Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
As you may have noticed, the last post I wrote about the 2008 BMW X5 was kind of vague. Also, I included photos of a car that was in the showroom. What I would like to introduce tonight is the car I actually bought.
It took a few days for the dealer to get their hands on what I wanted. They had to ship it down from Massachusetts. The biggest issue was that I didn’t want leather. BMW offers an interior in leatherette, so that’s what I asked for. As you might guess, they make fewer cars with leatherette than with leather.
It only took the sales guy a few hours to find a vehicle for me. The problem was getting it to Hartford. There was a weekend in between, so it took a few days.
The car they found was a 2008 BMW X5, V6, space gray metallic with black leatherette interior. The car came with the cold weather package (retractable headlight washers, ski bag, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, heated front seats), rear climate package (privacy glass, rear manual side window shades, 4-zone automatic climate control), running boards and dark bamboo trim. I also requested that the car have floor mats, a towing package and the roof rack base support system. There was a whole bunch of other stuff to choose from, but none of it really interested me. This car is one huge computer that is going to take a while to learn as it is.
Ok, who cares about all that stuff. Here are the pictures.
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2008 BMW X5 front drivers side
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2008 BMW X5 front grill
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2008 BMW X5 rear drivers side
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2008 BMW X5 side view
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2008 BMW X5 3.0 engine – alternate view
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2008 BMW X5 3.0 engine
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2008 BMW X5 logo
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2008 BMW X5 gauges
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2008 BMW X5 dashboard
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2008 BMW X5 shifter
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2008 BMW X5 radio and climate controls
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2008 BMW X5 sunroof
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2008 BMW X5 rear seats
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Monday, September 15th, 2008
This article was written by Jay G on behalf of MotoClassifieds.US, a popular auto classifieds website.
Is selling a car privately a hassle? Not anymore. We already know about the popularity of classifieds sections in newspapers and magazines, but with the advent of websites devoted completely to online auto classifieds, things have gotten much easier. Gone are the days of having to wait until Monday morning to catch a customer service representative on the phone to place your ad.
Auto Classifieds – What are the Benefits? Do They Work?
That’s a pretty good question. For as long as I have been alive (and that’s 34 years), I have seen “Used Car For Sale†ads at every corner. These days, it’s one of the most popular online classified genres, not to mention being very popular with newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
Let me start this off with a short story. I had an “auto related†experience a few months ago.
In early January of this year, I was in the market for a new car. Since I have driven a Honda Accord as my two previous cars and a Honda Prelude as the one before that, I pretty much knew what I was going to buy. I dabbled with the thought of getting a BMW 5 Series, but I wasn’t ready for something so expensive. Maybe I’ll get the Beamer next time.
On January 3, I visited my local Honda dealer and was quite ready to drive home in something new. That day, I drove on the lot in a 1998 Honda Accord V6 and was planning on driving off the lot in a 2008 Honda Accord V6. Obviously, I was going to trade my car in. Before my trip to the dealer, I looked up the value of my 1998 Accord on KBB. They valued the car at around $3,500. I was slightly shocked, because I thought the car was worth more than that. I mean, this was my baby. This was the car I had taken such good care of over the years. But, if that is what the car was valued at, who was I to argue?
Upon choosing the make and model of the Accord I wanted to purchase, I entered negotiations with the salesperson. I was told that the dealership would give me $1,500 to trade in my 1998 Accord. As you could imagine, I got red in the face and threatened to walk out. They raised the price to $2,000, but I still argued for a bit. After a while, I realized they weren’t going to budge from that price, so I caved. Sound familiar? Has something like this ever happened to you?
Now, can you guess what everyone said to me after I told them of my experience? I’m sure you can. They said, “You know, you could’ve gotten a heck of a lot more money for your car if you had sold it yourself.†Gee, really? Of course I could’ve. I mean, everyone knows that dealers don’t give you as much as the car is worth. Why is that? It’s because of all the costs associated with prepping a car to sell on their lot. If it’s an older car, they can’t even sell it and it goes to auction. To be honest, I am not even sure what the dealerships do with some of the cars they take as trade-ins. I have heard stories about people getting $1 for the car they gave to the dealer.
So, I’ll admit that I could’ve made more money if I had sold my car privately. The question is why I, and so many others, lose money to trade their cars in. The answer to that question probably has something to do with convenience. We don’t want to deal with the hassle of a private sale.
Is selling a car privately a hassle? Not anymore. As I stated above, we already know about the popularity of classifieds sections in newspapers and magazines, but with the advent of websites devoted completely to online auto classifieds, things have gotten much easier. Gone are the days of having to wait until Monday morning to catch a customer service representative on the phone to place your ad. You can now access an auto classifieds website any time you want, from the comfort of your own home. You can write a description, upload a photo, add any features you want and pay by credit card within a matter of minutes. Some websites even offer the entire service for free. Either way, your ad will be live when you are finished. It will also be accessible to anyone from anywhere.
Now that we have that cleared up, let’s go over some of the benefits of selling your used car online:
- Convenience. Auto classified websites offer “any time, any place†type of convenience.
- Reach. By place your car ads online, you will virtually be reaching buyers across the globe. Too many people? Don’t worry; these websites have tools to narrow down a potential buyer’s search.
- Account management. You can place, edit and delete your ad any time you wish with your own private account management tool.
- Popularity. These days, more and more buyers are turning to the web to search for their new rides. Many of them don’t even (and never have) read the newspaper.
- Multiple ads. Many auto classifieds websites allow sellers to place multiple ads, oftentimes for a discounted price, or for even no cost at all.
- Help. Many websites have online tutorials or help pages that assist you in selling your car.
- Multiple venues. When you advertise your car on one classified website, oftentimes your ad will show on related websites as well. It’s these “viral†relationships that get much more exposure for your ad.
As you can see, there are many benefits to placing your used car for sale online. Do the online ads work? Well, that first depends on the ad itself. If you write a strong description, show a good photo and offer a fair price, I wouldn’t see why not. If everything is lined up, I would think you would have a successful sale within a matter of days or weeks.
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Friday, January 25th, 2008
I don’t know how many people I told this to in the past for weeks…”I got this car on January 3 and I still have a quarter tank.” I guess I met my goal of not driving much. It does feel good to not know what the gas prices are anymore.
Well, I have bad news. The two trips to Lowe’s today forced me to put some gas in the car for the first time. I think gas is around $3.17 per gallon for the cheap stuff, if you can call it that. There are about 450 miles on the car right now and it has an 18 gallon tank. If my math is correct, I am getting around 25 miles to the gallon. That’s not bad for a full sized V6, considering I have done very little highway driving.
They sure don’t make cars like they used to…thankfully.
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Saturday, January 5th, 2008
I went out today to give my new Sony Handycam Camcorder a try. I have mad skillz and I know how to use them. I decided that a look at the engine of the new car would be cool as well as a drive down the road. I had to go drop off some clothes at the clothing drop anyway, so it was a good excuse to use the camera.
As you know, I have been putting some videos on YouTube. My Honda Accord videos have been getting quite a few views. I guess people out there are interested in the new body style. Get this – some little 19 year old posted a comment on one of my videos stating that the car I posted a video on wasn’t really an “EX” or a “V6.” Ok, then…just for him, I took some video of the engine…
…and this is me trying out the camera while driving down the road…
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Friday, January 4th, 2008
Due to popular demand (actually, Paul was the only one who said there were no pictures), I am writing a post with some photos of the new car. Last night was just too dark when I got home to grab anything. I called the neighbor, Tim, to come out and look at the beast. The poor guy looked so cold, but he stood there like a trooper.
Ok, so again, this is a 2008 Honda Accord EX (v6). I guess I can’t write that enough. I took these photos about ten minutes ago. I was going to do some video, but it’s too cloudy out there. I will get some later when it’s nice.
This is the front view. It’s got nice fog lights and halogen headlamps. I like that. I think it has daylight running lights too. I don’t think that’s as much of a feature as it is the law.
Here is the front/side view. The reason I got the EX is because it’s more badass than the other models. The reason I got the V6 is because it’s more badass than the regular EX. I like the 17″ alloy wheels.
This is the side view. I don’t know what to write about that besides the fact that the EX comes with chrome door handles. Honda seems to talk about that a lot. It’s not something I would particularly brag about at parties.
This is the side/rear view. I am sure there is something nice to say about that, but it escapes me right now.
This is the rear view. I can’t believe my license plates got here so quickly. This model has the dual exhaust, so I can be sure it will cost twice as much when it comes time to replace it.
This is the interior view. One thing I haven’t gotten a picture of yet is the moon roof. I love that. Last night, when I was driving home, I opened the moonroof. It allows the air to circulate without blowing all over the place. With the heat on, it’s really nice.
This is the dashboard. There are some things I still have to figure out, like how to find out how many miles are on the car. That’s not readily available. Probably Honda’s way of getting money out of the people who lease. HAHA.
As I said above, I will get some video of it later…maybe when my new video camera comes tomorrow.
Love, peace and hair grease.
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Thursday, January 3rd, 2008
Ok, like I said, if I go to the dealer, I am coming home with a car.
Today, I took a drive down to Middletown Honda in New York. I guess I made the decision when I woke up. I had already done tons of research online and there were just no cars out there that could beat the reliability, performance, features, safety and price of this car. I compared the 2008 Honda Accord EX V6 against the similar Toyota Camry and the Honda came out on top. The Camry’s base price is lower, but when you add all the features that the Accord comes with, the price is higher.
I went in and talked to a nice sales guy. I am not sure if he was ready for my attitude, but we did OK. I always think that push is going to come to shove in these places and it kind of did today. I got a little ticked off, but we worked it out. At the end, I traded my car in and drove home later on in a brand new one. Good enough for me.
I have to say, it’s a pretty sweet ride. I have never owned a brand new car before, so this is a treat. Here are the specs:
Standard Features
Technical Features
• 268-hp, 3.5-Liter, 24-Valve, SOHC i-VTEC® V-6 Engine
• Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®)
• 5-Speed Automatic Transmission
• 100K +/- Miles No Scheduled Tune-Ups
• ULEV-2/PZEV CARB emissions rating
• Drive-by-Wire™ Throttle System
• Double Wishbone Front Suspension
• Independent Multi-Link Rear Suspension
• Front and Rear Stabilizer Bars
• Variable Gear Ratio (VGR) Power-Assisted Rack-and-Pinion Steering
• Power-Assisted Ventilated Front Disc/Solid Rear Disc Brakes
Safety Features
• 3-Point Seat Belts at all Seating Positions
• Front 3-Point Seat Belts with Automatic Tensioning System
• Adjustable Front Seat Belt Anchors
• Dual-Stage, Dual Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)
• Dual-Chamber Front Side Airbags with Passenger-Side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
• Side Curtain Airbags
• Active Front Head Restraints
• Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure
• Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control
• Brake Assist
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Four-wheel Disc Brakes
• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
• Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
• Side-Impact Door Beams
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
• Child-Seat Tether Anchor (Rear-Center)
• Emergency Trunk Opener
Interior Features
• Driver’s Seat With 8-Way Power Adjustment
• Power Lumbar Support
• Power Windows with Auto-Up/Down Driver’s Window
• Power Door Locks
• Cruise Control
• Center Console with Sliding Armrest and Storage Compartment
• Tilt and Telescopic Steering Column
• Illuminated Steering Wheel-Mounted Cruise and Audio Controls
• Ambient Console Lighting
• Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control System
• 160-watt AM/FM/6-Disc In-Dash Audio System with 6 Speakers
• Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC)
• Maintenance Minder™ System
Exterior Features
• One-Touch Power Moonroof with Tilt Feature
• 17-inch Alloy Wheels
• Flat Blade Windshield Wipers
• Security System
• Remote Entry System with Power Window Control
• Multi-Reflector Halogen Headlights with Auto-Off
• Chrome Door Handles
• Body-Colored Heated Power Side Mirrors
• Dual Chrome Exhaust Finishers
• Fog Lights
I took some video of the ride today. You can view them below. Also, I will take some photos and video tomorrow and post.
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Thursday, January 3rd, 2008
I gave the Honda dealer down in Middletown a call yesterday just to feel them out. I know I have been talking about getting a new car recently, but the fact of the matter is, my car runs great and I don’t really want to buy a new car. This is supposed to be the year of saving money.
It seems that around every corner I swing myself, there is someone standing there with their hand out looking for thousands of dollars. I don’t like to give out thousands of dollars. I just don’t like it. Over the Summer was the porch, last month and this month is the kitchen. Am I supposed to pay for a new car this month too? As my father used to say, (as well as every other father out there, I’m sure) “Money doesn’t grow on trees. Now get out there and split some wood.”
Let me tell you the reason why I feel like I am being pushed into buying a new car. The first nudge was by the accountant. Accountants don’t like getting yelled at by their clients for the client having to pay lots of money in taxes. The accountant would rather the client spend lots of money for write-offs. The second nudge is the mileage of the car. I think I have over 150,000 miles on it. I got the timing belt changed at about 80,000, which means it needs to be changed again. That’s a bit more than $600 (because of the V6 and no room to work). The final thing that may put me over the edge is the fact that I have to get the car inspected by the end of the month. That wouldn’t be so bad if the “check engine” light wasn’t on. They won’t inspect the car if the “check engine” light is on. That whole thing really stinks, because so many cars always run great (including mine), but because of the check engine light, people can’t get them inspected.
The light went on over the summer and I brought the car to AutoZone. They will plug the engine light thingy into the car to get the error codes for free. There was nothing wrong with the car. A cylinder “missed,” which tripped the light. I took off one the battery terminals to reset the light and it stayed off for a good long time. When the light went back on, I tried the same thing. This time, the light turned off for a much shorter time and then went back on. This may be something as simple as a spark plug wire arcing or something with a spark plug itself. Who knows. The fact that it’s 3 degrees outside doesn’t help any.
I guess I could go out there later in the week to fool around with it. I am going to give the dealer another call today, just to see what they have in stock, but make no mistake, I don’t like it.
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