Just found out that my current car will die any day now due to a known defect. It's out of warranty and I have no money to replace it right now.
I've been cursed with car problems my whole life, no matter how well I take care of them, I keep getting screwed.
All of the cars have been Fords because I always heard they were generally dependable and cheap to repair/upkeep, but so far they have all failed me.
What cars do y'all recommend? What cars do you have that just won't give up the ghost no matter how old/beat up they get? If your life depended on your car lasting as long as possible, what car would you drive?
I want whatever car I get next to last me 10-20 years. I want to be that person posting a picture of the odometer hitting 300k miles. I also don't care much about features, reliability is key.
Unpopular opinion, but Tesla model 3 has been the best car with the lowest total cost of ownership.
Electricity is cheaper than gas by a lot, no moving parts or fluids to replace except washer fluid, brakes last forever since it’s Regen braking.
It’s also pretty fun to drive.
Not a fan of the dude, and never bought into the hype on the tech side, but it’s a solid car.
I'd say any electric car, other than the early nissan leaf. Most batteries will last a couple hundred thousand miles without losing much capacity.
I'm kind of surprised nobody said Kia (and for that matter, Hyundai) yet?
JD Power has ranked Kia in the top 3 in dependability for the past few years and gave them the #1 spot last year. They also have a 10yr/100k mile warranty so theoretically they'll survive for a very long time.
They do have a bad wrap with the car thefts going on, but that issue is addressed with their newer models. I do suppose though that to a dumb "thrill seeker" that doesn't mean you're immune to attempted thefts.
Totally agree. I worked at a few lube shops over the years and was always impressed with Hyundai and Kia as they rarely ever had as many issues as a lot of other manufacturers. They totally screwed the pooch with the interlock decision, and have had some recent reliability issues with certain engines, but I think they build pretty good cars overall. Hyundai has also been doing some pretty good styling with their newest models
Would you like to retract this statement by any chance? I mean a family member of mine's kia caught on fire, so I'm wondering if you're still firm on your decision or not.
If you can name a single manufacturer that hasn't had a recall for an issue that lead to death/injury/property damage maybe I'd consider it, but I know there isn't one so I stand by my statement.
All the cars my family has owned have never caught on fire until now.
Unless you've owned millions of cars, that has no statistical relevance.
Don’t trust what people say from their individual stories. You need statistics of hundreds of cars, not single anecdotes. There must be sites that evaluate cars reliability, average spending on repairs and so on, model by model. Find those.
There must be sites that evaluate cars reliability, average spending on repairs and so on, model by model. Find those.
In the U.S., that would be Consumer Reports magazine, available at most public libraries.
If you really want a long lasting machine, listen to this person. So much nose in this thread. For example: Subarus, in fact, do not have reputation for being long lasting without major repairs. Most people do not keep a vehicle for 10+ years nor for 300k miles. I have a vehicle that is older than that with 30% more miles. As said above, an anecdote.
Somebody keeps track of the cost of ownership over time. Perhaps a company, maybe a government agency.
Good luck!
Spent 10k on a 2014 Subaru Outback with 120k miles, headgasket leak. First and only owner. Whats even worse is brake error light after spending that much. Carmaxed that junk. I will never ever buy a Subaru. Replaced it with a Honda.
Toyota Prius. I've seen people in central Asia rock mud and dirt trails with it, that most Westerners wouldn't dare to go on with their SUVs
2WD cars can do some amazing stuff, especially because the Prius is heavy because of the batteries and has more traction as a result
I agree completely. I have a 2009 that I got second hand, just passed 7 years and I've only had minor repairs in addition to regular maintenance.
One caveat - if you have to park on the street, invest in a cage for your catalytic converter. Mine and literally everyone else I know who has a Prius had theirs stolen. That's the biggest expense I've had with mine.
I have had mazadas and toyotas run for decades with zero problems but they are also decades old and may not be reflective of the current quality of the cars. See: BMW and Mercedes. they used to be quality in the 20th century, now they are a bit shit.
Can't go wrong with Honda and Toyota. They are basically tanks that keep running even when you abuse them.
Fully agree with Toyota and Honda with the exception of the 2019 and other same gen versions of the Honda Civic. There is a known defect with the air conditioning system that causes leaks even after repairs and results in a failed AC system. My brother has been plagued with this issue and unofficially Honda acknowledges it but will fight like hell to pretend it doesn’t exist.
Pretty much the only thing that will stop them is rust. They'll disintegrate long before the motors give up if taken care of properly.
Honda and Toyota last forever. Incredibly reliable cars.
Honda. The answer is Honda.
As long as you don't take your a/c into the equation, or have one of the 3.5s that have ring problems.
You know what "Ford" stands for, eh?
Fix It Again, Tony.
But to add something to the conversation, my vote goes to Toyota and Honda.
Anecdotally: Had a 1999 Corolla that I drove into the ground, ignored oil changes, was a stupid teen, and it ran fine until I wanted automatic windows. Currently riding in a Nissan Altima, which seems to be pretty great (as long as the transmission doesn't fail, which they can do sometimes).
Parents had a Ford Eacort that was a lemon, and a Ford Escape that was a money-pit.
Ford is Fix Or Repair Daily.
FIAT is "fix it again Tony".
My mechanic buddies all swear by Toyota, the Prius is rated the kind of car least likely to seen in a shop and pretty much any other Toyota is bullet proof.
Flipside, I will never own a Nissan. Worked at an auto auction for 6 months as an inspector. One thing that was hammered on us is check engine oil even before it went to the auctions mechanic for sludge. The reason it was hammered so hard is because it was a problem. Only with Nissans. In 6 months, hundreds of cars a day, Nissans were the only ones with the engine sludge issue.
r/whatcarshouldibuy
