Originally posted by: Ktulu
Originally posted by: 996GT2
192,000 Miles on a 96 Accord and still runs like it just came off the showroom floor. Sound both mechanically and cosmetically with the exception of a very small (think pencil eraser) rust spot beginning to develop in the quarter panel areas from not being garaged in the first 5 or 6 years of its life...but that's relatively common in Hondas.
I was surprised to see that neither the Camry or the Accord made it on the list...not exactly sure why it is either
And KTulu, not all cars will last 200k Miles...even quality Japanese cars won't make it much over 200k if not meticulously cared for. For example, one of my friends' Camry recently blew its engine at 210k ish (terrible sight with stuf leaking everywhere)...now he's driving an 07 Pilot.
Never said all cars would last 200k. Please read my post more carefully.
You said "So because you're Neon and possible some other's you've "heard of" didn't make it to 200k automatically
means none will, that's ridiculous."
The bolded part is a disastrously incorrect misinterpretation of what I've said, and the definition of a 'straw-man' argument. Basically, you tell someone that they said something other than what they actually did, and then tear it down because it's false. The only thing this does is make you look retarded.
Look at my post, I said that Neons are in general very unreliable. It's a well-known fact, there are tons of well-documented problems, especially with the head gaskets. I further backed this up with my personal experience. I never said at any point that 'none will' make it to 200k. I said that it's generally unlikely, I went through a head gasket in the first 35k miles, and the head itself cracked at around 70k. Car was worth less than the cost it would take to repair.
The fact is that with good maintenance (regular oil changes, plugs/wires, driving conservatively, always making sure the cooling system is operating properly, etc) many models have a good chance of making 200k. But to say anywhere near 'ALL models' are likely to do so with any regularity is grossly ignorant. My Neon was dealer maintained, all recommended maintenance followed, and still died pathetically early. I didn't hotrod it either (it's a Neon FFS), but it probably wouldn't have made much difference. It was just a lemon. This is why some car makes/models have better reputations than others. Even certain engines within the same make/model. Research pays off when buying a car. My decision to jump on a Neon was a quick one, I needed something new and cheap with a warranty, and the closeout price on it was dirt cheap. In retrospect I should have just got a used example of a better model vehicle. Since that time I have used a plethora of resources to examine all aspects of my auto purchases, and have gotten along pretty well. I've had 3 Hondas that went way into the 200k mark, and one that broke 300k, and sold them all in perfect working order on the original motor (with nothing done to the motor other than timing belts!). Now I'm on a Buick with nearly 200k, thanks to the loyal 3800 motor. The GM 2.8/3.1 V6s are notoriously unpredictable about when they'll die, but the 3800 is about as solid as they come.
Bleh. Anyway, you get the picture. And never underestimate the power of availability to determine vehicle longevity. Example, Ford probably sold nearly as many Tauruses in 1995 as Honda sold Accords, but look online for used examples of each type. You're lucky to find 1 1995 Taurus for every 10 1995 Accords available. And the Tauruses that are alive are usually (A)- on the 2nd motor, (B)- with less than 150k miles, (C)- about to die, or (D)- all of the above. The 95 Accords you see are usually toting 150-250k miles, still running strong. This may be a little extreme, because Tauruses were never known to be champs in longevity (on average), but the point is clear :
If model X and model Y sold ~1,000,000 units each in a given year, and model X is now difficult to locate on the used market, but model Y is widely available even with substantial usage, it probably says something about model Y's mechanical & engineering advantages to model X.
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