|
I guess I'll do this up proper, I think I've got a better idea of what I want now than I did this morning when I first posted: Proposed Budget: $15k - $20k New or Used: New Body Style: Sedan or Hatchback. What's most important is that it's small How will you be using the car?: I live in a city and take the bus to work, so my car spends most of its time in the garage. My wife and I are a single car household, so this would be our only car. It would be used for going to friend's places and doing shopping, and occasionally longer trips. Manual transmission is pretty much a must as well. This car will probably last 10-20 years, because I drive so rarely. I've had my current car 10 years and only put 50k miles on it. And 2 of those years were high school when I drove a lot more than I do now. E: nm posted:As far as I know there's nothing wrong with them, except the guage cluster made me laugh out loud when I saw it at the autoshow. How small do you want and why? I mean, if it is a parking issue, the Scion IQ is tiny as hell (and no where near as hateful as the smart), though you'll pay more for that smallness. I don't really know how to describe it, but my Saturn just feels tiny. It's not very long, it's not very tall, and it's not very wide. Also the frame isn't very obtrusive. It's probably a safety thing, but new cars I see just seem bulkier than my car. But I only really want small to the point where it's not more expensive. I'm fine with small to the point where the manufacturer can fit everything in and since there's less car it's cheaper, but not to the point where the smallness is more expensive. Looking at the Scion IQ, that's too small, I'd like a backseat. FISHMANPET fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Aug 24, 2013 |
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 05:28
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 07:55 |
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:I guess I'll do this up proper, I think I've got a better idea of what I want now than I did this morning when I first posted: You could also check out a left over 2013 Mazda 2. A great manual transmission, no power, very small, fun to drive too. Fuel economy is a touch worse than the others, but if you're only doing 5k per year, who cares? You should be able to get one for $13ish-15k depending on trim these days.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 06:33
|
|
|
My wife and I can no longer get by sharing one car, so I'm in the hunt for what would be my first car purchase ever. Whew. I have no idea what I'm doing. Proposed Budget: $11k to $17k New or Used: Used Body Style: Mid-sized or small sedan, though I'm open to other suggestions. I have a thing for wagons. How will you be using the car?: I have a short commute and I can work from home sometimes, so I'd be putting probably under 8000 miles/year on this, most of which would be driving in suburbia. I wouldn't mind being able to have a kayak/bike rack, too. What aspects are most important to you?: Safety, reliability, low cost of ownership, and fuel efficiency are big deals to me. I don't really care about style at all. Size-wise, I'd like to keep things small, but the safety nut in me is nervous about going too far in that direction. If there are any hybrids that are decent in this range, I'd like that, as A) I can assuage my guilt as a wasteful westerner through conspicuous consumption and B) my workplace has reserved parking spaces near the entrance for "green" vehicles.  I recognize that hybrids don't necessarily make the best financial sense if you're a low-mileage driver, though.Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks. Insanite fucked around with this message at 14:54 on Aug 24, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 14:06
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:I don't really know how to describe it, but my Saturn just feels tiny. It's not very long, it's not very tall, and it's not very wide. Also the frame isn't very obtrusive. It's probably a safety thing, but new cars I see just seem bulkier than my car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY I get the same feeling when I look at my 1997 BMW M3 vs a new BMW 135i. They're both about the same dimensions, the 135i is ~2.5 shorter, but ~2.5 taller, and 1.5" wider, but it looks WAY bulkier to me.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 17:41
|
|
|
Insanite posted:My wife and I can no longer get by sharing one car, so I'm in the hunt for what would be my first car purchase ever. Whew. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'd say a prius, except that with only 8000mi per year, you'll never get close to breaking even on the hybrid premium. Otherwise, the typical small cars, fit, fiesta (don't buy an automatic), mazda 2, sonic, yaris are all fine.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 20:09
|
|
|
Well I test drove the Spark, it wasn't a huge piece of poo poo, I can get the trim and color I want for $13,500, gonna do the needful.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 22:43
|
|
|
I'm in the NC Triad area, my '98 Breeze is probably running on luck at 188k miles and I've got the cash for an upgrade. Proposed Budget: $10k to $20k New or Used: Used Body Style: 4 door, mid to fullsize sedan (maybe one of the boxy cars like Scion xB, Cube, Soul) How will you be using the car?: work commute and errands, 100 miles a week or so. What aspects are most important to you?: RIDE COMFORT, reliability after sitting still for a week at a time, MOPAR would be nice, at least a little zip. My daily driver is a Volvo 670 with 630k miles on the clock and it's a horrible rattlebucket, so I want something with a very smooth ride for riding home after a week on the road. I want to ride a fluffy cloud. I like the looks of the Ford Fusion, Dodge Charger (either of the new gens) and Mazda 6. However, if there is something in that price range that is known for having the absolute smoothest ride I'm all ears. I'd like to buy used because it's just going to sit in a parking lot for a week while I'm truckin'.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 23:07
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:Well I test drove the Spark, it wasn't a huge piece of poo poo, I can get the trim and color I want for $13,500, gonna do the needful. Test drive other cars. Check out the Mazda2 at least. Insanite posted:My wife and I can no longer get by sharing one car, so I'm in the hunt for what would be my first car purchase ever. Whew. I have no idea what I'm doing. You're getting a Subaru! Look at Legacys, and there should be a ULEV for some of the models/trims so you can get that sweet parking. (my work offers it, but I had to do a bunch of googling to find out that it's ULEV II Class 5 or some bullshit) Phone fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Aug 24, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 23:35
|
|
|
CannonFodder posted:I'm in the NC Triad area, my '98 Breeze is probably running on luck at 188k miles and I've got the cash for an upgrade. If you can deal with keeping up with maintenance, look at BMW 5 series. They aren't that expensive to own and maintain, and they'll ride like a dream.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 23:37
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: 20k-30k New or Used:New Body Style: 4 door crossover type vehicle or sedan with a lot of space in the back (Maybe back seats that go down). How will you be using the car?: I have a short drive to work (under 3 miles) but every few weeks I take a 70 miles each way trip and maybe twice a year I travel more significant distances (200-300 miles each way) for work. What aspects are most important to you? Right now I have a 2003 Buick Century and while it's comfortable I can't fit much in the thing. I'd like something that has a nice interior with a lot of headroom (I'm 6'4" and more upper torso than legs). I have wide shoulders. I am looking for something with some decent space for transport (Either a large trunk or hatchback) but not a full SUV because I don't want to have terrible gas mileage. I like tech though I'm not gonna pay a ton extra for ridiculous features I won't use. Having had terrible ones in the past I do like to have good speakers. I'm not horrible picky about appearance (I do dislike the boxier things like the Cube and the really weird stuff like the Veloster's 1+2 doors, which makes me sad because I otherwise really like the Veloster). Last summer I looked at some leftover Hyundai Tourings and nearly bought one. I couldn't fit in the upgraded model with the sun roof (Head hit the ceiling) and that was the dealbreaker since I couldn't care less about a sunroof but it came with some of the other features I wanted. I'm also considering the Mazda 3 Hatchback and the Mazda CX5.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 23:41
|
|
|
Phone posted:Test drive other cars. Check out the Mazda2 at least. The Mazda2 ends up being $4000. Not sure why I should spend 30% more when there's a car that meets my needs.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 23:58
|
|
|
The Chevy Spark isn't a complete pile of poo poo, but it's still a Daewoo. You owe it to yourself to look at other cars before you drop a giant pile of money.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 00:17
|
|
|
CannonFodder posted:I'm in the NC Triad area, my '98 Breeze is probably running on luck at 188k miles and I've got the cash for an upgrade. A well-maintained Crown Victoria would meet your criteria of a reliable sofa-on-wheels.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 00:17
|
|
|
Bovril Delight posted:The Chevy Spark isn't a complete pile of poo poo, but it's still a Daewoo. You owe it to yourself to look at other cars before you drop a giant pile of money. But if it meets my need why do I need to spend more? I'm genuinely asking here because I don't understand. It's not a few dollars extra, it's 30% more for pretty much any other offering with comparable features. I'm gonna drive this car a couple thousand miles a year, I pretty much don't care.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 00:24
|
|
|
Because you might find out that the car is laid out better, feels better, and suits your needs better. Yeah, stats on paper are cute, but they don't paint the entire picture. It literally only costs you time versus a multi-thousand dollar purchase.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 01:18
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: Sub $5000? Could do more, but cheaper is better New or Used: Used Body Style: sedan or hatchback. 2 or 4 doors would be fine. How will you be using the car?: Commute, grocery store trips, nothin' too fancy. What aspects are most important to you?: Reliability! Safety also is important, and I'd love a car that I could learn about cars on (i.e. one that is easy to maintain on my own) though this is less important. Nothing with ridiculous low gas mileage either I know nothing about cars, but I need one! I'm a grad student, and thus broke, but I still need something reliable and sturdy. Honestly, I'm even flexible on the body style as long as it is station-wagon sized or smaller (no trucks, no SUVS). What kind of cars should I be looking for? Is there like, a Gold Standard Cheap Car I should keep my eye out for? Option B would be like a Subaru-type outback-y crossover-y thing, because I live in the Pacific Northwest and love camping and am a walking stereotype. Would it be possible to get one of those for that little that wouldn't be a heap? I'm willing to take any advice, I'm really not even sure where to start...
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 02:28
|
|
|
Phone posted:Because you might find out that the car is laid out better, feels better, and suits your needs better. Yeah, stats on paper are cute, but they don't paint the entire picture. It literally only costs you time versus a multi-thousand dollar purchase. If I was comparing equally priced vehicles then I understand this. But to get the equivalent of the Spark LT1 which I can get for $13,500, I would have to spend at least $17,000 with other manufacturers. I don't care if they meet my needs better, I don't want to pay 30% more. So why bother to look?
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 02:45
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:If I was comparing equally priced vehicles then I understand this. But to get the equivalent of the Spark LT1 which I can get for $13,500, I would have to spend at least $17,000 with other manufacturers. I don't care if they meet my needs better, I don't want to pay 30% more. So why bother to look? You could buy one of those other cars "lightly used" if you discovered you liked them a lot more, but didn't have the budget to buy new.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 03:00
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:If I was comparing equally priced vehicles then I understand this. But to get the equivalent of the Spark LT1 which I can get for $13,500, I would have to spend at least $17,000 with other manufacturers. I don't care if they meet my needs better, I don't want to pay 30% more. So why bother to look? If you end up spending more than about $15k on a mazda 2, we all get to laugh at you. MSRP is not what people actually spend. Also, if you don't at least test drive some other cars, you are setting yourself up for some serious buyers remorse.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 03:55
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:Well I test drove the Spark, it wasn't a huge piece of poo poo, I can get the trim and color I want for $13,500, gonna do the needful. Also. By "It's still a Daewoo" needs some context. When Daewoo had dealerships in the states, you pretty much had to use Dealer Financing. I know that both RoadLoans and PeopleFirst (Now CapitalOne) had clauses that said "No Bonded, Branded, Salvage, Theft Recovery titles. We do not finance Daewoo, Suzuki or Isuzu vehicles". The finance companies won't put their money behind cars that aren't expected to last the length of the loan... Another data point. Keep an eye out and see how many Chevy Aveos or Daewoo Lanos you see on the road, especially compared to, say Ford Focus' or Honda Civic Hatchbacks. Speaking of which, a 2009-2010 Honda Fit is averaging $13,800 nationwide on Autotrader today, and is definitely one of those "Keep it forever" cars. There's one in Pennsylvania with 2160 miles on it for $14,700. I'm not even sure that I'd call that a "used" car. Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 04:29
|
|
|
Truecar.com lists $15,600 as the "true" price for a Mazda2 which is still $2000 more than the price of the Spark. I don't really want to mess around with a used car, since I'm going to be keeping this for so long, I'd rather just know it's history from the start. Also, looking at used Mazda2s in my area, they're around $15k anyway, so still more than the Spark.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 04:31
|
|
|
Just drive the cars for the fun of it and then go buy what you want. Make it a game where you get to convince the dealer to let you have a 15 minute joy ride.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 04:33
|
|
|
Kenny Rogers posted:Also. By "It's still a Daewoo" needs some context. When Daewoo had dealerships in the states, you pretty much had to use Dealer Financing. I know that both RoadLoans and PeopleFirst (Now CapitalOne) had clauses that said "No Bonded, Branded, Salvage, Theft Recovery titles. We do not finance Daewoo, Suzuki or Isuzu vehicles". The finance companies won't put their money behind cars that aren't expected to last the length of the loan... Do you have any source for this? CannonFodder posted:Just drive the cars for the fun of it and then go buy what you want. Make it a game where you get to convince the dealer to let you have a 15 minute joy ride. I hate driving so this just sounds like a chore.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 04:39
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:I hate driving so this just sounds like a chore. Then buy a bicycle. These guys are trying to help and you're sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling LALALALALALA.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 04:45
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:I don't really want to mess around with a used car, since I'm going to be keeping this for so long, I'd rather just know it's history from the start. FISHMANPET posted:Do you have any source for this? It was listed on my PeopleFirst package when I bought my 2003 Pontiac Vibe GT. It was on the Blank Check from my Credit Union when I bought the BMW in '08. It's in the current CapOne Blank Check package I have sitting on my desk tonight - except that they've added Oldsmobile and Saab to the list. CapOne posted:Capital One® finances new and used cars, light trucks, minivans, and SUVs that will be used for personal use. Vehicles can be up to 7 years old or newer and up to 70,000 miles. Financing is arranged through a Blank Check® that works like a personal check. Rhyno posted:Then buy a bicycle. These guys are trying to help and you're sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling LALALALALALA. You're going to buy the first car you drove, and we're telling you to CROSS SHOP SOME OTHER poo poo, man. For you, specifically, this is a longer term commitment than any of the rest of us are likely to make, so we want to help you make the very best decision you can. The way you're going at it? It's not quite as bad as marrying the first girl who fucks you, but it's drat close. Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 04:45
|
|
|
Kenny Rogers posted:It's *because* you're going to be keeping it so long that I'm recommending a 3 year old used car. It's absolutely the best value for your dollar. Newer than that, you're going to take a bath on depreciation. Older than that, and the cars start racking up the miles. One thing to keep in mind, though is that cars these days rack up an IMPRESSIVE number of miles without serious issues. My '97 BMW is about to roll over 200k, the GF's 2007 Yaris is about to roll over 100k, so if you pick up a used car with less than 30k, it'll last the number of miles that you'll put on it over the next 10 years. So 30k is about the mileage I would be looking for in a 2010 car? Autotrader only has two 2009 Fits in my area, which is a major metro. Any thoughts on any of these? http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/4021450614.html http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...352554820&Log=0 http://automobiles.honda.com/certif...lCategory%3DAny
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 05:07
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:Do you have any source for this? Here's the actual context for this. Financing companies probably didn't want to finance Daewoos and Suzukis because it was questionable whether they were actually going to stick around in the US market. Suzuki is now out of the US market and Daewoo obviously is too, and in any case they went bankrupt in S Korea and were absorbed into GM. Were they terrible cars? At the time they were probably on par with Hyundai/Kia which meant yeah, they were, but it's GM now and the cars that they've produced so far like the Chevy Cruze have been hugely sucessful worldwide and are very well regarded in the markets that they are aimed at (mostly China and the US). The "it's a Daewoo" thing is the same as Found On Road Dead or Government Motors - no one actually says this stuff unironically and if they do then they're idiots. If you tried out the Spark and liked it, there's no reason I can think of not to buy it. CannonFodder posted:I'm in the NC Triad area, my '98 Breeze is probably running on luck at 188k miles and I've got the cash for an upgrade. Crown vic as mentioned would work but with a big old V8 and 4 speed auto it's not great in the fuel economy department. Unless you must have a column shifter and bench seats how about a Taurus? Red1Dex posted:Proposed Budget: Under $30k crowbb posted:Proposed Budget: 20k-30k Both these guys would probably be perfectly happy with a Dodge Caravan.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 05:19
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:So 30k is about the mileage I would be looking for in a 2010 car? The grey one is priced a little high compared to the other two. The white one is 500 over KBB value - might have options that aren't listed, might just be the dealer padding KBB by 500 (which, in your case, isn't a dealbreaker, I don't think) In your shoes, I'd be all over that white Fit. Partially because I think white cars are awesome. Partially because it's got ~1/2 the miles of the blue one. Partially because talking the dealer down to a reasonable price on the grey one will be a bigger hassle than just buying the white one and calling it a day. Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 06:34
|
|
|
Is there an easy way to see the trim levels for non current model years? So if I wanna figure out what's inside that white Fit, can I find that out from Honda?
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 06:41
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:Is there an easy way to see the trim levels for non current model years? So if I wanna figure out what's inside that white Fit, can I find that out from Honda? http://www.automobilemag.com/am/2009/honda/fit/packages_options.html
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 06:42
|
|
|
Discussed with the wife and she flipped out about the idea of getting a used car, so welp, I guess it's the spark. E: So the blue Fit was a trade in at the Honda dealership that is selling it, yet the dealer has chosen to not give it Certified Pre Owned status? Is there a reason a dealer wouldn't do that? FISHMANPET fucked around with this message at 07:14 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 07:04
|
|
|
Keeping a Chevy spark for 20 years sounds like the third circle of hell.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 08:28
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:Discussed with the wife and she flipped out about the idea of getting a used car, so welp, I guess it's the spark. Yeah, CPO 2010 Fit Sport? I missed that in my KBB lookup. $14,410. Again, about $500 padding, but you're keeping it a dog's age, and that $500 works out to $5/mo. for your Total Cost of Ownership. If you can put $14,400 on the paper and they take it, great. If not, I wouldn't cry myself to sleep at night. As far as buying used goes, it sounds like your wife could use a little education on New Car Depreciation. (Click link. Look at Year One depreciation, then come on back. I'll wait...) Do the two of you have 29 $100 bills to light on fire and dance around under a full moon? Has the car you're driving now been relatively trouble-free for the last 10 years? You've put 50k on it, how many miles does it have total? Your current car *is* a used car. What makes you (plural, meaning *her*) think that a newer, more reliable used car is going to be less reliable than your older, more used, used car? As for you and your fascination with buying the Sonic because it's CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP, I ask you this. When was the last time in your life that purchasing the cheapest possible item was also your best long-term investment? Transparency: Basically all of my furniture is from IKEA. The GF and I built some awesome standing desks (night, under construction) (day) with IKEA stuff. I have no illusions about keeping them 10 years, though. I buy IKEA because I don't (and don't plan on) owning a home, and what works in this apartment may well be awful in the apartment I'm living in in 3-5 years. Homework: Go look this week at the CPO Fit Sport at Inver Grove Honda. While you're there, walk across to Inver Grove Ford Lincoln and look at this Ford Fiesta S, and This Fiesta S Hatchback which will be too much money for you, but know that you're looking at this one only because it's a hatchback. The dealer has the one you would actually want on order. Everyone has been pushing you to cross shop *something* before you settle on the cheapest available alternative, because the cheapest available alternative is still thousands and thousands of dollars. If you truly do only want to buy once, then spending even an entire month deciding which thing is absolutely the best use of your money should be high on your list of Important Things To Do. The Easy Thing To Do is very rarely also The Best Thing To Do. Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 15:11
|
|
|
Hum, Minneapolis? The spark only has a 93in wheelbase (a good 10in shorter than the sl1, which is a lot). I wonder how stable that actually is in the snow and ice. A longer wheelbase is much more stable. That is quite a bit shorter than even a mini, which is fairly tail happy.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 20:19
|
|
|
nm posted:Hum, Minneapolis? The spark only has a 93in wheelbase (a good 10in shorter than the sl1, which is a lot). I wonder how stable that actually is in the snow and ice. A longer wheelbase is much more stable. Which spurs a thought. Purchasing a new car vs. the cost of moving closer to someplace with a Zipcar and/or HourCar parked nearby. A $300/mo car payment, with Collision and Comprehensive insurance requirements on top of that (Call it $100/mo) means that you could move toward downtown (on a bus line that takes you more or less directly to work) and (if you could find someplace for about the same amount of money - good luck with that), you could rent 41 hours/mo. worth of a ZipCar Prius, or 32 hours and change of a Mercedes C300 Sedan.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 21:36
|
|
|
We're paying about as little as you can for an apartment that isn't rotting the ground. We're also 2 light rail stops away from downtown (though neither of us work downtown), and a 10 minute bike ride/15 minute bus ride/20 minute walk to campus, where we both work. And neither Zipcar or Hourcar have anything parked really close by. The rental market is pretty tight in Minneapolis, and because we live so close to campus the rental market is even tighter. As for the new vs used thing, I understand, and I agree with you. But my wife absolutely refuses to. My current car only has 80k miles on it, but has no end of problems, due to what I suspect was a major collision before I got it (after I got it I found out that the dealer I got it from was kind of shady). In addition, her past high school boyfriends always had used cars and they always broke down (and were probably old cheap pieces of crap). Her view is completely irrational, and I recognize that, but sometimes you have to make compromises for domestic bliss.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 21:57
|
|
|
Hey guys, I got a little different situation here, as instead of trying to find a car, one has dropped into my lap. I don't know if this question belongs here or just a general thread in AI. The Car: 1996 Honda Civic CX (Manual) The Price: ~$2200. He's actually giving it to me for free, but the problem is that the transmission is on it's last legs, and calling around to mechanics shops gives me an that average price for a new transmission (clutch included). Current State: Besides the transmission, he's used it for 15 years, it's got 131,000 miles on it, clean interior and exterior, with no modifications on it. He's said he's never had to replace anything on it except the clutch once. How will I be using the car?: It'd primarily used as a town car, with a occasional 800 mile round-trip to L.A. a few times a year. Is this a good deal? This would be the first car I've ever owned, and I would want to rely on it for the next 4 or 5 years.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 01:23
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: 20k Canadian (Montreal Quebec) New or Used: used Body Style: crossover or minivan How will you be using the car?: will be towing a 2k popup trailer in the summer months loaded with people and stuff. Needs to be able to fit 2 very tall adults (I'm 6'6 and my wife is 6'1 plus our baby and very often my mother in law) regular commute is short but we do frequent multi hour trips on the weekend. Heated seats are nice. Going back and forth between awd or not as I live in a snowy area in Quebec Canada. I always have winter tires but awd can still be nice as I've had both fwd and awd in the past What aspects are most important to you? Reliability and ride comfort now that I have a baby. Mpg important also because gas is expensive up here If it wasn't for the towing I'd get a hatchback but I really need something that won't have any issues towing a popup trailer filled with stuff and people. I'm going back and forth on whether a minivan would suit my needs. The Honda odyssey and toyota sienna seem too expensive and I'm not sure how well grand caravans hold up in the long run. I'd like to keep his vehicle at least 6 or 7 years. I've also looked at the rav4 v6 and Hyundai Santa Fe (2010 model with the revised 3.5 liter engine). The rav4 seems quite a bit more but I think they hold up well Ride comfort is very important as I had something with a sports suspension and its driving me a bit crazy as our roads are absolutely awful.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 01:52
|
|
|
Mursh posted:Proposed Budget: 20k Canadian (Montreal Quebec) The Grand Caravan/Town&Country/Routan is the right vehicle for you. The StowNGo seats are great, and you can get them for much less than the equivalent Toyota or Honda. Before any Americans all get up and throw down on the last point, just trust me on this. Historically in Canada the Toyota and Honda minivans have always been much more expensive when new, and in sales they have never gotten anywhere close to the market penetration that they have in the US. e.g. even for 2014s, the Honda and Toyota both start at C$29k, compared to C$19k for a Dodge, and that's actually better than it used to be back when CAD1.00 = USD0.60, when the Japanese vans were just straight up 2x the price. I could buy a Dodge and replace the A604 transmission 3 times and still come out ahead over buying a Honda/toyota which in any case have their own issues with transmissions. Maybe(almost certainly) the fact that the Chrysler vans are made in Canada while the Japanese ones are made in the US has something to do with it, but Chrysler in general are just way more popular in Canada relative to the others than they are in America. e.g. the Dodge Ram is the #2 truck, beating out the 2 GM trucks combined and not far off from the F-150, and the Grand Caravan is probably the 2nd or 3rd best selling vehicle period in most years after the F-150. Yeah the Japanese vans have slightly nicer interiors and ride better because of the IRS, but not $10k better, and I much prefer baby puke on hard wearing plastic over baby puke on perforated leather. TL;DR Hungry? Eat your import. 
Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Aug 26, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 04:33
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 07:55 |
|
|
crowbb posted:Proposed Budget: 20k-30k Throatwarbler posted:Both these guys would probably be perfectly happy with a Dodge Caravan. Disagreed - the mileage penalty for a Grand Caravan is pretty significant, especially if the Mazda3 is big enough:  I had an '07 Mazdaspeed3 for four years / 100k miles and loved it. The maintenance requirements at the end were getting troublesome (124k total miles) but most were caused / exacerbated / made harder to repair by the fact that it was the 260hp turbo version of the car. I would expect the Skyactiv versions to be much more trouble-free. If the Mazda3 is a big enough car for your needs, I have a hard time recommending against it. Nothing else in its class is as large, but the 2014 is still able to pull down fuel mileage numbers you'd have a hard time seeing in a mid-sized sedan. The 2014 is an all-new one so you might not be able to negotiate down too far on it. If the Mazda3 isn't big enough for you, seriously consider the Ford Escape and the Honda CR-V along with the CX-5. I bought a 2013 CR-V LX 2WD to replace the MS3 earlier this year and the closest thing I have to a complaint on the CR-V is that you cannot force the transmission to hold fourth - you either have D, or D3. In the >9500 miles I've put on it there have been very few situations where I actually did want to hold it in fourth, so there is that. We primarily shopped the CR-V and the CX-5 against each other, and we weren't looking for anything special in the features department; the only requirement was a rear-view camera. The CR-V LX comes with a trick three-angle camera (normal, wide, top-down) which has come in handy a lot. The CX-5 doesn't get one until you step up to the Touring model, which means you have a 2.5L engine (eliminating the mileage advantage the 2.0L CX-5 has over the CR-V) and a price tag about $3-4k higher out the door than the CR-V.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 05:08
|
|
