Time for a new car?

parshisa said:
Trying to figure out the next step and looking for some help/advise. I'm currently at 87k miles on my '16 Pilot. It's well maintained: 3-5k oil changes, 10k transmission fluid changes, new ATF filter, S-VCM for the last 30k miles, new brakes all around, fresh brake fluid, 22k miles on Michelins, new battery, just looked over the suspension and it seems to be in a good shape (probably the links need to be replaced - a bit "sweating"), not tears in the bushings, car was always garaged. It's 8 yrs old so I'm close to needing the new timing belt/tensioner/water pump etc, which I think I can do myself with Aisin kit for relatively cheap. Anyhow, the car is aging, and potential for unexpected breakdowns is increasing, I'm travelling overseas for 30+ days for work at a time and can't really afford to leave my wife with no transportation is something goes south (she's refusing to drive my civic since it's a manual despite knowing how to drive manuals). So, with all that said, is it a time to let the Pilot go and get into something new (most likely another new Pilot)? Anyone was in a similar situation and if so, what did you do? Btw, trade in value for my pilot is 12-13k, I can probably get a bit more if I was to sell it private...
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We were in the same situation with a 2012 Altima. Ended up dumping $5000 into it and very glad we did. Can’t find anything used for that price, and we just bought the wife a Nissan Pathfinder platinum so I really don’t want another new vehicle.
 
slacktide_bitog said:
Timing belts suck, but the car seems to otherwise be in good shape. If you need more space or something, then get a minivan. But if you're just going to get another Pilot, don't bother. The repairs it seems to need are still far less than a new car, especially a Pilot.

If you were going to downsize to an HR-V or something, then trading it in makes more sense. The HR-V has a timing chain and a much better transmission.

Selling your car privately, or even trading it in, without having the TB job done could hurt the value because they know it's coming up.
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No need for a van, two kids with one close to middle school already. Technically, there’s not even a need for a car as big as Pilot is. But missis won’t even consider anything as “small” as CRV. Bummer
 
The odds of anything bad happening to your Pilot in the 30 days you'll be gone are extremely minimal. You obviously take very good car of the car and it only has 87k miles. I've got way more miles than that on my 2012 Ridgeline and it still runs like new.
 
AZjeff said:
Only you know what's best for you and wife. You didn't mention kids. I had a car that I thought was reliable let wife down on the highway with the kids, it wasn't long we had a different car that she picked out. This was before cell phones not that it would have mattered. If this is you worrying not her maybe let it ride a bit. Respect for wanting to take care of the wife while you're gone.
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Yeah, it’s mostly my preventative thinking. She loves the pilot and wasn’t even talking about another car. We test drove new pilot yesterday and she wasn’t impressed (neither was I in a way I thought I’d be). It’s really just me, I work overseas often in remote/offshore locations, so dealing with a broken car (or any other issue for that matter), is the last thing I’d be looking forward to…if that makes sense
 
I once was on an overseas trip and one of my colleagues got a call soon after we landed from his wife telling him that the transmission on their Jeep had gone bad. So he spent a large chunk of his time (nights due to time difference) dealing with it.

I didn't envy him.
 
Vil_Riker said:
I once was on an overseas trip and one of my colleagues got a call soon after we landed from his wife telling him that the transmission on their Jeep had gone bad. So he spent a large chunk of his time (nights due to time difference) dealing with it.

I didn't envy him.
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Yeah, I’ve been him on several occasions (not car related but everything else around the house). Last one was during the hurricane Beryl, I was in the middle of the desert at 120F and they were back home with a dead battery in the pilot (invested in a battery tester, charger and every time in leave now check the battery and charge it) and no power. Luckily I had everything setup for a whole house generator, but it was still a struggle to get a hold of mine friend to come over and get it rigged up/started.
 
Personally I wouldn't waste the money on a new vehicle when the trade in value on that 8 year 87k pilot will be nothing because you're worried of some things breaking when you can just have all those things changed out for a fraction of the cost of the new vehicle minus low trade in. I assume you already have something like AAA or similar for her to call so that way she isn't panicking.
 
parshisa said:
The problem with getting rid of my civic is that I’m heavily in love with that car. I’ve had it for 7yrs and 82k miles with 0 issues, extremely well taken care of (similar to Pilot), and it’s a manual which I LOVE to drive…but logically it is indeed a viable option
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I can totally relate to not wanting to get rid of the Civic. I had a 2016 Civic LX 2.0 6 sp manual that I had to trade in for our 2020 Pilot due to family growing in size.
And I regret getting rid of that car everyday.
 
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