Well bought the Admiral a new vehicle

boatman37

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So we bought a 2006 Jeep Commander brand new in...wait for it...2006 :facepalm:. couldn't resist...lol. so the wife absolutely loved that vehicle but i have been bugging her for the last few years to upgrade. finally she started looking a few months ago and we made the decision to do it. She had 3 in mind that she liked, Subaru Crosstrek, Honda HR-V and Mazda CX6. had a beautiful day yesterday so decided to go look at a few and test drive. purposely left the title at home so we wouldn'y buy yesterday. went to a local Subaru dealer as they had one there with all the options we/she wanted. test drove it and liked it. went back and they printed a kelley blue book instant cash price and i said absolutely not. they said well they are still assessing your vehicle and this is a starting point. they came back with an offer double the KBB price. pretty happy but not sold yet. subaru does not come with factory remote (at least this dealer doesn't order them in with it) start but can be added. i told them i'm not agreeing yet but that if we did agree i wanted them to throw in the remote starter ($481 option). the salesperson said i don't think they will go for that since they already doubled the KBB offer. just then the sales manager comes out and says if we do it today he will add the remote start free. we told them we would go to lunch and discuss it. we talked it over at lunch and decided we both liked the Subaru and it had every option we wanted and probably wouldn't get a better deal anywhere else. so we head back to the dealership and sit back down. without much said the sales manager comes back over and says if you buy today i will add another $1000 and remote starter. so we agreed!

got a 2017 Subaru Crosstrek AWD limited. leather, sunroof, navigation, trailer hitch, desert khaki, and have to go back tomorrow to take our jeep title and spare key and have them install the remote starter. the jeep had 124,*** miles on it and was probably the best and most reliable vehicle we have ever owned but it was time. the Subaru had 4 miles on it when we test drove it and now has a little over 200 (in one day...lol).

one of the selling points was this dealer still does loaners (not many around here do that anymore so if your car is in the shop you are on your own). being this dealer is about 20 miles away that will be nice but hopefully we never need to use that service. overall i am happy with the car, happy with the deal, and happy with the dealer

we went to the Pittsburgh auto show today (already planned on it beforehand) and wasn't thrilled with the looks of the Honda HR-V interior so that would have came off our list. the Mazda was nice and from an aesthetic standpoint i'd say a coin toss with the Subaru. even after seeing those vehicles i have no regrets with our decision. i am even considering trading my 2013 Ram for an Impreza and just borrow a truck twice a year to launch and retrieve the boat. besides, hopefully next year we will be stepping up to a 30-31 footer and my truck won't pull it anyway so may just pay the local marina to do it instead so i won't need my truck anyway.
 

82rude

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Congrats on your new wheels.If i didnt need a truck id sure not buy one either.We will see how it goes in a couple of years.All i require is 4x4 automatic ,air and maybe power windows.Other than that the less electronic stupidity the better,no infotainment system ,etc,etc.,which might not be too easy to do but i hope so.
 

wrvond

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Mar 2, 2010
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Congratulations!
So you say you got a Subaru for your wife? I'd say that's a pretty fair trade! :)
I think Subaru makes a better vehicle than Mazda anyway.
 

Bayou Dave

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Dec 13, 2012
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Congratulations!
So you say you got a Subaru for your wife? I'd say that's a pretty fair trade! :)
I think Subaru makes a better vehicle than Mazda anyway.

That depends on how many miles the wife had on her. :rolleyes:
 

HT32BSX115

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Howdy,

I am doing pretty much the same thing! My wife currently has an 09 Honda CRV and so far we have driven a Ford Edge. We want to look at another Honda, Suburu, and possibly a coupe of others.

I absolutely HATE the honda (we have) It is so noisy on the highway, we have to yell to talk and if you want to listen to the audio system, it has to be set pretty loud!

They claim the Hondas are quieter now and I have no other real complaints about the CRV (except it's a DOG accelerating)

The Edge we drove was loaded and had the big (ECO-Boost?) V-6 with twin turbochargers so I cannot complain performance. and it was REALLY quiet.

I want to know more about the Suburu so we'll probably drive one along with the new CRV and HRV (don't know the difference yet)

Glad you're happy with your new car!!

Cheers,

Rick
 

DeepCMark58A

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Aug 17, 2015
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We looked at a lot of the crossovers when it was time for the wife to get a new one, we have to have a 4wd because of the half mile drive way in the winter. We ended up going with a Lincoln MKX initially the $ difference was a hard to swallow but we have not regretted it one bit, the little thing is like a snowmobile and the heated and cooled seats and comfort is awesome.
 

HT32BSX115

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We looked at a lot of the crossovers when it was time for the wife to get a new one, we have to have a 4wd because of the half mile drive way in the winter. We ended up going with a Lincoln MKX initially the $ difference was a hard to swallow but we have not regretted it one bit, the little thing is like a snowmobile and the heated and cooled seats and comfort is awesome.

Is the MKX a re-badged Edge? The Edge we drove had heated/cooled seats and maybe the kitchen sink too!

I think I may answered my own question!
The MKX is based on the solid but more pedestrian Ford Edge. Lincoln?s midsized SUV challenges its German rivals in terms of ride, handling, and quietness. On twisty roads the MKX instills confidence and puts a smile on your face. Yet there is no trade-off in ride quality: Bumps, ruts, and pavement imperfections are muted, and the cabin remains tranquil. The 2.7-liter turbo V6 we tested delivers strong, effortless performance, but it returns just 18 mpg overall. The interior is luxurious, with supremely comfortable seats, and the new Sync 3 infotainment system is one of the better interfaces on the market. Do yourself a favor and test-drive the Lincoln MKX.

Very positive reviews!!
 
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wrvond

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We looked at a lot of the crossovers when it was time for the wife to get a new one, we have to have a 4wd because of the half mile drive way in the winter. We ended up going with a Lincoln MKX initially the $ difference was a hard to swallow but we have not regretted it one bit, the little thing is like a snowmobile and the heated and cooled seats and comfort is awesome.

​For the same reason we have a 2009 Lincoln MKS AWD. It gets 22.5 mpg. We try to keep our vehicles until they have 300,000 miles on them, and the Lincoln is a bit over halfway there. I figure we'll be replacing it in a couple years or so. As good as it is, there are some things I don't like (my truck has more cup holders!), so we'll be shopping around to what's out there at that time.
 

bajaunderground

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I like Subaru's, a lot! Had an Outback a few cars back and never needed more power or more options (limited with leather and dual sunroofs). I really love the Edge, I think for a mid-sized crossover, it's good looking and the power offered will peel your lips back! I have 2016 Fusion (ecoboost, AWD) and holy smokes does it flat "get it'. I have been very impressed with Ford's offerings of the last few years!

All in all, don't think you can get a "bad car" nowadays, some are better than others, but most are decent compared to cars 20-3- years ago!

Congrats on the purchase!
 

HT32BSX115

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I like Subaru's, a lot! Had an Outback a few cars back and never needed more power or more options (limited with leather and dual sunroofs).
Consumer Reports gave the Outback a very high rating! That's the one we'll drive next........the flat opposed 6-cyl ( wish it was turbocharged though)
 

sphelps

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I couldn't afford a new vehicle . But I did pick up this 2013 Hemi Crew Durango for the Admiral .... I'd like to tell ya how it performs but I never get to drive it ! :lol:
It has a bigger tow capacity than my company truck .
 

boatman37

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well called today for the remote start install and they said they couldn't get to it today. so i asked about saturday and they only do small jobs on saturdays. so i scheduled for friday. luckily i'm off on fridays. also asked about a loner (2-3 hour job) and they couldn't guarantee they would have one available but they had a shuttle that could take me somewhere...ugh.

anyway, with about 250 miles on it we are averaging just over 26MPG so far. neighbors had a Honda CRV that they traded for an Outback and he said the same thing about the road noise in the CR-V and the Subaru was much quieter and he likes the Subaru much more than the Honda.

She liked the Ford Edge but i tried to sway her from Ford. we have had about 6 fords and had major issues with 3 of them (motors failing at 40,000, 40,000 and 70,000 miles, 4WD quitting at 25,000 miles, bunch of electrical issues on both) and fairly serious issues with 2 and Ford was very difficult to deal with over these issues (may have been more due to the dealer though).

we have had good luck with all chrysler, jeep, dodge products. had a durango before the commander and it was good other than a couple of issues but it had over 100,000 miles when we got rid of it.
 

HT32BSX115

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In addition to the Subaru, We're going to drive a Grand Cherokee. The choice will probably be one of the Sub, Jeep or Edge
 

boatman37

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well got the remote starter installed today. filled it up for the first time and got about 26.5MPG. my son has been wanting a new car so i went with him back to the same dealership and he ended up trading his BMW in on a 2017 Subaru WRX Premium. Problem is that he has only driven a stick once for a couple of miles so i had to drive it home. going out with him in the morning for lessons...lol. he is driving my truck tonight
 

southkogs

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I'll take a manual transmission any day (though, I'd get tired of it in the truck in traffic) ... love 'em. My Dad has a MX5 with a stick, and I love buzzing around in that little thing when I can steal it from him.
 

ezmobee

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we have had good luck with all chrysler, jeep, dodge products. had a durango before the commander and it was good other than a couple of issues but it had over 100,000 miles when we got rid of it.

The FCA stuff is JUNK. Like OMG I can't how bad this crap is JUNK. I have a loaded '15 Chrysler 200 and it's the biggest automotive mistake I've made. The forums are filled with people with similar experiences. It's a shame because it's a beautiful car and hella fast. The depreciation is mind boggling.
 

boatman37

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The FCA stuff is JUNK. Like OMG I can't how bad this crap is JUNK. I have a loaded '15 Chrysler 200 and it's the biggest automotive mistake I've made. The forums are filled with people with similar experiences. It's a shame because it's a beautiful car and hella fast. The depreciation is mind boggling.

the funny thing is, i was always a GM guy but ended up with the Durango and a couple of Rams. i have to say the Jeep Commander was easily the best, most reliable vehicle we have ever owned. easily the worst across the board is Ford. i had pretty major issues with almost every one i had. pretty good luck with GM too. hopefully the Subaru is good!
 

JoLin

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For every brand, you'll find people who never had a problem and swear by it, and people who've had nothing but problems and swear at it.

Some years back I was shopping for a used pickup. I asked my trusted mechanic and friend of 25 years, which is the better truck- Ford, Chevy or Dodge? His answer was, "John, buy the one you like best. They all end up in my shop."

My neighbor's early-2000's Ford pickup went through 3 transmissions.

My 1995 Chevy Silverado 1500 with 60K miles on it went through 2 in-the-tank fuel pumps in 18 months. A few hundred bucks each time.

My prisitine 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 hemi dropped a valve at 50K miles. $10.00 for the new valve, $600. in labor.

My BIL's 2007 Subaru Outback needs a new torque converter at 104,000 miles. The dealer is trying to get him one- there are FOUR of them in the U.S. After a dozen phone calls to Subaru he got himself moved to second on the waiting list. It's gonna cost him $1600. to replace it when it shows up. Think he'd recommend a Subaru to anyone?

I purchased my 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander with 19K miles on it. It's been absolutely, rock-solid reliable for the last 5.5 years and 65,000 miles. I hate it- it rides hard, it's built cheap, it's noisy as hell on the highway. I'd never recommend a Mitsubishi to anyone who needed a 'real' car.

I'm finally getting rid of it in favor of a 2015 Chevy Equinox. We'll see how it goes this time :facepalm:
 

southkogs

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I don't think it's as much a manufacturer issue any more: I think it's become much more about the model line. I've owned mostly Ford and Dodge stuff (and nothing newer than an '07 at this point). We've had an older Toyota Tercel that was a great car, but I wouldn't probably put the money into a Toyota today. I have yet to have a Ford that wasn't nearly bullet proof, but certain models I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. I really like Dodge Trucks, but their auto line makes me nervous in the last 5 or 6 years.

All of which has little to do with Admiral Boatman's new carriage.

:focus:
 

JoLin

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All of which has little to do with Admiral Boatman's new carriage.

:focus:

LOL. We do tend to digress, don't we?

Boatman, congrats on the new Jeep. Best of luck with it.
 
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