2016 retirement vehicle thoughts..

[lucydad]

All,

On my mind sometime in the spring of 2016 will be a "retirement vehicle".  Right now I have the left-over red Mazda 3, 2008, daughter's college car (both of them), with 103K miles.  Good little car, but I would not want to take it cross-country. 

My interests are wildly divergent.  The current short list:  1) Mazda CX-5 SUV, 2) Mazda Miata (?)--new version, 3) Porsche Cayman S (2008 or so), 4) perhaps a small truck (do they even make those anymore) 5) something else I have not considered.

Criteria are: safety, practicality, fun, poodle hauler, reliability, and cost of ownership.  Ms. LD has a 2014 Lexus RX 350 SUV:  fantastic machine. She does not let me drive it.  Might even look for another one of those?  I like being up high and love the air conditioned front seats and all the safety gadgets.   In retirement I no longer commute.  My monthly car mileage has probably dropped to no more than 100 miles?  A lot of my driving is into Houston heavy traffic though, safety is paramount.

It is the old head or heart dilemma.  I won't let myself have two cars.  And I want to keep the next vehicle for probably 7-10 years.  Style matters to me a lot, I love beautiful cars.  And same with engines, like them to sing, and it has to be a manual transmission.

Head says CX-5 or a used Lexus type SUV. 

Heart says the little sports car with the manual transmission.  I came really close to pulling the trigger on a used Cayman last year, lack of a second key killed it, and the car was overpriced a bit and needed a decent stereo system with XM radio replacement.  The new Miatas are in stock, and pretty much sitting.  Saw just one on the road.  With the big Houston oil crash:  this is a superb time to pick up really quality used cars.  Young professionals buy expensive cars, lose their jobs, then sell when payments can't be made. Have to be very careful about "flood cars" in Houston.  Last May we had another huge flood event:  results in some real junk being re-sold. 

German cars give me the goose-step-kick-in-ass pain.  Both the 1977 VW Scirocco and 2002 BMW 330i I owned were huge disappointments.  Designs were fantastic, but reliability and maintenance were night mares.  Both cars stranded me, the VW several times.  Experiences with Japanese cars, especially Miata, have been excellent. 

My buddy Ed has three cars and is about to add a new Corvette C7 (70th birthday).  His four car garage helps.  I owned a 1984 Corvette, fun car, but underpowered and terrible 4-speed manual.  Newer Corvettes do interest me, including the sharp C6, and there a lot of used ones floating around.

None of the sports cars are poodle haulers though.  But Ms LDs can fulfill that role.  Hmm, another possible criteria:  ability to drive into the Colorado cabin road--a typical car has enough clearance, but I wonder about a sports car.  But, mostly I fly to ABQ and rent a car for those trips since the drive is so long across all of TX and all of NM. 

Last thought:  a Subaru wagon.  Had one living in Colorado, and loved it, but heard new high compression engines leak oil.  Another SUV of interest is the Toyota RAV.  Friend in Durango has a 4WD version and loves it.  Very pretty car.

Oh well, painters are here finishing up the interior of the house we are selling.  Looking more promising we will have loan approval on the new house early next week.  Builder still is confident in walk thru next Wednesday and closing 12/29.  Three car garage and motorcycle bump-out gives options.   Thinking about cars is good for morale.  This week has been house hell on both ends.

Hmm, would poodles fit in back of a Porsche 911?  Almost bought a gold 1986 Carerra while in Lafayette.  Oil downswing killed that idea.

Apologies for the long posting, thinking on a PC, I tend to do that.  This forum crowd has a lot of smart and experienced guys that love cars.  So, comments are welcome.  Time to walk poodles.

[old as dirt 2]

love our 2015 subaru outback, goes anywhere, excellent safety ratings 5 star +. never heard of any oil leaking issues. put over 20k on it this first year.
this is our 5th subaru. only traded in the others for upgrades.

[Zoom Zoom]

WRX or WRX STI. Hauls everything, including the mail!

My 2 cents.

John Henry

[alanp]

If I look at your criteria and not necessarily the cars you listed, I would suggest a new Mazda 3, top of the line with 2.5 liter engine and a manual (but the automatic is supposed to be a good one too).  I bought one last year and love it.  Japanese reliability, really fun car, practical, just all around great. The handle is almost BMW precise.  Also, I traded a Volvo for it and the Mazda seats are even better than the Volvo's, which I didn't think was possible. 

[John Ulrich]

My buddy Ed has three cars and is about to add a new Corvette C7 (70th birthday).  His four car garage helps.  I owned a 1984 Corvette, fun car, but underpowered and terrible 4-speed manual.  Newer Corvettes do interest me, including the sharp C6, and there a lot of used ones floating around.

C7 answered my needs.  32-34 mpg on the highway. I've done 13,000 miles of long distance touring with no regrets.  More trunk space then smaller cars and all the motor (460 hp) anyone in their right mind needs.  The C6's are good buys as the owners move into the 7's.  Drive both and see why.

[PJPR01]

Poodles will easily fit in the Porsche...my 80 lb Labrador rides up front...haunches on the seat, chin on the dashboard for viewing pleasure.

Another idea...just a thought to consider is buying an SUV which can haul a motorcycle trailer...so you can drive in comfort, bring along the motorcycle with you when you go to Colorado or Oklahoma or other places where the ride out might be too long on the bike...best of both worlds.    Nothing like riding Durango to Silverton to Ouray, over to Ridgeway, Telluride and then up to Gateway...pics of the V7 on those roads will put a smile on your face!!

If you're interested in seeing the trailer I've got Greg...let me know...it has made several trips out with me...

I'd say splurge a bit in retirement, or you could always buy an SUV/ Trailer combo and lease a smaller sports car...giving you the out after a few years if you don't want to keep it...

[PeteS]

You mention a Lexus SUV. The smaller RXs could meet all your criteria. Sit high and have excellent performance all around. Take a test ride in one. I only know three Suburu owners including one WRX. All have had serious mechanical problems within 3 years of owner ship. Heavy oil consumption or failed transmissions. All adult (read old fart) driven.

Ooops, just noticed the misses already has one. Never mind.

Pete

[vstevens]

Had a Subaru Outback with all the bells and whistles.  Leaks oil from head gaskets.  Dealer repaired them... Three times within a year.  After the second repair the head gadgets ruptured as I drove the car out of the dealers driveway... Oil gushing from the bottom of the car. No more subarus for mr, can't recommend them as durable or reliable.

[oldbike54]

 3.8 Liter XKE . Enzo Ferrari said the early E type was the most beautiful car ever built , he should know. All other sports cars are really kinda boring 

 OK , back in the real world , Subaru . Name it Bailey 


  Dusty

[Lcarlson]

Lets see -- style matters a lot, you want it to sing, and you want a stick. When I quit working, I bought a CPO Porsche Cayman. Down 50 hp from the S version, but it has plenty; Porsches aren't dragsters. Also about $10 K less, and rides better. Of course, in these parts and with a steep, curved driveway, the Cayman wasn't going to cut it in the winter, so I got an all-wheel drive BMW 3 series sport wagon with 80,000 miles as my winter/utility car. I don't put a lot of mileage on either car since I use my bikes for 90 % of my transportation three seasons of the year, and frequently in the winter. But when I do drive the Cayman, I'm reminded that Porsches are not like other cars.

[GuzziChris]

WRX or WRX STI. Hauls everything, including the mail!

My 2 cents.

John Henry

Second that big time. Just turned 120K miles in my 2011 WRX, just replaced the clutch (inc/new lighter solid flywheel!) and aside from timing belt and brakes (normal stuff) no work required. And the thing runs and "feels" better than when it was new. Great cars, however I have no experience with the new 2.0 liter models.

[Kev m]

I'm having a problem taking the question seriously when you consider a Miata or CX-5 in the same conversation as a Lexus or Porsche and then mention reliability and cost of ownership.

For cost of the high end stuff you could buy the low end stuff twice and not care about reliability.

I'm gonna approach this a different way. What's the budget and work from there.

[LowRyter]

I am looking for a C6 myself. 

Not sure I want to pull the trigger on a C7 or the new Camaro SS.

But I am only kicking tires.   

[Rich A]

I'm very happy with my '14 Forester, basic model. Dog friendly, excellent visibility, reasonably nimble, and good in the snow. I think the problem with oil leaks has been fixed--I have 33k mi and no problems.

Rich A

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Rokon

[Cool Runnings]

 

[lucydad]

Kev,

Spoken like an engineer.  Budget will be $50K, out the door including tax, title, license. 

Yep, my brain is like a pool table with balls ricocheting all over the place.  Free thinking, and lots of options. 

Oh, and it is likely we will stay put in Sugar Land for at least ten years given the investment in the new retirement house.

[Kev m]

Kev,

Spoken like an engineer.  Budget will be $50K, out the door including tax, title, license. 

Yep, my brain is like a pool table with balls ricocheting all over the place.  Free thinking, and lots of options. 

Oh, and it is likely we will stay put in Sugar Land for at least ten years given the investment in the new retirement house.

Great, that budget allows for a lot of new and lightly used cars.

Next question, rank your priorities 1-6 (most to least important):

safety, practicality, fun, poodle hauler, reliability, and cost of ownership ???

This should help narrow down the field.

[John Ulrich]

Budget will be $50K, out the door including tax, title, license. 

Yep, my brain is like a pool table with balls ricocheting all over the place.  Free thinking, and lots of options. 

Yup,  You need to narrow down if your looking for a practical (boring) daily driver or something exciting that makes you want to ...run out to the garage and come up with an excuse to go somewhere.  Your wife's Lexus covers you for practical.  You need something you two can drop the top on, load in the pooch and go for a cruise. 

[lucydad]

Kev,

Excellent point on priorities.

safety, practicality, fun, poodle hauler, reliability, and cost of ownership

My rank: with comments
safety--  face it Houston is risky and speeds are high, ABS and proximity indicators are helpful, so are modern airbags, and good visibility
reliability-- fed up with the twitchy BMW, fan of Japanese cars
fun-- been a long time since I had a fun car
practicality-- we do have the Lexus RX 350 in the garage, maybe if I was nicer to Ms LD she might share it ?
cost--  the insane repair costs of a unreliable car have burned me, part of that was a poor choice in maintenance for the BMW (Firestone mainly)--Houston has lots of dealers, some better than others, and I do not want to drive an hour across town for repairs
poodles--mostly their trips are to/from the veterinarian or dog park....so in reality...low rank.

Ms. LD used to love my old Corvette.  So she is on board with a convertible sports car. 

Just looked at US News and their rankings.  Man, they love the new Miata.  New Camaro and Mustangs are also high ranked.  I might be open to a domestic car, but not a Dodge given horrid past experience with Grand Caravan. 

[JeffOlson]

I, too, love fast, sporty cars. But if I could have only one vehicle, it would be a crew cab pick up truck. Frankly, I don't know how people get by without owning a pick up truck.

[Kev m]

Sounds like you're talking about a Japanese Sports car.

The Miata is a great candidate, but I wonder if your penchant for power would suggest considering something like a Nissan 370Z would fit the bill better, the NISMO maybe.

Other candidates could include the WRX (my favorite, the redesign last year is said to really have improved it all), or maybe the Lexus RC.

I kind like Infinitis these days, I wonder if a Q60 might fit the bill.

That said I would also list the new Focus RS cause it's basically a European hooligan hatchback but should be pretty darn reliable and available loaded for about $40k. I think I've mentioned a couple of times that if I hadn't decided to go a totally different direction with a new Wrangler Unlimited then I would have bought either the WRX or the Focus RS.

[guzzi4me]

We have had our 2015 Subaru Outback for a year now. Best machine we've ever owned.

No issues other than fighting over who gets to drive it!

She has the 3.6 six with auto/manual tranny. Auto around town, manual when playin in
the mountains. Quite fun playing in the snow!!

Woudn't hesitate buying another one but a V7II is next.....

There are a lot of good choices...the Outback is best for us. Enjoy whatever you decide on!

Ride safe and often,

Jeff

[GuzziChris]

Read up on the new Ford Focus RS. Given what you have in mind, I'd wait to see/drive one before I bought anything new. Racer boy car yes, but looks to be a pisser.

[kingoffleece]

We have 3 Mini Coopers.  Great fun to drive, great second hand prices, and cheap to own.

[blackcat]

We just bought a very slightly used Outback with the 3.6 engine. Paddle shifting is cool and it seems no different than a conventional manual transmission. I haven't used it long enough to guess if there is a difference in mileage. I test road the 2.5 with the the CVT transmission and the engine feels underpowered, the tranny is weird and I wanted to tow a bike so that wasn't going to fly. I did test ride one with Eyesight and the buzzing drove me crazy in a short ride but you might want it. Evidently there is a way to turn it off or kill the beeping. Insurance is supposedly cheaper with it, but not by much; I take it that the insurance companies are not impressed.

I researched the oil issue and it wasn't really a problem on the 3.6's and mine hasn't used a drop of oil.

Car has heated leather seats but no cooling option and all the normal bells and whistles. Gas mileage is typical for this sized car which is not great but not terrible.

[Rox]

Get a nice little roadster that you could lose your toupe with.. 

[old as dirt 2]

recall and recall and recall. NO WAY NO HOW

[guzzisteve]

Just got my retirement drive, a 2000 Jeep Cherokee 4WD, 2 door, 63K mi, one owner. It's my 4th 4.0 MJ.  Don't want to learn about a new vehicle.  Plenty of these out there too.

[ruote]

You're retired?  Time to get a DeSoto.