I wonder what type of car is most reliable according to experience. Some say Mercedes but other argue BMW while some believe japanese cars. Have you got any opinion?
Which brand is most reliable?
I've never owned a Japanese car, but people seem to get a lot of mileage out of them. We had a Dodge Shadow with 315,000 miles on it, it still runs fine, but I've heard about a lot of people's Dodges not doing so good... so I guess it's hit and miss with them.
Don't buy a Ford Windstar. I'll just get that right out there.
Don't buy a Ford Windstar. I'll just get that right out there.
Honda. They are made good with good motors and stuff. They last for a long time. Thats just my opion though.
Yeah, I'd have to go with Honda, as well. After watching a show on the top 10 motorcycles of all time, the Honda Cub was #1, basically because it was bullet proof, heh.
Same goes for their cars. I have a lightly modded '91 Civic DX w/ ZC 1.6 sohc that's running great. Never had any real problems with it. Now, I can't say that for a lot of GM cars.
Same goes for their cars. I have a lightly modded '91 Civic DX w/ ZC 1.6 sohc that's running great. Never had any real problems with it. Now, I can't say that for a lot of GM cars.
I'd rather go for Toyota!
Honestly, the most reliable cars I've seen on the market are not BMW or Mercedes. Those 2 have been alright, but nowhere near the reliability of Honda and Toyota. If you want reliable you could also look at a turbo diesel.
I had a Honda with almost 200,000 miles on it that ran flawlessly. They may not be that powerful, but that's not what's important when you talk about reliability.
I had a Honda with almost 200,000 miles on it that ran flawlessly. They may not be that powerful, but that's not what's important when you talk about reliability.
Toyota. JAPPANESE IMPORT!! NOT AMERICAN OR ENGLISH MADE!!!!!!!!!!!!
For american made, I have to go with Ford/Lincoln/Mercury! I'm a Ford girl, and have bought our last 5 cars from ford (this includes my mom's cars as well). And the best model to get is the Ford Taurus. They're VERY safe. Two of our cars were those, one lasted me and my husband for over 10 years before he crashed it. (bad wreck) he came out with a bruise from the air bag and that was it. The car would have been fixable had it not been the radiator and oil tank that was busted when he rearended the idiots in front of him. The other Taurus is mine and she can take a beating and keep on ticking as well. Excellent cars.
As for imports, i've never owned one, but if I did, I'd have to go with Jap imports.
As for imports, i've never owned one, but if I did, I'd have to go with Jap imports.
Really hard to say one brand that has only done good cars.
I would probably go for Volvo, since they have generally good cars, (the old ones like 100-200-700 series are really great).
Also toyota are quite good... their engines are generally capable of really nice milage.
WW has done some nice cars too.
Ford is probably the crappiest car manufacturer, at least from all the cars that are sold in sweden. Especially the sierra modells *roar*
I would probably go for Volvo, since they have generally good cars, (the old ones like 100-200-700 series are really great).
Also toyota are quite good... their engines are generally capable of really nice milage.
WW has done some nice cars too.
Ford is probably the crappiest car manufacturer, at least from all the cars that are sold in sweden. Especially the sierra modells *roar*
Well, it depends on what type of car you're buying;
For economy cars (4 poppers): Any Japanese Brand
For luxury or performance cars: Any European Brand
For minivans: There is no such thing as a reliable minivan
For full-size vans and trucks: Chevrolet
For over full-size vans and trucks: Ford (F-250 or E-250 and up)
For economy cars (4 poppers): Any Japanese Brand
For luxury or performance cars: Any European Brand
For minivans: There is no such thing as a reliable minivan
For full-size vans and trucks: Chevrolet
For over full-size vans and trucks: Ford (F-250 or E-250 and up)
Landrover. 75% of all Landies Made since 1955 are still on the road today SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT. The parts are incredibly cheap, and they are easy to fix. I am not talking about ure Discoverys, Range Rovers Im talking your Series I, II, III, County and Defenders.
| Pyro Man wrote: |
| Landrover. 75% of all Landies Made since 1955 are still on the road today SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT. The parts are incredibly cheap, and they are easy to fix. I am not talking about ure Discoverys, Range Rovers Im talking your Series I, II, III, County and Defenders. |
I personally think that´s as you said because the cars have quite cheap spare parts. But mostly because they are very easy to fix with.
That does however not make them reliable, just cheap to own and relativly easy to fix.
I understood the question as cars that does not take much work to run long.
Yes but 75% still working suggests they are very reliable and people havent needed to take the time out to fix them. They go on forever. 75% is insane!
yeah, sure, I´m not saying they are bad cars.
Actually it´s really impressive how many of the cars are still running. But from some friends of mine who have land rovers they have told me they have to work quite a lot on the cars, but since the parts are cheap and the work is much easier than most other cars landrover owns
Cheers
Actually it´s really impressive how many of the cars are still running. But from some friends of mine who have land rovers they have told me they have to work quite a lot on the cars, but since the parts are cheap and the work is much easier than most other cars landrover owns
Cheers
Land Rover parts may be cheap in Europe, but elsewhere they can be very pricey.
I forgot one item in my list: SUV's
So for a reliable small SUV: Land Rover or Jeep
For a reliable large SUV: Chevrolet
I forgot one item in my list: SUV's
So for a reliable small SUV: Land Rover or Jeep
For a reliable large SUV: Chevrolet
Stay away from VW, they have horrible reliability according to everyone I've talked to and consumer reports.
My family has a 1986 Toyota Camry that still runs and starts easily (though very rarely driven now... $300 Kelly blue book value
). For the first 10 years of it's life it didn't have to have ANY work done on it other than wear and tear items (brakes, tires, oil etc).
Also from family experience, most of my extended family ranch in the southern US and they've had good experiences with older Ford trucks (newer ones are so far so-so reliability wise) and smaller import trucks.
My family has a 1986 Toyota Camry that still runs and starts easily (though very rarely driven now... $300 Kelly blue book value
). For the first 10 years of it's life it didn't have to have ANY work done on it other than wear and tear items (brakes, tires, oil etc).
Also from family experience, most of my extended family ranch in the southern US and they've had good experiences with older Ford trucks (newer ones are so far so-so reliability wise) and smaller import trucks.
Toyota and VW. I've seen some jettas give over 200,000 miles with nothing for maintnence and only needing an oil change here and there.
And I've seen some camarys have no problems until around 250,000 miles! That's like, 10 time in a straight line around the planet!
And I've seen some camarys have no problems until around 250,000 miles! That's like, 10 time in a straight line around the planet!
My BMW 325is is dying at around 110000 miles, don't go with a BMW for durability.
My friend Tom's Honda Civic is 15 years young, with only 250000 miles on it. He has only had to replace the transmission, while I have gone through an engine, transmission, the stock sound system, two locks (only on the driver side, the passenger side is fine), both windows and the sunroof only SOMETIMES work, and the power steering has been making some some wierd noises (not to mention the steering wheel vibrates... wierd...). I am pretty sure I mentioned every repair, I have had to pay for all this crap. Given the option of going with a BMW or another car again, I would have picked a Honda, a Toyota, or maybe an Acura. Lexus is good too, but they are definently out of my price range (I got a great deal on my BMW - $2000).
In conclusion, don't get a BMW. Hondas are a lot better for your money.
My friend Tom's Honda Civic is 15 years young, with only 250000 miles on it. He has only had to replace the transmission, while I have gone through an engine, transmission, the stock sound system, two locks (only on the driver side, the passenger side is fine), both windows and the sunroof only SOMETIMES work, and the power steering has been making some some wierd noises (not to mention the steering wheel vibrates... wierd...). I am pretty sure I mentioned every repair, I have had to pay for all this crap. Given the option of going with a BMW or another car again, I would have picked a Honda, a Toyota, or maybe an Acura. Lexus is good too, but they are definently out of my price range (I got a great deal on my BMW - $2000).
In conclusion, don't get a BMW. Hondas are a lot better for your money.
| psycosquirrel wrote: |
| My BMW 325is is dying at around 110000 miles, don't go with a BMW for durability.
My friend Tom's Honda Civic is 15 years young, with only 250000 miles on it. He has only had to replace the transmission, while I have gone through an engine, transmission, the stock sound system, two locks (only on the driver side, the passenger side is fine), both windows and the sunroof only SOMETIMES work, and the power steering has been making some some wierd noises (not to mention the steering wheel vibrates... wierd...). I am pretty sure I mentioned every repair, I have had to pay for all this crap. Given the option of going with a BMW or another car again, I would have picked a Honda, a Toyota, or maybe an Acura. Lexus is good too, but they are definently out of my price range (I got a great deal on my BMW - $2000). In conclusion, don't get a BMW. Hondas are a lot better for your money. |
I said ford sierra was a horrible car in an erlier post. A lot of people have problems with the engines after 200,000km...
I owned one and it did not break, that does however not make it a reliable car in general
I've been a professional in the auto repair industry for over 12 years now. I've driven and worked on just about every make of vehicle (at least in the US) and I've come to learn one simple fact:
It doesn't matter. All makes and model have their own quirky problems here and there, but if you keep up on maintenance and don't drive in extreme conditions, you can get a lot of miles out of just about everything.
Things I've learned:
GM - Still haven't quite got their gasket making abilities up to par. All are prone to fluid leaks - the front wheel drive V6 models leaking antifreeze and V8 cadillacs leaking oil.. and it never is a cheap repair.
FORD - Quirky little electrical problems here and there but in general they are reliable and in my opinion have the best ride of the big 3 US automakers
DODGE - I still don't know WTH they are doing. They seem to be the kings of "throwaway" cars... they must not plan on anyone owning a car for more than 100,000 miles. The neons are very prone to head failures and road noise, however oddly enough their suspensions hold up amazingly well.
HONDA - Fun little cars to drive, but the thing is they all drive the same! Whether it's an accord or civic or element, they all have the same feel to them. Yes they last a long time, but it seems like everytime something does go wrong it results in a no-start condition... usually in an annoying intermittant way. Older models were very prone to rusting.
TOYOTA - Pretty decently built but don't expect much in the way of high performance... they drive nice and can tolerate a lot of abuse. The older ones, as with just about all older japanese cars can rust out alot, and they like to break exhaust pipes quite commonly.
VOLVO - What can i say? These things can have a million things wrong with them and still keep putting down the road. Don't expect your Volvo to stay perfect, but do expect it to keep running when everything else is failing.
JAGUAR - ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARES.. only recently did they start using insulation and harnesses for their wiring.
VOLKSWAGEN - Strange, strange systems. These can be VERY fun to drive, but good luck finding a local repair shop that knows squat about them. Their electrical systems are unlike any other, and some people tend to specialize on VW's for this exact reason.
BMW - My personal favorite to drive. Very reliable and very stable - they can rack up a lot of miles, but when something does go bad, expect to pay big bucks for repairs.
MERCEDES - I still think these have such a niche class of owners, at least in the US... While very stable their suspensions aren't the strongest.. they have quirky things like uneven tire wear problems, and in all honesty I don't quit understand they hype. I don't really care much for driving them... they tend to have a "heavy" feel to them.
Daewoo/Kia/Hyundai/Suzuki - These economy cars were junk in the beginning, but I'm pleasantly surprised with the progress they've made over the years. While nothing fancy, you probably can't beat the "bang for the buck" you get with them. If you just need something to putt around town with you might consider this. Plus they usually come with an extra long warranty (Some even 10year/100,000 mile). Don't expect them to be the smoothest running cars on the road, but do expect reliability.
And last is Subaru - I have mixed feelings for these beasts. I've worked on enough to learn they there are different, but seem to hold up really well. Several years ago I was out in the Denver area and noticed these are very common up there... probably due to the fact that they are all all wheel drive.
It doesn't matter. All makes and model have their own quirky problems here and there, but if you keep up on maintenance and don't drive in extreme conditions, you can get a lot of miles out of just about everything.
Things I've learned:
GM - Still haven't quite got their gasket making abilities up to par. All are prone to fluid leaks - the front wheel drive V6 models leaking antifreeze and V8 cadillacs leaking oil.. and it never is a cheap repair.
FORD - Quirky little electrical problems here and there but in general they are reliable and in my opinion have the best ride of the big 3 US automakers
DODGE - I still don't know WTH they are doing. They seem to be the kings of "throwaway" cars... they must not plan on anyone owning a car for more than 100,000 miles. The neons are very prone to head failures and road noise, however oddly enough their suspensions hold up amazingly well.
HONDA - Fun little cars to drive, but the thing is they all drive the same! Whether it's an accord or civic or element, they all have the same feel to them. Yes they last a long time, but it seems like everytime something does go wrong it results in a no-start condition... usually in an annoying intermittant way. Older models were very prone to rusting.
TOYOTA - Pretty decently built but don't expect much in the way of high performance... they drive nice and can tolerate a lot of abuse. The older ones, as with just about all older japanese cars can rust out alot, and they like to break exhaust pipes quite commonly.
VOLVO - What can i say? These things can have a million things wrong with them and still keep putting down the road. Don't expect your Volvo to stay perfect, but do expect it to keep running when everything else is failing.
JAGUAR - ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARES.. only recently did they start using insulation and harnesses for their wiring.
VOLKSWAGEN - Strange, strange systems. These can be VERY fun to drive, but good luck finding a local repair shop that knows squat about them. Their electrical systems are unlike any other, and some people tend to specialize on VW's for this exact reason.
BMW - My personal favorite to drive. Very reliable and very stable - they can rack up a lot of miles, but when something does go bad, expect to pay big bucks for repairs.
MERCEDES - I still think these have such a niche class of owners, at least in the US... While very stable their suspensions aren't the strongest.. they have quirky things like uneven tire wear problems, and in all honesty I don't quit understand they hype. I don't really care much for driving them... they tend to have a "heavy" feel to them.
Daewoo/Kia/Hyundai/Suzuki - These economy cars were junk in the beginning, but I'm pleasantly surprised with the progress they've made over the years. While nothing fancy, you probably can't beat the "bang for the buck" you get with them. If you just need something to putt around town with you might consider this. Plus they usually come with an extra long warranty (Some even 10year/100,000 mile). Don't expect them to be the smoothest running cars on the road, but do expect reliability.
And last is Subaru - I have mixed feelings for these beasts. I've worked on enough to learn they there are different, but seem to hold up really well. Several years ago I was out in the Denver area and noticed these are very common up there... probably due to the fact that they are all all wheel drive.
It's not my favorite brand but when someone talks of reliability you should always remember that Toyota has not recalled any series in the last 12 years. Others are not even close..
Yeah, I guess Toyota seems to be pretty reliable. And their styling has been improving. I don't get why they keep the camry and the lexus ES looking almost exactly Identical. If you took the badges off most people probably wouldn't know the difference. I don't see why someone would get the lexus if they could get a similarly equipped Camry. Though the styling is still not enough for me to buy one of their cars, you never know how things will change in the future.
GO for BMW, in my opinion it is the best.
I have tested both Merc and BMW, but BMW is much better in terms of pleasure in driving.
I have tested both Merc and BMW, but BMW is much better in terms of pleasure in driving.
| bluefossil wrote: |
| Yeah, I guess Toyota seems to be pretty reliable. And their styling has been improving. I don't get why they keep the camry and the lexus ES looking almost exactly Identical. If you took the badges off most people probably wouldn't know the difference. I don't see why someone would get the lexus if they could get a similarly equipped Camry. Though the styling is still not enough for me to buy one of their cars, you never know how things will change in the future. |
They still have Supra as well as Celica. Both are quite nice sports cars but with good quallity regarding their performace and price.
Ok, it´s not the kind of car you might buy to get a reliable car, but if you want a sports car and at the same time relativly less problems they are great =)
Most reliable brand? Hmm. Toyota. A lot of people here are saying Mercedes and BMW; I completely disagree. I have experience with both, and they've given me more problems than any Toyota (including Lexus), General Motors, or Honda car I've owned. (Especially when you purchase a BMW or Mercedes the year they introduce a new model). Don't get me wrong, I love Mercedes and BMW; but for me, Toyota/Lexus is the most reliable.
Plain and simple:
1) Japanese cars
2) German cars
3) Volvo (Sweden)?
3) everyone else.
1) Japanese cars
2) German cars
3) Volvo (Sweden)?
3) everyone else.
FORD! haha not i own a ford falcon EB, classed as bush bomb material these days, good old Australian craftsmanship there!
Yeah I'd have to agree with Toyota, even though i have gone through two landcruisers so far, "OOps that river wasn't there last time!" and "so that's how you roll a 4wd."
But on a serious note, given the harsh conditions out here those monsters do quite well, even if you give them a good beating.
Yeah I'd have to agree with Toyota, even though i have gone through two landcruisers so far, "OOps that river wasn't there last time!" and "so that's how you roll a 4wd."
But on a serious note, given the harsh conditions out here those monsters do quite well, even if you give them a good beating.
Mercs are mad cars and ther built in germany so its TOP quality
the costs arent even that bad either
the costs arent even that bad either
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