Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

corvette · February 2023

PenFed is at 6.24% for a 72-month loan on a 72-month used vehicle. Depending on metrics, I'd guess the average used car note (including people with poor credit, also perhaps the statistic includes some BHPH, dealers being more brazen about marking up rates due to market conditions, etc.) could be closer to 12%.

oldfarmer50 · February 2023

stickguy said:
I mostly like that Jeep. I would take. Look if local since it comes with the hardtop. Only 2 issues. One, the automatic disqualifies it out the gate. And 2, if it was up here, almost guaranteed the chassis would be one big piece if rusty metal. They all are.

If he kept it down near Stamford it might have escaped the worst of the rust. Quick way to check is to look at the frame just in front of the rear axle. That’s the first place they rust out. If he took it to the mountains……good luck.

oldfarmer50 · February 2023

stickguy said:
Then there was this.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-volkswagen-golf-gti-16v-7/

Ok, somebody has to explain that to me.

oldfarmer50 · February 2023

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).

I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?

28firefighter · February 2023

That Jeep is a no from me.

mjfloyd1 · February 2023

@qbrozen said:
Pajero Minis are not up for sale yet, of course, but someone reached out who saw my comments in a facebook group about them. He has an '89 Wrangler Islander he is presenting as a trade for my automatic turbo. He claims the underside is clean because it was undercoated when new. I'd, of course, need to see that. But, assuming the rust is limited to what the ad claims, what do y'all think? It is concerning he has had it for sale for the better part of a year now. Seems to me it would have gone quick for the money. Maybe I'm crazy. A better advert with far more pics would certainly help the cause, as would a good cleaning, especially under the hood. Correct air cleaner, maybe some fender flares, maybe paint the wheels and recover the seats. I think it has potential to get bigger money than what he is asking, if done right.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1742389202763751

Must be something up with the passenger front fender since it is not pictured

laurasdada · February 2023

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
Then there was this.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-volkswagen-golf-gti-16v-7/

Ok, somebody has to explain that to me.

More money than smarts.
YOLO.
Trust Fund baby.

I tried to get a quickie online Carmax quote for the A7; but was notified I'd have to visit my local store as my car was too unique for an online offer.
~~I'm~~ My car is special.

explorerx4 · February 2023

Using my 2020 Explorer, I just used Edmunds 'Appraise My Car'.
It returned offers from Carmax(32,400), Carvana(28,811) and Vroom(24,381).

qbrozen · February 2023

@oldfarmer50 said:
Ok, somebody has to explain that to me.

I got nuthin.
There is zero reason for that price. Whether the buyer follows through we may never know.

stickguy · February 2023

2 bidders really wanted it. It seems to be a pretty clean, low miles and original unit, and those are pretty hard to find at this point. But still seems like 2 people that both just hadda have it.

actually 3 really did. the 3rd high bidder stopped after bidding $61k, which would have also been a record.

henryn · February 2023

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).
I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?

Makes no sense to me either. But like the man said, a used car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

I just got the offer from Vroom. $8,000. Seriously low. A 10 year old F150, with 82k miles, was worth more than that before all of the craziness started.

stickguy · February 2023

it's a great private sale unit, but normally big used car places don't deal with stuff like that and that old.

jmonroe1 · February 2023

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
Then there was this.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-volkswagen-golf-gti-16v-7/

Ok, somebody has to explain that to me.

————————————————
Me too. Maybe there’s a few bags of high grade stuff hidden in the seat cushions.

jmonroe

tjc78 · February 2023

Wow wow wow on the GTI.

Wow

nyccarguy · February 2023

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I mostly like that Jeep. I would take. Look if local since it comes with the hardtop. Only 2 issues. One, the automatic disqualifies it out the gate. And 2, if it was up here, almost guaranteed the chassis would be one big piece if rusty metal. They all are.

If he kept it down near Stamford it might have escaped the worst of the rust. Quick way to check is to look at the frame just in front of the rear axle. That’s the first place they rust out. If he took it to the mountains……good luck.

Negative ghost rider. They used to not salt certain roads in Stamford because people have well water. The salt makes its way into the water supply. If you don't have a proper filtration system, it means bad news. It is part of the reason I stopped daily driving my Prelude when we moved to Stamford. Even with my dedicated winter tires I had trouble getting around.

Now. All bets are off. They pre-treat, brine, and salt, salt, salt. If you don't get the car washed a day or 2 later, the salt just sticks to whatever it wants to and starts eating away.

kyfdx · February 2023

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).
I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?
Makes no sense to me either. But like the man said, a used car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

I just got the offer from Vroom. $8,000. Seriously low. A 10 year old F150, with 82k miles, was worth more than that before all of the craziness started.

Regular cab or SuperCab? I'm really surprised at how low the offers are. 2WD in Texas should sell well.

oldfarmer50 · February 2023

nyccarguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I mostly like that Jeep. I would take. Look if local since it comes with the hardtop. Only 2 issues. One, the automatic disqualifies it out the gate. And 2, if it was up here, almost guaranteed the chassis would be one big piece if rusty metal. They all are.

If he kept it down near Stamford it might have escaped the worst of the rust. Quick way to check is to look at the frame just in front of the rear axle. That’s the first place they rust out. If he took it to the mountains……good luck.
Negative ghost rider. They used to not salt certain roads in Stamford because people have well water. The salt makes its way into the water supply. If you don't have a proper filtration system, it means bad news. It is part of the reason I stopped daily driving my Prelude when we moved to Stamford. Even with my dedicated winter tires I had trouble getting around.

Now. All bets are off. They pre-treat, brine, and salt, salt, salt. If you don't get the car washed a day or 2 later, the salt just sticks to whatever it wants to and starts eating away.

Yeah, I just assumed that being farther south with a bit warmer weather you wouldn’t get the same amount of snow as further inland and hence less salt. I didn’t factor in salt used for ice and such. Sorry to hear you’ve been sacrificed to the salt demons too.

What kills me is that some of the states that salt like crazy will also flunk your old hooptie if it’s got too much surface rust. Vermont is famous for that which is why you see so many YT videos on how to do cheap cosmetic rust repair.

breld · February 2023

So…you all think I should back out on the GTI purchase then?

breld · February 2023

Getting the Polestar towed to the service center this morning. Nothing wrong with the vehicle…with all our snow there are some serious potholes on our streets here and I managed to find one directly this morning. The front passenger side tire is blown…there’s a gash on the sidewall. Obviously will need a new tire, but am hoping it’s nothing more than that, other than an alignment perhaps.

At 14k miles, I’m wondering if I’m gonna need to replace all 4 tires. Come to think of it, if I keep it through the end of the lease, I suppose I’ll have to do that anyway.

Michaell · February 2023

breld said:
Getting the Polestar towed to the service center this morning. Nothing wrong with the vehicle…with all our snow there are some serious potholes on our streets here and I managed to find one directly this morning. The front passenger side tire is blown…there’s a gash on the sidewall. Obviously will need a new tire, but am hoping it’s nothing more than that, other than an alignment perhaps.

At 14k miles, I’m wondering if I’m gonna need to replace all 4 tires. Come to think of it, if I keep it through the end of the lease, I suppose I’ll have to do that anyway.

Ouch. I wouldn't have thought a neighborhood as new as yours would have potholes large enough to do that kind of damage.

jmonroe1 · February 2023

Michaell said:
@jmonroe1 - this is one of those cars I keep an eye on.

Mid $30's seems low for a 2018; most of the ones I've seen for sale with similar (or higher) mileage are $40K or more. Of course, the market in Oregon could be different, or that your son is a savvy negotiator. What has he been quoted for shipping costs to get it to your part of the country?

————————————————
OK, I’ve got more info on the 2018 X3 M40i that Son #1 bought from a Benz dealer in Oregon:

I was wrong when I was thinking the price was in the mid 30’s. I finally had to ask and the price was $38,300. The mileage when it was delivered off the truck was just under 28,400 miles. That doesn’t sound bad to me for a cream puff. When he saw essentially the same car at a local used car dealer here in the Burgh area that specializes in higher end used cars that guy wanted $42,600 for his and it had 52,300 miles. That’s what sent my son off to the internet to find equivalents. I think I mentioned the the shipping cost was a tick over 1100 bucks (broker and driver) and I was right about that. So, all in he’s a good bit better off than the local guy.

He’s already done the oil and filter change himself. He kept some of the oil to send off for an oil analysis. He did a plug change too with BMW approved plugs which I thought was an over kill. He found out via YouTube videos that you have to used a thin wall spark plug socket to get the plugs out because a standard 5/8 inch spark plug socket won’t work. Just something that BMW and probably other German manufacturers do to discourage tinkering. He knows he’s going to be adding to his already well equipped tool box with special tools to work on his new used car but that doesn’t bother him at all.

A surprising thing he found when he pulled the plugs. They were not BMW plugs, they were run of the mill Champion plugs speced for his BMW. So, either the original owner changed them himself or an indie shop did that because a BMW dealer surely wouldn’t have done that. My son said the Champions showed almost no wear but since he had already bought BMW plugs he put them in.

He said the car ran great right off the truck, not a thing wrong with how it ran. He even tried the launch feature too and of course liked that.

All things considered he’s not the least bit sorry he went to the other side of the world to get it. That is something I would never even think of doing.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · February 2023

Michaell said:

breld said:
Getting the Polestar towed to the service center this morning. Nothing wrong with the vehicle…with all our snow there are some serious potholes on our streets here and I managed to find one directly this morning. The front passenger side tire is blown…there’s a gash on the sidewall. Obviously will need a new tire, but am hoping it’s nothing more than that, other than an alignment perhaps.

At 14k miles, I’m wondering if I’m gonna need to replace all 4 tires. Come to think of it, if I keep it through the end of the lease, I suppose I’ll have to do that anyway.
Ouch. I wouldn't have thought a neighborhood as new as yours would have potholes large enough to do that kind of damage.

————————————————
He could have been driving through Peasantville when that happened.

Years ago at night in a pouring rain, when I had my ‘09 Genny, I hit a deep pot hole filled with water (couldn’t even see it because of that) so hard that the rear view mirror shifted. I thought for sure I’d be pulling over with a flat tire but fortunately the tire was fine and the rim wasn’t damaged either. Still trying to figure that one out.

jmonroe

Michaell · February 2023

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:
@jmonroe1 - this is one of those cars I keep an eye on.

Mid $30's seems low for a 2018; most of the ones I've seen for sale with similar (or higher) mileage are $40K or more. Of course, the market in Oregon could be different, or that your son is a savvy negotiator. What has he been quoted for shipping costs to get it to your part of the country?
————————————————
OK, I’ve got more info on the 2018 X3 M40i that Son #1 bought from a Benz dealer in Oregon:

I was wrong when I was thinking the price was in the mid 30’s. I finally had to ask and the price was $38,300. The mileage when it was delivered off the truck was just under 28,400 miles. That doesn’t sound bad to me for a cream puff. When he saw essentially the same car at a local used car dealer here in the Burgh area that specializes in higher end used cars that guy wanted $42,600 for his and it had 52,300 miles. That’s what sent my son off to the internet to find equivalents. I think I mentioned the the shipping cost was a tick over 1100 bucks (broker and driver) and I was right about that. So, all in he’s a good bit better off than the local guy.

He’s already done the oil and filter change himself. He kept some of the oil to send off for an oil analysis. He did a plug change too with BMW approved plugs which I thought was an over kill. He found out via YouTube videos that you have to used a thin wall spark plug socket to get the plugs out because a standard 5/8 inch spark plug socket won’t work. Just something that BMW and probably other German manufacturers do to discourage tinkering. He knows he’s going to be adding to his already well equipped tool box with special tools to work on his new used car but that doesn’t bother him at all.

A surprising thing he found when he pulled the plugs. They were not BMW plugs, they were run of the mill Champion plugs speced for his BMW. So, either the original owner changed them himself or an indie shop did that because a BMW dealer surely wouldn’t have done that. My son said the Champions showed almost no wear but since he had already bought BMW plugs he put them in.

He said the car ran great right off the truck, not a thing wrong with how it ran. He even tried the launch feature too and of course liked that.

All things considered he’s not the least bit sorry he went to the other side of the world to get it. That is something I would never even think of doing.

jmonroe

That's still a good price for that vehicle. Your son did well.

What is the color combo?

mjfloyd1 · February 2023

@breld said:
Getting the Polestar towed to the service center this morning. Nothing wrong with the vehicle…with all our snow there are some serious potholes on our streets here and I managed to find one directly this morning. The front passenger side tire is blown…there’s a gash on the sidewall. Obviously will need a new tire, but am hoping it’s nothing more than that, other than an alignment perhaps.

At 14k miles, I’m wondering if I’m gonna need to replace all 4 tires. Come to think of it, if I keep it through the end of the lease, I suppose I’ll have to do that anyway.

I hit a pothole in wife’s Q7 and put a nice bump on the sidewall so got a new tire too. I’m a fan of an Allstate wheel and tire pkg that I bought for $750. It has paid for all four tires to be replaced and cosmetic repairs on two wheels and I have 3 plus more years of coverage to go…

jmonroe1 · February 2023

Michaell said:

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:
@jmonroe1 - this is one of those cars I keep an eye on.

Mid $30's seems low for a 2018; most of the ones I've seen for sale with similar (or higher) mileage are $40K or more. Of course, the market in Oregon could be different, or that your son is a savvy negotiator. What has he been quoted for shipping costs to get it to your part of the country?
————————————————
OK, I’ve got more info on the 2018 X3 M40i that Son #1 bought from a Benz dealer in Oregon:

I was wrong when I was thinking the price was in the mid 30’s. I finally had to ask and the price was $38,300. The mileage when it was delivered off the truck was just under 28,400 miles. That doesn’t sound bad to me for a cream puff. When he saw essentially the same car at a local used car dealer here in the Burgh area that specializes in higher end used cars that guy wanted $42,600 for his and it had 52,300 miles. That’s what sent my son off to the internet to find equivalents. I think I mentioned the the shipping cost was a tick over 1100 bucks (broker and driver) and I was right about that. So, all in he’s a good bit better off than the local guy.

He’s already done the oil and filter change himself. He kept some of the oil to send off for an oil analysis. He did a plug change too with BMW approved plugs which I thought was an over kill. He found out via YouTube videos that you have to used a thin wall spark plug socket to get the plugs out because a standard 5/8 inch spark plug socket won’t work. Just something that BMW and probably other German manufacturers do to discourage tinkering. He knows he’s going to be adding to his already well equipped tool box with special tools to work on his new used car but that doesn’t bother him at all.

A surprising thing he found when he pulled the plugs. They were not BMW plugs, they were run of the mill Champion plugs speced for his BMW. So, either the original owner changed them himself or an indie shop did that because a BMW dealer surely wouldn’t have done that. My son said the Champions showed almost no wear but since he had already bought BMW plugs he put them in.

He said the car ran great right off the truck, not a thing wrong with how it ran. He even tried the launch feature too and of course liked that.

All things considered he’s not the least bit sorry he went to the other side of the world to get it. That is something I would never even think of doing.

jmonroe
That's still a good price for that vehicle. Your son did well.

What is the color combo?

————————————————
I don’t know the official name of the color but it’s one of those popular bright medium blue jobs. That color and the 6 cylinder was what he had to have. He wasn’t interested in any other color/engine combo.

EDIT: black interior.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · February 2023

mjfloyd1 said:

@breld said:

Getting the Polestar towed to the service center this morning. Nothing wrong with the vehicle…with all our snow there are some serious potholes on our streets here and I managed to find one directly this morning. The front passenger side tire is blown…there’s a gash on the sidewall. Obviously will need a new tire, but am hoping it’s nothing more than that, other than an alignment perhaps.

At 14k miles, I’m wondering if I’m gonna need to replace all 4 tires. Come to think of it, if I keep it through the end of the lease, I suppose I’ll have to do that anyway.

I hit a pothole in wife’s Q7 and put a nice bump on the sidewall so got a new tire too. I’m a fan of an Allstate wheel and tire pkg that I bought for $750. It has paid for all four tires to be replaced and cosmetic repairs on two wheels and I have 3 plus more years of coverage to go…

————————————————
WOW, all you need now is for the household to learn how to drive that beast.

jmonroe

henryn · February 2023

kyfdx said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).
I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?
Makes no sense to me either. But like the man said, a used car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

I just got the offer from Vroom. $8,000. Seriously low. A 10 year old F150, with 82k miles, was worth more than that before all of the craziness started.
Regular cab or SuperCab? I'm really surprised at how low the offers are. 2WD in Texas should sell well.

It's a regular ~~car~~ cab, 8 ft bed. Those are in high demand by people who actually use the truck for work. It has the V8, automatic, cold A/C, keyless entry, power mirrors, low miles (82k), and a few other niceties. I will have no trouble selling it when the time comes, it looks good and runs perfectly. I was just using the online car buying services to gauge the current used car market. This truck, on Carvana, started at $13.2 in May of 2021, peaked at a little over $15k, and is now down to $10.9.

Vroom is just an outlier, for some reason. No idea why.

kyfdx · February 2023

@jmonroe1 The plug thing is weird.

1) Who would change plugs on a car with 28K miles?
2) Evidently, your son.

I doubt the vehicle needed either plugs or an oil change. It has a condition based service reminder that automatically calls for an oil change after 1 year. So, it's likely been changed four or five times, already, in 28K miles.

henryn · February 2023

kyfdx said:
@jmonroe1 The plug thing is weird.

1) Who would change plugs on a car with 28K miles?
2) Evidently, your son.

I doubt the vehicle needed either plugs or an oil change. It has a condition based service reminder that automatically calls for an oil change after 1 year. So, it's likely been changed four or five times, already, in 28K miles.

I would have changed the oil anyway, unless I knew for a fact that it had been changed recently, using the right oil and filter. About the only way to know that would be having a service record at the dealership, otherwise doing so immediately would be cheap insurance.

On the plugs, probably not. 28k miles is really low for changing spark plugs on a modern car. Most but not all cars now specify 100k miles on the spark plugs. Anyone know the recommended interval for that particular car?

oldfarmer50 · February 2023

I wish I could try this:

https://youtu.be/hc3JzAgTzNQ

oldfarmer50 · February 2023

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).
I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?
Makes no sense to me either. But like the man said, a used car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

I just got the offer from Vroom. $8,000. Seriously low. A 10 year old F150, with 82k miles, was worth more than that before all of the craziness started.
Regular cab or SuperCab? I'm really surprised at how low the offers are. 2WD in Texas should sell well.
It's a regular ~~car~~ cab, 8 ft bed. Those are in high demand by people who actually use the truck for work. It has the V8, automatic, cold A/C, keyless entry, power mirrors, low miles (82k), and a few other niceties. I will have no trouble selling it when the time comes, it looks good and runs perfectly. I was just using the online car buying services to gauge the current used car market. This truck, on Carvana, started at $13.2 in May of 2021, peaked at a little over $15k, and is now down to $10.9.

Vroom is just an outlier, for some reason. No idea why.

All the 2013 Ford XL models near me with comparable milage are retailing for around $20k. How about I meet you halfway at roadburner’s house?

kyfdx · February 2023

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).
I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?
Makes no sense to me either. But like the man said, a used car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

I just got the offer from Vroom. $8,000. Seriously low. A 10 year old F150, with 82k miles, was worth more than that before all of the craziness started.
Regular cab or SuperCab? I'm really surprised at how low the offers are. 2WD in Texas should sell well.
It's a regular ~~car~~ cab, 8 ft bed. Those are in high demand by people who actually use the truck for work. It has the V8, automatic, cold A/C, keyless entry, power mirrors, low miles (82k), and a few other niceties. I will have no trouble selling it when the time comes, it looks good and runs perfectly. I was just using the online car buying services to gauge the current used car market. This truck, on Carvana, started at $13.2 in May of 2021, peaked at a little over $15k, and is now down to $10.9.

Vroom is just an outlier, for some reason. No idea why.
All the 2013 Ford XL models near me with comparable milage are retailing for around $20k. How about I meet you halfway at roadburner’s house?

2WD regular cab in NY?

stickguy · February 2023

tough sell, but I would be happy to take one cheap!

jmonroe1 · February 2023

kyfdx said:
@jmonroe1 The plug thing is weird.

1) Who would change plugs on a car with 28K miles?
2) Evidently, your son.

I doubt the vehicle needed either plugs or an oil change. It has a condition based service reminder that automatically calls for an oil change after 1 year. So, it's likely been changed four or five times, already, in 28K miles.

————————————————
In defense of my son, the car now has BMW plugs. The better question is who would have changed the plugs to Champions before 28K miles? If nothing else that car has not been ignored concerning oil/filter changes or plugs so far.

FWIW, my son spoke with 3 indie shops before he bought it. Two local and the indie shop in Oregon that did the PPI and all of them recommended doing oil/filter changes around 7.5K miles vs. the BMW suggested interval of 10K miles.

Anyone in here want his 7500 mile drain oil next January? I could arrange that for a poster buddy.

jmonroe

stickguy · February 2023

or it came from the factory with Champion plugs. seems more likely than someone changing out plugs that early.

explorerx4 · February 2023

Put some sandbags in the bed between the wheels and you ae pretty much good to go in the winter.

roadburner · February 2023

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:
@jmonroe1 - this is one of those cars I keep an eye on.

Mid $30's seems low for a 2018; most of the ones I've seen for sale with similar (or higher) mileage are $40K or more. Of course, the market in Oregon could be different, or that your son is a savvy negotiator. What has he been quoted for shipping costs to get it to your part of the country?
————————————————
OK, I’ve got more info on the 2018 X3 M40i that Son #1 bought from a Benz dealer in Oregon:

I was wrong when I was thinking the price was in the mid 30’s. I finally had to ask and the price was $38,300. The mileage when it was delivered off the truck was just under 28,400 miles. That doesn’t sound bad to me for a cream puff. When he saw essentially the same car at a local used car dealer here in the Burgh area that specializes in higher end used cars that guy wanted $42,600 for his and it had 52,300 miles. That’s what sent my son off to the internet to find equivalents. I think I mentioned the the shipping cost was a tick over 1100 bucks (broker and driver) and I was right about that. So, all in he’s a good bit better off than the local guy.

He’s already done the oil and filter change himself. He kept some of the oil to send off for an oil analysis. He did a plug change too with BMW approved plugs which I thought was an over kill. He found out via YouTube videos that you have to used a thin wall spark plug socket to get the plugs out because a standard 5/8 inch spark plug socket won’t work. Just something that BMW and probably other German manufacturers do to discourage tinkering. He knows he’s going to be adding to his already well equipped tool box with special tools to work on his new used car but that doesn’t bother him at all.

A surprising thing he found when he pulled the plugs. They were not BMW plugs, they were run of the mill Champion plugs speced for his BMW. So, either the original owner changed them himself or an indie shop did that because a BMW dealer surely wouldn’t have done that. My son said the Champions showed almost no wear but since he had already bought BMW plugs he put them in.

He said the car ran great right off the truck, not a thing wrong with how it ran. He even tried the launch feature too and of course liked that.

All things considered he’s not the least bit sorry he went to the other side of the world to get it. That is something I would never even think of doing.

jmonroe

I bought a thin wall spark plug socket from FCP Euro to service the Mini and X1; I think I paid around $8 for it. The OEM BMW socket was close to $50.

qbrozen · February 2023

I'm I the only one who, while I like what is proposed for a car, just can't see clear to give money to a company under this name? I mean, OK, I know it isn't REALLY related to the original, but there is a stigma there, like it or not. AND, even this "new" DMC has failed to follow through on their promise years ago for a continuation model of the DMC-12.

andres3 · February 2023

breld said:
So…you all think I should back out on the GTI purchase then?

Move forward! Feel much better about paying $15K for a new S4 engine then. Drop in the bucket.

jmonroe1 · February 2023

stickguy said:
or it came from the factory with Champion plugs. seems more likely than someone changing out plugs that early.

————————————————
My son said the plugs showed almost no wear. That being the case, I doubt they would have looked that good with 28K miles on them. Still a head scratcher.

jmonroe

roadburner · February 2023

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
@jmonroe1 The plug thing is weird.

1) Who would change plugs on a car with 28K miles?
2) Evidently, your son.

I doubt the vehicle needed either plugs or an oil change. It has a condition based service reminder that automatically calls for an oil change after 1 year. So, it's likely been changed four or five times, already, in 28K miles.
I would have changed the oil anyway, unless I knew for a fact that it had been changed recently, using the right oil and filter. About the only way to know that would be having a service record at the dealership, otherwise doing so immediately would be cheap insurance.

On the plugs, probably not. 28k miles is really low for changing spark plugs on a modern car. Most but not all cars now specify 100k miles on the spark plugs. Anyone know the recommended interval for that particular car?

I believe BMW calls for a 6 year/60k mile replacement interval on the B58 motor. People who have changed the plugs at shorter intervals have noted that the plugs looked fine. The main reason to change plugs earlier is because the car has been tuned.
And according to FCP Euro, the OEM plugs were made by either Beru or Champion.

sda · February 2023

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
@jmonroe1 The plug thing is weird.

1) Who would change plugs on a car with 28K miles?
2) Evidently, your son.

I doubt the vehicle needed either plugs or an oil change. It has a condition based service reminder that automatically calls for an oil change after 1 year. So, it's likely been changed four or five times, already, in 28K miles.
I would have changed the oil anyway, unless I knew for a fact that it had been changed recently, using the right oil and filter. About the only way to know that would be having a service record at the dealership, otherwise doing so immediately would be cheap insurance.

On the plugs, probably not. 28k miles is really low for changing spark plugs on a modern car. Most but not all cars now specify 100k miles on the spark plugs. Anyone know the recommended interval for that particular car?

Talking about spark plug change intervals, VW/Audi is less than 100k, well at least on ours. The Audi at 35k then every 40k, the VW every 40k.

andres3 · February 2023

oldfarmer50 said:
I wish I could try this:

https://youtu.be/hc3JzAgTzNQ

There's a lot of isolated mountain and desert roads in CA where you can freely test your car's speed out. Completely freely, as long as you don't get caught by the CHP. But speeding is sort of a joke in California, most of them won't treat you like a reckless driver simply for going fast in a straight line in an isolated area. Deep down in their gut they know it's just about the money.

jmonroe1 · February 2023

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:
@jmonroe1 - this is one of those cars I keep an eye on.

Mid $30's seems low for a 2018; most of the ones I've seen for sale with similar (or higher) mileage are $40K or more. Of course, the market in Oregon could be different, or that your son is a savvy negotiator. What has he been quoted for shipping costs to get it to your part of the country?
————————————————
OK, I’ve got more info on the 2018 X3 M40i that Son #1 bought from a Benz dealer in Oregon:

I was wrong when I was thinking the price was in the mid 30’s. I finally had to ask and the price was $38,300. The mileage when it was delivered off the truck was just under 28,400 miles. That doesn’t sound bad to me for a cream puff. When he saw essentially the same car at a local used car dealer here in the Burgh area that specializes in higher end used cars that guy wanted $42,600 for his and it had 52,300 miles. That’s what sent my son off to the internet to find equivalents. I think I mentioned the the shipping cost was a tick over 1100 bucks (broker and driver) and I was right about that. So, all in he’s a good bit better off than the local guy.

He’s already done the oil and filter change himself. He kept some of the oil to send off for an oil analysis. He did a plug change too with BMW approved plugs which I thought was an over kill. He found out via YouTube videos that you have to used a thin wall spark plug socket to get the plugs out because a standard 5/8 inch spark plug socket won’t work. Just something that BMW and probably other German manufacturers do to discourage tinkering. He knows he’s going to be adding to his already well equipped tool box with special tools to work on his new used car but that doesn’t bother him at all.

A surprising thing he found when he pulled the plugs. They were not BMW plugs, they were run of the mill Champion plugs speced for his BMW. So, either the original owner changed them himself or an indie shop did that because a BMW dealer surely wouldn’t have done that. My son said the Champions showed almost no wear but since he had already bought BMW plugs he put them in.

He said the car ran great right off the truck, not a thing wrong with how it ran. He even tried the launch feature too and of course liked that.

All things considered he’s not the least bit sorry he went to the other side of the world to get it. That is something I would never even think of doing.

jmonroe
I bought a thin wall spark plug socket from FCP Euro to service the Mini and X1; I think I paid around $8 for it. The OEM BMW socket was close to $50.

————————————————-
I can’t imagine my son went to a dealer or online for an OEM $50 BMW spark plug socket. I think I taught him better than that.

jmonroe

andres3 · February 2023

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
@jmonroe1 The plug thing is weird.

1) Who would change plugs on a car with 28K miles?
2) Evidently, your son.

I doubt the vehicle needed either plugs or an oil change. It has a condition based service reminder that automatically calls for an oil change after 1 year. So, it's likely been changed four or five times, already, in 28K miles.
I would have changed the oil anyway, unless I knew for a fact that it had been changed recently, using the right oil and filter. About the only way to know that would be having a service record at the dealership, otherwise doing so immediately would be cheap insurance.

On the plugs, probably not. 28k miles is really low for changing spark plugs on a modern car. Most but not all cars now specify 100k miles on the spark plugs. Anyone know the recommended interval for that particular car?

30K for a high-revving high performance car like the TTS. Spark plugs need to be on-point.

cdnpinhead · February 2023

henryn said:
Those are in high demand by people who actually use the truck for work.

Glad to hear that such people are still about.

People who use vehicles for the purpose for which they were (ostensibly) designed -- what a concept.

It's a given that the minivan is the most practical and useful vehicle known to (suburban) man, and yet. . .

oldfarmer50 · February 2023

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).
I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?
Makes no sense to me either. But like the man said, a used car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

I just got the offer from Vroom. $8,000. Seriously low. A 10 year old F150, with 82k miles, was worth more than that before all of the craziness started.
Regular cab or SuperCab? I'm really surprised at how low the offers are. 2WD in Texas should sell well.
It's a regular ~~car~~ cab, 8 ft bed. Those are in high demand by people who actually use the truck for work. It has the V8, automatic, cold A/C, keyless entry, power mirrors, low miles (82k), and a few other niceties. I will have no trouble selling it when the time comes, it looks good and runs perfectly. I was just using the online car buying services to gauge the current used car market. This truck, on Carvana, started at $13.2 in May of 2021, peaked at a little over $15k, and is now down to $10.9.

Vroom is just an outlier, for some reason. No idea why.
All the 2013 Ford XL models near me with comparable milage are retailing for around $20k. How about I meet you halfway at roadburner’s house?
2WD regular cab in NY?

Nothing has less traction than the 2WD Chevy Express I’m driving now. Besides I’ve been driving RWD in the snow since the 60s. AWD is just one more thing to break.

jmonroe1 · February 2023

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
I'm running my GTI back through Carvana, to see it's worth $50K, now..

EDIT: I'm down to $21,600. Not bad for a 5 year old car, I guess..
My 2013 F150 XL, which I purchased in May of 2021, is now all the way down to $10,962 according to Carvana. When I purchased it, Carvana offered $13,250. At some point it peaked at just over $15k, I don't remember exactly when.

Vroom says they will send me an offer via email.

I am not unhappy, I paid $10,500 and spent about $1,000 on maintenance and upgrades (stereo, backup camera).
I don’t get it, how does a 2013 F-150 go for 10k and a 2011 Ranger go for $20k on Carvana?
Makes no sense to me either. But like the man said, a used car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

I just got the offer from Vroom. $8,000. Seriously low. A 10 year old F150, with 82k miles, was worth more than that before all of the craziness started.
Regular cab or SuperCab? I'm really surprised at how low the offers are. 2WD in Texas should sell well.
It's a regular ~~car~~ cab, 8 ft bed. Those are in high demand by people who actually use the truck for work. It has the V8, automatic, cold A/C, keyless entry, power mirrors, low miles (82k), and a few other niceties. I will have no trouble selling it when the time comes, it looks good and runs perfectly. I was just using the online car buying services to gauge the current used car market. This truck, on Carvana, started at $13.2 in May of 2021, peaked at a little over $15k, and is now down to $10.9.

Vroom is just an outlier, for some reason. No idea why.
All the 2013 Ford XL models near me with comparable milage are retailing for around $20k. How about I meet you halfway at roadburner’s house?
2WD regular cab in NY?
Nothing has less traction than the 2WD Chevy Express I’m driving now. Besides I’ve been driving RWD in the snow since the 60s. AWD is just one more thing to break.

————————————————
So you do believe in the sand bag thingy.

jmonroe

henryn · February 2023

sda said:

henryn said:

kyfdx said:
@jmonroe1 The plug thing is weird.

1) Who would change plugs on a car with 28K miles?
2) Evidently, your son.

I doubt the vehicle needed either plugs or an oil change. It has a condition based service reminder that automatically calls for an oil change after 1 year. So, it's likely been changed four or five times, already, in 28K miles.
I would have changed the oil anyway, unless I knew for a fact that it had been changed recently, using the right oil and filter. About the only way to know that would be having a service record at the dealership, otherwise doing so immediately would be cheap insurance.

On the plugs, probably not. 28k miles is really low for changing spark plugs on a modern car. Most but not all cars now specify 100k miles on the spark plugs. Anyone know the recommended interval for that particular car?
Talking about spark plug change intervals, VW/Audi is less than 100k, well at least on ours. The Audi at 35k then every 40k, the VW every 40k.

The 2008 Passat that I owned a few years back had a fairly short interval for spark plugs. I don't recall precisely, but I think it was in that range (+/- 40k). Everything I've owned since then has been 100k.

explorerx4 · February 2023

AWD does have advantages over 2WD but that doesn't mean you can't get there if you have 2WD.
Usually less drama with AWD.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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