HITNRUNXX wrote:
So with me, of these three, Ford has the best record. I also had an 86 (pre-Chrysler) Jeep that hit 250K miles with about $150 repair costs, but that doesn't really fit in. I have no experience with "foreign" cars. So I can't say. The thing is, I buy used American vehicles REALLY CHEAP. My current Impala has $4,000 in repairs in it. But I only paid $4,000 for it. So in some ways it is bad, because I have doubled the cost. In other ways, I have spent $8,000 on a vehicle that I have driven for 6 years and 100K miles, and that is pretty good. Considering I doubt I could buy a comparable Toyota for $8,000 at all, let alone that I could drive for 6 years and 100K miles with no extra repair costs... So it is a big debate from that standpoint too..
Lastly, on the ABS issue: I think the violent vibrations are actually panic inducing. I have driven all over icy roads. I can deal with them. I know when my vehicle is getting a little slide, and I can deal with it calmly, logically, and think through my situation instantly. That whole ABS thing snaps me into "WHAT THE F*** IS GOING ON HERE!!!!????" mode... Just one extra thing to process in my opinion.
My 4-wheel vehicles;
1986 Jeep CJ-7 - 4 cylinder engine living at high altitude (ski resort town) was underpowered, hard to keep carb. adjusted. Twitchy handling due to short "square" wheelbase, but handled decently enough if you knew what to expect.
1992 Nissan Sentra - All of the Japanese parts were fine (engine & transmission assembly, frame) - all of the fastener bolts used to put it all together in Smyrna, Tenn(or Ga?) rusted to failure, or near failure. Left tail light short, so common on that model of Sentra that my wife recognized any Nissan Sentra
"because the left tail light was usually out"1996 & 1999 Subaru Impreza - flawless winter handling, completely reliable.
In my experience, Subarus don't catastrophically fail - they give plenty of 'creaks and groans' warning that they need service
very soon, but they've never left me on the side of the road broke down.
The 1996 currently has 300,000+ miles on it, still runs, sitting in my garage. Original engine, transmission, and frame - front prop shafts replaced a couple of times.
1999 was sold when we moved.
2008 & 2010 Subaru Impreza - 2008 is non-turbo, 2010 is turbo WRX. Again, flawless reliability, good winter handling.
Not nearly as well balanced or agile as the 1996-1999 GC6/GC8 models (Hence the 1996 GC6/GC8 still in my garage).
Still, it's the only highly reliable, four door, turbo, good crash rating, AWD sedan on the market for under $30,000.
