Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
The Tacoma is finally gone! It was picked up this AM!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
So, what are you going to replace it with?
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
For now, nothing. I’m busy driving my Prelude this Spring/Summer. When my son goes back to college in August, I’ll start driving the Highlander.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Overall, I'm quite happy with the punch. Been a long time coming I must say and want to thank everyone who put up with my "analysis paralysis" these past few years. But after my first test drive around Memorial Day, kinda knew I'd be getting a GTI sooner or later. And I think the key getting stuck in the steering column the day before made me finally decide to go test the grey one. And, of course, the rest is history!
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
Well, wouldn't you know it, it reached, and exceeded, the magic number earlier this month. Yay. So, this past Friday I made the big purchase. She loves the shiny ring she picked out and I gladly paid for. But, I noted, should the stock hit the next magic number, it's my turn. She, 'yeah, yeah, yeah'd" me as she looked at the sparkly thing on her finger. Next to the earlier sparkly thing. (Terrible side thought, she's got nine more fingers...).
What does this have to do with CCBA? Across the way from the man's worst nightmare store (sparkly things store) is a Lucid showroom. Stopped in to check out an Air. They also had a Gravity on the showroom floor, but I'm still not an SUV guy. I did point it out to her, but again she was blinded by the light emanating from her ring finger.
So, I sat in an Air Pure and made vroom vroom sounds. Which, of course, made no sense. The most interesting thing to me was the vast amount of room inside. AND, it still somehow felt a bit claustrophobic to me, small-ish windows all around. The black interior also probably contributed. Note that it had an aluminum roof, not glass which likely would have alleviated that hemmed in feeling. But design and materials were quite upscale looking and feeling. Fake leather, but a good fake. Cavernous rear seat room.
Screens-o-rama, to adjust the steering wheel had to find a screen. Some redundant actual physical controls, but there would be a bit of a learning curve with this one. Decent, but didn't seem too deep trunk (although large, deep compartment below the first floor) and big frunk. Wife was amused by the frunk. Fathom Blue was the color in the showroom, which looked a bit different when I noted one out in the sunlight. I think Cosmos Silver (Touring trim, although if not too much of a $ leap, GT? 500 miles of theoretical range! And stupid fast) would be my first choice. So, I'm impressed at first view.
Gave them my info, got an email from the store manager, perhaps I'll schedule a test drive later in the month. $7500 lease credit goes hasta la bye-bye the end of September, and their lease rates jumped quite a bit from last month.
Of course, the A7 still fills its mission with aplomb. And I did just invest $$$ in new Contis, not to mention still paying it off at 0%. My guess is the stock doesn't hit the next magic # for some time (although the next # is only another 10% up...) so I'll have time. Wife keeps reminding me that my Fido advisor told me to start spending... on her.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Hmm, is that all it was? It seemed longer than that.
Anyway, congrats and have fun with it and give us a few reports as you mile it up.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
Did you buy the dip like I told everybody? I did but not in sufficient quantity to buy anything special.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Isn’t that why one buys the GTI? For the lower profile tires, wider stance, and sporty handling?
Feels like putting H rated tires would be defeating the purpose…
People who choose cars with stiff suspensions these days need (IMNHO) to drive them somewhere on a regular basis, preferably at speeds well above the orange/yellow signs. Sadly many/most just have them for a bunch of reasons that I don't understand at all, and accumulate a few miles every year in their own or the immediately adjacent zip codes,
YMMV
But for a while I was looking at what kind of car you might get for $5k, and I wasn't impressed. Recently to waste some time I looked again at used cars around that price, and at first I was puzzled that a 2017 one-owner VW GTI was just $5k, but then I saw that it has 263,000 miles. Suddenly the price made sense, and I was also amazed that a GTI could last that long. Maintenance records with carfax seem okay, but I don't see that the spark plugs have been changed, although it seems like they must have been at some point.
https://www.acuraatoxmoor.com/auto/used-2017-volkswagen-golf-gti-s-near-louisville-ky/104813896/
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
For me a car with over 260K miles would not interest me in the least, regardless of condition or price. I know times have changed quite a while ago but since I grew up in a different era, I still have it in my head that a car that has around 60K miles on it is just about over the hill. Like I said, that’s not true today but that’s me.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
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Also, got the windows tinted Sunday, a 50% tint and it looks great! Very happy with the results.
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
You did the right thing. You aren’t @xwesx or @qbrozen who can wrench, will, & curse a $5,000 car into a reliable daily driver.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
The ride does stiffen up considerably in Sport+ mode, but even so it doesn't bother me or my wife.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I’d want to have the transmission looked at at this mileage and the tear in the driver’s seat would really bother me. How bad could this be for under $5K.
https://www.dchparamushonda.com/used-Paramus-2006-Acura-TSX-Navi-JH4CL96966C021732
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I'm hoping to keep my TLX several more years, but if I were buying something for myself this year I'd probably get a Camry.
Currently there are no more fines or enforcement for the 50 year old Corporate Average Fuel Economy. And so for the next four years at least CAFE is dead.
It seems like there are probably going to be 25% tariffs on most imported vehicles to the US.
All three of those things seem significant. I wonder what the results are likely to be in the next few years.
In the short term it seems like there are going to be huge sales on EVs.
But after that sales of EVs are likely to slump. EV sales in 2026 in the US will probably be lower than they are this year.
In a couple of years I wonder if we might see a return of a V-8 on some vehicles?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I’d want to have the transmission looked at at this mileage and the tear in the driver’s seat would really bother me. How bad could this be for under $5K.
https://www.dchparamushonda.com/used-Paramus-2006-Acura-TSX-Navi-JH4CL96966C021732
I know Honda products can be very reliable but those mileages on that dealer’s cars would give me the vapors. I guess this is the new normal in the car industry for lower priced cars. My traditional hooptie purchase would generally be a domestic brand with mileage in the 50k to 75k range for around $3k. I don’t think we’ll ever see those days again.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
TSX is a good car. And the K series a fantastic engine. But any 20 YO car with that miles is going to need stuff. Also antiquated tech most
Likely (no backup camera and maybe no Bluetooth). And what there is tends to be a lot simpler than what modern cars have.
They have a couple of slightly newer accords at similar price and
Mileage too. Kind of surprised to see a Honda dealer selling stuff
Like that.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Gas prices will be going up too and consumers likely won’t be rushing to buy gas hogs. It also takes a long time to reengineer platforms or develop engines so they plan long term and don’t want to spend a to. Of money (that they probably won’t have with sales down) for something that could change in a few years.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I think mine needs some sort of software update or calibration as it is kinda clunky at low speeds. I called the dealer local to me and since it was so new they said they would need to have it approved to be worked on since I didn't buy it there. They asked for the VIN and I was driving so I'll deal with that later this week. I've never been told that.
Oh - and the crappy dealer saga continues. It's been just about 2 months and I don't have plates. I called to see if they were in and they are. No call from them to tell me....I asked for them to be mailed and apparently that's an issue for them and I was to get a call back from a manager last night to let me know if they could do that. I've bought several vehicles out of state and never had an issue. They also have not refunded the money I had to outlay during the time they didn't pay the trade off. I'm about ready to lose it on them. I've been extremely cordial to this point, but I've had enough.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
That $7500 (and sales tax credits in some states) put a lot of drivers in electrics that otherwise would not have been. I know without the crazy lease I would not have an EQE.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Try finding parts for a ‘97 Opel! 2nd hand overseas parts take a lot of searching. The maser has been tough, too, which I don’t fully understand. I guess the low production factor. The Opel is laid up again. I went to change the calipers and struts and keep running into problems. I broke one of the CV joints. Good grief. Then broke a tie rod. Ugh. And each time is like a week wait to get a replacement.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
My 18 year old son averaged just over 20 mpg on his last tank in the Highlander. I've been averaging about 22-23 mpg in my Prelude.
Signature settings updated. Down to 3 vehicles for 3 drivers. What is this world coming to?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive