Buying a New Car?
Mar 3, 2024 15:05:25 #
burkphoto wrote:
My wife had a 2000 Sienna. Our daughter was on the... (show quote)
And I should have never give in to my wife's worrying about the cars price when I bought the POS Caravan. I wanted the Sienna from the get go, but my wife, at the time was too afraid of having any kind of debts, so we bought the Caravan cash, when I knew that I didn't trust anything coming out of Crysler corporation. After that fiasco, I never again gave in to pressures about economic reservations from my wife. Now she's "in" with me when choosing which car to buy.
Mar 3, 2024 18:23:42 #
Robert1 wrote:
And I should have never give in to my wife's worrying about the cars price when I bought the POS Caravan. I wanted the Sienna from the get go, but my wife, at the time was too afraid of having any kind of debts, so we bought the Caravan cash, when I knew that I didn't trust anything coming out of Crysler corporation. After that fiasco, I never again gave in to pressures about economic reservations from my wife. Now she's "in" with me when choosing which car to buy.
My late aunt's second husband owned a Buick dealership in a Chicago suburb back in the '60s and '70s. She was rather wealthy and told me she would give me a Buick when I graduated from college. Maybe I was a smart-ass. I told her I appreciated the sentiment, but if it had to be a Buick, she should keep her money and I'd buy my own Honda or Toyota. She half-jokingly called me a commie traitor. I laughed and said, "No, just an educated consumer."
I bought my own Corolla. My parents thought I was insane, until they saw I was getting 36 to 38 miles to the gallon on my morning commute. Back then, the average Detroit iron got about half that. When they heard how little I spent on Toyota maintenance and repairs, they bought an '85 Camry.
Mar 3, 2024 20:07:37 #
burkphoto wrote:
My late aunt's second husband owned a Buick dealer... (show quote)
To my surprise, my mother, when in her early 70s, asked me what kind of car to buy. I told her to get a Camry. To my further amazement, she actually listened and bought a new Camry. When she died at 98, the Camry was still going strong and was given to one of her grandchildren, and last I heard, it was still running (it had been maintained by the book by her)
Mar 3, 2024 23:35:52 #
TriX wrote:
To my surprise, my mother, when in her early 70s, asked me what kind of car to buy. I told her to get a Camry. To my further amazement, she actually listened and bought a new Camry. When she died at 98, the Camry was still going strong and was given to one of her grandchildren, and last I heard, it was still running (it had been maintained by the book by her)
Toyota and Lexus products take care of their owners if their owners take care of them, more so than most other brands. My son has a 2013 ES 300h that he bought used at 47,000 miles in 2021 for about $4800 under market price, because the Mazda dealer didn't understand hybrids and thought it was going to be hard to sell a used hybrid. He's more than doubled the mileage with just normal maintenance, and it looks and drives like it's new.
Mar 4, 2024 00:02:59 #
burkphoto wrote:
Toyota and Lexus products take care of their owners if their owners take care of them, more so than most other brands. My son has a 2013 ES 300h that he bought used at 47,000 miles in 2021 for about $4800 under market price, because the Mazda dealer didn't understand hybrids and thought it was going to be hard to sell a used hybrid. He's more than doubled the mileage with just normal maintenance, and it looks and drives like it's new.
And as long as we’re on the Lexus bandwagon, my wife was driving our 2nd Lexus (ES) when she was TBoned in the driver’s door. The car was totaled and hit so hard that the B pillar was bent in over a foot and almost ripped off, but she walked away without a scratch or a bruise, partly because of the effectiveness of the side curtain air bags.
Mar 4, 2024 00:08:20 #
TriX wrote:
And as long as we’re on the Lexus bandwagon, my wife was driving our 2nd Lexus (ES) when she was TBoned in the driver’s door. The car was totaled and hit so hard that the B pillar was bent in over a foot and almost ripped off, but she walked away without a scratch or a bruise, partly because of the effectiveness of the side curtain air bags.
Wow! My daughter had a head-on collision with a rock at 30 MPH in our Sienna back in 2008. Airbags and seat belts saved her. She was shaken, but unhurt. The Sienna was totaled.
Mar 4, 2024 12:17:41 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Here are reliability ratings based on owner reports to Consumer Reports. I just signed up for their online subscription, and I get several newsletters.
Reliability is important... but so is the capability to fix the vehicle when it has a problem. I have a 2019 Buick Enclave with a problem (that affects several GM brands/years) they have known about for several years (they sent me a letter in early 2022 that extended the warranty on exhaust to 150,000 miles) and it has recently happened on my car.
Problem is a bad weld, of bracket to exhaust pipe, eventually results in the bracket coming loose or it tearing away the wall of the exhaust pipe.
The main issue is... after knowing about it for years the dealer says the replacement part is on backorder nationwide and no telling when they will have it (and a new procedure). So I have a car with an exhaust leak and no idea when they will repair it.
Mar 4, 2024 12:20:09 #
KillroyII wrote:
Reliability is important... but so is the capabili... (show quote)
Perhaps go to a muffler shop and have them weld a patch on it while waiting for a new part?
Mar 4, 2024 12:23:40 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Here are reliability ratings based on owner reports to Consumer Reports. I just signed up for their online subscription, and I get several newsletters.
Oh... in addition to the Buick problem I just posted... another thought on what is important... what the wife wants.
Recent purchase of a 2023 vehicle and took my wife to look... she fell in love with one and it is now in our garage... even though it wouldn't have been my 1st choice, it cost a ridiculous amount of $ (even after a sizeable discount off of sticker price), and is not very high on your CR list (I also get CR). I do have to admit is drives/rides good and I was pleased on our recent almost 2,000 mile round trip to see grandchildren.
Mar 4, 2024 12:27:44 #
burkphoto wrote:
Wow! My daughter had a head-on collision with a rock at 30 MPH in our Sienna back in 2008. Airbags and seat belts saved her. She was shaken, but unhurt. The Sienna was totaled.
I bought a new Prius in 2017. Three days later I was on the road and a driver in the opposite direction fell asleep. Both going 30mph, head on one foot off center. I didn't have time to get my foot onto the brake pedal (it was on the way there). Totaled the Prius. All the airbags went off, no injuries except my wallet. Insurance paid the full value of the car but since I had bought it on a sale, I had to pay a bit more for replacement. The Prius called the police. Don't know the status of the car that hit me nor the car that couldn't stop behind me.
Air bags are definitely a useful invention.
Mar 4, 2024 12:29:15 #
TriX wrote:
Perhaps go to a muffler shop and have them weld a patch on it while waiting for a new part?
Considering that, and other temporary fixes, but am awaiting a reply from GM Hq with several questions. They were allowing people to get a muffler shop repair/replacement for a couple of years (and they would reimburse) but now have cut that off.
Except for this problem, I had thought I would keep that car long term and may never replace it.
Mar 4, 2024 12:29:26 #
KillroyII wrote:
Reliability is important... but so is the capabili... (show quote)
I would probably cut a piece of sheet metal to fit, wrap it around the hole and put clamps on it to hold it. It probably won't seal the leak but it won't be as loud.
Mar 4, 2024 12:33:43 #
KillroyII wrote:
Oh... in addition to the Buick problem I just post... (show quote)
At the risk of being lambasted by our female members, I’ve made it a rule never to allow my wife to select an automobile - women tend to pick cars for (in my opinion as a gearhead) the wrong reasons. The last (and only) one she picked was a Volvo GLE. The entire family stood in the yard and cheered when the hapless new owner drove it away. If you’re not familiar with the infamous GLE, it had a 6 cylinder engine jointly designed by Volvo, Renault and Peugeot. What could possibly go wrong? It could only get worse if Fiat had been in the mix also.
Mar 4, 2024 16:57:10 #
TriX wrote:
At the risk of being lambasted by our female membe... (show quote)
In our case, up to the last few years, the wife has not been involved… or wanted to… except to tell me what color she likes. Some years ago it became much harder for both of us to get in and out of sedans… and she has much more significant mobility problems so I need to have her get in and out of any potential vehicle.
Also, a decision I made years ago is to title them “joint owner with right of survivorship”, so she has to be there for paperwork. She chooses to separate herself from the table during negotiations… makes her uneasy. I may end up paying a lot for a car but I do all I can to minimize the cost… and… I can get a bit gruff if sales staff tries to do some of the tricks they use.
Mar 4, 2024 17:04:53 #
TriX wrote:
At the risk of being lambasted by our female membe... (show quote)
Rolling on the floor laughing! Add Yugo to that list.
I have a family member who is an attorney. Nice guy, but unlucky with cars. VW Rabbit: carburetor vibrated loose and fortunately stalled the engine before the gas leak caught fire. Early 80s Volvo: general malaise with parts deteriorating in sunlight, engine malfunctions, brake failures, etc. Dodge minivan: transmission repairs out the wazoo. Mini Cooper: Parts fell off, rusted, and broke prematurely. BMW: total money pit POS. I kept telling him to get a Toyota Avalon or Lexus ES or LS and move on, but no...
For some people, style beats substance, driving experience beats ownership experience, and car failures must be a fun way to get out of the office. I'll take reliability and low TCO, please.
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