Quote from: T-ski on July 17, 2024, 06:35:08 PMSo....on July 4th my wife and son made the three drive to Milwaukee for a concert at Summerfest. My wife being the smart cookie she is, booked a hotel within walking distance of the venue so they didn't have to worry about parking. The hotel offered valet service to park the car in a parking ramp adjacent to their property, which was nice.

They made their way to the concert and were having a good time when just as the opening act was finishing up my wife got a call saying our Hyundai Tucson was just stolen from the parking ramp.

Now I don't know if anyone has heard of the "Kia Boys", but they are a big problem right now in Milwaukee and they are swiping Kia's and Hyundai's by the minute.

Turns out they took our Tucson for a few hours joyride, beat the hell out of it, dumped it and moved on. The police found it but it's been deemed a total loss.

Good times.

Had to take a day off of work the next day to drive the three hours to pick them up. Then had to make the drive again last weekend to clean out our belongings so the insurance company can haul it out of there.

Grateful my wife and son weren't hurt in the whole ordeal, but now we're waiting on insurance to value our loss and we have to buy a new car.

At the moment we're debating over a '22 Mazda CX-5 or a '22 Honda HR-V. If anyone has experiences with either vehicle any insight would be appreciated.

damn, that sounds awful, sorry that happened.

Yes, the Kia and Hyundai thing started a few years ago, but I thought they fixed it?

Hope the insurance is covering most of the cost, and that you can get a replacement without any headaches.

By the way, did you continue practicing guitar, or did you give that up?

Hope you can get a good new car faizoff!

I test drove 2 Chevy SUVs, the Equinox and Blazer. The Blazer felt perfect. My trade-in car value is $8000 minus $2000 to refurbish.

They only had one Blazer on site, a 2020 with 38000 miles. My wife says she wants something newer with lower mileage but I felt fine wanting it. 

Quote from: Jamesman42 on July 19, 2024, 08:50:45 AMHope you can get a good new car faizoff!

Thanks! I can't decide if I want a sedan or another SUV. I might go the used route this time, not sure really. 

Just looked up the Blazer, that thing looks nice! 38,000 miles is about avg I think for a 2020 car. So it's got some wear on it.

Quote from: T-ski on July 17, 2024, 06:35:08 PM**Kia Boy shite heads**

We've got huge groups of them in CT. They have their own Instagram and TikTok pages where they record themselves stealing car and teaching others how to do the same. I don't understand how they're allowed to stay up.   

Anyways, I love the Mazda brand. I'm on my third (a cx-50) in the last 20 years. The other two got through probably a quarter million miles between them (winter driving included), with very few issues outside of standard maintenance. 

Quote from: faizoff on July 19, 2024, 08:38:44 AMUgh my 21 year old Camry finally bit the dust and blew a gasket (literally) yesterday. I have to now begin the search for a replacement.  Either that or spend almost 4k to have the engine replaced.

Hate these kind of surprises.

Presumably you mean a head gasket. That's generally the only one that kills cars.

How many miles on it? If the rest of the car is sound you could have the gasket replaced, or you could have somebody throw in a ~75k mile engine. $4k sounds steep, like dealership steep, but in 2024 you never know. I'd definitely shop around for a second or third opinion. A blown head gasket is usually really easy to diagnose, so you won't find out that it's something cheaper, but a different shop might present you with much cheaper options. If an independent shop quoted you 4k my hunch is that he's just got more lucrative jobs to spend his time on and he's trying to scare you away.

Quote from: El Barto on July 19, 2024, 09:44:49 AMPresumably you mean a head gasket. That's generally the only one that kills cars.

How many miles on it? If the rest of the car is sound you could have the gasket replaced, or you could have somebody throw in a ~75k mile engine. $4k sounds steep, like dealership steep, but in 2024 you never know. I'd definitely shop around for a second or third opinion. A blown head gasket is usually really easy to diagnose, so you won't find out that it's something cheaper, but a different shop might present you with much cheaper options. If an independent shop quoted you 4k my hunch is that he's just got more lucrative jobs to spend his time on and he's trying to scare you away.

Yeah it's a head gasket and it's from a mechanic I've used the past 15 years who's been pretty straight with me so far. It very well could be that he's scaring me away. He's super busy and probably doesn't want to block one guy to fix my car for a few days.

It's hard to shop around as the car won't start and I'd have to tow it around to have other shops check. None of the ones I called want to come over, they all want it towed to their place.

Car mileage is around ~ 206,000 and was probably on its last legs anyways, 

Quote from: faizoff on July 19, 2024, 09:51:01 AMYeah it's a head gasket and it's from a mechanic I've used the past 15 years who's been pretty straight with me so far. It very well could be that he's scaring me away. He's super busy and probably doesn't want to block one guy to fix my car for a few days.

It's hard to shop around as the car won't start and I'd have to tow it around to have other shops check. None of the ones I called want to come over, they all want it towed to their place.

Car mileage is around ~ 206,000 and was probably on its last legs anyways,

If it won't start presumably there's coolant mixed in with the oil and/or the other way around. In that case you should be able to just call a shop and ask them for options or a ballpark over the phone. It's not like they can say "I wouldn't know until I looked at it," and if they do tell them to go fuck their mother. 

The good news is that 206k isn't that old for the motor itself. Whether you fix it or replace it comes down to what's up with the rest of the car, and if you still like driving it. At that age moving to a more modern ride is kind of appealing, but now's clearly not a great time to be buying a car.

Quote from: Lonk on July 19, 2024, 08:44:10 AMdamn, that sounds awful, sorry that happened.

Yes, the Kia and Hyundai thing started a few years ago, but I thought they fixed it?

Hope the insurance is covering most of the cost, and that you can get a replacement without any headaches.

By the way, did you continue practicing guitar, or did you give that up?

I guess you can say I kind of gave up practicing the guitar. It stares at me from the corner and whispers but I pay no attention. I hope to find the motivation again, I really do but sadly,right now it is a dormant hobby.

Almost pulled the trigger on a 2005 Toyota highlander this week. 200k miles and they were still asking $4k, though open to negotiation. I took it to a mechanic for an inspection and they found a couple things nothing too major. Mostly it was that a previous mechanic had made an obvious minor mistake that made us question whether the previous work had been done correctly. I suspect we'll end up buying a newer vehicle with fewer miles and spending more than I'd ideally like. My wife doesn't love the idea of buying an older vehicle with so many known issues.

Quote from: El Barto on July 19, 2024, 10:10:30 AMIf it won't start presumably there's coolant mixed in with the oil and/or the other way around. In that case you should be able to just call a shop and ask them for options or a ballpark over the phone. It's not like they can say "I wouldn't know until I looked at it," and if they do tell them to go fuck their mother. 

The good news is that 206k isn't that old for the motor itself. Whether you fix it or replace it comes down to what's up with the rest of the car, and if you still like driving it. At that age moving to a more modern ride is kind of appealing, but now's clearly not a great time to be buying a car.

I spoke to the guy mechanic and he said the gasket isn't that big of a deal but the engine isn't looking good so he said that needed replacement.

I settled on a used Subaru Forester. 

Quote from: Jamesman42 on July 19, 2024, 08:50:45 AMI test drove 2 Chevy SUVs, the Equinox and Blazer. The Blazer felt perfect. My trade-in car value is $8000 minus $2000 to refurbish.

They only had one Blazer on site, a 2020 with 38000 miles. My wife says she wants something newer with lower mileage but I felt fine wanting it.

So, coming back to this. I don't know how likely they will have a newer Blazer or can obtain one (not sure if dealerships can import cars from elsewhere). I am not exactly in a rush to get a new car, my Impala is just fine, but I also like to finish something once I start it. This is an upgrade that we want to make for having two growing kids and the possibility of evacuation in a major hurricane (minor detail but worth considering).

I guess I want to see what some opinions you guys have. Is a 2020 car with 38k miles and a good carfax report of maintenance a good deal for $17000 (that's the price with my trade-in value)? Or is it worth it more to wait for something newer and with less mileage? I would be glad to take what they have now, my wife wouldn't but she says it's my choice, and my FIL also thinks I should try and wait.

Just seeking some info, I'm not worried about it but just trying to get a handle on it.

I'm probably not the guy to listen to (my cars: 1990 Jeep w/125k, 2003 Ford truck w/310k, 2008 BMW w/82k, 2013 BMW w/150k, and 2020 Volvo w/90k) but there are NO cars that are "must buy right now". If you're patient, there's almost always another deal out there, depending on how much time and effort you want to put in. If you're looking to walk in to THAT dealer and be out in an hour, your options are severely narrower.

I don't know that "38k" is high mileage at this point in time. See my above. If you take care of your cars, they will take care of you.  Things like body rot and (certain) component failure are as much a function of time as mileage.  Meaning, if you have a car that is two years old, the rust on the car is not likely dependent on how many miles are on it as much as how it was stored/taken care of.

I can't say if that's a good deal or not, without seeing the car (or knowing if is all wheel drive) but it doesn't strike me as way out of whack.

Looks like there are a few BMW folks here. I had some recollection that El Barto and Stadler were, and a brief search shows ReaperKK as well.

I want an E39.  I've always liked this generation, especially once the E60 came out ( ), and apparently everyone thinks its the best car ever.  I've been on bimmerforums, just joined BMWCCA, and have been reading about all the mandatory maintenance items for this car and its age, and browsing listings.  I've narrowed it down to a post-2000 530i 5-speed, preferably with sport package (I don't think all 5-speeds are sport) and preferably not in silver w/ grey interior.  Also getting a feel for the market, and for the very real possibility of traveling several states away to find one that hasn't lived through 22 northern winters.

I would love to get up close to one before I waste a seller's time kicking tires.  I plan to attend one of the local chapter's coffee meetups soon.

Quote from: jasc15 on July 23, 2024, 02:42:57 PMLooks like there are a few BMW folks here. I had some recollection that El Barto and Stadler were, and a brief search shows ReaperKK as well.

I want an E39.  I've been on bimmerforums, just joined BMWCCA, and have been reading about all the mandatory maintenance items for this car and its age, and browsing listings.  I've narrowed it down to a post-2000 530i 5-speed, preferably with sport package (I don't think all 5-speeds are sport) and preferably not in silver w/ grey interior.  Also getting a feel for the market, and for the very real possibility of traveling several states away to find one that hasn't lived through 22 northern winters.

I would love to get up close to one before I waste a seller's time kicking tires.  I plan to attend one of the local chapter's coffee meetups soon.

There's a lot to like about it, and a lot to be scared of. The motor's built to last forever. The problem here is that you're looking at a 25 year old car, and plastic is not built to last forever. Tons of stuff is going to be brittle and prone to falling apart. The "leather" will be 25 years old. The paint will be 25 years old. The window regulators are going to be 25 years old (and brittle). The entire cooling system will be the same ABS plastic (but maybe only 12 YO).

Now, the good news is that if you're buying a stick you're probably buying one from somebody who maintained it well. That 5 sport is an enthusiasts car, and while they often drive them pretty hard, they typically stay on top of things. So on top of things they probably replaced the entire cooling system around 10 or 12 years in. Which means it'll probably be time to replace the entire cooling system again.

I'm not trying to scare you away from it. Man, I miss driving BMWs. Just letting you know that it will need work. Best thing you can do right now is look for a reliable independent shop in your neck of the woods. Ideally a BMW shop, rather than a "European" shop. Bimmerforums will be of great use there. Get recommendations from those guys. I got in with guys who worked on mine for the last 15 years because the first owner did work for forummers on the side, and I got out of BMWs because I couldn't replace those guys when they moved on. If you can find somebody you like and trust then you can make it work. I wouldn't jump in without having a reliable tech lined up.

Also, A PPI is money well spent.

Pretty much Barto nailed it.  I have an F10 now (2013) and I had an E34 (95) that I regret trading in to this day.  Not that I got a bad deal; I didn't (I got an S60 that I drove for 12 years, one divorce, five moves and 200K miles) but it was a sweet car that is out of my price range to replace today for a car that won't be my daily but doesn't serve another special purpose.  The F10 IS my daily, and it's overall the best car I've ever owned, all things considered.

I've had six BMWs now, and I think I (or the PO) has replaced the expansion tank on the cooling system on every one of them.  And, oddly, the blower motor for the HVAC system.  I've done all but the F10 expansion tank myself.

I have that tech in my basement (my stepson; he's had three of them, all 3-series, but also worked at a dealer as a tech for a year), so I can vouch for that part.  None of these cars are "passive" cars; you don't buy it and ignore it until the next oil change.  Personally, I like that; I'm a car guy. Bart might disagree, but I don't think that necessarily means a ton of dough, it just means attention. I think the forums are key; it helps to know people.  I don't think we could do it now, but I remember when I had my first one (an 82 E30) I would go up to the dealer in Woodbury CT and one of the techs - his name was Gene, I still remember it - would let me just borrow tools (the one I remember most is that I needed a thin-walled socket to get the transmission out; I remember it because I had to borrow it more than once*).

We (my stepson and I) joke; you go on a forum for Ford or Dodge, and you get people that say "Ur a looser; I ficksed that with a pipe cleaner, some wire that was hanging from the rear bumper, and staples! The license plate lights don't work now, but fuck that!"  You go on some of the BMW forums (I go on Bimmerfest most often, but there are a few good ones) and you get schematics, you seemingly get a free license to their custom diagnostic software, and photo-montage of the repair sequence including part numbers. Not only do you fix the problem but you get built-in Wi-fi to boot!   






* I had just crashed my '78 Datsun 280Z, which had a 3-up, 3-down shift pattern.  I got my first BMW (4-up, 2-down), and not long after, one of the gears in the transmission - I forget the details, but it was a small plastic gear that notoriously failed, and was easy to replace by someone who knew what they were doing - failed.  I pulled the transmission, drove it to Rhode Island (about 2 hours away) and my dad and I went for sandwiches while the guy fixed it for me.   Got it back to CT, installed it, got in the car, checked it - 3-up, 3-down... and fuck I'm missing a gear!  Called the guy, pulled it out, drive it back to RI, guy put it on his bench, went 4-up, 2-down and said "it seems to work now" and my dad - I love him! - said "Bill, let's get this back in the car. I'll give you a couple days to stew on this before I start breaking your balls about it."  (For those not following, I instinctively fell back into the Datsun shift pattern when I was checking my work on the BMW.). Not my finest hour. 

Quote from: Stadler on July 22, 2024, 09:32:49 AMI'm probably not the guy to listen to (my cars: 1990 Jeep w/125k, 2003 Ford truck w/310k, 2008 BMW w/82k, 2013 BMW w/150k, and 2020 Volvo w/90k) but there are NO cars that are "must buy right now". If you're patient, there's almost always another deal out there, depending on how much time and effort you want to put in. If you're looking to walk in to THAT dealer and be out in an hour, your options are severely narrower.

I don't know that "38k" is high mileage at this point in time. See my above. If you take care of your cars, they will take care of you.  Things like body rot and (certain) component failure are as much a function of time as mileage.  Meaning, if you have a car that is two years old, the rust on the car is not likely dependent on how many miles are on it as much as how it was stored/taken care of.

I can't say if that's a good deal or not, without seeing the car (or knowing if is all wheel drive) but it doesn't strike me as way out of whack.

I meant to reply to this. Thank you for the great insight. I'm going back Friday to test drive their 2023 Trailblazer (less than 3k miles and comparable price), and I wouldn't be surprised to walk off with a new (to me) vehicle. I read up a lot on them and from here I pick which one feels the best of the good options. 

I take good care of my cars on the maintenance side (not me, I bring it in to get them serviced). One of the few lessons my dad taught me was to keep it well-oiled and maintained and a car will last me forever. 

Quote from: Jamesman42 on July 24, 2024, 09:31:01 AMI meant to reply to this. Thank you for the great insight. I'm going back Friday to test drive their 2023 Trailblazer (less than 3k miles and comparable price), and I wouldn't be surprised to walk off with a new (to me) vehicle. I read up a lot on them and from here I pick which one feels the best of the good options.

I take good care of my cars on the maintenance side (not me, I bring it in to get them serviced). One of the few lessons my dad taught me was to keep it well-oiled and maintained and a car will last me forever.

I do it myself to get out of the house and as a break from... everything else.  That's just me.  I tell my daughter: "you don't have to do it yourself, just as long as you cause SOMEONE to do it!"   

On the topic of BMWs Stads and Barto nailed it. You have to stay on top of maintenance and be diligent about caring for your car. I've had 3 BMWs and I ordered a new m3 comp last month, I love their cars and while I think the new m2 and 5 series is painfully ugly they are the complete package of looks, performance, and tech. Having a good local mechanic is also a great resource to have.

My dream was to own a Porsche and I bought one two years ago and that was the most unreliable car coupled with the worst dealer service experience that I'm done with the brand.

I've posted this dude before but if you like watching some great car wrenching this guy does amazing restoration work on BMW (and now a maserati)

I just got home with my new car. The 2020 Blazer still had more appeal than everything else, it is everything I wanted. 

Quote from: Jamesman42 on July 26, 2024, 11:13:40 AMI just got home with my new car. The 2020 Blazer still had more appeal than everything else, it is everything I wanted.

Congrats man! Getting a new car is exciting!

I've driven it 5 times already for various reasons. I don't know if I can ever go back to a sedan. Being higher up is just better.

Quote from: Jamesman42 on July 27, 2024, 09:46:04 AMI've driven it 5 times already for various reasons. I don't know if I can ever go back to a sedan. Being higher up is just better.

Yeah I was going to get a Crosstrek but settled for an SUV Forester instead, neighbor concurred and said SUVs are the best when you have kids. 

Car salesman said no one is buying sedans anymore at their lot..

Looked it up, nice looking car.

I get it, I would have to check but getting the SUV over the sedan didn't feel like too much more money for a better car overall.

Quote from: ReaperKK on July 26, 2024, 05:15:49 AMI've posted this dude before but if you like watching some great car wrenching this guy does amazing restoration work on BMW (and now a maserati)

I've binged all his E39 videos, paying special attention to project Rotweil, the 530i touring.  As I mentioned in my post above I always liked the E39, but it was always in some abstract way and I never seriously considered buying one.  His channel is the most direct influence to finally make me want to buy one.

I always watch his videos and think how I want to buy an e46 again as a weekender or something to just have but then I remembered when I had an e46 how I didn't have the same patience as him when I had to wrench on it monthly.

Quote from: El Barto on July 23, 2024, 02:57:21 PMThere's a lot to like about it, and a lot to be scared of.

Now, the good news is that if you're buying a stick you're probably buying one from somebody who maintained it well.

I'm not trying to scare you away from it. Man, I miss driving BMWs. Just letting you know that it will need work. Best thing you can do right now is look for a reliable independent shop in your neck of the woods. Bimmerforums will be of great use there.

Also, A PPI is money well spent.

Thanks Barto.  Good stuff here.  I'm trying to go in eyes wide open.  I've scoured bimmerforums and got a lot of great advice from them already.  I have some decent auto repair experience, but limited to accessories, belts, tensioners, starters, brakes/suspension, interiors/water leaks, etc.  I've never opened a valve cover, oil pan, transmission, clutch, etc.  Part of this adventure will be to increase my auto repair skills and confidence.  All my prior work has been with the pressure of having a running car on Monday morning, but that will not be the case here.  I can take my time with a repair, and learn how to do it right.

There is one BMW specialist near me, but I will have to look far and wide to find a car and then find a shop near the seller to arrange a PPI.  This is universal advice, but I don't know how willing a non-enthusiast seller would be to accommodate such a request.  Maybe I don't want to buy from that person anyway.

Quote from: Stadler on July 24, 2024, 06:20:13 AMI have that tech in my basement (my stepson; he's had three of them, all 3-series, but also worked at a dealer as a tech for a year), so I can vouch for that part... I think the forums are key; it helps to know people.  I don't think we could do it now, but I remember when I had my first one (an 82 E30) I would go up to the dealer in Woodbury CT and one of the techs - his name was Gene, I still remember it - would let me just borrow tools (the one I remember most is that I needed a thin-walled socket to get the transmission out; I remember it because I had to borrow it more than once*).

I joined BMWCCA, so I hope to maybe build a network of helpers..

Quote from: Stadler on July 24, 2024, 06:20:13 AMWe (my stepson and I) joke; you go on a forum for Ford or Dodge, and you get people that say "Ur a looser; I ficksed that with a pipe cleaner, some wire that was hanging from the rear bumper, and staples! The license plate lights don't work now, but fuck that!"  You go on some of the BMW forums (I go on Bimmerfest most often, but there are a few good ones) and you get schematics, you seemingly get a free license to their custom diagnostic software, and photo-montage of the repair sequence including part numbers. Not only do you fix the problem but you get built-in Wi-fi to boot! 

  We recently aquired a 2007 Mustang Shelby GT, and browsing those forums is such a  massive difference compared to bimmerforums.

Quote from: jasc15 on July 30, 2024, 07:17:31 AMThis is universal advice, but I don't know how willing a non-enthusiast seller would be to accommodate such a request.  Maybe I don't want to buy from that person anyway.

You don't. However I've never had anybody balk at me taking it to a mechanic to look over.  So long as they look but don't touch it's typically cool. BMW owners seem to understand.

Quote from: El Barto on July 30, 2024, 07:30:36 AMYou don't. However I've never had anybody balk at me taking it to a mechanic to look over.  So long as they look but don't touch it's typically cool. BMW owners seem to understand.

The other end of this is arranging an out of state PPI.  I would have to find a reputable shop in an unfamiliar area.  Being hired by me, though, should make them work in my interest.

Unless the mechanic is the owner's brother in law it shouldn't be a problem. Most places won't want to burn their reputation over a PPI.

The one time I did that (down in Houston) the place did a remarkably thorough job. Wound up not buying the car because of some unknown immobilizer component that was mucking up the OBDII scan. Shame, too, as it was an otherwise good car (E46 330ic ZHP with a stick). They spent an hour on it, and even did it on a Saturday. Just call and make sure they'll be able to do it within your window.

Quote from: El Barto on July 30, 2024, 08:30:12 AMUnless the mechanic is the owner's brother in law it shouldn't be a problem.

The paranoid skeptic side of me is thinking that a seller would likely be familiar with their local shop, so who am I as an out of state tire kicker?  You just have to try.

Quote from: El Barto on July 30, 2024, 07:30:36 AMYou don't. However I've never had anybody balk at me taking it to a mechanic to look over.  So long as they look but don't touch it's typically cool. BMW owners seem to understand.

Honestly, I've met more than a few BMW owners that are like "Take it!" because they want someone to see their car. . May or may not be worthy of it, but a lot are pretty high on their particular set of wheels. 

To jac's point, I may see about next summer getting an older e30 or e36 and working on it.  Problem is, they go for stupid money to get even the basics (like frame and stuff) right and I don't want to build a car from scratch.  My dream is an e24 (the first run of 6-series) but they're even more ridiculous for price and I have no idea what parts are like for that.   Second would be an e23/e32 (early 7-series) but again, I have no idea what I'd be getting into.

Quote from: jasc15 on July 30, 2024, 07:22:10 AMI joined BMWCCA, so I hope to maybe build a network of helpers..

  We recently aquired a 2007 Mustang Shelby GT, and browsing those forums is such a  massive difference compared to bimmerforums.

I love seeing the different car forums. Rennlist (porsche forums) are incredible knowledge too. Ferrari forums are hilarious, it's threads of people trying to avoid an engine out service 

Quote from: ReaperKK on July 30, 2024, 10:01:56 AMI love seeing the different car forums. Rennlist (porsche forums) are incredible knowledge too. Ferrari forums are hilarious, it's threads of people trying to avoid an engine out service 

Ferrari ownership is about insane. I really had no idea until recently how ridiculous it all is. It's actually kind of cult-like, where instead of just buying their product you agree to let them own you while you get to drive the car. Really makes me question the sorts of people who'd sign up for that.