I'm a Prius owner, 2007 model.
Reliability is legendary, but a word of warning:
Do not expect performance, because these are dull commuter appliances and nothing more.
If you're looking for a small car with plenty of storage space and/or passenger accomodation, and 38 mpg city/45-50 mpg hwy and nothing else, get one and you'll be happy.
Ignore the talk about 10000 mile oil changes however, and let the engine run for its full cycle before taking off first thing in the morning (about two minutes usually) because some owners report excessive oil use due to not letting the engine reach operating temp before starting off.
3000-5000 mile oil change intervals recommended.
Also ignore the scare talk about battery life and replacement costs because chances are pretty good that you will never need to replace it even with as much as 200000 miles on it.
I hear that the 2015-16 Prius gets even better mileage.
I'm very satisfied with my Prius but I'm most likely going to move to a Volt.
Two family members have Volts and I've driven them both, and I really like them a lot more.
Both of them have been very satisfied with the Volt, they deliver everything promised.
One of them is a real estate appraiser and routinely does 200-300 miles a day, the other is a commuter who seldom needs to go beyond the electric range of her Volt, so she's surprised at the rare times when the engine kicks on while driving.
I love the Volt, have spoken with many people who own one. Their only complaint is that the car is too quiet. It kinda sneaks up on people.
Since I mentioned the Alpha, yes, I have to admit that I am dazzled by looks. The Volt can hold its own though, looks kinda sassy.
The volt is interesting because it isn't a hybrid. It doesn't have a synergy drive. Meaning the engine doesn't ever drive the wheels. It only generates electricity.
I would imagine performance is pretty good because the drive train is completely electric. I'd be interested to learn about the battery capacity and the generators duty cycle.
Dealers mark them down until they are sold you aren’t going to find any 2016 new cars but the 2017s are and the end of being new with the 2019s coming out so you can get a steal there.
Yes, I am still reluctant to buy one until we find out more.
Well fuel electric systems have been around for quite some time. But that doesn't mean there aren't going to be problems.
GM still make the volt? I knew it had a pretty rough start and the sales aren't the best. But that may be because of some views people hold.
They still make it (The 2018 Volt offers up to 53 pure electric miles† and up to 420 miles† with a full charge and a full tank of gas ) and added the Bolt ( all-electric car to offer an EPA-estimated 238 miles of range on a single charge) as an alternative.
I am more intrigued by the Volt, because it gives me options, and with charge stations questionable or non existent in some areas, it might be the better choice.
A Sentra SE-R. I regret not going all the way with the Spec V, but I'd broken my right foot and decided all-clutch was probably not smart. Now I'm sorry--not that I plan to trade "Sir" in.
A Nissan with 69 thousand miles on it?
Unless the body is all beat to Hell it's just broken-in.
You can get 300 thousand miles out of a typical Nissan.
I still have my 1969 Fiat Spyder, aka the 124. I paid $2950 for it new in 1970 while home on leave. Black, with a red leather interior, black canvas manual top, original Blaupunkt radio. 124k owner miles on it, mint shape. I've cannibalized a half dozen or so other 124's, both the roadster and the coupe for parts. It wasn't made by Fiat, marketed by Fiat. The car was designed and made by Pininfarina. Last time I showed it, about 4 years ago, I was offered $45k. It is a fun car to drive, it's a beautiful sports car, unreliable as were most sports cars of the day, like the MGs, Triumphs, the Jag XKEs, the Corvettes, the Volvo P1800, the Saab Sonnet and most others. Even the Austin Healy's and their replicas never finished a Road Rally. Same with the AC Cobras. These days it is driven at most 500 miles per year, and it keeps increasing in value. I recently saw one in red from 1971 sell for $85k at auction. Very good condition, 170k miles. Pininfarina is now offering newly made parts to enthusiasts who are rebuilding them. It's worm and roller steering was incredibly more precise than rack and pinion, still is, making it a fun car to drive on winding roads. You had to pray you'd reach your destination, the downside. (I used to carry an extra clutch and linkage in the trunk with tools that came with the car.) It is one of the classic sports cars of the era, just coming into its own for collectors. It was one of the first cars sold in America with Perelli tires. BTW the British Morgan of the day, an all wood car, can be had for upwards of $200k. I had one in college for a summer, bought at a junkyard for $75, until it was hit by lightening and went up in smoke. Another fun car to drive, heading down hill with a steep decline, and a good tail wind the care could hit 40 mph with its two stroke engine. Felt like you were moving at 90. Some were 3 wheelers, one wheel in the back. New Morgans today start at $250k, and they are still hand built, with a 5 year back order. They still offer a 3 wheeler. They're mostly made from aluminum these days. They can be ordered with either new Corvette engines, or a custom Rolls Royce engine for an extra $50k.
There were also the 124 sedan and station wagon. For investors, it's looking like the few sedans available are becoming collector's items, selling for as low as $5k a few years ago, they're now selling for close to $40k restored, and the very few station wagons, if they hit the market are selling upwards of $70k.
Dealers mark them down until they are sold you aren’t going to find any 2016 new cars but the 2017s are and the end of being new with the 2019s coming out so you can get a steal there.
I never understood anyone would want to buy a new car that loses 10%+ of it's value as soon as you drive off the lot.
I remember when Pininfarina began building. Some time I hope you'll post a pic of your Fiat--sounds like a beauty, and I'm so happy so still have it. I remember my dad's Fiat's black canvas top with the snaps. He could never part with it; it was the only sports car he ever had, and not even my mother could make him get rid of it.
I have yet to figure out how to post a photo from my computer. I keep failing every time I try.
My wife hated my car collection, because I wouldn't let her drive any of them. But she loved getting dressed up for the car shows, and long country rides with just the two of us.
Today that car and 4 others are sitting in a barn at my vacation home. The best is a Lincoln Mark II. Kept clean and in mechanically great shape by my sons. I don't drive them, they do. They like taking the older grandkids for rides. Their wives hate those cars. There's also a half restored Souza-Alahamin steam car, a competitor of Stanley's. One of the first American cars to top 70 mph. Actually driven in races about 1900-1905 or 6. Souza was an Italian immigrant, Alahamin was a Seneca Indian. Together they built the first car race track at Glen Falls, later founding one of the first American airplane companies and financed a small motorcycle manufacturer, Indian. Two of those early Indians, a Norton 900, and my first bike, a rebuilt 1952 BSA are in that barn. I rebuilt that BSA starting at age 14, with help from my dad, my uncles, and their friends. I thought I was so cool the first time I rode it at 16, without a license. I don't ride them either, anymore.
I love the Volt, have spoken with many people who own one. Their only complaint is that the car is too quiet. It kinda sneaks up on people.
Since I mentioned the Alpha, yes, I have to admit that I am dazzled by looks. The Volt can hold its own though, looks kinda sassy.
I remember when Pininfarina began building. Some time I hope you'll post a pic of your Fiat--sounds like a beauty, and I'm so happy so still have it. I remember my dad's Fiat's black canvas top with the snaps. He could never part with it; it was the only sports car he ever had, and not even my mother could make him get rid of it.
I never understood anyone would want to buy a new car that loses 10%+ of it's value as soon as you drive off the lot.
I'm beginning to think about replacing my beloved "Sir" at some point but don't want to pay 2018 prices. My car is a 2010, and I would be very happy with a brand-new 2016, but I can't find any new ones (despite Googling and being lured to various sites on the premise that they have a 2016).
So where do new cars that never sold go? Are they sold overseas or something? Is there some trick to searching online? I've been to Car Gurus and etc.
Thanks in advance to anybody who knows the answers to my (probably dumb) questions.
Replace a 2010?????111one
MY ranger is around 300k miles and only a 2007 model, got it for 500 bucks because the company did not want to fork out for repairs and sold it to the shop for what the junk yards would pay, they were convinced it needed an engine and trans. It ended up needing the transmission rebuilt which I did in my living room and the engine needing replaced was actually the right side cylinder head having valve recession, so I replaced the head with a low mileage one from the junkyard. Case and point I have yet to in my life finance a car, I buy them outright, and usually shop for cheap beaters I can fix at a reasonable cost.
In terms of unsold cars, some go to auction, some are crushed, most I have seen get sold to second hand dealers with manufacturor warranty. In cali when I lived there there was a kia dealer that sold kia's half the cost of new and they were one or two model years old, with full warranty. The dealer would buy all unsold models in bulk, you would be surprised the deals they would get when they bought 100+ cars at a time from a kia dealer, it basically became I will sell you 100+ cars below cost but you must buy atleast x amount of this unsold unpopular model. Those dealers would and would sell them far cheaper, in 08 people were buying kia's for 5-8k new with full warranty because they were older models, and the dealers selling them were still making a fortune.
I'd happily buy a brand-new 2016 or 2017.
When I say "replace," I don't mean "get rid of." I'm still unhappy that somebody put 3K miles on "Sir" two summers ago because now he's about to turn over 69K. IF I ever sold him, it would be to somebody who's really looking for him because the "R" in "SE-R" stands for "Racing," somebody who's a fan. I've never loved a car the way I love this one.
Operative phrase in your post for me is " I can fix." I can't. And I'm a woman alone out in the country. I decided long ago that I would never put myself in the position of worrying about breaking down anywhere, and what that means is that I've traded in/bought new at 60K. That's the only reason I'm entertaining (slightly) buying a new car in the next year or so. (I've just had $2000 of work done on "Sir" and want to keep him happy and healthy although he's a bit older,) now. My perspective as a woman is very different from yours!
If it is not at the 100k mile mark I consider it not getting you miles out of what you paid. If you feel like moving on to newer, that is your choice, it is a choice I will never make, but it is a choice some do. But I also have the luxury of working in automotive, and knowing which cars are reliable, and which ones are not, and to me the biggest factor cost of repair to frequency of repair ratio. Like for example my ranger is not the cheapest to repair, however they are fairly reliable, many I have seen at over 400k miles with original drive and powertrains, and when they do break parts are obtainable and the work is doable.
However if you want to bring up the woman factor, my advice is to learn about cars, you do not need to be a mechanic, but just understand basics, as both mechanics and car dealers around the country like to ripoff people who they think know nothing about the subject, and by default women are assumed to know nothing about the subject therefore make the common targets. I have seen numerous times women get sold cars at 5k above msrp because salesmen were able to bs them and many mechanics add on numerous things that were not bad just because they had no idea what was even under the hood.
What is a 'ranger?' Compact Ford pick-up, Range Rover or what? I have run into very knowledgable women working as service advisors in dealerships and even as technicians. Mislead females in any field at your own risk in 2018!
I'm beginning to think about replacing my beloved "Sir" at some point but don't want to pay 2018 prices. My car is a 2010, and I would be very happy with a brand-new 2016, but I can't find any new ones (despite Googling and being lured to various sites on the premise that they have a 2016).
So where do new cars that never sold go? Are they sold overseas or something? Is there some trick to searching online? I've been to Car Gurus and etc.
Thanks in advance to anybody who knows the answers to my (probably dumb) questions.
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