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I'd still get a '14. At the very least, you get the 8 speed tranny instead of the 5 speed. I can tell you now, it makes a world of difference. It was one of the main reasons I traded in my '12. You also get a touchscreen on the console instead of the older stereo, plus a few other odds and ends.
Any potential downsides of the 8 speed in terms of repairs down the road?
Touchscreen...hmmmm...they look nice but I am always afraid when more complex electronic$ make their way into vehicles these days. I would hate to have to pay to fix one if it broke or worse, attracted thieves and was broken into and stolen!
I personally would buy a new car in that situation. Yes, it makes the most financial sense to keep an old car running as long as possible, but there are intangible advantages to buying new. Newer cars are safer, more reliable, and much less likely to leave you stranded on the side of the road. Since this is your wife's car, I would put her personal safety above any financial benefit.
Sure, you can save a lot of money keeping her in a 12 year old car, but what if she gets in a serious accident? Or gets stranded in a bad neighborhood? If you have the financial ability to replace an old car with a new one without putting serious strains on your budget, then go new. If taking on a loan (or paying a large sum of cash from savings) will put you in a pinch, then either fix the car knowing the limitations, or buy a 2-4 year used car to save money.
Any potential downsides of the 8 speed in terms of repairs down the road?
Touchscreen...hmmmm...they look nice but I am always afraid when more complex electronic$ make their way into vehicles these days. I would hate to have to pay to fix one if it broke or worse, attracted thieves and was broken into and stolen!
They've been using the 8 speed in the 300 for awhile, I haven't read anything bad. As for the electronics, the way the '14s are built, the radio that comes in it is the one you're stuck with - no aftermarket stereos, etc. You also can't upgrade to a better Chryco one down the line. Someone could steal it...but they'd have a heck of a time using it anywhere. You can't use it in any other brand car, and you technically couldn't use it in another Jeep of any model year. It's not compatible with anything under a '14 and I think they're VIN encoded for the vehicle they were originally installed in. I have the 8.4" in mine and it's the least of my worries in terms of being stolen. If it dies, there's always the warranty for that, but I doubt it'll be an issue. I'm more worried about blowing a speaker.
Wife took in her 2001 Camry (~140,000 miles) for an oil change and our mechanic pointed out that all 4 tires are basically done with tread life so they'll need to be replaced plus alignment etc. (I don't dispute this). There is also a power steering leak (acknowledged), additional rack and pinion maintenance, both front struts need replacing, and a few other items that may or may not need attention now but will need to be addressed to pass safety inspection next June. All this, including labor, is a bit over $3K, probably around what the car is worth.
The last two years we've spent $1.5K to $2K per year fixing other things (engine mounts, brakes, leaks, etc.) thinking that we'd be somewhat "in the clear" in terms of heavy maintenance but it just seems to come more frequently now. Granted, a lot of this work has to do with my wife not addressing some of these items while she was away in Oregon for 5 years (basically just oil changes all that time).
Anyways, as much of a "drive it till the wheels fall off" mentality I have, it is painful to have maintenance costs exceed the car's value with no guarantee that new problems won't arise year after year.
We are contemplating a new vehicle instead, and really like the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee as we do a fair amount of outdoor activities and will have kids soon and want a safe and reliable vehicle with room.
I know I'l spend 1.5 to 2 times the maintenance costs (at least) on a new car down payment plus the monthly payments after that so that is something I'll have to consider. We would hope to buy towards the end of the year for better deals as dealers clear inventory for the 2014 models arriving.
So am I being a quitter by giving up on this 12 year old car and "wasting" my money on a new one? What would you do?
Thanks for you comments/suggestions.
Fix an older Camry or buy a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
What exactly does one have to do with the other? Absolutely nothing, they are two different vehicle types designed for different purposes. When people start talking about buying a new car and the new one is much different than the old one, usually they are trying to justify buying a completely different new car.
A deal on a 30-40K SUV vs fixing a Camry. Not sure how that even comes up in the same discussion but oh well. You've already done most of the work on the Camry and it should run a lot longer than 140k miles. The engine and tranny are the big stop items and since the oil has always been changed, that engine is going to run for a long time. The other stuff, once done won't need to be done for a long time.
The question you've brought forward is like asking if one should resole a pair of shoes for $30 or buy new boots for $400.
Discounting tires, brakes, and all normal wear-and-tear items that you would have to do anyways, all that deferred maintenance has now come back to bite you in the butt so, IMO, the Camry is no longer as reliable as it could've been for you -- that is, you're spending the money now on what you should've spent steadily along the way. What you should do now is dependent on your objectives.
OK, without explicitly quoting and replying individually to all the recent messages (which I appreciate) here are my general thoughts:
*Safety is more important than saving $ in my book, hence leaning towards newer over older/current car.
*We have fairly good incomes and savings, a new car would not be a huge burden even with our mortgage.
*Jeeps can be expensive but I believe regular maintenance can be worth their functionality (my parents' one has over 240K miles, original engine).
*My wife grew up driving an SUV and actually prefers them. The Camry was purchased for her by her parents (as a certified used) during college. We then had a long distance relationship (3000 miles) where I was not always around to make sure she was following the maintenance schedule, thus the string of problems arising now.
*Now that we are together and married, I can better monitor regular maintenance and keep a new car on the right track from the start. When you're buying your own car rather than someone giving you one, you tend to take better care of it, like I've done with my own Charger.
OK, without explicitly quoting and replying individually to all the recent messages (which I appreciate) here are my general thoughts:
*Safety is more important than saving $ in my book, hence leaning towards newer over older/current car.
*We have fairly good incomes and savings, a new car would not be a huge burden even with our mortgage.
*Jeeps can be expensive but I believe regular maintenance can be worth their functionality (my parents' one has over 240K miles, original engine).
*My wife grew up driving an SUV and actually prefers them. The Camry was purchased for her by her parents (as a certified used) during college. We then had a long distance relationship (3000 miles) where I was not always around to make sure she was following the maintenance schedule, thus the string of problems arising now.
*Now that we are together and married, I can better monitor regular maintenance and keep a new car on the right track from the start. When you're buying your own car rather than someone giving you one, you tend to take better care of it, like I've done with my own Charger.
So you can afford a new vehicle, saving $ is not the objective, your wife likes SUVs, and you like the Jeep.
If this is the case, then I don't understand your quandary.
So you can afford a new vehicle, saving $ is not the objective, your wife likes SUVs, and you like the Jeep.
If this is the case, then I don't understand your quandary.
I'll admit, you have a good point...I guess I was really asking to get people's reasons NOT to get a new/other vehicle and keep the Camry, to make sure I wasn't missing something.
It's still a tough call that we'll need to really think about, don't plan on/need to buy a Jeep right this second.
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