Modern vehicles that are both reliable and easy to work on

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himemsys

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What are some modern vehicles that are both reliable and easy to work on?

I've been spoiled by my 2003 Civic EX. Most maintenance and mechanical jobs are ridiculously easy to perform on this car compared to our '18 CR-V and '08 Ranger. Stuff is easily accessible and parts are readily available. I'm curious if there are any modern vehicles that would be similar to my Civic in this regard.
 
I'll probably never get to actually do work on it unless she keeps it beyond the warranty period, but my mother-in-law's 2021 F-150 with the 2.7 seems to be working well for a lot of people, reliability-wise, and there's a HUGE amount of space in the engine compartment. I think I could actually do a lot of maintenance or repairs to that truck with no bloody knuckles. God bless a longitudinally-mounted engine.
 
Easy to work on cart.webp
 
Changing plugs and coils on my Civic takes 10 minutes. When we changed plugs and wires on the Ranger, i took close to 3 hours. Plugs are hard to get to and half the wires route around the back of the engine. You need a step stool and the ability to balance yourself on your knees in the engine compartment. It was a nightmare on my lower back and for my knuckles. Even the Ranger's oil filter is hard to get to with that stupid funnel that is supposed to protect the starter from oil drip. The only place the Ranger wins this comparison is the air filter. Two clips to remove whereas the Civic has 7 bolts.
 
I am going to base my answer on oil/filter changes, other maintenance (plugs etc.) is done so infrequently doesn't matter to me. The easiest car I ever changed oil was my father's 2013 Subaru Legacy (2.5). The filter change is so easy and I can drain and deal with the drain plug without having to jack the car up.
 
Apart from the AC system failures, my Subaru is definitely one of the easier modern vehicles to work on. Everything is right there! If I have to change the clutch, for example, pulling the engine is easy and the easiest way to do so. All except 2 of the bellhousing bolts can be reached topside. The starter can be changed topside. Same with the clutch slave cylinder. Unit bearings in stead of those asinine press in bearings. I won't have to take off the exhaust manifolds should it need an alternator --- and the intake manifold , radiator, fans, power steering pump (well, its electric) won't all have to come off to change the thermostat like they did on my old Focus. The CVT ones aren't as bad as everyone says they are , but even if the valve body fails, on a lot of Subarus that 's something you can change topside as well!
 
Subaru Crosstrek. The only time it’s seen the dealer is when I’ve gone to pick up maintenance parts, and I’m no mechanic.
 
Donald said:
Buy the best shape Camry you can afford. Same answer every year.
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Not sure that is always true--different generations have different problems. I4 versus V6 is another debacle to sift through.

Mine seem to have been ok, but haven't had the newest one yet long enough to know how well it will go. My oldest one is well known to leak oil (and is doing so, again!) while the middle one is suffering from rust issues.
 
I see questions like this as sort of like part of a guide to survive in the coming years. Things are getting very expensive, very complicated and very... cheaply made. Not only the vehicles but repairs - doing your own repairs versus paying even an independent shop can add up to thousands per year difference. I see a big dividing line between people - those that are blowing money left and right just to keep driving, and those that are really digging in and rooting out older, more durable vehicles to preserve. The scariest part to me seems to be the high price of these older vehicles now. What some guy would have took $1000 for to "get out of his yard" is now a $7,000 "classic".
 
Silver said:
I see questions like this as sort of like part of a guide to survive in the coming years. Things are getting very expensive, very complicated and very... cheaply made. Not only the vehicles but repairs - doing your own repairs versus paying even an independent shop can add up to thousands per year difference. I see a big dividing line between people - those that are blowing money left and right just to keep driving, and those that are really digging in and rooting out older, more durable vehicles to preserve. The scariest part to me seems to be the high price of these older vehicles now. What some guy would have took $1000 for to "get out of his yard" is now a $7,000 "classic".
Click to expand...
^^ being comfortable with well-built older stuff turns out to pay dividends. Get occasionally greasy/keep your monies.
The current cost of transportation per mile travelled seems to be the driver of outlandish pricing.
Wish I bought a '69-'70 El Camino before all this. Oh well.
 
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