I may have found it... UPDATED: HELP NEEDED!

[scmhogg]

Sam,

I've had a 1996 Toyota RAV4 for a couple of years. I love it. It's not big enough for your needs. But, I can park it anywhere.

Steve

[Sam Conder]

Sam,

I've had a 1996 Toyota RAV4 for a couple of years. I love it. It's not big enough for your needs. But, I can park it anywhere.

Steve

Actually, I think a RAV4 might do fine, but I can't find any used ones older than 2004 within a 250mi radius of me.

[rcp612]

Good Luck !!!!!!

I had a 1995 just like that with 176,000 mi. when I bought it. Only difference was color, same engine, trans, etc. Loved it!!! Had NO trouble with it, excellant fuel mileage, and probably the same rear hatch issues. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Sam Conder]

HELP!!!

Ok, here is the situation I am AGONIZING over...

This 4Runner is mine if I want it, the other 2 prospective buyers backed out. The 2000 Kia Sportage is mine if I want it, nobody else has called yet so I'm "first in line". Here are the specs on the two...

2000 Kia Sportage

• 4x4
• 5-speed manual
• 4 cyl.
• 92,000 miles
• 18.4 average MPG (as reported by actual owners)
• Clean Carfax report
• 2 owner (2nd owner has had it 4 months, bought it for wife but she couldn't drive standard)
• $3000 firm

1995 Toyota 4Runner

• 4x2
• 4-speed automatic
• 6 cyl.
• 162,000 miles
• 18.3 average MPG (as reported by actual owners)
• Clean Carfax report
• 1 owner (sorta 2 owner, it was a man's and he gave it to his daughter when she went to college)
• $2500 firm

I went and looked at a Subaru Outback tonight that turned out to be a POS. I took it to a Goodyear shop and had them do an inspection. There was oil dripping on the floor before they ever got it up in the air to see that the catalytic convertor had been sawed off and flex pipe ran to the muffler!

Anyway, after letting me know not to buy ANYTHING from the car lot I had got the Subaru from, I asked him about the Kia. He told me "I'd buy it." He said he's seen a lot of Toyotas, Nissans, Fords, Chevys, Dodges, Kias, Subarus, etc., etc. over the years and in his opinion the Kias aren't any worse than the Toyotas. He had a particular dislike for Toyota, once again bringing up the common head gasget issue in the V6 Toyotas. He pretty much told me to run, don't walk away from the Toyota. He said repair parts are a bit higher on the Kias, but he didn't feel like they were WAY out of line. He said they were still cheaper than many other brands.

The "con" for me on the Kia is the fact that it's a Kia and so many people disparage it. Other than that I can't find anything about it I dislike. I drove a 1999 Kia tonight and liked it quite a bit. It rode just like I thought it would, a lot like a Suzuki Samurai or Jeep Wrangler. It seemed solid but I did notice a bit of wind noise. I used to drive an MGB, I know about wind noise.

The "cons" for me on the Toyota is the notorious Toyota V6 engine problems (keep in mind I just threw a rod in a Toyota V6!) and the fact that the vehicle is 5 years older than the Kia and has 60,000 more miles than the Kia. It also has a significant amount of body rust according to the seller and a problem that is currently preventing access to the cargo area (power window must be rolled down to drop the tailgate and it won't roll down).

So... tell me why I should buy the Toyota over the Kia?

[leehljp]

HELP!!!

So... tell me why I should buy the Toyota over the Kia?

Because I live in TOYOTA?

Just kidding. That is a hard question. I know the feeling of getting bit by something that other people praise. I also know the feeling of seeing if something will work for me that others have not had luck with.

I have been eyeing a Kia for when I retire in about 3 - 4 years. I know I will change my mind by that time.

Lifting your decision in prayer.

[cgallery]

Someone help me out, I don't want to make a mistake and steer anyone wrong, but don't Click and Clack (the Car Talk guys) speak fairly highly of the Kia's?

I'm not that big a Toy fan. I know they are supposed to be the cat's you know what in terms of reliability. But I think their marketing is more successful than their engineering.

[ironhat]

The Kia's have no down side in their reliability history and with only half the mileage this one sounds good. You may be sacrificing a little power with the 4 cyl but you gain the 4WD for occassional needs.

[TB Roye]

Sam

The rust would scare me off. Don't know how bad it is under the paint and other body parts. Might get expensive to fix if you have to. I have heard good and bad on the KIA, there are a lot of them running around CA, Toyotas also. I think the age and the mileage on the Toyota would be a factor also. Did you check the KIA for rust? I have 2002 Toy Prernner with a V6 but it is low mileage and have never had a problem. I think I would go with the KIA newer in years and lower in mileage. Good luck in you decision. All car parts are expensive now. They want $600-$800 to change the plugs in LOML's 04 Expedition at 100,000 miles. At 99,999 or before it gets traded or sold

Tom

[Uncle Cracker]

Low(er) mileage on the Kia sounds good. If my son had not had so much go wrong with his Sedona, I wouldn't be worried. Didn't Toyota also have a lot of trouble with the auto trannies? If yours is original, it's way overdue.

Bottom line is this: It's something you're gonna have to live with so go with your gut...

[FL Buckeye]

I can't comment on the Toyota V6 problems or any Kia experiences. But I would check the Kia's history for having its timing belt replaced. Most of the 4 cylinders use a timing belt instead of a chain. And most of them are what they call interference engines. Which means that if the belt breaks, the pistons run into the dropped valves and major damage occurs. It could cost $500 dollars for a timing belt replacement or $3000 for repairs if the belt breaks. Most of the older engines had a 60K replacement schedule, newer Honda's go 100K. Don't know about the Kia. Also don't know about the Toyota V6's, but the Honda V6's used a timing belt the last I checked.

[radhak]

I am a Toyota fan - love their dependability, and the quiet inside their vehicles (quieter than Honda and Nissan by streets).

But for the two vehicles you have to choose from - the Kia seems to win by these points (a) age : only 7 vs 12 years
(b) mileage : only 92k vs 152k
(c) condition : no rust vs rust

I think you should buy the Kia, and be prepared for some 'issues' : v4 is perceptibly less than what you migth be used to; road-noise louder than Toyota, but you are used to WW noise... .

Best of luck!

[gwyneth]

I'm biased...as much as I love Toyotas, I'd pick almost any 4-cyl/5-speed over almost any V6/auto.

Cheaper to drive, cheaper to fix. Also, KIAs of that year may have that super-duper drive train warranty (which in turn may belong to the car, not the owner.)

The only thing that sounds strange about the Kia is a 72-yr old suddenly discovering his wife couldn't/wouldn't drive a standard transmission.

But with my manual transmission bias, I'd go with the KIA...and though the price is "firm", try offering $2,500.

[Cheeky]

low-ball the toyota......if he says now then walk.

[Sam Conder]

The only thing that sounds strange about the Kia is a 72-yr old suddenly discovering his wife couldn't/wouldn't drive a standard transmission.

It's even funnier than it is strange...

Basically, wife wanted an SUV. Husband didn't wanna spend $$$ for SUV for wife. Husband finds 2000 Kia in the paper and tells wife "I'm gonna go buy you an SUV". When husband gets to dealership, he finds out it's a 5-speed, something he failed to notice in the listing. Husband goes home empty handed. Wifa asks "Where's my SUV?" Husband replies "It was a 5-speed." Wife replies "so..." Husband says "I didn't think you could drive a 5 speed." Wife replies "Sure I can drive a 5 speed!"

Husband returns to dealership, buys his dear wife the SUV, gets a friend to drive it home, wife gets in inside and proclaims...
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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"I CAN'T DRIVE A STANDARD!" To which the husband replies, "I asked you if you could drive a 5 speed and you said yes!" Wife replies, "You didn't say 5-speed standard!"

Husband tucked his tail, went out and found an automatic Jeep Cherokee and now the wife is happy and he's stuck trying to sell a Kia.

[Stytooner]

Man rule # 127.
Never date a gal that can't drive a standard.