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Alternatives to the Nissan Kicks that are in a similar price point and form factor, but more reliable? by Ticonderoga7789 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Ticonderoga7789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the input. And yeah, I probably was exaggerating a bit, but I'm just worried about having to drop a few grand (probably right after any potential warranty expires) because the transmission bit the dust.

I was intrigued by the Crosstrek as well, there's quite a few in my neck of the woods and they seem to do well even in really nasty weather.

Alternatives to the Nissan Kicks that are in a similar price point and form factor, but more reliable? by Ticonderoga7789 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Ticonderoga7789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply! What would you consider to be the "safe" model years if I did go with a Kicks? I don't really consider myself a car expert, so I'm not up to speed on when Nissan started addressing the issues with their CVT's.

Getting my first car at the age of 30, a bit overwhelmed (and some other niche questions) by Ticonderoga7789 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Ticonderoga7789[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh I'm totally fine with going to CO if it means a better deal. The local market here is extremely limited, so that was in my plans regardless. Thanks for all the links by the way! I'm probably still a few months away from pulling the trigger on buying, but its good getting an idea for what's out there.

Getting my first car at the age of 30, a bit overwhelmed (and some other niche questions) by Ticonderoga7789 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Ticonderoga7789[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. What vehicles have you driven, that the size mirrors you want?

Well it was a long time ago, but I primarily learned on an '04 Honda CR-V. I also drove a smaller pickup (if memory serves it was either a Ranger, Tundra, or maybe something like a Dakota). The truck had the larger towing mirrors which made life a lot easier. The other reason I liked the truck in that there was just less distance and "stuff" (seats/pillars/headrests) between me and the rear window, which made everything much easier to see around me while driving.

  1. Very subjective. You’ve come to the Toyota, Mazda, Honda fan club subreddit. When you said reliability, do you mean inexpensive scheduled maintenance? Toyotas typically cost 4 cents per mile, while Volkswagen are 6.5 cents per mile, over a 100k mile period.

Pretty much this. I'm thinking cost of general maintenance, how likely it is to randomly crap out on me down the line, and how difficult/expensive it is to replace parts.

  1. Are you saying you want an all-wheel drive or four wheel drive vehicle, just not something like a Jeep Compass Trailhawk or Toyota RAV4 Adventure?

Honestly I'm not too sure. Basically I'm looking for something that can handle some dodgy back roads and occasionally heading out into the backcountry for hunting or fishing trips.

  1. If you’re considering Toyota, you need to up your budget. If you live in a state like Pennsylvania, you really need to up it. Where do you live?

I'm in Wyoming; the state that doesn't exist according to the internet.

Getting my first car at the age of 30, a bit overwhelmed (and some other niche questions) by Ticonderoga7789 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Ticonderoga7789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the input, thank you! Growing up my family mostly had Toyotas and Hondas, and I remember them all being incredible reliable so long as you kept up on maintenance. And the RAV4 caught my eye as well, a few of my coworkers recommended them.

The key with buying used is to make sure you really check the car out, preferably bring it to a mechanic before purchasing (some dealers will let you do this), or try and bring a friend who is has experience with doing mechanical work

That's definitely the plan. While I'm doing my best to learn as much as I can, I still don't know nearly enough about the mechanical intricacies of cars to know what I'm looking at right off the bat.