Revista Caminos Vehicles of the Month Sponsored by Auto Emporium

The last two months we have been mesmerized with the ladies and their vehicles;
unique vehicles of massive character and size…thank you ladies. This month we
take a completely different turn that is sure to impress our readers!

Our friend Cesar Bernal, originally from Burbank, CA, moved to Oregon in 1996. A
humble and hard working family made the decision to live in Oregon believing that
the opportunities provided here would result in a better future for the family, Cesar
tells us “every year we would visit family members living in Oregon and my parents
loved every thing about this place, so much so that they made the decision to move
our family here.” Cesar is the owner of the vehicle we will be presenting this month
that will blow you away. We present Cesar’s gray Subaru WRK STI with a 2.5L
Turbocharged motor and 18’’ Enkeis rims attracting attention everywhere he goes.
Cesar has always liked vehicles that are attractive but that can also manage great
speed, “this car covers all of my necessities, it is comfortable, family-friendly, great
for all types of weather, and to top it off it comes with so much power that you will
be holding on to the seats for dear life!” Cesar also tells us, “People are constantly
impressed with my car, usually describing it as ‘sexy,’ from time to time I also have
people asking me to let them drive it.” When our friend purchased his Subaru it was
perfect but he also saw the potential in what the vehicle could become to further
suit his needs and preferences, “I modified the VF39 turbo, front mount intercooler,
uppipe, straight down pipe with turbo back BMP exhaust, unequal length readers,
K&n cold air INTAKE, bigger fuel pump, protuned at 400hp at 19 lbs. of boost.”
What do you guys think?

Cesar is an outstanding member of our community, he graduated from Phoenix
High School in 2002 and is currently working with our local department of Human
Services, “it is a pleasure to help my community and have the opportunity to help
other community members triumph.” Cesar continues, “ It is great to see CAMINOS
magazine be a productive business in the Rogue Valley and I am proud to have been
given the opportunity to be part of this issue.”

So now you know, CAMINOS magazine strives to bring you the latest and greatest
vehicles in every one of our issues. Contact us if you have any suggestions, or own
the next incredible vehicle!
www.RevistaCaminos.com

The Bark Side: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial Teaser

Who would have ever thought there'd be a day where people are able to skip television commercials only to go to websites to watch them later? Such is the joy of a DVR and YouTube. AdWeek tabulated the 20 most-watched ads on YouTube, and found that nine were car-related including eight coming from automakers.

Volkswagen continued its Star Wars theme with two ads in the top 20, including the highest-ranking car commercial The Bark Side spot at number three with almost 18 million views, which doesn't even have a single car in it. Some of our favorites are from Chrysler with Clint Eastwood in It's Halftime in America and House Arrest with Charlie Sheen for the Fiat 500 Abarth. Chevrolet, Honda, Audi and Toyota were the other automakers in the top 20, but we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention one of the coolest ads on the list, the Hot Wheels corkscrew jump.

Of all the car videos, only the Fiat ad wasn't played during a Super Bowl. Check out all eight videos – in order – after the jump. Nike took the top spot with its My Time is Now ad that has been seen online more than 20 million times with Pepsi's Uncle Drew posted up in the runner-up; some of the other videos include four Old Spice commercials and an ad in which Snoop Dogg is pedaling Hot Pockets.

This is the amazing Christmas wonderland Ferrari builds for kids every year

Granted, when we think of a "Ferrari Christmas Wonderland" our dreams naturally manifest something like a red FF with a bow on the hood and keys on the seat, parked in front of a Fiorano Circuit that's ours for the day. A guy's gotta dream, right?

But, luckily for a lot of beaming children and their grateful, non-selfish parents, Ferrari's gift back to the people of Maranello is far more festive. The Italian automaker clearly pulls out all of the stops for its annual Kids Christmas party to celebrate the season. The event, which sees the Ferrari grounds transformed in to a veritable amusement park in a holiday theme, seems pretty massive of scale and impressive in its detail.

Click through to the video clip below to see what we mean, and pay special attention about two-thirds of the way through, when a special contingent of 'Santas' drop by to say "Boun Natale."

The Rocketeer

We found this custom fabricated 3/4 scale motorcycle in Ashland while doing a little shopping over the weekend. It can be found in the gallery at 40 N. Main Street for $12,000. This custom motorcyle and sidecar appropriately named 'The Rocketeer' can be seen zipping around Talent and the surrounding areas since it's a daily driver for it's owner/builder Gary Knorr, owner of Cycle Optic Motorcycle Fabrication.

The Rocketeer is powered by a 100cc Pagsta 4 Speed with a top speed of 45 mph. The wheels are 1973 Harley Hummer 125cc.

As a true labor of love, this custom bike took 2 years to complete. Stop by the gallery and take a look at this one of a kind bike. You can even make Gary an offer he can't refuse!

Driver gets his own back in a big way

Northwest Dodge Christmas Light Show by Richard Holdman

Since installing its huge holiday light display, which includes more than 70,000 lights programmed to music, Thanksgiving Week, Northwest Dodge has been inundated with traffic, proving that big signs work magic. The light bulb moment was ignited by a true love of the holidays and a desire to give back to the community and both are driving automotive sales. 

Northwest Dodge sits on a busy feeder road in a row of dealerships vying for attention and sales in a highly competitive automotive market. For years, the dealership has considered ways to do something for the community, but none as big and eye-popping as the holiday light display it installed on the top of the dealership with the help of internet lighting sensation Richard Holdman. With over 21 million YouTube views of his Amazing Grace light display, Richard Holdman is the king of holiday lights. His displays consist of tens of thousands of bulbs, computer programming, music and lots of holiday magic. 

“Since I was a kid, I have always loved Christmas lights,” said Northwest Dodge General Manager Jim Hatfield. "I saw one of Richard’s displays on YouTube and was simply amazed. So we hired Richard to create a display at the dealership to share his gift with Houston. This is the first year of what we hope is an annual tradition,” assured Hatfield. 

The results have been as dazzling as the lights themselves. Website traffic is up 15.39% over the previous month. “We’ve had more foot traffic than any other December on record,” explains Hatfield, but “most importantly we’ve had so many heart-felt comments from area businesses and people in the neighborhood about what a wonderful gift this is for Houston. As corny as it sounds, it makes everyone at the dealership proud that we can share a little holiday warmth in a year that for many has been anything but bright.” 

Yes, Virginia, in a Northwest Dodge dealership in Houston there is a Santa Claus and he is here Tuesday thru Saturday from 6pm to 9pm taking pictures with the kids and sending them a personal letter.

Bill Ford buys the oldest surviving Ford for $264,000

Published December 12, 2012

FoxNews.com

Turns out that Bill Ford, Jr. is something of a man of mystery.

The Executive Chairman of the Ford Motor Company has been revealed as the high bidder for the oldest-known surviving Ford automobile, which was sold at an RM Auction Hershey, Penn., in October for $264,000. The identity of the buyer had previously been kept under wraps.

The 1903 Ford Model A Rear Entry Tonneau is believed to be the third car produced under the auspices of the newly-formed company and was sold on July 19th of that year to Iowa butter maker Herbert L. McNary. McNary handed over $1,350 for all three of the cars that day, which represented the full price of $850 for one plus down payments others. It was a welcome injection of funds for the fledgling automaker, which only had $250 cash on hand at the time and was in dire straits.

Looks like Bill Ford got a pretty good deal on it, too. The fully-restored four-seater was last sold in 2007 for $693,000. He picked it up to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of his great-grandfather and company founder Henry Ford’s birthday, which is coming up on July 30th, 2013.

Fiat Panda, Italian for Monster Truck [w/video]

 

No, this is not some creation from the backwoods of Georgia. Fiat actually partnered with Mercurio Cinematografica to wed a Panda 4x4 with a Jeep CJ7. The result is the plucky face of the Panda astride a set of 59-inch tractor tires. The whole contraption sits 12.8 feet tall and took just over two weeks to build from start to finish.

We imagine driving this thing is a bit like trying to coax a jello mold down the road. There's no word on whether engineers kept the Panda's engine and transmission or abandoned them for the AMC bits. Our money's on the latter. Fiat says the hardest part was getting the brakes, steering, clutch and accelerator controls to cooperate with the archaic bones below.

So, why build it? Fiat is currently in the midst of an advertising campaign that highlight's the Panda's attributes, and building a Big Foot version of the little hatchback was the easiest way to show off the vehicle's off-road prowess. You can watch it play in the snow in the video.

Coolest guy at the boat ramp

When one needs to transport a large powerboat great distances, it presents a rather wasteful problem. See, you have plenty of livable space on the boat, but said boat is up on a trailer, thus one must either tow one's craft with a large RV or stay in hotels. The owner of this... thing evidently thought that was too wasteful in the name of epic leisure. As such, you see the incredible contraption in front of you.

The vehicle(s) is/are a 1987 Watercraft Sports King Boater Home. The cab consists of a 1986 Ford E-Series, while the rear is a 28-foot power boat that contains living quarters for both land and water use.

There are several like this out on eBay Motors and elsewhere on the web. A quick search for "BoaterHome" will yield plenty of results, though none have been done up quite like this one. With a teardrop window on the cab section and a paint job that would make the Duke Boys blush, this thing is apparently set on celebrating the '70s. That would likely explain the "35" on the side, representing the 35th anniversary of, well...we're not quite sure.

Check out the video to see how this incredible combo vehicle separates for aquatic use (the action starts at 1:27). The boat may look a little front heavy, but this seems like a best-of-boat both-worlds approach!

Offbeat Southern Oregon Autos

In our travels around town we ran into our latest Offbeat Southern Oregon Auto. We're headed to Los Arcos http://www.facebook.com/losarcostaqueria over the weekend for some of the best Pozole you'll find in the valley when we spotted this one.

 

I'm not quite sure what the functionality of this car is with it's front end being the front end of a Ford and the rear end being the front end of a Chevy. Each end has a dashboard, steering wheel, and drivers and passengers seats. The owner jokes that if the registration expires on one side he just gets into the other side and drives that end :).

 

If you look in the background, you can pretty easily figure out which downtown Medford dealer this is...maybe they'll make you a great deal on it!

 

And if you do end up going to Los Arcos for their Pozole, pick up our latest copy of Auto Emporium to read while you're enjoying it!

 

 

Carscoop: 2014 Sorento May Look the Same, But Kia Says 80 Pe...

If you were to take a quick look at the 2014 Kia Sorento, which is enjoying its North American premiere at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show, what you would probably see is the restyled front and rear ends, and some barely noticeable tweaks in the cabin.
Ask Kia, however, and the Koreans will tell you that there's much more than meets the eye to the revamped Sorento. In fact, Kia claims that more than 80 percent of the parts in the crossover are either "all-new or significantly redesigned", including the 3.3-liter GDI V6 engine producing 290 horsepower.

Visit www.ButlerKia.com and shop the 2013 Kia lineup!

Revista Caminos Vehicle of the Month sponsored by Auto Emporium

Lets hear it one more time… who says females only drive cute small vehicles? Nowadays this is most definitely not the case, every type of person may own and drive every type of vehicle imaginable.  Times have change, for the better! From Mexican parents in search of the American dream, Maria Arias and her family settled in Oregon when she was four years old.  Growing up in the Rogue Valley, Maria received her education in the Phoenix-Talent school district.  With determination and the will to achieve her goals, Maria enrolled in Southern Oregon University in 2007.   In 2012, with great effort and dedication she obtained her Bachelors in Business Administration with a focus in the accounting field.

Maria is part of the select group of females willing to navigate such a grand truck with great character.  It is not everyday that we see a young lady such as Maria driving an enormous truck with a lifted suspension.  When she is seen in her truck, Maria typically encounters many shocked observers who more often than not assume she is not the owner, “everyone is surprised to see me step out of my truck, people typically think I am driving my boyfriends truck when in reality I am the proud owner.”  Maria’s 2008 black Toyota Tacoma was like love at first sight, “I just replaced the grill, added tread running boards and wheels making it the perfect truck for me.”

 

As published in November's Revista Caminos.

Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force Concept

Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force Concept

Making the world safe for SUVs, or maybe the other way around, the Ener-G-Force is concept for an environmentally friendly, but menacing-looking replacement for Mercedes-Benz's ancient G-Class off-roader, which first debuted in 1979. The extreme-off road vehicle sports a tub on top to collect rainwater that's converted into hydrogen for its fuel-cell powered electric drivetrain.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes SLS AMG Coupé Black Series revealed… and it’s a beast

Chris Davies, Nov 10th 2012

Mercedes has outed its latest high-performance AMG branded sportscar, the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, borrowing racing credentials for an achingly impressive road car. Wrapping a long-snouted, gull-wing chassis around AMG’s 6.3-liter V8 engine, the new car forces 631 HP through a 7-speed sports transmission, for a 0-60mph surge in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 197mph.

That V8 comes with no supercharging or turbocharging, instead relying on natural aspiration for its 8,000rpm maximum and 635 Mb of torque at 5500rpm. However, various AMG efforts to slim the car have helped squeeze as much potential out of the powerplant as possible; the new sports exhaust system, for instance, has been crafted from titanium, saving 13kg from its steel predecessor.

In fact, at 1,550kg, the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series is 70kg in total lighter than the SLS AMG. The bonnet is carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, just as is used in motorsport, as is the rear panel behind the seats, the underbody bracing, and the torque tube. CRP replaces aluminum in sections of the space frame, and even the traditional starter battery has been junked, replaced by an 8kg lighter li-ion power pack.

For the driver, the most noticeable differences may be the new dual-clutch transmission – which has faster shifting speed and auto double-declutching during downshifts, along with a temporary manual mode for the occasional system override – and the AMG rear-axle differential lock, which promises better control over traction, even when most of the nannying electrics have been turned off. There are ceramic composite brakes as standard – now 16kg lighter than the old set – and an all-new chassis and suspension system.

Externally, Mercedes-AMG has borrowed FIA GT3 style for the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series’ flared wings, tinted lights, various carbon-fiber splitters, sills, and other components. Inside, there are bucket seats, metal elements across the dash, and plenty of leather and Alcantara. AMG even ditches Mercedes’ traditional COMAND APS entertainment/nav system to save weight, though it can be added back in as an option. That can be paired with a Bang & Olufsen sourced 1000W audio system with eleven speakers, two of which are illuminated.
Mercedes-AMG says the new car will go on sale in June 2013. No word on pricing at this stage.

Banned Toyota Commercial

Now this is a Chrysler product we can actually believe Clint Eastwood would drive.
The Legacy Power Wagon is a customized version of Dodge’s 1946-1968 vintage truck, refurbished and fitted with modern nderpinnings. Built by Legacy Classic Trucks,  a small outfit in the suitably rugged, yet upscale locale of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the old girl has plenty of new tricks.  Legacy starts with the chassis of an original donor vehicle, puts it through a frame-off restoration, primes and paints it on a rotisserie rig to hit every nook and cranny, then goes to work on the running gear and interior appointments.

 The trucks are built to order and can be had with a variety of engines including a fuel-injected 360 cubic-inch Magnum V8 stroked to 426 cu-in or a 4.5-liter 4-cylinder Cummins turbodiesel engine with 500 lb-ft of torque. Manual and automatic transmissions are available and a 4x4 drivetrain comes standard with Dynatrac and Dana axles, locking differentials and an Atlas transfer case.  The tow-rating is a healthy 8,000 pounds, while a long-travel leaf-sprung suspension with Bilstein shocks can be complimented with a set of beadlock wheels for off-road capability that would likely give a Jeep Scrambler a run for its money. Even if you overdo it, a 16,500-pound front-mounted winch should be enough to get you out of trouble.

Inside, the Power Wagon gets an all-new quarter-inch steel plate dashboard with bespoke New Vintage gauges and Carling rocker switches, along with a set of leather upholstered captain’s chairs.  Along with the standard cab model, Legacy can do extended cab and four-door versions or a Carryall-style SUV. Prices are slightly higher than the $1,627 list price of the 1946 original, starting at $119,950 and running up to $249,000 for a Woodie wagon with bodywork constructed from mahogany and ash that takes 2,000 man hours to make.

Nevertheless, business has been brisk by boutique auto shop standards. Company founder Winslow Bent says that in the three years he’s been in business he’s delivered 25 trucks around the world and has five more under construction.
Clint’s Super Bowl commercial may have featured the new Power Wagon, but, as with him, it’s clearly hard to resist the appeal of an original.


Read: ICON's 'new' 1965 Dodge pickup


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/11/01/legacy-power-wagon-is-reborn-american-classic/?intcmp=features#ixzz2B1gOPBkC

The bad news for Fisker continues. Among the many victims of Hurricane and then Tropical Storm Sandy are approximately 16 brand new Fisker Karma extended-range hybrids that were parked in Port Newark, New Jersey.

An eyewitness told Jalopnik (which like the rest of the Gawker websites, continues to be down after Sandy drowned its data center but is broadcasting temporarily from this site), that the Karma sedans “first submerged in a storm surge and then caught fire, exploded.”

Pictures taken on location by the unnamed source show several examples of the $100,000+ luxury sports car burned to the ground.

The cause of the fires remains a mystery for now, but we did contact Fisker and will provide an update as soon as we hear back from them.

The Karma has been the subject of multiple fire investigations, the most recent of which concerned a parked car that spontaneously self-combusted in California in August.

Update: Fisker just sent us the following press statement about the New Jersey incident:

October 30, 2012 Holding Statement

"It was reported today that several Fisker Karmas were damaged by fire at the Port of Newark after being submerged in sea water during Superstorm Sandy. We can report that there were no injuries and none of the cars were being charged at the time.

We have confidence in the Fisker Karma and safety is our primary concern. While we intend to find the cause as quickly as possible, storm damage has restricted access to the port.

We will issue a further statement once the root cause has been determined."
Story Credits: Carscoop
Photo Credits : Jalopnik

 

 

Modern classics to buy now - before they skyrocket in value

Coulda, woulda, shoulda is a popular refrain among those who watch televised auctions like Barrett-Jackson and Mecum. Those of a certain age can remember when million dollar-plus Hemi ‘Cudas were $3K used cars. The kicking of one’s self multiplied by 500,000 or so backsides when one of these cars crosses the auction block on prime-time TV registers on seismographs. Is it too late? Are all of the good ones mega valuable already? Probably not. Here are five performance cars all built within the last 20 years that have a fair shot a big-time appreciation.

1. 2002 Pontiac Trans Am Firehawk: Sadly, the beloved Trans Am kicked the bucket (along with the Camaro) in the 2002 model year. And while the Camaro is back with us, the Firebird Trans Am is homeless, given that Pontiac expired in 2009. At least the T/A went out with a bang rather than a whimper. The ’02 Firehawk had a whopping 345 hp and was produced in very small numbers. That end-of-the-line status combined with rarity and high performance should prove intoxicating to future collectors. Its current price of approximately 20 grand will seem like a gift 20 years from now.
   
   
   
2. 2000 Mustang Cobra R: Overshadowed by the Shelby Mustangs built on the latest generation (2005-present) Mustang, the 2000 Cobra R has yet to be surpassed in many ways. For example, unlike the newer Mustangs, it sports an actual independent rear suspension that makes the car corner nearly as well as its 385 hp quad cam V-8 will propel it in a straight line, and real attention was paid to making it lighter in weight. Only 300 units where built —all with side exhaust — and in the tradition of cars like the L-88 Corvette, it totally lacked street amenities like A/C and even a radio. Already starting to appreciate in value at around $40,000, when these are $250,000 cars, don’t say we didn’t give you a head’s up.
3. 1993 Mustang Cobra R: Sort of the bookend to the 2000 Cobra R, the ’93 was built in far different times. The automotive performance recovery was just starting to solidify after the end of the malaise era (1973-87) when the ’93 Cobra R was introduced. Like the 2000 Cobra R, it was race-oriented and came without radio, A/C and — most importantly —without a warranty. Just 107 were built, and it’s a sure bet that a good number of those got soundly thrashed back in the day. Survivors in good condition are excruciatingly rare.
   
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4. 1993-96 Mazda RX-7: The last generation of the RX-7 was a twin-turbocharged, lightweight and gorgeous sports car.  For a number of reasons — not the least of which was the fact that the target market couldn’t afford the insurance — the car never sold in large numbers in the U.S. Vintage Japanese cars are  currently a hot little niche in the collector car world. Cars like the RX-7 and the next one on this list will be among the most desirable future collectibles.
5. 1993-98 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo: A bit bigger and heavier than the RX-7, the last iteration of the Supra to date showed that when it was so inclined, Toyota could compete with nearly anyone on the planet in building kick-ass, ultra high performance GTs. Capable of 0-60 in less than five seconds and with world class brakes to haul it down, the big Supra is revered by the “Fast and Furious” crowd. It’s already the Holy Grail of Japanese performance cars of its era and, sadly, this has led to the demise of many examples — too much car for inexperienced drivers of limited judgment.  The sky is the limit for future appreciation.

CS Motorsport's TRD Tundra Concept is Quite Simply, a Fisherman's Dream - Carscoop

CS Motorsport's TRD Tundra Concept is Quite Simply, a Fisherman's Dream - Carscoop

Fishing is a sport, or if you prefer, a recreational activity, loved by many people around the world, and as with all sports, it requires various items of equipment, which is where Toyota comes into the picture.
Set to make its world premiere at the 2012 SEMA show on October 30, is what the Japanese carmaker calls the "Ultimate Fishing Tundra" concept and which was developed by Bassmaster Elite Series pro angler and renowned builder of custom Tundras for anglers, Britt Myers. The 38-year old fishing champion, who owns North Carolina-based CS Motorsports, used a 2012 Toyota Tundra CrewMax as the base for his creation that has been turned into an angler's dream truck. The most impressive addition to the Tundra is a retractable box that features an automatic, motorized delivery system found at the rear end of the vehicle. Myers explains: "It has a bed-area tackle storage system that looks like a Bass Pro Shop aisle... with tackle, reels, rods and even a refrigerator." The prototype also gets a roof rack system with special LED lighting for fishing rod storage. Finished in a matte paint job, the truck has been toughened up with bull bars, custom made bumpers, a TRD Big Brake Kit, a 12-inch suspension lift, huge Nitto 38" x 15.50" x 20" Mud Grappler tires, a Warn 16k winch system and running boards. The interior of the Tundra also received some love by CS Motorsports, which replaced the rear bench with two bucket seats and custom built a fiberglass console that extends from the dash to the rear cab wall with built-in video monitors and subwoofers. Under the hood, Myers and his team gave the stock 5.7-liter V8 gasoline engine some extra oomph with the addition of a TRD supercharger and exhaust system.

12 Cars That Will Go 200,000 Miles — or More

12 Cars That Will Go 200,000 Miles — or More

A decade ago, the impossible became the status quo: Cars from nearly every brand were routinely making it well past the 100,000-mile mark and chugging along respectably toward a second 100,000. Today, among new or relatively recent models, 200,000 miles is to be expected. But which vehicles are most likely to be truly viable after passing that milestone, not as embarrassing relics, but as proud workhorses possibly capable of hitting the 300,000 mark?

Honda Accord

 

Though our choices are based on a wide range of data, including reliability ratings for used and new vehicles and insurance-based maintenance records, some of the models best-suited to go the distance are to be expected, such as the Honda Accord, a sedan that for decades has been consistently among the most durable. Just last year, the owner of a 1990 Accord racked up 1 million miles.

.

Toyota Camry 

 

It was Japan, undeniably, that turned longevity into an industrywide priority, and Toyota has carried that tradition further than anyone. With its low breakdown rate and uncanny ability to stay drivable, the Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in the United States for the past decade. And ubiquity has its benefits; more models on the road means that it's easier, and cheaper, to find replacement parts.

 

 

Volvo C30 

 

"With some cars, it becomes more effective to just say, 'OK, this car's done,'" says Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and market analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "Volvo is one brand where it makes sense to just keep replacing parts. Those vehicles are just so fixable." The most dependable Volvo is the C30, which cracked Consumer Reports' list of the 10 most reliable vehicles as recently as 2010.

 

 

Ford F-150

 

 

Though it's unclear just how well Detroit has closed the quality gap with Japan, Nerad makes an exception for full-size pickups. "They're throwback designs — big steel frames and tried-and-true 6-cylinder and V8 engines. It sounds clichéd, but they're built to last," he says. The Ford F-150, America's top-selling, famously reliable truck, is a solid choice

 

Honda CR-V

 

 

For the long haul, a full-size SUV is a gamble. They aren't standouts in terms of durability, and anyone still rumbling around in a Hummer knows how quickly consumer tastes and gas prices can shift. Crossovers, however, aren't going anywhere, and neither is the CR-V; it is rated the most reliable 4x4 by Warranty Direct

 

Volkswagen Passat

 

 

Durability isn't necessarily one of Volkswagen's strong suits, but in terms of looks alone, the brand tends to age gracefully. "Sometimes, today's trend is tomorrow's disaster," Nerad says. He points out that bold designs from, say, Kia and Hyundai could backfire 10 years out. "Volkswagen is much cleaner, more classic, in its styling," Nerad says. The Passat is as timeless as a VW gets, a roomy, solid performer that promises to never embarrass.

 

Toyota Yaris

 

 

Without a doubt, there are slicker-looking, better-driving hatchbacks. But the Yaris trounces competitors such as the Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Golf in reliability. And in a 2012 J.D. Power and Associates study of used-car reliability, the Yaris was the highest-ranked subcompact, beating out the slightly higher-priced Honda Fit and Scion xD. The Yaris is the little car that could — or will.

 

Subaru Forester

 

 

Certain kinds of powerplant complexity are potentially bad news down the line — overly tuned engines, for example, or the small, "mild hybrid" electric motors showing up in General Motors' eAssist models. But Subaru's famous all-weather, all-wheel drive is easily maintained, a trait backed up by the Forester's track record of repairs both rare and reasonably priced (compared with other crossovers). The Forester's consistently high safety marks should also inspire confidence, even as it ages.

 

 

GMC Sierra HD

 

Though models such as the Toyota Tundra tend to score well in reliability studies, Nerad gives the advantage to Ford and GMC. "American full-size trucks are built a little more robustly. It's almost overkill, in the amount of material in them and the strength of those materials," he says. The Sierra HD's road-oriented handling is a good fit for a truck that, after 200,000 miles, has no business splashing through muddy creeks.

 

 

 

Toyota Sienna

 

The choice between a Toyota Sienna and a Honda Odyssey is a toss-up. According to TrueDelta, which collects maintenance data from drivers, both minivans hit the shop less often than the Chrysler Town & Country. The Sienna is the smarter choice, though, because of its simplicity. The Odyssey's high-tech features, such as built-in Wi-Fi and satellite TV, not only bump the sticker price, but foretell pricey repairs to come.

 

Ford Mustang

 

 

Is it possible for a car to not only survive old age, but to become sexier with each passing decade? Nearly any car can weather the decades in a garage, but the Mustang has a shot at achieving vintage glory while in heavy rotation. The car's V6 and V8 engines are sturdy, workmanlike powerplants — nowhere near as breakdown-prone as those found in Porsches or BMWs — and this year, J.D. Power and Associates rated the Mustang highest in initial quality in its segment.

 

Honda Civic

 

 

The cars most likely to outlast the rest are the ones you'll barely notice. We're thinking of cars such as the compact Civic; it is practically designed to be invisible. Again, the trick to an extended lifespan is simplicity. The Civic Hybrid and natural-gas-burning Civic GX are sustainable-tech pioneers, but if the finish line is 300,000 miles away, the plain, gas-burning Civic wins the race

 

For more information on any of the vehicles, click the links below:

-Honda Accord
-Toyota Camry
-Volvo C30
-Ford F-150
-Honda CR-V
-Volkswagen Passat
-Toyota Yaris
-Subaru Forester
-GMC Sierra HD
-Toyota Sienna
-Ford Mustang
-Honda Civic