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My wife has driven both her Hyundai Accent (2012), and her Kia Forte (2011) for 300k miles. Technically I think they're the exact same car. Transmissions have never given us a problem, but we change the fluid in them religiously at 50k miles; and oil every 10k.
Occasionally we'll have to change a battery, alternator, or coil-pack, but other than that they've been great.
Alternatively, does anyone know of (a) car(s) which are easy to remove any computer systems?
While you "can" strip computer systems off a car... It is not recommended, for you never know the underlying impact (interms of interconnectedness) what you are removing has to the crucial driving routines..
I mean, you might unplug the heating of your car seat, and turns out the car thinks you have no seat... That sorta thing...
Edit: Unless the hacks are made public (of which are barely available, since they are a part of companys' trade secrets, someone's butt will get a proper suing for this) Just avoid them completely if you can.
You cant remove just any computer systems. Your current car would not start without all the chips inside.
New regulations require the use of several sytems ranging from ABS to eCall.
If you don't want any of those, just repair/buy an older car.
There are still cars being made without tablets in the middle if you just want that.
This is only tangentially related, hopefully someone else here knows, are the newer fleet vehicles coming out still barebones? It might be a consideration if so
I see very little mention of Mazda here. 2014+ Mazda 6 or more recent 3 or cx3 are great looking and aren't all out on tech that would drive you nuts. And much more fun to drive than Toyota. Give those a look.
Your best bet would be to go for something used in good condition before 2014 that's when cars started being internet connected and having controls being software buttons in screens and the like. If you have a bunch of money you could try to import something but the 25 year rule is an issue if you live in the US
I was going to cut off at 2014 as well. I have a manul transmission '14 Subaru and even with all the whistles it has no touch screen, back up camera, etc.
1996 is when US cars standardized on OBD2 computers due to emissions, so to find a truly dumb car you'd have to go earlier than that.
Just switched from a 2015 Corolla S to a 2014 RAV4 Limited, absolutely love the feel and I don't imagine I'm ever going to leave the brand honestly. Toyota just makes damn good cars and they last forever. Look for good used RAV4s or 4Runners in your area pre-2016. My mechanic has swore by the engine Toyota used from 2008-2016, he says it's probably their best engine they made, and after that they changed styles.
Is the Holden/Vauxhall/Opel/Chevrolet Astra available in your country? I had one for a few years, tidy little car, built well, runs well. When it was written off I bought another, very happy with it.
Whatever vehicle it is ... you should get the option for rich Corinthian leather interior
I think what is a good choice greatly depends on your location, which affects prices, availability, spare parts availability etc.
I drive an Audi S4. It has issues. If itβs no more, Iβd probably replace it with another unreliable German vehicle. I also drive an F150, and it has broken a few times. If it croaks, Iβd probably replace it with another F150β¦
Why I do this to myself? No idea.
I switch back and forth between my 96 Tacoma with 250k miles and my 06 Scion xB with 190k miles. Love them both. Bury me in one of them.
GM W-body and GMT platform cars from around 2002-2008 I've found to be decent. The GM 3800 V6 engine and 5.3L Vortec V8 are extremely reliable and easy to maintain yourself if you're into that kind of thing. You can very easily replace the stock radio with an aftermarket unit that has Android auto/Apple Car play and won't spy on you. Since it's an American car and so many were sold in America, both new and used parts are pretty easy to find and pretty cheap. The biggest thing that kills these cars is rust, especially if you live in the salt belt, so just make sure you look underneath the car before buying.
Look for: Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Monte Carlo, Chevy Tahoe, Buick Regal, Chevy Avalanche/Silverado. A good example of these can be found for under $10k easily and if you look a little harder you can usually find good ones or ones that need minimal work for less than $5k.
Personally I plan on driving these cars until it becomes impossible to find them anymore. There's a junkyard near me that specializes in GM cars where I can get parts for DIRT cheap.
Currently I have an 05 Avalanche (140k miles) and an 07 Grand Prix (165k miles). Before those I had an 05 Grand Prix which died only due to rust, engine and transmission still strong at 160k miles. They hardly ever have issues, and when they do they are typically cheap issues or issues I can easily fix myself.
Sure - they're nothing flashy, but the cost of purchase + repairs is almost certainly less than the cost of a new or lightly used car alone. Also, minimal complicated computer systems, and no corporate spying.