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Cory Wolfe

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Everything posted by Cory Wolfe

  1. Cory Wolfe
    I understand the logic behind following the standard set by competitors, but I don't necessarily think it will help them. If you have a company that, say, is at the bottom of nearly every reliability/dependability study, how do you increase consumer confidence in your product by reducing the warranty? As a would-be car buyer, checking out each competitor within a segment and employed with such knowledge, this would raise red flags for me.
  2. Cory Wolfe
    I am beyond excited about the prospect of Android Auto. Really, the biggest downside to all this is the fact that the phone has to have a physical connection in this day and age. Well, that and I do wish Android Auto could just be wholly integrated as the sole interface. But, I have a feeling that wouldn't make everyone happy, particularly those of the Apple-carrying variety. Still, this is an improvement over the industry-wide general awfulness of automakers own work. Mylink, Cue, Myfordtouch, Entune, etc. are all terrible, some to lesser degrees than others. Both Apple's and Google's systems are miles ahead of those disasters.
  3. Cory Wolfe
    Question, did you check to see how many Volts are for sale on the used market? I bet there are quite a few more of those. Also, globally, Tesla sales are rising while Volt/Ampera sales are falling. In fact, the Model S is now the second best selling electric behind the Nissan Leaf. Cause for concern? Perhaps for GM, but I have a feeling Tesla is fine. This is just more of the ever-present anti-Tesla attitude employed by a select few around here. It's a great American car, why hate?
  4. Cory Wolfe
    For the longest time, it was the Fiero. I always wanted an 88 Formula, like so: Though, these days, I have many across various brands from various countries. One of them, I finally bought. The amusing thing is, almost exactly 5 years ago to the day I bought it, I posted this on facebook: "...is really salivating over a new VW GTI. I'm pretty sure I'd sell everything I have to use as downpayment." Funny how that works.
  5. Cory Wolfe
    Thanks, y'all! I'm beyond ecstatic about it. I love it. More details and specifics can be found in my garage post, for those interested. Includes link to pictures, as well. DSG. Would have prefered a manual, but the DSG is pretty good. No, I'll make due with VW's CPO warranty. I'll probably regret it eventually.
  6. Cory Wolfe
    Details above, pictures available here.
  7. Cory Wolfe
    Name: Volkswagen GTI Category: Vehicles Date Added: 2016-10-20 Submitter: Cory Wolfe Volkswagen GTI
  8. Cory Wolfe
  9. Cory Wolfe
    So, I made a decision and bought a car. I may have backtracked on one key detail... Atleast its CPO!
  10. Cory Wolfe
    Replaced the cracked, dirt filled parking lamps on the Firebird. Why is it that Pontiacs have such a problem with this?
  11. Cory Wolfe
    Beyond reliability, I'm throwing more money away by keeping it. I've been ecstatic that gas prices plummeted 6 months or so ago, as this car has never really lived up to its rated gas mileage. It's still great considering the power and size of the car, but I'd like to do better than averaging 22ish mpg in mixed driving. On top of that regular maintenance is more expensive than I'd like (pricey parts, 7qt oil changes, etc.). Same with the insurance rates. Lastly, I'm looking to lower my monthly payment, finance wise. I could refinance, but I don't see the benefit in doing so on a 10 year old car with 120k. My main goal is to lower my bills so I can focus on the big picture and move on with my life. This car is holding me back, financially, more than anything. If I didn't make it abundantly clear, I apologize, but I'm looking for a car that won't hold me back. As I said, good on gas, cheap to own, reliable, and cheap. I simply also ask for something that's not a bore nor completely basic and lacking in features (plus I want to row my own gears). Seems like I would be saving money going that route, no? Regardless, I suppose it's a valid point. Kudos. If you have any further suggestions more in line with the direct question at hand, I'd love to hear them.
  12. Cory Wolfe
    So, I don't plan on having the Toyota for too much longer. If it doesn't sell (seems like this will be the case), I'm just going to trade it in. My dilemma pertains to the recurring fact that I am beyond indecisive. I look at vehicle after vehicle, day after day, and I can never whittle down what exactly I want. My tastes are always changing based on the flavor of the day (usually something impractical). What I do know is this: I need a car. It should be cheaper to own (incl. gas, ins, etc.). It mustn't be a snore. I can't do another car like the Avalon; it kills me everyday. It must be a stick or at least a dual-clutch that isn't made by Ford/Fiat. It should have a few goodies (no strippers). It doesn't matter whether it's American, European, Asian, etc.; I have no qualms, no reservations, no bias. It also doesn't matter what fuel it sips, as long as it just sips it, not chugs it. I also need some form of reliability that can be backed by a reputable source. It needs to be a good car, not a crappy one. Oh, and I guess a price point would probably be helpful... $18k or less. Preferably 2010 or newer. So, have at it. Throw me some suggestions, I'm an open book at this point (though my flavor of day is VW TDI's).
  13. Cory Wolfe
    Splattered touch-up paint all over the Avalon in anticipation of getting rid of it.
  14. Cory Wolfe
    If we want to be fair... Toyota Yaris: CR: 54% above average - TD: 0/100 Trips - JDP: 4/5 Stars Chevy Sonic: CR: 44% below average - TD: 69/100 Trips - JDP: 2/5 Stars ...and the others: Honda Fit: CR: 40% above average - TD: 14/100 Trips - JDP: 4/5 Stars Hyundai Accent: CR: 12% above average - TD: 10/100 Trips - JDP: 4/5 Stars Kia Rio: CR: 23% above average - TD: 23/100 Trips - JDP: 3/5 Stars Mazda 2: CR: 10% above average - TD: 17/100 Trips - JDP: 3/5 Stars Nissan Versa: CR: 0% ab/blw average - TD: 0/100 Trips - JDP: 3/5 Stars Ford Fiesta: CR: 161% below average - TD: 47/100 Trips - JDP: 2/5 Stars The Sonic (and the Fiesta) just doesn't hold up very well. Each and every reliability/dependability study places it below average. Oh, and one more thing... (beware: snark ahead) Seriously? We're talking about a 10 year old car with nearly 120k vs. a new car that never eclipsed its mileage limitations for the warranty. How is the first question about being fair in regards to each models' placement in their respective brands' hierarchy? The Sonic has everything in its favor and should be the more reliable car. It isn't. It wasn't for us, it hasn't been for various other owners, either. The best way to judge a chef is to opt for the hamburger instead of the steak. Exactly.
  15. Cory Wolfe
    Perhaps there are some brains at GM, afterall. It was obvious from the beginning that the price was completely unjustified. The funny thing is... A lot of you guys tried to justify it in the beginning. Watching the backpedaling and further attempts of justification is about as good as any C&G movie gets.
  16. Cory Wolfe
    I like it. Improves upon the 5th's looks, while ushering in a new focus on interior refinement. The performance increases are welcome, too. The new 6 has my name all over it, especially since Ford has neutered the Mustang's 6.
  17. Cory Wolfe
    Currently, I'm having a bit of an issue... I'm starting to get a little too attached to this car. I really only bought it as a temporary car, but I'm having a bit too much fun with it. It's been a really surprising experience, thus far.
  18. Cory Wolfe
    Having tried the whole Toyota thing, I can say they've earned their reputation. I've not seen a car be this trouble free, with not a single problem... especially one that goes through my hands. My cars never work properly, yet this one has. It's just a shame that its the most boring car ever. Toyota's biggest problem, as usual, is not knowing how to give a car soul. Compare it to the Sonic we had, which required far too many trips to the dealership for a new car. I'm not terribly surprised Josh traded it in for a used Honda. That car reminds me of old GM with all the various things they under-engineered on that car. Or, perhaps, there's a bit too much Daewoo left in GM's Korean division that developed most of it.
  19. Cory Wolfe
    This just means more Regals at better prices for those of us who like them. Win-win? Shame, though, about the rest.
  20. Cory Wolfe
    FCA keeps having a massive success with each new vehicle. Renegade outsells its competition in its first full month, 200 has finally caught on and if it keeps up its pace, will outsells most of its competitors, Cherokee sales are still going up along with Ram sales. Really, the only weak spot is Fiat.
  21. Cory Wolfe
    How exactly is it a waste of money? It was already in development as an Alfa until Alfa decided to abandon the work the was done in conjunction with Mazda. If the work was done, the money was spent... I'd say the additional budget to slap a Fiat badge on it in place of Alfa's was a minimal investment, and likely well worth it. It was a waste from the very begining. Fiat has not learned a damn lesson on building quality products and keeps flushing money down the drain on the stupid Alfa line. They need to focus on fixing the terrible quality in the Fiat line, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram. Yes all of them have some very big issues that should be fixed before wasting another billion dollars on a pipe dream of building and selling Alfa's again in the US or even Europe. World market has way to many OEM name plates and we could do with another round of consolidation to clean up the auto industry on a global scale. Riiiight. By that logic, GM and Ford both need to follow in FCA's footsteps. FCA has its share of problems, sure, buts its not that far off from the norm for American automakers. The Cruze has been far below average in reliability (1.4T more so than 1.8L), as bad or worse than many FCA products. In fact, the Cruze was rated in the top 10 of the most unreliable new cars you can buy. Only the 500L and Cherokee ranked worse, a pretty bad showing for a car that should have its problems sorted out by now (out 5 years to the others 1 year). I guess GM is spending too damn much money on things like Z28s, Z06s, and Cadillac V cars...
  22. Cory Wolfe
    Oh my. That looks... forced. I'm sure non-telephoto shots will show the design better, but it looks like it might be the least successful of the new Chevy's, design-wise.
  23. Cory Wolfe
    Finally installed a working CD player in the Firebird. Fun fact... It's the same one I originally bought for my Grand Am back in the day.
  24. Cory Wolfe
    How exactly is it a waste of money? It was already in development as an Alfa until Alfa decided to abandon the work the was done in conjunction with Mazda. If the work was done, the money was spent... I'd say the additional budget to slap a Fiat badge on it in place of Alfa's was a minimal investment, and likely well worth it.
  25. Cory Wolfe
    Not to stir the pot in yet another Cadillac thread (this is getting old), but have you seen this? Or looked up depreciation through a cost-to-own site such as KBB's? Or perused Cars.com or Autotrader listings for that matter? I think you'll see interesting things that may be slightly out of sync with what you want to see. Just saying... ANYHOW, that pricing seems appropriate given the previous model's pricing and the lower rung models' pricing, new vs. old. Perfecto. As we've all been told multiple times, the S-Class is the standard of the world. Even in your article, a Mercedes S-Class loses 32.4% of its value in the first year... or roughly $32,400. Six months of depreciation is $16,200, so seeing as that was just a snarky guess on my part, it still seems to be pretty accurate. In absolute dollar terms, after 2 years of Benz ownership, you will have basically bought a CTS V-Sport with your depreciation. Using the percentages in that article An E63 will be worth about $68,750, a loss of $32,950. A CTS-V will be worth about $53,629, a loss of $31,361 After figuring for the opportunity costs and interest expense of spending an extra $16k on the Benz, the Cadillac is a much better deal.... and it will be at least an equally capable vehicle. Percentages are fun to look at, but in the end, it comes down to actual dollars and sense. It is true that you will still save money with the CTS-V, even taking into account the listed MSRP for the E63 is actually $94.5k for non S models. According to my (by all means, rough; no Ins or EPA data to use) calculations, the 5 year cost-to-own for the CTS-V may undercut the E63 by a bit, on top of the purchase price difference. Still, ignoring the snark... E-class depreciation =/= S-class depreciation < CTS depreciation, regardless.
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