Some people used to say that the Toyota Avalon was a better value, because it was almost as nice as a Lexus and used many of the same parts, but you weren’t paying the premium price for the Lexus brand. Of course that’s moot now that Toyota discontinued the Avalon.
On luxo cars the stuff that fails expensively is the luxo stuff. Not the suspension bushings.
To the degree the Lexus has the same entertainment control module as the corresponding body Toyota you’d find savings. But odds are the luxo stuff is Lexus-specific.
That’s mostly true, but a big part of it also the higher reliability of Toyota/Lexus over many of those other luxury brands. You’ll get the same benefit of a Lexus if you buy an Acura built to Honda reliability levels. On average, long term ownership costs will be lower.
In many cases though, parts will be interchangeable. On the GX 460 example, the optional rear air suspension is not on the 4Runner, so if (when) it fails, you’re buying Lexus parts, possibly ones made only for that specific model.
For a few years, I owned 2 cars that were at the opposite ends of the Honda cost spectrum: a 2008 Honda Fit and a 1993 Acura NSX. One day I went to the parts counter at a Honda dealer and asked for 2 oil plug washers. They sell so many of these they keep them under the register. The clerk set them on the counter and said, “35 cents each. What cars?” I told him and he took one washer back, then brought the same washer from under the counter and said, “The NSX washer costs 35 dollars.”
I’m in the market for a used (under 100,000) SUV that is capable of towing 2500 lbs. I sort of narrowed it down to Explorers and Highlanders. Explorers have always seemed to have transmission issues and 10 year old Highlanders are known for leaking oil at the timing chain cover (an expensive fix) Anyway, I’m using Carfax to look at service history and, more often than not, there are large gaps between oil changes. I’m assuming that this may be because people use Jiffy Lube etc. and this doesn’t make into the database. I mean, who doesn’t change their oil for 30-40K miles? Is there any way to diagnose a vehicle that may have been subject to very long intervals between oil changes? I’m pretty sure a dealer will change the oil before listing so merely looking at he oil won’t help. Thanks in advance.
BTW, with all the fancy sensors why isn’t there something to monitor oil changes. Oil gets drained below a certain level and its noted on the computer or something.
We just got our fancy EV and sold our CR-V to a college kid. It had 72,000 problem free miles on it, synthetic oil changes on schedule, garaged, etc. It blew up 18 hours after we sold it. New fuel injectors and $1500 later hopefully it’s fine. Sheesh.
Yep. Sound insulation has a huge effect on perceived luxury levels. It’s easy to add more in when a car is being built, but not after.
why used, when you have a budget of 100k?
aren’t there dozens of SUVs in the (US) market that can tow what translates to pretty much 1000kg? (I once towed a CJ6 with my 1.3L suzuki Samurai without ill effects 
my rationale is when buying a used SUV with towing package, those were probably used heavier than the soccer mum suvs …
just blurting out thoughts …
I assumed 100,000 = mileage, not budget.
I read this as they’re looking for a used SUV with <100K miles, not <$100K asking price.
you probably read that right …
all that crazy talk about the CT at $99k had me run off in the wrong direction …
I have nothing to add, but IIRC @pullin recently did a similar search and may have useful info to share.
I would be glad to help, but don’t know much about the SUVs @MikeF is considering. I think most SUVs can handle 2500 lbs. easily. My only input would be making sure the trailer weights are accurate before buying the tow vehicle. Some trailer manufacturers tend to weigh their least “optioned” version for the advertised weights.
Yes, under 100K miles, not dollars. I was hoping to hear from someone with firsthand experience with Highlanders of the 2014-2017 vintage. There is so much conflicting information out there (from “run from any Highlander that shows sign of this leak” to “Meh, its no big deal just add oil when needed”). I’m a big Toyota fan but oil leaks scare me. I just had a look at a Highlander forum and it seems its a matter of when, not if for these leaks.
I’ve had three Explorers over the years. The current one is a 2000, the newest of the three and needs a rear main seal and has many other little issues. Two of the three needed transmissions rebuilt. It seems since 2006, trannys are no longer a problem. I am a glutton for punishment so It looks like another Explorer is in my future. Thanks for the replies.
sorry, no specific answer - we do not have those here … but maybe you can talk to a Toy mechanic at a dealership about this …
they should know first hand how involved/frequent (as in percentage) this problem is … I mean if that is a popular model and 1% present problems, there might be quite some internet-noise about it (100s of people) … but realistically - you are 99 times more probable to get a good one, as opposed to a leaky one …
interesting how the interwebs can distort perceptions - right?
that could be a way better data-´point than people on msg-boards bitching (people tend to gravitate to those when they have problems … if everything is nice and dandy they don’t need the boards much …
also: some “off-label” reddit boards … you prob. looked for toy-boards there - but there is also a “just-rolled-into-the-shop” (and many others) board where you could ask a specific question (and hope to not get the banhammer
iow: talk to professionals, not just amateurs …
Opinions? Should I replace my tires?
They have less than 15,000 miles on them, but were installed in March, 2017, and were manufactured in April, 2016. The tread is fine, but there are some small cracks on the sidewalls and at the base of the tread blocks. None of these cracks are deep, and none of the tread has fallen off or anything like that. They hold air, and drive fine.
I’m sure any tire store would say immediately change them, but even if they’re honest, they want to sell tires so are going to be cautious and say replace them. Other guides say 5-10 years. Thanks, that is such a long range as to be useless.
So, replace them now or just let it go until one of the cracks gets worse?
I replaced tires that had enough tread and hadn’t run very many miles due to dry rot. In my case, I trusted the advice of a local tire shop but if you don’t, there may be a way that you can confirm if dry rot is an issue.
What sort of vehicle and what sort of driving in what climate?
Urban / suburban driving in non-snow, non-desert conditions? Drive on them another 3 years, but keep an eye on them and when any of them develop a slow leak, replace the whole set. IOW, run 'em until they die; nothing seriously bad can happen in that environment.
3 hours per day at 90mph on a desert or snowy freeway out in the boonies? Replace them reasonably soon before the blowout strands (or crashes) you.
IMO, Y remaining tire MMV.
The tires definitely have dry rot. I just don’t know if it is dangerous yet.
Heavy Suburban, but that’s what the tires are made for. Mostly city driving, and not much at that, but I don’t hesitate to take it on the highway, if that’s where the route goes. In 2023 we put 1000 miles on it, and put gas in it 3 times. Could be snow, could be hot, always dry air, and extra UV rays from the altitude.
Mostly what I want are some second opinions from people who have some knowledge, but aren’t interested in selling me something. As I said, I know the tire place will tell me to replace them, and they’re being honest, but also cautious. Are they being overly cautious because that’s to their advantage? I don’t know.
Lemme check w my auto guru & get back to you tomorrow.