At 5,000 miles a year, most any new car will run trouble-free for 10 years, but Hyundai is the only one that guaranties it, at least the expensive bits.
It's hard for me to recommend new vehicles these days.
- Thread starter macarose
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Here is the important question, will this vehicle be sitting OUTSIDE?
Or under a carport, a garage? Think about it, this thing will be parked most of the time, and likely dusty as hell if sheltered. And you want a vehicle that does not use peanut oil insulation on the wiring. Mice will be another problem, and that will attract them. Birds-mice nest as well.
I´ve seen a few low mileage city dwellers that did sit outside with low miles, and they got this awesome rust patina on the roof.... low miles cause they only drive in in the town, no travel.
Or under a carport, a garage? Think about it, this thing will be parked most of the time, and likely dusty as hell if sheltered. And you want a vehicle that does not use peanut oil insulation on the wiring. Mice will be another problem, and that will attract them. Birds-mice nest as well.
I´ve seen a few low mileage city dwellers that did sit outside with low miles, and they got this awesome rust patina on the roof.... low miles cause they only drive in in the town, no travel.
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My wife and I have been thinking on, for a while now, to pickup a 3rd vehicle that we'll use for a lot of our combined trips and/or my long commutes, vacation travel, etc.
As of late, have been eyeing up the new Civic Hatch Sport Touring in Manual. Seems like a decently impressive vehicle for around $31k.
As of late, have been eyeing up the new Civic Hatch Sport Touring in Manual. Seems like a decently impressive vehicle for around $31k.
Do you just like burning extra gas or can your Tundra not like going up a hill in 6th? I don't know how clunky the transmissions you must have tried are, but you should try something with an 8-spd zf.. Its nice. Only time I hold mine down to 6th or 7th gear is when I'm towing a significant trailer.
I know my Tundra (albeit 4.6L, albeit with the 4.10:1 tow gearing) did not like pulling hills in 6th, not unless if it was well above 65mph. I would swear, but don't have data, that locking out 6th and going through my rolling hills was better mpg, but that was doing 50-55mph (going off what I was seeing on my scanguage for instant mpg).
One issue it did have was that it liked to unlock the torque convertor and not downshift. To me, that is just lossy, making trans heat. IMO, forcing a downshift, then getting TC lockup, lead to better mpg. At least conceptually. I mean, no TC slip, no heat being generated.
I'd swear the trans programming was bad enough that a few times I had lower engine rpm after forcing a downshift... but that could be faulty memory now.
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The only thing I recommend people buy today is a Toyota-based vehicle in the 2013-2015 years, with great maintenance history and try to find one with less than 100k miles and someone that did 5k mile oil changes.
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One of my goals in life was to own a "3rd vehicle". Finally got to that 3 years ago. Bought a lemon the first time but then bought a 2015 Lexus RS350 with 162k on it and we have put 50k miles on it since August 2021. It was a daily commuter (165+ miles) for about 16 months, but has since seen 20-30 miles a day at most generally.
Currently at 216K miles, my wife drives it to the office mostly. What it has enabled us to do is put 10k miles on my Tundra in 2 years and 15k miles on our LX570 in 16 months. That is ground-breaking to put that low mileage on our two "primary" vehicles.
It's allowing us to preserve our vehicles, we have no intentions of even looking at anything new. I paid $17k for the RX, grossly overpaid, but that was market price at the time. It has been worth it so far, the thing runs like new, drives like new and is in great physical shape inside and out for something with 200k on it. Most people say they think it has about 50k on it.
I would also add don't count on finding a replacement engine for any vehicle made in the last 12 years at the wrecking yard. It is rare to find a totalled car with less than 50k, and there are many with over a 100k that havent been taken care of. If you want or need a replacement engine, you are better off going to one of the national rebuilders and get something that has a warranty.
I like cheap 4 banger 5 speed runabouts. Test drove a couple samples of the new Versa. Worst piece of junk since the Renault Alliance - but at least the Renault was a good driving car. Opened the hood and it wouldn' close again. Horrendous cheap interior and poor assembly. Sloppy shifter and clutch takup poor then engine programming- that may actually have required a few more miles on it for the ECU to learn.
The redesigned Sentra 5 speed I tested in 2015 was a great driving, handling comfortable car, but the shifter didn't work in that either. Ended up with a Rouge Select (a japan made Qashqai) that was a great vehicle with excellent seats, solid vault-like platform - except for brakes that kept wearing out very prematurely and then a demanding engine.
The redesigned Sentra 5 speed I tested in 2015 was a great driving, handling comfortable car, but the shifter didn't work in that either. Ended up with a Rouge Select (a japan made Qashqai) that was a great vehicle with excellent seats, solid vault-like platform - except for brakes that kept wearing out very prematurely and then a demanding engine.
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Nothing with a CVT.
and the trend to replace NA 6 cylinders with turbo 4 cylinders is disappointing.
We got our 6 cylinder RX350 last year. It runs on 87 octane, gets 27 mpg on the interstate, 23 mpg in mixed traffic. We are most pleased.
But the 2023 has a turbo 4. To me, that's a downgrade.
And diesel BMW is no longer offered in the USA. And I don't want a Chev/GMC large SUV.
I do like my Corvette. But that is my personal toy, not a daily form of transportation.
and the trend to replace NA 6 cylinders with turbo 4 cylinders is disappointing.
We got our 6 cylinder RX350 last year. It runs on 87 octane, gets 27 mpg on the interstate, 23 mpg in mixed traffic. We are most pleased.
But the 2023 has a turbo 4. To me, that's a downgrade.
And diesel BMW is no longer offered in the USA. And I don't want a Chev/GMC large SUV.
I do like my Corvette. But that is my personal toy, not a daily form of transportation.
I would recommend for everyday folks with winter climes the Subaru Crosstrek or Forester.
Good solid vehicles. My Mahindra (India) built Ford is good for me about town and in deep snow, but likely too small for long highway drives or those that need a roomy rear seating area. Bargain, though when on sale.
There are no more Ford cars, or Lincoln cars, no Chrysler cars, no Buicks.
Liked the Pentastar V6 Charger rental I had.
Chevy Malibu used to kill the Camry as a driver a decade ago.
Don't know about Caddy's. Reliability scare. CT5-V Blackwing! Wowzer! 90 Grand?! Nope.
Maybe the new enlarged Civic is decent with an old fashioned non turbo 4 banger - do they make that?
2023 Chevy Malibu
Good solid vehicles. My Mahindra (India) built Ford is good for me about town and in deep snow, but likely too small for long highway drives or those that need a roomy rear seating area. Bargain, though when on sale.
There are no more Ford cars, or Lincoln cars, no Chrysler cars, no Buicks.
Liked the Pentastar V6 Charger rental I had.
Chevy Malibu used to kill the Camry as a driver a decade ago.
Don't know about Caddy's. Reliability scare. CT5-V Blackwing! Wowzer! 90 Grand?! Nope.
Maybe the new enlarged Civic is decent with an old fashioned non turbo 4 banger - do they make that?
2023 Chevy Malibu
Ah, but then our group of Luddites would point out direct injection, turbocharging and Honda’s apparent comfort with producing engines quite prone to fuel dilution. There’s no escape…
Nissan Frontier owns the current Tacoma in quality
And better seats
And better performance
And better frame.
Toyota fanboys are welcome to keep paying more for less.
The latest Civic is offered with no Turbo and port injection.
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I'd love to own a new F-150 but there's no way I'm shelling out that kind
money for what you get.
Guess I'll stick to my 2002 and 2003 F-150's.
Both in great shape and run/drive great.
And the wife loves her newer model Rav 4.
money for what you get.
Guess I'll stick to my 2002 and 2003 F-150's.
Both in great shape and run/drive great.
And the wife loves her newer model Rav 4.
Just read its the 2023 KBB Pick for best Compact Car - whatever thats worth. I'll do the picking
I'd get a Trax because it's reasonably priced by today's expensive standard and has a regular automatic transmission... Mazda3 might be in the running as well.
With regard to keeping the trans from shifting to 6th, like @supton said, I haven't noticed much mpg difference and mine is a v8. I bought the truck knowing it's a gas hug so a little up or down is a don't care.
The only time I let it shift to 6th is going 70mph or so on a flat freeway and not loaded or not towing. Otherwise (in 6th) as soon as you touch the accelerator, it unlocks the torque converter whereas in 4th or 5th it doesn't.
I may have to try a 10-spd auto someday. Most likely it will be a nightmare since most trucks are going to a smaller DI engines and turbo like the new Tundra. All that for 4-6 mpg savings ... Time for a diesel maybe?
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