lol, yeah I was planning on getting a new car anyway but I really liked it. No major problems from it other than normal wear and tear and a small water leak.
Im starting to think Honda has better quality then Acura (yes i know same company) ...the TLs are infamous for their rattles, but the interior is first-class IMO..And accords tend to last forever with no problems..if only i liked the way they looked Im hoping to drive my TL to the ground (currently with 39K miles) ..still got 2.5+ yrs of med school + minimum 3 yrs of residency + student loans up the wazoo ..hopefully this car will last for 7+ more years??
99 civic, 144,000 miles here. had to change the distributor one time, but other than normal maintenance, that's been it. still going to get a new car in the near future though.
Most millionaire's Don't drive new cars. They pay cash and buy them used. (usually about 2-3yrs old). Let somebody else take the depreciation. Most will also shop around and bargain with the sellers. Most people that buy BMW's and Mercedes' are people that want to Appear Rich, but actually don't have much of a net worth. Read "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas Stanley. It will open your eyes to how Most millionaires make their money. Almost 90% are 1st Generation Rich..meaning that they didn't come from wealth..they made it themselves. Also, most of them have never made more than 150K in one year. They just spent and invested their money wisely. Many actually have more Net Worth than a lot of Pro Athletes that make more than triple their income. Rich people spend money on things that go UP in value..Poor people spend money on things that go DOWN in value. A car is one thing that almost always goes down in value- hence they spend as little money on one as they can. Used, and not usually luxury vehicles.
Agreed, but i think cars is definately one of my weaknesses.. and i donno if i have the discipline on settling for a car knowing i can comfortably afford a better one .. I know the first thing im gonna buy is a house..then focus on the cars 2nd.
Certain engines from manufacturers will be very reliable while others will suck -- an example is the 3.5 V6 in Nissan Maxima (a detuned version goes in the Altima) very reliable. I think they put the same engine in Pathfinders with a slightly different configuration for towing etc. Stay away from 4 cylinder Nissan engines.
The V6 is the legendary VQ series engine. Probably among the most bulletproof engines ever designed for modern consumer use. I had a 1997 Maxima and only experienced 1 issue out of warranty - my starter died at around 120,000 miles. Outside of that, the only major problem I had was my odometer/speedometer died at around 90-100,000 miles, but they fixed that for free.
it's actually my sister's civic. it'll take a couple of cranks before it runs. then, as you're driving, it'll shut off without warning. she's changed the spark plugs, wires, and distributor cap. got any idea what it could be?
'99 F-150 with 125k (only 3k put on by us) '06 F-150 with 27k (all by us) Not planning on changing for a while... there are more F-150's with 200k+ on the road than any other model car or truck. I'm set.
I think it's F150's, but then with all their fleet sales there are more of those trucks being sold than any other model car or truck, too, so it's a bit of a deceptive stat. They also don't mention the repairs needed on the truck during that ownership period. That being said, it's one of the few Ford vehicles I'd buy. I won't, but I would.
How not a surprise that there are no savings when buying a car every 3-4 years. There are some using the rationale of getting a newer car cuz the old one's gonna starting break down past 100,000, and dont want to put all those "extra costs" into all that repair and new engines and stuff. When I've thought its cheaper to just buy the brand new engine and parts than a whole brand new car. Some of that's just excuse for them to go and get a new one People knowingly buy the new cars mostly to keep with the times and to maintain image anyways, not save money. If its spend $7,000 to get their older car "good as new", or $15,000 to finance a new car, a lot of people will do the 2nd. The appeal to do that is understandable really. If its in a person's means, more power to them. I guess with me novelty will eventually wear off no matter what I'm driving and dont need to constantly change out things like that, especially expensive items. I can agree with this, count me as an example. Years ago I was car shopping for several 2000-2001 models. My wallet and "sensible" mind went with a Corolla (before the newer models came out). Its way held up to its reputation as being ultra-reliable mechanical wise to its credit, and I'm an unkind driver. The interior framework and parts have shown to be middling over time. The inside door handle cover just cracked and now the handle slips out enough to not open the door (Thats among other things that have easily come loose or broken) I'm wondering if they accidentally sent it through the Kia factories. I might go "boring" on a car again, but I surely wont ever overlook car interior again.
97 Camry 85K. Plan to drive it at ten more years, no problem so far. 06 Camry 12K plan to drive that one for at least 15 more years.
I may have spoken too soon, my 97 seems to be shifting funny...I checked the tranny fluid (mission not vestite) and all is well. The problem sorted itself out, but I think it may be an indicator of things to come...time to get on CarMax and look at used cars...... I never buy new....well, except for my wife's car. DD
For your random fact of the day -- the highest mileage car without an engine rebuild was a Saab with over a million miles. It still ran fine when he stopped driving it, but corrosion from road salt/ etc. on the frame made it unsafe if he was ever in a wreck.
