Properly of us, the time has lastly come to purchase a brand new automobile. After shopping for eight cars in my first ten years out of college due to my former automobile addition, I now dread the thought. All I need is to drive one automobile perpetually to save lots of time, problem, and cash.
Nonetheless, my 2015 Vary Rover Sport, which I purchased in December 2016 with solely 10,600 miles, is beginning to have one drawback too many. Yeah, yeah, I do know. Land Rovers are infamous for upkeep points. However at the least I had a pleasant nine-year run to this point, proper? I feel so.
The common month-to-month price of proudly owning the automobile, together with all repairs, comes out to about $555. That feels affordable for what it’s and the way a lot I’ve loved driving it. I don’t remorse spending $60,000 after tax for the automobile 9 years in the past in any respect. So part of me needs to purchase one other luxurious automobile for the following 10 years.
Switching vehicles each 10 years is my ideal ownership cycle. With fixed enhancements in security and expertise, a decade feels nearly proper.
The Newest Drawback With My Automotive
The opposite day the test engine gentle got here on once more. I ended up spending $600 to interchange an oxygen sensor and an oil gasket. The oil drips have been apparent on my driveway.
On the identical time, I began getting a “Battery Low” warning each different day. Huh? I had simply spent ~$500 changing the primary battery in 2024, after eight years of utilization. It ought to simply final one other 5 years, at the least.
So I drove the automobile round hoping to recharge it. Then, one morning, proper earlier than driving my children to Daddy Day Camp for tennis and swimming, I acquired essentially the most ominous message but:
“Warning, system will shut down in 1 minute.”
WTF?
As an alternative of pulling out of the driveway and risking a shutdown on the street, I simply sat there idling for a pair minutes. Nothing occurred. However the warning rattled me. I felt like I used to be on a rocket ship, prepared for it to blow up.
Complete Price To Repair So Far This Yr: $1,115
After I took the automobile again to my native mechanic, they discovered the smaller auxiliary battery was lifeless. That is the battery that controls the auto start-stop operate, door sensors, trunk, and different electrical elements.
What aggravated me was that in 2024 I had particularly instructed them there have been two batteries to interchange. They stated they solely discovered one. Ah, the draw back of saving cash and never going to a Land Rover specialist. However boy, does the dealership cost a premium. Additional, the store wasn’t a walkable distance dwelling.
All in, I spent $1,115 changing the auxiliary battery and fixing the oxygen sensor and oil gasket. Completely manageable, if these have been the one points for the previous 1 yr and 10 months since I final visited the ship. Sadly, yet another potential situation stays: an EVAP air leak.
To Repair Or Not To Repair
The mechanic stated they weren’t positive changing the oil gasket absolutely solved the leak, since oil was seen at each the highest and backside of the engine. They advisable driving for a month and coming again for a free test. If oil nonetheless leaked, I’d want a specialist who may need to take away the transmission or one thing comparable. Labor alone: over $3,000.
And if there was nonetheless an oil leak at that time, they suggested not spending one other $1,000+ to repair the EVAP leak. At that stage I is perhaps dealing with $5,000 in work for a ten-year-old automobile price lower than $20,000.
I might simply hold driving the automobile with a small oil leak and an EVAP air leak for one more yr, nevertheless it’s not ideally suited. Finally, I’ll must move a smog test in two years, and if the EVAP leak isn’t fastened, the automobile received’t move.
Care Much less About Luxurious or Seems In A Automotive
As a father now, my number one priority is safety. Reliability is a part of security. I as soon as owned a basic 1989 BMW 635 CSi that did shut down utterly as I drove right into a Greatest Purchase car parking zone. Brakes, electrical, engine – every little thing died without delay. By no means once more.
Since I worth my time greater than something nowadays, I need essentially the most dependable automobile doable. My mechanic is shut by, so I simply stroll dwelling after dropping the automobile off after dropping off the children at college. However doing this yr after yr is getting previous. It has been three years in a row that there is been one thing to repair.
After reliability and security, then I’ll have a look at efficiency and appears. I purchased the Vary Rover Sport in 2016 as a result of it appeared nice and will drive to Tahoe in winter with out placing on chains. However now it might be time to say goodbye.
Though I feel the brand new Vary Rover Sports activities are lovely and include a 4-year, 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper guarantee, spending $110,000 out the door for this mannequin feels egregious as dual unemployed parents.
If considered one of us labored in large tech making $1+ million a yr or at a sizzling AI startup like OpenAI, spending six figures on a automobile might sound affordable. However for us, we’d must promote some Treasury bonds to afford it. Our money circulate doesn’t enable for such a purchase order underneath my 1/10th rule for car buying, and I am a stickler for following my very own monetary independence guidelines.
The Most Dependable Vehicles: Toyota, Honda, and Tesla
Analysis reveals essentially the most dependable manufacturers are Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, and Tesla. European vehicles look nice, however they eat your pockets alive.
And Tesla has the very best EV tech and least upkeep since there are fewer elements and no fluids. Full Self Driving is tempting, though it’s $8,000 additional when you don’t get a Mannequin X. Nonetheless, a Tesla Mannequin 3 or Mannequin Y feels just like the good choice, and costs have dropped.
The draw back is that Tesla designs are getting lengthy within the tooth and want a refresh. Additionally, the $7,500 immediate EV credit score disappeared on the finish of October 2025. The excellent news is Tesla is providing incentives: a $6,500 credit score on leases plus one free $2,000 improve.
The humorous factor? My home already has a Tesla quick charger inbuilt. Plus, I’ve acquired greater than 21 photo voltaic panels on the roof. Charging would typically be free in the course of the day.
So the obvious alternative for my 2015 Vary Rover Sport appears to be a Tesla Mannequin Y for about $48,000 out the door. A 3-year lease with zero down is about $650 a month. What do you suppose? It could really feel nice to make the most of extra of the options of my home.
We Additionally Love Hondas
Since I not care about luxurious European vehicles, Toyota and Honda are trying enticing once more. I had a Honda Civic again in 2002–2003, and beloved it. However as a 25-year-old finance worker in San Francisco, I ultimately needed one thing nicer, so I upgraded to a BMW M3 and later a Land Rover Discovery II.
Wow, in the present day’s Honda Civics look implausible. The Civic Sport runs about $28,000 earlier than taxes and charges, roughly $31,000 out the door. It feels steep for a Civic, however these vehicles are extremely dependable. My solely concern? Security. A smaller automobile may not maintain up as effectively in a collision.
That’s why I’m additionally eyeing the Honda CR-V Sport. Clear design, roomy inside, AWD for Tahoe journeys, about $38,000. Not dangerous, however the inside feels low-cost in comparison with my Vary Rover.
Toyota May Be The Winner
Then I checked out a Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus GX 550, which is mainly a extra luxurious Land Cruiser for a number of thousand {dollars} extra. Costs run $72,000–$80,000 pre-tax, which feels hefty. Perhaps the Toyota 4-Runner is the better-size automobile, priced at about $51,000.
The Civic and CR-V Sport are economical and dependable, they usually don’t stand out. With my Vary Rover Sport, I often felt a bit of embarrassed within the early years, because it drew consideration. Now, ten years later, I don’t really feel that means in any respect. In truth, it’s cheaper than many new Civics, Corollas, Camrys, and Accords.
So Many Yr-Finish Incentives, So Little Need To Purchase
What’s humorous is that I might simply negotiate a lower cost at any vendor, particularly on the finish of the yr. However I don’t really feel the identical thrill I did in my 20s once I purchased and bought vehicles for enjoyable.
Actually, all I need is to pay one other $1,300 or so to repair the EVAP leak and have the Vary Rover behave for 2 extra years. The automobile solely has 66,500 miles. My children can kick the seats all they need. Door dings? Advantageous. Scratches? No drawback.
There’s one thing peaceful about driving an older car that you simply don’t fear about damaging. However I’m not satisfied the Vary Rover’s issues will decelerate. I’ve already changed the vacuum pump, water pump, PCV valve, each batteries, oil gasket, oxygen sensor, and extra. And nonetheless new points cropped up.
Assist Me Resolve My Subsequent Automotive
Fake you might be me: a 48-year-old dad with two younger children in San Francisco. You care about security and reliability above all else. Annual mileage pushed is about 6,500. You are unemployed and fly Basic Economy. However you’ve about $360,000 a yr in passive income after 26 years of saving and investing that covers virtually all of your after-tax dwelling bills. Lastly, the automobile is a enterprise expense.
Which automobile would you purchase or lease?
- Stick to an economic system or mid-size automobile? Mannequin Y, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota 4-Runner
- YOLO and get a luxurious automobile once more? Vary Rover Sport, Toyota Land Cruiser, Lexus GX 550, Rivian RS1
- Or simply hold fixing the 2015 Vary Rover for $1,100–$3,000 a yr, hope it does not break down, and drive it into the bottom?
My unique purpose was to maintain the automobile till my son learns to drive in 2031 at age 15. If he dings it, no large deal. However I doubt the automobile will final that lengthy with out costly repairs. And if we transfer to Hawaii in 2029, I might hate to overspend on a automobile solely to promote it quickly after.
Please share what you drive and what you’d suggest. What sort of automobile do you drive, how a lot does it price, and is it dependable? Thanks!
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