OT: Trade-in or Keep and Service

[JMick]

I know its labor. My Jeep dealership is like 190/hour.

yes but changing spark plugs on a jeep aren't the same as spark plugs on a boxer subaru, which is the point i'm making. The book time is 3 hours on the Subaru. it's probably an hour on anything Jeep makes.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

it's all the labor. they're a giant pain on subarus.

I wondered

 

[ClifSpliffy]

sorry bud, but i am constantly amazed here by sooo many having simple needs, yet few hooks to a trusted guy or gal to reasonably solve the issue. amazed.
find the above (howzaboot maiers garage in bport? they've only been fixing cars all honest-like for 100 years), fix it, keep it, and put that ongoing pantload of savings into a stock.
check back in a few years when that small plan pays big rewards. 2014? 70k miles? almost a new car to me.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Okay Boneyarders,
Normally this would be an off-season post, not coming off a great game the night before but here we go. Brought my car, a 2014 Subaru Legacy with about 67,000 miles for an oil change to the Subaru dealership in Vernon. I needed front brakes too and I checked off to do the 65,000 service.

I was expecting about 250 for the brakes, 75 for the oil, maybe 300 for the routine maintenance. The brakes came to $500?!??(front only remember) And they wanted $800 to do a long list of things that were totally overpriced as well including $400 spark plugs.

Some of the stuff I’d have to do to keep the car going (differential fluid, CVT flush) but I was thrown for a loop cost wise.

Here’s the issue, I was planning to trade this car in over the summer after a pay bump but this has me thinking I should do this sooner rather later. If I do get the work done I’ll go to a smaller place and hopefully pay more like $500.
Do I pay to fix the car and keep it for years to come, trade it now? Or pay to fix and still trade over the summer?

Breaks can be expensive.

That said. If the car is paid off, for $800 you get a car that works .

Treat a car as an expense. If you get a new car, what is the cost? If you repair it, that is like 2-3 months car payment.

I say. Fix the breaks. clean the car and pay yourself what the car payment would be in a separate bank account. That way, if you have $2000-$3000 eventually in your car account you just pay for the maintenance.

fiw breaks, car works for 3 years. You paid $300 a month toward a new car to yourself. You now have 10k, a car with 105k miles and you can go get another car and name your price.

I have never done this. But this is the way to do it. Always great a car like an expense.

 

[HuskyHawk]

On their list was $130 for a brake fluid swap out. Has anyone ever replaced their brake fluid? Even if some of their list was 100% necessary they lost me in the random Spartacus.

I would do brake fluid long before I’d flush the transmission. But then I don’t know if CVTs have some unique risk. It’s a sealed system for a reason. As expected most Susie folks seem to say drain and fill, don’t flush. CVT to flush or not to flush
CVT Fluid change interval some say Subaru doesn’t recommend it.

Boom found the plug video for a 2013 Legacy first try. Boxer does make it a bitch as they are on the sides, sitting horizontal not vertical from above. Still should be less at an Indy shop.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

More info: we have a girl who just turned one and have plans for more. Our “big” car now is a Mazda CX-5 which is actually smalller than my legacy. I have eyes on a new Grand Cherokee which there are some crazy deals on.

 

[8893]

More info: we have a girl who just turned one and have plans for more. Our “big” car now is a Mazda CX-5 which is actually smalller than my legacy. I have eyes on a new Grand Cherokee which there are some crazy deals on.

The Grand Cherokee is probably going to be less reliable, less durable and more expensive to service out of warranty than the Subaru. People are loyal as hell to them, but last I checked they didn’t compare well to the competition over the long haul on reliability and cost to own, if you plan on buying and keeping for a long time.

Wait until you need the bigger vehicle and get a new Honda Pilot that you can drive for 200,000+ with few worries and plenty of space. If you don’t need AWD and can stomach the knock to your street cred, you can do the same with a Honda Odyssey. We’ve owned both.

 

[NJHusky]

More info: we have a girl who just turned one and have plans for more. Our “big” car now is a Mazda CX-5 which is actually smalller than my legacy. I have eyes on a new Grand Cherokee which there are some crazy deals on.

I've had 2 Cherokees. Just ended my lease on one this year and was glad to give it back. I liked them for my trips to Vt in the winter....but if you are having multiple kids, the cargo space isn't that great and they ride like a truck.

Any 3 row vehicle, even if you don't use the 3rd row seating will have much more cargo space. As mentioned above, the Pilot is the Honda version of the Acura MDX. I would also throw in the Kia Telluride/Hyundai Palisade. Great vehicles, lots of storage and starting price is prob less than the Grand Cherokee and top end models are less than the top of the line Cherokee. Toyota Highlander also has a large cargo area and is newly redesigned

 

[Fishy]

Okay Boneyarders,
Normally this would be an off-season post, not coming off a great game the night before but here we go. Brought my car, a 2014 Subaru Legacy with about 67,000 miles for an oil change to the Subaru dealership in Vernon. I needed front brakes too and I checked off to do the 65,000 service.

I was expecting about 250 for the brakes, 75 for the oil, maybe 300 for the routine maintenance. The brakes came to $500?!??(front only remember) And they wanted $800 to do a long list of things that were totally overpriced as well including $400 spark plugs.

Some of the stuff I’d have to do to keep the car going (differential fluid, CVT flush) but I was thrown for a loop cost wise.

Here’s the issue, I was planning to trade this car in over the summer after a pay bump but this has me thinking I should do this sooner rather later. If I do get the work done I’ll go to a smaller place and hopefully pay more like $500.
Do I pay to fix the car and keep it for years to come, trade it now? Or pay to fix and still trade over the summer?

1) Find a new mechanic.

2) Keep the car. You’ve already paid for the depreciation.

 

[husky429]

yes but changing spark plugs on a jeep aren't the same as spark plugs on a boxer subaru, which is the point i'm making. The book time is 3 hours on the Subaru. it's probably an hour on anything Jeep makes.

Spark plugs on my jeep wrangler were hell. Well only the rear passenger side one... maybe #1? You have to take the entire wheel well off to get at it. Such a PITA. If I get to 220,000 or so when I'll need to replace them, I'm paying someone to do that 1 plug lol.

But overall absolutely. Jeeps are made for people like me who basically never go to a mechanic unless it's too cold out to function. They aren't that reliable for people looking for an easy family car

 

[BParkDog]

I used to change plugs on VW beetles - horizontally opposed 4 - spark plug access required a wobble, extension, and a feel to avoid cross threading. A pain. But 3 hours by the book for a Suub? Ouch.

I do most car work myself, but I run a freaking small fleet for the kids, so sometimes I farm the work out to a local mechanic.

I definitely agree with spending time finding an independent mechanic. I'm not in an expensive area, like all of CT, so I can get a guy to work on my car for 70 an hour, and I bring my own parts, so no upcharge, and the guy is friend for whom I have done work. He's at a dealership, BTW, just not the dealership for my brands of vehicle.

Regarding brakes, they are cheap, and super easy to replace. Rotors have degraded in lifespan over my 35 years of working on cars, however, so I have had to replace some at 40k miles.

I use rock auto, exclusively, unless they don't have the part. For the OP's vehicle, Centrix (I prefer this brand) rotors would be about 120, pads about 30. Figure 170 total with shipping. Not terrible at all for a four wheel set of brakes. Any decent mechanic could do all 4 wheels in less than an hour, unless there is something very odd about your car.


Get a new car or swap it out? Well, that's beyond just a financial decision at my age. I finally spent a good chunk of money on a new car and got one with all the bells and whistles (on the advice of some here, lol) and . . . .there's just no going back. I can't see spending 70-100k on any car, but I can see spending 50k on a top of the line Hyundai or Toyota or Kia.

I have really, really enjoyed my new car (which is now over a year old) - more than I ever thought I would. I have done a lot of driving in my life, and I have always driven smaller, cheaper vehicles that are cheap to drive/insure/fix.

So for me, it's not just a money issue. Buying a new car is always a terrible financial decision. The best value is in the 1 or 2 year old vehicles with 20-50k miles on them.

That said, I'll driving my current car for another year and then I'll probably get a new one. Shame on me.

 

[UCSouth]

Get a reliable local mechanic and have them do the work. Mine charges $55/hr plus parts if he gets them. $65/hr if I bring the parts.

 

[Dean Wormer]

You might even get help from the mechanic in finding the perfect buyer who remains a customer. Everybody wins.

Funny enough when I was car-shopping for my daughter, my local mechanic who we've gone to for a long time suggested a Subaru. Said they were like freakin tanks with low maintenance and they run forever, so I'm surprised by what I've read in this thread.
Anyway, agree the OP should find a good car guy and then ask for advice. My guy's top three were Toyota, Honda, and Subaru, with Ford and surprisingly Buick as best domestic models.
Btw my kid ended up getting a Mazda CX-7 and other than a recall issue with the drivers side window, its been great over the last 6 years.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Grand Cherokee is probably going to be less reliable, less durable and more expensive to service out of warranty than the Subaru. People are loyal as hell to them, but last I checked they didn’t compare well to the competition over the long haul on reliability and cost to own, if you plan on buying and keeping for a long time.

Wait until you need the bigger vehicle and get a new Honda Pilot that you can drive for 200,000+ with few worries and plenty of space. If you don’t need AWD and can stomach the knock to your street cred, you can do the same with a Honda Odyssey. We’ve owned both.

Yeah, a GC is a hard no for me. Lots of reasons, but this generation debuted in 2011. And that’s being kind, it really dates to 2005. It’s a very old platform designed in conjunction with Mercedes that they are replacing in 2022. Agree with Pilot, Highlander or Cx9 instead. Even an Explorer.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

My dad finally retired a couple years ago from decades of managing a parts store so I do have some background and obviously asked him. He is as anti-new car as it gets so that’s why I came here for a less biased approach. Appreciate the feedback!

 

[superjohn]

I used to change plugs on VW beetles - horizontally opposed 4 - spark plug access required a wobble, extension, and a feel to avoid cross threading. A pain. But 3 hours by the book for a Suub? Ouch.

I do most car work myself, but I run a freaking small fleet for the kids, so sometimes I farm the work out to a local mechanic.

I definitely agree with spending time finding an independent mechanic. I'm not in an expensive area, like all of CT, so I can get a guy to work on my car for 70 an hour, and I bring my own parts, so no upcharge, and the guy is friend for whom I have done work. He's at a dealership, BTW, just not the dealership for my brands of vehicle.

Regarding brakes, they are cheap, and super easy to replace. Rotors have degraded in lifespan over my 35 years of working on cars, however, so I have had to replace some at 40k miles.

I use rock auto, exclusively, unless they don't have the part. For the OP's vehicle, Centrix (I prefer this brand) rotors would be about 120, pads about 30. Figure 170 total with shipping. Not terrible at all for a four wheel set of brakes. Any decent mechanic could do all 4 wheels in less than an hour, unless there is something very odd about your car.


Get a new car or swap it out? Well, that's beyond just a financial decision at my age. I finally spent a good chunk of money on a new car and got one with all the bells and whistles (on the advice of some here, lol) and . . . .there's just no going back. I can't see spending 70-100k on any car, but I can see spending 50k on a top of the line Hyundai or Toyota or Kia.

I have really, really enjoyed my new car (which is now over a year old) - more than I ever thought I would. I have done a lot of driving in my life, and I have always driven smaller, cheaper vehicles that are cheap to drive/insure/fix.

So for me, it's not just a money issue. Buying a new car is always a terrible financial decision. The best value is in the 1 or 2 year old vehicles with 20-50k miles on them.

That said, I'll driving my current car for another year and then I'll probably get a new one. Shame on me.

The best deal is on sedans/sport sedans coming off of 3 year leases because for some reason Americans are obsessed with trucks, SUV's, and crossovers. You can get some pretty badass sport sedans at a steal but if you care about resale it's not so good because again, Americans are obsessed with unnecessarily big cars.

 

[8893]

Even an Explorer.

I have a 2020 Explorer ST, which is the fourth Explorer I’ve had. This is the first time they redesigned it since I started driving them in 2012 and it is by far the best. The rear wheel drive, power and handling make it a blast to drive, the chairs are incredible and the interior is really nice. It is one of the nicest cars I’ve ever had, and that includes two BMWs and an Audi (which were also very nice and great cars).

I’ve had it for six months and I still look forward to driving it anytime, anywhere. I look for excuses just to go on a drive.

All that said, they‘ve all been company cars that I have traded in after 2-4 years and I have never driven one into the ground, and I don’t know if I would trust them over 100,000 miles like I do Hondas, Toyotas, Subarus or BMWs.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Yeah, a GC is a hard no for me. Lots of reasons, but this generation debuted in 2011. And that’s being kind, it really dates to 2005. It’s a very old platform designed in conjunction with Mercedes that they are replacing in 2022. Agree with Pilot, Highlander or Cx9 instead. Even an Explorer.

That’s one thing I don’t like about the GC. It has a very very dated look. The interior is nice but the exterior as you’ve said hasn’t changed in 15 years. I really like the Explorer. There’s some good deals to be had there as well.

Intrigued by Kia’s new Telluride and the newest update of the Sorrento is VERY nice. Still don’t quite trust Kia though.

 

[Taco]

$500 for new rotors and pads, or new pads and machined rotors is a bit high but 67k is a reasonable amount of time for that maint.

Brake fluid flush and fill at 67k seems like BS.

Plugs at 67k? BS for sure. 100k is norn nowadays.

I think 60k got plugs is what’s the norm. The wires about 100k. OEM Wires aren’t cheap, so I can see a Subie dealer charging $300+. NGK wires are supposedly the same, so you can save a few bucks using those. Some mechanics are OK with using parts you supply, but some aren’t - obviously a dealer won’t.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

The best deal is on sedans/sport sedans coming off of 3 year leases because for some reason Americans are obsessed with trucks, SUV's, and crossovers. You can get some pretty badass sport sedans at a steal but if you care about resale it's not so good because again, Americans are obsessed with unnecessarily big cars.

We traded in my 2015 Honda Fit which was a great little car but not what I needed anymore to get the CX-5 in 2018. The dealer gave us great value on the trade but said “just so you know, we are giving you over KBB but will NEVER be able to sell this car.”

 

[huskypantz]

These guys are BSing you based on the plugs alone. Lots of great advice here - using a (trusted) local auto shop over the dealership is key. I'll give you a for instance. My car needed new struts (toyota venza).
Dealer quote for toyota parts: 1600+1300 labor. Non-toyota 1200+1200. My local auto shop total cost was $1766 (front/rear struts plus sway bars). Even that is a decent markup per part, but more than worth it as I trust these guys and they're worlds cheaper than the dealership.

 

[JMick]

More info: we have a girl who just turned one and have plans for more. Our “big” car now is a Mazda CX-5 which is actually smalller than my legacy. I have eyes on a new Grand Cherokee which there are some crazy deals on.

I don't have kids but I never understood this need for a "big" car as soon as you have 1-2 kids. My parents put us in civics and corollas and we were fine.

 

[HCCForever]

I agree what everyone says about an independent mechanic. I had one in Windsor who was very honest and saved me money. I brought my car in for brakes several times and they told it wasn’t time yet. That would not happen at most dealers. I moved a year ago so I need to find another mechanic.

As for Cherokees. I loved them but not too reliable. I had to get a new transmission in one and blew an engine in ano another.

 

[8893]

I don't have kids but I never understood this need for a "big" car as soon as you have 1-2 kids. My parents put us in civics and corollas and we were fine.

There is a lot more crap to carry around these days. Portable cribs, strollers, groceries, etc., etc.

No question as @superjohn says Americans tend to overdo it, but man I can’t tell you how many times I used every square inch of that Odyssey and then had a roof rack on top.

 

[Jaker]

Subaru's are good cars, have owned a few and never had an issue with any of them.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I don't have kids but I never understood this need for a "big" car as soon as you have 1-2 kids. My parents put us in civics and corollas and we were fine.

Stroller, dogs, road trips to Maine, etc etc

 

[JMick]

Stroller, dogs, road trips to Maine, etc etc

that's fair, dogs take up a ton of room.

Tellurides are nice but don't pay sticker for one. Most dealers think they have some special limited edition on their hands and are trying to get people to pay sticker or sticker + markup. I'd wait until that dies down before seriously considering one. Kia and Hyundai make pretty good cars now for the most part, but you're also going to have to deal with their dealerships which are some of the worst in the business, and their corporate isn't great either. It's not the worst of the worst but you can do better as far as service goes.

The new Explorer is really, really nice but I'd research all of the problems they've been having before driving one. Because if you drive it you're going to want to buy it.

2020 Ford Explorer recalled for the 10th time in a single year

And this is the sixth time for the Lincoln Aviator.

www.cnet.com

 

[HCCForever]

I don't have kids but I never understood this need for a "big" car as soon as you have 1-2 kids. My parents put us in civics and corollas and we were fine.

I agree completely. I have a Fusion which I love to drive and the wife has a Lexus SUV which I rather not drive. The problem now is that they are discontinuing sedans in favor of SUVs. More markup and customer preferences are two reasons.

a pet peeve of mine are SUV owners that slow way down for speed bumps or driveways. Drive it like a truck.

 

[JMick]

I agree completely. I have a Fusion which I love to drive and the wife has a Lexus SUV which I rather not drive. The problem now is that they are discontinuing sedans in favor of SUVs. More markup and customer preferences are two reasons.

a pet peeve of mine are SUV owners that slow way down for speed bumps or driveways. Drive it like a truck.

I will never own an SUV or truck. I enjoy driving too much to do that to myself. But like you, I'm worried I'm not going to have many options in the future. I was thankful I could even get a manual transmission because those are going to be gone in five years on everything but exotics.

 

[8893]

The new Explorer is really, really nice but I'd research all of the problems they've been having before driving one. Because if you drive it you're going to want to buy it.

2020 Ford Explorer recalled for the 10th time in a single year

And this is the sixth time for the Lincoln Aviator.

www.cnet.com

Interesting. There is so much automatic electrical stuff going on that I have been expecting a recall, being the first year of a new design, but knock on wood nothing yet for my car; maybe because I got it in July?