Which car is best to buy now?

[nocommonsense]

[quote=nocommonsense][quote=briansd1]$800 per year maintenance is cheaper than buying a new car in the same class. Even $1,500/year would be more economical.[/quote]

I’d agree with him on this one. I was faced with the same conundrum a few years ago. I did the math and realized as bad as $1000-1500 a year repair cost sounds, it’s still more economical than buying a new car.

That said, buying a good low mileage used Japanese car would be the best solution. But you never know if you’re getting a lemon or not. Wait, scratch that. Make that “a good Japanese OR American car”. We owned a new Checy Malibu and loved it. Very reliable car.

In my case I bought a new Honda at a price cheaper than most used cars ($16K).[/quote]

[Coronita]

Sorry folks, but for those that say just fix the car and be done with that…Trust me you don’t own a VAG product (Volkswagon/Audi group)…
Passats are pretty much like Audi A4’s when it comes to maintanance. Anything slightly above a routine oil change requires significant labor.
Parts are cheap, labor (teardown cost is expensive).

Need an alternator, new belts, water pump, or have gasket leaks….Expect at least 4-5 hrs of labor..Simply because the way the car is, most moderate jobs require you to take off the front end (bumper, radiator, etc)…That’s why if a good mechanic will tell you if you’re getting your t-belt done, replace everything else at the same time (water pump, pulleys etc), because labor costs will kill you if you go there again.

This is were japanese and koreans auto excel… Built with serviceability in mind.

There comes a point when the VAG product is worth less than the repair bill on it.

[Coronita]

Sorry folks, but for those that say just fix the car and be done with that…Trust me you don’t own a VAG product (Volkswagon/Audi group)…
Passats are pretty much like Audi A4’s when it comes to maintanance. Anything slightly above a routine oil change requires significant labor.
Parts are cheap, labor (teardown cost is expensive).

Need an alternator, new belts, water pump, or have gasket leaks….Expect at least 4-5 hrs of labor..Simply because the way the car is, most moderate jobs require you to take off the front end (bumper, radiator, etc)…That’s why if a good mechanic will tell you if you’re getting your t-belt done, replace everything else at the same time (water pump, pulleys etc), because labor costs will kill you if you go there again.

This is were japanese and koreans auto excel… Built with serviceability in mind.

There comes a point when the VAG product is worth less than the repair bill on it.

[Coronita]

Sorry folks, but for those that say just fix the car and be done with that…Trust me you don’t own a VAG product (Volkswagon/Audi group)…
Passats are pretty much like Audi A4’s when it comes to maintanance. Anything slightly above a routine oil change requires significant labor.
Parts are cheap, labor (teardown cost is expensive).

Need an alternator, new belts, water pump, or have gasket leaks….Expect at least 4-5 hrs of labor..Simply because the way the car is, most moderate jobs require you to take off the front end (bumper, radiator, etc)…That’s why if a good mechanic will tell you if you’re getting your t-belt done, replace everything else at the same time (water pump, pulleys etc), because labor costs will kill you if you go there again.

This is were japanese and koreans auto excel… Built with serviceability in mind.

There comes a point when the VAG product is worth less than the repair bill on it.

[Coronita]

Sorry folks, but for those that say just fix the car and be done with that…Trust me you don’t own a VAG product (Volkswagon/Audi group)…
Passats are pretty much like Audi A4’s when it comes to maintanance. Anything slightly above a routine oil change requires significant labor.
Parts are cheap, labor (teardown cost is expensive).

Need an alternator, new belts, water pump, or have gasket leaks….Expect at least 4-5 hrs of labor..Simply because the way the car is, most moderate jobs require you to take off the front end (bumper, radiator, etc)…That’s why if a good mechanic will tell you if you’re getting your t-belt done, replace everything else at the same time (water pump, pulleys etc), because labor costs will kill you if you go there again.

This is were japanese and koreans auto excel… Built with serviceability in mind.

There comes a point when the VAG product is worth less than the repair bill on it.

[Coronita]

Sorry folks, but for those that say just fix the car and be done with that…Trust me you don’t own a VAG product (Volkswagon/Audi group)…
Passats are pretty much like Audi A4’s when it comes to maintanance. Anything slightly above a routine oil change requires significant labor.
Parts are cheap, labor (teardown cost is expensive).

Need an alternator, new belts, water pump, or have gasket leaks….Expect at least 4-5 hrs of labor..Simply because the way the car is, most moderate jobs require you to take off the front end (bumper, radiator, etc)…That’s why if a good mechanic will tell you if you’re getting your t-belt done, replace everything else at the same time (water pump, pulleys etc), because labor costs will kill you if you go there again.

This is were japanese and koreans auto excel… Built with serviceability in mind.

There comes a point when the VAG product is worth less than the repair bill on it.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

go electric … Nissan Leaf
(no engine, just an electric motor, no oil changes)

or sort of electric : Chevy Volt
Prius plug-in hybrid.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

go electric … Nissan Leaf
(no engine, just an electric motor, no oil changes)

or sort of electric : Chevy Volt
Prius plug-in hybrid.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

go electric … Nissan Leaf
(no engine, just an electric motor, no oil changes)

or sort of electric : Chevy Volt
Prius plug-in hybrid.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

go electric … Nissan Leaf
(no engine, just an electric motor, no oil changes)

or sort of electric : Chevy Volt
Prius plug-in hybrid.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

go electric … Nissan Leaf
(no engine, just an electric motor, no oil changes)

or sort of electric : Chevy Volt
Prius plug-in hybrid.

[Ren]

As a 30-year car enthusiast, the brands I would pick purely for long-term reliabilty are Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus. Mazda, Subaru, and Nissan/Infiniti all take second place to Honda and Toyota, although I’ve owned 3 Mazdas and have been very happy with them. The most noticeable difference is that with a Mazda or Nissan, things will start to feel “off” after 70-80k miles. Niggling little problems will appear – an LED display gets wonky, a gear grinds sometimes, etc. A Toyota will feel, sound, and drive EXACTLY the way it did when you drove it off the lot. This is coming from someone who had to lemon law a Toyota truck (on average they are great).

If my life depended on a car lasting 200k miles and having very few problems getting there, I’d buy a Toyota, one that isn’t the first year for the model. If my life depended on pure performance and impressing friends with the fit and finish, I’d buy German. If you put a gun to my head, I wouldn’t buy American. I rent them periodically, and they are always astoundingly bad ergonomically and in materials quality.

The maintenance costs of an older car may not equal the cost of a new car, but there’s a lot to be said for peace of mind.

[Ren]

As a 30-year car enthusiast, the brands I would pick purely for long-term reliabilty are Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus. Mazda, Subaru, and Nissan/Infiniti all take second place to Honda and Toyota, although I’ve owned 3 Mazdas and have been very happy with them. The most noticeable difference is that with a Mazda or Nissan, things will start to feel “off” after 70-80k miles. Niggling little problems will appear – an LED display gets wonky, a gear grinds sometimes, etc. A Toyota will feel, sound, and drive EXACTLY the way it did when you drove it off the lot. This is coming from someone who had to lemon law a Toyota truck (on average they are great).

If my life depended on a car lasting 200k miles and having very few problems getting there, I’d buy a Toyota, one that isn’t the first year for the model. If my life depended on pure performance and impressing friends with the fit and finish, I’d buy German. If you put a gun to my head, I wouldn’t buy American. I rent them periodically, and they are always astoundingly bad ergonomically and in materials quality.

The maintenance costs of an older car may not equal the cost of a new car, but there’s a lot to be said for peace of mind.

[Ren]

As a 30-year car enthusiast, the brands I would pick purely for long-term reliabilty are Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus. Mazda, Subaru, and Nissan/Infiniti all take second place to Honda and Toyota, although I’ve owned 3 Mazdas and have been very happy with them. The most noticeable difference is that with a Mazda or Nissan, things will start to feel “off” after 70-80k miles. Niggling little problems will appear – an LED display gets wonky, a gear grinds sometimes, etc. A Toyota will feel, sound, and drive EXACTLY the way it did when you drove it off the lot. This is coming from someone who had to lemon law a Toyota truck (on average they are great).

If my life depended on a car lasting 200k miles and having very few problems getting there, I’d buy a Toyota, one that isn’t the first year for the model. If my life depended on pure performance and impressing friends with the fit and finish, I’d buy German. If you put a gun to my head, I wouldn’t buy American. I rent them periodically, and they are always astoundingly bad ergonomically and in materials quality.

The maintenance costs of an older car may not equal the cost of a new car, but there’s a lot to be said for peace of mind.

[Ren]

As a 30-year car enthusiast, the brands I would pick purely for long-term reliabilty are Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus. Mazda, Subaru, and Nissan/Infiniti all take second place to Honda and Toyota, although I’ve owned 3 Mazdas and have been very happy with them. The most noticeable difference is that with a Mazda or Nissan, things will start to feel “off” after 70-80k miles. Niggling little problems will appear – an LED display gets wonky, a gear grinds sometimes, etc. A Toyota will feel, sound, and drive EXACTLY the way it did when you drove it off the lot. This is coming from someone who had to lemon law a Toyota truck (on average they are great).

If my life depended on a car lasting 200k miles and having very few problems getting there, I’d buy a Toyota, one that isn’t the first year for the model. If my life depended on pure performance and impressing friends with the fit and finish, I’d buy German. If you put a gun to my head, I wouldn’t buy American. I rent them periodically, and they are always astoundingly bad ergonomically and in materials quality.

The maintenance costs of an older car may not equal the cost of a new car, but there’s a lot to be said for peace of mind.

[Author]

Posts