It looks like that car may be a bit much as a 4WD with all the options (about $50K) and rather poor mileage.
I want to buy a new car
- Thread starter CougTek
- Start date
It looks like that car may be a bit much as a 4WD with all the options (about $50K) and rather poor mileage.
That stinks. It's not under warranty?
I really don't like this whole iPAD thing in the dashboard that almost all new cars have. When it goes south I suppose half the controls are gone. I'm used to changing the temperature and audio without even looking. At least there are some redundant controls on the wheel now, but even so they are complicated.
Stereodude
Not really a
Have you looked at the new Chevy Impala? It's pretty nice. Consumer Reports loved it.
Stereodude
Not really a
The LaCrosse is on the same platform. Which Buick are you looking at?
I'm not sure yet. The internet is crappy lately and not loading enough. I think it was Lacrost.
It used to be that there was a Buick same as Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, etc., but the car companies have all gone bonkers I suppose.
It used to be that there was a Buick same as Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, etc., but the car companies have all gone bonkers I suppose.
Stereodude
Not really a
They still share platforms, but it's much less obvious and flagrant than the 90's when they were super similar. No one is going to sit in a Regal and say to themselves this is the same car as the Malibu but with Buick badges.
FWIW, the new Impala is on the Epsilon II platform along with several other cars.
time
Storage? I am Storage!
Why? They're both still products of General Motors that share the same components and to some extent the same designers.
Outside of the USA, GM is just a low-end car company that sources a bunch of models from a failed Korean manufacturer (formerly Daewoo Motors).
When I was looking for compact cars two years ago, GM was about 8th in the list of possibilities (with the Cruze).
Admittedly, their larger cars such as the Australia-only RWD Commodore are fairly reasonable, if you want that sort of thing. I wanted that sort of thing 25 years ago - now, not so much.
So what's the appeal?
Outside of the USA, GM is just a low-end car company that sources a bunch of models from a failed Korean manufacturer (formerly Daewoo Motors).
When I was looking for compact cars two years ago, GM was about 8th in the list of possibilities (with the Cruze).
Admittedly, their larger cars such as the Australia-only RWD Commodore are fairly reasonable, if you want that sort of thing. I wanted that sort of thing 25 years ago - now, not so much.
So what's the appeal?
Stereodude
Not really a
A better fit for your age group? :rofl:Well, I'd rather drive a Buick than a Chevy.
Stereodude
Not really a
Of the Buick over the Chevy or of getting a GM product at all?
IMHO, in the US the jury is still out on the Koreans. The cars are much nicer than they used to be. They're quite nice when new. Long term (10 year+) reliability is still up in the air. The Germans and Europeans don't sell inexpensive cars in the US. They sell luxury cars with luxury prices. The big two Japanese brands (Toyota & Honda) are primarily selling "phone it in" bland unique US market models riding on their reputation from decades past, especially Toyota. Nearly anyone with any connection to the auto industry knows you don't buy a Chrysler if you want to keep it past the warranty. Nissan is the Japanese Chrysler. So that leaves you with what Ford, GM, Mazda, & Subaru?
Chevy was considered the low end, then Pontiac, then Oldsmobile, then Buick, then Cadillac up the food chain for GM cars. I've not purchased any cars since years before the collapse of the US car industry around 5-6 years ago, but of course I know that the middle ranges are gone now. I really don't know anything about the current status of GM or other companies overall.
The problem I've found with many of the foreign cars is that they are a bit smallish at the price range I'm considering.
The SUVs took over much of the car market by the late 1990s, so the options in large or full-sized cars are limited.
Absolutely, but even in the 70s I'd take an Oldsmobile over a Chevy. I understand that today the Chevy can be ordered with higher grade options due to the demise of the Pontiac and Olds.
Edit: Well, maybe not. I read that average age for Buick ]is 60. I'm not that old yet.
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Is Nissan unreliable? I have no interest in Chrysler at all, being an Italian deal.
Stereodude
Not really a
Unreliable, I'm not sure. I know I had a surprising amount of rust issues on my 2002 Maxima. The GM cars I've had of similar age have generally been better in that regard. Chrysler's quality or lack thereof long predates being taken over by the Italians.Is Nissan unreliable? I have no interest in Chrysler at all, being an Italian deal.
The last Mopar I had was an early 71. The 440 (last year before low compression) and A727 were strong and reliable, but various minor issues were annoying. That was when the warranties dropped to 12 months.
I'm not sure about the new Nissan Maxima. It looks a bit small and has the CVT. Are the CVTs up to par with durability of conventional auto transmissions?
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
I once had a used 88 Sentra and it was the only car in its class to use a timing chain. That engine was bullet proof. The body was very much a tin can but I abused that engine and it still took care of me.
I really do mean abused. I drove it into water that was too deep and blew out a piston. Drove it another 3 years on 3 cyl.
Stereodude
Not really a
I'll grant you that a timing chain is better than a timing belt. My Maxima had a timing chain.
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
I'll grant you that I don't live where I have to worry about rust. I might have an opinion on it otherwise.
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
In a side note; my wife and I recently purchased a new Suzuki Grand Vitara (auto 2WD) to replace our ageing Holden Frontera (aka Isuzu Mu or Isuzu Rodeo as known in the US). We also looked at the Nissan X-Trail (and the 2015 model feels very cheaply made and is different to the older 2013/14 models), the Mitsubishi ASX (huge ergonomics and visibility issues for the driver), the Subaru XV (non-existent boot) and the Toyota Rav 4 (nice but pricey).
It's nice to drive, plenty of room for the family, on-road performance is better than the Frontera, the infotainment system is easy to use (but certainly has it's quirks), the included GPS in the infotainment is Garmin based (according to the manual, maps can be independently updated by 3rd party, no dealer required).
It's nice to drive, plenty of room for the family, on-road performance is better than the Frontera, the infotainment system is easy to use (but certainly has it's quirks), the included GPS in the infotainment is Garmin based (according to the manual, maps can be independently updated by 3rd party, no dealer required).
Do they still make that vehicle? I don't see them in the US.
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
Yep, ours was built/plated on 1-Apr-2015 in Japan. There is a model refresh in the coming months as well...
Looking online it appears Suzuki US filed for Chap11 back in 2013 and has since left the US automotive market, whilst restructuring to only supply/sell bikes and ATVs.
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
Chewy, did you look at the Honda CRV? We bought a used one a couple of years ago instead of the used RAV4. Better quality of materials for the same price. I expect the same from the new ones.
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
Unless they're is a huge improvement in the hybrid/electric offerings in the next the years I've settled on a Mazda 3 hatch. Good gas mileage, reasonable price, fun to drive, lots of bells and whistles available. I think Ford and Madza both vendors from their partnership a while ago.
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
We had it on the list to look at, but ultimately was outside our budget. The CRV was $3-5K more than the equivalent from other brands (and came with less), not to mention the annual insurance premium was also 10-30% more than the others as well...
I don't know what Honda pricing is like around the world, but here in Australia they tend to be on the more expensive than other major brands for equivalent cars (and that's not counting the cheaper Korean, Chinese or Indian brands that have now entered the Australian market, it's comparing against Toyota, GM, Ford, etc).
ddrueding
Fixture
Assuming you mean when it comes to warranty? So long as the car is serviced at a dealership during the warranty period no one will raise an eyebrow. You can even service the car yourself without voiding the warranty so long as all service items are performed, provided you can show that the quality of the work or materials didn't contribute to the failure.
I've always purchased a service package as part of the vehicle purchase* that included all the services that would happen during the warranty period, just so I don't need to think about it.
*This is a high-margin item that you should be able to negotiate very aggressively.
I've always purchased a service package as part of the vehicle purchase* that included all the services that would happen during the warranty period, just so I don't need to think about it.
*This is a high-margin item that you should be able to negotiate very aggressively.
Thanks. I'm not really concerned about the routine service. I end up having that done based on age limits rather than mileage intervals, since I drive well under 10K per year. I expect to keep the car 10 years at least, providing that it is functional and reliable.
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
The only interstate purchase I can imagine being tricky would be bringing something into CA.
ddrueding
Fixture
Good point, Howell. I'd forgotten about the smog stuff. If you're buying outside CA make sure it is CA emissions compliant. I can't imagine too many new cars aren't.
Here is the Buick emission options, for example. WTF?
! California State Emissions Requirements $0 $0
CT/DE/ME/MD/MA/NJ/NY/OR/PA/RI/VT/WA Emission Reqs $0 $0
! California Emissions Override $0 $0
NOT AVAILABLE in Maine or Vermont.
Allows a dealer in states that require California emissions - California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island or Washington - to order Federal emissions for a vehicle that will be registered in a state that has Federal emission requirements. Do not use for vehicles that will be registered in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island or Washington.
State-Specific Emissions Override $0 $0
For dealers ordering vehicles in (YF5) or (NE1) emission states - California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Allows a California dealer (YF5 emissions) to order (NE1) emissions with (NB9) emissions override code for registration in (NE1) states; or a Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington dealer (NE1 emissions) to order (YF5) emissions with (NB9) emissions override code for registration in California.
Federal Emissions Override $0 $0
For vehicles ordered by dealers in Federal emission states with (YF5) or (NE1) emissions - not required for vehicles being shipped to California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont or Washington.
ddrueding
Fixture
I think that depends on age...
ddrueding
Fixture
Not for Lunar, but a few others here may feel the need. The need for ludicrous speed.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/17/8994519/tesla-ludicrous-speed-model-s
http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/17/8994519/tesla-ludicrous-speed-model-s
I have no idea how they control it, maybe heat?
sdbardwick
Storage is cool
Me, too. :lol:
How many times can it do that before the batteries run down?
I always think those high-lithium cars will explode one day, not that gasoline cannot.
ddrueding
Fixture
The worst-case has pretty much already happened. A Model S ran over some metal in the road that managed to penetrate the Kevlar and slash several cells of the battery pack open. The driver immediately got a notification to stop the car and get out. A couple minutes later the car burned to the ground. No injuries.