6 Vehicles You Should Buy

the honda civic and the toyota corolla both are strong competitors in the same league and it's no surprise that it's a tough choice so jump in with me as we compare each car's evolution and technology and style over the decades we'll also see which model years are the best to buy and which ones to avoid if you're shopping for a pre-owned model and stay tuned so that you can comment and share your opinion afterwards it all started back in the early 1970s it was a time of bell bottoms roller skates and carol king and then the oil crisis started and america saw new epa emission standards this shifted the american consumer demand to fuel efficient cars it was in this very climate that honda debuted the civic 1973. it was a sub-compact car initially offered as a three-door hatchback and sedan it was small efficient humble the market was ripe for a car like that and honda sold almost 33 000 civics in its first year meanwhile that same year toyota sold almost 117 000 corollas almost three and a half times more than honda that's because the toyota corolla had already entered the u.s market several years prior in fact the corolla was already in its second generation a year later toyota introduced the third generation corolla it came in five different trims ranging from a two-door hard top to a five-door wagon at that time most car makers were fitting exhaust cadillac supply with tighter emission standards but honda found a better way to address it in 1975 honda started equipping the civic with the compound vortex controlled combustion engine the cvcc engine delivered cleaner and more complete combustion than met the new standards without requiring a catalytic converter in fact the epa ranked the honda civic is number one in their list of most fuel-efficient cars you can see the impact the cvcc engine had because that year civic sales jumped more than double compared to the previous year now was the early 1980s and america would see mullets neons and the second generation civic this generation civic are larger and new body styles included the four-door sedan a special fuel economy trend boost gas mileage and a sport s trim which was a hint of the civic si model soon to come during the same time oil prices were skyrocketing toyota launched their fourth generation corolla and included the lineup with a diesel engine overall this generation had excellent fuel economy while carrying an upscale field the car was larger than the previous generation and came with a coil spring design that replaced the leaf spring rear suspension soon after civic's third generation arrived it was bigger sportier had better fuel economy new body styles got added including the civic crx a fastback coupe with two seats the civic si hatchback and the civic wagon which became known as the tall buoy due to its extra height and larger rear window during this generation the popular d series engine was introduced and also honda started building the civic on u.s soil in ohio meanwhile toyota started changing some of its corolla models from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive this generation was boxier with harder lines toyota also introduced the famous corolla gts with the double overhead cam engine producing a whopping 112 horsepower this generation was considered one of the most popular with 3.3 millions being produced worldwide as the 80s were ending america saw the fourth generation civic they came with sharp new looks a new engine family and larger wheelbase one of the most important changes was the addition of double wishbone suspension for the front and rear which gave the civic much better handling in the meantime toyota widened the corolla by an inch made the exterior more contemporary and stylish and discontinued the coupe by this time all corolla models were now front wheel drive the early 1990s brought the fifth generation civic with a variable valve timing engine also known as vtec america saw the two-door four-seater civic coupe and the new dell sole model it was a two-seat coupe with a removable roof to give it an appearance similar to a convertible honda also focused on safety issues adding passenger side airbags to all civic models and optional anti-lock brakes meanwhile during this time the toyota corolla became bigger heavier sporty and more aerodynamic than before this is when the corolla started growing from a sub-compact to a compact category and becoming more like the car that we know today this generation saw the corolla come in six different engine variations ranging from a 1.3 liter to a 2-liter diesel engine the latter part of the 1990s saw the 6th generation civic this generation included a fully revised engine with 106 horsepower and low emissions ratings honda also introduced a natural gas-powered civic and america finally got its hand on the civic si which had debuted in japan three years earlier the generation also saw the high rev vtec dual overhead cam 1.6 liter also known as the popular 160 horsepower b16 engine this all coincided with eighth generation corrode which is now being built in california toyota wanted to prioritize safety and save energy they reduced the car's weight by adding new impact absorption steering column srs airbags and emergency locking seat belts the only body style offered in the u.s was a sedan powered by 120 horsepower 1.8 liter engine with a 3 or 4 speed automatic or a five speed manual then the new millennium started honda entered the arrow with the seventh generation civic it was a dramatic redesign honda replaced the double wishbone front suspension with mcpherson struts and the car's interior became more spacious this is a generation when the civic grew from a sub-compact to a compact car america also saw the release of the first civic hybrid and a special edition package for both the sedan and coupe during this time toyota was focusing on performance and quality they launched the ninth generation corolla which was designed to appeal to a broader audience it was based on the larger corolla office with this 1.8 liter engine but with more power 130 horsepower toyota also debuted the sporty xrs version with 170 horsepower the latter part of the 2000s saw the eighth generation civic which won many awards the civic became heavier as honda started using different platforms for the coupe and sedan to give different driving dynamics the first civic si sedan arrived and leather upholstery finally appeared as an option for the first time in the model's history the natural gas gx also returned for 2006. it burned clean but it was also slower had less trunk space it was heavier in weight and in price meanwhile the 10th generation corolla underwent a design overhaul both inside and out the focus of this generation was technology cabin space and performance major visual changes included a new interior design front grille and bumpers by 2012 honda was on its ninth generation civic there were many tech upgrades and modern features that were uncommon in a compact car the 2015 honda civic gave buyers more options with the new se trim level as well as impressive gas mileage up to 41 miles per gallon on a highway and 31 miles per gallon in the city this all overlapped with the 11th generation corolla toyota modernized the corolla which was definitely more sleek in trend the largest change in the e-170 model was the car size its wheelbase being about four inches larger soon after america saw the tenth generation this generation saw the first turbocharged civic including the performance model of the civic si with 205 horsepower turbocharged 1.5 liter 4 cylinder also the 306 horsepower turbocharged civic type r the civic r set a lap time record making it the fastest front wheel drive car in nurburgring the 2021 civic is the last of this generation and americo waits to see the new generation of the 2022 model right now the toyota corolla is in its 12th generation and is built on the toyota new global architecture platform this current generation saw the first corolla hybrid and did you know that the toyota corolla is the number one best selling car in the world to date some 50 million units have been sold globally over its 55 year life span honda and toyota both have high quality reliability ratings and are known for longevity so if you're shopping for a pre-owned model which ones are worth considering and which one should you avoid let's start with a honda civic if you're looking for a pre-owned honda civic a few models worth considering include the 2014 model that model received very few customer complaints and most were minor the 2012 civic also got a few complaints mainly around seats being uncomfortable also the eighth generation civics including the 06 to 11 models are a good bet in general it's worth noting that the civic that gets stolen the most is the 1998 so that's an indication of its value it's a classic and fans love the durable hatches while thieves value it for aftermarket parts on the other hand if it's on the list for auto theft maybe you should think of something else so now which civic models are the least reliable i recommend avoiding the 2001 civic and let me tell you why first that model had the most volume of customer complaints of all civics the most severe issue was transmission problems anywhere from the transmission flipping failing to engage jerking or popping out of gear some drivers face loss of power while driving and it's not just that honda issued some 27 recalls for that particular model in fact some 6 million units were recalled due to serious problem with a driver's side airbag where sharp metal fragments fly towards the driver when airbags deployed later honda also recalled 3 million civics from that model due to similar issues with the passenger side airbags the 2016 civic has also seen some issues there were reports that the air conditioning unit stopped working after 36 000 miles honda's unlimited warranty should cover the condenser repair but some drivers reported it still malfunctioned even after several repairs that model also had wires that were made from a soy based coating which evidently attracts rats and mice who like to chew on them which leads to electrical issues caused to replace the damaged wires and cores can be eight to nine hundred dollars as far as the toyota corolla is concerned the ninth generation 2003 to 2008 corolla are a good bet in terms of excellent gas mileage 28 to 37 miles per gallon in the city affordability and overall reliability if you're solely wanting the best fuel economy then you want to consider the 11th generation starting with the 2014 corolla which has the best gas mileage of 30 to 40 miles per gallon so what corolla models are the least reliable the 2002 corolla reportedly is the worst and many deem it a clunker the most common problem was the engine eating oil which isn't dangerous per se but it's an expensive problem to have fiction had cost an average about 2 600 out another complaint was that the airbags would fail to deploy the 2009 corolla received the most number of customer complaints it had more severe issues than the 2002 model including issues around speed control and steering this led to 100 crashes and toyota issued a recall to address it another issue was that the airbags either didn't deploy or would explode if they deployed some 40 people were injured due to this the 2014 corolla also received reports of failed airbags and there are many injuries and one death as a result but no recalls have been issued yet most of the complaints for this model was that the radio stopped working even as low as 50 000 miles and this can be expensive to fix averaging about 1 300. last year in the us honda sold over 261 000 civics and toyota sold 237 000 corollas so you can see america's nearly split between these two the top two most popular and best-selling compact crossovers in america the toyota rav4 and the honda crv believe it or not these crossovers have been battling neck to neck for over 25 years we'll drive through how each crossover evolved in technology and style we'll also see which model years are best and which ones to avoid if you're looking to buy a used crossover and stay tuned you can comment with your preference afterwards so hop in with me and let's go for a ride in the early 1990s toyota wanted to make a vehicle that combined light off-road capabilities of an suv with the comforts of a standard passenger car and so they did in 1994 toyota introduced the rab4 you can see their vision reflected in the name because rab4 was an acronym for recreational activity vehicle with four-wheel drive although later they changed it to robust accurate vehicle four-wheel drive anyway it was the first and only compact crossover in the u.s market you could say that the rav4 created a brand new genre and category in the car industry the rav4 first generation debuted in america in 1996 with a 2-liter 120 horsepower inline-four engine the next year 1997 they introduced the all-electric rav4 with nickel metal hybrid batteries of course being the first to market gave rip for a head start honda followed suit soon after by introducing the crv in 1997. the name crv stood for compact recreational vehicle originally it came in one trim level known as crv lx which included a hideaway picnic table it had a 2-liter inline four-cylinder engine that output 126 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque so power output was comparable with the rav4 just a year later crv surprised america by surpassing the rev foreign sails and it wasn't just by a stone's throw but more like leaps and bounds crv sales in 1998 was over 100 000 units where the rav4 sold only about 67 000 units that year toyota realized they needed to keep things fresh so the second generation rav4 came with more power under its hood 148 horsepower and 142 pound foot of torque but it didn't help them gain much ground and sales cr-v was still way ahead in the meantime the second generation crv got a full redesign it was based on the seventh generation honda civic and powered by the k24 a1 engine the new cr-v retained the fuel economy of the previous model because of the i vtec system american versions of the new engine produced 160 horsepower and 140 pound feet of torque this prompted toyota to make dramatic changes for the 06 rav4 toyota introduced the rev or with a v6 engine with a 3.5 liter unit with 269 horsepower the us version of the rav4 also grew by 14 inches that's more than a foot crab 4 also came with a third row seating this made the crossover more practical for american audiences and america loved these dramatic changes in fact grab for sale doubled from almost 71 000 units in 2005 to over 152 000 units in 2006 but it was still lagging behind crv and sales in the meantime honda redesigned their crv starting with the 07 model year the crv knicks the folding picnic table feature and manual transmission this generation crv also saw softer smoother lines with the new horizontal slat type chrome grille and redesigned bumpers honda also moved the spare tire under the floor then for the fourth generation honda upgraded the crv to output 185 horsepower with the 2015 model year honda offered the crv with the cvt continuously variable transmission and improved suspension this moved toyota to re-strategize and so toyota went back to basics they backtracked and reversed the features that didn't succeed in the previous generation they dropped the v6 option from the rav4 they mixed the third row they shortened the car length by about two inches and height by one inch then they fattened the width a bit and deleted the signature gate mounted spare tire feature and instead hid the tire under the floor they replaced the single hinged liftgate door with a traditional door that's hinged at the top they also upgraded the four speed to a new six-speed automatic the rav4 was less fun but more practical now 2015 was a significant year because rav4 got a facelift and also saw a dramatic increase in safety ratings rare four started gaining major ground and sales that year and the gross trajectory continued after toyota introduced the rev4 hybrid with the 2016 model it shared the same gas electric powertrain as a lexus nx300h it was more powerful than the standard rav4 2017 was a huge milestone for the rav4 because it made an incredible comeback and sales the rav4 outsold the crv for the first time in decades this was the turning point in the toyota honda race and the rav4 has held its ground ever since you can see honda's reaction in its fifth generation the crv became more masculine than previous generations it was bigger had sharper lines and looked more aggressive it grew an inch taller and its wheelbase was 1.6 inches longer so more space and comfort for passengers for the 2020 model year honda introduced the crv hybrid variant in america honda had already been selling it in europe and china a year prior but now honda brought it to the u.s market in the meantime toyota launched the ramp for fifth generation it was boxier and more rugged it sat on toyota's new global architecture tnga which improved the ride quality and handling for the 2021 model year toyota unveiled the rav4 prime a plug-in hybrid variant that can travel 42 miles on electricity alone so for more than two decades the rav4 and crv have been neck to neck and power look and features they have a lot more in common than differences today they're still at it the toyota rav4 is the fourth best-selling vehicle in america last year they sold 430 000 units compare that to the honda crv which is the fifth best-selling car in america they sold more than 330 000 units last year if you're looking for a brand new crossover and want to compare these two 2021 models here's a quick rundown in terms of base price both start at around 25 to 26 000 although the rev force price is slightly higher if you're interested in reliability ratings jd par gave the rev for an average score whereas a crv earned an above average rating both cars offer a three year 36 thousand mile basic warranty and a five year sixty thousand mile powertrain warrant both vehicles offer great fuel economy for its class but the rav4 has a slight edge here although it's really a close call between these two let's talk about seats both crossovers have five passenger seats the cr-v offers a bit more legroom for the back seat passengers both come standard with gloss upholstery but you can upgrade the crv with real leather whereas the rav4 only offers synthetic leather both offer heated front seats but the rav4 can be upgraded with ventilated front seats and heated rear outboard seats in terms of cargo space both vehicles are above average for their class so it's a lot here that said the crv offers a bit more cargo volume if you want acceleration the rav4 has a leg up it has a 2.5 liter inline four that outputs 203 horsepower compare that with crv's 1.5 liter turbo 4 with 190 horsepower as far as the interior quality and style both are practical and of good quality but the crv looks more upscale because it uses soft material on most surfaces while the rav4 has some hard plastics if you're looking to buy a used rav4 or crv which model years should you consider and which one should you avoid as far as the toyota rav4 is concerned the 2017 and 2018 model years are a good bet in general both models rated well for reliability performance comfort and styling there has been a few complaints about the 2018 model like paint issues minor steering issues and brake problems but in general is still a very good year the least reliable rav4 the model years 2001 2002 2007 and 2008 the 2008 model was the worst due to higher repair costs the most common problem with the used rav4 is excessive oil consumption at 100 000 miles average cost to address this was around 3 300 out another common issue was problem shift and eventual transmission failure around 112 000 miles the average cost to address this was about 2 600 in fact customer complaints led toyota to change its powertrain warranty from five years sixty thousand miles to ten years a hundred and fifty thousand miles for both the transmission and ecm if you're looking at used honda crvs reliable model years include 2005 2006 and 2016. complaints about these models were quite minimal and those years were reported to be reliable overall and provide good handling minor issues were only about the ride being a little stiffer than other model years some people complained about the noise level but that seems to be across the board for crvs in general but all in all these are reliable model years if you want to use crv the least reliable crv models are between 2007 and 2011. those received the most complaints including tires wearing unevenly door lock issue and failing ac compressors because the shaft was too thin and it would snap off in particular the 2010 and 2011 models received complaints around oil consumption problems due to faulty piston rings 2010 also saw recalls for problems around the airbag electrical system and transmission control modules the toyota rav4 and honda crv both have a reputation for reliability it's no surprise why they're so popular they're formidable competitors for good reason we're looking at the ford f-150 and the toyota tundra two of america's most beloved trucks will peek into the technical evolution of both trucks we'll also see their best model years and their worst if you're looking to buy a used truck so buckle up and let's get going in 2016 a louisiana man hit over one million miles on his toyota tundra his truck was an 07 model and it was eight years old and still going strong he had been logging about 125 000 miles per year of course he had regularly serviced his truck and that's why it lasted extremely long like that in fact he had serviced the truck at the dealership 117 times over the years anyway that year toyota gave him a brand new 2016 toyota tundra in exchange for his 07 model then toyota disassembled his old one to study its durability and reliability of course many people already view toyota as a very reliable brand and this just goes to show further that if you maintain your car regularly you can go a long way but guess who's the biggest competitor of the tundra it's the ford f-150 it's been america's number one best-selling pickup truck since 1977. how do you compete with a popular vehicle like that well let's rewind and see how the race started between these two the ford f series began in 1948 but it wasn't until 1975 during the sixth generation of the f series that america saw the f-150 line for full history check out my video on the ford f-150 it was 1999 toyota had another pickup already in the market when they released the tundra but the tundra was the first full-size pickup from a japanese manufacturer to be built in north america the first generation tundra immediately stood out from other toyota pickup it was the first toyota pickup to offer a v8 engine toyota sold over 100 000 vehicles in its first year despite this american perception of the tundra was that it was a smaller and weaker truck than the competing ford trucks it would be an uphill battle for the tundra around this time ford f-series was already in its 10th generation at the time the driving experience was more carlos that's because ford wanted the trucks to have the comforts of suvs in 2001 the f-150 became the first vehicle of its size to offer four full-size doors this model offered the 5.4 liter v8 it was the first overhead camshaft engine ever installed in a full-size pickup truck in the meantime the tundra was still in its infancy toyota gave the tundra a new grill they also introduced the double cab which had four doors and additional space for backseat passengers to better compete in the market meanwhile ford launched its 11th generation f series in 2004. the f-150 was even larger and taller this generation saw a new platform including rear shock absorbers that were installed outside the frame to reduce wheel bounce and improve ride quality and in the independent front suspension vacuum driven front wheel hubs for all wheel drive versions were added in 0.05 ford f-150 received many awards and recognition this generation really paved the way in taking f-150 more mainstream in the meantime the tundra had a towing capacity of 7 100 pounds it was a good step forward for the tundra it got positive safety reviews the problem was it didn't offer full-size truck drivers enough of what they expected from a large pickup and toyota understood that that's why toyota introduced its second generation tundra the tundra got larger than the previous generation stylistically it has similarities with the tacoma it also offered a brand new engine a 5.7 liter v8 engine that output 381 horsepower toyota wanted the tundra to appeal more to construction workers that's why this generation tundra started seeing extra large door handles a deck rail system integrated tow hitch even a headrest that would fit a person wearing a hard hat meanwhile at ford the f-150 was growing in size again almost getting close to heavy duty trucks starting in 2009 for the first time in history a v8 engine came standard on all f series models instead of a six-cylinder engine the f-150 was also noticeably taller and larger all versions of the cab had four doors overall this generation f-150 appeared even more aggressive as ford was now starting to race with the ram 1500 and chevy silverado in the meantime the tundra was still in its second generation but 2014 saw a major design update in fact some people consider the start of a third generation but actually it's not because there were no changes to the chassis or powertrain but the changes that did come included a larger grille more prominent fenders on front and back and overall a more chiseled look toyota also made performance improvements like better suspension and handling that same year 2014 toy introduced a fresh new trim called 1794. the 1794 edition commemorated the founding of the cattle ranch in san antonio that was the site of the toyota assembly plant where the tundras were built the 1794 edition reflected a western cowboy theme for example it had saddle brown leather upholstery imitation suede inserts and matching leather bits on the shift console door trim and instrument panel meanwhile soon after ford introduced the 13th generation f-series for the first time the f-150 came with aluminum panels versus steel panels from previous generations this makes the f-150 lighter by 750 pounds the f-150 also turned more family-friendly starting with this error ford is currently at its 14th generation f series the 2021 f-150 underwent a redesign of 92 percent of its parts ford also introduced an optional gasoline electric hybrid powertrain ford plans to introduce fully electric f-150 by 2022 compete with the gmc hummer ev and tesla cybertron in the meantime toyota introduced the new special edition models of the 2021 tundra called trail and nightshade the changes focus more on the truck's styling rather than feature improvements as with all vehicles both the f-150 and the tundra have had their share of good years and bad some model years are just better than others and some model years have received more consumer complaints than others so if you want a reliable used f-150 or tundra which model years should you consider and which ones should you avoid let's start with f-150 year 2019 is worthy because that year saw the highest towing capacity of any of its contemporaries throwing over 13 000 pounds it's a serious truck but it's also comfortable this generation saw a few safety recall concerns and a limited number of concerns about the powertrain but overall it's generally reliable years 2018 2017 and 2014 rated well overall too what about years to avoid in the fords that includes 2004 to 2009 years 2004 and 2005 especially where disaster years for ford and cause ford to lose some customer trust that's because those model years face severe engine and transmission failures been a lot of recalls for these model years too including recalls for inadvertent airbag deployment which can actually be quite dangerous and cause serious injury except for the year 2014 the f-150s for model use 2010-2016 fared better but still took a beating complaints for those years were about power loss while driving and also breaking grout the brakes would fail and the rotors would need to be replaced earlier than expected well what about the toyota tundra among the best in the used tundras include the model year 2015 because it got a face lift in the previous model and had noteworthy off-roading capability the 2013 tundra is worth noting because it won several awards including five star safety options from the national highway traffic safety association it was also the first tundra model to offer the trd rock warrior trim the 2009 model year had one of the fewest customer complaints but what about the tundra's bad years well one model year you received the most customer complaints the 2007 tundra was problematic because it had the most engine problem anywhere from air injection pump failure sticking air pumps and knocking in the pistons there's also reports from the nhtsa about problems with the speed control engine cooling system and even accelerated pedal model years 2008 and 2005 had similar engine concerns but not as many complaints as 2007 but the worst tundra to date is the model year 2012 based on volume of customer complaints and average repair costs the most common problem for that year was was air induction pump failure and that's an expensive repair job it can be over three thousand dollars another common problem for that year has been early transmission failure even as early as nine to ten thousand miles and that's not cheap either it can be over five thousand dollars that all said here's an interesting fact about the 2012 tundra did you know that in october 2012 the toyota tundra was used to tow the space shuttle endeavour over the los angeles freeway imagine that the space shuttle weighed 155 000 pounds and the tow equipment added another hundred and twenty thousand pounds the tundra was only rated to tow ten thousand pounds and toyota said the truck was not modified or enhanced to accomplish the pill of course there was a specially designed rig to help the truck pull the shuttle but even with that you can imagine how much muscle and power was still used to the max ford's f-series remains america's best-selling truck for the 44th consecutive year last year ford sold more than 700 787 000 of the f series the numbers speak for themselves these trucks hold their value well depending on condition they can hold around 50 percent of their original value after five years that's 25 more than average vehicles the toyota tundra doesn't even come close to ford in sales toyota sold over 109 000 tundras last year but it is known for longevity reliability and good resale value even used ones can carry a lot of life if regular maintenance is done for eight of the last nine years consumer reports has named the tundra the most reliable pickup in america even though the tundra doesn't have all the latest and greatest technology tundra's advantage is that it carries the toyota quality and dependability but you tell me which do you like and why toyota tundra which has potential to drive a million miles and control a space shuttle or ford f-150 one of america's most beloved and most popular trucks which has stood the test of time and has the sales numbers to show it write your comments below and share your opinion if you like this episode please subscribe to my channel for more car technology and history videos thanks for your support

Channel: Scotty Kilmer

Views: 382,887

Rating: 4.912322 out of 5

Keywords: auto, auto repair, car, car diy, car repair, cars, diy, how to, mechanic, repair, scotty kilmer, car review, best cars, best cars ever, best used cars, best used cars to buy, car buying, cars to buy, cars you should buy, good cars, good cars to buy, most reliable cars, reliable cars, reliable used cars, top, top 5, top 5 reliable cars, top most reliable cars, used cars, used cars to buy, vehicles, suvs, suv, truck, trucks, best truck, best suv, best suvs, best trucks, best car

Id: inaqHwZme4g

Length: 32min 21sec (1941 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 06 2021