Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

nyccarguy · June 2015

@stickguy - my schedule doesn't permit waiting around. I leave for work at 6:20 - 6:30 in the morning and don't leave work until 5:30 pm. I leave early to drop off & pick up.

stickguy · June 2015

Acura recommended an early rear diff fluid change too. that came up at 15K, then will be every 30K I think.

cheap enough insurance, since the RDX is also supposed to be a forever car (at least 10 years).

roadburner · June 2015

BMW used to call for a diff oil change at 5k and after that every 40k- until Munich started picking up the tab, at which point it became a "Lifetime Fill."

au1994 · June 2015

roadburner said:
BMW used to call for a diff oil change at 5k and after that every 40k- until Munich started picking up the tab, at which point it became a "Lifetime Fill."

Funny how that happened, right?

au1994 · June 2015

Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

stickguy · June 2015

My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.

au1994 · June 2015

stickguy said:
My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.

I could try to claim a familial punch as my parents bought a 1.8T SEL Premium Passat yesterday. Hopefully will get some seat time this weekend. I am very curious to see how the 1.8 pushes around the bigger car.

fintail · June 2015

MB did that with transmission services in the late 90s, and shockingly, transmissions failed on some models around or before 100K. Then they moved away from it, Funny how that works.

I wonder if any BMW model has differential failure issues at 100-150K.

roadburner said:
BMW used to call for a diff oil change at 5k and after that every 40k- until Munich started picking up the tab, at which point it became a "Lifetime Fill."

corvette · June 2015

au1994 said:

My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.
I could try to claim a familial punch as my parents bought a 1.8T SEL Premium Passat yesterday. Hopefully will get some seat time this weekend. I am very curious to see how the 1.8 pushes around the bigger car.

I don't think the Passat weighs a lot more than the Jetta, but does feel like a bigger car on the road.

breld · June 2015

au1994 said:

stickguy said:
My son has a 1.8 Jetta now (nice engine), and is obsessed with the A3 to replace it in 2 years when his lease is up. But very likely could do a GTI or GLI instead to get a lot more bang for his buck.
I could try to claim a familial punch as my parents bought a 1.8T SEL Premium Passat yesterday. Hopefully will get some seat time this weekend. I am very curious to see how the 1.8 pushes around the bigger car.

I was quite pleased with the performance of the 1.8T in the Passat I had, particularly in sport mode. Not surprisingly, feels like a 2.0T "lite." And I was definitely impressed with the MPG I was getting from that engine in such a relatively large car.

I'll be interested to hear your impressions of it.

breld · June 2015

au1994 said:
Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.

Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.

corvette · June 2015

I was looking at the Yukon the other day. Oil filter goes on from the bottom, very well protected from road debris, but may be difficult to change without ramps. I can use my fluid extractor down the dipstick tube. On the other hand, the dealer only charges $30 for a conventional oil change, up to 6 quarts. Being a 2008, it doesn't require Dexos semi-synthetic. I think there are only two lube points.

I've never had an AWD truck before, so I'm not sure whether the front or rear tires will tend to wear more quickly, for timing my tire rotations? I know the Audi A4 Quattro (FWD-based) wore the front tires more than the rears, but there wasn't as much of a difference as there was with a FWD car.

stickguy · June 2015

And, once again breld has both feet out on the slippery slope!

au1994 · June 2015

breld said:

au1994 said:
Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.
Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.

The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!

xwesx · June 2015

corvette said:
I've never had an AWD truck before, so I'm not sure whether the front or rear tires will tend to wear more quickly, for timing my tire rotations? I know the Audi A4 Quattro (FWD-based) wore the front tires more than the rears, but there wasn't as much of a difference as there was with a FWD car.

I certainly notice that my FWD cars wear the front tires faster, on the order of about 1 extra millimeter per season (I change out tires every six months, basically, so rotate at that time from season to season which is typically 5000 to 7500 miles each). So, the first season, the fronts will be 1mm lower than rears, the next season they will be equal (rinse & repeat). On my Subarus, they are basically identical season after season (I'm a fairly spirited driver, too, especially in the winter months).

Michaell · June 2015

au1994 said:

breld said:

au1994 said:
Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.
Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.
The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!

It's up to the banks to promote shorter term lease programs. The only good 24 month program I know of is on the Nissan Leaf; not a car for you if you like BMW's. Chrysler was promoting 24 (and 42) month programs in May, but again, probably nothing in their inventory you'd like.

au1994 · June 2015

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

breld said:

au1994 said:
Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.
Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.
The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!
It's up to the banks to promote shorter term lease programs. The only good 24 month program I know of is on the Nissan Leaf; not a car for you if you like BMW's. Chrysler was promoting 24 (and 42) month programs in May, but again, probably nothing in their inventory you'd like.

I thought Mercedes cranked out some decent 24 or 27 month programs, particularly on the E Class. That's a bit more than what I am looking for this time around.

Michaell · June 2015

au1994 said:

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

breld said:

au1994 said:
Sigh...The Germans have truly made an art of configuring option packages to extract the maximum amount from your pocket.

Still pricing A3's as I really enjoyed my test drive on Memorial Day. In order to get heated seats, nav, back up cam and power folding mirrors (not a must have) you have to select 4 packages on the Premium line or 3 on Premium Plus. This can quickly push the price just over 40k in the 2.0T which is a must for me. I'm sure the 1.8 is a fine engine but coming from a (conservatively rated) 300hp BMW I-6 I've got to have the extra ponies to be happy.

Really makes you appreciate the value of a GTI or GLI.
Hmmm....you could obviously save some dough with a GTI, but at $40k, you could also go for the Golf R? Still get the AWD, and more performance to boot.
The GTI (or GLI) are obviously the best financial choice and offer tremendous value.. Was hoping to be negotiating on something with a sticker below 40 this time but we will see. I think end of the year puts me in a good spot with my current lease, end of year deals and willingness to move inventory. If I go in with my boots on I think I could get an A3 the way I want it and for the price I want. Knowing me though, the A3 won't be the flavor of the day by the time Santa Claus comes to town!

What I really wish is 24 or 27 month programs were more readily available and attractive. I had a 24 mo program on my E92 and that was the perfect lease period for me. The 36 mo I signed up for this time is killing the CCBA'er in me!!
It's up to the banks to promote shorter term lease programs. The only good 24 month program I know of is on the Nissan Leaf; not a car for you if you like BMW's. Chrysler was promoting 24 (and 42) month programs in May, but again, probably nothing in their inventory you'd like.
I thought Mercedes cranked out some decent 24 or 27 month programs, particularly on the E Class. That's a bit more than what I am looking for this time around.

Yeah, the E-class has a 27 month program that uses the 24 month residuals; only for the 2015 E350 RWD and 4Matic sedans, though.

Sandman6472 · June 2015

The 1.8t is turning out to be a snarky little engine and has a lot of grunt when needed. I always keep the tranny in "D" mode and never "S", what's really the difference? I have noticed in "S", it tends to downshift at higher rpm's, but not really sure why? Please explain so I can get the most out of my Golf. The few times I've driven the A3, it's driven a bit smoother than mine but maybe I'm wrong because have heard it's basically the same vehicle underneath?
Need to read my manual about when to change fluids...get the 10k gratis and prepaid for the 20k and 30k services as they were much cheaper upfront.

The Sandman

stickguy · June 2015

usually the sport mode makes it a little more high strung. Doesn't upshift as early, and downshifts quick. D mode tries to get into a top gear ASAP, and stay there as long as possible, trading off performance for MPG.

if you are fine with how it drives in D, leave it there. Or try S for a few days to compare.

The A3 has the same basic powertrain, but I am sure it has some improvements, and more sound deadening. So similar, but not quite the same sounds about right.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2015

maybe it does that to keep the engine "on cam"?

Sandman6472 · June 2015

Yep, definitely quieter with nicer interior appointments. I know the wife keeps hers in "D" all the time and after the first week, I followed her lead. I try to eek out as much mileage as I can though using the a/c is a must here in South Florida...most folks drive over the 65 mph that most of my commute is so I have to keep up. The last 10 miles are on I-75 where the limit jumps to 70 though most go around 77 or so. And I've been the only driver the whole time I've owned it though think my oldest did drive it home once.
The only regret at this time is not getting the lighting package and maybe even the navi though I doubt I'd have used it much...those lights are pretty cool but the extra price didn't seem worth it at the time. Besides that, love this vehicle and couldn't ask for anything more!

The Sandman

sda · June 2015

stickguy said:
usually the sport mode makes it a little more high strung. Doesn't upshift as early, and downshifts quick. D mode tries to get into a top gear ASAP, and stay there as long as possible, trading off performance for MPG.

if you are fine with how it drives in D, leave it there. Or try S for a few days to compare.

The A3 has the same basic powertrain, but I am sure it has some improvements, and more sound deadening. So similar, but not quite the same sounds about right.

My experience with VWs in the past using Sport is that, yes it held the gears longer before upshifting, and was quicker to downshift but would not upshift to the highest gear regardless of speed. As such, I rarely used Sport mode as it meant me switching back to Normal to get high gear.

qbrozen · June 2015

in the CCBA spirit, I had some thoughts this morning. Mind you, I am standing pat until things shake out, but I've got some pokers in the fire. If we move south, I will definitely have to reduce the fleet before going. And, depending on the circumstances, I may even need to trade the CTS on something substantially less expensive. I don't want to, but it might be necessary to make things work. We'll see. In the meantime, I was just trying to think "what would I get?"

Another GTI came to mind - although this time with a DSG (gasp!). OR could go for one of those CPO S60s I've been casually looking at for my wife, but it would be mine instead. Its alot of car for $19k-$20k. Just not sure it would be sporty enough for me. I definitely have concerns about sacrificing performance and/or luxury and winding up regretting the decision. But, obviously, I'm going to have to give up something if I'm trying to get something that much cheaper than the CTS.

breld · June 2015

@qbrozen - always fun to think about options. Having had the wife's TT (briefly) and the stepdaughter's A3, and having test driven previous generations of the GTI with the DSG, I do think they made improvements to that transmission with the MK7 model. So, it could be an acceptable transition for you.

I agree that S60 is a lot of car for the money. After it being mentioned here yesterday, I was curious enough to look at local used inventory - nice, luxury AWD for very low $20k's? Great deal.

breld · June 2015

sandman_6472 said:
The 1.8t is turning out to be a snarky little engine and has a lot of grunt when needed. I always keep the tranny in "D" mode and never "S", what's really the difference? I have noticed in "S", it tends to downshift at higher rpm's, but not really sure why? Please explain so I can get the most out of my Golf. The few times I've driven the A3, it's driven a bit smoother than mine but maybe I'm wrong because have heard it's basically the same vehicle underneath?
Need to read my manual about when to change fluids...get the 10k gratis and prepaid for the 20k and 30k services as they were much cheaper upfront.

The Sandman

If I'm not mistaken Sandy, the Audi has the DSG trannie. From my experience, I really enjoyed the sport mode in my Passat, with the traditional 6-speed auto (same as your Golf I imagine). But I find the sport mode in both the wife's GTI and the stepdaughter's A3 (both with that DSG trannie) to be overly aggressive and, thus, a bit jerky.

Point is, it might make more sense for you in your Golf than your wife's A3.

nyccarguy · June 2015

qbrozen said:
in the CCBA spirit, I had some thoughts this morning. Mind you, I am standing pat until things shake out, but I've got some pokers in the fire. If we move south, I will definitely have to reduce the fleet before going. And, depending on the circumstances, I may even need to trade the CTS on something substantially less expensive. I don't want to, but it might be necessary to make things work. We'll see. In the meantime, I was just trying to think "what would I get?"

Another GTI came to mind - although this time with a DSG (gasp!). OR could go for one of those CPO S60s I've been casually looking at for my wife, but it would be mine instead. Its alot of car for $19k-$20k. Just not sure it would be sporty enough for me. I definitely have concerns about sacrificing performance and/or luxury and winding up regretting the decision. But, obviously, I'm going to have to give up something if I'm trying to get something that much cheaper than the CTS.

Always an interesting concept. Let's work backwards here to try and figure things out for you. Obviously you are going to keep the T & C. You should have NO PROBLEM getting rid of the Fit. It would get snapped up real quick on swap a lease or lease trader. You might even have equity in it by the time you are ready. Even if it is $500 or $1000, you can use that as a down payment & the trade price to offset sales tax on the new punch. Maybe sell the Volvo privately & see if you can get a strong buy bid from Car Max on your Caddy. You might need the funds from the Volvo to pay so you aren't buried with negative equity in the Caddy.

au1994 · June 2015

You may remember my parents bought a Passat earlier this week...so far neither the dealer nor Sirius can get the radio to work and the dealer can't locate the floor mats.

Oh and it took them over an hour to get into the finance guys office.

roadburner · June 2015

I firmly believe that VWoA actively rewards inept/substandard dealerships- and penalizes any dealerships that show the slightest evidence of competence.

qbrozen · June 2015

nyccarguy said:

Always an interesting concept. Let's work backwards here to try and figure things out for you. Obviously you are going to keep the T & C. You should have NO PROBLEM getting rid of the Fit. It would get snapped up real quick on swap a lease or lease trader. You might even have equity in it by the time you are ready. Even if it is $500 or $1000, you can use that as a down payment & the trade price to offset sales tax on the new punch. Maybe sell the Volvo privately & see if you can get a strong buy bid from Car Max on your Caddy. You might need the funds from the Volvo to pay so you aren't buried with negative equity in the Caddy.

Largely how I'd go, except the Fit isn't a lease. But, yes, I'd probably have to go with carmax for one of them. Given the cost of the "new" car, I'd trade either the Fit or the Caddy, depending on the offer, to negate the tax. So I'd probably get Carmax offers for both vehicles, then go to volvo dealer and see how they hit them and trade the one closest to carmax bid and sell the other to carmax.

The volvo would be a quick street sell. Still has relatively low miles.

nyccarguy · June 2015

qbrozen said:

nyccarguy said:

Always an interesting concept. Let's work backwards here to try and figure things out for you. Obviously you are going to keep the T & C. You should have NO PROBLEM getting rid of the Fit. It would get snapped up real quick on swap a lease or lease trader. You might even have equity in it by the time you are ready. Even if it is $500 or $1000, you can use that as a down payment & the trade price to offset sales tax on the new punch. Maybe sell the Volvo privately & see if you can get a strong buy bid from Car Max on your Caddy. You might need the funds from the Volvo to pay so you aren't buried with negative equity in the Caddy.
Largely how I'd go, except the Fit isn't a lease. But, yes, I'd probably have to go with carmax for one of them. Given the cost of the "new" car, I'd trade either the Fit or the Caddy, depending on the offer, to negate the tax. So I'd probably get Carmax offers for both vehicles, then go to volvo dealer and see how they hit them and trade the one closest to carmax bid and sell the other to carmax.

The volvo would be a quick street sell. Still has relatively low miles.

Dude, I must be loosing it. I swear I thought you leased that Fit. Were you toying with the idea of leasing it at one point? No, that's right. You took out a 63 month loan, right?

qbrozen · June 2015

hmmm... i think it was 66 months. I put a good amount down and got.. I think 2.2%. Of course, it would be the cheapest route of all to keep the Fit, but no way I'd tolerate that as my only car.

xwesx · June 2015

qbrozen said:
no way I'd tolerate that as my only car.

LOL! Oh, come on, Q! You could do it! I managed thirty-three months with my Fiesta before I finally decided I had enough.

nyccarguy · June 2015

qbrozen said:
hmmm... i think it was 66 months. I put a good amount down and got.. I think 2.2%. Of course, it would be the cheapest route of all to keep the Fit, but no way I'd tolerate that as my only car.

It is a bit rough having a slow roller as a daily driver. For now at least you can enjoy the CTS V-Sport's twin turbo V6 (450 hp?) when you don't drive the Fit. Tough turning 3 into 1. The CTS V-Sport was expensive to begin with, so when you say "cheaper," are you talking $20K, $30K, or $40K?

Have you considered checking out a Charger RT with a HEMI & Track Pack? Not cheap as far as MSRPs go, but I believe you get a healthy discount off MSRP.

Why the need for a cheaper car? I always hear about "how cheap houses are in the south compared to northeast."

I don't have to tell you to look at the big picture. You are smart enough to know that. If you've got to go down to 1 car, sell the Fit to CARMAX, sell the Volvo privately (just wait for @stickguy to sell his 1st), & drive the Caddy for a few more years so you don't take a bath on it.

rny421 · June 2015

@qbrozen: If you move south, why would you have to consider selling the Cadillac? I do recommend the Volvo S60 though. They make a great used buy. I got mine back in August - 2012 T6 AWD, leather, xenons, heated seats, sunroof, 23k miles for $24,500. I've been very happy with it. Decent gas mileage, QUICK, and good looking IMO. The only thing I don't like is that it does ride a little rough. It definitely crashes hard over potholes. I just replaced the tires, and it's still a little stiff. I wanted the Continental DWS, but they were on backorder, and I didn't have much time, so I went with the Nokians. I'll go for Continentals next time.

Volvo has a great CPO warranty - 7 years/100k miles. As I'm sure you know, pay attention to the in-service date though, because that can differ almost 12 months on the same model year vehicle. I didn't go CPO, and knock on wood, no issues with it in the 10 months that I've had it.

corvette · June 2015

roadburner said:
I firmly believe that VWoA actively rewards inept/substandard dealerships- and penalizes any dealerships that show the slightest evidence of competence.

Indeed. The sales/finance experience I had when I bought the GLI was very smooth, but the service and body repair were inept.

corvette · June 2015

So, I was working on the cranky third row seat (the half which couldn't be removed), and thought a latch had failed. $130 part, $105 at most online GM dealerships. Found it on eBay for $43 shipped, Bought It Now. Once the new part arrived, I realized that the original part was fine, but some of the cables had popped loose. No returns. Not the car's fault, I will chalk that up to owner incompetence.

Now that I've reattached the cables and put the covers back on the seat, it works fine. Since that's not coming out of the maintenance and repair budget this month, I guess I have extra funds to change the transmission fluid.

fezo · June 2015

A - I was wary of a Mazda 5 as the only car but I'm rather enjoying it. I'll grant you it's more car than a Fit.

Sandman6472 · June 2015

The jury is still out on VW for me. The issue I had with the wheel/tire swap was a very specific one and I, we, should've done our due diligence to make sure the size was correct. Sure, they should've known but I also should've gotten down and looked at the tire size when we went up in the garage to look at the wheels on the 1st swap. Their tire guy knew his stuff though and from 10 feet away, he knew they'd put on the wrong size, 16"'s vs. 17"'s...they looked the same to me. But once that problem was fixed, all was well until the "ECP" light came on and then the interior lights not going off. They definitely handled things right, put me in a loaner once they saw it wasn't fixable right then. So, they are definitely trying when an issue does crop up as I can't hold them entirely at fault for the rim issues.
Hoping for no more unexpected issues from either vehicle in the future...I am the eternal optimist!

The Sandman

stickguy · June 2015

Took princess out today and stopped at a Mazda dealer in NH. man, they have a lot of 3 hatches. And many stick shifts.

Anyway, sat in a couple of 3GTs. An I and an s. Liked them more than touring. Very much like the 6, just shrunken. So that could still be a good option eventually.

Michaell · June 2015

Stopped at a Mazda dealer today as well. Saw a beautiful blue 2016 6 i Touring with a sick shift! $24k sticker.

The salesman I talked with could be a member here. Three weeks ago he sold his MB E500 4Matic and bought a Chevy duramax pickup with 176,000 miles on it.

qbrozen · June 2015

nyccarguy said:

Why the need for a cheaper car? I always hear about "how cheap houses are in the south compared to northeast."

A big reason we would even consider a move south is to become a 1-income family. That would involve tightening our belts a bit. If my wife could be the one to find a job, that would be ideal, as I have several ways of pulling in extra income without having to take a full-time job. For her set of skills, it is full-time or nothing. This is mostly just "what if" thinking. For example, one job in the works is of great interest to me but the projected salary would make it tough to have the kind of home we'd want, so I was pondering what I COULD do to make it work out if I really wanted it. Just to put it in a bit of perspective, I pay a little over $1k/mo for the Caddy and Honda. I can obviously free up quite a bit of money, if needed, by changing 2 for 1.

Charger isn't a bad suggestion. Something to consider.

corvette · June 2015

Michaell said:
The salesman I talked with could be a member here. Three weeks ago he sold his MB E500 4Matic and bought a Chevy duramax pickup with 176,000 miles on it.

That's even more extreme than my recent trade!

Bought some transmission fluid and was able to suck out about 4 quarts through the dipstick tube and refill. The fluid was dark but not burnt. Checked the air filter and it's an ACDelco part, looked very clean and almost new. Should be good for another 50k.

Sandman6472 · June 2015

A3 calls for a synthetic oil change at 5k it seems while according to my manual and the service writer, the Golf calls for a change at 10k. Curious as to why the difference since the engines are almost identical...there must be a reason why VW calls for the longer intervals than Audi does? Wife has an appointment for next Saturday and my thinking is that if mine were supposed to be done at the 5k mark, they would've mentioned it when they had it in their shop over the Memorial Day weekend as I was well into the 6.2k mark. No mention was made so going with what the book says but sure would like to know why Audi is the opposite here?

The Sandman

corvette · June 2015

I think it's a historical thing, when I leased an Audi, the first service was at 5k, then every 10k thereafter. VW used to have services at 5k and 10k then every 10k thereafter, but got rid of the "break in" 5k service.

nyccarguy · June 2015

Yeah, it's got a ...

Pentastar. I know, I know, there's no replacement for displacement. Go big or go home. A V8 is on my personal automotive "bucket list." The 707 horsepower Hellcat motor needs no introduction, the 6.4L HEMI in the scat pack & SRT 392 pump out a healthy 485 hp, the "generic" 5.7 L HEMI is rated at "only" 370 horsepower. What about the base motor? Yup, the 3.6 L V6 that gets you a nice, round, 300 hp rating when you check the "Rallye Group" box on the option sheet.

This is not like the "base" Mustangs & Camaros that were little more than a joke when I started driving in the early '90s. You could spot the cheapo models from a mile away. The V6 powered Charger actually gets good write ups. 300 horsepower routed through an 8 speed automatic is nothing to sneeze at. They all look nice. I'd give it a look. AWD is only available with the V6. I'm sure the V6 is no torque monster, but more than likely I'd be quite satisfied with its acceleration & passing power coming from my 175 hp, 4 cyl Legacy. The way our roads are patrolled around here, I set my cruise anywhere between 60 & 70.

I just would have to focus and not drive the V8. I'd also have to ignore the fact that I could get a helluva deal on one because I could get my hands on a corporate "friends & family coupon" very easliy plus I qualify for USAA rebates in addition to whatever other trunk money Dodge is throwing at the car at that particular month in time. I'd have to be crazy not to get a HEMI powered Charger.

Just random thoughts that popped into my head after I saw a very nice looking 2015 Charger SXT parked on the street outside my store today. Goodnight & Have a great weekend everyone!

Michaell · June 2015

A couple more car related tid-bits today.

Subaru went in for it's first service ... just under 3500 miles on it. Oil change and full inspection; no issues found. Also had them clean off some of the adhesive still on the alloy wheels that wasn't taken care of at PDI. All is good for our road trip staring tomorrow. Just under 400 miles planned to Santa Fe; then another 400 or so on Monday to Sedona.

While the Outback was in, we arranged for a loaner car, as I had to drive my wife across town so she could attend a meeting. We got a 2015 Forester. Not sure of the trim level (no XM, for example), and it was the first time I'd ever been behind the wheel of one.

First off, I'm not sure if it's true or not, but it sure felt like we sat higher in it than in our Outback. It could also have been the stubby body, but it was noticeably harsher on surface streets than the Outback. Short wheelbase contributes to this as well. Never worried about power as I didn't get it above 40 or 45 MPH. Overall, it was OK - wife asked if they came as loaded as the Outback, to which I said yes.

I mentioned earlier that I stopped at a Mazda dealer over where my wife was attending her meeting (breld, she was at Colfax and Havana, so you might know which Mazda dealer I was at). Turns out they just underwent a change of ownership in the past week, and the dealer group gave up their Kia franchise to get Mazda instead (they also have Hyundai, Subaru and now, Mitsubishi).

While talking to the salesperson, he was asked about a Subaru that had just come in on trade. An '09 Outback with only 41,000 miles on the clock. Pristine condition. I think a bidding war was about to break out between some customers who had come in to see it.

CX-3's are expected later this summer, so I'll have to go back and test drive one when they arrive.

Everybody have a good week; not sure how much I'll be on-line while I'm out of town. @kyfdx will take care of things in my absence on the lease boards.

corvette · June 2015

Enjoy your vacation, Michaell!

roadburner · June 2015

This came out of left field; my wife REALLY likes it- I guess that I'll take it for a spin tomorrow: 2015 CPO STI.
They will really need to cut the price if they want a sale, however...

stickguy · June 2015

that is certainly different. Probably quite the hoot to drive.

some random thoughts from NH: There are plenty of potholes. and Subarus. lots and lots of Subes. quite a few old Volvos too.

Keene was beautiful. Now that the snow finally melted. I would probably hate it in the winter.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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