Should I sell my lara or repair it and keep it?

[Jai_Jai_Binks]

Do you really need winter tires? Do you really need tint and alarm? Wouldn't you want all of this on your new car too?

^^ what he said. If the exp is same for two cars, wherein one entails more payments per month (in addition), then to me the answer is clear....keep the lara. But if you can sell the 'lara w/o doing all the work and make it worthly for sale, then sell her. End of the day, do what you want to do and what you forsee driving. I don't forsee myself driving my lara, to me it was getting too small for me (to carry catering equpt - hence I got something bigger).

[yota]

Alternatively, could you get cheaper winter tires south of the border? Discount Tire in Bellingham, Washington quoted me quite a bit less than $800 for a set of snows, I suspect you could find something similar in Vermont or thereabouts. (I ultimately bought a gently used set of wheels and snow tires off of craigslist, also worth checking out, though I suspect availability would be low in Quebec these days...)

The biggest expense of owning a car is depreciation. That's not to say buying a new car is bad, but I'm happy to drive an older, relatively reliable vehicle, while spending around $500-1000 per year on repairs above and beyond typical maintenance. With a newer car there are generally payments, plus you can rarely recoup depreciation. While your Solara will also depreciate, it's done the bulk of that already. Good luck whichever way you go.

[mazen222]

Im gonna keep it I cant let it go

[ninetynine]

^^^ FTW!

[onefiend]

Get the TL, it comes loaded with standard stuff that would be options on a G35 or Lexus IS. And the TL probably has the best sounding audio system for a car in that price range.

[Midias]

^ thats what I saw with the accord coupe 6mt vs almost any other similar car Audi or BMW.

[crispone]

Number one reason to keep.....its paid off! Clutch, those wear out. Its regular maintenince. Replace it. You should get another 100k out of it anyways. Timing belt and water pump, will be around 1000 if you decide to change your crank and cam seals (its worth it, trust me) but your car's belt and pump will be good for another 100k and the seals should be good for another 150k. The tires? Put it on a credit card and let it ride for a couple of months. Tint and alarm are nice but not completely necessary. Do those last. You may be able to get 3-4k out of the car, but with 130k miles on the clock its a spring chicken. My car has 149k on it and it runs better than the day it was new, all I've put in to it was: T belt, Water pump, crank & cam seals, iridium plugs, NGK wires, fuel filter, TRD air filter, regular trans fluid changes, and amsoil 5W-30 year round. The cost of replacing the car is much more than the cost of replacing the parts in the Toyota. If you can afford 350 a month, for 4 or so years, than you can afford 350 dollars a month from the credit card company for less than a year.

^^^ Firstly, this is one of the better posts on the "KEEP" argument I've read in a long time. Several assumptions are made, which may NOT apply on a case-by-case basis, but otherwise really good logic in some of this...

Second, THIS thread should be required reading when asking the OP's original question of "keep" or "sell". There are only TWO types of 'lara owners... those who HAVE considered this question, and those who WILL ONE DAY consider it! Good to run the different considerations this varied group contribute to such a major decision...

(Personally, I decided to BUY my '04 WHEN I LEASED IT, with min. mileage allowance, and an UNDER $300/mt payment, then GUARANTEED buyout amount of $12k... I now own it, with an UNDER $300 payment and a balance around $8-9K. LOVE this car! ...in other words, I DID lease it, THEN bought it out at the end... and continue to be satisfied with all 94k+ miles, maintenance, and MODS by ME!)


LASTLY, on the topic of the TL specifically:

I have a LOT of miles in the TL platform. "Type-S" from the last major three model changes. ('01, 04, 07...) My company produces a major component in them, and all three of the recent Joint Venture Presidents have driven one. I often drove the car on all our commercial exploits, with the MOST miles being on the '04.

The Acura TL is an excellent car, however, there ARE several issues with it inherently, and some "problematic" stories from some more isolated cases. Tranny "sticking" (I experienced TWICE) moisture "breech" into cabin (rear seats, from the fender seals being NG on earlier '04 models, tire wear, road noise, wind noise (WORSE than my '04 'lara by a NOTICEABLE degree off the windshield... REALLY annoying in the TL to me!), interior "fit-n-finish" on the dash area (not a defective conditions, but design AND manufacturing execution "gaps", memory seat "glitches", and window retractor behavior intermittent... not to mention VERY EARLY warping of front rotors on the '04... although the '07 Type-S are MUCH better, but they are a high-dollar upgrade in our current vehicle...

Anyway, I consider my nearly $10k cheaper '04 'lara against the '04 TL, and OF COURSE the motor, drive train, suspension, and interior "appointments" are superior on the TL, but the COLOR/CABIN styling, fit and finish, wind/road noise, torque steer, and even some ergonomics are surprisingly BEHIND the simple, effective execution of Toyota for the money...

...now... get into the LEXUS class, and I think the Acura gets blown away on pretty much ALL counts.

Of course, the TL's are REALLY sharp, good performing, and comfortable cars... and they are worthy of consideration... (Until the BUTT UGLY latest model surfaced with that goofy beak-grille and tulip-bulb point tail...)


g/l


-crisp