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Doom's get a car thread (yes I'm considering a TLX)
Hi Guys
Alright looking for some insight, tips, advice, and to be completely fucked with as per AZ regulations I asked about one car in the General Car Talk thread but I've slightly expanded my search so I needed my own thread. Here are my guidelines and the purchase will be made within the next 30 days (ideally). FYI my last two cars have been Accords that I've kept for 13 years and 8 years respectively until ~200K miles. I can do basic things like change oil, filters, maintenance, brake pads, and even did the intake manifold on my ex's MPV which was a bitch 10-hour job. Anyways, here are my guidelines:
- 2017 or newer
- 45K miles or less
- $20K or less.
- Not too hard to work on or super expensive parts
- Decent power but yes I'd opt for the more powerful iteration if applicable
- Some sort of luxury. I'm sick of slumming it.
- Automatic, leather, moonroof, BT
Here are my choices in order of make:
- TLX (4 or 6cyl): Yes, I'm aware of the tranny issues in the V6 though from what I've researched it appears to have been handled decently after first couple of years along with TSB's issued to fix software. The only reason, I'm considering the V6 is that the dealer who has it has an extended warranty as it's "certified" to 100K miles and the car has around 39K miles and is an '18. I will def do a highway test drive and take it up to 75mph to see how it reacts. As for the 4-banger, yeah maybe if the other cars don't pan out. Pros: Familiarity and cost to repair/maintain when outside of warranty.
- A4 Premium or better (no Ultra): 252hp, good style. I am weary of Euro parts and labor but I can learn. I'd only get a few months/10K miles or so of warranty.
- Q50 (4 or 6cyl): It seems the V6 is about the same price as I4, 300hp is nice. I haven't researched into the issues of this car deeply yet but I will do so shortly. Never owned a RWD so should be interesting.
- Lexus IS: A little out of range but only if negotiable. Not necessarily my favorite but decent power and holds value the best of all of these. Japanese, so I presume parts and quality?
- Passat V6: Yes, it's not as nice but this engine has power. Not a bad looking car with all the items needed but a very limited supply. Only found 1 within 100 miles for sale and it's like 4 miles from me.
Of note, some told me to go for the current gen Accord (18+) but the problem is the Touring is the only one with leather (I think) and it's wayyy too expensive out here since everyone has them. I have a garage and parking garage at work that's guarded so I'm not super worried about my wheels getting robbed as it's extremely common out here.
If you're considering a TLX, why not look into an Accord Sport? Styling is subjective but, I think you could get a better buy / potentially more options. ..
Q50 is a good option (3.0T or 3.7 N/A?) although, you can't help but think it feels like a Nissan Altima inside .. feels very cheap.
My 2nd choice out of your list is the A4 - may have a bit more maintenance but interior quality & torque is great .. even for a 2.0L.
If you're considering a TLX, why not look into an Accord Sport? Styling is subjective but, I think you could get a better buy / potentially more options. ..
Q50 is a good option (3.0T or 3.7 N/A?) although, you can't help but think it feels like a Nissan Altima inside .. feels very cheap.
My 2nd choice out of your list is the A4 - may have a bit more maintenance but interior quality & torque is great .. even for a 2.0L.
Regarding the Accord, sadly the 2.0T Sports are out of my range. The below is for $22K and had an accident where the struts were replaced and the damage was classified as "minor"
Generally speaking, turbocharged cars require more maintenance vs N/A.
Many members here who have owned Audi 2.0Ts have good things to say about them. Fairly certain the newer 2.0Ts have updated timing chain tensioners / less oil consumption issues ... those 2 issues were somewhat common in the early 2.0Ts.
Plus, direction injection means carbon cleaning every 75k miles minimum.
I'm sure you're well aware of the opinions of this forum on the TLX lol. It's a good car but it's cheap for a reason.
A4's are great, nice to drive and well featured, well built. The maintenance isn't nearly as bad as it used to be but it'll certainly be more expensive than anything else on this list. I'm not sure you'll be able to find one with less than 45k on the clock for under $20k though...
Q50 - Hard pass, go drive one. It's built like they sharpied out Nissan and slapped an Infiniti badge on it. Easily the worst car in its class.
Lexus IS: Meh, again a good car but not great. IMO the infotainment is infuriating to use, it's slow, and really old in terms of technology. Not sure you'll find one for under $20k with 45k on the clock.
Passat: The USDM Passat is a POS. It's nothing like what they get everywhere else in the world. If you're ok with a VW, I'd highly recommend looking into a Jetta GLI or a Golf GTI instead. They will both be worlds better than the Passat even if they are smaller. I'm not sure if you'll be able to get the higher trims for under $20k with that mileage requirement.
Accord: The 2.0T Sport has partial leather seats, it's equipped like an Accord EX. The EX-L splits the divide between the EX and the Touring, check into that but I'm guessing it'll still be expensive.
Another one to look at would be an Audi A3. Smaller than the A4 but probably a lot cheaper.
Yeah I found a couple of CarFax clean A4's with my guidelines right under $20K, OTD like $23,500 which works for me. Both dealers don't negotiate price. Do they negotiate their fees though?
Hmm, my coworker just got an A3. Maybe I'll go sit in it. but is it quick?
Yeah I found a couple of CarFax clean A4's with my guidelines right under $20K, OTD like $23,500 which works for me. Both dealers don't negotiate price. Do they negotiate their fees though?
Hmm, my coworker just got an A3. Maybe I'll go sit in it. but is it quick?
It's going to be faster than almost everything else on your list lol. It's another 2.0T motor just like the A4 but transverse instead of front to back. If you're ok with the A3, definitely give the GTI a look. Same motor, lower price, and you get a hatchback.
Just did some searching, you can get A3's all day long for under your price target. They are honestly cheaper than GTI's.
It's going to be faster than almost everything else on your list lol. It's another 2.0T motor just like the A4 but transverse instead of front to back. If you're ok with the A3, definitely give the GTI a look. Same motor, lower price, and you get a hatchback.
Just did some searching, you can get A3's all day long for under your price target. They are honestly cheaper than GTI's.
Yeah I found a clean one at an Off Lease store that has a clean Carfax for $17,500 and their dealer fee is only $500. Might save $2K overall so gotta see if worth it vs a larger A4.
My own experience with an A4 (2009) was that it was a money pit for maintenance. It had so many problems in the end that I was almost relieved when it was totaled.
As crazy as it sounds look into a VW Passat with the 2.0L, you might be able to snag a new one for a steal since VW is trying to move cars ASAP. Used they will hold decent value (nothing like honda/acura) but they can go easily till 100K with no major issues as long as you do the oil changes a little earlier than 10K miles. If you want more power, do the E85 tune or the other retunes. Your turbo's life will be cut in half, and you'll need to change spark plugs every 10K miles. Worth it for the extra power if you like it.
Balance of maintenance cost and fun, I echo some of the peeps in here by suggesting the Infiniti. Being an Audi owner now, I will say that you should try the A4 just to experience the ride quality and etc. The upkeep may be a factor and per F-C, something definitely to consider. Would you consider an S3...?
As crazy as it sounds look into a VW Passat with the 2.0L, you might be able to snag a new one for a steal since VW is trying to move cars ASAP. Used they will hold decent value (nothing like honda/acura) but they can go easily till 100K with no major issues as long as you do the oil changes a little earlier than 10K miles. If you want more power, do the E85 tune or the other retunes. Your turbo's life will be cut in half, and you'll need to change spark plugs every 10K miles. Worth it for the extra power if you like it.
Would have to go SE to get leather and moonroof. Plus the 4cyl seems to perform like a dog.
Originally Posted by Yumcha
Balance of maintenance cost and fun, I echo some of the peeps in here by suggesting the Infiniti. Being an Audi owner now, I will say that you should try the A4 just to experience the ride quality and etc. The upkeep may be a factor and per F-C, something definitely to consider. Would you consider an S3...?
S3 is a little too high.
Originally Posted by rockstar143
thinking for you that maybe an EOS would fit the bill
I've read on the forums that there's no real rhyme or reason why some get it bad and other don't...a few have reported the catch can doesn't help much with these motors for some reason.
I blasted both my car's intake valves and they were similarly caked up at around 77 and 87K miles, respectively.
How many miles in a year do you do? Getting the valves cleaned is akin to getting a timing belt changed, it's an expensive but infrequent maintenance item.
How many miles in a year do you do? Getting the valves cleaned is akin to getting a timing belt changed, it's an expensive but infrequent maintenance item.
Maybe look into more trim levels for the Accord if that's what you've had before. Accords that fall within your requirements are the 1.5t EX-L, 1.5t Touring (yes, they made those the first couple years) and then the 2.0t EX-L and 2.0t Touring. There should be plenty of them in the 20k range I assume.
I don't have much info on the preowned market but is a 2017 S3 much more than these? If not, seriously, I would vote to consider that too despite Doomie's post that it is over his budget?
Get a low mileage example and you'll have years before you have to worry about it.
Originally Posted by Yumcha
I don't have much info on the preowned market but is a 2017 S3 much more than these? If not, seriously, I would vote to consider that too despite Doomie's post that it is over his budget?
Yeah, they're in the mid to upper 20's in price regardless of miles.
Did a lot of test driving this weekend. Ended up with a 2017 A4 Premium (252hp engine, not 190hp Ultra). 17K miles FWD.
Tested a 17 Q50 (Jesus Lord so fucking fast but didn't like refinement), 18 Passat V6 (really liked and would've strongly considered), 18 2.0T Accord Sport and 17 TLX V6 (both felt like boats; 10 years ago I would've bought one). I really liked the comfort of this car. My deal was vetted by my friend's dad who's a retired finance boss plus some AZ'ers that wear masks for reasons you wouldn't believe I have 5 days to return if not happy
Never know. The guy's gone pretty quiet for the past month or two. Probably has at least 3 new cars, and statistically, one of them was likely an Audi.
Never know. The guy's gone pretty quiet for the past month or two. Probably has at least 3 new cars, and statistically, one of them was likely an Audi.
I asked about one car in the General Car Talk thread but I've slightly expanded my search so I needed my own thread. Here are my guidelines and the purchase will be made within the next 30 days (ideally). FYI my last two cars have been Accords that I've kept for 13 years and 8 years respectively until ~200K miles. I can do basic things like change oil, filters, maintenance, brake pads, and even did the intake manifold on my ex's MPV which was a bitch 10-hour job. Anyways, here are my guidelines:
Ok, I'm ready, thanks for your help.
..
) but it's a really nice & comfortable car.
