Title updated.

 

@Yumcha Suit...not Suite, please.

 

 

Well, the Merc is gone.
Put 50k on it in the time I had is & enjoyed it quite a bit.
Dropped out of CPO warranty coverage & had a few things to do.

Had a persistent battery alert on the dash, assuming it either needed a new main battery (not likely, as it was still cranking strongly), a new aux battery/capacitor (for the auto-stop, which had stopped stopping), or possibly an alternator.
Not too far off from needing brakes (never got around to pricing out the higher spec AMG Sport brakes).
Developed a 'dead' spot when shifting into 3rd, it would bog down for a moment. Seemed like either loss of boost, or the throttle holding shut too long between gears.
Also was informed that one of the wheels had developed a fine crack on the bead, but was still holding air.

Took it over to TX Direct Auto (Vroom) & got an appraisal, came in with about what I expected (and 1.5k higher than my neighbor who works for a local DCJR dealer), and took the deal (along with paying off the neg equity, depreciation's a bitch).

Last drive & dropped it off at Vroom:


So, that's a car note gone & a huge drop in our insurance.
My wife's mom's mom moved in with the in-laws recently & can't drive anymore, so her car was up for grabs. It'll be a cheap DD for a bit while we get through this economic mess & get some debts paid down.

So, the new DD is a Red Jewel 2012 Malibu LTZ. It'll do for now & be significantly cheaper to drive overall, by comparison.
I don't think the car had ever been washed, so I put a couple hours into cleaning it up. Still needs a bit of work, but it drives well.

 

Well, sorry to see the Merc go. I'm assuming there's a noticeable difference between the cars.

 

That Malibu certainly looks brand-new. I'm giving credit to Texas' nonexistent winters and perhaps relatively low mileage.

Props to you for making the financially smart decision here. Feels like that's harder and harder to do every year, especially with cars. Even if having a cheaper car isn't exciting, it's considerably more relaxing to own. And I'm sure the Scout does a good job giving you an exciting trip when you want it.

 

As much as I loved the Merc, this was the right choice.
The 'Bu lived in Oregon for most of its life, then Alabama & then TX t he last year or so.
It's definitely like new, apart from a crack in the rear bumper at the plate housing & a few paint chips in the front end. It's only got 66k on it & runs great.

Size-wise, they're pretty close, but that's about their only commonality, apart from having 4 doors/wheels. Definitely less power (especially missing that turbo torque) and the MPG is actually just a bit lower in the Malibu.

 

OOO LTZ @cu2wagon tried finding your review of that Sonic LTZ on YT but you deleted it i think

 

No. You just suck at the internet.

 

You did the right thing man. In the end, you'll be happier. I feel the same way, since me and my wife bought a new house last year we decided to let our cars go at lease end and i bought a 03' Sequoia and i still have a beater car. But no car payments. which is awesome.

 

you sound like napoleon dynamite

 

I remember a time when I went from an E60 M5 to a Genesis 4.6...that lasted 6 weeks. Good luck with this.

 

We're about to write a check to pay off the wife's Flex.
No car payments at all, we should be able to knock down some other debts.
Once we're back in a favorable position, the Flex may give way for a Telluride, provided we can find one locally to test drive. The Malibu may 'Just Empty Every Pocket', but we'll see. My car tastes seem to change pretty quickly, so who knows what I'll want in a year or two.

 

Wise decision.... but let's see who is stronger? your human nature or your financial sense..

 

Well, I still have the Vulcan in the garage for when I want to have some fun.

 

How much are you actually driving these days, and for the foreseeable future?

The Malibu might as well be a FXX, all things considered.

It is the right color.

 

he's gonna shit the first time he has a window actuator break or something...
FUCKKKK...
oh...1aauto.com or rockauto...fuckin Delco part for $75 shipped
LOL....that's one reason the family hauler is a GM product...

I think you'll be fine in it for a bit...
eventually though, your soul will need another tickle.

 

^^ Both true.
I've put more miles on the bike than any of our cars in the last 3-4 months.
It'll make do for a DD while we get other things in order. Then we'll both be looking for upgrades. Flex will probably go first, it's nearly to 120k (but still runs great).

 

You'll be fine.

 

He is fine.
You should see him in yoga pants

 

Sad to see the Benz go but the Mali will be much cheaper in the long run and will set you up to get a Jeep and proceed to immediately bankrupt yourself in aftermarket parts in the near future.

Having no car payments is a wonderful thing, start saving that car payment for a new car and then just buy in cash in the future.

 

We've got a bit of business debt to knock down, then we'll start looking at car upgrades.

 

Nothing new on the 'Bu.
But, the FWD V6. Did spark plugs on the Flex yesterday, which requires removing the upper intake plenum.
Took me a bit (and 1/2 a beer) to find the near invisible bolt on the bottom, under the TB. Random bracket (I assume for supporting it from below) that you pretty much have to do by feel.

Otherwise, a fairly straightforward job, just a pain having to reach up & over to the rear bank.

In the end, <$40 & a bit over an hour of my time. Way cheaper than having the dealer do it, at I'm sure about 2 hours labor.

 

It's all relative. Try changing the plugs on a Toyota Sienna. It's almost easier to pull the entire engine that remove what you have to to swap them out.

But on doing it yourself.

 

My stepmom has a V6 Camry.
The wipers & cowl have to be removed to get to the rear bank. My dad did them not too long ago & didn't check the gap on the pre-gapped plugs. Got it all put back together & had a misfire. Luckily it was on the front bank, one of the plugs had 0 gap (must've been bumped in transit).

 

I don't know how I missed this and/or I did not read this thread .. but .. Malibu as a daily is the jam! Comfortable, simple, reliable. done.

So ... anything .. about ... that ... project?

 

I have a certain brand of chips ready to snack on while reading the update...

 

malibu's finest

 

Saturday is pickup day
Brap brap

 

"pick up day" and the reference to it having a battery makes me think you went full Kurt.
Never go full Kurt.

Hoping it's just a Honda Insight or Prius and not a fucking Apple Tesla.

 

Jeeps have a battery.

 

It's a JKU with a Renesis swap

 

Smashed the pass side mirror on the Flex yesterday. We have 3 single-bay doors in our garage & about 2" space on either side, and we back in. Misjudged by a bit & crunched the mirror, hard enough to pop the glass out & broke 2 of the locating pins inside.
This had happened a couple times on the driver's side (not me driving on those) & I ordered a mirror.
Ford part descriptions. Ordered what I believed to be the proper mirror & got one without blind-spot indicator. Called a local dealer & they refused to give me the part number if I'm not ordering it from them
Every dealer I've talked to is $110-150 more than Tasca, and now that I've got 2 mirrors to replace, I'd be out almost $300 if I went via the dealer.

 

Mirrors are on national backorder (even though the 2 dealers nearest my house have them in stock, at >$100 more, each) & my Tasca order was cancelled.

Found 2 on LKQ & am waiting on Chase fraud protection to clear the charge. I'll have >$1k in charges for these damn things by then end of this, luckily, most of it is being refunded for cancelled orders & incorrect parts received.

 

You can just go to Autozone and buy some HELP! brand bolt on mirrors. Like on a '76 GMC Sierra Grande. Would be a good, retro look.

 

It's already throwing errors for the cross traffic & blind spot systems.
That'd be a surefire way to usher her into a Telluride earlier than planned.

 

^ You have a better chance of getting new mirrors than a Telluride at this point.

 

We're definitely in no rush, luckily. Plan is either 22 or 23 to replace the Flex, barring anything catastrophic happening to it.
Mailbu is here for a while, since I've got the Rotus to play with.

 

I'm sure there are some people who part out the Ford Flex .. any luck on eBay / forums?

 

Found a pair on LKQ, ordered & waiting on tracking. Shipping from FL & IL.