CT5-V Carmax experience

[BW56M]

it was definitely off putting during the test drive. you guys saying it cant be turned off?

I can't stand the camera mirror. Thank goodness, it can be turned off.

 

[MatthewAMEL]

Give the mirror a chance.

It was really disorienting at first. After about 10 drives, I adjusted and now I love it. Being able to set the viewing angle is awesome in traffic.

 

[FLYARMY]

The depth perception is what screws me up. Thats why I prefer the regular mirror. At night , the camera cuts down on the glare that you see with the regular mirror and the camera kind of acts like a night vision a little bit. Then again, I am 60 years old and my eyes have been starting to go for the last 5 years. I have to wear the transition eye glasses so I can look out and then look back in and see the dash board clearly. Otherwise I can't read anything on the dashboard.

 

[BW56M]

I wear trifocals, so it takes too long to get focused in. By the time I do, I could have easily plowed into the car in front of me. Also, I've got a touch of vertigo, which doesn't help.

 

[shbox]

Give the mirror a chance.

It was really disorienting at first. After about 10 drives, I adjusted and now I love it. Being able to set the viewing angle is awesome in traffic.

Yes.
I first encountered the rear view camera on a CT6 loaner a few years ago. Felt pretty weird at first. I prefer it on my 5V because of the wide angle view. It does not offer the same clarity of the normal mirror (if you like to read lips ) and you do have to realize the difference in the depth of the view, but...the wider angle in addition to the blind spot alert side mirror makes me more confident when I need to change lanes. Oh, and you won't get bright lights in your eyes at night (I know the regular mirror has auto dimming).

I can flip between the flat mirror and the camera without disorientation and I wear progressive lenses.

 

[ernsteeng]

I wear trifocals, so it takes too long to get focused in. By the time I do, I could have easily plowed into the car in front of me. Also, I've got a touch of vertigo, which doesn't help. View attachment 28109

I'm on trifocals as well. It just took me a few weeks to get comfortable with it. I agree that the clarity and crispness isn't there, but for me the other pluses make it worthwhile. I find this to be one of those newer car features that is a love it or hate it feature. There don't seem to be many on the fence.

 

[hawk02]

If you're willing to do a bit of DIY you can retrofit.

LiveView Video Mirror KIT for cars (RPO DRZ)

This kit adds the New 2021+ LiveView camera system to your vehicle, kit includes all new parts and everything necessary to install it in you specific vehicle. Instructions included with diagrams to ease installation. Antenna Camera comes in BLACK RAVEN from the factory, cover removes easily for...

mods4alpha.com

I've looked at this option. Yes, I'm disappointed my 5BW doesn't have the review camera mirror, but I'm not $900 disappointed.

 

[FLYARMY]

My only regret was not opting for the data recorder.

 

[668LT4]

I can't stand the camera mirror. Thank goodness, it can be turned off.

I had it in my 2022, but not my 2024. I don't miss it in the car at all, and prefer the regular mirror. Why resolution is fine, it is not like looking in a mirror, and I find it much easier to quickly identify things behind me with the standard mirror.

In my truck, I do like it. Especially when the bed is loaded, you still get a full view with that camera being mounted atop the roof.

 

[dizz81]

If yours was at Audi Temecula, I would have bought it if it wasn't for their incompetence...

Yep that was mine. Do tell I'm curious. lol

 

[ArnoldJudasRimmer]

Yep that was mine. Do tell I'm curious. lol

I was looking for a gently used example when I saw yours pop up for sale down in Temecula on cargurus. It was a Friday around 1700. I called in and inquired, got some decent info on it. Things were checking out, but I'm not someone who will agree to buy a used vehicle like that sight unseen. So I told them I was interested, that I could give them a partial payment, but that I wanted to go in person to look at it the next day before I fully committed to buy. If it looked good and the test drive went well I wanted to get a third party PPI on it at least, and assuming nothing catastrophic was revealed I would buy it. They agreed to external PPI, but said they don't do any hold deposits or payments of any sort because they're a first come first serve dealership. That's all fair, the part that pissed me off was that I told them I was 4.5 hours away and would head out super early the next morning to be there right after they opened on Saturday. I asked them to check with everyone after closing that night to make sure the car was still available. They called and texted me to verify that it was indeed still available after they closed. The next morning I was about 20 minutes away when I received a text saying the car was ready for me to test drive when they opened. Then 5 minutes later they called to inform me that the car had actually sold the day before, but the manager who sold it just never bothered to inform anyone.

It was just really scummy and unprofessional. Either they legitimately have such poor communication that they couldn't even do a simple task like ask all their managers if the car was sold. Or they knew about the potential sale, but because they hadn't received approval from the banks for that buyers' financing app, they wanted a guaranteed buyer as a backup and had no problem lying about the car being available and wasting nearly 9 hours of my time.

 

[dinkman]

I was looking for a gently used example when I saw yours pop up for sale down in Temecula on cargurus. It was a Friday around 1700. I called in and inquired, got some decent info on it. Things were checking out, but I'm not someone who will agree to buy a used vehicle like that sight unseen. So I told them I was interested, that I could give them a partial payment, but that I wanted to go in person to look at it the next day before I fully committed to buy. If it looked good and the test drive went well I wanted to get a third party PPI on it at least, and assuming nothing catastrophic was revealed I would buy it. They agreed to external PPI, but said they don't do any hold deposits or payments of any sort because they're a first come first serve dealership. That's all fair, the part that pissed me off was that I told them I was 4.5 hours away and would head out super early the next morning to be there right after they opened on Saturday. I asked them to check with everyone after closing that night to make sure the car was still available. They called and texted me to verify that it was indeed still available after they closed. The next morning I was about 20 minutes away when I received a text saying the car was ready for me to test drive when they opened. Then 5 minutes later they called to inform me that the car had actually sold the day before, but the manager who sold it just never bothered to inform anyone.

It was just really scummy and unprofessional. Either they legitimately have such poor communication that they couldn't even do a simple task like ask all their managers if the car was sold. Or they knew about the potential sale, but because they hadn't received approval from the banks for that buyers' financing app, they wanted a guaranteed buyer as a backup and had no problem lying about the car being available and wasting nearly 9 hours of my time.

thats so fucked up. you were 4 hours and 15 mins in when you found out it had sold and had to turn around and drive home?? i would be pissssssssed

 

[1Evil55]

Not sure about the rest of you but I have a habit of checking my nose for boogers and teeth for leftovers before getting out of the car. What do you guys with the rear view camera in my situation?

 

[ArnoldJudasRimmer]

thats so fucked up. you were 4 hours and 15 mins in when you found out it had sold and had to turn around and drive home?? i would be pissssssssed

Not just sold, sold the day before. Sold when they had verified to me via text and call that it was available on both Friday after they closed and even the Saturday before they opened. It worked out and I now have a '23 in Summit White, but I'm still salty about them wasting my time like that haha

This is the picture they sent me saying it was ready for me 5 minutes before telling me it had sold the day before

 

[shbox]

Not sure about the rest of you but I have a habit of checking my nose for boogers and teeth for leftovers before getting out of the car. What do you guys with the rear view camera in my situation?

Flip to the flat mirror, of course!

 

[BimmerFan]

I was looking for a gently used example when I saw yours pop up for sale down in Temecula on cargurus. It was a Friday around 1700. I called in and inquired, got some decent info on it. Things were checking out, but I'm not someone who will agree to buy a used vehicle like that sight unseen. So I told them I was interested, that I could give them a partial payment, but that I wanted to go in person to look at it the next day before I fully committed to buy. If it looked good and the test drive went well I wanted to get a third party PPI on it at least, and assuming nothing catastrophic was revealed I would buy it. They agreed to external PPI, but said they don't do any hold deposits or payments of any sort because they're a first come first serve dealership. That's all fair, the part that pissed me off was that I told them I was 4.5 hours away and would head out super early the next morning to be there right after they opened on Saturday. I asked them to check with everyone after closing that night to make sure the car was still available. They called and texted me to verify that it was indeed still available after they closed. The next morning I was about 20 minutes away when I received a text saying the car was ready for me to test drive when they opened. Then 5 minutes later they called to inform me that the car had actually sold the day before, but the manager who sold it just never bothered to inform anyone.

It was just really scummy and unprofessional. Either they legitimately have such poor communication that they couldn't even do a simple task like ask all their managers if the car was sold. Or they knew about the potential sale, but because they hadn't received approval from the banks for that buyers' financing app, they wanted a guaranteed buyer as a backup and had no problem lying about the car being available and wasting nearly 9 hours of my time.

So yeah, scummy but not unprecedented and not unexpected, quite frankly, and unfortunately. When I was car shopping, I found a very lightly used (800 mile) CT5-V-BW at a Mercedes dealership, emailed back and forth and called and talked with the salesperson, and I insisted that they go out to the car and open the door and sit in it and make sure that it had no odors. All good, they say. No deodorizing smell either, I asked. Sometimes they overdo the deodorizer to cover up something, like smoke. No sir, it's all good. So I drove 4 hours down there to buy it, and sure 'nuf, it smells. I told the salesman that it was unacceptable, and then I had to go through it all with the sales manager to get my deposit ($2K) back. He offers to clean the car, lower the price, whatever, and I said no, no, no. Finally one of the other managers went to move the car and came back and admitted that "it did have a slight odor". I suspect that the original owner smoked in it. That was an entire day on the road, two tanks of gas, for nothing.

Don't ask me about the eBay car that I bought years ago, spent all day flying down to Florida only to discover that they had a "small issue" with the title, and so I had to fly back, last minute fare, four flights in total, what a miserable and expensive experience that was!

In neither case did I get any kind of refund for my time, gas, air fare, etc. for them lying to me.

 

[1Evil55]

Flip to the flat mirror, of course!

No experience so didn't know the option of the old school methods was still available. Thanks!

 

[dinkman]

So yeah, scummy but not unprecedented and not unexpected, quite frankly, and unfortunately. When I was car shopping, I found a very lightly used (800 mile) CT5-V-BW at a Mercedes dealership, emailed back and forth and called and talked with the salesperson, and I insisted that they go out to the car and open the door and sit in it and make sure that it had no odors. All good, they say. No deodorizing smell either, I asked. Sometimes they overdo the deodorizer to cover up something, like smoke. No sir, it's all good. So I drove 4 hours down there to buy it, and sure 'nuf, it smells. I told the salesman that it was unacceptable, and then I had to go through it all with the sales manager to get my deposit ($2K) back. He offers to clean the car, lower the price, whatever, and I said no, no, no. Finally one of the other managers went to move the car and came back and admitted that "it did have a slight odor". I suspect that the original owner smoked in it. That was an entire day on the road, two tanks of gas, for nothing.

Don't ask me about the eBay car that I bought years ago, spent all day flying down to Florida only to discover that they had a "small issue" with the title, and so I had to fly back, last minute fare, four flights in total, what a miserable and expensive experience that was!

In neither case did I get any kind of refund for my time, gas, air fare, etc. for them lying to me.

those are some terrible stories. worst i ever got was a sight unseen car coming off the trailer with cel for a bunch of issues the seller didnt disclose but i knew i was taking a risk being too lazy to fly down to texas to check it out.
sounds like i've dodged some bullets!