People always ask me what is the most reliable car to buy. You know it took me quite a while to realize this as I grew up primarily because I grew up in a family with recessive genes when it came to buying vehicles. My grandfather (the one who sang Italian love songs after a glass of wine in my father’s backyard) was in love with Cadillacs. Imagine this 5 ‘, 6 “gray-haired man who looked like the typical image of the mob boss driving his 43-foot-long El Dorado down the street and beginning to understand what I’m talking about.
My grandfather had almost no problems with those Cadillacs as he bought a new one every 2-3 years. But he didn’t seem to get the idea that it was a very expensive approach to car buying (the biggest impact on a car’s depreciation is usually in the first 3 years, as most of us know). But it made him happy and that’s what mattered. And he had a ready source to buy the vintage vehicles. My dad.
In those days, Cadillacs used to hold up pretty well. Although they came with many new devices, like one my father referred to as “an electric eye,” that automatically dimmed the lights after about 5 seconds of blinding the approaching driver. Actually, I’m not sure if that’s something Cadillacs came with or if my dad installed it on the aftermarket. What I’m sure of is that it didn’t work quite right, as evidenced by a series of drivers approaching and exiting curves after being blinded by my father’s “cool” tech gadget.
Today, however, I don’t have a Cadillac. My mother and sister also finally gave up their Cadillac addictions through a 12-step program. We are practically a Lexus family at the moment for our main vehicles, as even auto repair shop owners get tired of having to repair their vehicles. Lexus vehicles hold up very well. But let’s take a look at my personal experience with my current set of vehicles to really understand this question.
I have a 1998 Lexus LS400, a 1999 Range Rover, and a 1993 Mercedes 300e. So let’s compare how well they have been maintained. The Lexus has 102,000 miles and in the last 8 years I have invested maybe $ 3000 equivalent retail (that is, what a person who does not own an auto repair shop would pay), including 2 rounds of tires and all the services you require. It has never been broken in any way. The Ranger Rover has 110,000 miles and I have invested the retail service dollar equivalent of approximately $ 3,000 in the last year alone! The Mercedes has probably averaged around $ 3000 total in the 7 years we’ve owned it. It has 132,000 miles. I’ve also owned a 1987 Mercedes 300e with 60,000 miles and a 1989 260e with 60,000 miles. Those cars cost me $ 2,500 every year I owned them! But none of those cars ever broke down (the money was on things like air conditioning, interior lights, maintenance, and leaks). Go calculate all that variability
But that speaks to how I would respond to people when they ask me about our shop’s experience with different vehicles. In our store, Lexus still reign for less trouble than any other vehicle that comes close to us. They are incredibly well built cars. Every other car coming in has been variable and quite dependent on how its owners treated it. Of course, some brands are apparently more prone to problems than others. As they say, “your mileage may vary”.