Vehicle reliability is such a hard thing to qualify based on anecdotal posts on a forum. If you look back at "first posts by new members" in just about any car forum, you will see a LOT of "my car blew up before I even got off the dealer's lot" type posts. Then, they disappear after dropping that turd, never to be seen again.
Yes, surveys such as Consumer Reports may be of a little more help, but even they are biased because the 10% with problems are going to make 90% of the online noise. Most people who are totally satisfied with their cars never reach out to surveys or forums.
Based on my experience with Kia, I am totally sold on their reliability. We had a 2013 Kia Soul (base 1.6 with automatic) that we owned for 7 years and 95K miles. Except for regular maintenance and tires/wipers/etc, we put on a set of brakes at 60K (front) and 90K (rear). The only things that "broke" in that whole time were the thermostat, which was replaced free, and the light bulb for the license plate burned out. Based on that, I give Kia an A+ for reliability. Will our 2020 Soul LX with IVT fare the same? Only time will tell.
We bought a '19 Subaru Forester (new) as a second car based on reports of how wonderful they are - so reliable and durable. In the first 25K miles, we had to replace all 4 tires and replace brake pads and rotors. Two recalls - one for PCV valves that came apart and got sucked into the engines, and rear suspension bolts that may or may not have been tightened down. The interior trim and paint are so delicate, I have to be super careful washing it. There is a loud rumbling noise from under the hood the first 10-15 miles when it is cold, and the touch screen freezes and goes blank, requiring the engine to be shut off and restarted. We just passed the 3-year point and are trading it in on a 2022 Seltos LX (on order since early November). Based on that, I would give Subaru a C- rating, quite different than the published surveys.
Any car company has good and bad vehicles. Honda has problems with fuel in the oil (dilution) on it's CR-V and others using the 1.5 Turbo. Years ago, we owned a Nissan Altima that was breaking down every month. My neighbor had one that never broke down. (BTW - I baby my vehicles and do all required maintenance on time or early.)
If Toyota/Honda are so confident in their long-term reliability, why don't they offer 5/60K Bumper to Bumper and 10/100K Powertrain warranty as a marketing tool?
That said, if I were in your shoes, I would still go with the Seltos if that is the vehicle you like. You are starting out at $5,000 cheaper (or more, if you buy an extended warranty for the Toyota that matches Kia), and that's money you can put towards your grad school bills. It's Kia that needs to worry about it breaking down - the first 5 years is out of their pocket. They have a pretty good record of taking care of their customers.
I'm sure you will get dozens of differing opinions (and that's what these all are - opinions). Some will say I'm 100% correct, some will say that I'm full of poo-poo. That's OK. It's up to you to sort through the info and decide. Good luck.
Yes, surveys such as Consumer Reports may be of a little more help, but even they are biased because the 10% with problems are going to make 90% of the online noise. Most people who are totally satisfied with their cars never reach out to surveys or forums.
Based on my experience with Kia, I am totally sold on their reliability. We had a 2013 Kia Soul (base 1.6 with automatic) that we owned for 7 years and 95K miles. Except for regular maintenance and tires/wipers/etc, we put on a set of brakes at 60K (front) and 90K (rear). The only things that "broke" in that whole time were the thermostat, which was replaced free, and the light bulb for the license plate burned out. Based on that, I give Kia an A+ for reliability. Will our 2020 Soul LX with IVT fare the same? Only time will tell.
We bought a '19 Subaru Forester (new) as a second car based on reports of how wonderful they are - so reliable and durable. In the first 25K miles, we had to replace all 4 tires and replace brake pads and rotors. Two recalls - one for PCV valves that came apart and got sucked into the engines, and rear suspension bolts that may or may not have been tightened down. The interior trim and paint are so delicate, I have to be super careful washing it. There is a loud rumbling noise from under the hood the first 10-15 miles when it is cold, and the touch screen freezes and goes blank, requiring the engine to be shut off and restarted. We just passed the 3-year point and are trading it in on a 2022 Seltos LX (on order since early November). Based on that, I would give Subaru a C- rating, quite different than the published surveys.
Any car company has good and bad vehicles. Honda has problems with fuel in the oil (dilution) on it's CR-V and others using the 1.5 Turbo. Years ago, we owned a Nissan Altima that was breaking down every month. My neighbor had one that never broke down. (BTW - I baby my vehicles and do all required maintenance on time or early.)
If Toyota/Honda are so confident in their long-term reliability, why don't they offer 5/60K Bumper to Bumper and 10/100K Powertrain warranty as a marketing tool?
That said, if I were in your shoes, I would still go with the Seltos if that is the vehicle you like. You are starting out at $5,000 cheaper (or more, if you buy an extended warranty for the Toyota that matches Kia), and that's money you can put towards your grad school bills. It's Kia that needs to worry about it breaking down - the first 5 years is out of their pocket. They have a pretty good record of taking care of their customers.
I'm sure you will get dozens of differing opinions (and that's what these all are - opinions). Some will say I'm 100% correct, some will say that I'm full of poo-poo. That's OK. It's up to you to sort through the info and decide. Good luck.
