Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

xwesx · August 2017

coldinohio said:

so now two germans: my 2014 a4 6sp and wife MB GLA with a DCT

tom

Wow! Wasted no time! Congrats.

xwesx · August 2017

omarman said:
but still...8 missed calls sunday morning?

LOL. Exactly the reason I don't have a cell. If I'm that "important," people just aren't trying hard enough.

ab348 · August 2017

I jealously guard my cell number because I don't want all the junk calls on it that my landline receives.

fintail · August 2017

If a detached house is on the market for 40 days around here, something is up. Is it built on an old nuclear waste dump or something?

28firefighter said:

Funny - we've got our eye on a house that has been on the market for 40 days. Fits that exact same definition. Real estate agent at the open house tells us "there is no bad offer except the one that isn't made." If you say so....

fintail · August 2017

I haven't noticed any chatter on the MB forums I read, but I don't catch everything.

A 4Matic C diesel wagon might be something I buy and keep for awhile rather than lease. the ideal car.

ab348 said:
I've been seeing references to a M-B C-class wagon online, but no mention of it on either the US or Canadian website. Perhaps it is in the pipeline for introduction a bit later?

stickguy · August 2017

So I guess that the VW covers the smaller, fun class for mrs breld, making the Mini once again expendable? Seems to be slightly redundant I guess. But I agree with Michael, 2 large trucks SUVs seems like a poor idea. An Infiniti M (well, now Q something) seems like a better option.

28firefighter · August 2017

@pensfan83 -

fintail said:
If a detached house is on the market for 40 days around here, something is up. Is it built on an old nuclear waste dump or something?

28firefighter said:

Funny - we've got our eye on a house that has been on the market for 40 days. Fits that exact same definition. Real estate agent at the open house tells us "there is no bad offer except the one that isn't made." If you say so....

New construction home. Cost per sq/ft is the highest in the neighborhood to begin with but has the following two issues: (1) It is set back from the street up a private driveway on a subdivided lot - not as desirable in a suburb and (2) the real issue is the front door and garage face the back yard of a house in shambles (not par for that neighborhood at all) which would not be an issue for me save for the abandoned in-ground pool that is green and looks like a cesspool. Listing agent said it was a "frog pond" (yeah right).

pensfan83 · August 2017

roadburner said:
I have pretty much corrupted my wife; she also likes small European vehicles- although she does like the Mazda CX-3 as well as the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk(which actually IS European, come to think of it).

That's what I'm afraid of...once my wife gets a taste she's not going to want to go back. It's been nice balancing my lease payment with a relatively low one

stickguy · August 2017

28, low ball it, and watch Value climb when the dump gets bought out and becomes a rehab flip. Heck, try to buy the dump, and do it yourself!

Yes, I watch way too much HGTV.

stickguy · August 2017

pensfan83 said:

roadburner said:
I have pretty much corrupted my wife; she also likes small European vehicles- although she does like the Mazda CX-3 as well as the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk(which actually IS European, come to think of it).
That's what I'm afraid of...once my wife gets a taste she's not going to want to go back. It's been nice balancing my lease payment with a relatively low one

My big mistake was taking my wife to the Acura dealer when the new RDX design came out. I just wanted to see it, but knew it was out of budget. Until the wife sat in it, and suddenly the budget (hers, not mine) expanded. My hopes of landing her in a Santa Fe sport or CRV shot down in flames.

At least it is a good car, and she still likes it. And in 3 weeks, finally paid off!

Michaell · August 2017

stickguy said:
So I guess that the VW covers the smaller, fun class for mrs breld, making the Mini once again expendable? Seems to be slightly redundant I guess. But I agree with Michael, 2 large trucks SUVs seems like a poor idea. An Infiniti M (well, now Q something) seems like a better option.

ooo ... yeah, a Q70.

Can be had with a V8, and AWD.

You can get this with a short road trip.

fintail · August 2017

What area is it in? I've noticed some infill housing in Bellevue, tons of it in Medina and swanky areas, I suspect there's a bit in Seattle now too given the insane cost of land and wacky speculative market.

Eventually, the neglected old house has to be fixed up or removed, right?

28firefighter said:

New construction home. Cost per sq/ft is the highest in the neighborhood to begin with but has the following two issues: (1) It is set back from the street up a private driveway on a subdivided lot - not as desirable in a suburb and (2) the real issue is the front door and garage face the back yard of a house in shambles (not par for that neighborhood at all) which would not be an issue for me save for the abandoned in-ground pool that is green and looks like a cesspool. Listing agent said it was a "frog pond" (yeah right).

stickguy · August 2017

Nice car. Too big for my taste.

Michaell · August 2017

stickguy said:
Nice car. Too big for my taste.

Hey, I'm just presenting options.

Knowing the commute they have, I can totally understand the desire for a comfy car.

andres3 · August 2017

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

I've seen a red one and a gray one. I like them. Not enough to flip my 2er, but it is still a great car.

I think you & I are at the same point with our respective current daily drivers. I'm very happy with my Infiniti. Something would literally have to blow the doors off of the Q40 in every single way in order for me to even consider it.

Be careful what you ask for, as a Lexus almost blew a door off my S4

And of course, it wasn't in the way that you meant

andres3 · August 2017

breld said:

tjc78 said:
@breld

We getting pics of the R when you get it? Has anyone seen one in the wild yet?
Will this Civic-averse crowd be kind?

I've only seen one in the showroom - and that's the only one I've seen. Getting to sit in that one sealed the deal for me as far as the upgrade from the Si.

@michaell and @jpp5862 will soon get to see one in the flesh and drive it if they do choose.

I like the Civic despite its looks!

28firefighter · August 2017

@stickguy - That's what I'm thinking, but I really don't want to be worrying about things like West Nile etc. That said, I think it is potentially an opportunity to get a great house at a good price without the hassle of the market.

@fintail - without getting too specific (you never know who reads these things) its in the Lake Forest Park/Lynnwood/Bothell area. We are priced out of Seattle proper to get what we want - and I won't buy a fixer in this market, too much risk of not being able to find a contractor before I end up in a nursing home.

andres3 · August 2017

roadburner said:

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

I've seen a red one and a gray one. I like them. Not enough to flip my 2er, but it is still a great car.

I think you & I are at the same point with our respective current daily drivers. I'm very happy with my Infiniti. Something would literally have to blow the doors off of the Q40 in every single way in order for me to even consider it.

Exactly. Sure, I'd probably buy an M2 if Publishers Clearing House called, but honestly the M235i still ticks all the boxes for me- size, performance, comfort, useful technology, fuel economy- I really can't think of very many cars that even come close.

a new salesman guy at the VW dealer (took my Wife's Alltrack in for its first oil change service thanks to a coupon deal), commented on my TTS since that's what I took to get my wife out of there without having to wait for service to be completed.

One of his questions was what I consider the TTS' competition, and the list is very short:

1) M2
2) M235i/M340i
3) Cayman/Cayman S
4) (and to emphasize the point), the Golf R was saved for last.

There are other coupes, but most all of them are nearer to 2 tons than 3,000 lbs.

fintail · August 2017

Wow, that's pretty wild, infill development that far out. Not a bad area per se, just a bit out there, the drive can be less than fun. I have co-workers who live in those areas, some harrowing tales of long drives to Bellevue.

Friends of mine in Bothell just experienced having the large lot behind them sold to make way for a small subdivision (28 tar paper 'n plywood tract houses, I think, little ~4000 sq ft lots IIRC). The house next to theirs was bought by the developer, removed, and the land used for the entrance to the subdivision. Due to the increased amount of traffic now rushing by the house and having young kids, they decided to sell. Fortunately, they turned a profit on the place, even though they bought at the peak of the prior bubble (they were under water for years).

28firefighter said:

@fintail - without getting too specific (you never know who reads these things) its in the Lake Forest Park/Lynnwood/Bothell area. We are priced out of Seattle proper to get what we want - and I won't buy a fixer in this market, too much risk of not being able to find a contractor before I end up in a nursing home.

andres3 · August 2017

28firefighter said:
I think the V90 is awesome and will likely make a great lease.

I'm still partial to a current generation 3-series wagon with M-Sport package in Estoril Blue.

Do they make it with the 340 drive-train yet? I've noticed they always make the wagons with the littler/weaker engines. I like a true sport wagon; give me the stronger engine option.

iluvmysephia1 · August 2017

28firefighter - I totally get what you're saying. Even when we wanted more house in '97 we put our small Everett house up for sale, and had to buy a larger one way up north of Everett in Burlington, WA. Western Washington housing prices are sky-high, but, according to a Seattle real estate agent they're still "half of San Francisco's."

stickguy · August 2017

I don't care about no IMS. I still like this! I assume the price is nuts, but I am just dreaming, so I don't care.

http://www.royaleasing.com/detail-2006-porsche-911-2dr_cabriolet_carrera_4s-used-16738742.html

28firefighter · August 2017

@fintail I PMed you.

@iluvmysephia1 50% of insanity is still insanity.

pensfan83 · August 2017

@28firefighter - ever have any thoughts of moving back east? IIRC both you and your wife's family are on the east coast, correct? Real estate prices on the west coast have always made me queasy.

28firefighter · August 2017

pensfan83 said:
@28firefighter - ever have any thoughts of moving back east? IIRC both you and your wife's family are on the east coast, correct? Real estate prices on the west coast have always made me queasy.

My wife's family is in Cleveland and my family is in Philadelphia. I have no urge to move back to the Philadelphia area. Moving to Cleveland or back to Pittsburgh is appealing from a COL perspective, but at this point is a non-starter for a number of reasons (jobs, weather, friends etc.).

nyccarguy · August 2017

What's the ONE thing they say NOT to do during the Eclipse?

pensfan83 · August 2017

Understandable, I probably would feel the same way had I settled somewhere away from Pittsburgh right out of school.

pensfan83 · August 2017

Genius has its limits, stupidity knows no bounds.

28firefighter · August 2017

pensfan83 said:
Understandable, I probably would feel the same way had I settled somewhere away from Pittsburgh right out of school.

It has nothing to do with not liking Pittsburgh - I miss it terribly. While my job is portable, my wife's is not - and we've built up a strong community of friends here (along with my wife's siblings living here) whereas my network in Pittsburgh has thinned considerably. At this point it just doesn't make sense.

ab348 · August 2017

Here's one of the M-B C-class wagon references. Nice-looking rig.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/04/mercedes-benz-c-class-wagon-canada-no-diesel-engine/

pensfan83 · August 2017

Oh I didn't take that to mean you didn't like Pittsburgh, just that I would probably feel the same about uprooting my family to return somewhere more familiar when we've made a new locale our home.

We aren't in a position to move either for similar reasons (family, friends, jobs). I work for a Fortune 200 company headquartered here in Pittsburgh but could be based in just about any state east of the Mississippi with the exceptions of states in the far Northeast (ME, MA, CT, etc). My wife's job would limit her to Western PA or Eastern PA and we're not interested in moving east.

fintail · August 2017

He's not the only one:

nyccarguy said:
What's the ONE thing they say NOT to do during the Eclipse?

fintail · August 2017

Uugh, if that's true, that would be crappy. I've never minded Canuckistan getting the B-Class, but this would be different. If it is really limited to the 4cyl gasoline engine, I might be less irritated. MB product planning and marketing people often are begging for a slap upside the head.

ab348 said:
Here's one of the M-B C-class wagon references. Nice-looking rig.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/04/mercedes-benz-c-class-wagon-canada-no-diesel-engine/

breld · August 2017

Michaell said:
@breld - I'm guessing the MINI would get the heave-ho if Krystal decides she wants something more comfy. Why not a larger, AWD sedan? Used A6, 5-series, E-class, etc. That way, you don't have two SUV's.

Heck, if she wants comfy, why not a V6 Passat?

She even admits a nice sedan would be a wise choice, but truth is, she just doesn't like them, instead preferring some sort of hatchback, whether that be a wagon or SUV.

And actually, the MINI would stay as her cheap fun car.

breld · August 2017

Just spoke with the driver for my Type R transport - looks like Wednesday delivery instead of tomorrow. :@

suydam · August 2017

I'm pretty happy with my 2 vehicles. Now if Buick makes a version of the Bolt in a couple of years, that might be a good replacement for the Encore . . .

nyccarguy · August 2017

breld said:
Just spoke with the driver for my Type R transport - looks like Wednesday delivery instead of tomorrow. :@

he's trying to unload it for $20K over sticker

stickguy · August 2017

so, the VW convertible might make it what, 1 month, 2 tops? Ouch.

andres3 · August 2017

28firefighter said:
@pensfan83 -
fintail said:
If a detached house is on the market for 40 days around here, something is up. Is it built on an old nuclear waste dump or something?

28firefighter said:

Funny - we've got our eye on a house that has been on the market for 40 days. Fits that exact same definition. Real estate agent at the open house tells us "there is no bad offer except the one that isn't made." If you say so....

New construction home. Cost per sq/ft is the highest in the neighborhood to begin with but has the following two issues: (1) It is set back from the street up a private driveway on a subdivided lot - not as desirable in a suburb and (2) the real issue is the front door and garage face the back yard of a house in shambles (not par for that neighborhood at all) which would not be an issue for me save for the abandoned in-ground pool that is green and looks like a cesspool. Listing agent said it was a "frog pond" (yeah right).

I would fill the pool with soil and turn it into a big flower pot. Seriously, a planter is much cheaper to maintain than a pool.

andres3 · August 2017

iluvmysephia1 said:
28firefighter - I totally get what you're saying. Even when we wanted more house in '97 we put our small Everett house up for sale, and had to buy a larger one way up north of Everett in Burlington, WA. Western Washington housing prices are sky-high, but, according to a Seattle real estate agent they're still "half of San Francisco's."

That's the line my SHARK of a real estate agent used when we were looking for a condo in San Diego in 2004 not long before the bubble would burst. I suppose values in La Jolla and Del Mar never plummeted like other areas.

laurasdada · August 2017

Went lookylou-ing Sunday afternoon. New Audi/Acura/Porsche complex across from established MB dealer. Same dealer group. Wandering lots, no showroom action. Right to left on your radio dial, random thoughts:

Audi: Ignored by a couple of sales types. I think I like the A/S5 refresh, as well as the 5 door. But, I'd probably go for the three box style.
Acura: Although I loved my '88 Integra and '05 TL (and lusted after original Legend Coupe); Acura currently floats noteth my boat. NSX, maybe?
Porsche: Got some traction, admiring a brand new 911 Targa GTS, nice conversation with leaving for the day salesman. He said they'd get me into the club eventually. That the Targa is a great buy, will retain value better than any other 911 derivation. New Panamera is a big style improvement. Boxter/Cayman, that seems the way to go!
MB: I think the S Class Coupe is beautiful, the C and E coupes just don't look nearly as nice to my eye.

I've always liked cars that are just off the beaten path in some manner (not that I've always bought out of the mainstream). Currently, my desire is a used/CPO Rube Goldberg (current Porsche Targa); Billionaire Doors (BMW i8), or Beauty Beast (MB S Coupe). Of course, I have not a spare $100k to toss around. But, darn, Breld is making me feel so bloody inadequate!

4+ months of Jag warranty left. So, reality shopping limits me to A5, M240i, Jag XE arena. Or something as such...

28firefighter · August 2017

andres3 said:

28firefighter said:
@pensfan83 -
fintail said:
If a detached house is on the market for 40 days around here, something is up. Is it built on an old nuclear waste dump or something?

28firefighter said:

Funny - we've got our eye on a house that has been on the market for 40 days. Fits that exact same definition. Real estate agent at the open house tells us "there is no bad offer except the one that isn't made." If you say so....

New construction home. Cost per sq/ft is the highest in the neighborhood to begin with but has the following two issues: (1) It is set back from the street up a private driveway on a subdivided lot - not as desirable in a suburb and (2) the real issue is the front door and garage face the back yard of a house in shambles (not par for that neighborhood at all) which would not be an issue for me save for the abandoned in-ground pool that is green and looks like a cesspool. Listing agent said it was a "frog pond" (yeah right).
I would fill the pool with soil and turn it into a big flower pot. Seriously, a planter is much cheaper to maintain than a pool.

If it were on the land of the house, I could - but its on another's property.

imidazol97 · August 2017

28firefighter said:
If it were on the land of the house, I could - but its on another's property.

Have you looked into the ownership of the house? And what might be happening to it?

stickguy · August 2017

complain like crazy to the town and make them cite it.

stickguy · August 2017

seem to have had the first issue with the RDX. Told the wife, might have to sell. The little USB plug cord (for some reason, instead of a normal USB plug, there is a wire with a USB plug at the end) was acting up this weekend (a problem on a long trip). mostly would not charge (I was not streaming anything, just plugged in to charge). sometimes got it to catch, often not. Tried the same cords in the house, no issues. So I think the connection must be loose, or the plug end is failing. Sadly, that part is out of warranty, so I guess I will play around and not figure anything out, and then decide if I want to spend (probably a lot) of money to have it looked at. Hey, maybe I get lucky. Will probably hit the TofV forums too, and the googles. Hopefully it is a problem other people have had.

28firefighter · August 2017

stickguy said:
complain like crazy to the town and make them cite it.

You cannot rely on that - plus do I really want to tick off my neighbors that quickly? Ironically the county here does not mandate privately owned properties to do anything about standing water unless it violates solid waste laws, which I'm sure this does not.

Anyway, keeping this more on point - the house has an oversized two car garage as well as a long-ish private driveway. I think we could probably fit 2 in the garage, 2 on the apron for the garage and maybe 6 in the driveway. Oh the possibilities....

xwesx · August 2017

28firefighter said:
Oh the possibilities....

Just keep dreaming.... !

stickguy · August 2017

I would be sold. I really want a better driveway situation. Ideal would be 4 garage bays, but I would take a 2 car with a parking area for 2 more that did not block the garage access.

xwesx · August 2017

stickguy said:
So I think the connection must be loose, or the plug end is failing. Sadly, that part is out of warranty, so I guess I will play around and not figure anything out, and then decide if I want to spend (probably a lot) of money to have it looked at. Hey, maybe I get lucky.

Brutal. Time for the scrapyard!

Michaell · August 2017

@breld - if you could wait a year, I'm sure there would be some A5 SportBacks available at a nice discount.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles