kent
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Posts: 42
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Post by kent on Aug 22, 2023 4:25:59 GMT
I am looking for a new car. I decided on a couple of makes/models and when I read the nhtsa site for a particular model, with all the issues new cars have I decided not to buy that particular car. Issues like car stopping abruptly on its own with no one around because of censors etc. Only car that does not have too many issues is Lexus 2023 models (few of them). I also checked Toyota Camry/ Honda Accord but nothing seems without issues. If anyone has recently done research on new cars and if you can share your experience, it will be appreciated. Thanks
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Post by steelpony10 on Aug 22, 2023 10:09:53 GMT
kent , Toyota consistently has highly rated automobiles. For the money and maybe because it might eliminate the lemons we choose from one and two year used cars. Eventually I can see dovetailing into a lease and making those issues someone else’s problem.
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Post by yogibearbull on Aug 22, 2023 11:48:54 GMT
Our last few cars have been Honda/Acura. We went to Acura only because Honda few years ago (until 2019) didn't offer V6 for midsize-SUV, but now it does. We buy new, and after a few years, we gift them to close relatives and they have had several years of use. Shopping for Honda is easier as there are 4-5 versions/packages for each model and you pick one (vs some others where you may be building cars from skeletons).
Look for overall, multiyear experiences. If you check the web for complaints, you will find something on all of them. With millions of cars, that isn't unusual.
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Post by Chahta on Aug 22, 2023 12:08:16 GMT
It is hard to go wrong with Toyota or Honda. We bought a new Toyota hybrid. I think hybrid cars make sense, even though I am not sure at the end of life they will have "made money". Converting wasted kinetic to electrical energy, instead of burning brake shoes up, is just awesome. 10k mile oil changes are another plus. The more expensive gas gets the better a hybrid is. For me, Toyota is the hybrid manufacturer of choice since they have so much experience with them.
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Post by fritzo489 on Aug 22, 2023 12:45:01 GMT
kent, Thanks for posting. I may have a problem with new purchase. When entering intersection with turn lanes the lane tracking feature doesn't seem to be functioning properly. It wants to take me into the turn lane instead of going straight ahead. Also there maybe a problem when one of the lane markings disappear. I guess that is why the pop-up appears about keeps hands on the wheel !!! Now I haven't driven this new purchase a lot, <600 miles, & I'm beginning to wonder if this lane assist is a good thing or not ? A false sense of security. I may turn it off.
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Post by gman57 on Aug 22, 2023 13:29:24 GMT
I'll be looking this fall. I've always had Toyota/Honda. You just change the oil every 10k miles and drive them for 250k+ miles. Pretty simple IMHO. I've been looking into the KIA Telluride along with comparable Hondas and Toyotas. Is KIA jumping into the same reliability world as Honda/Toyota. Some rating websites seem to think so. Decisions, decisions...
ADD: just went to the NHTSA site.... Telluride was one of those cars they suggested parking outside due to fire hazard...hmmm, I guess more research is needed.
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Post by win1177 on Aug 22, 2023 13:41:53 GMT
Fritzo489, I’m a little frustrated with my wife’s new (slightly used) Volvo car, an XC60 (2019 model). It has all kind of “driver assist” features which will try to “over-ride” the driver at times. For instance, I’m driving down the highway, see a big pothole ahead of us, try to steer to the side of the lane to avoid the pothole, and the “driver assist” tries to force me back in the middle of the lane.
I’m probably going to turn this feature OFF, as it is VERY frustrating for me. Reminds me of some medical devices to “assist” surgeons, when the they first came out, they were SO frustrating that many physicians complained and the companies canned them. I guess they are “good” if someone’s drunk, or falling asleep at the wheel, but that’s not me. No accidents since age 16 and I don’t drink, so I don’t need need some “computer” trying to override me all the time. Especially with all the potholes in South Carolina!
Win
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Post by judger on Aug 22, 2023 14:08:16 GMT
kent , Thanks for posting. I may have a problem with new purchase. When entering intersection with turn lanes the lane tracking feature doesn't seem to be functioning properly. It wants to take me into the turn lane instead of going straight ahead. Also there maybe a problem when one of the lane markings disappear. I guess that is why the pop-up appears about keeps hands on the wheel !!! Now I haven't driven this new purchase a lot, <600 miles, & I'm beginning to wonder if this lane assist is a good thing or not ? A false sense of security. I may turn it off. We live on a road that has an area that is bumpy on the driver's side and there are frequently deer anywhere in low light situations. I turn the lane tracking off on our Subaru Outback so that I can ride the middle ln certain areas.This avoids the bumps and gives me a few more feet away from where the deer appear. :-)))
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Post by Mustang on Aug 22, 2023 14:11:35 GMT
I would have to turn off the driver assist function on the first day. That function would drive me crazy. None of the county roads I drive on have marked lanes but they do have lots of potholes. It sounds like cars are trending the same way as computers and phones. I'll have to pay extra for features I'll never use.
I agree with others. Its hard to go wrong buying a Toyota.
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Post by waffle2 on Aug 22, 2023 14:14:40 GMT
My first two cars were Toyota and next two Hondas. All were good cars.
Now I am going for an EV - Tesla Model Y.
Audi and Tesla are cars I see most in my community.
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Post by judger on Aug 22, 2023 14:19:52 GMT
kent , Thanks for posting. I may have a problem with new purchase. When entering intersection with turn lanes the lane tracking feature doesn't seem to be functioning properly. It wants to take me into the turn lane instead of going straight ahead. Also there maybe a problem when one of the lane markings disappear. I guess that is why the pop-up appears about keeps hands on the wheel !!! Now I haven't driven this new purchase a lot, <600 miles, & I'm beginning to wonder if this lane assist is a good thing or not ? A false sense of security. I may turn it off. We live on a road that has an area that is bumpy on the driver's side and there are frequently deer anywhere in low light situations. I turn the lane tracking off on our Subaru Outback so that I can ride the middle ln certain areas.This avoids the bumps and gives me a few more feet away from where the deer appear. :-))) One can hear loudly within my car on occasion "Who's driving this car anyway?". IMHO lane tracking should be turned off when driving a lot of 2-lane roads which we do. Maybe turn it on during long trips on expressways just in case you get tired and nod off. I do find that I have to watch myself when I look away at something off the road and tend to drift. Never used to have this problem. Not sure, but I do wonder if part of the problem is that cars do require more air pressure in the tires which can make the car a bit lighter in the loafers.
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Post by win1177 on Aug 22, 2023 14:38:35 GMT
I’m looking at getting a midsized Hybrid, so looking at suggestions from people. I bought a used Lincoln MKZ hybrid from my father in laws estate in 2014, it is a 2011 model. Just use it mainly for “around town” travel but it gets GREAT gas mileage, between 30-35 mpg. So very easy on the gas mileage, and it’s pretty comfortable to drive longer distances. But my wife complains about it, “it’s an old man’s car”, etc., etc. I still like it, but beginning to wonder how long the batteries will last since the car is a 2011 model, already they are 13 years old. But so far, it’s still working fine, no real problems with car. When I replace it, leaning towards a new/slightly used hybrid as I’ve enjoyed having that. Worry about going “all electric” here in South Carolina, with rapid charging spots not always close by.
What hybrids (mid sized) have people used, and had good experiences with?
Win
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Post by Mustang on Aug 22, 2023 16:46:13 GMT
kent , Thanks for posting. I may have a problem with new purchase. When entering intersection with turn lanes the lane tracking feature doesn't seem to be functioning properly. It wants to take me into the turn lane instead of going straight ahead. Also there maybe a problem when one of the lane markings disappear. I guess that is why the pop-up appears about keeps hands on the wheel !!! Now I haven't driven this new purchase a lot, <600 miles, & I'm beginning to wonder if this lane assist is a good thing or not ? A false sense of security. I may turn it off. We live on a road that has an area that is bumpy on the driver's side and there are frequently deer anywhere in low light situations. I turn the lane tracking off on our Subaru Outback so that I can ride the middle ln certain areas.This avoids the bumps and gives me a few more feet away from where the deer appear. :-))) There is a state road with painted lines nearby that everyone uses. It it is narrow with a hump in the middle and deep ditches on both sides. Shortly after getting married I got stopped by a deputy sheriff. He must have been new. He asked me if I knew I was driving down the center of the road (no traffic whatsoever).. I said yes. We all drive down the center of this road if no traffic is coming. The last thing anyone wants is to get a wheel of the edge pulling the car into the ditch and possibly into trees. He didn't give me a ticket. He looked at the ditches and told me to be careful. When my wife's parents came to visit they would drive 30 miles out of their way to avoid driving down that road.
We also get a lot of animals on the road both domestic and wild. (You cannot see black Angus cattle at night until its too late.) I slowed down to a near stop one day to watch a bald eagle lift a dead racoon off the road. I'm pretty sure the Eaglets ate well that day.
As I mentioned before, on new cars I would be paying for a lot of functions I would never use. Hopefully, they could all be turned off.
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kent
Ensign
Posts: 42
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Post by kent on Aug 23, 2023 2:19:43 GMT
Good ideas so far, my research is in progress. I will try to document my input/issues I find for each car I review. I may be getting picky in my old age but hey this is the second largest investment after house so it is well worth spending time. I wish I would have bought the car few years ago when electronics like lane changing, front auto sensors etc. were not implemented. I have a 2009 Honda Ridgeline that I have approx. 50,000 miles, I am definitely keeping this one for a while even though if I have to spend few dollars on maintenance.
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Post by richardsok on Aug 23, 2023 3:31:48 GMT
My first two cars were Toyota and next two Hondas. All were good cars. Now I am going for an EV - Tesla Model Y. Audi and Tesla are cars I see most in my community. I'm reading that a glut of Teslas and EVs is developing, also that practical range is greatly over-estimated. Either too hot or too cold and range is reduced. They dubiously claim roughly 300m on a full charge but typical charges are no more than 80%, unless your car is parked over night. Have you checked re-sale value? Cost of battery replacement after a few years? If you're going to use one for in-town shopping and local commute, then I could see some might see the attraction. (I don't.) But EVs are evidently poor choices for road trips. Then there are the reports of sudden fires that are almost impossible to extinguish. You'd have to be really reckless to leave one in your garage overnight. I'd like to see what the insurance agencies say. I absolutely would not own one -- despite the terrific acceleration. My two cents -- I hope you have a better experience than the worrisome reports I've been reading.
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Post by win1177 on Aug 23, 2023 13:06:33 GMT
My first two cars were Toyota and next two Hondas. All were good cars. Now I am going for an EV - Tesla Model Y. Audi and Tesla are cars I see most in my community. I'm reading that a glut of Teslas and EVs is developing, also that practical range is greatly over-estimated. Either too hot or too cold and range is reduced. They dubiously claim roughly 300m on a full charge but typical charges are no more than 80%, unless your car is parked over night. Have you checked re-sale value? Cost of battery replacement after a few years? If you're going to use one for in-town shopping and local commute, then I could see some might see the attraction. (I don't.) But EVs are evidently poor choices for road trips. Then there are the reports of sudden fires that are almost impossible to extinguish. You'd have to be really reckless to leave one in your garage overnight. I'd like to see what the insurance agencies say. I absolutely would not own one -- despite the terrific acceleration. My two cents -- I hope you have a better experience than the worrisome reports I've been reading. These “issues” are causing me to be reluctant to buy a fully electric vehicle too! The ranges that are reported are in “optimal temperatures”, with drivers going the speed limits, using no A/C or heat, etc. In other words, “optimal conditions to get the maximum range”. These are NOT “typical” driving conditions, where one accelerates from a full stop, slows down after people cut in front of you, slow down for turns/ lights, traffic, etc., etc. So I’m not convinced we would get the “ranges” as advertised. Plus, I’d be scared to park it in my garage, due to the (remote) risk of a battery fire in our new beautiful/ custom built lake home. So fully electric is not an option for me (yet). My hybrid gets real good mileage, with a full tank I can go over 500- 550 miles before refilling, and I don’t have to worry about my car “dying” on the side of the road due to a lack of a charging station. I feel like a hybrid is the “best of both worlds”, at least for me! Win
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Post by yogibearbull on Aug 23, 2023 13:33:32 GMT
I had not so good experiences with an early Honda Civic hybrid.
Despite the claims of long life, the first time the hybrid battery had to be replaced was during the 8-yr warranty period for the battery. I was told that if it wasn't covered, it would have set me back by $8K+. Hybrid was in the shop for almost 2 weeks. Problem was that these batteries are considered hazardous materials, and although a battery was available somewhere, an appropriate transport wasn't.
The second time the battery nearly failed (it failed to charge above 30-40% until I found a trick from a web discussion), it was beyond the warrantee. I was told by the dealer that it would cost me $8K+ for OEM battery, and $3K+ for aftermarket battery (even that was more than the residual value of the car). I didn't want to gift this "problem" to my relatives, so I traded it back to dealer, who was fully familiar with the history of the car, for whatever I could get - BTW, it was 100% charged on the day that I traded it in (by the trick I had found).
In the 2 cars that we had then, the hybrid suddenly went from reliable, economic one to can-die-anytime.
From what read, the next generations of hybrid batteries have been better and more reliable.
I probably will avoid EVs for as long as possible.
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Aug 23, 2023 15:00:35 GMT
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Post by Chahta on Aug 23, 2023 15:00:35 GMT
I had not so good experiences with an early Honda Civic hybrid. Despite the claims of long life, the first time the hybrid battery had to be replaced was during the 8-yr warranty period for the battery. I was told that if it wasn't covered, it would have set me back by $8K+. Hybrid was in the shop for almost 2 weeks. Problem was that these batteries are considered hazardous materials, and although a battery was available somewhere, an appropriate transport wasn't. The second time the battery nearly failed (it failed to charge above 30-40% until I found a trick from a web discussion), it was beyond the warrantee. I was told by the dealer that it would cost me $8K+ for OEM battery, and $3K+ for aftermarket battery (even that was more than the residual value of the car). I didn't want to gift this "problem" to my relatives, so I traded it back to dealer, who was fully familiar with the history of the car, for whatever I could get - BTW, it was 100% charged on the day that I traded it in (by the trick I had found). In the 2 cars that we had then, the hybrid suddenly went from reliable, economic one to can-die-anytime. From what read, the next generations of hybrid batteries have been better and more reliable. I probably will avoid EVs for as long as possible. I did the math on the Toyota hybrid we bought. Over the car it replaced we would be saving gas for the purchase of a new battery. The more expensive gas gets the faster we save. We bought an SUV so the mileage is not as good as a passenger car. The price of the vehicle doesn’t matter. Only how much you save for a new battery. The price is to suit your comfort level. While Hondas are good, I would only buy Toyota for hybrid technology.
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Post by Mustang on Aug 23, 2023 17:19:12 GMT
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Post by gman57 on Aug 23, 2023 17:31:41 GMT
I agree EV infrastructure isn't ready yet and maybe not even the cars. If I was a 2 car family I'd probably go EV for my run around town car and perhaps a hybrid for trips. Since I'm a one car family and have to tow a boat at times I'll stick with my ICE for now.
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Aug 23, 2023 17:40:11 GMT
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Post by waffle2 on Aug 23, 2023 17:40:11 GMT
I agree EVs are city cars only. Cannot take them for long out of city drives.
So it is fair question if one should spend 60k for such a car.
Also some people recommend not to buy full self driving option for 15k as it is far from ready.
But I have not heard about any maintenance issues with tesla EVs as such. Lot of people in my neighborhood and friends circle has Teslas. But no one I know has had tesla for more than 3-4 years.
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Post by catdog on Aug 23, 2023 18:04:17 GMT
Had a Prius Prime. Plug in and first 20-30 miles on electric then gas. Excellent car but small for me. Wife had a mid life crisis and decided she needed a Tesla. We got the Tesla Y. It is like a crossover SUV with all wheel drive. There is a lot to think about. If you are east coast you have to pick up the car in New Jersey. You can have it delivered for $750. We live in northern New Hampshire so the showroom and service center is three hours away. We are hoping that will change in time. Our range is 340 miles. I did a 170 mile trip and based on that the range is correct. Watch as many Tesla youtube videos as you can before taking delivery.
We have only had it 5 weeks, but it feels like a heavy and stable vehicle. The first week was intimidating for me because I am weak with computers, but I now really like the car. So much easier to get in and out of than the Prius.
Catdog
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Post by Chahta on Aug 23, 2023 20:49:56 GMT
I agree EVs are city cars only. Cannot take them for long out of city drives. So it is fair question if one should spend 60k for such a car. Also some people recommend not to buy full self driving option for 15k as it is far from ready. But I have not heard about any maintenance issues with tesla EVs as such. Lot of people in my neighborhood and friends circle has Teslas. But no one I know has had tesla for more than 3-4 years. Depends where you live. If in CA Tesla charging stations are everywhere. Plus go for groceries, park and charge too.
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Aug 23, 2023 21:45:29 GMT
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Post by waffle2 on Aug 23, 2023 21:45:29 GMT
I am in CA. By long drives I meant like on highways that go through unpopulated areas or desert, forests, mountains or national parks.
I am assuming if traveling in tesla between sfo and Los Angeles one should be ok. I should verify this though.
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Aug 23, 2023 22:20:29 GMT
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Post by waffle2 on Aug 23, 2023 22:20:29 GMT
Tesla has a good super charger network. So driving between various cities seems fine as per comments in various forums. www.tesla.com/supercharger
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Post by fritzo489 on Aug 23, 2023 23:39:49 GMT
Buy A trailer & generator & tow behind your EV , problem solved !
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Aug 23, 2023 23:50:09 GMT
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Post by waffle2 on Aug 23, 2023 23:50:09 GMT
Tesla has been around for 10+ years now with world wide sales. So unless i am in very rural or wilderness areas I should be fine. Tesla Y for me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2023 0:20:24 GMT
So we need a reasonably priced EV for in town and a reasonably priced ICE for trips. That sounds like the RAV4 Prime. Run 42 miles of errands per charge and travel 300 miles per tank and spend 10 minutes at gas station to start another 300 miles. I'm on the list but still studying.
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Aug 24, 2023 11:13:02 GMT
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Post by Fearchar on Aug 24, 2023 11:13:02 GMT
I walk by the charging stations at work every day. Mostly EVs but occasionally there is a hybrid that sneaks in.
Chatted with long time Volt owner. 8 years iirc. He commutes about 30miles one way and has not yet paid for a charge. Work is free and there is a store or 2 that are also free.
He has a home charger, but does not use it. He griped about the hybrids since they only need a few hours to get fully charged and yet are at the chargers all day.
There are of course a few Telsa and Toyota and BMWs. One of the BMWs is very small. Also a pickup truck was there, but not every day.. actually h it has been a while since the pickup was there.
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Post by fritzo489 on Aug 24, 2023 12:53:15 GMT
How long before we hear of recharging rage ?! Or getting inline to charge ?
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