The Car Discussion Thread

[Popeye_Card]

How exactly can we have a discussion on boring cars without mentioning this?

A Buick at least tells the world, "I'm old, and cannot afford a Caddy."

The new Buicks are nice though. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if shopping for a sedan, and you can probably snag one for about the same price as a Camry. So there you go, Rad.

[Jocephus]

to me, a car is nothing but a mode of transportation. i'm not going to criticize someone's choice of vehicle (unless you are a terrible driver).

[Michael]

How exactly can we have a discussion on boring cars without mentioning this?

A Buick at least tells the world, "I'm old, and cannot afford a Caddy."

The new Buicks are nice though. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if shopping for a sedan, and you can probably snag one for about the same price as a Camry. So there you go, Rad.

Hahaha I bought a Buick Verano about 6 mos ago. It was an unexpected purchase for me to say the least. In my head I was like "A Buick. Really?"

I needed a compact car due to my small city garage and the Verano was the only near luxury car in its class with newer technology. Plus, I got a top of the line model for under 25k (with tax, no trade-in), which was a killer deal.

The Verano is actually a great car. It has awesome seats, new technology, a great sound system and a quite interior. But yeah... it's a Buick.

[SHOW]

[Radbird]

A Buick at least tells the world, "I'm old, and cannot afford a Caddy."

The new Buicks are nice though. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if shopping for a sedan, and you can probably snag one for about the same price as a Camry. So there you go, Rad.

I think I'm around the age where my dad and uncle both moved into the Caddy stage of their life, so I'm not sure I could settle for a Buick without tarnishing the family name. (I know, I know, I already did that by driving a Camry....)

BTW, that does look like a sweet ride, Michael. I guess there's a reason it's the best selling brand in China.

[robbotis]

A Buick at least tells the world, "I'm old, and cannot afford a Caddy."

The new Buicks are nice though. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if shopping for a sedan, and you can probably snag one for about the same price as a Camry. So there you go, Rad.

I think I'm around the age where my dad and uncle both moved into the Caddy stage of their life, so I'm not sure I could settle for a Buick without tarnishing the family name. (I know, I know, I already did that by driving a Camry....)

BTW, that does look like a sweet ride, Michael. I guess there's a reason it's the best selling brand in China.

Looks nice, and has solid reviews.
Does it have All Wheel Drive?

[Radbird]

Do you really need a mid sized sedan? Could you go with something a little smaller like a Chevy Cruze which is a very good car, and quite fun with the turbo 4 engine.

Not really. We've actually got 3 cars in the garage (and only 2 people in the house) because the kid doesn't need one in Boston. She has a 2007 Impreza which is fun to drive but I'd probably want something a tad bigger.

Does it have All Wheel Drive?

According to Edmunds, only available with FWD.

http://www.edmunds.com/buick/verano/201 ... ?sub=sedan

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I guess this is as good of a place to post this as any since we're all talking about it.

Are the super long warranties worth it? It seems like a lot of cars come with 100K mile powertrain warranties, BUT the car has to be serviced and be checked at the dealership where the prices are outrageous. If you're paying $75 for an oil change every 3K miles and $700 for a checkup every 15-30K miles, is that long warranty really a 'deal'? The cost is going to be what $4K. The odds of a transmission, driveshaft and/or engine needing replaced/repaired in the first 100K miles has to be pretty low in this day and age, no? And if you do get a lemon, it should be apparent in the first 10K miles, I'd think. So, the warranty extension isn't really necessary, in my mind.

Thus, the maintenance costs at the dealership give the owner little other than peace of mind that in the unlikely event their new car's engine blows up, they won't have to pay to replace it....

[jim]

If you were to get all of your work done at the dealership, then I think the warranty probably is worth it. In other words, if you are an idiot, then I think the warranty probably is worth it.

Seriously, keep the money in your pocket. Establish a good relationship with a mechanic you can trust, take good care of the vehicle by performing the scheduled maintenance, and you will almost certainly be money ahead in the long run.

[jim]

I guess this is as good of a place to post this as any since we're all talking about it.

Are the super long warranties worth it? It seems like a lot of cars come with 100K mile powertrain warranties, BUT the car has to be serviced and be checked at the dealership where the prices are outrageous. If you're paying $75 for an oil change every 3K miles and $700 for a checkup every 15-30K miles, is that long warranty really a 'deal'? The cost is going to be what $4K. The odds of a transmission, driveshaft and/or engine needing replaced/repaired in the first 100K miles has to be pretty low in this day and age, no? And if you do get a lemon, it should be apparent in the first 10K miles, I'd think. So, the warranty extension isn't really necessary, in my mind.

Thus, the maintenance costs at the dealership give the owner little other than peace of mind that in the unlikely event their new car's engine blows up, they won't have to pay to replace it....

Whoa ... I just read something. The change oil/3K thing is not necessary, most cars it's at least 5K if not more. I use a synthetic and go 10K or about 1 time per year. When those manufacturers say all maintenance free for the first x miles like BMW does - that's basically two oil changes.

Don't change your oil every 3k. It's just not necessary with the majority of cars. And I do recommend running with a synthetic. It will pay for itself easily.

[jim]

I guess this is as good of a place to post this as any since we're all talking about it.

Are the super long warranties worth it? It seems like a lot of cars come with 100K mile powertrain warranties, BUT the car has to be serviced and be checked at the dealership where the prices are outrageous. If you're paying $75 for an oil change every 3K miles and $700 for a checkup every 15-30K miles, is that long warranty really a 'deal'? The cost is going to be what $4K. The odds of a transmission, driveshaft and/or engine needing replaced/repaired in the first 100K miles has to be pretty low in this day and age, no? And if you do get a lemon, it should be apparent in the first 10K miles, I'd think. So, the warranty extension isn't really necessary, in my mind.

Thus, the maintenance costs at the dealership give the owner little other than peace of mind that in the unlikely event their new car's engine blows up, they won't have to pay to replace it....

Whoa ... I just read something. The change oil/3K thing is not necessary, most cars it's at least 5K if not more. I use a synthetic and go 10K or about 1 time per year. When those manufacturers say all maintenance free for the first x miles like BMW does - that's basically two oil changes.

Don't change your oil every 3k. It's just not necessary with the majority of cars. And I do recommend running with a synthetic. It will pay for itself easily.

As far as stuff going bad, it's still going to happen. Lots of moving parts in a car. We had a 2004 Volvo s60 blow a transmission at 70k. That was expensive because you pretty much have to do those through the dealer. I hate those cars. One of the many reasons I prefer the old fashioned manual transmission (my Mustang is a straight manual - no paddle shifters or anything). Way more fun to drive and way cheaper to buy and way cheaper to maintain. Knock on wood I have driven almost nothing but manual's for my adult life and I have never once burned through a clutch.