Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

rayainsw · April 2016

Ford's most recent take on the science of cup holder technology:

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2016/04/29/hold-on-to-your-cup--these-customer-findings-drove-the-refreshed.html

corvette · April 2016

They should post a video of their yearly State of the Cupholder Address.

xwesx · April 2016

Interesting. That's one area in which my Foresters fail hard: Their cupholders are TERRIBLE for holding cups. They work great for swallowing a large quantity of non-beverage items, but they are the worst holders for cups/bottles I've ever seen in a modern car.

thebean · April 2016

xwesx said:

Interesting. That's one area in which my Foresters fail hard: Their cupholders are TERRIBLE for holding cups. They work great for swallowing a large quantity of non-beverage items, but they are the worst holders for cups/bottles I've ever seen in a modern car.

If you want to see crappy cupholders, look at the 1997-2001 Lexus ES300 ones. I have never failed to turn over a drink put in these. Horrible.

suydam · April 2016

I liked the ones in my '01 Maxima. They had a little expandable ring that could make it smaller or larger, and they also lifted out for cleaning.

andres3 · April 2016

Test Drove a TTS: Summary Impressions on scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best:

1. Paint/Fit/finish - 10
2. Transmission DSG - 7
3. Speed/Acceleration/Engine - 9.5
4. Handling - 9.5
5. Adaptive Suspension - 8 (not quite as much range as I figured there would be in comfort vs. dynamic). Could be due to 20" WHEEL MONSTERS.
6. NO SUNGLASS STORAGE OVERHEAD
7. Price and Willingness to deal - 5

stever · April 2016

Test drove a Golf SE, Ford C-Max and a Tucson. Sat in a '17 Elantra sedan, a Fit, an Accord, a Sonata and a Focus 5 speed whatever the hopped up version is.

The Golf was nice. Disappointed in the Elantra/Sonata after reading the reviews, but I'm just not a sedan guy.

Wanted to like the C-Max for the mpg and it was more comfortable that the Prius. But it's missing some tech and the console hugged my right knee while driving..

The Tucson hit all the buttons. Same mpg on the Tucson as the Soul (not great at 25/30 in other words), and same ventilated seats and almost as nice panoramic opening roof. Plus it has blind spot and a power hatch. White with beige leather. Seems to have a bit more tech than the Golf and was a bit roomier, as would be expected.

Looking at the consumer reviews here, people are complaining about the transmission and how it stalls under 10 mph, like when you are pulling out from a stop light in front of oncoming traffic.

That didn't happen to us and we hadn't read the reviews so we weren't looking for it. At this dealer, the salesperson has to drive the car off the lot before handing you the keys.

And yep, a mile from the dealer, the salesguy practically stalled it turning left from a stop light. He blamed it on his playing with the sport/eco mode button. Didn't think much about it until we got home and started reading.

Ah, things that may you go hmmm.

Ever experience this stalling behavior @sandman_6472?

andres3 · April 2016

I mean this more as a compliment to VW than a criticism of the BMW M235i, but I would hold them equal on interior quality, fit and finish when you look at the upgraded Golf R. Essentially a tie, though if I had to give a nod I'd give the BMW a 7.6 and the VW a 7.5 on a scale to 10. The R is a lot cheaper though.

Michaell · April 2016

@stever - is that the 1.6T in the Tucson?

stever · April 2016

Yes it was. I noticed a little bit of turbo lag - 1.6L 4-cyl. Turbo 7-speed Automated Manual.

fintail · April 2016

Is an automated manual like a DSG or the tiptronic Germans became obsessed with about 20 years ago, or just an automatic?

stever · April 2016

It's one of those deals where you can move the console shifter to the right and go up and down the gears.

My Grand Caravan does that too, although the shifter is nicely out of the way on the dash.

In the Quest my paddle shifter was the Overdrive On/Off button.

One other nice feature the Tucson had was a power liftgate although you'd still have to have the key in your hand to click the fob button.

Sandman6472 · April 2016

I had the 2.4 liter engine in my Tucson SE and it was flawless the whole 376 days I owned it...ample power when needed, and then some. I really did like the truckster but it really was just too big and since I drove in it alone 99% of the time, felt it was just too much. I really love smaller vehicles and small vehicles with good gas mileage. But, once my wife got her A3, the door was open to owning a German vehicle, something we had never done before.
I was smitten right away with her A3 but my pocketbook was not as full as hers so decided to go over to the near VW store to check them out. Tried the Jetta first and did like it but the garage test showed me that it would be a bit tight. Put the Golf in there and it had plenty of room. Liked the Tiguan but made no sense to trade out of one CUV into another one which cost more. The Golf SE was the logical choice as I wanted a sunroof and the extra goodies it came with. Hated the stock alloys and after a month long screw up on the dealers part, I chose the alloys from a Jetta SEL.
To this day, I love my Golf...it still puts a smile on my face whenever I walk into the garage. I drive a large assortment of vehicles at work but at the end of the day, I get to go home in my Golf...which says it all! I have not had one moment of buyers remorse with this vehicle unlike the Tucson. Check out a Tucson with a bigger engine and I think you both will be pleasantly surprised!!

The Sandman

stever · April 2016

Thanks Sandy. There's only the 1.6l turbo and the 2.0l available for 2016 Tucson, and the 2.0l is only in the SE. My wife requires a hole in the roof and that's not available in the SE. Nor are some of the safety gizmos or ventilated seats, etc.

The Golf SE was a fun ride and that is still on our list. Was nice to finally get to drive one.

We'd go look at an A3 but there's no Audi dealer here and I really want a hatch over a sedan.

That reminds me - the Tucson had rubber band tires and I had "the talk" with the salesperson about swapping them out for something with a bit more sidewall. So far, only the Kia dealer has been amenable to swapping the wheels out for me for something smaller.

nyccarguy · April 2016

So I'm very happy with the "modification" I've made to my 2015 Legacy. The 3mm thicker rear sway bar (stock on the Outback) really makes the car more stable around corners. It gives the car a bit more of a rear drive feel. I can definitely carry more speed on the local on/off ramps which helps with Merging.

The remote start works as advertised. I haven't used it other than to test it out because it isn't that cold. Once you open a door or the trunk, the car shuts off immediately. To get going I need to restart the car.

So I'm happy for now. There's nothing out there that is reasonably priced that I "gotta have." I'll continue to lust after the likes of the Porsche Macan S, 911 C2, 911 Targa, Panamera GTS, & BMW ///M2.

corvette · April 2016

I've hit a couple of "yuge" potholes on my trip through the midwest. The 65 series tires I have seem to have taken them in stride.

stever · April 2016

Well, you have to remember where I live when you talk about tires.

corvette · April 2016

Short story: I've been kind of close to Las Cruces before.

Long story: Several years back, I went to Albuquerque so I could visit the Trinity test site on one of the two days per year it's open to the public. Rental car company let me pick any car on the lot. I wanted the G35 that the guy in front of me got and ended up with an Escalade (which, although I didn't like it at the time, probably precipitated me buying a Yukon several years later, but I digress). After leaving the military base, I took the state highways to White Sands National Monument. Finished up there (I was tired and it was getting dark) and set the truck's GPS to go back to Albuquerque. A couple of days prior, I had set the GPS to avoid highways. Of course, I had forgotten this fact. GPS took me on a byzantine maze of two lane highways, late into the night. Once I was almost back to Albuquerque, I figured out what was going on (that I had been near an interstate but didn't take it). GPS took me through the bad fringes of Albuquerque to the slightly-less-bad area near the airport where my hotel was (nice hotel in a not so nice part of town). I think I grabbed dinner at a Sonic on the way back.

Short story part 2: Make a visit to the Trinity test site if you get the opportunity. It's pretty cool.

stever · April 2016

We did Trinity last year and it is interesting in a spooky kind of way. White Sands is fun too and you should come back to NM and hit the Very Large Array site.

corvette · April 2016

Funny you mention that. I went to the NRAO site in Green Bank, WV last year. I was also at the Earth Resources Observations and Science site near Sioux Falls a few days ago.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2016

sandman - what year of Chevy Spark did you drive? Just curious. I'm a glutton for punishment, from my wife for continuing to car-shop when she doesn't want a new car and from a Chevy Spark, period.

I saw a great video review on the 2016 Chevy Spark from this guy over in Dubai of all places. He is obviously a car nut and he flogs the little green machine in to some turns. There is understeer but it is mnimal. I notice that driving reviews of these little cars are usually done where the driver guns it to show you that the car can really get up and move. I'm like - why - the 2016 Chevy Spark has 98 hp and 94ft-lbs. of torque!

Now here's where things get interesting. The dealer nearby me is selling a 2016 Chevy Spark LS in Salsa Red like this. No foglights like the one in this picture. They've knocked the price down to $10,908 until 05/04/2016. That's low for this car - the MSRP on the LS model is $13,535. This one is a 5-speed stick which is the obvious choice. My problem is not only opposition from the Mrs. but the severe drop in my car's trade-in value. Plus, I took a look at this car at night when there was only three Mexican chicks inside the stealership (they were cleaning the showroom). It is small in the front! We would be bumpin' elbows in there.

This car is absolutely loaded with entertainment options, including Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The Chevrolet MyLink system with a 7-inch color capacitive touchscreen and support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is standard on all trim levels. Yes? Take note of three things: the capacitive touch screen, the Android Auto/CarPlay capability, and the all trims part. That’s right: Your base five-speed manual, crank-window Spark features an infotainment system that’ll remain as up-to-date as your smartphone of choice.

How well does it work, though? I have read that the MyLink infotainment system pushes out some good sound, and even at higher volume various genres of music were still clear. Even though the Spark is Chevrolet’s cheapest offering, this is in a different league than the cheap paper cone speakers of yesteryear. The six-speaker system that’s standard on all but the base LS trims (a four-speaker system is provided for those) appaently provides more than enough oomph to mask wind and engine noise at highway speeds.

This would be awesome to have this capability in my little red buzzbomb. You get 6 months of OnStar I believe, too. MyLink would do it's thing. I've already flash-driven about 6 of my favorite albums to play in my Spark...ahh...their Spark to test out the stereo.

Motor Trend's reviewer loved the 2016 Chevy Spark. How does the 2016 Chevrolet Spark drive? Surprisingly well, and not just for a tiny car. Handling is stable, and as indicated by the reasonably high lateral acceleration (skidpad) number, the little Spark hangs in there and grips in the corners. It rides on 185/55 series all-season tires, so it’s no Fiesta ST, but it’s better than an economy car has to be. There’s a market for cheap cars with crank windows, manual locks, and a manual transmission: Exhibit A is the Nissan Versa Sedan, the cheapest car in America at the moment. You get exactly what you pay for.

Safety features besides the 10 airbags? Was wondering when you'd ask. Here: Active safety features are now available on the Spark, including forward collision warning, blind spot warning, and lane departure warning.

Tickles my heart. If I did one day buy a Salsa Red 2016 and/on Chevy Spark I would be very...umm...retentive on washing and waxing my Spark-plug. I strongly detest that faded red look in cars. It not only makes the car look cheap it just screams...Yukko!

nyccarguy · April 2016

If you are unhappy with the way your Kia has lost value, just wait until you try to trade in a Chevy Spark with a stick shift. The dealer will probably offer you a free car wash and oil change for the trade in.

Maybe you were on to something with the Scion iA though. According to an article I read on 247wallst.com, the Scion iA spends only 24.5 days on a dealer's lot before it is sold.

nelsonf · April 2016

nyccarguy said:
So I'm very happy with the "modification" I've made to my 2015 Legacy. The 3mm thicker rear sway bar (stock on the Outback) really makes the car more stable around corners. It gives the car a bit more of a rear drive feel. I can definitely carry more speed on the local on/off ramps which helps with Merging.

The remote start works as advertised. I haven't used it other than to test it out because it isn't that cold. Once you open a door or the trunk, the car shuts off immediately. To get going I need to restart the car.

So I'm happy for now. There's nothing out there that is reasonably priced that I "gotta have." I'll continue to lust after the likes of the Porsche Macan S, 911 C2, 911 Targa, Panamera GTS, & BMW ///M2.

I've had several remote start equipped cars in the past, and have never had one that you had to restart when you got in. Usually you just stick the key in and turn it "on". Same motion as starting, but the car stays running.

If you tried to put it in gear without the key, it would die.

kyfdx · April 2016

corvette said:
Funny you mention that. I went to the NRAO site in Green Bank, WV last year. I was also at the Earth Resources Observations and Science site near Sioux Falls a few days ago.

Wow... I bet you guys are a lot of fun at parties.

stever · April 2016

Been to a couple of Nike missile sites and the tour of one of the Minuteman missile underground control room sites in South Dakota was fun too.

No response to my email to the Hyundai dealer yesterday afternoon. I'm batting about 300 on that score, or less.

ab348 · April 2016

Some cars are too expensive even if they are free. The Spark may be one of those cars.

tjc78 · April 2016

Toyotas with dealer installed remote start act the same way NYC. My two Buicks stay running, the lacrosse I would just bring the fob in with me and push the start button and the dash would turn on etc. The poverty Enclave I have to turn the key to run. Still amazes me that Nissan has keyless on a 20k Altima and GM has near 50k SUVs (Enclave can go over $50) and it's not even available.

suydam · April 2016

Nissan has been keyless for years.
Why not hang on to the Soul, save your money, and get a really nice car in a few years? You say it's running well.

slorenzen · April 2016

suydam said:
Nissan has been keyless for years.
Why not hang on to the Soul, save your money, and get a really nice car in a few years? You say it's running well.

You forget what discussion this is?

henryn · April 2016

tjc78 said:
Toyotas with dealer installed remote start act the same way NYC. My two Buicks stay running, the lacrosse I would just bring the fob in with me and push the start button and the dash would turn on etc. The poverty Enclave I have to turn the key to run. Still amazes me that Nissan has keyless on a 20k Altima and GM has near 50k SUVs (Enclave can go over $50) and it's not even available.

It is the nature of built in technology that it will age, and that it will be very hard to update. Which is one reason I am looking forward to Apple CarPlay and the equivalent Android Auto. But that isn’t going to give you keyless operation, and it isn’t going to give you blind spot monitoring, a rear view camera, or proximity alarms front and rear.

Car manufacturers need to up their game, no question about it. The younger generation is a lot more influenced by up to date technology, and they are going to be unwilling to buy any car without it.

suydam · April 2016

slorenzen said:

suydam said:
Nissan has been keyless for years.
Why not hang on to the Soul, save your money, and get a really nice car in a few years? You say it's running well.
You forget what discussion this is?

True! But in this case im suggesting spending more money for a nicer car later rather than settling for maybe less than what the poster has now.

fintail · April 2016

Yeah, be prepared to keep it for a minimum of 5 years if you buy one new, or you'll be hosed. I like that pic, looks like someone just learned Photoshop

stever · April 2016

henryn said:
Car manufacturers need to up their game, no question about it. The younger generation is a lot more influenced by up to date technology, and they are going to be unwilling to buy any car without it.

I daresay that's not limited to any particular age group.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2016

Haven't set up the Honda S2000 test drive yet (soon I hope) but stopped off at the local Chevy dealer and he tossed me the keys to a 2010 Corvette--"Just see what you think".

I took it up into the hills a bit to see if its capabilities in the twisties equaled its straight line performance, and the answer is......"no".

The car went from stable to twitchy pretty quickly--faster than my driving skills were comfortable with, at any rate. I'd hazard a guess that in the wrong hands, on the wrong road, the C6 could be dangerous. Front end felt very loose at speed in the turns.

Not for me. I'd presume a C7 is more stable. The Corvette seems to get better with each generation.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2016

The Mitsubishi Mirage is probably the least respected new car on the market. This new 2016 Chevy Spark is not your Father's Chevy Spark. It offers way more technology than the outgoing Spark and drives much better. Test drivers are having a great time driving it and are complimentary of the GM-Daewoo collaborated motorcar.

Will I trade in my Kia for one? No way. The 2011Kia Soul is worth 4 times what would be offered by a stealership. We're too smart for that, car nutheads.

kyfdx · April 2016

C6: Make sure your wheels are pointing straight ahead, before punching it in 2nd gear. Even the stability control can't keep up with that torque.. shewwwwww

corvette · April 2016

kyfdx said:

corvette said:
Funny you mention that. I went to the NRAO site in Green Bank, WV last year. I was also at the Earth Resources Observations and Science site near Sioux Falls a few days ago.
Wow... I bet you guys are a lot of fun at parties.

I always end up surrounded by attractive women the entire time. It's uncanny! But, there didn't seem to be many females at the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting today.

stickguy · May 2016

Had the fun experience yesterday of helping change a flat. Thankfully not mine. Visiting BIL and was heading somewhere in there 2004 odyssey. On a skinny road in DC, he scraped the curb, and immediately heard the distinctive thump thump sound. Sidewall ripped. By the time he turned onto a little side street and a flat spot, tire was peeling off the rim. So dug the parts out and got the donut on.

Only problem, they neglected to keep that pumped up. So had to dig up a bike tire pump to get air in it. But once done, able to drive home. And in the next few days they can get to the tire store because the ones I recommended will take a few days to arrive via tire rack or ordering at merchants.

A run flat in that condition would have meant waiting for hours for a truck that would have had a nightmare of a time getting access, and the van would have been dumped to sit at a tire store. I guess we would have walked home!

houdini1 · May 2016

For a couple of days I am having trouble posting. When I go to post, nothing happens and a message pops up saying message is waiting for approval. When it finally posts, hours later, only a small portion of the post actually posts. What gives?

houdini1 · May 2016

Edit: This post worked OK.

houdini1 · May 2016

houdini1 said:
Edit: This post worked OK.

Looks like it only happens after I hit the quote button.

kyfdx · May 2016

houdini1 said:
For a couple of days I am having trouble posting. When I go to post, nothing happens and a message pops up saying message is waiting for approval. When it finally posts, hours later, only a small portion of the post actually posts. What gives?

Maybe we can get @stever in here to look at it. I don't see anything that would cause it.

stever · May 2016

Looks like a couple of your posts got grabbed by the automatic spam filter.

stever · May 2016

Looks like a couple of your posts got grabbed by the automatic spam filter. Just checked and there was another one in there - guess it didn't like your Truck Trends link. Should be "fixed" now.

houdini1 · May 2016

OK, thx.

fintail · May 2016

Did a little car browsing this morning - noticed a number of 2014 IS350 and E350 in used car sections, definite lease returns from auctions. One E was a relatively sparsely optioned E350, but it had distronic/drivers assist package. Really rare on a lower spec car, I don't think I have seen one like that before.

stickguy · May 2016

@roadburner, a question. Did you put coopers or generals on some of your cars? I was researching tires (BIL needed tires on his odyssey ASAP), and the cooper cs5 (hope I got that right) popped up as a good value, and very favorable reviews.

roadburner · May 2016

I put the Cooper RS-A on my X3 and Mazdaspeed 3 and I liked them a lot. The CS5 Grand Touring has-as you noted-received very positive reviews and I wouldn't hesitate to put them on a vehicle like the Odyssey.

andres3 · May 2016

nyccarguy said:
So I'm very happy with the "modification" I've made to my 2015 Legacy. The 3mm thicker rear sway bar (stock on the Outback) really makes the car more stable around corners. It gives the car a bit more of a rear drive feel. I can definitely carry more speed on the local on/off ramps which helps with Merging.

The remote start works as advertised. I haven't used it other than to test it out because it isn't that cold. Once you open a door or the trunk, the car shuts off immediately. To get going I need to restart the car.

So I'm happy for now. There's nothing out there that is reasonably priced that I "gotta have." I'll continue to lust after the likes of the Porsche Macan S, 911 C2, 911 Targa, Panamera GTS, & BMW ///M2.

Have you seen an M2 in person yet? I saw one at the 2 different BMW dealers I visited recently, and it wasn't for sale (either spoken for or a demo?). I do like how they got it to have more power than the M235i all the while making it about 100 pounds lighter. I imagine the automated transmission is different/superior too.

The M235i is an awful lot like a S4 with two doors, smaller footprint, and RWD.

andres3 · May 2016

andres3 said:
Test Drove a TTS: Summary Impressions on scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best:

1. Paint/Fit/finish - 10
2. Transmission DSG - 7
3. Speed/Acceleration/Engine - 9.5
4. Handling - 9.5
5. Adaptive Suspension - 8 (not quite as much range as I figured there would be in comfort vs. dynamic). Could be due to 20" WHEEL MONSTERS.
6. NO SUNGLASS STORAGE OVERHEAD
7. Price and Willingness to deal - 5

What a difference a day makes!

Last day of the month deal made #7 go up to a score of 8.5 from 5, and means BYE BYE Misano Red S4, Hello Daytona Gray TTS w/ red Napa Leather Seats! Sold the S4 for KBB "good" trade-in value, plus a bit extra for the 2 sets of wheels and tires I threw in.

It turns out I can be swayed by subjective styling, looks, and beauty. A mini-R8. Audi's version of a Porsche.

The 20" wheels are growing on me, but I'm used to 18's with sidewall. Haven't discovered the limits of a very wide 255/30R20 on a 20" x 9" wide wheel yet though. Has to be in the stratosphere, or the Yokohama Advans just don't chirp.

Wife wasn't super happy about my pick, she made me put the car seat in as soon as I got home. I had to become a contortionist with a shoe horn to get it back there, but it fits, just barely, and I do mean barely as it is a tall Diono car seat. The cargo space is generous however, as it passed the Costco shopping test. The car is essentially a 3 seater since I'm 6'3 and the wife is 5'2. Daughter is 2 and a half, so when she gets to be 5'2 or taller it'll become a 2 seater. OK, let's be honest, 5'0 tops, the rear seats have little leg room; it's tiny back there.

Chalk another one up!

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles