The Mrs. got a "new" car

[bonneyman]

Her 2002 Buick was developing more and more issues, and - at 22 years old - was due for replacement. Got referred to a dealer who goes the extra mile - and then some - finding what his customers want. It's been three months and he calls and said he found a beautiful 2021 Rav 4 with 69,000 miles and one owner. Got it for significantly under blue book.

But the thing is like the USS Enterprise! Electronics galore, sensors, cameras, geez the owners manual is over 2 inches thick! Glad I ain't driving it. But she seems happy, so, there you go.

[goodfellow]

It's a great little SUV George -- congrats to the Mrs. That said, you definitely have to keep up with the maintenance. That 2002 Buick could take a beating and keep on going as far as maintenance is concerned, but these new tight tolerance engines are not so forgiving. 

[muddy]

It's a great little SUV George -- congrats to the Mrs. That said, you definitely have to keep up with the maintenance. That 2002 Buick could take a beating and keep on going as far as maintenance is concerned, but these new tight tolerance engines are not so forgiving.

Tight tolerances and thin oil make for good power/economy but you have to keep up on the oil changes

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[bonneyman]

Yeah, 10-4. It has the Eco-boost function which shuts off the engine at stoplights then restarts the motor when you take your foot off the brake. Gonna have to go thru the book and find out how to turn off unnecessary functions.

Obviously the huge screen and Wi-Fi will be ignored as much as possible.

[fatfillup]

Can't go wrong with the Toyota, it should serve you well

[skfarmer]

should be good wheels. i admit there is too much tech in most vehicles but i sure do enjoy heated and cooled seats and heated steering wheel here in the north land. temps can vary from -25 to nearly 100 degrees on a regular basis.

[stokester]

Yeah, 10-4. It has the Eco-boost function which shuts off the engine at stoplights then restarts the motor when you take your foot off the brake. Gonna have to go thru the book and find out how to turn off unnecessary functions.

Obviously the huge screen and Wi-Fi will be ignored as much as possible.

I was initially skeptical of the auto stop/start "feature" when it first started appearing in the Chevys while I worked at the dealership.  In my time there I never had to replace a starter or belt in one of these vehicles, time will tell its reliability.  If I remember right they came with an AGM (absorbed glass mat) battery which are more expensive but generally don't discharge as quickly during periods of rest.  I use this type on my motorcycles with battery tenders to keep them fully charged and find they last longer.

My 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee (3.6L V6) has this but unlike the GMs I worked on, it could be switched off but defaults on.  Don't know if the Toyotas allow you to turn it off.

[goodfellow]

Most all of the "start-stop" systems can be turned off. The problem is that in many cases they can't be turned off permanently, and you have to remember to turn it off every time you start the car.

There is a growth industry in this space. Some up-and-coming companies now provide a dongle that plugs into the OBDII port of your vehicle and disables the "start-stop" function permanently. Where there is a need, an entrepreneur will find a way to fill it. I like that a lot.... 

[bonneyman]

You guys know me....I'll get an axe and a chainsaw and cut out all that electronic crap! 

[goodfellow]

You guys know me....I'll get an axe and a chainsaw and cut out all that electronic crap! 

Yup, I'm with you on that idea George. On a personal note, I find myself in a similar situation. The newest vehicle I drive is a 2011 DTS, and my truck is a 2003 Dakota 4x4. I'll have to bite the bullet sooner or later and get a new vehicle. Problem is I don't like anything that's on the market. All of the modern offerings are computerized nightmares, and finding good older vehicles is getting harder by the month. New car prices are so high, the used market is in a feeding frenzy.

[bonneyman]

You guys know me....I'll get an axe and a chainsaw and cut out all that electronic crap! 

Yup, I'm with you on that idea George. On a personal note, I find myself in a similar situation. The newest vehicle I drive is a 2011 DTS, and my truck is a 2003 Dakota 4x4. I'll have to bite the bullet sooner or later and get a new vehicle. Problem is I don't like anything that's on the market. All of the modern offerings are computerized nightmares, and finding good older vehicles is getting harder by the month. New car prices are so high, the used market is in a feeding frenzy.

10-4 I hear that used car prices are dropping, and ALOT of people are getting squeezed with low money. Repossessions are up. So, within 6 months there might be a wave of used cars available.
We waited 3 months for our car guy to find this Toyota. She is now taking it to work, and I'm driving her old Buick a few days a week to give the van a break. the insurance and registration are both still good - and it does run - so might as well keep it and use it till one of those expires. Nice to have a third vehicle "lifeboat" when one of the others are in the shop. And it's free!!!

Personally I hate the newer cars. last time we took a vacation - might even be the time we came back to visit you all in 2019. the rental car had a big learning curve to use it. now they're worse. Oh my gosh!

[fatfillup]

I am like Harlan, a bit torn.  Don't care for the excess technology but some of it is darn handy.  Not to mention the performance and efficiency it gives us.

Plus it changes so fast that if you did finally figure out how to diagnose and repair it, it would change and you would be lost again.

[bonneyman]

I went for a ride in the "new" car for the first time today. Was raining - we had one heck of a time getting the wipers to work!   

[J.A.F.E.]

I, too, have mixed feelings about some of the tech. I really like blind spot detection. I like the heated seats and I even like the flatscreens displays. I have a rabid dislike for onstar and will not buy a GM vehicle as a result.

Some of the tech just seems gimmicky and just for the sake of adding features especially in Japanese offerings and some is pretty annoying like the lane departure. I have always disliked headlights that stay on. I never really understood the reasoning and figured it was just a drain on the battery especially before LEDs. Just what I need in the middle of a cold winter is something draining the battery when I'll have to be starting it in weather cold enough to freeze my hair wet from the sweat of shoveling a path to the car.