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wizzardstaff posted:Hello car buying thread. Never visited this forum before but I'm looking for recommendations on a specific car: 2010 Honda Insight. Oh, hey, a friend of mine has one of those. The second-gen Insight was never all that great and was always outclassed by the Prius, but then, the Prius is kind of the gold standard for "boring reliable transportation," so not quite being Prius levels of boringly good isn't the worst thing in the world. Honda's IMA hybrid system is basically a huge starter motor that can help move the car a little bit, and isn't nearly as sophisticated as Toyota's HSD planetary gearset. The Insight's CVT isn't bad, but the Prius just doesn't have a conventional transmission to worry about at all, which is where it gets most of its reputation for bulletproof reliability. In terms of things to look out for, later second gen Insights had some oil consumption problems, but I don't think it hit the 2010, and if it was going to be a problem you'd already see it in the service records. Also, the transmission holds up well when it's serviced at the right intervals with the right fluid, but there are horror stories of independent shops and quick-lube places putting generic ATF in there instead of the Honda CVT-specific stuff and grenading the transmission. Again, you should be able to see in the maintenance records if this is a problem. If the car had transmission fluid service done at Jiffy Lube, don't buy it. When you say "easy handling," what do you mean, exactly? The Insight's handling won't be sharp or fun; it's designed for efficiency and comfort, not darting around backroads. It's better than a Prius but it's nowhere near sporty. Practical concerns like parallel parking and turning radius are about average for a car its size. Ultimately, when you're in the 10 year old $4-5k car market, condition is at least as important as how good the car was when it was new. Complete maintenance records and a single, known trustworthy previous owner are huge wins. If you're already looking for a car, it's probably a sensible choice. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably say yes, contingent on a local mechanic doing a pre-purchase inspection and not raising any red flags (you choose the shop and pay for the inspection, the current owner takes it there and picks it up).
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Sep 6, 2020 01:00
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okay guys, did a lot of thinking, and based on my predictions that i will be driving a whole lot more with my new car, i think i'm going to bite the bullet and get a hybrid (probably gonna go for the 2021 carolla). i do have one final concern. i hear replacing the battery is going to be the most expensive problem to fix/replace if it were to ever break down. how likely is it that such a thing can happen?
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Sep 6, 2020 08:00
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Mr Interweb posted:okay guys, did a lot of thinking, and based on my predictions that i will be driving a whole lot more with my new car, i think i'm going to bite the bullet and get a hybrid (probably gonna go for the 2021 carolla). We replaced the battery on our older Prius a couple months ago. It was about $2000 and we should be fine for another, like, decade.
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Sep 6, 2020 09:03
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Dunno where you are but in CARB states, the battery is under 150k/10 year warranty. Assuming the technology is the same as a prius, I would assume it is very unlikely to need battery service wekl beyond that. If it does fail, you generally don't have to replace the battery, just some cells. (Dealers won't do this, need to fo to an independent shop). Even if you have to replace the battery, the cost is a bit inflated by the huge core charge (basically because the battery is so valuable even broken, Toyota will give you a big chunk of the price back when you give it to them rather than huck it in a river or something).
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Sep 6, 2020 09:03
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Ape Has Killed Ape posted:I'm looking at a 2015 Subaru Legacy, in great shape, in my price range, the only issue is the screen on the car has lines checker-boarding it, and its kind of dim. This makes me think that the screen is on the way out, and looking online shows that replacing this is about 2000 dollars, which would put the car at more than I want to spend. Am I right to be concerned about this or will the screen be fine? If the price doesn't reflect that this needs to be replaced, then walk. You're spending a lot of money on a car. If anything doesn't seem right, walk. Subaru Legacies are common and you should be able find a nice one without the screen issues.
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Sep 6, 2020 13:12
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Mr Interweb posted:okay guys, did a lot of thinking, and based on my predictions that i will be driving a whole lot more with my new car, i think i'm going to bite the bullet and get a hybrid (probably gonna go for the 2021 carolla). It's quite unlikely, but as Shine posted below, it will cost you about two thousand dollars total. The economics on Toyota hybrids are very good, and you'll save enough money in brake pads, rotors, and other maintenance items to pay for most of the cost of replacement if it ever happens.
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Sep 6, 2020 15:38
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Space Gopher posted:Ultimately, when you're in the 10 year old $4-5k car market, condition is at least as important as how good the car was when it was new. Complete maintenance records and a single, known trustworthy previous owner are huge wins. If you're already looking for a car, it's probably a sensible choice. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably say yes, contingent on a local mechanic doing a pre-purchase inspection and not raising any red flags (you choose the shop and pay for the inspection, the current owner takes it there and picks it up).
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Sep 6, 2020 21:12
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I might go look at a Prius. I never thought I'd say that. It's a 2007, I think the top trim(?) with 107k miles and they're asking $6k.
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Sep 6, 2020 21:15
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fknlo posted:I might go look at a Prius. I never thought I'd say that. It's a 2007, I think the top trim(?) with 107k miles and they're asking $6k. On one that old, probably check the battery. Also, the only real problems on those cars is the water pump, which can leak.
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Sep 7, 2020 05:20
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nm posted:On one that old, probably check the battery. Is there a way to check the battery without a PPI? I'm going to try and get a PPI set up if I decide I want it, but I'm not super worried about it if I can't make it happen. Luckily there's what looks to be a pretty good hybrid repair shop that's maybe 15 minutes away so if they aren't completely booked up I can probably make it happen.
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Sep 7, 2020 13:46
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If it's actually turbofucked it'll set a check engine light and associated codes. I don't recall whether or not Torque with an OBD2 scanner could see any other battery metrics the one time I hooked it up to a Prius - because in that case the codes were set and the battery was indeed hosed. Luckily it was within the last few months of the emissions warranty so he got a new battery on Toyota's dime.
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Sep 7, 2020 20:38
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If any of the battery cells drop below their designated resistance, the whole dash lights up and the car goes into some kind of limp mode. There's nothing for you to check or test until that happens. Save your money.
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Sep 7, 2020 23:33
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So basically if it's running, the dash isn't going all VW style with pretty colors, and it drives alright it's probably good to go? e: I'll also see if I can see any leaks from the water pump. Once I look at it I'll pull the carfax if I'm interested. The owner doesn't physically have service records but it looks like there are probably a bunch of them. fknlo fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Sep 7, 2020 |
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Sep 7, 2020 23:37
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fknlo posted:So basically if it's running, the dash isn't going all VW style with pretty colors, and it drives alright it's probably good to go?
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Sep 7, 2020 23:45
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Are the last bmw 3 and 5 series wagons with a manual a horrible idea because of maintenance, scarcity and thus price, and/or yes?
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Sep 8, 2020 06:20
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Meatpimp in AI is a pretty handy dude and he owned (granted a somewhat tired example with no service history) an E61 535ixT with a manual. You should read his thread in AI first. I offered to buy the car off of him and he straight up told me I didn’t want it. All of the foibles and problems of cost-cutting era BMW, now in a 50-150% more expensive package Edit it was a E60, we didn’t get the F10 KYOON GRIFFEY JR fucked around with this message at 12:54 on Sep 8, 2020 |
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Sep 8, 2020 12:44
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Pontius Pilate posted:Are the last bmw 3 and 5 series wagons with a manual a horrible idea because of maintenance, scarcity and thus price, and/or yes? It's a bad idea. I thought about it as well because I really wanted a wagon, but it's just not worth it unless you have the extra money in addition to the cost of the car to fix poo poo out of warranty. If you can get one with a warranty maybe, but if you keep it long enough you're gonna be paying the tax eventually. I just got a Toyota because I wanted the least amount of problems and ease/low cost of maintenance.
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Sep 8, 2020 13:19
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Proposed Budget: Not super pressed, we have fancy jobs. $30k-ish is fine? Of course cheaper is better. New or Used: New Body Style: Flexible between sedan, hatchback, or small SUV How will you be using the car?: 2 adults + 1 baby + 1 large dog. Mostly for running errands, our regular weekend trips, occasional longer drives. No commuting by car. I dislike driving so it's really functionality I'm after. What aspects are most important to you? Safety, MPG (for both enviro. & practical reasons), reliability (plan to run it into the ground), wife really wants heated seats. I do a decent amount of DIY so it would be handy to be able to haul a decent amount of larger things (e.g. boards, large electronics) on occasion, but if push comes to shove I can rent a van through Zipcar or Home Depot for that. Almost certainly getting a hybrid. I did a bunch of research ~5 years ago and was gung-ho on a Prius, but then moved and didn't need a car, so I came in assuming Prius again, but now I'm currently looking hard at a 2020 or 2021 Honda Insight, Hyundai Sonata, or Accord Hybrid. The hatchback on the Prius is attractive but the reviews aren't so stellar these days vis-a-vis the other hybrid options. I think I could live with a regular sedan. I'm not against an earlier model Prius either in theory, but those don't seem easy to get at a decent price. I wish hybrid small SUV with good MPG were a thing, but the closest I see is the Ford Escape at ~40mpg in practice, which is decent and another contender. I like CR-Vs in general but the hybrid seems to get just ~33mpg in reviews at which point I might as well get a non-hybrid. My wife hates RAV-4s and Corollas so those are out.
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Sep 8, 2020 17:07
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why does your wife hate the RAV4, on paper it's exactly what you want
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Sep 8, 2020 17:17
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:why does your wife hate the RAV4, on paper it's exactly what you want She just does apparently, arbitrary preference. I agree RAV4 hybrid would be a contender otherwise. Oh well.
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Sep 8, 2020 17:53
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Academician Nomad posted:She just does apparently, arbitrary preference. I agree RAV4 hybrid would be a contender otherwise. Oh well. My wife also hates RAV4s, which was on the list of "cars that meet our specs", who knows.
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Sep 8, 2020 17:56
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Academician Nomad posted:Proposed Budget: Not super pressed, we have fancy jobs. $30k-ish is fine? Of course cheaper is better. Have you looked at a Hyundai Ioniq? RAV4 as others have mentioned is probably a good bet but good luck convincing your wife! I've learned it's not even worth it most times.
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Sep 8, 2020 18:21
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Cars are inherantly irrational purchases, even to people who think of themselves as buying them for "practical" purposes. Otherwise, we'd all own a minivan and a small motorcycle. If your wife hates the way a Rav 4 looks, don't get it. Edit: Volvo pretty much has the "I want everyone to know I care about the environment, but I'm too rich to buy a Prius and I'm not a nerd like those Tesla drivers" market locked down, so maybe try that. KillHour fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Sep 8, 2020 |
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Sep 8, 2020 18:28
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I have a friend for whom the RAV4 prime or whatever it is would be a perfect vehicle but she also doesn't like the RAV4. She said it's something about the interior.
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Sep 8, 2020 18:42
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It doesn't matter what car it is, if you have to work hard to convince your partner to accept a car they don't like for ambiguous reasons, you'd better hope that car is perfect because any little problem is going to be your fault.
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Sep 8, 2020 18:47
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TheWevel posted:Have you looked at a Hyundai Ioniq? All the reviews for the Ioniq I find I read as "this is a real piece of poo poo to drive, but it's very practical and even better in that sense than the Prius," at which point I'd think the Prius' name recognition will lead to better resale value in 10 years when no one in the world is searching craigslist for an Ioniq. If others have other experience with them I'd be interested to hear it, though. And yeah it's not like a RAV4 is so heads-and-tails above others that it's worth a struggle over it. KillHour posted:Cars are inherantly irrational purchases, even to people who think of themselves as buying them for "practical" purposes. Otherwise, we'd all own a minivan and a small motorcycle. If your wife hates the way a Rav 4 looks, don't get it.
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Sep 8, 2020 18:50
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OTOH, my SO hated the way the Stinger looked when she first test drove it but we got it anyways because it was by far the best bang for the buck (although it took some convincing) and now she loves that car and it's going to be a challenge to get her to give it back when the lease is up. It was a bit of an outlier situation and we weren't in the market for an appliance car though.Academician Nomad posted:Does Volvo actually make anything with particularly good MPG? None of their cars show up in any of the research I've been doing. Not quite as good as a Prius, IIRC, but they have plug in hybrids if you have a place to plug them in. Honestly, the difference between. 30mpg and 35mpg is so marginal, the impact to the environment starts to be more about manufacturing and reliability. KillHour fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Sep 8, 2020 |
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Sep 8, 2020 18:50
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Practically speaking, the hybrid CR-V's fuel economy is not that much worse than the Escape. At a pretty normal 15k mile a year clip, 2/3 highway 1/3 city, you would save all of 75 bucks a year by buying the Escape. It's like 30 bucks for the RAV4 over the CR-V.
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Sep 8, 2020 18:59
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Academician Nomad posted:Does Volvo actually make anything with particularly good MPG? None of their cars show up in any of the research I've been doing. assuming google gave me correct answers, doesn't seem like anything is particularly great 
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Sep 8, 2020 19:02
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I don't think that's counting any of the PHEVs and what not.
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Sep 8, 2020 19:53
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I would give little credence to Google's contextual search bubbles. They are usually 'correct enough' for a quick glance but can be wildly off.
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Sep 8, 2020 20:08
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https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=41947 27 MPG combined (gas only), 57 MPGe. V60 Wagon gets better than the SUV, and it's a wagon so it's the obvious correct choice. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=42985 30 MPG combined, 69MPGe (nice) Whether a PHEV makes sense for you depends strongly on your driving habits. If you drive <20 miles per day on average and have a convenient place to plug it in, you might only need to gas up a few times a year. If not, it's no better than a typical hybrid. In either case, take solace in the fact that there's very little you can do to meaningfully affect your carbon footprint! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvhXtOps4MM KillHour fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Sep 8, 2020 |
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Sep 8, 2020 20:23
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Academician Nomad posted:She just does apparently, arbitrary preference. I agree RAV4 hybrid would be a contender otherwise. Oh well. I agree with others that there's no point in forcing someone to like a car they don't. But just in case the Rav4 dislike is based on appearance, the 2019+ got a complete overhaul. It looks a lot more aggressive now, sort of like a baby Tacoma/4Runner vibe. I think it's pretty sharp.
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Sep 8, 2020 20:33
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Academician Nomad posted:All the reviews for the Ioniq I find I read as "this is a real piece of poo poo to drive, but it's very practical and even better in that sense than the Prius," at which point I'd think the Prius' name recognition will lead to better resale value in 10 years when no one in the world is searching craigslist for an Ioniq. If others have other experience with them I'd be interested to hear it, though. Honestly, go drive the prius. If you can stand it, it is the best car in the class for a lot of things. If you can't, don't buy it. Reviews are very personal and not very useful IMHO. Remember the Prius plug in hybrid comes with massive tax rebates. In CA, they're basically 10k with the state and federal combined. Volvo is absolute garbage reliability these days, unfortunately. Worse than the Germans and FCA from what I hear.
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Sep 8, 2020 21:03
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nm posted:Volvo is absolute garbage reliability these days, unfortunately. Worse than the Germans and FCA from what I hear. When did this happen? I admit I haven't been keeping up with them but I thought they were decent on that front.
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Sep 8, 2020 21:36
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The last several years they've gotten a lot worse, but have they ever really been that reliable across models/years? I know there are some crazy high mileage volvos in the world, and their rust proofing seems to be quite good so they can last a long time, but when I was looking for XC70s and other wagons it seemed like you had to be very particular about the year. There would often be some gotcha where they mis-programmed the transmission for the first couple years of a model leading to them grenading frequently, or like the XC90s that had transmissions rated for way less torque than the engine they put in, leading to almost certain transmission failure.
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Sep 8, 2020 21:54
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Isn't a Lexus NX 300h the same platform as a RAV4 hybrid? Maybe see if she likes that.
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Sep 8, 2020 22:06
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KillHour posted:When did this happen? I admit I haven't been keeping up with them but I thought they were decent on that front. It is very hard to build reliable vehicles when the new vehicles you are building share absolutely nothing in common - not even the factories in the case of the S60 and S90 - with their predecessors. This is compounded by the Rube Goldberg powertrains Volvo has to use to get around Chinese displacement taxes.
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Sep 8, 2020 22:30
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Proposed Budget: $25k New or Used: Preferably new, but used with low mileage/recent year-ish is OK Body Style: Smaller SUV, though not picky here on kind. How will you be using the car?: Grocery shopping, going out of town. Not really for daily commutes - car would be used a handful of times each week. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Technology is cool, but doesn't need everything. What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, safety, probably in that order. Right now the lady and I have our eyes on the 2020 Escape SE (right around our budget), the Nissan Kicks, and the Kia Soul. Any advice on the 3 of these or in general?
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Sep 8, 2020 22:58
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KillHour posted:When did this happen? I admit I haven't been keeping up with them but I thought they were decent on that front. Not that it was amazing in the 00s, people just seem to think all Volvos are na 240s.
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Sep 8, 2020 23:12
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