picking a new DD.

yeah, I haven't seen many vw' with over 150k mi. And I am used to japanese reliability. Yo guys make me wanna buy that m45 more and more.

 

Many VW's are on consumer reports' used cars to avoid lists and I've heard that not only are they quirky electrical wise, their service departments are regarded as less than helpful.

 

I bet you can find yourself a CPO Volvo S40 or S60 without any issues.

Here's an example: http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail/photos/multiPhotoPopup.jsp?paId=437600328&tracktype=usedcc&aff=national

 

it is all dependent on the previous owners diligence when it comes to maintenance, ive seen camrys, accords, and altimas look and run like shit because the owner did not take care of them. I bought a 2006 jetta for my wife earlier this year from a friend, it was maintained to the hilt, and it just ticked over 60k (we use it as a beater DD) and when I had it serviced last time they did a full inspection, fluids were clear clean and free of debris, brake pads were wearing evenly, no major issues what so ever. To put it in perpsective I had 4 recalls/ TSBs on my 2006 Is350 in one year, I am still getting recall notices. I had a CPO accord from the dealer where the clear coat was failing and had to get my lawyer involved....


I think the days are long gone of saying japanese are the most reliable cars, there are many cars out there that are just as reliable, but again proof is based on the owner and how the car is maintained.

If you are looking at what they call "initial quality" infinti and nissan have some of the worst, but are over all very reliable and durable cars. The pre 2005 VWs are and have issues, but the new ones are build very very well. I would not hesitate to buy a 2012 CC, passat or TDI jetta......anything pre 2005 is a crap shoot. and that goes for any german car........ that is old.

nothing wrong with a V6 camry SE though, I would love to get my hands on one of those.

 

I know older Passats had some electrical problems for sure...newer ones on the other hand are quite nice...

You know, Volvo's were on my list, but then I kinda backed off...They loose their value so quickly...wonder what it costs to run one...

I totally understand that dependability will depend on how well the car is maintained...But then again, the major factors I look at is HOW LONG DOES THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION lasts BEFORE it needs to be rebuild? Believe it or not, when I bought my '05 Acura RL in November of '05 it was THE WORST car I ever had. Not counting a few recalls, within years of ownership I took it to dealer for different repairs 8 or 9 times...we are talking A/C blew up on me, side mirrors control unit blew up, rattling noise, noise from outside the car, and many others...I was VERY DISSAPOINTED...
Also finishing materials (interior) are shitty quality, armrest is made out of "leatherette" and is now ripped (my mom owns this car now, dealer wants $600 for a new one), there are pieces of vinyl coming off driver's door...
Japanese cars were more reliable when they were not as safe...as they become "safer" build qualility is becoming worse...
It also depends on when someting breaks HOW MUCH IT IS TO FIX IT...I recently talked to my cousin who had 3 S-class MBZ, and he mentioned that once every 60-80k mi on S-class you have to replace front shocks, which are $1500 a piece+labor...Once a vehicle gets $120-130k mi, there are components in air suspension that need to be replaced...and that's another $2500 IF car is not AMG...otherwise it is more...I am defenetely staying away from those even those I like the ride quality...

 

I found a post on the internet, and it's about $930 to replace a whole cluster - http://x.infinitihelp.com/forum/showthread.php/03-m45-gas-gauge-4320.html?...
I will have to call the dealer to find out if there are any recalls done on that vehicle (there maybe one for engine and engine cooling issue)...http://www.automobilemag.com/am/2003/infiniti/m45/recalls.html

 

I totally agree, my brother got 285k out of a 91 accord wagon, only major issue he ever had was a starter......i totally agree with you on that.

 

From what I've read, Infiniti might or might not replace the cluster. A formal complaint was submitted to the NHTSA, but no recalls have been issued (it's really not safety related). "Your sales person told me about it" .... you got me confused bud, I don't work for Infiniti ... lmao.

You can find a 2004-2005 regular TL for that price. The transmission should be fine as long as the oil has been changed every 30K. I would just check the service receipts. What about a TSX? I know it's a smaller Accord, but they look better.

GS430 are nice too. I would get the GS300 if you are planning on modding it.

You have a lot of nice options!

 

Please check for the engine/engine cooling one ... I have a friend that owns a Q45 that went through that ordeal and it was a PITA. The car would randomly misfire and would throw tons of codes. The Infiniti dealer where he originally took it told him that the recall was done and that he had to replace all the coil packs. He went to get another second opinion at another Infiniti dealership and found out that the recall was never performed.

Other than those two issues, older M45's are bulletproof. I love how they look and how rare they are ... I want a LS430 or M45 bad!!

 

I actually owned two 1991 Accord's back in the day and both of them had over 250k when I sold them. The only major issues were a bad distributor and a few CV shafts. They were awesome cars ... I got rid of my last one when I started working for GM and I still regret it to this day.

 

I will be checking 2007 g35 tomorrow. Found a nice one for a good price.

 

Thats because all the ones with over 150k aren't up for sale because the owners wont sell them! Lol, to be honest, VW's have their issues, as all cars do. But if you actually know cars and keep up with maintenance a TDI will last you forever.. My TDI recently went over 160,000k. It is still a reliable DD, yet it is also heavily modified as well. If you go on tdiclub.com you will find MANY TDI's on there over 200,000k, in fact the average car on there is probably around or over 200,000k miles. And dont think of TDI's as being slow, thats in the past.. A simple tune on a new Jetta TDI will bump up the power to near 170hp, and wont be a detriment to the fuel consumption at all.

 

Take your PTG!

 

I've thought of buying one mostly for car shopping. Even for new cars.

 

I am, defenetely. Owner told me it was partially repaired due to sand/small granite rocks storm, as well as a couple of small parking lot accidents (scuffed). I want to check the frame with my fenix tk45 as well as paint. I checked carfax, and it showed the same info. One owner car, defenetely worth a look. I drove another 2008 g35 and loved it, but dealer wanted too effing much for it.

 

I got '07 G35 today! I fell in love with this car and my wife loves it too!!!
I will post pics later...It does needs a full detail and paint correction.

 

congrats!

What color combo is it?

 

Is it a Sedan or Coupe?

 

It is 4-door sedan. Paint color is dark grey (not sure what Infiniti calls it), with black leather interior. It has technology package (Navi) and 18" staggered wheels. I really liked the combo, and my wife loved it!.Had my windows tinted today as window tint is even more important to me then paint protection. Hmmmm...wondering i it has sticky paint or not...I am defenetely going to detail it this or next week. Pics will be posted later...Guys, this car is serious competition to BMW 3-series...