Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

graphicguy · October 2022

Michaell said:

@kyfdx said:

Not me, but @Michaell is looking for a car, and he's right down the road.

Replace "is" with "May be"

Oh…everyone of us in here has said that before. It’s a slippery slope.

oldfarmer50 · October 2022

Sandman6472 said:
Think I'd go with the family Sonata as it does all that you need, is paid off & if something major was to happen, the loss won't be that great. At least it would get you through this difficult time we're living in until you can purchase something you really want. Squirrel away some extra $ and wait a bit. This all assumes the Sonata drives good with no lingering issues & if the infotainment system is outdated, wouldn't cost that much to get a unit installed with today's tech built in. This way you won't feel what it is, an older family vehicle that's been taken care of & still has some useful life. And y'all already know the vehicle's history which you won't know if you go pre-owned. And there's also no large out lay of funds here...ya just got to get it to Denver. And maybe a short road trip could be fun!
You're lucky that you have some options here. Going with the family Sonata might be the best solution for the short term until the auto industry finally gets it's groove back!

Sandy, don’t bother trying to get him into that Sonata. I’ve spent many a day tilting at that windmill. Mitchell is such a good man that he wants his family to have use of that car. Gotta respect that.

BTW, I got to drive a Corolla Cross the other day for the first time. I can see why you’re attracted to it. Is that built on the same platform as the Corolla?

oldfarmer50 · October 2022

Very tempting.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/clifton-park-2007-chevrolet-silverado/7535515499.html

Basic stripper but I really don’t need much else to haul junk. It would be nice to have a standard tranny again. No rust and absurdly low miles, the heart quivers. Is it too good to be true?

explorerx4 · October 2022

@oldfarmer50,
You are one the few who still knows how to operate a manual trans.

Michaell · October 2022

To provide a bit more context of why I'm waffling on this whole car thing, my company just completed a merger with a much larger firm.

The new CEO has been quite transparent ... and blunt. There are three categories of employees - those that will be kept, those that will be around for a short while to help with "transition" activities, and those that won't have a position going forward. He is also implementing a zero based budget format for 2023.

Folks will know as soon as possible which category they will fall into, but no later than the end of November or early December. I'm holding off on making any large financial decisions until I know what my fate is.

There have already been some layoffs from within my old company.

qbrozen · October 2022

oldfarmer50 said:
Very tempting.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/clifton-park-2007-chevrolet-silverado/7535515499.html

Basic stripper but I really don’t need much else to haul junk. It would be nice to have a standard tranny again. No rust and absurdly low miles, the heart quivers. Is it too good to be true?

Interesting find. 15 years old and the absolute cheapest 1500 available at the time, I'd imagine. Under $20k. I think 50% original msrp is still pretty bold, frankly. You could do worse for $10k, but, for some reason, and there are no comparables, it feels high to me. If it at least had AC, cruise, and pwr windows, it would seem OK. I just can't get there with this trim, personally. It "feels" like $7500, if I could live without AC, which I can't.

The low miles is likely because of its limitations. More than 1 passenger? Nope. Too hot out? Nope. Bad road conditions? Nope.

But, hey, at least it has the mighty 4.3 v6. Power of a v6 with v8 fuel mileage. Ah, Chevy. What can't you screw up?

corvette · October 2022

@Michaell - yikes! Hope you fall into the "kept" category!

Michaell · October 2022

corvette said:
@Michaell - yikes! Hope you fall into the "kept" category!

Hope for the best and plan for the worst - I've dusted off my resume and have started to make a few discreet inquiries, both internally and externally.

henryn · October 2022

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:
Very tempting.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/clifton-park-2007-chevrolet-silverado/7535515499.html

Basic stripper but I really don’t need much else to haul junk. It would be nice to have a standard tranny again. No rust and absurdly low miles, the heart quivers. Is it too good to be true?
Interesting find. 15 years old and the absolute cheapest 1500 available at the time, I'd imagine. Under $20k. I think 50% original msrp is still pretty bold, frankly. You could do worse for $10k, but, for some reason, and there are no comparables, it feels high to me. If it at least had AC, cruise, and pwr windows, it would seem OK. I just can't get there with this trim, personally. It "feels" like $7500, if I could live without AC, which I can't.

The low miles is likely because of its limitations. More than 1 passenger? Nope. Too hot out? Nope. Bad road conditions? Nope.

But, hey, at least it has the mighty 4.3 v6. Power of a v6 with v8 fuel mileage. Ah, Chevy. What can't you screw up?

That manages to make my work truck look good by comparison! V8 (the very nice Coyote V8 at that), power windows, factory A/C. And I definitely, but most definitely, could not live without A/C.

henryn · October 2022

ab348 said:

henryn said:
I just received another one of those "private offers" from Ford, $2,000 off on a new F150. Too bad they don't actually have any for sale.
Up here the 3 dealers in the city have a combined 52 F-150s available. All but 3 are over $60K worthless Canadian dollars.

If you search online, all of the local Ford dealers claim to have stock. But if you show up and look around their lot, not so much. It seems they're "in transit" or "allocated to be delivered" or some such nonsense. And the few that are on the ground are either spoken for, have several thousand in dealer add-ons, or both.

Getting $2k off on the "private offer" doesn't get me excited when the dealer is adding $5k for paint coating, nitrogen filled tires, etc.

henryn · October 2022

corvette said:

Spotted on my evening walk…

I could live with that. It wouldn't be my overall first choice, but I could definitely live with it.

sda · October 2022

@Michaell said:
To provide a bit more context of why I'm waffling on this whole car thing, my company just completed a merger with a much larger firm.

The new CEO has been quite transparent ... and blunt. There are three categories of employees - those that will be kept, those that will be around for a short while to help with "transition" activities, and those that won't have a position going forward. He is also implementing a zero based budget format for 2023.

Folks will know as soon as possible which category they will fall into, but no later than the end of November or early December. I'm holding off on making any large financial decisions until I know what my fate is.

There have already been some layoffs from within my old company.

Ugh. Never a dull moment. Good luck, I wish you the best.

stickguy · October 2022

I would hate living with a barge that big. And I know my wife would not be comfortable driving it. Besides, it would probably have to live outside!

Michael, sorry to hear the news. I went through that in 2008 and never want to again. Well, now maybe if it included a good severance package (but this cheap place wouldn’t) I could take it as a hint to semi retire. Just not quite ready for that for a few years.

Hopefully the job market is still a sellers market and you land something quick.

stickguy · October 2022

I kinda like that Chevy. Appeals to my puritan nature. Just at about half the price, maybe.

oldfarmer50 · October 2022

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
You are one the few who still knows how to operate a manual trans.

I doubt that I am among this group but it would be a nice anti-theft safety with millennials. 🤣

oldfarmer50 · October 2022

Michaell said:
To provide a bit more context of why I'm waffling on this whole car thing, my company just completed a merger with a much larger firm.

The new CEO has been quite transparent ... and blunt. There are three categories of employees - those that will be kept, those that will be around for a short while to help with "transition" activities, and those that won't have a position going forward. He is also implementing a zero based budget format for 2023.

Folks will know as soon as possible which category they will fall into, but no later than the end of November or early December. I'm holding off on making any large financial decisions until I know what my fate is.

There have already been some layoffs from within my old company.

Wow, that’s a harsh head game to play on the employees. Are you sure you want to work for a character like that?

One of the reasons I had to get out of the corporate rat race was an owner who would pit various employees against each other. He compared it to owning two boxers who would beat each other senseless while he controlled them both.

henryn · October 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

Michaell said:
To provide a bit more context of why I'm waffling on this whole car thing, my company just completed a merger with a much larger firm.

The new CEO has been quite transparent ... and blunt. There are three categories of employees - those that will be kept, those that will be around for a short while to help with "transition" activities, and those that won't have a position going forward. He is also implementing a zero based budget format for 2023.

Folks will know as soon as possible which category they will fall into, but no later than the end of November or early December. I'm holding off on making any large financial decisions until I know what my fate is.

There have already been some layoffs from within my old company.
Wow, that’s a harsh head game to play on the employees. Are you sure you want to work for a character like that?

One of the reasons I had to get out of the corporate rat race was an owner who would pit various employees against each other. He compared it to owning two boxers who would beat each other senseless while he controlled them both.

I personally prefer honesty to deceit, and anytime there is a merger between two medium to large companies, there are going to be layoffs. Period, end of sentence, end of story.

And anytime there are upcoming layoffs, the employees are going to be ranked against each other to decide who stays and who goes. How else would they do it, a lottery?

oldfarmer50 · October 2022

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:
Very tempting.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/clifton-park-2007-chevrolet-silverado/7535515499.html

Basic stripper but I really don’t need much else to haul junk. It would be nice to have a standard tranny again. No rust and absurdly low miles, the heart quivers. Is it too good to be true?
Interesting find. 15 years old and the absolute cheapest 1500 available at the time, I'd imagine. Under $20k. I think 50% original msrp is still pretty bold, frankly. You could do worse for $10k, but, for some reason, and there are no comparables, it feels high to me. If it at least had AC, cruise, and pwr windows, it would seem OK. I just can't get there with this trim, personally. It "feels" like $7500, if I could live without AC, which I can't.

The low miles is likely because of its limitations. More than 1 passenger? Nope. Too hot out? Nope. Bad road conditions? Nope.

But, hey, at least it has the mighty 4.3 v6. Power of a v6 with v8 fuel mileage. Ah, Chevy. What can't you screw up?

My cargo van has the 4.3L which is plenty powerful for my uses, broken AC and roll down windows so it wouldn’t be giving up much except an extra 100k miles and a lot of rust.

I agree that the price is about half again too high. Two years ago it would probably be a $5k truck.

oldfarmer50 · October 2022

henryn said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:
Very tempting.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/clifton-park-2007-chevrolet-silverado/7535515499.html

Basic stripper but I really don’t need much else to haul junk. It would be nice to have a standard tranny again. No rust and absurdly low miles, the heart quivers. Is it too good to be true?
Interesting find. 15 years old and the absolute cheapest 1500 available at the time, I'd imagine. Under $20k. I think 50% original msrp is still pretty bold, frankly. You could do worse for $10k, but, for some reason, and there are no comparables, it feels high to me. If it at least had AC, cruise, and pwr windows, it would seem OK. I just can't get there with this trim, personally. It "feels" like $7500, if I could live without AC, which I can't.

The low miles is likely because of its limitations. More than 1 passenger? Nope. Too hot out? Nope. Bad road conditions? Nope.

But, hey, at least it has the mighty 4.3 v6. Power of a v6 with v8 fuel mileage. Ah, Chevy. What can't you screw up?
That manages to make my work truck look good by comparison! V8 (the very nice Coyote V8 at that), power windows, factory A/C. And I definitely, but most definitely, could not live without A/C.

Now, your truck I would pay $10k for in a heartbeat.

tjc78 · October 2022

@Michaell
Best of luck! You are 100% taking the right approach.

carnaught · October 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

Sandman6472 said:
Think I'd go with the family Sonata as it does all that you need, is paid off & if something major was to happen, the loss won't be that great. At least it would get you through this difficult time we're living in until you can purchase something you really want. Squirrel away some extra $ and wait a bit. This all assumes the Sonata drives good with no lingering issues & if the infotainment system is outdated, wouldn't cost that much to get a unit installed with today's tech built in. This way you won't feel what it is, an older family vehicle that's been taken care of & still has some useful life. And y'all already know the vehicle's history which you won't know if you go pre-owned. And there's also no large out lay of funds here...ya just got to get it to Denver. And maybe a short road trip could be fun!
You're lucky that you have some options here. Going with the family Sonata might be the best solution for the short term until the auto industry finally gets it's groove back!
Sandy, don’t bother trying to get him into that Sonata. I’ve spent many a day tilting at that windmill. Mitchell is such a good man that he wants his family to have use of that car. Gotta respect that.

BTW, I got to drive a Corolla Cross the other day for the first time. I can see why you’re attracted to it. Is that built on the same platform as the Corolla?

Rented an LE Toyota Corolla Cross two weeks ago, while up north and thought it was very tinny - driving it was uninspiring and just meh - not impressed, even considering it for what it is. I was glad that I had cancelled a reservation to buy a Limited that was due to come in. Compared to the LE, however, the Limited would have been better, but now that all is said and done, I am happier with the Elantra Limited, plus a $3-4k savings.

ab348 · October 2022

henryn said:

If you search online, all of the local Ford dealers claim to have stock. But if you show up and look around their lot, not so much. It seems they're "in transit" or "allocated to be delivered" or some such nonsense. And the few that are on the ground are either spoken for, have several thousand in dealer add-ons, or both.

Getting $2k off on the "private offer" doesn't get me excited when the dealer is adding $5k for paint coating, nitrogen filled tires, etc.

The Ford dealer closest to me definitely does have them on their lot. I was surprised to see inventory after the last couple of years of empty lots. No idea what add-ons may or may not be sought. A $2000 incentive on a $60K vehicle isn't doing much for me though.

What I still fail to understand is why people are buying loaded up F-150 Platinums and GMC Denalis (parked next to one of those behemoths earlier today) when they almost never make use of the truck functions/capacity. Today's Denali was in a handicap spot in a supermarket lot so all they were hauling was a few grocery bags.

qbrozen · October 2022

stickguy said:
I would hate living with a barge that big.

Ha! A mere dinghy!

Sandman6472 · October 2022

I guess the smaller size of the Corolla Cross is calling to me. The reliability variable is also a very strong draw at this point as I just don't want anymore vehicular drama going forward. Sure, there is no "driving excitement" in most Toyota products but am willing to over look that as long as it's got the JBL audio system and possibly a moon roof. Don't drive much anymore but want to enjoy what I do drive. And again, the reliability issue is a big draw. I the last couple of months, we've needed two batteries and a headlamp which are wear & tear items but the Audi seems to be eating a quart of oil every couple of months with the occasional leak on the garage floor. I think with one more issue with the Audi, she'll be about ready to cut it from the herd and get into a Hyundai or Kia product.
Deep down, am still drawn to the Mini Cooper for some strange reason. I get that it's a BMW underneath and I really want to leave any German brand behind, but when I see certain Mini Coopers in the flesh, I can see myself throwing caution to the wind and getting one. But, as I've said before, time will tell. Like many things in my life, I fall into situations that change my life so suspect, with my next vehicle, something like that will happen again. And also lucky in that working for Enterprise, I get to drive so many different vehicles out there. It's like I do multiple test drives those days I go to work, which makes me love my job even more.
Worked almost nine hours yesterday and was beat when I got home, but hey, was off just shy of a month, so I just need to get my strength back. And there won't be a paycheck this week again, which ain't no fun. Am trying to bank as much money as I can right now so when the time does come when I'm ready to buy something, I'll be able to put more down & take out a smaller loan as this will be the first time since before I was married that I needed to take out a loan to get something newer. Have been lucky enough to have always had the cash put aside to buy them all outright.

nyccarguy · October 2022

@Sandman6472 - I leased the 2023 Wrangler not to replace my 2022 Wrangler. Once my lease is funded, I’m going to try and sell it for a few sheckles more than I paid for it.

nyccarguy · October 2022

Last week I was driving my wife’s Highlander, and noticed a wind noise coming from the sunroof. I opened up the sunshade, and heard a lot more wind and was supposed to be coming into the car. I got out of the car and looked on top, and there was a 1/8 inch gap on the back right corner of the sunroof. Monday morning I called the Toyota dealer and made an appointment telling them that I was going to drop it off on Tuesday and if they could work on it Wednesday. Yesterday drop the car off so my service advisor he said I’ll check it out. This morning I got a call around 10 o’clock while I was in Temple, the car is done. The guides that hold the sunroof in place somehow became loose so the tech took them apart and re-tighten them.

Sandman6472 · October 2022

Love my sun/moon roof and now we're getting finally getting into the perfect time of year to use it. Our weather and the heat usually break sometime in October, usually but not always. So, I use the roof whenever possible. The Audi's roof has only been used a couple of times but by me only. She won't open it, ever, if I'm not in the car with her. Having one is not a deal breaker for me though I'd prefer to have one. Now, an upgraded audio system is non-negotiable for me...want one factory installed as for years, I did the after market systems which usually were super expensive and usually stayed when traded.

stickguy · October 2022

Man, that Toyota. What a lemon!

For the Jeep, which lease is cheaper? I assume you will shop them both and see which one to flip makes more sense?

qbrozen · October 2022

nyccarguy said:
Last week I was driving my wife’s Highlander, and noticed a wind noise coming from the sunroof. I opened up the sunshade, and heard a lot more wind and was supposed to be coming into the car. I got out of the car and looked on top, and there was a 1/8 inch gap on the back right corner of the sunroof.

Don't tell @Sandman6472 a Toyota can have problems.

qbrozen · October 2022

nyccarguy said:
@Sandman6472 - I leased the 2023 Wrangler not to replace my 2022 Wrangler. Once my lease is funded, I’m going to try and sell it for a few sheckles more than I paid for it.

I wish you luck!

greg1288 · October 2022

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:
Very tempting.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/clifton-park-2007-chevrolet-silverado/7535515499.html

Basic stripper but I really don’t need much else to haul junk. It would be nice to have a standard tranny again. No rust and absurdly low miles, the heart quivers. Is it too good to be true?
Interesting find. 15 years old and the absolute cheapest 1500 available at the time, I'd imagine. Under $20k. I think 50% original msrp is still pretty bold, frankly. You could do worse for $10k, but, for some reason, and there are no comparables, it feels high to me. If it at least had AC, cruise, and pwr windows, it would seem OK. I just can't get there with this trim, personally. It "feels" like $7500, if I could live without AC, which I can't.

The low miles is likely because of its limitations. More than 1 passenger? Nope. Too hot out? Nope. Bad road conditions? Nope.

But, hey, at least it has the mighty 4.3 v6. Power of a v6 with v8 fuel mileage. Ah, Chevy. What can't you screw up?

Our business has that exact truck. A 2006 4.3L with manual trans. It was bought new late in 2006 for$14K. MSRP was $18K. ( Those were the good old days) Options were sliding rear window, heavy duty suspension and CD player. AC was standard on all of those trucks that year as far as I know. It still runs great and gets very good mileage and only has about 85K miles on it. The frame is solid and doesn't burn a drop of oil.

We have had a few problems with it but relatively minor. Some kind of electronic module failed a few years ago leaving it undriveable but was only a $250 fix. A front brake line failed and replaced for around the same amount. The clutch was replaced after attempting to back a 20 ft trailer into our sign shop at a 90 degree angle. That repair was $1200. It has the original front end, exhaust and suspension. AC has never been touched and is still ice cold.

I upgraded the wheels 5 years ago with brand new alloys and tires off of a new 2017 Silverado that I found from a shop on ebay that upgrades new trucks to larger wheels. They were $1100 including shipping and arrived mounted and balanced I also wrapped it in metallic silver, added some ebay LED headlights and tailights and it looks great for a work truck. Repairs on these trucks are cheap.

Parts are plentiful and mechanics love to work on them because most components are very easily accessible.

explorerx4 · October 2022

@nyccarguy,
On a Ford that's a moonroof reset(programming).

Sandman6472 · October 2022

No, I learned long ago that any brand and any model of that brand can have issues. My 2006 Honda Civic had a few strange issues during my ownership & each time, they'd only meet me halfway fixing the needed repairs. The VW & the Audi as we know have both had their share of issues so far but the manufacturer has told us to just deal with it which has left a bad taste. And even Toyota has had their issues but were more willing to fix than not. Out of all, Hyundai has been the best with their longer warranty periods and as of now, we're on our third Hyundai product. And won't be surprised to have either a Hyundai or Kia on my wife's side of the garage eventually as I doubt she'll give Audi another shot! But...stranger things have happened and she seems to like their service even if they are on the more expensive side. And being so close to our house is another feather in their cap. But again, besides the Audi shop, we're very close to Mazda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Jeep, Chevrolet, Genesis, VW, Subaru, Volvo, MB, BMW/Mini Cooper & finally Ford but doubt we'd ever touch a Ford product. Funny though, I do like the Edge even tough it's a bit too big for our needs.
At this point, hoping to not have to do anything major for the next couple of years!

oldfarmer50 · October 2022

Sandman6472 said:
I guess the smaller size of the Corolla Cross is calling to me. The reliability variable is also a very strong draw at this point as I just don't want anymore vehicular drama going forward. Sure, there is no "driving excitement" in most Toyota products but am willing to over look that as long as it's got the JBL audio system and possibly a moon roof. Don't drive much anymore but want to enjoy what I do drive. And again, the reliability issue is a big draw. I the last couple of months, we've needed two batteries and a headlamp which are wear & tear items but the Audi seems to be eating a quart of oil every couple of months with the occasional leak on the garage floor. I think with one more issue with the Audi, she'll be about ready to cut it from the herd and get into a Hyundai or Kia product.
Deep down, am still drawn to the Mini Cooper for some strange reason. I get that it's a BMW underneath and I really want to leave any German brand behind, but when I see certain Mini Coopers in the flesh, I can see myself throwing caution to the wind and getting one. But, as I've said before, time will tell. Like many things in my life, I fall into situations that change my life so suspect, with my next vehicle, something like that will happen again. And also lucky in that working for Enterprise, I get to drive so many different vehicles out there. It's like I do multiple test drives those days I go to work, which makes me love my job even more.
Worked almost nine hours yesterday and was beat when I got home, but hey, was off just shy of a month, so I just need to get my strength back. And there won't be a paycheck this week again, which ain't no fun. Am trying to bank as much money as I can right now so when the time does come when I'm ready to buy something, I'll be able to put more down & take out a smaller loan as this will be the first time since before I was married that I needed to take out a loan to get something newer. Have been lucky enough to have always had the cash put aside to buy them all outright.

If you want one of those potentially unreliable models, why not lease?

corvette · October 2022

@nyccarguy - my mother's 1st-gen Volvo S80 had awful wind noise from the moonroof (despite it appearing to be physically aligned, unlike the pic of the Highlander). They adjusted its position under warranty, but there was still some noise when the shade wasn't closed--unlike any other car with a moonroof we've had.

nyccarguy · October 2022

@stickguy said:
Man, that Toyota. What a lemon!

For the Jeep, which lease is cheaper? I assume you will shop them both and see which one to flip makes more sense?

The 2022 is a much cheaper lease ($508 per month vs. $630). It also has many more creature comforts (leather, power roof, I ordered it in November (I think) and took delivery at the end of March. Since then, there have been MSRP hikes, option & option package price hikes, and of course money factor hikes.

For example, the Gorilla Glass was a $95 option on my 2022 Sahara, now I think it is a $395 or $495 option.

My Sahara has the $795 towing package. That same option is now $1,095.

My plan is to flip the ‘23 Rubicon and get rid of the Sahara once the warranty is up. I’ve had it just over 6 months and have over 12,000 miles on it.

Sandman6472 · October 2022

Leasing, something we've never done before and probably a good way to get into a potentially unreliable make & model. If things work out, then one can always buy it out when the lease period is over if the figures make sense. And a great way to just walkaway if there have been a few to many issues. Might just be the way to go on certain models but time will tell. Many dealerships down here don't have a large inventory to choose from right now as most of the incoming are already spoken for. A few vehicles could be a gamble on reliability so do like that idea.
As much as I like the Corolla Cross, am afraid it might not live up to my expectations and it's "fun to drive factor". I know most Corolla's I drive at work are a bit on the boring side, as I do like something with brisk acceleration if needed. Guess I just need to come up with a spread sheet if you will, and rate the contenders to see where they land. Variables like good mpg's and brisk acceleration are as important as that fun factor but must be optioned the way I prefer. We were laughing the other day as we passed the Delray Beach Toyota store that I'm still waiting for word on the C C I asked about with the options I'd want. I knew it could be hard to find, a "unicorn" according to the sales guy I was dealing with but I let him know I'm really in o hurry & could wait till a 2023 or even a 2024 model equipped the way I want comes in. We're still waiting!
Come next summer, it'll be time for the next oil change/rotation, been doing it once a year, the oil change/filter, as just not driving the miles I used to. A light did come on last week, the "EPC" light, but within a day, it was gone. So luckily, she's behaving and now that the new battery has been installed, don't for see any more issues cropping up...if my luck holds out!

stickguy · October 2022

good luck with the flip Bradd. Hopefully the prices are still up there. Been seeing some reports that the bottom is getting unstable on the used market. So maybe the crazy offers on almost new stuff won't last forever, but at least until you are out of it!

But at least you have a firm $25,000 from QB on the table!

stickguy · October 2022

Sandy, yes, leasing can be a good way to try something out for a few years if you know you don't want a long term relationship. But I think the hosts here can confirm, good lease deals are a rare thing these days.

Michaell · October 2022

stickguy said:
Sandy, yes, leasing can be a good way to try something out for a few years if you know you don't want a long term relationship. But I think the hosts here can confirm, good lease deals are a rare thing these days.

Pick your favorite "rare as..." metaphor. They'll all work.

Though a quick look at the Elantra shows I can get an SEL for roughly $325/mo, which I suppose counts as a fair deal now.

ronsteve · October 2022

Potentially unreliable models, you say? After test driving the A5 the other night, I am increasingly tempted to see if the cargo space in a current generation Q5 or A4 allroad is workable. Part of that may be the fact I slept on a 21 Outback XT which is no longer available.

Still haven’t tried to talk the wife out of her Jetta in favor of a Lexus IS. Also slightly wondering if the Acura dealer will take a big enough swing at my RDX to make a newer RDX viable.

ab348 · October 2022

We went through the leasing option for Sandy a little while ago. He drives so little that it make zero sense financially regardless. He would be saddled with a significant monthly payment for a very few miles of driving and of course there is no guarantee that the buyout price makes any sense at the end. He grumbles about fairly minor out of warranty maintenance items that crop up currently but there really is no comparison between the costs of those and the monthly lease payment he would be stuck paying.

kyfdx · October 2022

For a minute, I thought you had a child named Sandy.

qbrozen · October 2022

Just stacking up the imports over here. Bought one last night for my son, who will be getting his license in Feb.

It is a 1996 with 28k miles and the best condition report of anything I have bought from Japan to date. And, yes, LHD.

tjc78 · October 2022

Q - is this the fourth import now?

Are you driving the Gloria around?

tjc78 · October 2022

@ab348 said:
We went through the leasing option for Sandy a little while ago. He drives so little that it make zero sense financially regardless. He would be saddled with a significant monthly payment for a very few miles of driving and of course there is no guarantee that the buyout price makes any sense at the end. He grumbles about fairly minor out of warranty maintenance items that crop up currently but there really is no comparison between the costs of those and the monthly lease payment he would be stuck paying.

For every reason you post above I should NOT be leasing anything… but I enjoy it and don’t have too many other vices, so that’s that!

tjc78 · October 2022

Truck rolled over 1000 miles yesterday. I really can’t believe how much I love the beast. Have only used the bed once so far.

Don’t want to jinx it, but after draining the last tank of 93 from BJs and filling up with cheap 87 the cold start issue hasn’t been there in three days. Finger crossed. Maybe it was just bad gas.

stickguy · October 2022

I’m surprised to see left hand drive cars in Japan. Certainly plain old sedans like that.

qbrozen · October 2022

tjc78 said:
Q - is this the fourth import now?

Are you driving the Gloria around?

This is #5.

Gloria
Pajero
Suzuki Wagon R (arriving next week)
Alto Works (November)
Astra

I'm still trying to get title processed. Resent paperwork on the Gloria like a week and a half ago. Fingers crossed.

laurasdada · October 2022

Good luck, Michaell. Hopefully, whatever is the best outcome for you manifests!
Went to gym last night, white Audi A4 with all the lights flashing, no horn. As I enter the gym, it stops. A little while later, an elderly gentleman knocks on the door, does anyone in here own a white Audi A4, all the lights are flashing.
Young dude on the treadmill says it's his. And it started doing this every time it rains, coincidentally just out of warranty.
I said great, I've got an A7. He said he saw it, it's a beauty. 'Tis, indeed. While under warranty, especially. Having written that, no issues after 18+ months, 15k miles. Other than the occasionally flaky MMI, usually solved with a reboot.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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