I'm the proud owner of an '05 6mt gray tl. Dealer serviced since new, at 102,000 miles and looking at the timing belt change and major service. Just had third gear cluster replaced under warranty and new clutch at 90,000 miles.

Here's the issue, reliability is very important, I've been holding out because I don't like the new models, but am contemplating selling in favor of something else new. (New would be another make, probably a cheaper suv for a few years.) I do a fair amount of driving and although this car has been bulletproof, beyond this point resale and trade-in value starts to diminish.

I had planned on keeping it past 150,000, but previous experience has shown that repairs at that point can exceed 30-50% of the value of the car, plus I've been stranded at that mileage level before. I have a job that when I need to be there, I need to be there, period.

Would you sell, or would you stick if you were me?

thanks,

David

 

Simple solution:

Pros of keeping it:
-it's paid off (I assume)- no car payments (biggest +)
-replace the water pump, tensioner, and timing belt, and it's good for another 100K miles
-insurance costs will be lower assuming when it's not worth as much you can drop some coverage, like collision
-if already reliable will likely continue to be so
-with >100K miles, trade in will be substantially less
-if it has all the tech you like and use (such as BT/Nav), a newer car won't have any clear advantage.

Pros of new/ replacement:
-newer vehicle with warranty
-'new car feeling' (wears off after 6 months)
-You get to try something new

If it's in good to excellent condition and you're happy with it, I'd use it at least until 150K miles. You can see as above pros outweigh cons.

 

Thanks- solid reasoning. Anything else to watch out for maintenance-wise? Only possible things I could think of would be starter and alternator. Or, am I getting anal now?

 

- Starter
- Alternator
- Door locks/actuators
- motor mounts

that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I wish mine was a 6-speed. I probably would've been a lot more satisfied.

 

These are reasonable things to think of, but I would only replace them if they went bad (you might be lucky and never have a problem). These cars are so over-engineered that 100K miles is barely broken in. Traditionally, 100K miles was the point that the car was shot and should be replaced, but not these days.

If you had less mileage and could trade it in for something newer at a good trade in value, and didn't mind payments, I'd say go for it. Given that you have >100K miles, trade in will be less at this point, and it runs well and was well maintained/ wasn't abused, I'd use it til the wheels come off. Live car payment free for a while, and save say $200/month in something like an ING account, and as it accumulates, that can be your down payment for your next ride.

I often look at new cars and they are all really nice, but for now, the only way I'm replacing the TL is if it gets stolen or totaled. I envision at least a $500 payment per month (for a new car) and realize my car costs nothing other than gas, insurance, and minor maintenance. Otherwise, it has all the tech I need and I plan on having it at least until 200K miles.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Thanks you guys. I'm staying put. I've regretted some of the cars that I sold prematurely, and this overall has been the most satisfying. I haven't had a car payment for three years and can't imagine going back to that. The other factor - is that the local dealer is outstanding - and this is the first time that I've had a car that's been routinely dealer services as opposed to my doing all the work myself.

The other thing that Type-DM mentioned - love the 6 speed and the brembo brakes, etc. Given the relative rarity of this I'd be an idiot to sell. I'll query the dealer about the other potential wear-out parts - they've actually talked me out of some elective work in the past so are straight-shooters on this point.

thanks again,

David

 

i was gonna say.. if you sell, let me know!!! i want a 6MT...