With this mentality, forever stick to Myvi/Axia/City/Vios/Almera, eventually only used car because new models are going high tech as well.

4 types of replacement parts usually.
- Genuine,
- 3rd Party "Genuine" (supplier not selected in this model AVL, but is supplier for other parts)
- Reconditioned or Dismantled from total loss or half-cut
- 3rd Party Replica

The reason older generations think Toyota is reliable is not because things don't break, but cheap to replace with recond/3rd party replica parts when they break.
Their definition of repair is "able to run", not "restore to pristine condition".
Try to replace every single components with genuine at 4S, tell me if they are cheap again.

Once I had to replace 3x master brake pump within 2 years in an old corolla, and almost crashed. Sum up the cost is more than buying a brand new genuine at the first place. Buy a genuine then it has no cost advantage vs other "so call non reliable and no resell value" brand. Since then, why risk it? Just get any car I like, enjoy it, don't bound by society "reliability" and "resell value" perception, and do a proper repair, minimize the hack to make things "just able to run".

Continentals and for this case Camry Hybrids included have less reconds/replicas option due to modern electronics (components -> PCBA -> firmware, not as easy as copy the plastic mold).

But for some that always go back to 4S even for 10 years old car, car lovers that keep it at tiptop pristine conditions, do preventive maintenance, don't wait for things to break. Hybrid or not, it makes no difference to the service cost.

Battery price is going down consistently. From early 2010 it went down 20% year over year. Now it still over 10% year over year. Also circular economy is getting good traction, you don't throw away old batteries, they get second life in renewable energy power plant as buffer where power density is less of a concern.

You like it or not, this in inevitable. Car makers are trying to extract most values from the automotive industries, in the future more and more people would be going back to 4S. Bawah pokok mechanic is sunset business, the future 3rd party workshop would be run by proper proper engineers and the technicians have taken certification exam of a (if not multiple) car brands.

The world need progress, and is making progress. Bro, don't limit yourself, embrace the future.

This post has been edited by constant_weight: Sep 30 2020, 10:13 AM

I have one with 11.6kWh, which is hell a lot bigger battery than a Camry Hybrid.

The value of the extra road tax, and insurance you paid is not down the drain, it is the life experience and mobility experience you gain from using the car.

10K repair inverter? So what make you judge it is deficit consider the value gained throughout the period?
- First gen Honda City IDSI CVT prone to transmission problem 16K to replace, and it happens more frequent than inverters failure.
- 10 years down the road, if I still keep this car 50K to replace the hybrid battery is well spent from what I gain on PHEV.
- and battery price would be way less than 50K in the future with the YoY reduction trend.

Not everyone judge value of money spent on "physical metals" on the car alone. There are other aspects, values gained throughout the ownership.

If you are materialistic, don't try to sound like everyone else the same!

This post has been edited by constant_weight: Sep 30 2020, 05:17 PM

Some manufacturers are very transparent about the degradation.

In my Volvo for example:
- 96 cells battery in 6 modules (16 cells in each module)
- you can't change individual cell, but can change single module
- Use only 73% of the battery where empty = 17%, full = 90%
- designed degradation rate is with 2x full charge daily on 300 days a year, battery capacity remain > 70% over 15 years
- long term storage recommendation is store with 1/4 battery level. Check and top up every 6 months.

One full charge is 40KM of pure electrical drive in hybrid mode (50KM if deliberately set to Pure mode), it is true to real usage for me.

So 2x full charge = 80KM, 300 days = 24,000KM on pure electric drive a year.
That's more than normal people can charge unless one have charger at both work and home. Most people only able to charge on way due to limited charging stations.

Ya, completely agree with you, you change it when it degrade below your practical usage.
We know battery will degrade when we buy the car, there are other features we value that makes us want the car, when time comes just replace what degraded/gone bad. If you drive 100,000KM on ICE, piston ring leak lubricant also what.

Some people want to buy big car like Camry, but not willing to pay service, wear and tear maintenance, not even willing to pay road tax and insurance. He win liao loh.

This post has been edited by constant_weight: Oct 1 2020, 11:11 AM