I just recently totaled a Honda Passport in spectacular fashion. The thing we liked about it was that we knew we could have expected it to last for a lot of miles. We want to replace it with something that can also be a high mileage car.
I want a Volvo station wagon, but my husband likes the Nissan Murano. I know the Volvo will go for hundreds of thousands of miles, but what about the Nissan? What is their record with longevity?
You wish to know if a Nissan will last as long as a Volvo. It won’t be long before someone else asks if a Volvo will last as long as a Nissan.
Both are well-made cars built by manufacturers with decades of experience. I expect either car to last you well past the point that you are tired of it.
I don’t know how you and your husband will now break the deadlock. Price? MPG? Features? In any case, predicted longevity ought not be a factor.
What type of vehicle are you looking for first? Another midsized SUV? A wagon? A sedan? New or used? Price range? Size; compact, mid, large?
SUV:
New: CR-V or maybe a Pilot
Used: why not another passport, they stopped making them in '02
Wagon:
New: Mazda 3 or 6 series, Toyota/Pontiac Matrix/Vibe, Subaru models.
Used: see above
Sedan:
New: Accord, Civic, Mazda 3 or 6 series, Corolla/Camry, Buick, Hyundai Azera or Sonata, Ford/Mercury Fusion or Focus/Milan, Chevy Impala
Used: see above
The truth is any vehicle can be a high mileage car seriously if you maintain it, drive easy and have some decent luck. Not to burst your bubble however a Honda Passport had absolutely no Honda engineering in it whatsoever except a few badges. Ever notice that Isuzu Rodeo’s looked extremely similar. Rodeo’s do not have a reputation of lasting. However your passport apparently lasted fine even though it has relatively poor perceived reputation.
With that all being said I would get a vehicle that fits your needs inc future, desires and budget and it will serve you a long life. Don’t limit yourself on “reputations”. There are many people who have posted about blown Honda transmissions and oil sludged Toyota’s.
All modern cars are pretty reliable. Its the owner that counts more than the vehicle itself IMHO.
Reliability of Volvo vs Nissan? Strictly subjective, but I’ve noticed many more postings about Volvo on this website than Nissan. Late model Volvos, too. If you consider how many more Nissans are on the road, it seems Volvos may be problem-prone. Then again, there might be a disproportionate number of Volvo owners attracted to the site.
The Murano is about 1500# heavier than either the Volvo V50 or V70. That will hurt gas mileage. And all 3 use premium fuel.
Have you looked at an Audi A3 or A4? You might also like the Subaru Impreza. It costs less than any of the other cars, even in WRX trim. Test drive them all and have some fun!
Well, it’s good to know we’re considering two good choices. I don’t know how we’ll break the deadlock. I kind of think that since I cheated death, he’ll kind of give in and let me get what I want. At least that’s my bargaining point. 
We really can’t decide on any of that. We’re capitulating on price and model. I think we’ll have a better idea of both after we have a lengthier talk with our insurance adjuster.
Thank you for the lists. That gives me things to think about.
All excellent points. We’re open to many makes and models right now and haven’t limited ourselves to anything. Really, I hate car shopping. We haven’t done it for six years and weren’t really planning on it for a while.
Interesting. I did a little creative Googling and found lots of anecdotal evidence of long-living Nissans, so I’m more interested than I was before. I’ll have to talk to my friend the Consumer Reports expert and get his take on it.
Both the choices get the same overall gas mileage. You should get the Murano. It has good power and the depreciation isn’t bad, so if you change your mind about owning it forever, you won’t get burned as bad. Volvo rear visibility is probably better.
After our Passport, just about anything will be better on gas mileage. While we loved that car, it sort of drank the gas.
I’m trying to enjoy the shopping, but it would be more fun if we had any sort of an idea what we wanted. I’m getting a little sick of test driving and a lot sick of car salesmen.
My husband paid you to say that, didn’t he? LOL! We’ll be going one day this week to drive both, so that will be the real deciding factor.
Frankly most cars end their life as your Honda did and not because they wear out. Far more are traided off long before they wear out. Of those which do werar out, most have does so not because of age or miles but because of abuse and lack of maintenance.
I would not worry about what car, but rather how you treat it.
Yeah, you know, we’ve never really kept a car long enough to find out, even though that’s what we had intended with the Honda. Our other car is an Alero with 137,000, and it has needed a lot more work than the Honda did, so it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Get another Honda Passport.
You want a station wagon? Do you really? Or, do you need one for some reason? Hauling kids, dogs, business paraphernalia are all reasons you might need a wagon, but if you don’t need one why not look at a sedan?
I’m a bit conflicted on the Volvo vs. Nissan. I like the looks of the Volvo, but think they are overpriced and less reliable. I hate the looks of the Murano, but personal experience with Nissans tells me they last a long time with few problems. So, if you aren’t totally fixed on the station wagon thing, I’d suggest looking at the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Mazda 6, or whatever. If you need the space, at least check out the Mazda 5. It’s got the room, should be reliable and long lasting, and it’s not as ugly as the Murano.
As for longevity the Nissan wins hands down. Volvo USE to build very reliable vehicles…But that was OVER 20 years ago. They went down hill then in the last 10 years or so their quality has improved. Look at it this way…Their quality improved AFTER Ford bought them.
The one thing I’m not to keen about with the Murano is the CVT transmission. This is a NON repairable transmission. If it fails you replace it at a cost of $7000. A CVT transmission is not made to be abused. So I wouldn’t do any towing with it or off roading.
Also as far as gas mileage…doesn’t the Passport get BETTER gas mileage then the Volvo or the Murano. Neither of these vehicles are noted for GREAT gas mileage.
We really can’t decide on any of that. We’re capitulating on price and model. I think we’ll have a better idea of both after we have a lengthier talk with our insurance adjuster.
Thank you for the lists. That gives me things to think about.
Yeah, while you’re at it, take some VINs with you to your insurance agent. This will also help you get a better idea of what you might want. You’d be surprised at how you may think one vehicle is gonna be really expensive, yet will be cheap. While the one you think will be cheap, will be more expensive.
A Corvette convertible is actually cheaper to insure than a Mazda RX-8 for me, only by $20 for 6 months, but still…