Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

henryn · December 2022

benjaminh said:
I didn't realize until this morning how much Carvana has collapsed....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gynGb97rPc

Interesting story on Carvana. If you haven't watched the video, it's mainly coming from a stock market perspective business oriented perspective. I myself have a simpler explanation -- they thought used car prices would keep right on rising, never peak, never decline. Exactly what happened to the housing / mortgage market leading to the crash of 2008.

News flash -- prices sometimes go down.

kyfdx · December 2022

roadburner said:

@corvette said:

Congrats to @roadburner on the Merc, it looks very nice!

Happy Christmas to those who celebrate.

I think we had a low of -7 here, far lower than it's been in quite some time here. Had to click the set temperature on the water heater up a few degrees to compensate for the very cold water coming in. There's still a slushy mix on the roads. We took a brief drive to grab dinner last night, but decided not to make the 80-ish mile trek to my parents' house.

Same here, we planned to visit my wife’s family in northern Ky today but decided to cancel last night. Good thing as I-71 is virtually shut down.

My son and his wife are headed the other direction, toward Oldham County. At least SB has a lane open, past Exit 62.

28firefighter · December 2022

@tjc78 said:
I left the house for the last time until Monday at 8 this morning and came back around 9:30. Had to pick up a cake and the balloon bouquet for my wife’s birthday.

I may have had some spirited full throttle pulls in the truck. It’s not super quick, but I just like to hear the V8 especially on a particularly cool morning.

And you get to watch the gas gauge visibly decrease during each pull!

xwesx · December 2022

@henryn said:
Interesting story on Carvana. If you haven't watched the video, it's mainly coming from a stock market perspective business oriented perspective. I myself have a simpler explanation -- they thought used car prices would keep right on rising, never peak, never decline. Exactly what happened to the housing / mortgage market leading to the crash of 2008.

News flash -- prices sometimes go down.

I think it went through that aspect, which certainly is a strong component. I think the increased sales competition from other companies that they probably didn’t consider a direct competitor is a big component. The analysts worry that their recent acquisition of the action house is going to pull them down, and it might, but if they leverage the potential diversification of that asset, they might be able to use it to somewhat isolate the current slack and losses in the main business from the ever-present need to maintain the debt commitment.

tjc78 · December 2022

@28firefighter said:

@tjc78 said:
I left the house for the last time until Monday at 8 this morning and came back around 9:30. Had to pick up a cake and the balloon bouquet for my wife’s birthday.

I may have had some spirited full throttle pulls in the truck. It’s not super quick, but I just like to hear the V8 especially on a particularly cool morning.

And you get to watch the gas gauge visibly decrease during each pull!

Without question. Probably got like 7 mpg on my travels this morning. 😎

oldfarmer50 · December 2022

henryn said:

benjaminh said:
I didn't realize until this morning how much Carvana has collapsed....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gynGb97rPc

Interesting story on Carvana. If you haven't watched the video, it's mainly coming from a stock market perspective business oriented perspective. I myself have a simpler explanation -- they thought used car prices would keep right on rising, never peak, never decline. Exactly what happened to the housing / mortgage market leading to the crash of 2008.

News flash -- prices sometimes go down.

Yet they seem unable to adjust prices with the market. I still see 11 year old trucks listed for just about their full 2011 sticker price. You would think that having vehicles like that in inventory for months would tell them something…but no.

oldfarmer50 · December 2022

28firefighter said:

@tjc78 said:

I left the house for the last time until Monday at 8 this morning and came back around 9:30. Had to pick up a cake and the balloon bouquet for my wife’s birthday.

I may have had some spirited full throttle pulls in the truck. It’s not super quick, but I just like to hear the V8 especially on a particularly cool morning.

And you get to watch the gas gauge visibly decrease during each pull!

Nobody ever bought a V8 for the gas mileage.

henryn · December 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

@tjc78 said:

I left the house for the last time until Monday at 8 this morning and came back around 9:30. Had to pick up a cake and the balloon bouquet for my wife’s birthday.

I may have had some spirited full throttle pulls in the truck. It’s not super quick, but I just like to hear the V8 especially on a particularly cool morning.

And you get to watch the gas gauge visibly decrease during each pull!

Nobody ever bought a V8 for the gas mileage.

If you spend any time at all in the Ford truck forums, you will encounter a number of people claiming that the 5.0 V8 gets similar gas mileage to the 2.7L twin turbo V6. Having owned both, and more than one example in each category, I can assure you that the 2.7L gets much better gas mileage.

I am, of course, speaking of normal everyday driving. If you do a lot of "full throttle pulls", then the mpg will be atrocious in either one.

oldfarmer50 · December 2022

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

@tjc78 said:

I left the house for the last time until Monday at 8 this morning and came back around 9:30. Had to pick up a cake and the balloon bouquet for my wife’s birthday.

I may have had some spirited full throttle pulls in the truck. It’s not super quick, but I just like to hear the V8 especially on a particularly cool morning.

And you get to watch the gas gauge visibly decrease during each pull!

Nobody ever bought a V8 for the gas mileage.

If you spend any time at all in the Ford truck forums, you will encounter a number of people claiming that the 5.0 V8 gets similar gas mileage to the 2.7L twin turbo V6. Having owned both, and more than one example in each category, I can assure you that the 2.7L gets much better gas mileage.

I am, of course, speaking of normal everyday driving. If you do a lot of "full throttle pulls", then the mpg will be atrocious in either one.

I just drove a Ford Ranger with the 2.3 turbo. It got 24.5 on the highway. Same engine in a Mustang gets 30+. Aerodynamics.

Similarly, the 5.0 in my car can squeeze 30 if I drive like grandma. I don’t think any truck can match a car’s gas mileage but how you drive makes a big difference.

sda · December 2022

I suspect, long term the V8 will last longer without needing anything major.

jmonroe1 · December 2022

@tjc78 said:

@28firefighter said:

@tjc78 said:
I left the house for the last time until Monday at 8 this morning and came back around 9:30. Had to pick up a cake and the balloon bouquet for my wife’s birthday.

I may have had some spirited full throttle pulls in the truck. It’s not super quick, but I just like to hear the V8 especially on a particularly cool morning.

And you get to watch the gas gauge visibly decrease during each pull!

Without question. Probably got like 7 mpg on my travels this morning. 😎

————————————————-
You better stop that talk right now. You’re giving our MPG poster buddies conniptions.

What’s next? Telling us you jacked up your thermostat because you felt a chill when you got out of bed this morning?

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · December 2022

@sda said:
I suspect, long term the V8 will last longer without needing anything major.

————————————————
That’s what I keep telling myself every time I buy a car with the largest engine a manufacturer offers for the model I want.

jmonroe

tjc78 · December 2022

@jmonroe1 said:

@tjc78 said:

@28firefighter said:

@tjc78 said:
I left the house for the last time until Monday at 8 this morning and came back around 9:30. Had to pick up a cake and the balloon bouquet for my wife’s birthday.

I may have had some spirited full throttle pulls in the truck. It’s not super quick, but I just like to hear the V8 especially on a particularly cool morning.

And you get to watch the gas gauge visibly decrease during each pull!

Without question. Probably got like 7 mpg on my travels this morning. 😎

————————————————-
You better stop that talk right now. You’re giving our MPG poster buddies conniptions.

What’s next? Telling us you jacked up your thermostat because you felt a chill when you got out of bed this morning?

jmonroe

Never 68 downstairs and 65 upstairs!

oldfarmer50 · December 2022

sda said:
I suspect, long term the V8 will last longer without needing anything major.

Could be. My V8 lopes along at 1800rpm doing 70 while one of my 6s takes 2500 to do the same speed.

Michaell · December 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:
I suspect, long term the V8 will last longer without needing anything major.
Could be. My V8 lopes along at 1800rpm doing 70 while one of my 6s takes 2500 to do the same speed.

That's a function of gearing, not engine size or number of cylinders. You could build a transmission for a V8 that pulls 2500 RPM for 70 MPH, if you wanted to.

henryn · December 2022

sda said:
I suspect, long term the V8 will last longer without needing anything major.

I suspect a low revving, normally aspirated, torquey V8 will last longer than any turbo charged high revving 4 or 6 cylinder. But then, I really don't plan to keep anything that long anyway. After all, this is CCBA!

roadburner · December 2022

The 5 speed manual in my Club Sport is what used to be called a close ratio transmission; 5th gear is 1:1. The final drive has a 3:64 gear ratio which means the engine is spinning at 3500 rpm at 70 mph.

oldfarmer50 · December 2022

Michaell said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:
I suspect, long term the V8 will last longer without needing anything major.
Could be. My V8 lopes along at 1800rpm doing 70 while one of my 6s takes 2500 to do the same speed.

That's a function of gearing, not engine size or number of cylinders. You could build a transmission for a V8 that pulls 2500 RPM for 70 MPH, if you wanted to.

So my gears won’t wear out either?

Strangely, this just came up on my YT recommended list. Are they listening?

https://youtu.be/j9cvCTxOlHs

stickguy · December 2022

My truck gets quite good MPG!

benjaminh · December 2022

The upcoming 2024 Chevy Blazer EV looks good, especially since GM's pricing seems low. It will start at about $47k with destination, and so after the new 7500 federal tax credit this c. 40k vehicle will be a great deal. It's a bigger vehicle than I'd need, since it's going to be 192" long and 78" wide. Our 2018 CR-V is 182" x 73". The totally loaded Camaro-inspired SS Blazer EV, at $68k, will be the same price as a base Tesla Model Y. The Blazer SS EV will have a 0-60 time of under 4 seconds. The range of a Blazer EV upper-level RS model, for about $56k, will be around 320 miles. The base model will have a range of c. 247 miles.

As far as I can tell pre-orders haven't opened yet, but I'm guessing they will easily sell out their first year production capacity.

Here's hoping GM's Ultium powertrain system works out well. It would be good for Tesla to have some real competition.

https://www.chevrolet.com/electric/blazer-ev

breld · December 2022

I believe @qbrozen has a Blazer EV reserved?

corvette · December 2022

I thought it was an Equinox EV?

The past few days have been what I imagine is a small taste of what @xwesx has to deal with on a regular basis. Ice on the inside of my vinyl windows and on the inside of metal door hardware, etc... Also discovered that I'm not good at remembering to leave an indoor faucet on a trickle, although thankfully, nothing froze up. Other than the outdoor faucet, I have no plumbing on outside walls, but you never really know if your water supply is buried below the frost line until you get sustained unusually cold temperatures like this.

benjaminh · December 2022

The smaller Equinox EV comes out a few months after the Blazer EV....

https://www.chevrolet.com/electric/equinox-ev

benjaminh · December 2022

If the base Equinox EV is about $32 with destination, probably a nicely equipped mid-level model will be about $37k—or 30k flat after the federal tax credit. For a lot of people who don't want to pay the $48k list price for an entry-level Tesla Model 3, the Equinox EV might be a good option.

fintail · December 2022

How long has GM been on this "first ever" thing? I remember it going back at least to the Pontiac G6. At least back in the day, more than a few people were very leery of buying a freshly launched model, leery of beta testing.

qbrozen · December 2022

@breld said:
I believe @qbrozen has a Blazer EV reserved?

You are correct, sir

jmonroe1 · December 2022

@Michaell said:
That's a function of gearing, not engine size or number of cylinders. You could build a transmission for a V8 that pulls 2500 RPM for 70 MPH, if you wanted to.

————————————————-
But can you do it the other way around with a 6 and still have a car that doesn’t kill itself within a couple of years, if that, driving the way most people in here drive? I say no.

jmonroe

benjaminh · December 2022

Mechanic explaining why c. 2016-2020 Ford Ecoboost 2.0 engines often failed. He also shows a diagram of the improved 2021 and newer Ecoboost 2.0 engines that fixed the original design flaw. Second video is the sam mechanic saying that millions of Ford Ecoboost engines for the first five years or so of Ecoboost had these design flaws that is causing many of them to prematurely die.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-PYa8aBM4Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ontf6Ev9o5s

benjaminh · December 2022

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a42283857/ford-ceo-until-we-fix-quality-nothing-else-matters/

“Ford CEO Jim Farley told a group of retired engineers that it would take several years for the Blue Oval to fix its quality problems.BY MACK HOGAN
DEC 19, 2022
Fixing quality is my No. 1 priority,” Farley told the Ford Retired Engineering Executives group at their most recent gathering. “It is the most important initiative in the whole company. And it’s going to take several years. We didn’t lose it in just one or two years. Until we fix quality, nothing else matters.”

ab348 · December 2022

Assuming the tech in those videos is speaking the truth, this is a very big problem for Ford with huge cost implications. Given that head gasket sealing is a basic but critical sort of thing for engine design you have to wonder how this got tested and approved initially.

roadburner · December 2022

ab348 said:
Assuming the tech in those videos is speaking the truth, this is a very big problem for Ford with huge cost implications. Given that head gasket sealing is a basic but critical sort of thing for engine design you have to wonder how this got tested and approved initially.

Then there's the uniformly reviled dry clutch DCT. Farley is spot-on, but in addition to improving quality Ford will have to convince the buying public that the quality of their products has actually been improved.

roadburner · December 2022

BMW M and AMG both have websites that offer private forums for their owners. However, I was never able to join the M owners group because I owned an M Performance model and not a "real" M car- never mind that the M Performance cars are prominently featured on the M site. In contrast, I was admitted to the AMG forum even though I own an AMG "lite"(no hand built motor, for starters). Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but appreciated nonetheless.

Sandman6472 · December 2022

Waiting to pick up the Audi. Parts department is closed today so doubt they'll be able to fix the motor so the windshield wipers can spray the fluid. They're doing the recall so guessing we'll need to bring it back later this week to put the new motor thing in. I knew they wouldn't keep the car as it's driveable the way it is so why take the liability of keeping it there. Luckily she found a half off coupon but I would've taken it to our mechanic from the start. Not my vehicle so I don't have a say.
We did discuss about next time we buy new. Said we might as well go with a Hyundai/Kia product as they have a longer warranty and they are making some extremely nice vehicles now. Got some brand new Kona's & Venue's at work and just by looking at them, both would fit on my side of the garage. Starting to like the KonaN more & more even though they are hovering around the $30K point. As long as I can get the Harmon Kardon audio system, I'm good to go!

Sandman6472 · December 2022

Wondering if they're going to have a Trailblazer EV any time soon. Or if the Bolt EV's will be their only small entries in the growing EV market. Like most folks, still on the fence here about owning one. I did get pretty close last summer when I went to the Chevy store to fill out the forms but I stopped right before putting a deposit down. Just not 100% sure right now if the timing is right, not quite yet, maybe in 5 or so years, maybe might be the right time. Want to see the infrastructure grow a bit more and have prices come down a bit more to. But, as for me, am the perfect candidate for one since I don't drive that much anymore.
Time will tell though as I doubt I'll be keeping my current ride more than another year.

Sandman6472 · December 2022

Chilly and rainy right now here in South Florida. temp holding around 53 with a slight drizzle. Think it'll be going down to around the high 40's tonight and then thing will be warming up a bit. By Sunday, supposed to be 85 and 70 late at night. That's a bit too warm for this time of year and just wish we could have it in the mid 70's during the day and around 60 at night. No a/c needed would be a nice change, am tired of sweating to be honest but on the other hand, not sure I would want to deal with the cold weather we just went through for months, would get tiresome. And the idea of pipes possibly freeing and no power when it's in the 30's outside is not something I would want to experience!
Have found that heating up my towel and bathrobe before I shower to be just the best. Drying off with a warm towel is the best feeling and then putting on that warm bathrobe...just nothing like it! Taking a shower at night also seems to work though I do prefer one when I get up. Found I slept better after the warm shower and dealt with the dreaded "bed head" by just wearing my hat. Problem solved plus, it kept my head warm in the winds we were having.

Sandman6472 · December 2022

The Audi store is keeping the car overnight it seems. The recall is finished but still diagnosing why the windshield wiper sprayer thing won't work. Parts department was closed today and he just told the wife four guys in his department took the day off with a couple others calling out sick, so a skeleton crew today. She's off from TT all week anyways and they said they will pick her up once they find the issue and fix it. Plenty of food here so no need for me to leave the Golf since she won't use it anyways.
Always seems to be something but we'll deal with it. I do realize that if anything big crops up sooner than later, she'll finally say enough already and start looking to replace it. And as nice as the new A3 is, a bit pricey now and sje to is leaning towards "cheap to keep" going forward.

Michaell · December 2022

Sandman6472 said:
The Audi store is keeping the car overnight it seems. The recall is finished but still diagnosing why the windshield wiper sprayer thing won't work. Parts department was closed today and he just told the wife four guys in his department took the day off with a couple others calling out sick, so a skeleton crew today. She's off from TT all week anyways and they said they will pick her up once they find the issue and fix it. Plenty of food here so no need for me to leave the Golf since she won't use it anyways.
Always seems to be something but we'll deal with it. I do realize that if anything big crops up sooner than later, she'll finally say enough already and start looking to replace it. And as nice as the new A3 is, a bit pricey now and sje to is leaning towards "cheap to keep" going forward.

I've got an observation for you.

Both the Golf and A3 are paid for, correct?

Shouldn't you compare the "cheap to keep" aspect of any new car with the cost of said new car added in?

For example, if the wife went out and bought a new Hyundai/Kia for $25K, you could have kept the A3 for 5 more years, spending $5000 per year on maintenance (or 3 years at $8333/year). That would cover a lot of upkeep, in my mind.

Sandman6472 · December 2022

Yes it would, and think that's what just might happen. We've both kept vehicles 10 years or more in the past so if that's what happens, so be it. But depending on the repairs and their amounts, there will come a point when enough is enough. It's just that it takes a lot for us to spend that kind of money...on anything. And in my case, I'll know it the minute I drive it, just like with the Golf. And going forward, I know that I'll have that moment of clarity once I find the right one.
She doesn't look at a vehicle like I do, to her, it's just an appliance to get her where she needs to be. And then, of course, how much it'll cost. But, if keeping the current fleet as is, that's also another possibility. And since I've been driving so many different kind of new vehicles lately, there's a lot new stuff out there.

corvette · December 2022

Powertrain on the Maverick is covered for 5/60… I’ll consider an extended warranty before the bumper to bumper ends, if I keep it that long. I think 10/100 B2B with a $100 deductible is around $2,000 through Granger.

roadburner · December 2022

Michaell said:

Sandman6472 said:
The Audi store is keeping the car overnight it seems. The recall is finished but still diagnosing why the windshield wiper sprayer thing won't work. Parts department was closed today and he just told the wife four guys in his department took the day off with a couple others calling out sick, so a skeleton crew today. She's off from TT all week anyways and they said they will pick her up once they find the issue and fix it. Plenty of food here so no need for me to leave the Golf since she won't use it anyways.
Always seems to be something but we'll deal with it. I do realize that if anything big crops up sooner than later, she'll finally say enough already and start looking to replace it. And as nice as the new A3 is, a bit pricey now and sje to is leaning towards "cheap to keep" going forward.
I've got an observation for you.

Both the Golf and A3 are paid for, correct?

Shouldn't you compare the "cheap to keep" aspect of any new car with the cost of said new car added in?

For example, if the wife went out and bought a new Hyundai/Kia for $25K, you could have kept the A3 for 5 more years, spending $5000 per year on maintenance (or 3 years at $8333/year). That would cover a lot of upkeep, in my mind.

That's my approach with respect to the Mini; it required some significant repairs this year, but then we bought it for $6k. A new Clubman would cost north of $35k equipped the way we'd want one, so for now keeping the Clubman makes sense.

Michaell · December 2022

roadburner said:

Michaell said:

Sandman6472 said:
The Audi store is keeping the car overnight it seems. The recall is finished but still diagnosing why the windshield wiper sprayer thing won't work. Parts department was closed today and he just told the wife four guys in his department took the day off with a couple others calling out sick, so a skeleton crew today. She's off from TT all week anyways and they said they will pick her up once they find the issue and fix it. Plenty of food here so no need for me to leave the Golf since she won't use it anyways.
Always seems to be something but we'll deal with it. I do realize that if anything big crops up sooner than later, she'll finally say enough already and start looking to replace it. And as nice as the new A3 is, a bit pricey now and sje to is leaning towards "cheap to keep" going forward.
I've got an observation for you.

Both the Golf and A3 are paid for, correct?

Shouldn't you compare the "cheap to keep" aspect of any new car with the cost of said new car added in?

For example, if the wife went out and bought a new Hyundai/Kia for $25K, you could have kept the A3 for 5 more years, spending $5000 per year on maintenance (or 3 years at $8333/year). That would cover a lot of upkeep, in my mind.
That's my approach with respect to the Mini; it required some significant repairs this year, but then we bought it for $6k. A new Clubman would cost north of $35k equipped the way we'd want one, so for now keeping the Clubman makes sense.

Well, the Clubman is a different car now. I prefer the looks of the OG style, like yours.

Sandman6472 · December 2022

And I really like the CountrymanS but a regular Countryman would work also. From what I've been told, they aren't made in Germany, it's just that BMW owns the brand now. Heard they're manufactured in Denmark or The Netherlands but someone, please correct me if I'm wrong on this. Whatever, I also like them...it's their price tag that's quite up there. And personally, think they're about $7K overpriced right now. Not sure I could justify spending upwards of $34.6K for one at this point. After driving that BMW X2 the other day, finding a CPO unit might just be the smarter move. Not a real fan of the auto tranny sifter in any BMW, a bit complicated to me. Whenever I shift into "D", feels like it's still in "R"...a bit unnerving at times. Guessing that's why I like the Golf so much, it's really a pretty dumbed down vehicle to be honest. The shifter is easy, it has 2 knobs for the audio system and the HVAC unit is easy to figure out, unlike the Volvo and their multiple screens needed. There are certain luxury vehicles at work I let the others have as I just want one that's easy to turn on the audio and a/c. Dumb it down for me, and I'm a happy camper!

fintail · December 2022

roadburner said:
BMW M and AMG both have websites that offer private forums for their owners. However, I was never able to join the M owners group because I owned an M Performance model and not a "real" M car- never mind that the M Performance cars are prominently featured on the M site. In contrast, I was admitted to the AMG forum even though I own an AMG "lite"(no hand built motor, for starters). Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but appreciated nonetheless.

I am still in the "AMG Private Lounge" I think. I was able to use it to arrange a tour of the AMG engine facility in Affalterbach several years ago.

stickguy · December 2022

My take on the cost analysis is, it’s only part of the equation. If my old car needs frequent repairs, even if the spreadsheet says it’s cheaper to keep fixing, I don’t want to deal with the hassle.

stickguy · December 2022

My BIL and SIL pick up their x5 plug In Tomorrow. I’m kinda jealous, though not about having to write the check.

tifighter · December 2022

@roadburner said:
BMW M and AMG both have websites that offer private forums for their owners. However, I was never able to join the M owners group because I owned an M Performance model and not a "real" M car- never mind that the M Performance cars are prominently featured on the M site. In contrast, I was admitted to the AMG forum even though I own an AMG "lite"(no hand built motor, for starters). Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but appreciated nonetheless.

Oh yeah, the private M forum is super sweet. There’s a secret handshake, free schupfnudeln, nice leather chairs, oompah music, the the drain covers in the urinals say Affalterbach on them.

henryn · December 2022

stickguy said:
My take on the cost analysis is, it’s only part of the equation. If my old car needs frequent repairs, even if the spreadsheet says it’s cheaper to keep fixing, I don’t want to deal with the hassle.

The equation, for me, is not quite that simple. Yes, the hassle of taking your car to the shop and dealing with the service advisor, the possibility of being ripped off for unnecessary repairs, the possibility of the job not being done correctly the first time, or even making matters worse, those all exist and must be taken into account. I think the biggest factor for most people is the frequency and the severity. Hearing an unusual noise and scheduling service at your leisure is not nearly as annoying as being stranded beside the road.

And then there is the "critical need" factor. You know your car is going to strand you just when it's most important that you be somewhere on time.

Having a mechanic that you know and trust can eliminate some of those worries. But it won't help much with the "critical need" factor.

stickguy · December 2022

oh, absolutely the reliability/trust factor is vital. I have no problem scheduling and doing routine maintenance, but have zero tolerance for breakdowns. my wife has even less. She is pretty much one and done at this point, and would never want a car back that stranded her on the side of the road.

once the trust factor is gone, so is the car!

tjc78 · December 2022

I’m not putting my wife and kids in something old that has the possibility to break down at any time. Like the woman with the Avalon on the other forum we were talking about. 15 years old and 500K miles anything can go at any time no matter how well it is maintained.

Sure a new car can leave you stranded but the possibility is much much lower than something 10 years old.

sda · December 2022

I remember when we traded my wife's 97 Altima which she didn't like for a new 99 Passat GLS 1.8t 5sp. I don't think we had it two days and during her drive to work, and thankfully only minutes from home, the car lost power and all the instruments went wonky, speedometer and tachometer bouncing back and forth. She called me quite unhappy and told me to come get her, she wasn't driving the car and exclaimed that's why she didn't want a German car! She had great service out of Toyotas and Nissans. Long story short, I had the dealer fetch the Passat and they gave me a new Cabrio to drive while they tried to figure out what was going on with the Passat. My wife would not drive the Cabrio, period. The dealer could not find any issue with the Passat. It took a while for her to get comfortable driving the Passat and she had me drive it for a week after we got it back before she would. It never acted up again and the car became one of her favorites. But truthfully, I thought it was one and done and she'd end up driving my Millenia.

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