What is a reliable car?
Discussion
Seriously...
In every 'what car' thread and other threads people say time and time again "I want a reliable car", "it must be reliable", "I don't want an unreliable car".
But what is it???
How do all you guys/gals that think this is so important actually categorise what is or isn't reliable?
As 99.99% of what car threads are someone wanting a perfectly normal and average mass produced car, can anyone give any real examples of reliable and unreliable cars used for this purpose and then show how that knowledge has any bearing buying a different model from the same car maker???
In every 'what car' thread and other threads people say time and time again "I want a reliable car", "it must be reliable", "I don't want an unreliable car".
But what is it???
How do all you guys/gals that think this is so important actually categorise what is or isn't reliable?
As 99.99% of what car threads are someone wanting a perfectly normal and average mass produced car, can anyone give any real examples of reliable and unreliable cars used for this purpose and then show how that knowledge has any bearing buying a different model from the same car maker???
300bhp/ton said:
can anyone give any real examples of reliable and unreliable cars used for this purpose
Reliable - my 1989 LR 90 V8 CSW. Owned since 1994, off-roaded all over the UK and europe. Failures during that time - two sets of wheel bearings contaminated with mud and a failed viscous fan (jammed with mud!). One or two (ahem!) dents.Unreliable - company BMW 335d. Run for two years up and down motorways and in the garage most months for anything between a turbo and a software glitch. Can't remember a month it didn't have some warranty work done.
I bought a mercedes a couple of years ago, on the grounds that it felt pretty solid and I expected it to be reliable, is wasn't and I cant ever see me going there again....
previously I bought an old jeep, which was cheap enough that I didn't expect reliability, it never put a wheel wrong and have since bought another.
All the french cars I have had have been reliable
previously I bought an old jeep, which was cheap enough that I didn't expect reliability, it never put a wheel wrong and have since bought another.
All the french cars I have had have been reliable
Personally I think reliability is luck of the draw but by opting for a 'reliable brand' you minimise the chances of reliability being an issue.
I have bought Alfas and had no issue yet have had friends with BMW, Merc and VWs with nothing but grief.
Same as my wife's Boxster, faultless (touch wood) in 4/5 years yet know of people that have had IMS failure, gearbox failure etc.
I have bought Alfas and had no issue yet have had friends with BMW, Merc and VWs with nothing but grief.
Same as my wife's Boxster, faultless (touch wood) in 4/5 years yet know of people that have had IMS failure, gearbox failure etc.
The one thing that reliability surveys always seem to show, is quite how little difference there is between the best and worst modern mass-produced cars. All manufacturers seem to produce roughly the same spread of good cars and complete lemons; consequently, I don't really even consider reliability when buying a car, except to look for known common faults of the model(s) in question on the particular car that I'm looking at.
Reliable to most people means a car that never breaks down.
The trouble is that these same people are the ones who hardly ever carry out preventative jobs, instead waiting until something breaks.
SWMBO wanted to get rid of her 'unreliable' KA earlier this year, the reason it needed an annual service, 2 tyres were on their way out and the MOT advised that one of the front bushes was starting to move about. Oh and it also has a noisy release bearing that has been the same for 12,000 miles.
Faced with £200 this year and the prospect of spending another £4-500 over the coming year to keep a car that returns 45+ mpg, always starts first time, never breaks down and cost £2k over 2 years ago but is still worth the majority of that today, she would have binned it for a £200 per month finance deal on something 'reliable'.
The trouble is that these same people are the ones who hardly ever carry out preventative jobs, instead waiting until something breaks.
SWMBO wanted to get rid of her 'unreliable' KA earlier this year, the reason it needed an annual service, 2 tyres were on their way out and the MOT advised that one of the front bushes was starting to move about. Oh and it also has a noisy release bearing that has been the same for 12,000 miles.
Faced with £200 this year and the prospect of spending another £4-500 over the coming year to keep a car that returns 45+ mpg, always starts first time, never breaks down and cost £2k over 2 years ago but is still worth the majority of that today, she would have binned it for a £200 per month finance deal on something 'reliable'.
t, but never actually breaks down. Reliable.Any car can be unreliable, from any make and any model. What people want is an example of 'generally' reliable marques. On the whole Japanese cars and most German cars (i know there are plenty here that would disagree with that!) are 'reliable' in the sense that you know if you go out in the morning they will start and you could happily do a 400 mile trip for example, with ease - something i used to do in my German cars. Meanwhile a French or Italian car may not be perceived as reliable and may be discounted. Both those examples are generalisations but it comes down to the actual car.
You won't know that a particular used car you're buying will be reliable though. It could be a problematic car that will continue to be plagued with faults - probably due to lack of maintenance or even a 'Friday-afternoon-special'! - but it's down to the buyer to check the physical car and service records.
You won't know that a particular used car you're buying will be reliable though. It could be a problematic car that will continue to be plagued with faults - probably due to lack of maintenance or even a 'Friday-afternoon-special'! - but it's down to the buyer to check the physical car and service records.
I think people often say "reliable" and mean "durable". Reliability relates to acute, unanticipated failures to work - our Elise and Saab would both be more reliable if I got my wallet out and treated each of them to a new battery, for instance.
I think what people are worried about is less that the thing won't start or will break down and more that something expensive is going to wear out or fail. So something which eats wheel bearings or is prone to head gasket failure or dual mass flywheel issues or is likely to throw up a bill every MOT for corroded this or worn that. Or even something that throws up horrendous bills for consumables - finding out that a new clutch is an engine out job or that a set of discs and pads requires a second mortgage.
I think what people are worried about is less that the thing won't start or will break down and more that something expensive is going to wear out or fail. So something which eats wheel bearings or is prone to head gasket failure or dual mass flywheel issues or is likely to throw up a bill every MOT for corroded this or worn that. Or even something that throws up horrendous bills for consumables - finding out that a new clutch is an engine out job or that a set of discs and pads requires a second mortgage.
otolith said:
Or even something that throws up horrendous bills for consumables.... or that a set of discs and pads requires a second mortgage.
And that is one of the numerous things that is wrong with modern cars! Parts are far too expensive and there are far too many electric things to go wrong!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff