Toyota and Honda make the most reliable vehicles on the market. My mom had a '93 Camry that lasted 8 years until being flooded during Allison. That beast would still be running if it wasn't for that storm. I have an '01 Accord and they're nice as well. Smooth ride, great handling, and has one of the highest safety scores. Their's no wrong decision between a Honda or Toyota, but if you're gonna get a Camry/Accord, make sure you get a V6 if you're in need of some power.
What kind of bad experience? I don't think it's possible for someone to pick a Volkswagen over a Toyota for reliability issues. If you don't like Toyota, buy a Honda. Just don't ever buy a Volkswagen again. I have heard to many horror stories about their reliability and service.
I drive a dinky little '97 Toyota Rav4. It's always had a weak engine. It's always been small.... .. and it's always started up and purred like a kitten for me. 8 1/2 years. 114,000 miles. Nothing but standard service (regular oil changes, a brake job, tires, a timing belt, and a tune up)
My wife is a Toyota fan. They handle very well and have low road noise. Honda has been good too. 2-may-toe 2-mah-toe
I just went through this debate recently. I've got a 12 year old car, only worth about $2,000 now, and the struts and tires needed to be replaced. I checked prices and saw it would be about $300 for the struts and $300 for the tires. Then I realized that if I bought a new car I'd be locked into payments for the next 4 years or so, for at least $15,000. I don't need that kind of stress. Your financial situation may be different (better) than mine though. I decided I'd rather shell out $600 instead of $15,000 so I'm still driving my Subaru around. However if I owned a VW I think I'd get rid of it ASAP. I know two VW fanatics, and even they say they'd never recommend one for your primary car. Subarus are pretty reliable too, if not as refined as the Hondas/Toyotas. Our family has owned 5 of them, all lasted 12-16 years before being sold. Four of them still had cold A/C. I still own mine.
A bad experience with Toyota here as well, never again. IMO, you can't go wrong with a Honda, much more solid vehicles (inside material quality and durability, and not just mechanical quality) than Toyota from experience. The new Civic is a terrific vehicle and surprisingly roomy from inside. The Accord is a fantastic family sedan, easily dominates the competition in value/quality. Go with Honda amigo, you won't regret it.
My recommendation. GET A WARRANTY if you are going to lose any more than $5000. Warranty costs 1000 and it will last 2 more years. i have a 2000 passat w/ 73000 miles on it. I bought a warranty for 4 years for 1500. But the car is still worth $10k. So well worth the investment cuz right now i have to get a repair that would have cost me 1500. German cars kick anyones ass as long as you have a warranty backing it up. German cars were the most reliable in the early 90's but lost it to save cost and production time cuz of all the extra stuff they add compared to other countries. But they have realized the error of their ways, so they have begun fixing the reliability problem now.
Go Honda. The mother has an '02 Odyssey. A few months back she had to decide whether to trade it in or extend the warranty; there was nothing else she was impressed with and there hasn't been a problem with it (knock on wood). Actually the only "accident" it has been in was when the mother parked it in the street overnight -- she always parked it in the driveway. Well, at 6 th enext morning, the garbage men back into it, shattering the back windshield and causing extensive damage to the interior. I've got pics somewhere. Kind of funny. As much as I feel incredibly insecure driving that thing, I guarantee you it's got better pickup than a lot of the cars you'll look at. Even your Jetta. Plus the extra space for transport is fantastic. But if it were me, I'd go CR-V or Pilot.
wow, you guys drive alot. me, 3 years, 29K miles. I drive from Houston, to Austin a few times each year as well.
if your going for honda, accord is the way to go! i know a lot of people who has accords and never once i heard them complain about a big problem. even i used to own one and i really recommend it if your goin for honda. and their hybrid cars are making a name as well. check on that too. i think they have a hybrid accord now...
If you dont have any kids and looking for a good car go with honda. The new Honda Civic SI gets roughly 30 mpg and its a blast to drive. I suggest you read reviews and also test drive the car.
Whatcha tryin' to say about us Mexicans? Oh, yeah, so was the classic beetle... and then the last one rolled off the assembly line in Puebla, Mexico in July 30th, 2003. RIP+ jk. A friend of mine had a Jetta which gave him nothing but trouble... repairs cost an arm and a leg, with maybe a testicle. Jettas suck ass. What toyota model/year gave you that bad experience?
I'm sort of in the same boat, Mulder but I have cold feet. This year was not a good year for my lovely 96 Blazer. I spent about $3,500 in repairs on it. I could buy something more dependable but right now I don't have a car payment and it's very nice. The next thing that goes wrong with my Blazer, I'm going to get something new. I'm either going with a Toyota Tacoma or a Honda CR-V. But for now, I'm going to drive my paid off Blazer until it falls apart...like the Bluesmobile at the end of The Blue Brothers.
Update: Got the car back last night. Turns out it was the ECM (Engine Control Module) or main computer that failed. almost $1300. But now, of course, it runs like a dream. I swear my car is like a super hot woman that treats me great with the exception of the fact that she randomly kicks me in the nuts and steals all the money out of my savings account.
Jetta, represent, yo! Mulder, I've got a 2006 Jetta (on lease). I actually rather like it. After driving nothing but SUVs since I was 16, it's nice to have a somewhat responsive car. Best thing is, when (... not if) the car breaks down in 3 years, I'll have graduated from business school and moved on to another car (Infiniti FX45 is my target). I love my VW... but I'm not stupid enough to actually buy one. This sums up my feelings about my Jetta: Ben: Elaine, I don't think we should see each other anymore. Elaine: What? you're breaking up with me? But I sacrificed and supported you while you struggled. What about my dream of dating a doctor? Ben: I'm sorry, Elaine. I always knew that after I became a doctor, I would dump whoever I was with and find someone better. That's the dream of becoming a doctor.
VWs are great if you own short-term (i.e. no more than 3-5 years with normal mileage), but if you're the type that wants to own until the the car's last breath, Hondas are probably your best bet. Fuuny thing is, I have a friend who buys nothing but early 1990's model S-Class Benzes from a friend of his who's a car dealer, and he swears by their reliability.
