OT: Vehicle Replacement?

[MikeT156]

So where do you live? Mountains? Flat lands? I only drive my ride once or twice a week and let it run. At my age, I don't run it every day, so the cost of operating it is minimal. I like having plenty of power and the gas mileage on the interstate is higher than the in town mileage. Once again, my concern with any used car is how it was maintained, not gas mileage.

 

 

Mike T.

[allan_evett]

So where do you live? Mountains? Flat lands? I only drive my ride once or twice a week and let it run. At my age, I don't run it every day, so the cost of operating it is minimal. I like having plenty of power and the gas mileage on the interstate is higher than the in town mileage. Once again, my concern with any used car is how it was maintained, not gas mileage.

 

 

Mike T.

 

NW Indiana is mostly 'flatlands', with minimal hills. Pretty, slightly hilly terrain around us though, with Lake Michigan and a few feeder streams within a 20 miles radius. Have driven our Nissan Frontier pickup and the previously owned Outback/CR-V in the mountains though - both Rockies and Appalachians; no off-roading, though the Frontier 4x4 could handle it. I'd consider flip-flopping rides and using the Frontier for gigs (plenty of gear room in the bed), but even with a locking cover I'm leery of that. In the early 1990s I had two break-ins with capped pickups - stereo equipment and tools disappeared.

 

2020 was a lower mileage year. Typically I do a mix of highway and local driving; approx 15 - 18K per year.

[Bill H.]

I did test drive a 2013 4Runner last night; it's in great shape and meticulously maintained, so the 112K doesn't scare me much. But after looking at our budget, my wife and I decided to hold off a bit on the vehicle replacement idea.

 

I know I'm in the minority here, but I just don't think this is a good deal. You're giving up four years, and what many consider half a vehicle's useful life (around 80,000 miles) in the trade - and then paying the dealership to do so.

 

If you are shopping for a rig like this with over 100,000 miles, pass on anything with a trailer hitch (personal experience). When I Googled 2013 Toyota 4runner, one of the most popular questions in the People Who Ask section was "How long do 4runner transmissions last?"

 

Google's answer: Toyota 4Runner owners say the transmission on the model can last between 100,000 to 120,000 miles. You can get it to last longer if you maintain it properly.

[Stokely]

I'm with you on Musk...love his companies but holy hell is he a douche. Then again, almost every executive I've ever worked with in companies has been a total jerk so I try to keep that in mind.

 

I full expect my next car will be electric, but the one I'm driving is only five years old and just paid off, so not in a hurry to get a car payment again. I tend to drive cars for at least 10 years. Working from home now and hopefully forever, so mileage is slowing down on it.

[ProfD]

I"ve had my share of vehicles (cars and SUVs) over the years. Bought my 1st pick-up truck in 2014. I'll never buy another car or SUV.

 

I'm in agreement with Bill H.. I think it's a smart move to leave that 112k mile SUV at the dealership especially for the cost.

 

Since we're a bunch of middle-agers around here, the vehicle is less a reflection of personality nor is it used as bait.

 

My recommendation to Allan would be to stick wih the Rogue and possibly use the Frontier if/when necessary.

[Stokely]

You'd be surprised...I'm a veteran soccer dad with about 14 years of experience shuttling kids back and forth to games, practices and tournaments, and because of that my social circle as you say is mostly comprised of same. You'd think if there was ever a group of parents who have no shame over having a minivan, it would be these--nope. All these soccer moms and dads refuse to believe they'd be so uncool as to roll up in a minivan

 

Ironically, several band members (ironic because musicians are way cooler than soccer dads after all all) have owned them and transported PAs in them, they are incredibly useful.

 

Even more ironic, now SUVs are mostly starting to resemble minivans in shape. You don't often see the old boxy Cherokee style anymore.

[Docbop]

I'd love to get a EV, but living in an apartment no way to charge it. Thinking of checking into the Honda CRV Hybrid because it appears gas is going up summer and beyond. I have a gas CRV and like it, I'm a old guy it's easy to get in and out of and carry all I need in back.

[timwat]

Hey Allan,

 

My take on this would be:

 

1) Your present Rogue is not a bad vehicle. It does not seem to be any less inherently safe than similar vehicles in that class.

2) Every vehicle has a vulnerability. Whether it's high center of gravity (rollover vulnerability), bad match with factory spec tires (the old Ford Explorer), size related (Mini, Yaris, etc.), blind spots, you have to live with something.

3) In some types of collisions, all these vulnerabilities don't matter. It's hard to build a bulletproof vehicle when it encounters a full speed T bone.

4) The smartest car buy (emotions and supra-rational considerations aside) seems to still be 2 to 3 year old used vehicle with relatively low miles.

5) For used with miles around 40K or so, first thing to do post purchase is drop all fluids and replace.

6) Strongly consider overall cost of maintenance of the brand. Over last ten years, it appears winners are Toyota, Lexus, Honda. Losers appear to be BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac and Volvo. No surprises here.

7) I'd concur with the recommend to walk from any potential purchase with 112k miles on it. You never know how the seller treated the car, and while some Toyotas chug along will past 200K, many do not.

8) If you're planning on keeping long haul, I'd typically recommend targeting used with 30K or less, buying a low cost of maintenance brand, having a trusted mechanic inspect tip to tail prior to writing the check, and possibly dropping all fluids if recommended.

9) If you're really uncomfortable with the compact SUV class, your Rogue sounds like a good value for a trade-in or private party sale to fund moving to a mid-size SUV for the sake of "more metal around me". There is something to be said for larger vehicle and the physics of collisions. Might you consider a Toyota Venza or similar?

 

Anecdotal story: when I decided to get out of my fancy sedan and get an SUV for all my gear, my trusted mechanic (past roommate, family friend, great mechanic) recommended I get the brand & model I'm currently driving. Bought it 2 years old, 18K miles. That was 10 years ago, and it's still running strong with only oil and tires - and a preemptive water pump replacement. I've been fortunate, and hope you end up with a great whip that lasts you similarly.

 

Tim

[stillearning]

So where do you live? Mountains? Flat lands? I only drive my ride once or twice a week and let it run. At my age, I don't run it every day, so the cost of operating it is minimal. I like having plenty of power and the gas mileage on the interstate is higher than the in town mileage. Once again, my concern with any used car is how it was maintained, not gas mileage.

 

 

Mike T.

I live in NE Ohio. Fairly hilly terrain⦠not flat, but not mountains by any stretch. We tend to buy with MPG as one of our considerations, both for our wallets as well as the environment. We have 3 cars, all get at least 30 MPG. We generally buy new, but keep 'em for at least 10 years. Next car will probably be electric or plug in hybrid. And like you, I don"t drive as much as I used to being being older now and all but retired.

[Mike Davis]

 

Allan, if you're considering Subaru, I'd encourage you to see if you can find a 5th generation (2015-2019) Outback with the 3.6R engine and give it a test drive.

 

Eric, other than an unexpected CVT problem at 137K miles my 2011 Outback was a great car. I had it for 7 years, and traded it for the now-totaled 2018 Honda CR-V. At the time of the accident I had just lost a major chunk of income, so I downgraded slightly to the 2017 Rogue to reflect that.

 

I did test drive a 2013 4Runner last night; it's in great shape and meticulously maintained, so the 112K doesn't scare me much. But after looking at our budget, my wife and I decided to hold off a bit on the vehicle replacement idea. We bought a smaller house back in January, with the idea of selling our current home after a few renovations were completed at the new house. Between a few 'surprises' and contractor delays, we're juggling the two places somewhat longer than expected. After studying the NHTSA and IIHS sites, I'm thinking of modifying the now delayed replacement - looking at the reality of longer drives and sharp fuel cost increases. If I found something with closer to 76-80 CF of cargo space - plus a top safety rating - I'd consider going that direction. The 6 CF of extra cargo space in the CR-V was helpful (vs the Rogue, at 70 CF). The newest Outbacks are close to the CR-V for space, so we may consider going back to Subaru. I also checked out a 2015 Highlander last night, but other than the very generous cargo space - 89 CF, IIRC - I wasn't blown away, and concluded that my Rogue has a better driving feel. In 'Sport' mode it's a fun drive; not super-fast, but surprisingly nimble.

 

Allan, if you're considering Subaru, I'd encourage you to see if you can find a 5th generation (2015-2019) Outback with the 3.6R engine and give it a test drive.

 

Eric, other than an unexpected CVT problem at 137K miles my 2011 Outback was a great car. I had it for 7 years, and traded it for the now-totaled 2018 Honda CR-V. At the time of the accident I had just lost a major chunk of income, so I downgraded slightly to the 2017 Rogue to reflect that.

 

I did test drive a 2013 4Runner last night; it's in great shape and meticulously maintained, so the 112K doesn't scare me much. But after looking at our budget, my wife and I decided to hold off a bit on the vehicle replacement idea. We bought a smaller house back in January, with the idea of selling our current home after a few renovations were completed at the new house. Between a few 'surprises' and contractor delays, we're juggling the two places somewhat longer than expected. After studying the NHTSA and IIHS sites, I'm thinking of modifying the now delayed replacement - looking at the reality of longer drives and sharp fuel cost increases. If I found something with closer to 76-80 CF of cargo space - plus a top safety rating - I'd consider going that direction. The 6 CF of extra cargo space in the CR-V was helpful (vs the Rogue, at 70 CF). The newest Outbacks are close to the CR-V for space, so we may consider going back to Subaru. I also checked out a 2015 Highlander last night, but other than the very generous cargo space - 89 CF, IIRC - I wasn't blown away, and concluded that my Rogue has a better driving feel. In 'Sport' mode it's a fun drive; not super-fast, but surprisingly nimble.

 

Holding off sounds like a great idea. And really, in 3 years or so, there will probably be a plug-in hybrid version of the 4Runner!

[cp-the-nerd]

I'm not as gung ho about Subaru as a lot of people in this thread. If you look at one, make sure you test drive it extensively. Their bread and butter models all use a grainy boxer 4-cylinder paired with a CVT like your Rogue. My mother-in-law bought a new loaded Subaru Outback several years ago and everyone disliked it so much that they traded it in early for a Honda. For a unibody crossover, the Subaru leaves a lot to be desired in terms of ride, noise, and refinement in my opinion. Subarus with turbocharged engines are not known for their reliability either.

 

If you test drive a highlander and an outback I'd be shocked if you didn't go with the Toyota.

[MikeT156]

Stillearning

 

Being that this Forum has members from all over the country, the terrain, how many miles we drive, the size of the vehicle will vary. I hardly drive 5K miles a year now, so mpg is not all that important. I live adjacent to the Allegheny Mountains and the mountains here are over 1600 Ft which is similar to the foot hills of the rocky mountains. We still have some old fashion 3 lane highways that were carved out over 50 years ago and can be a bit steep. So I have a 6 cylinder 335 hp fuel injected engine. I want the power and don't settle for being the slowest ride on the road.

 

I agree with what Bill H had to say and would pass on that ride the OP has been considering. I suggest trying to buy from a Private Owner that he can speak with in person, find out about the maintenance, and buy a later model lower mileage vehical that will do the job.

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

Mike T.

[Theo Verelst]

Respresenting probably nobody else in this group than myself, being mostly an Audi driver since long, and not having had a very average life path, I would be very specific about the car I like, and how hopefully that translates in some second hand offer.

 

I never drive a extreme power car or outspoken sports car, or SUV (I don't like them much), but I sure can appreciate the difference between an average motor and a more sporty one, though it has to be said there are vehicles with seemingly better engines that have no proper drive chain or road behavior and therefore are in practice not much of a winner, which I suppose is a consideration. Fuel consumption in this time I feel is important for both the environment and the cost for a musician wanting to transport himself, potentially equipment and family, etc. My audi preference originally, when I just worked at the time after graduating reflected that notion (Audio 100, a 5000 IIRC in the US) though the combined sportiness and superior driving experience were the most important.

 

Getting a good used car deal is hard to do in a segment where a lot of people have the demands that you have, so reliable info can help a lot, just like a purchase test (having an independent party test the cars main faults).

 

T