Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy · November 2016

That 2012 is probably a better deal anyway.

qbrozen · November 2016

pretty much auction value being advertised on the 2012. Makes me wonder about their fees.

suydam · November 2016

stever said:
Thanks!

Anyone else have any buying strategies? (are you there @bobst? )

I still want to know invoice price. And I like to see what people in my area are paying, that's a helpful number to have as you go in. BTW I had to go to another site to find that, as at Edmunds I could only get that number by notifying dealers (not ready for that yet as I still haven't settled on a particular vehicle).

stever · November 2016

You can get TMV here without having to solicit quotes. Just do the Build and Price thing.

btw, one old rule of thumb was that invoice was ~3% below MSRP. I've seen a few that were almost the same as MSRP.

qbrozen · November 2016

qbrozen said:
pretty much auction value being advertised on the 2012. Makes me wonder about their fees.

FYI, the car is on truecar, so I clicked the link and it gave me a $250 discount from the list price, but then added $1100 in fees. So actual price is $21,343.

stickguy · November 2016

I hope that includes DMV stuff at least. But as always, show up with checkbook, and make an offer!

Me, I hope to avoid ever having black leather interior again

qbrozen · November 2016

I had hoped so, too. Was already surfing around a bit to see if I could find seats from a wrecked unit. ;b

And, no, that does not include DMV. It is $500 doc fee and $600 "prep fee."

stickguy · November 2016

Everything in life is negotiable. Except with your wife.

Once you get your letter accepted, you can sign up for a return appointment slot, right?

stickguy · November 2016

I was browsing XC60s. I really want one of those.

28firefighter · November 2016

stickguy said:
I was browsing XC60s. I really want one of those.

My parents are in the process of trading in my Mom's. It's already been through one A/C compressor and one transmission, and both are on their way out again...

stickguy · November 2016

You people have bad luck with cars. What year is that one?

I would be looking at a CPO with a full 5 years of warranty at least. Though my budget is probably looking at a 2008 Mitsubishi.

qbrozen · November 2016

stickguy said:
I was browsing XC60s. I really want one of those.

I wound up ruling those out when I found out they have the same weak rear differential as their LR2 cousin. I already have one of those in the driveway to be concerned about.

jpp75 · November 2016

stever said:
The Encore has better mpg than the Soul but no ventilated seats. My wife likes Buicks, I like the Soul because it's a bit boxier. We both like the huge sunroof in the Soul better than the "ordinary" sized moonroof in the Encore. The Soul finally gets blind spot monitoring. The Encore has a better ride.

And that, in a nutshell, is why we're getting the Civic Hatch.

Actually, if the Soul wasn't in the running, I'd likely push for the Tucson harder. It's pretty slick and the local Hyundai dealer is better than either the Kia or the Buick dealer. Well, the Kia dealer just changed hands so time will tell on that one.

I think we'd be pretty happy with any of these, or a Prius or a VW wagon or an Elantra GT. Pretty hard to go wrong too badly any more. Can't go Lexus/Audi/MINI etc. because we don't want to have to drive an hour for warranty service.

@stever That's odd that the Encore doesn't offer ventilated seats and the panaromic roof. So much for Buick being an aspiring luxury brand.

stickguy · November 2016

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:
I was browsing XC60s. I really want one of those.
I wound up ruling those out when I found out they have the same weak rear differential as their LR2 cousin. I already have one of those in the driveway to be concerned about.

Buzzkill. With all the problems people are having around here, I am not going to have any options left when the time comes.

Heck, with all the trans issues I can't even take the boring way out and get another Acura!

28firefighter · November 2016

They have a 2012 T6.

stickguy · November 2016

Maybe I should get an EX too. They are actually quite nice. Need to go drive one I guess.

here are a couple, sticking with the 7 speed and upgrades from 2011-2012.

The right colors, miles in the 50s, so not too bad. Can't tell if has premium package, so probably not, and they said chestnut interior but it has wheat.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/686592976/overview/

Nice looking 2012. About the same money, a few more miles, but does have Navi package.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/677503728/overview/

same colors and miles on a 2011, but again can't see if premium. At least it is a lot cheaper! Oh wait, ad says RWD. But who knows if that is correct.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/684849407/overview/

stever · November 2016

jpp5862 said:

stever said:
The Encore has better mpg than the Soul but no ventilated seats. My wife likes Buicks, I like the Soul because it's a bit boxier. We both like the huge sunroof in the Soul better than the "ordinary" sized moonroof in the Encore. The Soul finally gets blind spot monitoring. The Encore has a better ride.

And that, in a nutshell, is why we're getting the Civic Hatch.

Actually, if the Soul wasn't in the running, I'd likely push for the Tucson harder. It's pretty slick and the local Hyundai dealer is better than either the Kia or the Buick dealer. Well, the Kia dealer just changed hands so time will tell on that one.

I think we'd be pretty happy with any of these, or a Prius or a VW wagon or an Elantra GT. Pretty hard to go wrong too badly any more. Can't go Lexus/Audi/MINI etc. because we don't want to have to drive an hour for warranty service.
@stever That's odd that the Encore doesn't offer ventilated seats and the panaromic roof. So much for Buick being an aspiring luxury brand.

Not many rides offer ventilated seats and even fewer actively cool them. Otherwise, the Encore is pretty lux.

stickguy · November 2016

you can get all the luxo stuff you want on a Tuscan. Are you taking a look at them?

stever · November 2016

Yeah, we came close to buying one (assuming you mean Tucson). The salesguy almost stalled it out on the test drive. Came home and did some research and in Eco mode, they can "cough" at stop signs and red lights, usually when you're halfway through the intersection and a bigger target. That didn't sit well with my wife and we kept looking.

I keep bringing it up now and then, really liked it.

(and a TVR Tuscan would be kind of sweet!)

tjc78 · November 2016

I had cooled/ventilated seats in the LaCrosse. I can't say that I miss them. I'd settle if the automakers could make AC in cars good again.

tifighter · November 2016

Belated congrats to @breld . I think we were all starting to worry...

stever · November 2016

Turns out that even the 2017 Tucsons have the transmission issue, per these CR comments.

mjfloyd1 · November 2016

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/tvr/tuscan/1618223.html

suydam · November 2016

MPG is probably better on the Encore.
Speaking of black interiors, it appears that Mazda is going that way -- any interior you want as long as it's black. That may rule out the 3 for me.

stickguy · November 2016

mazda dropping the tan? That is a bummer. It looked much nicer.

For the Tucson, bad news. I like the 1.6 engine. But, you could just get it with the 2.4 NA which comes with the regular AT, so no issues.

The DSG gearboxes seem like a good idea, but they never have gotten over the low speed drive ability issues it seems. Probably why Acura uses a torque converter in front of theirs.

stickguy · November 2016

My Sonata has ventilated seats. I turned them on once to try out the feature. Seemed totally useless, so never bothered with them again.

the heated steering wheel, now that is a useful feature!

houdini1 · November 2016

stever said:
Thanks!

Anyone else have any buying strategies? (are you there @bobst? )

My method: Run in waving a handful of cash and yelling, "Who wants to sell me a car TODAY!!

stever · November 2016

I just switched to sweats and packed my shorts two weeks ago. The vents feel pretty good wearing our usual attire of T's and shorts eight or so months out of the year.

It's freezing out today, the high barely grazed 58° and it was overcast most of the day. So yeah, the heated steering wheel is on the wish list too.

(lol @houdini1, maybe I'll try that tomorrow, subbing a checkbook for a fistful)

stickguy · November 2016

well, I was out in a T shirt washing my car this afternoon. I think it hit a good 55, so I took advantage.

qbrozen · November 2016

stickguy said:

Maybe I should get an EX too. They are actually quite nice. Need to go drive one I guess. here are a couple, sticking with the 7 speed and upgrades from 2011-2012. The right colors, miles in the 50s, so not too bad. Can't tell if has premium package, so probably not, and they said chestnut interior but it has wheat. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/686592976/overview/ Nice looking 2012. About the same money, a few more miles, but does have Navi package. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/677503728/overview/ same colors and miles on a 2011, but again can't see if premium. At least it is a lot cheaper! Oh wait, ad says RWD. But who knows if that is correct. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/684849407/overview/

That first one does have the nav. You can tell by the 2 columns of buttons on either side of the display. Non-nav units only have one column of buttons on each side.

stickguy · November 2016

you are the expert. I did not look at the pics that close. In that case, it could be a good deal.

Or, maybe I could learn to read. It says so in their write-up.

That $13K 2010 is still on the lot in Lodi too. Though I am not brave enough to venture onto that lot. The first one here, that is at a reputable place. And actually not very far from you.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2016

qbrozen said:
tough call... thinking if I am going to settle for a color combo I am not fond of, maybe for $3k more, I should get this one that is 2 years newer, only a few more miles, and at least has the Nav, not to mention the 7-speed. I know Nav isn't a big deal in an outdated car, but the system in these has live traffic updates, and the around-view monitor is cool, too.

Well you couldn't paint it and install NAV for $3K, so........

Mr_Shiftright · November 2016

stickguy said:
You people have bad luck with cars. What year is that one?

I would be looking at a CPO with a full 5 years of warranty at least. Though my budget is probably looking at a 2008 Mitsubishi.

I like Mitsubishi. They are kinda bland and all that, but in general an underrated value buy, IMO.

slorenzen · November 2016

stever said:
I just switched to sweats and packed my shorts two weeks ago. The vents feel pretty good wearing our usual attire of T's and shorts eight or so months out of the year.

It's freezing out today, the high barely grazed 58° and it was overcast most of the day. So yeah, the heated steering wheel is on the wish list too.

(lol @houdini1, maybe I'll try that tomorrow, subbing a checkbook for a fistful)

"It's freezing out today, the high barely grazed 58° and it was overcast most of the day."

I may need to drive down there and hurt you. We haven't broken 50 for several days...

stickguy · November 2016

actually, by this time next year, the 2013 EX37's with the various updates (including added legroom in the back seat) will be down into this price range.

I really like this color combo. But like the Garnet better I think. Both work with the chestnut guts.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/662018331/overview/

qbrozen · November 2016

Was just about to post that one. I have had it tagged for quite a long time now. Really like that combo. Its just a bit pricey. I might bite at $24k.

does the 2013 really have more rear legroom?

iluvmysephia1 · November 2016

I like Mitsubishi. They are kinda bland and all that, but in general an underrated value buy, IMO.

I knew someone else had ta have a hankering for them...toomanyfumes has one and oldfarmer50 had an Eclipse, IIRC. My only Mitsubishi was the '08 Lancer GTS, too bad that belt broke that they should have covered in ours. Blew the engine at only 130,000 miles. They knew about the "early failure serpentine belt" and did a recall replacement on it, it came in the mail two weeks after ours broke apart, caused a timing belt seizure and subsequent total engine failure. We made the mistake of trading in and not calling Corporate from the Kia showroom in El Paso.

Umm...maybe it's just me but it never occurred to me that I should call Mitsu in this situation. Something to keep in mind should I ever buy a Mitsubishi again, but all we could think about was getting good wheels under us again. Frustrating situation and ending to what was a great ownership experience leading up to the incident. Called them later and got the above spiel "ya should've called us on the spot...we could've made something happen at that time. But you traded in for the Kia (oops...car makers can get so..jealous, it seems) and so we can't do anything for you now." We called Mitsubishi Consumer Line because of the recall notice we got on our Lancer GTS! What might be odd ta some car lovers is I may try another Mitsubishi sometime. They are a good value buy.

corvette · November 2016

stickguy said:

the heated steering wheel, now that is a useful feature!

Yeah, I never thought that was a big deal, but the Murano has it. I'm sure it will be nice on the really cold days. On moderately cold days, the steering wheel gets hot within a few seconds. Way faster than the heated seats warm up.

stickguy · November 2016

qbrozen said:
Was just about to post that one. I have had it tagged for quite a long time now. Really like that combo. Its just a bit pricey. I might bite at $24k.

does the 2013 really have more rear legroom?

I was surprised, but yes. I learned that when I was looking at new ones for my SIL recently. Noticeable increase too. Can't swear to it, but I think it happened for 2013 when the EX37 came out. Could be an issue for you, having kids and all.

rny421 · November 2016

28firefighter said:

stickguy said:
I was browsing XC60s. I really want one of those.
My parents are in the process of trading in my Mom's. It's already been through one A/C compressor and one transmission, and both are on their way out again...

Man, @28firefighter - bad luck! My mom has a 2016 XC60 T6 AWD. 25k miles or so, and knock on wood, no problems. The lane departure/collision warning is a little sensitive when I have driven it. She loves it though. She had two XC90s prior to that, traded them in with high miles, and luckily, they were pretty reliable as well.

My wife's 2012 S60 T6 has been reliable. We've got about 50k miles on it. The transmission is a little annoying how it doesn't downshift into first gear unless you've come to a dead stop, which creates an awkward downshift while accelerating away from anything less than a dead stop - but it seems like it's a common complaint. The air compressor is loud at times too, sort of a groaning sound, but it's inconsistent.

I have been browsing online, toying with trading it in on something that rides a little less stiff. I like the 2016+ X1s, the TLX, A3, A4, the Mercedes GLC, and new C-Class, but they all have to come down in price (used) for me to do something...

stever · November 2016

slorenzen said:

stever said:
I just switched to sweats and packed my shorts two weeks ago. The vents feel pretty good wearing our usual attire of T's and shorts eight or so months out of the year.

It's freezing out today, the high barely grazed 58° and it was overcast most of the day. So yeah, the heated steering wheel is on the wish list too.

(lol @houdini1, maybe I'll try that tomorrow, subbing a checkbook for a fistful)
"It's freezing out today, the high barely grazed 58° and it was overcast most of the day."

I may need to drive down there and hurt you. We haven't broken 50 for several days...

C'mon down, everyone else does.

Our current company doesn't really count since they are housesitting, and our next houseguest isn't due until mid-December. The last guest left on the 14th. You can sit around in your T's and laugh at me wearing my down sweater.

Just may have to channel @bobst and hit the Buick dealer in the morning. End of the month is almost here. Can't believe 2017 is almost here. Won't be long until @corvette has to add another tab to his spreadsheet....

qbrozen · November 2016

stickguy said:

Was just about to post that one. I have had it tagged for quite a long time now. Really like that combo. Its just a bit pricey. I might bite at $24k.

does the 2013 really have more rear legroom?
I was surprised, but yes. I learned that when I was looking at new ones for my SIL recently. Noticeable increase too. Can't swear to it, but I think it happened for 2013 when the EX37 came out. Could be an issue for you, having kids and all.

From what I have found so far, I don't believe the 2013 is any different from the previous years (28.5").

breld · November 2016

From Car & Driver:

The QX50 is longer for 2016, with more than four inches of rear legroom.

I believe they went with the longer wheelbase from the Chinese model when they made the name switch.

stickguy · November 2016

ah, yes. I forgot it was the QX50 name when I looked (last month!). So 2016 got the extra room, even though they changed the name for 2014. Very confusing!. You really notice the difference when you look in the back. Not a big deal to me, but could come in useful for carrying stuff.

stickguy · November 2016

a nice certified 2015, loaded to the gills. Perfect for me, 1 year and $10K from now!

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/673253899/overview/

henryn · November 2016

stickguy said:
My Sonata has ventilated seats. I turned them on once to try out the feature. Seemed totally useless, so never bothered with them again.

I have been driving the Passat every day (free miles, and unbelievable fuel mileage), but Saturday evening I had a date so drove the truck (newer, nicer). We leave the restaurant, and my date says she's cold. I offer to turn on the heater, even though it didn't seem the least bit cold to me. She said, "Never mind, I'll just turn on the seat warmer. I love heated seats!"

I was admit to fess up that I was too cheap to ever buy a truck with heated seats when lo and behold she turned on the seat heater. Or turned on something. I'm still not sure what, and I'm still fairly certain that this truck does not have heated seats.

Whatever.

tjc78 · November 2016

I never liked heated seats either, but lately I've actually turned them on a few times. I've mentioned it before but I think with the weight loss I don't have resistance to the cold like I used to.

I'll tell you one thing, heated cloth seats get hot quickly. The Elantra I swear you could cook an egg on the seat. I had never driven a car with heated cloth before.

@henryn, I never knew our Enclave had the heated steering wheel until I heard my wife talking about it. It is kind of a weird feature since it is mostly wood and only the leather part gets hot.

Michaell · November 2016

I loved the heated cloth seats I had in the Elantra GT and the Jetta. I used the Jetta's heated seats over the weekend - three settings, and I don't think I'll ever use the highest one.

Wife says the heated seats in the daughter's MINI (leather) scorch her bum.

stickguy · November 2016

They seem pointless to me with cloth seats, but I have never actually tried that set up. Very useful with leather though!

28firefighter · November 2016

My GTI has cloth seats with heating - it has 3 settings - Warm, Hot, and Scorched Earth.

I do use it on cooler mornings here in the PNW, usually when the temperature is less than 50 degrees.

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