100k miles.

jayrider · April 2012

One other option to consider when looking at spending 25k on a prius. You can find a lot of vehicles priced at or below 20k that may only average low to mid 20's in mpg. You can get a nice altima for 18k. With the initial savings on the price of the car, it will take a long, long time to even break even. I bought my prius in August of 2010. Gas was way cheaper and there was a glut of hybrids on the lot. I got a super deal. My primary interest in the prius was the hatch, the room, and the seats. The mpg was not at the top of the list.

qbrozen · April 2012

So I had pretty much my only "breakdown" ever that I can recall. The water pump on the 540 decided to give up the ghost last night. Luckily, I was just pulling into a parking lot when it happened and it gave an audible warning, so no overheating took place. As I pulled in, the car started making a scraping noise. We thought maybe I had run an invisible piece of plastic over and was dragging it. I popped the hood and saw my fan was crooked and the belt had crawled halfway off the pulley. I could also see a bit of coolant had leaked out. So I put my AAA to use and had it flatbedded home.

I tore into it today and found that the bearing had actually broken apart. I found rollers laying down in the underbody dust shield. I've never seen that happen before. Anyway, since the consensus is to just do a complete cooling overhaul when one component fails, that's why I'm doing. It is going to run me about $500-$550 in parts alone. I managed to take it all apart in about 2.5 hours, so it should be less than a 5-hour job total. Not as bad as I expected.

You never know. This might push me over the edge to sell it. It takes care of a major overhaul I had been dreading ... but there is always the timing chain guides to worry about. :sick:

stickguy · April 2012

well, if you have the radiator out and water pump off, wouldn't it be the natural time to pop a few more bolts off and dig into the timing belt too? while you are in there?

isellhondas · April 2012

I'm not sure where that "consensus" came from but a failed water pump is hardly a reason to do a cooling system overhaul.

But...it's your money!

kyfdx · April 2012

No timing belt on the 540i.. It's a chain. I think the repair he mentions is related to components that are related to the chain.

The "consensus" that qbrozen writes about is well known among BMW enthusiasts....

qbrozen · April 2012

yeah, its not even close, really. The chain is so far buried in there that just removing the cooling components is not even halfway where you need to be. I mean, I was looking after I had everything off just pondering that possibility, but I still couldn't even see how to access the chain at that point.

Want to cure yourself of ever wanting to own an older 8-cyl BMW? Check this out.

Isell, it is because the cooling system is so poorly designed that every component is guaranteed to fail within somewhere around every 75k-100k. Not being the original owner, I don't know when various components were done last. The only thing I do know is that the radiator is about 5yrs/50k old. Could I put it back in? Yes. But since it is already out and a new one is somewhere south of $150, why take the chance and waste $50 of BMW coolant in the process? The hoses are all pretty soft anyway, and the belts are definitely old. A thermostat is rather expensive, but it is in the same housing unit as the pump, so no point skipping that. I probably could have gone without replacing the fan and fan clutch, but, again, I already had to remove it, so why put the old one back? You especially don't want to use the old fan blade because there are several documented cases of it exploding and taking out the hood and more.

stever · April 2012

Wow, would be simpler just to put a crate engine in that 8 cylinder and return the core (except I'd want more than the core on the crate engine).

I was going to take Tuesday, but if you are still debating how far to tear into this, I'll move it out a week.

graphicguy · April 2012

stickguy....since it's your money we're spending here, and you've entered into the world of "upscale" premium compact SUVs, I'd throw the Infiniti EX35. Those are probably my favorites among all of those you've mentioned. Although, the "old" model of the RDX was really nice last time I drove one, and probably 2nd to the EX35. I'm guessing the new RDX would be even better with the TL's V6 (which is a really sweet motor).

corvette · April 2012

Be glad you're able to DIY, the labor wouldn't be cheap. The one thing I've had trouble with is the tension on the belt. You may need a cheater bar to get the tensioner in the right position. Mine was squealing when the engine was cold, so I retensioned it last weekend, and now I only hear a faint chirp for about a second after the engine turns off.

And I noticed a few drops of oil in the garage, coming from the back of the engine. :lemon:

Not irritated with the car yet, but ask me again after I've spent a few more thousand dollars on maintenance and repairs.

ateixeira · April 2012

Had to look that one up...

Polo is 156.3" long, Prius c is 157.3".

So within an inch of each other. I'm sure Toyota did that intentionally. For sure those will compete directly in Europe.

Hopefully VW figures out a way to bring the Polo TDI here.

I priced a Prius c with Navi/Entune for $21.6k, not bad. I doubt VW could offer a loaded Polo for that price, aren't they built in Germany?

A Prius with Navi/Entune was around $26k, so quite a bit more, though still not CT territory. The cheapest Golf TDI DSG was (gulp) $29k, and it's smaller. Much nicer inside, likely more fun, but .... $29 grand? The Mazda3 SkyActive was $19k and in fueleconomy.gov owners are reporting the same mileage as the TDI.

Too bad they don't have a Ford franchise for me to compare the Fiesta and Focus hatches.

stickguy · April 2012

The EX is way too small (cargo area) My wife was looking at the MDX parked next to the RDX (and our SIL has an MDX), asking how big that was, and was it as big as the Odyssey? I told her no, so she is wondering should we get something bigger like an MDX. She is really missing the point of downsizing, plus she brings into play stuff that gets even worse MPG!

she is fixated on being able to carry all the stuff she brings when we travel (2x a year), and does not believe me that we could travel lighter (but we "Need" all that stuff!). I'm the one that packs the car, and trust me, some could be left behind!

I am also planning around having 3 people ongoing (since my son would be graduating shortly after purchase, and can transport himself), so we don't need to budget for 4 people, including 2 little kids anymore!

our 2x/year are a week at the beach (1 hour away, can take 2 cars no problem) and visiting family at Christmas (need to budget pack, and throw the bag on the roof maybe). or I just jam stuff in real tight, and block the rear window!

can't go too small, but the RDX seemed plenty roomy.

ateixeira · April 2012

Yikes, 31 pages. Not for the faint of heart!

ateixeira · April 2012

Just rent a minivan twice a year, and drive something smaller and lighter. The gas savings will probably pay for the rental, and you don't have all that extra weight to haul around the rest of the time.

Or do like me and have 2 vehicles. For me it's a van and a roadster, opposites that complement each other well.

stickguy · April 2012

Among other reasons, that is why I pay the experts to do stuff like this now. My days of changing coolant, changing plugs/belts, etc. is long over.

I am pretty much reduced to putting air in the tires, checking the oil, and replacing air filters and wiper blades.

stickguy · April 2012

the rental idea would freak her out. She really just needs to travel lighter.

actually, another option for Christmas is take 2 cars, which may happen anyway depending on work schedules (and who needs to be back when).

I thought about keeping the van for the spare car, and getting something like a Dart for primary duty, but she hasn't bought into that. doesn't want to drive a sedan, and doesn't want to be stuck with the van (somehow she thinks I have a devious plan here...)

a reasonable sized compact (RSX, CX-5, santa-fe) will have plenty of room

ateixeira · April 2012

I have resisted so far, but that may soon be inevitable. More of an issue of having time vs anything else.

I don't like getting even free oil changes. They always overtighten...

ateixeira · April 2012

I think so, those vehicles offer plenty of room in small packages.

Our Forester is shorter overall than a Cobalt coupe but has 114 cubic feet of interior room.

Small outside, big inside. That's the way to go.

isellhondas · April 2012

OK, I understand or at least I'm trying to. I still can't understand why a 5 year old radiator with 50K should be anywhere near needing replacement?

I mean, a radiator is a radiator, isn't it? Aluminum cores with plastic tanks?

I do agree that the best time to replace "stuff" is when you are already "in there".

We have yet to take our newly aquired BMW into the shop but it's about time to do this. I cringe when I think about what they might find.

Oh, change "might" to "probably will".

I once took in a 12 cylinder BMW as a trade in. The guy handed me a four inch thick file of repair receipts. Before I threw them in the trash, I spent a couple of hours reading through them. all work was done at our local "botique" BMW independant and the costs were beyond staggering!

I was floored. We quickly wholesaled the car before something else had a chance to break.

Beautiful car though....

qbrozen · April 2012

tension on the belt? Mine has hydraulic tensioners. Yours doesn't?

Stickguy has me thinking now ... maybe I should do the chain guides after all. Ugh. At least when its over, it will be over. Should be nothing big to worry about after that. Well.... except the clutch.

steve: no way it could be sold anytime soon. I have to put it back together first!

Gimme at least through next weekend, regardless of whether I go for the guides or not.

isell, the plastic ends on the stock Behr-made radiator, coupled with the rather high pressure of the BMW cooling system make for a bad combination, apparently. Folks who replace with an all-aluminum radiator and expansion tank do away with the problem, but those items cost around 8 times what the stock stuff does.

The radiator is the one item I have yet to order. Still trying to find the best price.

tjc78 · April 2012

The timing guides is one serious repair. I was surprised at the specialty tools required. Are they something you could rent or possibly borrow from a BMW dealer? If not, I guess you could buy and then sell off. Its not likely you would ever need them again.

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