Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

explorerx4 · July 2020

@roadburner,
Those are the one's that sell the most.

roadburner · July 2020

explorerx4 said:
@roadburner,
Those are the one's that sell the most.

Nope; the best selling SUVs in the lineup are the X3/4, X5/6 and X7- all of which are RWD or RWD biased AWD. The 3 and 5 Series cars also outsell the X1 and X2.

explorerx4 · July 2020

@roadburner,
I can't argue with the numbers, but haven't seen a new just about any BMW around here other than X1's.

roadburner · July 2020

explorerx4 said:
@roadburner,
I can't argue with the numbers, but haven't seen a new just about any BMW around here other than X1's.

And I'd bet that the majority of those are AWD; I rarely saw a FWD X1 when I worked at BMW.

qbrozen · July 2020

roadburner said:

explorerx4 said:
@roadburner,
Those are the one's that sell the most.
Nope; the best selling SUVs in the lineup are the X3/4, X5/6 and X7- all of which are RWD or RWD biased AWD. The 3 and 5 Series cars also outsell the X1 and X2.

The x7 outsells the x1? Really?

qbrozen · July 2020

Well I’ll be damned. It did. In Q1 2020, at least, they sold 350 more x7 than x1.

roadburner · July 2020

qbrozen said:

The x7 outsells the x1? Really?

Q1 2020:
X1- 4,133
X3- 10,614
X5- 10,638
X7- 4,582
3 Series- 10,613
5 Series- 5,395

explorerx4 · July 2020

Q2 numbers are much lower for just about every model.

ronsteve · July 2020

Michaell said:

ronsteve said:
While I'm fairly content passing up the '13 XC70 that I posted about earlier in the month, I can't seem to stop clicking on some car ads and end up down the occasional rabbit hole. And now my love for wagons has me even considering (gasp!) a CVT...

I know a couple CCBA members have gone this direction, so I'll ask you about your experiences.

It seems like a good number, but on the flipside, I'll never NOT be able to find another one of these...
https://www.bachmansubaru.net/certified/Subaru/2017-Subaru-Outback-louisville-ky-b8d61de90a0e0ae81e2b8a5dbf714975.htm
Ours is a 2015, also with the 3.6. Only 38,000 miles on it after 5.5 years. It's now my (not so) daily driver. Does everything we ask of it.

As noted, not a shooting brake in terms of performance, but my wife refused to consider the 2.5i.

I don't mind the CVT; it has programming that allows it to mimic a traditional automatic, and there are flappy paddles if you want to do it yourself.

Ours was the first model year of that design, so no CarPlay or AA, but I don't miss it, given how little I drive it.

See, we haven't yet had a car with CarPlay or Android Auto, so it wouldn't be a big deal. I think the Outback added that in 18, and the one I posted is a 17.

I test drove a 2.5i Limited a couple years ago and I'd say it was OK but nothing more. If anything gives me pause about Outbacks in general it may be the seats.

ronsteve · July 2020

benjaminh said:

ronsteve said:
While I'm fairly content passing up the '13 XC70 that I posted about earlier in the month, I can't seem to stop clicking on some car ads and end up down the occasional rabbit hole. And now my love for wagons has me even considering (gasp!) a CVT...

I know a couple CCBA members have gone this direction, so I'll ask you about your experiences.

It seems like a good number, but on the flipside, I'll never NOT be able to find another one of these...
https://www.bachmansubaru.net/certified/Subaru/2017-Subaru-Outback-louisville-ky-b8d61de90a0e0ae81e2b8a5dbf714975.htm
My wife's CR-V has a CVT and, well, I recommend against it. A CVT is good for mpg, but for some people (like me) that kind of transmission somewhat kills the fun in driving. I'm a bit happier every time I'm driving my TLX with the 8-speed DCT. Also, I know Subaru has gotten better, but my parents owned a few of them and they always seemed less refined than my Hondas. They've gotten better, no doubt about it, but my 2 cents is to hold out for a Volvo wagon, an Acura, or something that'll be more fun to drive. Or, what about one of the last of the VW AllTrack wagons?

https://www.volkswagenofclarksville.com/new-Jefferson+County-2019-Volkswagen-Golf+Alltrack-SE-3VWH17AU6KM523689

Or what about a VW GTI? They maybe are a bit like a wagon, and can sometimes be found with a manual. Believe it or not I'm thinking of test driving a GTI manual myself at some point.

A GTI especially with a manual might be a nice fun car. But we don't have room for a 3rd, and need the cargo footprint of a wagon or SUV in at least one.

RDX does what I need it to do, but I just feel like I would be happier with a wagon, especially when I have to haul a 2nd bike. Those occasions have always been few and far between tho.

TSX wagons are a chupacabra and I think the wheel wells ruin the cargo footprint. Alltrack might work but hard to find in the higher trims... I'd rather have auto or dual zone climate than a pano sunroof. Maybe a Bimmer could hit my price point but XC70 can end up stretching, either on price or age and mileage. Not sure about Audi.

Of the viable options the Volvo seems hardest to find. And I was having a hard time pulling the trigger on a 13 with 70k. Honestly the 17 Outback seems worth more of a look, tho I could easily just stay put.

28firefighter · July 2020

I was picking up dinner tonight and saw a new Range Rover Sport HSE in a beautiful gray-blue color (I think - I’m colorblind so who really knows?). I’m smitten.

At least I’m consistent in my love of unreliable cars...

benjaminh · July 2020

ronsteve said:
.... Alltrack might work but hard to find in the higher trims... I'd rather have auto or dual zone climate than a pano sunroof. Maybe a Bimmer could hit my price point....

A BMW wagon would be amazing imho. They don't make them for the US any more, but used ones are floating around sometimes.

Here's a loaded Alltrack wagon with 7k off the sticker price. $27k for a loaded wagon like this seems like a pretty good deal. Plus I think the 2019 VWs get the 6 year warranty? For 2020 they've cut that back to 4.

https://www.volkswagenofclarksville.com/new-Jefferson+County-2019-Volkswagen-Golf+Alltrack-SE-3VWH17AU7KM516489

We have a bike rack on the back of our CR-V. If bikes are the main thing you are carrying for cargo, I think you could even get a bike rack for a GTI. In terms of "fun to drive" I'm not sure the Alltrack will be more fun than your RDX, and in any case the Alltrack is less powerful/slower.

benjaminh · July 2020

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/813485887/overview/

Clean carfax. Seems nicely equipped.

kyfdx · July 2020

Speaking of wagons. Stopping for coffee on my way out of town, yesterday, spotted an E46 325i wagon. That's right, no X!

Guy was sitting in it, so went over to chat about it.. next thing I know, I'm running 10 minutes late.

Automatic and non-sport, but that is a pretty big unicorn in the midwest.

ronsteve · July 2020

Even if the Alltrack falls short on the fun to drive, the wife would surely be right at home.

That Bimmer is probably more in my wheelhouse, and would probably win the "fun" battle over anything else that's on the table. I've also noticed some 328GT models hitting a bit lower price point, and those have a good footprint.

I don't dislike the RDX, but it's not something I would love for a long replacement cycle. At least the seats are some of the best outside of Volvo. Keep in mind I came from a V70 wagon that I drove for 11 years, and before that I had an Accord V6 coupe for 5 years. The wife loves her Jetta and hopes to keep it for quite a while, but at some point time won't be on our side there.

benjaminh · July 2020

We're working at home now, and so I can drive my wife's CR-V pretty much any time I want. And she's encouraging me to do that at least sometimes to keep the miles off of the Acura. Yesterday as I was driving the CR-V, and noticing the somewhat soul-sucking quality of the CVT, I finally also noticed a little green leaf icon in the dashboard lights. I remembered that when we got the car more than two years ago my wife right away pushed the green leaf econ button. Well, by pushing it again I finally turned the darn thing off. Immediate improvement in performance and acceleration. The CVT/1.5 turbo combination still isn't my favorite, but it's better. Half of what I thought was turbo lag on the CR-V was really that gosh-darned econ button.

benjaminh · July 2020

Alex on Autos likes the VW Alltrack, which is really a wagon version of the Audi A3. One thing I really like about the Alltrack is the excellent visibility all around. It has a little less power than a BMW wagon, but in terms of size I think they are very similar. In fact, I think the Alltrack has a bigger cargo area.

As you've probably heard, production on the Alltrack ended for the 2019 model year for the US. They are rare, which I actually think is kind of a good thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSddrE9XhWg&t=975s

oldfarmer50 · July 2020

28firefighter said:
I was picking up dinner tonight and saw a new Range Rover Sport HSE in a beautiful gray-blue color (I think - I’m colorblind so who really knows?). I’m smitten.

At least I’m consistent in my love of unreliable cars...

I work with a number of guys who have various degrees of color blindness and their perceptions on color schemes are pretty interesting.

sda · July 2020

I tried the Econ feature a couple of times. It really dulls the acceleration response and I found no improvement in mpg. It stays turned off. Occasionally I will use S (sport). It does feel even more responsive and is helpful in providing some engine braking when descending steep or long hills. I don’t like how it keeps the revs up when driving at a steady speed so I switch back to D.

benjaminh · July 2020

Yeah, as far as I can tell for Hondas the econ button actually only has a tiny impact on mpg. What really has the impact is how you drive.

The TLX has 4 settings—economy, normal, sport, and sport+. Economy, like with the Accord and CRV, somewhat drains the life force from you and from the car at the same time, normal is acceptable, sport is a near-perfect blend of performance and economy, and sport+ can get annoying once in a while because it sometimes holds the gears a bit too long and so revs a bit too high.

benjaminh · July 2020

Another positive review of the Alltrack, this time the farewell 2019 edition. Amazingly the Alltrack beats an Audi wagon in an off road situation at the start of this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_XrQXpaZxk

Michaell · July 2020

So long as you don't get your Alltrack with a stick shift ....

roadburner · July 2020

I wish that I'd never shown my wife that 330i M Sport; she really thinks I should get it. I believe she knows it's slow enough that I could no longer compete in the Stoplight Grand Prix. I found a 2020 M340i xDrive, but aside from the meh AWD it also lacks the Cooling and High-Performance Tire package. All for just $13k more than the 330i. At least it isn't crammed with every so-called "drivers aide" like the 330i is. Speaking of which, I did some more digging and found the previous owner/driver of the 330i:

graphicguy · July 2020

kyfdx said:

benjaminh said:

kyfdx said:

That looks just like mine!
What year is your GTI? And what are your favorite and least favorite things about it so far?
2018

I wish it had automatic climate control
I wish I wasn't lazy and would go ahead and completely pair my phone with the CarPlay app.

I really don't have much negative to say about it. It's very torquey, handles great, and is also an easy highway cruiser. It's good that it has a gear indicator in the center dash, because it's easy to be in 4th or 6th, and not realize you are in one or the other. Also, the hatchback configuration is very handy.

I really like the look and the driving experience. It seems faster than it probably is, but I've found I don't really need extreme acceleration. Nothing separates it from an Audi in fit/finish.

I've only put 2500 miles on it, since I got it home, five months ago.

My son’s GTI has been exemplary. Not sure his mileage, but it has to be between 50K-60K by now.

Said it before, for the price, I can’t think of a better car, regardless of make, model or intended us.

nyccarguy · July 2020

benjaminh said:
We're working at home now, and so I can drive my wife's CR-V pretty much any time I want. And she's encouraging me to do that at least sometimes to keep the miles off of the Acura. Yesterday as I was driving the CR-V, and noticing the somewhat soul-sucking quality of the CVT, I finally also noticed a little green leaf icon in the dashboard lights. I remembered that when we got the car more than two years ago my wife right away pushed the green leaf econ button. Well, by pushing it again I finally turned the darn thing off. Immediate improvement in performance and acceleration. The CVT/1.5 turbo combination still isn't my favorite, but it's better. Half of what I thought was turbo lag on the CR-V was really that gosh-darned econ button.

That Econ button cuts the car’s balls off.

breld · July 2020

I guess I don’t have anything bad to say about the Alltrack, aside from the clutch issue.

Fit and finish and quality of materials was as you’d expect from a Golf. The DSG probably makes the most of the 1.8T engine (@andres3 can speak more to that), but I wouldn’t say that engine is the most inspiring these days.

As an overall package, it’s a very handsome and practical wagon that can be had at great prices with the deep discounts being offered.

If you could stretch to a CPO Allroad it’d be a world of difference.

ab348 · July 2020

My issue with the Alltrak is the dated-looking styling. It seems like a 2013 model.

benjaminh · July 2020

The VW GTI has been on Car and Driver's 10 Best list for a long time.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a29797953/10best-2020-volkswagen-golf-gti-jetta-gli/

And currently VW has 0% for up to 72 months on the GTI.

https://www.vw.com/models/golf-gti/section/offers/

In terms of leasing the GTI doesn't look so hot. Doesn't get to that 1% goal as far as I can tell.

A good thing about the shape of the GTI is that at only 168 inches long it's about 2 feet shorter than a midsize sedan, and yet inside the interior room and cargo room are still very good.

breld · July 2020

The upcoming 2021 GTI is evolutionary - some tighter lines and revised lights. Nicely updated interior. But sounds like the powertrain is largely unchanged.

And we were an early adopter when the last new GTI came out for 2015 - there were plenty of first year annoyances with that.

So that’s all to say, if you can get a current model at a nice discount, no one would argue with that value.

breld · July 2020

nyccarguy said:

benjaminh said:
We're working at home now, and so I can drive my wife's CR-V pretty much any time I want. And she's encouraging me to do that at least sometimes to keep the miles off of the Acura. Yesterday as I was driving the CR-V, and noticing the somewhat soul-sucking quality of the CVT, I finally also noticed a little green leaf icon in the dashboard lights. I remembered that when we got the car more than two years ago my wife right away pushed the green leaf econ button. Well, by pushing it again I finally turned the darn thing off. Immediate improvement in performance and acceleration. The CVT/1.5 turbo combination still isn't my favorite, but it's better. Half of what I thought was turbo lag on the CR-V was really that gosh-darned econ button.

That Econ button cuts the car’s balls off.

LOL! That conjures up different symbols they could use for that button other than the green leaf.

benjaminh · July 2020

For less than 27k this GTI seems like a nice performance car at a good price.

https://www.bachmanvolkswagen.com/inventory/new-2020-volkswagen-golf-gti-s-fwd-hatchback-3vw5t7au1lm001566

mjfloyd1 · July 2020

If you are looking for a high performance Mustang, this is not the car for you ...

https://barnfinds.com/original-owner-1964-1-2-ford-mustang-coupe/?fbclid=IwAR14KpJTA4SHGn5eQFKd9sL6h5-uzU20CrpSMbmfHEhxa33KXYucr_uJINs

28firefighter · July 2020

The GTI is definitely a buy, not a lease. Little in terms of incentives and dismal residual.

kyfdx · July 2020

28firefighter said:
The GTI is definitely a buy, not a lease. Little in terms of incentives and dismal residual.

@breld 's used car emporium is where I do all my shopping.

tjc78 · July 2020

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:
The GTI is definitely a buy, not a lease. Little in terms of incentives and dismal residual.
@breld 's used car emporium is where I do all my shopping.

Well you’ll never run short on supply!!

benjaminh · July 2020

The rear styling of the Civic Si is not my cup of tea, which is a pity, because having adaptive dampers and a mechanical limited slip differential seems impressive for the price. Plus it comes with a 450-watt 10 speaker sound system. Less power than a GTI, but it costs less too.

28firefighter · July 2020

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:
The GTI is definitely a buy, not a lease. Little in terms of incentives and dismal residual.
@breld 's used car emporium is where I do all my shopping.

I think I need to start shopping there, too.

kyfdx · July 2020

benjaminh said:
The rear styling of the Civic Si is not my cup of tea, which is a pity, because having adaptive dampers and a mechanical limited slip differential seems impressive for the price. Plus it comes with a 450-watt 10 speaker sound system. Less power than a GTI, but it costs less too.

It is too bad you can't get the SI in hatchback form.

roadburner · July 2020

I tried to like the Si back in 2007 when I wound up with the MS3; today if I had no choice but to go FWD I think I'd get a GTI or Veloster N- although I'm afraid all of the Hyundai and VW dealers in the Louisville area are equally dismal.

benjaminh · July 2020

The Civic does come in a Civic Touring Hatchback that has a 6-speed manual as an option, but the engine has 180 hp rather than the 205 that you get with the Si.

benjaminh · July 2020

I do halfway like the wheels that come on the Civic Si.

kyfdx · July 2020

While a nice vehicle, I think that would be a poor substitute for the SI.

benjaminh · July 2020

It's not a surprise, but to get the 205 hp in the Civic Si you need to give it premium gas.

ab348 · July 2020

The Civic hatchback looks like a hard-shelled insect.

tjc78 · July 2020

Wonder what this Panther wagon will go for.

Missing some options, but wow.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-mercury-colony-park-ls-wagon/

oldfarmer50 · July 2020

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

benjaminh said:
We're working at home now, and so I can drive my wife's CR-V pretty much any time I want. And she's encouraging me to do that at least sometimes to keep the miles off of the Acura. Yesterday as I was driving the CR-V, and noticing the somewhat soul-sucking quality of the CVT, I finally also noticed a little green leaf icon in the dashboard lights. I remembered that when we got the car more than two years ago my wife right away pushed the green leaf econ button. Well, by pushing it again I finally turned the darn thing off. Immediate improvement in performance and acceleration. The CVT/1.5 turbo combination still isn't my favorite, but it's better. Half of what I thought was turbo lag on the CR-V was really that gosh-darned econ button.

That Econ button cuts the car’s balls off.
LOL! That conjures up different symbols they could use for that button other than the green leaf.

How about this:

corvette · July 2020

@Sandman6472 have you looked at the Civic Touring hatchback? I think the dimensions are within your parameters and the turbo engine should be similar to your Golf.

roadburner · July 2020

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

benjaminh said:
We're working at home now, and so I can drive my wife's CR-V pretty much any time I want. And she's encouraging me to do that at least sometimes to keep the miles off of the Acura. Yesterday as I was driving the CR-V, and noticing the somewhat soul-sucking quality of the CVT, I finally also noticed a little green leaf icon in the dashboard lights. I remembered that when we got the car more than two years ago my wife right away pushed the green leaf econ button. Well, by pushing it again I finally turned the darn thing off. Immediate improvement in performance and acceleration. The CVT/1.5 turbo combination still isn't my favorite, but it's better. Half of what I thought was turbo lag on the CR-V was really that gosh-darned econ button.

That Econ button cuts the car’s balls off.
LOL! That conjures up different symbols they could use for that button other than the green leaf.

This should appear on the main telematics screen:

oldfarmer50 · July 2020

“Doesn't get to that 1% goal as far as I can tell.“

I know little about leases. What is the 1% goal.

oldfarmer50 · July 2020

tjc78 said:
Wonder what this Panther wagon will go for.

Missing some options, but wow.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-mercury-colony-park-ls-wagon/

It’s interesting that a car type that was ridiculed in all the Lampoon Vacation movies is now a collector’s item.

I’m impressed that the dash looks intact after all those years in the AZ sun.

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