Today I bid goodbye to my 2016 500X Pop. Final mileage 82796. I was hoping to see how far she would reliably go but the recent mishap at the dealer ruined those plans. Crazy to think a desire to keep her maintained properly is what led to her being abandoned. After the transmission case was replaced by the dealer, 2 distinct new noises cropped up that were quite concerning. First, a clunking noise was emanating from the driver side when turning and hitting bumps or when accelerating suddenly. After previous experience with a similar noise, I suspect the engine mount or tranny mount is bad, both of which were messed with during the repair. Second, my X now sounded like Santa Claus was coming to town, jingling all the way down the road. It literally sounded like I was dragging bells down the road. The noise was coming from the right front wheel. I took the wheels and belly pan off and could find nothing loose or obviously wrong. Noise got louder and more consistent when turning right and almost stopped when turning left. My thought is a bad wheel bearing but it could be the CV axle too as that was removed during the tranny repair. I also noticed a slight oil leak from the transmission where the right CV axle enters the tranny. Is it coincidence these noises and leak started after the tranny repair? Doubtful, but proving they damaged something would be impossible. I also needed 4 new tires so I was looking at potentially $1k in repairs on a car that was worth $5-6k when I still owed $11k. When putting that into the perspective that I was growing weary of the rough unrefined ride and would surpass 100k by the end of the year, I just decided it was best to cut my losses. I had simply lost confidence in her durability as the miles piled on.
The replacement is a 2019 Honda Insight. The build quality and ride quality is LIGHT years ahead of the 500X. Roads that used to rattle my interior are not even felt or heard in the Insight. I will miss the space of the hatchback but I’m already averaging 38mpg in the first 60 miles so I think I can deal. I will say that the 1.4 turbo is a reliable engine, as are all the electronics. The X never left me stranded. But the ride is awful for a modern fully independent suspension.
The replacement is a 2019 Honda Insight. The build quality and ride quality is LIGHT years ahead of the 500X. Roads that used to rattle my interior are not even felt or heard in the Insight. I will miss the space of the hatchback but I’m already averaging 38mpg in the first 60 miles so I think I can deal. I will say that the 1.4 turbo is a reliable engine, as are all the electronics. The X never left me stranded. But the ride is awful for a modern fully independent suspension.
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