Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

boomchek · April 2007

Sounds like you're having fun with your new toys. Congrats.

Now you'll never bang you head again on that part. Better at home than on the road.

As for that warranty, that's a very pricey warranty, especially if it doesn't cover anything.

Does the motorhome, by the way, come with roadside assistance?

And if it does, and something like the toilet plugs up or malfunctions on the road, does the roadside assistance company send a mechanic or a plumber to your location? :confuse:

mark156 · April 2007

LOL!! You are right boomchek... I'll never bang my head again on the slide-out! And, I'm on the road.. heading to Las Vegas to meet up with a couple of friends who bought a new motorcoach in November.

The motorhome DOES come with roadside assistance for one year. All service whether major or minor will have to be done at a service center for any repairs.

I love the simplicity of the new Honda as the motorhome will keep me very busy learning all of the gadgets. :confuse:

Mark156

guss · April 2007

I would probably wait until the standard warranty is close to up before buying the extended warranty. That will give you a feel for how reliable the beast is.

Also , I am guessing that the years will come into play before you hit 100k miles, so you might as well make it a 10 year warranty.

I think you should ditch the baseball hat idea and get yourself a football helmet.

lilengineerboy · April 2007

I think you should ditch the baseball hat idea and get yourself a football helmet.

I was thinking of a motorcycle helmet, but then I thought if I scratched or dented the side of a $400,000 rig, I'd want to beat my head against it :P

woodyww · April 2007

I posted my thoughts about this on the RWTIV board, & voted to keep the X5. Partly because it seems they've become pretty reliable. Also because your super-low miles should help a lot with reliability.

FWIW, I've owned 2 out-of-warranty bmws with no unusual problems (knock wood!), altho the older one did start needing some repairs & new parts at about 8-10 years old.....

What's it gonna cost to trade it on a new 528xi or infiniti m35x? And do you like them that much better than the X5? Seems like an awful lot of $$ to spend just to get a new warranty!

[Deleted User] · April 2007

I'm beginning to seriously think it's an illness... :surprise:

How about a Chronic Car Wanters Anonymous thread. I am just itching like crazy to get into something new/different, but am constantly changing my mind. I almost pulled the trigger on a new TL but then had a little mishap with the Civic, so in the shop it went for a few days. I had an ~~Exploder~~ Explorer as a rental and I'm thinking "I could handle this, maybe a 4runner instead, but an SUV would be nice. Then I'll see a nice Tacoma and think a truck would be fun, my boys would get a kick out of that, so I'm checking prices on Tacomas, seeing what used ones are going for, etc until we're off to the park and another nice TL drives by. What's a guy to do??? And it just drives my wife insane, hearing about cars all the time, this one, that one. I can tell when she's no longer listening too, not to mention the fact that her eyes get glazed over.

mjfloyd1 · April 2007

I have 7 months of warranty left.

mjfloyd1 · April 2007

got a quote from a bmw dealer for a 4yr/ 60k mile comprehensive warr from Zurich ins (0 deductible) and a 2 yr bmw factory maintainance program for a little over 3k. Just a brake job is 800- 1000 bucks. Ouch.

Anyone with any input on extended warranty companies.

thanks for your thoughts,
Mark

kyfdx · April 2007

I vote for stretching it out until November... and then doing what the wife wants..

tifighter · April 2007

Sounds like I am reading a biography about myself here! In my case, the other problem is I also have a motorcycle, and this allows me to think like you are for TWO different things.

Wait till summer; 3.99/gal will shorten up your list a bit...

steine13 · April 2007

Welcome to the club.
No new forum needed, you'll fit right in.

I honestly don't see any of what you're telling us as unusual, though, right down to the wifey thingy.

Most chicks are like that, it's weird...

-Mathias

corvette · April 2007

Third party warranties are generally frowned upon. If you go the warranty route, find a dealer who will sell you the BMW Original Owner Protection Plan, which will extend the factory 4 year / 50k warranty to a total of 6 years / 100k miles, if you're the original owner of the car. It's equivalent to the CPO warranty on a used BMW.

mjfloyd1 · April 2007

the bmw warranty would then be a 2 year extension since i have such low miles. it is $3800. Pretty expensive 2 year warranty. thats the rub with the factory warranty.

nyccarguy · April 2007

My Dad has an '04 X5 3.0iA SP with over 66,000 miles on the odometer. The only problems he's had with it are the rear hatch unlocked by itself while he was driving (never fully popped open) & relay that got some moisture in it that has caused the Angel Eyes on the left side to go out. It has NEVER once been in the shop outside the scheduled maintenance. He had the front pads & rotors replaced during Inpection I and just recently the rear brake pads at just over 60K miles.

If you're worried about future repair & maintenance costs, check out some of the independent BMW mechanics in your area. Your dealer isn't the only game in town.

guss · April 2007

The biggest problem I have is that with 3 kids also the cars I really want are not suitable. The Acura RSX-S and the Mustang Convertible(along with others) only have 2 seats in the back. It gets me thinking somehow I got to make a third car work.Hmmm...

I hate it when I am driving and pass a Vehicle in the color and options that I really like. Kinda feels like I'm cheating on my current car. Then I'll pass one that looks like mine and I remember why I bought it.

My wife used to talk cars with me , but I think she gave up because she new where it was leading.... another car purchase. Except for that BMW coupe she has always wanted her reaction to car talk is basically a car is just a car. :mad:

stickguy · April 2007

Kindered spirits! Actually, Dad's write up describes me to a tee. Even my wife makes fun of my inability to decide, even when she has given me approval to buy something new!

Just last night, I pointed out a picture of the new Volvo V70 (my screen saver of all things), and said it is her next car, and she gave me a "yeah, right", since by the time she needs to replace her van, 20 more things would have caught my eye!

You know you are bad when you are on the way home with your latest new ride and you stop to look at something else!

[Deleted User] · April 2007

I can so relate with the kids thing! We have three in car seats so the Odyssey isn't going anywhere soon, but I'm dying to swap out the Civic, even though we get 30+ miles per gallon running around town and it's paid for. It's funny though when I mention another vehicle and the wife says "can we all fit in it?" And I say, "not really, can we all fit in the Civic?" :confuse: I'm getting better at realizing that conversation is now over as she's walking off in the opposite direction!

woodyww · April 2007

I drove my ex-G/F completely insane (altho, I think she was already well on the way before I met her!) with my weekly car shopping trips & constantly changing my mind about what I wanted. Another bad thing was that all the car shopping made me more & more grandiose over time--I started out looking at used 4runners, & w/in a few months or a year was convinced I HAD to have an X5 or Range Rover....

Come to think of it, I still want an X5..... :confuse:

woodyww · April 2007

It's got such low miles, it seems a shame to sell it just because the warranty is running out. If it were a trouble-prone make or model, I'd understand. I dumped my Range Rover 6 mo. before the warranty ran out, but I'd had tons of trouble with it in the year I'd owned it. How I came to own my current bmw, which has given me way less trouble in 4.5 years than the RR did in one.

There's a really good X5 board "on another website"--it'd be worth it to post your questions there. There are guys there with even early X5's ('00's, '01's) with 100K miles who don't seem to have had a lot of trouble.

Is it fear of owning any vehicle that's out of warranty, or just a bmw? There are people here & elsewhere who've had newer vehicles WITH warrantys that drove them nuts because of constant problems (inc. me, with my RR, & my VW).

But if buying an ext. warranty will placate the wife, I'd say, best commence to warranty shopping!

kyfdx · April 2007

I wouldn't buy an extended warranty.. As you note, with such low miles, you probably won't get your money's worth out of a warranty or an extended maintenance plan..

Since the vehicle is paid off, why not put the $4000 that it would cost for an extended warranty/maintenance plan in the bank? Use it to fund any repairs or maintenance required until the car is six years old..

At the rate you are going, the car will only have 50K miles or less, by then... and, you will probably have money left over, and the car should bring a good price with the low miles.

Seems like a cheap way to keep driving a really nice vehicle for the next 2 yrs and 7 months...

regards,
kyfdx

(except for the wife thing.. maybe you should trade..

)

akangl · April 2007

I committed the number one cardinal motorhome sin today. I hit my head on the bedroom slide-out. It is known that you always wear a baseball cap when working around the motorhome. Tonight, I connected to the water and electricity, filled the water tank and turned to walk back to the Honda to turn off the engine (warming it up to run through the gears per Honda rules)... and banged my head on the corner of the slide-out. It just about knocked me out and I fell to the ground skinning my knees... so, here I sit with a bandage on my head and band-aid patches on my knees... a real good look as I have a black-tie event in 17 days.. I hope that I heal enough to look presentable!

Sorry Mark, had to laugh. Last summer we had the TT at a campground and hubby was busy doing something around the other side of it when I heard a THUD and him yell. I had left the bedroom window open, it swings out due to being an emergency exit window. He just about scalped himself on it. Needless to say he makes a WIDE circle around the TT now.

Dealership says we have to pick it up May 1st, lol, so we are on the hunt for a new storage location for it. We have NO room here at the house anymore, not with the horses and the horse trailer taking up so much room. Doubt we'll even use it this year.

jbollt · April 2007

"...Last summer we had the TT at a campground..."

So, you've been shopping again, and didn't tell us? Now you have an Audi TT?

corvette · April 2007

(except for the wife thing.. maybe you should trade.. )

Trading in a wife on a newer model is usually much more expensive than trading in a car on a newer model... :P

lilengineerboy · April 2007

(except for the wife thing.. maybe you should trade.. )

Trading in a wife on a newer model is usually much more expensive than trading in a car on a newer model...

Ah alas, I think I have negative equity and my payments would increase dramatically if I had to roll it over into a newer model. Besides, mine is fun, comfortable and reliable...eh what were we talking about, where am I going with this...

mjfloyd1 · April 2007

Thanks for the reality check. I am afraid of a large repair bill on an out of warranty vehicle. It's not a bmw thing for me - I have a 95 325icA with less than 25k miles as well and it's completely reliable as long as I keep the battery tender on. (The X5 has only had routine maintainance and a rare minor problem - a door lock actuator occaisionally wouldn't work and it was replaced and works fine.)

The bmw warranty makes absolutely no sense for me with the low miles, and a bmw finance person suggested the zurich plan. I was offered a zero deductible 48 month/ 60k mile plan and a 2 year bmw factory maintainance plan for a little over 3000 dollars. I don't know anything about zurich, but an associate has a Lamborghini which he bought as a factory demo with 5k miles and he got a zurich extended warr with it - but surprisingly to me, he never had to use it. He did say that he knew others that had used theirs with no problems. I did also call the local independent mechanic who said that the zurich plan was one of the better ones that they had dealt with. I do wonder if the zurich plan would pay for diagnosis of a problem and if it requires non factory parts or refurbished parts.

I generally don't keep a vehicle for more than 3 or 4 years and very rarely put more than 50K miles on a car before I get upgraditis. My problem right now is that nothing really floats my boat. The 530ix is OK but gets very pricey when loaded up. The infiniti m35x seems nice but I haven't driven one. I drove a v6 audi Q7 and it was just a very heavy vehicle - it seemed slower than my X5 and didn't handle anywhere near as well. I've had a suv (or is it sav) since 2000 (toyotal landcruiser and then X5), and don't know if I'd adjust to sitting down low again, but then again with gas at 2.89 a gallon for regular perhaps I should learn to adjust. I don't know how well a car would work as I need to be able to get to the hospital in all sorts of Indiana weather in quite a hurry sometimes - it snowed 18 inches just one week after I got rid of my landcruiser.

My wife isn't concerned about repair bills or maintainance, she is concerned that we will both want new cars during the same year. It's more of a timing issue for her.

Mark

kyfdx · April 2007

Just keep it until you find something else you want.. and keep the money in your wallet.. What if you buy the warranty, then find something you really want the next month?

Trading in the wife? Hadn't thought of that.. I think I'd lease the next time, though..

corvette · April 2007

My final exams are over the next two weeks, then I start bar review classes for the bar exam (end of July). I'm going to take a break from Edmunds and most other distractions until then, but plan to return after that. If I have any free time, I may come in and read a few messages... In the meantime, it's been an entertaining and enjoyable experience hanging out with you guys!

woodyww · April 2007

Good luck! Hopefully if you start making big lawyer $$ you'll be able to spend some on nice automotive toys.....

guss · April 2007

Good luck counselor. Hopefully you can reward yourself with something nice when it is all over.

akangl · April 2007

Good luck to you........3 months eh? I wonder who will have bought a car by then??

Not me of course!

railroadjames · April 2007

I own a 3 1/2 yr old Toyota Prius ('04) with a 2 part warrantee (3 yr 36K on regular components & 8 yr 100K on the Hybrid sys.) Knowing the complexity of this car I decided to look into an extended coverage warr. and found all are not the same and most take a lawyer to decifer. One in particular demanded I put a special bottle in the radiater and all maintanence be done by dealer and keep extensive records. I decided not to go that route. Now I'm of a mind to just wing it till I purchase a new car next yr. By the way, the Prius has been outstanding. A hatchback with more room than most full size cars...Room for 5...45-50 mpg's ...dependability and very "GREEN." Tax breaks and no EPA tests. Time spent in gas stations less than 1 min. compared to SUV's & Hummers 6-7 min. Gas savings adding up to approx. 3 grand per yr (17K-18K miles per yr). Just love the smartness of the car. Wish more people knew what I've come to know.

lilengineerboy · April 2007

I'm glad you've enjoyed your car and found something that worked well for you and your needs. Are you going to be getting another one when you replace that one?

jlawrence01 · April 2007

To save $3k in gas on a Prius, you must have been getting about 12-13 mpg on your prior vehicle ... What did the Prius replace?

british_rover · April 2007

Hell I could get low 40s highway mpg on my MINI Cooper S and I averaged low 30s high 20s overall and that car was actually fun to drive.

bumpy · April 2007

Sort of. My dad decided that paying for out-of-warranty repairs on a 2000 E320 wasn't his idea of a good time, so he ditched the Benz last Saturday and got... an Avalon.

woodyww · April 2007

What did he pay for out-of-warranty repairs on his 2000 E320? Was it a constant $$ drain, or a few big hits? Just curious.....

bumpy · April 2007

He didn't pay for much, deciding to get out while the getting was good. He bought it in 2003 and had all kinds of things go wrong the first year he had it: harmonic balancer broke apart, catalytic converter failed, driver's side mirror cracked, window motor failed, it ate headlight bulbs, etc. All of that was under warranty. It behaved itself for a while after that, then he had a brake job done on it at the beginning of the year. Somehow one of the front wheel bearings was munged up in the process; the bearing failed and destroyed the spindle soon afterwards. The new spindle had to come across the Atlantic, which took a while. I think that, along with the constant stream of horror stories he heard chatting with other forlorn MB owners in the service lounge, finally did the trick and sent him back to the Yote. He had a '99 Camry before the Benz and his wife got a Rav4 last fall.

mark156 · April 2007

My experience with my E-class is that it has been a very low maintenance vehicle. Granted, I only have 35,000 miles on my 7 yr. old car and it looks almost brand new!

A year or so ago, I had new front brakes put on.
Over the last couple of years, I had the dealer replace both rear window regulators.
Those are the only out of warranty things that I've done.

I'm still on the original battery (located under the back seat).

Mark

fintail · April 2007

That sounds like my experience with my 02 E55. From reading owners boards and talking to my mechanic, the 6cyl cars for some reason are much more problematic than the V8 cars, with AMG cars having the least problems of all.

I did buy a warranty for it though.

corvette · April 2007

Thanks for the support, guys!

railroadjames · April 2007

Answers to both questions.....Next car...I Hope Toyota's Hybrid "X" or close to it next yr. Past vehicle...Southwind Motorhome (got 9 mpgs when lucky)

british_rover · April 2007

It is funny that BMW is about the opposite. The 528i and 530i are the most reliable BMWs and they just get worse when you up to a 540i or M5.

lilengineerboy · April 2007

It is funny that BMW is about the opposite. The 528i and 530i are the most reliable BMWs and they just get worse when you up to a 540i or M5.

That is because when Gawd created the universe, the earth cooled, and he created that beautiful straight six. From there it has evolved into the incredibly refined, tuned piece it is today.

british_rover · April 2007

True the Older E-classes with the straight six had much fewer problems then the V6 E-classes.

I just sold a Z4 2.5 to a guy yesterday. I took it out this morning to put gas in it and have an emissions test done. Thst is a fun car to drive for a few days when the weather is good and that straight six just SINGS.

I couldn't own one though cause I just barely fit in it.

oregonboy · April 2007

One of my roommates bought a car yesterday and is picking it up today: 2005 VW Beetle GLS Turbo convertible 5-spd. Aside from the stick, it is totally a "chick car", but that's ok, because she's a chick.

I would guess that with the turbo, the 5-spd and the top down, that it could be an entertaining ride (for a front-driver). I hope the weather is decent tonight after work so we can all take it out for a little joy ride. :shades:

james

guss · April 2007

Forget about describing the Beetle to us, let's hear more about the girl roommate thing.

I don't get the Beetle being a chick thing though. With the right color(Black) and options I think it is as manly as the original Bug. Must be the flower vase that "chicks" it up.

oregonboy · April 2007

Well, the color is "Mellow Yellow" (light yellow) with a black top. Like so:

I'll have to take some pictures of the actual car with the girls in it (Juli & Denise). Yep, I have a house-share arraingement with two very attractive ladies. I've lived there for 9 days now and so far it's been great fun.

james

lilengineerboy · April 2007

I have fond memories of being driven about central coast of California by attractive young ladies in VW Rabbit Convertibles (oh, I mean Cabriolets). A warm summer night in a convertible is a great thing, as is wine tasting in the fall with a couple of flannel blankets in there to prevent chills...

nippononly · April 2007

that is a chick car! I bet it is a fun drive though with the turbo. :-)

woodyww · April 2007

Sounds like a real nightmare--no car is worth that much trouble. I shudder to think what a major brake job costs at a Mercedes dealer.

I agree with the comments about bmw I-6's vs the V8's (not that I haven't been smitten by the 540i's or 740i's I've driven). And I didn't understand it when M-B went to a V6--seems like that's when their reliability started declining.

I was thinking today, that with expensive Euro cars, some of it is just luck, i.e., "if you get a good one". And if you do have a reliable M-B or bmw that you like, best to hold on to it.....

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

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