New Car thoughts

[Klayfish]

Just a few quick thoughts.

The whole "SUV is safer than a sedan" thing is pretty much a myth. If you want one for towing or hauling cargo, or just because you like the style, go for it. Just don't do it strictly for "safety".

Jeep can make some pretty luxurious vehicles. If you load the Grand Cherokee up, it's quite a nice vehicle. You'll pay a premium, but it's darn nice. Stay away from the Compass and the Renegade...as far away as possible.

Lincoln and Caddy are quite nice, but if you're budget concerned, take a look at the line up just below them. Lincoln is a Ford in a fancy dress...you can get a nicely loaded Ford for less. Caddy is other GM brands dressed up, so you can get a nice Chevy or Buick for less.

Spare tires are becoming more and more rare. Fix a flat is rather common on most cars. An inconvenience at times, sure, but not a deal breaker for me.

 

[slo]

My in-laws have a high end Lincoln and they LOVE it. My FIL is a car guy and if it won his seal of approval it’s has to be good.

For Me, when I buy a car, it’s all about functionality. I’ll give up luxury for functionality every time. I’m sure when my DD is no longer living with us I’ll want more luxury.

 

[LuvOrlando]

So helpful to read everyone's input. I'd really like to wait for a car because I'm a pragmatist, but being down a car is putting too much strain on the family with us all having spit up obligations in different states. I think I'll do a quiet look at the lots today on my own then return, people ignore me but for some reason when the salespeople see a dude it's a totally different thing. Might as well use it to my advantage and scope availability under the radar.

The whole missing spare thing really has me rattled though, anyone ever pick up an aftermarket spare set for themselves? Are there good brands and good styles? Honestly, I'm so irked I specifically want to avoid Mopar parts for this : / The whole point of the Compass was so my Penn State student would be safe so far away no matter where we are and suddenly this isn't true, the more I think about it the more irritated I get.

 

[Squirlz]

The whole missing spare thing really has me rattled though, anyone ever pick up an aftermarket spare set for themselves? Are there good brands and good styles? Honestly, I'm so irked I specifically want to avoid Mopar parts for this : / The whole point of the Compass was so my Penn State student would be safe so far away no matter where we are and suddenly this isn't true, the more I think about it the more irritated I get.

I bought a donut spare for my 2005 MINI and stowed it behind the seat. I have never needed it. None of the other cars have spares and I don't worry about it. We do have AAA.

 

[dez1978]

Are there no shortages of cars where you live?

In my area it has nothing to do with the vehicle parts in terms of what is on their lots. Chip shortages and cargo ship shortages are responsible for shortages. I actually mentioned in another thread a few months back I was wary of the 1 and only dealership we've been to that a car sat unsold for more than a few days and had more vehicles. All the dealerships (luxury or otherwise) here are low on cars due to those shortages but that is not hand in hand with parts. If your concern is parts you'll have the problem no matter what car because that all depends on where the parts come from and what they are made out of. A lot of vehicles are waiting to sent out but the manufacturers lack the chips to install.

FWIW we went to a jeep dealership and they had 10 vehicles on the lot total and had multiple already sold (as was the case in many of the dealerships in our area). We didn't look at Cadillac though.

Same here. I've been looking for a car for about 4 months. I check almost every day on line. They are all sold even before they hit the lot.

 

[NotUrsula]

So helpful to read everyone's input. I'd really like to wait for a car because I'm a pragmatist, but being down a car is putting too much strain on the family with us all having spit up obligations in different states. I think I'll do a quiet look at the lots today on my own then return, people ignore me but for some reason when the salespeople see a dude it's a totally different thing. Might as well use it to my advantage and scope availability under the radar.

The whole missing spare thing really has me rattled though, anyone ever pick up an aftermarket spare set for themselves? Are there good brands and good styles? Honestly, I'm so irked I specifically want to avoid Mopar parts for this : / The whole point of the Compass was so my Penn State student would be safe so far away no matter where we are and suddenly this isn't true, the more I think about it the more irritated I get.

Of course you can buy an extra tire/wheel. Different vehicles take different kinds of aftermarket mounts, but there is almost always some way to carry a tire, even if only a donut spare.

With modern tires, I've found that a leak tends to happen much more often than a full flat that won't hold any air at all. A $20 battery-powered inflator gives me a lot of peace of mind, knowing that if I have to stop every hour to pump up a leaking tire until I can reach a place to fix/replace it, I can do that without putting myself at as much risk as I would be with a tire completely off somewhere on the side of the road. (Added bonus is that I can top up our bike tires &/or inflate sports gear really quickly!)

 

[Klayfish]

Sure you can buy an aftermarket spare, but where would you put it? If the car came without one that means it very likely was designed with no space to carry one.

Yes, if you can, get rid of the Compass.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Picking up with the missing spare thing, has anyone out there come up with a reasonable solution?

I did just get new tires and kept an old one as an extra knowing about the supply issues it seemed reasonable but it was going to just sit it in the garage as a just in case. If I get a rim on it I suppose it could be a spare but I have no idea if this would fit in the well if I remove all the stuff in there now. Is this a good idea? A bad idea?

This is even more annoying than the whole lock system surprise I got from the Taurus :/

 

[rotlex]

Jeep family here. Just love them. I would have a hard time switching, and honestly, if you are looking for something more luxurious, check the new Grand Cherokee L or the Wagoneer. (Not sure on release)? We bought one sedan a few years back after owning SUV's for many years. Neither my wife or I could get used to being so low to the ground, not having 4WD etc. We stick with Jeep because we know them, like the designs, and they hold there value. I love our Wrangler more than anything we have ever owned, but it's not very practical as a sole family vehicle, lo,

 

[spiders]

So I bought a new car over the weekend. I gotta say, it was pretty weird. I expected going in that I would pay MSRP but I never expected it over MSRP. I got a 2022 Hyundai Tucson. The MSRP was $33k and in addition the usual $1k worth of dealer garbage they always add (wheel locks, mud guards, etc...) there was just simply a "Additional Dealer Markup" of $2400. Some cars on the lot had $7400 markups. I was kind of on the fence as I was planning on replacing my car in the spring. I had a 2016 Nissan Rogue with 90,000 on it. I liked the Tucson a lot and also because for 2022, it was a new body style. They initially offered me $10k on my trade and so I said that I understand the car shortage and to expect sticker but I wasn't expecting over sticker and I'm certainly expecting reciprocity on the trade end. They moved up to $13k and then I just said forget about it but then they called me just after I left and bumped it to $14k and so I said okay. The MSRP on my Rogue in 2016 was $34k and I'm pretty sure I got it for $29-30k. So fast forward to 2021 and the sticker is $33k but I'm paying $36k. At least I got half back on my Rogue which I thought was good, all things considered.

 

[_19disnA]

I think you are comparing totally different vehicles when you say Jeep vs Cadillac vs Lincoln. Cadillac and Lincoln are clearly high end luxury brands compared to Jeep. I would be more focused on the type of vehicle you need for how you intend to use it. Many other brands sell SUV's of various sizes that might fit your needs. Part of the price of high end vehicles is the perception of prestige whether real or imagined associated with that brand. Features are often standard that you can't even get on some other vehicles and the interiors are usually more luxurious using premium materials. All of that adds to the price of the vehicle. Most companies sell a range of vehicles since it depends on your budget, how you plan to use it, how many people you typically have in the vehicle as well as how long you intend to keep it.

 

[tvguy]

Sure you can buy an aftermarket spare, but where would you put it? If the car came without one that means it very likely was designed with no space to carry one.

Yes, if you can, get rid of the Compass.

Yeah, it depends. My daughter has a Ford Fusion Hybrid. No spare, a battery powered air pump and a can of fix a flat in the spare tire well. So the place for the spare is there, because the non-hybrid Fusions do come with a spare. Guess what Santa is bring her for Christmas?

 

[tvguy]

I bought a donut spare for my 2005 MINI and stowed it behind the seat. I have never needed it. None of the other cars have spares and I don't worry about it. We do have AAA.

Road service really doesn't matter. If you don't have a spare, all they can do in most cases is tow your car to the tire shop. Your car is out of service. With a spare, they can put that on until you can drive to the tire shop when you have time. Your car is back in (limited) service.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So I don't know if the OP has continued their search but the local news covered that the plant here will resume building the Cadillac XT4. That started yesterday and it's approximately 1,400 out of 2,000 employees being brought back. Not sure if they ever mentioned what model of Cadillac they were looking at as one of their options.

I don't think the OP was into sedans but the Malibu also built here is expected to resume November 1st.

This GM plant has been in full shut down since early February.

 

[RamblingMad]

So I don't know if the OP has continued their search but the local news covered that the plant here will resume building the Cadillac XT4. That started yesterday and it's approximately 1,400 out of 2,000 employees being brought back. Not sure if they ever mentioned what model of Cadillac they were looking at as one of their options.

I don't think the OP was into sedans but the Malibu also built here is expected to resume November 1st.

This GM plant has been in full shut down since early February.

GM is laying people off and moving production.. Here's Scotty's rant about it:

Right now, I'd only buy a Toyota/Lexus.

 

[LSUmiss]

No way I would buy a car made from an Italian company. Their quality issues are well known and go back for decades. I would look at Acura or Lexus.

I agree. I drive a Lexus & have for years. Knock on wood, I have never had any major issues with it at all. Best cars I’ve ever had.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

GM is laying people off and moving production.. Here's Scotty's rant about it:

Right now, I'd only buy a Toyota/Lexus.

Okay..but I was strictly talking about the plant in my area. I'm pretty sure all the car manufacturers are doing things. I had a family member work for GM in the past when they went from 3 shifts down to 2 shifts. I get it. Then again. I wasn't talking about that....

I mentioned how many employees were being brought back out of the amount that particular facility in my area employed with one of the two vehicles starting up. Only reason I even brought this thread back was because in the OP the OP had mentioned Cadillac as one of the brands they were considering. With plants stopping production of certain vehicles completely or manufacturers only making certain models it can severely limit your choices, but as things ease up your choices may open up.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

GM is laying people off and moving production.. Here's Scotty's rant about it:

Right now, I'd only buy a Toyota/Lexus.

You know how people laugh at people getting Disney news from bus drivers? Getting auto industry news from a mechanic is very similar.

There is nothing to support the idea they are moving production. The transmission they were cutting production on is the rwd 6 speed which is used in 3/4 ton and larger trucks and cargo vans. I don’t even think those are sold in China and they certainly aren’t produced there.

The cuts at Toledo were small (16 full time workers, 106 temps) and look like a 1 shift reduction to me. Considering how much of a mess the auto industry is right now (it’s not just semiconductor shortages), this is not surprising at all.

 

[manning]

Honda or Toyota. They will outlast you by far.

 

[Dan Murphy]

GM is laying people off and moving production.. Here's Scotty's rant about it:

Right now, I'd only buy a Toyota/Lexus.

I looked at this guy's lineup of videos. My goodness, the sky is falling, and so is everything else. I think if I were to watch 30 minutes of his crap I would jump off a building.