3 cars in my driveway… a 2004 Chevy with 155K on its original engine and transmission as well as original alternator and starter but a new AC compressur… My 2013 Mustang has 94K miles on its original engine and transmission. It has had a trans (6R80) valve body and ECU replaced. Same starter and alternator. A 2014 Audi A4 2.0 turbo Quattro with 50K miles with an 8 speed ZF transmission. New high pressure fuel pump, AC compressor and front control arms.
None use any oil nor leak anything. All have been pretty good cars.
+1
Previous to my current car, I owned 3 Subarus ('97, '04, '11), and they were the most trouble-free cars I ever owned. The only repair on the '04 was the replacement–under warranty-- of the purge valve, and on the '11, its sole repair–under warranty–was the relacement of the WW reservoir. They still performed like-new when I traded them in, and they consumed no oil.
The valve body replacement on the Ford was to replace a simple sensor that failed. The sensor was part of an assembly on back order from Ford so I was forced to buy the entire valve body with the sensor. I track the car and it has.held up well.
The Audi was a Florida car from day 1 so an AC compressore replacement was not unexpected. The control arms were previously replaced for some reason and improperly installed so I had to.do it again. The high pressure fuel pump was a $200 part that took me 20 minutes to replace. But it is a German car and I do expect these issues.
The advantage of drum brakes, on the rear, is that they are able to be activated from a cable, as well as hydraulic pressure. This allows for a convenient and reliable parking brake mechanism.
While agree my wife’s 1987 Accord was extremely reliable - it still wasn’t as reliable as her 1996 Accord. We owned it for it’s first 300k+ miles and had a total of $200 in repairs. Gave it to my niece when she started college and she drove it for 5 years and put another 100k miles on it without any issues.
My Vibe/Matrix has 4 wheel disc brakes, as well as mechanical parking brake with cables that operate the rear calipers using the standard pull level, so the rear calipers are both hydraulic as well as mechanically operated just the same as my Corolla’s do/did with rear drums but with out the heat fade and much better stopping…
Rear drums stop great the 1st few times you need them back to back to back, but only when adjusted properly, but under heavy braking they will heat fade and all but stop working, that is why they have run-a-way sand traps in the mountains of TN/NC on the long steep hills (I am sure many other parts of the country also), even the small Monteagle Mountain in south middle TN has signs to pull over to cool brakes, as well as use lower gears for the big rigs…
Company’s still use all wheel drum brakes because of lower up front cost and less weight NOT because they are safer and more efficient…
Disc Brakes vs. Drum Brakes
While drum brakes are popular, some trucks use disc brakes. Here’s how they differ:
Heat handling:
Drum brakes can overheat on long downhills*
Disc brakes cool better, reducing brake fade*
Maintenance:
Drum brakes need more adjustments*
Disc brakes are easier to service*
Performance:
Disc brakes stop faster in wet conditions*
Drum brakes can be more powerful when properly adjusted*
Similarly, my first Subaru ('97 model) had its only repair bill amount to less than $500. Yes, that was for the dreaded head gasket breach problem, but the mfr came to my assistance–without any prompting from me–and I was astounded at how little the dealer charged me for the only repair that it ever needed.
The head gasket breach took place at ~115k miles, and then my brother bought it from me and proceeded to put another 50k (trouble-free) miles on it before he gave it to his wife’s niece, to take to college. The niece drove it for another 35k trouble-free miles before she traded it in.
As I mentioned previously, the two subsequent Subies ('04, '11) each had only one very minor repair, and I paid nothing for those repairs because the “problems” took place during the warranty period. I should also note that the electronic “do-dads” on both cars never ceased to work properly during the time that I owned those cars.
I do however get a little chuckle ever time I walk by my Tacoma and see the 4 piston (Brembo style) calipers with the rear drums…
But it works, it stops very well, and the automatic transmission braking helps out even more…
All 3rd gen (2016 -2023) Tacoma’s have F 4 piston disc and R drum brakes with 4WABS, never heard of an issue yet… I know plenty more out there doing the same…
I do know that my 99 Dakota had F disc and R drum brakes with RWABS and they sucked bad with any weight, Any kind of slick road, rain, loose gravel (pavement) etc and you hit the brakes and the fronts would lock up and the rear wouldn’t do crap do to the RWABS… That was the only real thing I hated about the truck before had to dump it for the minivan…
4WABS = 4 wheel ABS
RWABS = rear wheel ABS
cause I know someone will ask…
… and are not negatively impacted by driving through big puddles.
I’m sure that the older members of the forum can recall losing most of their braking power after their drum brakes got soaked. I got really good at applying a small amount of braking power with my left foot in order to dry out the brake linings, but I’m glad that I don’t need to do it any longer.
Really I don’t care if a vehicle has disc or drum, at this point I want a vehicle that doesn’t have more gears in the automatic transmission than it has tires.
I love my 6 speed automatic… and I loved the 5 speed manual in my 07 Mustang and my 6 speed manual in my Honda S2000 was the BEST manual I have ever had!
My '71 Charger was almost as bad. I found out the hard way that, in a high-speed panic stop, the brakes faded to nothing by about 20 mph.
Not good!
When I bought it–new–from the Dodge dealer’s stock, I didn’t know that there were two optional (better) brake systems. If I had special-ordered it, I could have specified the HD “taxi” brakes, which were also drum brakes, but which were much more effective. And then, there was the optional front disc/rear drum brakes, which were far superior.
