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Who makes the most reliable new cars?

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Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#451

Post by Tool_of_Society »

saulrh wrote: post #285
AmVess wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep the 4Runner and buy something new for a family hauler. New vehicles are much safer from a structural standpoint than older ones. Modern high strength steels form the safety cage of the vehicle, and greatly reduce the risk of injury in offset frontal impacts, side impacts, and rear impacts. And then you have the multitudes of air bags. Finally, the various electronic gizmos that further reduce risk of injury. The…

To expand... - Improved FEM makes modern crumple zones deeper and smoother - Heavy use of composites dramatically improve the raw amount of energy absorbed by the car instead of the passengers - Better manufacturing methods mean parts can be shaped/placed to be less likely to enter the cabin - Better placement of more airbags means you're more likely to hit something soft - Better seats and better placements of bette…

Well considering that SUVs have a higher CG and people tend to drive them like they are small cars I'm not surprised ESC is so effective for SUV drivers.

ESC in a car for me can be helpful or detrimental depending on the vehicle and the implementation.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#452

Post by omginternets »

aalimov_ wrote: post #315
omginternets wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they would have probably released an STI variant for the new body :( Pow, right in the feels :’) But in reality, I suspect this has more to do with the following two things: 1. The STi package has always had abysmal fuel economy, and I believe there are regulations that enforce an average fuel economy across an entire manufacturers fleet 2. Many (most?) of the modders and hooners are put off by the price. In fact,…

Yeah the fuel economy is definitely not a selling point even on the standard WRX. Couple that with a strange urge to engage in spirited driving and you’ll be getting your mpgs down to the teens or low twenties. Re 1: I really hope they bring out a refreshed version, but I have a feeling that may not happen for a while… at least while batteries weigh what they do. Maybe a full EV version some day? Re 2: yeah the STi w…

Are you modded or tuned at all? I've admittedly fallen into that rabbit hole, and been steadily getting drawn into mechanical engineering. The WRX is such an easy platform to hack on, it's crazy. It's right up there with the Miata, it seems.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#453

Post by vondur »

yaomtc wrote: post #231
sharkweek wrote: post #213

My 3rd Gen Toyota 4Runner is old enough to drink and outside of routine maintenance requires almost no thought. "It's time to get a new car" given that car safety has drastically improved and I have two younger kids in that thing a few times a week but I'm honestly having a really hard time giving it up, something so reliable and plainly functional. New cars with all their computers and smart technology only look lik…

> car safety has drastically improved Safety between cars, and within cars, has improved. However, due to the increasing size of the average vehicle on the road, among other factors, car safety for pedestrians/cyclists has decreased. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/26/1184034017/us-pedestrian-deat...

People drive horrible now. Running lights, crazy lane changes, excessive speeding etc. Here in the US is started during the pandemic and hasn’t improved.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#454

Post by porknubbins »

sharkweek wrote: post #213

My 3rd Gen Toyota 4Runner is old enough to drink and outside of routine maintenance requires almost no thought. "It's time to get a new car" given that car safety has drastically improved and I have two younger kids in that thing a few times a week but I'm honestly having a really hard time giving it up, something so reliable and plainly functional. New cars with all their computers and smart technology only look lik…

People complain about new cars being harder to fix because of electronics but I think post OBDII they are actually easier because they tell you what is broken with error codes and also forums of experts are just a click away.

I do think its true that you can no longer be a diy hotrodder for most models because there is so much complexity with timing, emissions, fuel efficiency strategies, variable valve timing etc.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#455

Post by omginternets »

unfocused wrote: post #223
willis936 wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The message is clear: steer clear of Subaru if you want a reliable engine.

Would you say this is still true? I’m about to receive the 2023 Subaru Forester. It seems like it has good reliability from all the reviews.

It's worth noting that as of 2020, Subaru is running an entirely new platform for their cars, and it has been remarkably solid. The FA24 engine, in particular, appears to be running unusually generous tolerances for things like cylinder pressure, oil pressure, manifold pressure/temps, etc.

For tuners it's been a box of wonders. For ordinary consumers, that maps directly to reliability.

If you google around, you'll see mention of head gasket problems in association with Subaru. This issue has been resolved for the better part of 20 years. Today, the intersection of people who blow up Subaru engines and people who drive like drunk, teenage morons is effectively a perfect circle.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#456

Post by thsksbd »

calamari4065 wrote: post #416

I've had a regrettably excellent experience with my 2015 Mazda. Easily the most reliable machine I've owned. Which is unfortunate because it's a soulless, joyless shitbox and I hate it. It just starts every single time, but it's not fun to drive. I see dozens of the exact same model on the road every day and they're all boring. The interior is fine, the handling is pretty good, the power is fine, fuel economy is fine…

I wish my cars were merely boring.

One car (KIA) has electrical problems, probably the CAN bus. Parking shifter has to be overridden with a screwdriver to shift, the ABS sensor is on, and the cruise control doesn't disengage when I press the brake.

This car has a glove box of recalls letters Im going to have done when I finally have an appointment w/ the dealer.

The other one a VW, otherwise the "reliable one", had a radiator light turn on yesterday. Im praying it's just low coolant (it is low) and not a leak. It also has a dash light that wont go off complaining about the headlights (they're fine).

Neither of them have 100k miles.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#457

Post by localhost »

xattt wrote: post #445
webel0 wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I keep on thinking that a premium market will develop for Toyota and Honda cars from roughly ~2006-2010. Those cars were the height of internal combustion technology without all of the electronics.

> Toyota … ~2006-2010 The 5th Gen Camry was one of the first, if not the first, cars with drive-by-wire throttle.

My gone but not forgotten E46 M3 had drive by wire throttle in 2000.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#458

Post by seanmcdirmid »

SkyPuncher wrote: post #346
sharkweek wrote: post #213

My 3rd Gen Toyota 4Runner is old enough to drink and outside of routine maintenance requires almost no thought. "It's time to get a new car" given that car safety has drastically improved and I have two younger kids in that thing a few times a week but I'm honestly having a really hard time giving it up, something so reliable and plainly functional. New cars with all their computers and smart technology only look lik…

FWIW, the computers don’t tend to break. The things that do break are essentially the same as they were 20 years ago. The bells and whistles are mostly for creatures comfort. The mechanical components haven’t changed much. The only thing that I couldn’t fix on my own in my 2020 vs my 2006 was re-alignment of lane keep system after replacing the windshield.

My Xdrive unit in my BMW died 3 months after buying it. I thought...ya, out of all the things that could break in my car...it was the bell and whistle computer. I'm betting it was just a capacitor or something, but of course you have to get a whole new one as a replacement.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#459

Post by [deleted] »

_yb2s wrote: post #404
kspacewalk2 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's incredible how the Japanese carmakers were able to perfect the auto manufacturing process and then proceed to hold that advantage for what, 30+ years now? It's not a secret how they did it, it's been studied to death, every manner of technology/expertise/management transfer has been tried, and still no one comes quite close enough to threaten their position.

I just don't like any model of Japanese cars... they don't drive, look, or feel as good as a high end European car. But man do I wish European cars were half as reliable as Japanese cars. Driving European cars is a hobby for me, but spending every weekend to keep them working gets old sometimes. What's especially annoying is that the high end European cars are ostensibly better made... much more expensive materials,…

[deleted]

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#460

Post by cuu508 »

dahart wrote: post #414
SkyPuncher wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, the computers don’t tend to break. The things that do break are essentially the same as they were 20 years ago. The bells and whistles are mostly for creatures comfort. The mechanical components haven’t changed much. The only thing that I couldn’t fix on my own in my 2020 vs my 2006 was re-alignment of lane keep system after replacing the windshield.

The chips themselves don’t tend break, but wires and connectors and sensors all do tend to break, and they are effectively part of the computer system. Today, it’s practically moot where you draw the line. Something mechanical on my CRV broke somewhere, and the computer didn’t know what it was, and so the dealer didn’t know what it was, and the computer tended to shut down over unknown problems, and it eventually cau…

Did the computer shutdown(s) cause (or fail to prevent) the timing chain failure?
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