Putting the Vibe into (partial) retirement...

[musicmanmu]

Well, I knew eventually I'd come to a crossroads, and last week was that moment. My wife's ever-reliable 1996 Honda Civic finally gave up the ghost. So, because she has a short commute, we decided to give her the Vibe, sell the Civic and buy a new car.

I am happy to report that we're now the owners of a 2015 Mazda 3 Hatchback. So far it's a wonderful car. I will still drive the Vibe one day a week for my long (120 mile roundtrip) commute to work to give it a highway workout, but for all intensive purposes, she's been put on light duty...lol. I still hope I can get her to 300,000 miles, but hopefully that won't happen for quite some time now with this new arrangement, as we need her to last as long as possible given that we're now saddled with a 4 year loan!

I can only hope this Mazda will be as reliable as the Vibe has been!

Here's a photo of the new family member:

[Melissa18L]

she's the "pleasure" car now

[thebarber]

**for all intents and purposes

[vibrologist]

I have a thing for Mazda's. However, they have been rather susceptible to the tin worm. Because yours is new and has not seen any salt yet I would consider additional rust proving.
Krown may be the best of them. I don't have experience with them but they make some strong arguments for their approach.
https://www.krown.com/

[musicmanmu]

**for all intents and purposes

Doh! Good call.

[musicmanmu]

I have a thing for Mazda's. However, they have been rather susceptible to the tin worm. Because yours is new and has not seen any salt yet I would consider additional rust proving.
Krown may be the best of them. I don't have experience with them but they make some strong arguments for their approach.
https://www.krown.com/

Thanks for the heads up. I had not heard of this previously. Luckily, I don't live in a heavy winter weather climate; however, I'll definitely keep it in the back of my head!

[vibenvy]

Well, I'd say the Vibe definitely deserves a rest after 250,000+ miles ! Congratulations on the new ride!

[tpollauf]

Congtats on the new ride Don't know what the warranty period is on the Mazda line BUT if you think you'll be blowing by it in no time, you may want to alternate vehicles a bit more frequently so that your new car warranty last a bit longer. This way you'll satisfy ALL OF US here at GenVibe and hit that 300,000 mile mark sooner

[vibenvy]

This way you'll satisfy ALL OF US here at GenVibe and hit that 300,000 mile mark sooner

Or, if the 2nd gens are like the 1st gens, the 299,999 mile mark !

[musicmanmu]

Mazda has a standard 3 yr/ 60,000 mile powertrain warranty I believe.

I definitely want the Vibe to hit 300k and beyond, but I want to make sure it lasts as long as possible because we'd be in trouble if we had to replace it in the near future. My wife's commute is about 26 miles roundtrip, and she works 4 days a week, and rarely drives elsewhere, versus my 120 roundtrip commute 5 days a week. My concern is keeping it operational for as long as possible. According to my father, an occasional long drive will help the engine oil circulate through the drivetrain, which will help keep parts lubricated and working better longer. It sounds logical anyway...lol.

[vibrologist]

Forgive me for getting into the teaching mode. This quote needs some annotation:

According to my father, an occasional long drive will help the engine oil circulate through the drive train, which will help keep parts lubricated and working better longer.

The drive train includes engine, transmission, drive axle(s) and hubs. Your engine oil stays in your engine, I hope.

The long drive helps keeping the engine clean internally. I agree with that. The detergents in the fuel can better clean the back side of the intake valves. That's where deposits tend to from.
The detergents in the oil have a chance to clean the piston rings which allows them to move about inside their grooves and thus form a better seal with the cylinder wall. That improves and evens out compression.

The one thing that really keeps the engine alive is changing oil and coolant with the correct stuff at the proper intervals. And changing the spark plugs every 50000-100000 miles with the correct ones.

When your wife drives 13 miles between cold starts the engine has enough time to make the detergents work effectively. It's the frequent cold starts that kill an engine: I drive 3 miles to work, and run little errands. My engine is much more likely to gunk up than yours. Therefore it benefits from a longer drive on the weekends.

So, roll on, don't worry. musicmanmu.

[musicmanmu]

Thanks for the info! I am definitely a novice when it comes to cars - I always wished I had the skill set to work on them, but I do my best to take care of them. Almost every car I've had has gone 200k miles and beyond.

It's good to know that my wife's commute is long enough to 'get the juices flowing,' to horribly paraphrase your statements Given that, there wouldn't be any perceived benefits to me driving it 120 miles every week or two, correct?

Luckily, she doesn't do many cold starts. She goes in at 8 am, and leaves at 6. Occasionally, she will run out at lunch around noon. I will just have to make sure I keep a check on the mileage and oil level, as I'm positive she never will....

Thanks!

[vibrologist]

There is only one benefit for you to drive her car on occasion: it gives you a chance to feel out the car and recognize if something needs attention.

You have done very well taking your cars beyond 200K. Kudos for that!