u/le_pedal

I test drove a toyota at carmax, was a serious buyer. I was going to the bank later that week to transfer the amount into my account. 23k listing. A few days later I refreshed the ad to make sure it was still listed (it was a crazy work week for me). It shot up to 27k listing, so they added 4 grand onto it without any notice.

That kinda rubbed me the wrong way because it was already priced aggressively but I had accepted mentally the first price. Anyways, that was a month ago and it's still on the lot. Do they ever reduce the cost "with the market" or whatever?

I ask this since I already know that they are a no haggle, no negotiations company.

I’m trying to figure out what the absolute peak of simple, overbuilt, dead-reliable used cars is under $20k.

Not “nice to drive,” not “best features,” not “modern tech” — just: easy to repair, cheap parts, well-documented, and basically unkillable if maintained even moderately well. The one non-reliability factor I'd be willing to give some weighting to is safety, assuming more modern typically means progressively more safety features/design approach.

I know maintenance history matters a lot on used cars, but I’m trying to separate that out and focus more on what platforms are inherently forgiving and mechanically simple.

I keep circling back to things like older Toyota Corolla/Matrix (especially manuals), or something like the Lexus LS430 or even an earlier gen Prius — cars with a reputation for absurd longevity and low drama ownership...

Curious what people think is actually the top of the list here. What models are the closest thing to “buy it, do basic maintenance, and it just refuses to die”?

Does anyone know what Strava was hoping to accomplish with the latest mobile app update? It feels so cluttered, unnecessarily fancy and bloated.

Was the new app supposed to make using the service easier or more fun? Or did it bring new useful features that maybe I haven't found yet?

Sister Friede, Ringed Knights, Spear of the Church, any probably more I'm forgetting.

....never stand a chance!

Running a Pyro with a +10 pryo flame and Great Swamp / Witches rings is making the boulder hit like a truck too.

Can a STR build get close to the real world Damage output of the MONSTER Dex twinblades build?

They missed pick up on Monday morning and every day since then they've said a truck would come get it that day. Well it's been 5 days and no pick up. The most recent convo with them, today, the guy on the phone said it likely won't get picked up til Monday a full week later. What a pain.

Also, their shift notes on the WM App said things like "tried to pick up, trash can was not present" or "Trash can was empty" which are all total BS.

Is this typical for WM? What is a better company to go with?

The last few weeks I've been thinking of coming up for some weekend canoeing, but my Windy app kept showing average winds of 15 MPH with gusts of 30-40 with 'perfect' timing on the weekends primarily. Is the windy forecast 'over-reacting' or has it been a rough, whitecap-filled experience on the larger lakes the last few weeks?

Good job! LOL! Old website from last year was fine. Who's getting paid to make it worse?

Being located more in W-NY I am frequently at Harriet Hollister State Park - less than an hour south of Rochester NY and at 2100-2300 feet elevation it actually accumulates a shocking amount of snow. While not truly on par, it feels very similar to Ellicottville or the peripheral edges of Tug Hill. I think it benefits from northwest moist air coming off Erie+Ontario with little elevation between it and the great lakes, and maybe even picking up moisture from Conesus/Canadice/Hemlock/Honeoye along the way. HH seems to be in a goldilocks spot because it always gets more snow than the top of Bristol Mtn, and Ontario County Park just one valley further east.

In brainstorming other "high elevation finger lakes region snow hot spots" to check out I came across Morgan Hill State Park. It seems to likely benefit from artic air that pushes the lake ontario generated snow fronts south instead of over tug hill. Plus the area is located at a similar elevation to tug hill at around 2k ft. elevation.

Any winter enthusiasts familiar enough to have spent time in both areas - or similar nearby areas in general with any insight? Thanks!

I've taken advair for YEARS. It works great for me. Recently my doctor wanted me to try Airsupra for a while. I said sure. I've been googling and I'm seeing Airsupra is a rescue inhaler, not a maintenance inhaler. Are doctors using it off-label or is the internet wrong here?

Thanks!

Hello everyone

I'm sure 95% in here have a sienna for big families but I don't have any kids. My use case is a bit different.

I'm looking to pick up a van where I pretty much keep the back seats out and use the van for it's big cargo volume. Bikes, skis, camping stuff. Multi day trips chasing good ski weather.... Stuff like this. Just tired of doing this for years in an SUV where there really isn't adequate room inside.

I've done my homework regarding gen 3 reliability, things to look out for, expected fuel economy. I've test driven a few.

Has anyone also dealt with the decision between a sienna AWD versus full size (Express AWD, Transit AWD, Quigley conversions). Similarly, anyone willing to admit they wished they had gone the full size van route instead? Or are you totally satisfied with the sienna cargo room?

In my area a clean Gen 3 the last years of the 6 speed are $19k-$25k around 100k miles. For about the same price you can find a late model Express AWD at similar mileage, but the sprinters and transits are more expensive. The sweet spot for me is 20-25k which is why I'm targeting ~2016 sienna AWD models. It seems like that's the best year.

For context I'm in upstate NY.

Thanks everyone!

This is in the USA spending mid $20k which gets you a sienna around 100k miles and a Chevy with similar, maybe slightly more. Willing to travel to find rust-free versions.

I'm guessing the Chevy is a lot easier to work on and less cramped and overall just more simple? But the Sienna should go a really long time without needing major work?

The use case is hauling a ton of stuff in an area that gets 200 + inches of snow every winter. Please note: I always use 4 dedicated snow tires regardless of what vehicle I am using.

I'm shopping now for AWD vans and that's a big part of my decision.

Hi everyone

I've been to my local carmax numerous times. They have a vehicle I'm interested in that's priced aggressively (for carmax standards - i know they are already typically higher than other local dealers).

How common is it for Carmax to throw in something like an alignment, or do a brake bleed, or even discount on a new set of tires (they are low tread) or anything else "small" like this to sweeten the deal?

Just curious - didn't want to offend my local employees in person - lol.

Last year I completed DS1 Remastered. It took me a long time. I played knight. For reference, I routinely play DS3 - that's my favorite game by far and I finished it many times. In DS3 I don't die very often and I get into such a good rhythm/flow that is super satisfying. I also finished DS2 once.

That said, DS1 kicks my ASS. The bosses aren't too much worse than DS3, but traversing the map and mobs is super hard. I die a lot. For example, I started a new game as a Pryo with an Axe and in the undead burg I get 1 shot by the handful of mini bosses, and only have 7 or 8 fireball tosses is somewhat limiting at this phase.

Any holistic advice for how to approach? Where should I go first?

I've casually been in the market for several years for an AWD van. I'm in the great lakes region and regularly see 200+ snow inches. I'm a big winter sports person and I'm sick of sleeping in my cramped hatchback all the time.

Previously I had a 4x4 Xterra which was fantastic but got van fuel economy with much less useable room. It was great for loading up with skis, fat bikes, camping stuff and with dedicated snow tires it never struggled even in deep snow.

Suddenly I've found two clean AWD vans in town. A 3rd gen sienna with the 3.5 V6 and 6 speed auto, and a 2010 Express with the 5.3 and 4 speed auto.

Basically the dilemma is for weekend or several -day warriors is the extra space of the express worth the fuel economy hit and the nimbleness hit as well?

Have any others dealt with this dilemma and arrived at a clear winner? What other factors should be considered in making the decision?

Thanks everyone

That's my thought for tonight.

Hi everyone

I've spent a few months doing my homework researching CR-V but still unsure as I haven't actually owned either of these CR-Vs. I'm coming from a Nissan Xterra which was amazing but 15 salty winters made it a pain to maintain so I'm trying to find a reliable vehicle with similar cargo volume and decent AWD for super snowy winters. The CR-V is leading my search! So exciting!

There are two rust free models in my town: a 2012 with the 2.4 and 5 speed with 70k on it, and a 2018 with the 2.4 earth dreams and the CVT with 35k on it. Priced at $16k and $21.5k respectively. Those are sadly competitive prices in my area, not sure about other areas.

A few questions to the community:

• Rear cargo space: I almost never have anyone sit in my rear seats of my vehicles and I usually keep the rear seats folded down to cram in bikes, skis, camping stuff. Is there a noticeable difference in cargo volume or how efficiently the rear seats fold down in Gen 4 vs 5?
• AWD for snow driving: I live in the heart of the snow belt and see 200 inches a year. I always use dedicated winter snow tires regardless of my car. That said, is the Gen 5 AWD system better? I heard Gen 4 can't send as much torque to the rear wheels, and the rear diff can overheat if you're in really slippery snowy conditions for an extended peiod of time? Any truth to the AWD in gen 5 working better?
• CVT vs 5AT: I'm the type to regularly change fluids and proactively maintain systems. However, should I consider the 5AT more reliable? Is the gas mileage savings from the CVT worth going that route?
• Absolutely crazy curve ball question: The other vehicle I'm considering would be a similarly-aged (say 2019) Subaru Outback - anyone able to make a comparison from your experience here? (Please don't ban me!)
• Misc: Any random tidbits of advice you'd be willing to share to make the gen 4 vs 5 decision easier for me?

Thank you!!