10 Most Reliable Brands

[bronsin]

Wheres Mazda? The Miata has to be one of the most reliable cars ever built.

BTW I think its total BS that cars are longer lived today than they were say 20 years ago. Look on C list for 1998 models. You wont find many....

[why?]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Wheres Mazda? The Miata has to be one of the most reliable cars ever built.

BTW I think its total BS that cars are longer lived today than they were say 20 years ago. Look on C list for 1998 models. You wont find many....

The Miata is not cheap.Used Miatas cost a bunch, plus as was just mentioned, they are usually driven hard and put away wet.

You are misunderstanding. It is not that cars are longer lived, it is that the fleet as a whole is older than it has ever been. Aka people cannot afford to buy a newer car even if they wanted to.

And the average certainly is not 20. It is 11.4. If you look for cars made in 2002, there are tons of them out there on used dealer lots.

[bronsin]

[QUOTE=why?;735417].

And the average certainly is not 20. It is 11.4. QUOTE]

And 11.4 isn't any different from 30 years ago.

At least MY cars!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

the fleet as a whole is older than it has ever been. Aka people cannot afford to buy a newer car even if they wanted to.

^^^^^ I have heard this from multiple sources (media/print/industry, etc., not personal or family) over the last few years.

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Wheres Mazda? The Miata has to be one of the most reliable cars ever built.

BTW I think its total BS that cars are longer lived today than they were say 20 years ago. Look on C list for 1998 models. You wont find many....

I think I would disagree. a much higher percentage of cars seem to see 200,000 miles in the last 15 years than in the 70's, 80's, and some of the 90's. I remember when it was quite an accomplishment to see a mid 80's-early 90's domestic make see 100,000.

add to that an indisputably better rust protection out of the factory versus two decades ago. even in the Midwest it is rare to see a rusty 10 yr old car. it was commonplace 15-20+ yrs ago. I know that isn't mechanical reliability, but a person sure is less willing to put money into fixing something mechanical on a rust bucket versus a car with a sound body.

here is a good article:(its not just a willingness to keep cars longer these days, its an actual ability to get them to 200,000+ without breaking the bank)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/au...anted=all&_r=0

“Fifteen years ago, piston rings would show perhaps 50 microns of wear over the useful life of a vehicle,” Mr. Sorab said, referring to the engine part responsible for sealing combustion in the cylinder. “Today, it is less than 10 microns. As a benchmark, a human hair is 200 microns thick. "

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by roxy1

I think I would disagree. a much higher percentage of cars seem to see 200,000 miles in the last 15 years than in the 70's, 80's, and some of the 90's. I remember when it was quite an accomplishment to see a mid 80's-early 90's domestic make see 100,000.

add to that an indisputably better rust protection out of the factory versus two decades ago. even in the Midwest it is rare to see a rusty 10 yr old car. it was commonplace 15-20+ yrs ago. I know that isn't mechanical reliability, but a person sure is less willing to put money into fixing something mechanical on a rust bucket versus a car with a sound body.

here is a good article:(its not just a willingness to keep cars longer these days, its an actual ability to get them to 200,000+ without breaking the bank)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/au...anted=all&_r=0

“Fifteen years ago, piston rings would show perhaps 50 microns of wear over the useful life of a vehicle,” Mr. Sorab said, referring to the engine part responsible for sealing combustion in the cylinder. “Today, it is less than 10 microns. As a benchmark, a human hair is 200 microns thick. "

Very interesting link. I wonder if Ford would have the same (or similar) result with the much smaller EcoBoost engine in the Fiesta SE ?

Re the Judge's Tesla and an impetus for his purchase....it p***ed me off when the state (California) changed the law so that a hybrid was no longer good enough for the carpool lane...had to be an all electric car

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by roxy1

add to that an indisputably better rust protection out of the factory versus two decades ago. even in the Midwest it is rare to see a rusty 10 yr old car. it was commonplace 15-20+ yrs ago. I know that isn't mechanical reliability, but a person sure is less willing to put money into fixing something mechanical on a rust bucket versus a car with a sound body.
"[/I]

That is true. I grew up in upstate NY and car looked like swiss cheese after maybe 10 years. Esp MoPars...

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Wheres Mazda? The Miata has to be one of the most reliable cars ever built.

BTW I think its total BS that cars are longer lived today than they were say 20 years ago. Look on C list for 1998 models. You wont find many....

Part of this MIGHT be from advertising hype (have to have the latest, coolest to fit in ), but part of this (how much = debatable) is DEFINITELY due to 'Cash for Clunkers'. This program reduced the number of available really inexpensive (often older) used cars and has buffeted up the prices of the remaining cars in that tier in a way that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for that program.