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You're missing the point completely. I'm just stating what has been my personal experience renting diesel F250s and that's all I'm stating. I have no personal preference when it comes to diesel but I'm sure you would agree that 9 mpg empty won't be saving me much over a gasser. Being rentals who knows what those trucks have been through and there is a sign in the cab stating only one type of diesel should be used and not the type made from recycled cooking oil.
You have us beat on the price of RUG. But we blow you away with our current $.37 kWh.
The only vehicle I ever owned that got 9 MPG was a Ford F250 with 460 gas engine. And it nearly killed us back the the late 1970s when gas got up around $1.50 a gallon in MN.
Whoa. Another flaw in the perfect image of some foreign brands. After bump reverb shake.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My 1993 Taurus went 325000 miles before I gave it up. It drove to the scrap yard, and the kid there took one look at it and bought it for himself.
My 2000 Intrepid has 175000 miles now. I just spent(happily) $1200 on needed repairs this Summer. The old girl still gets 30 mpg every day I drive her. A great comfortable commuter.
I have done absolutely no repairs to my 2007 Focus. 130000 miles. Just tires, brakes and oil changes.
Would I buy another domestic sedan?
Why not?
I still miss it sometimes. It did get good fuel economy, handled well, and was pretty reliable. My only beef was that the dead pedal was in a really bad position for me and when I drove it, I never could get my left leg into a comfortable position. Not bad for short-trip driving, but on the highway it was noticeable after about 45 minutes or so. Mine was just a base model though...I've driven a few with a power seat, and found that I can get it into a much more comfortable position.
I'm driving a 2000 Park Ave new, which had about 56K on it, and now has around 93K. So, if that old Intrepid was still around, it would have about 187,000 on it. I wonder if it would have made it that far? It was still running well when it got totaled.
On the DeSoto, you could probably climb into the engine compartment to do any work. :-)
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
My 1993 Taurus went 325000 miles before I gave it up. It drove to the scrap yard, and the kid there took one look at it and bought it for himself.
My 2000 Intrepid has 175000 miles now. I just spent(happily) $1200 on needed repairs this Summer. The old girl still gets 30 mpg every day I drive her. A great comfortable commuter.
I have done absolutely no repairs to my 2007 Focus. 130000 miles. Just tires, brakes and oil changes.
Would I buy another domestic sedan?
Why not?"
I don't think anyone would consider what you've experienced anything less than a personal success story. In your case, I'd be asking the very same question..."Why not?"
But, there are a few caveats to consider.
As an example, Volvo has created a "high mileage club" for owners of Volvos that have attained mileage amounts comparable or in excess to what you have done. However, I doubt the average Volvo owner would reasonably expect 250K trouble-free miles, even with the appropriate maintenance performed.
IMO, you attained your mileage levels because of the way you treated your vehicles, rather than getting it because of the way your vehicles treated you.
As a side note, my BIL just crossed the 275K mile mark in his 2000 Buick. If you asked him, he'd tell you the car has been a trouble-free car, but he has a tendency to forget the number of times he's been stranded on the side of the road, waiting for a tow truck. The last time he visited us, the car had 2" of water in the floorboard, due to a non-draining A/C evaporator. To him, that wasn't anything to be concerned about. He borrowed my drill and punched a few holes in the floorboard. He was in a work car pool until the other 3 riders kicked him out, due to the lack of reliability of his chosen vehicle.
I'm not suggesting you're anything like him, or that your experience is anything other than exactly what you described. Still, excessively high mileage figures on any make are usually far more anecdotal than an expected reality for most owners.
The point is that, given the proper maintenance, just about any modern car can run unlimited mileage. Overall, the thing that once spelled doom for an automobile (rust) is nowhere near the issue it once was, and the mechanicals can be maintained indefinitely. I suspect the new "killer" of modern autos is going to be the electronics, or rather the long-term availability of replacement electronic parts...
My CJ-5 was easy too. I even pulled the gas tank one time by just crawling under.
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/the-first-car-to-3-million-miles-.html
Although, if he really did have all the maintenance done, especially by a 3rd party, there's no telling how many new Volvos he could have driven for the same $$$...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
It is kind of a problem when you have a great Japanese brand such as Honda or Nissan. When you get near or over 200K and everything is fine and you like your car, you look for excuses to get rid of it and buy a new car. Probably boredom and looking for something different.
We finally got rid of a 247K Honda, a 195K Honda, and a 191K Nissan when we got bored and wanted something more current in style, features, etc. and ended up with what? Another Japanese brand. Maybe American brands will be tempt us what with Cadillac and Chevrolet having some interesting offerings. Question remains about reliability.
Amen to that!
I changed the oil today on our minivan and used ramps and was thinking, I'll not do the jackstand thing again if I can help it. Somehow when I was in my 20s it didn't bother me, but I *hate* getting under a car. Ramps I trust. Especially the steel kind...
Must be getting old.
Cheers -Mathias
Or you have a Japanese vehicle that was out dated technology wise when you bought it new. Our 07 Sequoia has a lot of good characteristics, such as comfort, roominess, reliability. What it has always lacked is handling, fuel economy and decent electronics. It was my first experience with a NAV. I expected it to be at least close to up to date. When I realized freeways that were at least 3 years old that did not exist. I looked at the DVD that has all the maps. It has a 2005 copyright. Hmmm I have a 2007 top of the line limited Toyota with a 3 year old map DVD. When I mentioned to the service guy he was like whatever. Should be a new one soon. Well soon came in 2009 when they had an updated DVD that they offered me for $500. By then I was using a handheld that was better and cost under $200. The Nav also went dead in 2009 and took months for Toyota to get a new one from India. As a purely people hauler heavy duty vehicle it is fine. I am glad to be rid of it. More than likely my last Japanese vehicle.
If I am ready to update my PU within the next few years I will look at the Ram diesel. Maybe some other domestic diesels will be available.
I really do not see the attraction to Honda. Having rented a 2010 Accord for two weeks and ridden in a friends CRV, they are not anything I would consider buying.
I seem to be missing something here. What's the problem with jack stands? Floor jacks, yes, absolutely, I understand not wanting to get under a car / truck supported only by a floor jack. But I've never seen nor heard of a jack stand collapsing.
One day I am going to splurge on a small garage lift. There are several inexpensive models available. I just need to do something with the low roof.
Rust is still the big killer of autos where I live-the salt used in winter rots everything. The old Dodge is starting to go underneath and at a couple other spots-I will keep an eye out, and retire her when it comes time.
Two more years please???
PS to keep on topic(kinda)-parts for "American Cars" are cheap and readily available. A friend of mine recently bought an "Un-american car" for his wife.....Range Rover (used). Enuff said........
For 2014 the top selling GM vehicles the Sierra and Silverado are down to 40% US content and 51% Mexican. With final assembly both US & M. Our tax dollars at work in Mexico. The 2013 Sierra and Silverado were both 67% US and 29% Mexican made.
That bill was $1300...about 4 months of car payments right there!
Kinda sad that the Intrepid forum has degenerated like that. But, considering the last LH rolled off the assembly line sometime in September 2003, I guess it was destiny. Funny thing is, after I bought the Park Ave, I never really frequented the Park Ave forum on Edmund's. I guess I just didn't bond with this car the way I did the old Trep!
Last year I bought a 2012 Ram, and I don't think I've even set foot in a Dodge Ram forum on Edmund's. And they say pickup buyers are the most fiercely loyal of all! :-/
Got $1000 cash for the 14-year old Honda with 247K on it after putting in an ad in a newspaper.
For comparison, one of my friends traded an '04 Crown Vic with about 232K on it last year, at CarMax. He traded for an '09 Grand Marquis, and they only gave him $300! And his Crown Vic was in a LOT better shape than my uncle's Corolla was.
Now, I just wish I could get my mother to realize that nobody in their right mind would pay the ~$2,000 that KBB says her 340K 1999 Altima is worth. :-P
It's getting harder and harder to find a used car with no more than 12 to 15k per year on the clock. I have been reading that Americans are driving less the last few years, but you couldn't prove it by me. My experience used car shopping would indicate the opposite.
Got new tires for my '99 van a few month back, which tripled its value. But I probably would just keep it instead of selling it for the ~$500 TMV.
Regardless, once a car gets to a certain mileage, I don't think it deserves a low-mileage credit. For instance, my '68 Dart was 42 model years old when I got rid of it, and had 338,000 miles on it. That may only be 8,047 miles per year, but that car was NOT low mileage! :P
BTW, what would the going rate be for a garage space these days, I wonder, if you had to rent one? I wonder if that should be factored into the cost of the car?
I had a 4-car garage built back in late 2005, and it was finished up in early 2006. I'm probably in that garage about $33,000 at this point, and had full use of it for about 7 1/4 years. I figure that works out to around $95 per month, per space. Not too expensive, I guess. But, if I didn't have the old cars, I never would have had to build it!
**Edit...wow Gagrice, you must have been reading my mind!
At 250,000 miles, a car could look and drive fine, and just let loose in one catastrophic moment, and nobody would say "Gee, only 250,000 miles and your transmission burned up..."
I agree totally. From a pure $$$ standpoint, unless there are unusual circumstances, the average modern production car could probably be kept and driven indefinitely (and maintained properly) cheaper than buying multiple cars over the same time period. That's the reason manufacturers spend so much money on marketing, so the public will feel the need to trade cars often. And, its difficult to factor in enhanced safety features into the costs equation.
"...parts for "American Cars" are cheap and readily available."
That's certainly been true in the past, but as car production continues its progression into parts from worldwide suppliers, I'm not so sure that trend will continue. That's why I think the primary limiting factor in the longevity of cars purchased today will be much more electrical/electronic related .vs. mechanical/body panel related.
I wonder how often, on average, people trade nowadays versus back in the old days? Once upon a time, the styles changed so fast that people were encouraged to trade every few years, whether the old ride was still running strong or not. In 1957, nobody wanted a car if it didn't have fins, but by 1960 or so, nobody really wanted a car with those towering monstrosities.
And once upon a time, a new style could come out that made the previous look downright ancient...for instance, every time GM downsized something in the late 1970's. Or the 1986 Taurus versus the LTD. Heck, even when Ford redid the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis for 1992, they seemed to make the old models seem ancient.
I'd guess people don't trade nearly as often as they used to, so sometimes I wonder how the auto makers stay profitable? They also don't restyle as often as they used to, or offer as many choices, so that might be part of it.
The main difference between then and now is that no one leased cars in the 50-60's, but leasing is incredibly common today.
Leasing effectively changed the way cars were, and are, marketed.
As an example the charging issue with my car could have been the alternator, a wiring harness or even the engine ECM. The ECM would have cost me 300-400.
There are countless parts whose failure would result in an check engine or ABS light-even though the car could still drive it would no longer pass the state inspection without repair.....
And bad advice/repairs by unskilled, uninformed "pros" can cost 1000s.
Those old cars that went miles and lasted decades had something modern cars lack-metal parts.
But I am not complaining about modern comfort/safety/reliability or fuel economy either.
dryer-$25
expansion valve-$20
another $50 or so for cleaner, oil and R134
I borrowed a friends a/c machine. Bought parts on e-bay.
I went in from the top-pulled the top radiator support, removed the cooling fan and then removal was easy.
This one was my fault as well. Note to self-if you have to add freon there is a leak. And if the gas gets out the oil does as well. It all made perfect sense after the compressor seized on me. It was last winter too-I was running the defroster. The leak is the evaporator-I hope the a/c sealer works. I do not want to deal with removing that.
According to the show, the Bentley has 8 MILES of wiring inside a single car.
That's a lot of conductive material to keep in conductive shape. Maine tracking down a wiring problem in that vehicle...
At least, I understand one reason the car cost so much...
Michelin Professor of Vehicular Electronics, Clemson University.
And most new cars contain about 100 microprocessors and that is expected to double by 2018.
The big bugaboo, I'm told, is worrying about electromagnetic compatibility.