If you were going to potentially be selling your vehicle soon....

[Klayfish]

Unless you're uncommonly tall, like 6'6" or more, most any car should have more than enough drivers seat leg room with the seat set fully back. Even a base car will have seat adjustments for fore/aft and up/down. All the other bells/whistles of 20 way adjustable seats are mostly nuance adjustments....they're nice, but it sounds to me like you're more interested in the room. I'm 5'9", so average male height and in my sedan the seat can go back so far that I can barely even touch the pedals. I also wonder if it's more of a dead pedal issue for you than the seat. I don't have enough experience with the Forester to know how that's situated, but that could be an issue.

A big SUV will give you more of that "sitting on a bar stool" feel where you're legs are bent 90 degrees at the knee. However, unless you're in a sports car, most average height sedans/wagons or small SUVs can do that too with the seat at the highest setting. You'll really have to feel it out, literally.

 

[yoopermom]

Thanks Klayfish, for that explanation. It's hard for me to explain without visuals, but I have hardware in my left ankle and foor so the two ways I can rest my left foot when driving, either with it canted so the outside of my ankle is touching the floorboard, or with the back of my heel on the floorboard, either just hurt over time. When I drive my DH's Chevy 1500, my foot is more flat on the floor, and doesn't hurt. (He says what I really need is the Delta Olds 88 I learned to drive on back in the 80s, those old "boats" had tons of legroom ....) I'm desperately hoping that my surgery in Feb, which will include the removal of the majority of metal will help, because I do love road trips! (And I hope to someday be good enough to be able to clutch well enough to drive my DHs Chevelle again...sigh....)

Terri

 

[nkereina]

I just traded in a 1987 Suburban that I bought new. I have all the receipts for every repair done. $10,000 over 31 years. That averages out to $26.88 a month. A WHOLE lot cheaper than leasing.

$10K across 31 years. Good for you for being diligent about the upkeep of your car that allows you to keep them for so long, but I think you're in the minority. I don't know a single person in my own life here in upstate NY that keeps a car that long because it eventually becomes a money pit. And to be fair, some of that $10K could come at once and if you don't have several hundred bucks socked away that you can specifically designate for car repairs, it may be a challenge to some people's monthly budget. You can't put just $27 a month away and expect to be ok when things come up. Buying vs. leasing can be sliced and diced any which way, but all I'm saying is that what works well for some may not for others, both for valid reasons.

 

[kdonnel]

You can't put just $27 a month away and expect to be ok when things come up.

Actually you can and should.

If everyone treated their homes and cars and appliances and other items that require repair in the future this way their budget would never be busted.

Part of the cost of owning a car(home, appliance) is repair and maintenance. When buying something you should always plan for that ongoing expense, the initial purchase price is not the full cost of ownership.

My HOA is required to set aside money for expected repair expenses. Every 15 years the pool parking lot needs to be resurfaced. Every 7 years the pools needs to be resurfaced. These expenses can and should be planned for by setting aside money from the budget every year.

Very few people think about the total cost of ownership when buying something. That needs to change.

 

[tvguy]

$10K across 31 years. Good for you for being diligent about the upkeep of your car that allows you to keep them for so long, but I think you're in the minority. I don't know a single person in my own life here in upstate NY that keeps a car that long because it eventually becomes a money pit. And to be fair, some of that $10K could come at once and if you don't have several hundred bucks socked away that you can specifically designate for car repairs, it may be a challenge to some people's monthly budget. You can't put just $27 a month away and expect to be ok when things come up. Buying vs. leasing can be sliced and diced any which way, but all I'm saying is that what works well for some may not for others, both for valid reasons.

i come by it naturally. My mom kept her cars 14.....2....27 and 10 years. The first three were traded in because repairs were just too much money. The last car had only 10,000 miles on it when she passed away.
Also remember I work in an industry where specialized vehicles like TV Live Trucks are often kept 500,000 miles. They don't hesitate to replace an engine or transmission because the specialized modifications to the vehicle add $200,000 to the replacement cost.

 

[nkereina]

Actually you can and should.

If everyone treated their homes and cars and appliances and other items that require repair in the future this way their budget would never be busted.

Part of the cost of owning a car(home, appliance) is repair and maintenance. When buying something you should always plan for that ongoing expense, the initial purchase price is not the full cost of ownership.

My HOA is required to set aside money for expected repair expenses. Every 15 years the pool parking lot needs to be resurfaced. Every 7 years the pools needs to be resurfaced. These expenses can and should be planned for by setting aside money from the budget every year.

Very few people thing about the total cost of ownership when buying something. That needs to change.

My other posts up-thread convey exactly this. My point in the post you quoted is that only $27 a month wouldn't cover it. If I had an aging vehicle, I would be putting at least $50 a month away, if not more, to make sure I could shell out a couple hundred at any given time without worry or stress to be sure I could keep my car running when those unexpected things pop up.

i come by it naturally. My mom kept her cars 14.....2....27 and 10 years. The first three were traded in because repairs were just too much money. The last car had only 10,000 miles on it when she passed away.

That's great! Sounds like its what you're used to, and I think the environment you're in plays a factor as well. Where I live in upstate NY, weather can wreak havoc on vehicles. Plus many of us have long commutes and do heavy city driving, which takes a big toll on vehicles as well.

 

[Klayfish]

That's great! Sounds like its what you're used to, and I think the environment you're in plays a factor as well. Where I live in upstate NY, weather can wreak havoc on vehicles. Plus many of us have long commutes and do heavy city driving, which takes a big toll on vehicles as well.

Yes...ugh...salt. I was born and raised around Philly and spent over 4 decades there. Rusty cars were the norm. Now I live in Atlanta and it's so weird not to see 10 year old cars covered in rust. Once in a while, I'll see a car from the 70s or 80s with not a spec of rust on it and it blows my mind. Back home, they'd have completely returned to the earth by now...

 

[tvguy]

That's great! Sounds like its what you're used to, and I think the environment you're in plays a factor as well. Where I live in upstate NY, weather can wreak havoc on vehicles. Plus many of us have long commutes and do heavy city driving, which takes a big toll on vehicles as well.

True. But there are things you can do. My FIL lived near Houston, and rust was always an issue. But he got his cars Ziebarted , and Ziebart guaranteed no rust for the life of the car or they would pay to fix it. And he usually had a couple of rust repairs repairs in the life of a car, but he only kept his cars about 10 years.

My Uncles in Canada just planned on paying for rust repairs. One in Saskatoon just loved his 1967 Chrysler Town and Country Station wagon with a 440 (and no smog controls) for pulling a trailer, and he had the rusted fenders and side sheet metal replaced twice in 10 years before trading it in on a new 1977 Plymouth Grand Fury with a 440. Of course, the 1967 440 put out 375 horsepower, the 1977 440 only put out 255 horsepower.

 

[georgina]

Newer cars don't rust like that anymore due to improved coatings (I used to work in auto coatings.)

My Outback is the most uncomfortable car I've ever driven. More than an hour in it is like torture. If it didn't plow through a foot of snow like nobody else's business, I wouldn't own it. Truly a utilitarian purchase for me.

Interesting. I find my 2011 Outback seats extremely comfortable. I have been in a Forester and those seats were HARD.

 

[Klayfish]

Newer cars don't rust like that anymore due to improved coatings (I used to work in auto coatings.)

It's not as bad as Japanese cars from the '80s anymore, sure. But yes, newer cars will absolutely still rust if they're in salty environments and not cared for.

 

[tvguy]

Interesting. I find my 2011 Outback seats extremely comfortable. I have been in a Forester and those seats were HARD.

I think a lot of it has to do with how you are built, your personal preferences, and any physical issues you have like OP. We've purchased a couple of cars that Consumer Reports marked down on comfort, for features that ended up being huge pluses to my wife and I. They said not to get the center armrest in our 1983 Mercury Lynx because it was too high, and too long. Yet we found it the most comfortable armrest of any car we owned, perfect height and length.

 

[smokeyblue]

Newer cars don't rust like that anymore due to improved coatings (I used to work in auto coatings.)



Interesting. I find my 2011 Outback seats extremely comfortable. I have been in a Forester and those seats were HARD.

I'll admit, mine is an '07 so they may have improved. I'd still get another Outback since I don't drive all that far usually.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Dealers will look for any excuse to give you less. When I traded in my van they tried to say I had "significant body damage" when it was seriously only some white paint + scraping on 2 of the door handles and a little bit of paint maybe an inch or so scraped on one of the doors. It was from when I scraped the door frame of the garage when I was pulling in like the first time ever

 

[mrodgers]

I just traded in a 1987 Suburban that I bought new. I have all the receipts for every repair done. $10,000 over 31 years. That averages out to $26.88 a month. A WHOLE lot cheaper than leasing.

I started driving in 1988, bought my own first car in 1990. I've owned 12 cars since then and haven't spent close to $10,000 in 30 years. 2 of those cars were bought new.

 

[tvguy]

I started driving in 1988, bought my own first car in 1990. I've owned 12 cars since then and haven't spent close to $10,000 in 30 years. 2 of those cars were bought new.

But how much have you lost in depreciation keeping a car about 2 1/2 years ?

My wife and I both got our licenses and first cars in 1973, and between us, we've only owned 10 cars.

No question, my priority is the lowest cost per mile when combining repairs and depreciation costs, and keeping a car almost forever is almost the only way to do that. And in 31 years I had my Suburban......not counting flat tires and dead batteries......I only was stranded once.

 

[Klayfish]

But how much have you lost in depreciation keeping a car about 2 1/2 years ?

My wife and I both got our licenses and first cars in 1973, and between us, we've only owned 10 cars.

No question, my priority is the lowest cost per mile when combining repairs and depreciation costs, and keeping a car almost forever is almost the only way to do that. And in 31 years I had my Suburban......not counting flat tires and dead batteries......I only was stranded once.

Clearly you are focused on the lowest cost per mile and are committed to it very long term. But most people don't want to do it the way you do. Even me...who is also very cheap. Unless I hit the lottery, I won't lease a car because leasing is a rip off. I won't buy a new car, again unless I strike it rich, because I don't want to take the depreciation hit. However, I love cars and enjoy switching often. I've been driving since 1990. I had a hand me down car for a few years. Since about 1996 or so, between DW and I, we have to be at 100 cars owned. I don't count officially, but I have no doubt it's around that number. I've had my current car since March and am anticipating a switch in the next 6 months. I consider myself pretty savvy in buying/selling, so I don't loose a ton of money...I've made money on some. Like you, I'm clearly an outlier.

Most people want to make smart financial decisions in their cars, but not necessarily keep a car forever. I think the average length of ownership is something like 6-7 years. So while it would be the purely financially smart thing to keep a car for 30 years, most don't want to. And if you live in the rust belt, you literally can't.

 

[tvguy]

Clearly you are focused on the lowest cost per mile and are committed to it very long term. But most people don't want to do it the way you do. Even me...who is also very cheap. Unless I hit the lottery, I won't lease a car because leasing is a rip off. I won't buy a new car, again unless I strike it rich, because I don't want to take the depreciation hit. However, I love cars and enjoy switching often. I've been driving since 1990. I had a hand me down car for a few years. Since about 1996 or so, between DW and I, we have to be at 100 cars owned. I don't count officially, but I have no doubt it's around that number. I've had my current car since March and am anticipating a switch in the next 6 months. I consider myself pretty savvy in buying/selling, so I don't loose a ton of money...I've made money on some. Like you, I'm clearly an outlier.

Most people want to make smart financial decisions in their cars, but not necessarily keep a car forever. I think the average length of ownership is something like 6-7 years. So while it would be the purely financially smart thing to keep a car for 30 years, most don't want to. And if you live in the rust belt, you literally can't.

I agree on leasing. I live in California and every time you sell a car you are hit with a $15 title and $8 Smog fee, $23 just there times 100 cars would be $2,300 in fees. Oh, and 8% sales tax on the purchase price which in my opinion buys you nothing.
We've come to love Hertz Rental Car sales. 1 year old cars still under factory warranty in most cases, no haggle prices that are about $2,000 cheaper than everywhere else. Bought both my kids Hertz Tauruses. My son's had 25,000 miles on it and cost $9995 and he totaled it with 180,000 miles on it. My daughters cost $9,500 and had 29,500 miles on it. 10 years later she gave it back to us and bought a 2017 Hertz Fusion Hybrid with 16,000 miles on it for $16,000. Her 2007 Taurus is now my daily driver. It only has 96,000 miles on it.

 

[mrodgers]

But how much have you lost in depreciation keeping a car about 2 1/2 years ?

My wife and I both got our licenses and first cars in 1973, and between us, we've only owned 10 cars.

No question, my priority is the lowest cost per mile when combining repairs and depreciation costs, and keeping a car almost forever is almost the only way to do that. And in 31 years I had my Suburban......not counting flat tires and dead batteries......I only was stranded once.

Easy enough to figure out. I remember all costs and numbers.

I have $50,324 since 1990 (not including the parent's car they gave to me for graduation that I sold the next day) in vehicles (wife's included.) With that $50,000 cost, I have 757,000 miles. This includes the 2010 RAV4 the ex-wife is still driving that has 158k miles on it and my car I bought 2 years ago still driving currently with 34k miles. Also this includes 2 totaled out accidents and a Tacoma frame rot 6 months prior to them offering the buyback.

Repair costs, I'll try for those numbers. I have to ignore my first new car (parents talked me into new) as I put a ton of money into that POS. Out of 12 vehicles and 757k miles, other than routine maintenance, I've replaced a clutch, rebuilt a clutch slave cylinder, rebuilt a starter, 2 head gaskets, replaced broken springs. I do my own work and have roughly $1800 in non-routine maintenance in 30 years.

I left out 2 of those cars. The only 2 non-Japanese cars have so much money and repairs in them it was ridiculous. More routine maintenance really, but at 3 times faster than any of my other cars. Example, the Ford Escape ate rotors every 35,000 miles. I had never replaced a rotor in my life until this vehicle and aside from wrecks or caught by the Tacoma frame rot, the lowest mileage car I had was 159k miles.

 

[tvguy]

Example, the Ford Escape ate rotors every 35,000 miles. .

Interesting. We have a fleet of 20 Escapes at work. We just retired a 2008 Hybrid with 300,000 miles.....after it was involved in a crash. No problems here. They are very popular with TV stations because they are pretty bullet proof.

 

[mrodgers]

Interesting. We have a fleet of 20 Escapes at work. We just retired a 2008 Hybrid with 300,000 miles.....after it was involved in a crash. No problems here. They are very popular with TV stations because they are pretty bullet proof.

I never passed a state inspection after the first one (because it was a leftover 2006 with 900 miles and the dealer screwed us with state inspection being due the next month after purchase.) I replaced rotors almost every year for inspection. Out of the 5 years of ownership until my wife rolled it with 1 payment left to payoff, we didn't have 4WD for 2 of those winters. Every summer I was under the thing fixing something.