Hi Scotty, it's time to replace my 2009 Hyundai sonata, which has 205,000 miles on it with no issues whatsoever, but the body is caput.
I'm looking at a 2023 Toyota Rav4 none hybrid and a 2024 Mazda CX 5 again none hybrid, both new.
Which one in your expert opinion will be the more reliable in terms of longevity and maintenance costs.
I do my own maintenance and regularly change my engine oil every 3, 000 miles and transmission oil at approximately 40,000 miles.
As well, if you recommend the Mazda, could I buy the Turbo version or stick with the none Turbo.
Thanks,
Guy
Which one in your expert opinion will be the more reliable in terms of longevity and maintenance costs.
While no one can predict the future, your best bet is to go with the Toyota Rav4.
Your best bet is the RAV4, but the CX5 isn’t a bad choice either. Non turbo versions if possible, for sure.
The RAV4 is basically a Camry underneath, Camry engine and transmission. And Camry is probably one of Toyota’s reliable cars across time, with a little snafu in the late 2000’s/early 2010’s.
The RAV4 is probably the more utilitarian of the two vehicles. It has a plethora of drive modes available beyond the usual sport/normal mode (snow mode, off-road mode, etc.) to go with an 8-speed transmission. It's also got a little more storage space than the Mazda. And it has that legendary Toyota reliability.
The Mazda is more luxurious. The interior cabin is nice. Leather seats, above-the-price-point materials, etc. The CX-5 is supposed to have sharp handling and good acceleration, despite being heavier and with a slightly less powerful base model engine than the Toyota. Reliability on past model years is supposed to be very good.
I'd recommend taking both for a test drive before deciding. I rented a 2023 RAV4 back in June and found it to be just okay. It may have been because the rental agency locked the vehicle into economy mode, but I found it to be kind of "lunge-y" and not all that smooth when accelerating. YMMV.
As for turbos...I'm a fan of naturally aspirated engines, myself. Turbos add heat and stress to engine components, and are expensive when they do fail. That said, the extra power is handy. And since you seem to be really good about doing maintenance on your vehicles, you'll probably head off the usual premature turbo failure issues. So, up to you.
