Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

kyfdx · February 2022

@henryn At the beginning of COVID, my wife was streaming workout videos to her iPad. She asked me if we could stream them to our TV in the basement. Unfortunately, it wasn't a SmartTV. It was a very nice Sony LCD, but it was 10 years old.

I started researching a way to stream to it, then found a 60" Smart LED at Target for $399. Problem solved.

stickguy · February 2022

must have sold. Ad is gone now.

andres3 · February 2022

2 Best Buys near me have disappeared/closed. Is Best Buy circling the drain?

corvette · February 2022

henryn said:
I saw an ad earlier this week for a new 70 inch 4k smart tv for $500. Not $599, $500 even. Those things are really getting cheap!

My "big" TV in the living room is a 55" 1080p Insignia Roku TV I bought several years back. The built-in Roku is a little laggy and I kind of regret buying an integrated one, although it is more convenient to have it that way. I don't need a 4k TV, but I'm guessing those that size or larger all have that pixel density now. Will definitely get a larger one next time.

andres3 said:
2 Best Buys near me have disappeared/closed. Is Best Buy circling the drain?

They're known colloquially as "Worst Buy" for a reason.

fintail · February 2022

My first flat screen was a 32" (or something) back in 2005, at Best Buy, cheapo brand, I think it was $800 and I remember people ooing and aahing over it when they'd visit. A few years later I bought a 40" Samsung LED, one of the first LEDs, on sale for maybe $1250 - seemed like something from the future, and I sold the old one to my uncle for $75 (it ended up failing a few months later. I kept that Samsung as the main TV for around 10 years, when I moved 2 years ago, it got relegated to being a bedroom TV, and I bought a 65" Samsung at Costco. I think it was maybe $539 - not a high spec model, but it is more than enough for my demands. For awhile I used the built-in streaming stuff, but it too could be glitchy, so I went back to using a Fire stick, which generally works fine and much smoother.

corvette said:

henryn said:
I saw an ad earlier this week for a new 70 inch 4k smart tv for $500. Not $599, $500 even. Those things are really getting cheap!
My "big" TV in the living room is a 55" 1080p Insignia Roku TV I bought several years back. The built-in Roku is a little laggy and I kind of regret buying an integrated one, although it is more convenient to have it that way. I don't need a 4k TV, but I'm guessing those that size or larger all have that pixel density now. Will definitely get a larger one next time.
andres3 said:
2 Best Buys near me have disappeared/closed. Is Best Buy circling the drain?
They're known colloquially as "Worst Buy" for a reason.

tjc78 · February 2022

@28firefighter said:
This seems like one for @oldfarmer50 or @tjc78

https://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/cto/d/renton-1995-lincoln-continental/7440900435.html

Before I leased my 2003 Avalon I looked at a 2002 Continental. IIRC it was a great deal for being only one year old, but decided I’d rather lease the Avalon. They were nice cars with a lot of lower for the times. Huge improvement over the previous generation for sure.

Sandman6472 · February 2022

We're going with a 50" Sony smart t v sometime in the next few days from Best Buy. The sales guy recommended LG or Sony but I liked the Sony better. My daughter & son-in-law just got a 65" LG smart t v from Best Buy and love it. Figure I'll shop online at Brand's Mart & Walmart just to check out their prices & make sure we don't pay too much. The Sony should cost around $499 if it doesn't go on sale. Hoping it also comes with free delivery.
We've been going round & round about getting a new t v and this time, it's going to be a smart t v with blue tooth capabilities.

corvette · February 2022

@qbrozen - definitely weird that Hoovie's ML doesn't appear have a start/stop button (so I assume no keyless ignition), but it has the black nubs on the door handles for a proximity key from that era. Did MB ever offer one of those weird keyless ignition buttons with a hole for the key in the middle? I'm not sure which makes had those.

jmonroe1 · February 2022

corvette said:
@qbrozen - definitely weird that Hoovie's ML doesn't appear have a start/stop button (so I assume no keyless ignition), but it has the black nubs on the door handles for a proximity key from that era. Did MB ever offer one of those weird keyless ignition buttons with a hole for the key in the middle? I'm not sure which makes had those.

Son #1’s 2008 Chrysler van had a doo dad ignition that took a plastic key thingy to turn the ignition switch. It was a momentary switch that you turned clockwise then released it and the van started. Kinda a halfway thing to a push to start button. Leave it to Chrysler to do a Mickey Mouse thing like that.

jmonroe

corvette · February 2022

Anyone else notice a line break issue when tagging people in posts like mine above?

Anyway, I think the Maverick XLT has a really great interior at its price point. The Lariat is obviously extremely nice, as well. The XL (like the one I ordered) is pretty much monotone, besides the blue trim pieces, which could be mistaken for a grey-ish color. It kind of looks like a fleet vehicle. The XLT gets you contrasting seat fabric and some orange accent pieces. That said, the XL's interior seems comparable to my mid-level Tundra, which is similarly monochromatic.

stickguy · February 2022

well, the Xl s the fleet version. Kept cheap (no cruise) for a reason! Ford had a great idea with the cheap hybrid XL to dominate delivery fleets (every auto parts store would buy them). If they could actually make enough (and I think they seriously underestimated how many retail buyers wanted a FWD PU with great mileage).

I did test drive one a few months before mine came in. And found it to be much nicer than I expected for the price point. Seats were plenty comfortable. In some ways the single color seems more upscale. The XLT does have a lot of variety.

there is a ton of room inside too. At least in the front seat, it feels like a much bigger vehicle. Nice tall cabin so you sit upright. And I assume it is the benefit of being slab sided, but I find it to be very wide inside even though it is actually pretty skinny outside (great for getting into the garage). And the wife and I have no issues with bumping elbows or shoulders. The backseat is perfectly usable for normal sized people too, though nobody has ridden in mine yet.

roadburner · February 2022

au1994 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:
Priorities and opportunity.

You can always buy a TV. But might never have a chance to see your favorite team in the SB again.
Yeah, but it isn't like we can't watch the game...
True….watch it on an 85” UHD TV in surround sound that makes it feel like you’re in the stadium. Plus, on Monday after the Super Bowl, you’ll be able to watch the new MATRIX movie on the same system, eating home made popcorn and drinking a beer, only it won’t cost $50 for the popcorn and beer. Plus, you won’t have to wait in line to pee!
Pretty sure I'll be happy watching on the 55" or 60" screen. It's just me and the wife. She can sit behind me.

No new TV needed.
I saw an ad earlier this week for a new 70 inch 4k smart tv for $500. Not $599, $500 even. Those things are really getting cheap!
Thats incredible. My first flat panel was a 42in Panasonic plasma. I paid $1200 at Costco back in 2007.

On a 70" $500 TV I'd be willing to bet you will be playing the panel lottery- winning DSE and/or banding.

au1994 · February 2022

roadburner said:

au1994 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:
Priorities and opportunity.

You can always buy a TV. But might never have a chance to see your favorite team in the SB again.
Yeah, but it isn't like we can't watch the game...
True….watch it on an 85” UHD TV in surround sound that makes it feel like you’re in the stadium. Plus, on Monday after the Super Bowl, you’ll be able to watch the new MATRIX movie on the same system, eating home made popcorn and drinking a beer, only it won’t cost $50 for the popcorn and beer. Plus, you won’t have to wait in line to pee!
Pretty sure I'll be happy watching on the 55" or 60" screen. It's just me and the wife. She can sit behind me.

No new TV needed.
I saw an ad earlier this week for a new 70 inch 4k smart tv for $500. Not $599, $500 even. Those things are really getting cheap!
Thats incredible. My first flat panel was a 42in Panasonic plasma. I paid $1200 at Costco back in 2007.
On a 70" $500 TV I'd be willing to bet you will be playing the panel lottery- winning DSE and/or banding.

We just don’t have a room to support a 70”. 50 and 55” works for us.

mjfloyd1 · February 2022

It seems like a lottery on flat panels with bad pixels ‘ dirty screen effect or banding. It does seem that some brands use better flat panels though and those are usually the more expensive TVs.

au1994 · February 2022

mjfloyd1 said:
It seems like a lottery on flat panels with bad pixels ‘ dirty screen effect or banding. It does seem that some brands use better flat panels though and those are usually the more expensive TVs.

Agree. We’ve had good luck with Samsung.

If I went 70”, I don’t think we have a vehicle to haul it. Hey…

ab348 · February 2022

The cheap 70" TCL is their 4-series, pretty much their entry level these days. I had one in a 50" (I think) size. It was OK but did have a couple of "dirty" spots at a couple of corners of the screen if you looked closely. Just past 2 years of service the bottom of the screen lost some illumination, so I guess the backlight failed there. Fortunately extended warranties were cheap when I bought it so I got one, and they paid out the amount I paid with no hassle. I replaced it with a 55" TCL 6-series which has a better picture and no questionable areas of the screen.

corvette · February 2022

I went from a 57” rear projection DLP to a 55” LCD. I don’t think I will downsize the TV again unless I move to a place with a smaller living room.

graphicguy · February 2022

kyfdx said:

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:
Priorities and opportunity.

You can always buy a TV. But might never have a chance to see your favorite team in the SB again.
Yeah, but it isn't like we can't watch the game...
True….watch it on an 85” UHD TV in surround sound that makes it feel like you’re in the stadium. Plus, on Monday after the Super Bowl, you’ll be able to watch the new MATRIX movie on the same system, eating home made popcorn and drinking a beer, only it won’t cost $50 for the popcorn and beer. Plus, you won’t have to wait in line to pee!
Pretty sure I'll be happy watching on the 55" or 60" screen. It's just me and the wife. She can sit behind me.

No new TV needed.

Just read this a.m. that the NFL put the “kabosh” on holding a Super Bowl “Watch Party” at Paul Brown Stadium because the stadium can hold more people than their copyright restrictions allow in a public space.

Not like the NFL doesn’t have enough controversy beckoning…….

Owners need to overhaul NFL management, sooner rather than later.

graphicguy · February 2022

Lots of deals on big screen TVs. Couple of things going on right now with them….

A. Strong rumors that Samsung is getting out of the QLED biz and adopt OLED technology
B. The very best panels these days are coming from LG, who is selling their OLED panels to Sony, who in turn is offering their video processing, which is considered the best in the biz
C. The VERY BEST TVs on the market right now are cheaper than they’ve ever been. To get a 60”-65”-75”-85” OLED UHD (4K) TV just a few short years ago would have cost 5 figures. You can buy one of the best TVs on the market right now for under $3K.

My 50” Pioneer KURO 1080P Plasma cost nearly $5K. I sold it for a small fraction of that. But, it was/is a tank and is still in use today, a dozen years later, with ZERO issues.

stickguy · February 2022

I must have an antique. Our family room unit is a 52” Sharp purchased in 2011. But still works like new. Early iteration smart TV that I have a fire stick plugged into for streaming. Always has had a nice picture. Cost way more than I like to remember but I believe it was a higher line model at the time. Still seems like more than big enough even for a good sized room.

I plan to put it in the basement exercise room if the old Sony DLP ever dies. It’s dimmer but keeps turning on. Hopefully nursing that along until we finally move, and it won’t be making the trip.

Michaell · February 2022

I'm feeling completely inadequate on the TV front. Main TV is, I think, 47". Primary bedroom is a 37" or 40", while I have a 32" in my office.

They work for us, and don't dominate the space.

28firefighter · February 2022

@Michaell said:
I'm feeling completely inadequate on the TV front. Main TV is, I think, 47". Primary bedroom is a 37" or 40", while I have a 32" in my office.

They work for us, and don't dominate the space.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the size that matters.

Michaell · February 2022

28firefighter said:

@Michaell said:

I'm feeling completely inadequate on the TV front. Main TV is, I think, 47". Primary bedroom is a 37" or 40", while I have a 32" in my office.

They work for us, and don't dominate the space.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the size that matters.

None of them are very new, either. The one in my office is 6+ years old, I know. I don’t think the other two are much newer.

stickguy · February 2022

Our bedroom TV I hung on the wall next to the door so size is limited by the space. I think that one is 40”. Could be bigger but we can see it. Only watch a few minutes a day anyway, putting on the news or talk show while getting ready for bed.

Sandman6472 · February 2022

Getting the 50" Sony at this point. Will go in either today or this weekend to order it.
Now that we got the master sink all taken care of, the toilet in there is acting up! They're coming a week from Friday to diagnose the issue. Since it's original to the house, think it might be time to replace it with one of the newer models that sits higher. In an older home, it's always going to be something. I've just had enough & would love to move to something new again.

stickguy · February 2022

The taller toilets are a great idea if you don’t have really little kids. Especially with back issues.

explorerx4 · February 2022

About 3 weeks ago, I noticed some fluid underneath the Explorer.
Seemed like oil, so I opened the hood and checked near the bottom of the engine, but couldn't find a leak.
The I noticed some oil on the engine cover, firewall and underside of the hood and the dipstick wasn't seated all the way down.
Cleaned that up but kept seeing new spots on the floor for the next 10 days or so.
Oil level seems fine.
Made an appointment for early this morning to have it checked out.
Of course yesterday and this morning, I didn't see any new drips on the garage floor, but kind of hard to tell due to the floor being wet.
They said there was oil down the back of the engine which they cleaned up and didn't see an active leak.
Hopefully, that's it but I'll keep my eye on it as I am headed to Ohio in just over a week.
I did take a quick drive around the lot see if they had anything interesting.

henryn · February 2022

stickguy said:
The taller toilets are a great idea if you don’t have really little kids. Especially with back issues.

Or bad knees. One of the first things I did when I bought this house was replace both toilets with the tallest models I could find.

kyfdx · February 2022

henryn said:

stickguy said:
The taller toilets are a great idea if you don’t have really little kids. Especially with back issues.
Or bad knees. One of the first things I did when I bought this house was replace both toilets with the tallest models I could find.

I feel like this should be in the "other" discussion.

We replaced a toilet with "chair height", but I don't love it. If we have to replace any of the other three, I'll go with standard height. It's all about leverage.

qbrozen · February 2022

Ooohhhh… my. I knew this would happen someday.
The Manheim account I use has been disabled. Party over!

sda · February 2022

qbrozen said:
Ooohhhh… my. I knew this would happen someday.

The Manheim account I use has been disabled. Party over!

Oh! That bites!

28firefighter · February 2022

Given your arms race with @breld, maybe it's time for you to get a dealer license, too!

roadburner · February 2022

@graphicguy said:
Lots of deals on big screen TVs. Couple of things going on right now with them….

A. Strong rumors that Samsung is getting out of the QLED biz and adopt OLED technology
B. The very best panels these days are coming from LG, who is selling their OLED panels to Sony, who in turn is offering their video processing, which is considered the best in the biz
C. The VERY BEST TVs on the market right now are cheaper than they’ve ever been. To get a 60”-65”-75”-85” OLED UHD (4K) TV just a few short years ago would have cost 5 figures. You can buy one of the best TVs on the market right now for under $3K.

My 50” Pioneer KURO 1080P Plasma cost nearly $5K. I sold it for a small fraction of that. But, it was/is a tank and is still in use today, a dozen years later, with ZERO issues.

Ditto for my 2008 Kuro. It’s also a 50” but it has been relocated to the basement system- where the viewing distance is spot on. It’s also where we are putting our recumbent exercise bike, so it’s all good.

I will admit that I was very tempted by a Sony OLED TV but at the time I bought my 950H the equivalent OLED was $1,200 more.

tifighter · February 2022

I've got a 55" LG OLED that's over 6 years old now. It's not 4K, and it's not a problem as it still looks great to me. And I like new tech.

qbrozen · February 2022

28firefighter said:
Given your arms race with @breld, maybe it's time for you to get a dealer license, too!

I've approached that before with the wife. She was not into it. And the rules are pretty tight in NJ, one of which is you must have a physical storefront.

graphicguy · February 2022

Sandman6472 said:
Getting the 50" Sony at this point. Will go in either today or this weekend to order it.
Now that we got the master sink all taken care of, the toilet in there is acting up! They're coming a week from Friday to diagnose the issue. Since it's original to the house, think it might be time to replace it with one of the newer models that sits higher. In an older home, it's always going to be something. I've just had enough & would love to move to something new again.

Sandy….this showed up on my news feed today. Good deals on really good TVs here…

https://www.tomsguide.com/deals/massive-super-bowl-tv-sale-knocks-oled-tvs-to-dollar799-at-best-buy

Plus, if you’re so inclined, Costco always has good TVs at good prices.

mjfloyd1 · February 2022

Anyone else notice that 2022 4xxxxxxxxxxxxxxe hybrid system and high voltage battery warranty is 8 yrs/ 100k miles where 2021 was 10 yrs/ 100k miles?

28firefighter · February 2022

@qbrozen said:
I've approached that before with the wife. She was not into it. And the rules are pretty tight in NJ, one of which is you must have a physical storefront.

Same as WA

au1994 · February 2022

mjfloyd1 said:
Anyone else notice that 2022 4xxxxxxxxxxxxxxe hybrid system and high voltage battery warranty is 8 yrs/ 100k miles where 2021 was 10 yrs/ 100k miles?

8 years…thats what 10-12 cars for most of us?

au1994 · February 2022

My wife mentioned the other day that she would consider a Palisade or GV70 once the madness settles down. We will have the X1 paid off in September and the plan would be to bank the payments into 2023 when hopefully the market has normalized. By that point Jr. will have over a year of driving under his belt and we would pass on the X1 to him and we’d trade the 328i on her next ride. If the market truly has normalized by then the trade on the 328i is going to be negligible but thats ok if deals on new come back.

Both are nice choices. With Jr. driving I’m note sure we need a 3 row SUV like the Palisade but if she likes it, I love it. A lot can change between now and then of course!

tjc78 · February 2022

Palisade is a nice ride. By then it will probably receive some updates as well.

kyfdx · February 2022

28firefighter said:

@qbrozen said:

I've approached that before with the wife. She was not into it. And the rules are pretty tight in NJ, one of which is you must have a physical storefront.

Same as WA

Same here in KY or OH

Michaell · February 2022

I've been investigating the GV70 the last couple of days.

Mid-trim 3.5T can be had for under $60K - much cheaper than a similarly equipped X3 M40i, GLC43 or SQ5.

And, they have the most lovely blue interior available.

rayainsw · February 2022

From my BMW salesman today via email:

The all-electric BMW iX SUV and i4 Sedan have finally arrived!
We will have each of these exciting new vehicles on display here at BMW of Gwinnett Place from Wednesday February 9th through Friday February 11th.
- Ray
Might go look...

ab348 · February 2022

Michaell said:
I've been investigating the GV70 the last couple of days.

Mid-trim 3.5T can be had for under $60K - much cheaper than a similarly equipped X3 M40i, GLC43 or SQ5.

And, they have the most lovely blue interior available.

Just checked, up here that is $70K. The blue interior looks nice but appears to be a very dark blue online. Oddly, it appears to come with bright red shoulder belts.

nyccarguy · February 2022

qbrozen said:
Ooohhhh… my. I knew this would happen someday.

The Manheim account I use has been disabled. Party over!

That's it! Time to invade Russia!

british_rover · February 2022

@qbrozen said:
Ooohhhh… my. I knew this would happen someday.
The Manheim account I use has been disabled. Party over!

My previous appraisal login still work and I left my old company over a year ago.

mjfloyd1 · February 2022

@british_rover said:

@qbrozen said:
Ooohhhh… my. I knew this would happen someday.
The Manheim account I use has been disabled. Party over!

My previous appraisal login still works and I left my old company over a.yeae ago.

You are our new best friend

Michaell · February 2022

ab348 said:

Michaell said:
I've been investigating the GV70 the last couple of days.

Mid-trim 3.5T can be had for under $60K - much cheaper than a similarly equipped X3 M40i, GLC43 or SQ5.

And, they have the most lovely blue interior available.
Just checked, up here that is $70K. The blue interior looks nice but appears to be a very dark blue online. Oddly, it appears to come with bright red shoulder belts.

There is an option to switch them out for black.

xwesx · February 2022

Michaell said:
I'm feeling completely inadequate on the TV front. Main TV is, I think, 47". Primary bedroom is a 37" or 40", while I have a 32" in my office.

They work for us, and don't dominate the space.

Naw, you're doing fine. My house has one television, a 44" panel we bought from the Sam's Club return section several years ago. Set us back about $230 and I've never considered another one since then. Granted, that one replaced a 1997 32" Sony Trinitron unit I bought from the "hopeless returns" back room at Kroger in 2001, so I've never been too much into adequacy when it comes to televisions.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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