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A well kept 1994.5-1997 Ford F250 with a 7.3L Navistar T444E Turbo Diesel Or Gas 4.9L/300ci I6 with ZF-5 Speed manual will last a million miles nice looking old school truck easy to repair and cheap to repair and any DIY shade tree mechanic can fix it.
Same pretty much goes for the 1988-1998 Chevy and GMC C/K PU Trucks esp. later models with the 5.7L v-8 with Vortec heads
I like the leg room in our 2001 Impala. They were the same up to 2005. Seems like I don't like the newer ones as much until the latest series, but their still too expensive. I believe many last beyond 200k. High depreciation is a benefit. I think up to 2009 you can get the 3.8l pushrod motor.
Literally none. My current is a Honda Odyssey actually, but it is experiencing the tranny issues that are apparently endemic to Hondas.
It's not all Hondas, just automatic transmissions paired with the V6 engines in the early and mid 2000's. Literally any other transmission you wouldn't have issues with.
Be aware that many Asian brands (Honda and Subaru are my immediate experience) need expensive major service at around the 100k mark - usually timing belt replacement, which is best done with a host of associated services like water pump replacement. You CANNOT skip this service unless you don't mind having the belt break and cause more damage, up to a completely ruined engine, by about 20% over-mileage.
So it's common to find these brands and models at very low prices, right about at that mileage. The owner doesn't want to do $800-2000 in service, so prices it low for a quick sale. If you buy pretty much any 4cyl Asian make with mileage around 100k, look up the required service and demand proof that it's been done by a professional. (You don't want something done by a driveway mechanic, in general). Or get a price that lets you have a good indy shop do the work immediately.
Check out Honda Odysseys. Not sexy, but damned good all-around cars and with plenty of space for large people.
Hondas later than ~2001 use timing chains which last the life of the engine, aside from V6 engines. Avoid the V6's and there's virtually zero maintenance.
Obviously I plan to keep up with regular maintenance on whatever I get. Worth noting that I'm very tall (6'7) so I NEED legroom, so a smaller/compact car probably isn't going to cut it. Other than that I have no real preferences. Thanks in advance.
What is your budget?
Souls have lots of room. Bigly head and leg room.
Hondas later than ~2001 use timing chains which last the life of the engine, aside from V6 engines. Avoid the V6's and there's virtually zero maintenance.
"The life of the engine." Meaning when the timing chain breaks, you almost always have to replace the engine. And there is no way to predict when that might happen.
An experienced mechanic can tell if there's some slop in the chain. But they rarely do so, because they are never asked to check.
when would this ever be advisable for anyone on a limited budget?
Maybe if there are amazing 3-year leases available. But as the standard advice goes for any German car, "Lease for three, don't buy or you'll pay."
If we knew OP's budget, we could better assist. At year's end there are some good lease deals going, zero down for 36 months @ something like $170/month for a base Soul automatic. That's a pretty sweet deal.
There seems to be a trend here... GM Full Size SUVs and Toyotas dominate the list. Not a 4-cylinder to be found.
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