In our backyard, before I gave it a bath and wax
Continuing from our last installment, Bertha made it to the target CarMax. When I turned her off in the visitor lot, I just prayed that she would start again when needed……whether that was me leaving for home, or CarMax taking her into their fold.
If you’ve never been to a CarMax, it’s a pretty slick operation. I’ve been to several over the years, though this is my first transaction. When you pull in, it’s just the visitor lot. You can’t drive amongst the fenced inventory like most dealers, which makes complete sense. It prevents damage to their inventory, and you have to enter the building to interface with them before you make it into the fenced inventory lot.
Which, ironically, is less pressuring to me than a regular dealer. We all know what it’s like to walk or drive through a regular dealer, just wanting to see what’s there, and being accosted by one or more salespeople appearing seemingly out of nowhere.
At CarMax, you enter the building (it’s pretty bland inside, but it keeps the overhead down) and there is a receptionist desk. If you want to walk around and just look, they are happy with that. I’ve done it more than once. You just tell them you aren’t looking to buy right now, you just want to see different makes and models side by side. It’s perfect for that, if you are trying to compare an Altima to a Camry, for example. And since the lot is securely fenced, they leave everything unlocked for the day. You can hop in and out of everything.
I had placed a free seven day hold on a 2015 BMW 320i sedan. It seemed odd to me that they would let you hold a car for seven days for free, but that’s sure enough how it works. When I placed the hold on it on their website, it disappeared from my “Watch” list on the CarMax site. It reappeared under my “Appointments” list, as part of the seven day hold process involved setting a date and time to come see it.
When I set the appointment, within about 10 minutes I got an email from a salesman wanting to make sure I had not made a mistake due to the distance, making sure I knew they could transfer it, etc. But otherwise, he would see me that coming Saturday at my appointed time. And if I wanted to call ahead and give him about 10 minutes of time, he could do the finance application on the phone and then be able to tell me the best interest rate they could give me.
Eager to make a potential purchase as quick as possible, I took him up on that. He took the needed into and told me that CarMax’s internal finance arm gets first dibs, then they can shop other lenders if 1. CarMax passes on you or 2. you want to see if other lenders make you a better offer.
Within about an hour, I had another email telling me CarMax’s internal unit would give me 2.95% APR for 36, 48, or 60 months. They can also do 4.95% for 72 or 84 months if you desire. The 2.95% sounded good, as I had already talked to a local BMW dealer about interest rates on CPO BMW’s, and there was no current special finance offer in place. I also called my Lexus salesman, as I thought a second ES350 might replace Bertha. The Lexus/Toyota Financial 0.9% I got a year ago is no more. A rate of around 4% was the norm right now.
So, on my appointed day, I arrived about 40 minutes early (since I skipped lunch due to Bertha’s temperament). The salesman greeted me and told me he was wrapping up with a prior client. It was raining pretty good by this point, though, and I remembered what my dad always told me….never buy a used car in the rain. You can’t see what you are getting.
The salesman (let’s call him Larry) came over soon enough and we reviewed the price and specs on the 320i. It was a 2015 with only 15,000 miles, which is why I was interested in it. It was a three year lease, and CarFax showed no accidents and dealer maintenance by the book. It looked great in the pictures online, and had the extra cost options we wanted (heated seats, nav, sunroof). It was an X Drive, which is BMW speak for all wheel drive, which we decided we wanted for the modest extra price on the used units. The 320i is the bottom of the BMW line, but is pretty nice of course anyway. It has a 180 horsepower turbo 2.0 liter four, with an 8 speed automatic. About $40,000.00 new, this one was $22,000.00. Overpriced when new in my opinion, but a compelling value at almost half off.
Which brings up another interesting point about CarMax. Their prices, from what I can tell, are generally quite lower than franchise dealers. There’s no haggling and by and large, the price appears to be what you are willing to walk in and pay. My local BMW dealer has 2015 320i’s with three times the miles, for MORE money. Now, they may dicker some, but I don’t think they would come down to $22,000.00.
There is no extended warranty like with a CPO BMW, but the CPO warranties have been dialed down over the years, anyway. BMW CPO adds just a year to the end of the 4 year/50,000 mile factory warranty, up to a maximum of 100,000 miles on the odometer.
And, there is less detail and prep work at CarMax too, but we will come back to that later. They claim to do a 100 some point mechanical inspection, and I guess we can trust that they do. While having an accident or paint work won’t keep a car off a CarMax lot, having a brand on the title or evidence of being put on a frame rack will.
So on to the car I reserved. It looked great when the salesman pulled it out of the gate, and picked me up at the door. Jet black with black “Sensatec” or whatever BMW calls vinyl. It drove great too, just like a BMW with 15,000 miles would. I was smitten. It seemed like a great car for my 16 year old. Not that he needed a car that nice, but for the price of a new Civic or slightly used Accord, why not? And if he didn’t abuse it, it should last him six or more years and at least get him through college.
Since it was raining, I asked Larry if we could pull in a service department bay so I could examine the exterior closely. This seemed to be the car, and I wanted to examine it closely. The service department was closed on Saturday, so that was helpful. He told me he would go greet another customer and check on me later. I started examining every panel at the driver door, working my way around the trunk, then started up the passenger side.
While I was confident I would find nothing amiss with the clean CarFax, I was wrong. When I got to the passenger rear door, it had the worst wavy, high school shop class bondo job I have ever seen. And a really poor paint job too, just on that one panel. I found some clean shop towels to wipe the door down, to make sure of what I was seeing. But, the adjacent panels and rocker appeared to be factory perfect. So this was likely not an accident, but maybe a parking deck mishap (like grazing a column or pole).
I kept on with my examination, as I wasn’t sure the door was a deal breaker. With everything else so right about the car, I thought I could have it wet sanded at a body shop, and that would probably help for very little cost. I learned from prior cars that what I was seeing, while poor prep work, also was evidence of too much paint and/or clear coat being applied. A good wet sanding would “level” the surface and make it look a lot better.
Things went fine until I got to the driver side front corner of the hood. There was about a 2×3 foot area that was clearly less shiny than the rest of the hood. Almost flat black, in fact. And that headlight had a 2018 date code sticker, on a 2015 car. So something semi serious happened there.
The hood concerned me more, as just the corner was repainted (and not well). There wasn’t a way to make it look better, besides maybe a new clear coat over the whole hood.
While I wasn’t giving up on the 320i yet, this was a real disappointment. Larry reappeared by this time, and I told him of the two problem areas. He had no reaction or response, and I got the impression this was not news to him. Maybe a prior shopper had pointed out the same problems.
I told him I needed to think on it, and I wanted to see what else they had on the lot that was similar. It had quit raining by this point, thankfully. We walked over to the part of the lot where the 320i came from. There was a 5 Series sedan or two, a 3 Series wagon, and another 3 Series sedan.
Except, as we got closer, it wasn’t. It had a hatch and I didn’t know what I was looking at. It was a 2015 328i Gran Turismo, or GT. I don’t recall ever seeing one in person. I’ve seen the similar 5 Series GT on a semi-regular basis, by comparison.
Wiki tells me that it is a little wider and has a longer wheelbase than other 3’s. It uses the China market, long wheelbase 3 chassis. It clocks in just under 4,000 pounds, so it’s heavier too. And it was X Drive (they come as S Drive, or rear wheel drive, too). It was $2,000.00 more, or $24,000.00. The 320i was already more than the $20,000.00 I had budgeted, but this car seemed to be a better value.
Our interior BEFORE I did any cleaning. Nothing much needed here.
Over the 320i, the $2,000.00 added a panoramic roof, power front seats, leather seating, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, rain sensing wipers, interior LED “mood lighting” across the dash and along all four door panels at night, an upgraded Harmon/Kardon stereo, larger wheels,
When I found it on the lot. The cargo space is much larger than I would have expected.
that hatch, folding rear seats and a huge cargo space (great for my son’s bike he takes to the state parks all the time), and real burl wood trim. It had a 240 horsepower version of the 2.0 liter turbo four, so more power but not too much power.
The original window sticker was in the glovebox. Right at $52,000.00 new, so $24,000.00 was more than half off. It was a three year lease as well, that just turned 20,000 miles. It sure had more than half it’s life left. CarFax showed regular service at the selling dealer, including an oil change, brake flush, and all the filters 1,500 miles ago. It is under factory warranty until June, 2019.
So this seemed like a real contender. I drove it and after about 20 miles of city and highway driving, we returned to the service bay. Larry joined me in wiping it down so I could inspect it (it had resumed raining during the drive).
Everything about the paint and panels was satisfactory. One BMW center wheel cap was missing. There were also what appeared to be nicks on the front, which turned out to be old bugs. The wheels had some minor brake dust staining, which a good waxing would take off. The engine bay was pretty dirty. Not oily, but three years of pollen and dust covered everything. (The headlights were original, with matching 2015 production dates). The cowl area under the hood was clogged with old leaf debris. On the rainy test drive, the wipers were clearly past their shelf life. So that’s what I mean about less prep at CarMax. A BMW dealer would have fixed all that prior to it going on the lot.
A good wash and wax in my driveway, including hitting it with the pressure washer under the hood, would resolve all this. I asked about the wipers and the center cap, but the reply was along the lines of “yeah, well, I’d have to ask the manager how to go about that….”. I knew I could find a cap on Amazon for $15 or so, and wipers were cheap and easy, so I would just do it myself.
I did some cursory looking on my phone and as with the 320i sedan, comparable year and mileage GT’s were thousands more at dealers. Not that there were many of them, the sedan is far more common. But it appeared the $24,000.00 CarMax GT would be $28,000.00 or more at a dealer. You would get modestly more warranty, but there was no financing advantage.
The 3 Series GT has been sold since the 2013 model year, and Google tells me 2019 is going to be the end, with no replacement planned. Which seems like a shame, it’s a very practical vehicle overall. But it’s not an SUV, and I guess new and used BMW shoppers who want something more than a sedan get one of the SUV’s instead. The resulting steep depreciation on the GT is our friend, if we like the packaging.
By this time, CarMax was through with appraising Bertha and yes, she fully cooperated with the process. $4,000.00 was the offer, take it or leave it. Even with her miles, Kelly Blue Book was $4,500.00 or better. But, with her erratic behavior, I felt I was on borrowed time. The GT seemed like a sound choice that anyone in the family would be happy driving for years to come, including Mrs. Importamation and me. It was there, I was there, the financing was approved earlier in the week, Bertha was cooperating for the time being. All we needed to do was put pen to paper.
So with that, Larry went to “secure the trade”, which means pull it through the sallyport and into the fenced lot. I took a final picture for posterity. I left her touch up paint, High Mileage Award, some extra wiper blades, and list of every fluid change since new in the trunk, for whoever to find.
The paperwork was quick. Much quicker than the Lexus dealer a year ago, in fact. Primarily because they made no effort to upsell me on anything. The salesman had asked me at his desk about an extended warranty, which I declined. I had to view and sign off that it had a clean title, no open recalls, and some other CYA documents. But there was no further mention of service contracts, credit life insurance, paint sealant, wheel replacement, stain repellant, etc.
And with that, I was on my way. The ribbon was a nice touch, though I didn’t take a selfie for Instagram like they hope you will.
I’ve already ordered, received and popped on the missing wheel cap, given her a coat of black colored wax, replaced the wipers, and found an OEM touch up stick online (though I only found a couple of places it was needed). The pressure washer made everything under the hood look showroom new, and a Brillo pad got the chrome exhaust tips clean. The inside was pretty spotless already. About two hours to give it a proper detail and make it right. It’s in better shape than my CPO Lexus was, after some elbow grease. And I don’t think I’m going to let anyone else drive it, ever! Sorry, kid.
Epilogue: The 320i with the iffy body repairs sold a few days later, so someone didn’t notice or didn’t care.
Excellent choice! Can’t wait to hear more.
I know these BMW GTs are a bit goofy looking but kudos to BMW for offering such variety and for offering honest-to-goodness hatchbacks. Mercedes may have gotten the niche ball rolling with the CLS but BMW seems to be exploiting even more niches. I’ve been thinking about these 3 GTs (and the 5 GT) lately so I’m anxious to hear how you find it.
I’ve been to 4 different CarMax sites in 2 different states, ALL had the vehicles under lock and key.
I am considering buying my next car there as my experiences at “regular” dealerships has left me quite annoyed for hours afterward.
I like that CarMax DOESN’T charge an outrageous “documents preparation fee”, running around $699-$899 in my area. I trust that when CarMax says that it does a pre-purchase inspection that there won’t be any major surprises…though commentors here have said it does happen.
If I have any problem it is with myself, I guess, as I have had several instances in the past few months when I saw a car on the website but before I could get to the dealership it was sold or transferred.
I have also noticed that the closest CarMax to me is also one of the smallest, or so it seems. Though I have to admit that they have a pretty eclectic mix of vehicles at times.
You average CarMax moves how many cars per year? I would think that an occasional surprise slips thru, no matter how careful they try to be.
Welcome to CarMax. I’ve been buying and sell cars thru them for at least a decade now, and the customer service is usually impeccable. I still fondly remember picking my Scion xB over a Honda Fit because the sales person took the time to dig out the emergency wheelchair from the back room so I could see which car was easier to limber and unlimbers a chair from (at the time I was home caring for my then-invalid late wife).
The only complaints I’ve ever heard about CarMax on the Internet come from the terminally terrified somebody-will-by-the-same-car-for-fifty-dollars-less types who pride themselves on spending an extra two hours fighting with the dealership to get an extra nickel out of the deal, and are proud of their “ability to negotiate”. My time is too valuable for that, I can decide easily if the offered deal is acceptable to my budget, and if it is, I buy.
And I never shop dealers without CarMax appraising my trade first.
The car, while not to my taste (to me, this is when BMW lost “the ultimate driving machine” thread) looks interesting. A crossover that isn’t a crossover. Be curious to hear future reports.
“Not that he needed a car that nice, but for the price of a new Civic or slightly used Accord, why not? And if he didn’t abuse it, it should last him six or more years and at least get him through college.”
I know that this is sort of a hot-button issue that I’m opening a can of worms to, and one could easily accuse me of class-envy (they wouldn’t be wrong I suppose) but is it really appropriate to start a 16 year old kid off in a series of newer luxury cars? I always thought that especially for young men, their first car was sort of a pride of labor to keep an older car looking and driving nice as well as motivation to work harder to get to something better. Starting off with an S-class and then a shiny new Bimmer is like playing the game of life on “god mode”
When my 16 year old son got his license last summer he got my 1994 Dodge Dakota, at the same time he job at the local grocery store. He’s quite happy but I bet he’d like a BMW.
Maybe it’s a midwestern thing. I have never bought any of my children a car. I always had one available for them – my mother’s former 93 Crown Vic LX which was a nice car when the first one got it. It had been my own DD when I passed it down. All three drove it through high school and one took it to college one year.
My eldest bought his own car (the 89 Grand Marquis which turned out to be several father-son projects) and the other two are driving Grandma hand-me-downs (06 Lacrosse and 98 Civic) which were in excellent condition. They have each been financially responsible for those cars.
Then again I do not live in an area where every other kid at school is driving a nice car provided by family. I don’t dispute that there is a case to be made for providing a vehicle where it makes financial sense to do so, but maybe I am just too much of a midwestern traditionalist. Neither of my parents would have ever bought me a car (let alone a new one) when I was in high school and I continued the tradition.
We’ve got our first on the way, and I’m already relishing the thought of helping out (with advice and wrenching) with whatever our future child might be driving, although it this rate maybe it’ll be some kind of electric car. I started out driving a hand-me down ’90 Civic (in 2006) that I shared with my mom. Folks paid for parts but I turned the wrenches and did the seasonal sanding/bondo/paint on the rear quarter panels. The whole time I secretly wanted a stick-shift older Honda bought with my own money that I would have more autonomy with, but I certainly appreciated being given access to a car. But learning the basics of maintenance and repair has certainly given me a very practical and handy life-skill, and even someone less car-crazy could pick things up like keeping an eye on fluids, not ignoring clunks/smells, or how not to get taken for a ride at a shop.
Knowing you (from these and other pages) I think your kid in the year 2035 will end up with a 2016 Nissan Leaf with 4 bars showing on the battery display and maybe 40k miles on the odometer. Your brother will source an aftermarket Duracell replacement battery pack from the future BoulderAuto with 12 bars and you will all install it over an afternoon, complaining all the while about the poorly made Chinese connectors that just aren’t like the high quality original ones. 🙂
Haha that was fantastic Jim, and I think right on the money. I had intended to keep my ’96 4Runner for my first-born as a family heirloom, but we’ll see. That truck has kind of turned into an albatross around my neck. It’s a cool and incredibly capable SUV with the sort of peak-Toyota quality I adore, but I find myself babying and preserving it a bit too much. It’s also kind of crude and tiring to drive for long hauls. I meant to take a trip out West in it, but with a kiddo on the way that’s not happening any time soon. I like to take it offroad, but it’s so damn capable that to really “challenge” it you’d have to go on trails that risk significant vehicle damage. Quite a strange conundrum!
My brother has a 1998 4Runner that he meticulously maintained to this day. It has more than 300,000 miles on original engine and gearbox. He did a lot of routine part replacements such as bushings, shock absorbers, belts, etc. Surprisingly, the red paint hasn’t faded to the hazy pinkish colour (common with lot of red paint).
He likes his so much that he bought another 1998 4Runner for his kids to do the errands. Eventually, his second oldest son bought it from him and continues to drive it.
My brother doesn’t like the current 4 Runner, especially that Star Wars stormtrooper face.
Oliver they are definitely long lived beasts. The only thing that takes them out of commission in the NE/Midwest is frame rust. You can have a totally rust-free looking body but the frame is swiss-cheese. Mechanically, they are total tanks, and when something does go wrong, they are quite easy to wrench on and parts are cheap and available. Mine just crested 150k and feels perfectly tight and sprightly, not the slightest bit “worn out” in terms of the drivetrain or body. Toyota really made a hell of a vehicle back then.
Any indication that the current 4Runner won’t be similarly long-lived? The 3.4 is legend, but I’ve seen nothing that suggests the current 4.0 and 5spd auto are any less durable and the Land Cruiser Prado chassis it’s built upon seems like the real deal still.
Petrichor they seem rock solid to me. Aside from a few years of high-mileage headgasket issues when they first came out in ’03-’04ish, the 1GR-FE 4.0L has been every bit as reliable as the old 3.4L (which had a short run of HG issues itself back in ’96). My friend has an ’08 FJ Cruiser with about 200k miles on it including some pretty serious wheeling by the previous owner and it just needed its original clutch replaced this year, as well as an alternator this past summer. All the other hardware: old school 5 speed auto, transfer cases and axles and such, are all tried and true kit. I’d say the frames are still as susceptible as always, keep it oil-undercoated and that’s that. The new 4Runners, like all modern Toyotas seem to suffer from really thin sheetmetal and really weak paint. Aside from that and the vulnerable painted plastic bumpers, I can’t find a single thing to be dis-pleased about on the newer ones (well, styling…)
Thanks Gtem. Not too much road salt in Utah, but I recently grabbed a case of aerosol Fluid Film with the multidirectional wand and sprayed the inside and outside of the frame. Not a perfect approach, but I judged it to be an inexpensive and easy way to get a few more years out of the frame.
Right on Petrichor, that’s my exact method. Multi-directional wand of Fluid Film inside of frame rails. But like you said, Utah is a much more favorable environment that the Northeast and Midwest as far as frame rot goes.
My dad sold me his car (’66 Beetle), allowed me to make payments as long as I had a part time job after school and had insurance. He did give me the title after I made half the payments and said, were good.
I never had kids but would have done the same.
I’ve got a problem with a 16 year old getting a car in the first place.
Yeah, I’m an old fart. When I turned 16, dad had just left the Chevrolet dealership, and I didn’t have access to either of the family cars, much less a car of my own.
My first car was at 18, and a legal antique, bought for the show circuit and not daily transportation. My first transportation car was at 23. I spent the years 19-23 commuting by bicycle.
Times have changed. Get off my lawn.
“I know that this is sort of a hot-button issue that I’m opening a can of worms to, and one could easily accuse me of class-envy (they wouldn’t be wrong I suppose) but is it really appropriate to start a 16 year old kid off in a series of newer luxury cars? I always thought that especially for young men, their first car was sort of a pride of labor to keep an older car looking and driving nice as well as motivation to work harder to get to something better. Starting off with an S-class and then a shiny new Bimmer is like playing the game of life on “god mode”
I’m a high school teacher and I totally agree with you. Few of my students have jobs but many are driving around in new or newer BMWs and Audis at my school. When you talk to these students, they have a skewed idea about life. Their sense of personal ambition often seems to be non-existent, because life has always been too easy.
Agree, at 18 we gave our 3 kids used 12-15 yr old $3000 Volvos and a Saab with 120-140k miles and told them they were on their own henceforth. Well checked over, slow and safe, those tanks got all of them through college and grad school and they didn’t seem overly traumatized in comparison to the “upscale” vehicles driven by many of their campus peers. All 3 paid their way through post 12 education with earned scholarships and are successful professionals today, despite their modest vehicular start. And 2 of the 3 still drive Saabs.
I’m with JPC and Syke on this, we had a third car available when my kids were learning to drive, but I was not going to buy them one. My father in law, well, that was a different story. I guess he didn’t feel the need to ask me and bought my oldest a car when she was 17.
With my parents, I could borrow the family car, but a car of my own was a bit of a dream until I could scrape together the money to buy one. THEN, I also had to be able to afford the insurance on my parent’s policy, but still… (I did cover the kids insurance.) Which was why this car crazy kid didn’t get his own car until he was 17 and had a job to cover the insurance.
I got a dented-up 1990 Honda Accord EX as my first car–which, if you’re counting, is older than I am–but I don’t begrudge someone their opportunity to give their kid a new car, even a BMW.
Well, I’m sharing a 1993 Audi 80 with my dad until he buys a new car (probably next year), and when that happens I’ll be restoring it.
You experience with CarMax highlights why I would never personally buy and advise someone against buying from CarMax if they think they’re getting anything beyond a shady used car lot.
You showed up and found that the car you placed a deposit on had clearly been in some time of minor accident, and had been shoddily repaired. That can only make me wonder to what extent (if at all) the car was ran through the shop and brought up to tip-top mechanical condition.
The 328 you purchased was seemingly better, but was still missing a center cap, and hadn’t been cleaned, again, things that raise red flags to whether or not it had a proper mechanical and safety inspection before being listed for sale.
All I can say is that in my experience selling often-temperamental European cars, I’ve seen it again and again where people will go buy a pre-owned vehicle from a used car lot to save a few bucks, only to be back to the dealer shortly after and facing costly repair bills because the car was not serviced and inspected by OEM technicians who are trained to work on that specific brand of car. I say this not grievance, but as a word of advice to the potential buyer.
I don’t know of anyone personally who has purchased a vehicle from CarMax, so this is one of my first detailed experiences hearing about. Maybe it is a good operation, and you seem to be unfazed by things that would turn me off.
As for the car itself, you certainly purchased one of the more interesting BMWs of this era. In my experience working at a BMW dealer for three years, the 3 Series GT is one of the few models I’ve never actually driven. I’m sure it drives similar to the other F30 chassis cars, though the seating position is higher and the rear seat is roomier thanks to increased height, width, and wheelbase.
It’s sad that BMW doesn’t sell more of these, but I guess the shape is somewhat off-putting to some. Personally, I’d prefer a 3 Series Touring, but then again I’ve always liked wagons.
Several times now I’ve gone to carmax just to test drive a few things. Never to seriously consider buying, I personally find them overpriced with their no-haggle pricing. No, I’d rather haggle over the pricing 😛
Anyhow I was pretty taken aback at the low quality of the recon work (or total absence of it). My biggest issue hands-down is the nasty tires they put on cars that get traded in needing tires. No easier way to ruin a car’s ride and NVH than a set of noisy, rough riding tires.
I’ve noticed that too about the tires that CarMax puts on a car. When I’d see a CarMax listing boasting “New Tires,” it was actually a negative for me because I figured they’re charging more for the car, and I’d be stuck with awful tires.
I found that that local Chevy dealer had the same issue, they put some kind of low-end Firestone on a lot of the ex-fleet cars that did the cars no favors. An Epsilon Impala that reviews all shower with praise for a well composed ride felt surprisingly harsh on expansion joints. I’m fairly confident that with a decent set of tires that would not be the case. “Fuzion” is apparently Bridgestone’s budget brand, and seem to be another dealer cheap-tire favorite. Sure I’d pick them over some Senturys or LingLongs, but they are still noticeably worse riding than most of the top tier manufacturers. For my own money, I’ve found myself going back to General tires again and again. They’re maybe a touch off of the top brands for quietness, but their Altimax RT43s have fantastic performance in the wet, and their Altimax Arctics have not dissappointed either. I also have a pair of their BFG-KO knockoff Grabber AT2s, have been pleased with them as well.
I needed new tires for my Crown Victoria about 2 years ago and after checking various online tire stores I decided to go “local” with Wal-Mart. Some research lead me to General AltiMaxx tires, and I decided to go with the RT43 because my experiences with comparable tire companies was miserable (the car was originally on Goodyear tires, but for the same size and quality the Generals were MUCH cheaper….and, they had excellent reviews).
I have to admit, though, that I am not sure what I would put on a much smaller car like a Fiesta. Sometimes a tire that “works” on 1 car doesn’t work so well on another car.
Howard my brother is running the RT43s on an old Mercury Mystique, I ran them on my 2012 Civic and wife’s 2012 Camry, and he’s installed them on a whole range of customer cars (Altimas, Subarus, etc). Has had good luck and no complaints so far, people love the bang for the buck. On my Civic, I will say that car’s inherent lack of wheel-well insulation really brought to light the increase in tire noise, on my wife’s Camry it was much less of an issue. Her car’s ride on the highway became marginally “busier” as far as transmitting minor pavement imperfections than with the OE tires but not by any means rough or unpleasant. Her car became notably more confident on light snow and in winter conditions in general, although make no mistake a set of proper snow tires are vastly superior beyond that still. We’ve had her set on since 44k miles and she’s up to 80k miles now, still plenty of life left, I did have to replace one due to a gnarly pothole-blowout.
I had a set of the H-rated Altimaxes on my Pontiac G6 for a while. They were a very good tire for the money as I recall. I like Continental General tires to begin with, the price was just the cherry on top.
The last time I replaced the tires on that car, I ended up going with a set Kumho Ecstas (V-rated) instead. I wanted V-rated tires (I like the control I get with them) this time around and I think I could only find the General Extreme Contact DWSs at the time. They were rather pricey and the Kumhos have turned out to be excellent tires for the money. I’m now on my second set, but I see they’ve discontinued the particular model I was buying.
My one kid has Continental ProContact tires on her Malibu (came that way from the factory) and those have been absolutely excellent in every way. I may end up going with those on the G6 if I can find a V-rated version.
geozinger I have General’s G-Max AS05 on my A4, a fairly fresh set my brother installed for the previous owner before I bought the car. I’ve generally been quite pleased so far, although I think they could stand to be a bit quieter. It’s hard to get a point of reference on much else, seeing as I just recently bought the car. I’m going down to factory 15″ alloys with Hankook Winter I*cept W606 tires ($49 a pop on closeout at Pepboys!) for the winter, as much for ride comfort and durability against potholes as it is for winter traction, so I’ll be able to report the relative noise and ride comfort of those vs the Generals.
With regard to dealer replaced tires: There’s no way they’re going to pay for good tires on a used car. They’re trying to maximize their profit and most folks don’t know or care what brand or style of tire is on the car. They *can* see tread depth, and that’s what matters to the average buyer.
I think that’s a big problem with most bread and butter cars, folks routinely purchase the cheapest replacement parts and then wonder why the car runs/drives like sh!t. When I take my car in for service, I always tell my guy, don’t put cheap crap on my car… I’m willing to pay and as a result, I still like my car..
I do not doubt that the kinds of cars you buy (and sell) are of routinely higher quality, but they are also catering to a high-end market.
I think if you went shopping the used car lot of a more typical Ford or Chevy or Chrysler dealer you would run a much higher chance of getting a car that looks great but with hidden issues. They operate on higher volume and deal with a customer base that is often not as choosy or sophisticated.
I think Carmax offers a kind of middle ground.
This is turning into a bit of a referendum of Carmax vs traditional dealers…
I’ve bought one car from Carmax (the Chrysler 300C) and the deal went down as Importamation explained. Zero hassle, several cars to choose from, and in the end there was no upselling or scare tactic, just an explanation of what their optional warranty would cover but an equally detailed explanation of their return policy and inspections etc. The price was fair. I possibly could have done better at a random dealer but then again I value my time too. At the end of the day I got a car I wanted that needed nothing at a price I was willing to pay and happy with. I have been looking at their inventory for the last five or six years and would use them again.
I’ve also sold one car to them to date, that being the Mercedes GL450 with 90-something thousand miles. I was pleased with how that went as well. Again, zero hassle, and I was later coincidentally actually able to see that actual vehicle up for sale again and realized I got all the money there was to be had from it with ZERO chance of a random buyer coming back to me and complaining about what have you.
Lest people think that traditional high end dealers all have perfect used vehicles (even CPO) on their lot, let me disabuse you of that notion. That same Mercedes when I bought it with 35k miles four years earlier at a large Denver area Mercedes delaer was advertised as a CPO car, with their multi-hundred point inspection – well, before I took it off their hands I pointed out several things that needed to be corrected and were supposedly “inspected” – among those wiper blades so bad that they had permanently scratched the windshield (new wipers and windshield before delivery), two wheels curbed (their wheel guy fixed before delivery), a low battery warning (a new battery installed under the passenger seat on their dime), a cracked piece of wood trim on the center console (replaced prior to delivery), worn out “netting” behind the seats (replaced with new seatbacks with netting prior to delivery), and a rear powerport cover that was cracked and dangling open (again, fixed on my insistence). The service records however checked out and mechanically the car seemed (and turned out to be) very good.
So, all of those things SHOULD have been (and likely were) noted by an inspection, however the dealer didn’t see fit to correct them despite the vehicle being on their lot for a couple of months prior to my interest. I used all those points to negotiate the price down and then insisted they be corrected so it worked out for me. At the end of the day, every MB dealer, as well as every BMW dealer and every other dealer is merely that, an independent dealer. How they actually represent their brand varies WIDELY across the country. Some are good, some are bad, some make Carmax look good, some make Carmax look bad. I’ve bought enough cars, from private parties, new car dealers, used car dealers, Carmax, high end places, very low end places to be able to emphatically say that there is NO absolute when it comes to whether one situation is good or bad.
Carmax obviously makes money doing what they do, if one were to survey ACTUAL buyers and sellers that actually did business with Carmax (not just those that thought about it and then went elsewhere) I think overall the impression would be a net positive. It’s too bad that Importamation’s first choice was flawed, but someone bought it in the end and according to him paid less than they would have at a regular dealer, so that I suppose works out. They DO disclose right on their window sticker if the car has had a prior rental history, fleet history, hail damage, accident damage etc to the extent that is verifiable through a CarFax or AutoCheck etc. No other dealer I have ever seen does that. It helps to know what you are looking at. Some people live to spend another couple of hours in a sales office in order to save another $100 on a $30k purchase. That’s fine, but many of those people still won’t be happy with what they buy. The best part about Carmax is the ability to compare multiple examples of the same and similar cars and brands in one place back to back with zero buying pressure. A very slight bit of research will tell anyone whether a car is a fair deal or not. It’s not sleazy, it’s not manipulative, and it SEEMS to have an aura of transparency which is not the case at most traditional dealerships.
New cars aren’t always the panacea they are made out to be either. It is legal to sell new cars at a new car dealership with some level of prior (generally shipping) damage without disclosure that they have been repaired. Some cars are defective from the get-go. Warranties and lemon laws exist for a reason.
At the end of the day, of course everything is buyer beware. That goes for buying a car or a house at the high end to tucking into a plate of Kung Pao Chicken at the local Chinese restaurant behind a gas station on the low end.
@Jim Klein: I think we’re seeing an additional referendum on CPO tactics, also.
I’ve had mixed experiences with CPO cars. Upon my recommendation, my daughter’s second car was a CPO Saturn Aura from the local big-time Chevy dealer. Upon initial inspection, the car was rather well taken care of, but annoying things popped up, like worn wipers. But OTOH, it had brand new Goodyear Eagles on the car (although I no longer remember if the dealership claimed them or the former lessee put them on). Nothing else presented itself until well after my kid was driving the car. A generally good experience.
A friend bought a CPO Ford Fusion from a different dealer group, they ran ads at the time touting their 120 point CPO inspection. But my friend’s car had a number of issues that came up shortly after purchase that made me doubt the car had been looked at by anybody competent in mechanics.
As noted before, each dealership does a different job on these kinds of things. There’s no guarantee that it will be done, using a jaundiced eye on the car you’re interested in is a better plan, IMO.
And then there are the dealers who occasionally do the out-and-out crooked thing. We had a case in our office where a young woman bought a new Geo Storm from a local Chevy dealer. She was on the fence about the price and the salesman said he had “a demonstrator” to show her.
The short story is that the “demonstrator” had been a new car that got into a significant collision on the dealer’s lot. The dealer sold the car to one of the guys in the body shop. He took the car home, did a repair/repaint on it and brought it back to the dealership, offering the salesmen a commission if they could sell it. He actually did a very good job on the repair but the dealer’s misrepresentation about the car’s history (that it knew full well) got it into some hot water. That kind of thing probably doesn’t happen a lot but it does happen.
@JPC: I think it used to happen a lot more back in the day. In March of 1981 my mother bought a brand new Ford Mustang Ghia. It had been on the lot for a couple of months as I recall, but not unusual due to it being delivered in the winter. No one is buying many cars that time of year.
Imagine my horror when we got the car home and were going through all of the papers stuffed in the glove box… The car had been damaged in transit to the point where the whole front fascia had been replaced. Needless to say, I went back to the Ford dealership and gave them a piece of my mind. I was PO’d, big time. We (meaning my whole family) never bought another car from them.
As it turned out, the transit damage never affected anything in the car’s service life. No weird noises or rust spots, as the whole front fascia was one big piece that included the lights. She drove the car for 15 years and my niece for another two years or so after that. It just soldiered on, year after year.
Like the young lady in your example, had we been aware of the damage and the resulting repairs, we may have had made a different deal.
Get real, so some leaves were in the cowl, that happens at certain times of the year and no dealer is going to remove them on a daily basis. The center cap is another non-issue for most people and if it is a problem easily enough corrected for a minimal cost. Neither thing would point to the lack of a safety inspection. Fact is there are a lot of shady new car dealers out there too and their “reconditioning” process is just as suspect.
It’s sad that BMW doesn’t sell more of these, but I guess the shape is somewhat off-putting to some.
The biggest issue, especially for the US market, is that those GT versions had virtually killed the excellent 3-Series and 5-Series wagons.
Due to the exorbitant cost of engineering and certifying the vehicles to meet the US regulations, many manufacturers must do the ‘sacrifical lamb’ thing, killing the wagons for the horrible CUVs or restricting the wagon to one engine choice or one trim level that few really wants (Audi A4 allroad, for example). My understanding is that Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon can be obtain by special order only, meaning long wait for the Americans who thrive on instant gratifications.
Interesting thoughts Brendan.
While I relish the game of car buying (and advise dozens of people a year with their purchases), I understand why Carmax is so popular – many people HATE the car buying experience, usually because of past nightmare scenarios, and so walking in, getting a set (usually a little higher than market but within reason) price, and a minimal fuss closing experience is well worth it to them. And I get it – the majority (but certainly not all) of dealers I’ve dealt with on behalf of myself and others are unmitigated jackasses with a dozen shady sleight-of-hand behaviors up their sleeve. It’s pitiful, truly.
That said, I did buy my Saab from Carmax 11 years ago; I wanted a specific model (Aero convertible with a 6 speed) in a specific color (black), and they had it in their Dallas store. I willingly paid the minor transfer fee, and the car was better than the pictures. The sales price was 50% below it’s original selling price (of course it was a Saab just as they were sputtering in the market…).
Since it was off-lease (3 years with only 16k miles), there was plenty of manufacturer warranty left – although having had a few European cars before, to me the $2500 extended warranty for 4 additional years and 60k miles was well worth it (the electrical and convertible motor gremlins alone under warranty has saved me easily over $6k in repairs).
All said I understand Carmax’s appeal to many.
The subject GT is a beautiful and unique car – it’s quite attractive, certainly better looking than the X6. Many years of good use.
I also have no issue with a teenager being ‘gifted’ this car – I struggle with my own thoughts as to what to buy my daughter for her first car, and while I’d love for her to inherit the Outback, I do want all the safety nannies I can possibly get for her journey. Driving in the big (wild West mentality) city, it’s very stressful for her. But driving is a necessity for her – so why not make it as stress-free as I can afford to?
Carmax isn’t in my area, so it’s interesting to read about them.
I’m of the opinion that the 3 Series should’ve been a hatchback all along, and the GT should’ve replaced both the sedan and wagon 3s rather than being an additional model.
It’s particularly puzzling at the beginning, since fastback coupes with hatches were VERY popular and seen as upmarket from two-door sedans in the ’70s when the 3 was born (and BMW wasn’t even considering putting four passenger doors on one), and Munich put a lot of effort into making it remarkably space-efficient for an RWD compact car, but nerfed that with a fixed rear window and parcel shelf.
Interesting choice, and I’m glad to hear the conclusion of this story! Though I don’t particularly care for the high-back styling, your picture of the cavernous trunk is enough to make me reconsider. It reminds me of my long-gone Saab 900, which was the most versatile car I’ve ever owned.
Regarding CarMax, we shopped there for the first time last month when we were looking for a new minivan. The ability to comparison shop among many different models — all unlocked on the lot was extremely valuable. For that alone, CarMax is worth a stop.
In terms of dealer prep, our experience was similar to yours. One of the minivans we drove had numerous scratches that could easily have been buffed out (I wonder why they didn’t?). Another had the previous owner’s personal property still in the console. And another seemed like it had been washed with the windows cracked open, as there was water inside, and water pooled up in the interior door pull recesses. That’s some pretty shoddy quality control.
In terms of price, we found CarMax prices to be generally on par with dealerships. We seriously considered transferring a 2016 Kia Sedona from another CarMax 350 mi. away (only a $99 transfer fee). However, we ended up buying a new, identically-equipped 2018 Sedona from a dealership for exactly the same price as CarMax’s used one. So as with most other things, there seems to be no hard-and-fast rule regarding whether CarMax offers competitive prices.
Well, I’m glad you found a good car, but I do feel somewhat bad for your son at losing his Mercedes! He’s got a good COAL Story, though.
I’d like to see the look on their faces when Bertha starts acting up again.
I don’t usually recommend a particular business, but when I do it is Car Max. I bought a car, the check engine light came on and I returned it. No problem and no attitude. I later bought a car with the warranty. My trans went out and they fixed it. No cost and no attitude. I had a good rental car the whole time. They kept in communication and answered all my questions. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with them. This was in Merrillville Indiana in ’08 so hopefully they are still doing right by their customers. And so ends my commercial.
They are. Maggie’s ’15 Dodge Dart GT came from the Short Pump, VA (Richmond suburbs) CarMax, and the attitude hasn’t changed.
Sound shopping process, looks like a deal well done. I like your idea of picking up one of these overpriced Wunder-mobiles at 50% off MSRP and have thought of doing similar, even with the lapsing warranty coverage that could make long term ownership…interesting. As you point out, for the price of a new Civic you can get a very solid-feeling well-equipped and quick vehicle that feels like it is built to last even if it really isn’t. Anyone have one of these generation of 3-series at higher mileage or experience working on them? Curious how they hold up at 100-150K miles.
I love the hatchback utility of your 328 GT but wish they didn’t make it look like a bee-stung 328 sedan searching desperately for its EpiPen. I also cannot stand the front seats of these cars–hard as plywood, flat as Kansas, and no lateral support. They’re not Comfort, they’re not Sport, I don’t know what they are.
Praise CarMax all you will, but it looks like they were dishonestly representing that 320i and hoping the low price would be enough of a distraction to get it of the lot to an unsuspecting customer. They wouldn’t be getting any free positive press from me after that.
Like gtemnykh, I have always found Carmax pricing to be on the high side. But then I am never in the market for late model higher-end stuff on the Eastern seaboard, so perhaps this is another regional thing. My experience has been that for someone like me who likes to find older unpopular cars in excellent shape I can do better carefully buying from owners or from traditional dealers who are tired of keeping it in inventory.
However, I have known others who have bought there and they have had good experiences. For those who don’t enjoy the hunt like I do and who just want a good car, Carmax has been a good choice for them. They also offer a money-back guarantee if you drive the car for a few days and don’t like it, so you have lots of chance to get it thoroughly checked.
It is a mass market dealership set up to handle the broad middle of the car-buying market. For those like Brendan who are used to the extra quality inherent in a high-end CPO program or like me who tends to older cheaper (but top quality) stuff, it is less satisfactory.
“someone like me who likes to find older unpopular cars in excellent shape ”
Yet another similarity we share it seems 🙂
Although I can be pretty lenient on the “excellent shape” part of it historically haha. I like cars that are at the bottom of their depreciation curve, things that I can buy and drive for a while, and then move on to something else at minimal expense (or a minor profit). I was actually strongly considering an “aero” panther for this next cheap car go-around, with a set of snow tires I’d be all set for a cushy winter beater that could gobble up pothole’d roads with aplomb. Maybe next time. My top candidates are/were: XV20 (’97-’01 Camry), ’96-’04 Avalon, ’91-’96 GM H-body, ’92-’97 Aero Panther. The A4 just kind of popped up and I decided to take a walk on the wild side with an old European auto.
All good choices. My sweet spot has been something between 10-20 years old with about 100k miles, and the key is one elderly owner who keeps his property in tip-top shape. Buicks and Mercuries have been a fertile area. Just look for the AAA Plus or AARP stickers on the bumpers. I really like the old Avalons too and have been paying more attention to them. But for now I have been making my own. My Fit is 12 years old/125k now and my Sedona is 7 years and 78k. And it seems that I have been turning into that old guy. 🙂
If you go for the Panther you may as well look at Town Cars, although they are probably a bit more money than the MGM. Also elderly-owned and maintained Chrysler Minivans can be a good bet.
Hands down my best buy was my ’96 ES300 that was bought off lease in ’98 and then owned by the same Lilly employee until he decided to cut it loose on craigslist ($1600). He was good on maintaining the basics (fluids) but the tires that were on it were old and it was due for a timing belt. I inadvertently ended up scoring my snow tires for free from Walmart (accidentally refunded me twice after an ordering mixup online), threw them on some junkyard Camry steel wheels, a few other minor odds and ends like rear swaybar bushings and a transistor block for the blower motor (missing intermediate blower settings) and I was in business. I did splurge and have my brother put a new t-belt on ($500 with labor as I recall), the belt we took off still looked very good and it’s a non-interference motor. I should have hung onto it, but come spring I would have needed to buy summer rubber for it and the original shocks/struts were finally getting past it. Sold it for $2200 during the spring tax season feeding frenzy and moved on. Related to this article, it was bought by a single mom for her son going off to college. I have no doubt that the ES is serving him well.
I have never bought a car from CarMax, but I have sold my used car to them, and I accompanied a friend while he sold his car to them. No fuss, no surprises, lovely. Quick.
I will admit that (by my admittedly obsessive standards) I thought their inspection process pretty quick and casual, but -Hey- Both my buddy and I are the kind of guys who keep their engine bays clean, so maybe we were anomalies whom they felt didn’t need deep probing.
I definitely recommend them as a place to sell your car. The seven-day offer gives you a basis to compare to other offers and possibilities, and for me, it’s definitely worth a few hundred bucks lost from a private sale not to have to meet the crazies who want to trade me a Jet Ski and most of a Harley for my car.
Nice rig, and lucky boy although a 3-series is a bit of a downgrade from an S-class, hopefully he won’t be scarred for life by the shame. 🙂
It’s good to hear your experience at Carmax was mostly positive, I detailed my similar one above in a response to someone else and largely concur. The value (still not sure that’s the right word in this context although I chose the word) of buying a slightly used higher end car at less than 50 cents on the dollar is astonishing compared to a new(er) Accord or Civic as you pointed out. My particular Carmax (Loveland, CO) is closed on Sundays but there is NO fence in back (backs to a road) and the cars are left unlocked at all times, both day and night. The management encourages off-hours visits and has not had occasion to regret that (yet). Sometimes (rarely) I even find ignition keys in the center console. A great way to spend an occasional hour or two for a car freak interested in just sitting in stuff and checking it out.
As regards some of the other comments I didn’t get a new (or any) car provided to me at age 16 either and while I would love for my kids to provide their own rides at their expense, I do take note of the following:
1. it would be sort of hypocritical for me to be concerned about buying “safe” cars for me to drive with my family in them and then let them loose in a 20-year old unsafe or unreliable hooptie or whatever by themselves.
2. If god forbid something happened to them in a car that was objectively crappy or unsafe due to my being cheaper than I needed to be that would be unforgiveable to me.
3. I can’t say I would have turned down a new car or a fancy car when I was young had my parents been well off enough to do so. I don’t think any of us would have.
4. I look back on the experiences I’ve had with some of my older rides with some fondness (with dark-rose tinted goggles), but in the moment every time one of them broke down or needed something repaired I was not happy about it. I would much prefer NOT to have to work on a car or anything else, especially if the weather is crappy or cold or hot or whatever. As a result I can fix some (some) things on a car that my kids may not have the ability or opportunity to but then again they can fix things on their smartphones and computers that I have no idea (or interest) in doing, so it sort of evens out cosmically. They WILL learn how to change oil, filters, and tires by me at a minimum so as to not be helpless.
5. It’s much more important to me that my kids spend time studying and getting good grades than toiling at a McJob in order to afford a crappy car. While my older kid DOES in fact work she does so to afford the things I try to refuse to buy (expensive coffee with her friends etc), she knows school is the priority but values the experience of working as well. Not that one can’t be successful in life without formal schooling (far from it) but it certainly provides a greater chance of doing so and if nothing else provides more options later on.
I hope he (or you?) enjoys the car. As my 15yr old would say, it’s very “bougie”, which appears to be a compliment.
Great thoughts Jim. I wholeheartedly concur with your thoughts on first cars….
Very interesting article. CarMax is an interesting concept and it sounds like a worthwhile alternative. Be grateful it exists, around here there is no CarMax, just used car dealers of various reputations.
My BIL recently had a miserable experience buying a used car. A CarMax experience, based on this article and comments would have been preferable.
The one thing CarMax is super good for is electric cars. For a moment there, I was thinking about buying a used Nissan LEAF…
They were thin on the ground in Las Vegas. Now, with my old Chevy Sonic, I found a sweet deal in Phoenix, took a quick flight there and drove it home that day. Can’t really do that with a LEAF!
So CarMax does a great job ad widening a person’s search for electric cars. I think if it’s under 250 miles away they will bring it to your local store for free, and it’s only $199 if it’s a bit further.
While there were only a handful of LEAFs available in Las Vegas, there were at least 75 I could choose from on CarMax for just a little bit more than retail.
I didn’t expect so many comments! Wonderful stories and feedback.
“Bougie” is good, I had to ask my 18 year old to explain that one to me recently.
I respect everyone’s opinion. Some people would not agree with this car, some wouldn’t buy a kid a car at all, etc. Not to brag on the boy, but he’s number 1 in his class, goes to youth group, has completed his Eagle Scout, minds his mother, stays out of trouble, and participates in multiple sports for his school. He also volunteers, leads a “big brother” type group at his old elementary school, and does colonial “living history” days with his grandma (which a lot of 16 year olds wouldn’t be caught dead doing).
In short, he’s a much better kid than I was at his age, in about every way.
So he’s a great kid and if he keeps being himself, I’ll buy a used BMW for him to use (it’s titled in my name, not his). He is extremely particular about it and has pointed out every nick and smudge to me. He already helps me with our oil changes, so he’s looking forward to working on this one. He’s learning responsibility and taking care of a car so it’ll last a long time, like Bertha did.
Is it nicer than some cars in the staff lot at his school? Yes, but there’s also multiple used Cayennes, a new Raptor, and so on in the student lot. Plenty of barely used Wranglers and jacked up pickups too, which I am confident cost more than the GT. And plenty of great kids who ride the bus, rides with friends, or get dropped off. To each his own.
Sounds like a very bright kid, hats off to you for raising such a motivated guy! Definitely doesn’t sound like the sort that wouldn’t abuse the privilege of a nice new car.
I suppose upon further reflection, I always thought of my old car misadventures as keeping me grounded and seeing how the “other half” lives. A trip to the local muffler shop where I end up having a fascinating conversation with an old timer, a trip to the pick and pull to see true diversity in its most authentic state (a bunch of poorer white, black, and hispanic guys picking over parts), talking weekend car repairs with our shipping/receiving guy at work. Consider it part of an education as valuable as any!
As to the school parking lot, the nicest car anyone ever had was a kid in my class whose parents decided to buy him a brand new black Passat 2.0T when he was a senior. It stood out like a sore thumb in a lot full of 15 year old minivans, muddy old trucks, rusty Hondas and 20 year old Volvos. My wife’s HS parking lot sounded more like where your son goes.
I’m not so sure I would even want a car as a teenager today. Insurance rates are sky high locally, not to mention gas, maintenance, and sales and excise taxes if I bought my own. Between friends and Uber I can get where I need to go.
Well I am glad the story had a happy ending.
I have bought several cars from Carmax. I have had nothing but the best from both Carmax stores near me.
I have had a much better time at Carmax then most dealers i have dealt with. The local Ford dealer (Crapple….Apple Ford) is horrible in everything except the body shop. Orisman in Laurel is also horrible
I do think they should have provided you a center cap though.
See if Carmax will reimburse you for it. I know that if a car does not have a manual in it then if you buy the manual and give them the receipt then they will pay you the money back.
In the interest of full disclosure and fairness to CarMax: I did leave with a “we owe” slip from them for the wheel cap. They said if I took that to a local CarMax closer to me, they would order it and install it. They can’t order one and ship it to me, or have it dropped shipped, per their policies. But they were willing to get one.
I decided it was easier to order the wheel cap on Amazon for $15, have it come to the house for free 48 hours later, and put it on myself.
I didn’t ask them to replace the wipers because the extent to which they were toast wasn’t apparent until the long drive home in the rain, in the dark. The CarMax app you activate when you buy a car, has a 20% off coupon for Advance Auto which is good forever, as far as I can tell. So I did get some Bosch wipers BOGO and then 20% off on top of that.
All the original books were in the glovebox, including that original window sticker. And BMW has all the books online for free, so I saved them as PDF’s too since they are easier to search than the paper books (to me).