Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

akangl · October 2012

Didn't like the herky jerky auto tranny on the test drive so it's off our list. Really wanted to like the car too!

Hubby hated the automatic too and at the time that was all we could find, so when the manual popped up he went and drove it. He was sold, it's so much better, makes the car actually a lot of fun to drive. Usually he has to think about buying a car, he bought it right when we got back to the dealer after the test drive.

On another note, the Yaris has tons of legroom, is peppy, great automatic, 35 mpg around town. My only gripe is the seats are a little short on thigh support but that could vary person to person.

I'll stick to my Sierra though, it's my favorite of the 3.

breld · October 2012

I was out over lunch helping my brother do some car shopping (he is certainly no CCB'er - he's finally thinking of trading in his 8 year old 4Runner for a new SUV). He's considering an X3, so I got a chance to see the X1 in person for the first time.

I think others have commented on it, but the proportions were quite different than they appear in pictures. It definitely seemed more of a hatchback than a small SUV - which I really liked. Like any other BMW, if you option it up it gets quite expensive quickly. But if you take it easy on the options, it seems to compete just fine with something like a Mini Countryman, or maybe even a top-model Golf, or a Golf R. I didn't necessarily think of those as competitors until I saw the X1 today - an AWD, turbo hatchback.

I'm sure it will occupy my thoughts for awhile, but if they would throw a manual trannie option into it, I'd definitely be interested.

ateixeira · October 2012

I did prefer the Impreza over the Mazda3, but I don't think either is big enough to fit a bike easily without removing the wheels.

Haven't driven the Focus but the auto scares me off. Manual would be fine.

May be worth waiting for the lighter Golf VII, or stay bigger and get the new Forester, which is supposed to have 10% more cargo room, so the bike should be a breeze to fit in there.

gouldn · October 2012

I agree that either the Mazda or Focus would require the front wheel removal. I can deal with that, but would prefer to leave the wheel on!

I love my current Forester so much I may just get one of the last 2012's when they close them out, and be done with it. Anyway I am determined to get to 200k first, so I have 6k to think about it.

mark156 · October 2012

Had friends that bought a new BMW X5 that had a manual (whenever they first were introduced '03-04?). We stopped by to visit them in Boston and drove it to a local restaurant. Parallel parking required a lot of gear changing and clutch work. :sick:

Personally, I don't understand an upper end car having a manual tranny. With today's shift paddles, etc., why have a clutch?

Well, I guess I'm too old to worry about shifting. I've only had one manual tranny car and it was my new '79 Datsun 210 hatchback. Oh, I did have a manual '81 Datsun 210 wagon as a second car from '86-'88 as I had bought my first house in the county and needed to remove my own garbage (too cheap at the time to pay extra for garbage pick-up) and didn't want to put it in my brand new '87 Nissan Maxima! Also, the wagon came in handy to take the dogs to the vet.

Otherwise, automatics from now on for me!

Mark156

akangl · October 2012

Parallel parking required a lot of gear changing and clutch work.

I've been driving for 20 years and I still don't know how to parallel park. No one ever taught me and I guess I avoid situations where I would need to figure it out. I can't imagine parallel parking my truck, I'd probably just cry.

xwesx · October 2012

I'm exactly the opposite! I love to parallel park. I like those situations where the space is about 2' longer than the car.

I practiced the maneuver heavily when I was learning to drive, and I was terribly disappointed when the DMV exam administrator didn't request I parallel park! Instead, she requested that I pull to a curb and back up 50'. So sad.

I used to parallel park my pickup and van all the time, but haven't found a need to do so in my smaller cars all that often. Go figure.

corvette · October 2012

Maybe try it in the Yaris first? Does the truck have parking sensors? My 540i has front and rear parking sensors, but they no longer work, so I disconnected the system to keep it from beeping an error message at me when I shift into reverse. :P

mark156 · October 2012

Alaska is SO big that you probably have 100 feet between each car anyway!!!

A good friend of mine (his sister), bought a new Ford Flex last year with the auto-park feature. It seems to work well.

Mark156

fezo · October 2012

When I was in college parallel parking was an absolute must. Parking spaces were at a premium and there was street parking right in front of my dorm. If there was a spot a few inches longer than the car I could get into it.

Junior year it was in a Tempest station wagon but senior year it was a 62 Chevy panel truck with three on the tree.

I can still parallel park when I need to but it's not the sport it used to be.

Not bad for a guy with no depth perception (only one working eye).

stickguy · October 2012

Fezo knows, but in NJ that is the highlight of the drivers test. They make the kid parallel park right at the beginning. If they can handle that, they drive around the block at 30 or less and that is it.

So, the driving school people (teens are required to do 6 hours with a pro before getting a permit) teach them quick. then most don't do it again until the day before their road test. I did take my daughter to practice PPing a few weeks ago, and she did pretty good.

after the road test, odds are most of them never do it again. I honestly can't remember my wife parallel parking in the many years we have been married. I kind of like doing it. Keeps the skills sharp.

akangl · October 2012

Maybe try it in the Yaris first? Does the truck have parking sensors?

The truck has rear parking sensors, I do miss the back up camera that the F-150 had, that was nice. Parking the Sierra even in a parking lot or parking garage can be a challenge. In parking lots, I park way out away from other cars. In the parking garage I either back in the space or hope for the best when I pull into a space. I've only hit the wall once when pulling into it.

I might try it with the Yaris, it's so much easier to park.

akangl · October 2012

Alaska is SO big that you probably have 100 feet between each car anyway!!!

Not in downtown Anchorage! Wouldn't be a big issue since we didn't used to frequent that area, but now we have a 16 year old who loves to shop at the 5th Ave mall. Hard to get her to shop anywhere else! I did discover that although hubby can back a trailer into any spot no matter how difficult, he is horrible at parallel parking the Sierra. :P

xwesx · October 2012

now we have a 16 year old who loves to shop at the 5th Ave mall.

Have you considered a move to Galena? That might be a safer place for the next few years if your daughter has developed a proclivity for the mall. You were saying something about building a dream house earlier! :P

akangl · October 2012

Have you considered a move to Galena? That might be a safer place for the next few years if your daughter has developed a proclivity for the mall. You were saying something about building a dream house earlier!

Hubby was stationed in Galena when he was in the Air Force, he loved it there. As for the mall, there's a reason I do all the Anchorage errands while she is in school, no 5th Ave Mall in Wasilla!

xwesx · October 2012

Hubby was stationed in Galena when he was in the Air Force, he loved it there.

That's hilarious! Of all the random villages I could have chosen...

jayrider · October 2012

Next year at this time will likely be in the hunt for a cpo luxury sedan with awesome seats. Checked current pricing on BMW 5 and ML 350 and prices for 2012's are north of 40k. The Volvo S 80 is coming in between 28 and 30k so I know where I'm starting.

roadburner · October 2012

No rocket ship, but really low miles- wonder if I could get it for under $8000?

1997 Z3 1.9

My wife saw it and wants me to trade the MS3 for it. The thing is, even if I put another 40,000 miles on it over the next 2 years, I'd still have a relatively low mileage car for a 1997...

stickguy · October 2012

I like it. I would love something like that when I can finally get my extra/toy car to have on hand. Looks real nice. and low tech for a BMW (less electric to go wrong!)

roadburner · October 2012

It does have the few gadgets that I like- cruise, OBC, and heated seats. Nothing else. The seats are manual with leather. The tires are junk(Daytons) but I already have a set of E36 15" wheels I can use for winter tires and 16" summer rubber would be relatively inexpensive. Monday I'm going to see what Carmax will give me for the MS3 and then check out the Z3...

fezo · October 2012

You may want to listen to the Mrs. on this one.

stickguy · October 2012

pretty sure if my wife told me to go get a BMW convertible, I would listen to her on this one.

corvette · October 2012

Looks really nice, and the miles are incredibly low, but that's a lot of money for a fifteen year old base model Z3. I'd want a six cylinder.

roadburner · October 2012

I'd prefer the 2.8 as well, but for my purposes the 1.9 will be perfectly adequate; maintenance and insurance costs will be low, and the fuel economy should be a bit better.

houdini1 · October 2012

I would suggest an air horn like the big trucks use.

fintail · October 2012

That could do it. Or a train horn.

Maybe a fintail horn, they are pretty loud. Or a two tone horn from a MB 600, maybe one of the loudest:

http://youtu.be/OMNlAbUeTuk

akangl · October 2012

Ok, I have no idea how this works. My son wants to buy a car, he will be stationed in CA, but will retain AK residency, meaning the car will be registered in AK as well. How does the sales tax work on cars in CA?

I'm going to look into him ordering a car from a dealer here, doing the paperwork from the dealer here in AK, and having the car delivered to a dealer in CA. I know it used to bean option, not sure if it still is.

He's here for 2 weeks, he drove the Yaris once, then promptly snagged the Focus and hasn't given it back yet. He loves it.

oldfarmer50 · October 2012

"...wonder if I could get it for under $8000..."

At $8k that would be an attractive car. My weakness is for older low milage cars and that is a sweet little vert.

I see one similar on my bus route every morning for$5000 in grey. Don't know the milage but I bet it's lots more than 32,000. I'd stop to check it out but I'm afraid it would be miled up or broken and I don't think the kids on the bus would understand.

If you like that red one check it out. It might not be the fastest BMW but I'm sure it handles well and really, how fast can you go these days without law enforcement lying in wait?

oldfarmer50 · October 2012

"...No idea how this works..."

I'm not an expert but don't you pay the sales tax in the state where the car is delivered? I don't think you can register a car in two states at once. Or are you saying you want to register and pay the tax in AK, then have it shipped to CA?
That could cost a lot and I think your son would have to be present to sign the papers.

We use to have a sales tax forum, is that still active?

Yep, there it is:
wwj1, "Vehicle Sales Tax Questions" #1070, 12 Jul 2012 11:02 am

akangl · October 2012

I'm not an expert but don't you pay the sales tax in the state where the car is delivered

There is no sales tax in Alaska. He's military, thus the reason he will retain his AK drivers license and should be able to keep a car registered here as well since I would think he'd have to change residency to register a car in CA.

roadburner · October 2012

If you like that red one check it out. It might not be the fastest BMW but I'm sure it handles well and really, how fast can you go these days without law enforcement lying in wait?

I'm going to check it out tomorrow; I drove by the lot today and the only visible flaws were a cloudy rear window(easily fixed for under $300) and the drivers seat was worn on the left bolster.
The thing is, I spend a lot of time on the road- and I'll continue to do so for the next couple of years. The Z would make a terrific little commuter; I can perform most of the service work myself and it will be very inexpensive to run(based on my experience with my 318ti, which is virtually the same car under the skin).

kyfdx · October 2012

There may be some special dispensation for the military... but, if not, California taxes every car delivered in California..

akangl · October 2012

After talking with a couple dealers here it looks like he can order the car here and then take care of the paperwork through the mail. The car will be registered in Alaska since he is an Alaska resident and then when the car is shipped from the factory instead of coming to Alaska it will be drop shipped to a dealer near where he is stationed.

ateixeira · October 2012

that's a lot of money for a fifteen year old base model Z3

Plus it's half as much power as you have now, and less practical.

Is the MS3 too high strung?

Just make sure you *really* are a convertible person (I am, FWIW) because if you drive that with the top up you'll be bored with it in no time.

NB Miata made similar power, that launched in '99 and you could probably find one for less.

stever · October 2012

Lincoln.MKZ sedan drivers now can return their cars up to six months early if they take a new 2012 model.

For the third time this year, BMW is letting lessees of many of its 2010 models waive up to three payments if they lease or buy a new model before Oct. 31."

None likely for Mercedes this year, but VW is a probable.

Motorists lining up to exchange leased cars (Detroit Free Press)

akangl · October 2012

My son wanted to look at a couple more cars before placing the order for the Focus. We looked at the Dart (didn't like), the Mazda 3 (didn't even make it to the test drive, dealer was a major turn off), and finally the Hyundai Elantra.

He really liked the Elantra, but didn't like the way the manual shifted. They had no new automatics on the lot, so the kid drove a used one. They had an automatic coming in soon, but after some talking and them calling for a shipping quote we decided on the used one. So after some negotiation he drove home in a certified 2011 Hyundai Elantra GLS, auto with 22k miles. Saved $5k over a new one.

He has the car now and will drop it back at the dealer when he leaves, they will make sure it gets to the shipper who will bring it all the way to the base in CA.

michaellno · October 2012

Nice choice. Yes, it counts since you helped him with the decision.

Where in CA will he be stationed?

PS - what was wrong with the Dart and the Mazda dealer?

ateixeira · October 2012

They're shifting more car supply to the USA since European sales are down so much. There's a major price war going on, I bet some weaker brands do not survive.

I read in AN that in Europe some 20% of new Bimmers are being sold as program cars, i.e. lightly used but sold at a hefty discount from retail. That could hurt residuals, at least in those markets.

Seems like a buyer's market, even here.

michaellno · October 2012

There's a major price war going on, I bet some weaker brands do not survive.

Which brands do you think they are? I'm thinking Seat, for one. Lots of overlap in the VW universe, and they really only sell well in southern Europe.

ateixeira · October 2012

Peugoet. No idea why GM saw fit to buy a stake in them. Money down the drain.

Even Renault is hurting, though Nissan may help keep them afloat.

Fiat will suffer but at least they can supply some engines to Dodge.

ateixeira · October 2012

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/ford-closing-two-more-plants-in-europe-cuttin- g-6-200-jobs/

akangl · October 2012

Nice choice. Yes, it counts since you helped him with the decision.

Where in CA will he be stationed?

PS - what was wrong with the Dart and the Mazda dealer?

I think I might be taking the record for the year in this forum, that would put me at 4 punches, 1 in April, 2 in September, and 1 in October.

He'll be at a base in northern CA.

The Dart he said was just an odd car, I didn't go on the test drive, either way he just didn't like the car. Said it was nice just weird.

The Mazda dealer, I could write a book on that encounter. We drove in and were greeted by a sales guy who seemed pleasant enough. We told him what we were looking for and proceeded over to the line of Mazda 3's. My son was looking for a manual transmission so after some looking we found one, the salesman looked at the window sticker and commented that the price of the car was $22k. I walked over and looked at the MSRP which said it was just over $19k. He pointed to the dealer addendum and said that was the price. I commented on the "additional dealer mark-up" of $1995 and how i hadn't seen that at other dealers. He tried to convince me that was the "Alaska price adjustment". At that point I realized he was more worried about losing his "Alaska price adjustment" than showing the car. So I said we were done and we left.

I hadn't even brought up price, I glanced at the MSRP when we walked up to the car, but didn't say anything. It wasn't until he brought up the $22k price that I again looked at the MSRP and he acted like I was stupid and looking at the wrong sticker. I guess he thought I was an uninformed woman.......if he only knew

ronsteve · October 2012

Mazda 3's. My son was looking for a manual transmission so after some looking we found one, the salesman looked at the window sticker and commented that the price of the car was $22k. I walked over and looked at the MSRP which said it was just over $19k. He pointed to the dealer addendum and said that was the price. I commented on the "additional dealer mark-up" of $1995 and how i hadn't seen that at other dealers. He tried to convince me that was the "Alaska price adjustment". At that point I realized he was more worried about losing his "Alaska price adjustment" than showing the car. So I said we were done and we left.

You know, I've found Mazda dealers to be the absolute worst with those bump stickers. I shopped during the "employee pricing" blitz that the US automakers tried in '05 or '06, and when the Mazda sales guy could tell I noticed the $1495 bump sticker on a Mazda 6, I got to hear the sob story about how even in that employee pricing world (Ford S-Plan, I think) they still made no money selling at what amounted to MSRP. And this was in North Carolina!

Makes me wonder if it's worth looking at a 3 when we seriously shop a few months from now.

xwesx · October 2012

He tried to convince me that was the "Alaska price adjustment".

Mazda must be part of the Continental Auto Group. They started that nonsense back in 2009. I actually bought a Subaru Outback from them in January 2007 because I saved quite a bit versus purchasing in Fairbanks, but didn't have to make a 2,200 mile trek as I would have buying from Seattle (which would have only saved me another $800 before counting the cost of the trip). The salesmen at Continental were very pleasant to work with, and the only gripe I had was that they assured me the car came with a block heater... but the car didn't come with a block heater. :mad:

Fast forward 2.5 years when we were going to buy our current Forester, and it was a 180! Those two salesmen were gone (didn't surprise me, since they actually seemed like decent fellas), and the current staff were clinging to that $1,995 markup with a death grip. They wouldn't even talk price with me, and I was willing to start at MSRP. So, I saved 2.5K over Fairbanks when I bought in Seattle, but I saved a whopping 4.5K over Continental's prices! I don't know how they even sell cars there. :sick:

nsbio1 · October 2012

Depends on a dealer. I bought a then-new 08 mazda3 in NC and the first Mazda dealer in RTP area was absolutely disgusting with sleazy salesman giving me crap about the car going back to MSRP if I do not put a deposit tomorrow; the second one was nicer on a phone, but hung up on me when I asked them if it would be possible to go below invoice, and the third one was very nice and offered the price that was not unreasonable, only ~$80 more than dealer #1. For those in the RTP area, I will let them guess which dealer is which

.

I recently moved to another state where weather is much colder and where there is only one Mazda dealer in the entire state, and I bought a CX-9 from them: they were extremely nice. Just to give an example, two weeks after buying the CX-9, I brought in the 08 Mazda 3 for a non-warranty repair and they gave me a free rental vehicle on a spot.
So YMMV.

qbrozen · October 2012

its close to where i work!

But how in the world does the AutoCheck say the odometer checks out??

jayrider · October 2012

One thing you can be sure of, they wouldn't be putting those add-on charges if it didn't make money. There are enough uninformed car buyers out there to make it work. The uneducated consumer is the economies best friend across the board.

xwesx · October 2012

That looks like it could be a load of fun. Any major issues with that model? Also, does that car have a 100K odometer or a 1M?

qbrozen · October 2012

I'm almost certain it has a 6-figure odometer, and I believe its even digital. So something is terribly wrong there.

xwesx · October 2012

Yeah, that's ridiculously low mileage for such a car. With no interior pictures, I couldn't dismiss it outright, though I have to wonder why it wouldn't have interior photos if the mileage were accurate. The sucker would have to look rather pristine!

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