Looking to get a new car - any recommendations

TIDE-HSV · Mar 13, 2019

DzynKingRTR said:
I know about the premium gas for BMW (or most German cars.) Has anyone ever had a diesel? There is one I have found, but I am a little hesitant about getting a diesel.

I drove Benz diesels for 30 years. I think the last one was an early '90s M-B 300TD. I got a very good price on it because they were going to stop importing it the next year for failing to meet new emission standards. I drove it for quite a while and liked it. Eventually, the turbo on it went out and there were only two available in the country, neither new and neither with a warranty. The cost, back in the early 2000s was a couple thousand. Diesels are under attack in Europe, particularly in Germany, which is the heart of the diesel car industry. Many cities ban the older ones. IOW, I'm afraid they're a dying breed. I wouldn't take a chance on one now.

No one has said anything about the Subaru. My wife drives a Forester, 2014, I think. The reliability is very good. The 2019 is Consumer Reports top-rated compact SUV. There's no doubt we'll replace ours with another. Below is part of CR's writeup on the 2019:

The Forester is a multitalented, no-nonsense vehicle that has broad appeal. This compact SUV’s roomy interior focuses on practicality and functionality. The 2019 redesign doesn’t look much different from its predecessor, but the Forester is now a more solid vehicle—quieter, with a more premium feel inside. Its power is admittedly modest, but its fuel economy tops the class. The ride is comfortable, the steering is responsive, and its body doesn’t lean too much around corners. The Forester has large doors, making it easy to get in and out, and tall, upright glass all around, providing unrivaled visibility. Inside, there’s generous room for passengers and cargo. Bonus: Forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist come standard.

GrayTide · Mar 13, 2019

I am on my third Honda CR-V since 2005. Mrs. GrayTide drives a Prius. Earle, is right about the Subaru, wish we had a dealership close by I would definitely have looked at the Forester and the Outback. Happy hunting.

TIDE-HSV · Mar 13, 2019

GrayTide said:
I am on my third Honda CR-V since 2005. Mrs. GrayTide drives a Prius. Earle, is right about the Subaru, wish we had a dealership close by I would definitely have looked at the Forester and the Outback. Happy hunting.

We bought ours in Colorado Springs and made a vacation of it. It was the closest crimson one at the time...

TIDE-HSV · Mar 13, 2019

GrayTide said:
I am on my third Honda CR-V since 2005. Mrs. GrayTide drives a Prius. Earle, is right about the Subaru, wish we had a dealership close by I would definitely have looked at the Forester and the Outback. Happy hunting.

BTW, the Forester and the Outback are more different than they look, if they're still making them that way. The Forester is a true SUV and has its own shell, etc. The Outback is, or used to be, built on their Legacy shell. Of course, there are tradeoffs. The Outback is slightly larger, maybe 6" longer. However, it has more of a sedan ride. The Forester ride is tighter and slightly harsher, but the handling is also more precise. However, like most SUV drivers, we've rarely used its offroad capabilities. Both have the awesome Subaru AWD...

crimsonaudio · Mar 13, 2019

Subaru's reliability rankings took it on the chin for the better part of a decade when some 20% of vehicles out of warranty ended up blowing head gaskets.They've gotten back into the game now and are making good vehicles, but I know a lot of people who won't consider them based on that dark decade of head gasket issues.

TIDE-HSV · Mar 13, 2019

crimsonaudio said:
Subaru's reliability rankings took it on the chin for the better part of a decade when some 20% of vehicles out of warranty ended up blowing head gaskets.They've gotten back into the game now and are making good vehicles, but I know a lot of people who won't consider them based on that dark decade of head gasket issues.

Yeah, I took that into account when I bought the Forester. They switched back to a steel head from the composite in 2009 and that seemed to solve the problem in all their models. They stuck with the composite for about 10 years, though. The boxer engine is especially badly-suited to the composite...

DzynKingRTR · Mar 13, 2019

How about Audi?

dayhiker · Mar 13, 2019

DzynKingRTR said:
I have owned 3 Hondas in my life. If I have to make a change, I want a new direction. My first car was a Shelby Charger. It required premium. I did not mind.

I like my Sonata 2.0T. It's reliable and gets good gas mileage if you stay off the turbo. If you need to punch it, though, it'll go. I went from a Camry to the Sonata and the horsepower almost doubled when I made the change.

TIDE-HSV · Mar 13, 2019

DzynKingRTR said:
How about Audi?

Audi's are rated just about average in reliability, below the Japanese makes. I had a 100LS back in the '70s and had major problems with the Solex carburetor, which was a vented hybrid model in an attempt to meet US emission standards at the time. I got a lot of teasing for spending Saturdays with it in pieces on the picnic table, working on it. I was finally able to get decent performance, but with larger jets, dropping the mileage to around 17 in city, which wasn't the idea. However, they're injected and decent now, but still just average in reliability...

bamaga · Mar 13, 2019

I went outside Tuesday,having surgery Thursday , so I decided to take my BMW Z4 around the block since I will be unable to drive it for a few months . I put the retractable hard top down , opened it up a little and had some fun m then cruised back home as the sun was dipping and it was getting cold. Pulled in the drive , hit the button for the top and nothing, tried it again and nothing. Messed with it for 2 hours but no luck. Today, I made the 56 mile trek to Global BMW with the top and windows down , I had the seat and steering wheel heaters on, plus the heat, but I froze to death! Anyway, that was my bad luck car story for the week. Probably going to cost a couple thousand to fix as I think the pump went out. The car has 48, 782 miles on it. Third time it’s been in the shop. The other two were under warranty, this is on me. The guy at Global BMW doing a pre shop-intake inspection told me I needed 2 new tires and a front end alignment while it’s there, estimate $986. I told him I will get back to him! Gotta find out how much the top is going to cost me! I love my BMW. It’s a fun to drive car with good response and just enough luxury for a sports car. The dealership is really nice and they have a great personal touch, but if it stays this exepnsive to keep, I will look for something else! Zed4’s probably are not typical of the make. One of the few true roadsters still in production, and some downtime is to be expected with any sports car! my BMW story!

GrayTide · Mar 14, 2019

TIDE-HSV said:
Audi's are rated just about average in reliability, below the Japanese makes. I had a 100LS back in the '70s and had major problems with the Solex carburetor, which was a vented hybrid model in an attempt to meet US emission standards at the time. I got a lot of teasing for spending Saturdays with it in pieces on the picnic table, working on it. I was finally able to get decent performance, but with larger jets, dropping the mileage to around 17 in city, which wasn't the idea. However, they're injected and decent now, but still just average in reliability...

I also had an Audi 100LS back in 1976. I loved that car, but it did not love me. Spent a lot of time at the dealership, finally unloaded it with less than 6,000 miles. Cannot speak to the newer models, but know they are quite pricey.

crimsonaudio · Mar 14, 2019

DzynKingRTR said:
How about Audi?

I have several friends who drive them (for now) none seem impressed. And one of them is quick to remind people that it's "just a dressed up VW".

TIDE-HSV · Mar 14, 2019

crimsonaudio said:
I have several friends who drive them (for now) none seem impressed. And one of them is quick to remind people that it's "just a dressed up VW".

Pretty much. I said goodbye to that whole Wolfsburg brand with the 2004 Passat, which blew a head gasket with 60K. Like GT, that Audi went for a MB when it was less than two years old...

92tide · Mar 14, 2019

TIDE-HSV said:
Pretty much. I said goodbye to that whole Wolfsburg brand with the 2004 Passat, which blew a head gasket with 60K. Like GT, that Audi went for a MB when it was less than two years old...

the diesel we had was the last straw for us (2011 jetta wagon). i loved the way the car drove and it got great gas mileage, but too many little things kept going wrong with it and it was a pain in the butt. we were pretty lucky in the buyback program. we got a check for about 90% of what we paid for the car and that was after 5 years of driving it.

BamaSC · Mar 14, 2019

bamaga said:
The guy at Global BMW doing a pre shop-intake inspection told me I needed 2 new tires and a front end alignment while it’s there, estimate $986. I told him I will get back to him! Gotta find out how much the top is going to cost me! I love my BMW. It’s a fun to drive car with good response and just enough luxury for a sports car. The dealership is really nice and they have a great personal touch, but if it stays this exepnsive to keep, I will look for something else!

Ouch! Maybe you should check with other dealers. For a point of reference, I replaced all 4 tires on the 535 last year at the dealer with a 4-wheel alignment for about $1200 (OEM 19” run-flat Continentals). Last month 4 tires and 4-wheel alignment on the M3 at the dealer for just under $1100 (OEM 18” Michelin Pilot Super Sports).

As for Audi, I have a ‘14 A4 Quattro with about 73k miles on it. I bought it 2 years ago when it had 45k on it. So far it’s been super reliable except I think the satellite radio antenna is shorting out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Elefantman · Mar 14, 2019

TIDE-HSV said:
Audi's are rated just about average in reliability, below the Japanese makes. I had a 100LS back in the '70s and had major problems with the Solex carburetor, which was a vented hybrid model in an attempt to meet US emission standards at the time. I got a lot of teasing for spending Saturdays with it in pieces on the picnic table, working on it. I was finally able to get decent performance, but with larger jets, dropping the mileage to around 17 in city, which wasn't the idea. However, they're injected and decent now, but still just average in reliability...

You drove a 100LS? You have my condolences. I think they used a sundial to clock its 0 to 60 time.

4Q Basket Case · Mar 14, 2019

Bamaro said:
That is not the case with most modern engines and hasn't been for many years. Owners manual may say either premium required or recommended depending on how the computer handles lower octane ratings. The primary issue is pre-ignition, aka knock. Engines stating premium recommended handle knock both short and long term by retarding the ignition timing enough. If it says required, I would definitely use it to be safe.

crimsonaudio said:
This was true before modern, computerized motors were common, but now all you lose is performance (roughly 2% on the average vehicle). The computer will sense any knocking and adjust the ignition as needed for a clean burn.

There's literally no issue running 87 octane in a modern (computerized) auto that recommends premium, even for the entire life of the engine.

Bamabuzzard said:
This is what I was told as well by someone who has worked in the automotive (engineering side) industry for 30+ years.

Thanks to all! This is why TF is the best board on the net.

Maybe I shouldn’t trust my mechanic so much.....

TIDE-HSV · Mar 14, 2019

bamaga said:
I went outside Tuesday,having surgery Thursday , so I decided to take my BMW Z4 around the block since I will be unable to drive it for a few months . I put the retractable hard top down , opened it up a little and had some fun m then cruised back home as the sun was dipping and it was getting cold. Pulled in the drive , hit the button for the top and nothing, tried it again and nothing. Messed with it for 2 hours but no luck. Today, I made the 56 mile trek to Global BMW with the top and windows down , I had the seat and steering wheel heaters on, plus the heat, but I froze to death! Anyway, that was my bad luck car story for the week. Probably going to cost a couple thousand to fix as I think the pump went out. The car has 48, 782 miles on it. Third time it’s been in the shop. The other two were under warranty, this is on me. The guy at Global BMW doing a pre shop-intake inspection told me I needed 2 new tires and a front end alignment while it’s there, estimate $986. I told him I will get back to him! Gotta find out how much the top is going to cost me! I love my BMW. It’s a fun to drive car with good response and just enough luxury for a sports car. The dealership is really nice and they have a great personal touch, but if it stays this exepnsive to keep, I will look for something else! Zed4’s probably are not typical of the make. One of the few true roadsters still in production, and some downtime is to be expected with any sports car! my BMW story!

That's just downright sad...

TIDE-HSV · Mar 14, 2019

Elefantman said:
You drove a 100LS? You have my condolences. I think they used a sundial to clock its 0 to 60 time.

Actually, with the bigger jets, it had decent acceleration. OTOH, its MPG dropped to about what my Tacoma gets now...

DzynKingRTR · Mar 14, 2019

Well the mechanic that has my old car has finally texted me and found what was wrong with the car. It was the underhood fuse box. The whole thing had to be replaced as it had shorted out. I am still done with the car and plan on car shopping for a few weeks.

Looking to get a new car - any recommendations

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