Car buying

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:41 am

As I stated, I like our Subaru. But I've had a worse experience with repairs. At least when it's had over 100K miles and over 10 years. Just about every suspension part has been replaced. The gas intake line was a collander when it was replaced. New radiator and associated parts. Seat heater, seatbelt. A lock and a door mechanism. Window washer pump. Exhaust system replaced in segments that at least add up to 100%. Timing belt. Some substantial engine work. Not to mention the white duct tape. That's what I had around; it makes an interesting contrast with the dark blue car. There's been more; that's just what comes to mind.

Is this a bad experience? I couldn't say. When a car from the 90s is past 10 years and 100K miles, I expect some problems. By way of comparison, we've got a VW Passat wagon that's at 12 years and 90K, and it's starting to have a few problems after a relatively peaceful time up to year 11. I won't be surprised if the next few years are expensive. But the car suits us. If it's not too bad, we'll hang on to it. New cars are expensive. More than we generally grasp. Unless it develops some real serious engine problems, the old car is probably far cheaper.

And it's good for character development to have old cars. That's beyond price. Especially when you're raising kids.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:02 am

I thought shoveling snow was all it took to build character in kids? Your kids must have a ton.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:38 pm

GoodKarma wrote:drive from Montrose back to Denver on Friday.

Had no idea that you where a fellow Coloradan.

Why the hell are you in Montrose? Done that drive a few times (to Telluride and a friend of the wife lives in Montrose) and I am not a fan.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:47 pm

govmentchedda wrote:I thought shoveling snow was all it took to build character in kids? Your kids must have a ton.

Well, my wife does most of the shovelling that remains after our community snow removal organization does the sidewalks. So she has more character than ever. The girls are learning by osmosis at this point.

Can't have too much character.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 3:06 pm

Rush2112 wrote:
GoodKarma wrote:drive from Montrose back to Denver on Friday.
Had no idea that you where a fellow Coloradan.

Why the hell are you in Montrose? Done that drive a few times (to Telluride and a friend of the wife lives in Montrose) and I am not a fan.

That country is near and dear to my heart. As some of you know, I grew up in Grand Junction, so I've spent a lot of time in and around Montrose. The Black Canyon is nice. Much prefer the western slope to the front range.

Rush, are you not a fan of that drive? Long ways, but it sure has some very scenic parts to it.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 6:35 pm

sancarlos wrote: Rush, are you not a fan of that drive? Long ways, but it sure has some very scenic parts to it.

If it could contain only the scenic parts I'd be cool with it. I am also not a big fan of any trip that involves driving from Denver to Vail as there are typically way to many fucking people on the road.

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:41 pm

I just moved to the front range about 15 months ago from Ohio. I'm here in Montrose for the week for work (medical software). I drove out via 285/Monarch Pass, etc...planning to go home via grand Mesa byway/70. Anything new/ different is good.

I do love the SW part of the state...Ouray, Durango, etc. Friday will be my first experience north of Montrose to Grand Junction.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:54 am

I think I remember you asking, but not that you moved.

I live in Broomfield/Superior and work in Boulder, let me know if you'd like to get a beer sometime.

I do love the SW of Colorado, it's much like northern New Mexico, but the food isn't as good!

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:37 pm

Rush2112 wrote:I do love the SW of Colorado, it's much like northern New Mexico, but the food isn't as good!

Durango/Ouray/Pagosa Spgs etc. >>>>>> Farmington/Aztec/Raton etc.

Post by **brian** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:48 pm

sancarlos wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:I do love the SW of Colorado, it's much like northern New Mexico, but the food isn't as good!
Durango/Ouray/Pagosa Spgs etc. >>>>>> Farmington/Aztec/Raton etc.

But the food IS better in NM. He's right about that.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:15 pm

Pork does NOT belong in green chile.

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:34 pm

Rush2112 wrote:Pork does NOT belong in green chile.

Seconded.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:36 pm

I suppose these places are fine. But the real question is: Do they stand up against Ohio in terms of scenery and cuisine? Not in my view.

I'm thinking of tossing the girls in the car and doing a little tour of some of the places that have meant so much to us along these lines. Lima, Springville, Columbus, Athens, Mt. Vernon, Millersburg, Strongsville, Canton, Akron, Valley View, Cuyahoga National Park, Cleveland, Oberlin, and of course Toledo. There's no time like mid-January to see Ohio at its best.

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:39 pm

As the one (I'm guessing) person that moved from Ohio (and the Toledo area too boot) I can sarcastically "agree".

Although I do miss the nectar of the Gods...Skyline Chili.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:43 pm

We've had some great times in Toledo. And unless things out there have changed drastically, it clearly leads western Colorado and northern New Mexico in middle-eastern cuisine. Probably zoos, glass art, and minor league baseball as well. Case closed.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:45 pm

I do like the hot dogs from Tony Packo's in Toledo, but they do not touch ambrosia that is carne adovada.

And I'd wager that Santa Fe and the local environs lead Ohio in glass art and houses made of discarded tires.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:49 pm

Houses of discarded tires, yes. But perhaps not discarded tires. Not to mention all the ones holding down the tarps at the superfund sites.

Glass art? Think again. Toledo is to glass art as Boulder is to homeless entrepreneurs.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:55 pm

GoodKarma wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:Pork does NOT belong in green chile.
Seconded.

Thirded

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:06 pm

DC47 wrote:I'm thinking of tossing ... in ... mid-January

Good as time as any.

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:32 pm

DC47 wrote:We've had some great times in Toledo. And unless things out there have changed drastically, it clearly leads western Colorado and northern New Mexico in middle-eastern cuisine. Probably zoos, glass art, and minor league baseball as well. Case closed.

You are correct in these categories...especially in Middle Eastern cuisine.

what happened to this thread? Isn't someone supposed to be buying a car?

howard · Post by **howard** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:49 pm

…and B-list celebrity hotdog stands?

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 10:36 pm

GoodKarma wrote:
DC47 wrote:We've had some great times in Toledo. And unless things out there have changed drastically, it clearly leads western Colorado and northern New Mexico in middle-eastern cuisine. Probably zoos, glass art, and minor league baseball as well. Case closed.
You are correct in these categories...especially in Middle Eastern cuisine.

what happened to this thread? Isn't someone supposed to be buying a car?

Where do you recommend eating in Greater Toledo?

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 11:36 pm

For Middle Eastern I would say either Byblos or The Beruit

Other styles:
Italian: Zia's, Mancy's Italian or LaScola (don't judge based on look & location)
Steak: Mancy's or Rockwells
BBQ: Shorty's
Burger: Bar 145
Mexican: Loma Linda (arguably the most popular restaurant in the area - get there early or plan to wait)

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 11:42 pm

Rush2112 wrote:I think I remember you asking, but not that you moved.

I live in Broomfield/Superior and work in Boulder, let me know if you'd like to get a beer sometime.

I do love the SW of Colorado, it's much like northern New Mexico, but the food isn't as good!

Rush - check your pm

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 11:54 pm

They look good. I'll hope to try each of these places, starting soon.

Our favorite is a deli/grocery west of the university in a dingy strip mall on Dorr Street -- Middle East Market. The dandelion dish is recommended.

http://www.middleeast-market.com/menu.pdf

Post by **Shirley** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 7:11 pm

sancarlos wrote:
GoodKarma wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:Pork does NOT belong in green chile.
Seconded.
Thirded

I don't think I've ever had green chile, but I'm confident in my belief in Southern cuisine - pork can go in anything.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 12:34 am

Shirley wrote:
sancarlos wrote:
GoodKarma wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:Pork does NOT belong in green chile.
Seconded.
Thirded
I don't think I've ever had green chile, but I'm confident in my belief in Southern cuisine - pork can go in anything.

Green Chile is JUST chiles chopped up. Colorado things you need to chop it up, simmer it down, and add pork to it. Nope.

Put it on top of pork? Sure, but don't add it!

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 2:31 am

Rush2112 wrote:
Shirley wrote:
sancarlos wrote:
GoodKarma wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:Pork does NOT belong in green chile.
Seconded.
Thirded
I don't think I've ever had green chile, but I'm confident in my belief in Southern cuisine - pork can go in anything.

Green Chile is JUST chiles chopped up. Colorado things you need to chop it up, simmer it down, and add pork to it. Nope.

Put it on top of pork? Sure, but don't add it!

What? We never did it that way when I lived in Colorado.

rass · Post by **rass** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:32 am

GoodKarma wrote:
DC47 wrote:We've had some great times in Toledo. And unless things out there have changed drastically, it clearly leads western Colorado and northern New Mexico in middle-eastern cuisine. Probably zoos, glass art, and minor league baseball as well. Case closed.
You are correct in these categories...especially in Middle Eastern cuisine.

what happened to this thread? Isn't someone supposed to be buying a car?

Yeah. I really hate this process, and I haven't even had to interact with a sales guy yet.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 12:34 pm

[walks into Toyota dealership]

"Excuse me, where is the produce?"

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 4:56 pm

I only go to car dealers if I can get good middle-eastern food on the premises.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 12:19 pm

GoodKarma wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:I think I remember you asking, but not that you moved.

I live in Broomfield/Superior and work in Boulder, let me know if you'd like to get a beer sometime.

I do love the SW of Colorado, it's much like northern New Mexico, but the food isn't as good!
Rush - check your pm

I'd be down if you guys ever want to swamp-up in Boulder environs.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:14 pm

And done. 2013 Outback 2.5i Limited. Just over 17,000 miles.

They gave me $400 for my beat up old Vue. It looked sad, no plates, stripped of contents and purpose.

Post by **brian** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:14 pm

Pulled the trigger on a new Ford C-MAX Energi plugin hybrid. The incentives were just too good to pass up ($3500 AND 0 percent financing for 60 months, plus a $4000 IRS tax credit)

Gets about 20-24 miles on a full electric charge AND I get a special electricity rate from my power company (essentially cuts prices for ALL my electricity in half). Other than road trips, I might only put a couple tanks of gas a year in the car since most of my trips are a maximum of 25 miles round-trip. And when using gas, it still gets 45 MPG.

Got it completely pimped out with all of the features. Panoramic moonroof, premium sound, auto liftgate, backup camera, navigation. Pretty sweet.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:41 pm

brian wrote:Pulled the trigger on a new Ford C-MAX Energi plugin hybrid. The incentives were just too good to pass up ($3500 AND 0 percent financing for 60 months, plus a $4000 IRS tax credit)

Gets about 20-24 miles on a full electric charge AND I get a special electricity rate from my power company (essentially cuts prices for ALL my electricity in half). Other than road trips, I might only put a couple tanks of gas a year in the car since most of my trips are a maximum of 25 miles round-trip. And when using gas, it still gets 45 MPG.

Got it completely pimped out with all of the features. Panoramic moonroof, premium sound, auto liftgate, backup camera, navigation. Pretty sweet.

That sounds great. I've always wondered how those kinds of cars do in practice - how easy is it to really keep it charged, how it does in traffic, maintenance, etc.. I'd like to hear your experience after a few months.

Post by **brian** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:48 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:
brian wrote:Pulled the trigger on a new Ford C-MAX Energi plugin hybrid. The incentives were just too good to pass up ($3500 AND 0 percent financing for 60 months, plus a $4000 IRS tax credit)

Gets about 20-24 miles on a full electric charge AND I get a special electricity rate from my power company (essentially cuts prices for ALL my electricity in half). Other than road trips, I might only put a couple tanks of gas a year in the car since most of my trips are a maximum of 25 miles round-trip. And when using gas, it still gets 45 MPG.

Got it completely pimped out with all of the features. Panoramic moonroof, premium sound, auto liftgate, backup camera, navigation. Pretty sweet.
That sounds great. I've always wondered how those kinds of cars do in practice - how easy is it to really keep it charged, how it does in traffic, maintenance, etc.. I'd like to hear your experience after a few months.

If I don't remember to post just send me a PM or email or whatever and I'll be happy to tell you. I've heard mostly good things. Only complaints online I've seen from people have related to loss of electric range when using climate control, especially heat (which will rarely apply to me). I'll probably lose some range with A/C in the summer, but I'm curious to see just how bad it will be.

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 2:44 pm

brian wrote:Pulled the trigger on a new Ford C-MAX Energi plugin hybrid. The incentives were just too good to pass up ($3500 AND 0 percent financing for 60 months, plus a $4000 IRS tax credit)

Gets about 20-24 miles on a full electric charge AND I get a special electricity rate from my power company (essentially cuts prices for ALL my electricity in half). Other than road trips, I might only put a couple tanks of gas a year in the car since most of my trips are a maximum of 25 miles round-trip. And when using gas, it still gets 45 MPG.

Got it completely pimped out with all of the features. Panoramic moonroof, premium sound, auto liftgate, backup camera, navigation. Pretty sweet.

I'm unfamiliar. This is a full on hybrid that can be total electric? So if you did run into a situation where you ran out of electric power you can just kick over to the gas engine and get back to wherever you need to go? Is it a special station or adapter you need to charge it or just a standard grounded household outlet?

Sounds neat. Completely impractical for someone like me, but neat!

Post by **brian** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 2:51 pm

BSF21 wrote:
brian wrote:Pulled the trigger on a new Ford C-MAX Energi plugin hybrid. The incentives were just too good to pass up ($3500 AND 0 percent financing for 60 months, plus a $4000 IRS tax credit)

Gets about 20-24 miles on a full electric charge AND I get a special electricity rate from my power company (essentially cuts prices for ALL my electricity in half). Other than road trips, I might only put a couple tanks of gas a year in the car since most of my trips are a maximum of 25 miles round-trip. And when using gas, it still gets 45 MPG.

Got it completely pimped out with all of the features. Panoramic moonroof, premium sound, auto liftgate, backup camera, navigation. Pretty sweet.
I'm unfamiliar. This is a full on hybrid that can be total electric? So if you did run into a situation where you ran out of electric power you can just kick over to the gas engine and get back to wherever you need to go? Is it a special station or adapter you need to charge it or just a standard grounded household outlet?

Sounds neat. Completely impractical for someone like me, but neat!

Yeah, it's a gas-electric hybrid, so when the electric motor runs out of range* then the gas engine automatically kicks in and takes over. The plug just plugs into standard 120V outlet in the garage and charges a full charge in about 4-5 hours. On the west coast especially there are also a lot of dedicated charging stations that you can use (here they're mostly in casino parking lots, etc.)

* - There are actually three modes you can choose - EV Now (runs in electric until electric motor is completely depleted usually in 20-25 miles like I said), Mixed (the car chooses the mode based on how fast you're driving, if you're driving uphill or downhill, etc. -- essentially if you're in city driving it uses electricity and if you're on the highway it uses gas) or EV Later (just uses gas and stores the energy in the electric motor to use later. This would be for if you're starting out a trip on the freeway and are getting into a city driving scenario later.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 3:05 pm

We're holding out for a Tesla.

Post by **brian** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 3:07 pm

Gunpowder wrote:We're holding out for a Tesla.

Me too, but I don't think the mass market Model 3 Tesla is going to be ready until at least 2017, when it's all said and done probably 2018 I'd bet.