RPhilMan1

Congrats on paying off the Vagon.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Way to go, Bob. No more payments feels good, yes!

dennych

Fancy seeing you here bob

dennych

Wagon bros for life

neuronbob

Hey what's up? Is that pic from your most recent track outing?

Unfortunately, my poor wagon is encrusted in salt and is probably getting tired of being started in single-digit/subzero conditions. Good news is that I'm planning on a HPDE at Mid-Ohio in the spring, and I'm mulling over using my wagon rather than an instructor's car.

Didn't know you had any interest whatsoever in Acura.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Everyone has interest in Acura!
I would like some videos of you doing some immature and questionable things in this vehicle. Maybe when this set of tires gets to the end of their lives...

dennych

Ow, sorry to hear about it but winter is surely coming to an end. Wagon is very capable at the track and there's something very amusing about it going about. I say you might as well while you still have it in warranty *wink wink*

Not quite an acura next time around, but very much considering looking for an S2000 for tracking.

neuronbob

A few minor updates.

I've now had the V wagon just about 14 months. I put 16729 miles on it at one year. In that year, I spent $4131 on fuel. High mileage on a tank was 19.4 mpg. Average over the year was 14.9 mpg.

In all of 2013 I spent $4302.63 on fuel, burning 1138.4 gallons, or 36 barrels , which resulted in an average 223 miles per tank.

As of tonight, I have 19247 miles on the wagon. I've never, ever driven this many miles in such a short time, in any car I've ever owned in my 24 years of car ownership. Can you tell I love this car?

Current Fuelly badge, which you can click for exhausting detail:


Winter driving video from 2/5/14, during the last winter snowstorm; we got ten inches over about 8 hours and even ODOT was challenged to keep up, as you can see on the road:

Blizzaks FTMFW.

ZERO problems requiring an unexpected visit to the dealer. That's right, I have been to the dealer for three oil changes in my ownership of this car, and that's all I've seen of the dealer. This wagon f'n rocks.

I am likely to really cut down on the miles this year, though, because I've put so many on. Maybe. S2000 will see more action this year for sure. I also saw a $109/month special on leftover 2013 5AT Honda Fit bases. Man that is cheep even if I have to put a little bit down for one. Or I could rent a car for the rest of the winter to keep the salt off.

Or......I'll probably just keep driving the V wagon. I this car. it.

Crazy Bimmer

Fixed.

neuronbob

Smiles per mile is a better measure of this car.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I loved that video...looked like you were on a normal safe road on a summer day, absolutely zero "oh sh*ts". Ha ha!

and PS, I can't seem to get over 20MPG in my S2000 either
Damn vtec...and I just put an exhaust on, that's not helping me keep my foot off the go pedal, that's for sure.

TylerT

iTrader: (1)

+ 1

I can get about 23mpg at best .. and my commute is about 60 - 70% highway.

I love reading through this thread.

The V Wagon is definitely a head turner and yours is no exception - people need good chiropractic work done because of your car.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

^^^
probably doesn't help that we're at 5K rpms going 80 MPH.

RPhilMan1

Phew! Quite a fuel bill. But it's absolutely worth it like you said!

Nice idea on the annual breakdown.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

SCARY idea on the annual breakdown!

neuronbob

The yearly breakdown is because I'm now doing my yearly number crunching on whether I should buy a fuel efficient car and retire the V wagon to garage queen status.

The answer every year has been: lease cost + fuel + insurance for a new, fourth car is always more than fuel + insurance monthly for the V (V is paid off).

The only way the equation works out in favor of a new or "new to me" car is if I purchase/lease a Volt (my commute is 40 miles a day in total, so I would use little to no gas, thus equation is payment + insurance), or if I spend $5k on a beater Civic so that the equation becomes fuel + insurance.

Not to mention I've been looking at the TLX and RLX Sport Hybrid (leases through my business of course), though I don't see myself obtaining one of those for at least another couple of years.

Financially, it's easier for me to keep driving the V and put the excess in my son's college fund....and if I want to really save fuel, drive the S2000 in the summer. In fact, that is my plan this year. Here's my Fuelly badge for the S2000:



....so in comparison to the V, the S2000 is an economy car.

Long post, but I love doing these financial calculations. At the end, I usually end up doing nothing, though.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Bob,
I see one big flaw.

The point in your equation where you'd put a bullet in your head because you're bored out of your mind and being seen in a Chevy Volt instead of your fkng bada$$ Cadillac CTS-V Pu$$ymobile.

Honestly, you have to take that into account...I think it's called the pythagorean theorem or something.

RPhilMan1

While I know you are being responsible and sensible, you did, however, purchase the Vagon as a DD for you to enjoy all the time, no? I think you already know the answer.

And heck if I had an S2K I would drive it quite often during the summer. So saving miles on the V then does make sense, and you'd still get plenty of smiles.

Majofo

$5k can get you a 3G TL

Majofo

Or a 4banger TSX, although anything through the business would probably be the best route.

charliemike

There are still new CTS-V Wagons for sale. I thought they ended production last year.

There are a couple of used 2013s under $60K on Autotrader if anyone's looking

Majofo

Commuting is commuting no matter what vehicle you're in. Bob's probably only joy in the commute is hitting the onramp

charliemike

While to a degree that's true, I have done a lot of commuting in quite a few different cars and sitting in traffic in a car's cabin that I enjoy to be in makes a huge difference psychologically.

I made a commute into DC one morning in a rented Prius. It was the same trip as in my Focus ST. And in a lot of ways it was easier because of the CVT. But I just dislike that car so much and it felt so cheap that if someone said that was now the car I had to commute in every day against my will, I'd be depressed.

If someone gave me a CTS-V Wagon and forced me to commute in that every day, I'd be so much happier to be stuck doing 10mph in a 55mph zone than in a Prius or a Corolla.

subinf

I'm going to stop lurking in this thread...

neuronbob

I jinxed myself. Supercharger pulley bearings began to howl intermittently yesterday morning. This is an uncommon, but reported problem on the current gen CTS-V. Immediately took the car to the dealer yesterday. In retrospect, I should have taken the supercharger belt off first, but drove without boost to the dealer, so I'm pretty confident the rest of the engine is OK.

I'm now on day 2 in an ATS base RWD loaner. No clue as to when I'm getting Beastwagon back yet, as the dealer won't be tearing into the engine until tomorrow, and earlier this year superchargers were reportedly on back order.



Oh well, that's what warranty is for.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

This is so wrong.

Warranty FTW.

Hope you get your beastwagon back asap.

kurtatx

Agreed. I drive three miles to work-ish. I love every second.

neuronbob

Nope. I am a serial downshifter. I COULD downshift from sixth to fifth to pass because of all that torque, but no, if the freeway is clear enough I will downshift to fourth or, if I'm feeling particularly hoony, to third. I make my commute entertaining when safe to do so.

The onramp quasi-hoonage (ie I don't drive like a jackass, but love to take off fast when safe) is simply the icing on the cake.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Yep.

I get super excited every morning when I start the car to go to work.

I'm sure as hell that it wouldn't be the same if I had a Prius to commute. I feel like my productivity at work will severely go down due to the depression that I would go through from commuting in a Prius.

neuronbob

Got Beastwagon back on Tuesday and all is right with the world. The SC is quieter than it was from the factory because Eaton made some changes to our TVS1900, the main one being a solid isolator.

I'm going out to the garage right now to give it a well-deserved desalting and hand wash. It's my weekly bit if Zen and relaxation. Then.....a nice cruise on mostly empty I-271 with enough downshifts to....ummm....test the new supercharger. This after I burned through almost 1/2 a tank in just two days having fun on my commute.

Can you tell I like my wagon?

BlueAc

iTrader: (2)

Glad to see it worked out and that you're using it as it should be .

Majofo

Wishes he lived next door to Bob

dennych

My brakes started squealing. Bob's put on way more miles than me though. Every time I commute in it I cry at the gas cost

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I can't imagine getting this car and being upset by the gas cost. If you commute a long enough distance for it to make you cry, you shoulda getted a better miles puh gallin car!

Sorry, I'm just jealous...I get sub 20MPG in both my fkn econobox sportcarwannabe hondas.

neuronbob

I hit 20,000 miles in the wagon a few days ago. Every single mile was fun in some way, even tonight, commuting on the ice-covered freeway on the way home.

No squealing brakes, either. More like squealing snow tires. I am SO glad not to be driving a Prius.

Sarlacc

Sitting here in Cleveland right now (Medina)...and if I had more time I would have attempted to contact you and bring up my mom's SRX and try for a caddy on caddy photo moment

Sadly, since my quick trip up here was to take care of my personal stuff as my parents house in on the market for their retirement...there most likely won't be a next time.

neuronbob

The latest: Paint bubble on driver's side rear wheel well repaired.



The dealer's body shop inspected the car. It was found to have rust because of a bad spot weld (i.e. a factory installation problem). It was fixed under warranty. They had the car for almost two weeks in June/early July. The invoice says they found rust though the panel and wheel housing. They drilled the bad spot welds at the wheel housing, separated the rear quarter panel, sandblasted the rust from the inner and outer quarter panels and the wheel housing. Then they patched and refilled the area repaired, and applied corrosion protection (don't know which type). Never had a car with premature rust before in all my years of driving, and I drive all my cars hard, and through the Cleveland winter (excepting the S2000, which is stored for the winter).

When I got the car back just before July 4th, it had new damage to it. Dent in the roof, paint overspray on the rear hatch and multiple areas on the side that was painted, and mineral spots on the roof and hood. Multiple interior parts nearby were misaligned indicating shoddy re-installation. I took it back to the dealer right after the holiday. The body shop manager took five seconds to say "paint overspray everywhere". Apparently the manager was out of town the week my car was painted, but was present when my car had been repaired. He was not able to personally inspect the work. The areas repaired were perfect, and the color blending was awesome. However, the overspray was not corrected before I was told the car was ready.

Well, instead of arguing with me, the body shop manager put me in a 3.6 ATS4 (a little rocket that handles reasonably well!) and made sure everything was right. I got Beastwagon back on Thursday and it looks good as new. I was treated well by the dealer even if it took two tries to get everything right.

The only thing is that now I am in a conundrum. My current plan to drive the hell out of it will obviously lead to premature rust again, and I'd like to preserve the car as much as possible. So options are a) drive the hell out of the car and just restore it when the time comes, b) buy/lease an AWD car for the winter--this would be the TLX SH-AWD most likely, though I'm also looking at the ATS4 and the Subaru Legacy Limited), or c) rent a car during the worst of the winter. However, that costs $800-1000 a month.

Currently doing a) . What would you guys do?

#first world problems

PS: My PS2s are now dead. Going to put on some new Michelin PSS this week. Can't wait to see if they are stickier like other V owners say.

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

Sorry to hear about the paint issues/repair, but glad all is well again.

My opinion is, if you're able to, B. TLX SH-AWD looks to be a great car and if you can swing it, why not? Lease one and then you won't have to worry about the CTS getting beat on during the winter as much.

Sarlacc

You've been driving the hell out of it...so continue to do so and enjoy the hell out of it.

If you were keeping it for collector car status you'd have already been garaging. No sense starting now.

Rock it out!

Crazy Bimmer

You are much nicer than I would have been had i found out my car needed fixing/repainting due to a factory error.