Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

andres3 · October 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
my new BFF at the Honda dealer called again today with an update on the new Si. I am surprised they are that invested given how low inventories are to get some random guy locked into something coming in. But he said they found out they have 2 allocated for some point (end of the year he suspects). But not color options yet of pricing. So he is calling me back as soon as they get that detail. So I assume at that point I could claim dibs and pick a color on the one regular model (the other one will have the HPD package which I wouldn't pay extra for anyway).

no clue when they will have the pricing but should be fairly soon. I don't know why they don't just release everything at the same time.
I’m guessing that with no inventory to sell they have to look busy so why not make a bunch of phone calls regardless of potential to make a sale.

Yes! Exactly! With so little to sell, salesman have plenty of time for follow up even for someone mulling their options. Both Acura and VW sales man followed up with me; the Kia guy didn't yet.

andres3 · October 2021

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.

No loaners seems like a bad dealership and a breach of contract...... Of course, are the free loaners "written" anywhere? That's a good part of why I prefer Audi to VW. Free loaners is awesome convenience.

andres3 · October 2021

benjaminh said:
One extra cost that seems to go with owning a Tesla is that some are reporting a need for more frequent tire replacement, largely because of vehicle weight and the high torque. According to this Tesla owner....

"How Long Do Tesla Model 3 Tires really Last?...Under regular driving, 25,000 to 30,000 miles is an overall reasonable expectation. By driving gently on good roads and/or highways, some Tesla owners make their tires last over 40k miles, possibly up to 50k. Spirited drivers may expect their tires to last less than 25k miles....

And as crazy as this sounds, this is an improvement over previous Teslas. Take the Model S, for example. 1,000 pounds heavier — and with an even more powerful motor. Owners claim to have replaced their tires after as little as 10,000 miles. For context, that’s 10 months for the average American. 10 freakin’ months! That’s enough to offset any environmental or financial benefit of owning an electric vehicle.…"

https://teslatuneup.com/tesla-model-3-tire-wear/

No one ever said going fast was cheap.

roadburner · October 2021

@jmonroe1 said:

@qbrozen said:
The part that shot through the hood was the fan

You almost have to try to do that. Like ignoring noise for a while coming from under the hood.

jmonroe

That’s exactly what I was going to say. A water pump will make a tremendous racket before failing catastrophically. The driver was either a complete moron or he had his head firmly stuck in his nether regions- possibly both.

au1994 · October 2021

roadburner said:

@jmonroe1 said:

@qbrozen said:

The part that shot through the hood was the fan

You almost have to try to do that. Like ignoring noise for a while coming from under the hood.

jmonroe

That’s exactly what I was going to say. A water pump will make a tremendous racket before failing catastrophically. The driver was either a complete moron or he had his head firmly stuck in his nether regions- possibly both.

The one in my ‘13 E93 gave no warning. Accelerated from a light and the car went into limp mode. I guess technically that was the warning. Luckily it was just inside the warranty.

jmonroe1 · October 2021

@au1994 said:
The one in my ‘13 E93 gave no warning. Accelerated from a light and the car went into limp mode. I guess technically that was the warning. Luckily it was just inside the warranty.

I’d say that was a pretty good warning. Ignore that and, well, you’ve seen the results.

jmonroe

stickguy · October 2021

I think the loaner plan always has done sort of when available disclaimer.

nyccarguy · October 2021

andres3 said:

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.
No loaners seems like a bad dealership and a breach of contract...... Of course, are the free loaners "written" anywhere? That's a good part of why I prefer Audi to VW. Free loaners is awesome convenience.

In reality, how "free" are those loaner cars? Don't get me wrong, it is a nice perk. I've had a few cool loaners over the years. My favorites were an E90 BMW 335d and a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE Convertible. Don't kid yourself. You are paying for that "free" loaner 1 way or another.

qbrozen · October 2021

Took a few attempts, but I can report that the Escape's interior actually smells pleasant now. Step 1 was putting in two of those odor absorbing jars. No change after a couple of days, so I used an orange pet odor eliminator spray. Gave the whole interior a really good dousing, then closed her up with those jars still inside. After a day, there was definite improvement, but maybe 50%. Febreeze was next. Again, doused everything quite well. That got out another 25% or so. Then I decided to bust out the big guns. A half a can of men's body spray. All the while, those jars were still in there. That was either 2 or 3 days ago. I just opened the car and found it downright pleasant in there. I have a couple of "bombs" coming from Amazon, but I suppose I won't need those. If the smell returns, that's the next step.

Meanwhile, I did the whole wire wheel, cleaning, and POR-15 treatment on the rear fenders and tailgate. The fender flares arrived. I'm pretty disappointed in the size and structure of them, but I'll still give them a shot. Just awaiting the black sealant I ordered to arrive so I can mount them with some waterproofing. I also had the thought to encase the lower portion of the tailgate in similar ABS plastic. Those sheets have arrived, as well. The debate I'm having with myself is whether or not to paint the rear bumper black to blend together the flares and tailgate plastics to look more intentional in design. I think I'm going to do it.

stickguy · October 2021

You went this far, might as well go all the way.

ab348 · October 2021

stickguy said:
You went this far, might as well go all the way.

Maybe QB should have bought a $6000 vehicle instead.

ab348 · October 2021

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.

Same thing at my Caddy dealer. They suspended the shuttle vans in March of 2020 and never brought the guys back. For a while I could get a loaner as part of the Cadillac promise but then they sold off all their fleet when inventories dried up, so no loaners the last few months either. So now you wait or take a cab to where you need to go.

kyfdx · October 2021

Our BMW dealer has always had BMW loaners. If it's a breakdown situation, they'll always find you a car, but for scheduled service, they ask for two week's notice.

I always take the loaner. One time, I told them I'd wait (oil change service) and it was over 2 hours..

ab348 · October 2021

jmonroe1 said:

Don’t tell us. Try to convince @ab348 about that.

jmonroe

I mean, the line is so overdone and trite I don't even bother to comment on it. Surely to dog nobody still thinks it's even a little bit clever or funny. But I've been wrong before...

au1994 · October 2021

ab348 said:

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.
Same thing at my Caddy dealer. They suspended the shuttle vans in March of 2020 and never brought the guys back. For a while I could get a loaner as part of the Cadillac promise but then they sold off all their fleet when inventories dried up, so no loaners the last few months either. So now you wait or take a cab to where you need to go.

I could always Uber if I don’t feel like waiting. Its about 15 miles one way so depending on time of day it wouldn’t be a cheap Uber.

andres3 · October 2021

qbrozen said:
The part that shot through the hood was the fan

Glad someone's face wasn't where the hood was when that happened.

andres3 · October 2021

nyccarguy said:

andres3 said:

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.
No loaners seems like a bad dealership and a breach of contract...... Of course, are the free loaners "written" anywhere? That's a good part of why I prefer Audi to VW. Free loaners is awesome convenience.
In reality, how "free" are those loaner cars? Don't get me wrong, it is a nice perk. I've had a few cool loaners over the years. My favorites were an E90 BMW 335d and a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE Convertible. Don't kid yourself. You are paying for that "free" loaner 1 way or another.

Well, if you are "paying" for it, you are paying up front. So if the dealership fails to deliver and provide after the fact, then you in fact, paid for nothing!

This assumes you don't go to the stealership after the "free maintenance" period or outside of warranty.

One reason I am not taking my S4 to Audi is I have 3 strikes against me and the best service advisor was honest with me, and mentioned their labor rate is now north of $200/hour. Even an offer of "paying for half the motor" would be lost to that labor rate.

sda · October 2021

@andres3 Any update on the S4 status?

andres3 · October 2021

ab348 said:

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.
Same thing at my Caddy dealer. They suspended the shuttle vans in March of 2020 and never brought the guys back. For a while I could get a loaner as part of the Cadillac promise but then they sold off all their fleet when inventories dried up, so no loaners the last few months either. So now you wait or take a cab to where you need to go.

Doesn't seem fair unless they pay for the cab ride.

andres3 · October 2021

kyfdx said:
Our BMW dealer has always had BMW loaners. If it's a breakdown situation, they'll always find you a car, but for scheduled service, they ask for two week's notice.

I always take the loaner. One time, I told them I'd wait (oil change service) and it was over 2 hours..

Two weeks!!!! Yes, appointments are made and loaners are always available for you as you specify when you make the appointment. Never had to go out more than a couple days though.

Pure Motorsport (my indy) is so busy, I did have to nearly schedule an oil change nearly 2 weeks out. They used to be 1-week call aheads, might have to adjust to 2.

30-35 hours for an engine swap sound about right? $115/hour.

benjaminh · October 2021

andres3 said:
....This assumes you don't go to the stealership after the "free maintenance" period or outside of warranty.

One reason I am not taking my S4 to Audi is I have 3 strikes against me and the best service advisor was honest with me, and mentioned their labor rate is now north of $200/hour. Even an offer of "paying for half the motor" would be lost to that labor rate.

What are the "3 strikes"?

Sounds like you're probably not going to get a new car, but a study by KBB said that Acura had the lowest cost of ownership of the luxury brands. My oil change services with full synthetic are about $50 at my local Acura dealer, and stickguy has reported something similar.

https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/lowest-5-year-cost-to-own-luxury-brand/

Can you find an engine from a wrecked S4 that would work?

jmonroe1 · October 2021

@andres3 said:
Two weeks!!!! Yes, appointments are made and loaners are always available for you as you specify when you make the appointment. Never had to go out more than a couple days though.

Pure Motorsport (my indy) is so busy, I did have to nearly schedule an oil change nearly 2 weeks out. They used to be 1-week call aheads, might have to adjust to 2.

30-35 hours for an engine swap sound about right? $115/hour.

That sounds like they’ve never done it before or you look like a dope or maybe they’re using the braille method.

jmonroe

qbrozen · October 2021

ab348 said:

stickguy said:
You went this far, might as well go all the way.
Maybe QB should have bought a $6000 vehicle instead.

well, to be fair, this should be a $6k car. I guess it would be if it was fixed correctly. I could probably make a few bucks on it if I wanted to. But I likely wouldn't do better for a keeper.

Speaking of which, I just placed an order for a '22 Wrangler.

benjaminh · October 2021

Starting at 1:30 you can see some of what a 2014 Audi S4 engine looks like.

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

ab348 · October 2021

andres3 said:

ab348 said:

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.
Same thing at my Caddy dealer. They suspended the shuttle vans in March of 2020 and never brought the guys back. For a while I could get a loaner as part of the Cadillac promise but then they sold off all their fleet when inventories dried up, so no loaners the last few months either. So now you wait or take a cab to where you need to go.
Doesn't seem fair unless they pay for the cab ride.

They cover $10 which only gets you a short distance around here.

au1994 · October 2021

qbrozen said:

ab348 said:

stickguy said:
You went this far, might as well go all the way.
Maybe QB should have bought a $6000 vehicle instead.
well, to be fair, this should be a $6k car. I guess it would be if it was fixed correctly. I could probably make a few bucks on it if I wanted to. But I likely wouldn't do better for a keeper.

Speaking of which, I just placed an order for a '22 Wrangler.

Ummm, what??

tjc78 · October 2021

@au1994 said:
Ummm, what??

Snuck that right in on us.

oldfarmer50 · October 2021

andres3 said:

au1994 said:
Another sign of the times…The X1 needs to go to the dealer as it hesitates and now stalls when cold. Known issue with the cold spark advance and supposedly just a software flash. But, when making the appointment a loaner is not even an option. Drop off or wait, thats it. Now with no inventory it won’t even be fun to wander the lot. Guess I will have to sit there an work.
No loaners seems like a bad dealership and a breach of contract...... Of course, are the free loaners "written" anywhere? That's a good part of why I prefer Audi to VW. Free loaners is awesome convenience.

A lot of the “loaners” people get from dealers or body shops are supplied by rental companies so with the shortage of rentals there could also be fewer loaners.

oldfarmer50 · October 2021

roadburner said:

@jmonroe1 said:

@qbrozen said:

The part that shot through the hood was the fan

You almost have to try to do that. Like ignoring noise for a while coming from under the hood.

jmonroe

That’s exactly what I was going to say. A water pump will make a tremendous racket before failing catastrophically. The driver was either a complete moron or he had his head firmly stuck in his nether regions- possibly both.

More so if that was part of the turbo. Wouldn’t you get all sorts of smoke and whine before one of those failed?

mjfloyd1 · October 2021

@qbrozen said:
well, to be fair, this should be a $6k car. I guess it would be if it was fixed correctly. I could probably make a few bucks on it if I wanted to. But I likely wouldn't do better for a keeper.

Speaking of which, I just placed an order for a '22 Wrangler.

Another 4exxxxxxxxxe? Sahara, HA or Rubicon?

oldfarmer50 · October 2021

qbrozen said:
Took a few attempts, but I can report that the Escape's interior actually smells pleasant now. Step 1 was putting in two of those odor absorbing jars. No change after a couple of days, so I used an orange pet odor eliminator spray. Gave the whole interior a really good dousing, then closed her up with those jars still inside. After a day, there was definite improvement, but maybe 50%. Febreeze was next. Again, doused everything quite well. That got out another 25% or so. Then I decided to bust out the big guns. A half a can of men's body spray. All the while, those jars were still in there. That was either 2 or 3 days ago. I just opened the car and found it downright pleasant in there. I have a couple of "bombs" coming from Amazon, but I suppose I won't need those. If the smell returns, that's the next step.

Meanwhile, I did the whole wire wheel, cleaning, and POR-15 treatment on the rear fenders and tailgate. The fender flares arrived. I'm pretty disappointed in the size and structure of them, but I'll still give them a shot. Just awaiting the black sealant I ordered to arrive so I can mount them with some waterproofing. I also had the thought to encase the lower portion of the tailgate in similar ABS plastic. Those sheets have arrived, as well. The debate I'm having with myself is whether or not to paint the rear bumper black to blend together the flares and tailgate plastics to look more intentional in design. I think I'm going to do it.

Admit it, isn’t playing around with a cheap hooptie a lot of fun?

qbrozen · October 2021

mjfloyd1 said:

Another 4exxxxxxxxxe? Sahara, HA or Rubicon?

Yes, another 4xe Sahara. I'll take the tires back off the '21 and sell it to the highest bidder. Lord knows when the '22 will arrive and if the terms will be favorable. If they are, I'll take it. If not, oh well. Ordered from Horsham, so no deposit, no broker fee, no shipping. Went with the blue and added the safety packages and LSD on top of what I already had (cold weather, hardtop, and grab handles).

qbrozen · October 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

Admit it, isn’t playing around with a cheap hooptie a lot of fun?

Only if it remains cosmetic. ha. When you gotta start tearing into the mechanicals, it gets real tired real quick.

mjfloyd1 · October 2021

@andres3 said:
Well, if you are "paying" for it, you are paying up front. So if the dealership fails to deliver and provide after the fact, then you in fact, paid for nothing!

This assumes you don't go to the stealership after the "free maintenance" period or outside of warranty.

One reason I am not taking my S4 to Audi is I have 3 strikes against me and the best service advisor was honest with me, and mentioned their labor rate is now north of $200/hour. Even an offer of "paying for half the motor" would be lost to that labor rate.

If it was Audi paying for half the motor and half the labor, then you would have some warranty which may (or may not) in your mind be worth any extra cost.

greg128 · October 2021

benjaminh said:
After the shocking failure of the engine in the Audi owned by andres, I did think about the electric motors in Teslas, which are designed to last a million miles. The batteries might need replacement in 10-12 years, but the motors are designed to last an incredibly long time.

"In 2015, Musk said that they “want drive units that just never wear out”, resulting in Tesla changing their aim to one million miles in their endurance tests. “We are very happy with the quality of the drive unit. We changed the goal of the drive unit endurance from being approximately 200,000 miles to being a million miles – just basically we want drive units that just never wear out. That’s our goal. I think we made really good progress in that direction. the drive unit that are going out now and for the last several months have been excellent.”

https://electrek.co/2018/10/15/tesla-drive-after-million-miles-test/

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1051917544301285376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1051917544301285376%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Felectrek.co%2F2018%2F10%2F15%2Ftesla-drive-after-million-miles-test%2F

In the past I have been Tesla skeptic. As their stock rose I thought it would eventually crash. Musk seemed to be kind of a jerk. There were numerous reports of quality control problems and service issues. I have to admit though that the formula of a very reliable powertrain coupled with intoxicating acceleration and increasingly more options for recharging one cannot argue with success.

The recent purchase of $4 Billion worth of Model 3s by Hertz resulting in Tesla Cap worth of $1T is astounding.
Toyota Cap worth is 1/4th VW: 1/6th GM: 1/12th Ford: 1/15 Honda: 1/20th

benjaminh · October 2021

Sometimes Musk can be first-class jerk, but Tesla is getting some key things right. Tesla seems to be putting some of their billions back into operations in terms of improved quality and better service—although there still won't be a service center in my city of 1-million for about another year.

One thing Tesla has done a lot recently is raise prices. Back in 2019 you could get a Model 3 for 38k, but now the least expensive one is about $45,200—and so a price increase of more than $7000 in two years. Given this market you can't blame them, but on the other hand Ford has so far held the line on the price of its new Maverick, even though demand for it is very high. But Tesla's price increases have finally brought profitability after years of loses.

Michaell · October 2021

benjaminh said:
Sometimes Musk can be first-class jerk, but Tesla is getting some key things right. Tesla seems to be putting some of their billions back into operations in terms of improved quality and better service—although there still won't be a service center in my city of 1-million for about another year.

One thing Tesla has done a lot recently is raise prices. Back in 2019 you could get a Model 3 for 38k, but now the least expensive one is about $45,200—and so a price increase of more than $7000 in two years. Given this market you can't blame them, but on the other hand Ford has so far held the line on the price of its new Maverick, even though demand for it is very high. But Tesla's price increases have finally brought profitability after years of loses.

I’ll disagree with your last point. Most of Tesla’s profits come from selling energy credits to other car companies; although I don’t have proof, my guess is that the sales aspect of the company is not generating any profit.

qbrozen · October 2021

If by that you mean they have yet to recoup their startup costs, I think that is absolutely true.

andres3 · October 2021

mjfloyd1 said:

@andres3 said:

Well, if you are "paying" for it, you are paying up front. So if the dealership fails to deliver and provide after the fact, then you in fact, paid for nothing!

This assumes you don't go to the stealership after the "free maintenance" period or outside of warranty.

One reason I am not taking my S4 to Audi is I have 3 strikes against me and the best service advisor was honest with me, and mentioned their labor rate is now north of $200/hour. Even an offer of "paying for half the motor" would be lost to that labor rate.

If it was Audi paying for half the motor and half the labor, then you would have some warranty which may (or may not) in your mind be worth any extra cost.

For certain "extended warranties" and all the calls and voicemails I get asking about extended warranties on my vehicles suddenly seem a lot more valuable than they used to! LOL

andres3 · October 2021

benjaminh said:

andres3 said:
....This assumes you don't go to the stealership after the "free maintenance" period or outside of warranty.

One reason I am not taking my S4 to Audi is I have 3 strikes against me and the best service advisor was honest with me, and mentioned their labor rate is now north of $200/hour. Even an offer of "paying for half the motor" would be lost to that labor rate.
What are the "3 strikes"?

Sounds like you're probably not going to get a new car, but a study by KBB said that Acura had the lowest cost of ownership of the luxury brands. My oil change services with full synthetic are about $50 at my local Acura dealer, and stickguy has reported something similar.

https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/lowest-5-year-cost-to-own-luxury-brand/

Can you find an engine from a wrecked S4 that would work?

The 3 strikes are as follows:

Bought Used (risky risky unless CPO). Audi's in the business of selling new cars.
Bought not from an Audi Dealership (BMW Dealership in AZ) One way a manufacturer supports Dealerships is to support their own.
More than a year past the 4 year warranty, in fact, more than 2 years past it.

andres3 · October 2021

benjaminh said:

andres3 said:
....This assumes you don't go to the stealership after the "free maintenance" period or outside of warranty.

One reason I am not taking my S4 to Audi is I have 3 strikes against me and the best service advisor was honest with me, and mentioned their labor rate is now north of $200/hour. Even an offer of "paying for half the motor" would be lost to that labor rate.
What are the "3 strikes"?

Sounds like you're probably not going to get a new car, but a study by KBB said that Acura had the lowest cost of ownership of the luxury brands. My oil change services with full synthetic are about $50 at my local Acura dealer, and stickguy has reported something similar.

https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/lowest-5-year-cost-to-own-luxury-brand/

Can you find an engine from a wrecked S4 that would work?

Finding an engine is doable. Finding an engine that's got less than 50K miles seems to be impossible. Finding a seller that stands behind what they're selling is a tall order too.

Vendors range from "as-is, to 30 days, to 60 days, to 90 days, to 6 months, to the typical 1 year 12k repair warranty, but those suppliers are fresh out of 3.0T Audi motors.

New motor order = 4-weeks from Germany assuming the boat doesn't get lost in the Bermuda triangle or stuck at the Port waiting in line.

andres3 · October 2021

sda said:
@andres3 Any update on the S4 status?

See above.

sda · October 2021

andres3 said:

sda said:
@andres3 Any update on the S4 status?
See above.

Is it feasible to have your indie rebuild your engine? Perhaps sell the car immediately once completed?

corvette · October 2021

andres3 said:
Of course, are the free loaners "written" anywhere? That's a good part of why I prefer Audi to VW.

Nope, not a written promise anywhere. My parents are taking the Q5 in for service next month and the service writer "put them down as requesting a loaner," but said that was contingent on them not having any car haulers delayed between now and then. Of course, if there is an overnight warranty repair, I think most if not all manufacturers provide that they will pay for a rental in that instance.

qbrozen said:
Took a few attempts, but I can report that the Escape's interior actually smells pleasant now.

After seeing some of the YT detail dudes do it, I'm a big fan of using diluted laundry detergent in a spray bottle + cordless drill + a nylon brush on the fabrics. That cleaned up the Prius pretty well, but not perfect. It smells great now. I also found a very old dead mouse and its bed in the spare tire well. Is this some kind of Toyota thing? I suspect the owner left a door or the hatch open for an extended period of time when it was cold outside.

corvette · October 2021

On the Tesla tire situation, I've noticed faster wear in general with luxury vehicles which tend to have a heavier curb weight. They also tend to have more aggressive alignment settings to make them feel more planted to the ground, which can also increase wear.

oldfarmer50 · October 2021

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Admit it, isn’t playing around with a cheap hooptie a lot of fun?
Only if it remains cosmetic. ha. When you gotta start tearing into the mechanicals, it gets real tired real quick.

When you gotta start tearing into the mechanicals you leave it on the side of road and walk home with the plates. Easy peasy.

qbrozen · October 2021

I hope anyone still considering an Audi has learned a lesson here.

breld · October 2021

Well, on that note, my wife officially decided to not go with the A4 Allroad on order.

After driving that MINI and 3-series back to back Monday evening, it was clear she liked what the 3-series has to offer. After looking at incoming inventory, she decided on a 2022 Mineral Gray 330i (xdrive) with black sensatec interior, M Sport, extended Shadowline, Premium package, Driver Assistance and power tailgate.

The attractive thing is, since it’s an early 2022, she’s still getting some features that are now being deleted on new builds, like the head-up display, parking assistance and SiriusXM.

They discounted the BMW $3,000 and gave us $60k for the Tesla. She’s really excited for the swap - she’s scheduled to get it on Saturday.

fintail · October 2021

Buy an existing firm/tech and take personal credit, I can see it now.

To be fair, they do seem to be putting money back in, I have read that early vs new Model 3s have night and day build quality differences.

stickguy said:
Elon needs to hurry up and introduce that levitation drive system. Like a hovercraft.

benjaminh · October 2021

Michaell said:

I’ll disagree with your last point. Most of Tesla’s profits come from selling energy credits to other car companies; although I don’t have proof, my guess is that the sales aspect of the company is not generating any profit.

"....Tesla sold enough cars and energy products to turn a profit even without counting the sale of emissions credits to other automakers — a milestone for the company. This was the eighth profitable quarter in a row for Tesla, but the first where it can truly say it’s a profitable automaker."

https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/26/22594778/tesla-q2-2021-earnings-revenue-profit-credits-emissions-bitcoin

That was the period ending in the summer. For the latest quarter things were better.

"Tesla’s quarterly profit nearly quintuples to $1.6 billion as car sales surge.
By Neal E. Boudette
Oct. 20, 2021
Tesla made $1.6 billion in the three months ending in September, the second quarter in a row that its profit has exceeded the billion-dollar mark.The bottom-line figure exceeded the $1.1 billion it made in the second quarter and was nearly five times its profit from the third quarter of 2020. A portion of Tesla’s profit comes from selling regulatory credits to automakers that need them to meet emission standards. Tesla reported $279 million in sales of such credits in the third quarter, compared with $397 million in the third quarter of 2020."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/business/tesla-earnings.html

Even with these better results the stock seems overvalued. Ten more years of blockbuster success seems to be priced in already, but perhaps that will happen. I honestly don't know much about such things. I don't own any individual stocks.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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