Cars We Drive!

[Jmm722]

So the Chinese market ******* loves grills, hub?

 

[HRoi]

This needs to stop.

it hasn’t escaped my notice that in the trend of stupid grills, tesla is actually the voice of reason

 

[TheFoo]

 

[clee1982]

So the Chinese market ******* loves grills, hub?

that's the "excuse" but I don't think that's true, you can talk to M owner in Asia, they might be more ok than North America buyer with the new M3/M4 grill (though based on bimmerforum, looks like new grill hasn't stop sale either, but probably too early to tell). but pretty sure they would have been happier (as in instant reception) if the grilled looked more like M340.

7 series big grill might be more legit in the sense that X7/7 series needed more "presence", but don't think that was the complain anyone I knew on 3/4 series.

p.s. starting seeing a lot more 4 series, that big grill coming to you is definitely very noticeable, a lot more so than Audi or Lexus for whatever reason?

 

[greekgeek]

Welp, looks like we need a new car, at about the worst moment to buy one. Is MSRP the best we can hope for?

my wife's older RX350 was running like a champ but what seemed like a minor bumper repair has escalated into a total loss. I am going to go down to the bodyshop on Monday to take a look at it, might just keep it awhile as it was running fine. Bodyshop is being kind of a dick, refuses to reassemble the bumper.

Anyhow not much inventory to look at, kind of all over the map but likely a midsized SUV or Outback in her future. Weeeeeeee

 

[clee1982]

someone backed into you?

 

[clee1982]

Hongqi E-HS9 Luxury Electric SUV Impresses European Reviewers

The E-HS9 is built by Hongqi and it really shows the company has gained significant knowledge from all the joint ventures it’s involved in (mainly with VW).

insideevs.com

 

[HRoi]

Prolly best to find something in dealer inventory and see if they’ll come down from MSRP, and be willing to walk to the next dealer if you don’t like what they say. Once it’s on the lot, it’s holding up working capital just like always, so unless you’re fighting over a Telluride or paint to sample GT2RS so still have some bargaining power.

Stay away from the ordering and supply chain shenanigans at this point

 

[clee1982]

actually given how empty lots are now I'm not sure this still holds, ordering might be better

 

[greekgeek]

someone backed into you?

Nope, she managed to clip a concrete pillar at low speed pulling into a parking lot, front passenger side. Didn't look bad, original estimate was $1k. In fact kept driving it while putting off repair. Now bodyshop says the passenger rail is bent, safety issue, and will need to pull the motor and transmission to fix it etc. ?

Prolly best to find something in dealer inventory and see if they’ll come down from MSRP, and be willing to walk to the next dealer if you don’t like what they say. Once it’s on the lot, it’s holding up working capital just like always, so unless you’re fighting over a Telluride or paint to sample GT2RS so still have some bargaining power.

Stay away from the ordering and supply chain shenanigans at this point

So there's hope great! Will know more once she narrows it down but Telluride is already a hard no, so we are good there.

 

[clee1982]

oh wow, did they show you a picture?

 

[brokencycle]

A dealer near here is advertising you pay something like 1% over invoice on any ordered car.

 

[Jmm722]

Nope, she managed to clip a concrete pillar at low speed pulling into a parking lot, front passenger side. Didn't look bad, original estimate was $1k. In fact kept driving it while putting off repair. Now bodyshop says the passenger rail is bent, safety issue, and will need to pull the motor and transmission to fix it etc. ?

Did you put it through insurance? It’s not uncommon to for what appears to be cosmetic to actually cause frame damage. Bumpers can look ok, but the damage underneath can be bad or a safety issue.

If an adjuster came out, saw the car and agreed there’s a passenger rail problem, then you should move on. I won’t drive a car after there’s frame damage.

 

[greekgeek]

oh wow, did they show you a picture?

Nope. They did invite me down to look at it, I am going to do that tomorrow.

A dealer near here is advertising you pay something like 1% over invoice on any ordered car.

Nice, mostly seeing right at MSRP or eveb above around here during online search.

Did you put it through insurance? It’s not uncommon to for what appears to be cosmetic to actually cause frame damage. Bumpers can look ok, but the damage underneath can be bad or a safety issue.

If an adjuster came out, saw the car and agreed there’s a passenger rail problem, then you should move on. I won’t drive a car after there’s frame damage.

I did put it through insurance. Adjuster did not come out, he relied on the shop description. The write up is super vague, does not even mention the rail, however shop mentioned it when I called to ask about if we could do some of the more cosmetic repairs (like original estimate) out of pocket if safe to drive.

My plan was to keep the car while we look for a new one over the next couple weeks/months. Then trade it in or sell it.

The adjuster did not know any more than the write up description. Sounded like hey it's big repair so total loss, next.

 

[greekgeek]

Welp, in case anyone is interested here is the small crumble that killed the venerable RX350. Drives great, still kind of surprised to hear that safety is compromised so greatly but better safe than sorry. Waiting on a revised value from the insurance, I doubt it will go high enough for them to fix instead of total it out.

Meanwhile the car search is slooooooow, gotta get out and have her drive some vehicles to narrow this thing down.

Oh and XC90 was deemed too large, definite maybe on the XC60!


Disassembled, bad side.

Bad side rail end

Good side