searching for non turbo, non cvt, newish vehicle

[edyvw]

If you have ever known someone who had to “replace the turbo” or “fix the egr” by tuning software you have heard of the issue.

most repair shops would never clean a turbo and will provide a bs reason for low power or turbo replacement
we do things differently in the sticks , replacing a turbo never happens.

On older rigs like the turbod 6.5 and 7.3 my mechanic would usually just delete the turbo if it actually went tits up for real, rusted out 25+ year old diesels usually aren’t worth getting a new turbo.

You did not have that problem. You had a problem with CBU. Something that EA113 was know for. It was one of the first turbo DI engines. It is not issue that VW had a problem with brand new technology. It is issue that there are still companies having that issue 15 years after VW had it.
If you had port injection turbo VW (1.8) and that issue, it was poor maintenance not engine.
My VW is fine, starting at temperatures as low as -40 in winter in the Rockies, never skipped a beat since I have it. Which could not be said for my Toyota.

 

[Warlord]

The CX5 is a great vehicle. I’d love a stick shift version.

 

[jstert]

thank you all for your suggestions! i should have added no manual trans and no dct.
my 5 years in korea and anecdotal evidence here has made me leery of hyundai/kia longevity.
i test drove the vw atlas and jeep gc, want to like them but both too big for me.
i have rented a hyundai elantra a few times, not bad at all but too small.
i had an unhappy 10k mile experience with a 2010 toyota rav4 but might consider it again.
so far it’s looking like toyota camry, mazda cx5, with kia optima & toyota rav4 as distant choices (need to look more closely at them).
thanks again!

 

[UG_Passat]

Why not another Volkswagen? Your choice/model.

Has a turbo, which OP does not want as part of his criteria, for the sedan choices.

 

[UG_Passat]

thank you all for your suggestions! i should have added no manual trans and no dct.
my 5 years in korea and anecdotal evidence here has made me leery of hyundai/kia longevity.
i test drove the vw atlas and jeep gc, want to like them but both too big for me.
i have rented a hyundai elantra a few times, not bad at all but too small.
i had an unhappy 10k mile experience with a 2010 toyota rav4 but might consider it again.
so far it’s looking like toyota camry, mazda cx5, with kia optima & toyota rav4 as distant choices (need to look more closely at them).
thanks again!

You can try a Highlander, which is closer in length to the Passat, but taller and wider, though the JGC is similar in length to the Passat, so it must a width and interior height issue

 

[manicrodder]

Has a turbo, which OP does not want as part of his criteria, for the sedan choices.

OP said preferably new or recent. I don't know how far back you have to go for a non-turbo.

 

[Ws6]

Lexus v6 SUV's are a STRONG contender, here, as it sounds like OP wants something stone cold reliable.

 

[UG_Passat]

OP said preferably new or recent. I don't know how far back you have to go for a non-turbo.

For a non-turbo, VW sedan, basically back to the 2014 for the Passat and 2015 for the Jetta if you want the 2.slow still. After those years, it's all turbo, which isn't much newer than a 2013 Passat

 

[meep]

we are enjoying our 2nd-owner lexus GS 350. It's a V6 with 8 speed transmission, rear wheel drive. The engine/transmission programming is superb. It feels a bit like a tank, similar to an 80s celica. The tech is a little older for a 2014 but it is well-executed, quiet, and a good driving vehicle. Fuel delivery is dual injection I believe - both port and direct. Gas mileage is decent on the highway - 25-27, but rather low around town, 21 at best, with a small gas tank for the consumption - it frequents gas stations often if daily driven.

 

[dadto2]

I can remember when my dad wouldn't buy a car with fuel injection. I'm glad he got over that.

 

[930.engineering]

If you drive under 50 miles at a time and live in a place that spends 2 months around 0F or lower you will learn what the problem is after 2-5 seasons

What problem? Would you consider 30 or 40 miles a "too short distance"?
.

 

[UG_Passat]

If you drive under 50 miles at a time and live in a place that spends 2 months around 0F or lower you will learn what the problem is after 2-5 seasons



BMW I3 Rex has a naturally aspirated horizontally opposed twin cylinder

I think you meant under 5 miles at a time....

50 miles for a single trip is more than plenty to get the car into operating temperature

 

[UG_Passat]

I lived with a Vw turbo in said conditions, after 5 years the car wouldn’t start
I had to take off the intake which was reduced to the size of a straw and drill and flap it out, ditto the turbo all full of a hard black garbage.

Ended up being something I did every 2 years until I got tired of the car.

My local mechanic said they were all that way.

My experience with turbos is that I rather not have a turbo , my friends have had similar experiences

That's an old TDI issue, before ULSD became mandatory.

It's really an EGR issue, which can be easily prevented by dialing back on the PWM of the EGR to the CEL threshold.

My old ALH after the EGR mod contained very little soot+oil buildup when at the time of the timing belt was changed. Then when ULSD was mandated, the soot level was dropped, and then even more when B5 become available to prop up the soy farmers.

the intake manifold plugging wasn't an issue with gasoline turbos.

 

[andreigbs]

That's an old TDI issue, before ULSD became mandatory.

It's really an EGR issue, which can be easily prevented by dialing back on the PWM of the EGR to the CEL threshold.

My old ALH after the EGR mod contained very little soot+oil buildup when at the time of the timing belt was changed. Then when ULSD was mandated, the soot level was dropped, and then even more when B5 become available to prop up the soy farmers.

the intake manifold plugging wasn't an issue with gasoline turbos.

I remember those days. I had a '97 AHU Jetta TDI with 296k miles. Took off the intake for the first time, found it nearly half clogged with sticky oily crud. Cleaned it really well, then used VCDS (VAG-com back then) to dial the EGR duty cycle to zero, using a 5-digit code like 32768 or something like that. No issues after that.

I concur though; most of the issues modern diesels have are due to EGR. Even DPF and aftertreatment systems would be less trouble if EGR just went away.

 

[edyvw]

thank you all for your suggestions! i should have added no manual trans and no dct.
my 5 years in korea and anecdotal evidence here has made me leery of hyundai/kia longevity.
i test drove the vw atlas and jeep gc, want to like them but both too big for me.
i have rented a hyundai elantra a few times, not bad at all but too small.
i had an unhappy 10k mile experience with a 2010 toyota rav4 but might consider it again.
so far it’s looking like toyota camry, mazda cx5, with kia optima & toyota rav4 as distant choices (need to look more closely at them).
thanks again!

Get yourself BMW E90 328 with stick like I did. Everything else you listed is like buying a fridge. It really doesn’t matter brand, same POS.

 

[UG_Passat]

You did not have that problem. You had a problem with CBU. Something that EA113 was know for. It was one of the first turbo DI engines. It is not issue that VW had a problem with brand new technology. It is issue that there are still companies having that issue 15 years after VW had it.
If you had port injection turbo VW (1.8) and that issue, it was poor maintenance not engine.
My VW is fine, starting at temperatures as low as -40 in winter in the Rockies, never skipped a beat since I have it. Which could not be said for my Toyota.

The EA113 didn't suffer from the intake manifold getting plugged by oil and soot like the old TDI's. That's an old TDI issue, as explained earlier.

The EA113 intake manifold did get some buildup on the runner flaps thanks to the PCV system, but nothing like an old TDI intake manifold.

Japan has been mass-producing GDI engines longer than Germany and Toyota figured out how to prevent the intake valve buildup when Audi introduced the turbo-FSI engine... with the introduction of Toyota's D4-S system that was reserved for Lexus models. It took 4 GDI turbo generations for Audi to introduce Twin Injection into the 3rd gen EA888, which VW's in the US don't get.

And I've had the EA113 engine... it gone more than 100,000 miles in between intake valve cleanings, which multiple misfiring was the issue needed for me to get the intake valves walnut blasted

And over on the Humblemechanic thread, 10,000 miles on a 3rd gen EA888 without Twin Injection and still a problem.

 

[edyvw]

The EA113 didn't suffer from the intake manifold getting plugged by oil and soot like the old TDI's. That's an old TDI issue, as explained earlier.

The EA113 intake manifold did get some buildup on the runner flaps thanks to the PCV system, but nothing like an old TDI intake manifold.View attachment 72618

Japan has been mass-producing GDI engines longer than Germany and Toyota figured out how to prevent the intake valve buildup when Audi introduced the turbo-FSI engine... with the introduction of Toyota's D4-S system that was reserved for Lexus models. It took 4 GDI turbo generations for Audi to introduce Twin Injection into the 3rd gen EA888, which VW's in the US don't get.

And I've had the EA113 engine... it gone more than 100,000 miles in between intake valve cleanings, which multiple misfiring was the issue needed for me to get the intake valves walnut blasted

And over on the Humblemechanic thread, 10,000 miles on a 3rd gen EA888 without Twin Injection and still a problem.

I understand what you saying. Later I figured he is talking TDI.
Yes, Lexus had it in 350 and interestingly enough didn’t have it in 250 which was CBU monster.
But VW had it in EU much longer than here on larger engines. BMW on other hand with introduction of N55 didn’t need dual injection.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I have helped a few friend's and family get cheap wheels. My 2 favorites are:
2015 Altima S Strippie (CVT). Ex high mileage Hertz rental. Has 140K and is rock solid. Regular services only.
2013 Civic LX - last year of the conventional gear transmission.
A couple of Camrys; a V6 and a 4 banger. 300K cars. Make sure you service them. I prefer the 4, but the 6 feels more solid.

These cars are easy to work on, except changing plugs in the V6 Toyletta.

 

[Killer223]

what about the honda passport? v6 and 9 speed auto?
and another of the hondas has a NA 2.0. with the 9 speed. but i can't find it now but i've seen one.

 

[zzyzzx]

2018 Ford Escape S. Make sure it's the S version with the 2.5L engine.