"Best" car/truck/van you ever owned

[Bad Bob]

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Electrolisis is the process in which water is separated into hydrogen and oxygen so I don't follow the "byproducts ...leaning toward nuclear waste" comment.

Speaking to battery production and even worse battery disposal. Nasty stuff for a long time. Perhaps there is a secondary use for the battery packs once they die, but haven't heard of one yet.

Seems like trading the devil w eknow for the devil we don't know.

 

[ScotsSkier]

I've read in the past that hydrogen will ultimately win..

after all, what could possibly go wrong.......

 

[scott43]

Yeah I hear ya. These were industry folks not me personally. We'll see I guess.

 

[Wasatchman]

Not sure about best. Worst by far was a 1980s Chryser LeBaron. Those 1980s K-cars were as bad as they said they were.

 

[luliski]

Right now my 2002 Honda CRV EX is the best car I've owned. I haven't owned many. I bought it new, and it has a little over 160K miles on it. I bought it when my daughter was starting first grade and I wanted to drive on class field trips; I had an '88 VW Fox, which wasn't too reliable and was also small. The CRV has always felt like a good size, and I really like the cargo space/configuration. I can fit two bikes standing upright (with front wheels off) inside with the back seat folded up. The thing I don't like about it is the lack of fuel efficiency.

I'm planning on getting the Toyota RAV4 Prime when it comes out. I think production has been delayed, but my CRV just passed smog and is running well, so I'm in no hurry. I have a short commute to work though, and would love to run on electric for work and around town trips. My garage is set-up for charging also.

 

[DanoT]

Speaking to battery production and even worse battery disposal. Nasty stuff for a long time. Perhaps there is a secondary use for the battery packs once they die, but haven't heard of one yet.

Seems like trading the devil w eknow for the devil we don't know.

A BEV (battery electric vehicle) like a Tesla requires huge batteries, but do not confuse that with a hybrid like a Prius that uses a gas engine to charge a SMALL battery. A hydrogen fuel car like a Mirai that uses a hydrogen fueled engine to charge a SMALL battery and has no greenhouse gas emissions and is the reason that industry insiders like it better than a BEV. There just isn't the fueling station infrastructure currently.

 

[Wasatchman]

My wife and I have had a lot of cars. Somehere around 50. Best might not equate to the most fun.

1987 Volvo GLE wagon, 5 speed. Graphite over red leather. Incredibly comfortable, and with 4 studded snows, and some weight in the rear well, pretty great in snow. Bought new, driven by my wife over 200K.

My wife is on her third Landcruiser. Over 750K total miles, so far. We will never be without one. Current one is Thundercloud gray. They just run, and run.

I’ve had lot of fun cars. Bugeye Sprite. 1967 Cooper S. Porsche 914-6. Datsun 510 set up to track. 2002 tii. The first 325ix sold in the USA. Lots.

My favorite: my first 1995.5 Audi S6. It was a rare color combo, emerald green with black guts. I did very little work to it. A chip, an exhaust, shocks. It was the original bad ass AWD 5 speed turbo wagon.

I sold it, and regretted it right away. A few years later bought another, and that one had a lot of work done to it. Six speed conversion. Full suspension, Porsche big brakes. Bigger turbo and intercooler. All new lights. A lot of wheel and tire combo’s. Audi grocery hauler that would kill it at the track, and was the best in any crappy winter weather. Incredible car on the highway. I can’t believe that I sold it. 11 years ago. I have been looking for the right one for the last three years.

For me, just a tremendous car. Built like a tank. Best materials going. The AAN is a great motor.

We need to buy another small car, post COVID. Might be a lighly used Alltrack. We drive our daughters when we visit her. Great car. An Allroad tempts me, then does not.

Always had at least a couple of wagons.

Most mileage: son’s 2002 Tacoma. Bought at 50K. Now at 400K+. Original clutch. Looks amazingly nice. What a piece of machinery!

Borrowing my sisters 2009 Mini ClubmanS. Fun toy. Not for us.

Edit. Oops. I see you meant 750k miles total on all land cruisers not just one!

Yeah to last 400k miles you have to pretty much have a manual. Automatic trannie will almost certainly go out before then and cost prohibitive to replace. What's your record mileage on an automatic?

 

[Uncle-A]

Not sure about best. Worst by far was a 1980s Chryser LeBaron. Those 1980s K-cars were as bad as they said they were.

My wife and I had a 1978 Le Baron, not a lot of issues with ours. As far as the K-Car, I never owned one ,but a guy I use to fish with had one and he put 150K on it also, not much trouble with that car or I am sure I would have heard about.

 

[fatbob]

I had an 89 LeBaron for a winter in Fernie in 02/03. Only needed to plug in the block heater once and jump the flat battery in one single cold patch. Got us up and down the hill initially on the existing tires then on some part used Michelin snows I acquired in Calgary. Also did skifaris to Whistler and back and Red/WW. Then served a road trip down to Utah & Grand Canyon and back up West Coast. Finally blew a head gasket driving up Grouse Mtn. Loved the velour interior and the pop up headlights (actually remember replacing one of those, a whole unit for around $20) Ski hatch in the back seat was handy too for picking up hill hitchers etc.

Got it for a pretty low price owing to the paintwork that looked like an engine bay fire but was apparently some defect in the lacquer/paint used by Chrysler/Dodge at the time.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/car-owners-fighting-chrysler-over-peeling-paint-1.210265

 

[scott43]

A BEV (battery electric vehicle) like a Tesla requires huge batteries, but do not confuse that with a hybrid like a Prius that uses a gas engine to charge a SMALL battery. A hydrogen fuel car like a Mirai that uses a hydrogen fueled engine to charge a SMALL battery and has no greenhouse gas emissions and is the reason that industry insiders like it better than a BEV. There just isn't the fueling station infrastructure currently.

And you can make Hydrogen from water with alternate power sources. I'm not sure it'll ever catch on..but that's what industry guys were banking on a few years ago if you asked them off the record. Tesla may have changed that but I dunno..the people aren't dumb..

 

[Wasatchman]

I had an 89 LeBaron for a winter in Fernie in 02/03. Only needed to plug in the block heater once and jump the flat battery in one single cold patch. Got us up and down the hill initially on the existing tires then on some part used Michelin snows I acquired in Calgary. Also did skifaris to Whistler and back and Red/WW. Then served a road trip down to Utah & Grand Canyon and back up West Coast. Finally blew a head gasket driving up Grouse Mtn. Loved the velour interior and the pop up headlights (actually remember replacing one of those, a whole unit for around $20) Ski hatch in the back seat was handy too for picking up hill hitchers etc.

Got it for a pretty low price owing to the paintwork that looked like an engine bay fire but was apparently some defect in the lacquer/paint used by Chrysler/Dodge at the time.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/car-owners-fighting-chrysler-over-peeling-paint-1.210265

I bought mine for that plush velour interior and it had a retro 8-track player!! But man did I have every conceivable mechanical problem with that car.

Best thing that ever happened to me was that the engine seized up one day on way to work or I'd have probably put more money in that bottomless money pit!!! Next car was a Honda

 

[Muleski]

Edit. Oops. I see you meant 750k miles total on all land cruisers not just one!

Yeah to last 400k miles you have to pretty much have a manual. Automatic trannie will almost certainly go out before then and cost prohibitive to replace. What's your record mileage on an automatic?

We’ve had three LC’s. First was an 80, which we drove for 250K miles. Then we had a 1999 100, which we sold at 385K We currently have the unicorn 2003 100, set up just right, and that one feels brand new at 150K miles.

If you know these vehicles, you appreciate them, and you have learned about the very lengthy service life that they are built for, and driven for, all around the globe. 600-700K miles of heavy use is not usual.

We have had, knock on wood, zero transmission issues. We probabaly got lucky with the 1999 100. The 2003 has a five speed AT. They have a remarkable track record. O follow these pretty closely. Have heard of one failure.

Ours are not used off road. Occasional short mileage towing of a boat {less than 10 miles}.

The vehicles are pretty amazing. I have been contacted about a Lexus LX470, used as an occasional vehicle, stored inside in a mountain town. Very low mileage. We may jump on it.

It also helps that I know the cars so well. Lots of time playing and wrenching....Easy to work on. Lots of room. Low tech!

 

[Muleski]

Anybody here ever had an Acura TSX wagon? I know that the car that “should have been” would be the wagon with the V6 and six speed manual. Curious about anybody’s experience with a wagon. Friend just bought one for his son.

 

[scott43]

There's a TSX wagon!???!

 

[Plai]

Anybody here ever had an Acura TSX wagon? I know that the car that “should have been” would be the wagon with the V6 and six speed manual. Curious about anybody’s experience with a wagon. Friend just bought one for his son.

Yes, got one. I think I mentioned it up thread. 2012 4 cylinder naturally aspirated automatic transmission.
Anyways, as mentioned before, it was an attempt to recapture the Acura Integra feel. It handles corners well. There's a little too much torque in the front wheel, so the front tires lose traction if the accelerator is pressed hard from a stop; yes, even on dry clean pavement. There's been some quality concerns (mentioned before).

I like the capacity of the vehicle. With whisper bars on the roof racks, can carry three bikes on the roof.

Don't have experience with the v6 version.

 

[dbostedo]

There's a TSX wagon!???!

 

[Wasatchman]

We’ve had three LC’s. First was an 80, which we drove for 250K miles. Then we had a 1999 100, which we sold at 385K We currently have the unicorn 2003 100, set up just right, and that one feels brand new at 150K miles.

If you know these vehicles, you appreciate them, and you have learned about the very lengthy service life that they are built for, and driven for, all around the globe. 600-700K miles of heavy use is not usual.

We have had, knock on wood, zero transmission issues. We probabaly got lucky with the 1999 100. The 2003 has a five speed AT. They have a remarkable track record. O follow these pretty closely. Have heard of one failure.

Ours are not used off road. Occasional short mileage towing of a boat {less than 10 miles}.

The vehicles are pretty amazing. I have been contacted about a Lexus LX470, used as an occasional vehicle, stored inside in a mountain town. Very low mileage. We may jump on it.

It also helps that I know the cars so well. Lots of time playing and wrenching....Easy to work on. Lots of room. Low tech!

Pretty crazy mileage for an AT. I would have expected bad transmission for sure before that mileage. You must regularly change the transmission fluid I assume.

Actually brings up the debate on CVT transmissions. Good on gas mileage but some claim they don't last as long. Subaru actually says not to replace the transmission fluid on the CVT trannies. They are definitely harder to change fluid on. Some claim you should change the fluid regardless of what Subaru says as transmission probably won't make it past 150k without doing so.

Not sure what modern LC use and if you have an opinion on it.

 

[Plai]

Anybody here ever had an Acura TSX wagon? I know that the car that “should have been” would be the wagon with the V6 and six speed manual. Curious about anybody’s experience with a wagon. Friend just bought one for his son.

Yes, got one. I think I mentioned it up thread. 2012 4 cylinder naturally aspirated automatic transmission.
Anyways, as mentioned before, it was an attempt to recapture the Acura Integra feel. It handles corners well. There's a little too much torque in the front wheel, so the front tires lose traction if the accelerator is pressed hard from a stop; yes, even on dry clean pavement. There's been some quality concerns (mentioned before).

I like the capacity of the vehicle. With whisper bars on the roof racks, can carry three bikes on the roof.

Don't have experience with the v6 version.

@Muleski I think my words left the wrong impression. The Acura TSX wagon is a fine vehicle. It's fun to drive, very utilitarian, and (for the most part) very dependable. The quality problems I've had hadn't been visited on a couple other owners that I know. I got unlucky.

I also think it there should have been 6 cyl 6 speed manual option, but that wasn't the world back then. That would have been a really fun car.

My vehicle is still going strong. I don't know what would replace it, if that need should appear. My current thoughts are Toyota RAV4 TRD or Hybrid. Toyota/Lexus has the reliability thing nailed (from my experience with 2 4Runners). But, I'm not abandoning my TSX Wagon just yet.

 

[scott43]

View attachment 102130

Don't think this was sold in Canada..dang that would be a nice car...

 

[Plai]

Don't think this was sold in Canada..dang that would be a nice car...

I would look to an European Honda Accord version. The European Honda Accord is the base for the Acura TSX.