OT: Trade-in or Keep and Service

[huskypantz]

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.

Agreed on the minivan. I would go with one sedan and one larger vehicle. We were looking at the highlander back in 2014 because we wanted a third row of seats (my parents were living with us at the time, we had two kiddos). While at the dealership we took a quick look at the Sienna and soon after drove home with a minivan. It's great for the 2.5 hour drives down to CT to see the grandparents and equally good for trips to PA, MD, Niagara etc from Boston. Most of what I need to buy from home depot can fit inside as well. We will downsize a little with the next purchase but no complaints - 7 years so far and probably another 2 or so to go.

 

[Horatio]

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?

Shop around for quotes. Those prices vary depending on mechanic shops. The dealer mechanic shop is always gonna cost the most so if your not obligated by warranty to deal with them I’d go to non dealer shop. If you can avoid a car payment don’t get one.

 

[Yorkeez4]

You can do searches to get an idea of what a fair price for each service is. I checked the spark plug replacement for your car and their price fell into range quoted. On the issue of a larger suv - Ijust bought a Mazda CX-9 and love it. I got a great price and it has all the bells and whistles. Love the heads-updisplay. My previous CX-9 had 184,000 miles on it and had very few problems. There interiors are top notch.

 

[uconnfan68]

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.

My problem is the I can’t easily get in or out of a civic or corolla. Until my hip was replaced it was really hard, now it’s just plain hard to do. They sit too low for old people with bad backs and arthritis.
I literally tried corolla, then camry, then rav4 before I could easily get in and out. Didn’t bother with a test drive. We had bought a sienna a few months earlier and a second one was almost in the queue. I knew that worked, but stuck with the rav4. 5 years later, still happy.

 

[HuskyHawk]

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.

Stroller, dogs, road trips to Maine, etc etc

I definitely think there is an urban vs suburban difference. I have loaded up my X5 with garbage, junk, and all sorts of things clearing out of house in Vermont. Even my ordinary shopping involves 4-5 bags of water softener salt or other large items. Can I fit that stuff in an Accord? Probably. My Mazda CX-5 was certainly big enough before it became my daughter’s car.

Suprrjohn is in the city. If I was parking on the street like I did when I lived in South Boston, I would definitely go smaller. But those Cx-5 or CRV sized cars are still easy to park and hold lots of stuff compared to a similar sedan.

 

[AtlHusky]

You can do searches to get an idea of what a fair price for each service is. I checked the spark plug replacement for your car and their price fell into range quoted. On the issue of a larger suv - Ijust bought a Mazda CX-9 and love it. I got a great price and it has all the bells and whistles. Love the heads-updisplay. My previous CX-9 had 184,000 miles on it and had very few problems. There interiors are top notch.

Also on my 2nd CX-9, bought a '20 GT just before covid hit. Looked at the Pilot and Telluride, but they couldn't come close to the car-like driving experience, and the slightly smaller cargo room was not a factor. Zoom-zoom.

 

[Chin Diesel]

There's a reason the compact SUV's are killing it right now- RAV-4, CR-V, Rogue, Tucson, Forrester, CX-5..…....

Even the higher market Audi's, Lexus, Acura and BMW's have very good choices if you want some extra cache with you good/grille ornament.

They check off so many boxes for different drivers.

Older?? As at least one person mentioned, they're easy for ingress and egress.

A bit short? They elevate you just enough and shorter good length gives you nice view or road and traffic.

Teens? Small enough to learn defensive driving yet gives them a good view of road.

Errands throughout the week? Just enough cargo room to get everything home dry and secure

Weekend trips? Most are great cruisers through 75-80 mph and get close to 30 mpg.

They all basically have a 2.0 4-cyl which makes for easier, and usually cheaper maintenance.
Finish up with integrated entertainment and you have a winner for large groups of drivers.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

There's a reason the compact SUV's are killing it right now- RAV-4, CR-V, Rogue, Tucson, Forrester, CX-5..…....

Even the higher market Audi's, Lexus, Acura and BMW's have very good choices if you want some extra cache with you good/grille ornament.

They check off so many boxes for different drivers.

Older?? As at least one person mentioned, they're easy for ingress and egress.

A bit short? They elevate you just enough and shorter good length gives you nice view or road and traffic.

Teens? Small enough to learn defensive driving yet gives them a good view of road.

Errands throughout the week? Just enough cargo room to get everything home dry and secure

Weekend trips? Most are great cruisers through 75-80 mph and get close to 30 mpg.

They all basically have a 2.0 4-cyl which makes for easier, and usually cheaper maintenance.
Finish up with integrated entertainment and you have a winner for large groups of drivers.

Especially standard AWD in our climate. Not sure how people can live in CT and not have an AWD vehicle in their fleet.

 

[superjohn]

I definitely think there is an urban vs suburban difference. I have loaded up my X5 with garbage, junk, and all sorts of things clearing out of house in Vermont. Even my ordinary shopping involves 4-5 bags of water softener salt or other large items. Can I fit that stuff in an Accord? Probably. My Mazda CX-5 was certainly big enough before it became my daughter’s car.

Suprrjohn is in the city. If I was parking on the street like I did when I lived in South Boston, I would definitely go smaller. But those Cx-5 or CRV sized cars are still easy to park and hold lots of stuff compared to a similar sedan.

I also don't have kids but a lot of us are from big families and nobody grew up with SUV's, I guess some had wagons and vans but most had sedans...

I think 8893 is right that people just have more stuff now but I also think a lot of people just like the feeling of having these giant cars. I know people who have no kids or just one kid and they drive these enormous SUV's. I would never drive one again and find it kind of annoying that you have to see around them on all the roads. If I needed the extra space I would get a wagon, some of the new wagons are pretty great.

 

[huskypantz]

There's a reason the compact SUV's are killing it right now- RAV-4, CR-V, Rogue, Tucson, Forrester, CX-5..…....

Even the higher market Audi's, Lexus, Acura and BMW's have very good choices if you want some extra cache with you good/grille ornament.

They check off so many boxes for different drivers.

Older?? As at least one person mentioned, they're easy for ingress and egress.

A bit short? They elevate you just enough and shorter good length gives you nice view or road and traffic.

Teens? Small enough to learn defensive driving yet gives them a good view of road.

Errands throughout the week? Just enough cargo room to get everything home dry and secure

Weekend trips? Most are great cruisers through 75-80 mph and get close to 30 mpg.

They all basically have a 2.0 4-cyl which makes for easier, and usually cheaper maintenance.
Finish up with integrated entertainment and you have a winner for large groups of drivers.

I think you're right on. We have two older toyotas (2011 ans 2014) that run great but I assume at least one will be replaced in 2 or so years. I told my wife we'd look at a sedan like a camry next and she promptly said no, she wanted a car where she'd sit higher (as you noted, she's short), which surprised me at first but I understand where she's coming from. A shorter wheelbase and AWD would round things out. She doesn't want the RAV4 but it does check all the boxes. It would also have enough cargo space to allow me to get a sedan with car number two.

 

[8893]

I also don't have kids but a lot of us are from big families and nobody grew up with SUV's, I guess some had wagons and vans but most had sedans...

I think 8893 is right that people just have more stuff now but I also think a lot of people just like the feeling of having these giant cars. I know people who have no kids or just one kid and they drive these enormous SUV's. I would never drive one again and find it kind of annoying that you have to see around them on all the roads. If I needed the extra space I would get a wagon, some of the new wagons are pretty great.

We have two SUVs, the Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer. We only need one at this point and that would be my wife's, as I am now done coaching kids' sports and she does most of the kid carting and (all of the) grocery shopping.

I went from sedan to SUV to sedan to SUV several times over the years and always appreciated the difference and I could easily be in a sedan now, but last time I switched back to SUV I noticed that my night vision increased significantly. I have some pretty major vision issues (glaucoma; cataract surgery x2; retinal detachment x2) and the increased elevation of the SUV makes a big difference for my visual perception. We also require AWD on all our vehicles because our driveway is pitched at something like a 30 degree angle.

I tested out a smaller SUV this time--the Ford Edge ST--and just did not like driving it it as much. Then I tested the new Ford Explorer ST and the competition was over. The combination of size, power and agility is really impressive, but yeah I could definitely be in a smaller SUV otherwise. The upside is that the fuel economy with their Eco-boost turbo has increased significantly. My new one is averaging almost four miles more per gallon than my 2016 ST did, even though the new one is more powerful.

Growing up with a family of ten, we had a Chevy Impala station wagon (with the rear-facing back seat) to cart all of us around. Never a minivan or SUV. Pretty amazing.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I also don't have kids but a lot of us are from big families and nobody grew up with SUV's, I guess some had wagons and vans but most had sedans...

I think 8893 is right that people just have more stuff now but I also think a lot of people just like the feeling of having these giant cars. I know people who have no kids or just one kid and they drive these enormous SUV's. I would never drive one again and find it kind of annoying that you have to see around them on all the roads. If I needed the extra space I would get a wagon, some of the new wagons are pretty great.

Going through this right now with Mrs. Diesel. We are going to be empty nesters within next 18-20 months. We are close to wanting to trade in her GMC Acadia and she wants a Yukon. We have absolutely zero need for a vehicle that size, so it's a slow process talking her out of it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Back to the OP and what to do financially.

January 2019 I bought a used 2013 Honda Pilot because we needed a third vehicle with two teen drivers in HS. Wanted 4.x4 and tow package to tow about 4500-5000 lbs. Pilot checked all the boxes. had about 80k miles on it. Fast forward to September and I had a check engine light and soon thereafter got a battery warning light (red batt light, not the amber one). Car had about 100k at that time.

I decided to do what several mentioned and took it in for a 100k tuneup and to run diagnositcs on the engine. Took it to a Honda dealer and it was about $1300 for a new alternator, new plugs, wires and a few other things. The check engine light was popping due to a misfire in one of the cylinders while accelerating. Service manager said he'd have to get in to the engine block itself to do further maint. I said wrap it up. I'm fine as is. Bottom line was I spent a few bucks but was expecting another 75k-100k miles out of the PIlot. One month later, I got hit by a German tourist vacationing in the states and the Pilot was totalled. Money just pissed away.

I really liked the boxier older style Pilot more than the newer generation which came out around 2016.

 

[8893]

I really liked the boxier older style Pilot more than the newer generation which came out around 2016.

We did too, but the damn things hold their value so well that when we were buying in 2016 it ended up being a better deal to buy a brand new one (lower interest rate, more years to pay, service and warranty) than any of the decent used ones. The new one is more similar to a minivan with AWD, which suits my wife just fine.

Apparently they are still holding their values quite well because the dealer pesters us every month with some crazy deals to trade it in for a new one, but we tend to drive these things into the ground so we will probably do the same with this one.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I also don't have kids but a lot of us are from big families and nobody grew up with SUV's, I guess some had wagons and vans but most had sedans...

I think 8893 is right that people just have more stuff now but I also think a lot of people just like the feeling of having these giant cars. I know people who have no kids or just one kid and they drive these enormous SUV's. I would never drive one again and find it kind of annoying that you have to see around them on all the roads. If I needed the extra space I would get a wagon, some of the new wagons are pretty great.

Grew up with 5 kids. I was the youngest and my seat on long rides was in the rear facing third row of one of these things.

 

[JMick]

Especially standard AWD in our climate. Not sure how people can live in CT and not have an AWD vehicle in their fleet.

I make it around just fine in a honda civic. snow tires + manual transmission + limited slip differential is better than a medicore awd system with all seasons.

 

[Chin Diesel]

We did too, but the damn things hold their value so well that when we were buying in 2016 it ended up being a better deal to buy a brand new one (lower interest rate, more years to pay, service and warranty) than any of the decent used ones. The new one is more similar to a minivan with AWD, which suits my wife just fine.

Apparently they are still holding their values quite well because the dealer pesters us every month with some crazy deals to trade it in for a new one, but we tend to drive these things into the ground so we will probably do the same with this one.

Yes, certain generation of vehicles hit the home run and owners just hold on to them.

Same thing with 4Runners. Good luck finding a 3-4 year old one with 35k-50k miles. There just aren't many out there. And you pay a premium for them.

 

[jojipoji]

What most people don’t realize is the service advisers get paid on commission. You don’t spend, they don’t eat. It’s in their best interest to make you spend as much as possible even if it’s not needed.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I also don't have kids but a lot of us are from big families and nobody grew up with SUV's, I guess some had wagons and vans but most had sedans...

I think 8893 is right that people just have more stuff now but I also think a lot of people just like the feeling of having these giant cars. I know people who have no kids or just one kid and they drive these enormous SUV's. I would never drive one again and find it kind of annoying that you have to see around them on all the roads. If I needed the extra space I would get a wagon, some of the new wagons are pretty great.

Sure. I remember being packed in the back of a 1980 Accord. A modern Civic dwarfs that car. Before that we did have a Ford Torino wagon with the wood grain on the sides.

For me there are a few factors. One is ease of getting in and out. My 3 series was a bit of a challenge. Another is visibility, it was always a struggle to see in a sedan. A few years ago when we had epic snow for 6 weeks with no thaw I was car shopping at the Ford dealer. Guy said he sold 4 F150s to women in the last week, and had sold maybe that many to women over the last few years. Snow banks on the corners of streets were so high that even in a Pilot or Highlander type car you were completely blind. Well I can tell you even a moderate amount of snow piled up rendered me blind in that 3 series. Lastly, windows. I hate gun-slit windows. I want tall windows. Few sedans have decent windows.

All that said, I bought another one last year, and had to trade it three months later. My balky hip simply couldn’t tolerate the seats and seating position. So I drive a car that I find too big, especially since it’s mostly just me. I tried. Looked at mini coopers Mazda Cx-3, I like the go cart feel of smaller cars.

 

[Northbound]

Brakes are not cheap. I did my own calipers, rotors, pads axle seals for three vehicles this summer. We actually had to bring one to my indy for the rears because they were so frozen that I couldn’t get those.

If i remember the rears alone were 800 parts and labor and im sure It wasn’t OEM parts.

When I DIY I only use OEM.

hell i just replaced a solenoid and a shift pringle replaced in an 05 Land Cruiser and it was 500 for OEM parts.

Learn to do some basic stuff yourself and pair that with a good indy and you’ll be happy.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Brakes are not cheap. I did my own calipers, rotors, pads axle seals for three vehicles this summer. We actually had to bring one to my indy for the rears because they were so frozen that I couldn’t get those.

If i remember the rears alone were 800 parts and labor and im sure It wasn’t OEM parts.

When I DIY I only use OEM.

hell i just replaced a solenoid and a shift pringle replaced in an 05 Land Cruiser and it was 500 for OEM parts.

Learn to do some basic stuff yourself and pair that with a good indy and you’ll be happy.

A Land Cruiser is basically a Lexus right? Makes sense parts are that steep. On my legacy that was $25k off the lot?

 

[auror]

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.

A lot of this is business leases coming up (perk cars or part of a fleet). The businesses have to go new for liability reasons and so the demand is all for new cars and then they automatically come available as used, and as you said there's less demand from consumers for these models so the used supply is overwhelming. Definitely makes for some great deals.

 

[Improviser]

I know next to nothing about repair costs.

I will say this. I have a 2017 Legacy, V6, and I love it. The new Subarus if you choose to get one, have the Turbo 4 cylinder and car buffs that I know say the 6 cylinder has more kick than the current turbos. The tell me that the Turbo 4's have an initial quick kick and then flat out after a short while meaning if you put your foot to the pedal, you don't get that quick acceleration that you got from a stop. My sister has a Mercedes SUV, turbo 4 and I experience the quick start from a stop, and then while driving and accelerating, it flat lined and did not give that kick anymore.

I delay my point. You have a car with a capacity for maybe 250,000 miles and you are worrying about the repair costs? Of course, get second opinions, but the dealers do have computer diagnostics and are factory trained.

You buy a new car of any sort, you have higher insurance costs, higher car property taxes, and of course, the sales tax on the new car. Never mind the depreciation after it leaves the lot.

It is your choice. I plan on keeping mine for a while. I love its ride. I have owned a Camry before, and I loved it, but the ride on the Subaru and its all wheel drive sold me and continues to sell me.

Pay to fix the car and keep it for years to come , would be my recommendation.

 

[auror]

There's a reason the compact SUV's are killing it right now- RAV-4, CR-V, Rogue, Tucson, Forrester, CX-5..…....

Even the higher market Audi's, Lexus, Acura and BMW's have very good choices if you want some extra cache with you good/grille ornament.

They check off so many boxes for different drivers.

Older?? As at least one person mentioned, they're easy for ingress and egress.

A bit short? They elevate you just enough and shorter good length gives you nice view or road and traffic.

Teens? Small enough to learn defensive driving yet gives them a good view of road.

Errands throughout the week? Just enough cargo room to get everything home dry and secure

Weekend trips? Most are great cruisers through 75-80 mph and get close to 30 mpg.

They all basically have a 2.0 4-cyl which makes for easier, and usually cheaper maintenance.
Finish up with integrated entertainment and you have a winner for large groups of drivers.

Love my Kona. My wife is a timid driver (and short) so needs the ease of ingress and height. Cargo for the infant. We get over 30mpg highway. Has been a breeze through 50k miles. Standard with apple and android carplays. AWD. Short length fits in our insanely tiny suburban garage and parks well parallel when we go into the city. Was only 20k new out the door with 10 year/100k powertrain warranty.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I know next to nothing about repair costs.

I will say this. I have a 2017 Legacy, V6, and I love it. The new Subarus if you choose to get one, have the Turbo 4 cylinder and car buffs that I know say the 6 cylinder has more kick than the current turbos. The tell me that the Turbo 4's have an initial quick kick and then flat out after a short while meaning if you put your foot to the pedal, you don't get that quick acceleration that you got from a stop. My sister has a Mercedes SUV, turbo 4 and I experience the quick start from a stop, and then while driving and accelerating, it flat lined and did not give that kick anymore.

I delay my point. You have a car with a capacity for maybe 250,000 miles and you are worrying about the repair costs? Of course, get second opinions, but the dealers do have computer diagnostics and are factory trained.

You buy a new car of any sort, you have higher insurance costs, higher car property taxes, and of course, the sales tax on the new car. Never mind the depreciation after it leaves the lot.

It is your choice. I plan on keeping mine for a while. I love its ride. I have owned a Camry before, and I loved it, but the ride on the Subaru and its all wheel drive sold me and continues to sell me.

Pay to fix the car and keep it for years to come , would be my recommendation.

Plenty of auto stores- AutoZone, Pep Boys, etc will run a free diagnostics on your car and get you the same codes. Evn ones that charge are way cheaper than a dealer. Where I live it's a minimum of $75 at a dealer to hook up and read codes. You can then google those codes to find out what is causing them so you have a better understanding what the repair shop is telling you.

 

[JMick]

Plenty of auto stores- AutoZone, Pep Boys, etc will run a free diagnostics on your car and get you the same codes. Evn ones that charge are way cheaper than a dealer. Where I live it's a minimum of $75 at a dealer to hook up and read codes. You can then google those codes to find out what is causing them so you have a better understanding what the repair shop is telling you.

you can also buy an OBDII scanner for $35

 

[uconnfan68]

I make it around just fine in a honda civic. snow tires + manual transmission + limited slip differential is better than a medicore awd system with all seasons.

The key to to be able to stop, not go. ;^)

 

[JMick]

The key to to be able to stop, not go. ;^)

yup. AWD is great, but 90% of the AWD vehicles around here are on crappy all season tires. tires are the most important factor in gaining traction and stopping in snowy/icy weather.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The key to to be able to stop, not go. ;^)

There's a reason why they promote card as all wheel drive,not all wheel stop.

Rubber and brakes.

 

[uconnfan68]

yup. AWD is great, but 90% of the AWD vehicles around here are on crappy all season tires. tires are the most important factor in gaining traction and stopping in snowy/icy weather.

Used to run winter tires with awd on my Suzuki Aerio. That car could go anywhere, and always behaved. Running all season on the Rav4, but look for all season with the winter seal of approval.