Buying a second (actually third) car.

At some point over the next year we will probably need another car.  My oldest son needs daily transportation back and forth to school about 50 km away and my second son is just over a year away from getting his drivers permit.

I was toying with the idea of getting myself a new car next year but I want to move up to a compact luxury and to get one with the same options as my Optima gets a bit pricey, even for leasing as mentioned in my previous post, so I think I will put that plan on hold for maybe two or three years (subject to change as usual).

There are two basically three options to choose from:

1) Buy a used beater and hope they get some good use out of it
2) Buy a gently used decent car
3) Buy a new car

I am thinking a compact sedan would be best, the sub-compacts almost seem too small and there are a lot more compact sedans to choose from, especially used.  There is also not a big price difference between the two but you can actually fit full sized humans in the back of most compacts, not so much with the sub-compacts.

Obviously the first stop is Kijiji to see what is out there in the used car market.  There are usually about 1,000 sedan type cars for sale at any given time.  The most abundant being in order Chevy, Toyota, Hyundai, Pontiac, and Honda.  So here are a few problems with that list..... I would never buy a used Chevy for starters, you just don't hear anything good about them.  Hyundai models before the restyling in 2011 are just plain ugly, the Accent hatch is not too bad but not great either.  Pontiac.... well since they no longer exist I would stay away from them as well.  Toyota only has the Corolla, Matrix or Yaris in smaller cars.  The Corolla will last forever, but it's just soooooo boring looking.  There is no way I can have a pink or beige Corolla parked in my driveway.  Next on the list is Honda, you really can't go wrong with a Civic, the problem is that used Civics are fairly expensive.

Then you have the Kia, Mazda and Fords.  Like the previous generation Hyundai, the Kia's just look so dated, although the Rio5 does not look too bad and can be had fairly cheaply.  The Mazda 3 makes for a good used car, the only problem there being we already own one and I can't have two of the same car.  As for Ford's, I wouldn't buy a used one.

If you look at the pricing of the used 2010 Civics, they are on dealer lots from about $12,000 - $14,000 with 40,000 km and up.  A 2013 Civic LX goes for $21,000 including delivery and pdi, so for about $8,000 you get a three year newer car with full warranty, no possible problems from previous owners, all the latest car gadgets and lower interest rates.

When buying used most times the rates are similar to bank rates, around 6% over 5 years.  Most new car rates now range from 0% (like my optima) to 3%.  Right now the 5 and 7 year rates on a 2013 Civic is 1.99%. Also, if you are so inclined you can get longer term loans on a new car to bring down the monthly payment.  The longer term and lower rates help bridge the gap between new and used.

There are a lot of things to consider and while conventional wisdom is that its always better to buy used since a car loses 15% - 20% of it's value once it leaves the lot, try to buy a one day old car for 20% less than a new one........  There is a lot of upside to buying new.

To be continued..... and I'm sure I'll change my mind 100 times by the time we get something.

Luxury Car Leasing

Doing my regular car price scanning I noticed something that I hadn't seen in a while.  Leasing rates for luxury cars seem to be coming down, especially for those with new models on the horizon.  Leasing fell out of fashion for a couple of years but it seems to be making a comeback in a big way.  I have leased several cars in the past and never had any trouble, the Pilot was my only lease where I was charged lease end costs.  I had two Saturns and a Focus with no return trouble whatsoever.

BMW are currently offering 0.9% 3 and 4 year lease rates on any remaining 2013 3 Series.  Of course the residuals have gone down on these so the payment has not gone down that much overall.  Even new 3 Series rates are not bad at 3.9%.  Check out my post on leasing basics here: http://nlcarblog.blogspot.ca/2011/10/leasing-basics.html

Mercedes are offering 2.9% lease rates on C Series, there is a totally new C Series coming in the spring so they have to make sure they get rid of all older models before the new ones appear.  Audi are also offering 2.9% rates on A4 Komforts and 3.9% on the other A4 models.

The lower rates combined with traditionally solid residuals mean you can really save on the monthly payments compared to purchasing compact luxury sedans.  The 3 year residuals are normally in the 58% - 60% range with four year residuals around 50%.  Of course leasing is not for everyone, if you like holding on to cars for a long time it won't work but if you're like me and switch cars every three or so years it can work out well.

I'll be doing a few follow up posts to provide more detail on the deals above.

Mercedes CLA - Part 2

Above you see two cars, one the left a 2014 Mercedes CLA and on the right a 2014 Mercedes C Class.  You will notice how they look nothing alike, and the one on the right costs about $6,000 more than the one on the left...... hmmmm...... something does not seem right about that.

Here's the thing though, in order to keep moving the current C Class they are offering extra content and lower rates than the CLA.  Standard on the C Class now for 2014 you get (avantgarde edition they call it) heated seats, panoramic sunroof, AMG styling, sport package and suspension and a few other goodies.  The CLA offers a similar package for $2,800, reducing the price gap to about $3,000.

The other benefit the C Class currently has is the finance rate.  The 5 year rate for the CLA is currently 2.9% while the C is 0.9%, the six year rates are 3.4% and 1.4% respectively.  This amounts to about $40 a month or $2,500 to $3,000 over the life of the vehicle.  That basically takes care of the initial apparent price gap.

So if these cars cost about the same for similar content which one is the better buy?  I have looked at as many online reviews as I can find and here is what I can see as the main benefits to going with the CLA:

Fuel economy - 6.6 l/100 km to 8.1 l/100km
Horsepower - 208 to 201
Torque - 258 to 229
0-100 time - 6.7 secs to 7.2 secs
Styling - Just look at the pictures, if you are over 50 you may like the on the right more, but Mercedes is not looking for you to buy a CLA.
Price - If you buy a base model it is less expensive but really all things considered it is about the same as a similarly equipped C-250.

Now from what I have gathered here is why you would prefer the C-250:

Leg room - rear seat leg room is tight on the CLA, if you care about that... and that's it.

If you bump up to a C-300 the performance numbers are comparable to the CLA but that will be an extra $2,500, although you get AWD, which if added to the CLA as an option brings you very close to the monthly payment of a C-300.  The C-300 offers 248 HP and 251 lb/ft torque but cuts into fuel economy with 9.1 l/100km due mainly to added weight and more thirsty engine.  There is no way I would go for the C-250, the C-300 would be the way to go for an extra $2,500 for more power and AWD.  But still I think the CLA would be the car of choice for me.

The thing to keep in mind here though is that the C-Series will be getting a complete overhaul next year.  It will be bigger, faster, and better equipped to be sure.  The CLA is the darling now but who knows what next year will bring......

Mercedes CLA - Part 1

Mercedes has a new vehicle in their line-up, the CLA.  This is Mercedes' attempt to draw in buyers like me and you..... starting at 33,900 it seems like luxury car-dom is within our grasp.  This car is only about $6,000 more than my Optima before delivery and tax.  So I mean who wouldn't pay $6,000 more to get a Mercedes over and Optima???

Well.... here's what you don't get on the base CLA, heated front seats, heated rear seats, cooled seats, automatic climate control, panoramic sunroof, or back up camera.  That will be an extra $2,800 + tax or about $3,200 in total.  So now we are at about $9,000 more than my Optima.  But at least you get a rear wheel drive set up right, no not right, the new CLA is front wheel drive.  It does out hp the Optima 208 to 200 and really out  classes the Optima with 258 lb/ft compared to about 186.  The CLA also gets super gas mileage, with a stated average 6.6 L/100km.  

There are several good sites out there with good reviews on the new CLA however, the more you look into it I think the biggest competition comes from within.... To be continued.

Porsche

Ok some cars don't need my or anyone's help to promote them.... Porsche is one of them.  The 911 is now in it's 50th year and is widely known as one of the number one luxury car brands in the world.  They build race cars and are the most successful brand in Motorsport with over 28,000 victories.  The thing that caught my eye though was the cool website configurator they have.

If you go to their website http://www.porsche.com/canada/en/ and click on the start web special you can configure your Porsche and then watch it drive away......

The 911 is two things... fast and expensive.  Theoretically you can get one for just under $100,000 before tax and extras but I doubt many dealers sell a base Porsche, and the options add up quick on one of these babies.  The funny thing is that destination is only $1100 which is less than any domestic vehicle and I would think it costs wayyyyyyyyy more to ship a 911 than say a Honda Civic.  A base 911 has 350 hp with a 911 Turbo S packing a walloping 560 hp, tipping the scale at just over $200,000 (without extras).

Being a person of modest means I could never afford one of these BUT I was noticing the Porsche Cayman starting at just under $60,000.  This is one NICE looking car.  I mean my Optima is nice looking but this is super nice.  Autotrader has 67 used ones for sale right now........ I would imagine an oil change or a broken anything would be quite costly though......

Penny Kia Service Visit - End Result

For the background go to:  Disappointing Penny Kia Service Visit

So the next day after I send my email off to the Penny Kia sales manager.  I happened to be home lunch time when he called.  He couldn't apologise enough for what happened and offered me a free oil change next time, just let him know when I was coming in.  He was adamant that it wouldn't happen again and he spoke to the service manager about the incident.  This works out even better for me because my next service visit is the 2 year maintenance which costs almost $300.  I didn't mention that at the time but I will be emailing him to let him know when I am coming in February!

So if you think you received bad service the best thing to do is let someone know about it, most times they will want to make it right.

Penny Kia Service Visit

Last Wednesday I made an appointment for my 40,000 km service visit.  When I called on the previous Monday they tried to sell me a service #2 which was an oil change plus brake inspection which was $40 more than a regular oil change.  Not having any brake issues and knowing I would be sufficiently gauged for my 2 year check up in February I passed on the #2 and went for the #1 which is what the owners manual says I would need at this point.

When I called in I pointed out that my passenger side door sill light was not working, and that I had a problem with the drivers side door sill earlier this year which resulted in total car failure due to corroded wires under the door sill.  The service person listened intently, then I asked him if I could wait for my car and he said yes it should be 45 minutes to one hour maximum.  I asked since I had to have the door issue looked at would it take any longer than that and he assured me it would not.

So I showed up Wednesday morning and my service visit could not have gone any worse, I could describe it all but I think the email I sent to the service manager that night says it all, here it is verbatim.  See if you can figure out how it all ends before I post about how it turned out later this week:

I wanted to send you an email about my service visit today since I will probably getting a survey to fill out and it won't be entirely positive.  

On Monday I called in to set up a service appointment, explaining that I would be there around 8:30 and that I was having trouble with my passenger side sill plate not lighting up.  I told the guy that I had this problem before on the drivers side and it was caused by corrosion of the sill plate.  They ended up replacing the sill plate AFTER my car had broken down, I had it towed, the tow truck damaged my vehicle which was never covered.   I also explained that I would like to wait for my vehicle since I have to pick up kids at lunch time and whatnot.  After explaining my light problem I asked how long it would take to have the vehicle serviced and I was told 45 minutes to one hour.  I asked again if the problem would cause extra delay and there was no indication that it would.  Since I was told 45 minutes to one hour that is what I thought it would take.  The last time I was in it did only take about 45 minutes and I was very pleased with the service.

When I arrived the service person asked me what number I could be reached at but I explained that I needed it wait for my vehicle, and had made that clear when I set my appointment.  Again I told him that I had the sill plate problem before and that they had to replace it due to corrosion.   He told me it may be the bulb and that I would have to pay for a replacement bulb, I asked him if he was serious and he said yes.  Again I repeated that the problem before came from corrosion of the sill plate.  

I was killing time on the computers and enjoying a few timbits and coffee and after 1/2 hour noticed my vehicle still hadn't gone in for service.  I was sitting next to a nice lady in the lounge area who told me that two service technicians had called in sick today and that yesterday she showed up and the computer system was down so she had to go home and come back again today.  That poor lady was there almost as long as I was today and that was after coming yesterday and having to return.  If I had been told you guys were backed up from yesterday or short staffed I probably would have made a new appointment and saved myself 2 hours away from work.

So I waited and waited a bit more and then at about 10:20 the service person came over and I figured he would tell me my car was ready but said there was carbon build up in my intake and they were recommending I fix that and it would cost $65.... after I had waited almost 2 hours for an oil change and diagnosis of a minor problem.  It was difficult for me  not to act irritated but I politely declined the service since I had to get back to work.  Again I'm sure you understand my position and after waiting almost 2 hours the last thing I wanted to hear was that they wanted me to spend another $70.

When you saw me at about 10:30 I was totally at my wits end, I was there about 2 hours at that point, expecting to be 45 minutes to an hour and no one explained the delay to me.  When I finally finished up at 10:45 the service person told me a lot of the delay was diagnosing the sill plate problem.  This would in some cases be a reasonable explanation but I had told him 2 or 3 times about the problem I had with the drivers side sill plate earlier this year leading to its replacement, it rusted, the wires corroded, my car stopped working, I had it towed, the tow truck damaged it, etc etc....  It left a bad taste in my mouth.  Sure enough same issue with the passenger side, they have to order me in a new plate.  As an additional note, I don't find it comforting that after one winter I have had to replace both of these, one instance leading to total car failure and damage due to a tow truck.  I love my car but if this continues I will be unloading it before the warranty expires.

All in all this was not a good service experience.  As I said to both yourself and the service person, next time I need just an oil change I will be going to Jiffy Lube.  I understand the car business and I know you count on after sales service but I can't afford to give up over 2 hours to a simple oil change and diagnosis of a reoccurring problem.  I really think the service person was not listening to me at all and in the end I was correct in my diagnosis of the problem which I explained to him multiple times.   That is what I found most irritating, he just didn't listen to me.

On the upside, I bought some Weathertech mats today and found the parts person very helpful and especially nice to deal with today, the mats are great.  He would get 10 out of 10.

I have to say in my 20+ years of owning cars you are probably the best person I have ever dealt with and I think my Optima is a wonderful car, but today I was very disappointed in the service provided and will be reflecting this in the Kia survey I will be receiving.   I would be inclined to go elsewhere for any future simple oil changes but will may come in for more in depth servicing.  

As a family man and a busy person I hope you see the point here

Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax - Excellent Product

When I wrote my last blog post Rebadging I mentioned there was another story in the pictures.... it was my beautiful new wax job using Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax.  I bought this stuff when Crappy Tire had a sale for $9 off and the total cost was $25.99, so without the discount this stuff was $35, not a cheap wax by any means.

It comes with a sponge applicator and microfibre cloth for wax removal and buffing.  When I opened it up the first thing I noticed was the enticing aroma.... man this stuff smells good!  It really gives you the impression it is made from some good natural wax but it is actually a pure synthetic polymer so they must just add some nice coconut smell to the mix.

I read a lot of reviews about this product, all of them raving.  After a good car washing, I opened it up, applied some to the applicator pad and off I went.  This is really easy to apply and unlike the liquid wax I normally use, it is easier to see areas you have already covered.  I had my entire car done in about 20 minutes, being careful not to get any on the black plastic trim.  There are also stern warnings about keeping it off your skin so I used a pair of gloves which also made it easier to hold on to the relatively small applicator pad.

It only took a couple minutes for the wax to dry to a haze so I used the included microfibre towel to remove the wax fairly easily.  There were no signs of streaking at all left behind, which can sometimes happen with the liquid wax.

Overall I'd say this is a great product, from looking at the amount of wax I used I am estimating I can do about 10 cars with the entire container.  Highly recommended!

Kia Optima - Re-Badging Complete!

I realized after I put up my last post that I had previously posted about ordering the Kia re-badge kit so some of it was redundant.  I don't have an editor (or bother to reread my own posts) so things like that happen from time to time.  Anyway today was a nice day so being the impatient type off I went to apply my new re-badge kit.

The first thing I realized was that the on-line instructions for removing the existing Kia badges was HORRIBLY INACCURATE.  The ones I saw suggested using dental floss or fishing line to remove the badges.... here's the problem.  The original badges have pegs that go into the sheet metal.... YOU CANNOT SLIDE DENTAL FLOSS THROUGH THE PLASTIC PEGS!  After breaking several pieces of fishing line I had to come up with an alternate plan.

The alternate plan involved a hair dryer and a screw driver. I gently lifted the badge and had my helper son apply some heat with the hair dryer, he was actually the one who got the first one lifted off so he deserves the credit for our success. Once we got it pried off it was pretty simple to keep applying heat and remove the entire thing.  The first one left a lot of the double sided tape behind which we had to remove with goo-gone but the back one came off with almost all the double sided tape intact.  I think our success with the second one was due to constant and heavy hair dryer heat application.  Once we had the old ones removed and the area cleaned up applying the new ones was a breeze.

For the wheel covers we simply had to place the new badges over the old ones.  Here is proof of our success, I think the new ones look way better than the old ones.  There is also another story in these pictures but I will get to that in my next post. (And its not the expert removal of my license plate in the second picture using MS Paint)

Kia Optima Re-badge Kit

One of the things I am not really in love with are the Kia emblems on the front and back of my Optima, they are also on the wheels and steering wheel.  I was reading somewhere that you can find replacements that are easy to install, they look like the picture to the left.  After a little internet research sure enough you can buy replacement kits, prices seemed to range from $50 to $80 for a set of 7 (front, back, 4 wheels, steering wheel).

On E-Bay there are lots of places selling the kits but some of them were located overseas which I normally avoid due to it taking forever for items to arrive and possible shipping damage.  I came across a place called the K5 Optima Store and the link to the items can be found here : http://www.k5optimastore.com/products/kemblems.  There were some good reviews on this company so I figured I would give them a shot.  Sure enough 5 days later the kit showed up in the mail well protected in a bubble envelope.

So next steps are to google some videos about how to apply these babies and I'll let you know how it turns out.