Bare Bones Toyota LE with 2.4L and an Automatic. I got my 2003 brand new with 4 miles on it for $17,000 before financing. It has clothe seats, all power window's, power seat on the drivers side, nice 8 speaker CD/Radio/Tape deck and air conditioning oh and a manual transmission. The automatic version cost $1000 more.
I called around and only talked to Toyota Fleet sales people not the average Joe on the lot. I told them it about the cost and only about the cost and that I would sign that day and take deliver if they could match my GM Supplier Discount on an Impala. She said $17K for an LE and I said sold. I signed the papers with out even a test a drive.Plus they took my Dodge Dakota in trade and paid it off. Over all my payments where $175 less then my Dakota even though I had something between 0-4% financing on the Dakota.
So far under warranty needed no repairs at all. Out of warranty they good faithed a belt and tensioner because I complained it was noiesy not bad or failing just noisy on cold start. It is more reliable then a swiss watch and it has cost me nothing in the 6 years I have owned it besides routine maintence!
In fact since 1979 when my Mom and Dad traded in their last Mopar and started owning Toyota's we have only had about 3 warranty issues since 1979. My Dodge did not have a single part under the hood except the engine that was OEM and the suspension had to be worked on too. I was at the dealer at least every other month the two years I owned it for a recall or TSB or warranty repair.
The wifes Buick was my Grandmother's and it was always serviced at the dealership and had the best of everything and still the transmision failed at 104,000 and everything except the engine and main computer has had to be replaced under the hood. The car has about 140,000 mile on it and it has had the following done to it by me because GM does nto stand behind their products even if their is a TSB unless it is under warranty to the origianal owner at least back then they did not.
Transmission
Upper Intake
lower intake
water pump
water pump inlet and outlet tubes
starter
battery
spark plugs
wires
ignition control model/coil pack
every single sensor bolted tot he engine except the crank senor
part of the engine wire harness
the wire harness for the igniticon control modual and crank sensor
3 set's of struts I have them in the trunk right now and they where replaced at 75K before.
in 20K miles it went through 4 master cylinders
Pins replaced 3 times,rotors replaced twice
All the plastic pieces in the interior began falling off the car at around 120K miles
PCV valve
When I bought it at 104,000 the pan,front and rear seal,transmission,and power steering units all leaked and all but the transmission still leaks.
I had to spend about 3 hours cleaning and resealing the battery cables because of GM's poor design with the stupid side post's it allows corrision to hid in huge amounts inside the boots.
The bolts that hold the K-Member to the chasis all had to be replaced because they had rusted away.
I had to replace bleeders because they sheared off under the ligthest of torque.
So her Buick has had more work done to it by me than all the car's I have owned and my parents have owned combined!Keep inmind I had one Toyota inthe family for over 17 years and I am including that one in the mix as well.
So if you plan on owning the car longer then you will be paying for it then I think history is on the side of Lexus/Toyota as the first pick, Honda as a second pick. I might be wrong but I think Ford has finaly surpassed GM in quality and durability of it other products besides the F150 but I am not sure on that one . I just know they have been working hard to get their quality up.
I called around and only talked to Toyota Fleet sales people not the average Joe on the lot. I told them it about the cost and only about the cost and that I would sign that day and take deliver if they could match my GM Supplier Discount on an Impala. She said $17K for an LE and I said sold. I signed the papers with out even a test a drive.Plus they took my Dodge Dakota in trade and paid it off. Over all my payments where $175 less then my Dakota even though I had something between 0-4% financing on the Dakota.
So far under warranty needed no repairs at all. Out of warranty they good faithed a belt and tensioner because I complained it was noiesy not bad or failing just noisy on cold start. It is more reliable then a swiss watch and it has cost me nothing in the 6 years I have owned it besides routine maintence!
In fact since 1979 when my Mom and Dad traded in their last Mopar and started owning Toyota's we have only had about 3 warranty issues since 1979. My Dodge did not have a single part under the hood except the engine that was OEM and the suspension had to be worked on too. I was at the dealer at least every other month the two years I owned it for a recall or TSB or warranty repair.
The wifes Buick was my Grandmother's and it was always serviced at the dealership and had the best of everything and still the transmision failed at 104,000 and everything except the engine and main computer has had to be replaced under the hood. The car has about 140,000 mile on it and it has had the following done to it by me because GM does nto stand behind their products even if their is a TSB unless it is under warranty to the origianal owner at least back then they did not.
Transmission
Upper Intake
lower intake
water pump
water pump inlet and outlet tubes
starter
battery
spark plugs
wires
ignition control model/coil pack
every single sensor bolted tot he engine except the crank senor
part of the engine wire harness
the wire harness for the igniticon control modual and crank sensor
3 set's of struts I have them in the trunk right now and they where replaced at 75K before.
in 20K miles it went through 4 master cylinders
Pins replaced 3 times,rotors replaced twice
All the plastic pieces in the interior began falling off the car at around 120K miles
PCV valve
When I bought it at 104,000 the pan,front and rear seal,transmission,and power steering units all leaked and all but the transmission still leaks.
I had to spend about 3 hours cleaning and resealing the battery cables because of GM's poor design with the stupid side post's it allows corrision to hid in huge amounts inside the boots.
The bolts that hold the K-Member to the chasis all had to be replaced because they had rusted away.
I had to replace bleeders because they sheared off under the ligthest of torque.
So her Buick has had more work done to it by me than all the car's I have owned and my parents have owned combined!Keep inmind I had one Toyota inthe family for over 17 years and I am including that one in the mix as well.
So if you plan on owning the car longer then you will be paying for it then I think history is on the side of Lexus/Toyota as the first pick, Honda as a second pick. I might be wrong but I think Ford has finaly surpassed GM in quality and durability of it other products besides the F150 but I am not sure on that one . I just know they have been working hard to get their quality up.
