Considering a CarMax purchase......do or don't?

Tell me about it. I'm in the market and today I got messages from all the dealers who are now willing to deal. Snakes and baiting schemes. Pisses me off.

They want to make their monthly numbers. Oh well lets wait till black friday.

 

Read a couple of posts so I don’t know if it was covered but the most important part is to let her get what she wants. She wants a mini van get a mini van she wants a pony let her get the pony.

I have a problem listening, you shouldn’t.

 

Who let XFBO's wife onto the forum????

 

Ok so we had our first CarMax experience yesterday and it wasn't too shabby at all, I think I really dig their business model/set up. Once we got there, we began touring the lot checking out their inventory for mini vans and smaller suv types. Wifey was flip flopping between a mini-van ('15 Town&Country) and a '14 Pathfinder....we talked about things both cars would and wouldn't do. Of course my vote went towards the Pathfinder and when I brought up the peace of mind of having a 4x4 option in inclement weather for her family visits to Mi. during the Holidays and how convenient having a hitch is for various carriers we already own, she didn't even hesitate to give the PF the thumbs up.

We actually didn't go through the transaction on our first visit there earlier in the day, so we made one other stop at a regular dealer and we were highly disappointed with how that visit went down, so I drove back to CM in the evening and secured the car. Man, what a difference it is in buying a car in Tn vs NJ.....much more laid back and less demanding of certain docs, made for a much more pleasant transaction.

As usual I got sucked into buying the extended warranty, actually went with the CM option which he made clear can be utilized at any Nissan dealer OR their facilities, so I figured I'd give it a try.....I know many will say that's wasted money, but I KNOW how I am, I'd rather have the peace of mind knowing it's there if it's needed. As expensive as parts and service are today, one serious problem can easily pay for the cost. (My VW experience taught me that just a few yrs ago.)

I know it's early but so far I'd give CM a thumbs up as a source to buy cars/trucks from. YMMV!

 

Congrats on the new car. Sorry to hear it's not a T&C. I think the extended warranty from CM has actually proven worthy, so you've done alright.

 

Last Michelins I bought, this one delaminated and bent the quarter panel, as a bonus it also destroyed the rear AC and heat in our Suburban:



Think I have 28 Cooper tires installed on various things around here and I've had nothing but excellent service from them. Some of their tires are even made in the USA.

 

What type of tire was it? I've had Michelin LTX M/S2 tires on my truck for the last 4 years with zero issues. I keep a regular tire pressure check and rotation schedule and have never had a problem with them.

Maybe it's my driving style but Cooper tires spin like crazy in the wet and don't handle worth a shit in regular driving situations. Michelin tires grip like crazy and can withstand aggressive driving situations.

I will never drive a vehicle with Cooper tires again. Guess it all boils down to personal preference.

 

It was a Michelin LTX (you can see it on the remains). I do like the implication that I don't check my pressures or rotate my tires, of course it's my fault the tire disassembled itself.

 

No implications made. Was just stating my personal experience and preference in tire brand. Sorry you had bad luck with one. Won't stop me from keeping Michelin tires on my truck.

 

Had three go bad actually but that was the one with all the drama. The other two had belts separate but they didn't come apart.

 

We've purchased a few cars through them, always a great experience. There's certainly a modest premium paid for that experience, but between the selection of vehicles, straightforward pricing, and quality checks that they do - sometimes it's worth it.

 

To the guys yeah it sounds like that...

but in reality for us it’s easier to take advice from another guy than from a woman let alone the wife... it’s like we want or do the opposite what they say.

 

I had Michelins on my truck and they were shit. Developed surface cracks all over them in no time and had no traction in the wet. Had to ditch them with tread left because they sucked so bad. Nope!

 

I had a 13 year old (was stored in the basement for 2-3 years,) Michelin LTX E rated tire come apart like that last summer on a hot summer day, at 75-80 mph on I-85. On rear of diesel Excursion. Hadn't checked the tire pressure for quite a while, so could have had a nail leak, or something. I did usually kept them at 70-75 psi. Went to 60-65 psi when up north in winter snow and cold.

I'll keep buying them. Switched to them on 4 different trucks, that had different brand tires. Michelin always rode better, had better traction and handing characteristics, dry, wet and snow. I've likely bought 8 - 9 sets of them.

 

My 13 year old tires had sidewall cracking also. Coincidentally, I'd just picked up a new set of rims to mount my new Michelin's on, in SC.

I'd noticed the older tires wet performance wasn't what it use to be, with full tread. I was almost to the wear bars on a couple of the tires.

 

I'm glad for you, but I also know someone, somewhere bought a used rental car that I rented at one time or another. I confess to not treating them like I owned them, and my guess is that's true of most.

 

Apparently y'all suck at driving and tire maintenance.

 

Yup!