The Best and Worst SUVs to Buy

today i'm going to talk about five used suvs that you should buy now suvs are getting more and more popular everywhere i go now i generally see suvs instead of cars but since they're so popular guess what the good ones are really expensive why not buy a used one to save some of your hard-earned money now as usual when i'm talking about buying a good used vehicle i'm talking about reliable vehicles vehicles that get decent gas mileage now number five on the listing honda crv 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 two 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 with the 2015 model year honda offered the crv with the cvt continuously variable transmission and improved suspension 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 in 2016 the horsepower went up on the crv up to 185 horsepower so it's got plenty of acceleration and they handled quite well the crvs were always a pretty good handling suv i mean honda let's face it it was a motorcycle company originally they're really into handling and gas mileage it gets decent gas mileage on the highway 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 to 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 1010 also saw recalls for problems around the airbag electrical system and transmission control modules they don't have too many problems they held up quite well over time i got accused with the one that's got 350 000 miles on it and although it's got little rattles and creeks and stuff and it's still running pretty good now the 2016 crvs did have one problem was if you get the all-wheel drive version the rear differential a lot of times they have a tendency of making noise let's say you're turning the corner we'll call the wheels closest to the curb the inner wheels and we'll call the wheels farthest from the curb the outer wheels so when you're cornering the outer wheels need to travel a longer distance than the inner wheels they can do that only if they spin faster and spin more than the inner wheels do that's where the differential comes in the main purpose of a differential is to allow the drive wheels to turn at different rpms while receiving power from the engine that's why the mechanism is called a differential because it comes from latin root word differentia which means difference my advice is just get a two wheel drive one now you get all-wheel drive you're going to spend a lot more money on maintenance you're going to get worse gas mileage unless you absolutely need all-wheel or four-wheel drive my advice stick to front-wheel drive hey i grew up up north and you got a front-wheel drive car up there they go fine in the snow most of the time and some of the honda crvs had a problem with the air conditioning clutch either making noise wearing out but honda recently issued a warranty for a hundred thousand miles or seven years on those things so if you get one that's got a noisy compressor hey honda's gotta fix it for free now number four on the list is a 2016 acura rdx you're gonna pay a lot more for it acura honda it's the same company so honda had experienced significant sales growth there was something else that helped han to become a leader in the car market japanese companies including honda were selling cars in the u.s market but assembling them in japan but honda made a different move they became the first japanese manufacturer to assemble cars in the united states it was a groundbreaking move they set up a new plant in ohio in 1980 and it's still there i've been there it's quite amazing honda's most popular models were the civic accord and the prelude the most expensive honda accord sold for around ten thousand dollars the design was so simplistic that it lacked features such as power windows and leather upholstery at the time mercedes bmw and audi dominated the luxury market worldwide but honda had one important advantage their assembly plant in the united states by 1981 honda began designing a new car for the luxury market it was to be a sedan larger than the accord with honda's first ever v6 engine but they had one huge problem the generation of americans who grew up with honda cars during the economic crisis associated the honda brand with the economy class it would be an uphill battle to change their perception to luxury any words like premium and luxury together with the word honda just confused people honda developed a new sedan called the hx which would later be called the legend the main mechanical difference between the legend versus toyota mazda nissan sedans was that this car was a front-wheel drive car the design of the legend was finished in 1982. of course any new endeavor always carries a certain amount of risk but to associate a new brand with luxury when it only had one model in stock was double the risk honda realized the risks and they took no chances the company needed guaranteed success not just a wild bet so honda decided to create another car that would rank below the hx but without weakening the image of the luxury and performance that it needed this new car was called integra it had a 16-valve four-cylinder engine with twin camshafts an electric fuel injection system a sophisticated chassis setup and attractive styling the integra made the statement that the car maker was not just luxury sedans but also premium sports coupes the integra competed with the volkswagen gti and its style technology and performance complemented the hx and the new division so having the second model under their belt put them in a better position but still there was another big risk honda's marketing team had a big decision to make how do you convince potential buyers to choose a luxury car from honda after all most buyers weren't interested in paying more for a car with the honda h logo that's why in 1984 executives made the decision to launch the new luxury division with its own unique name and associated with the honda name so that it could stand on its own how do you create a name from scratch so there was an american design company called name lab they're naming experts that's what they do they create names for companies and products most people haven't heard of this company but you've certainly heard of some of the names they created for example autozone nissan sentra chevy lumina gmc savannah and compaq naming is a whole science of its own and can involve psychologists linguists and semanticists here's how nameland tackled the naming project for honda after several brainstorming sessions and meetings they finally landed on the word accu which is a latin word meaning mechanically precise or made with precision they use this word as the basis to create a new word and name the acura logo according to honda represents a vernier caliper the caliper is a tool used for making high precision measurements so you can see how it fits with the name people usually see how it forms a stylized letter a for acura although some people also say they see a skewed letter h as a hidden affinity with its parent company honda that's what i always saw now this isn't the original logo but it has been in use since 1990. in november 1984 a secret meeting was held at the hilton anatole hotel in dallas this meeting brought together potential dealers and honda executives in america at the meeting a dealership network plan for acura was unveiled and it laid out the requirements for potential dealers first they needed to have capital to build a new dealership new dealerships needed to be separate from existing honda dealerships and they could not even be geographically close to them they also had a different appearance from honda dealerships and not just the physical appearance each dealership needed to have a dedicated customer service center the strategy was to show consumers that buying an acura wasn't just about buying an expensive honda car but that it was a long-term relationship and an experience you know they got quality vehicles but they are a rather luxurious car you want more luxury and suv you might think acura you get 279 horsepower and still get 29 miles a gallon on a highway if you don't drive like a maniac they got insane acceleration my customers with them when i work on them and then road testing boy they really are fun to drive yeah they really have a smooth ride they're one of the smoothest riding suvs by the end of the first year accurate sold 52 869 cars and had grown to 150 dealerships in 1987 sales continued to climb with that you're announcing sales of 109 470 cars that year this wasn't just double the previous year's sales but it also surpassed all sales of european luxury car brands in the united states combined by the end of 1987 acura had already established itself as a luxury brand with an award-winning lineup of sedans and coupes and of course a significant mark of success was when toyota nissan noticed and announced plans to create their own luxury car divisions in 1987 by entering the ultra competitive american market with virtually only two factory luxury models honda risked its image but thirty years later we see that the brand has not given up its position in the luxury car market the one downside of this vehicle is it is big and relatively heavy and it's fast but it takes 184 feet to stop when you're going 70 miles an hour so you're not going to be bragging about how fast the thing can stop it takes off all right you got to be a little bit careful with your uh acceleration there you don't want to drive too fast in a heavy vehicle like that the front wheel drive ones are fine the all-wheel drive acuras have always had a history of problems with four-wheel drive transmission systems so put simply each terminology refers to the wheels that an engine powers and drives for example in a front-wheel drive car the engine drives the front wheels only in essence the front wheels pull the car and the rear wheels don't receive engine power most modern front wheel drive cars feature a transverse engine which is mounted so that the crankshaft axi is perpendicular to the direction of travel a front-wheel drive offers better traction than a rear-wheel drive when climbing hills since the engine's weight sits on the front wheels a front-wheel drive requires fewer parts is cheaper to make and is more space efficient than a rear-wheel drive it also has better fuel economy because it's lighter in weight that's why most passenger cars on the road today are front wheel drive the disadvantage to front wheel drive is that it's not as effective in low traction situations like gravel and ice also being nose heavy can make it harder to handle in high speeds or with heavy loads it can also under steer when the front wheels lose traction and the car drifts outside of the turn rear-wheel drive means the engine powers the rear wheels in other words the rear wheels push the car forward the front wheels don't receive any engine power and they're just free to steer and maneuver the car this used to be the most common configuration in cars to the late 1900s but nowadays it's usually found in pickup trucks truck-based suvs sports cars and high performance and luxury sedans most rear-wheel drive cars feature a longitudinally mounted engine usually at the front of the car where the crankshaft is oriented along the vehicle axis from front to back in general rear-wheel drive provides better traction for trucks with a heavy load on a performance car rear-wheel drive improves handily that's because it balances the car's weight more evenly from front to rear also allowing the front tires to specialize in steering while the rear tires do the driving vastly improves both steering feel and ultimate cornering grip but rear-wheel drive provides less traction on slippery roads and don't perform as well in poor weather conditions like snow and ice in an all-wheel drive car the engine powers the front and rear wheels there are two kinds of all-wheel drive systems the first is full-time all-wheel drive where both the front and rear axles are driven continuously meaning all the time the second is part-time all-wheel drive which mainly drives two wheels and then automatically powers all four corners when traction is needed an all-wheel drive is really useful in light off-roading with mud sand and loose surfaces or rapidly changing road conditions like intermittent snow and ice you can usually find all-wheel drive layouts and passenger cars crossovers and minivans but all-wheel drive requires more parts and therefore it's more expensive to buy and cost more to repair compared to front wheel drive or rear-wheel drive it's also heavier in weight and therefore has horror gas mileage some people use the terms all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive interchangeably but actually there is a difference a four-wheel drive is usually seen in trucks and large suvs it's not designed for paved roads but instead it's optimized for severe and serious off-road duty like driving across deep water climbing over boulders or steep hills with loose low traction surfaces four wheel drive systems use a series of front center and rear differentials among other things to provide torque to all four wheels when needed in most systems the driver can manually select low and high gear ranges the low setting gives maximum traction on off-road the high setting is useful for slippery road conditions like snow ice sand or loose gravel four-wheel drive is often paired with heavy duty suspension resulting in a stiffer ride than you'd get in a two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicle these systems increase the vehicle's price tag and also take a toll on fuel economy there are two types of four-wheel drive a full-time four-wheel drive operates like a full-time all-wheel drive with all four wheels receiving power continuously in some designs the driver may have the option of controlling how power is apportioned to the front and rear axles through selectable modes then there's part-time four-wheel drive which powers two wheels off in the rear wheels and when additional traction is needed the driver can engage all four wheels when needed some systems allow the driver to lock the differentials for extra traction in extreme off-road conditions the overall disadvantage with the four-wheel drive is that it requires more parts and is more expensive to buy than a front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive it also weighs more which means lower gas mileage so which system is the most fuel efficient it's the layout where energy travels the shortest distance so this means a transverse engine located next to the axle it's powering put simply a front engine front wheel drive or rear engine rear wheel drive on the most fuel efficient all-wheel drives can never be as efficient as front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive with the traditional combustion engine although there are exceptions to all-wheel drive systems that incorporate an electric motor at either axle for example the electric tesla model wire the toyota rav4 plug-in hybrid which system is the most space efficient here too advantage goes to the transverse engine that's closest to the driven axle for example a front engine front wheel drive so there's a popular myth that an all-wheel drive is a safest choice in winter and that an all-wheel drive can handle absolutely anything but sadly that's not entirely true so what's the danger with that belief well it gives drivers of all-wheel drive cars a false sense of security which can result in drivers driving faster and braking too abruptly in snowy or icy weather another danger is that the all-wheel drive can mask how slippery the road really is so that the driver doesn't know that he needs to adjust his driving behavior whereas the driver of a front or rear wheel drive car will notice his tires slipping some and since the loss of traction on the road surface much sooner and slow down so let's be clear the reality is that no vehicle is infallible regardless of the drive system any vehicle can lose traction and spin both all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are designed to increase straight line traction and can give you an advantage but neither system aid and braking in fact when braking an all-wheel drive just adds an unhelpful mass and inertia which is why we see even all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive cars in the ditch after a snowstorm all-wheel drive is a performance feature not a safety feature braking or stopping all comes down to how much grip your tires have sending engine power to a tire doesn't make the tire develop more grip on slippery roads an all-wheel drive car can accelerate better than the two-wheel drive car with the same tires but it won't have more grip in fact research shows that a front-wheel drive with snow tires is more adept at handling a snowy terrain than an all-wheel drive on factory tires the secret is good old-fashioned snow tires that's because snow tires are designed to maximize traction especially wet and slippery conditions point is if you drive in an area with inclement weather it's worth investing in snow tires regardless of whatever drive system your car has of course the best traction solution is all-wheel drive with winter tires but remember when you're turning or braking all-wheel drive system only adds mass and inertia so in that sense the ultimate winter safety of a front-wheel drive car with winter tires can eclipse that of an all-wheel drive car are certain drive types more popular in certain locations you bet so there's an automotive market research firm called ic cars a couple of years back they analyzed over 11 million registered cars in the 50 u.s states plus washington dc they found for example that 72 percent of the cars on the road in montana are either far-wheel drive or all-wheel drive montana has over 100 mountain ranges mainly dirt roads lots of snow so that explains why many all weather cars are popular there and it's not surprising that the four states border in montana wyoming north dakota south dakota and idaho also made the list of states with the most four-wheel drive in all-wheel drive cars in america it should come as no surprise that states with the lowest percentage of all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive cars were mainly states relatively flat terrain and temperate climates i would definitely stick to two-wheel drive if i was going to buy one of these number three on the list is a 2016 toyota rav4 the rav4 and the cr-v have been duking it out for a long time they're both excellent smaller sized suvs 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 rib for a head start 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 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 crab for sale doubled from almost 71 000 units in 2005 to over 152 000 units in 2006. 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 next the third row they shorten the car length by about two inches and height by one inch then they fatten 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 the 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 very visible when you're driving around you can see everything some suvs they're hard to back up and they got blind spots but the rav4 really doesn't that's a pretty quiet ride now i've been working on cars a long time the early rav4s hey they were rattle traps they bounced and rattled they could run forever i got a customer once got 500 000 miles on it new ones are a lot smoother than the old ones were and with all toyotas my customers wetsum they just keep driving and driving them the main reason i see them is to change the oil in the car and yeah the brake pads wear out i do brake jobs on them but uh they are a really solid built car the rav4s have a lot of space inside and they handle quite well now some of them did a problem with the electric door actuators my son actually bought one and the electric door actually was broke so he went online and got deeper door extra waiters and put them in instead of buying the super expensive toyota ones and they're not race cars you know they're not like the acura with 278 horsepower they only got 176 horsepower but still it's a smaller vehicle it's enough power to get it around 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 both crossovers have five passenger seats the cr-v offers a bit more legroom for the back seat passengers both come standard with claws 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 cr-v offers a bit more cargo value 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 a hundred and twelve thousand miles the average cost to address this was about twenty six hundred dollars 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 now number two on the list is a 2016 toyota highlander you're given a four-cylinder six-cylinder they don't have a hybrid version but the most popular ones are the v6 engines they're smooth and man they can run forever i got a customer the one that's got 550 000 miles on original engine original transmission and it still runs pretty good people get it when he tells them the mileage they have they just don't believe i know it's true because i've worked on the car since he bought it in 2001 toyota introduced the very first highlander it differed from the explorer which was truck based whereas the highlander was one of the very first car based mid-sized suvs it was built on the same platform as the toyota camry its unibody structure and four wheel independent suspension gave it a comfortable route soon after toyota followed suit they also gave the highlander a third row and they updated the engine this time with a 3.3 liter v6 engine toyota also surprised america when he introduced a highlander hybrid which was the world's very first hybrid suv toyota launched its second generation highlander it was larger in size compared to the previous generation and it wasn't just length and width but also one inch more ground clearance the highlander hybrid retained its 3.3 liter v6 which was paired with electric motors for a total of 270 horsepower toyota released its third generation highlander now it was rounder and looked more similar to other suvs in its class it was also beefed up it was longer wider and for the first time the highlander could now seat up to eight people this also saw new safety features like blind spot monitoring lane departure warning and pre-collision warning systems shortly thereafter toyota gave birth to the fourth generation highlander starting with the 2020 model what's very unique is that it was tuned for the infamous 405 commute in case you're not familiar the 405 is a well-known freeway in los angeles it has hills corners curves and barriers and residents call it the world's largest parking lot so you can imagine how insanely bad the traffic is that's why the toyota tuned a highlander for a typical 405 commute so what does that mean they actually drove several prototypes on the 405 as part of their research and development and testing process and toyota paid particular attention to the highlanders ability to accelerate confidently and predictably on short on-ramps steer responsibly to tackle curves and corners the 2020 highlanders was larger and wider and had an additional 2.4 inches to the wheelbase there's just cameras inside there's all kinds of room for a family if you're looking for something to haul your family around and go to the grand canyon and travel around the country hey the highliner's probably for you behind the front seats there's 83.7 cubic feet of space that's a lot of space you know you could probably sell them a tent in there if you wanted to now the only downside that i really see in them is if you do want a third road seat the third row seat in the highlander is somewhat cramped behind it's not you know huge it doesn't have the space that something like a sequoia has for its size the islanders the best suv in that size range and for that price a model you might want to avoid is 2015. that year received the most number of complaints by owners the most common complaints were around uncomfortable front seats wind noise and the navigation screen display freezing up and rebooting but even worse is the 2003 highlander owners reported issues around coolant leaks and also the engine block bolts giving way due to strip threads in the engine some of those issues resulted in a complete engine replacement which is quite expensive there were also complaints around brake pads and rotors wearing out prematurely so overall the 2003 model had the costly of repair so it's best to avoid as for note where the used models the 2007 highlanders received the very least complaints and even those are very minor 2013 and 16 highlanders were also viable they received high reliability and safety ratings there were a few recalls issued so be sure those have been repaired or addressed if you're looking at a used model the 2016 highlander has been listed among three-seater suvs that are fuel efficient and that was for both the gas engine and the hybrid versions also the 2017 and 18 highlanders received only a few complaints and none were critical because realize there's lots of suvs out there that have a lot of space they cost less but they're not going to hold up like a toyota island i've seen guys get chryslers did gm's some of my customers they'll go through two or three or four of those things one right after another and another customer who bought new highlander is still driving a highlander after those other people have bought two or three or more cars to replace theirs as they fell apart now my top pick for buying a used suv it's a 2016 lexus rx350 and sure they're not giving them away they cost a lot of money but as the saying goes you get what you pay for for what you're paying afford you get you really can't beat the lexus psu togo he was the president of toyota motor sales usa one day he realized that most of his successful friends and colleagues owned mercedes and bmws but few considered buying a toyota toyota had a solid reputation of building quality cars and its production was considered one of the best in the world but there was no singular car in toyota's lineup that carried an image of prestige wealth or social status and here's why there was the famous oil crisis in the 1970s it caused fuel prices to skyrocket and that caused consumers to turn their attention to japanese cars since they were inexpensive and economical so as a result japanese car sales grew in the u.s and european markets this further fed the perception that japanese cars were reliable and had better fuel economy in the united states toyotas became generally associated with pickups by the 80s the economy recovered people became financially comfortable again and were able to buy cars that cost more in people's minds toyota was the economy and mainstream category it wasn't considered to be in the class of high end or luxury cars togo believed that toyota could build a true luxury car one that would fit a high-end lifestyle a car of the highest quality no worse than mercedes-benz he was confident that it would succeed in august 1983 at a confidential meeting of toyota corporation's board of directors chairman ieg toyota voice togo's idea but yukiya sotogo's idea was received with more skepticism than enthusiasm creating a new luxury brand would mean spending more money on resources and production but to me consumer demand the company decided to take the bold step toyota set a goal to surpass the best luxury cars and speed economy weak aerodynamics and noise or lack thereof and they dared to achieve all of that without reducing quality and reliability they aimed to launch a new era for toyota in 1984 they began project f1 with all ideas goals and objectives for the development of a premium car the name f1 had nothing to do with formula one instead the letter f and the code name stood for flagship and the number one referred to the goal of being a luxury sedan of the highest class the first of its kind to exceed quality while being affordable the project name reflected their ambitions the main engineers of the project were shouiji jimbo and ichiro suzuchi it involved a total of 60 designers 1400 engineers 2300 technicians and 220 auxiliary workers by the end of project f1 about 450 prototypes had been designed with the cost of the project exceeding 1 billion dollars in may 1985 the development of the luxury car prototype was in full swing toyota did large-scale research on the luxury car market in the usa that year some designers and developers rented a house in laguna beach california to explore the taste and lifestyle of premium car buyers in the united states their studies found that the popular premium cars had lower performance characteristics than expected scoring just fourth place out of five the thing that was most important to consumers was brand prestige and image high quality materials and attractive design so after this study the chief engineer ichiro suzuki knew that two criteria he should focus on the most exceptional performance and a unique stylish design but the developers faced an almost impossible task to achieve one feature of the car meant you had to sacrifice another for example to reduce fuel consumption you need to reduce the weight of the car but to reduce engine noise you need more sound proofing material which adds weight to the car so now you have a conflict and you have to find a compromise and it's a vicious circle here's another example luxury cars need to be elegant and have aesthetic appeal but optimizing aerodynamics impacts the overall design of the car suzuki was convinced that these conflicts could be resolved without needing to compromise and he succeeded for the noise and weight problem he reasoned you could eliminate the cause of the noise instead of working to eliminate the consequences of a noisy engine but to approach it from that angle he needed to design a completely different engine suzuki took advantage of being the chief engineer of the new project he was able to persuade the chief equipment engineer of toyota to create one experimental engine according to suzuki's drawings the company's leading experts assembled it by hand and the results were impressive the engine had lower vibrations and therefore minimal noise and it had noteworthy fuel economy because of the size in july 1985 they assembled the first prototype there were many opinions about the name choice they saw the value of keeping it under the toyota brand while others suggested creating a new brand specific to the luxury line they finally decided on a new brand name and a new sales channel to give the car an opportunity to create a fresh image in consumers minds rather than being associated with the image and perception of its parent toyota there are several different stories of how the lexus name was chosen according to one story the team held brainstorming sessions and came up with 219 possible names the names alexis and celsius took the lead alexis got more votes but then many people associated with the name of the heroine alexis carrington colby in the tv series dynasty so they came up with an idea to modify it into something similar eventually landing on lexus according to another story the word lexus was invented by editing the word luxury and elegance some people believe that lexus is a modification of the latin word luxus yet another theory is that lexus was an acronym that stood for luxury exports to the u.s later in an interview with team one the ad agency for the brand said the name lexus didn't have any particular meaning and that it simply connoted luxury and technology in 1985 the first prototype for lexus ls400 appeared the ls stood for luxury sedan and the 400 stood for its 4 liter engine if you think that lexus went in production immediately thereafter well that's an overestimation these incredibly industrious workers spend another four years perfecting the creation in 1986 the ls400 passed road tests in germany canada and sweden it overcame snow drifts while maneuvering on winding mountain roads the test results led to the improvement of the steering and suspension system in may 1987 after eight different designs were presented the management team finally approved one body design and so on january 2nd 1988 after years of development lexus as a brand and a car was introduced at the los angeles auto show in january 1989 at the detroit murder show the world saw the first lexus models the ls400 and es250 es stood for executive sedans and 250 stood for its 2.5 liter engine the ls400 received praise for its excellent handling ergonomic interior engine performance build quality aerodynamics fuel economy and cost previously what was thought to be impossible had become possible the ls400 engine turned out to be unusually quiet with minimal vibrations it was a huge milestone for the company in fact they took advantage of that as a key marketing message one of the first lexus edge showed a stacked pyramid of delicate champagne glasses on the hood of the car then the car accelerated quickly and reached the maximum speed of 145 miles an hour yet even at that engine speed fast gear changes the engine produced virtually no vibration the glass pyramid remained intact on the lexus hood they didn't slide off or tip over there wasn't a single spill after six months of sales in february 1990 the u.s media recognized the lexus ls400 as the best imported car in the market no other car model in the world had ever experienced such a triumphant start since 1991 the ls400 topped customer satisfaction rating for five consecutive years and they still hold that record today the 2016 had its suspension done over so it's more responsive because hey let's face it they're competing with the acura's really good handling and now the lexus hey it's got really good handling too but it still has a really smooth ride and of course it's got all the electronic bells and whistles that people seem to want these days but the most interesting thing is their electric power steering it actually gives you more feedback than the conventional steering it's got various settings on it and you actually get a better feel of the road with electronic steering than it did with the old manual one with hydraulic power assist like most lexus it's got a luxurious trim inside and it also has a very quiet ride guys spend years perfecting things typical japanese you know they start out with something and then they just start making it better a little bit a little bit at a time and rather than jump from one model to another they perfect what they have it's a better philosophy really but for those of you who are looking for cramming as many people as you can inside no luck on this because they don't come with third row seating i'm assuming they didn't want to destroy the luxuriousness of the vehicle cramming in a third row seat where it really didn't fit and messing with the ride i kind of agree with them you want third row seating hey go get a gigantic toyota like a sequoia or something so that you know five suvs that would be great vehicles to buy use cause hey so popular these days they're not giving away the new ones so why not try to save a little money find a used one instead that's going to last five best used cars that you can buy now i know there's lots of people out there talking about what's good and what's bad but really if you want to learn about what used cars to buy ask a mechanic like me because just out of curiosity i googled some of that advice on the internet who we stay away from it i even saw some that had three of the top five being chrysler products which every mechanic knows are some of the worst made vehicles out there so they'll say they're good to buy used you don't want to listen to people's advice and don't know what they're talking about i hate it when i buy something that doesn't hold up over time and over the last 51 years i hate it when my customers buy cars that don't hold up over time hey i like my customers i want them to tell their friends about me to say hey he's a good mechanic he knows how to fix your car and it isn't always breaking down all the time and he's making up stuff just to make money so cars don't listen to used car advice from somebody say who only works on jaguars he's gonna tell you to buy a jaguar you know hey i work on all kinds of different cars i don't care what people drive but if they want a good car i'll give them advice and here's my advice on the five used cars to buy and number five is the 2012 honda accord and i know some people are gonna say hey scotty you warned us about hondas with weak automatic transmissions and that is true the 2005 to 2010 honda accords with automatic transmissions have a recall for their automatic transmission because it had a design flaw but not the 2012 did you know that the honda accord was originally based on the civic initially honda wanted a larger quieted more powerful and comfortable car than the civic that's why they made the cord hatchback in 1976 as a simple three-door hatchback with 68 horsepower it was honda's test shot a year later they started producing the sedan edition the car was equipped with a 1.6 liter gasoline engine soon after came the 1.8 liter engine it was fuel efficient so it sold very well during the oil crisis years honda in the meantime was experiencing strong sales in the u.s this led honda to build a factory in marysville ohio in 1982 to assemble the accord in fact the second generation accord is noteworthy because it was assembled in the marysville plan in fact the accord became the first japanese car to be produced on u.s soil the car came available in sedan and hatchback form honda released the third generation accord they redesigned the sedan and hatchback and added a coupe version it had pop-up headlights and four corner double wishbone suspensions honda changed its mind on the headlights of the fourth generation accord they replaced the pop-up headlights for fixed ones the accords of this area were lower wider more spacious and the accord came to be classified in the midsize sedan class honda soon nixed the hatchback version and started offering a wagon configuration in the u.s by then the basic bottle came with 125 horsepower 2.2 liter single overhead cam 4-cylinder engine next honda broke ground with their fifth generation honda accord the air introduced two huge milestones it was the first accord to come with v-tech known as variable valve timing and lift this was a game changer if you missed my video on vtech check it out it's in this era that honda also started offering the v6 engine option for the accord with its sixth generation accord this generation came with the option for a more powerful 135 horsepower 2.3 liter 4-cylinder engine and a 200 horsepower 3-liter v6 engine honda continued to increase power output with a 7th generation accord the model year 2005 was notable for the first hybridized accord but fuel economy was mediocre and the car did not do so well honda then gave a noticeable facelift with the eighth generation honda accord it was sportier than the previous generation and came with a 286 horsepower v6 in the meantime honda kicked off its ninth generation accord by debuting the cvt transmission honda also introduced the new accord sports model it was offered with dual exhaust outlets sportier wheels and a standard six-speed manual transmission today the latest honda accords are in the 10th generation honda kicked off this generation accord by debuting the cvt transmission honda nix the coupe style and v6 engine option and instead we started seeing the basic 1.5 liter v-tech turbo 4-cylinder engine and the optional 2-liter v-tec turbo 4-cylinder the accord hybrid went on sale the following year the best used accords are from the model years 2013 2015 2017 and 2019. the model year with the most overall complaints is 2008. the most reported problem for the 2008 honda accord was premature breakwear consumers also complained about excessive oil consumption and uncomfortable seats but that's not the worst year the worst model year for the accord was 2003 not by number of complaints but higher repair costs and more problems at lower mileage many of the 2003 accords had transmission problems that year also received complaints for its v6 engine issue wondering how many miles a honda accord can last and a cord also has the potential to last that long if it's cared for properly even if you buy a used model consumer reports has claimed that a cord is one of the most likely car to be able to last long like that i've got customers with 2012 honda accords and they love the cars from my experience and my customers cars the four-cylinder ones seem to last absolute longest some guys want the v6s because they want more power and stuff but they do have a tendency of wearing out a little bit faster and the force have plenty of power and get quite a bit better gas mileage and a lot of family guys love these accords because they're zippy sporty cars you get a four-door yeah you put a whole family in there but it's not like you're driving around in a minivan and here you want to realize another thing about buying a used car don't always go for the cheapest price because a lot of reason cars are cheap is because they aren't very good cars when you're at a store like walmart or amazon it's clear-cut what the price of an item is but when you're at a car dealership things are far more complex the listed price is likely not the final price you'll end up paying what's the difference between sticker price invoice price or msrp let's start with msrp this is the manufacturer's suggested retail price it's the price the car maker recommends the dealer to sell it at it'd be like grabbing a soda can at walmart being able to see coca-cola's suggested price for what it's worth even though you end up paying walmart's price at the end of the day of course in reality coca-cola doesn't put their suggested price on items at walmart so why do car makers set it and why do dealerships publish it let's say you want to buy a smartphone from apple you know exactly what the price is and it's most likely the lowest price you'll find because apple is the manufacturer and direct distributor they set their own prices but car makers cannot mandate dealerships to sell at any particular price that's because of state franchise laws you can't directly buy a car from a manufacturer but only from dealerships and third parties before state franchise laws existed manufacturers were able to sell cars in many ways but states created franchise laws to protect consumers and communities so how does this protect us if you're an entrepreneur and you want to open a store to sell cars you have lots of expenses like facility rental employees utilities marketing costs that's why you have to mark up the price when you sell each car to cover your expenses if the car maker was able to sell cars directly and compete with you they have an unfair advantage because they can sell for a cheaper price than you they're larger than local businesses they have unlimited resources and they don't have the unique overhead you do that's why governments set regulations to protect local businesses from the car manufacturer itself and all this is why car makers cannot sell directly to the public actually this is a win-win for both the car maker and the dealership both support each other and work together let's get back to coca-cola it's a similar situation there you as a consumer don't buy soda directly from coca-cola in atlanta but you get it from a reseller now we're talking about a car though which costs thousands of dollars not a can of pop it's just a dollar if i said you can buy soda directly from the coca-cola factory in atlanta and it's 50 cents cheaper would you go there likely not but if i said the same thing about a car and it meant you could save five thousand dollars then would you go very likely or even if you don't want to go you'd consider paying someone else to go pick up the car for you for a nominal fee if it meant you could save that much some might argue that car makers sold directly consumers they would still need to cover their overhead and therefore price would be marked up anyway it's like that example of soda versus a car it all depends on how much markup you're willing to pay let's get back to pricing and dig deeper so what's the invoice price let's say you're in florida you grow oranges and you sell orange juice you had a good year and your crop volumes are good would your oranges next year be cheaper probably yes because you have a lot of extra stock now and also so do your competitors which means supply will stay high but you won't go too cheap because your expenses like labor facilities utilities costs might stay the same for example utility company won't give you a lower cost just because your crop yield was good it's similar with a car maker external factors like economic situation pandemic and available supplies impact the car makers expenses so the car maker may or may not give a discount to a dealership sometimes car makers want to support the dealership and help them sell the cars since unsold cars on the floor means it's a fixed cost to the dealer the amount that the dealer pays the car maker is the invoice price it's different from msrp the invoice price can go up or down depending on other factor invoice price is less than msrp because it doesn't include the dealership markup now you might think you understand the invoice price but actually it's not that clear-cut because invoice price is just a rough estimate that is because there's a thing called hold back let's say you're a local reseller of eggs a local chicken farm produces eggs eggs expire after three months during those three months the farm continues to produce more eggs so they want you to sell as much as possible so they can continue selling to you without interruption that's why the farm gives an incentive to the reseller for every egg you sell within one week of delivery the farm gives you three percent the cost you bought the eggs for it's like getting an incentive discount but let's say it takes about two months to sell eggs in that case the farm gives you a smaller percentage this is a simple illustration to help illustrate how the holdout or this incentive impacts the invoice price in the car world the car maker sets a holdback which is usually two or three percent of the invoice price or msrr although typically it's of the latter so even if you know the invoice price that the dealer plays carmen you can't really see what they really make in the car since you don't know what their holdout is okay now that we have an understanding of the msrp versus invoice price versus holdback you probably are wondering what is the difference between msrp and invoice price actually this difference can be quite wide proportionally and by dollar amount for example an economy car without any additional add-ons we usually have the lowest difference between nsrp and invoice price but a popular luxury car at the highest trim level will have a large difference the difference between what the dealer pays the car maker and the sales price you pay is the dealer's profit margin it's no surprise that dealers want to maximize their profit as much as possible that's why they usually start negotiations with the msrp because msrp is usually the highest price you'll otherwise see before the add-ons it's the price you see in all ads most dealers don't want to post their base prices higher than that so how much negotiation room do you have well there's a thing called market value price that's what the other consumers are paying for the same car in your local area let's go back to the example of oranges except now you're a reseller of orange juice in california if other stores can be reselling it for 10 bucks you usually set your price closer to that but if you're a grocery store in florida you might resell oj at five dollars because that's what other competing stores are selling for so market value price depends on local pricing supply and demand incentives and so on typically market value price is somewhere between the invoice price and msrp to understand this further let's talk about austin texas versus silicon valley california the latter has lots of high-tech companies which drive up the cost of living in salaries people have very high salaries let's say two hundred thousand dollars up and they can easily pay higher rent than an employee at walmart but costs just keep getting higher this is one of the reasons why tech companies are migrating to austin where the cost of living is lower this means employee salaries can be lower but they forget that they're looking at current market value in a few years the market values of austin will be higher as more tech companies arrive that's why the market value price is better for the buyer than the msrp but it can vary for location if you visit any car reseller online now you'll see cars are higher priced than normal it's because of demand demand gets higher when supply is limited or low and this drives up the market value price but dealers can sell for higher than msrp yes of course they can and not only because of high demand or low supply some dealerships use this opportunity to sell other add-ons to increase profit for example better floor mats cargo netter wheel locks but don't fall for that bait because they usually bundle those at high price and you can buy similar items elsewhere like an amazon for cheaper price and better quality how much of the msrp can you negotiate the crucial thing is market value any limitation on supply usually increases msrp for popular cars in high demand if you're able to get a few hundred dollars off that's actually a good deal if a car is a lot of recalls or is a less popular design or brand had issues with another line then you might be able to get a better discount if you're really fortunate you might be able to get less than the invoice price if the dealer gives you an incentive like a cash rebate many dealerships typically start negotiations of msrp and it was especially like that before the pandemic but after the pandemic passes in car industry it turns to normal the best approach as a consumer is to use the dealer's asking price as the starting point because often times you'll see the dealership has already discounted the car from msrp your best bet is to do research first on the car even before you get to the dealership have the market value price in mind as your target other things to consider include the manufacturer customer rebate programs this is a discount from the car maker to qualified buyers since the rebate is at the car makers level you can use this at any dealership sometimes you can get a rebate between five hundred dollars to five thousand dollars but also know that there are other fees there's a destination charge you can't avoid this fee that's what the car maker charges the dealership to deliver your car think of a restaurant you pay for the main dish but you also pay for a tip on a service the restaurant owner pays the waiter's wages as the most countries but in the u.s you also pay for the service which includes the way they're bringing the food to you the restaurant that they're pricing to look lower same thing with a car technically they could or should have just added the destination fee to the msrp or invoice price but we need to understand that delivering a car to alaska versus the state next door to you will have a vastly different cost ever wonder why we don't pay destination fee when you buy an iphone or an apple store you do actually but it's already included in the product price a smartphone is small and a low cost to deliver but a car is huge and delivery price obviously isn't cheap you'll also have other fees that will get added to the top of the calculated fee this includes taxes titling another required state or government fees so if you have a good running car it's wise to hang on to it especially during this time when prices are high i know some people see that prices have jumped and they think that they can sell their car at a jacked up price too but they forget if they sell their car and buy another one well then they'll be buying a replacement car also for a higher than normal price personally i feel it's best to hang onto your car until the market normalizes you're going to pay a reasonable lot of money for a 2012 honda accord it's in good shape but hey i've seen them with three 400 000 miles on them so you're gonna get a lot of mileage out of the things as long as they don't already have three or four hundred thousand miles on them now number four on the list it's a 2012 ford fusion used are often seen as an inexpensive family salon one of the reasons is those were made when volvo and ford were having a get-together part way the first time i ever had one i rented it when i was on vacation at an airport and i was totally impressed by how it rode i was never really a fan of the four taurus myself but when i rented this fusion i was impressed they proved to be very reliable cars too and they didn't have the transmission problems that a lot of the tauruses had it was a pretty good move now i mean ford's not making cars anymore they said they're only going to make one the mustang and then suvs and trucks but the ford fusion is a really solid built car and since ford is going to be making cars anymore you can generally pick up a used car cheaper because when a company stops making cars the value of the old one goes down if they're still well made ford's still going to make parts for them hey you might get a really good price on a used fusion now number three on the list is a 2013 honda civic those things were reliable solid little cars undershirt went a long way from their first honda that they sold in the united states 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 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 head 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 soon after civics 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 as the 80s were ending america saw the fourth generation civic it 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 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 the latter part of the 1990s saw the sixth 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 then the new millennium started honda entered the era 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 the 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 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 soon after america saw the 10th 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 urban ring the 2021 civic is the last of this generation and americo waits to see the new generation of the 2022 model 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 of a tiny 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 so this honda civic you think they came from different planets if you looked at both cars a lot of young people like the civics because they're zippy a lot of guys soup them up with a lot of horsepower in their honda engines they can take it but at the same time they're very dependable transportation i have many middle-aged and older people they're bought civics and they love them because they'd say it always starts it never breaks down and it hardly uses any gas and sure they hold their value which is the reason i say don't go too cheap when you're buying a used car think about expense over time that's one reason my son who i was going to get a used to call him a pickup truck ended up buying a new one because he said dad i'll probably keep this thing for 30 years it's going to cost me hardly any money per month if i keep this thing for 30 years so i'll just buy a brand new one but if you're buying a used car and you want to save a lot of money hey that civic is a great pick yeah you're going to pay more for it certainly than a used chrysler or a used gm smaller car but it's going to outlast them sometimes two three four times as long with probably maybe 20 of the repair bills that you're going to spend on those cars that aren't as well made and of course realize if you're buying news like that your insurance rates because let's face it you buy a brand new car say it gets wrecked or stolen flooded whatever the insurance company has to buy you a new car that's a lot of money well they used cars they have less value so the insurance is less on them too and with the smaller four-cylinder engine the insurance is less on that because it doesn't have the big power of a v6 or a v8 you're saving all kinds of way if you get a used civic now number two on the list of best five used cars to buy is a 2012 toyota corolla corollas can run virtually forever if you take care of them i remember years ago a mechanic friend of mine he was having a party and they said let's see if we can blow up a toyota corolla engine so he emptied out most of the engine oil and then put a brick on the accelerator and it was just sitting there and it ran for quite some time and then finally one of the cylinders blew and went bang and the cylinder broke but then it was still running a while at only three cylinders i mean the things are really strongly designed 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 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 feel the car was larger than the previous generation and came with a coil spring design that replaced the leaf spring rear suspension 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 toyota widened the corolla by an inch made the exterior more contemporary and stylish and discontinued the coup by this time all corolla models were now front wheel drive 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 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 three or four speed automatic or a five speed manual during this time toyota was focusing on performance and quality they launched the 9th generation corolla which was designed to appeal to a broader audience it was based on the larger corolla altis with this 1.8 liter engine but with more power 130 horsepower toyota also debuted the sporty xrs version with 170 horsepower meanwhile the 10th generation corolla underwent the design overhauf 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 this all overlapped with the 11th generation corolla toyota modernized the corolla which was definitely more sleek and trendy the largest change in the e170 model was the car size its wheelbase being about four inches larger 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 as far as the toyota corolla is concerned the 9th 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 corrobe 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 at toyota used the corolla design a lot of cars that's an o7 matrix it's really a toyota corolla my celica it's a 94 celica it's really a toyota corolla too it has the same engine transmission just a different body style a little bit different suspension is all gonna laugh these days when i get some customers say i just have to get an suv for my family and i say my kids two sons me my wife we rode around for years an 81 toyota corolla four-door they fitted that corolla we went all over the country in that thing and did it ever leave us stranded no it didn't and one big advantage of buying a car like a 2012 toyota corolla is they made tons of them they sold tons of them so there are always going to be a reasonable amount of them out there for sale if a company makes a really good car but they don't sell all that many of them there aren't going to be that many used ones for sale they're going to be hard to find but there are corollas all over the place in all kinds of different shapes if you're a fixer-upper say you're going to buy one that maybe has 300 000 miles you get it cheap fix it up and drive it around or maybe you don't really care that much about body style so if they didn't take care of the paint and had a few dents on it ah you just drive it around that weighs a beater car you don't care to put any money into it because since they made so many of them there is an insane aftermarket for those things ah let's say you go and you need to get a fender where you go to the toyota dealer and the fender who knows what they want maybe five six hundred bucks you can get one made in taiwan for like fifty dollars sheet steel stamped on who cares you're just gonna have it bolted on and painted so you can get parts that work perfectly fine dirt cheap for those things so take advantage of mass production if you want a really good car for getting you around hey get a used corolla now number one on the list is the 2011 toyota camry which is no surprise to most people and i know some people are going to say oh scotty what a boring pick 2011 toy to carry me well yeah that's exactly why i pick it it's a good used car to buy it's boring you buy it it's not gonna break it's gonna start every time toyota was working on the celica camry in turn the celica camry shared some of its parts with the toyota carina although toyota redesigned the karina by extending its front end and adding styling elements reminiscent of the celica supra like the t-bar grill the idea for the toyota camry actually emerged from the celica camry the solid camry isn't strictly the first generation of camry but more like its predecessor that same year 1982 toyota made the camry its own independent lineup with the v10 series and this officially started the camry accord race the first camry was a compact car when it first came out not the mid-sized wide body that we see today toyota exported the camry to australia europe and north america in 1983. the front-wheel drive model was offered in sedan and hatchback bodies and is equipped with a 1.8 and 2 liter inline 4 engine to us today it looks so basic boxy and rectangular but at that time you'd hardly know that decades later would grow to become more sleek violent next during that period toyota markets their second generation camry or v20 series starting in 1987. the wheelbase was the same as the first generation but the car was now longer wider and had a larger trunk so more interior space toyota offered the camry also in the wagon body and discontinued the hatchback configuration it came with the same engine as before and also later came with an option for a 2.5 liter v6 engine in the meantime meanwhile toyota introduces the third generation camry in 1992 and boy was it different than a previous generation for the first time the american camry had a different configuration than other market versions this is when camry jumped the line from compact class to mid-size it was six inches longer two inches wider than before the body was noticeably rounder less angular the sedan and wagon versions offered two new more powerful engines a 2.2 liter 4-cylinder and a 3-liter v6 toyota also launched the two-door camry coupe for sporty fans toyota then introduced the 4th generation camry in 1997. you can see toyota really prioritized american consumer tastes and needs because toyota had their michigan engineering facility designed half the car's development this car looked sharper was larger in size than before yet was also lighter and less expensive and for the first time ever camry became the best-selling car in the us during this time toyota discontinued the wagon version in the u.s coupe version took a short break in production but re-emerged with the camry solara which came as a two-door coupe and later the four-seater convertible option next honda killed the wagon configuration toyota in the meantime started their fifth generation camry in 2002. camry sedan got a design overhaul longer wheelbase taller height more legroom in the back the camry also got a larger base engine 2.4 liter 4 cylinder with 157 horsepower later it also came with a 3.3 liter v6 engine as an option then toyota came with their 6th generation camry in 2007 toyota gave the camera the option for a 3.5 liter with 268 horsepower now that was a serious power upgrade toyota now sold more camrys than ever before this generation also saw the discontinuation of the hamrie solara coupe and convertible in the launch of the first camry hybrid the seventh generation camry came in 2012 until 2017. they offered no manual transmission option the lack of excitement moved toyota to do some refreshes on its 2015 year model where toyota changed every exterior part except the roof but performance was relatively similar to before since the same engine carried over from the previous generation and that brings us to the present the latest camrys on the road the eighth generation xv70 toyota gave it a sportier facelift and vibe last year toyota added the 2020 camry trd model it has a race car look and firmer suspension 301 horsepower 3.5 liter v6 engine the latest generation 2019 toyota camry remains one of the most impressive value-laden cars available they say owners can expect this car to retain about 60 percent of its value after three years both the honda accord and the toyota camry have both been very strong rivals but there are definitely better model years than others and certain model years have received consumer complaints worth considering so if you're buying a used accord or used camry what model year should you consider and which ones should you avoid for the camry in general the current generation since 2011 has been mostly problem free for most owners the year 2014 especially has the least amount of complaints some sources say that the year 2016 is a good option with a good blend of safety technology and value but according to consumer complaints there are three camry models to be careful about it's the camry model years 2007 2008 and 2009. those years have a known engine defect which manifests itself as burning oil and can lead to engine failure the year 2002 also had engine issues the largest complaint for that model year was strip head bolts as far as honda accord is concerned no car's perfect but overall both cars have a proven track record and strong reputation for reliability fuel economy and customer satisfaction that's why they're the top sellers in america did you know that the toyota camry outsold every other sedan in the u.s for 18 years in fact it's the best selling passenger car in america an average camry's lifespan is between 200 000 and 300 000 miles so assuming you drive 15 000 miles a year that means the car can last 15 to 20 years and still be in good condition if you service it regularly the latest generation camry is much more popular than generations prior a common question people ask is whether they should buy a camry with a high mileage camry's are reliable even with mileage but in general i don't recommend buying a car with more than 200 000 miles unless it's really cheap and it still runs good and they're still fun to drive they got more zip than a corolla does but they're totally dependable here again though i say i advise people buy the four cylinder version it's got plenty enough horsepower to get you around the sixes hey they're gonna get worse gas mileage and they will wear out faster i mean yeah okay so it might wear out at 300 000 miles instead of 500 000 miles but still it's gonna wear out fast and as an interesting fact generally the cheaper models of manufacturers sell more cars than the expensive ones but in 2011 toyota in the united states sold more camrys than they did corollas normally it's the cheaper models that sell more but camrys were so well made that they actually sold more camrys than they did corollas in the united states in 2011. you can easily fit a whole family and a camera they got tons of room inside i've had customers that are real tall like six six six seven they'd always say i can't get a toyota i'm too big i don't fit in i said get in the camry and sit and see what you think and they did and they said whoa hey comfy car enough enough room for me you're gonna pay a reasonable price for one of these cars when someone says car people typically tend to think of a sedan the word has become synonymous because traditionally the sedan was the common choice for a passenger vehicle but in the last decade suvs have risen in popularity so much so that suvs have been outselling sedans each year since 2015. of course there are many types of suvs nowadays including the compact crossover crossover mid-size and full size it's as varied as the types of sedans which come in sub-compact compact mid-size and full-size of course that's not even mentioning the luxury subcategories so what is an suv you probably think you can visually identify one on the road but the standard definition for this type of vehicle is one that combines elements of a road car with off-road capabilities as in sports utility vehicle but interestingly enough there is no solid definitive agreed-upon definition of an suv and in lieu of this you can see that when you consider the term varies between countries some countries say an suv must be built on a light truck chassis countries with broader definitions allow any vehicle with off-road features to be called an suv in the u.s suvs have been classified as light trucks which means they qualify for more lenient regulations one of the key reasons why suvs are so popular is because they're taller and heavier drivers just feel safer inside you also have better ride height so you feel you have a better view and therefore you feel you have more control there's a three-year study that was done by iihs a safety research organization that's funded by the insurance industry it surprises no one that small cars have the highest death rate but what's interesting is the study showed that luxury suvs as a class had the lowest death rates that's because of pure physics when it comes to car crashes larger and heavier masses are generally safer and do more damage to the lighter vehicles but not all suvs perform better in safety than cars for example small two-wheel drive suvs actually had about the same fatality rate as mid-sized sedans there are lots of other safety studies and crash tests that have been done by other organizations one study showed that when you pick two cards of a similar size say a sedan versus a sedan or an suv versus an suv and so forth then the sedan proves safest in an accident in fact when an suv hits an suv of similar size there can actually be much greater risk of injury since the impact of two large objects will lead to greater damage from all that extra energy but in the real world when you're on the road you're driving along cars of all sizes and categories are there and not just the same category as your own car in general suvs hold up better than sedans in front end or head-on crashes one study showed that the driver and passengers and suvs are 50 percent more likely to survive a crash without suffering as many injuries as individuals riding in a sedan and head-on crashes between an suv and a sedan suvs had a much lower fatality rate head-on crashes account for about half of all passenger deaths on american road but you cannot say a blanket statement that suvs are always safer than sedans that's not true that's because when it comes to rollover accidents suv drivers have a higher risk of being killed because they're higher up in the air and they tip over easier suvs also have a higher risk of being in rollover accidents due to wind or weather because they have a higher center of gravity so you're probably wondering what's the chance of a rollover accident nhtsa did a study they found that of all passenger vehicle crashes three percent rollovers so rollovers in general are not that common but that said if you were ever in a rollover accident an htsa study showed that you have a 20 chance of fatality whether you're thinking of buying an suv or a sedan you should consider each vehicle safety rating crash test rating as well as the driving behaviors road conditions and traffic in your local area if you do choose an suv don't think you can relax on your driving you should always be attentive and maintain safe driving speed even if you have the safest vehicle on the planet and you think you're driving a tank because there are other lives on the road that are at stake too not just your own but let's talk space it's obvious that the larger the car the more driver and passenger space and cargo space you have even compact suvs offer impressive cargo capacity and much more comfort than sedans it's a no-brainer that suvs have a leg up here they're just more convenient practical and comfortable but what about fuel economy sedans generally offer better fuel economy that's because most sedans come with four-cylinder engines which generally are more fuel efficient than the v6 or v8 engines of an suv even sedans with v6 engines are still on average more fuel efficient than an suv since the sedan is smaller lower to the ground and the engine doesn't need to expend as much power for that same size and weight and how do suvs and sedans compare in drivability and vehicle handling well sedans aren't as top heavy as suvs they have a lower center of gravity and are generally easier to drive and maneuver also if you're cornering sedans have a less chance of a rollover and of course sedans can be easier to park since they're smaller than suvs on the other hand suvs often come with all-wheel drive whereas many sedans don't offer this so the suv may be relatively better equipped in severe weather conditions if you want to off-road an suv will give you a better ride experience since it has higher ground clearance than the sedan plus expansive tires rough terrain abilities and generally more muscle to drive off-road what about towing capability a mid-size and full-size suv offers good towing capability so in addition to large cabin and cargo space you can also haul more stuff in the back for example pulling a boat or other motor extensions is a lot easier to do with an suv than a sedan but let's talk about money that's always the big top with a sedan fuel isn't the only area where you save money the purchase price of a sedan is generally much less expensive than an suv both new and used by the way do you know what a crossover is it's a subcategory within the suv family crossovers combine elements of an suv and the sedan hence its name some people use the term cuv as an acronym for crossover utility vehicle a cuv is an suv that's built with a unibody frame construction that's why some people call it a car based suv if you have a hard time identifying a crossover from the outside then look at the inside midsize and full size suvs have up to three rows of seats but the crossover has a maximum of two rows of seats needless to say crossovers are generally smaller than the mid-size or full-size suvs people consider crossovers to be the more modern kind of suv they have better gas mileage compared to the earlier suvs now crossovers usually come with all-wheel drive so it has a better all-weather capability than sedans in general they also have more field of view so better visibility than a sedan does want to know what the top selling suvs and sedans in america were last year now mind you this is just about sales number nothing about vehicle reliability engine power or other qualifiers let's start with the suvs so the fifth best-selling suv in america is a ford explorer last year ford sold some 226 thousand units of these mid-size crossovers it's the best-selling three-row suv in america ford offers an all-new rear-wheel drive platform and the vehicle can tow up to 5600 pounds fourth place is the nissan rogue nissan rogue sales were tad more than the ford explorer almost 228 000 units third best-selling suv is the chevrolet equinox chevy sold more than 270 000 units second place is the honda crv a compact crossover at 333 000 units and the number one top selling suv in america is the toyota rav4 another compact crossover more than 430 000 units were sold last year almost twice the volume of the ford explorer so you can see as far as suvs are concerned america prefers crossovers all five of these best-selling suvs are crossovers of different sizes whether compact or mid-size this is the niche market where the consumer demand is right now so who's buying these suvs in 2019 suvs made up more than 47 of us car sales compare that to sedans which accounted for just 22 want to know who's buying suvs versus sedans first of all current car buyers are made up of three main groups you have the baby boomers that's people aged in their late 50s to early 70s they account for 32 percent of all car buyers then there's gen x that's people in their 40s and early 50s they make up nearly 38 of all car buyers and then there's millennials or people aged from mid-20s to late 30s and they make up 23 of the market it shouldn't be surprising that a little less than half of 43 of new suv buyers is from the age group 25 to 54 years old comfy car no enough room for me you're gonna pay a reasonable price for one of these cars they hold their value because they're so well made but don't do like one of my customers did it was looking at a used camry and then they said oh look i can get this chrysler at half the price and it's got a v6 engine and leather seats and all this and then a couple years later they came in and they said we got to get rid of that chrysler what a pile of junk and what did they do then they went out and bought a used camry so my advice on that one is learn from other people's mistakes if you don't have to make the mistake yourself hey learn from somebody else's mistake make sure you get a decent used car because there's the old saying oh i never buy a used car cause you're buying somebody else's problems well if you're gonna buy a camry if it was taken care of it's not gonna be anybody's problem and of course as i always tell people when they're buying a used car have a mechanic check it out before you buy it because you can't trust anybody when it comes to buying used anything cars can be wrecked flooded stolen start it on fire there's all kinds of things that can happen so you want a mechanic to check it out and with this modern technology on all these late model cars hey when we mechanics plug our machines in we get more history make your head spin and within an hour any mechanic can tell you yeah that's a really good car or no stay away from that one can i know the five best cars that you can buy used if you want peace of mind and have a nice solid reliable vehicle to drive around in five suvs that you should never buy use because many of them were bad enough when they were brand new now suvs are getting more and more popular because you can hold stuff in them they're very handy and they ride pretty good these days the early ones are kind of bumpy but they make them a lot better now well some of them are made a lot better here are five suvs that you should never buy use now the first suv never to buy use is the bmw x5 you might as well say bmw money pit that's all those things turn into they've had problem with engine oil leaks water leaking into the vehicle big time transmission problems and problems with their stability control systems that keep them from flipping over because they're so boxing yeah they're high-tech there's no arguing that but i've had customers with them that they got this gyroscopic sensor that goes bad and it's a little bitty thing but it's going to cost like 15 1800 for this stupid thing they're just high priced and it's not like they're high quality there's so much plastic used in those things they're always getting leaks i had one customer with an x5 talder you shouldn't have bought this thing used they're money pits well after a year of driving the thing and finally i put on my bmw computer for her latest problem and it was the transmission was going out i did a real research and found out that it was going to cost her four or five grand minimum to fix it so she finally got rid of the thing she traded it in on a used lexus suv boy she was happy with that lexus that was years ago and she's still driving a lexus i hardly ever see her because the things don't break just normal oil changes and brake job stuff on those and of course bmw so snobby they didn't even call the x5 a sports utility vehicle they called it a sports activity vehicle well yeah because you can spend a lot of activity going to the bmw dealer getting the thing fixed now the next suv not to buy is the cadillac escalade now if you would impress your friends and neighbors that you're driving a cadillac suv and you don't care that you get 11 miles per gallon in actual driving the cadillac escalade might be for you it's a show boat a lot of that showboating stuff is made out of plastic and guess what it cracks early breaks down they're known for heating and air conditioning problems you might think oh that's not that big of a deal it's all computerized and believe me i've seen people spend 15 2500 bucks taking the dashes apart fixing those stupid plastic monstrosities step problems with the dash and instrument display systems on them it's cheaply made and they'll just come on and off at will poorly made there's no doubting that they have early transmission failures and all-wheel drive versions they have differential problems it costs a fortune to fix it's a big heavy vehicle but the internals are not heavy-duty enough they just break down too much from carrying all that weight around cadillac has been using that cadillac top of the line imagery for decades well it's been a long time since that was even close to the truth now the next suv not to buy is the jeep renegade the renegade was created after chrysler and fiat merged fiat by chrysler the renegade is small it's underpowered and if you attempted to take that jeep renegade off-road like one of those big jeeps good luck these jeep renegades they're made in italy they're made in brazil and they're made in china they have absolutely nothing to do with the legendary jeep especially stay away from the 2015 renegade that was the worst one they ever built they have engine failures they have transmission failures they have electronic failures the list goes on and on and on it's like a litany of italian manufacturing problems not surprisingly the renegades have a lot of electronic problems uh many italian cars have electronic weak systems that's just the way they go also has a problem with blowing head gaskets in the engine a typical problem that italian cars have now if you want to get a jeep i'm not that big of a fan of the newer ones the old ones are great but if you are get a regular one definitely don't get this pip squeak now the fourth suv not to buy used is a chevy traverse i've seen engine seized up on ones that had 40 something thousand miles on them the all-wheel drive system is notorious for having problems and costing thousands of dollars to fix i mean if a vehicle has engine and transmission problems pretty much that says stay away stay far away from this vehicle i mean i had a customer with the traverse it kept flashing up service all-wheel drive then it said super crew system well this car didn't have a super crew system yet it was saying there was a problem in the system that didn't even exist on a vehicle and a gm dealer couldn't figure out was wrong he just lived with that until he got rid of it he said it was the biggest pile of junk he ever had and he's never going to buy another one the last suv never to buy used is the pontiac aztec it was made famous in breaking bad where brian cranston drove one around and eventually he took it to a garage they fixed it all up he came to pick it up he looked at it and took his hand out of the back seat put it on his head and walked away and gave the car to the mechanic i had a customer that did a similar thing with an aztec thing had like 55 000 miles on it the head gasket blew and the engine seized up so we had to put another engine in so he said the heck with that he had a used engine put in and then he just sold the thing and got rid of it and said that's it for gm i'm never buying another one of their products basically the aztecs were gm's version of trying to copy a toyota matrix and man that they failed miserably the aztecs actually had hordes of different problems but the biggest ones were the head gaskets the engines gone the transmissions going out and having intake manifolds that would go bad and leak oil and water into the engine and if you didn't watch that closely that would lead to a blown engine too and even if you caught it right in the beginning you had to take the whole engine apart and spend like fifteen hundred dollars to fix something that should have never happened in the first place because i'm not talking about cars that are 20 or 30 years old some of these cars were less than a year old and some of them were three or four or five years old but regardless they were poorly made vehicles they don't make them anymore obviously now if you want to get a pontiac suv get a pontiac vibe it's the same thing as this matrix they were made in the same plant they have the same engine transmission wheels and everything the only thing different is the sheet metal on the vehicles so that one you can get because it's actually a toyota product really showing that the expression what's in a name can mean an awful lot you want to research what's behind that name now sure there's plenty of good used suvs out there but stay away from these five suvs if you don't want to catch a sports utility virus you

Channel: Scotty Kilmer

Views: 1,883,083

Keywords: auto, auto repair, car, car diy, car repair, cars, diy, how to, mechanic, repair, scotty kilmer, car review, 5 used suvs, bad suv, bad suvs, bad suvs to buy, most unreliable suv, suv, suv review, suvs, suvs not to buy, suvs you should never buy, unreliable used suvs, used, used suv, used suvs, vehicles, worst suv, worst suv ever made, worst suv to buy, reliable SUV, best suv, best suv to buy, best car to buy, best cars, worst car, worst cars, worst used car, best used car

Id: 73n6u6rcCWY

Length: 98min 3sec (5883 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 01 2022