The Car Care Thread

[woodchipper]

I'm don't know much about cars and can only rely on my father-in-law to diagnois (he's had a couple of Subarus) from 600 miles away, but that hasn't been much of a problem. I get regular oil changes and take the car in for its suggested maintenance, but that's about it. I think the key is to look for models that are known to be very reliable (Toyota Corollas, Honda Civics, etc.) and look for a used one with low mileage. With a used car I think its imperative to get a Car Fax report and get the car checked out by a mechanic before purchase.

[mariposalabrown]

Thanks so much for everyone's advice. However, my mom just called me and said to give her the money from my Explorer, and she would give me her 2000 Lexus which she has taken super good care of me, so score for me! I'll be back bitching again in two years when it's time to buy a car again, though!

[batmom]

Thanks for the input about the Escape, Brookie. We're a bit perplexed about the hybrid; the guy at the dealership and a guy we know who works in the service department at Ford both said that the hybrid and the regular escape get the same milleage. I'm perplexed because what's the point of having a hybrid if it doesn't get better milleage? And why would both levels of government give a rebate on a car that doesn't do what it's supposed to (I presuming, perhaps naively, that the government independently assessed all the cars that they qualified for rebate.) Since both guys said the same thing, I'm not sure if it's party line (and why would Ford's party line be to discourage folks from getting the hybrid?) or if it's true.

Does anyone know of any independent evaluations of hybrids?

[Sunnyhorse]

Batmom, I looked at the Escape Hybrid (longingly, from a distance, because it was before they actually came out), and I think the big thing is that even though the gas mileage is comparable, they produce much less pollution.

Consumer Reports always has good unbiased information. Road and Track magazine is another excellent source.

[batmom]

Less pollution is good, too. I'm trying to balance our need for a bigger car with an environmentally responsible choice. We'll check out those magazines.

[Britty]

Since both guys said the same thing, I'm not sure if it's party line (and why would Ford's party line be to discourage folks from getting the hybrid?) or if it's true.

The Escape hybrid does get the same gas mileage as the regular one. I drove one for a while around town because Mr. Britty was working for Ford at the time. I was really disappointed that it didn't get better mileage than our other SUV.

I've read that 2007 Escape hybrid scored an 8 for emissions where the regular Escape scores between a 5 and 7. I don't know how much difference that is or exactly what those numbers mean. You might want to do some research specific to emissions.

[csmolko]

Transmission, especially if you were not able to go over 50mph. Some transmission problems are actually minor and can be repaired for not as much as you might think....and then there's the other end of the spectrum where it probably needs a transmission replacement. I would at least take it for a look-over to find out what the problem is. But an Escort is a 4-cylinder car which just does not (usually) outlast a 6-cylinder, and at 10 years it may be time, depending on how much city driving and if anyone has been particularly rough with the tranny in the past (bad driving will decrease your transmission's lifespan).

[linared]

Well I got a call from the mechanic and apparently my exhaust pipe and system were cracked. And that caused the roaring noise and the fumes were backing up the engine and slowing it down. So this is good because it is alot cheaper than a new transmission (which they checked and is fine). But I think I will have to start thinking about a new car.

[csmolko]

Wow, I did not know the exhaust could get that backed up and cause that. I'm glad it wasn't so severe!!!

[TrafficChick]

linared said:

I have a 97 escort with over 100, 000 miles on it. I was driving it home tonight when it started making very loud grinding noises whenever I tried to speed up, it also wouldn't go above 50mphs. Does this mean that my transmission is going?

Glad to hear it's just your exhaust system. I had a '91 Escort - I loved that car. When I finally got rid of it, I only did so because I wanted a new car. There was nothing wrong with the car, even though it had 187,000 miles on it. It could've easily gone another 75,000 miles, I think. Then again, it was a '91, which is (apparently) the best year for Escorts. ymmv.