Ask Bark Brief: How To Replace Something They Don't Make Anymore

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
by Mark "Bark M." Baruth

Austin writes:

Bark,

For the last two years, my daily driver has been a used 2006 Audi A6 Avant (bought outright in cash). Living in Minnesota and attending college in a rural part of the state, it’s the ultimate vehicle. It swallows 4 people and gear for a spring break Chicago vacation, gets through the snowstorms, and has heated seats and steering wheel. It even averages 24 mpg!

However, its mileage has reached the point where it’s no longer economically feasible to hold onto (repair-wise) going into the spring of 2017. I’m trying to hold off until used car prices fall, because of lease returns. With a budget of $15,000, I’m hoping to get five-plus years of use out of my next vehicle. My search has gravitated towards larger vehicles that are kinda low-volume players (with a slightly better reliability record) like the Lincoln MKT, Toyota Sequoia, Lexus LS/GX, Volvo S80, etc. Something bigger and a little more cushy. So, what do you recommend?

Easy! Go get another Audi A6 Avant. Oh, wait, you said something that was reliable and would last for five years. My bad.

If my brother were writing this, he’d tell you that you don’t need something so big, and that you should just rent an SUV for those vacations, and that you should go buy a Fiesta ST and a set of snow tires. Coincidentally, my FiST, complete with a set of snow tires and wheels, is coming up for sale in February. No? Okay, fine. I tried.

I think you’ve got a nice list of potential choices. I’m guessing a bit at your age, but since you said that you’ve been attending college for the last few years, my assumption is that you’re a traditional student in your early-to-mid twenties. If that’s accurate, I’m a bit confused about your desire to own car/brand that would normally be driven by somebody about twenty years your senior. But perhaps you’re from an affluent family and you’ve always been one to drive a luxury or near-luxury brand, so that’s just your jam? There’s no judgment here, just curiosity.

Before we dive into your list, I have a couple of other recommendations that you might want to consider:

  • Ford Flex. This one is obvious, due to your preference for the MKT. I’d look at a non-EcoBoost V6 if you’re really wanting to reduce potential maintenance headaches.
  • Subaru Forester/Outback. Maybe not as large/cushy as you’d like, but with more of that off-road/winter-time cred, and oh-so-Minnesota!
  • Lincoln Navigator. Why not? They’re huge and don’t seem to hold value as well as corresponding MY Escalades. Yes, the mileage sucks, but they’re pretty bulletproof.
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee. I actually genuinely like this idea. If you can find a later-model, Pentastar GC, that would be MY personal choice.

But, from your list, I’d probably go with a Lexus GX. It meets every stated requirement for the vehicle. I’m not personally aware of any known issues with them, and the Googler didn’t turn up anything significant, either. It will probably hold resale better than any of the other vehicles listed, too, so in five years it might not be worth that much less than you’ll pay for it today. Here’s a nice example in a beautiful color that’s aged particularly well. They don’t look that different from the modern-day Lexus GX, either, so nobody will know that you’re rolling in a car that’s getting ready to complete its first decade on the road.

Ask Bark some questions. Please. He’s bored. Shoot them to barkm302@gmail.com or slide into his DMs on Twitter or Instagram.

[Image: Toyota]

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
Mark "Bark M." Baruth

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  • Jhughes Jhughes on Sep 07, 2016

    I love the Flex. My wife has a 2012 Limited with the EcoBoost 3.5. It's the ultimate kid hauler and tow vehicle. I could drive it to the track with my motorcycle on the trailer, then sleep in the back at the track! The only problem is they're not that common because they're not popular in most places. You're also going to have a hard time finding one for $15,000. Skip the EcoBoost like Bark says and go for an SE or SEL to cut the price down, but you're still going to want AWD, and the lesser models may lose some of the luxury items you want.

    • AVT AVT on Sep 07, 2016

      That's the problem I keep running into. If I get the flex, I essentially have to get the limited model with the ecoboost. Problem is, I can't find any near me. Than I run into the point that the MKT takes a greater depreciation hit and it's actually cheaper to acquire and insure. Out of curiosity, did you look at the MKT or just go straight to the flex?

  • Roberto Esponja Roberto Esponja on Sep 07, 2016

    AWD Dodge Durango would be my choice.

    • See 3 previous
    • Roberto Esponja Roberto Esponja on Sep 07, 2016

      @Corey Lewis No, I guess not. Forgot about that dollar limit.

  • JTiberius1701 Middle of April here in NE Ohio. And that can still be shaky. Also on my Fiesta ST, I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for the winter and Bridgestone Potenza for my summer tires. No issues at all.
  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
  • ToolGuy This might be a good option for my spouse when it becomes available -- thought about reserving one but the $500 deposit is a little too serious. Oh sorry, that was the Volvo EX30, not the Mustang. Is Volvo part of Ford? Is the Mustang an EV? I'm so confused.
  • Mikey My late wife loved Mustangs ..We alway rented one while travelling . GM blood vetoed me purchasing one . 3 years after retirement bought an 08 rag top, followed by a 15 EB Hard top, In 18 i bought a low low mileage 05 GT rag with a stick.. The car had not been properly stored. That led to rodent issues !! Electrical nightmare. Lots of bucks !! The stick wasn't kind to my aging knees.. The 05 went to a long term dedicated Mustang guy. He loves it .. Today my garage tenant is a sweet 19 Camaro RS rag 6yl Auto. I just might take it out of hibernation this weekend. The Mustang will always hold a place in my heart.. Kudos to Ford for keeping it alive . I refuse to refer to the fake one by that storied name .
  • Ajla On the Mach-E, I still don't like it but my understanding is that it helps allow Ford to continue offering a V8 in the Mustang and F-150. Considering Dodge and Ram jumped off a cliff into 6-cylinder land there's probably some credibility to that story.
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