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Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)
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I do not like the new Hard Top 3 series convertible in light colors. You can see all the huge black rubber gaskets for the hardtop if the car is white or silver.
Other then that everything there was good. I still haven't warmed up to the 7 series and their SUVs are stupid but the rest of the cars are great.
Maybe I'm crazy, but I always liked the X5's, by far the best handling SUV's ("SAV"'s) I've driven. But hard core off-roaders must think they're dumb. I'd buy a used one, but they're crazy expensive used.
I've never believed that all bmws are Necessarily expensive to repair or trouble-prone; usually the 3's & 5's have pretty good reliability records....
Audi's: I'm more afraid of, but they are beautiful, inside & out.....
My Dad has an '04 X5 3.0iA Sport Package. His lease is up in the middle of August. After almost 72,000 miles his truck has been nearly flawless as far as reliability goes. He had to make one unscheduled maintenance trip to the dealer when a front brake caliper seized up somewhere around the 50K mark. He purchased the extended maintenance package (6 years/100K) and it has paid for itself as he got Inpection II and new rear brakes since the standard 4/50K warranty/maintenance has expired. One of the Angel Eyes recently had to be replaced and one of the rear brake light assemblies has to be replaced (it is on national backorder).
We drove the new X5 3.0iA with Sport Package last week and I was impressed to the point that it was hard to realize the fact that I was driving such a heavy vehicle.
british_rover: Have you gotten your hands on a new X5 yet? I was curious to see what you think of it compared to the RR Sport.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Either way I don't think I'm keeping the Durango, its acting up again, not sure what's wrong this time but the engine keeps wanting to cut out. ARGH!!!
I don't want to buy something that I'm going to hate, but I also don't want to buy something that's going to depreciate like a rock either.
I'm going to get the Durango fixed......again, and sell it this fall. Then try to figure out what the right vehicle is for me. How do people keep vehicles for 100k+ miles? I think the longest I went was 56k on the Titan.
I kind of wish I had kept my Titan, at least I liked it. Last I heard about it was someone at the dodge dealer was going to buy it, then it started acting up, then he wrecked it, not sure what's going on with it now. Only found that out because I ran into the sales manager that did the deal on hubby's dually. He was snickering about the whole thing (he works for Ford now).
My problem with the X5 is three fold...
1. It has zero off-road ability at all so that is a deal killer for me. I actually take vehicles off-road and have been in multiple four wheeling clubs. I know for the vast majority of people that doesn't matter though.
2. Yes they do handle very well for a SUV but I think a significant bit of comfort is sacrificed to get that handling. I would rather have the comfort and lose a bit of that handling prowess for a better ride. The 3.0 X5 with the little wheels is better then the V8s with the huge 19 plus inch wheels. The 3.0 is the only one I would be interested in.
3. Utility is the last problem I have with the X5. Even as large the X5 has gotten it still has less cargo capacity then the smaller Range Rover sport. The third row is a complete joke and was just put in there as an after thought. Even the jump seats in the back of the old Discos were better. Towing is a bit on the weak side at only 6,000 lbs and with no standard air suspension towing will be harder. I guess all that is why BMW calls then SAVs instead of SUVs.
I wrestled with this question myself. First you should take pride in your vehicle. You've got to like it first. If you dont, then you got yourself an excuse to flip it.
Second, you need to be financially savvy. Question is not how much your current ride is worth.. but instead how much is the new ride going to cost you in extra insurance, interest charges and cost+taxes etc.
Third, pride in maintenance. I spend a ton of my time on BITOG website. It is very insightful especially if you search the UOA section ( http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB3 ) and read up on topics like oil, add packs etc.. If there is a coolant leak from a head gasket (high potassium) or air leak in air filter box (high silicon) or bearing wear (high lead) then a UOA will point that out way up front. This allows you to address issues before hand.
Last but not the least, keep up the appearance and fix the non powertrain related components such as suspension bits, stereo etc. Some people otoh like to treat minor scratches and dents as badge of honor in the high mileage club. There is nothing like showing off your 250k mile old cars.. People do it all the time (except not on this forum of course silly me).
I kind of wish I had kept my Titan
I know how you feel. I felt bad for trading in my 115k mile LS2. I wish I had kept it. I maintained the heck out of it and am darn sure it would have kept me going for another 115k no problem. More importantly, it would have saved me big bucks on my new outlander with interest and whatnot. Also, its the attachment and feeling of lack of financial savvyness that invites buyer's remorse. You need to find a new hobby (my new obsession is engine oil not cars even though I keep myself upto date on new product launches and stuff) and that usually takes care of CCBA.
Shift your focus off of new cars to how to maintain your existing car
Key to maintaining vehicles is as follows:
1. Good engine oil (highly debated topic on BITOG) and excellent air and oil filtration (amsoil EaA/EaO or Wix/NapaGold or Donaldson or bypass filter setup etc)
2. Brake fluid change every couple years
3. Coolant change every couple years
4. Tranny fluid change every 20k miles
5. Rear differential / Transfer case fluid change every 20k preferably with high quality gear oil such as Amsoil SVG 75W90 etc
6. Power steering fluid flush every couple years
7. Good suspension checkup and fixes on time.
8. Fix the appearance as this play a bigger role than you think.. car washes et al.
Babying a car will make you think twice in terms of giving it away for a pittance on a trade..
I keep the exterior and interior in very good condition. I buy husky liners and take the floor mats out within a week of buying a vehicle, or in the Durango's case just put the liners in since the floor mats were missing.
The Titan looked very good considering it had 56k on it, the interior was flawless, exterior had some extra wear, but hey it had been across the usa and canada twice. If I hit something or get hit I always get it fixed promptly because dents drive me crazy.
Its not that I don't take care of the, I have no doubt I could run a car to 100k+ miles, I just get bored with them. Well, I wasn't bored with the Titan but that was a whole 'nother situation.
My temptation is to buy an Armada or another Titan, I believe I could keep one of those to 100k, maybe past that. However my sensible side says get a CR-V or Pilot.
According to CR, the 6 cyl. X5's are more reliable than the V8's (no surprise), & pretty reliable in general. And they seem to have better resale than some other bmw's--unlike my E39 5 series, which has plummeted in value
When I price used X5's tho, I start thinking "new RDX".....
My intuition is telling me that the CR-V is too small for you. Going from Titan-to huge Dodge Ram-then Durango, then CR-V? And you said your Hubby couldn't fit in it or drive it, so.....
I think there's a new Pilot coming out? Last 2 times I went to the Honda store, they were ranting about how I could buy a Pilot for not that much more than a CR-V....Pilots are heavily discounted I think.
PS-I noticed steine13's recomendation for a Forester. Are Subies popular in AK? Personally, the more rural, & frozen-north bound I was, the more I'd consider a Subaru.....
Wow, unless the car is getting raced or is used for towing a lot, it gets dino. If I am doing track events, its much more likely to get synthetic, and I usually go with Mobil 1.
Akangl, do you go with synthetic to better cope with the temperature extremes? What do you use in the diesels?
That's the main reason is because of the extreme cold, synthetic does much better, but dino is ok as long as there's an oil pan heater on the car.
The diesels for now have dino, the old Ford will continue to have dino since that's what it seems to like. The Ram will most likely get synthetic eventually.
You're making mr cringe. Are you kidding me, people actually go 250k miles in one car. That would be like eating vanilla ice cream every night for 15 years.
I do all the regular maintenance and then some , but thats more out respect for the car. I hope it makes 250k, but I'll be on my 7th vehicle by then. So many cars so little time to drive them all.
I do all the regular maintenance and then some , but thats more out respect for the car. I hope it makes 250k, but I'll be on my 7th vehicle by then. So many cars so little time to drive them all.
I'm glad I'm not the only one to feel this way! I've had a couple vehicles that I could have driven to 100k, but 250k?? Not in this lifetime!!
Tonight he said "we are driving the Acadia", this was after me getting so sick in the Tahoe. So we did and OMG OMG OMG I was in love. Its perfect, its everything I want, the driving position was outstanding, it drove like a sports car, the kids loved the room inside. Best of all it didn't make me carsick!
Now I'm on a mission to unload the Durango, going to sell it on my own to get as much as I can out of it. Hopefully very soon I will own an Acadia. Haven't been this excited about a car in a long time. While I was driving it I was thinking "Can I drive this for 100k?" There was no doubt in my mind YES! That's a FIRST for me! Could this actually stop my wandering eye??
I thought the same thing of them as you did when I saw them at the Philly auto show this year. I thought that at least GM is getting back into the wagon business again. I was a little disappointed at the fuel mileage they get and the purchase price for basically a tall station wagon was too much for me even in fwd mode.
I am starting to see a ton of them on the road , so alot of people must be liking them.
Ofcourse, if you have no problem with higher transport cost (monthly payment/fuel/insurance), then it probably wont matter as you seem to love it.
But, one thing you should keep in mind, is the resale value of the next vehicle that you purchase. You know as well as all of us here, that you will want something new soon after the Acadia purchase. That's OK, it's just the way your life is! :P
Mark156
Ofcourse, if you have no problem with higher transport cost (monthly payment/fuel/insurance), then it probably wont matter as you seem to love it.
Its about the same size as what I drive now and I use all the room in the Durango. I only grocery shop once every 2 weeks so room is important. I also like size for safety, thus the reason the Tahoe and Armada came into play. However, the Acadia blew everything out of the water, its simply awesome!
Gas mileage can't possibly be any worse than the Durango, its just not going to happen. That thing can suck gas with the best of them, although its last tank surprised the heck out of me at 20.5 mpg that's driving 70-75 mph which someone else with a Durango told me to do that it would like it better. I think my main issue with the Durango is that it makes me carsick, gets my son too. :sick:
(When I say, "awhile", I mean longer than 2-3 weeks)
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Why don't they ever learn?
What I don't get is why the Buick model is so much more popular than the Acadia or Outlook. I figure that will go away, too... but, it just seems weird.
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Oh, and if you want to get an EASY 100K out of a vehicle - BUY A HONDA!!!
Any bets???????????
Hey BR........GM has cut the rebates big time !
07 Silverado only $1500 or special APR deal while the "superior" 07 tundra has $5000 AND special APR money
on the hood...............
Those GM crossovers are super hot !
But most of them buy cheap corollas and NOT those $41,000
tundras !!!!!!!!!! Sales don't lie.........less than 80k
07s produced and now the 08s are being built.
Lets hope Jolie gets a good deal !
Hold out for awhile.... Prices on the Acadia will drop like a stone.. Just like every other new domestic vehicle.
IMO, the only way to buy most domestics is to get a great lease rate, or some serious discounts & rebates. And what's the reliabilty of the Cicada, I mean the Acadia, does anyone know yet?
With the Hondas you were considering, we know they have excellent reliabilty, & resale.....
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
I just saw the new Saturn (Acadia look-a-like) at the RV park I'm staying in near Tucson, AZ. I actually thought it was the Chevy but saw the emblem on the front. Again, that's a nice looking vehicle for GM. Hopefully, it will have a good reliability rating.
Akangl, you know the Honda will have a much better resale value than any GM will ever have. Since you change out so often... keep that in mind.
Mark156
Jolie, this one you will have to keep. Or just lease!
I looked at these, and found the interior to be nice (and comfortable). But, just too damned big.
Actually, it isn't really longer by much than our Odyssey, but probably a few inches wider. Big difference is the long, high hood. Too much effort keeping track of the front end!
My wife drives the van, but I don't think she would like driving this.
If course, since Jolie lives in the wilderness, I doubt the size matters too much! And it is smaller than a Ram Duelie!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I think I'm going to lay and wait until spring to see what the Acadia does. While I love it my money side is telling me to wait and see, of course the devil on my shoulder is saying......BUY BUY BUY. Not sure if I will go ahead and sell the Durango or pay it off this fall and keep it for a while to watch and see what prices do. I'm a little bit gunshy when it comes to domestics......I'm driving a virtually worthless one right now!
The Honda Pilot is still sticking in my mind mainly due to its reliability and resale value. Why can't Honda make something cool like the Acadia??
I don't know when Honda will release a redesigned Pilot, but if it follows the direction of the CRV then I think it might be a good buy. I love the redesigned CRV, but I've never liked the Pilot.
If the CRV would pull about 3500 lbs as opposed to the meager 1500 it's rated for, I could get by with two vehicles and sell the old Explorer.
New shocks: $300
New battery: $100
Transmission service: $200
Winterization: $300
Auto Start: $600
DVD player for the kids to replace the broken one in there: $1000
For a total of $2500.
That's a HECK of a lot cheaper than a NEW $35k car.
What's WRONG with me??? :sick:
Or a portable one for < $100.
You know, the kind you can leave at home so they don't whine about movies for every 20 minute trip..?
I can rationalize with the best of them, but that strikes me as a bit off.
-Mathias
But thats NOT a bad thing for a CCBer!
Let me be the first to say "Velcome".
Whatchoo drivin'?
-Mathias
Actually, Jolie had a Focus (nicknamed "Zippy"). And she had a Jetta way back when (2, maybe 3 years ago).
Plus, she went through 2 Titans, along with various Ford pickups.
But, if you've read through all 10,000 posts, good on ya, mate!
Wow, almost 10,000 posts about an addiction. We all need an intervention.
Perhaps the Honda CR-V or Pilot choice is "too easy". "Too easy" to live with, probably no drama with repairs, harder to find a real reason to sell it.....
It reminds me of the scene in "Animal House" where Tom Hulce has a beauutiful young lady who's passed out in his room, & the little Devil on his shoulder is telling him: "Go on,-------". But the Little Angel on his other shoulder talks him out of it. That's what being a Car Nut is like, I think.
I just made the mistake of getting the bmw '07 "3-series sport wagon", & '07-'08 M6 & M5 catalogs sent to me. I can barely look at them; it's like waving heroin in front of a reformed addict. But right now I need to go back on the bmwusa site & order more catalogs.....they're free!
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Plus, it was in Michigan.. driving distance... Are those California plates?
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Plus, it was in Michigan.. driving distance... Are those California plates?
Washington, so about the same. Looks nice though, although I prefer the earlier (-88 cars) and later (E39?) cars. Maybe a 540i 6-speed...mmmm. Although an E36 M3/4 5spd is still at the top of the list.
Only reason for an expensive DVD system in there is to replace the broken one that's attached to the roof right now. Its an eyesore, can't take it out because the person who put it in did a number on the headliner. The wiring is well, childish at best, it all needs to be taken out. I had it all apart a month or so ago trying to fix it, but its got too many things wrong with it and it wasn't fixable.
I really like the Acadia, but that's a LOT of $$$ for a domestic that's going to drop like a rock. I can get the same thing in a Honda Pilot for about $10k less and it will hold its value better.
Guess time will tell what I'll do, lol, or won't do. :sick:
Guess time will tell what I'll do, lol, or won't do.
Yeah, tell me about it.
I'm still wrestling with the idea of getting rid of my Saturn ... as much as I liked the Volvo XC70, it's hard to justify all the extra payments, especially for a lease. Only 5 more payments on the Saturn!
My car is at that point where my car probably has the most equity it will ever have ... so, do I use that equity now or wait 6 months or a year?
My wife is leaving town for a few days next week ... I've been teasing her about getting a new car while she's gone. Unfortunately, I can't print her reply here as this is a family site!
The Saturn is going to the shop on Friday for some preventive maintenance ... oil change and a transmission service. Perhaps I'll like it better when that's done.
Get a replacement headliner from a junkyard. Oh, wait, I forgot what group I was in... Defective headliner--must be time to replace the vehicle.
I had the 5k service done on my A4 a few weeks back. Now, the service indicator says it's 4600 miles until my next service. I've looked at the manual and the next service isn't supposed to be until 15k, so it looks like they messed something up when they reset it.