"USA imports" daily driver, whats good?

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RustyRatRod said:
I said what I did about the AWD because I ran the office in a local transmission shop about two years. AWD vehicles are nothing but trouble. People buy them and then have no clue how to take care of them.

They are required to have the same size tires front and rear. Not just that. The factories also recommend sequential serial numbers on the tires, so that they are all four as close as possible to the exact same diameter.

The viscous coupling that connects the front and rear differentials is THAT sensitive. As little as 1/2" difference front to rear can burn up a viscous coupling. Done. Over. Toast. A lot of times, it causes a violent enough reaction that it takes the transmission out with it. Can you say $5K in repairs?

And since Subaru DID come up, they have one of the most bullcrap systems there is. The break in procedure for a rebuilt transmission and viscous coupling is basically doing doughnuts in a parking lot. Ok. No problem. Know what the service manual says? Something like "if the coupling continues to chatter after break in, remove the coupling and manually burnish the cutch plates"

While I was there we only had ONE problem child that would NOT go away. Guess what it was? A Subaru AWD.
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OK, Thanks.
 
Yeah, I don't really need an AWD vehicle. Plus that just sounds like added repair cost at sometime. And looking at there engines is somewhat of a nightmare. I'd have to learn more about Subaru's before I would buy one, I think.
 
I've been searching the net and see that Subarus are known for expensive head gasket problems...Don't want to go there.
 
Both of my kids are driving early 2000's Toyotas and they have been very dependable for tens of thousands of miles. So far only normal maintenance needed. My son's Camry has almost 180k on it and it's still going strong. We change the oil every 5k and other maintenance as needed. Parts are cheap and plentiful. It has plenty of room for four adults and the ride is nice.
 
Everything is expensive to fix on newer cars..my wife loves her awd Ford edge
especially now with all this snow we're having if it breaks it gets fixed thats what a warranty is for,no foreign manufactuers **** allowed in my driveway:violent1::violent1::violent1:
 
rustytoolss said:
The CR-V is one that I'm thinking about. And even though they are Ugly of sorts, a Honda Element. Also Hyundai/Kia Tuson type SUV. I don't mind ugly. I had a 09 Jeep Patriot. Was a good vehicle , but just out of warranty had major electronics issues ( Chrysler pretty much lost a life long customer) so I lost faith in Chrysler/fiat/diamler/lawnboy/remco motors.
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The CR-V is known for suspension issues. As are most of the small SUV's built on cars chassis.

The mid 2000's Tuscans had transfer case issues.

Personally, I like my Hyundai XG a lot. I'd buy another Hyundai in a heartbeat if I was in the market for a new car.
 
ramenth said:
The CR-V is known for suspension issues. As are most of the small SUV's built on cars chassis.

The mid 2000's Tuscans had transfer case issues.

Personally, I like my Hyundai XG a lot. I'd buy another Hyundai in a heartbeat if I was in the market for a new car.
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You said that the mid 2000s Tuscans had transfer case issues. Is that with AWD, or just FWD, or both ?
 
my daily transport may not fit here, but I love my cute little Neon. U.S. Made though, 2001 model it is, and as reliable as can be. I average 28 city all day long, easy to park, and it rarely causes me any grief. cold A/C, Good heat, stereo, and non descript. I own a 2012 Ram 3500 for big trips, but in town the neon is a great car. I'm looking for a grandpa owned 2005 as a backup, but they are hard to find. Not Japanese!
 
how about 74 to 76 4 door dart /6 auto air car. I don't have one but for 8 to 12 k you could have the nice's one on the road and cheap to work on to. Just my two cent's.
 
Tbone416 said:
how about 74 to 76 4 door dart /6 auto air car. I don't have one but for 8 to 12 k you could have the nice's one on the road and cheap to work on to. Just my two cent's.
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I second that. I can't fathom how a Mopar guy could consider anything but a classic era A or B Body for a daily driver.
$12K could buy four or five really nice Slant 4 doors with enough change left over to buy enough essential spares to last three lifetimes.
You guys who don't tool around with one of these cars are missing an essential part of the experience!
 
whitepunkonnitro said:
I second that. I can't fathom how a Mopar guy could consider anything but a classic era A or B Body for a daily driver.
$12K could buy four or five really nice Slant 4 doors with enough change left over to buy enough essential spares to last three lifetimes.
You guys who don't tool around with one of these cars are missing an essential part of the experience!
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Classic '72 and down Mopar for my street/strip car..daily driver especially around here with the 4 seasons nothing but 4-wheel drive...
 
Not an import, or "USA import", or whatever you want to call them, but for a driver SUV in a climate with snow, think Durango. My 05 now has 206,000 miles, and I deliver mail with it. 113 miles a day driving it like I stole it. Only problems were both caused by me boring and digging in top-of-the-tires-deep snowdrifts. I only get 10 mpg starting and stopping and lots of idling, but can knock down 22 mpg on a trip. Oh, and the HEMI has a chip, 3 inch exhaust, and is probably around 370 horse (340 hp stock). Full time 4 wheel drive.

My wife's 08 HEMI Durango is now at 114,000, totally stock, and has been mostly trouble free. She averages 18 mpg on her work commute. Both have towed my car trailer, sometimes at foolish speeds (110 mph with an A-body on it). Both have hauled payloads of more than 1500 pounds of car parts, concrete blocks, bags of sand, etc.
 
whitepunkonnitro said:
I can't fathom how a Mopar guy could consider anything but a classic era A or B Body for a daily driver.
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Some of us have reached a stage in their life where A/C, cruise control and satellite radio are important creature comforts that help make a 80 mile round trip more tolerable. I still take my Dart out on the weekends for the sheer enjoyment of driving an older vehicle, but come Monday morning it's back to the reliability of the modern vehicle. The thought of driving an older rear wheel drive in the snow that we got last night does not appeal to me either.
 
BrianT said:
Some of us have reached a stage in their life where A/C, cruise control and satellite radio are important creature comforts that help make a 80 mile round trip more tolerable. I still take my Dart out on the weekends for the sheer enjoyment of driving an older vehicle, but come Monday morning it's back to the reliability of the modern vehicle. The thought of driving an older rear wheel drive in the snow that we got last night does not appeal to me either.
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A/C, Cruise and Sat. Radio are all things that can be added to any car. Reliability? My 64 Dart daily driver has had 2 oil changes, 1 set of points, 1 set of plugs, front brakes and a set of tires in 2 years and 60.000 miles. Driveline and suspension are all original and near as I can tell, never opened or overhauled. Car has to have over a half million miles on it. Gets 20 mpg around town and thumbs up every time I stop at a light.
Snow? Millions of people drove millions of these cars billions of miles through every kind of weather the Earth could throw at 'em...and they did just fine.
Sorry man, I live this stuff every day...there are no valid excuses.
 
whitepunkonnitro said:
A/C, Cruise and Sat. Radio are all things that can be added to any car. Reliability? My 64 Dart daily driver has had 2 oil changes, 1 set of points, 1 set of plugs, front brakes and a set of tires in 2 years and 60.000 miles. Driveline and suspension are all original and near as I can tell, never opened or overhauled. Car has to have over a half million miles on it. Gets 20 mpg around town and thumbs up every time I stop at a light.
Snow? Millions of people drove millions of these cars billions of miles through every kind of weather the Earth could throw at 'em...and they did just fine.
Sorry man, I live this stuff every day...there are no valid excuses.
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No excuses but why on earth would i drive a 50 yearold car as a daily driver when i can drive something with all new technology,that goes right through the snow without any plowing being done,lets see the '64 do that..and as far as thumbs up all i have to do is take the duster out when the snow is all gone..
 
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