Grade your vehicle!

[kaboom10]

2002 Ford F-150 w/ FX4 package. A- but if it had come with the 3V engine I would give it an A+. When it ran out of warranty I replaced/modded things to fit my way. I fell in love with this one and decided to buy it and keep it.

Wife has a 2007 Ford Explorer V6. It's a lease but she feels she will buy a different one. She will be retiring in a few years and wants to have a paid off vehicle then.

 

[smokey1]

2 YARISes : '08 and '09 . 8 out of 10 . The rattles in the interior that I've fixed and the few that still remain are the only downside so far . The '08 auto sedan is hovering around 39 m.p.g. , while the '09 5 door w/ auto is near 38 .

 

[wander2039]

04 Escape A- .. the reason for the minus is the dang AC. Has a slow leak probably came from the factory that way. Every 2 years needs a recharge it seems. Had a few others problems but simple fixes. Perfect size, tows and handles the huge cargo carrier with ease, comfortable, and fairly quick. It'll be mine if the wife ever decides to get something else.. not very likely.

06 Ranger B- almost a C. Must have bad luck with stripped down trucks or my last F150 spoiled me. Love the gas mileage, power and all out usefulness. The bad is on-going vacuum and possible TPS problems never seems to want to idle right. Although it's been perfect since I unplugged and replugged the TPS (got a CEL on it in July) see how long it last. Not sure how it's going to hold up to rust and the door locks I've had alot of problems with.. tried every lube in the book MMO's working for now. Also the ride empty is beyond awful.. now loaded it's a like a cadillac. Being a lightweight XL with 4cyl/5spd I don't really see it as a negative.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith

06 Ranger B- almost a C. Must have bad luck with stripped down trucks or my last F150 spoiled me. Love the gas mileage, power and all out usefulness. The bad is on-going vacuum and possible TPS problems never seems to want to idle right. Although it's been perfect since I unplugged and replugged the TPS (got a CEL on it in July) see how long it last. Not sure how it's going to hold up to rust and the door locks I've had alot of problems with.. tried every lube in the book MMO's working for now. Also the ride empty is beyond awful.. now loaded it's a like a cadillac. Being a lightweight XL with 4cyl/5spd I don't really see it as a negative.


Okay make that a C- now. Broke the blasted tailgate handle tonight and ended up having to pry the blasted thing open. Then there's the ripped tie rod boot.. separated at the base. Either I'm to hard on my trucks or just bad luck.

 

[01rangerxl]

All of the plastic tailgate handles break at some point. Metal ones are $5 to $10 and won't ever break. You can get them new online or at a junkyard. '92-'96/'97HD F-Series handles also bolt right in.

 

[donz26]

2007 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE: A-
Pros: drivetrain(VQ power, CVT smooth and always in the right gear), I find the drivers seat very comfy, too.

Cons: Headlights aren't very good. Needs the proverbial "40 acre field" to turn. OEM Goodyear tires are noisy.

2001 Nissan Frontier XE-V6 Desert Runner: A+
Pros: Highway ride. Very manouverable. Relatively rare.

Cons: Gas mileage(15 city, 19 highway).
I love my truck, that's why it gets an A+.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: donz26
2007 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE: A-
Pros: drivetrain(VQ power, CVT smooth and always in the right gear), I find the drivers seat very comfy, too.

Cons: Headlights aren't very good. Needs the proverbial "40 acre field" to turn. OEM Goodyear tires are noisy.


Lol, I think my dad's van has a tighter turning radius than my car.

 

[Hokiefyd]

2007 Toyota Corolla LE: A
In general, one of the better cars I've owned. Certainly the most reliable. No mechanical repairs yet, though it only has 27,000 miles. The swap to Yokohama Avid TRZ tires completely transformed this car for the better. Handling is excellent, and very neutral. The car rotates easily. The 5-speed transmission is excellent. I've got Redline MT-90 fluid in it, and that helped a lot. The headlights are excellent, probably the best in any car I've owned. I've added OE fog lights and will change the rear tails to the 2nd gen Altis LED housings this winter. I'm averaging 35 MPG with it overall, which I consider to be excellent. My commute is a relatively easy 10 mile drive.

2007 Chrysler Town & Country Signature Series: B
The van itself is wonderful. Loaded with pretty much every option. Heated seats, RB1 nav radio, moonroof, DVD, everything. It drives so nice. We also had an '03 Grand Caravan that was wonderful, so we had experience with these 4th generation Mopar vans. It's had a few issues, and all have been exacerbated by poor dealership work. Once I'm out of warranty, I think life will be better. We haven't been treated well by Chrysler Corp. I've asked for rental vehicles while the van was in for repairs and they've made me procure my own, then submit for reimbursement. The process was never made easy for me. I'll probably not buy another new Chrysler product, just because how we've been treated by the company, but the van itself is very good. Quiet, stable, easy enough on gas for what it is, etc.

1997 Dodge Dakota: A
I bought this used, with about 168k miles on it. It now has about 176k. I don't drive it too awful much...it's used as a play toy/tow rig. It has the 5.2L V-8 engine. All fluids have been changed. The ride is remarkably good for a truck. Handling is good (it's a 2WD). I lowered the back 1" to remove some of the rake. Firestone Indy 500 tires in 255/70R15 size give it a real mean look. An overall great vehicle, with no real squeaks or rattles or anything else that would indicate the miles on this thing. The paint is marginal.

 

[smokey1]

have to agree , the 5 speed manual for the COROLLA is one of the easiest we've ever had , especially after replacing with the REDLINE MT-90 . The clunk into reverse goes away and the downshifting lost the grinding . Cold shifting much better too . This was for a 2000 CHEVY Prizm ( Corolla ) , very little difference between '07 and the 2000 . An acquaitance has a '06 with over 150,000 miles . Very little has gone wrong . Had plugs , A.T.F. , anti-freeze changed at 100,000 miles or a bit more . The EGR valve was replaced , think that was about $300 or so . Overall , very good car .

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Jason Adcock
2007 Toyota Corolla LE: A
In general, one of the better cars I've owned. Certainly the most reliable. No mechanical repairs yet, though it only has 27,000 miles. The swap to Yokohama Avid TRZ tires completely transformed this car for the better. Handling is excellent, and very neutral. The car rotates easily. The 5-speed transmission is excellent. I've got Redline MT-90 fluid in it, and that helped a lot. The headlights are excellent, probably the best in any car I've owned. I've added OE fog lights and will change the rear tails to the 2nd gen Altis LED housings this winter. I'm averaging 35 MPG with it overall, which I consider to be excellent. My commute is a relatively easy 10 mile drive.

2007 Chrysler Town & Country Signature Series: B
The van itself is wonderful. Loaded with pretty much every option. Heated seats, RB1 nav radio, moonroof, DVD, everything. It drives so nice. We also had an '03 Grand Caravan that was wonderful, so we had experience with these 4th generation Mopar vans. It's had a few issues, and all have been exacerbated by poor dealership work. Once I'm out of warranty, I think life will be better. We haven't been treated well by Chrysler Corp. I've asked for rental vehicles while the van was in for repairs and they've made me procure my own, then submit for reimbursement. The process was never made easy for me. I'll probably not buy another new Chrysler product, just because how we've been treated by the company, but the van itself is very good. Quiet, stable, easy enough on gas for what it is, etc.

1997 Dodge Dakota: A
I bought this used, with about 168k miles on it. It now has about 176k. I don't drive it too awful much...it's used as a play toy/tow rig. It has the 5.2L V-8 engine. All fluids have been changed. The ride is remarkably good for a truck. Handling is good (it's a 2WD). I lowered the back 1" to remove some of the rake. Firestone Indy 500 tires in 255/70R15 size give it a real mean look. An overall great vehicle, with no real squeaks or rattles or anything else that would indicate the miles on this thing. The paint is marginal.

Cool!


How did you get your van on the speedway? That would be fun to drive on......

 

[PandaBear]

1995 Toyota Corolla 1.6L: A-

Great little cars and comfortable to drive around, shifting is great and fairly reliable. Fuel economy could be better, only 3spd auto sort of ruin the economy (28mpg).

1997 Acura Integra 1.8L: A

Great fuel economy, superb steering and handling, ultra reliable and looks nice. What else can you ask for? Better shifting auto transmission.

2001 Ford Taurus SES: B

Smooth to ride in. Fuel economy is average to below average (25mpg), handle like a boat, OK reliability, affordable. Dad love it, I avoid it.

2003 Buick Regal: B+

Horrible fuel economy (23mpg), decent handling for its size, interior is not good for its price (leather is low quality, the rest of the car is just like my corolla). Don't mind driving it, but the plastic UIM and DexCool is a bit of a concern.

1997 Toyota Camry: A

Drive like a boat, sludge in engine, otherwise perfect, decent fuel economy (26mpg).

1993 Ford Escort: B-

Aged horribly, handles great, superb fuel economy (34mpg) for a 1993 car. Good to drive around town. Affordable to maintain.

2008 Lexus IS250: A+
Cost me $33k before tax, but wow, what can you get out of that: best interior I've ever seen, better than a $50k BMW or Mercedes, fit and finish is great, looks great, handles good enough for me, fuel economy for my wife is 32mpg, for me is 31mpg. What more can you ask for? May be a bit cheaper and let you buy without some unnecessary options.

 

[ramblar]

Lexus makes a wonderful car.

 

[jdeare]

2001 Buick Regal LS: D-

This car is on the verge of failing. I've had it from 14,000 miles to almost 41,000 miles now.

Minuses: Burns oil. Tons of rattles both inside and out. Terrible handling. Numb ride and steering. Wheels do not hold air very well (5+ pounds lost/week). Gas mileage is miserable (~15 around town, ~24 hwy) considering the anemic way it accelerates. Seats are very uncomfortable for a 30 min drive, almost unbearable on a road trip. HVAC is not very effective and the fan does nothing on "low" setting. Has failing manifold gaskets that will need to be addressed soon (at either large expense or large inconvenience). Has stranded me twice when it refused to start. Surprisingly small interior considering the size of the exterior. [censored] leather seating. Stodgy looks and there is a definite Buick bias among other drivers... there is the assumption that a Buick will be going slow and possibly the driver will not know where they are going... so I get a lot of tailgaters and guys cutting me off because they don't want to be behind me (people who know me know that I drive fast and smooth and I generally know where I'm going).

Plusses: It's paid for.

My Buick is a heap. This is most likely just my car, not Buicks in general.

 

[IndyIan]

1995 Neon: B
Positives:
Handles well on the road and for autocross, a strong engine for the base econo box class. Good aftermarket stereo! Average MPG's at 35.
Negatives:
It has needed a headgasket, waterpump, timing belt job which wasn't cheap. Had the ball joints done recently too. But I like the car so there wasn't any question about putting the money into it. Brakes aren't good enough for highspeed track duty, but how many econobox's are...

2003 Tracker: B
Positives:
Cheap four wheel drive with transfer case. Mileage averages 27MPG. No expensive repairs yet. Good on snow covered cottage roads. Good aftermarket stereo. Good rwd towing manners. Easy to work on.

Negatives:
Not very refined drivetrain, shudders below 1600 rpm with throttle on. Noisy engine with poor torque below 3000rpm.
Small cargo space with rear seats up.

 

[ramblar]

Originally Posted By: jdeare
2001 Buick Regal LS: D-

This car is on the verge of failing. I've had it from 14,000 miles to almost 41,000 miles now.

Minuses: It is a piece of [censored]

Plusses: It's paid for.

My Buick is a heap. This is most likely just my car, not Buicks in general.

sums it up.

 

[mstrjon32]

Originally Posted By: jdeare
there is the assumption that a Buick will be going slow and possibly the driver will not know where they are going... so I get a lot of tailgaters and guys cutting me off because they don't want to be behind me (people who know me know that I drive fast and smooth and I generally know where I'm going).


My girlfriend drives a supercharged Riviera. Assumptions or not, it leaves those noisy import OHC engines in her dust!

 

[jdeare]

Of course! But supercharged Buicks are not well known by the general public.

I think they are the ultimate sleepers.

 

[panthermike]

2000 Corolla- B, Good car overall. The only reason a B is because the car has a ping issue and burns oil. It does have 157K miles though and has never let us down.

1997 Lincoln Mark VIII- A, no complaints on this car. Fun to drive, respectable MPG, pretty fast. It looked and sounded great too. No issues at all. 88K miles when sold.

1993 S10- B+, great little truck, 2.8L w/ the 5speed. Sold with 140K miles. Downside, very ugly, needed paint badly .

1997 Ford Crown Victoria- B-, I loved this car, although I shouldn't have. Had to do transmission, front end rebuild, and motor mounts at 100K miles. Never broke down and looked amazing.

1993 Ford Ranger- D, truck looked great, but blew the motor with low mileage. In all fairness, the history was unknown but it left a sour taste in my mouth.

 

[ms21043]

2004 Neon R/T: A.

Bought it new as a cheap work beater and it now has 145k+ miles on it.

The good: Has had zero problems, nothing ever.
It gets 33mpg all the time.
Uses only a pint of oil between its 10k mile oci's.
Excellent brakes. 4 wheel disc w/abs.
Excellent handling.
No rattles or squeaks yet.

The bad: Needs more power, it's rated at 150hp but if Chrysler gave it at least 25 more they would have sold lots more of them.
The shifter, compared to Asian brands it was sloppy. Could use better seats.

I have made a few improvements. First was the shifter, a $20 set of urethane bushings took care of it, nice and tight now. Then was the handling. Although very good stock, I figured a set of wider wheels and tires, Hotchkis stabilizer bars and SRT springs to lower the back end would make it better. They did.

Overall I'd say this car has been a bit of a surprise, I've owned a few cars before this one but none as reliable.

 

[sciphi]

Buick Park Avenue Ultras are indeed sleepers. There are many options for the L67 engine. Unfortunately tuning the older ones is a bear.