Are the new high mpg japanese cars as reliabe and cheap to maintain as the old ones???
I don't want to spend $350 for a heater control switch, etc, when the warranty runs out.
Thanks,
high mpg reliable cheap hassle free car seeker
check consumer reports. i think you will find toyota is has lowest cost maintainence per year. I don't think i would buy a high mileage car unless it was almost free.
With the exception of notorious lemons, all cars are fairly comparable in that regard. Newer ones will go longer before something breaks, but it will cost a WHOLE lot more when something does. The days of a brand-new water pump from the parts store for $30 are gone along with the slant-six and Ford Windsor v8.
Then buy a '71 Valiant, because pretty much anything else is going to cost a lot more for that kind of part, unless you can find it at a salvage yard.
The newer the car, the more the purchase price is going to dominate the total cost of ownership. Unless you're going from a 12 mpg car to a 20+ mpg car, you're not going to profit for quite a long time. For example, I just picked up a commuter car in very good shape for the ridiculously low sum of $3k. But its going to take roughly 3 years to pay for itself in fuel savings despite the fact that it burns regular to my previous car's premium, and that neglects the repairs I had to perform to get it up to the task of daily driving (new tires, new radiator, fixed A/C seal). Since I plan to keep it that long, and we need another car for our daughter soon anyway, it worth it. But *just* barely. I have to laugh at people running out and buying $30,000 hybrids to "save money on gas." Aint gonna happen. If you want to buy a hybrid to "do your part," then fine. But its not going to make bottom-line economic sense unless you're trading one lease or payment for another, rather than owning outright (which always costs less in the long run if you can afford the initial purchase).
I would think that an old Toyota, Honda or Nissan would today be a candidate for a never endling list of mostly small repairs and would likely cost a lot more in repairs than a new one. But maybe that is not what you meant to ask....
I do think that today's cars, especially those from the big three Japanese companies are probably more reliable than cars of 30 years ago when new. And they are safer, get better milage, are more comfortable, etc.
All of that said, when any car runs out it's 5 year warranty it will indeed be a used car. And parts do wear out on any car. That's why all car dealers have repair and parts departments.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.