Turning Japanese
Discussion
At present my Peugeot 208 and partner's FIAT 500 doesn't give us a roomy option when the need arises.
I'm missing having an estate car in the family fleet (odd things estates in that once you've had old you wonder how you ever did without)
Up till now big old Mercedes have been my go-to when looking for big old estates to buy as a hack and run till they drop. In turn, I have been rewarded by roomy, comfortable, refined and reliable transport.
A bit of research (Honest John and some owners' forums) have kinda scared the s
t out of me as far as Mercedes build quality, reliability and repair costs are concerned.
An alternative is a Japanese equivalent. For 10 to 12 year old Merc money lower mileage and much fresher 5 to 7 year old Toyota Avensis and 6 to 8 year old Subaru Legacies are starting to look very tempting.
This isn't A What Car thread. I know my options and can work out their pros, cons and how best they suit.
My question is are Japanese cars as bullet proof as they were and as such a better choice as a bit old and run till they're done option.
I'm missing having an estate car in the family fleet (odd things estates in that once you've had old you wonder how you ever did without)
Up till now big old Mercedes have been my go-to when looking for big old estates to buy as a hack and run till they drop. In turn, I have been rewarded by roomy, comfortable, refined and reliable transport.
A bit of research (Honest John and some owners' forums) have kinda scared the s
t out of me as far as Mercedes build quality, reliability and repair costs are concerned. An alternative is a Japanese equivalent. For 10 to 12 year old Merc money lower mileage and much fresher 5 to 7 year old Toyota Avensis and 6 to 8 year old Subaru Legacies are starting to look very tempting.
This isn't A What Car thread. I know my options and can work out their pros, cons and how best they suit.
My question is are Japanese cars as bullet proof as they were and as such a better choice as a bit old and run till they're done option.
http://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer
If you believe a warranty provider that actually has to pay out on these claims.
If you believe a warranty provider that actually has to pay out on these claims.
Subaru is like any other manufacturer, has its good and bad points, the Legacy is a great car but Subaru have had their fair share of issues, if you are buying one then avoid the diesels, even the new versions can just die on you and its a full rebuild job.
Petrol's are thirsty but you will find them reliable if maintained properly.
Parts are stupidly expensive, like more than prestige cost expensive, for some unknown reason, Subaru UK love ripping their customers off on the parts prices so most people go OEM rather than going via the dealers parts office.
Servicing is a little more expensive than other cars due to the AWD system and a more regular gearbox/diff oil change schedule, its worth it though and ensure its been done a regular basis on any car you are potentially going to buy
Tyres should be matching and replaced in 4's preferably as it can upset the AWD system in some cases, avoid mixing tyre types as well and ensure the geometry/tracking isn't out as you can get excessive wear on the inside of the tyres.
Petrol's are thirsty but you will find them reliable if maintained properly.
Parts are stupidly expensive, like more than prestige cost expensive, for some unknown reason, Subaru UK love ripping their customers off on the parts prices so most people go OEM rather than going via the dealers parts office.
Servicing is a little more expensive than other cars due to the AWD system and a more regular gearbox/diff oil change schedule, its worth it though and ensure its been done a regular basis on any car you are potentially going to buy
Tyres should be matching and replaced in 4's preferably as it can upset the AWD system in some cases, avoid mixing tyre types as well and ensure the geometry/tracking isn't out as you can get excessive wear on the inside of the tyres.
It's my understanding that all cars are pretty good now and the lead the Japs have on reliablity is not what it was because their competitors have caught up. I also get the impression that they are very good at making things last a particular time, so you have a car that's really reliable, then everything falls apart at once.
I swapped a MKII Golf for an MB2 Civic in 2002. The Golf was pretty good, but the Civic blew it into the weeds as a car to actually own, it just kept on keeping on. My Jazz is now 7 years old and to my knowledge the repairs since new amount to a headlight bulb. I'm a low mileage user and my experiences are hardly statistically significant. That said, my manager has had 3 new BMW's as company cars and their reliability has been pretty poor.
Other things to consider are how the car is used and who owns it. A lot of fleet cars are German and doing 10 times the mileage I do, so it's quite reasonable that they have more repairs. Where as I suspect the Japs get bought more my low mileage private buyers.
I swapped a MKII Golf for an MB2 Civic in 2002. The Golf was pretty good, but the Civic blew it into the weeds as a car to actually own, it just kept on keeping on. My Jazz is now 7 years old and to my knowledge the repairs since new amount to a headlight bulb. I'm a low mileage user and my experiences are hardly statistically significant. That said, my manager has had 3 new BMW's as company cars and their reliability has been pretty poor.
Other things to consider are how the car is used and who owns it. A lot of fleet cars are German and doing 10 times the mileage I do, so it's quite reasonable that they have more repairs. Where as I suspect the Japs get bought more my low mileage private buyers.
The two Japanese cars I've had in my lifetime (both lexus) have blown everything I've had out of the water reliability wise. They want for nothing. Unfortunately lexus have only ever sold 1 estate in this country: IS sportcross and now they're rather dated and hard to come by.
Can't speak for Subaru as I've never had one but if they share their compatriot's build quality then you're on to a winner imo.
Can't speak for Subaru as I've never had one but if they share their compatriot's build quality then you're on to a winner imo.
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