Topic 'Which car to keep?' in forum 'Automotive'

Topic 'Which car to keep?' in forum 'Automotive' - dslreports.com http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Which-car-to-keep-21515032 en Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:13:27 EDT Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:13:27 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21535129 said by Goldman:

said by HRM:

My Tennant just paid $3200 to have the engine repaired after the timing belt (120,000 miles) broke and the pistons slammed into the valves.

Foreign cars are very expensive to fix when they break, so if you ask me, I would take the cash out of the Subaru and keep the expoder running. What you pay in gas won't be near as much as the trade + possible maintenance.

The expensive part is ignoring the maintenance schedule.
No argument there, but when a Mazda 626 belt died (and a honda,) it cost me $30 and 3 hours to do a tilt and slide. Subarus have interference engines with zero tolerance for that breakdown. I'd take the cash (I would probably keep the old cars actually) in this case and run the beast till death do us part.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21535129 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:31:47 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21527085
We now own two Explorers.. we bought a '98 back in '01. Aside from having the worst headlight system of any car I've owned (I fixed that myself with an HID upgrade kit), it has been a solid performer, reliable and for me, self-servicable (the brakes are easy to replace, oil changes are a breeze). The vehicle has saved me more serious injuries in the last of four rear end collisions it has been subjected to. Safety is a big factor, with an increasing number of distracted drivers on the road.

Based on that, when my wife's Mitusbishi bit the dust (300k miles, on to the boneyard), we considered another Explorer.
We ended up getting an '06 XLS model, with all options. Nice deal at $13,500, given the exodus from SUVs by a market shocked at oil prices. Sticker was like $31,500.
At any rate, the new Ford is great, we're very happy, well, except for the dim headlights, but they're better than on our '98. New HID upgrade kit on the way should fix that in a week.

I swung from American to Japanese and back to American over the last 40 years. My DeSoto had some problems, and soured me on American autos for a while, then I tried Swedish cars (Saab) and it was the worst experience I ever had with a car, then swung back to American in the late '70s and enjoyed some GM models for many years. Bought a Dodge pickup, that after four years became a money pit for repairs. Bought the Mitsu after that, drove it 270K miles then gave it to the wife as a cheap daily driver. Ran okay but burned oil like no other car I've seen.
When we needed a 4WD, I checked out the '98 Explorer and was delighted at the build quality--much better than in past years. Now the '06 is very satisfactory. Wife is pleased, I'm pleased. It even has the trailer hitch and towing package, 6-speed transmission, overhead cam engine that can keep up with my old '55 Olds from 0-60, which is some notable achievement for a GVWR 6,000+lb truck, and decent amenities inside, including a sound system that doesn't make me ill to listen to.
Overall, Ford seems to be getting top ratings for quality these days. They are rated up there with the Japanese makers, which does not surprise me, give my experience with the two Fords. My last Ford product was my '61 Lincoln, which was problematic after a few years. But today's Fords are a LOT better than ever.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21527085 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:37:34 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21523595 said by HRM:

My Tennant just paid $3200 to have the engine repaired after the timing belt (120,000 miles) broke and the pistons slammed into the valves.

Foreign cars are very expensive to fix when they break, so if you ask me, I would take the cash out of the Subaru and keep the expoder running. What you pay in gas won't be near as much as the trade + possible maintenance.
A Subaru's timing belt is supposed to be replaced every 168,000km, so that would be 104 390.36 miles. I'm sure Subaru of America has a different schedule, but at least in Canada, he would have been running for 16,000 miles after his scheduled maintenance. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21523595 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:06:17 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21523366 said by HRM:

My Tennant just paid $3200 to have the engine repaired after the timing belt (120,000 miles) broke and the pistons slammed into the valves.

Foreign cars are very expensive to fix when they break, so if you ask me, I would take the cash out of the Subaru and keep the expoder running. What you pay in gas won't be near as much as the trade + possible maintenance.
The expensive part is ignoring the maintenance schedule. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21523366 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:23:40 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21523011
Foreign cars are very expensive to fix when they break, so if you ask me, I would take the cash out of the Subaru and keep the expoder running. What you pay in gas won't be near as much as the trade + possible maintenance.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21523011 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:31:01 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21522671 der :D]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21522671 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:32:00 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21521905 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21521905 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:12:29 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21521454
you should have probably setup a poll....
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At first I thought everyone on the highway was drunk but then I realized I was driving in Florida ;)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21521454 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:00:30 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520847
Good points all around. We're leaning towards keeping the Subaru and having one "smaller" car, and getting what we can now for the Explorer. Of course, if we can't find anyone to buy it we might reconsider. :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520847 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:56:35 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520745
The Explorer is solid as a rock. I have 161,000 miles on it and it still burns absolutely no oil between changes (I change it every 5K miles per the manual).

I've had the Subaru for less than a year so I can't comment on its reliability. It is fun to drive though.

I would go with the people who say keep both and forget about the new vehicle. You can bank that money for maintenance of your current vehicles and still be ahead.
--
Calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a crack dealer an unlicensed pharmacist.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520745 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:41:38 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520729 --
Fight fire with water.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520729 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:38:47 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520584
I personally like the suggestion of just keeping both and having no additional payments. Screw the minivan and save the money.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520584 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:15:55 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520189 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21520189 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:06:12 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519805 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519805 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:55:15 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519783 said by PetePuma:

We're about to buy a minivan as our main "family" car (currently the Explorer) and are not sure which car to keep as my commuter car and which one to sell. The Subaru is worth about 2x the Ford at this point, but it's hard to take a guess as to reliability/repairs/etc. over the next 5-7 years.

The Explorer is older and a bigger gas guzzler, but my commute is not far (20 miles/day local/city driving). Both cars have relatively new tires on them. The Subie is due for a brake job but is otherwise sound. Neither car has anything major wrong with it.
Is your commute 20 miles total or one way? If it's 10 each way, I'd suggest getting a bicylce and riding to work, keep your Explorer, and save your money. Biking to work is the best move I ever made—monetarily and health–wise. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519783 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:51:21 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519673
When some one asks us what vehicle to buy, our reply is always Honda, Toyota, Nissan or Subaru in no particular order. Of course the premium brands of Lexus, Infinity and Acura are more costly options as well.

In my professional opinion the Subaru is the keeper.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519673 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:25:51 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519488 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519488 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:34:35 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519386 said by Goldman:

Just curious...if you are considering keeping the Explorer, why buy another family vehicle. I would keep the both cars and bank the cash you would use for payments to buy something later when one of the two vehicles needs replacing.
This makes more sense than anything else.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519386 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:58:22 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519347 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519347 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:38:14 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519341
We have an old '94 Explorer. It's the only vehicle my wife hasn't wrecked - it's that easy for her to drive. It also has the advantage of being a beast in snow. I've tried to get that thing stuck, make it spin out, generally treat it like I used to my old K5 Blazer, but it doesn't bite. The Ford just keeps on rolling.

I don't know how much snow you have in VA, but we get enough here to justify keeping the Ford, even though the B&C whines about her mileage. I tell her she just needs to learn to drive less.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21519341 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:34:05 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518708 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518708 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:13:56 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518681
And I'm a ford guy. :/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518681 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:07:16 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518628 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518628 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:51:58 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518114
I think Subaru tends to have good reliability over time. You could check Consumer Reports used car reviews to see history of models over years.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518114 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:10:58 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518080 --
Palin is sofa king retarded.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518080 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:05:59 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518065 --
Palin is sofa king retarded.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518065 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:03:42 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518058
The worse thing the Subaru is going to need is a timing belt change and maybe a tranny flush (assuming automatic). The Explorer's repairs may be cheap but they are apt to be numerous as well. I say this with 15 and 7 yr old Ford products in the driveway.

If the car you keep becomes your daily commuter, eyeball the safety ratings and see which you'd rather be in when some idiot T-bones you. Also, why drag all that vehicle when it's just you 99% of the time?

I will say I'm biased - I love my 05 Subaru Legacy GT and am also a big fan of the latest Hyundai/Kia products.
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John M - Cranky network guy]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518058 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:02:47 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518042 said by markwp2001:

What are the mileages on the 2 vehicles?
Ah. Good questions.

First, the selling of the car doesn't factor (directly) into the payment on the minivan, though of course money is money.

The Explorer has about 46k miles (we didn't drive it a whole lot the first few years we had it, before we had kids), the Subaru around 36 or 37k.

Re: payload, we don't generally have stuff that's that big, and frankly I'd guess our capacity to haul stuff is probably about equal between the Explorer and the new-to-us Odyssey.

The gas mileage isn't a huge difference -- I've measured 12-14 city on the Explorer, and 19-20 on the Subaru. It takes a lot of miles, even at $4/gal, to balance out. Based on gas alone I'd keep the Explorer, but I'm worried that the Ford "Fix Or Repair Daily" mnemonic will come true...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518042 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:00:10 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518017
its only a matter of time before the price of gas goes up again so you can save money there. Sell the Ford!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21518017 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:56:38 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517993 --
Palin is sofa king retarded.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517993 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:53:29 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517868 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517868 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:34:40 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517852 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517852 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:32:00 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517847 --
Success is getting what you want; Happiness is wanting what you get.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517847 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:31:35 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517783
'93 Impreza since it was new. Totaled by someone who hit it in the rear in 2003 or so. Even after it was totalled and sat in the same spot for 6 or 8 months until I finally admitted to myself it really wasn't worth fixing, it started right up and I drove it onto the flatbed.
'96 Impreza stick, sold because my father couldn't drive stick anymore and nobody else knew how
'99 Impreza, still being driven with 87k miles on it.

Those cars are built to last and as long as you don't start running into problems early on they will stay pretty reliable.

And it's also more fuel efficient than the Explorer.
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Stupidity, like hydrogen, is one of the basic building blocks of the Universe.

Misc]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517783 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:19:30 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517742 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517742 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:11:16 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517672 No time spent thinking about it. Just do it.
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We were taking a vote when the ground came up and hit us.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517672 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:58:12 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517624 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21517624 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:48:53 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21516551 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21516551 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:30:14 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21516539
If that's the case I think you should consider how it will effect the monthly payment of the minivan in relation to how much you put down. But I can already tell you how to solve that dilemma. If you were to sell the Explorer you'd get say 5000 for it (just a guess), you'd likely put all of that towards the down payment. If you were to sell the Subaru, you'd get 10000 (basing it on your 2x the value). In this case you could still put 5000 towards the minivan and 5000 in savings for a rainy day. This would have you coming out equal in relation to how it effects the minivan or if you already have rainy day money then put the entire 10000 towards the minivan.

After putting all this in words I think I'd lean towards selling the Subaru. When I look at it from the perspective of what you want (a commuter car), I wouldn't picture the Subaru as that candidate given the choices. Also given the Subaru already needing a brake job that's a (small) strike against it. How long before the Explorer needs one? That's probably the most expensive wear item after tires (which are equal in this case). Look at it from this perspective, can the Subaru be a backup "family" car? If not, you currently don't have one and it wouldn't hurt to have one (the Explorer).]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21516539 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:28:01 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21516004 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21516004 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:49:45 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21515891
I think the explorer is a more durable vehicle, i drove a delivery buddys 93 explorer with 372k miles and it was a rolling heap, without a decent peice of suspension left it kept lumbering on, and on, and on]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21515891 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:31:53 EDT Re: Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21515226
Personally I'd lean toward keeping the Explorer though I will say that pretty much any car well and properly maintained should last you for many years.
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Founding member, 2002-2003, 2005-2006 Director of Communications, 2004-2005 Secretary for the Crunchenstein Project]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Which-car-to-keep-21515226 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:37:22 EDT Which car to keep? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Which-car-to-keep-21515032
We're about to buy a minivan as our main "family" car (currently the Explorer) and are not sure which car to keep as my commuter car and which one to sell. The Subaru is worth about 2x the Ford at this point, but it's hard to take a guess as to reliability/repairs/etc. over the next 5-7 years.

The Explorer is older and a bigger gas guzzler, but my commute is not far (20 miles/day local/city driving). Both cars have relatively new tires on them. The Subie is due for a brake job but is otherwise sound. Neither car has anything major wrong with it.

Any thoughts or resources? Edmunds has a nice TCO (total cost of ownership) tool, but it doesn't go back before 2003 so I can only look up one of the vehicles. CR's ratings are kind of murky at best, I was hoping for something a little more specific/tangible...

Thanks.
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Fight fire with water.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Which-car-to-keep-21515032 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:08:46 EDT