Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

ateixeira · January 2013

They're still pushing the envelope now with the ones that change from shaded to open at the touch of a button.

The Elantra GT also has the biggest Nav screen, at 7". The best packaging, basically.

fintail · January 2013

I've seen those. It has also gone much more mass market - Optima etc has it too. A trend, but it's nice - I like to let some light into the car.

Elantra GT also isn't bad looking. I don't know how it drives or how the materials feel, but if I was shopping in that category, I'd be taking one for a test drive.

ateixeira · January 2013

Has a twist beam rear axle....I need to sample it to see if it's still fun enough.

The last thing I want is an ice cream sundae with all the toppings, but lame ice cream beneath it all.

breld · January 2013

So replace your Miata (NC) with a practical hatch, and then patiently look for another NA?

There's another 2 punches for 2012. :P

ateixeira · January 2013

Who can argue with that?

Help the economy, create jobs, use less fuel, save the earth, golly gee it's the least I can do!

Best price on a loaded 3i GT is was $22,391, including freight.

For the Elantra GT it's $22,731.

So really a matter of preference.

Impreza prices out over $25k, TDI @ $27,650.

Local auto show starts Feb 1. Will take the fam and see what they think of the cars I'm considering, even though I drive it by myself most of the time.

breld · January 2013

Are you thinking manual trannie, since it would replace the Miata?

If so, I'd be hard pressed NOT to go with the Mazda. I thought that shifter was about as nice as the Miata. Now that you can get the stick on the GT model, it's a very appealing package (no panoramic sunroof though).

ateixeira · January 2013

Miata has the world's best shifter but I sit in so much traffic and it's taking a toll on my left knee.

Cue the geezer jokes.

A one point we had 3 sticks in our fleet!

steine13 · January 2013

Aye! We've got two sticks at the moment, and the old Sienna is wintering in a colleague's barn... but I got stuck on the freeway once for 1 h in the Vibe and man did my leg hurt after that.

Not knee trouble; muscle pain. I'm a cyclist, too, so maybe I ought to have that clutch mechanism looked at...

If I had to sit in traffic, I'd go to the dark side, too.

Cheers -Mathias

ateixeira · January 2013

Takes me about an hour to drive in...every day.

It's 13 miles so I'm not moving more than half the time. Start stop would be nice given how much I idle. My GPS has stats about how much of the time I'm not moving, if I remember I will check in the AM.

Getting home is much better, 35 minutes or so.

fintail · January 2013

IIRC I am 3.6 miles from the office. Morning is fine, as I usually leave before 0600 and I exceed the "limits" - takes roughly 7 minutes unless lights are messed up. Afternoon commute however - has taken as long as 45 minutes (still faster than the bus). I have co-workers who live ~15 miles away, they've had commutes at 90 minutes or more. One lives ~35 miles away, she leaves 2 hours before she needs to be in. Fun place. There are also several hills, no stick, thanks.

nyccarguy · January 2013

Don't feel bad about giving up your stick Miata for an auto trans (fun) commuter car. I drove my Prelude for the 1st 9 years of its life every day. Driving stick just became 2nd nature to me. It honestly didn't bother me.

But after driving autos for 2 years now, I can honestly say that I like the fact that I can drive my stick Prelude when I want to. I do love driving my current car that's an automatic (2011 328xi)

breld · January 2013

Our 25 mile work commute each way tends to take anywhere from 40 minutes up to an hour, and a bit longer if rush hour is really bad. When it's stop and go, the stick gets a bit old - I'm not experiencing any actual pain personally, but I feel like there's no way around putting wear on the clutch.

With our recent trades, 4 of our 5 cars are manuals now (the Ody being the only auto). So I'm definitely targeting an automatic for my secondary car - after generally focusing on manuals, it's nice to open up the options available by targeting an auto.

anonymousposts · January 2013

The '13 feels more like a 04-07 than the more recent generation. It has the same light "Honda" feel as your 05. The engine/tranny is smoother, it's much quieter at highway speeds, a bit more spacious, more torque/power, and the suspension is more supple. They really recaptured what drew me to Honda, which was Accords like the 98-02 and 03-07. It feels like Honda felt they had something to prove with this Accord. I haven't driven a V6 or 4 cylinder CVT, so this is all based on our experience with the EX 6mt. We also haven't driven the Sport since we knew we wanted one with a sunroof.

To us, the EX 6mt is a raging bargain. The dealer we bought from gave us an upfront offer of $22,600 + their doc fee.

stickguy · January 2013

Thanks. that is a lot of car for the money. You can spend that much on a compact and not even get better MPG.

stickguy · January 2013

not only a rust free (claimed) Granada, but a 4 speed one? how many of these are you going to find in the world?

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3577931859.html

stickguy · January 2013

remember the V70 from a few days ago, that everyone thought was listed way too cheap? Well, it has been relisted. For 1K more than before! guess the seller figured it out too.

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3578721052.html

Sandman6472 · January 2013

Even I like it and I'm not into big cars. Since the kids are all grown and have their own places, something like this would be just overkill for us but I still like it. Wife would kill me if I swapped out my low mileage Civic right now anyways!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

akangl · January 2013

premium fuel, which around here is priced like liquid gold

Try diesel fuel, now that might as well be liquid gold. When they switched to #1 diesel for winter the price went up another 20 cents/gal, funny thing is #1 is far less refined than the summer diesel. Of course my truck will average 18-20 mpg on the cheaper summer diesel but only 14-16 mpg on the far more expensive winter fuel. :sick: :sick:

ateixeira · January 2013

I can drive my stick Prelude when I want to

That would be great, but I end up driving my Miata 5 times a week in commuting. So it's not just when I want to.

I refuse to drive the minivan to work, it's too big/awkward in the city.

Getting a 3rd car just for myself seems absurd, but in this thread I doubt anyone would object.

ateixeira · January 2013

Remind me which diesel you own? X5d?

ateixeira · January 2013

This is depressing:

Average Speed: 20 mph
Average Speed while moving: 26mph
217 hours moving
62 hours idling

Haven't done much but commute in that car since I reset the GPS' trip computer, so that's how it's driven.

20mph is pathetic!

62 hours sitting still give you an idea of how much time I spend idling, and how much stop-and-go there is in DC.

I don't think I'm getting as much enjoyment out of the Miata as I should be, that's the real problem. Gotta take it out on a high speed run once in a while, wind it out.

For 26 mph a moped would be all I really need. Depressing. :sick:

dieselone · January 2013

Yeah, diesel is nearly $1/gal higher than RUG at some stations around here. Crazy.

oldfarmer50 · January 2013

I love that statement about your daughter being safe. Is that because no guy would have anything to do with her after he saw her driving a Granada?

ateixeira · January 2013

Virginia is debating whether to get of the gas tax, but they would leave the tax on diesel fuel, so the gap would be even wider.

To add insult to injury diesel+hybrid owners pay more to register, so diesels end up being double taxed.

nyccarguy · January 2013

Good to know that you really like your Accord & that Honda is once again focused on making cars that drive like "Hondas." What was the sticker on your EX 6MT? $22,600 sounds like a fantastic deal.

michaellno · January 2013

What was the sticker on your EX 6MT? $22,600 sounds like a fantastic deal.

According to the Honda website, MSRP on an Accord EX 6MT is $25,395 with shipping.

stickguy · January 2013

She has the GMC pick up. Someone in the lower 48 does have an X5d, but I can't recall who it is.

I understand too where you are coming from on the Miata. No point in living with the inconveniences of a "fun" car, when you never get to have the fun! Really seems more suited to a weekender toy car status.

My SIL lives in Va (Mclean) and commutes through that corner of DC to some MD school (a CC I think). She just got a Prius (the normal one) to replace an older Civic. So far, she seems to like it, and for her drive (sounds similar to yours but not as long maybe) it is perfect.

ateixeira · January 2013

I spend more time having fun driving go karts with my son at the boardwalk.

mcdawgg · January 2013

I hear you. Camry 6MT, plus runner's knee in my left knee = no fun. Wife's ride is auto, but she doesn't like driving a stick, so I have to suffer most of the time.

stickguy · January 2013

for about 9 months, I commuted from south Jersey, through Philly, and out past valley Forge. For locals, this meant the length of the Schuylkill expressway. This was with my 5 speed Accord. Good thing it had a nice light clutch, so it was more tedious than painful. Most days.

there was one day that my left leg was totally shot but the time I got home, and was still achy a week later. Rainy Friday afternoon, and it was basically a door to door parking lot until I got close to home. 45 mile trip, took 2.5 hours total. that, was not fun.

ateixeira · January 2013

I'm fine for about an hour, then it gets painful. Fortunately that doesn't happen too often, maybe once a week coming in.

andre1969 · January 2013

Is that because no guy would have anything to do with her after he saw her driving a Granada?

That could be it. Or, perhaps he's thinking that between the the stick shift and buckets up front, and the tiny back seat, it's not an easy car to get pregnant in. :P

michaellno · January 2013

She has the GMC pick up. Someone in the lower 48 does have an X5d, but I can't recall who it is.

it's habitat1 who owns the X5d .. you see him posting in both the "What would it take for you to drive a Diesel" topic as well as the "Entry Level Sport Luxury Sedans" (or some such name) topic.

jpp75 · January 2013

My goal is to find a car that I like so much nothing else tempts me to take on a payment, just have to figure out what that would be, one of my goals when the Infiniti lease is up next January.

ateixeira · January 2013

That's a real tough criteria. You almost have to go for something classic, timeless.

Get your favorite car from when you were in high school.

If you get anything new, tomorrow's model will come out with 30 more HP and 2 more MPG and better tech content.

andre1969 · January 2013

Also visited a MB dealer, nothing struck my fancy enough to want me to take on a car payment.

Oops, that reminds me...it's about time to make a payment on the Ram! Be right back....

Okay, it's done. I was going to just make the regular payment, which is $358.72, but then I noticed the payoff wasn't much higher, at $447.11.

So, as of right now, I officially own the thing, free and clear!

stever · January 2013

Cool, you've just freed up a payment for covering the next car. :shades:

Since the lien is typically on the title, I guess you'll have to burn it. May want to wait until the new paperwork gets to you though.

corvette · January 2013

"So, as of right now, I officially own the thing, free and clear!"

Time to trade it in! :P

jpp75 · January 2013

You can add me to the 2012 list. 2002 Pathfinder SE on 10/30/12

I'll go with 35 for the year. My Infiniti lease is up January 15 2014, so I'll definitely be looking this year.

ateixeira · January 2013

Yep, once it's paid off, it's old. Ford and GM both showed new pickup concepts, so start shopping!

andre1969 · January 2013

Yep, once it's paid off, it's old. Ford and GM both showed new pickup concepts, so start shopping!

Heck, even the Ram got some updates, about five minutes after I took delivery!

But, I was mainly looking for something cheap, and I doubt those 2013 3.6 V-6/8-speeds are going to fit that bill. I think the 4.7 V-8 is now the base engine, with the 3.6 being optional, and then the Hemi at the top.

I think at this point, I'm going to start attacking the HELOC and get that sucker paid down. The low interest rate has lulled me into a false sense of security, and I've been lax about paying it down. If interest rates start going up, I don't want to get caught with my pants down!

michaellno · January 2013

Done! Updated info:

2012 Punch List:
01/12/12 corvette 2003 BMW 540i
01/29/12 anon 2007 Toyota RAV4 72K
02/15/12 breld 2012 BMW X3
02/15/12 stickguy 2007 Volvo S40 91K
02/28/12 breld 2009 Honda Odyssey 45K
03/22/12 nyccarguy 2011 BMW 328xi (lease)
05/02/12 anon 2012 Toyota Prius
07/31/12 breld 2011 Audi A5 17K
08/05/12 qbrozen 1998 Volvo S70
08/20/12 breld 2007 VW Beetle 56K
08/23/12 xwesx 2012 Ford Fiesta 14K
08/31/12 stickguy 2013 Acura RDX AWD
09/14/12 steine13 1995 Toyota Camry 123K
09/23/12 andre1969 2012 Dodge Ram
09/25/12 anon 2008 Honda Odyssey 57K
10/30/12 jpp5862 2002 Nissan Pathfinder SE
11/xx/12 jayrider 2012 Buick LaCrosse AWD
12/17/12 mark156 2013 Honda CR-V EXL w/ nav
12/21/12 stickguy 2000 Acura Integra LS 166K
12/23/12 anon 2013 Honda Accord

2013 Punch List:
01/08/13 breld 2011 BMW 335xi 27K
01/11/13 steine13 2013 Chevrolet Cruze LT (lease)
01/15/13 breld 2010 BMW 328xi wagon 21K
01/18/13 qbrozen 2013 Nissan Leaf (lease)
01/19/13 anon 2013 Toyota Sienna (lease)

Punch guesses for 2013:
Michaell 15-17
Xwesx 22
Stickguy 25
Qbrozen 28
Au1994 30
Anon 31
Jpp5862 35
Steve 36
Nyccarguy 38
Rayainsw 39
Ateixeira 40
Kyfdx 45

fintail · January 2013

Wow, that was quick. I almost like to pay off a car at least over a couple years - prevents any buyers remorse rash decisions, as I don't want to dump something unless it at least has a lot of positive equity. You've got plenty in that Ram now :shades:

jpp75 · January 2013

Sorry, I was behind on posts and saw the mileage request later on.

135,100 when I bought it. 136,900 now.

xwesx · January 2013

The few times I have had the misfortune of being in a large city during rush hour(s), I had no problem with the manual transmission. I spent three hours at a crawl in Chicago back in 1999 with my '69 C20, and I came to a complete stop only once (when I first hit the jam) in that time. The rest of the time I left it idling along, at about 5mph, and didn't need to press the clutch hardly at all. The vehicles around me came to complete stops hundreds of times, varying from 0 to perhaps as fast as 20-25 mph in short bursts. I just kept the same speed (I would increase speed once in a while if the gap grew substantially) and let the gap in front of me grow and shrink as it would.

I guess I just don't understand the city driving mentality, but for me those situations are pretty easy to handle, albeit frustratingly slow.

fintail · January 2013

It's tough. I've had my current daily driver since 06. I am pleased with it, but I still browse a lot, and as time goes by, might be getting too used to it. I don't see much that could lure me away though. I am waiting to see any sweetheart leases on leftover 2013 E-class, now that a facelift is coming - there will be a lot of excess stock, I think. Also wanting to see if Lexus will bring back the Sportcross. There's nothing new with 4 wheels I could buy outright that I actually want, so I will have to lease or finance. At least with a bike, I would just buy it. I probably should save money and drive a more mainstream car, but I am used to premium materials and performance, even if not in a brand new car.

jpp75 · January 2013

Ironically that's what I did by getting the '02 Pathfinder last year. Out of all the cars I've ever owned it was hands down my favorite. I do ride it a lot, but at 14 mpg around town it costs a lot more to operate, plus it's going on 11 years old with 137k on it, so not smart to have it as my only car. Maybe if I had kept my original and knew it's history I'd be more apt to have it as my primary, but for long trips, etc., it's nice to have something else. Ironically I was telling the better half the other day that I like the Pathfinder so much I don't want to wear it out driving it all the time.

I'm content with the G37x, keeping it after the lease is an option, but I want to check out the Q50 and the new IS, possible contenders. Of course if money was no object I'd spring for a Tesla S.

jpp75 · January 2013

I've leased for years, obviously having a new car every so often appeals to a chronic car buyer, but as I get older I'm thinking more about being smart with my money and focusing on things like being mortgage free, retiring earlier, etc. So I'm toying with buying something outright next time, like you that puts me in a more mainstream car, not necessarily a bad thing....but this is really the only thing I spend money on so sometimes I justify my more expensive taste that way. Plus I feel like if I'm going to buy something and keep it for several years I should really love it, hard to say if I'd really love an Accord or Fusion that much.

ateixeira · January 2013

Just heard the new Q50 will get a 2l turbo.

fintail · January 2013

Leasing a highline car can be smart - you're always under warranty, and so many of the leases are subsidized, often the payments are less than (real world) depreciation alone. But, it is still usually more than a normal car. The Accord is one that comes to mind as something I would look at, as it seems to have huge equipment for the money, and might even be over-engineered as Honda tries to rebuild image. It's also decent looking. I definitely prefer it to Camry, Koreans, etc.

It'll be hard for me to take on a payment again though, been years since I've had one. It'll mean less vacations, lower rate of savings, etc. Usually looking at cars cures me. I looked at the ATS a few weeks ago, seeing the nice ones at 50K made me appreciate what I have.

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