Some would call it a mistake and tell you to buy a Honda or Toyota instead.
New Vehicle Purchase in small-town Montana
- Thread starter Splat54
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My Sahara has an Italian engine and a German transmission. Is it 50% domestic?
Honorary mention....2023 Lincoln Nautilus.
2023 is the last year of the current model, so any fixable design flaw should gone (there are plenty of threads/arguments about Ford Ecoboost). Ecoboost TL/DR = change your oil early and often.
My default for anyone who wants to keep their car for a long time is Honda-Toyota-Mazda (maybe Hyundai/Kia).
But my parents had a 2001 Continental that lasted 200,000 miles before it got euthanized by "Cash for Clunkers." [that's the only recent experience my entire extended family has had w/Ford besides the E-series vans. one uncle owned a Grand Marquis while another had an awful Windstar back in the 90's, lol!]
And as the Nautilus is a Ford Edge, any parts should be no problem....and in-warranty, it'll be very unlikely that you have to go to a Lincoln dealer for an urgent visit.
2023 is the last year of the current model, so any fixable design flaw should gone (there are plenty of threads/arguments about Ford Ecoboost). Ecoboost TL/DR = change your oil early and often.
My default for anyone who wants to keep their car for a long time is Honda-Toyota-Mazda (maybe Hyundai/Kia).
But my parents had a 2001 Continental that lasted 200,000 miles before it got euthanized by "Cash for Clunkers." [that's the only recent experience my entire extended family has had w/Ford besides the E-series vans. one uncle owned a Grand Marquis while another had an awful Windstar back in the 90's, lol!]
And as the Nautilus is a Ford Edge, any parts should be no problem....and in-warranty, it'll be very unlikely that you have to go to a Lincoln dealer for an urgent visit.
Just a cursory check of dealerrater.com shows the Ford dealers within a 100 mile radius are pretty bad. Very few reviews and most were bad. In comparison, the Toyota dealer that's 100 miles away gets great reviews and lots of them.
Full disclosure, I have never owned a "foreign" car. Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Fords, Rams, Buicks, Chevys. Is the American automotive industry so pathetic that they can't make a decent car and/or get their dealerships to be more customer-oriented?
Those with issues complain on the Internet-those who have a good experience don't post. A handful of bad reviews means little.
Fake reviews are unfortunately common nowadays, that may be in play. I’m always suspicious when they start naming employees by their full names.
Over 45 years ago in one of my business classes they told us if a customer is properly satisfied and happy they will tell at most 5 people. But if they are unhappy and not satisfied with an entity they will complain to at least 13 people. I suspect a similar ratio still exists. I also think certain auto brands have distinct customer base styles which makes the likelihood of good/bad comments more probably. But I still like to read and use dealerrater now and then.
Yes it does-in reverse. There are many reports where the dealer will throw "something in to the deal" (oil changes, etc.) for a positive review on the Internet. Many reports on the car forums on this.
I would buy local in that situation.
Having lived in Montana for several years, I can say that small town mentality is generally prejudiced against foreign brands (at least in the northeastern part of the state)
So from a repair viewpoint, going with local makes sense - and also for integrating into the local scene. They'll know you and word will spread.
But since you're between Billings and Great Falls you have other options. For an SUV requiring little maintenance I like the 4Runner. It's old school but bulletproof.
The small suv Fords are not very reliable, especially in AWD; the PTU is the weak spot here; ours lasted leas than 51k miles before exploding, despite 2 fluid changes.
If I were going local it would be the Dodge Durango. Check with mod wwilson, he's had one awhile.
So from a repair viewpoint, going with local makes sense - and also for integrating into the local scene. They'll know you and word will spread.
But since you're between Billings and Great Falls you have other options. For an SUV requiring little maintenance I like the 4Runner. It's old school but bulletproof.
The small suv Fords are not very reliable, especially in AWD; the PTU is the weak spot here; ours lasted leas than 51k miles before exploding, despite 2 fluid changes.
If I were going local it would be the Dodge Durango. Check with mod wwilson, he's had one awhile.
If I recommend what I would choose in your scenario, I'll be accused of being Scotty Kilmer... but here goes.
For reliability in a AWD CUV I'd choose the RAV4, not in hybrid, because it will not be driven a lot it sounds like.
For a body on frame 4wd SUV, I'd choose the current 4Runner. It is probably the most reliable vehicle made. It doesn't get great gas mileage (figure17-20 mpg), but if it's not driven a lot, that likely won't matter. A new version is coming in '25 with a Turbo 4cyl. Hopefully it retains the legendary reliability, but that remains to be seen.
I had a 22 year old 4Runner which I sold to buy a current model. It never went back to the Dealer for anything, in 22 years of ownership.
For the record I own two FCA era products RAM Dually and a sportscar. Two BMW's. Two Toyotas, a recently inherited Hyundai, and several motorcycles which are Japanese and European.
I used to work on all brands, and still have friends who do. My recommendations are based on my experience and theirs.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
For reliability in a AWD CUV I'd choose the RAV4, not in hybrid, because it will not be driven a lot it sounds like.
For a body on frame 4wd SUV, I'd choose the current 4Runner. It is probably the most reliable vehicle made. It doesn't get great gas mileage (figure17-20 mpg), but if it's not driven a lot, that likely won't matter. A new version is coming in '25 with a Turbo 4cyl. Hopefully it retains the legendary reliability, but that remains to be seen.
I had a 22 year old 4Runner which I sold to buy a current model. It never went back to the Dealer for anything, in 22 years of ownership.
For the record I own two FCA era products RAM Dually and a sportscar. Two BMW's. Two Toyotas, a recently inherited Hyundai, and several motorcycles which are Japanese and European.
I used to work on all brands, and still have friends who do. My recommendations are based on my experience and theirs.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Buying in a small town has advantages in general. My wife is from a small town in western Kansas and we visit frequently. There's only a Chevy / Buick dealer there. They rarely have more than one or two new cars and/or SUV's on the lot as they really can't afford too much inventory. But they know how to find something you might want pretty quickly as there's a pretty amazing dealer network between towns. They do have a fair number of PUs as they turn over pretty quickly and they have a good idea what locals are buying option wise and when they buy (right after harvest...early summer and late fall). They can surprisingly offer deals under the MSRP most of the time. Service is pretty remarkable. They will come pick up your car or truck at your home and return it when done whether it's just an oil charge or something needing more attention. The key here is that the owner and everybody that works there lives in town. They could be your neighbor, go to your church, frequent your business, ets. etc. They really can't upset you as a customer because they have to live with you and see you practically everyday. A poor service complaint ( whether founded or unfounded) can spread like wild fire in these towns. There is no such thing as privacy and the gossip mill "is" rampant.
Buy nationwide and have it shipped to you.
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Well, in Heaven, the chefs are Italian and the mechanics are German.
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hold on their with your logic, young one.
say it with me, At bitog, the only correct solution is always pick up used reliable beater that has no car note, and can be run on m1 0w40 with a filter that has a 99% efficiency at 1 micron.
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Link to the filter please
