I’m fortunate in that we have a couple of excellent mechanics in our school auto shops who keep my stuff running for the price of parts. I could drop in a salvage motor in the 270,000 mile Corolla for under $2,000 and drive it until retirement and beyond, as it is it still only burns a quart of oil in 3,000 miles.
Because I can bicycle to work I only put in 10 - 15,000 highway miles a year.
I do have a more immediate use for a newer/cooler/funner vehicle tho; my son and especially my little granddaughter. This next purchase would also be the vacation/camping vehicle.
Anyhoo.... as I get older seven years from now is feeling more and more like the present. Passes in a blur.
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
Using a RAV4 as a towing vehicle seems kind of silly to me. 2500lbs isn’t much of a load unless you plan to haul just an ATV or lawnmower. It really Isn’t enough to haul to the dump or lightweight camping trailer. Stick with the Tacoma if you don’t have to commute & gain the utility of a bed. Even if you need people room you can go to 4 doors.
* I like Dutch's point. You could bank the $ for 7 years, & buy a newer vehicle at that time. Who knows - maybe they'll have worked the kinks out of the CVT's, or have something even better by then.
* I agree with specneeds, if the towing is going to be more than just occasional.
* I agree with Ptarmigan about RAV4 reliability. Toyota sells a [excrement]-ton of new ones, and yet they very rarely come up for sale on the used market here. When they do, they're insanely expensive. People don't cling to turds.
FC
"Every day is a holiday, and every meal is a banquet."
I’m fortunate in that we have a couple of excellent mechanics in our school auto shops who keep my stuff running for the price of parts. I could drop in a salvage motor in the 270,000 mile Corolla for under $2,000 and drive it until retirement and beyond, as it is it still only burns a quart of oil in 3,000 miles.
Because I can bicycle to work I only put in 10 - 15,000 highway miles a year.
I do have a more immediate use for a newer/cooler/funner vehicle tho; my son and especially my little granddaughter. This next purchase would also be the vacation/camping vehicle.
Anyhoo.... as I get older seven years from now is feeling more and more like the present. Passes in a blur.
I still feel like you’ve got car fever and are justifying your a** off... (we luv ya anyway )
Have you checked with someone like Enterprise how cheap a week or months rental on an SUV is?
Like I’ve been saying, sometime before too long I gotta buy a car so as to have it paid off before retirement. This is a need rather than a want as I have never got all that excited about vehicles and my two high mileage (270,000 and 360,000 miles) Corollas still start up every time I turn the key
Probl’y gonna go Carmax, price $20,000 to $25,000 range, maybe 50,000 on the odometer. Need something with decent ground clearance and some towing capacity (seven years from now I might hit the road with a simple trailer). Plan to keep it past 250,000 miles.
Subaru is out of the question on account of their CVT transmissions.
That price would get me a decent basic 2WD Tacoma, or a bells-and-whistles AWD Rav 4 Adventure; better mileage, better off road, more versatile, similar towing capacity.
My question is this; in order to wring out all that versality and capability out of the RAV4 Adventure they have to computerize the heck out of it with respect to the drivetrain and allotted traction. They even have three different push-button drive/traction modes for sand, mud and pavement
I know Toyotas generally run forever, but how about all those electronic/computer doodads they use now, in spades on that Rav Adventure version, do those systems last forever too?
If you want to tow something, look at the Highlander. It's kind of a 4-Runner light. It's built lighter than the 4-Runner but does have decent clearance and the 6 cyls have a 5000lb towing capacity. For towing, it's much preferable to a Rav4. The Rav4 is too light to be pulling anything heavier than a little utility trailer. The rated towing capacity is 3500 and I wouldn't pull more than 70 to 80% of any vehicles rating. It might pull it but slowing down the trailer takes more weight. The Highlander has 8 gears, not a CVT. I don't know about the Rav4.
I don't know of any cars these days that aren't electronics nightmares.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
25K will get you a new 2020 2WD blazer with an actual 9 speed automatic before taxes around here. I couldn't buy used when I could buy new for same price. Just bought a new truck from these guys, really good people. They'll be many thousand dollars cheaper last week of December new.
Like I’ve been saying, sometime before too long I gotta buy a car so as to have it paid off before retirement. This is a need rather than a want as I have never got all that excited about vehicles and my two high mileage (270,000 and 360,000 miles) Corollas still start up every time I turn the key
Probl’y gonna go Carmax, price $20,000 to $25,000 range, maybe 50,000 on the odometer. Need something with decent ground clearance and some towing capacity (seven years from now I might hit the road with a simple trailer). Plan to keep it past 250,000 miles.
Subaru is out of the question on account of their CVT transmissions.
That price would get me a decent basic 2WD Tacoma, or a bells-and-whistles AWD Rav 4 Adventure; better mileage, better off road, more versatile, similar towing capacity.
My question is this; in order to wring out all that versality and capability out of the RAV4 Adventure they have to computerize the heck out of it with respect to the drivetrain and allotted traction. They even have three different push-button drive/traction modes for sand, mud and pavement
I know Toyotas generally run forever, but how about all those electronic/computer doodads they use now, in spades on that Rav Adventure version, do those systems last forever too?
Lot of others, especially Dutch have shared thoughts similar to mine.
IF you are going to buy a used car, why in the world in this day of social media/internet, spend the money and pay the retail markup involved in a dealership?
There is absolutely ZERO reason to pay that extra money. Especially where you live, there is a ton of supply. It just takes time and patience and you can get a good deal.
You stated you had access to a mechanic. He could help you sort through some prospects.
Were I you and decided to definitely succumb to the fever, I would start banking money now. Start searching fb marketplace and craigslist. The shopping part will actually teach you a lot of you are patient. By that I mean, if you have a few vehicles that are prospects and you spend some time looking at a lot of these models and talking to their owners, you will learn a lot. May end up excluding a model you thought you wanted. Will learn what the different models' issues are etc.
I bought my wife a used Dodge 1500 longhorn with eco diesel engine. ~100k on the dial for a little over $20k last year. 4 wheel drive, every option imaginable. Very nice vehicle. Bought it from a salesman that sells his road outfit when it hits 100k. That is in an area that is very short on supply because we don't have the population you guys do.
Birdy. If you stay away from top of the line optioned out luxury models of the Tacoma, you can find really nice samples in your price range.
2WD, single cab four cylinder 5 speed manual trucks go for half the price of fancy four door V6 models, and the four banger will get 25 MPG.
Today, the Tacoma I4 makes 159 HP. The Toyota pickups I owned through the '80s and '90s only made 95 to 100 HP. Yet I was able to drive them up the steepest Idaho mountain roads loaded with four dirt bikes, half a dozen rifles, two burly men, and enough food, beer, soda, fuel cans, and camping gear to get four of us through a three day weekend.
And on many occasions my Toyotas came home from the hills loaded with 1/2 cord of wet juniper and another 1/2 cord on the trailer behind.
In a couple minutes on Autotrader.com I found an 07 Tacoma 4 cyl 5 speed standard cab with 70K on the meter for $10,500. At your budget you could get quite a bit newer and or throw in 4WD in case you find a mudhole on you adventures.
If you have cameras, optics, and guns you wish to keep under lock. I would advise an extended cab.
While my experience is with Toyotas, and I love them. My daily driver is a 92 Toyota PU. But everything I said about the Toyota is also true of the Nissan Frontier, if you can find one. Demand is lower on the used Nissan, and they usually sell lower than the Toyota.
People who choose to brew up their own storms bitch loudest about the rain.
The RAV4 is a great vehicle! They'll go anywhere in AWD until you lose ground clearance and bottom out.
But you're nuts to not wait for 7 years and see what comes out by then.
Or else, sell the Corollas and go all in on one vehicle like the RAV4.
Tacomas are way over-rated if you're trying to get bang for the buck. And don't ever bother with a non-4wd pickup--they won't go as far as a little Subaru or RAV4 or CRV with all-wheel drive.
If towing is in the equation at all, skip over the RAV4 and CRV. Look at Highlander and Pilot instead. Or the Acura MDX with SuperHandling AWD. That one has true balanced awd like a Subaru only in a bigger and nicer package.
Thanks for all the suggestions all. I’m pretty set on aToyota tho if Nissan still made the XTerra I’d be tempted, but I’ve had three Toyotas and they all went or are closing in on 300,000 plus miles without major problems.
I have a photo of my 5yo son sitting in my first; a Toyota Tercel. Fifteen years and 250,000+ miles later that car would save his life when stopped in traffic; he was hit from behind by a pickup and accordioned into the car in front. Rear-end and gas tank folded down in back, engine folded back and down in front, passenger compartment remained mostly intact. He was able to walkaway from the wreck. While I known prob’ly all small sedan designs do this now, that sure didn’t make us any less fond of the brand.
Economic sense says wait, but the grandchild is growing like a weed and my own warranty expired some time ago, perhaps a moderately-priced vehicle purchase on my part to replace two aging ones won’t seem an unreasonable expense.
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
Like I’ve been saying, sometime before too long I gotta buy a car so as to have it paid off before retirement. This is a need rather than a want as I have never got all that excited about vehicles and my two high mileage (270,000 and 360,000 miles) Corollas still start up every time I turn the key
Since you have two reliable cars right now maybe think of doing this. Instead of buying another right now, put the money you would use for the payment into a saving account every month. That way when you really do need another vehicle you'll have cash on hand to purchase it, you'll be able to buy a newer one than you would right now, and you won't have been paying maintenance and insurance for several years on a vehicle you really don't need right now.
I'll always advocate paying cash for vehicles. I'm 51 years old and have never financed a vehicle, it would be a last resort option for me. I know it's very common but it's a way to keep consumers in perpetual debt, the only ones that really benefit from it are car dealers and financial institutions.
If towing is a likelihood, have you done the numbers on a basic F150? Get the 4-door cab and you could do anything and more that you could do in a small SUV.
Toyotas have such high resale value that it is hard for me pull the trigger on one used.
I’ll answer the question by not answering the question.
Why in the world would you stick yourself back into $25K worth of debt to buy a vehicle that covers a need you MAY have in seven years?
The way I read it, you won’t have a need for a towing rig for seven model years. How about sell both Corollas, put a few bucks with it to buy a 100K mile Corolla or Avalon, and you’re good for seven years. No car payment. Who knows what will be available to suit your needs in 7 years. That same Taco that’s 25K today would be less than half by then.
All this coming from a total TOOL supporting a seperated wife or ex wife for a million6 years. Have heard all the wailing about that many times over....
Self admittedly buried up to his eyeballs in constant debt of his own accord. Too cheap to run the AC or replace a hot water heater.... Drinks cheap wine watered down and passes it off as some culture thing on here poor people did 150 yrs ago....
Sticking with your current vehicles " Daddy Warbucks" is probably your best option.
How old are you and your still fugging rubbing pennies together to get the most outta em.
Big ole capital fugging "L" on your forehead dude...
All this coming from a total TOOL supporting a seperated wife or ex wife for a million6 years. Have heard all the wailing about that many times over....
Self admittedly buried up to his eyeballs in constant debt of his own accord. Too cheap to run the AC or replace a hot water heater.... Drinks cheap wine watered down and passes it off as some culture thing on here poor people did 150 yrs ago....
Sticking with your current vehicles " Daddy Warbucks" is probably your best option.
How old are you and your still fugging rubbing pennies together to get the most outta em.
Big ole capital fugging "L" on your forehead dude...
And it for "Lifetime acheivement" either
Bam!!!!!
??
You seem to be lacking in “wa” as the Japanese might say.
Strip down to a loin cloth, assume the lotus position and repeat after me.... “Ommmmmmm........Ommmmmmm.......”
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
Who hires all those students the talented instructors are training if they're using a government-subsidized shop to steal profitable repair work from the very entrepreneurs whose taxes are paying their salaries? I taught auto mechanics for 30+ years, but I was very careful not to get into competition with the people whom I hoped would hire my graduates. Jerry
I gave him some advice.. He was seeking it when he started the thread obviously. So he got advice from many posters on all sides of his question and speculation on what might be best for him to do.
Advice given from me is below from my 1st post:
"Sticking with your current vehicles " Daddy Warbucks" is probably your best option".
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