Good morning! I know some of my recent picks have been of questionable use as actual transportation lately, so today we’re going to celebrate durability and take a look at two vehicles that are known for racking up the miles. This battery rabbit has nothing against these two.
But first, let’s look at yesterday’s results. I figured the Element would win, by a lot, and I was right. These things are much more popular now than when they were actually sold new, it seems, especially with a manual. Just try to find a crossover SUV for sale with a manual transmission these days. Sure, it has a lot of miles on it, but it’s a Honda.
The little Fox station wagon also had its fans and I definitely like it – it reminds me of the VW Golf I drove in college, same color and all. But I can’t deny that the Element is a much better deal. Many of you had the VW dealer replace the Bosch fuel injection with a carburetor. I’m not a big fan of the Bosch CIS, but if you’re going to go to carbs, at least do it right and put a Weber DCOE (or two) in there to make it look great.
When cars are new, it’s hard to tell which ones will go the distance and which ones will end up in the neat rows of self-service junkyards a decade from now. And of course the old nature vs. nurture discussion comes into play here too; any car can be reliable if the owner lies to it enough, and any car can be a lemon with enough neglect and abuse. But some cars have a knack for consistently hitting big numbers on their odometers. Today we look at two such cars, one from Toyota and one from General Motors. Here they are.
Engine/Drive: 2.2 liter dual overhead cam inline 4 engine, four speed automatic, FWD
location: Portland, Oregon
Odometer readings: 200,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
The durability and reliability of the Toyota Camry is well known even outside of gearbox circles. The XV10 generation, sold from 1992-96, was even glorified The onion because it is too reliable. These cars are practically timeless engines: Keep gas in them, change the oil every once in a while, replace the timing belt once a decade, and they’ll just run and run.
This durability comes at the expense of excitement and driving dynamics; The Camry is a means of transportation and not much else. It’s also not a luxury car. But the seats are reasonably comfortable, the ride is fine, and the interior materials hold up almost as well as the mechanics. Put the pictures of this car side by side with a ’96 Camry brochure and you’d be hard pressed to tell which is which.
I’m sure this is partly due to the fact that this is a one owner car. Someone has clearly taken care of this car since it was new, and it shows. A used one owner car in this price range is rare and definitely desirable, especially if it has all the service records. This eliminates the possibility of some unpleasant surprises.
It’s also pretty clean on the outside, and it’s the best color for this generation of Camry. The headlights are dim, but that’s to be expected at this age. You can try polishing them, but why bother when replacements are cheap? Aftermarket wheels are not a very welcome sight to me anyway; I’m generally a fan of stock rims. But at least these seem like the right size for the car.
Engine/Drive: 5.3-liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, RWD
location: Lacey, Washington
Odometer readings: 203,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
In the beginning, jeeps had two doors. And they were good. But then families started buying SUVs instead of minivans, and SUVs got an extra set of doors. But they were still pretty good. Chevy’s now-legendary Tahoe and its sister model, the GMC Yukon, descend from the original full-size Blazer/Jimmy, which was put out to pasture after the 1994 model year. A two-door version of the Tahoe/Yukon limped along for a few years, but the four-door was much more common. By the time this GMT800 Tahoe was produced, two-doors were a thing of the past.
The heart of the Tahoe, and much of its staying power, is the LS-based “Vortec” V8, here displacing 5.3 liters and churning out a mighty 285 horsepower. The only transmission available is GM’s ever-present 4L60E automatic transmission, and in this case it only drives the rear wheels. A push-button part-time 4WD system is available and probably more common than these 2WD versions. But I guess if you don’t need 4WD, not having it is one less mistake.
“Things going wrong” isn’t a common occurrence on GMT800 anyway; aside from some pesky electrical gremlins, these are solid and reliable trucks. This one has passed 200,000 miles and the seller says it runs well. Tires, battery, muffler and water pump are new. The interior is a bit rough; this is the ultimate GM toy quality plastic and this one has not been treated very kindly. The seller says the ceiling is also in rough shape, but does not include a photo.
It’s “honestly shabby” on the outside, with a few dents to its name, but overall in good shape. SUVs are performance vehicles, and no one expects them to win beauty contests. But that won’t bother you either. In fact, one of the advantages of a Tahoe or Yukon is that no one will notice them at all.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that any of these cars won’t go bankrupt tomorrow, but the odds are in their favor. I’ve seen examples of these two cars approaching half a million miles. And for the price, both seem worth the gamble. Which one would you choose?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
