Car Stuff

Hole In The Fleet

That’s our nice SUV – sitting in the garage of our recently-purchased condo in Florida. We drove it down to Florida a few weeks ago and left it there. Now we need to replace the hole it left in our Minnesota fleet – where we spend most of our time.

The big challenge in replacing it is that the automobile industry is in a bit of chaos right now. Prices are up, fuel costs continue to be high, and insurance is through the roof.

Here are some numbers from an article in the Wall Street Journal …

Why is everything so high? Inflation, first and foremost. The broad CPI is up 21% over this period, but other things are going up faster … especially repairs & insurance. Those are 2x the rate of inflation as electronics make vehicles more complicated and less reliable. We’ve had all kinds of sensor / electronics issues in our newer cars.

I’m not sure what I want to spend on a new vehicle yet, but it has to fit our needs first. The most common roles our old SUV served in our fleet were: 1) everyday family hauler; 2) couples night out luxury transport; 3) sports / adventure equipment carrier; 4) long-range road trip highway cruiser; and, 5) pet transport. It really excelled at all of those roles.

My Jeep Wrangler fills many of these needs, but not if I take the top and doors off in the summer. It also drives like a brick – not a very plush ride for couples date night to dinner & a show. Like our sports car, it’s more a toy than a practical vehicle.

I’m leaning toward another BMW SUV – or maybe a Mercedes or Audi. They give you some spirited driving punch with a good dose of luxury. I used to have a Acura SUV that I liked a lot, so I could go that way, too. I also wonder if I should move down a notch to a simple Honda. Less performance, but less cost and high reliability.

(I should note – because everyone asks nowadays- that an EV is NOT under consideration given their mileage range limitations. For road trips, I need to be able to fuel up and punch out 500+ miles – like I could in my X5.)

For now, I’m driving my Jeep & roadster. Mrs FireStation wants me to replace the SUV soon, but not right away. As always, it’s a fun process that I enjoy. I just want to make sure I make a good decision on a vehicle that plays such an important role in our household.

Have you bought a new vehicle lately? How’s it working for your needs?

Image: (c) MrFireStation.com

12 thoughts on “Hole In The Fleet”

    1. I agree… Toyotas are super reliable. I’ve had four of them over the years. I had a Toyota pick up truck that went almost 300,000 miles. Unfortunately, they are reliable, but not much fun to drive!

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      1. Yes, a little on the boring side. For fun I have a Mini John Cooper Works … great for fun, but not as practical for many things as the RAV4. Hard to find everything in one vehicle for less than the gold in Fort Knox …

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      2. The mini coopers are a lot of fun to drive. Our BMW dealer often has them for loaner vehicles. In Minnesota, they are fun to slide around in the snow and do donuts!

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  2. The posted numbers sure don’t match the 19% that the Fed admits to since FJB got installed as President. Yet another example of lying about inflation.

    On the car front, I recommend you start your search by looking at this article that lists vehicles most likely to reach 200,000 miles. This is how I always start my car shopping and it helps me avoid high maintenance situations.

    https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/g35834918/top-vehicles-most-likely-to-reach-200000-miles/

    Toyota claims six out of the top ten spots. Full sized Chevy and Ford SUV’s also make the list. Starting with a car with good bones will go the distance. The reason these cars go over 200,000 miles is because owners can afford to keep them on the road. Note that many of these are built on frames which go through accidents better.

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    1. Looks like Toyotas & light duty trucks (likely skewed by commercial usage). I have had very good luck with a bunch of Toyotas and Hondas that I’ve had over the years. They really didn’t know how to build a much more reliable vehicle. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t very fun to drive!

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      1. Maybe the Acura is the way to go? Good Honda engineering in a more sporty vehicle. I really like the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Helps you get started, because you are only making something better, which avoids perfection procrastination. Yet, they get better and better over time.

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      2. Yeah – I used to have a MDX. They have a new performance sub-model (A-Spec) that I’ll give a go. I like to buy them a year or 2 used. I’ll look for one of those.

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    1. I like Land Rover styling, but they got sold to a car company in India (along with Jaguar) and the quality has gone to Hell.

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  4. I have a 2015 and 2024 CX-5, with the 2024 being the top model. It’s very luxurious and great fun to drive, and no issues over 10 years with the prior one. I recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, fun, and reliable SUV.

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