[Canada_Rockies]

eh. I just crossed 49,000 on the 2012 Accord V6 discussed upthread. This week I got tires, flushed and changed all the fluids and changed all the filters (including the cabin air filter). Runs, drives and looks like a brand new car. Aside from oil changes I’m good to 2024.

I drive a 2002 Toyota Tundra with 388,000 Km on the clock. Sparkplugs are rated 48,000 Km . The same plugs in the same block in a Lexus (4.7 L v-8) are rated 96,000 Km. I guess they figure they spark a bit more often in 1st gear in low range ....

[lesmore49]

I drive a 2002 Toyota Tundra with 388,000 Km on the clock. Sparkplugs are rated 48,000 Km . The same plugs in the same block in a Lexus (4.7 L v-8) are rated 96,000 Km. I guess they figure they spark a bit more often in 1st gear in low range ....

Vehicles do go longer than they used to. I recall a man in my town who had a business (maybe still does) where he would pick up new RV trailers mostly new from factories in Indiana, where many RV's are made and deliver them to different points in Western Canada. He had a 1 ton Dodge pickup with a Cummins diesel and had relatively little problem. A number of years ago there was a story in the local paper about the man and his truck and he had over a million miles...miles...not KMs ...on the truck. Most of the miles were pulling trailers, not solo.

There are lots of stories out there about small commercial trucks, like Ford Econoline E 350/350, Chev Astro/GMC Safari that rack up hundreds and thousands of Kms/miles with little done other than regular maintenance. Most of these instances go unheralded because they are company trucks and viewed as workhorses.

Our neighbour had a 2003 truck...F 350, 7.3 liter IH/ Ford diesel utility truck owned by the local utility company. He drove it from new until he was retired and at that point the truck had over 440,000 kms on it, trouble free and a year after his retirement saw it, still on the job.

This truck had lots of idling time in addition to the great amount of miles/Kms on it and was generally pulling a heavy utility trailer in the course of it's everyday work life.

A work colleague had a GMC pickup, he used for work and as his personal vehicle for years. He traded it on on a Jeep at about 425,000 kms...very little problem, with a 350 Chevy V8.

[Canada_Rockies]

Vehicles do go longer than they used to. I recall a man in my town who had a business (maybe still does) where he would pick up new RV trailers mostly new from factories in Indiana, where many RV's are made and deliver them to different points in Western Canada. He had a 1 ton Dodge pickup with a Cummins diesel and had relatively little problem. A number of years ago there was a story in the local paper about the man and his truck and he had over a million miles...miles...not KMs ...on the truck. Most of the miles were pulling trailers, not solo.

There are lots of stories out there about small commercial trucks, like Ford Econoline E 350/350, Chev Astro/GMC Safari that rack up hundreds and thousands of Kms/miles with little done other than regular maintenance. Most of these instances go unheralded because they are company trucks and viewed as workhorses.

Our neighbour had a 2003 truck...F 350, 7.3 liter IH/ Ford diesel utility truck owned by the local utility company. He drove it from new until he was retired and at that point the truck had over 440,000 kms on it, trouble free and a year after his retirement saw it, still on the job.

This truck had lots of idling time in addition to the great amount of miles/Kms on it and was generally pulling a heavy utility trailer in the course of it's everyday work life.

A work colleague had a GMC pickup, he used for work and as his personal vehicle for years. He traded it on on a Jeep at about 425,000 kms...very little problem, with a 350 Chevy V8.

I expect the Tundra to be my last vehicle, elk and deer permitting, and that will put it well over the 500,000 Km (300,000 mile) mark. My dealer/service centre gave us a 15% discount on repairs (labour and parts) for 250,000 and putting our picture on the wall. They give 20% at 500,000. I suspect they think the vehicle will last ...

[lesmore49]

I expect the Tundra to be my last vehicle, elk and deer permitting, and that will put it well over the 500,000 Km (300,000 mile) mark. My dealer/service centre gave us a 15% discount on repairs (labour and parts) for 250,000 and putting our picture on the wall. They give 20% at 500,000. I suspect they think the vehicle will last ...

I think you should be able to reach that 500,000 km mark. The key with a modern vehicle in my view, is conscientious maintenance. Oil and filter changes at factory set intervals, investigating and repairing noises in the engine, thumps in the suspension, etc...soon after you hear them. Modern vehicles are well built mechanically for the most part. Sometimes the issues can be electronics. They can have a hard time in a vehicle, particularly when located under the hood...as vibration and heat can be the enemy of a vehicle's electronics. With a pickup I would say this is less of a problem as there is generally more room under the hood for air to flow and cooling, than there is for a modern sedan for instance...tightly packed under the hood with it's array of engine, front wheel drive transaxle, electronics and generally streamlined design which is good for less air resistance on the highway...better MPG... but does restrict space and cooling.

Your Toyota truck I believe has the 4.7 liter V8. It has a fair amount of cubic capacity for a modern engine and I would imagine is under relatively low stress because of the size. You also have a body on frame vehicle, with heavier duty suspension, cooling with probably a 4 core large radiator compared to a sedan's smaller 2 core radiator, etc. components, than you would find on a car or car based SUV, for example.

I have no doubt that your truck will continue to serve you faithfully. Here's another man like you with a pickup truck, that he has maintained well and the result.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=...ZNvhpl2JwkEBV4

[Canada_Rockies]

I think you should be able to reach that 500,000 km mark.
Your Toyota truck I believe has the 4.7 liter V8. It has a fair amount of cubic capacity for a modern engine and I would imagine is under relatively low stress because of the size. You also have a body on frame vehicle, with heavier duty suspension, cooling with probably a 4 core large radiator compared to a sedan's smaller 2 core radiator, etc. components, than you would find on a car or car based SUV, for example.

I have no doubt that your truck will continue to serve you faithfully. Here's another man like you with a pickup truck, that he has maintained well and the result.

The 2002 model truck will make 500,000 Km without any problems, barring physical damage from animals on the road here. This area is the highest animal/vehicle impact area in BC. I do everything Mr. Toyota asks for in the maintenance. She has failed to start twice in the 14 years we have owned it. The nut behind the wheel didn't close the door all the way and the battery was dead, both times.

What I am unsure of is whether I will make the 500,000. I'm a 1940 model ...

[lesmore49]

The 2002 model truck will make 500,000 Km without any problems, barring physical damage from animals on the road here. This area is the highest animal/vehicle impact area in BC. I do everything Mr. Toyota asks for in the maintenance. She has failed to start twice in the 14 years we have owned it. The nut behind the wheel didn't close the door all the way and the battery was dead, both times.

What I am unsure of is whether I will make the 500,000. I'm a 1940 model ...

I know what you mean. I'm a 1949 model.

[cooltouch]

Those of us who drove vehicles made in the 40's and 50's are astonished at the reliability of newer vehicles. How many of you out there remember when 25,000 miles = valve job, 50,000 miles = rings and bearings, 75,000 miles = another valve job and 100,000 miles = a rebuilt engine from Sears?

Well, I didn't get my driver's license until 1970, but I remember the old cars and that they were just expected to be junk after about 10 years. I can still recall during the 60s that cars made in the 50s were considered ancient relics. Yeah, I think back on those years and the mindset of the driving public. Many people would buy a new car every three or four years because they figured that's about as long as a car would last. Back then, the oil change interval was typically 12,000 miles, so that might have had a lot to do with engines wearing out early.

My first car was a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle. I didn't own it long enough to experience repairs to it, but I do recall that the life expectancy of a Volkswagen engine was only about 30,000 miles if one had had air conditioning added to it. That compressor just put way too much strain on the engine. Without A/C, about 70,000 miles was considered the upper limit for a Volkswagen engine before a rebuild was needed. Those engines didn't have an oil filter, just a screen, so it probably isn't all that surprising that they'd be worn out at 70,000 miles. Often before that mark, the cylinder head studs would strip out of the engine cases, resulting in exhaust leaks across the sealing area at the cylinder barrel-meets head surface. This inevitability required removal of the engine, then removal of the head studs and installation of "zip studs" that cut new threads when installed in the engine cases. I dunno what the repair would have been after the zip studs eventually let go. Probably new engine cases.

[monochrome]

Well, I didn't get my driver's license until 1970, but I remember the old cars and that they were just expected to be junk after about 10 years. I can still recall during the 60s that cars made in the 50s were considered ancient relics. Yeah, I think back on those years and the mindset of the driving public. Many people would buy a new car every three or four years because they figured that's about as long as a car would last. Back then, the oil change interval was typically 12,000 miles, so that might have had a lot to do with engines wearing out early.

My first car was a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle. I didn't own it long enough to experience repairs to it, but I do recall that the life expectancy of a Volkswagen engine was only about 30,000 miles if one had had air conditioning added to it. That compressor just put way too much strain on the engine. Without A/C, about 70,000 miles was considered the upper limit for a Volkswagen engine before a rebuild was needed. Those engines didn't have an oil filter, just a screen, so it probably isn't all that surprising that they'd be worn out at 70,000 miles. Often before that mark, the cylinder head studs would strip out of the engine cases, resulting in exhaust leaks across the sealing area at the cylinder barrel-meets head surface. This inevitability required removal of the engine, then removal of the head studs and installation of "zip studs" that cut new threads when installed in the engine cases. I dunno what the repair would have been after the zip studs eventually let go. Probably new engine cases.

A 1967 VW Squareback was $2,414, about the same as a Chevy II 6-cyl. SW @ $2,478, IIRC that $65 mattered, because my father bought the Volkswagen. I drove it until 1977, when it threw a rod through the case.

[jaycrow]

I have a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder. It replaced a 1997 Pathfinder that I gave to my son. I do road trips often and do a lot of photography in very out of the way places.

Pros:
Reliable
Tough
Roomy
Great handling

Cons:
Mileage

[KxBlaze]

Hyundai recently (starting 2017) broke off the Genesis badge into their own brand (e.g. Hyundai -> Genesis, Toyota -> Lexus) and released the G80 and G90. I love the car very much. Extremely luxurious, comfortable, huge trunk space, very spacious interior, leather and wood everywhere, smooth ride, powerful, amazing aesthetics, great standard and optional options list, overall great value. The only con I have is the gas mileage but I expected that when I opted for the 5.0L V8 model.

[cmar]

Recently swapped my 2003 Kia Sorento for a Hyundai Santa Fe diesel AWD.
Sadly I've gone from a proper 4x4 to a soft roader, bonus is that the Santa Fe has as much if not more room inside, still has 4x4 just not low range.
I took a serious look at most of the places I tow my camper and I rarely used low range, and I've still got my old Jeep for that.
The 6 speed auto is excellent, and the little twin cam common rail 2.2 diesel turns out as much power and MORE torque thant the 3.5 V6 in the old Sorento with almost half the fuel use. Its like a miracle.
Sadly you guys can't get this version of the model in the US, it transforms the vehicle. I've driven the V6 version, it drives like just another SUV. The diesel makes it into something much better.
Smooth, quiet, and tows my camper with ease, and apart from the usual rattle at idle, most of the time you can't even tell there is an oiler under the front.

[pepperberry farm]

Recently swapped my 2003 Kia Sorento for a Hyundai Santa Fe diesel AWD.
Sadly I've gone from a proper 4x4 to a soft roader, bonus is that the Santa Fe has as much if not more room inside, still has 4x4 just not low range.
I took a serious look at most of the places I tow my camper and I rarely used low range, and I've still got my old Jeep for that.
The 6 speed auto is excellent, and the little twin cam common rail 2.2 diesel turns out as much power and MORE torque thant the 3.5 V6 in the old Sorento with almost half the fuel use. Its like a miracle.
Sadly you guys can't get this version of the model in the US, it transforms the vehicle. I've driven the V6 version, it drives like just another SUV. The diesel makes it into something much better.
Smooth, quiet, and tows my camper with ease, and apart from the usual rattle at idle, most of the time you can't even tell there is an oiler under the front.

somebody explain to me why we cannot get small diesels in this country, like the above Hyundai?

[Just1MoreDave]

They don't sell well enough to offset the certification expense. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, because no one gets the chance to drive one with recent tech. Also when they are an option, no one looks beyond the horsepower number to see how much low-end torque they have. Mercedes has a 2.1L four cylinder turbodiesel that falls just short of the V8s in torque. Torque is what you feel off the line so even though the diesels are geared for gas mileage, the impression is that the car is fast.

Mercedes still tests diesel models here though the VW scandal means they don't offer them.

I also blame GM for inventing the first unreliable diesel, when they converted the 350 small block V8 to diesel. But that was a while ago.

[qblade]

I owned a 2011 VW Golf TDI. Loved that car - fantastic torque, great mileage, was extremely solid on the freeway and handled like a sports car on twisty roads. The interior was great as well. Unfortunately, we all know what happened with VW diesels.

The good news was that I got enough from VW that I was able to buy a brand-new VW Golf Alltrak station wagon for the money we got (partly because even though we had the car for 3 1/2 years, we only lost about 3 grand on it with the buyback, and partly because our local newspaper has an online auction twice a year and one of our VW dealers had the Alltrak listed. I waited til the last 3 minutes of the auction and bid just enough to win it. Got one heck of a deal on the car.)
It's been a great car - we got it last April and have put about 14,000 miles on it since we got it. I retired at the end of 2017, and this Wednesday we are taking off for a 45 day driving and cruise vacation. (11 days from Minneapolis to LA, with stops at various places along the way, then a 15 day cruise from LA to Hawaii and back, then another 2 weeks or so back, with additional stops at National Parks and other places of interest.) We plan on putting about 5k miles on the car. It handles pretty much the same as the Golf did, but has the additional benefit of all wheel drive when needed (a good thing in this part of the country).

We had hoped to put about 300k miles on the Golf - it'll be fun to see how much we can put on the Alltrak before it needs to be traded in.

[ThorSanchez]

somebody explain to me why we cannot get small diesels in this country, like the above Hyundai?

1) On The Grand Tour the other day Jeremy Clarkson was reading from a survey of US car buyers and fuel efficiency was the 27th-highest rated attribute when buying a new car. Presumably several spots below the material used in the headliner, and the color of the tire's valve stems. Diesel's primary reason to exist in small cars is fuel efficiency.

2) Car-based diesels of a generation or so ago were miserable. Many still remember 1980s Oldsmobile diesels chugging out smoke like a locomotive and sounding like a tractor, while getting 16 mpg instead of the gas version's 12.

3) People concerned with fuel efficiency in the US tend to buy hybrids. Maybe in part due to #2 leading to nobody buying them, so then companies stopped offering them.

4) Taxes. In a lot of countries diesel was favored in tax structures, so it was a lot cheaper then gas/petrol. Not sure if that's still the case. Not true in the US, where diesel is usually pretty comparable to gas.

5) Performance. Diesels don't rev as high, but have more torque. Great for pulling out stumps, or your 12,000 lb fifth wheel. But a diesel Mini, for example, is the slowest Mini offered in Europe. They don't sell it here.

---------- Post added 02-19-18 at 09:31 AM ----------

I owned a 2011 VW Golf TDI. Loved that car - fantastic torque, great mileage, was extremely solid on the freeway and handled like a sports car on twisty roads. The interior was great as well. Unfortunately, we all know what happened with VW diesels.

The good news was that I got enough from VW that I was able to buy a brand-new VW Golf Alltrak station wagon for the money we got (partly because even though we had the car for 3 1/2 years, we only lost about 3 grand on it with the buyback, and partly because our local newspaper has an online auction twice a year and one of our VW dealers had the Alltrak listed. I waited til the last 3 minutes of the auction and bid just enough to win it. Got one heck of a deal on the car.)
It's been a great car - we got it last April and have put about 14,000 miles on it since we got it. I retired at the end of 2017, and this Wednesday we are taking off for a 45 day driving and cruise vacation. (11 days from Minneapolis to LA, with stops at various places along the way, then a 15 day cruise from LA to Hawaii and back, then another 2 weeks or so back, with additional stops at National Parks and other places of interest.) We plan on putting about 5k miles on the car. It handles pretty much the same as the Golf did, but has the additional benefit of all wheel drive when needed (a good thing in this part of the country).

We had hoped to put about 300k miles on the Golf - it'll be fun to see how much we can put on the Alltrak before it needs to be traded in.

When I was looking at cars three years ago VW teased the new Golf R Sportwagon at the Detroit car show. Just to taunt us. A 300 hp wagon with all wheel drive and sport suspension, not for sale in the US. Closest we get is the Alltrak or the regular Sportwagon.

I bought an Audi S4. But still lust after the Golf R Wagon or the S4 Avant.