To Toyota or not Toyota?

T

Third of Five

New member
Put it this way, you are trading in your car on another used car which is virtually the same age. Thus, chances are that this Toyota 4-Runner is going to start having problems soon as well. Whenever you buy a used car which is 5 years or older you are bound to have some sort of repairs you are going to have to do-no matter what the make and model is. probably just simple things like brakes or whatever, but still if you are looking to get away from having to do repairs on a car you are going to have to buy something a bit newer. Thats just life.
Personally i think you should broaden your options. You seem to be stuck on higher end cars here and overlooking plenty of other cars by other manufacturers that frankly are just as good as Audi or Toyota. Shop around a bit. Simply because companies like Audi and Toyota claim they have the best quality around does not mean other cars are not good quality as well. Toyotas are rather overpriced in my opinion, you could probably find a newer car made by another manufacturer to trade on for the same price.
 
I know I'm in the wrong category but Nobody is answering over in cars and I know married people are very smart :))

So here is my situation:

I have a 2003 Audi A4 1.8 T Quattro- I owe 7500 on it (about as much as it books for)
it has 89k miles on it, the turbo went out recently and it started leaking oil. My mechanic said (minus the leak) the turbo would cost 1500 to replace. This is not the first time the car has given us grief.

I'm thinking about trading it in for a 2004 Toyota 4runner Limited V8 with 95k miles on it- they're asking 16 for it.

So, let me explain- We've had a lot of mechanical issues with my car and we're afraid that eventually it's going to cost A LOT to repair. Toyotas are notorious for reliability and the 4runner just seems like a better bet all around. My problem with this decision is financial (taking out another, larger loan for a car that has MORE miles and is only one year newer. Also, at least with the car- I know what I've got. But with a new vehicle purchase, it's always a gamble. I guess it's a gamble either way.

So would you trade in (or sell pp) the car and go for the runner or would you just stick with the car, pay it off and drive it till it dies????


Thanks so much for your help!
Yes, I've always used synthetic in it- I think it's just a lemon- we've also had to replace the ignition coils among other things.
 
i would keep shopping around. Even look at different makes. Toyotas are overrated and overpriced. Would I get rid of your car if I were in your place? Yes. Would I look at Toyota? No. There have been a few more recalls with Priuses, some of the trucks, and now some Lexuses. I totally don't trust that brand anymore until they can fix whatever issue they have.
Like I said, keep shopping, and keep your options open. Use the internet to compare vehicles. On an off note, the V8 in that Toyota will be harder on fuel mileage than your Audi.
 
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