Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld · August 2023

@28firefighter said:
We made it down to Bend, Oregon yesterday. We made a bit of a day out of it stopping to let the kids (traveling with my BIL and SIL) stretch their legs and to go to some of my favorite breweries. 388 miles total.

I averaged 300 miles per charge (though I never went up to 100% or lower than 15% charge because we were near super chargers). Our longest charge was from 15-80% once we arrived in bend and took 17 minutes. Including recharging in Bend when we got here, we spent $23 in supercharging fees.

Car is without a doubt the best vehicle I’ve ever done a road trip with. Autopilot helped keeping away from a speeding ticket.

Hit the last Blockbuster video on earth today. Super cool!

I’ve been keeping an eye on Model Y inventory and quarter end discounts. I flirt with the higher end EVs as the replacement for my polestar 2, but given the rapid change in the EV world, a $50k Model Y seems like an attractive option.

Or maybe another lease of something like the Q8 e-tron or iX.

tifighter · August 2023

@pensfan83 said:
2022 MDX Type S Advance. CPO, 1,257 miles at purchase.

This guy has good taste. I’ll bet he’s handsome too. Congrats…

qbrozen · August 2023

Funny interaction with the suzuki. As we were leaving the House of Blues the other day, a monstrous 6-door Excursion on ~40” tires rolled up slow at the light, hanging out the window gawking at us, and ended with a huge smile and thumbs up. I found that hilarious.

kyfdx · August 2023

Love the MR-2. Does it say "turbo" on it, anywhere?

stickguy · August 2023

My son is on vacation in Portugal. Has a Renault Twingo rental. Not bad looking little things but reports on how it drives, not great.

au1994 · August 2023

kyfdx said:
Love the MR-2. Does it say "turbo" on it, anywhere?

Above the passenger taillight I believe.

nyccarguy · August 2023

kyfdx said:
Love the MR-2. Does it say "turbo" on it, anywhere?

Yes. There is a TURBO badge on the back right.

Michaell · August 2023

Probably one for q, but please, feel free to help this member out with a used car valuation for insurance purposes.

carnaught · August 2023

@breld said:

@28firefighter said:
We made it down to Bend, Oregon yesterday. We made a bit of a day out of it stopping to let the kids (traveling with my BIL and SIL) stretch their legs and to go to some of my favorite breweries. 388 miles total.

I averaged 300 miles per charge (though I never went up to 100% or lower than 15% charge because we were near super chargers). Our longest charge was from 15-80% once we arrived in bend and took 17 minutes. Including recharging in Bend when we got here, we spent $23 in supercharging fees.

Car is without a doubt the best vehicle I’ve ever done a road trip with. Autopilot helped keeping away from a speeding ticket.

Hit the last Blockbuster video on earth today. Super cool!

I’ve been keeping an eye on Model Y inventory and quarter end discounts. I flirt with the higher end EVs as the replacement for my polestar 2, but given the rapid change in the EV world, a $50k Model Y seems like an attractive option.

Or maybe another lease of something like the Q8 e-tron or iX.

So the Polestar is on secret probation. The Kia EV6 with it’s rapid charging capability might be worth consideration as some dealers are now discounting it by $1- $4k.

nyccarguy · August 2023

carnaught said:

@breld said:

@28firefighter said:

We made it down to Bend, Oregon yesterday. We made a bit of a day out of it stopping to let the kids (traveling with my BIL and SIL) stretch their legs and to go to some of my favorite breweries. 388 miles total.

I averaged 300 miles per charge (though I never went up to 100% or lower than 15% charge because we were near super chargers). Our longest charge was from 15-80% once we arrived in bend and took 17 minutes. Including recharging in Bend when we got here, we spent $23 in supercharging fees.

Car is without a doubt the best vehicle I’ve ever done a road trip with. Autopilot helped keeping away from a speeding ticket.

Hit the last Blockbuster video on earth today. Super cool!

I’ve been keeping an eye on Model Y inventory and quarter end discounts. I flirt with the higher end EVs as the replacement for my polestar 2, but given the rapid change in the EV world, a $50k Model Y seems like an attractive option.

Or maybe another lease of something like the Q8 e-tron or iX.

So the Polestar is on secret probation. The Kia EV6 with it’s rapid charging capability might be worth consideration as some dealers are now discounting it by $1- $4k.

It is still a KIA though.

sda · August 2023

@stickguy said:
My son is on vacation in Portugal. Has a Renault Twingo rental. Not bad looking little things but reports on how it drives, not great.

I doubt any car would drive good that he rents compared to his Audi. How our expectations change!

Michaell · August 2023

sda said:

@stickguy said:

My son is on vacation in Portugal. Has a Renault Twingo rental. Not bad looking little things but reports on how it drives, not great.

I doubt any car would drive good that he rents compared to his Audi. How our expectations change!

It's funny - when I was driving not-so-great cars as my DD, I was always looking for something "nicer" when I rented, which was frequently back in the day.

Now that my current car is pretty nice (for me), I don't care as much about what I get from the rental counter. Recent rentals have been a Chevy Equinox, a Hyundai Tucson, and a Toyota Camry.

I'll be going to CA next month for my mom's services, and I've got a compact reserved through National (I think through the Emerald Isle, though I need to confirm that). Don't need anything fancy.

jmonroe1 · August 2023

breld said:

@28firefighter said:

We made it down to Bend, Oregon yesterday. We made a bit of a day out of it stopping to let the kids (traveling with my BIL and SIL) stretch their legs and to go to some of my favorite breweries. 388 miles total.

I averaged 300 miles per charge (though I never went up to 100% or lower than 15% charge because we were near super chargers). Our longest charge was from 15-80% once we arrived in bend and took 17 minutes. Including recharging in Bend when we got here, we spent $23 in supercharging fees.

Car is without a doubt the best vehicle I’ve ever done a road trip with. Autopilot helped keeping away from a speeding ticket.

Hit the last Blockbuster video on earth today. Super cool!

I’ve been keeping an eye on Model Y inventory and quarter end discounts. I flirt with the higher end EVs as the replacement for my polestar 2, but given the rapid change in the EV world, a $50k Model Y seems like an attractive option.

Or maybe another lease of something like the Q8 e-tron or iX.

————————————————
And the clock is ticking.

jmonroe

nyccarguy · August 2023

And the clock is ticking

In the @breld household it never stops!

tjc78 · August 2023

When is the lease up? Volvo financial is very difficult to get out of.

breld · August 2023

I'm at 10 months remaining on the Polestar - once I decide to make the change, I'll basically be paying out the remainder of the lease. Way back when I started the lease, they mistakenly double counted the $7,500 rebate, and honored the deal even after I pointed it out to them. So at this point the overall monthly amortization would still be decent, so I'm kinda ready whenever to make the switch.

I'm almost to 2.5 years on the Polestar...gotta give me some credit!

au1994 · August 2023

I am 1 year out on the Jeep. So many ideas on what to do next which basically means I have no idea.

A lot of it hinges on where our son ends up going to college. The 328i isn’t getting any younger and it’s at nearly 160k miles. If he goes down 45 min down the road on a (nearly) full ride, we may roll the dice and let him keep it.

I am more inclined to pass the X1 to him either way, in state close or out of state. I would then hopefully use some equity in the Jeep for something new for my wife and I would hope for a cheap lease on a truck…Tacoma or Frontier deals that appear sometimes.

On the other hand, I am still WFH 3+ days a week and traveling so it could make sense for me to hang on to the X1. Even though it’s the car nobody seems to love. Its just kinda blah…

Sandman6472 · August 2023

Looks like we're going to miss the brunt of the hurricane. Maybe some wind & rain but luckily it's going away from us. Had the driveway asphalt sealed today but it's very sunny & hot so think we'll be o k. Guy told me not to drive on it for 24 hours but think I'll do 48 just to be safe. Left the Golf outside, which I hate, and put the Accent in the garage. My daughter took off some time to go to Orlando with my wife as she has some sort of IRS thing going on for a few days. Left yesterday & will be home sometime Friday. I'm home minding the fort which is fine with me. She has another conference in October somewhere on the Treasure Coast of Florida but think I've been volunteered to go to that one. Looks like they'll get a bit more of the storm in Orlando but luckily, they're not in the cone.
It's that time again for the yearly oil/filter change plus tire rotation. Did it last September it seems but have only driven about 2800 miles since then, give or take. But won't go over a year to be honest as my driving style is pretty severe these past few years. Got an appointment for Thursday morning at 7 am at Tires Plus. Had planned on going to a new place but the feedback I got was not very positive while the second place was one of those first come, first served places which again, I didn't like as they told me there was no guarantee I'd get my car back that same day. Figured I know what I'll get at T P so decided to make the appointment online. They called and told me I'd probably be done by around 10 am, so said sure.
Could I wait a little longer? Probably so, but definitely time to rotate the tires as one in front is staring to show signs of wear. Figured since it's my n/s day tomorrow and the girls are not around, why not just bite the bullet & do it. One less item off my list.

Sandman6472 · August 2023

EPC light comes on when we start the Audi. Turn it off & restart, light goes away. Seem to have started with the last battery replacement. Service advisor told her not to worry about it. Also, when engine is warm, seems to come on less often. Had her top off the fluids before Monday's trip to Orlando and have heard no complaints and it's now Wednesday. For the time being, she's cool with it all but think if she gets stranded once or twice, she'll be quite ready to get something new. She's pushing 80K and it'll be 9 the beginning of December. Hoping to get another couple years out of it as not sure what would come next. I'd push for an Elantra or something cheap to keep at a dealer close to the house. Considering the luck we've had with our Hyundai products, think she'd go with one of their products or even a Kia though the dealer isn't that close. The longer warranty plus the fact that she'll keep her vehicle for a long time puts the Korean brands at the top of her list.
Hoping that the auto industry keeps ramping up inventory while decreasing prices a bit, possibly closer to invoice. Might not be too realistic but one can always hope. Think we're just at the point in our lives where we don't want any vehicular issues anymore if possible. As I approach 70 years of age, just looking for a slower pace of life with no drama of any sort.

stickguy · August 2023

What’s EPC? The check engine light?

au1994 · August 2023

stickguy said:
What’s EPC? The check engine light?

Electric Power Control.

Sounds like it would be indicating a throttle position sensor going bad.

andres3 · August 2023

au1994 said:

stickguy said:
What’s EPC? The check engine light?
Electric Power Control.

Sounds like it would be indicating a throttle position sensor going bad.

When my engine blew a bunch of lights lit up including EPC and check engine.

But there is no need to worry... in my case by the time the light was on the damage was already done.

stickguy · August 2023

Never heard of that. Is it what I’m the old days would have been the battery light?

stickguy · August 2023

I looked it up. New one on me. But does not sound good!

The Electronic Power Control (EPC) warning light indicates a problem with your vehicle's throttle system, which could include the accelerator pedal, fuel injection throttle body, traction control, cruise control, or other systems.

stickguy · August 2023

At that age and miles, my wife would have taken one look at a warning light like this (well, assuming she noticed it!) and told me it was time for a new car.

kyfdx · August 2023

stickguy said:
I looked it up. New one on me. But does not sound good!

The Electronic Power Control (EPC) warning light indicates a problem with your vehicle's throttle system, which could include the accelerator pedal, fuel injection throttle body, traction control, cruise control, or other systems.

I got that light when the battery went bad on the GTI. So, it might mean nothing more than that.

roadburner · August 2023

I'll bet it's the battery.

explorerx4 · August 2023

Put a battery tender on the car. Some components won't initialize correctly if voltage is low.
I had that issue on my Mustang. It's pre OBD 2 so the check engine light flashes a code(think morse code).

stickguy · August 2023

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:
I looked it up. New one on me. But does not sound good!

The Electronic Power Control (EPC) warning light indicates a problem with your vehicle's throttle system, which could include the accelerator pedal, fuel injection throttle body, traction control, cruise control, or other systems.

I got that light when the battery went bad on the GTI. So, it might mean nothing more than that.

or the alternator. When that went bad on our old Acura TL every light in the car lit up and all kinds of weirdness happened. Dealer first replaced the battery (which likely was due anyway) but of course did not fix the problem.

oldfarmer50 · August 2023

Sandman6472 said:
EPC light comes on when we start the Audi. Turn it off & restart, light goes away. Seem to have started with the last battery replacement. Service advisor told her not to worry about it. Also, when engine is warm, seems to come on less often. Had her top off the fluids before Monday's trip to Orlando and have heard no complaints and it's now Wednesday. For the time being, she's cool with it all but think if she gets stranded once or twice, she'll be quite ready to get something new. She's pushing 80K and it'll be 9 the beginning of December. Hoping to get another couple years out of it as not sure what would come next. I'd push for an Elantra or something cheap to keep at a dealer close to the house. Considering the luck we've had with our Hyundai products, think she'd go with one of their products or even a Kia though the dealer isn't that close. The longer warranty plus the fact that she'll keep her vehicle for a long time puts the Korean brands at the top of her list.
Hoping that the auto industry keeps ramping up inventory while decreasing prices a bit, possibly closer to invoice. Might not be too realistic but one can always hope. Think we're just at the point in our lives where we don't want any vehicular issues anymore if possible. As I approach 70 years of age, just looking for a slower pace of life with no drama of any sort.

If that was a Chevy I’d say replace the throttle position sensor. As to car prices coming down watch out for the possibility of a UAW strike. That could cause a spike in prices across the board.

jmonroe1 · August 2023

roadburner said:
I'll bet it's the battery.

————————————————
I agree. @Sandman6472 said the EPC light started to appear after the battery was replaced. You can’t ignore “cause and effect”. There comes a time when you have to start believing in your religion.

jmonroe

tifighter · August 2023

I’m in Zurich and saw one of these on the road today-

The Microlino. It’s ridiculous and I love it.

stickguy · August 2023

I can't imagine my wife and I fitting in that thing.

qbrozen · August 2023

@tifighter said:
I’m in Zurich and saw one of these on the road today-

The Microlino. It’s ridiculous and I love it.

I had no idea anyone continued Isetta production. Cool.

ab348 · August 2023

oldfarmer50 said:
As to car prices coming down watch out for the possibility of a UAW strike. That could cause a spike in prices across the board.

I've read that the UAW has targeted Ford for a strike this time around so they will have ample inventories and F-150s and Escapes for a while, though this could drive Maverick and Bronco prices back to dizzying heights if it lasts very long.

nyccarguy · August 2023

qbrozen said:

@tifighter said:

I’m in Zurich and saw one of these on the road today-

The Microlino. It’s ridiculous and I love it.

I had no idea anyone continued Isetta production. Cool.

I was thinking the EXACT same thing!

Sandman6472 · August 2023

Well, good & bad news at my oil change this morning. That part went fine but didn't do the rotation & had a feeling there'd be an issue here. I definitely knew the front left tire was showing the wear bars as it's the oldest one on the car. Two others were right at the wear bars and the last, the newest, was just fine. Figured I'd just get one and call it a day but hey, since I'm sitting there & have nothing else to do right now, just had them throw on the other two. Since I really have no clue how long the VW will be in the fleet, decided to just be safe and get the tires. With all the rain we've been having lately, wasn't the worst thing. Tires were under $100 each with the family & friends discount & they have almost identical tread to my Eagle GT tire. Was thinking about gong to Discount Tire in West Palm but decided it was best to just go local where I've been going for years.
Was happy to hear everything else checked out, no glaring issues to deal with except a 4-wheel alignment was brought up even though my friend admitted the tires were wearing evenly so decided to wait a bit on the 3-year alignment policy. Since it's transferrable one time to another vehicle, figured I'd revisit this come January of 2024. Since I'm driving so little right now, the idea of getting something new really makes zero sense, as much as I'd like to. If there were some big issues, I'd consider something new but right now, we're good so best to just stay the course. Give me more time to squirrel away some more cash for a bigger down payment once the time does come. The price for today was about what a monthly payment might be, so don't feel too bad here. Haven't financed a vehicle since January of 1981, and that was only for $2500, but the rate was pretty high as I recall. Paid it off once we got married and that was that. Think when I do finance again, I'd want the payment to be around $400/month, so would need to put down a nice chunk of change to get to that figure I'm figuring. But, not really sure how the numbers would play out here.

stickguy · August 2023

I’d have a nervous breakdown if my car had 1 tire that was different than the other 3.

But that might just be me.

mjfloyd1 · August 2023

I’d go for the trifecta too😂

nyccarguy · August 2023

Oh yeah. Fresh asphalt! Argh! Argh! Argh!

Sandman6472 · August 2023

Send me some down here please. Hell, your driveway is so long! Would love something half the size honestly. Think we could fit only four vehicles back to back on our smallish drive.

Sandman6472 · August 2023

I think if I was a lot younger, having that one oddball tire would bother me but now, I never gave it another thought until y'all just brought it up. Guess I just can't sweat the little stuff anymore! Think it also comes down to our priorities...and mine have changed a bit over the years it seems. I just want our vehicles to start when needed, not break down & have no tire issues. Other then that, I'm good. Just like years ago, I'd always want the cars clean & in the garage which meant weekly washes & keeping only certain things in the garage and never block the floor for more then a day or two. It's different now...haven't had the Golf washed in over a month and even longer with the other two. Just not a priority like it once was. And with all the rain we've had since May, the cars don't stay clean that long either.
Guess I am getting older!!! In my brain, I'm still that younger guy I used to be but one look in the mirror just shows me that that guy is long gone! Now, I'm just happy to get up in the morning, and quite thankful.

Sandman6472 · August 2023

From another forum...just too tired to re-type it all over again!

Took a "mental health" day on Tuesday so I'd have three days of quiet. Learned one thing, one important thing. As much as I do love my Enterprise gig, I'd be just as happy to stay home full time going forward! I've been doing things around the house that I've put off & I'm making some progress. Cleaned my office on Tuesday while the guy was working on the driveway. Yesterday, tackled the closet in my office & found a couple of things I've been looking for. Also started going through my sock/underwear drawers and sorting things out. Since I've been home today, threw another load of wash in as my hamper was pretty full. Tried on my stack of shorts & put aside the ones that no longer fit. Either they've shrunk or...I've gained a few extra pounds. I'm going with the former here, but think it's really the latter. But did learn one thing...I've just got too much clothing! Shorts, shirts & slacks...just too many. Filled up the donate bucket with shirts yesterday & now have about half a dozen shorts to add to the pile.
I actually waited till the house was empty to start doing this stuff as I need to do this myself, with no "help" from the others. Obviously I've got to donate more stuff & it's starting to get done. But it feels good to start this long overdue process, I just had to be ready to start doing it, at my own pace.

stickguy · August 2023

Nice Bradd. You even installed wheel scuffers on both sides!

laurasdada · August 2023

I think I'm past my multiple coats of Zaino days (and, in hindsight, I think the ex was truly upset in how well I took care of the cars vs the interior of the house), but just went out to clean the wheels of the M240 and the windshield/rear screen.
Gonna get the A7 washed tonight, it's old folks' day at the wash. Followed up with a trip to BJs and likely some unhealthy food.

tjc78 · August 2023

Bradd that is going to be very nice!!

qbrozen · August 2023

The Microlino starts near $20k USD and has a 230km range. Not a good deal, IMHO.

tjc78 · August 2023

@nyccarguy said:
I was thinking the EXACT same thing!

My initial thought that popped into my feeble mind was this ….

jmonroe1 · August 2023

qbrozen said:
The Microlino starts near $20k USD and has a 230km range. Not a good deal, IMHO.

————————————————
I never saw one of those things and it would NEVER be found in my garage.

jmonroe

roadburner · August 2023

@laurasdada said:
I think I'm past my multiple coats of Zaino days (and, in hindsight, I think the ex was truly upset in how well I took care of the cars vs the interior of the house), but just went out to clean the wheels of the M240 and the windshield/rear screen.
Gonna get the A7 washed tonight, it's old folks' day at the wash. Followed up with a trip to BJs and likely some unhealthy food.

At 66 I still want my cars to look nice. I spent a bit of time preparing the Club Sport for the Keeneland Concours- even pulling the wheels to clean them front and rear. My other priority is the C43. The rest of the fleet looks decent- especially my wife’s X1:

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