My best and worst are basically identical cars.
I bought an 02 Saturn Vue with the EcoTec 4 and a 5-spd manual back in 2005 with 40K miles. I currently have 296K miles on it, and I've never been in the engine. I had to replace the BCM computer one time, and had a clutch go out at almost 200K miles. It is still my daily driver. It uses a quart of oil about every 2500 miles. I only run 10W-30 (manual calls for 5W-30) full synthetic. I have abused the crap out of it. I've put a tarp in the cargo area and hauled fill dirt a couple times and hauled motors in the cargo ba. I put a 2" receiver hitch on it and regularly tow 2000+ lbs (manual says I should only tow 1500 lbs). It is extremely reliable but looking awful tired. one wheel bearing went out at 180K, and I recently replaced the front wheel bearings around 280K. The one original wheel bearing left on it is starting to make some noise.
About three years ago, I bought it's replacement, an 05 with the same engine and tranny. It only had 86K miles, was owned by an elderly couple who drove it little. It has been a POS. I bought it in January, and when spring rolled around I found the a/c didn't work. Then it developed a somewhat random misfire and occasionally threw a check engine light. I think it might have been a partially clogged fuel injector. Then last summer, the slave cylinder went out in the clutch. It will probably cost me $2K minimum to fix the a/c and clutch. I paid $2K for it, and I've just about decided I will scrap it and be done with it. I will say that before the clutch went out, it drove great (minus the a/c).
Right now, I have a 56 mile round trip commute to work and back, so gas mileage is important. Once I retire, I'll probably get something like a short bed pickup or something more interesting. I kind of like the FJ Cruisers.
Mike
|