I don't think I'll find or buy a used car

[urdrwho]

We have two cars; 2011 Honda CRV and 2016 Volvo V60. We aren't looking for another car NOT due to mechanical but my wife's medical situation calls for a gentler riding car. The Volvo is more of a lux sport type feel and with low profile tires every bump in our bad roads, she feels the pain in her legs.

First off it seems to get harder and harder to find cars with a decent tire sidewall, more and more cars are using larger rims. I'll take 18 inch and be happy with a bigger sidewall. Outside of people who like driving curvy roads, there may be some engineering reasons but I feel and read the bigger reason is marketing people.

Then you have the automatic lift tailgate. Had one on a subbie, hated it because it had a mind of its own. But again, more and more and more cars have them. I'm a car guy. Let me see, new regular struts that I can get for $100 and replace in several minutes compared to a bad lift motor that costs $1100? I'll take the manual lifting tailgate any day. Yeah but "they" want you to have that tailgate.

Then you have all the tech. Seems that many of the cars we are looking at have the infotainment screens sticking above the dash. My line of site. Errrrr! In the dash is enough for me.

Saw a car the other day and this 25 year old guy was espousing how wonderful it is to have that tiny joystick on the steering wheel that replaced buttons. I can feel and know where the buttons are but moving a joy stick while going over bumps. No thank you.

Test drove a used Lexus and it had a freak'in mouse pad. What do manufactures have against analog buttons!?!?!?! BTW reviews on that mouse pad, people hated it.

So we test drove a 2019 Lincoln MKC. Liked the ride. Tech stuff wasn't too bad. Infotainment was in the dash. MPG wasn't too great but hey, we are retired and don't drive that much anymore. Then I start reading about the parasitic battery drain that seems to be a thread in the cars. A "we don't know what it is" type of problem. Consumer Reports wasn't all too nice to it and I think it was #23 out of 30. Darn and I thought we found a possible nice riding car. Although to have the 18 inch rims you have to get basic model, is it Select model?

I don't need the car to burp the baby but apparently the marketing department feels we do. My baby days have been gone for decades.

Heated seats? Yep aching old backs of ours like them.
All the apps on infotainment? Nope just give me Sirius and GPS. GPS -- I get lost more often these days.
Leather? Yeah that is a must. I kind of get all Zen when I'm cleaning & conditioning the leather
No low profile tires
Panorama sun roof? No. Although very cool it is a maintenance nightmare $$$$ in waiting.
A good, no road pot-hole feeling ride. Yep - into the old Buick style need for riding. Hugging the curvy roads are bygone days.
Then you have pricing of used cars. Six and seven year old cars that we have been seeing are in the mid to high 20's.

I have no idea if we will ever find another used car and my feeling is anything we may want to see will have to be under 2020. Above 2020 and the car walks the dog for you and under 2020 you are looking at cars in the 70,000 mile range.

Any Lincoln fans here that can help me out with the batter drain and possible trans issues on a 2019 MKC?

 

[stwremains]

Have you considered the Lexus RX350?

 

[andrew_j]

Have you considered the Lexus RX350?

Try Lexus RX350, Lexus ES350 or Toyota Avalon.

Lincoln is fine if ride suits and don’t overthink the car. But comfortable and car can be temporary with her condition….

 

[atikovi]

Sounds like you're looking for a 2005 Grand Marquis or Town Car.

 

[Cujet]

I love the "what car" threads, as they are full of a combination of likes, wants and desires, coupled with needs. In general, I'd avoid Lincoln, as they are low volume, high tech vehicles. Probably not the right choice for the ultimate in long term reliability, and the various reliability reports tend to back this up.

As a very general rule, I tend to recommend high volume cars/trucks and mid range trim levels. I drive a Jag F-Type and it's the S version, with the nicer interior, upgraded suspension and brakes, not the low end base model and not the high end R model. Same with my wife's truck. It's a V8 Lariat with nice leather seats, not the Platinum or Limited high end version.

Just a thought on ride, often the low profile tires can ride quite well, even on rough roads. Sometimes better than the higher sidewall tires. This can be due to the additional width straddling a pothole vs falling into one, suspension tuning and sidewall stiffness. The idea that you need 6 inches of tire sidewall to get a compliant ride is just not so. Most tires deflect only an inch or so on road defects.

Also, many EV's tend to ride extremely well and are very easy to get into and out of due to the low center of mass/battery under the floor, and significant weight. Have you considered something like a Model Y, or similar from another manufacturer? EV's are now mainstream, and despite a large group that hates them, they drive wonderfully (perfection really), perform like a sports car, need no service, are luxury car quiet, and charge at home. While I don't own one, I'd absolutely consider one.

 

[Number_35]

Consider keeping the Volvo and doing a wheel (tire and rim) "downgrade".

Our 2009 Mazda5 came with 17" alloy rims and 50-series tires. It rode firmly, ate front end parts, and ate a few tires that got low on air. (Much harder to detect visually with a "rubber band" tire.)

In 2018 I bought 16" alloy rims from a wrecker, and 55-series tires.

Better ride, no more LCA replacements, and no more underinflated tires. There has been a theoretical reduction in handling, but it's not noticeable to any of us.

 

[Propflux01]

I did t

Consider keeping the Volvo and doing a wheel (tire and rim) "downgrade".

Our 2009 Mazda5 came with 17" alloy rims and 50-series tires. It rode firmly, ate front end parts, and ate a few tires that got low on air. (Much harder to detect visually with a "rubber band" tire.)

In 2018 I bought 16" alloy rims from a wrecker, and 55-series tires.

Better ride, no more LCA replacements, and no more underinflated tires. There has been a theoretical reduction in handling, but it's not noticeable to any of us.

I did the same with a 2014 Elantra. Had 17” wheels on it. Put 16” wheels in its place with tires that matched the 17” height. Made @ world of difference in the ride.

 

[urdrwho]

Try Lexus RX350, Lexus ES350 or Toyota Avalon.

Lincoln is fine if ride suits and don’t overthink the car. But comfortable and car can be temporary with her condition….

IF you mean her condition, nope oncologist and palliative care people say this is how it will be. I'm in my 70's and she is touching 70 and we want / need function over form. And we want an SUV or wagon type (V60 style). We test drove a Lexus NX 300 and that was the one with the very strange mousepad. Also it reminded me of the days when Saab had their ignition key on top the center console. A mechanic friend said he repaired a lot of Saabs that had liquid get into that ignition key area. I thought the same of the mouse pad. the day something spills is the day I see $1000 fly out the window.

But Lexus does have the ride we are looking for.

 

[urdrwho]

I love the "what car" threads, as they are full of a combination of likes, wants and desires, coupled with needs. In general, I'd avoid Lincoln, as they are low volume, high tech vehicles. Probably not the right choice for the ultimate in long term reliability, and the various reliability reports tend to back this up.

As a very general rule, I tend to recommend high volume cars/trucks and mid range trim levels. I drive a Jag F-Type and it's the S version, with the nicer interior, upgraded suspension and brakes, not the low end base model and not the high end R model. Same with my wife's truck. It's a V8 Lariat with nice leather seats, not the Platinum or Limited high end version.

Just a thought on ride, often the low profile tires can ride quite well, even on rough roads. Sometimes better than the higher sidewall tires. This can be due to the additional width straddling a pothole vs falling into one, suspension tuning and sidewall stiffness. The idea that you need 6 inches of tire sidewall to get a compliant ride is just not so. Most tires deflect only an inch or so on road defects.

Also, many EV's tend to ride extremely well and are very easy to get into and out of due to the low center of mass/battery under the floor, and significant weight. Have you considered something like a Model Y, or similar from another manufacturer? EV's are now mainstream, and despite a large group that hates them, they drive wonderfully (perfection really), perform like a sports car, need no service, are luxury car quiet, and charge at home. While I don't own one, I'd absolutely consider one.

Well the Jag F and E had caught my eye. For decades I drove an XJ40 and an SIII. I finally broke the addiction with a Subbie Outback. There is just no way that the rims on those low profile tires don't get dinged in our area of forever road construction land. The Volvo dealer says they constantly take care of busted rims, blown tires, etc. Yeah I get the tuned suspension and maybe active suspension can make a difference. My Jags were wonderful rides but we need an SUV type and can't go back to the days of a sedan. I did look at the F-Pacer but Consumer Reports said - Stiff ride & Loud cabin. Huh? Not the Jaguars I remember.

I would not go all electric but we would do hybrid (non-plugin). I already priced out getting new electric hook for an EV in this 1946 style house with 1964 garage add-on and well it was heart stopping pricing. Ouch!

 

[urdrwho]

I did t

I did the same with a 2014 Elantra. Had 17” wheels on it. Put 16” wheels in its place with tires that matched the 17” height. Made @ world of difference in the ride.

My tire guy says no on that rim / tire situation. He's one that says "the car was tuned for that size tire & rim". Trouble is the V60 Cross Country is the same car except rides higher, same engine, etc. does not have the low profile tires. I would need a computer update to match speedo but I have thought of it.

 

[urdrwho]

Consider keeping the Volvo and doing a wheel (tire and rim) "downgrade".

Our 2009 Mazda5 came with 17" alloy rims and 50-series tires. It rode firmly, ate front end parts, and ate a few tires that got low on air. (Much harder to detect visually with a "rubber band" tire.)

In 2018 I bought 16" alloy rims from a wrecker, and 55-series tires.

Better ride, no more LCA replacements, and no more underinflated tires. There has been a theoretical reduction in handling, but it's not noticeable to any of us.

As I posted to another person, I have considered it. But there is a big thing about the 2016 Volvo V60 and it can have oil consumption problems. The wiper piston ring was too sloppy and they can become prone to drinking oil. So there's tat.

 

[atikovi]

I already priced out getting new electric hook for an EV in this 1946 style house with 1964 garage add-on and well it was heart stopping pricing. Ouch!

I just plug into a standard 110 outlet.

 

[urdrwho]

I just plug into a standard 110 outlet.

So that isn't one of the fast charge EV's? We go to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, a 60 mile trip and if we needed a charge, would the 110 outlet do it in a timely manner?

 

[urdrwho]

Sounds like you're looking for a 2005 Grand Marquis or Town Car.

You got it! Except with the SUV body on it. Nothing we've ever owned ran as smooth as a 1995 Cadillac DeVille Concours we once owned.

 

[urdrwho]

Have you considered the Lexus RX350?

RX 350 rides well and if I could find one that is before 2020 with lower miles, yep it would be a consideration. I spent my life in the financial world and it just seems surreal to spend into the $30,000 range for a 5 year old car. My neighbor just bought a brand new RX (450???) and she paid into the $50,000's and it doesn't have real leather. For real leather she had to go up one level for leather.

Car bugs her if she turns her head to talk, "keep your eyes on the speedometer" or something like it.

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

I agree on the wheel and tire front. I like tech though.

It’s easy enough to change wheels and tires, just use various online calcs to make sure the new tire and wheel combo is equivalent. I switched out the heavy 18” monstrosities on my CX-30 for 17” lightweight Motegis and never looked back.

 

[ecotourist]

I few years ago I test drove an Acura and a "special edition sport version" of the same car. Besides a few cosmetic features (nice to have) the big difference was larger wheels and thinner sidewall tires. The difference in ride was remarkable. The sport edition was nervous as heck. I didn't notice any difference in handling.

@Cujet is right. A vehicle with larger wheels could be made to ride very well. But unless the manufacturer takes the time to tune the suspension, you just get a nervous ride.

I'd try @Number_35 idea of smaller wheels with wider tire sidewalls. Might be just the ticket and at a relatively low cost. You could even buy good quality alloy wheels with tires on the rims at a place like Tire Rack. I'd probably keep the original wheels for the eventual sale of the Volvo, but you could probably get good bucks for them right now. Just don't go for cheap alloy wheels. Been there, done that. They corroded like crazy and had to be recycled after 6 or 7 years. Would have cost more to sandblast and refinish them that they cost.

Here is a good review of aftermarket wheels. https://www.liveabout.com/toughest-aftermarket-wheels-and-what-to-avoid-3234451

My Mille Miglia wheels (winter wheels for the BMW) were just fine, but the paint flaked off my Sport Edition wheels (winter wheels for the Honda) and they corroded like crazy. In the end they weren't even good at holding air. The bead surface must have corroded.

 

[cptbarkey]

That is alot of high end requirements. My 87 year old elderly mom prefers that she is transported in her 2014 Grand Caravan. Its a stripper AVP model with no options except it isnt a cargo version. Good entry/egress on the passenger side with lots of grab handles, she has never complained about the ride.

 

[Astro14]

My tire guy says no on that rim / tire situation. He's one that says "the car was tuned for that size tire & rim". Trouble is the V60 Cross Country is the same car except rides higher, same engine, etc. does not have the low profile tires. I would need a computer update to match speedo but I have thought of it.

I think your tire guy is wrong - “tuned” has nothing to do with it. The suspension has specific objectives for ride and handling. You can go -1 (one inch smaller wheels, with appropriate tires for the same diameter) and it is done all the time for snow tires. Nobody worries about “tune”.

The 2004 XC-90, as a case in point, came with either 17 or 18 inch wheels. The suspension components are all identical. Part numbers, spring rates, bushings, all of it. No “tuning” for the bigger wheels.

The issue going smaller on the wheels is brake caliper clearance. But if Volvo makes smaller wheels for that chassis, then the caliper clearance, offset, etc. are all good.

 

[NormanBuntz]

For a sedan, try a used Avalon or Camry or maybe a Buick Regal or LaCrosse.