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Comments
i want a car to remain a car, not a PDA on wheels.
those NAV, Climate Control, Audio integrated display options are not for this commuter!
The X-type is a lot more closely related to the Mondeo then the Taurus but saying that wouldn't help you either as most Americans don't even know what a Mondeo is.
Tell that to the Federal Government and the special interest groups. To meet MPG, safety, and emission standards the cars have to get more complicated electronically. DSC, RSC, ABS, etc, are all examples.
If the cars were covered forever, you would pay for a warranty that you now have a choice to buy or not to buy.
Nah, I like all of the advancements and technology and am all for the new toys. I love the new keyless entry and start that memorizes drivers, voice recognition, real time nav, oil life monitors, collision mitigation systems, etc.
These things will become more reliable and make their way down into many cars.
There was some poster on here a while ago complaining about how there were too many electronic systems in cars now. That they wanted to buy a car none of those unneeded, unreliable electronic systems. They just want power brakes, power steering and that is it.
That person must have either forgotten what it is like to drive a car with just a carburetor on it or has never driven one at all. Modern cars could not meet the fuel economy, emissions and safety standards that we demand without all of those electronic systems. Stability control is going to be standard on cars in a few years and that is a good thing. If the US refuses to enact some kind of comprehensive driver training system that makes people understand that driving is a right not a privilege then mandated stability control is better then nothing.
Well, to quote Matthias a few thousand posts ago, "it is expensive to be poor."
Someone on one of the Toyota boards posted that they purchased a 100k extended warranty on their Corolla for $1500. They have the money to spend that on a warranty but not enough to put the same amount in a bank in case there are problems with the car.
The REAL question is whether you can afford NOT to have $1500 in an emergency fund.
How much do you think it would cost to get a F150 up to 32 MPG?
Thats my point, they can afford to pay for a warranty if they include it in the payments but they either cannot afford or are not disciplined enough to put $1500 in a lump sum into an account, and leave it there.
Hell I have had some call me back 3 years later asking if they can get the money on there warranty back because there Hot Water Heater broke and they can't afford to get it fixed.
I got no idea how much all that would cost but I am sure a lot.
now then, i don't want all this "intellegent" technology in the DBW / transmission control to eeek out the last .75MPG, nor do I need or want memory seats, auto lift-gates, auto-sliders, laser cruise, integrated NAV and audio, etc. they all present NEGATIVE-value to me.
you're making the argument that if someone were to take that position, it would be akin to wanting to avoid electronically controlled timing, injection, etc.
that's not true.
if and when stability control is mandated, it better last 250K and cost me NADA (ha) to maintain, and i want the ability to disable it. thank you.
i prefer to remain in the loop on a lower-tech vehicle. i'll just be a late adopter i guess.
This particular person I was talking about wanted exactly that. NO electronics beyond the basics needed for ignition, gauges, lights etc.
I want to be able to fully disable stability control too at least for cars since most people have no idea how to drive a truck I don't think it should be disabled on SUV/trucks. That is one of the reason I am not a big Mercedes fan because you can't ever turn it all the way off.
Then IF an engine does blow (watch how many hoops one will have to jump through to prove it was a manufacturer defect)
MOST people will never use the warranty. I'll put my money on the house on this one. Always have and I am far ahead of the game. I have only bought one new car in my life. The rest used and still never need a warranty,
But IF you have to buy a warranty ANY dealer anywhere can sell you one and there are those that will at a huge discount. NEVER buy it when you buy the car. You have 3 years to get one.
Cars are made better then ever and the things that go wrong are usually not covered, Fit and finish items.
CR does not recommend them. No consumer advocate recommends them to my knowledge.
You want "peace of mind" or "sleep at night"? PAxil and AMbian is cheaper.
Ya they also said that beta max was the way to go and not invest in a VCR.
That was real good advice.
-Moo
I've never bought an extended warranty, and I'm not interested in the benefits of CPO.
But I buy cheap cars, and I can afford the repairs.
If I were inclined towards a 3-year-old Benz, say, I'd certainly consider a warranty, but only one provided by Mercedes.
If someone is really tight money-wise and winds up with a 72-month $190/month loan on a Corolla, an EW might be a benefit. It's a guarantee that they'll be able to afford the car and that it'll run. That may well be worth $15/month to some people.
It's like buying rental-car accident insurance. Even if it's a bad deal, you have to take it if you don't have another source of insurance. To me, anyway, the risk of being on the hook for $12k of my own money following a hit-and-run is not worth a savings of $20/day.
So, like Terry used to say, It Depends.
-Mathias
But, ONE major thing happens and you will be SO thankful you have it in place.
For a lot of people, it's just the peace of mind that makes it worth it.
Friends don't let friends drive Fords!
Mackabee
Talk about getting High Grossed, I belive my wife and I paid in the range of $800 for our first VCR from the PX. it had NTCS and PAL capability. Wooooooooo
I have probably used that line 500 times over the years since then every time some one mentions anything in CR.
Ya, ya, ya, why don't you go make another yen for the Rising Sun and get outa hear.
OMG Do you know what a transmission costs?
You don't because you don't work in the auto industry. It depends on the car and while some transmissions might be less then a 1,000 dollars some are several thousand dollars. As more and more vehicles get high tech five, six or seven speed transmissions with multiple modes and adaptive shifting technology the costs go up. Did you know that the transmissions in many race cars are the single most expensive part in the car? Modern cars are moving more and more that way too. Even in expensive cars now can have a transmission that might cost 3,000 dollars or more and there aren't many EWs that are more then 3,000 dollars.
I still remember when the blank tapes were like 15 to 20 dollars a pop! Relative fortune back then.
A few years ago there was huge brouhaha about Honda’s failing transmissions. It was such big deal that Honda extended the warranty on their transmissions for free because 2% of them had failed. Yes, 2:100. Now, the odds that your transmission will be replaced under the extended warranty, if you have bought 6 year 75K plan, outside of the standard BB warranty and after your EW expires is NADA. Considering the fact that most manufactures have extended powertrans warranties, odds of your EW paying for a major repair is NADA.
Now let’s look at this situation rationally. Warranties are sold at a profit. Not just the profit for the dealer, but also profit for the manufacturer. If they weren’t making a profit, they wouldn’t be selling the product. This basically means that odds of you spending in repairs more than what you pay for the warranty are low. If it was the other way around, they wouldn’t be making a profit.
Even in expensive cars now can have a transmission that might cost 3,000 dollars or more and there aren't many EWs that are more then 3,000 dollars.
Do you really expect us to spend $1500 up front just to cover us from a 1% possibility that we might spend $3000 in the future? That’s what I would call a stupid bet.
We all know the insurance companies aren't in this as a nonprofit organization. They are making money on us every month.
You don't really expect me to pay profit to a company for a service rendered do you? Especially when I don't plan on having an accident or having anyone else hit me!
Stupid capitalists.
-Moo
Tomorrow I am cancelling my health insurance because me, my wife, or my daughter have not been to the doctor for any thing but a physical (maintanence)in years.
Then when I am done there I am going to cancel my home owners insurance because I have owned homes for 19 years now and never filed a claim, if I was to instead put $20 a month in a cookie jar I am sure it would be enough to cover my house and belongings if it burns down.
Car insurance............. Who needs it, I have never had a wreck, and hell the fine for not having it is cheaper then the insurance.
While I am at it I am sure those pesky 401K people are making a profit on me to. I am going to clean that puppy out while I am at it.
Then I am am going to hunt the first girl scout down that I see and shake her down for $1.25. I just found out that the girls scouts make a profit on those cookies.
The nerve of some people making a profit and not offering the service soley for my personal convenience. :mad:
you people do know they have a buyer's protection plan where they extend the warranty by 1 yr of just about everything you can buy.
if you're fortunate to be able to pay the item off when the bill comes due, you have the added bonus of the frequent flyer miles. oh, but you do have to pay some small fee to redeem those miles now.
nothing is "free" anymore. :mad:
but, if you're in an accident and it's your fault, you can be sued into the ground, or, if you should suffer a medical calamity, again, you can loose everything. so the "ability to pay" argument doesn't work there.
you help people finance a vehicle at some extended loan period just so the monthy payment fits with their finances... but we all know, they are just tossing money away.
in effect, these programs (extended loans, extended warranties on autos) are for the people that probably can least afford them.
Which is ashame really; my Contour SE V6/MTX75 was a total blast. It was a lot of fun at track events, it was a great highway car, it got good gas mileage, insurance was cheap...its too bad so many Americans can't fit their fat a**es in those super bolstered front seats (although the backseats were kinda small).
I had nothin' but love for Ford after that car. It was a poor man's 3-series, thats what it was trying to do, and properly equipped I think it was a good try. I also agree that the Focus is underrated.
I have that, its called keeping my doors unlocked.
and start that memorizes drivers,
I have that too, its called being the only one that drives my car.
real time nav,
I have that too its called a map.
oil life monitors,
I have that too its called a dipstick.
collision mitigation systems,
I have that too its called paying attention.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Oh don't listen to them, Betamax is the way to go. While we are at it I have the best system for car stereos if you want it. Its called an 8 track.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Same with GAP Insurance. I buy it, could I afford not to? Probably so. But when I look at the risk reward I am more then happy to give up $9 a month on 0% loan, when the alternative is possibly paying out thousands. Especially in the area I live, there are quite a few people in our area who's status in the U.S is questionable and they do not carry insurance. I help file 2-4 claims a month for people usually at an average of around $4800. I had one last year that was $12K
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
One question on this. Since EW usually only go to 100K miles how many transmissions fail before 100K miles?
Speaking of such things didn't Chrysler just come out with a lifetime powertrain warranty?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Very poor analogy for two simple reasons. First off it is illegal, at least here in IL, to drive without insurance. Secondly insurance covers you for what could very well be 100's of thousands of dollars in liability where an extended warranty only covers at most a few thousand.
In short I could afford to shell out the $1500 for a new tranny but not shell out the $250,000+ if I cause an accident that maims someone for life.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
In a town close by to us one of the toyota dealerships decided not to offer certified cars anymore, that was about a year ago, the second Toyota dealership in that town doesn't certify any of their vehicles anymore as they couldn't compete with the first dealership. Now the Honda and Nissan dealerships are doing the same. The used car prices at all these dealerships are now similar to the prices at the used car dealers.
Locally, though, I still live in a "certified" town
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Because it has a tiny screen and a poor interface and takes about 3x longer to input an address using tiny buttons and controls.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
My friend would not insure his house if he didn't have to due to mortgage, even though he lives in Florida coast in depression (St Pete). That's too low. Other people would buy disability insurance having office job and sedintary lifestyle. That's too low. Many other people would buy life insurance not having dependends - that's just plain stupid.
Back to your sales frontline - if your penetration is 50%, you must be very persuasive and it simply means you do your job (of lowering risk tolerance threshold) well - at least for time of your customers sitting in your office. Nothing wrong with that, as I alsays say - there is no harm to the willing.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I never got a chance to drive one of the V6 or SVT models but I know they are hot too.
Too bad the last few SVT models I have seen are all trashed. The people that gravitated to them tended to be the worst of the sub-compact modifier crowd. I see two contours on my way to work every morning and they are both in great shape.
And service departments (dealers and independents) make much more off customer pay than warranty work. Warranty companies dictate lower labor and parts costs. So if you waltz in without a warranty, it costs more.
I can punch a location in a Modern LR/Jag, or a Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus since they are very similar, in a minute or less.
The only real advantage that the after market portable nav systems have is easier updates and even that is changing. As more and more cars get built in hard drives with USB ports or media car slots then in car nav systems will be easier to update and upgrade.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Newer integrated in-vehicle systems can update on the fly, include traffic information, and use real time mapping. They are also more accurate because they can use dead reckoning to get a vehicle position when satellites aren't visible to the unit (like in a city with sky scrapers like NY and Chicago).
I'm glad you like your tiny cheap hand held one though, just don't program it while you're driving behind me :P
So can I with the one I got from Wally world for about 1/10th the price.
The only real advantage that the after market portable nav systems have is easier updates and even that is changing
You forgot portability, I can use the Garmin in any car, either Hyundai or the Caddy (although it has its own built in system) or even someone elses car, or take it with me when I buy a new one.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Yeah thats why mine put me in Lake Michigan a block to the south when I finally came out of Lower Wacker drive.
I'm glad you like your tiny cheap hand held one though, just don't program it while you're driving behind me
You can't they lock out all but the basics (i.e. changing from map mode to metrics and back again) when it senses movement, anything else and you need to be stopped. So if I am behind you programing my portable GPS we are stopped (or at least I am).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
They already have media card readers on them starting last year I think.
So yeah the only real advantage for the after market units is portability. At least until you drop one of them and break it on the ground.