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.
Honda Fucking Accord
I swear by any car. That is to say, I swear near any car. Get out of my lane! Three feet of space to pass at a minimum!
This is the way to go
Can’t go wrong with Honda and Toyota. They are basically tanks that keep running even when you abuse them.
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.
What about Suzuki and Mazda, are they almost as reliable?
I have no experience with Mazda but there are plenty of old Suzukis on the road where I live.
Mazda’s are very reliable, especially ones built in Japan. The newer ones have excellent designs, equaling luxury brands on the newest and are still fun to drive. More importantly they’re still inexpensive to fix.
2014 and newer Mazdas are good but the infotainment may need replacing or repair on 2014-2018s due to the screen delamination usually from being parked outside. Prior to that, you need to be specific about what model. The engines and transmissions have always been bulletproof so long as they are kept wet, except for the Mazdaspeed and CX-7 turbo needing an oil restrictor.
Suzuki are cheap cars that need cheap fixes and will keep running as long as you keep fluids in them. I’d never buy one unless I couldn’t buy a Honda, Toyota, Mazda, or American V8.
A Corolla or Camry’s lifespan is measured in decades, not years. I occasionally just whisper “oil change” to my Corolla while driving and it makes happy engine noises and just keeps going. They might not be flashy and there’s certainly cars out there with more features but if you’re looking for a car that “just works” and you (almost) can’t kill, get a Toyota.
Honda too I guess although I can’t speak to them specifically.
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.
Honda is known for crap AC systems unfortunately. No one wants to really acknowledge it but it’s true. I had mine replaced 3x and it still stopped working. Sold it just because you can’t drive an oven and live.
Ouch ya checks out with my brothers car. Had to get it fixed 3 times now. He’s looking to offload it to another unfortunate soul.
No AC, but it still runs, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ya that’s the only issue he’s had but in 40+ degrees it’s rather unbearable and pretty bad considering the issue arose within the first year of ownership and regular use.
Just remember, Toyota and Honda may be gold tier for reliability but they still issue recalls too. They’re also overpriced by $5K-$10K because of their reputations.
Overpriced due to good performance? Sounds like people are just will to pay more to get more
I don’t see recalls as a problem - they find an issue, they fix it for everyone, for free. The three times my Toyota hybrid was recalled it was back to me the next day, not only washed, but with the interior cleaned as well. They were mainly software fixes I think. The car’s now 12 years old and still bowling along just fine.
Flawed premise.
You don’t care about brands generally, you only care about the car you buy specifically.
Every brand / model has good and bad cars. If you’re unlucky enough to get a shit one, it doesn’t really help you if people swear by that brand.
Just figure out the format (SUV, hatch, etc), then your budget, then buy the lowest kms you can.
Some are definitely more good or bad in general than others.
Obviously, yet my point remains.
I get shitbox Toyotas for under a couple grand and run them into the ground. Whatever maintenance I can afford.
I don’t trust cars nor roads nor drivers
Toyota Landcruiser with the straight 6 1hdfte engine. Plenty of power comes in several different models of car. Unfortunately because of their unparalleled reliability they are expensive and Toyota discontinued making the engine due to emissions.
I have seen these engines go over 1million kms as they are bassed of the original 1hz engine which was really bullet proof but lacked in power.
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 have a Tesla and an audi.
I have a Nissan I gave to my kid. 2008. Only one issue during the first year. Otherwise it’s been trouble free. I’ve been impressed with it.
r/whatcarshouldibuy
I know I’ll get shit…I bought a 2004 Subaru Impreza new…and ran it for 15 I years…it never missed a beat. I put 110 thousand kilometres on it in that time. I loved driving it every time. Had it serviced when it needed. I sold it because I pivoted around a cement pole in a parking lot. Bit of damage to a door. Moved onto a WRX after that… again, it has never missed a beat. No issues whatsoever.
That’s quite low milage yes? I put about 50k kms on my Nissan every year. I think the average in Australia is something like 40k km a year.
I think my girlfriend’s put that much on her 4Runner since January.
I live in major city and drove to work nearly every day…but I reckon it was never more than 25mins to work… 5 - 25km a day
My '09 Legacy needed a lot of work but I ragged on it and it is the best-driving car I’ve ever owned. Now I drive an Accord.
I’ve owned 3 Subarus over the last 15 years. Drove the first two for years with 0 issues. 75k+ on both. First was a lease then buy out and was offered a great deal on the second to trade in. Only got rid of the second due to a change is need for a personal car. When I had a need again I got a third which I’m only at about 60k on but plan to drive this one as long as it’ll go. Only thing I’ve done so far outside oil changes and other routine stuff was brakes. Which I consider routine.
Another reason is swear by them is AWD in a very snowy climate without SUV gas mileage.
Ford Crown Victoria.
Big and comfy. Bulletproof engines. Easy to work on. Only issue is it’s a gas guzzler. But you’ll be saving that money on cheap insurance and cheap parts. I suggest to get the LX trim and not the police car.
I drive a 2008 Honda Accord. I refuse to give it up because of how dependable it is. The best features of the this car is the electric heated seats and it’s dependability. knock on wood I’ve yet to encounter any major issues within its entire life span. I’m keeping her until she quits on me.
In fact, instead of putting money towards a new car I’m going to invest in her body and interior. I can’t stand what new cars seem like these days.
i’ve driven a couple of Fords recently that were very good quality… Ford seems to be doing things right, but check forums and stuff about specific models… but i’d also probably bet money on almost any Honda Accord easily reaching 250-300k miles with good care…
2008 Accord owner here. I’m not giving her up anytime soon.
What is your budget?
