Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

venture · May 24

qbrozen said:
Good question. It really depends on the situation. I'd say most times I shop the deal with a range of colors I'd accept. The only times I can recall looking for and finding a specific color was the WRX and the Charger. My wife did it twice with the Pilot and Pacifica. We ordered a specific color for the Sprinter, but since the order never got processed, that didn't happen. The CTS just happened to be the color combo I would have chosen. I accidentally picked the grabber blue Mustang (thought I was getting the dark blue). I think that leaves a good 90% of the time where we took what they had. Right equipment and right price means far more to me than what color it is.

When I bought my first BMW they had to search for one since it was the end of the model year and they were changing the design. I said I would take certain options and any color except blue.

sda · May 24

I generally buy used vehicles 2-3 years old, low miles, some warranty left and/or CPO. Equipment, condition, drive ability comes first, color secondary. When my 96 Mazda Millenia L was coming off a 24 month lease, I liked that car so well I decided to purchase a new 98 Millenia L. They were heavily discounted and slow sellers. I wanted the Bose and cold weather package like the 96 had. The dealer only had cars that with the Bose package in colors I didn’t care for. They did a search and found a Millenia near Atlanta that had the Bose, no cold weather package, alas, but in Midnight Mica Blue and tan leather interior. Sold. That is the last time I bought the ‘same’ car twice. I got the itch to sell it quicker and bought a CPO Cadillac Catera. Lovely car, but very needy. Fine move. I cut bait quickly and sold it to CarMax.

stickguy · May 24

that's the Ford version of desert sand. not sure what they call it. If I was getting a new on, it would be the dark green color new for 2025.

Bed is 4.5'. Tailgate down, about 6'. How the heck long is your tractor?

I actually have a completely irrational Jonesing for a nice utility trailer. That is much easier for hauling wheeled vehicles anyway, being so much lower and having a ramp.

oldfarmer50 · May 24

“ Bed is 4.5'. Tailgate down, about 6'. How the heck long is your tractor?”

I think it’s about 6’ but it seems to fill the 8’ bed of my truck pretty good. I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable hanging the wheels out on the tailgate. I know they make accessories to make it useable but I’d rather be able to close the tailgate.

suydam · May 24

Post COVID, it is harder to be choosy, and prices have risen so much that getting a decent deal is more important to me.

au1994 · May 24

stickguy said:
that's the Ford version of desert sand. not sure what they call it. If I was getting a new on, it would be the dark green color new for 2025.

Bed is 4.5'. Tailgate down, about 6'. How the heck long is your tractor?

I actually have a completely irrational Jonesing for a nice utility trailer. That is much easier for hauling wheeled vehicles anyway, being so much lower and having a ramp.

The green is awesome but I do like that sand color as well.

jmonroe1 · May 24

oldfarmer50 said:

corvette said:
Obviously, I picked the color on the Maverick, since it was ordered. The Ariya was not my first or second choice of color, but the price was right. When buying new off the lot, I generally try to find multiple colors I would like and go with one of those (or ask that they do a dealer trade for one in an acceptable color). It's harder to be picky in the used market, unless you're buying something that was produced in very large numbers.
I was at the market yesterday and saw a Maverick Tremor edition in a color similar to this:

It looked really nice to my eye (brown is very rare these days) and it had some really unique wheels:

I thought I could see myself driving one of these until I walked past the back and saw the size of the bed. Nope. I couldn’t even fit my lawn tractor in there.

Maybe some day they’ll make a single cab version.

————————————————
Making a two door longer bed Maverick would break the grocery budget for most Maverick owners. Of course it could cut down on the number of times they had to get groceries, so, maybe it could work.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 · May 24

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

corvette said:
Obviously, I picked the color on the Maverick, since it was ordered. The Ariya was not my first or second choice of color, but the price was right. When buying new off the lot, I generally try to find multiple colors I would like and go with one of those (or ask that they do a dealer trade for one in an acceptable color). It's harder to be picky in the used market, unless you're buying something that was produced in very large numbers.
I was at the market yesterday and saw a Maverick Tremor edition in a color similar to this:

It looked really nice to my eye (brown is very rare these days) and it had some really unique wheels:

I thought I could see myself driving one of these until I walked past the back and saw the size of the bed. Nope. I couldn’t even fit my lawn tractor in there.

Maybe some day they’ll make a single cab version.
————————————————
Making a two door longer bed Maverick would break the grocery budget for most Maverick owners. Of course it could cut down on the number of times they had to get groceries, so, maybe it could work.

jmonroe

Curious as to why you say that. Aren’t most single cab versions of trucks the base models and therefore the least expensive? Then again you never know, the original Maverick was what, mid $20k and now it’s hard to find one under $35k. Ford would probably charge $50k for a single cab and then discontinue it because nobody was buying it.😢

explorerx4 · May 24

I found a nice 24 Maverick Tremor when I was looking but there was a stop sale on them at the time.

stickguy · May 24

I walked past a parked eruption green Maverick today. Loved it.

Sandman6472 · May 24

Definitely liked the way it drove but the tech/HVAC was a bit more complicated. Not simple like what I've currently got. And the $39,532 price was pretty hard to swallow. Carvana only offered $6600 for my Golf and it's worth more then that to me right now. Am still mulling over what I should do as I'm not 100% sold. Usually takes me awhile to commit to signing on the dotted line. Especially since I drive so little miles per year now, would take me probably 10 years to drive 30K miles! Hardly makes sense to give up a perfectly working vehicle with not even 80K on the clock! Not logical right now as it's not something I need to have and I didn't get that stupid grin driving this particular GTI, like I got back in 2014, my brain telling me that this is the one.

Plan to mull things over for a bit & go from there. Luckily I've got the needed funds put away so I can pull the trigger at any time. It's just not burning a hole in my pocket. My local dealer has a blue SE in transit for $39,315, so just need to see what it's missing. Also need to see the blue in person plus the interior to decide. Right now, prefer the white pearl one I saw downtown with the black/light interior. But, still need to check out a Mini Cooper and the Hyundai Venue...both are similar size wise though the Hyundai isn't as sporty or as fun as the other two will be.

The VW guy emailed me today to see what's up. I'll let him know I'm still looking and go from there. If I lose the white pearl GTI, then it wasn't meant to be. I've basically got it down to these three vehicles though I'd like to try a Corolla Cross again. A bit larger then the others but, it has reliability and "cheap to keep" on it's side. Though the Venue is also in that group so boils down to do I go German again or go Japanese/Korean? Tough decision here but have definitely made some progress. It was super hot today and the a/c was struggling on the way home about 3 this afternoon. Hate for the a/c to go out after we just had the system checked and fresh refrigerant installed!!

nyccarguy · May 24

@Sandman6472

“stupid grin driving this particular GTI”

If that’s not the perfect reason, I don’t know what is.

“Luckily I've got the needed funds put away so I can pull the trigger at any time.”

Sandy - you know more than any of us how difficult life can be. You worked hard for so many years for the postal service and continue to work as much as you physically can in your “retirement.” Your kids are grown and doing well on their own. You’ve loved that Golf for a long time. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to treat yourself. You’ve earned it.

Michaell · May 24

And, your Golf will only decrease in trade value the longer you keep it.

explorerx4 · May 24

@sandman6472,
Car dealers are trying very hard to buy used vehicles due to tariffs on new.
Drive a hard bargain. You can always walk away if you don;t get your number.

jmonroe1 · May 24

Michaell said:
And, your Golf will only decrease in trade value the longer you keep it.

————————————————
You either sell cars on the side or you’re the perfect mod for this forum.

jmonroe

roadburner · May 24

28firefighter said:
Congrats @tjc78 !

Ditto!

tjc78 · May 24

@Sandman6472
It’s time to let the Golf go. It’s been pretty good to you. The last thing you want is the AC going out in the middle of summer where you live. That could easily be $1000 repair

roadburner · May 24

Michaell said:
Which begs the question - how many of us actively chose the color of the cars they bought/leased, and how many settled for colors that were on the lot?

I know the Subaru was specifically chosen by my wife - she only wanted the Wilderness Green. On the Sportage, however, the daughter bought the car I brought her to test drive - was not a color that was on her radar.

With used cars it depends on the situation. the E24 M6 was a one owner with a FSH, so black it was- but it did look nice with the silver leather interior.
I ordered the Club Sport; the color choices were black and bright red. Amazingly, of the 200 built only 89 were red. The interior was a black/red combination regardless.
What sold me on the C43 was its option set- although I do think the Selenite Gray/Cranberry Red combination is very attractive.
Ditto for the Wrangler; white over black is hardly my favorite, but what can you do? The Jeep ticked every other box and the price was right.

Michaell · May 24

tjc78 said:
@Sandman6472

It’s time to let the Golf go. It’s been pretty good to you. The last thing you want is the AC going out in the middle of summer where you live. That could easily be $1000 repair

+1 on that opinion.

explorerx4 · May 24

A couple of weeks ago, one of my kids traded in their 2013 Escape.
Since the original listing, the price has dropped a bit over $200 and they attached the Carfax.
For some reason, the last couple of maintenance services before I had one done in 2024 don't show up.
https://www.carfax.com/vehiclehistory/ar20/7kaK51xHR85b74s7iLgH9xbHR6I1g3fQjf1dGMmAgMgwhuedlUDOam6gNJ9gg0CeRZ6TSPAUaP0AfvajzhEyOZEM0xyWTXbA69I?_cl=klIZ8shMftTQ9T2bPy8xNjS6

stickguy · May 24

one for Tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DwnhZA6_wI&ab_channel=SpecialtyMotorCars

jmonroe1 · May 24

stickguy said:
one for Tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DwnhZA6_wI&ab_channel=SpecialtyMotorCars

————————————————
When @tjc78 gets home from the shore this weekend he’s going to track that thing down. Man, 15K miles!! That thing is right up his alley.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 · May 25

stickguy said:
one for Tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DwnhZA6_wI&ab_channel=SpecialtyMotorCars

That’s my dream car too.❤️ Are those cloth seats? That would make it a GS rather than a LS, right? Probably the last car that having a vinyl roof isn’t a deal breaker.

I wonder why the dealer didn’t clean out the car first. Usually they won’t even leave repair records.

greg1288 · May 25

My SIL returned her Equinox lease and bought a new Chevy Trax. She got the "loaded" version meaning it had BSM and other safety items the base model does not and heated seats. The MSRP was about $25K.
According to my BIL they came down $500 off sticker. They only had 2 on the lot and salesman said they are selling very well. He said the Chevy store was surprisingly very busy and apparently were not happy that they bought it outright with no financing.

She came by and it looks like a more expensive car. Very nice styling with sharp wheels. Even the interior seemed pretty nice with some metallic plastic elements, and a fairly large screen. She likes it better than the outgoing Equinox and is only a bit smaller. The infotainment is improved, she has more safety features (the Equinox was a base model) and she says the ride and drive are similar. I'm not sure about the durability of the turbo 3 cyl. although it does have a conventional 6 spd automatic. One thing I noticed is the hard plastic armrests on the door which I think is baffling considering how nice the rest of the car is at this price point. How much more would the car be if they added a bit of padding on them?

kyfdx · May 25

I think the Trax is a really nice looking CUV. No AWD availability is the only thing holding it back, from the sales front. Also, no viable lease programs. I see a ton of them.

mjfloyd1 · May 25

@stickguy said:
that's the Ford version of desert sand. not sure what they call it. If I was getting a new on, it would be the dark green color new for 2025.

Bed is 4.5'. Tailgate down, about 6'. How the heck long is your tractor?

I actually have a completely irrational Jonesing for a nice utility trailer. That is much easier for hauling wheeled vehicles anyway, being so much lower and having a ramp.

When you are done with the trailer, you could just bury it in your back yard😳

stickguy · May 25

actually, I should look around some more. I might find one.

stickguy · May 25

kyfdx said:
I think the Trax is a really nice looking CUV. No AWD availability is the only thing holding it back, from the sales front. Also, no viable lease programs. I see a ton of them.

it is really just a small hatchback. I would bet the majority of buyers have no need for AWD, and very likely if the dealer slapped an AWD badge on a FWD version, they would never know.

ab348 · May 25

stickguy said:
one for Tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DwnhZA6_wI&ab_channel=SpecialtyMotorCars

I haven’t watched that video yet, but along those same lines (sort of), I watched a video yesterday about recovery efforts in Pacific Palisades and how LAPD are trying to keep the curious or those with bad intent out of the residential areas by keeping checkpoints at many intersections. I was surprised to see that many of the LAPD vehicles were still the old Panther platform cars, either black and white cruisers or what I’d call plainclothes cars painted in various nondescript metallic shades like this car. They must be getting quite ancient.

tjc78 · May 25

@stickguy said:
one for Tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DwnhZA6_wI&ab_channel=SpecialtyMotorCars

Little too base model for me lol! Believe it on not but there are plenty of these low mile examples around!

explorerx4 · May 25

The new Equinox is quite a bit larger than the one it replaced.

stickguy · May 25

Carvana likes to Email me so I got distracted looking at "grown up" trucks today.

this one, still seems pricey but that is life today, but much cheaper than a new one, and miles are reasonable. I just liked it because a good spec (medium cab with rear bench and clamshell doors, 6.5' bed) so maximum functionality in what passes for shorter length for one of these. And a real V8 (though I seem to recall in 2015 the Coyotes were troublesome). Big bonus up here, it is a southern truck that lived it's whole life around Charlotte so a decent chance the frame is not all rotted out! Oh, and being southern, it is RWD. RWD and clean frame, 2 things you never see up in the north country.

my wife would never drive it of course.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/lt/3604226?utm_content=hero_cta&utm_medium=nurture&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=price_drop_xshop&utm_corr=570e5032-445c-4ee8-91f1-b21c8a0f1a18

stickguy · May 25

and this one showed up in the listing (there are always other choices shown at the bottom). Actually an interesting option for a "work" truck. almost the same price and miles, but 5 years newer, and much smaller footprint. But does have a back seat (emergency use only, I more care about it for cargo space inside). Also blue and RWD with a tow hitch. 6' bed instead of 6.5'. So functionally, just about the same but would fit in the garage! This particular unit might be scary. Minor accident in history, and it lived in OH and MI so rust could be happening.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/3603587

stickguy · May 25

one more in the "what does $25k get you in a truck these days?" search (short answer, what used to be a $10-15K truck)

nice color. more miles, but newer, and more good features (plus AWD) but same configuration. Put carfax says it lived in MI and OH also, so I would want to get a full inspection of the frame because odds are it is at least crusty.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/3655279

explorerx4 · May 25

@stickguy,
The first one you you have the link to, is in process of being sold.

oldfarmer50 · May 25

stickguy said:
Carvana likes to Email me so I got distracted looking at "grown up" trucks today.

this one, still seems pricey but that is life today, but much cheaper than a new one, and miles are reasonable. I just liked it because a good spec (medium cab with rear bench and clamshell doors, 6.5' bed) so maximum functionality in what passes for shorter length for one of these. And a real V8 (though I seem to recall in 2015 the Coyotes were troublesome). Big bonus up here, it is a southern truck that lived it's whole life around Charlotte so a decent chance the frame is not all rotted out! Oh, and being southern, it is RWD. RWD and clean frame, 2 things you never see up in the north country.

my wife would never drive it of course.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/lt/3604226?utm_content=hero_cta&utm_medium=nurture&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=price_drop_xshop&utm_corr=570e5032-445c-4ee8-91f1-b21c8a0f1a18

That’s about twice what I paid for my 2013 F-150 XL with about twice the mileage. Southern trucks demand a premium.

“ though I seem to recall in 2015 the Coyotes were troublesome)”

Actually the Gen 2 Coyotes were supposed to be the best generation. More refined than the previous version and not as complicated as Gen 3 with it’s direct injection complexity and broken valve problem.

nyccarguy · May 25

@tjc78 - paging you to the white courtesy phone

stickguy · May 25

wires, wide whites, carriage roof and luggage rack? This baby ticks all the boxes!

jmonroe1 · May 25

mjfloyd1 said:

@stickguy said:

that's the Ford version of desert sand. not sure what they call it. If I was getting a new on, it would be the dark green color new for 2025.

Bed is 4.5'. Tailgate down, about 6'. How the heck long is your tractor?

I actually have a completely irrational Jonesing for a nice utility trailer. That is much easier for hauling wheeled vehicles anyway, being so much lower and having a ramp.

When you are done with the trailer, you could just bury it in your back yard😳

————————————————
I don’t think so. He’s already reserved that spot for his Maverick. With all the hauling that little guy has done it’s going to be worn out well ahead of its time so @stickguy plans to bury it in the spot from which it did most of its hauling from. Kinda fitting when you think about it.

jmonroe

28firefighter · May 25

Anyone buying this weekend? 😬

pensfan83 · May 25

I bought a tractor if that counts?

stickguy · May 25

I got some new hiking boots at the Columbia outlet!

might have stopped to look at a few things but once again, it was raining on Saturday. I think that is every Saturday since the beginning of March. Before that it snowed.

tifighter · May 25

@28firefighter said:
Anyone buying this weekend? 😬

Always shopping…

Michaell · May 25

28firefighter said:
Anyone buying this weekend? 😬

Vicariously, through @breld.

He, his missus, @jpp75, and I met up for bruch this morning. @breld regaled us with his tales of shopping for an EV to replace the e-Tron that comes off lease in a few months.

He started with about 10 options, and I think he's narrowed it down to just 1 or 2.

I'll let him pick up the story from here...

28firefighter · May 25

Oops.

sda · May 25

28firefighter said:
Oops.

Spill the beans

jmonroe1 · May 25

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:
Anyone buying this weekend? 😬

Vicariously, through @breld.

He, his missus, @jpp75, and I met up for bruch this morning. @breld regaled us with his tales of shopping for an EV to replace the e-Tron that comes off lease in a few months.

He started with about 10 options, and I think he's narrowed it down to just 1 or 2.

I'll let him pick up the story from here...

————————————————
He’ll disappoint us if he doesn’t buy both.

jmonroe

Michaell · May 25

28firefighter said:
Oops.

Nice!

nyccarguy · May 25

@28firefighter said:
Oops.

Very sharp! We need details!

nyccarguy · May 25

@28firefighter said:
Anyone buying this weekend? 😬

Shopping - don’t think I’m buying though.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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