The Car Shopping Thread
This purchase was way more reckless and irresponsible.Yessssssssss!
Unless it’s another freakin driving range auction purchase
Should be here tomorrow and then I have to sort out the financing. So not a done done deal, but I’m committed at this point.
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@Canadan I did something today. I blame you.
So about a week ago I get a text from my dealer: let us appraise your car and get you into an upgraded ride. Normally I ignore these, but we think a small SUV might be a better option for us right now than our current sedan. So I did a little research last Thursday and called the guy who sold us our last car and asked him for a ballpark out the door price on a specific model. Being conservative, he put numbers out there that were about 15% higher than I wanted to pay. Getting into more optimistic cases, we were still about 8% apart and didn’t see a way to close a gap that large. I thanked him for his time and thought that was that. I’m ok with my current ride, so I felt no need to push it.
Then I got a dealer text Saturday asking how the phone call went. I replied, recounting the discussion and saying I was happy with my current car and the process.
Then today the sales manager called and offered trade-in and purchase price concessions to get to within 2% of my ask.
So tomorrow we’re going to check out the SUV for the first time. We hope it looks good.
I’m convinced when dealers have enough on the line, they’ll find a way to make the deal.
It’s weird for us because my ideal car purchase involves a trade-in so worn out I breathe a sigh of relief when the car makes it to the dealer. One car actually snapped a half-shaft the night before I had a test drive scheduled.
Then I got a dealer text Saturday asking how the phone call went. I replied, recounting the discussion and saying I was happy with my current car and the process.
Then today the sales manager called and offered trade-in and purchase price concessions to get to within 2% of my ask.
So tomorrow we’re going to check out the SUV for the first time. We hope it looks good.
I’m convinced when dealers have enough on the line, they’ll find a way to make the deal.
It’s weird for us because my ideal car purchase involves a trade-in so worn out I breathe a sigh of relief when the car makes it to the dealer. One car actually snapped a half-shaft the night before I had a test drive scheduled.
Most buyers are not in the position to truly be able to walk away. Sometimes that's money, sometimes its emotions, sometimes it is current ride being dead. But when the buyer can walk they get leverage. My last two new car purchases from dealerships were situations where I could walk. The dealerships found a way to get to my numbers and called me back on their own to do so.
Bit bummed today. I thought I had purchased a bucket list car a couple days ago: a 2017 911. I have been trying to get one for a few months now, and finally won an auction bid. Car was delivered to the dealer and I took a look at it yesterday. Added it to my insurance and everything, with the plan on getting the financing and everything resolved today.
Well, the car went to a high quality mechanic today and it was determined based on some computer information that the odometer had been rolled back. So needless to say, the car is not going to be mine. I'm some mix of sad and relieved. It's a beautiful car, but its just not something I can look past at the price.
Part of me wants to keep looking, and part of me wants to just put it to the backburner for a while and reconsider whether its worth the effort.
Well, the car went to a high quality mechanic today and it was determined based on some computer information that the odometer had been rolled back. So needless to say, the car is not going to be mine. I'm some mix of sad and relieved. It's a beautiful car, but its just not something I can look past at the price.
Part of me wants to keep looking, and part of me wants to just put it to the backburner for a while and reconsider whether its worth the effort.
If you have a 2023/24 Lexus RX hybrid, be aware there appears to be a 12V battery drain issue (five pages of posts in clublexus.com) under certain circumstances:
You drive the car infrequently (<30 highway miles/week)
or, you used Accessory Mode for 20 or more minutes
or, you left a door ajar only slightly
It appears the 12v battery reserve is low vs any of these drain scenarios. You need liftgate access to the 12v battery and you probably won’t have it with a dead battery. The mechanical access to the electronic passenger door handles is a PITA but it will allow you to pop the hood, where there is a positive battery connection in the fuse box. An unsuspecting tow truck guy could put the negative clamp in the wrong place and fry the ECU (the dealership’s current thinking), which currently has a two week leadtime. Love the vehicle so far, but this is not what I’d expect from Toyota/Lexus
You drive the car infrequently (<30 highway miles/week)
or, you used Accessory Mode for 20 or more minutes
or, you left a door ajar only slightly
It appears the 12v battery reserve is low vs any of these drain scenarios. You need liftgate access to the 12v battery and you probably won’t have it with a dead battery. The mechanical access to the electronic passenger door handles is a PITA but it will allow you to pop the hood, where there is a positive battery connection in the fuse box. An unsuspecting tow truck guy could put the negative clamp in the wrong place and fry the ECU (the dealership’s current thinking), which currently has a two week leadtime. Love the vehicle so far, but this is not what I’d expect from Toyota/Lexus
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You watch, you'll get what you're looking for when you least expect it.
Look forward to when that time comes.
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which vehicle did you go with?
I will be in the market to lease in May and right now thinking EV. Maybe the Q4 E-tron
Didn't you reverse course on one of them?@Canadan have you found a car yet? I have now bought two since you started looking
I did, and was able to walk away. I found another.
And in Fla that its a 3rd degree felony. Any person who intentionally violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony of the third degree. Fla 319.35 Unlawful acts in connection with motor vehicle odometer readings; penalties.
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Honestly, Drop an "Info Bomb" like that and just leave?
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Told you that you'd find one when you weren't looking
Congrats....
Haha I appreciate it, but I looked. Like a looked a lot, as in literally hundreds of cars. This fell into my lap. It was a way better buy than the last one, so all is well that ends well.
It is at the shop now getting a once over and the fluids changed. I should have it home in a few days and will post some better pics.
Yeah that's beautifulWent to the shop to see my car today for the first time.
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