Consumer Reports: 10 Cars That Will Go 200k Miles

[Leo99]

I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.

Yeah, most of them drive 10mph below speed limit in left lane, creating drama and traffic for other people.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.


I sense a ton of condescension here in your post.

Please explain exactly what you mean here. You have some sort of thing against freedom of choice? You want everyone to drive a boring car? Not likely.

We all get a choice, and thank goodness we don't have to conform to this ridiculous idea that cars cannot be interesting!

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.

Yeah, most of them drive 10mph below speed limit in left lane, creating drama and traffic for other people.


And the rest of them are speeding, tailgating, messing around with their cell phones, and just basically being a danger to everyone else on the road...

 

[jrmason]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.


Anything affiliated with CR isnt worth toilet paper. My arse would be seriously offended if I tried to wipe it with a CR article, and not because of the texture of the paper.

 

[Silverado12]

I don't care much for CR either. Everything imported=good, domestic=junk. I've said it before, but my 5 year old Challenger has been flawless. Zero issues whatsoever, roomy and fun to boot. Cost less than an Accord. Comparison

 

[SEMI_287]

Another CR Japanese stroke fest.

 

[camrydriver111]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
I've got a client with a 2003 BMW X5 that has 262,000 miles on it. The only thing he's ever had to do to it other than routine maintenance is replace a cracked radiator overflow tank.

I think virtually any modern car if properly maintained will go 200,000 miles without major problems.


So he didn't do the $700 cooling system overhauls every 50k that some people recommend on BMW forums? His engine should have been wrecked 5 times from overheating! LOL

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.

Yeah, most of them drive 10mph below speed limit in left lane, creating drama and traffic for other people.


And the rest of them are speeding, tailgating, messing around with their cell phones, and just basically being a danger to everyone else on the road...

One thing is for sure, tailgating with high beams behind f...heads who think driving in left lane is their constitutional right.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.


I sense a ton of condescension here in your post.

Please explain exactly what you mean here. You have some sort of thing against freedom of choice? You want everyone to drive a boring car? Not likely.

We all get a choice, and thank goodness we don't have to conform to this ridiculous idea that cars cannot be interesting!


Where do you get the idea I'm against freedom of choice? I love freedom of choice. People can spend their money any way they want. It's their money. My cars are boring as heck. From your name, I'll assume you're a fan of Dodge. Dodge makes some of the coolest cars on the road by far. They might not last 200k trouble free miles but they are cool. It seems like a conspiracy that none of the car manufacturers can make cool cars that last a long time. We have to choose one or the other or make a compromise.

Car and Drive is about cool cars. CR is about value. They have different objectives and readership.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I sense a lot of sour grapes sentiment from people whose car didn't make the list.

CR readers value value. Getting from point A to point B without drama is the goal. If your priority is some sort of coolness or driving experience you're not in the CR demographic.


I sense a ton of condescension here in your post.

Please explain exactly what you mean here. You have some sort of thing against freedom of choice? You want everyone to drive a boring car? Not likely.

We all get a choice, and thank goodness we don't have to conform to this ridiculous idea that cars cannot be interesting!


Where do you get the idea I'm against freedom of choice? I love freedom of choice. People can spend their money any way they want. It's their money. My cars are boring as heck. From your name, I'll assume you're a fan of Dodge. Dodge makes some of the coolest cars on the road by far. They might not last 200k trouble free miles but they are cool. It seems like a conspiracy that none of the car manufacturers can make cool cars that last a long time. We have to choose one or the other or make a compromise.

Car and Drive is about cool cars. CR is about value. They have different objectives and readership.

Any car with proper maintenance will last 200K.
Any Toyota without proper maintenance will fail miserably.
The number of problems my mother in law had with Honda Pilot is astonishing:
-Rotors: wrapped twice, car has 50K+ (they drive like 50-60mph in 70mph zone).
-Leaking transfer case
-Rear diff leaking.
-Vibration in engine due to cyl cut off.
-Plastic to cut your hands on
-Unibody platform that drives worse that average body on frame.

 

[hattaresguy]

I can't imagine their is a modern vehicle on a US car lot that won't go 200k.

A Range Rover might be the most unlikely at least not without making it painful.

 

[CBR.worm]

But at what cost? Any car will make it if you put enough money into it. I have had cars that made it to 200k with very few repairs.

I have had cars that cost so much money in repairs that I sold before 65k.

One particular '04 VAG product had well over $10k in warranty repairs. Once I hit that number out of warranty, it had to go. Even though it was only a few years old and perfectly maintained. I have no doubt that it would have made it to 200k, but at the rate I was going it would have needed in excess of $50k to make it to that point - on a $45k car.

It was a bad car - first transmission replacement at 12k - and all downhill from there.

My G35 will make it. To get to 150k it has needed nearly nothing. If I have to replace the engine at some point, the overall cost of ownership will still be low. If I replace the engine, transmission and air conditioner, it will be less than a couple years of the Audi.

I know there are other people with G35's that have many issues and will not put the effort into making it last.

Odds are, if you have a Camry, it will not take much to make it to 200k. If the transmission falls out, you will fix it because it is a Camry and will still be a good car.

 

[CBR.worm]

So you don't think I'm a VAG hater, I also had an A8l that was fairly inexpensive to get to 100k miles.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
But at what cost? Any car will make it if you put enough money into it. I have had cars that made it to 200k with very few repairs.

I agree.

At 10 years with 150k miles the value of the car is about 25% or less original MSRP. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is more than 40-50% of the car remaining value then it is not worth it to keep it until 200k miles. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is less than 10-15% then it may be worth the cost to keep it running.

My LS400 is an example, the last 10 years after it crossed 200k miles I spent on average $400-500 a year on maintenance/repair to keep it running. No major components failed, only minor and medium(cost) parts failed. I replaced these failed parts: starter motor, radiator, water pump, timing belt, thermostat, alternator. Major components such as engine, transmission, catalytic converters, mufflers, steering rack ... are original

 

[Vikas]

Quote:
It was a bad car - first transmission replacement at 12k - and all downhill from there.
Would you buy my conjecture that was precisely the reason? Assuming transmission replacement involves lots and lots of wrenching, one can assuming that afterwards many things could (will) go wrong. Of course if you had to put few window regulators and trunk opener releases and door lock actuators, then that would have no relationship with the transmission replacement job but everything else could be traced to the original shoddy job.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
But at what cost? Any car will make it if you put enough money into it. I have had cars that made it to 200k with very few repairs.

I have had cars that cost so much money in repairs that I sold before 65k.

One particular '04 VAG product had well over $10k in warranty repairs. Once I hit that number out of warranty, it had to go. Even though it was only a few years old and perfectly maintained. I have no doubt that it would have made it to 200k, but at the rate I was going it would have needed in excess of $50k to make it to that point - on a $45k car.

It was a bad car - first transmission replacement at 12k - and all downhill from there.

My G35 will make it. To get to 150k it has needed nearly nothing. If I have to replace the engine at some point, the overall cost of ownership will still be low. If I replace the engine, transmission and air conditioner, it will be less than a couple years of the Audi.

I know there are other people with G35's that have many issues and will not put the effort into making it last.

Odds are, if you have a Camry, it will not take much to make it to 200k. If the transmission falls out, you will fix it because it is a Camry and will still be a good car.


Sometimes you just get a lemon. My moms Rav4 is starting to burn quite a bit of oil at only 60k miles. At the rate its going it won't make 100k without at least a motor that's assuming the catalytic converters don't fail because of it.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
But at what cost? Any car will make it if you put enough money into it. I have had cars that made it to 200k with very few repairs.

I agree.

At 10 years with 150k miles the value of the car is about 25% or less original MSRP. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is more than 40-50% of the car remaining value then it is not worth it to keep it until 200k miles. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is less than 10-15% then it may be worth the cost to keep it running.

My LS400 is an example, the last 10 years after it crossed 200k miles I spent on average $400-500 a year on maintenance/repair to keep it running. No major components failed, only minor and medium(cost) parts failed. I replaced these failed parts: starter motor, radiator, water pump, timing belt, thermostat, alternator. Major components such as engine, transmission, catalytic converters, mufflers, steering rack ... are original


Some people think that thermostats, alternators, starters, water pumps, and radiators are normal wear items. You know, like brakes and tires.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
But at what cost? Any car will make it if you put enough money into it. I have had cars that made it to 200k with very few repairs.

I agree.

At 10 years with 150k miles the value of the car is about 25% or less original MSRP. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is more than 40-50% of the car remaining value then it is not worth it to keep it until 200k miles. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is less than 10-15% then it may be worth the cost to keep it running.

My LS400 is an example, the last 10 years after it crossed 200k miles I spent on average $400-500 a year on maintenance/repair to keep it running. No major components failed, only minor and medium(cost) parts failed. I replaced these failed parts: starter motor, radiator, water pump, timing belt, thermostat, alternator. Major components such as engine, transmission, catalytic converters, mufflers, steering rack ... are original


Some people think that thermostats, alternators, starters, water pumps, and radiators are normal wear items. You know, like brakes and tires.

Water pump and thermostat should be change regardless. There is NO WAY I would drive ANY car pass 120K with same pump and thermostat.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: Leo99
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
But at what cost? Any car will make it if you put enough money into it. I have had cars that made it to 200k with very few repairs.

I agree.

At 10 years with 150k miles the value of the car is about 25% or less original MSRP. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is more than 40-50% of the car remaining value then it is not worth it to keep it until 200k miles. If yearly repair/maintenance cost is less than 10-15% then it may be worth the cost to keep it running.

My LS400 is an example, the last 10 years after it crossed 200k miles I spent on average $400-500 a year on maintenance/repair to keep it running. No major components failed, only minor and medium(cost) parts failed. I replaced these failed parts: starter motor, radiator, water pump, timing belt, thermostat, alternator. Major components such as engine, transmission, catalytic converters, mufflers, steering rack ... are original


Some people think that thermostats, alternators, starters, water pumps, and radiators are normal wear items. You know, like brakes and tires.

Water pump and thermostat should be change regardless. There is NO WAY I would drive ANY car pass 120K with same pump and thermostat.


You proved my point. I don't think water pumps or thermostats are wear items. You. They should last the life of the car. If I had to pull them off for some reason, I'd put a new one on as the parts are not expensive but I'm not making a project to change them if they're working fine.