New Car

[brett]

I would never consider a Lincoln or a Cadillac product. Never had a Caddy. Neighbour had a new one every three years until the day he test drove a Lexus . I did have a Lincoln...once.

My preference would be to head straight to the Lexus or Acura dealerships.
Quality product. Quality service. Failing that, Toyota or Honda.

 

[Music Lover]

Any of the top dozen or so manufacturers all have very reliable vehicles. According to True Delta, the difference between #2 Honda at 19 visits per 100 cars (for 2010 - 2015) and #10 Porsche at 27 visits per 100 cars is 8 visits, which is an 8 in 100 greater chance of repair over 6 model years. That's only 8%.

My advice is to buy something that you like and will enjoy driving every day and don't worry so much about a repair that may or may not happen.

 

[brett]

Your choice may depend on how long you tend to keep your vehicles.

I hate shopping. Gave our 18 year old Camry to our son two years ago. 200K miles. No engine leaks, never a mtce issue other than usual. But, I had regular service and changed the fluids. I expect our 2010 Honda to last for another 10 years or so.

If you only keep you vehicle for a few years then other considerations float to the top of your list.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I hope that I am not hi-jacking this thread, but how about a Toyota Highlander? I do not have one but am thinking of purchasing one as trip car.

Does anybody have thoughts on the Highlander?

We have had ours ('12 model) since new and it has about 50K miles on it now. It does have a fair amount of squeaks in the interior (when car interiors are made of Tupperware, it's almost expected). We like it and will keep it as long as it runs. The V6 has a towing capacity of 5K and I can say that we towed a 5,005 pound trailer from TX to GA and it drove great and the mileage was not bad for maxing out the trailer (about 15 MPG). No service issues, either. I would recommend.

If and when my Infiniti gives up the ghost, I will probably get a 4Runner that's a few years old. I like the style and well...it's a Yota, so should be pretty dependable.

As for luxury car, I would also +1 for Lexus. They make very nice cars, and face it...it's a Toyota...it will last forever. GM products? I am not as confident.

 

[jazz4cash]

Crew cab, V6, 4x4. What the heck... you only live once and you can't take it with you.



I also got the spray in bedliner which I wish I had in my Colorado.

I am impressed with the factory spray-in bedliner but my after market Line-X sprayed bedliner is great so you can always add it on.
Edit: Nevermind. I see you DID get it.

Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[GravitySucks]

I don't own either of the two cars you're looking at. That said, have you considered a white panel van? If yes, make sure it's not a white panel van made by Honda or you may have to learn how to brake with your left foot.

And you can pick them up cheap at both Police and IRS auctioned.

 

[big-papa]

After 13 years with my Honda Civic EX, tomorrow I get my new Civic EX-L. A few minor repairs on the old Civic and my teenage daughter gets it next year when she gets her license, thus dashing her dreams of having a Ferrari as her first car.



Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Bamaman]

Lexus has a good reputation but I just can't get past their front end design. I know it is subjective and other folks may like it but I think it is the worst looking car on the road. As much as I buy any product based on value and durability this stops me cold

I'm with you on some of the body lines of some Lexus'. The RX is just too "high fashion" for me--and I especially don't like the front end. But it's their biggest seller.

My Lexus dealer has tough competition with an Acura, BMW and 2 Mercedes dealerships. And despite the futuristic styling, they broke all sales records last month going back to 1990.

Most Lexus dealers also have other auto franchises, and they're just such doggone great at what they do. And over the years, the dealers' sons and daughters are now taking over the dealerships--fresh blood.

My Lexus just turned over 100K miles, and it's never been in any shop other than for brakes. The cars' components just work so well, and they've got bulletproof reliability.

 

[GravitySucks]

I was looking at the Toyota Avalon, for me the next car will be that or the Lexus ES. The two and a half year old Camry in the garage says neither may be an option by the time I need to buy again.

 

[Another Reader]

I have a 2015 RX 350 purchased in October 2014. Lexus had started the ugly nose transition with the last iteration of that generation. Mine was made in Japan and has a leather interior. It replaced a 2010 4 cylinder Highlander that was a POS. The electrical system started going out on the Highlander at 40k with the radio going out first. Made in the US at the truck factory. Never again.

The new Lexus RX 350's are made in the US and have fake leather upholstery. It has some fancy name, but we used to call that vinyl upholstery. The car itself is even less functional for carrying cargo than the last generation. The brand has been cheapened to the point a price premium is no longer justified. Won't be buying another Lexus, sadly.

 

[laurence]

Man, for all the LBYM types on here, y'all like some gas guzzlers! My used Beemer feels like an extravagance at 30k, but it gets 34 mpg on the highway with it's turbo 4....

 

[W2R]

Man, for all the LBYM types on here, y'all like some gas guzzlers! My used Beemer feels like an extravagance at 30k, but it gets 34 mpg on the highway with it's turbo 4....

I have a great big ol' gas guzzling SUV with the V6 engine option, and my gasoline for all of 2015 cost me $600.44.

I don't have to drive it very much, so gas mileage is not a big priority for me. It's nice to have a big vehicle for possible hurricane evacuations.

 

[Badger]

Man, for all the LBYM types on here, y'all like some gas guzzlers! My used Beemer feels like an extravagance at 30k, but it gets 34 mpg on the highway with it's turbo 4....

My wife has a shiny red 2011 F150 we bought new when she retired. It has 16k miles or about 3k/yr. It was what she wanted and after decades of buying used cars and driving them till they stopped I didn't question her choice. She drives to play tennis in our small town and we use it on occasion to transport large items. Gas is not an issue. I drive a 2012 Escape with a small 4 banger that I bought new when I retired. It has 36k miles or about 9k/yr. We use this most of the time and with the average miles/yr gas is not an issue either. Eventually I will be getting an Elio once they are available (yeah, I know some people don't think it will happen but I'm hoping for late 2017). It is targeted to get over 80 fun mpg on the highway so I will be using it frequently.

Cheers!

 

[Danmar]

Man, for all the LBYM types on here, y'all like some gas guzzlers! My used Beemer feels like an extravagance at 30k, but it gets 34 mpg on the highway with it's turbo 4....

The cost of gas for many (most?) people is a non issue. Especially true for retirees and now when gas is so cheap. A little surprised how many still fixate on this. Something simple to measure and talk about I guess. I have no idea what my mileages are. Maybe not representative on this topic but still?

 

[MichaelB]

The cost of gasoline was a significant budget item for much of the U.S. population and most of the rest of the world for the past decade, and continues to be for most people outside the U.S. We just bought a new car and even though the price of gasoline did not influence our choice, we still opted for a model with improved efficiency. No need to be wasteful, we'd rather leave some for the grandkids...

 

[Danmar]

The cost of gasoline was a significant budget item for much of the U.S. population and most of the rest of the world for the past decade, and continues to be for most people outside the U.S. We just bought a new car and even though the price of gasoline did not influence our choice, we still opted for a model with improved efficiency. No need to be wasteful, we'd rather leave some for the grandkids...

Right. Good response. Just saying for many people here the cost of gas isn't a significant determinant in what car they buy. You say it was not a determinant but then contradict yourself? Agree there is no reason to be wasteful, but no reason to sweat the small stuff either.

 

[Ronstar]

The cost of gas for many (most?) people is a non issue....

Where did you find your supporting data?

 

[MichaelB]

Right. Good response. Just saying for many people here the cost of gas isn't a significant determinant in what car they buy. You say it was not a determinant but then contradict yourself? Agree there is no reason to be wasteful, but no reason to sweat the small stuff either.

There is no contradiction in my post. To clarify:

The price of gasoline is a major expense for most of the world's population, including the US. Transportation is typically the first or second largest budget item for families, and fuel a major part of that. High fuel prices are barely affordable for many. A minority of the population around the world need not be concerned about the price of gasoline, or anything else for that matter.

Even here on the forum I believe most members are aware of fuel prices and opt for greater fuel efficiency where possible.

We chose a fuel efficient car because we felt that fuel efficiency and waste avoidance were important characteristics. This had nothing to do with the price of fuel. In fact, just the opposite - we opted for greater efficiency despite the substantial decline in cost of gasoline.

 

[Philliefan33]

DH and I are thinking about purchasing a new car. He travels for contract work, and on each trip he rents a car to drive. He's beginning to appreciate the bells & whistles that come with new cars-- the back-up cameras, easy Bluetooth connections, etc. even the mid-price cars have these now.

He drove a Prius for two weeks and liked it. He thought it remarkable that he used less than half the gasoline he typically uses on his trip, so considered one for our purchase. While I like the idea of a hybrid, it doesn't make $ense for us now that I'm not commuting. Our gas consumption is such that a hybrid would save us $300-500 per year. That means a long payback time for the initial purchase premium.

 

[eytonxav]

Even here on the forum I believe most members are aware of fuel prices and opt for greater fuel efficiency where possible.

Especially if your dealing with a long commute to work.

 

[Danmar]

Yikes! Sorry to ruffle but it just seems to me that people think/worry more about the cost of gas in their cars than the actual numbers warrant. Many retirees don't drive much it seems so gas cost would not be a big deal? Obviously, if you commute long distances or run an RV around your concern would be valid. Just my humble thoughts in response to post #61 and the apparent support for older large pick ups displayed here?

 

[GTFan]

While I like the idea of a hybrid, it doesn't make $ense for us now that I'm not commuting. Our gas consumption is such that a hybrid would save us $300-500 per year. That means a long payback time for the initial purchase premium.

If you don't want to take the premium hit for a new hybrid, sure. But as posted above I've seen plenty of 2-3 year old Prius here (with less than 40k miles) for less than $15k, which is about the same price you'd pay for an equivalent used Toyonda. So there is no payback to worry about if you can deal with buying an off-lease car.

Now is a great time to buy a used hybrid.

 

[W2R]

Yikes! Sorry to ruffle but it just seems to me that people think/worry more about the cost of gas in their cars than the actual numbers warrant. Many retirees don't drive much it seems so gas cost would not be a big deal? Obviously, if you commute long distances or run an RV around your concern would be valid. Just my humble thoughts in response to post #61 and the apparent support for older large pick ups displayed here?

Maybe it's an unpopular stance, but I, for one, agree with what you are saying. For example, last year I spent over twice as much on car insurance, as I did on gasoline. This is because I drive so little, because gas prices have been very low sometimes recently, and also because New Orleans has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country. So, low insurance relative to other models should be a higher priority for me than gas mileage, when deciding what vehicle to drive. I'm going to think about that more carefully if/when I ever decide to buy another vehicle.

 

[nanannjen]

I definitely agree on the Lexus front end being ugly - that was the only model I refused to look at in my crossover search. We just pulled the trigger yesterday on a Lincoln MKX. I got everything that I wanted for only a couple of thousand more than a comparably equipped Ford Edge - and I love the interior/dash/center console layout on the Lincoln. So nice not having the gear shift in the way!

That being said, I do feel a little strange driving a Lincoln. I've only driven Honda's (with the exception of my first car - AMC Gremlin ), so I feel so bourgeoisie!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I definitely agree on the Lexus front end being ugly -

This comment has been made over and over again (and I agree). So, does Lexus not do consumer testing on designs? I would think that if they did, that front end would look quite a bit different. I am a fan of the Lexus brand, but that front end dissuades me enough that I wouldn't even CONSIDER it if I was hunting for a new car.