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Anybody willing to share their thoughts on who has better quality control/design durability: Subaru, Toyota, and Honda?
I hear that Honda has started to slip these past few years. I've only had 1 Subaru long term and a bunch of trim pieces are starting to break. Like today the sun visor stopped staying up. The b pillar trim is falling off. A bunch of other plastic pieces going bad too. Sick and tired of these petite problems and I'm sure in a little while it will start to become a money pit if I start replacing things. My Subaru is 7 years old, 63,000 miles. My parents Toyota Prius(5 years, 75k miles) has been holding up with no issues and it's been abused(interior)pretty hard. it is a Japanese built vehicle, which leads to my next question.
Are Japanese built versions of Toyota/Honda/Subaru better put together than the American built? Is there even a difference in build quality? Looking for a replacement in the near future and last thing I want to deal with is ANOTHER car that has poorly designed trim pieces or rattles. I kind of want to stay with Subaru(they're comfortable) but I'm willing to switch to Toyota or even Honda if they're better put together/designed to last.
Yes, I would say I have had better reliability with my Japanese vehicles that were built in Japan compared to those built in the US for what it's worth. The only Subaru I've had has been a Forester (still own) and it was made in Japan, proven to be reliable overall. My mother has a Toyota Corolla built in Japan with great reliability, just had some rust repaired as it was driven in the Snowbelt for many years.
I've always had good luck with Toyota. I had one Subaru and it was a lemon. Rusting from the day I brought it home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vision33r
Rusting is a common sign of poor maintenance. Not unique to any make.
Rusting from day one isn't maintenance-- it's bad quality control in the build. Had that happen in a Firebird...brand new, off the lot, three months after bringing it home.
We ended up having the car stripped and coated and repainted by a none Pontiac auto body place, after three 3 rounds with Pontiac guys, and Pontiac covered the fix.
One thing I've noticed about Honda is that their paint doesn't hold up well.
I have a 2009 Honda Fit with 129k on it. The car has not given me one single mechanical/engine problem in six years, but I have noticed that the paint has faded.
You don't state new or used.
You don't state what price range you have available.
I plan on either getting new or a very low mileage CPO if I have to. $27-28k max.
I'm looking real close at the RAV4 "J" vin model(they build them in Canada and Japan). Everything is great but I just don't like how they look over the Forester/Outback. Too much flat angles/plastic cladding, though it looks to be a solid vehicle. Forester is also solid but again, I don't want to start deal with broken bits and pieces after the warranty expires.
not a really big fan of Hondas. I've drove a '11 accord and it's got probably the worst seats/ride comfort. CRV makes me throw chunks whenever I see one.
I'm starting to feel like unless I step up to a BMW or Mercedes Benz, and deal with a bunch of expensive maintenance/repairs, I won't get on-point build quality. Even the Toyota RAV4s are a little cheap.
Anybody willing to share their thoughts on who has better quality control/design durability: Subaru, Toyota, and Honda?
I hear that Honda has started to slip these past few years. I've only had 1 Subaru long term and a bunch of trim pieces are starting to break. Like today the sun visor stopped staying up. The b pillar trim is falling off. A bunch of other plastic pieces going bad too. Sick and tired of these petite problems and I'm sure in a little while it will start to become a money pit if I start replacing things. My Subaru is 7 years old, 63,000 miles. My parents Toyota Prius(5 years, 75k miles) has been holding up with no issues and it's been abused(interior)pretty hard. it is a Japanese built vehicle, which leads to my next question.
Are Japanese built versions of Toyota/Honda/Subaru better put together than the American built? Is there even a difference in build quality? Looking for a replacement in the near future and last thing I want to deal with is ANOTHER car that has poorly designed trim pieces or rattles. I kind of want to stay with Subaru(they're comfortable) but I'm willing to switch to Toyota or even Honda if they're better put together/designed to last.
Toyota, period.
Toyota:
Pros: Reliable, superior AC, Transmissions, engines, door locks, power windows, electrical, and resale
Cons: Boring, not the edgy profile many prefer
Honda
Pros: ReliableStyling, interiors, design and layout, engines, handling, resale
Cons: Transmissions, bolt ons: Alternator, power steering pumps, AC, suspension
Subaru:
Pros: Reliable, Engines, transmissions, interior components
Cons: Can be expensive to fix, bolt ons, AC, not as many places to get them fixed, resale
All told? Toyota is always your better value.
Why?
Like a house, someday you have to get RID of it. Toyotas and Hondas ALWAYS have a used market demand that surpasses all other makes combined, period. People want used Toyotas and Hondas. Why? It's like getting a great deal on a used woman. Sure, she may have some miles but, she works where it counts...ahem....no matter, they are dependable automobiles that are in demand even in not-so-great-shape. They just are. Ask ANY Auto broker. It's not an accident they seek them out. There is a demand because they are always a safer bet than a domestic and even a Subaru. Late model Subarus are coming on strong but, considering how few people work on them and how many work on Hondas and Toyotas, it becomes a moot point.
Toyotas, while on the verge of boredom, are more reliable than the any auto out there. I have a 99 Camry that is STILL going strong 16.5 years later with 227,000 on it...the AC has NEVER gone down, the power windows have NEVER broken, the power door locks have NEVER broken, the alternator is original, the transmission is original....you simply can't get that out of most other makes to include Honda from time to time.
I ran a 92 Camry before that for 8.5 years and 2 weeks ago I picked up a used 2005 Camry with 180,000 miles on it that runs like a top. No bolt issues, nothing. I checked it head to toe.
Regardless, there is one caveat. If you don't take care of your care, you can't expect even a Toyota to last although there is a video floating on YouTube about the Toyota truck they tried to kill and simply could not.
If you can find a clean, used one they are worth the push. Just expect to spend 1-2K reconditioning it to a high-spec. I always do but, I'm picky (I had the headliner replaced today because of two small tears...$140). Take care of any of the three and you will get a good value for your buck. I'm driving this one, like my 99, into the ground. That 99 just can't seem to give up. I keep waiting for the transmission to blow but, it won't. Shifts as smooooth as when it was new but, then again, it's a simple 4-speed auto and I flushed the transmission every 50,000 miles.
And yes, it was built in Japan and I'm confident it has something to do with the longevity. If you can find a clean 97-2001 I think you will have found the last ones built in Japan. Maybe 2000. I keep looking for one from some old lady. A dealer had a 99 with 36,000 miles on it but, he wanted 10K. They are good but, no 16 year old car is worth 10K.....$7,000????? Yeah, but only if you planned to keep it for 10 more years and at that part, parts would be hard to find. Sooner or later, I'll find one in an estate sale and I will buy it whether I need it or not. These models were fairly basic but, my god, they are uber reliable and cheap to own.
Toyota:
Pros: Reliable, superior AC, Transmissions, engines, door locks, power windows, electrical, and resale
Cons: Boring, not the edgy profile many prefer
Honda
Pros: ReliableStyling, interiors, design and layout, engines, handling, resale
Cons: Transmissions, bolt ons: Alternator, power steering pumps, AC, suspension
Subaru:
Pros: Reliable, Engines, transmissions, interior components
Cons: Can be expensive to fix, bolt ons, AC, not as many places to get them fixed, resale
All told? Toyota is always your better value.
Why?
Like a house, someday you have to get RID of it. Toyotas and Hondas ALWAYS have a used market demand that surpasses all other makes combined, period. People want used Toyotas and Hondas. Why? It's like getting a great deal on a used woman. Sure, she may have some miles but, she works where it counts...ahem....no matter, they are dependable automobiles that are in demand even in not-so-great-shape. They just are. Ask ANY Auto broker. It's not an accident they seek them out. There is a demand because they are always a safer bet than a domestic and even a Subaru. Late model Subarus are coming on strong but, considering how few people work on them and how many work on Hondas and Toyotas, it becomes a moot point.
Toyotas, while on the verge of boredom, are more reliable than the any auto out there. I have a 99 Camry that is STILL going strong 16.5 years later with 227,000 on it...the AC has NEVER gone down, the power windows have NEVER broken, the power door locks have NEVER broken, the alternator is original, the transmission is original....you simply can't get that out of most other makes to include Honda from time to time.
I ran a 92 Camry before that for 8.5 years and 2 weeks ago I picked up a used 2005 Camry with 180,000 miles on it that runs like a top. No bolt issues, nothing. I checked it head to toe.
Regardless, there is one caveat. If you don't take care of your care, you can't expect even a Toyota to last although there is a video floating on YouTube about the Toyota truck they tried to kill and simply could not.
If you can find a clean, used one they are worth the push. Just expect to spend 1-2K reconditioning it to a high-spec. I always do but, I'm picky (I had the headliner replaced today because of two small tears...$140). Take care of any of the three and you will get a good value for your buck. I'm driving this one, like my 99, into the ground. That 99 just can't seem to give up. I keep waiting for the transmission to blow but, it won't. Shifts as smooooth as when it was new but, then again, it's a simple 4-speed auto and I flushed the transmission every 50,000 miles.
And yes, it was built in Japan and I'm confident it has something to do with the longevity. If you can find a clean 97-2001 I think you will have found the last ones built in Japan. Maybe 2000. I keep looking for one from some old lady. A dealer had a 99 with 36,000 miles on it but, he wanted 10K. They are good but, no 16 year old car is worth 10K.....$7,000????? Yeah, but only if you planned to keep it for 10 more years and at that part, parts would be hard to find. Sooner or later, I'll find one in an estate sale and I will buy it whether I need it or not. These models were fairly basic but, my god, they are uber reliable and cheap to own.
Buy a Toyota. Why buy misery?
I know they don't make them like they used to. Don't take this personally but I can't afford to waste time on another used car. I've dealt with senior owned vehicles and while they're in great shape, they usually don't get enough maintenance. People tend to forget that you take it in for service every 6k miles OR 6 months.
I just want a well built, reliable comfortable commuter vehicle that can serve me well for 6-7 years. Neighbor picked up a lease trade in Honda Accord not too long ago, something like 40k miles. Back bench seat already snapped off, rattle in the roof, radio sometimes gets interfered for no reason(I can listen to the same station on my car and have no issues). I'm def staying away from Honda but yet so many people don't have issues with them. Issues like that bug me. Should I spend a few hundred to repair it, or should I leave it be? Soon all of those small repairs will add up...
Hondas have recently slipped (just Google "2015 CRV engine vibrations" as an example)
Subarus have improved but Toyotas have remained on top.
I've been looking to buy my daughter a used Corolla and I'm shocked at how expensive they have become. People just won't let them go.
I may have to break down and buy a new one.
I bought a 2012 Corolla LE with 20,000 miles on the odometer, and pristine condition. Bought it at a local and very large used-car lot, and paid $14,000.
Yes, the little car may be bland, but reliable.
In my view the Toyota motors are #1, Honda #2, and Subaru #3.
We own a Forester, 8 years old and we haven't had any issues with the trim. Everything is where it should be, nothing is broken, sun visors are up. No mechanical issues either.
The Toyota has had some trim issues, interior of doors coming out, screws coming out, almost 10 years old.
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