Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

isellhondas · November 2017

Michaell said:

isellhondas said:
I don't frequent this forum but I was wondering if that gal from Alaska is still around Akangl was her handle. She used to go through new cars like I go through socks!
She posts infrequently - every few months or so - but we have a new champ in town.

His name is @breld, and between him and his wife, they have bought, I think, 8 cars in the last 12-15 months. He lives here in Denver, so we get together frequently for lunch and, on occasion, a test drive or two.

Nobody comes close.

Remind us again what's in your fleet now? I think you said something in a different thread about buying a new Civic sedan not too long ago....

Well, right now we have a 2016 Honda CRV EXL a 2017 Civic LX sedan and a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer.

No plans to make any changes but you never know!

tbirdmarco · November 2017

@28firefighter good luck on the move! next week! and por Sam yes will be good to go soon and for when he is older!

stickguy · November 2017

I knew my OEM Michelins were shot at 30K on our Odyssey when the tires were spinning at an intersection in damp weather on a very small incline. That was enough of a hint. Probably in the 3/32 range at that point, at worst. But slick little marbles!

corvette · November 2017

qbrozen said:

djkhoi888 said:

is there any general advice that can be given if I want to start owning different cars more often?! I rcently bought a car, and thought the other day maybe I'll get in a new one again in 2 years, then do it again and again....If anyone can direct me to a beginner's forum that would be great!

My general advice is to NOT buy new. That's the surest way to the poor house if swapping often. Look used, look for those that don't depreciate like day old bread, and get a great deal. That's the best way to avoid losing your shirt when trading often.

Now, if the goal is merely a new one every 2 years, just lease. 24-mo leases are a bit stiffer in payment, but keep your eyes and ears peeled for good deals when they come around.

Agree with qbrozen here for the most part. Used cars are cheaper to hold for short periods. Occasionally you will see a screaming deal on a new car. In 2005 or 2006 (I think), Honda was blowing out the unloved Civic Si hatchbacks at fire sale prices. You could have bought one of those and held it a year or two and done okay. New or lease is better with anything that is ridiculously expensive to buy used like an Accord or a full size pickup.

Sandman6472 · November 2017

Yes, I know it's a 1.4T under the hood, just seems to accelerate at a faster clip than mine and no lag to speak of at all. Put it in the garage tonight and it's a real tight squeeze, not something I'd want to do on a daily basis. Looks like anything longer than 175" just doesn't work on my side of the garage which is fine with me as there's plenty of vehicles that I can choose from to fill this space. As much as I want a 328i, think it's going to be longer than 175" and just not going to cut it.
Something else I noticed is at night, the Jetta lights up everything in red while my Golf is just plain white lights, something I prefer personally and easier to see and read things for my eyes. Miss the Fender audio system plus am happy with my 17" rims and tires on the Golf. Waiting to see what the 2018 Golf SEL looks like and what tweaks they've made to it though doubtful I'd get the same vehicle. We did that with the 1993 and 1995 Camry's but this was due to an auto accident and the wife wanting her wrecked vehicle to just be gone. My 1988 and 1996 Corolla's were so different, felt like there was no duplication. The new longer warranty is a bonus really and from the pics I've seen, the new SEL looks pretty good to me.

The Sandman

Sandman6472 · November 2017

Golf is all done, cost me zero dollars...I am a happy camper. Had a feeling that something was gonna go wrong around the 36K mark. Funny, when talking with one of the head service folks yesterday, first thing she asked was did I have an extended warranty? Made me think that even she doesn't have high hopes for long term reliability on any VW model. Made me sit up and notice, that's for sure. Did really like that red over beige 2016 Tiguan they have for sale, even though the mileage is pretty sucky. Would have thought it would've been over 30 for the highway. Part of me wants to test drive it and see if they'd take $10K out the door plus mine if I do like the way it drives. Have been thinking about that since the other day when I first saw it in their used lot. A very striking color combo for sure and like the 18" rims though they'd be a bit pricey to replace when needed. Still, for the right price...could work!

The Sandman

stickguy · November 2017

the 3 series is longer than the Jetta I am pretty sure. Just too lazy to check! Plus they new version of that should be out in the next couple of months. Looking forward to seeing one at the car show in January. Really hope the new RDX is there too, at least as a teaser up on a platform.

corvette · November 2017

Installed a Fortin Bypass remote start in the Mustang. Same setup I had in the Murano. Seems to be working well. Only downsides are that the Mustang has no auto climate control, so I have to set the heat on full blast the night before if I plan to use it.

Also, GM's factory remote start will activate the rear defroster and the seat heaters (if equipped), depending on temperature. Obviously you don't get that with an aftermarket system.

ab348 · November 2017

Yeah, we had our first cold morning this week and I discovered the ATS turns all the warming stuff on automatically when you start it.

breld · November 2017

corvette said:

qbrozen said:

djkhoi888 said:

is there any general advice that can be given if I want to start owning different cars more often?! I rcently bought a car, and thought the other day maybe I'll get in a new one again in 2 years, then do it again and again....If anyone can direct me to a beginner's forum that would be great!

My general advice is to NOT buy new. That's the surest way to the poor house if swapping often. Look used, look for those that don't depreciate like day old bread, and get a great deal. That's the best way to avoid losing your shirt when trading often.

Now, if the goal is merely a new one every 2 years, just lease. 24-mo leases are a bit stiffer in payment, but keep your eyes and ears peeled for good deals when they come around.

Agree with qbrozen here for the most part. Used cars are cheaper to hold for short periods. Occasionally you will see a screaming deal on a new car. In 2005 or 2006 (I think), Honda was blowing out the unloved Civic Si hatchbacks at fire sale prices. You could have bought one of those and held it a year or two and done okay. New or lease is better with anything that is ridiculously expensive to buy used like an Accord or a full size pickup.

Yup. Buy used.

And marry someone who 1) is well employed and 2) shares your love of cars.

stickguy · November 2017

those 2 points, I missed the mark a bit!

corvette · November 2017

Now that remote start is up and running, I ordered four new speakers for the Mustang. Shouldn't take much to register an improvement, as the Mustang's Shaker audio system has a large amp but is very muddy sounding. I suspect the speakers have dry rotted. The Tahoe's OEM Bose audio is outstanding by comparison. I'm hopeful the speaker swap will be sufficient to make it sound good.

fintail · November 2017

I think a lot of people go to Ma and Pa's Tire Emporium, find the cheapest Chinese-made set, and are good to go. Alignment? Never happens, although it is probably a good idea now and then with our decaying roads. The same people who will put the cheapest 87 octane fuel in a car that requires premium.

I live on a hill, and some cars have trouble getting started on the metal utility grates/covers when it rains.

28firefighter said:
Lots of talk about tires around here lately, thought I'd share a classic example of why good tire tread matters even in wet weather.

Was driving on a local road with a reasonably steep incline (for @tifighter, @murphydog, @isellhondas, and @fintail it was N 65th heading west up to Phinney Ave N from Greenlake). It had been raining for a good couple hours and there were a number of wet leaves on the ground. I was behind a late model Honda Odyssey Touring. As we started going up the hill, the van started losing speed rapidly and I could hear tires spinning. I backed off and stopped completely figuring the driver might lose it totally and end up rolling back down the hill. The driver of the van kept increasing the engine power (and continuing to spin his wheels and slide backwards) until he finally backed off enough for it to gain enough traction to keep going, albeit at maybe 3 mph. When we got to the top of the hill and the stoplight, I was able to get a close look at his tires and could see they were basically bald and also way way way out of alignment.

On the other hand, I was able to drive my GTI basically as normal without a single loss of traction due to the wetness. I attribute that largely to the decent tires I have on my car, but I even think in this case having any tires with decent tread would have made a difference.

It always amazes me that folks would drop the coin for a fully loaded, feature rich, safe car only to skimp on something like tires when the time comes.

graphicguy · November 2017

breld said:

corvette said:

qbrozen said:

djkhoi888 said:

is there any general advice that can be given if I want to start owning different cars more often?! I rcently bought a car, and thought the other day maybe I'll get in a new one again in 2 years, then do it again and again....If anyone can direct me to a beginner's forum that would be great!

My general advice is to NOT buy new. That's the surest way to the poor house if swapping often. Look used, look for those that don't depreciate like day old bread, and get a great deal. That's the best way to avoid losing your shirt when trading often.

Now, if the goal is merely a new one every 2 years, just lease. 24-mo leases are a bit stiffer in payment, but keep your eyes and ears peeled for good deals when they come around.

Agree with qbrozen here for the most part. Used cars are cheaper to hold for short periods. Occasionally you will see a screaming deal on a new car. In 2005 or 2006 (I think), Honda was blowing out the unloved Civic Si hatchbacks at fire sale prices. You could have bought one of those and held it a year or two and done okay. New or lease is better with anything that is ridiculously expensive to buy used like an Accord or a full size pickup.

Yup. Buy used.

And marry someone who 1) is well employed and 2) shares your love of cars.

Great advice above.

I concur....buy used. Ordinarily, I’d say to stay away from car lots and stick with private sellers. Car lots (used and new) have to mark up their cars to keep the doors open. Private sellers don’t have that overhead.

That said, private sellers also don’t need to support what they sell if a car turns out to be problematic. And unfortunately, some will be unscrupulous and sell a known troublesome car to you.

Stay away from anything with a rebuilt or salvage title. It may be cheap(er) up front, but will be a nightmare for you to sell (and probably will be problematic).

Just like stocks, you want to buy low and sell high. That’s a tall order with cars.

This isn’t for the weak. If you have some menchanical ability and a place to fix your own cars, that would be helpful. That way, you can buy a car that has needs for less than it’s worth, fix it yourself, and then turn it around for a profit.

If you’re bound and determined, start with low priced cars (say...$1,000-$2,000) and fix them up to resell. That way your exposure isn’t as much when things go badly on a particular car (and they will go bad, eventually). You can build from there.

tifighter · November 2017

28firefighter said:
Lots of talk about tires around here lately, thought I'd share a classic example of why good tire tread matters even in wet weather.

Was driving on a local road with a reasonably steep incline (for @tifighter, @murphydog, @isellhondas, and @fintail it was N 65th heading west up to Phinney Ave N from Greenlake). It had been raining for a good couple hours and there were a number of wet leaves on the ground. I was behind a late model Honda Odyssey Touring. As we started going up the hill, the van started losing speed rapidly and I could hear tires spinning. I backed off and stopped completely figuring the driver might lose it totally and end up rolling back down the hill. The driver of the van kept increasing the engine power (and continuing to spin his wheels and slide backwards) until he finally backed off enough for it to gain enough traction to keep going, albeit at maybe 3 mph. When we got to the top of the hill and the stoplight, I was able to get a close look at his tires and could see they were basically bald and also way way way out of alignment.

On the other hand, I was able to drive my GTI basically as normal without a single loss of traction due to the wetness. I attribute that largely to the decent tires I have on my car, but I even think in this case having any tires with decent tread would have made a difference.

It always amazes me that folks would drop the coin for a fully loaded, feature rich, safe car only to skimp on something like tires when the time comes.

That is a steep and funny hill. The intersection at the top is funky too. I imagine if you lived on that street, you'd see all kinds of stupidity happen. At least there isn't a Metro stop on it, I don't think.

28firefighter · November 2017

tifighter said:

That is a steep and funny hill. The intersection at the top is funky too. I imagine if you lived on that street, you'd see all kinds of stupidity happen. At least there isn't a Metro stop on it, I don't think.

No metro stop, but buses do go up to access Phinney Ave, I believe.

breld · November 2017

I kinda want this.

Vegas Yellow S3

Yes, we've had one before...but that yellow!

breld · November 2017

This is nice too.

2017 340

Anyone, other than @roadburner, care to point out the fairly unique option on this one?

28firefighter · November 2017

Sport Appearance package? Don't know the official name.

Also looks fairly stripped - nav for business instead of the wider screen.

tifighter · November 2017

Just when we think @breld is about to replace the Durango, BAM, he hits us from a different angle. I'll admit, this guy is good...

corvette · November 2017

Manual trans has to be a rare option. How does that get traded in with under 1,000 miles on it? breld, you need to step up your game!

stickguy · November 2017

Vette, at a Maserati dealer. So too much money, not enough sense?

stickguy · November 2017

I could live with tha BMW. If you forced me to. And of course, paid for it.

Michaell · November 2017

stickguy said:
Vette, at a Maserati dealer. So too much money, not enough sense?

It's also the Alfa dealer; my guess is that it got traded in for a Guilia.

breld · November 2017

28firefighter said:
Sport Appearance package? Don't know the official name.

Also looks fairly stripped - nav for business instead of the wider screen.

Yeah - it's the Track Handling Package, which includes those Gray wheels, the adaptive M suspension, variable sport steering and M sport brakes.

None of which I'd likely "need," but I'm always for something that is distinguishing, particularly on a car as relatively common as the 3-series.

But yes, it does look pretty stripped otherwise, what with not having nav.

breld · November 2017

corvette said:
Manual trans has to be a rare option. How does that get traded in with under 1,000 miles on it? breld, you need to step up your game!

Definitely weird - you gotta think that was a special order to get the manual trannie and NO navigation.

And I just noticed it's RWD.

Maybe the owner took it out after our first light snow a few weeks ago and slapped himself in the head and thought, "WHAT WAS I THINKING??!??"

kyfdx · November 2017

You don't need AWD to get around in the winter. (says the ZHP owner)

isellhondas · November 2017

Wow, I just watched a couple of eye opening You Tube videos! I didn't realize how easy it was to turn back the odometer on a modern car! If you go to You Tube and type in Odometer rollback you can watch the same thing!

Some cars require the top of the dash to be removed but on others a device can be plugged in under the dash and whatever number you like can be entered! Now, some shops report mileage to Car Fax but a lot don't! When emission testing places do bi-yearly testing they MAY record miles or they may not and they MAY take a quick glance and transpose numbers too. Our store got to the point where we would dismiss errors by the emission places as just mistakes. I didn't realize how easy this is to do with a digital odometer.

Back in the "old days" turning back odometers wasn't illegal and as I understand it a lot of dealers and car lots had this done! They had guys who would go from lot to lot "clocking" cars for a fee. This was quite common until it became illegal. Most towns had at least one speedometer shop that would charge a small fee to get this job done! I once had a problem with a noisy speedo in a VW bug I owned so I went to a wrecking yard that specialized in VW's. The guy steered me to a large box filled with VW speedometers and told me that for 15.00 I could pick the one I wanted! Of course, I picked the one with the nicest glass and chrome!

ab348 · November 2017

I remember back in the '60s my dad leased an Olds 88. He was a real estate salesman and put a lot of miles on his cars. So at one point he figured the number of miles would be a problem at lease-end, so he reached under the dash and disconnected the speedo. Drove around like that for a few months.

tbirdmarco · November 2017

@corvette glad you got the remote start also instoled in the Mustang! did you do it your selfe or bring it to sum place? nice so hoping that your new speackers help the quality of the sound in the mustang!

tbirdmarco · November 2017

@ab348 wow no idea cars wher able to be leesed from way back than good to no interesting!

tbirdmarco · November 2017

@isellhondas wow yes still can be done and all scarry stuff!

tbirdmarco · November 2017

@sandman_6472 glad your car is all done and best part no charge to you! if you want go when you can and test drive that Tgwan y not! you never no maby can trade for your car and get an good deal on that used one the dealer has that you like!

tbirdmarco · November 2017

@breld agree with what you said above to! have to find an women like that! my selfe! would be grate!

tbirdmarco · November 2017

@breld nice cars you posted do I smell an punch cumming? eather the Type R is going or the Darango not shore anymore! lollol any test drives this cumming up weekend?

mjfloyd1 · November 2017

That 340 has a huge gap between the tire and fender. I was going to guess manual transmission and AWD...looks like a 4x4 pickup with that gap.

carnaught · November 2017

@Marcothecarguy1986, how’s your T-Bird? It’s one of my favorite body styles from yester-years.

abacomike · November 2017

I have a punch to report. Just got a 2018 Mercedes Benz S450 in gray with black interior. It's loaded with every conceivable option. Has that new V6 twin turbo with 362 horsepower. I posted pictures on Members - Cars and Conversations Forum, if you are interested.

stickguy · November 2017

Mike, you are nuts. But, congrats?

Sandman6472 · November 2017

Wife saw some greenish fluid in the garage today on my side so obviously something leaked from the water pump. Was first in line this morning at 7:15 and got my vehicle. All is fine now. Also gave in my new application to be a part time driver there. they obviously threw out the other ones they had on file and hired someone recently but hear he's not fitting in to well. I know the head lady in the service area from multiple visits there and she also helped us solve the rim/tire issues I had in the beginning. Since she now gets the apps, left her a message on her voice mail since she wasn't in yet. Thanked her for all her help, reminded her who I was and just asked for a chance if they do look to hire someone else in the near future. Asked her to look past my having to walk with a cane and just give me a chance, as I can do the job and have been doing it with no complaints at Hertz going on four years now.
Would love to work at the VW store as it's literally 5 minutes from our house.
On another note, my wife accepted an interesting new job with Turbo Tax. She will work 6 months full time, 40 hours plus some overtime as a team leader. They wanted her to do this last tax season but she couldn't leave her day gig. But this year, they asked again and she said yes. She'll work out of her home office and will find out her hours in a couple of weeks. Will be weird to have her home so much but we'll get used to our new normal. And if I get the VW gig, I'd still stay at Hertz those 3 days and give VW a couple more.
We shall see if the G-d's are with me here, I hope!

The Sandman

abacomike · November 2017

stickguy said:

Mike, you are nuts. But, congrats?

Couldn’t agree with you more, stick. But, no buyer’s remorse yet!

Sandman6472 · November 2017

Hit 36K this evening and sure wish I could have that 1.4T engine in my Golf. That plus the push button start. Do prefer the lighting in my Golf at night as the red glow in the Jetta was a bit too dark for my tastes. But the push button start is really cool as it's so seamless as long as the key is near. The Fender sound system is far superior with a richer sound up the power band with minimal distortion. And I like a good sound system as I spend a good hour a day commuting.
Saw that reddish Tiguan again today and as much as I'd like it, the mileage penalty is just something I cannot live with to be honest. If my commute was 2/3 less, I wouldn't let it bother me but the 21/26 city/highway figures and driving the 180 miles of my weekly commute would just be cost prohibitive at this juncture. Even though I don't drive every day of those four days I don't work, I do get out some and wrack up additional mileage. I know it's smaller than the Jetta so fitting on my side of the garage wouldn't be an issue. But bottom line, I don't need it and when I do decide to buy something else, the mpg's have to be where they are now, or even better or what's the point. Will do some research into maybe finding an affordable warranty for the Golf.

The Sandman

Sandman6472 · November 2017

Sat in a new 2018 Accord Sport today. Frickin' AWESOME!!!!!

The Sandman

corvette · November 2017

isellhondas said:
Wow, I just watched a couple of eye opening You Tube videos! I didn't realize how easy it was to turn back the odometer on a modern car! If you go to You Tube and type in Odometer rollback you can watch the same thing!

Some cars require the top of the dash to be removed but on others a device can be plugged in under the dash and whatever number you like can be entered! Now, some shops report mileage to Car Fax but a lot don't! When emission testing places do bi-yearly testing they MAY record miles or they may not and they MAY take a quick glance and transpose numbers too. Our store got to the point where we would dismiss errors by the emission places as just mistakes. I didn't realize how easy this is to do with a digital odometer.

Back in the "old days" turning back odometers wasn't illegal and as I understand it a lot of dealers and car lots had this done! They had guys who would go from lot to lot "clocking" cars for a fee. This was quite common until it became illegal. Most towns had at least one speedometer shop that would charge a small fee to get this job done! I once had a problem with a noisy speedo in a VW bug I owned so I went to a wrecking yard that specialized in VW's. The guy steered me to a large box filled with VW speedometers and told me that for 15.00 I could pick the one I wanted! Of course, I picked the one with the nicest glass and chrome!

Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert cartoon, got stiffed trying to sell/trade his BMW X5 because a tire shop goofed on one of those reports and Carfax flagged the subsequent (lower) mileage report as an odometer rollback.

corvette · November 2017

Marcothecarguy1986 said:
@corvette glad you got the remote start also instoled in the Mustang! did you do it your selfe or bring it to sum place? nice so hoping that your new speackers help the quality of the sound in the mustang!

Thanks, Marco! It was a DIY job. Had some issues getting it to talk to the CAN bus due to improper wire labeling by the vendor. It wouldn't program with the wires switched. It's working fine now! Fortin makes a pretty good remote start product. Not a bad upgrade for $100.

qbrozen · November 2017

breld said:

I kinda want this. Vegas Yellow S3 Yes, we've had one before...but that yellow!

Just needs a taxi sign on top. ;b

roadburner · November 2017

breld said:
This is nice too.

2017 340

Anyone, other than @roadburner, care to point out the fairly unique option on this one?

Track Handling Package...

qbrozen · November 2017

Random question, RB. What is the reliability like on the V10 M5/6?

Michaell · November 2017

qbrozen said:
Random question, RB. What is the reliability like on the V10 M5/6?

Bzzztt!

There are no "random" questions on this thread - you got your eye on something, q?

tifighter · November 2017

abacomike said:
I have a punch to report. Just got a 2018 Mercedes Benz S450 in gray with black interior. It's loaded with every conceivable option. Has that new V6 twin turbo with 362 horsepower. I posted pictures on Members - Cars and Conversations Forum, if you are interested.

Congrats @abacomike ! And here I just thought the Caddy test drive was a one-off...

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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