Would you buy your vehicle again?

stever

Would you buy your vehicle again?

Why or why not?

fezo

Nah. It's got 182K on it..... :P

euphonium

94 Town Car Signature = yes, especially if it had 300 hp & 5 speed automatic.

95 T Bird 4.6 V8 = yes, but this time don't expect the quality of the Town Car.

66 Mustang GT = yes without any hesitation, reservation, or imagination.

Karen_S

2000 Honda CR-V still chugging with 120K. I'm religious with maintenance and haven't had any major...whoops, not going to say it for fear of a jinx.

odsurn

Absolutely! I have a 2002 Sequoia that we bought brand new and now has 170K miles on it and I will keep it until my mechanic can no longer keep it running. It has been an awesome car, driven from Calif to Georgia and everywhere in between! It is so comfortable and reliable! I will buy Toyota again. Wouldn't think twice about it! My husband has an 07 Tundra Crewmax, he has owned every other truck made. Ford, GMC, Dodge, Chevy and said he will NEVER buy anything but a Tundra from now on!

anythngbutgm

Both of us love our Subies and my little Honda S2000 still brings a grin from ear to ear after a long drive though the curviest roads I can find. :shades:

lemko

I absolutely love my Cadillac DTS and my wife feels the same about her Buick LaCrosse. She was eyeing-up a loaded LaCrosse CXS at the Philly Auto Show.

fastruck

I have a 05 mustang with 98,000 miles very fun to drive . Living in ohio with all the snow and salt on the road in the winter I thought that the paint would start to dull after 5 years but to my surprise it still shine like the day I drove it off the car lot minus a few door dings .would I buy another mustang definitely . Its like being in a club when ever you see another mustang you always wave or rev your engine with a smile.

roadburner

1975 2002A- Probably. I always wanted one and my son wants to use it when he gets his license. I still wish it was a stick.

1995 318ti- Definitely. With over 120K it has required virtually no repairs outside of scheduled maintenance. It looks brand new inside and out and always puts a smile on my face.

1999 Wrangler Sahara- Yes. Fun to drive and fairly reliable as well.

2004 X3 2.5- Yep. In over 90K all it has required is an SRS sensor(warranty) four tires, and pads and rotors at all four corners. My wife loves it, but I think she will replace it with a Mini Countryman in a couple of years.

2007 Mazdaspeed 3- Maybe/Maybe Not. Let me tell you, I have never been so ambivalent about a car in my entire life. I was not happy that it required a LF strut and a turbo before it hit 27K. That said, it has been fairly reliable since then, only needing a VVT repair pursuant to a TSB. A 23 mpg average is pretty decent considering that the engine -equipped with a Mazdaspeed Cold Air Intake- puts out 287 bhp. Next, a new set of Pirelli PZero All Season rubber improved the street handling considerably(along with my disposition), so I might just fit a set of Bilsteins as well as a set of track wheels/tires and see if it can last through another couple of HPDE seasons. By that point I might be able to justify/afford a used Cayman S...

smalltown

Currently driving Kia Spectra5. I'll retire in a few years and will need a new car. Since Spectra is no longer made, my short list includes the spied Forte hatchback, Hyundai Veloster, Kia Soul, and perhaps Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit. Must be a small hatchback or wagon, no sedan.

andre1969

I like my 2000 Park Ave Ultra, but there's just lots of minor little things about it that bugs me. I probably wouldn't have bought it as a new car unless it was very deeply discounted, but as a 56K mile, $7500 used car, it seemed like a great value.

Now my 2000 Intrepid, which got totaled, and hence the reason for the Park Ave, I would have DEFINITELY bought that car again! The only difference would be that I would have tried to find an ES model with the 3.2 and a power seat. Or at the very least, a base model with a power seat.

In fact, when the Intrepid got totaled, one of the first cars I found was another 2000 Intrepid...a well-equipped ES model with the 3.2, sunroof, leather, etc. It had something like 75,000 miles on it, and I think they wanted around $5,000 for it. The main reason I didn't go for it was that after having an Intrepid for 10 years, I just thought it was time to try something a little different.

fezo

That something different is the only reason I might not follow up with another Honda after the current ones. They are fine (though not nearly as interesting as older Accords were) but getting generic.

Maybe a Mazda or a Subie. The cheapskate in me is looking at used Hyundais....

michaellno

Huh .. good question.

Generally speaking, if I knew then what I know now, probably not, given that Saturn is no longer around.

Regarding the particular cars and when I bought them:

1) 2003 Saturn L300 ... nope, I think I would have gone with an '03 Accord EX-L. After 95,000 miles, 2 BCM's, a rebuild of the front brakes and other miscellaneous repairs, I believe that the Honda would have been a more reliable choice. Plus, it would have retained more of its value after 7 years.

2) 2006 Saturn ION ... jury out on this one, since my daughter drives it. It hasn't presented any problems in almost 4 years and 33,000 miles other than routine maintenance, and we never shopped anything else at the time.

3) 2008 Saturn VUE ... this one kills me. We traded in our '05 VUE for the '08. The '08 is miles better in terms of fit and finish, but the end of the Saturn brand has meant that the value of the vehicle has dropped like a stone off a cliff. Like the ION, we didn't look at any other competing vehicles.

gouldn

2001 Forester. 100% yes. 145K, and still my main commuter. Fun to drive, and the best outward visibility in any car I've owned.

2007 X3. Maybe not, but nothing against the car, I am just finding it to fancy to leave at remote trailheads for runs/hikes etc. I would look at BMWs again though, it's been plenty reliable despite all the advice telling me I was gonna go broke.

hpmctorque

At the risk of deserving a dope slap, what are BCMs?

andys120

I had a bit of expensive trouble with the VANOS module after I first acquired my 2000 BMW 528iA in 2004 but I enjoyed driving the car so much that I decided to hang onto it and it has given me no trouble since.

It still looks good and runs well with 120,000. There are very few cars with good performance, good looks and good gas mileage but the Blue Max has all three>

.

There are some cars I regretted buying but not this one.

stever

Body Control Module.

One of those expensive computer gizmos.

roadburner

I would look at BMWs again though, it's been plenty reliable despite all the advice telling me I was gonna go broke.

Yep, there are quite a few "experts" who know all about BMWs- even though they've never owned, driven, or even sat in one.
Envious imbeciles, mostly.

carthell

...but my next purchase probably will be with a different make. It has more to do with the type of vehicle I'm interested in. Unlike many others who browse theses forums, I have yet to develop brand loyalty.

michaellno

Body Control Module.

One of those expensive computer gizmos.

Yep ... about $600 to replace each time - once at 45K and again at 65K.

$1200 for new pads, rotors and calipers at 45K. $400+ for an O2 sensor. $135 for a power steering line. $185 for a new horn assembly. Front pads and rotors at 74K for $375. Plus all the regular maintenance.

stever

Lot of money, but spread out over almost 100,000 miles, it's not too bad. I got to 120,000 miles on my van before I had to start peeling 100s out of my billfold.

andre1969

I got to 120,000 miles on my van before I had to start peeling 100s out of my billfold

I had a similar experience with my 2000 Intrepid. It didn't really start hitting me hard in the wallet until 130,000 miles.

With any luck, the 2000 Park Ave I recently bought will hold off that long. It only has 58,000 miles on it right now, and at the rate I'm driving, it could be 10-12 years before I get it up to 130K!

michaellno

Lot of money, but spread out over almost 100,000 miles, it's not too bad.

Yeah, I keep telling myself that the few hundred dollars I spend every now and again is less than a new (or used) car payment.

Though it could have been worse .. when I was shopping, I was seriously considering a Passat V6 4Motion.

stever

I need new tires on the van. I really do sort of hate to spend money on an upgrade like that - new tires will almost double its value.

Finally got around to changing the oil (12,000 miles plus interval - whoopsie). Noticed a nice inch deep dent in the oil pan about 3 inches long. No leaks. Whatever I hit over the winter may have taken out the ebrake cable since it quit working a month ago.

Where's C4C when you need it?

Yeah, ignore and abuse a car and it won't quit? Sure, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

fezo

My Accord is almost reaching the point where its value on the market would vary by how much gas is in it - but it keeps going and going. it's time for tires and in about a year another timing belt. At this point I'm likely to do those.

nippononly

for which I can say yes. The Echo has been completely repair-free and hasn't even needed brakes or a clutch, now at 135K and still pulling 40 mpg consistently.

Too bad Toyota made the car slower AND less fuel-efficient when it turned it into the Yaris. Unless they do something about both of those items for the next release this year or next, I have bought my last Toyota.

And the new Outback Sport is just great - a real driver's car considering it only cost $20 grand, plenty fast enough for me, and I love the growl of the boxer. Only at 10K miles, but at that mileage I was already thinking wistfully of trading with my last two new Toyotas. If Subaru can boost their very mediocre gas mileage, the replacement for the OBS will be a Subaru as well.

stever

Maybe Subaru can borrow some tech from Toyota to help the mpg improve. After all, Toyota owns almost 17% of them now.

If you aren't careful, you may own 17% of a Toyota next time.

Too bad Toyota didn't keep the boring boxy shape of the old Tercels when they came out with the Echo.

dtownfb

1989 Ford Tempo - Owned it for 5 years and put 85k miles on it. Only 2 problem areas, failed EGR valve (Ford paid for the part; I paid labor) and tie rods.

1994 Honda Accord - Loved that car!!!

1996 Ford Explorer (V8) - Probably the last good year for Explorers. Ran it to 150k miles before wife backed it into a loading dock (don't ask)

1989 Buick Century - bought used. Served it's purpose. Not sure why people bought this car new???

2001 Chevy Malibu - I figured GM finally ironed out the problems by the 4th model year, right??? Hell no! Worst new car I ever owned. Only car we ever traded in while still paying on the loan. The reason why i am hesitant about GM.

2000 Olds Intrigue - bought used. Great buy used; not so much new. made it to 178k miles. Learned to do the maintenance myself. Would buy again used.

2004 Nissan Quest - Never buy the first year of a new model!!! Sliding door still rattles, cheap plastic, rotors warp. Thankfully it has a nice motor. Definitely pass on this one again.

2006 Toyota Camry - bought used in June 2009. I understand why the Camry is the benchmark for the class.

hpmctorque

One way for Subaru to boost mileage would be to offer buyers a choice of FWD or AWD, as it used to do. Would you buy a 2WD version to gain ~2 mph?

nippononly

Nah, I would have bought a Mazda if I wanted FWD. But I wouldn't buy FWD.

Steve: yeah, I liked the angular look of the Tercel too. But the bubble roof on the Echo gives it this huge amount of headroom that I really enjoy. It's kind of like the New Beetle that way.

carstryke

01 Rio - heck no
05 Impala - Yes
09 Equinox - No

hpmctorque

Sorry. but I intended to say mpg instead of mph. However, you understood that my question related to mileage, and essentially responded that, while you value fuel economy, the AWD feature is worth a loss of approximately 2 mpg to you.

nippononly

Yes, and that's only because there are no rear-drivers available that I would like under $30K. They are all two-seat sports cars with crappy gas mileage except the Miata, which I can't fit in (and its lack of a back seat would still limit its appeal as my weekend car).

A 125i with four doors and a 4-cyl engine for around $25-27K would be the only car on my list if it existed. As it is, I went cheaper and settled for AWD. The new Subaru/Toyota RWD coupe which should be around $25K and have a proper back seat has me interested, if/when it finally appears (still a couple of years out).

hpmctorque

Thanks for elaborating. The two Subarus that I've driven drove and rode well.

bhill2

'85 MB 380SE - Oh hell yes. 260K miles with only the minimal expected repairs (except the one caused by the fact that I mistakenly thought that timing chains were forever).

''01 Jag XK8 - Yes. It's comfortable, it's been fairly dependable, and it still smells good inside. Besides, its predecessor (a '99) saved our lives in an almost head-on collision.

'03 Corvette - Probably. It's a piece of c**p, but it's a fun piece of c**p.

'09 BMW 335i - Uh, I'll tell you in a couple of years after I know how many fuel pumps are going to go south on me.

oldcem

The Maybe is a 2010 Honda CRV 2 WD. I bought it as a business driver. Its a very nice vehicle, but, I'm finding that, on business trips, Its fuel economy is far less than expected.

My other car is an 06 Jaguar S-Type VDP. I bought it as a CPO car off the local dealer over a year ago, and, it's been a delight to own. Although it's got a 300 HP V8 under the hood, it smokes the CRV on both fuel economy and performance.

Regards:
Oldengineer

anythngbutgm

Again, the mileage will improve once the engine is properly broken in at around 10 - 15k.

berri

We've got a CRV - don't expect great mileage, particularly on the highway. The CRV is alright, but I think it reflects the over hype that Honda gets. In reality it is kind of tinny, noisy and bouncy and I've had several issues with it as it aged. It does have a decent interior. There are certainly worse vehicles, but personally we wouldn't buy another one, especially at the price premium they get for it.

oldcem

Its got close to 10K on it now. I have little confidence that the fuel economy is going to improve any significant amount when I'm running interstate speeds just over 70.

Regards:
OldCEM

oldharry

05 Impala, certainly, for the deal I got last time or better.
94 C-1500 probably, I think I am about to buy a 2001 K-1500 if the deal is as good as it seems.

I have owned a number of GMs a Ford, several Chryslers, a Honda, and a Packard.

I would not buy that Honda again, it was purchased new in 1977, but having worked on all brands for four decades, I know that Hondas are a lot better now.

The rest of the vehicles I would buy again if I knew then what I know now, but I would not buy the same car today for my daily driver that I had fifty years ago for a daily driver.

I drove a customer's A-6 V8 a couple years ago, and had to grab my handkerchief to keep from drooling on his fine leather seats. Those are a bit out of my budget, however.

Harry

fezo

I drove a customer's A-6 V8 a couple years ago, and had to grab my handkerchief to keep from drooling on his fine leather seats. Those are a bit out of my budget, however.

You and me both! A friend on mine has an A8. Sigh.

tlong

92 Accord - Heck yes. Back when Accords handled well and were not so huge. A fabulous car.

94 Villager - Absolutely. Interior was put together poorly by our Ford friends, but the Nissan engine/tranny were flawless for 227K miles.

98 Audi A4 - Heck yes. Six cylinder, manual transmission. Had some repairs that cost, but a joy to drive. Clutch and shifter like butter.

04 Honda Odyssey, bought in 07 - Maybe - surprisingly tinny compared to the Villager. Very good utility and great mileage for what it is. Power window motor went out, it has paint problems, and it pulls to the right for no apparent reason.

05 Acura TL - Yes, but it is too big and handles like a boat, especially after the Audi. But I have 94K and it hasn't had any repairs.

07 Mazda 5 - Absolutely yes. This amazing vehicle is inexpensive, is shorter and narrower than my TL, but handles better. It seats six and has fabulous steering and a tight turning circle. Anybody looking at a CRV-type vehicle should consider the Mazda 5 unless you must have 4wd. It is cheaper, handles much better, seats one more person, and has the same amount of cargo space.

ponderpoint

Would you buy your vehicle again?

2006 Acura TL.....

Unfortunately not..... No manual tranny anymore except for the incredibly expensive AWD. It's a nice car but too big now and expensive.

Completely happy with my 06' even with its "Colonel Klink" useless navi (Alpine I believe), if I had know how dumb the navi was, I wouldn't have included it, other than that the car is the best car I have ever owned..... Except for a 68' VW Bug.

tlong

I had a '66 Bug, but felt that was so long ago nobody would care, so I didn't mention it. A crude and wandering car, but I did get 180K on it and sold it for more than I paid...

ponderpoint

Yep, my 68' bug wasn't exactly a performance car but it got the job done. It was incredible how it just kept going and going. We literally drove it to the salvage yard when it was just to corroded to go on anymore, I drove it for awhile in the summer with the backseat useless - huge holes in the floor and finally - the driver seat had something give way with a snapping noise underneath it. It was nursed to the salvage yard and given last rites.....

berri

What, no ring jobs on those Beetles?

whoosierdaddy

After a year and 17K miles with my Pontiac G8, no problems and it's the best car I've ever owned -- smooth quiet highway ride, 4 doors & roomy, and great handling always there when I want it. MPG is good "for a big car."

roadburner

If the G8 GT had been available with a stick I'd have one in my garage as well.

andre1969

If the G8 GT had been available with a stick I'd have one in my garage as well.

If I wasn't such a tightwad so fiscally conservative, I'd probably have one in my garage, too!

andys120

The car I would not buy again is a '79 Honda Accord hatchback. Great little car by 1979 standards but it had some glaring flaws, the engine while economical did not like to rev much which is probably why Honda put in a five speed but it really wasn't much fun to drive (my next car was a VW GTI).

The Honda had a serious problem with brake balance, if you nailed the brakes on wet pavement the rears would lock up and send the car into a spin. Most of the time I could steer around it by applying opposite lock but it did cause two accidents, one serious.

At least I knew enough to Zeibart Rust-proof it while new so I didn't have that problem.

In retrospect a '79 Celica hatchback or a Rabbit would have been more my style.

andre1969

Did your '79 Accord have air conditioning? One of my friends back in college had a 1980 Accord hatchback with air conditioning and the new-for-80 (IIRC) 3-speed automatic. With three people on board, on level ground, it would do 0-60 in about 26 seconds. With the 5-speed, Consumer Reports would usually get around 15-16 seconds out of them, but I can't remember if their test cars had a/c or not.

By 1987, my friend's 80 Accord was pretty rusty, but surprisingly, the sheetmetal actually had a fairly thick, sturdy feel to it. And I don't remember it actually having rust holes...it would just get these blossoms of rust popping up through the paint that would spread out so far and wide, causing the still-shiny paint to flake off. It's like the rust would spread out, and I'm sure if you pounded on it you'd make holes in it, but the holes wouldn't just appear on their own. So, it was at least fairly sturdy rust, if there is such a thing!

His car also wasn't all that economical, but again that could be attributed to the automatic and a/c I guess. He probably got around 20 city, 25 highway. At the time I was driving a 1980 Malibu that would get around 16 city, maybe 22-23 highway. Looking up the EPA ratings for that year, all I can find is a "combined" of 23 for the Accord automatic, 19 for the Malibu 229/auto.

For that time, my 1980 Malibu was actually a pretty good car. My buddy's Accord was on its second engine and transmission, and when that second transmission failed, it got junked. I used to say that if every domestic was built as good as my Malibu, and if every Japanese import was built like my buddy's Accord, the domestics wouldn't be in the jam they're in today!

Although truth be told, I probably wouldn't want to have to drive either of those cars today! I'm sure if I had to re-live that 1980 Malibu today, the experience wouldn't nearly match my memories of it. Maybe if it was a better-trimmed Malibu Classic, and had the 305 V-8...that might be a different story.

Now that I think back on it, one thing that impressed me about that Accord was the interior. Not the quality so much, as it was falling apart, but more so the level of luxury, I guess you'd call it. It had velour seats and carpeting on the door panels, and the hard plastic was actually kept to a tasteful minimum. Unfortunately, by the late 1980s the velour was falling apart, as was the carpeting, the dashboard was cracking, and all the padded vinyl parts were wrinkling up and tearing. Still, it must have been a really nice looking interior when it was new. No domestic subcompact would have had an interior that upscale. My guess is that you'd have to go up to something like a Buick Skylark Limited, at the very least, for trappings like that.