I am in the middle of an 800 mile trip in my 2003 Ford Ranger 2wd with 225k miles. It’s a 3.0 and 5 speed. Pulled 25.2 mpg today at 70 with the AC running.
Older car daily drivers
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I did it twice with a 1990 t-bird and 1996 explore. kept them 15 years and 225k miles. I did replace starter alternator and fuel pump preemptively at around 140k miles as I was driving 100miles roundtrip. Back then parts were not that expensive if I recall around 300 for all.
Does your car have the air suspension? You have a very nice ride, I think there were 4 or more different engines you could get in the S class for a time. More if you count AMG. That car seems to be a tank.
I also prefer older vehicles, and I do agree that a brand new car is not always nor necessarily better. I have regular discussions with my cousin with the 2020 Murano Platinum all the time. And I remind him that he has a monthly payment.
I have thought about getting an S-class but for now I simply have an older Nissan and I get approximately 26MPG on average. Could be better, but I am not willing to go back to an econobox, most of which probably get about 30MPG in real world everyday driving where as my midsize gets 26 and more if I'm easy on it, which is more frequently than not. 26MPG is the median.
I vote for older vehicles. I may get an LS400 over a Benz in time as a second vehicle. Late 90s the Lexus, 2006 or earlier on an S-class. Not there yet.
Adjust the carb? What's a carb? Lol!
I drove an '88 Ford Escort as a daily driver up until about 2011 or 2012. When I quit driving it it had 518K miles and sometimes got 100+ miles a day up until I quit using it. In Oct. 2010 we moved from NC-KY and I wanted to keep the Escort hoping I could drive it for many years to come. At the time we moved it had just over 500K miles and I drove it on the 500 mile trip from NC-KY without any problems. Up until 2000 and around 400K miles when I got injured and had to go on disability it wasn't uncommon for me to drive it 200+ miles a day to and from work on construction sites. It was the stripped down Pony model and didn't even have a radio in it from the factory. It had a manual 4 speed and would consistently get 40+ mpg at speeds of 80-90 mph on the highway. The engine was still running when I parked. The car needed quite a bit of work and being disabled with chronic back pain I didn't feel like doing the work and wasn't going to pay someone $50-100 and hour to work on a car with over 1/2 a million miles.
I really do hope you arent talking about the Crossfire 350! Or the TBI which has been described as a half carb. I agree with you they run on so perfectly when properly tuned. Just as long as there is not any and I do mean ANY vacuum leak and it's perfect engine running time.
My old car runs better than most new cars. Both of them do, actually. They run as new.
I would probably be one of those that drove a new car and unless it was a perfectly optioned or appointed vehicle (think the CVT thread) I may very well leave unimpressed. Fake shift points? No thanks, I'll take a TH-350C in a 90s GM think Buick or Olds. Buzzy engines that feel like they are either on or off? Possible stop-start designed poorly? Again, transmissions that feel like they are possibly bolted to the wrong car, like the famous BMW M5 V10 which is charming and fast but simply has too many issues by design? And that was a new car at one time as well.
No crossfire. I have a 76 350 Olds in my 84 Cutlass and stock 305 in my 83 Caprice. Both with a stock quadrajet. They both run fine even in cold weather (well the cutlass doesn't get driven in winter and doesn't have a heat riser because it has headers). This Caprice is getting traded for a body job and paint on my 05 Silverado, which is my work truck and will now also be my winter beater.
Back in 2014-15, I was driving 50 miles each way in an '85 Bronco with a tired 351W. It sucked for fuel economy, but I miss that old thing.
LOL thats me exactly. I have 10 rental properties but when I travel I drive my beater truck. LOL.
My car also started it's life on the West Coast. National City CA area, Brice Canyon (if I am spelling that right) and up and down West Coast, Washington, Oregon. It is a solid tie for the nicest condition car I've had and that is primarily why I bought it. Biggest issue was the de-gas of the dash oils to the windshield. Solved that, minor issue as it was now it is a peach.
Went ahead and got a new engine in it when the engine that was in there was showing glitter oil and ultimately did fail, still ran but needed changed. Most people would have just got a new car. Not me. This the kind of car that broke the man's heart that sold it to me. He ultimately got another car but it probably has no soul. Still rides like the day it was made. Will likely use forever. Rolled the dice on a used engine but came out ahead.
And it is still a baby. Engine changes at exactly 150k, now on 158.5k and shorter commute to work aside, that car is a country traveler and sure has done so multiple times already. Not sure why West Coast cars are so much nicer. No comment on cars from the South.
We old car advocates are usually prepared to get it whatever it needs, unless multiple things go wrong at once, like engine AND transmission OR accident or something serious like that. Some engines cost some coin. Some don't.
Also saw my car's doppelganger - twice - today. Truly a strange occurrence but very welcome. Both were slightly beat up. One had rust spot on wheel well, and a brake light out. I let the gentleman know his brake light was out and he could not care less we had the same exact car. The second doppelganger also had rust, and he even commented on how mine looked showroom. He was much more in tune with how the exact same car was looking back at him in the parking lot. Had a good chat. I did get it washed today so it did look extra shiny. $18 full wash with all the sprays. So today was a very good day.
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Sorry that I missed this earlier - there were several engines available that year (2005). From a diesel, a V-6, a 4.3 and 5.0 V-8, a supercharged 5.5 V-8 (AMG model) to the 5.5 twinturbo V-12 (mine) and the 6.0 twinturbo V-12 (AMG model). The V-12 is, to me, a high water mark in engine design and performance. So smooth in operation. Unique sound. With twin turbos, a real powerhouse. It's why I bought that car. Sure, the V-8s are sweet cars, but the V-12 is a rare bird. I've always wanted a V-12.
My car has the ABC (Active Body Control) suspension. A computer-controlled, hydraulic, adaptive suspension. The combination of ride and handling has to be experienced to be believed. The maintenance cost is high. Higher than the Airmatic standard suspension on the S class that year.
An older LS400 is a great car. Smooth, refined, incredibly durable. There was a great article on the million mile Lexus a few years back. A guy bought one with really high miles and loaned it out to people with the proviso that they had to make notes in the car's log. Everyone loved it. It looked a bit tired (paint, interior, etc.) but ran and drove very well.
An impressive car in every respect.
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A Ford Escort with over 500k miles? That’s got to be some sort of record. Amazing.
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10 rental properties? I have one and it wakes me up nights in a cold sweat.
I screen carefully and I am a pretty good judge of character. 90-95% of my tenants have been outstanding. The other 5% I got rid of. TX is not hostile to owners, so I don't stress. My rentals are more safe than the investments I have in the stock market. Home values are soaring right now, so I think I will sell one or two and lock in gains.
95s tended to drop a valve ? 1.9L. Great car.
We had a 98 drop a valve on a road test when I worked at Goodyear still. They just spent $800 on unrelated stuff, all finished and the engine self destructed.
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Yeah my 1989 Mazda B2200 with 108,000 on it goes everywhere I go by myself it runs just occasionally you will need to clean the carburetor cause it doesn’t like the ethanol in the gas I bought it with 104,000 it set under a carport for 7 years cause the guy got cancer unfortunately I have literally done nothing to it but General Maintenance I swear you can’t kill the thing. Now my 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle doesn’t get to go out but around the block and all that because I don’t want it damaged or anything
My 2006 Tacoma 2.7 is commuted daily with no worries whatsoever. 168k miles and runs like new. I do 7-8k mile oil/filter changes with name brand 5w30 synthetic (Mobil 1, PP, etc).2010 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L automatic bought new 129k miles daily driven 45 miles round trip 10k oil changes using mobil 1 5w-30 extended service. So far everything is good
I agree with the comment that the maintenance is key to a long-running reliable vehicle, but also the design and engineering must be considered. You can't buy a cheap crappy car and expect it to be reliable just because you stay on top of maintenance.
I had something similar happen with a new-er-ish car.
That car is over at a family member's house now, a real mechanic not a parts changer. Waiting on verdict if it can see reliable service again. He basically has to un-fix the whiz-bang RTV (red?) gasket job and hope the engine didn't develop any other problems. I look forward to finding out soon.