Just reliable

[Marathonman]

I need help selecting a new/used (but low miles) car. So far I have owned neon that had 2 head gaskets go out and then one timing belt. Now I have a Sable that has a check engine light that no one can turn off and allot of odd problems. And I take really good care of these cars!!!!!

So since I have like no luck choosing cars. Can some one please tell me of a Car that will get over 100k-150k mil? With out any problems? I have been thinking of getting a Camry just because I hear that they are vary reliable!!!! But I do not want to over look anything.

[Importboom]

Well im only fifteen and most people would consider my opinion unreliable but from what i have read and heard i would like to just give u sum options: first there is the new nissan altima(great car fromw aht i have read) yur looking at like 23.9K base model i think but its well worth it. Also almost all newer hondas are built to be run... they last forever... and if yur really looking for a cheap new reliable car the new mazda 3 and mazda 6 are also cheap great new cars.The new scion tc is also a new car that is a great inexpensive ride. But all of this is just from what ive read on reviews, posts, forums magazines and word of mouth. what i am really into is import tuning but i try to stay in touch with the rest of the automotive world.Hope you find sumthing nice man

[curtis73]

Darn near anything NOT american

Toyota, most Nissans, most Mazdas. Avoid the Koreans like Kia and Hyundai. Avoid VW. Avoid the higher end imports like Infinity and Lexus for all out reliability. They have the same quality as their Nissan and Toyota siblings, but just with more gizmos to potentially go bad. Its not a huge issue, but one to consider. Honda is equal on the reliability front, but if you're a penny pincher, they are more expensive to buy and maintain than the other Japanese.

If you are looking at Honda, look at BMW. Same general cost of maintenance parts and typically last 200-250k miles without incident. Their greater initial cost is more than worth it for quality of parts and fit and finish... not to mention fun to drive. I've driven an Acura NSX and would rather drive my BMW 325 anyday. You can't beat a BMW for long life and "fun to drive" factor. Its one of those things where until you drive one you never realize how un-rewarding your current car is. Everything from steering to suspension, to engine, to sound, to carpet quality is built to last as long as the car... and I drive a 1987 e30 with 157k miles.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by curtis73

Darn near anything NOT american

Toyota, most Nissans, most Mazdas. Avoid the Koreans like Kia and Hyundai. Avoid VW. Avoid the higher end imports like Infinity and Lexus for all out reliability. They have the same quality as their Nissan and Toyota siblings, but just with more gizmos to potentially go bad. Its not a huge issue, but one to consider. Honda is equal on the reliability front, but if you're a penny pincher, they are more expensive to buy and maintain than the other Japanese.

If you are looking at Honda, look at BMW. Same general cost of maintenance parts and typically last 200-250k miles without incident. Their greater initial cost is more than worth it for quality of parts and fit and finish... not to mention fun to drive. I've driven an Acura NSX and would rather drive my BMW 325 anyday. You can't beat a BMW for long life and "fun to drive" factor. Its one of those things where until you drive one you never realize how un-rewarding your current car is. Everything from steering to suspension, to engine, to sound, to carpet quality is built to last as long as the car... and I drive a 1987 e30 with 157k miles.

I must respectfully disagree on the BMW issue.
Part of the original thread implies to me, 'cheap and easy to fix, so long as it doesn't break too often. '
BMW's are no more reliable than most decent cars these days, but are a really expensive bear to fix. Much of the parts supply is controlled by the dealer, or if you are lucky, a handful of suppliers who keep prices high. Many BMW fans, myself included, feel their joyful nature when driving to be worth the extra cost. However, I would never suggest they are a reasonable alternative to someone looking for 'reliablility' first and formost.
As for reliablilty, sometimes its hit or miss. I favour certain features for reliablility: Cast iron engines, (not aluminum), pushrods (not OHC), first electronic generation fuel injection (not OBD II), and rear wheel drive.
While this features do not guarentee a reliable carthey are good indicators of reliability. The shining example of this are late 80's early 90's Chevy V6 S10 pick up trucks - car like to drive (in a tail-happy kind of way), cheap and easy to fix and utterly, utterly reliable, in every way.

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

I must respectfully disagree on the BMW issue.
Part of the original thread implies to me, 'cheap and easy to fix, so long as it doesn't break too often. '
BMW's are no more reliable than most decent cars these days, but are a really expensive bear to fix. Much of the parts supply is controlled by the dealer, or if you are lucky, a handful of suppliers who keep prices high. Many BMW fans, myself included, feel their joyful nature when driving to be worth the extra cost. However, I would never suggest they are a reasonable alternative to someone looking for 'reliablility' first and formost.
As for reliablilty, sometimes its hit or miss. I favour certain features for reliablility: Cast iron engines, (not aluminum), pushrods (not OHC), first electronic generation fuel injection (not OBD II), and rear wheel drive.
While this features do not guarentee a reliable carthey are good indicators of reliability. The shining example of this are late 80's early 90's Chevy V6 S10 pick up trucks - car like to drive (in a tail-happy kind of way), cheap and easy to fix and utterly, utterly reliable, in every way.

I can dig it. I took the original post to just be looking for anything that lasts long. I like the generalizations you make; cast iron, pushrod, OBD1. My only disagreement is the S10. The 4.3 V6 is not what I would call a long-lifer in general. Some have had excellent luck with them, but they are 40-year-old technology. The metallurgy has improved over the years, but its 3/4 of a 350. If you disassemble a Chevy 90* V6 or V8 at 100k and compare it to a Toyota V6 at 100k, I think you would see massive differences in component wear in favor of the Toyota. I would even go as far as to say that comparing a 100k chevy to a 200k BMW might be comparable. I pulled apart a BMW M20 engine with 210k that still had crosshatches in the bores and showed equal compression. Of course, engine life should not imply overall car reliability, which I think is partly your point. Where BMWs tend to suck is electrical reliability. Germans got the metallurgy gene. Japanese got the electrical gene.

I'm a huge fan of simplicity, and the S10s sure do exemplify that. Simplicity is why I suggested staying away from the high-end japanese cars. Power windows can't fail if they aren't installed You also can't beat Chevys for cheap parts if they do fail. I also like the S10 since its rear wheel drive. You might have to replace U-joints every 90k, but they are $30 compared to several hundred bucks for CV joints on FWD. I just can't give it the nod for ultimate reliability... especially after my mother owned three which were complete pieces of junk. Coincidence possibly, but myself having owned 7 other GM vehicles I think that reliabile is not a word I can say in the same sentence The one exception I will make is the LT1 engine. They have water pump issues and distributor issues, but otherwise they are a very well engineered version of 40-year-old technology in a "new" block. The EFI system, good rods, and precise machine work are mostly to credit for that.

[illusion123a]

Check out the hyundai elentra, it has recently one many awards, and has a 100k warrenty ( i would spring for the extra 10 year bumber to bumper anyway). I have an 02 accent, and have had a few minor problems but i have not had to pay out anything (well i had the brakes replaced at 40 k, but i will admit that is most likely due to my drive fast, stop fast driving) The only problem is that i have had a hard time finding a good service dealer, ( i live in centeral Pa, so my options are limited to 3 dealers with in an hours drive of my house). I would also look at eopinions.com its a great little site, that allows comsumer to post their opinions about any product.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by curtis73

I can dig it. I took the original post to just be looking for anything that lasts long. I like the generalizations you make; cast iron, pushrod, OBD1. My only disagreement is the S10. The 4.3 V6 is not what I would call a long-lifer in general. Some have had excellent luck with them, but they are 40-year-old technology. The metallurgy has improved over the years, but its 3/4 of a 350. If you disassemble a Chevy 90* V6 or V8 at 100k and compare it to a Toyota V6 at 100k, I think you would see massive differences in component wear in favor of the Toyota. I would even go as far as to say that comparing a 100k chevy to a 200k BMW might be comparable. I pulled apart a BMW M20 engine with 210k that still had crosshatches in the bores and showed equal compression. Of course, engine life should not imply overall car reliability, which I think is partly your point. Where BMWs tend to suck is electrical reliability. Germans got the metallurgy gene. Japanese got the electrical gene.

I'm a huge fan of simplicity, and the S10s sure do exemplify that. Simplicity is why I suggested staying away from the high-end japanese cars. Power windows can't fail if they aren't installed You also can't beat Chevys for cheap parts if they do fail. I also like the S10 since its rear wheel drive. You might have to replace U-joints every 90k, but they are $30 compared to several hundred bucks for CV joints on FWD. I just can't give it the nod for ultimate reliability... especially after my mother owned three which were complete pieces of junk. Coincidence possibly, but myself having owned 7 other GM vehicles I think that reliabile is not a word I can say in the same sentence The one exception I will make is the LT1 engine. They have water pump issues and distributor issues, but otherwise they are a very well engineered version of 40-year-old technology in a "new" block. The EFI system, good rods, and precise machine work are mostly to credit for that.

I see your points. I have owned many GM cars over the years, and certainly their reliability is average, to be sure. Often their cars are cheaper that average to buy, new or used and, as you say, parts and service is cheap so, overall, I feel I am ahead of the game a bit with GM.
Case in point: My two S-10's lasted a long, long time and were exceptionally reliable. One had 411,000 km on it (2.8 L V6!!), when I sold it. They both got a bit rusty eventually, and their interiors always felt a bit cheap. This is GM's philosophy at work, reasonably decent vehicles, but cheap to buy, but just don't expect too much, becuase they cut corners on the details.

I have pulled the heads off GM and Ford V8's with high mileage and still found cross hatching on the cylinders. Other times, I have pulled Chevy 2.8 V6's apart and found them extremely worn at 150,000 km. It's really hit or miss. Personally, I believe that the use the engines get has a lot to do with their longevity. IMHO many shorter trips where the relatively large mass of a cast iron V8 never really gets warmed up has a lot to do with it. Light, compact high output aluminum import engines can tolerate many short trips more easily because they achieve operating temperature more quickly and will last longer.

[cartechguy]

Try Corolla, I know one guy who has 240,000 miles on his 1994 Corolla,
it's very reliable and easy to maintain model. If you can, go for 1998 and newer models since they don't even have the timing belt, they use chain instead. Camry is good too, but it takes more gas. As long as you do oil changes regularly it will last for 100,000 easy.
Check this out:
http://www.samarins.com/reviews/corolla.html

[Marathonman]

Well thanks everyone so far. I will have to test drive the Corolla before I make my choice.

Reading some of the other threads I feel that maybe I should give you all alittle more information about my self. I am a support teck and I drive at least 160 miles everyday so fuel econmy is a big deal. Also also like bigger cars. I know that the two of those do not go togeter vary well.

[Importboom]

haha yur in a real tight bind...but if yur looking for spacious and reliability id test the new nissan altima... looks great and its totally improved on from last years, and it has a pretty cheap starting price(well its reasonable)get out do a google search for nissan altima and do sum research you might find yourself actually looking into it