Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

kyfdx · July 2019

corvette said:

jmonroe1 said:
However, it only cost me around $160 for a new fan motor via the internet. I was surprised it was delivered in 2 days even though I did not pay extra for shipping.
I briefly thought about going the DIY route and looking for the part online, but for a nearly 30 year old unit, something else is bound to go soon anyway. It's also an eyesore, and then I'd have to be outside in the heat working on it.

Since I'm trying to get my house to the point that it's as low-maintenance as the one I had before, it made sense to replace it. Once I replace the deck with Trex and install gutter guards, exterior maintenance should consist of pressure washing, occasionally painting the front porch, and having the driveway sealed every couple of years.

It's more money than Trex, but if you really want to go low maintenance, you can't beat it.

https://www.timbertech.com/products/decking/azek-harvest

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

Agreed with everyone above, nothing like ordering your own house, it’s renting I agree 100%. Even though the projects never end ha ha Ha. Little by little I need to kill yourself. And still enjoy life at the same time.

carnaught · July 2019

Greetings from Barcelona. Prior, spent time in Italy, Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo (to keep it car related.)

Main reason for the post is a new punch to report. It’s a 2019 Avalon Hybrid Limited. It’s loaded with heads-up display, nav., 360 degree camera, crash mitigation and most of the other safety nannies. My work has me traveling over a considerable amount of city travel, and I wanted all the toys and great efficiency and gas mileage. Why, you ask, with it’s uh, “prominent” grill and CVT? Because I can, and surprisingly, the grill doesn’t bother me. The Prius is staying in the driveway till the GLC is sold, now resting in my son’s garage next to his ‘18 A4, till the wife and I are back from Europe.

The Avalon is wind chill pearl white with Cognac leather. I’ve had it for over three weeks with city mileage in excess of 46 mpg with RUG. It’s very comfortable and quiet, and surprisingly not boring, very good ergonomics, great JBL audio and 12 way seats, which to me are more comfortable and supportive than my GLC. I like the lack of delay, compared to the Benz, in switching audio stations or to and from Bluetooth, among some other things. The CVT seems, like what many have observed with the Outback, to be very non-CVT like, and the fake sound makes it sound good. I’m not saying it’s better than the GLC, just different.

Well, I know, it’s not many/most of your’s cup of tea, but....different strokes... Also, it doesn’t hurt that I got over $7k off MSRP, with ceramic window tint and all weather and carpeted mats thrown in, probably because of slow sales. Toyota care service is included, with free service for 24 mos.

That’s it for now...the naysaying may now commence. Cheers !

kyfdx · July 2019

@carnaught Congrats!

Didn't know they had a Toyota dealership in Barcelona!

ab348 · July 2019

No naysaying here, sounds like a solid choice. While I personally do not like the front end styling, from all reports they are an excellent vehicle with all the toys and a relative bargain to boot. Congrats on the punch!

Michaell · July 2019

Sounds like a great fit for your needs, @carnaught!

Congrats on the punch, and may you enjoy the Avalon for many years (months? this is CCBA, after all....)

roadburner · July 2019

28firefighter said:
So here is my initial list of cars to consider:
Acura TLX V6 A-Spec (New Lease)
BMW 4 series GC (preferably 440 lease or CPO 435)
Audi A4 (new lease or CPO 2017)
VW Jetta GLI (New)
Subaru Legacy XT
Honda Accord Sport 2.0T

None of them really gets me excited though - the 440 definitely would be fun to drive and I love the look/style of the GLI, but the interior may really bother me. The S60 isn't on the list because the styling just doesn't do it for me.

None of them are bad cars, but I like my 2er better than any of them.

fezo · July 2019

Been way too long. There were actual car purchases and cars moving around in that timeframe.

My two youngest are officially on the road. We traded my second daughter's Camry back to us and gave her my wife's 2010 Prius. The girls share the 04 Camry with 290K on it. Of course, that meant a new car for the Mrs. (in the fezo household, new means CPO). 2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring with 20K on it.

I was finally tired of the 5 and for the first time in 20 years, traded in a car. Now have a 2014 Mazda 3 Sport hatch with a stick. I think I'm in love...

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

@ court not regulations on the punch sounds nice even though I’m not a Toyota fan at all never been to each his own. And good luck with it sounds lovely.

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

@fizo congratulations on both punches of the new rides, yes it’s been way too long since you checked in here please hear all is been going well with you and the family.

corvette · July 2019

This Passat looks nice. I have only driven the 2.5 liter inline five engine in that generation, and the engine was the only thing I didn't like about it. It's a very comfortable interstate cruiser, and I'm sure the newer turbo engine makes it more capable.

28firefighter · July 2019

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:
So here is my initial list of cars to consider:
Acura TLX V6 A-Spec (New Lease)
BMW 4 series GC (preferably 440 lease or CPO 435)
Audi A4 (new lease or CPO 2017)
VW Jetta GLI (New)
Subaru Legacy XT
Honda Accord Sport 2.0T

None of them really gets me excited though - the 440 definitely would be fun to drive and I love the look/style of the GLI, but the interior may really bother me. The S60 isn't on the list because the styling just doesn't do it for me.
None of them are bad cars, but I like my 2er better than any of them.

I like your 2er better too! But I need something that can comfortably hold a car seat and a front seat passenger without doing gymnastics.

roadburner · July 2019

28firefighter said:

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:
So here is my initial list of cars to consider:
Acura TLX V6 A-Spec (New Lease)
BMW 4 series GC (preferably 440 lease or CPO 435)
Audi A4 (new lease or CPO 2017)
VW Jetta GLI (New)
Subaru Legacy XT
Honda Accord Sport 2.0T

None of them really gets me excited though - the 440 definitely would be fun to drive and I love the look/style of the GLI, but the interior may really bother me. The S60 isn't on the list because the styling just doesn't do it for me.
None of them are bad cars, but I like my 2er better than any of them.
I like your 2er better too! But I need something that can comfortably hold a car seat and a front seat passenger without doing gymnastics.

What about a GTI?

fintail · July 2019

Congrats @carnaught , I am sure it will be an excellent car. Other than that front end, it's probably an ideal vehicle, comfortable and efficient, while promising top dependability.

28firefighter · July 2019

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:
So here is my initial list of cars to consider:
Acura TLX V6 A-Spec (New Lease)
BMW 4 series GC (preferably 440 lease or CPO 435)
Audi A4 (new lease or CPO 2017)
VW Jetta GLI (New)
Subaru Legacy XT
Honda Accord Sport 2.0T

None of them really gets me excited though - the 440 definitely would be fun to drive and I love the look/style of the GLI, but the interior may really bother me. The S60 isn't on the list because the styling just doesn't do it for me.
None of them are bad cars, but I like my 2er better than any of them.
I like your 2er better too! But I need something that can comfortably hold a car seat and a front seat passenger without doing gymnastics.
What about a GTI?

I had one and got rid of it. Miss it daily.

It’s really not capable of holding a rear facing car seat AND a front passenger. Hence why the GLI is on the list. The cost cutting in the back seat of the GLI worries be me a bit.

ab348 · July 2019

corvette said:
This Passat looks nice. I have only driven the 2.5 liter inline five engine in that generation, and the engine was the only thing I didn't like about it. It's a very comfortable interstate cruiser, and I'm sure the newer turbo engine makes it more capable.

I think the 1.8T would be a much zippier engine than the old 2.5, but VW's turbo lineup always confused me. Some of them seemed to be tuned for HP, others for torque and fuel economy, and I don't know where the 1.8T fits. I like that it has a beige interior instead of black like most of the white-painted ones here.

Whoever wrote that listing copy had a sense of humor. "Quality built in the German section of Chattanooga, Tennessee."

carnaught · July 2019

@fezo, welcome back. Great to hear from you.

sda · July 2019

With the wife and daughter visiting relatives in Ga, I took the opportunity to do some car lot canvassing. The larger CarMax in town must have a dozen 2016 Audi Q5s and also Q3s. I guess they got a deal, I assume lease returns. Anyhow, my wife keeps mentioning she likes the Q5, so I thought I'd take a peek. The Premium Plus would be a nice one to get. I think everyone had a black interior, hot. They were 2016s with 25-45k on them priced from the low to mid 20s. I then stopped at the Audi dealership, about 2 miles from CarMax. They had a full showroom of people looking and all but me seemed to have a sales person talking to them. So I peeked in several cars, went outside to look at several CPOs, then came back inside hoping someone would approach me so I could ask questions about pricing, etc. I guess I'm invisible, no one even said hello. No matter, I wasn't buying anyway, just a little surprised no effort was made to greet me. I do think we would both enjoy the Q5.

28firefighter · July 2019

The Q5 is very nice. My MIL has a 2012 Q5 2.0T Prestige with 60k miles that they bought new. Even today, it doesn’t feel dated. Engine is very peppy and moves it along nicely.

Aside from a couple small things under warranty and a failed turbo that Audi repaired under goodwill, it has been very reliable. Just routine oil changes and brakes.

28firefighter · July 2019

One week with the Subaru and our first Costco run. My wife and I are both wondering why we did not get one of these sooner....

Michaell · July 2019

28firefighter said:
One week with the Subaru and our first Costco run. My wife and I are both wondering why we did not get one of these sooner....

Pretty amazing how much stuff they can hold. We've used ours more like a pickup truck, at times.

Speaking of 2-series (a few posts back), I had the daughter's MINI in for service (oil, filter, plugs and cabin air filter), so I took the opportunity to go check out a Valencia Orange 228xi that the local Acura dealer has had on their lot for some time. @breld has been tracking it - started out priced at $25K, now down to $23.2K. 21,000 miles on it, and decently equipped, but no Sport package. No matter.

I enjoyed driving it. Was just the right size - not too big, not too small. Punchy engine, and, playing around with the settings, it can be either comfortable or sporty, as you desire. Nice interior - black, which isn't my first choice - and everything makes sense.

Would be nice to have, but just not in the market at the moment. I'm sure I could find one in grey/silver/white/black in a heartbeat if I got serious.

sda · July 2019

Michael, has your venture opened for business?

mjfloyd1 · July 2019

What other interior color would look decent with Valencia Orange?

Michaell · July 2019

sda said:
Michael, has your venture opened for business?

Sadly, no.

We have experienced one delay after another, and are now scheduled to open on Labor Day (9/2). Lost out on all the summer revenue, and have been refunding money left and right.

Construction is supposed to be done mid-August, which gives us a couple of weeks to get everything moved in and set up.

Michaell · July 2019

mjfloyd1 said:
What other interior color would look decent with Valencia Orange?

I was hoping for grey, but no luck....

tjc78 · July 2019

fintail said:
Congrats @carnaught , I am sure it will be an excellent car. Other than that front end, it's probably an ideal vehicle, comfortable and efficient, while promising top dependability.

+1
I’ve had two Avalon’s in the last. Both were great cars. The current model would be on the list... sadly the front end is a deal breaker to me.

Congrats @carnaught enjoy it!

28firefighter · July 2019

In case anyone is curious, here is what I ended up getting for the Outback:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UXWJPIS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wnoiDb3P4N16N

Turned out great - fits perfectly, slots for seatbelts and LATCH points, and also slows for folding down one side or the other. Also installed with the car seat nicely.

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

@ 20 firefighter, glad you and the wife are loving the new outback a lot. Very nice Honda Costco run.

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

@ Michael nice on the two series patrol today, but looking at a bunch of different used cars makes and models to get my dad to go and book. I don’t know found some nice sleep he used this keeps a nice blue and one red and I would jump all over maybe if I like them. Was looking at some edges for him too. Just everything you name it will be on cars.com and stuff. Used is the way to go even Toyotas depreciate quite a bit compared to new to RAV4‘s you might be interested in that, even though extremely boring to me personally. Ha ha

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

He says next year hopefully his car will last till then then he’ll look, I’m trying to get him to do something a lot sooner, because that’s what we do in here, and I know I have the support encouragement from everyone else in here too as well. What the heck can’t hurt to look on cars.com or wherever else any other sites, for all you stop why not. Even looking at grand Cherokees for him since you like stores. And key is to your name I’m looking. Could we play spent most of today and probably will spend later on tonight open till knows what time tomorrow morning looking, during the week to why not.

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

And got a text from my sister-in-law asking about some cars, I think she might want to trade in her 2016 Pathfinder and get something a little newer. That’s what she does keep the car for two and even three years and get another one. She likes buying used to it helps tremendously.

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

@ 28 firefighter, how about a nice used five series for you, or maybe even a three series, or is that too small? Which Mercedes was it or you bought used or at least or whatever the deal was last year that you didn’t like, I can’t remember.

nyccarguy · July 2019

@fezo ! Hey! Welcome back (even though we know you never left)! Congrats on all the goodness in your world! Way to go on 2 punches!

nyccarguy · July 2019

@carnaught - congrats on the Avalon Hybrid!

stickguy · July 2019

looks like a nice one. they tend to fit better if you don't get the hammock style (though those cover more of the floor if you want them to.

28firefighter · July 2019

stickguy said:
looks like a nice one. they tend to fit better if you don't get the hammock style (though those cover more of the floor if you want them to.

It came with the heavy duty all weather mats from Subaru, so the floor is well protected.

suydam · July 2019

28firefighter said:
In case anyone is curious, here is what I ended up getting for the Outback:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UXWJPIS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wnoiDb3P4N16N

Turned out great - fits perfectly, slots for seatbelts and LATCH points, and also slows for folding down one side or the other. Also installed with the car seat nicely.

Looks really nice!

roadburner · July 2019

I saw a Sunset Orange M2C this weekend. Three pedals and no hole in the roof. Also saw a 2009 Silverstone M3; the V8 is tempting.

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

@ road burner nice I want to sort this weekend beautiful.

28firefighter · July 2019

Braintrust - thinking about getting my dad one of those high speed exotic car driving experiences. Do any of you have any experience in the northeast or with providers that you’d recommend?

Michaell · July 2019

28firefighter said:
Braintrust - thinking about getting my dad one of those high speed exotic car driving experiences. Do any of you have any experience in the northeast or with providers that you’d recommend?

I've used Xtreme Xperience for my drives here in CO. They travel to tracks around the country, and I have enjoyed every one.

qbrozen · July 2019

28firefighter said:
Braintrust - thinking about getting my dad one of those high speed exotic car driving experiences. Do any of you have any experience in the northeast or with providers that you’d recommend?

Wife got me into a Ferrari one once. It was a small course set up in a parking lot (Meadowlands) with cones. I believe it was like $99 for 5 laps. Car was well beat up. It was fun but not worth it, IMHO. Wish I could remember the host company.

nyccarguy · July 2019

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:
Braintrust - thinking about getting my dad one of those high speed exotic car driving experiences. Do any of you have any experience in the northeast or with providers that you’d recommend?
I've used Xtreme Xperience for my drives here in CO. They travel to tracks around the country, and I have enjoyed every one.

Plus 1 - I’ve done XTreme Xoerience as well. Very well run & the cars are awesome! I did it in Englishtown, NJ

28firefighter · July 2019

Thanks guys!

nyccarguy · July 2019

qbrozen said:

28firefighter said:
Braintrust - thinking about getting my dad one of those high speed exotic car driving experiences. Do any of you have any experience in the northeast or with providers that you’d recommend?
Wife got me into a Ferrari one once. It was a small course set up in a parking lot (Meadowlands) with cones. I believe it was like $99 for 5 laps. Car was well beat up. It was fun but not worth it, IMHO. Wish I could remember the host company.

That was the one I recently did. The wife and kids bought it for me for my birthday. Not as much fun as the real track!

corvette · July 2019

qbrozen said:

Wife got me into a Ferrari one once. It was a small course set up in a parking lot (Meadowlands) with cones. I believe it was like $99 for 5 laps. Car was well beat up. It was fun but not worth it, IMHO. Wish I could remember the host company.

I guess there's a butt for every seat, but what exactly does the company do with a "beat up" Ferrari once they're done with it? Send it to auction? Or send it to the dealer for tens of thousands of dollars of recon first?

marcogallo1986 · July 2019

Would be cool to go to the above mentioned, except someone else obviously would drive I’ll be in the passenger seat, only way for me to do it. I will stay let me drive one of those slowly around the track with someone next to me, which I doubt they would do due to legal reasons ha ha Ha.

nyccarguy · July 2019

marcogallo1986 said:
Would be cool to go to the above mentioned, except someone else obviously would drive I’ll be in the passenger seat, only way for me to do it. I will stay let me drive one of those slowly around the track with someone next to me, which I doubt they would do due to legal reasons ha ha Ha.

Marco - you can go and pay to get driven a few laps in a pace car (a modded Mitsubishi Evo).

andres3 · July 2019

So I didn't refuse my first right of refusal, but I made a mistake; car's going back within the 7-day return policy (no punch officially).

Main reason: both bumpers were poorly repainted with bad color matching, surprised I overlooked this but I did notice a blemish that indicated the rear bumper had been repainted.
Side reasons: death by a hundred nails (aesthetic blemishes; even the resprayed back bumper is slightly scuffed/scratched). Car looks like it's worn and torn 75K, not 28.5K.

At Carmax price, needed to be a 9 out of 10 or better, and this isn't the car. Mechanically, and drive-wise, it's a 10 though.

28firefighter · July 2019

See if you can get CarMax to make it right. Just bumpers...

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