I need to replace my rust bucket...

[Broomer]

Note RUST BUCKET (not any sort of other bucket).... anyone who knows me I've got a slightly warped mind... :biggrin:

Anyway, just interested in your perspective in the following makes:
1) Kia
2) Geely
3) Honda City

I'm actually seriously thinking about the Kia but I'm just a tad hesitant since I don't know what the maintenance cost is like.

The Geely, well... that's a long shot.

K

[Craig]

I've had a glorified Honda (Acura) that's 12 years old. Works fine with typical upkeep (regular service, oil changes, filters, wipers, tires, alignment, brake flushes, etc.). Only one major issue so far (A/C). I am worried a bit about the transmission though.

On a side, note, rust is not really an issue as of yet. Although the appearance of the dividers between the front and back windows is comprimised.

[Broomer]

Actually, it's not the rust that's worrying me but the coolant leak, the timing belt about to go and the bummpiness of the ride (my wife and I are expecting).

Yeah.... Honda's sounding good. BTW, is it true the Tsunami and floods in Thailand had an impact on supply or is it the usual BS they feed to the Aussie public?
K

[Craig]

Oh yeah, also replaced the timing belt at about 115k miles or so (schedule said 105k). For the Hondas, I think the timing belt is an interference type belt. I think one of my friends had an Accord back in the 90s and he neglected to replace his timing belt on time and it snapped and he needed to get a new car. I had another friend who forgot to replace his timing belt on his Toyota in the mid-2000s and it snapped, ... well, he had to waste a Saturday waiting for it to get fixed, but it cost him several hundred and he was on his way.

Even replacing the timing belt (& water pump), plus the shocks / struts, plus alignment should be cheaper than a new car. Although the first 2 are still up to maybe a couple thousand (at least in the US).

As far as supply issues, I haven't been keeping track. Wife wanted me to get a new vehicle (and give current vehicle to relative), but I'm living quarter-to-quarter as a contractor now so I don't want to empty my savings or get a car loan.

[Broomer]

Yeah, I wish that was the case here. The funny thing in Oz is that a t4radie (mechanic, builder, etc) can earn more then a doctor. No kidding., and old colleague... two bros... one a plumber and one a doc. The plumber owns three houses and the doc is borrowing from his bro.

The point? Getting repairs done here, it gets to a stage where it's just uneconomical. I had the quote done and it's going to hit close to about $2k to get everything fixed up (with no guarantees that it'll last six months).

So yeah, if it's a couple of hundred, I'd get it fixed but the way people here get shafted, ain't worth it.

Soooo.... whats the maintenance like on the Honda? :biggrin:
(I was thinking about a Tiida at one stage)

K

[drydem]

Honda often uses very simple mechanical and electrical designs which often make the basic models more reliable than most other cars. Honda's weak points are electrical motors (e.g. power windows) and alternators which can go bad after the 5 to 15 years. The 2005-2006 Honda Civic Hybrid (HCH) has had some problems with its Hybrid Traction batteries dying prematurely - the HCH onboard computer software fix increases the minumum state of charge level which starts up the gas engine earlier to recharge the traction batteries which inturn can lower the MPGs. My previous car of about 20 years and 188k miles was a 1990 Honda Accord - Beyond the normal replacements of Tires, 12v battery, brakes, mufflers, transmission fluid, coolant fluid, oil changes, timing belt, and sparkplugs (and discounting collision repairs).... I had to replace wheel bearings, CV boot/tie rods(suspension parts), alternators, sparkplug wires, and driver's power window motor. It's stereo tape cassette also went bad after 11 years but that's to be expected. It basically rusted where the body was repaired by 3rd party body shops (non OEM paint/rustproofing was inferior to the original paint/rustproofing). Honda driver ergonomics is top notch. I think the Honda Fit Hybrid and the Honda CRV are examples of their better designs. Remanufactured electrical part replacements (e.g. alternators) tend not to last as long as OEM Honda electrical parts - so I'd recommend alway using OEM honda electrical replacement parts and body parts (e.g. plastic bumper covers).

[Broomer]

Thanks mate (again).
Wife actually has her eyes on a Ssangyong now.
Personally, I've got a Honda or maybe a Kia for preference.
I was going to get a Toyota but these days, they're a bit overpriced.

K

[drydem]

If auto repairs are a expensive and you would like to minimize your need for them then

1) select a most basic simplest model you can live with - the less components you have the less probablity it will fail. For example, if you want an SUV, 2 wheel Drive (2WD) models tend to be more reliable than all 4 wheel drive(4AWD, 4WD) so if you are driving on paved roads the 2WD SUV will be the better choice. However, if you drive on dirt roads then a 4WD SUV is probably going to be a requirement...
2) select the most reliable brand you can afford - manufacturing quality is important in reducing repairs
3) select a used car in very best condition you can find ( mileage is not as important as a car with a complete record AND that has not been in a major accident AND has not been *restored* from a flood/natural disaster). if you can't do this examination yourself - hire a mechanic to verify the condition of the car for you before you purchase it. One of the things that keep a good car in good condition is a good mechanic/shop to take it to - having a honest, fair, and skilled mechanic is very important to extend the lifespan of a car.
4) Always buy a car in broad daylight so you can examine it properly for damage.
5) If you are excited during the buying process - don't buy - since your excited
emotional state will compromise your ability to protect yourself.

Lastly, the price of petrol is going to go up - so consider how fuel efficient a vehicle is. Ask yourself and your wife - if your househould income was cut in half could you still drive it? would you still be able to afford operating it?

[Broomer]

A bud talked the wife out of a Ssangyong.... YES!
Seriously, they're not bad cars but their business model sucked.
(Not to mention there been a fair amount of bullying by the big three)

[Broomer]

Ended up getting a Camry Altise. Lord I feel like a gear in a machine