Automobiles

[seanile]

my dad has a venza. horrendous blind spots, and, according to him, terrible in the snow. both prefer my mom's outback by far.

[deano]

’98 4Runner (for $4K)

whoa! you said low miles? you got a deal.

[nahtnoj]

I like Crusiers but have had a hard time finding one that didn't have 250k miles and still cost a pretty $0.01. "Last forever" is a nice figure of speech, but in my experience it's a throw of the dice on any 20 year old car and reality eventually chomps down. You got a nice one to sell me? :D

I have a 99 LX470 with 173K. Mechanically perfect, very clean interior, hatch is getting rusty. After some servicing this summer - brakes, all fluids, an O2 sensor - I don't expect it will need anything serious for another 3-4 years (I only drive about 8K a year). You could buy a similar one for 7-8 grand, I'd think, without any rust issues. Finding ones with clean interiors is tough but miles are nothing. Knowing what I know now 250K wouldn't cause me to blink if it came with service records.

[rwsaunders]

Welp. Sold my Ranger today and our TDI turn-in date is ten days out, so we've got to make two family car decisions pronto.

Budget 16-20k for two autos, 18 is the sweetspot. One needs 4x4/AWD, both need back seats & four doors and to be reliable. High on the list are '09-'12 RAV4s, 5-10 year old Subaru Foresters & Outbacks; & I'm oddly intrigued by 10-year-old Toyota Carollas and Sienna minivans all of a sudden. Friends in the know swear by the van. We have a very doggy, bikey, & ... growing ... kind of lifestyle when it comes to our travelling m.o..

What's the right pair of cars? Come at me, bros!

Go Japanese...this is from the guy who's Audi A6 Avant just turned 16 years old today.

[Saab2000]

Anyone here own a current model Land Cruiser? It's an itch I kind of want to scratch of late. I know it's totally impractical and vane but I keep noticing them and the word on the street is that they are 'special' and high level. But then I do research and they seem to be based on the Tundra, as is the Sequoia. So what's the real world difference? Both are gas guzzlers but as a fairly low mileage driver, that's not a huge deal to me. This would be a few thousand miles annually, tops.

There are pretty clean ones out there in the 5-year range where the previous owner has taken the depreciation hit and it's tempting to scratch that itch.

What's the conventional wisdom on owning a Land Cruiser? I would get one that is no more than 6-7 years old if it were ever to happen and it would come from a salt-free zone. Or is it just smarter to get a new 4Runner? Similar size.

[robin3mj]

Anyone here own a current model Land Cruiser? It's an itch I kind of want to scratch of late. I know it's totally impractical and vane but I keep noticing them and the word on the street is that they are 'special' and high level. But then I do research and they seem to be based on the Tundra, as is the Sequoia. So what's the real world difference? Both are gas guzzlers but as a fairly low mileage driver, that's not a huge deal to me. This would be a few thousand miles annually, tops.

There are pretty clean ones out there in the 5-year range where the previous owner has taken the depreciation hit and it's tempting to scratch that itch.

What's the conventional wisdom on owning a Land Cruiser? I would get one that is no more than 6-7 years old if it were ever to happen and it would come from a salt-free zone. Or is it just smarter to get a new 4Runner? Similar size.

What's important to you?
The LC is a huge (yuge!) vehicle, with highway mpg that can be counted on your fingers and toes. That said, they're apparently much nicer in terms of fit and finish than Sequoia or 4Runners.

If you're after luxury without the size of the LC, there's the 4Runner based Lexus, whatever it's called these days.

Smarter still than a new 4Runner would be a couple years-old current gen 4Runner and spend the $$ saved on a new bike or trip back to Switzerland to ride.

[Saab2000]

What's important to you?
The LC is a huge (yuge!) vehicle, with highway mpg that can be counted on your fingers and toes. That said, they're apparently much nicer in terms of fit and finish than Sequoia or 4Runners.

If you're after luxury without the size of the LC, there's the 4Runner based Lexus, whatever it's called these days.

Smarter still than a new 4Runner would be a couple years-old current gen 4Runner and spend the $$ saved on a new bike or trip back to Switzerland to ride.

I don't think the LC is bigger than my old Yukon but it might be. One of the turnoffs of the L is the folding rear seat that intrudes on the cargo space. The mileage is another turnoff but I don't drive enough to make it a deal breaker. And the 4Runner isn't all that much better, at 20 HWY. None of these are mileage kings...

I have absolutely no need for a Land Cruiser or a 4Runner. It's just a wishful thing and I've always heard the LCs are of supreme quality and durability.

[mmoore]

My wife and I have been shopping for a new Minivan.

we have narrowed it down to 2 options, one being the Kia Sedona and the other being the Honda Odyssey.

I know the Hondas have a better history for being quality but I don't know that the recent years have shown the same reliability. Our other car is a Kia Soul and it has been fine for what it is.

[cp43]

I don't think the LC is bigger than my old Yukon but it might be. One of the turnoffs of the L is the folding rear seat that intrudes on the cargo space. The mileage is another turnoff but I don't drive enough to make it a deal breaker. And the 4Runner isn't all that much better, at 20 HWY. None of these are mileage kings...

I have absolutely no need for a Land Cruiser or a 4Runner. It's just a wishful thing and I've always heard the LCs are of supreme quality and durability.

Some info here about the Land Cruiser:
Why The Toyota Land Cruiser Is So Expensive

It's an older article that I didn't re-read. But, IIRC, the LC isn't based on the Tundra.


Chris

[nahtnoj]

Anyone here own a current model Land Cruiser? It's an itch I kind of want to scratch of late. I know it's totally impractical and vane but I keep noticing them and the word on the street is that they are 'special' and high level. But then I do research and they seem to be based on the Tundra, as is the Sequoia. So what's the real world difference? Both are gas guzzlers but as a fairly low mileage driver, that's not a huge deal to me. This would be a few thousand miles annually, tops.

There are pretty clean ones out there in the 5-year range where the previous owner has taken the depreciation hit and it's tempting to scratch that itch.

What's the conventional wisdom on owning a Land Cruiser? I would get one that is no more than 6-7 years old if it were ever to happen and it would come from a salt-free zone. Or is it just smarter to get a new 4Runner? Similar size.

They share an engine (size) and transmission with the others. That is about it. This may no longer be true, but it used to be the case that the Japanese built LC/LX had all forged engine internals whereas the US built Sequoia/Tundra did not.

I've driven a 200, and am not sure I like how it feels versus my 100. I'm sure I'd get used to it and will probably go there eventually (2013 or new LX570). The visibility isn't as good. For what it would cost to upgrade, for me, it isn't worth it. I'd rather use the money for a sports car.

And if you're going to do it, get the Lexus. AHC is an *amazing* suspension system. Or buy the penultimate 100 (2006-2007) most of which had AHC.

[becomingblue]

My wife and I have been shopping for a new Minivan.

we have narrowed it down to 2 options, one being the Kia Sedona and the other being the Honda Odyssey.

I know the Hondas have a better history for being quality but I don't know that the recent years have shown the same reliability. Our other car is a Kia Soul and it has been fine for what it is.

My dad has a new Honda and after a number of miles, it's reliable as the older ones. It is a supremely capable van. One huge irritation is getting in and out of the thing. The windshield is so raked, as well as the roof, that it leaves little room to swing your head in and out without banging it on the A pillar. Truly a joke. Maybe all vans and new cars are this way but for Honda to be so concerned about aerodynamics on a MINIVAN vs. ease of entry and exit seems backwards to me. It doesn't seem to matte your height, either. If you are short and have the seat forward, there is not enough room. If you're tall and have the seat shoved back, there isn't enough room.

[rwsaunders]

My wife and I have been shopping for a new Minivan.

we have narrowed it down to 2 options, one being the Kia Sedona and the other being the Honda Odyssey.

I know the Hondas have a better history for being quality but I don't know that the recent years have shown the same reliability. Our other car is a Kia Soul and it has been fine for what it is.

We had a 2000 Odyssey that we owned for 11 years and we purchased another Odyssey to replace it in 2011. The 2011 certainly has more features than the 2000 although both were EXL models...no reliability issues at all with either unit. My wife was t-boned in the 2011 when a young woman ran a red light and hit her at 35-40 mph. The Jetta that hit her was totaled and left an impression of itself in our van and our Odyssey was repaired and went back on the road. Three airbags deployed and my wife walked away shaken and with a sore wrist, but that's it. That tells a story in and of itself.

I can only imagine that the latest model is even more refined. 18-20 mpg city driving and 26-28 mpg on the open road. Minivans in general are very versatile as you know and I wouldn't hesitate to own one again, especially with young children and an active family.

[Matthew Strongin]

Car sightings, Miami style...

[72gmc]

On my only visit to Miami, I saw a couple who would have been a perfect match for that Caddy. Their style was a tad baroque for their blacked-out AMG.

[robin3mj]

my dad has a venza. horrendous blind spots, and, according to him, terrible in the snow. both prefer my mom's outback by far.

Interesting. I did some further googling and the Venza shows poor reliability ratings for a Toyota. This is somewhat surprising given it was a mashup of Camry/Sienna/Highlander.

Consider me corrected.

[Lionel]

Blue Ferrari = no

[Matthew Strongin]

Blue Ferrari = no

Note that it's satin blue. Does that change your evaluation?

[davids]

Blue Ferrari = no

I thought your comment was going to be about the color of the Caddy's turn-signals.

[nahtnoj]

Note that it's satin blue. Does that change your evaluation?

Wrap?

[Matthew Strongin]

Wrap?

Most likely. If I'm in the area tomorrow I'll try to peel it back to see if it's really red or yellow underneath.