I Need Car Advice

This might not help much now but could be very helpful in the future for anyone watching, but Consumer Reports Magazine frequently reports ratings for new and used vehicles, warts and good points. Quality, reliability and comfort and customer feedback is abundant. Worth every Penney of the approximate $30 annual subscription. Biggest problem with car ratings with automobile ratings is that with so many the quality and dependability varies significantly between makes and models in spans of 1-5 years among same makes and models as it does different makes and models. Sadly, most (not all) makes suffer from inconsistent reliability. Over a decade, some makes have a reliability rating that reads like a roller coaster ! Some makes like Chrysler and Jeep have spent time in the “basement” I own a 2003 Lincoln Town Car and rented a 2022 or 2023 Chrysler 300 I think, for two days. Rode like a wagon with steel wheels, a seat with next to no cushioning, suspension that complained about every expansion joint on the Freeway and potholes that were minimal on the average, even on the Freeway were “startling”! I was so glad to get my Lincoln back. Much, much quieter and expansion joints and potholes hardly noticeable. Drove a friend’s 2010 Chrysler in 2010, I think. Chrysler didn’t learn anything in 12 or 13 years it appears. I think most automobile manufacturers are deliberately making cars harder to work on to force buyers into the “dealer” trap and squeeze out independent shops. There is no reason for vehicles to be so difficult to work on. It is forcing the issue of “Planned Obsolescence”! And the more people that ignore that fact the worse it’s going to get !