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Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

32389 messages,  Last post on May 22, 2013 at 8:49 AM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying

Messages Page 3036 of 3239

#30351 of 32389 Re: . [jpp5862] by fintail

Feb 18, 2013 (1:52 pm)

Replying to: jpp5862 (Feb 18, 2013 12:27 pm)
I was in heaven taking it for a drive this morning - pano shade open, heated seat on (around 40F out, cooler than it has been lately), radio set up and working - it is a relaxing drive. I think I might even be irritated less at other cars, being in a less hyper car myself.
 
I went to the dealer to drop off a part for the old car, and they laminated the window sticker for me, as they knew I'd like the keepsake.

#30352 of 32389 Re: . [fintail] by roadburner

Feb 18, 2013 (1:59 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 18, 2013 1:52 pm)
Congrats! Me, I'm looking for something a bit more manic; I have my wife's E90 and the '02 if I want a more relaxing drive.

#30353 of 32389 Re: . [roadburner] by fintail

Feb 18, 2013 (2:05 pm)

Replying to: roadburner (Feb 18, 2013 1:59 pm)
The fintail was the more relaxing choice vs the E55, but over time I realized I enjoyed myself in the old car. The E55, while a great car, was maybe too easy, and at the same time seemed wasted on weekday driving conditions here. The diesel seems to have more of a link to the old car. Maybe I am not meant for something too hyper - or so hard riding. I got rid of my old C43 because the go-kart quality ride irked me, the E55 felt like a Caddy in comparison. The new car is on a cloud compared to that...but probably still taut compared to a stock Camcord.
 
If I want something crazy, a bike is always lurking in the back of my head

#30354 of 32389 Re: . [fintail] by xwesx

Feb 18, 2013 (3:04 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 18, 2013 2:05 pm)
I like my old cars, too. They all serve their purpose. I'm not sure I would have been displeased with a go-kart style ride, though! I really enjoy my Fiesta.
 
Actually, I just found out last week that Ford finally committed to the Fiesta ST as a 2014 model (should be available this summer), so now I'm struggling with whether to be practical and keep my Fiesta or just live a little and get the ST.

#30355 of 32389 Re: . [xwesx] by fintail

Feb 18, 2013 (3:25 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Feb 18, 2013 3:04 pm)
I get tired of dodging every manhole cover and rut - maybe I am tired of low profile tires. Either way, I am driving a medium barge now, so that's in the past. It's kind of a little of both worlds - the diesel gives some mechanical involvement, but the ride is nicer.
 
I saw a Focus ST being test driven yesterday, that might be fun.

#30356 of 32389 Re: . [fintail] by roadburner

Feb 18, 2013 (4:47 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 18, 2013 3:25 pm)
I saw a Focus ST being test driven yesterday, that might be fun.
 
I've looked at one; ford has joined the option bundling herd. You can't simply order HIDs and/or heated seats- they all come in one big package with a number of things that I don't want. At least they don't make you take a hole in the roof...

#30357 of 32389 Re: . [roadburner] by xwesx

Feb 18, 2013 (5:54 pm)

Replying to: roadburner (Feb 18, 2013 4:47 pm)
Yeah, that turned me off to the car as well. At ~30K for the thing with the upgraded seats (which was really the only upgrade I would have wanted) bundled with every other option you can get on it, no thanks. I could get a WRX for that, and have a much better car for the world in which I drive.
 
I'm still waiting on Fiesta ST pricing before I get too excited. Plus, I'm terribly practical, and I might not convince myself it is even worthwhile. I sure would have fun with it, though!

#30358 of 32389 Nissan Rogue by sandman_6472

Feb 18, 2013 (5:57 pm)

Had this today for our jaunt to Orlando...nicely equipped but a base car I think. Sync'd my iPod and it was outstanding...they must use good speakers as it did sound pretty neat but with the aux cord, one has to work 2 different controls...a bit pointless and redundant. The seats were comfy with nice fabric inserts and though they were manually adjustable, I was able to find a good driving position and adjusted as necessary. It was a titanium color, works on this car but the radio needs a major update folks...felt like a 90's car and 90's tech...no usb port that I could find! Liked the slightly raised driving height and this is a vehicle I could definitely live with as a d d...another eventual contender for Sandman's final vehicle! A pristine brand new 328i drove past our van and I was plastered to that window...everyone was curious and I explained...the car guys got it while the others looked confused!
 
The Sandman

#30359 of 32389 Now it's time for me to find something I like by gouldn

Feb 18, 2013 (6:04 pm)

I do the ccba thing a little different than many on this list. I buy one car to keep a long time, and keep a second (sub 10K) slot open that I swap in and out. Well the 'keeper' slot is due now because I just rolled past 200K on the primary car .. a 2001 Forester.
 
So in looking to replace it, I want something that can carry a bike (inside), has an AT, handles well, and gets at least OK MPG, as it gets 18K miles per year in traffic. Price wise I'm flexible, but I'd like to keep the OTD to $35K or less. I could go new or used, but since this is the 'keeper' I'd want it to be no older than two years old. Off the dealers I went.
 
The Subaru dealer doesn't have the 2014 Forester yet, but I liked the looks of the XV Crosstrek. I didn't drive one because of a time conflict, but that one's still on the list to try. The Toyota dealer was surprisingly low-pressure and friendly ... I was prepared for the worst. I test drove the new 2013 RAV4 XLE, and a Prius V (II). The RAV was a very competent car .. the steering was a little soft, but not bad. The car was exceedingly easy to drive and park with the backup cam (my current DD is an 01 ... LONG before backup cams). Overall I liked it .. it was a little noisy on the freeway, but quieter than my Forester.
 
The Prius was interesting, but in the 'eco' mode that car is quite gutless. I don't really care TOOO much about speed, but this was painful. You could push the 'power' and it would merge acceptably, but I wonder how much MPG you'd loose. The handling isn't horrible, but better described as 'strange.' On the plus side, parking was easy and visibility was pretty good. The cabin is airy, and the materials were of an OK quality. The front seat folds flat and makes almost a lounge/bed for the passenger ... although I'm not sure what I would do with this feature. I really wanted to like this car because of 40+ MPG, but I don't know if I could deal with all the quirks.
 
Next ... on a whim ... I stopped by the Lexus dealer to see what they had slightly used. Instead I found myself test driving a new CT200h. That was a nice car ... it was not fast with the Prius drivetrain, but interior was very nice, the stereo sounded great, and the handling was wayyy better than the Prius. However of course, this car is small and I cannot see getting a bike in there unless both wheels were off. Also this one stickered at $37K, and even if I could score it for 33.5 or so the used alternatives at that price range are compelling.
 
That was enough for one day, so I still need to try some others. I'm really scared of VW's, but if I could get over my perceived reliability qualms, I'd like to drive a Jetta TDI. I still need to make time to try Subarus and I'd like to try a Mazda CX5 with the larger engine they just began to offer. Unfortunately the Mazda dealer closest to me is awful. Last time I went there the salesman was like stuck record: "I'll make you a HELL OF A DEAL" over and over ... meanwhile we didn't even get to drive the car on the highway. I may skip that brand just because I don't want to deal with that dealer again.

#30360 of 32389 Practical And Logical by sandman_6472

Feb 18, 2013 (6:11 pm)

For a car lover, these two words are the "kiss if death"...once these variables become part of the equation, one's screwed and won't follow their heart as their gut takes over. I know this first hand here...I lust for a sporty fun car but those words only mean $ signs so the practical and logical parts take over and the rest as they say, is history. I will need to fight this on my next purchase but it's lucky I've got the job I do as I can scratch my itch almost every day. Have been having a problem with the Civic for about 2 months now...every time I get in, the little hair I have left on top always touches the roof, had me wondering here about what's wrong. Since it was on the cooler side today, decided to put the windows down on the highway and as I looked over, I saw it out of the corner of my eye...the headliner is coming down...the glue is no longer sticking in most parts! Damn, another thing to get fixed! And I hit a rather large rock the other day and knocked out my alignment and the 3 year policy ended 12/12/12. So now I need to fix things and give up a whole days work! Oh well, such is life!
 
The Sandman

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