Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

jpp75 · February 2013

I did 12k on my lease and even taking the car out west this summer I'll still be under. I work from home so my around town miles are very low.

I'd love to see the C250 come over but sounds like it won't be here by the time my lease is up.

nyccarguy · February 2013

I've got almost 19K on my BMW Continental Run Flats (17"). I'm happy so far. I don't think the ride is overly stiff at all. Just right actually.

The Run Flat Tire Technology has come A LONG WAY. My Mom had an '08 E90 328xi that she constanly complained about the car's harsh ride.

breld · February 2013

Funny you say that - my wife and I were just commenting on how harsh the ride was on her '08 328xi compared to her new wagon, which has larger wheels. I didn't know what was different, but it makes sense that the tires themselves have simply gotten better.

stickguy · February 2013

not runflats but our new RDX does have nice big sidewalls (235/60 I believe). Given the condition of the roads around here, the more the better.

they are 18" though, and right now prices are nuts to replace, so I hope they can push near 50K, but I have had terrible luck lately with OEM Michelins (barely 30K on the Odyssey).

In a few years there may be more choices to pick from too. thankfully we really don't put many miles on (should stay pretty close to the 10k/year, depending on the next college location, and if we do move in another year).

breld · February 2013

Just swapped out the wheels on my wife's wagon with the winter set (that we had purchased from the previous owner). 16" wheels! Unheard of! But ideal for the snow.

I don't look forward to the cost of replacing the tires on our 3's with the staggered set up. Hopefully they last for a little while (and don't hit all at once!).

jayrider · February 2013

Look on the bright side, Breld, even though the new tires will be costly, you can have fun researching product and price for at least a month. The only thing better than spending money, is planning the purchase.

tifighter · February 2013

Breld, buddy, you are doing this wrong. When the tires are bad, it means it's time for a new car.

You're worrying us.

breld · February 2013

The only thing better than spending money, is planning the purchase.

So so true.

breld · February 2013

You're right tifighter - what was I thinking? :P

xwesx · February 2013

I wasn't worried. I was thinking, "I doubt they're going to go bad in the next six months!" :P

breld · February 2013

I'm starting to develop a bit of a reputation here.

Am I the akangl of the lower 48?

stickguy · February 2013

I think you can coexist. She is the truck person, and you handle all the BMWs and other nice cars.

ronsteve · February 2013

Yes, the 2014 Forester will keep the FB25 engine and now gets a CVT.

The FB25 is nice - timing chain, separate coolant flow to the heads, and easy access oil filter at the top of the engine. Could use DI to make a bit more power, though.

32mpg highway for the AWD model will be best in class.

I wasn't a huge fan of the CVT in the Impreza when I had one as a rental.

That said, I'd give up a couple MPG to do my own shifting... wonder if the 6th gear on the new-generation Subies has alleviated the screaming highway RPMs of the previous NA Outbacks?

Could be a tossup between Outback and Forester if I am forced to go Subaru to get the 3rd pedal...

ateixeira · February 2013

Good point, the base model has a 6 speed manual option. I'm sure 6th is as tall as it's ever been.

The turbo CVT can also simulate 6 or 8 steps, which may feel more natural to someone who doesn't like CVTs.

ateixeira · February 2013

Looked it up for ya...

6MT:
1st 3.454, 2nd 1.888, 3rd 1.296, 4th 0.972, 5th 0.780, 6th 0.695. R 3.686, Final 4.444:1

Looks like 3rd-6th are all overdrives, but the final drive ratio is pretty short.

The CVT has a HUUUGE spread, 3.581-0.570, R 3.667. Tall Final drive at 3.70:1

steine13 · February 2013

Ask and ye shall receive... from an outback forum, forget who wrote it but i copied the information...

"60 MPH, 6th, 2100 RPM. 36.0-37.2 MPG. Still very effecient, even at a moderate speed, this is the speed I typically drive at(all highways here are 55-70 limit) and I routinely get 550-600 miles per tank(33-36 average)."

there you go.
cheers -mathias

ateixeira · February 2013

Thanks.

It would be useful to compare to the OB's CVT ratios, which are:

CVT in manual mode: 1st gear 3.581, 2nd 2.262, 3rd 1.658, 4th 1,208, 5th 0.885, 6th 0.618. final 3.90

CVT in automatic D mode continuously varies between 3.581-0.618

So the Forester has a taller final drive, and a taller lowest ratio on the CVT. It can probably get away with that since it's lighter than the Outback.

You lose some aero, but not much. No wonder the Forester is rated higher in MPG.

xwesx · February 2013

I wouldn't characterize them as "screaming" RPMs. Surprisingly, my Fiesta runs at higher highway RPMs than my Forester, by a couple hundred given the same cruising speed. Happily, I get 40+ out of that (vs. 28-29 for the Forester) when cruising 68-70.

That said, I certainly wouldn't mind an extra gear (assuming lower overall ratio) for highway cruising in both of them if it meant better fuel economy.

ateixeira · February 2013

I remember in the OB threads people saying at 80mph the rpms were way down near 2000rpm, so the Forester should be relaxed at cruising speeds.

xwesx · February 2013

For CVT, right? I don't talk in automatics, sir. That's a foreign language. :P

ateixeira · February 2013

Yes, the CVT.

At least Subaru offers a stick!

ronsteve · February 2013

I wouldn't characterize them as "screaming" RPMs. Surprisingly, my Fiesta runs at higher highway RPMs than my Forester, by a couple hundred given the same cruising speed. Happily, I get 40+ out of that (vs. 28-29 for the Forester) when cruising 68-70.

The screaming RPMs were when I test drove a 2006 Outback, and 70mph was clearly above 3000rpm, seemingly rather undignified for a car of its size and class.

Also test drove a 2007 Forester, which was definitely more relaxed... didn't get on the interstate with it, but did get to 60mph at roughly 2300-2400 rpm, so it would be more like 2700-2800 at 70.

The WRX that I tested around the same time was similar to the Forester. I could about kick myself for not getting that car... we know my insurance man would have been happy!

In a perfect world, the 6-speed would have similar gearing for 5th, with a taller 6th for better cruising. And that's what I was most curious about.

The CVTs do have very tall top ratios, but if I am stuck not shifting my own, I think my next vehicle would probably be a Honda CR-V.

nyccarguy · February 2013

There is an article in the Wall Street Journal today about the sky high price of used cars. I don't have a subscription, but they let you read the 1st paragraph!

stever · February 2013

You can sometimes paste the headline in Google and read the article. The story did make me think about the beaters in my garage.

ateixeira · February 2013

Gas is over $4 locally so I'm sure hybrid/diesel prices are spiking now.

Sandman6472 · February 2013

Had a 2013 Chevy Cruze today with over 31k on the clock...what a piece of crap this car is! Luckily it had sat radio but it drove sloppily, accelerated very hard and loudly and felt like a Flintstone car...just not refined at all! Who would buy this crap with so many other good choices out there? Sure hope the Verano drives a whole lot better, even the Ford Focus was a better overall vehicle! The imports put this Cruze to shame and I now understand why there are so many in the U S. What an embarrassing vehicle!

Drove a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee to Orlando yesterday...interesting vehicle. Started out slow but once that power rush hits, man...you're flying down the pike! Would never own one but it was fun for a few hours. Off tomorrow at this point and have an appointment to get the Civic's headliner replaced at my house next Wednesday, so I'll take the day off. Will probably have the brakes replaced that day also if they need it and a oil change, rotation and re-balance of the tires. Since I'm not home everyday, got to plan multiple things all together now. But after staying home for almost 2.5 years, it's nice to be out again and driving a different car every day!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

corvette · February 2013

Do you know which engine the Cruze had? The 1.4 turbo is supposed to be better. I'm not that impressed with SiriusXM so far. I like Pandora via my cell phone better.

I am really loving the low end torque of the 2.0T in the Jetta. It can accelerate at a good clip while keeping the RPMs low, and the engine feels much livelier than the one in the Altima.

steine13 · February 2013

>> Had a 2013 Chevy Cruze today [..] Who would buy this crap with so many other good choices out there?

I would, begging your pardon, and I just leased one... this is the second time you had a Cruze & hated it.... given your back problems, I wouldn't expect any particular love, but I disagree with your assessment of the car.

Which begs the question, since both of us have an interest in cars and some experience, what's going on? I have only driven the 1.4 T; my own car and an Eco on a test drive. Both were manual 6 speeds, and the clutch and transmission is half the reason I really like the car. The other half is the engine plus the quiet and composed ride... power isn't huge, but certainly better than just adequate.

What I'm not too happy about is the very cocooned and enclosed feeling; stepping into my Vibe, I'm struck by a sense of airiness and headroom... and also by a sense of how loud, rude, and crude the Vibe is in comparison.

Getting into and out of the Cruze is a bit harder, too. Not exactly sports-car like, but even my wife -- 5'2 and skinny -- finds it hard to climb out of the seat.

Maybe the LS with the 1.8 NA engine + automatic is a lot different, but I wouldn't know. In all seriousness, the car that most closely resembles my Cruze is a 2nd-generation A4 turbo stick I drove a decade ago; cloth seats, similar in feeling, solid and heavy and quiet and fast enough.

I had a rental Focus last year and didn't think much about it one way or the other. Go figure.

Cheers -Mathias

fintail · February 2013

31K rental miles might be harsh. I once had a Kia Spectra rental with 25K miles on it that looked like a private car with 250K on it. I hope it was just abused.

mark156 · February 2013

I had the opportunity to rent TWO 2012 Impala's driving them both about 130 miles each (Emerald Club) from the California desert to LAX and back. Actually, both were the same color and mileage (7,500 miles). It drove fairly well but the engine was just plain loud.

It had plenty of room for luggage in the trunk but my back-seat guests complained about the low position of the back seat and it was just plain hard and uncomfortable. :sick:

Maybe the new restyled Impala will have better improvements.

Will try something different next time.

Mark156

steine13 · February 2013

Well, if you don't have more than one passenger, try a Cruze and see what you think

-Mathias

corvette · February 2013

The 2012 model has the GM corporate 3.6 liter overhead cam V6. I haven't driven that one but that engine has been criticized for its harshness. I had the 3.5 liter version as a rental car and thought it rode well. The 3.5 was relatively quiet in that car and felt quicker off the line than the G6 (with the same engine) I had at the time.

mark156 · February 2013

Corvette, you said the right word about the Impala engine, 'harshness'.... it was definitely harsh!

While in Hawaii, we rented a Buick Enclave.... very large, hard to see around the edges but a nice back-up camera. The second row had buckets which I didn't like as the third row area was piled with luggage. If we had a fifth person, we would have had to put them on the roof I guess. LOL!

It drove well and had the same controls as the Impala (air/radio, etc.).

Mark156

tjc78 · February 2013

I haven't driven that one but that engine has been criticized for its harshness.

Can I have a link please? I have that engine in my 2012 LaCrosse and I can't feel/hear any harshess. It's not quite as refined as a Toyota 2GR, but you can rev it to 6500 and you barely can tell its working.

This was a Ward's 10 best engine a few years back.

ateixeira · February 2013

Drove a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee to Orlando yesterday

Hemi or Pentastar V6? I'm guessing V6 since you said it started out slow...

ateixeira · February 2013

31K rental miles might be harsh.

Sometimes very harsh - I had a Ford Taurus rental with 7k miles, smoked in, and that was perhaps the most miserable car I've ever had to drive.

Thankfully I have a 3rd car, so I drove it from the body shop to home with the windows wide open, and back the day I returned it, that was it.

They could not have given me that car for free.

corvette · February 2013

"Can I have a link please? I have that engine in my 2012 LaCrosse and I can't feel/hear any harshess."

I thought I had read that somewhere about the Acadia, but can't find the review anymore, so I retract my statement.

tjc78 · February 2013

The reason I asked for a link was that I couldn't find one! I looked at reveiws for my car and the Enclave/Acadia and most had nothing but good things to say about it.

I wonder if in the Impala the air intake/exhaust setup is significantly different from the other (newer) platforms that would change the character of the engine.

mark156 · February 2013

The two Impala's I rented sounded exactly the same. It must be related to the exhaust set-up.

Mark156

jayrider · February 2013

My LaCrosse is very quiet as well -- could be somewhat related to the extra insulation and quiet ride technology which is a Buick priority.

xwesx · February 2013

On the topic of rentals, I drove and rode in the back seat (not at the same time!) of a 2012 Fusion. I found the seats of that car incredibly comfortable, and overall it was quiet and compliant (when driving). It wasn't the handler my Fiesta is, but a nice family sedan nonetheless.

tifighter · February 2013

The Impala always surfaces over on TTAC, most recently as one of the best used car deals today. It has a lot of engine, that's for sure. I had a 2011 as a rental a few weeks ago and it was meh, but I haven't driven the newer engine.

tifighter · February 2013

I'd have to agree with Mathias here. I've had a number of Cruzes as rentals this year, most recently a 13 LTZ. I thought it was pretty nice. The 1.4T has usable torque, quiet, mileage was acceptable, good sized trunk, and the ride/handling compromise was okay. New touchscreen is responsive, no issues with it locking up, etc. All in all, pretty good and definitely not crap.

corvette · February 2013

It's a little too big and lacks features like a backup camera or parking sensors, but it rides well and I agree it's a lot of car for the money.

tifighter · February 2013

There's actually another article they did that compares the Cruze 1.8 and the Impala that's an interesting read. Year old examples of each are probably around the same price, I guess.

corvette · February 2013

I've read that (and usually read TTAC every day), but that's probably worth a reread. Baruth's articles on the GLI and GTI planted the seed for my getting one.

Edited to add: Aha! Baruth says the GM 3.6 liter V6 "feels somewhat coarse" in the CTS.

stickguy · February 2013

how often do you see one of these in the wild?

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3627471441.html

nyccarguy · February 2013

I notice that Toyota dealers still have 2012 Priuses (Prii?) on their lots. With gas prices well into the $4/ gal range one would think tv the be selling better.

corvette · February 2013

Never knew they made those with a stick!

"the bad..abs light comes on and off"

Add to that, the non-OEM wheels/tires (which look like they came off a Mustang) and lowered suspension. Also, I read the ad three times and don't see where the seller listed the mileage. And another thing: Not enough pics.

stickguy · February 2013

my rule of thumb, if they leave it out, you will gag on it.

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