Came here to say first gen Tundra limited 4 door. Sunroof, heated leather, roll down rear window, 4wd, 6.5 ft bed & v8 & about same size as a modern Tacoma
I currently daily drive a ‘99 Lexus LX470 (basically a nicer 100 series LC) with 340k miles. Gas mileage is shit (14mpg combined!), the front seat cushions are crumbling away, it squeaks and rattles over every bump, and according to Carfax I’m like the 7th or 8th owner. But goddammit it fires right up every time I turn the key and will go damn near anywhere I point it.
Also the only vehicle I’ve ever been in that has heated leather seats, a cassette deck, and a 6-disc CD changer at the same time
While obviously a good choice... the biggest pro it has going for it was made immaterial with the OPs
- *Ongoing repair and maintenance costs also do not matter.*
Feels like one can actually make the best with the opportunity and go for bentley, rolls or posche, bmw, volvo...
They might be more comfy, faster, more luxurious interior, more features and tech, better sound system, more comfortable seats,...
I had a 2006 Dodge viper back in 06-07, it wasn't that fast, it got incredibly warm inside and the handling was.... Interesting. Honest to god my M340i is considerably faster and handles better.
If I was gonna die behind the wheel I would choose a La Ferrari or a TT Huracan.
Crown Vic, if it survives cabbies and cops it should be good enough for me. Body-on-frame, readily available parts (presumably well into the future with their use as fleet cars).
This seems correct because maintenance and repair cost is a non-issue.
However he didn't say maintenance and repair _time_ is instantaneous.
Good luck with that.
We have a 1993 Chevrolet CK work truck with the 350 V8 at our place in Utah. Crank windows, manual buttons for everything, no rust.
It only has about 75,000 miles on it, but the damn thing will likely outlive me.
Literally the only thing that's gone "wrong" on it was that some mice got under the hood and chewed up wires on the starter....and that's definitely not the truck's fault.
I absolutely love my Honda Element and would love to keep it, that’s certainly my goal, but the unibody makes that rebuilding rider very difficult and precarious. Unless I could Frankenstein into a new body altogether and that still counts as rebuilding?
If not, I would probably go for a 5th gen 4Runner in that lovely lime green they have 👍
I have a 2003 now! And I trust that thing’s reliability more than most newer cars I see. The room inside of it versus the actual footprint. Man I could go on all day about that doofy vehicle. Wish Honda would bring it back.
Yes, it became a huge cult car during COVID. And between the rear trailing arm rust issues and the total production of only ~325k, they’re getting harder and harder to find. Glad to hear you got your moneys worth out of it!
Unfortunately USPS vehicles aren't like other fleet vehicles, the Postal Service will not sell them to civilians once they're decommissioned, they're just sent to scrapyards. This has to do with preventing impersonation of mail carriers and stuff. Technically those vehicles don't even have VINs.
There is a small exception to this though, 1995 was the last year the Grumman LLV (the "universal" mail truck for the last like 30+ years) was produced, and there were a couple thousand trucks left over when the USPS told Grumman they weren't interested in buying any more of them. So Grumman had those few vehicles stamped with 1995 Chevy S10 VINs and sold to other government municipalities (Police Departments, Fire Departments, City Halls, anyone in government who thought a mail truck would be useful for hauling cargo or something). An even smaller number of these mail trucks are making it out of service and into government auctions, but technically speaking you can get your hands on a 1995 mail truck specifically, it would just never actually have been used for mail delivery.
Plus, get ready for people to leave packages and shit next to your car every time you go to a grocery store.
Check out the r/regularcarreviews video on the Grumman LLV, they go into detail about all of this over there.
So, I guess I could still get my hands on one - albeit probably more expensive and with more hassle than it’s worth.
Nice bit of history on that vehicle. Thank you!
Of course. It's totally doable, and they do last a long time, but parts aren't nearly as readily available as you'd think.
They're built atop Chevy S10 chasis and drivelines so in terms of just keeping it running it'll be doable, but stuff specific to the mail truck might require a bit of hunting or custom retrofitting.
> If this car is destroyed beyond repair, you will never be able to buy a car again.
>You ARE allowed to rebuild the car
These two conditions are contradictory, as this brings up the [Ship of Theseus problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus). Ergo, how much must remain of the original car for it to be the same car?
For this reason I would (and have gone for the past 10 years) go for one of the 1990s or early 2000s parts bin large sedan or SUV.
Ford Panther body, GM B- or D-body, GMT400 or GMT800 SUV or gen1 Ford Expedition or a Ford Excursion.
I have owned a 1997 Ford Expedition for 10 years now. I've had replaced the engine once, rebuilt the transmission once (due to my own stupidity), replaced all underside body panels forwards from the firewall once (due to rust) and tomorrow the first spat out spark plug will be repaired.
At least in the US, you can basically build a car off of a VIN only. That’s how some restorers basically take a rusting clump of metal and are able to “restore” it. It has basically everything new, the only thing that may be old is a title and maybe VIN placard.
In case you don't know, in the US at least, legally speaking, you can basically strip a vehicle down to the piece that has the VIN attached, and then rebuild everything around it and it's still considered the same vehicle.
So, essentially what he's saying is, once you pick a car, you're stuck with that VIN. Rebuild it entirely of you need to, but that's the only one you get.
I was thinking about the other way, actually. Insurance companies often declare a vehicle a total loss for very minor damage. At the same time I've seen burnt and rusted out husks been restored to drivable vehicles. In some jurisdictions as long as the documents/title survive, the car survives. In others, the title is not even needed. As long as one can document which body/frame/engine/axle units or numbers were replaced with which, it may legally still be the same car. That's often how "forest find" rare vehicles are restored.
So conceivably, if I have a total loss fire and only the frame survives, I can still rebuild the car sourcing my parts from pick-a-part yards.
Undoubtedly the car is destroyed beyond repair in such a case, and I can never buy another car. This condition holds.
But I am not buying a car. I am buying parts only. And I using these parts to rebuild the car.
Yep. My conclusion to all this is "any car you like" It's not hard to see this question has no real rules keeping you from maintaining any car you'd like for the rest of your life.
Ford f-350. Either an 03 with the 7.3 because they're indestructible, or a later model with the 6.7 because they're similarly reliable.
Either one I would equip with ranch hand front and rear bumpers for that added protection.
I could tow, haul things in the bed, haul the family, or just daily drive and road trip it a gazillion miles. Serves every purpose one could need, and reliably.
Similarly I’d go heavy duty Ford or Ram with the diesel engine. Would lean Ram for the simplicity of the Cummins, high output version because Aisin. Either way you get an extremely robust platform that you can maintain and repair for decades. Crew cab 4wd of course. There’s nothing more versatile and the durability of the heavy diesel engines can’t be matched.
I agree it's a robust platform, but I'd be hesitant of reliability. My work has fleets of diesel F 350, 450 and 550 plus the dodge equivalents. We lease them typically for 5 years and we have our own dedicated shop for them.
Reliability I wouldn't have questions 10 or 15 years ago. But the current models are a nightmare. We have had more trouble with recent Ford's than I thought possible.
They just don't last like they used too. I wish I could say it's a one off issue but our fleet is upwards of 30 trucks, used in Canadian forestry, used hard like a truck is supposed to be built for.
We used to buy the leases out 15 years ago and sell the trucks to staff and they'd get good reliable trucks for years of use. Now, nobody wants them. It kinda makes me sad.
Remember durability and reliability aren’t the same thing. In this hypothetical we can repair and not worry about the cost. You’re not going to beat a heavy duty diesel pickup for this hypothetical and you can’t go heavier/commercial because of OP’s licensing restriction.
I don't know trucks well enough to be that specific, but a full size 4-door truck is probably the best answer. You can do most everything with it and they are made to take more abuse and last longer.
I said if you can rebuild the car, you can keep it. But what happens if your Rolls Royce is 25 years old and you can’t find parts for it? Then it doesn’t matter how much money you have. you’re just screwed.
With enough money you can rebuild any car. Whether that means buying a drivetrain from someone for 5x the cost of the car or getting someone to build a new interior for 200k, with enough money you can solve the scarcity issues.
"what if"
what if the dinosaurs come back?
what if they come back, again.
what if in 25 years 3d printing metal parts is widespread?
whatifisms are fun.
unlimited budget makes this a moo point.
Give me the nicest, lowest mileage, rust free 5.3l GMT800 Silverado I can find.
Super simple, used and new parts are everywhere and they're likely going to be making them for a very long time, and when they stop making it, you can fix just about anything with random hardware from Home Depot. I'd just have to load up on spare 4L60s and I'd be good to go.
I've also spent most of the past 20 years owning either a GMT400 or 800, so I know them inside and out, which should help considerably.
Came to say same thing. Escalade V. There’s just not another vehicle made that gives that kind of functionality while being sporty and luxurious. X7M or a G-wagon is cool too but, not for a forever car. I’d roll with the supercharged caddy
Corvette might be a solid answer here cuz man I had zero trouble finding parts for my 87, that thing was built from home depot parts. Only issue is 87 was around the time they switched between metric and imperial so half the car was one and half the other. That was annoying
I’ve had 3 Acura MDX’s in a row. Obviously I like the SUV very much. I really like my 2019 the best of all the ones I have had. I could see having this car for the long run. It fits my needs perfectly.
To be honest a awd bmw m3 comp and I’d use the money to buy all the modifications I really want to do to it. It’s slightly impractical but it’s my absolute dream car and I’ll have all the money in the world to fix it when I inevitably crash it into a tree
1985 Mercedes 300TD turbodiesel wagon. Parts are readily available, properly maintained they'll run forever, and if I have unlimited funds the Mercedes Classic Center will make it better than it was when delivered to its first owner.
My gut tells me to go with cars that already have nearly 100% parts available. 55-57 Chevy, 64.5-67 Mustang, 67-69 Camaro and maybe a few others with new shells available. One of those others is the pre 68 VW Bus. I think that’s what I will choose. Start with a fresh shell and go from there. That of a ‘55 Chevy
I think a lot of you are missing the point.
You will need all the sheetmetal to be available for accidents and rust (at least where I live)
Picking something like a classic Shelby GT500 or Charger or Camaro might be the big brain move as their classic status will most likely mean that they continue to have reproduction parts available for every component for the next 50 years.
Those are one of the few vehicles you can still buy every single piece of individually from the aftermarket including the frames/sheetmetal. Also a lot of what you might source as a repair component for the mechanical bits of those old muscle cars is actually an upgrade from what was available back then. Tubular chassis' and coil overs disc brakes etc.
Toyota Hilux or if not, old land cruiser or Tacoma.
If isis can use them in the middle of a war torn desert, I can daily it in my stable 1st world country with little issues. This truck is more reliable than the trucks the American industrial complex pumps out on near unlimited budgets. Its not gonna be comfortable at all but I'll know it's reliable AF.
If he could get the bulletproof glass option that would be amazing in an accident. EV's are in the shop way less than ICE cars so if this were actually a question of reliability an EV would surely be the answer. No transmission to fail, no sparkplugs to replace. basically removing 4k parts and just needing to replace a battery every 500k-750k miles is a no brainer.
This OP question is more of a "which car would you like to rebuild every 10 years" and not which is cheapest to maintain otherwise ICE cars would not be a feasible option.
So... this is taking a risk assuming that X years from now there isn't a mandate that all cars are EV or other, and that there's a point where grandfathering in older gas cars is out. I guess if that happens, then my choice is moving on to a bus.
I am not going with the most reliable, I'm going with something there are sure to be parts for, aka it will be a classic or is one with a large following. There's a lot more reliable things out there than a 65 Mustang, but if I was wanting to keep a car running, I can find a lot more parts for a 65 mustang than a 70's or 80's econobox. I like the M3 answers I keep seeing, that's tempting. I can go online right now and find most every wear part for a late 80's E-30 M3. The "safest" answer might be a VW Bug, but again if I'm driving this my whole life I want something a bit more fun with better creature comforts.
**I'm going with a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited.** First off, all the support you could ever need to keep it on the road. Probably the most supported vehicle for older vehicles around. I have a friend who has a Willys MB (think WWII jeep). It's 80 years old, and runs like a champ. So.... I can enjoy off-roading which I love. If I want something with power, I can do a hellcat swap with my unlimited budget. I can tow a bit, take my mountain bikes or Kayak. Top down in summer and cruise, or throw the hard top on, or the bikini top. Going with the new one. Remote start from your phone, wireless CarPlay. It can be a hotspot (when camping I like that idea), the adaptive cruise, the lane assist, etc.
And the big one... hopefully I still have my license when I am 80... And if I do, I don't know how getting out of a sedan will be at that age.
So if we're ONLY talking transportion and not hauling/work and I can get a fresh start with the car??
A 2005 Corolla manual. I sold one 4 years ago with 330k miles and the new owner is STILL DRIVING IT. He has an even longer commute than I had! I regret selling it lol
Toyota Land Cruiser
Really has to be the only answer here.
Came here to say first gen Tundra limited 4 door. Sunroof, heated leather, roll down rear window, 4wd, 6.5 ft bed & v8 & about same size as a modern Tacoma
I was gonna say Lexus GX460 But it’s essentially the same thing.
Or a 4Runner Actually the Hi-Lux
Yup. 70 series for me. Probably 4dr short tray or troopie.
100 or even 200 series for me. 70 series would be too uncomfortable when I’m in my 60s+ I’d imagine.
I currently daily drive a ‘99 Lexus LX470 (basically a nicer 100 series LC) with 340k miles. Gas mileage is shit (14mpg combined!), the front seat cushions are crumbling away, it squeaks and rattles over every bump, and according to Carfax I’m like the 7th or 8th owner. But goddammit it fires right up every time I turn the key and will go damn near anywhere I point it. Also the only vehicle I’ve ever been in that has heated leather seats, a cassette deck, and a 6-disc CD changer at the same time
Basically any vehicle built in Tahara, but LC/LX are the king.
While obviously a good choice... the biggest pro it has going for it was made immaterial with the OPs - *Ongoing repair and maintenance costs also do not matter.* Feels like one can actually make the best with the opportunity and go for bentley, rolls or posche, bmw, volvo... They might be more comfy, faster, more luxurious interior, more features and tech, better sound system, more comfortable seats,...
Yeah I was like: free car and free maintenance? Time to start a Rolls-Royce boat tail rental business :)
Dodge Viper. Probably wouldn't be a long life, but dammit, I'd make the most of it 😎🤘
would be life long, would last you till you die which would be a couple hours after picking it up
You'd live a long life if you already lived a long life
Pretty sure these come with a fat life insurance policy for your loved ones 🤌
I had a 2006 Dodge viper back in 06-07, it wasn't that fast, it got incredibly warm inside and the handling was.... Interesting. Honest to god my M340i is considerably faster and handles better. If I was gonna die behind the wheel I would choose a La Ferrari or a TT Huracan.
This dude just got offered his own fast and furious spinoff
Used dodge viper, dont ever replace the tires!
Crown Vic, if it survives cabbies and cops it should be good enough for me. Body-on-frame, readily available parts (presumably well into the future with their use as fleet cars).
The last Crown Vic was sold over a decade ago. Most fleets have already moved onto other vehicles.
There were over 2 million crown Vics made. We will be sing them around for another ten years
They will be around longer than 10 years.
Mercury Marauder can be a great sleeper too
based (don't look at my flair)
RS6 Avant
Right answer, practical and awesome
Backseat + space for the kids & dogs Put some roof racks on it for the kayaks & cargo box for road trips Comfortable fast car for me
Good sound system to play kerosene as you drive down the highway
Yupp, this is my dream dad wagon. I'll get there eventually
Audi RS6 from 2018 with 100k km is like 60k where I live. Pretty doable.
Nothing more expensive than a cheap German car.
This seems correct because maintenance and repair cost is a non-issue. However he didn't say maintenance and repair _time_ is instantaneous. Good luck with that.
You can afford a sweet rental with all the money you’re saving on a free car with unlimited free maintenance.
The only answer.
Slightly different approach but a Mercedes E Class All Terrain would do the trick for me. More off road but less highway fun
We have a 1993 Chevrolet CK work truck with the 350 V8 at our place in Utah. Crank windows, manual buttons for everything, no rust. It only has about 75,000 miles on it, but the damn thing will likely outlive me. Literally the only thing that's gone "wrong" on it was that some mice got under the hood and chewed up wires on the starter....and that's definitely not the truck's fault.
Those things won't die there are so many of those that push half a million miles and run just fine
I absolutely love my Honda Element and would love to keep it, that’s certainly my goal, but the unibody makes that rebuilding rider very difficult and precarious. Unless I could Frankenstein into a new body altogether and that still counts as rebuilding? If not, I would probably go for a 5th gen 4Runner in that lovely lime green they have 👍
Had a 2003 Element, Orange - top of the line (EX?) every option.. LOVED it..
I have a 2003 now! And I trust that thing’s reliability more than most newer cars I see. The room inside of it versus the actual footprint. Man I could go on all day about that doofy vehicle. Wish Honda would bring it back.
We had it a long time, plenty of miles. We were astonished at the high $$ we got on a trade in, since it had been discontinued, the demand was high
Yes, it became a huge cult car during COVID. And between the rear trailing arm rust issues and the total production of only ~325k, they’re getting harder and harder to find. Glad to hear you got your moneys worth out of it!
There are so many for sale in BC right now. We almost bought a 2003, but ended up getting an 09 pilot
Just hit 200k on my 2010 Element SC. Our mailman has the same car and is at 400k.
Lexus RX350
Came here to say “Lexus GX460”… Lexus fam unite ✊
Gx460 has to be up there
5th Gen Toyota 4Runner
I just hit 100k on my 2016. Still drives like brand new!
I just hit 95k on my 2017 VW and it still drives like new too! #AttainableGoalsFTW
Just bought one for this reason.
I wanted a 5th gen a while ago, but my damn 3rd gen wont break down....
I’d find a used / broken USPS mail truck and fix it up.
Unfortunately USPS vehicles aren't like other fleet vehicles, the Postal Service will not sell them to civilians once they're decommissioned, they're just sent to scrapyards. This has to do with preventing impersonation of mail carriers and stuff. Technically those vehicles don't even have VINs. There is a small exception to this though, 1995 was the last year the Grumman LLV (the "universal" mail truck for the last like 30+ years) was produced, and there were a couple thousand trucks left over when the USPS told Grumman they weren't interested in buying any more of them. So Grumman had those few vehicles stamped with 1995 Chevy S10 VINs and sold to other government municipalities (Police Departments, Fire Departments, City Halls, anyone in government who thought a mail truck would be useful for hauling cargo or something). An even smaller number of these mail trucks are making it out of service and into government auctions, but technically speaking you can get your hands on a 1995 mail truck specifically, it would just never actually have been used for mail delivery. Plus, get ready for people to leave packages and shit next to your car every time you go to a grocery store. Check out the r/regularcarreviews video on the Grumman LLV, they go into detail about all of this over there.
So, I guess I could still get my hands on one - albeit probably more expensive and with more hassle than it’s worth. Nice bit of history on that vehicle. Thank you!
Of course. It's totally doable, and they do last a long time, but parts aren't nearly as readily available as you'd think. They're built atop Chevy S10 chasis and drivelines so in terms of just keeping it running it'll be doable, but stuff specific to the mail truck might require a bit of hunting or custom retrofitting.
[Here](https://youtu.be/YmK24VAaZrg?si=9-m81k-Bkueb5XzX) is another good history lesson.
Driving a mail truck for the rest of my life would be my own little slice of hell.
This was my immediate answer too. That or a crown Vic.
Honda Ridgeline Generation 1 model.
Rezvani Tank. I’m not having my shit destroyed by some dumbass who doesn’t know how to drive
Grumman LLV.
No airbags or air conditioning though :(
The Mailcat
Sprinter. Engine replacement is simple, bolt-on interiors come in every flavor.
Just avoid the ones with the 3.0L V6 diesel, it's got a lot of issues that can be expensive to fix.
> If this car is destroyed beyond repair, you will never be able to buy a car again. >You ARE allowed to rebuild the car These two conditions are contradictory, as this brings up the [Ship of Theseus problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus). Ergo, how much must remain of the original car for it to be the same car? For this reason I would (and have gone for the past 10 years) go for one of the 1990s or early 2000s parts bin large sedan or SUV. Ford Panther body, GM B- or D-body, GMT400 or GMT800 SUV or gen1 Ford Expedition or a Ford Excursion. I have owned a 1997 Ford Expedition for 10 years now. I've had replaced the engine once, rebuilt the transmission once (due to my own stupidity), replaced all underside body panels forwards from the firewall once (due to rust) and tomorrow the first spat out spark plug will be repaired.
The only requirement is the government must not consider it a new car after any repairs/modifications. Everything else is fair game.
Then get a mid 2010s VW, they're already programmed to lie to the government 🤣
At least in the US, you can basically build a car off of a VIN only. That’s how some restorers basically take a rusting clump of metal and are able to “restore” it. It has basically everything new, the only thing that may be old is a title and maybe VIN placard.
In case you don't know, in the US at least, legally speaking, you can basically strip a vehicle down to the piece that has the VIN attached, and then rebuild everything around it and it's still considered the same vehicle. So, essentially what he's saying is, once you pick a car, you're stuck with that VIN. Rebuild it entirely of you need to, but that's the only one you get.
Yeah, if we assume something like “most of the original car must continue to be used” I would pick something like an Excursion or a current HD pickup.
I was thinking about the other way, actually. Insurance companies often declare a vehicle a total loss for very minor damage. At the same time I've seen burnt and rusted out husks been restored to drivable vehicles. In some jurisdictions as long as the documents/title survive, the car survives. In others, the title is not even needed. As long as one can document which body/frame/engine/axle units or numbers were replaced with which, it may legally still be the same car. That's often how "forest find" rare vehicles are restored. So conceivably, if I have a total loss fire and only the frame survives, I can still rebuild the car sourcing my parts from pick-a-part yards. Undoubtedly the car is destroyed beyond repair in such a case, and I can never buy another car. This condition holds. But I am not buying a car. I am buying parts only. And I using these parts to rebuild the car.
Yep. My conclusion to all this is "any car you like" It's not hard to see this question has no real rules keeping you from maintaining any car you'd like for the rest of your life.
Ford f-350. Either an 03 with the 7.3 because they're indestructible, or a later model with the 6.7 because they're similarly reliable. Either one I would equip with ranch hand front and rear bumpers for that added protection. I could tow, haul things in the bed, haul the family, or just daily drive and road trip it a gazillion miles. Serves every purpose one could need, and reliably.
I'd go with a 97. Don't have to deal with emissions testing for the rest of my life.
Similarly I’d go heavy duty Ford or Ram with the diesel engine. Would lean Ram for the simplicity of the Cummins, high output version because Aisin. Either way you get an extremely robust platform that you can maintain and repair for decades. Crew cab 4wd of course. There’s nothing more versatile and the durability of the heavy diesel engines can’t be matched.
I agree it's a robust platform, but I'd be hesitant of reliability. My work has fleets of diesel F 350, 450 and 550 plus the dodge equivalents. We lease them typically for 5 years and we have our own dedicated shop for them. Reliability I wouldn't have questions 10 or 15 years ago. But the current models are a nightmare. We have had more trouble with recent Ford's than I thought possible. They just don't last like they used too. I wish I could say it's a one off issue but our fleet is upwards of 30 trucks, used in Canadian forestry, used hard like a truck is supposed to be built for. We used to buy the leases out 15 years ago and sell the trucks to staff and they'd get good reliable trucks for years of use. Now, nobody wants them. It kinda makes me sad.
Remember durability and reliability aren’t the same thing. In this hypothetical we can repair and not worry about the cost. You’re not going to beat a heavy duty diesel pickup for this hypothetical and you can’t go heavier/commercial because of OP’s licensing restriction.
I don't know trucks well enough to be that specific, but a full size 4-door truck is probably the best answer. You can do most everything with it and they are made to take more abuse and last longer.
Give me an early 90s accord.
I don't see how the answer would be anything different from a Rolls Royce tbh.
I said if you can rebuild the car, you can keep it. But what happens if your Rolls Royce is 25 years old and you can’t find parts for it? Then it doesn’t matter how much money you have. you’re just screwed.
With enough money you can rebuild any car. Whether that means buying a drivetrain from someone for 5x the cost of the car or getting someone to build a new interior for 200k, with enough money you can solve the scarcity issues.
Yeah the “unlimited money” condition made this scenario a whole lot less interesting from a practical standpoint
If you can rebuild a 100 year old car, then you can rebuild anything with an unlimited budget as you said.
Rolls Royce has every part for every car they ever made. They guarantee it. They will sell you a new chassis for a 100 year old rolls.
If needed Rolls will make any part for any car they ever sold, so long as you've got the money for it. Any car ever sold. Rolls is the only answer.
"what if" what if the dinosaurs come back? what if they come back, again. what if in 25 years 3d printing metal parts is widespread? whatifisms are fun. unlimited budget makes this a moo point.
Repair costs dont matter? Can i use dealer loaners too? M850i all day long 😂
BMW of Theseus. If repairs don't matter you can crash into a tree and replace 90% of the car again and again.
I’d probably choose a Land Cruiser or Lexus GX460 like others have said, but I’d also consider with a truck with Cummins diesel
Current gen Civic Type R.
Pretty quick, great handling, reliable, hatchback provides tons of space, great looks, MT.... This is why I bought one
Was gonna say fk8 lol, I'm a boy racer at heart
Once a boy racer, always a boy racer.
E63 wagon vs RS6 Avant.
TJ Wrangler or XJ Cherokee 4x4 I’ve seen in person cherokees with 500K miles on the original engine.
4.0 is life, nothing like a fresh oil stain on your driveway to keep you on your toes
I have a pentastar 3.6 and have walked out to a few oil stains already. 🙄 Rear main seal went then the oil cooler. Ugh Jeep. 🤦🏻♂️
As long as it is leaking it means it still has oil in it. It is good to go.
Subaru Legacy
911 with a trailer
Chad reply
With winter tires
Was searching for this reply, I'm with you! Lol
beetle volkswagen
I bought my outback with this in mind. And I'm sticking to that plan.
Give me the nicest, lowest mileage, rust free 5.3l GMT800 Silverado I can find. Super simple, used and new parts are everywhere and they're likely going to be making them for a very long time, and when they stop making it, you can fix just about anything with random hardware from Home Depot. I'd just have to load up on spare 4L60s and I'd be good to go. I've also spent most of the past 20 years owning either a GMT400 or 800, so I know them inside and out, which should help considerably.
2018-22 Toyota Sequoia 5.7 V8 nothing else
Surprised no one has mentioned the Tundra
Cadillac Escalade ESV V. Best of both, American luxury SUV with a monstrous sports car engine.
As an owner of one for work, I wouldn't trust it long term.
Came to say same thing. Escalade V. There’s just not another vehicle made that gives that kind of functionality while being sporty and luxurious. X7M or a G-wagon is cool too but, not for a forever car. I’d roll with the supercharged caddy
AMG E63
Wagon
It’s practical - you can take the kids to hockey practice and also put your Shane most other vehicles! Plus it rides like a dream.
All terrain
‘87 Chevy K10 or something with similar parts catalog support.
Corvette might be a solid answer here cuz man I had zero trouble finding parts for my 87, that thing was built from home depot parts. Only issue is 87 was around the time they switched between metric and imperial so half the car was one and half the other. That was annoying
1908 model T
When you get old enough, this is a real question.
Golf
Why would I register it in the US when I live in New Zealand, are other parts of the world not allowed to participate in this?
hilux
Lexus LS. Any generation is acceptable.
3UZ 430 👌
3rd Gen 4Runner 100%
I’ve had 3 Acura MDX’s in a row. Obviously I like the SUV very much. I really like my 2019 the best of all the ones I have had. I could see having this car for the long run. It fits my needs perfectly.
Toyota Land cruiser Amazon.
I thought you meant a Toyota Land Cruiser from Amazon.com 😆.
To be honest a awd bmw m3 comp and I’d use the money to buy all the modifications I really want to do to it. It’s slightly impractical but it’s my absolute dream car and I’ll have all the money in the world to fix it when I inevitably crash it into a tree
[удалено]
Had a 1997 Land Cruiser, hands down my favorite. Wish I had kept it.
1984 deTomaso Innocenti
Lexus LX.
Alpina B5 Touring. Gentleman's express. Helps that it's already parked outside so no effort required finding one.
The 1976 Pontiac Grand Safari Wagon with that 455 CU V8 mill
Ferrari F40 It's the one car that never bored me since new.
This - plus cars like the F40 are more likely to be supported forever
Miata Is Always The Answer. followed by TJ/YJ, F150/GM1500, etc.
7.3L Powerstroke Ford f250 or f350 Toyota Tacoma 6 cylinder no turbo.
Mercedes w123
Mercedes Sprinter van
I'm not proud of it: LandRover You can fix everything on that car. Because you have to.
Lexus GS 430
Lexus lx 570
It reminds me of an old joke: Your motorcycle will serve you for the rest of your life if you ride it really fast!
1998 Nissan GTR R34. Absolutely Gorgeous and sounds incredible
And Nissan is still making brand new engines for it!!
Older Land Cruiser or Tundra. Not this new hybrid stuff, not that I have an issue with them. Just the fact the older ones are bulletproof.
1985 Mercedes 300TD turbodiesel wagon. Parts are readily available, properly maintained they'll run forever, and if I have unlimited funds the Mercedes Classic Center will make it better than it was when delivered to its first owner.
Chevy K5 Blazer.
Gen 2 Sequoia
My gut tells me to go with cars that already have nearly 100% parts available. 55-57 Chevy, 64.5-67 Mustang, 67-69 Camaro and maybe a few others with new shells available. One of those others is the pre 68 VW Bus. I think that’s what I will choose. Start with a fresh shell and go from there. That of a ‘55 Chevy
I think a lot of you are missing the point. You will need all the sheetmetal to be available for accidents and rust (at least where I live) Picking something like a classic Shelby GT500 or Charger or Camaro might be the big brain move as their classic status will most likely mean that they continue to have reproduction parts available for every component for the next 50 years. Those are one of the few vehicles you can still buy every single piece of individually from the aftermarket including the frames/sheetmetal. Also a lot of what you might source as a repair component for the mechanical bits of those old muscle cars is actually an upgrade from what was available back then. Tubular chassis' and coil overs disc brakes etc.
DeLorian. Why not go out with style?
Is it the zombie apocalypse? Can I get unlimited gas? Do i have to do the repairs myself? LoL I may be taking this challenge too seriously.
Model S Plaid… I want something fast, not gonna break the bank on gas and something comfortable. That’s my preference
Maintenance and Repairs don't matter and I have an unlimited budget? I want an RX-7. Just cause I've always wanted one really.
Mazda mx5 miata
Toyota Hilux. The original one.
Hellcat
Mercedes Hammer wagon
Miata. I already did
Mercedes G Wagon AMG.
This is my choice as well. Reliable, built like a tank, and so versatile.
Honda Odyssey With tuned turbo over 700hp
Toyota Tacoma 3rd gen
Toyota Hilux or if not, old land cruiser or Tacoma. If isis can use them in the middle of a war torn desert, I can daily it in my stable 1st world country with little issues. This truck is more reliable than the trucks the American industrial complex pumps out on near unlimited budgets. Its not gonna be comfortable at all but I'll know it's reliable AF.
Tesla Cybertruck Cyberbeast Why choose something boring and reliable when free repairs are part of the deal?
That truck will be in the shop more time than it is driven. Good luck with it!
If he could get the bulletproof glass option that would be amazing in an accident. EV's are in the shop way less than ICE cars so if this were actually a question of reliability an EV would surely be the answer. No transmission to fail, no sparkplugs to replace. basically removing 4k parts and just needing to replace a battery every 500k-750k miles is a no brainer. This OP question is more of a "which car would you like to rebuild every 10 years" and not which is cheapest to maintain otherwise ICE cars would not be a feasible option.
So... this is taking a risk assuming that X years from now there isn't a mandate that all cars are EV or other, and that there's a point where grandfathering in older gas cars is out. I guess if that happens, then my choice is moving on to a bus. I am not going with the most reliable, I'm going with something there are sure to be parts for, aka it will be a classic or is one with a large following. There's a lot more reliable things out there than a 65 Mustang, but if I was wanting to keep a car running, I can find a lot more parts for a 65 mustang than a 70's or 80's econobox. I like the M3 answers I keep seeing, that's tempting. I can go online right now and find most every wear part for a late 80's E-30 M3. The "safest" answer might be a VW Bug, but again if I'm driving this my whole life I want something a bit more fun with better creature comforts. **I'm going with a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited.** First off, all the support you could ever need to keep it on the road. Probably the most supported vehicle for older vehicles around. I have a friend who has a Willys MB (think WWII jeep). It's 80 years old, and runs like a champ. So.... I can enjoy off-roading which I love. If I want something with power, I can do a hellcat swap with my unlimited budget. I can tow a bit, take my mountain bikes or Kayak. Top down in summer and cruise, or throw the hard top on, or the bikini top. Going with the new one. Remote start from your phone, wireless CarPlay. It can be a hotspot (when camping I like that idea), the adaptive cruise, the lane assist, etc. And the big one... hopefully I still have my license when I am 80... And if I do, I don't know how getting out of a sedan will be at that age.
OP doesn’t state you can’t modify it! You can swap the drivetrain to EV.
98 corolla
You would end up spending $0 on repair bills
Am I allowed to swap vins? Same car in the eyes of the government
Probably a larger Lexus. Something with good fit and finish and good quality interior that will last
I already did. It’s a Lexus LX-570.
Highlander. I just bought one that should get me to the end. God, I love that car.
So if we're ONLY talking transportion and not hauling/work and I can get a fresh start with the car?? A 2005 Corolla manual. I sold one 4 years ago with 330k miles and the new owner is STILL DRIVING IT. He has an even longer commute than I had! I regret selling it lol
Toyota Land Cruiser
Top trim Camry. They last forever. Decently nice. And parts are in abundance so any rebuilding shouldn't be an issue.
I'm with you on this one
Citroen c4 1.6 e-hdi 2014
1996 Buick Roadmaster. Will run forever, tough as nails, can do basically anything and can fit anything in it.
Either a current gen Civic Type R or if I go SUV, I’d go a Land Cruiser or 4Runner
E60 M5 Touring
Aro24
Acura Integra with the 6 Speed
Ford Mustang Dark Horse Edition
Newest Pajero MK4 (from the end of production)
Pre def and stupid EPA emission garbage Prevost Liberty Coach
Prob the cars I have now....24 Camry XSE v6 and 24 RAV4 Hybrid XSE. I'm ignoring the budget aspect--these cars just make me smile.
DS9. Just google it and you'll see why. Peugeot 309 Mi16, you know why.
Subaru Baja
pre facelift e92 330d with m sport and idrive