What do you drive?

[Mikej]

Depends on what you like but for small suv you can get a well maintained one of these for about $12k. Best car in snow and ice I've ever driven by a long shot and I've pretty much had them all (startedbuying and selling cars from young age to pay for college). If reliability is primary factor above all else I would buy Toyota personally.
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12K for a Mercedes? With 90,000 mile I imagine? The problem with those kinds of cars is, you never know, after about 70k what $6,000.00 repair will come about. That's why you can get one for 12K with mileage.
I would prefers to stay with Honda, or Toyota, but both of them have prices like the exhaust don't stink.
God I dread having to got to car dealerships.

 

[ATCclears]

Depends on what you like but for small suv you can get a well maintained one of these for about $12k. Best car in snow and ice I've ever driven by a long shot and I've pretty much had them all (startedbuying and selling cars from young age to pay for college). If reliability is primary factor above all else I would buy Toyota personally.
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Data points overall:

• My daughter manages a windshield place. The most expensive replacement they've quoted is $4,400 for a Mercedes G-series. The nice ride may have very expensive replacement parts.
• She cannot get parts for some fringe makes and models, even if newer. The manufacturer simply didn't care about spare parts in volume. She has had customers come in with a vehicle as new as 2016 and she has turned them away, suggested they check salvage yards.
• My daughter was never a car person but she did say she'd never buy a different vehicle now unless it has a healthy third-party accessory market for the make, model, and year.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

12K for a Mercedes? With 90,000 mile I imagine? The problem with those kinds of cars is, you never know, after about 70k what $6,000.00 repair will come about. That's why you can get one for 12K with mileage.
I would prefers to stay with Honda, or Toyota, but both of them have prices like the exhaust don't stink.
God I dread having to got to car dealerships.

You are correct repair bills can be big if something big goes wrong. Re dreading going to dealer, I never ever go to dealer only independent Mercedes specialist. I usually have cheap warranty for European cars that might have high repair costs and have yet to run into one of those repairs but you never know. I maintain them myself.

If you are talking dealer to buy cars rather than for repair, a couple honest places I can recommend are cars to go on 82nd. Auto factory Pdx I also have zero hesitation in recommending. Guy's name is chris and he is honest to a fault. I paid in cash and there was an extra $50 in the envelope I didn't notice and he called me back after I bought it to come get the $50. That kind of blew me away. He sold me a well maintained high mileage tundra 4x4 for $10k which also kind of blew me away tbh.

 

[boattail]

I'm in the process of selling off one of my older rigs. 31 years old and all the plastic bits are falling apart. Heater, trim, clips, it's all disintegrating. I had the heater hose clip break and lost the hose on the back of the engine the other day.

Looked far and wide for a replacement vehicle for my old full sized Blazer and came up with this gem. What I lost in towing I gained in fuel mileage. 2019 Crosstrek limited with lift kit and tires. I just tell everyone it's my wife's car to save the grief of admitting I drive a Subaru now for a commuter.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Data points overall:

• My daughter manages a windshield place. The most expensive replacement they've quoted is $4,400 for a Mercedes G-series. The nice ride may have very expensive replacement parts.
• She cannot get parts for some fringe makes and models, even if newer. The manufacturer simply didn't care about spare parts in volume. She has had customers come in with a vehicle as new as 2016 and she has turned them away, suggested they check salvage yards.
• My daughter was never a car person but she did say she'd never buy a different vehicle now unless it has a healthy third-party accessory market for the make, model, and year.

Dont ever buy a g wagon or g450. Those are ultra fancy and ultra expensive even to maintain. They are a money pit imo unless new. Glk is 100% different. It's not a "g series".

I wish they had the option suspension pack here in the US but I don't take it 4 wheeling in woods anyway so I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[Alexx1401]

I presume they have fixed that "Glitch"? We're getting real close to getting a new car. Really hate to give up on Honda/CRV. This '05 has been a great car. 129,000 and nary a problem. I have to have the AWD. The new CRVs are spendy and ugly IMO. Look to have less space inside and a bigger footprint. We may look at KIA and Hyundai, but I have a feel they are priced up very close to Honda, Toyota and Subaru.

They now have at least one way to fix it with some kind of update. What they need is an engine immobilizer to get around whatever it is the scum are doing with a USB. If you look at one that is in the year range and has not been fixed should be easy to check on the cost of the fix and decided if you want it.

 

[Mikej]

You are correct repair bills can be big if something big goes wrong. Re dreading going to dealer, I never ever go to dealer only independent Mercedes specialist. I usually have cheap warranty for European cars that might have high repair costs and have yet to run into one of those repairs but you never know. I maintain them myself.

If you are talking dealer to buy cars rather than for repair, a couple honest places I can recommend are cars to go on 82nd. Auto factory Pdx I also have zero hesitation in recommending. Guy's name is chris and he is honest to a fault. I paid in cash and there was an extra $50 in the envelope I didn't notice and he called me back after I bought it to come get the $50. That kind of blew me away. He sold me a well maintained high mileage tundra 4x4 for $10k which also kind of blew me away tbh.

I had always done my own work, but physically it's a stretch now. I was taking our '05 CRV to the dealer for everything for years. Until they upped the oil change to $59.00. I've still got all my tools from my years wrenching on Honda motorcycles. The money they want to change the differential fluid! Nope. Done that, brakes, oil change, rotate tires, valve adjust at 110,000 miles. It's stupid they want something like $65.00 to change the cabin filters!

 

[DeanMk]

I shouldn't bad mouthed a KIA since I drove a Hyundai Excel for years in the 90's. It was one of the first imported 1985, boxy, manual transmission and downright plain (ugly). It had no power, but great gas mileage - 35 mpg commuting.

I bought it from my Dad, who bought it new for $4,995. He didn't really know how to drive an under powered car and would be in 4rth gear at 30 mph. The engine didn't have the torque for that and gave up at 60,000. Dropped a new motor in it and I drove it for about 5 years and sold it to a friend. It got better mileage than my truck, so I saved a fortune.

My Dad was used to driving a 1962 GMC shortbed with a 305 ci V6 positraction, three on the tree. We could outrun sportscars including Corvettes in second gear - for a while. I loved that truck, but by the time i could have it, it was bretty beat up and rusty - farm truck.

I remember racing my buddy's '64 GMC. Had a little better version of that 305 V6. Granny 4-speed, 33x12.50's.
In those days, I had a 1980 VW Rabbit diesel. 4-speed. Two door base model ("c").
...we tied.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I had always done my own work, but physically it's a stretch now. I was taking our '05 CRV to the dealer for everything for years. Until they upped the oil change to $59.00. I've still got all my tools from my years wrenching on Honda motorcycles. The money they want to change the differential fluid! Nope. Done that, brakes, oil change, rotate tires, valve adjust at 110,000 miles. It's stupid they want something like $65.00 to change the cabin filters!

I once asked how much to adjust valves on a Ferrari 355 (supposed to be done every 35k miles). $12,000 is what mechanic said! And that was like 20 years ago.

 

[Mikej]

I once asked how much to adjust valves on a Ferrari 355 (supposed to be done every 35k miles). $12,000 is what mechanic said! And that was like 20 years ago.

Something isn't right if a 'motor" needs valve lash adjusted every 35K. Aluminum heads? With no "hardened" steel seats?
Maybe it's one of that that we used to say, "You need two elbows" to work on it? In other words, hard to work on. Right rear plugs on a Chevy Monza with the V-8 was it?

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Something isn't right if a 'motor" needs valve lash adjusted every 35K. Aluminum heads? With no "hardened" steel seats?
Maybe it's one of that that we used to say, "You need two elbows" to work on it? In other words, hard to work on. Right rear plugs on a Chevy Monza with the V-8 was it?

Kinda how ferrari used to do things as I understand it. Not sure if they still do or not. Mid engine so have to remove engine to do most things. I had a mid engined boxster S but had pretty easy maintenance and never needed things like timing belt (had chain) or adjust valves due to designed that way (ie good design).

Maintenance is critical on every car imo and the very first thing I look for when buying (documented maintenance, ideally one owner, and not a kid) but maintenance is especially critical on European cars. I sold a v8 Beamer recently and all it needed in 6 years was 2 crank sensors (about $70 for the part). Cars that are taken care of last a long time, especially nowadays. I would be surprised if my tundra did not outlive me. Those particular trucks with basic maintenance have been known to go over a million miles on original tranny and engine.

 

[made in china]

We may look at KIA and Hyundai, but I have a feel they are priced up very close to Honda, Toyota and Subaru.

Don't do it. H/K continue to have serious issues with most of their 4 cylinder engines. This has been going on for a while now.

If you must get a H or K, the non-turbo V6's seem pretty solid.

I'd spend a bit more to get a Toyota or Honda. Especially if you value long term ownership.

 

[DeanMk]

...and that's the beauty in an old truck.
A person with even rudimentary mechanic skills can keep one running and nothing is hard to get to.
Inline six with 4 on the floor and 3.5-3.7 gears in the rear end.
It may not be the fastest thing on the road but take care of it and it will always work.
One of those "plan b" vehicles. Just pull the negative lead when you park it and it can sit there for months. When everything else is broken down, just hook the battery cable up, put in the key, start it up and trundle off to your chosen destination.
That's one thing I can't say about my 1998 Ford Ranger. Too many electronics. If I leave it sit for too long, it takes some extended cranking to get it started.

 

[Mikej]

Kinda how ferrari used to do things as I understand it. Not sure if they still do or not. Mid engine so have to remove engine to do most things. I had a mid engined boxster S but had pretty easy maintenance and never needed things like timing belt (had chain) or adjust valves due to designed that way (ie good design).

Maintenance is critical on every car imo and the very first thing I look for when buying (documented maintenance, ideally one owner, and not a kid) but maintenance is especially critical on European cars. I sold a v8 Beamer recently and all it needed in 6 years was 2 crank sensors (about $70 for the part). Cars that are taken care of last a long time, especially nowadays. I would be surprised if my tundra did not outlive me. Those particular trucks with basic maintenance have been known to go over a million miles on original tranny and engine.

CHANGE FLUIDS when recommended goes a long way toward longevity.

Don't do it. H/K continue to have serious issues with most of their 4 cylinder engines. This has been going on for a while now.

If you must get a H or K, the non-turbo V6's seem pretty solid.

I'd spend a bit more to get a Toyota or Honda. Especially if you value long term ownership.

I don't buy into that "Turbo" B.S.. The more performance you milk out of that motor the shorter it's life span. I'm in it for the long game with most everything.

...and that's the beauty in an old truck.
A person with even rudimentary mechanic skills can keep one running and nothing is hard to get to.
Inline six with 4 on the floor and 3.5-3.7 gears in the rear end.
It may not be the fastest thing on the road but take care of it and it will always work.
One of those "plan b" vehicles. Just pull the negative lead when you park it and it can sit there for months. When everything else is broken down, just hook the battery cable up, put in the key, start it up and trundle off to your chosen destination.
That's one thing I can't say about my 1998 Ford Ranger. Too many electronics. If I leave it sit for too long, it takes some extended cranking to get it started.

That might be an advantage with fuel injection, but carbs sitting for long times, dry, can have gaskets shrink with age. I use Sea foam and Marine Sta-Bil in any gas engines I have that don't get regular use.

 

[AMT]

CHANGE FLUIDS when recommended goes a long way toward longevity.

Even earlier than recommended.

A friend of mine had a 2012 Ford F250. When engine work needs to be done on those the entire cab needs to be removed. You're looking at AT LEAST $12K, and most of that is labor.

He changes the engine oil in all of his vehicles yearly. Transmission oil and filter about every 3-5 years. Rear diff about every 8-10.

His philosophy, which I have adopted too, is...... "Oil and filters are cheap compared to a new engine or transmission".

YMMV

 

[Mikej]

He changes the engine oil in all of his vehicles yearly. Transmission oil and filter about every 3-5 years. Rear diff about every 8-10.

I gotta say, I only change the oil on my old '84 GMC 1500 once a year. It only gets a couple 1000 miles a year though. The CRV gets full synthetic/filter every 3,000-4,000 miles, 3-6 months.

 

[AMT]

I gotta say, I only change the oil on my old '84 GMC 1500 once a year. It only gets a couple 1000 miles a year though. The CRV gets full synthetic/filter every 3,000-4,000 miles, 3-6 months.

Don't forget the transmission and rear diff. too.

 

[Mikej]

Don't forget the transmission and rear diff. too.

Haven't touched those for years. Manual trans. Maybe 20 thousand? Have synthetic in them.

 

[made in china]

I don't buy into that "Turbo" B.S.. The more performance you milk out of that motor the shorter it's life span. I'm in it for the long game with most everything.

It's not just their turbo-4 engines that are having issues, some of the non-turbo 4 cylinder engines have significant issues, most notably their bread and butter 2.4 that they've been using for a while now. All kinds of issues and in lots of models.

 

[Mikej]

It's not just their turbo-4 engines that are having issues, some of the non-turbo 4 cylinder engines have significant issues, most notably their bread and butter 2.4 that they've been using for a while now. All kinds of issues and in lots of models.

That what I like about the Honda. That little 2.4 V-tec was put in millions of vehicles with no inherent problems, as far as I know.