Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
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Consumer Reports Names Ten Most / Least Reliable Cars
Although I respect Consumer Reports, I've had mixed results with their car reliability ratings on occasion. My experience with several cars was much different than Consumer Reports' reliability ratings suggested.
I owned a couple Dodge and Chrysler Plymouth vehicles back in the day (90's, 2000). I told myself I would never again buy another one of their products - and I haven't. Interesting to see their Jeeps are still some of the least reliable cars on the road today, which my son found out the hard way.
@MikeM - you probably remember "Click and Clack" / "Cartalk" which ran on NPR for many, many years. They had no use for Jeeps and Range Rovers way back then. Not much has changed, evidently.
Our families are very lucky to drive Toyota and Honda. The newest car is 12 years old with over 150,000 miles. We do take care of them with their maintenance schedule.
What happen to those European cars? They used to be excellent cars.
The Tappet Brothers radio program was great for advice and comic relief. They could have been stand up comedians. I explained what 'tappets' were, to my wife, in relationship to an engine. Adjusted a few of those in my youth, especially in performance engines; prior to the vast improvements in hydraulic lifters for engines. As @hank mentioned about the tv commercials and driving over boulders. Just as bad as the ads with folks going to 'grandmas' house for the holidays and driving way too fast through the snow drifts on the back roads. Ya, right. I'm sure they're going to drive their $70,000+ Jeeps like this and hoping they don't go 'off road' and into the ditch. Well, some of the juvenile owners will....... Gotta love the marketing departments. NOT !
I have an old pickup for hauling. Put less than 1,000 a year on it now. Prefer the handling of lower riding sedans. My Accord Hybrid is nice handling, huge trunk, and routinely gets 47 mpg. What not to like? Reserved a Camary rental on recent trip to FLA. (Budget / Avis). But when got there, only a Tacoma or Toyota RAV4 SUV were available. Took the SUV but found the steering funky and handling less than hoped for. I guess I don’t understand the appeal of higher riding vehicles.
Ha, that puts you and I in the everybody-is-different category @hank I'll never go back to a sedan.
Rav4's aren't my favorite vehicle for the reasons you gave. My wife has a 2013 Rav4 and she likes it. I really like my 2019 Subaru Outback. It has all the bells and whistles that I thought I didn't need, but now wouldn't want to do without. I think your "huge trunk" is relative compared to one of these small SUVs .
I suspect the steering issue I mentioned was maybe in how the software was set or maybe a mechanical issue. On a short rental there isn’t time to get to know the vehicle very well. All I can say @Mike is - enjoy paying double the cost of fuel to get “from here to there” I do
Cars are like clothing and there are many opinions depending the individual’s experience. I am cheap and thus lean toward cars in the order of being fuel efficient, reliable, large carrying capacity, and personal comfort. Believe or not, a Honda Civic hatchback met majority of my needs. My wife likes her minivan for the family.
At rental car places we avoid getting “sport” cars and large SUVs. Sometimes they are the leftover cars. So it goes…
S.O.B doesn't like my adblocker. Screw 'em, then. Our biggest problem with the car on Oahu is the tires. Road crews leaving nails. Surrounded by idiots. Not to mention the time we had to jump-start the thing and get it to the dealer. Found out later, they did absolutely nothing to help--- not even by cleaning the battery posts. So for a couple of days, the car would not start SOMETIMES. Someone else we know volunteered to clean the battery posts for my wife. In the dark. Real extra effort. True friends. The dealer's people? Suck-holes.
(2019 Nissan Sentra with the stoopid curved whatever-you-call-it on the back end, the back edge of the trunk. Is that for aerodynamics? Hardly need it HERE.)
When wife and I were childless, we covered thousands of miles of North America in Honda Civic hatchbacks with 4WD.
After we had children we covered a few more thousand miles in a 4wd Subaru that the state of California eventually gave us money to take off the road.
These days we're all Honda again. Wife has an Odyssey to tow her vintage "canned ham." It hauled the kids around for years. I have a 2008 Fit with a stick. I say "vroom vroom" when I change gears. Number 1 child has an early 21st century Accord that keeps attracting offers to buy.
Comments
What happen to those European cars? They used to be excellent cars.
Rav4's aren't my favorite vehicle for the reasons you gave. My wife has a 2013 Rav4 and she likes it. I really like my 2019 Subaru Outback. It has all the bells and whistles that I thought I didn't need, but now wouldn't want to do without. I think your "huge trunk" is relative compared to one of these small SUVs
At rental car places we avoid getting “sport” cars and large SUVs. Sometimes they are the leftover cars. So it goes…
Our biggest problem with the car on Oahu is the tires. Road crews leaving nails. Surrounded by idiots. Not to mention the time we had to jump-start the thing and get it to the dealer. Found out later, they did absolutely nothing to help--- not even by cleaning the battery posts. So for a couple of days, the car would not start SOMETIMES. Someone else we know volunteered to clean the battery posts for my wife. In the dark. Real extra effort. True friends. The dealer's people? Suck-holes.
(2019 Nissan Sentra with the stoopid curved whatever-you-call-it on the back end, the back edge of the trunk. Is that for aerodynamics? Hardly need it HERE.)
After we had children we covered a few more thousand miles in a 4wd Subaru that the state of California eventually gave us money to take off the road.
These days we're all Honda again. Wife has an Odyssey to tow her vintage "canned ham." It hauled the kids around for years. I have a 2008 Fit with a stick. I say "vroom vroom" when I change gears. Number 1 child has an early 21st century Accord that keeps attracting offers to buy.