Cool, I am having some work done to my wife’s CRV. I will have some fresh transmission fluid put in at the end of the month.
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Car Advice?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Cool, I am having some work done to my wife’s CRV. I will have some fresh transmission fluid put in at the end of the month.
Not a mechanic but I do almost all my own (and kid's) car repairs. I plan to keep my fleet running forever. Used car prices are too high IMO. New prices are insane. That being said I would not put that much money into the car as you describe it Cheese, sorry. Deals for used Hondas and Toyotas can be found, you just gotta be patient.
I usually drive my vehicles until it's not smart to fix them. I had a 03 Trailblazer with 198k miles and was running great, but was going to need tires and front end work. Nope. Not worth it. Plus, harder to find OEM parts and I never use 3rd party parts because they typically suck.
Depending on how many miles you put on, and if your miles are mostly in town or on the road, which looks like 10k,I'd get the KIA.
Depending on how many miles you put on, and if your miles are mostly in town or on the road, which looks like 10k,I'd get the KIA.
Not a joke at all. You'll wake up eventually. Burning oil is planetary suicide.
Anthony,
I retired in early March with zero debt. I didn’t have much in the bank but fortunately I haven’t had to touch it.
When approaching retirement my plans were to pay off my 2017 Mazda CX5 in 2023, but in Feb 2022 I totaled it on black ice, hitting a utility pole head-on. The best news was that I got lot more insurance money for my Mazda (98k miles) due to the rising car prices. I was able to purchase a new 2022 Mazda CX5 and paid it off in 2024.
While I’m one to hold onto vehicles until they die, I really don’t believe pumping 10k into the 2004 Xterra is a wise move. With 200k on it there are other major repairs that could be in your near future.
If I was going to retire and needed a dependable vehicle, a new Kia Soul would be on my short list. Used car prices are way up there and unless you purchase one with an extended warranty I would shy away from them. JMHO
I would second both of these comments.
I am a big supporter of green energy and there are two major reasons I wouldn’t buy an EV today. 1. I would need to pay to get updated service at my house to put in a decent charger for my type of driving. 2. I have enough anxiety about the lithium ion batteries I already have. With a car there is an alternative that is slightly safer.
Dr. Cheese - My suggestion would be to look for a 24 or 25 (pre update) Subaru Outback. I saw recently that Subaru has been moving up in the quality/reliability rankings and they are well known for their safety. Very fun to drive if you get the turbo as well.
I used to suggest Fords as well, but, after helping my mom deal with the latest recall (where they burnt through a quarter tank of gas during the repair and didn’t replace it, leaving her with 40km to empty) I wouldn’t touch one with a ten foot pole. Too bad too since the Mustang was my favourite car as a kid and the Mach-E was the EV that I would have opted for.
Maybe go a bit easier on the rhetoric. Yes, climate change through greenhouse gasses is settled science, but I wouldn’t say that everyday people buying the current battery electric vehicles would change the course of it. Manufacturing and mining are huge contributors to the problems and EVs require both. It’s great for early adopters and the people with the money to fund the developments are needed but there is still a few years at least. I do hope that my next car will be an EV though.
I wouldn't spend the $$ on a 21 year old Nissan, don't find them to be top notch cars. B list at best.
20 years ago, I had a girlfriend with a 2003 Xterra, I had (and still have) a 1986 Toyota Van. Hers had a 3.3L V6, mine a 2.2L inline 4. Changed her oil, it was a 3.5 quart pan that drained out just a touch more than 3 quarts. I thought something was really wrong, but no, it's just a small capacity. My smaller 4 banger held 4.5 quarts that would drain out 4.25 quarts. When I had a car with a 2.8L V6, it had a 4 quart pan, and 5 quarts on a 4.3L V6. Oil capacity tells me a bit about longevity of an engine. More oil=more cooling, less breakdown, longer life.
If it were a 21 year old Toyota or Honda, maybe worth dropping some $$ into it. I hear of and see many 80s era Toyotas with 2L+ sized engines going 300K+, not Nissans. I have been 80s Toyota centric since 1995 and have not been disappointed. I also have a '22 RAV4 TRD, it's really nice, but I don't expect it to have the same 39 year longevity of my 86 Van.
Heck, some GM products from the 98-03 era are actually decent, especially stuff like Buicks, Silverados... I had a 01 Bravada that was a solid auto. I sold it with 150K miles 3 years ago. The guy that bought it has driven it up to 200K and just replaced little, dumb stuff, like belts, hoses, a suspension piece here and there. Nothing major.
20 years ago, I had a girlfriend with a 2003 Xterra, I had (and still have) a 1986 Toyota Van. Hers had a 3.3L V6, mine a 2.2L inline 4. Changed her oil, it was a 3.5 quart pan that drained out just a touch more than 3 quarts. I thought something was really wrong, but no, it's just a small capacity. My smaller 4 banger held 4.5 quarts that would drain out 4.25 quarts. When I had a car with a 2.8L V6, it had a 4 quart pan, and 5 quarts on a 4.3L V6. Oil capacity tells me a bit about longevity of an engine. More oil=more cooling, less breakdown, longer life.
If it were a 21 year old Toyota or Honda, maybe worth dropping some $$ into it. I hear of and see many 80s era Toyotas with 2L+ sized engines going 300K+, not Nissans. I have been 80s Toyota centric since 1995 and have not been disappointed. I also have a '22 RAV4 TRD, it's really nice, but I don't expect it to have the same 39 year longevity of my 86 Van.
Heck, some GM products from the 98-03 era are actually decent, especially stuff like Buicks, Silverados... I had a 01 Bravada that was a solid auto. I sold it with 150K miles 3 years ago. The guy that bought it has driven it up to 200K and just replaced little, dumb stuff, like belts, hoses, a suspension piece here and there. Nothing major.
From owning a similar era Pathfinder, it is not worth putting that amount of money into it - the engines and transmissions just don’t last.
EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
- 6,654
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- Disclosures
- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
Hey Doc, premature Congratulations on the retirement... that's awesome man. I sure do enjoy it. The only thing I miss about that 33-1/2 years is the kids I spent the last few months there with, training to replace me. I do miss the daily interaction with them... it was kinda' fun getting waived into Gen-Z and having some of their language and expressions explained. 
That bunch called up a few of my old friends and former trainees on that last day. The little red-haired spark-plug on my left here, and the big fella there on the end are running things now. Proud of them all. Fine bunch of Operators.
Me and this lady worked at a Treatment Plant together for about 10 years. She is with another utility now, and about to be a first-time Granny!
That afternoon, I took the official shingle down and went home.
I agree with what others have posted; might be time to replace the Nissan. That's a lot to put into it. Unless you know someone who can do the work cheaper, yeah... I'd go ahead and replace that one. Here's the rub; pay cash. Do not acrue any debt. The secret (if there is one) to retirement is to live sensibly, and not be paying any interest. Especially for a vehicle. About a year before I retired, I made the decision to 'fix up' my older Mitsubishi Outlander and buy a newer one. The repairs to the 2003 cost around $1,700... right about what the car is worth. But I've had it since 2006, and put almost all of its 250,000 miles on there myself. The newer one (2019) I paid $11,500 cash for, had 85,000 miles. I drive it on trips or recreactionally to gigs. The old '03 "Green Machine" is still my daily driver after all these years. They both get great mileage... average 27-30 mpg, both AWD. I'll eventually have to replace it, if something major fails but I'll just buy another high-mileage car to knock around town in.
Happy Retirement and Good Luck in your search. I hear good things about the Kia Soul, no personal experience.
That bunch called up a few of my old friends and former trainees on that last day. The little red-haired spark-plug on my left here, and the big fella there on the end are running things now. Proud of them all. Fine bunch of Operators.Me and this lady worked at a Treatment Plant together for about 10 years. She is with another utility now, and about to be a first-time Granny!
That afternoon, I took the official shingle down and went home.
I agree with what others have posted; might be time to replace the Nissan. That's a lot to put into it. Unless you know someone who can do the work cheaper, yeah... I'd go ahead and replace that one. Here's the rub; pay cash. Do not acrue any debt. The secret (if there is one) to retirement is to live sensibly, and not be paying any interest. Especially for a vehicle. About a year before I retired, I made the decision to 'fix up' my older Mitsubishi Outlander and buy a newer one. The repairs to the 2003 cost around $1,700... right about what the car is worth. But I've had it since 2006, and put almost all of its 250,000 miles on there myself. The newer one (2019) I paid $11,500 cash for, had 85,000 miles. I drive it on trips or recreactionally to gigs. The old '03 "Green Machine" is still my daily driver after all these years. They both get great mileage... average 27-30 mpg, both AWD. I'll eventually have to replace it, if something major fails but I'll just buy another high-mileage car to knock around town in.
Happy Retirement and Good Luck in your search. I hear good things about the Kia Soul, no personal experience.
I've got 2 Kia Souls and you would not believe how much equipment they can hold! One is a 2016 and the other is a 2020.
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I just went through the same process over the last 18 months.
First, you'll love retirement - my favorite job ever.
Secondly, two words. Toyota. Carmax.
Do your research on Consumer Reports (pay for the subscription, it’s worth it), pick the best combination of reliability and body style for your needs, then shop online. Once you find what you want, spring for an independent Carfax report. You have 10 days to return the vehicle, no questions asked, so take it straight to a mechanic you trust for an evaluation (I also swung by my favorite body shop). SO much more pleasant than the typical car shopping experience.
First, you'll love retirement - my favorite job ever.
Secondly, two words. Toyota. Carmax.
Do your research on Consumer Reports (pay for the subscription, it’s worth it), pick the best combination of reliability and body style for your needs, then shop online. Once you find what you want, spring for an independent Carfax report. You have 10 days to return the vehicle, no questions asked, so take it straight to a mechanic you trust for an evaluation (I also swung by my favorite body shop). SO much more pleasant than the typical car shopping experience.
They sell a bunch of EVs in Scandinavia. It makes sense there because so much of their electricity comes from hydro and other renewables. The US still makes the great majority of it electricity from natural gas and coal. Until that changes substantially (and we are making progress), an EV is just shifting the fossil fuel burden upstream.
Which is the reason China went so hard into EVs. They have a bunch of rare earth minerals, Li, and hydro....not so much fuel reserves.
Still, solar is cheaper than fossil fuels now so we could be there if we wanted to be. But they don't want us to be. Personally, I don't have the patience to wait for charging, especially if I were on a road trip and didn't even know if a charging port would be taken or not when I got there. No way I could handle that uncertainty. I'm prob 2-3 generations of battery away from buying in for that reason. My wife's next car will be an EV run off solar though.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
How much will it cost to have the electrical work done to provide a charging outlet for an electric car, and to, eventually, have the electric car's battery replaced?
Personally, the last time I bought a new car was 1986; I've bought used cars for cash since then. I tend to drive cars for several years, have no interest in keeping up with the Jones family or owning the latest and greatest, and tend to avoid vehicles that have whiz-bang features that will break and have to be maintained in the future. I also tend to look at the long-term cost of ownership instead of the purchase price, which is something we encourage our kids to do, too.
My advice is to break out pencil, paper and list the features that are most important to you, and perform a forced ranking to narrow the field. Ask a trusted mechanic which vehicles they'd recommend their parents or kids buy or, often more importantly, which to avoid.
Good luck!
How much will it cost to have the electrical work done to provide a charging outlet for an electric car, and to, eventually, have the electric car's battery replaced?
Personally, the last time I bought a new car was 1986; I've bought used cars for cash since then. I tend to drive cars for several years, have no interest in keeping up with the Jones family or owning the latest and greatest, and tend to avoid vehicles that have whiz-bang features that will break and have to be maintained in the future. I also tend to look at the long-term cost of ownership instead of the purchase price, which is something we encourage our kids to do, too.
My advice is to break out pencil, paper and list the features that are most important to you, and perform a forced ranking to narrow the field. Ask a trusted mechanic which vehicles they'd recommend their parents or kids buy or, often more importantly, which to avoid.
Good luck!
Sounds good!
Hey Doc, premature Congratulations on the retirement... that's awesome man. I sure do enjoy it. The only thing I miss about that 33-1/2 years is the kids I spent the last few months there with, training to replace me. I do miss the daily interaction with them... it was kinda' fun getting waived into Gen-Z and having some of their language and expressions explained.
View attachment 7291235
Me and this lady worked at a Treatment Plant together for about 10 years. She is with another utility now, and about to be a first-time Granny!View attachment 7291236
That afternoon, I took the official shingle down and went home.
View attachment 7291237
I agree with what others have posted; might be time to replace the Nissan. That's a lot to put into it. Unless you know someone who can do the work cheaper, yeah... I'd go ahead and replace that one. Here's the rub; pay cash. Do not acrue any debt. The secret (if there is one) to retirement is to live sensibly, and not be paying any interest. Especially for a vehicle. About a year before I retired, I made the decision to 'fix up' my older Mitsubishi Outlander and buy a newer one. The repairs to the 2003 cost around $1,700... right about what the car is worth. But I've had it since 2006, and put almost all of its 250,000 miles on there myself. The newer one (2019) I paid $11,500 cash for, had 85,000 miles. I drive it on trips or recreactionally to gigs. The old '03 "Green Machine" is still my daily driver after all these years. They both get great mileage... average 27-30 mpg, both AWD. I'll eventually have to replace it, if something major fails but I'll just buy another high-mileage car to knock around town in.
Happy Retirement and Good Luck in your search. I hear good things about the Kia Soul, no personal experience.
Thanks for the advice and you went out in style!
