Vehicles that retain quality after 8-10 years

[supton]

My Camry has had pretty steep depreciation, and is picking up a number of noises. Seems to still be all there though. My Tundra seems about in the same condition as when I bought it, although the LTX's are out of balance (or I have something broken). 5-6 years old, only halfway done on each. Both have had relatively minor issues.

My old VW was still tight after 5 years but after 10 it did have a number of odd noises. Still felt good and solid to me though. It did have a number of major repairs after 250k, and a few good sized ones before that too.

Of course, what a vehicle is like at 10 means almost nothing--models get refreshed too often. How a 10 year old car is doing means nothing about its new counterpart. Engine families change, transmissions change, and of course the platform itself changes.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Another thing - can I expect a compact car to last as well as a mid-size? What about a small SUV? I guess I'm asking whether compact cars tend to be built more to a price point than their larger peers.


they both last however smaller cars as they age are far more annoying(rattled/squeaks/ride quality/interior quality/comfort) so that drivers give up on them sooner or let them fall apart.

 

[ShotGun429]

My 2006 Crown Vic Police interceptor,runs as new and is tight as any car ive ever owned, I bought it after the department put it up for auction. Gregg M.

 

[aquariuscsm]

My 20 year old 300ZX is still tight as a drum,no squeaks,no rattles,no noises. Interior is still showroom fresh,as well as the exterior. Paint is in mint condition. Everything on it is still original (have only replaced timing belt,drive belts,battery,and tires). Everything still works perfectly. All electronics and options still work and the AC is ice cold. Car has never been garaged.

 

[azjake]

Regarding how a vehicle's suspension holds up over the years, Click and Clack made a interesting point in a column several years ago. Jack Rabbit starts and last minute braking are very hard on your car's suspension. This doesn't mean you have to drive like a little old lady, but avoiding them will make your suspension parts last a lot longer, and make your ride feel like it was when new longer.

 

[SeaJay]

I suspect the condition of the roads has quite a bit to do with it. There are many, many roads by me that are in horrible shape.

 

[NateDN10]

Originally Posted By: azjake
Regarding how a vehicle's suspension holds up over the years, Click and Clack made a interesting point in a column several years ago. Jack Rabbit starts and last minute braking are very hard on your car's suspension. This doesn't mean you have to drive like a little old lady, but avoiding them will make your suspension parts last a lot longer, and make your ride feel like it was when new longer.

That's an interesting point. I don't do too many jackrabbit starts, but I do tend to brake late. I'd imagine a habit of hard cornering would contribute too.

 

[MCompact]

My ti was my instructor car at HPDEs from 1996 to 2012. The only suspension parts I've replaced in 144,000 miles have been the LCA bushings.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
My ti was my instructor car at HPDEs from 1996 to 2012. The only suspension parts I've replaced in 144,000 miles have been the LCA bushings.

I think compared to the forces involved with hitting a good size pothole, cornering forces and braking aren't too significant.
We get some pretty old junk out at our autocross and I don't recall any suspension breaking ever.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: Wolf359


A lot of people think that, but you have to research the model you buy. My Mercedes is at 8 years and it's pretty solid. Still a quiet and smooth ride. Parts are 2-3x what domestic cars are at, but I haven't had any major repairs. It's probably more like 1.5-2x what import parts are like. Aftermarket stuff can be just as cheap as other car brands, it's just that for certain parts, you can only get OEM. Still has that solid thunk when you close the door, it's what a solid sounding door closing is supposed to sound like, no rattles. When they're around 3-4 years old, they cost as much as a new car from a regular brand. Plus you can get extended or CPO warranties for an extra 3 years, the standard warranty is 4 years, 50k.


I agree; a 3 Series or C Class will usually be relatively inexpensive to run- especially compared to a 7er or S Class.


The newer E class is also pretty decent so far, no major show stoppers. The early ones in the 2003-2007 time frame had some major problems where you'd see 2k to 6k repair bills depending on the problem, but after Chrysler went away, things got better. The newer 2010+ models are even better. I still drive my beater Ford around and every time I drive the MB, I'm reminded about how much nicer it all is. Got to get rid of the beater.

 

[Skid]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
BMW... also stays looking classy. Something about beemers and 'cedes they age well as far as styling goes. Ten yr old beemer still looks classy.

Cosmetically, yes, some models E30, E46, E39, etc., still look good.

Mechanically, the front suspensions need a lot of maintenance over time and all kinds of small parts go bad (like door lock actuators, auto dimming mirrors, plastic pulleys/impellers), so I would generally disagree that BMWs retain quality over time.

 

[Smokescreen]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Skip any economy or smaller car. They have to cut corners and also the lower quality ride seems to rattle them apart as they age.

Mid size and up seem to hold together better. Even "quality" brands like Toyota, Honda smaller offerings feel like tin cans after 10 years vs the larger counter part. (Eg Corolla vs Camry , civic vs accord, focus vs fusion etc)
You don't know much about Corollas.


My Corolla made in 2008 has 300K km or 187,500 miles on it. It feels almost as tight as it did new for the interior. The suspension, brakes, drive-train... all original and trouble free. My last tank fuel economy was 50 mpg UK (42mpgUS) I am going to beat that on my current tank. Basically tires, engine oil and yearly ATF drain/refill. Most trouble free car I have ever owned.

 

[MCompact]

Man; I must be dodging bullets left and right. No suspension parts have been replaced on my 187k mile X3. No door lock actuators or mirrors either.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Man; I must be dodging bullets left and right. No suspension parts have been replaced on my 187k mile X3. No door lock actuators or mirrors either.


Right? I did have to replace two gaskets on my '06 X3 last summer... A whopping $50!

 

[simple_gifts]

My B2300 still has the tortured spine jarring ride it had 10 years and 108K miles ago.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: MCompact
Man; I must be dodging bullets left and right. No suspension parts have been replaced on my 187k mile X3. No door lock actuators or mirrors either.


Right? I did have to replace two gaskets on my '06 X3 last summer... A whopping $50!

For reliability no marker can touch Toyota/Lexus.

My 1994 Lexus LS400 was 380+k miles when I sold it few months ago had original gaskets. Nothing inside the engine needed any work except water pump, thermostat, radiator and hoses, and only once after 20 years and about 360k miles.

I hear some BMW engines are needed to overhaul coolant system at 100k miles or less.

Driving excitement is another story, Lexus is far behind.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
For reliability no marker can touch Toyota/Lexus.


That's strange, they were leading the way not too long ago in recalls, #1 in total recalls actually.

They're the ones that paid a 1.2 billion penalty for that unintended acceleration problem. How soon some people forget.

 

[Andrew1972]

The suspension is tired in our 2005 legacy gt wagon with 200k. It clunks on small bumps but have not addressed it. Otherwise it runs around on oem suspension except for a front bushings and a tie rod(bent).

We did lose a power window where the baby seat sat. My guess is too much abuse/use and the motor failed.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
As an example, my Cobalt has felt rickety for several years now. It has squeaks and rattles in the suspension, steering and interior; the steering isn't quite as tight as it used to be; the suspension is fairly wallowy; the AM radio no longer works. (On a positive note, the seats and A/C have held up really well!)
On the other hand, my wife used to have a 2001 Accord which we sold after 8 years (it was a coupe, and we had a kid). That car still felt really nice when we sold it.


I think moving up a tier will help. The 05 Matrix feels pretty rickety as well with 103k miles. Also had a 99 Accord Coupe that I sold with 166k miles and 10 yrs old that seemed very solid when I sold it. It ran like a top and had the original suspension. The dealer inspected it before I sold it and everything with it was fine.

The 2012 Camry with 62k miles seems very nice at 5.5 yrs old. Moving up to a Malibu is another option for you.

 

[PandaBear]

Lexus