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Not anywhere in the market now, but today we put our toddler and newborn in the RAV4 with me, my wife, and my mom. My wife was in the back seat in between both kids and that’s just not comfortable. We could try and put one of the car seats in the middle but we rarely travel with anyone besides the four of us as my moms just in town visiting. In the event we think about something bigger, what would be a consideration? I’ve tried to get my wife to jump on the minivan train, and she’s not having it. I was thinking maybe a Highlander since some models offer captains chairs for the middle row-it seems like it’d be easier to get the adult into the back row that way with the two kids in the captains chairs. Under $40k would be the goal I suppose and we wouldn’t be opposed to used.
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Jun 6, 2021 01:16
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So you need a 7 seat vehicle because your mom was in town visiting and your wife was mildly uncomfortable.
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Jun 6, 2021 01:21
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Throatwarbler posted:So you need a 7 seat vehicle because your mom was in town visiting and your wife was mildly uncomfortable. Yes. 
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Jun 6, 2021 01:21
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luminalflux posted:The Crosstrek is a compact CUV. It's a bit underpowered with a 150 HP 2.0 liter flat-4. The Crosstrek sport has a 180 HP 2.5 liter flat-4 and there is no turbo version of either. Subaru sells approximately a gajillion of these in California. The Outback is bigger than the Forester and has been forever. I guess the Forester is, like, an inch taller but in every other respect the outback is a larger vehicle.
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Jun 6, 2021 01:45
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nwin posted:Not anywhere in the market now, but today we put our toddler and newborn in the RAV4 with me, my wife, and my mom. My wife was in the back seat in between both kids and that’s just not comfortable. We could try and put one of the car seats in the middle but we rarely travel with anyone besides the four of us as my moms just in town visiting. If you’re planning on a 3rd get an odyssey. If you’re not maybe save the money for something else that’s not a car.
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Jun 6, 2021 01:50
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nwin posted:Not anywhere in the market now, but today we put our toddler and newborn in the RAV4 with me, my wife, and my mom. My wife was in the back seat in between both kids and that’s just not comfortable. We could try and put one of the car seats in the middle but we rarely travel with anyone besides the four of us as my moms just in town visiting. Having just spent forever shopping 3-row SUVs, just get a minivan or give up on it. Or like maybe a suburban or something, but just highlanders/pilots/etc. the 3rd row is at least as uncomfortable as whatever your wife had going on. I ended up solving my "problem" (similar to yours, but 4 adults + 1 kid) by getting a Clek Foonf, which is 5 inches narrower than most baby thrones.
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Jun 6, 2021 02:03
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powderific posted:The Outback is bigger than the Forester and has been forever. I guess the Forester is, like, an inch taller but in every other respect the outback is a larger vehicle. Wow you're right, Forester is 2" taller but the Outback is 1" wider and 9" longer. For some reason my brain keeps thinking the Forester is bigger.
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Jun 6, 2021 02:32
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M. Night Skymall posted:Having just spent forever shopping 3-row SUVs, just get a minivan or give up on it. Or like maybe a suburban or something, but just highlanders/pilots/etc. the 3rd row is at least as uncomfortable as whatever your wife had going on. I ended up solving my "problem" (similar to yours, but 4 adults + 1 kid) by getting a Clek Foonf, which is 5 inches narrower than most baby thrones. I have a Foonf and that fucker is GIGANTIC. Yes it's SKINNY but front to back with the rear facing wedge under it and the rebound bar it takes up ALL the space in my wife's Odyssey. I have some sort of Graco in my 3er and it is a much better fit. Unless you're attempting 3 car seats across, look elsewhere for something "compact." (Caveat my wife tells me it is the safest car seat in all the land).
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Jun 6, 2021 02:43
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You can't race your family OP get a Miata. Or a minivan. Or a new wife and then a minivan and then a Miata
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Jun 6, 2021 02:46
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My spouse was getting kinda excited about the idea of a CX-9 to upgrade from our 5 to have more room after a family member visit, I didn't like the money numbers but was trying to back her up - then I watched a few videos of people putting kid car seats into a few different 3 rowers and I'd wayyy rather just drive my car along too. I asked hey remember what it was like climbing into the back of our friend's mustang or whatever 2 door? That's what it's like for any extra passengers and there's no way I want us to spend extra money for that experience, doubly so when it'd be asking a grandparent to do the climb back.
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Jun 6, 2021 03:00
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ThirstyBuck posted:I have a Foonf and that fucker is GIGANTIC. Yes it's SKINNY but front to back with the rear facing wedge under it and the rebound bar it takes up ALL the space in my wife's Odyssey. I have some sort of Graco in my 3er and it is a much better fit. Unless you're attempting 3 car seats across, look elsewhere for something "compact." Eh, in our case it was 100% a hip space issue, we were looking to do 2 adults + 1 car seat in the middle in the back of a murano, and the foonf is definitely better than the britax we had before. It is tall as all poo poo though, crazy tall. Like she's in a tree house back there.
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Jun 6, 2021 03:14
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Throatwarbler posted:So you need a 7 seat vehicle because your mom was in town visiting and your wife was mildly uncomfortable. /Looks at the Expedition parked in my driveway Yeah…..? M. Night Skymall posted:Having just spent forever shopping 3-row SUVs, just get a minivan or give up on it. Or like maybe a suburban or something, but just highlanders/pilots/etc. the 3rd row is at least as uncomfortable as whatever your wife had going on. I ended up solving my "problem" (similar to yours, but 4 adults + 1 kid) by getting a Clek Foonf, which is 5 inches narrower than most baby thrones. I agree with this. Our “compromise” vehicle for 8 years, when we really should have bought a minivan, was a Ford Explorer. Something that size can work, see VW Atlas, Chevy Traverse, or some of the other larger SUV’s not based on trucks. A van would have been a much better vehicle to haul the kids and family around in though It’s a really bad time to buy a car right now though, so if yours works I’d keep it until things go back to normal.
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Jun 6, 2021 04:11
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CodfishCartographer posted:Heya goons, I'm looking for something that is okay at rough roads: Depending how bad the roads you're talking are, ground clearance should be a consideration. Generally the Subarus have the best in the AWD crossover market. Last time I checked the CX5 wasn't great in that regard, but I could be remembering wrong. Subaru AWD is legitimately good for mild "off road" stuff like bad BLM or forest service roads. But something like a CX5 would probably daily drive nicer and do better with reliability and upscale interiors/features, etc.
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Jun 6, 2021 05:41
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incogneato posted:Depending how bad the roads you're talking are, ground clearance should be a consideration. Generally the Subarus have the best in the AWD crossover market. Last time I checked the CX5 wasn't great in that regard, but I could be remembering wrong. A CX-5 has 7.5 inches of ground clearance, which is more than enough for crappy forest roads and snow driving and such. If the dirt you're driving on is nominally a road, even a crappy one, clearance is most likely not going to be an issue with any mainstream CUV. But I guess it really depends on how bad of "road" we're talking. Yes something like a Forester has 8.7 inches of clearance and perhaps a slightly better AWD system at the limit, which if you're really pushing offroad it will be an advantage, but is a tradeoff for almost all other cases. Past a certain point just being a unibody CUV with a road-going suspension/tires, no real 4WD, crummy approach/departure/breakover angles is going to be the limitation offroad before ground clearance. Guinness fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Jun 6, 2021 |
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Jun 6, 2021 05:57
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From what I've seen, if the CX-5 is in the realm of what you're looking for, it'll be really hard to beat. It's a really nice vehicle.
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Jun 6, 2021 07:38
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CodfishCartographer posted:Heya goons, I'm looking for something that is okay at rough roads: This is my exact situation, and not to run off the back of your excellent post but I didn’t want to repeat a question so early on. My wife and I are in the market for a car to replace my ailing 2013 Ford Focus stick shift with motor mounts so worn it sounds like I’m leaving orbit every time I drive it, and the clutch is starting to get quite jiggly when I’m accelerating up hills. I also got pretty roughened up by this last winter in the PNW. My job means I have to drive in to work regardless of weather. I made it every night with chains on our Ford Escape, but it’s sucked hard. Even with winter tires, the hills and commute are just rough when it dumps and freezes then turns to icy slush. So I have been looking at either a Subaru crosstrek with the 2.5L engine, or a Mazda 3 turbo. I don’t want a CX-3/5 that’s the same body as our escape, if I could help it. In the crosstrek column is the extra back seat space (we have two teenagers), height off the ground, better value return over time if we ever decide to sell it, and better awd. In the Mazda column is basically a cooler looking car inside and out, and more fun to drive the other 9 months out of the year. We do also hike, camp, at least once a month but the hardest roads are maybe poorly maintained gravel fire road to a popular trail. I don’t know how good/bad the AWD is in Mazda’s. Any thoughts on this would be helpful. I’m able to put 30-40% down. I’d try to pay the car off in two or three years. It is clear that buying used is so messed up that I might as well buy new. a different issue I have is I really don’t know how to buy a new car, since I’ve always purchased old used cars in the 5-12k range that I could quickly pay off (I have t had a car payment in years now). I don’t know wether just customizing a car off the Subaru/Mazda website is the right/best thing to do right now, or try to find what I’d want at a dealer (but then how do you get added options added like an sti fork or paint protection, etc). Do I wait until the end of the month to maybe get a better deal, or just expect to pay totally MSRP. Is it just a horrible time to buy entirely? Those 0.9% loans seem quite appealing though. I appreciate the help! Blind Rasputin fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Jun 6, 2021 |
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Jun 6, 2021 09:55
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I’ve been reading old pages in this thread and picked up that Prius has an AWD model as well. There’s a lot of love for Prius in this thread, especially for its dependability and drivetrain reliability. How’s the AWD fare compared to others for gross snow weather driving? Would a Prius be actually the best option above the Mazda 3 or crosstrek?
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Jun 7, 2021 10:30
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The Prius AWD barely an AWD system at all - they add a 7hp motor to the rear hubs that kick on when the fronts are losing traction, like when your front tires are on ice. It kicks off once you get over 6mph, and makes the car a touch slower than it’s already pokey acceleration.
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Jun 7, 2021 12:34
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Blind Rasputin posted:My wife and I are in the market for a car to replace my ailing 2013 Ford Focus stick shift with motor mounts so worn it sounds like I’m leaving orbit every time I drive it, and the clutch is starting to get quite jiggly when I’m accelerating up hills. I also got pretty roughened up by this last winter in the PNW. My job means I have to drive in to work regardless of weather. I made it every night with chains on our Ford Escape, but it’s sucked hard. Even with winter tires, the hills and commute are just rough when it dumps and freezes then turns to icy slush. Raptor Or, Ariel Nomad https://www.arielna.com/arielnomad-sport
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Jun 7, 2021 12:48
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luminalflux posted:The Forester is a normal-sized SUV. I got one of these as a loaner for a bit, you sit a lot higher and the things gigantic compared to a Crosstrek. It has the exact same engine as an outback but it's bigger and heavier so eh. FYI this is not correct. The Forester is taller, but it's 9" shorter, and it weighs less (the heaviest Forester is about a hundred pounds lighter than the lightest Outback). You are correct about powertrains being identical. Blind Rasputin posted:So I have been looking at either a Subaru crosstrek with the 2.5L engine, or a Mazda 3 turbo. I don’t want a CX-3/5 that’s the same body as our escape, if I could help it. In the crosstrek column is the extra back seat space (we have two teenagers), height off the ground, better value return over time if we ever decide to sell it, and better awd. In the Mazda column is basically a cooler looking car inside and out, and more fun to drive the other 9 months out of the year. We do also hike, camp, at least once a month but the hardest roads are maybe poorly maintained gravel fire road to a popular trail. I don’t know how good/bad the AWD is in Mazda’s. Any thoughts on this would be helpful. For some reason people perceive the Crosstrek as big and it is not. The Mazda rides on a 3" longer wheelbase. Have you actually put your family in both cars? I doubt there's much practical extra space in the Crosstrek, although the Crosstrek will feel bigger due to height and glass.
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Jun 7, 2021 13:20
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JnnyThndrs posted:The Prius AWD barely an AWD system at all - they add a 7hp motor to the rear hubs that kick on when the fronts are losing traction, like when your front tires are on ice. It kicks off once you get over 6mph, and makes the car a touch slower than it’s already pokey acceleration. Isn't this literally what you want in snow?
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Jun 7, 2021 14:13
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KillHour posted:Isn't this literally what you want in snow? It's useful for getting unstuck but not all that useful for any other purpose (eg making it up a hill at more than 7 mph), so practically speaking it's about as effective as an early Haldex system.
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Jun 7, 2021 14:17
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:It's useful for getting unstuck but not all that useful for any other purpose (eg making it up a hill at more than 7 mph), so practically speaking it's about as effective as an early Haldex system. Hills don't exist where I am, so getting unstuck when a plow shoved an entire street's worth of snow under your car is pretty much what I think of.
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Jun 7, 2021 14:23
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KillHour posted:Hills don't exist where I am, so getting unstuck when a plow shoved an entire street's worth of snow under your car is pretty much what I think of. Yeah it'd be fine where I live now in Michigan, which is hill-free, but not so good where I grew up in Vermont, where AWD is mostly useful for climbing hills in poor weather. Sounds like the OP is in some hilly area, so Prius AWD would not be as useful as modern Haldex V or Subaru's poo poo.
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Jun 7, 2021 14:39
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Cookie-cutter compact SUV acquired! Thanks for the advice thread. Lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control make this feel like a g-d Tesla to me. (Was previously sharing a 2010 Kia Forte, so standards are low.) We got it for "less" than MSRP, but not really once you factor in taxes and fees and all that. If you're out there looking for deals on new cars... well, just be happy if you can get the car in the trim/color you want. Several dealers warned me independently about MSRP going up and I basically gambled that it was better to snap up a car now than face a chip shortage-induced crunch right before I have to start car commuting again later this summer/fall. Also beware what happened to me: they increased the price by tacking on their non-negotiable "appearance package." I only noticed when I had the car back home that they didn't even install the overpriced bullshit they charged me for. So going back to the dealer soon to get my $texas splash guards, door edge guards and trunk tray at some point.
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Jun 7, 2021 15:08
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Welcome to sellers market, everyone. Keep your arms and legs inside the cart while free market is in motion
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Jun 7, 2021 15:16
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KillHour posted:Hills don't exist where I am, so getting unstuck when a plow shoved an entire street's worth of snow under your car is pretty much what I think of. That happened to me this winter because I left my AWD Audi A4 in a spot where I shouldn't, and didn't shovel under it before I parked there. I was snowed in so bad by the plow and then it all froze. The ice was a good 2+ inches above the door sills, I had to fight with a shovel and pick at the ice to even open the driver's door, all while painted metal surfaces dragged against jagged rock hard ice. I tried every way I could think of to get unstuck, I eventually ran the tires all the way down to the asphalt so they were shaving themselves, and the right side wheels and tires were against the curb so I could've damaged them if I kept even gently rocking it. Called it quits and used Geico roadside for a tow truck  The tow truck itself was very stuck gunning it for 15+ mins with the rear tow arm mated to my car's wheels.Was a bad day! I didn't even have to commute, I should've left the drat thing for a a week or two before it melted, but I was impatient. Inner Light fucked around with this message at 15:27 on Jun 7, 2021 |
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Jun 7, 2021 15:24
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Good set of snow tires makes my awd crv head anywhere, except where I am taking the Tacoma I will replace it with (seasonal unplowed roads). The awd in Honda is not as good as Subaru, but its more than good enough for the highway winter driving I did in it ( in Vermont ), and I’d take Honda comfort over Subaru any day. I imagine a Prius will fare about the same?
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Jun 7, 2021 15:44
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JnnyThndrs posted:The Prius AWD barely an AWD system at all - they add a 7hp motor to the rear hubs that kick on when the fronts are losing traction, like when your front tires are on ice. It kicks off once you get over 6mph, and makes the car a touch slower than it’s already pokey acceleration. This sounds like the precise use case for most people that think they need AWD. “I spun a wheel getting out of that parking spot Margaret, this car is terrible; we need AWD.”
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Jun 7, 2021 18:19
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JnnyThndrs posted:The Prius AWD barely an AWD system at all - they add a 7hp motor to the rear hubs that kick on when the fronts are losing traction, like when your front tires are on ice. It kicks off once you get over 6mph, and makes the car a touch slower than it’s already pokey acceleration. That’s good to know, thanks. Wife and I have read and watched a ton of opinions on crosstrek vs Mazda 3 or CX-3 and we are pretty much set on the Mazda 3. The amazing interior, driving experience, really capable awd, and what I perceive is probably the most intuitive non-garish simplified driver technology experience (the entertainment center, dash, and other buttons) out there we all just can’t pass up. I personally have a lot of respect for what Mazda is trying to do by toning down the amount of clutter and techno crap in the dash and entertainment console so the driver has a much mentally quieter and more focused experience. That’s rad. The crosstrek has a pretty busy UI and dash, the prius is just a clown option of crazy in comparison to the Mazda. The crosstrek is also fairly loud with road noise while driving in most videos, and the Mazda is very quiet. A quiet, intuitive, simple but modern, fun, driving experience with plenty of capability under the hood and in the wheels is my sweet spot. We are going to go test drive both this weekend and then give ourselves like 48 hours to stew on it before making the final decision. Despite how many YouTube videos and edmunds reviews we’ve read we still want to avoid an impulse type purchase at all costs.
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Jun 7, 2021 18:32
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Blind Rasputin posted:That’s good to know, thanks. Have you looked at the CX-30?
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Jun 7, 2021 20:12
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ThirstyBuck posted:This sounds like the precise use case for most people that think they need AWD. You're right to a certain extent, but people define the "need" for AWD by different criteria. The "OMG, I'm spinning the tire(s) and can't move" situation might be helped by the addition of a Prius-style AWD system, but it's not going to help on hills(which was already mentioned), it's not going to get you out if your car is really iced/snowed in there(7HP isn't much), and it's not going to allow you to drive more..er...spiritedly in poor conditions. I don't know if it's even technically legal AWD in states that require 4WD/AWD or snow chains in winter mountain pass areas. I suppose it will be until there's some sort of incident or lawsuit caused by an inability to move a spun-out Prius AWD out of the way of traffic on I-80 at Donner Summit and a semi hits it. It's basically the same thing as adding a good LSD to a RWD vehicle - vastly improves your ability to get enough traction to move the vehicle from a standstill. Which is a good thing under that specific condition, but the original question was comparing the Prius AWD to other vehicles with a conventional AWD system, and my point is "you can't really compare it".
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Jun 7, 2021 21:54
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I'm in the same boat as a bunch of recent goons. ~$35k budget, crossover SUV. Go camping a lot so want some cargo space. Upgrading an 09 Forester, which has a great glass canopy the wife loves. Did some test driving the CRV, Rav4s (gas and hybrid), CX5,, and forester. All 2nd highest or highest trim level. CX5 has the best drive, but tiniest cargo space and the leather seats are waaaaay too stiff. Forester drove like an F150, felt bad except for the nice sunroof. CRV offered nothing over the RAV4. Rav4 hybrid had a really nice drive, fun to drive, better seats and more space than the CX5. However I saw some stuff saying that the battery is prone to fail and the motor craps out at 30k. Are there known issues with the RAV4 hybrid that should keep me looking?
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Jun 9, 2021 03:04
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DanTheFryingPan posted:Have you looked at the CX-30? I have yeah, we are definitely split between the 3 and CX-30. I think since we already have a Ford Escape we want our other car to be something sedan sized-ish. We are going to test drive both this weekend and see. What do you all think the market is going to do over the next six months? I honestly can’t figure out, from reading posts in here, if it’s a hood time to buy a new car (because of interest rates), or a terrible time to buy (because used and new are basically equally priced and there’s probably no way to get a deal at a dealership). Do you all think it’s best to wait six months or so in hopes the market will become more of a buyer’s market?
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Jun 9, 2021 04:39
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There’s no way the market goes anywhere close to back to normal in the next 6 months. If you can buy new at MSRP or maybe a little off, at a low interest rate, and you need the car now, go ahead. I think it may take until summer 2022 for things to start to normalize. Just an uneducated guess.
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Jun 9, 2021 04:51
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I think it's a good guess. This model year is hosed. Maybe next model year (depends on just ho bad this one is and ongoing supply chain issues). We'll see. Just like houses and building materials, this is clearly a sellers market. Don't buy unless you have to or have money to burn.
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Jun 9, 2021 04:53
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Part of me thinks it could be late, late 2022, possibly into 2023 until things start getting back to normal. Summers are generally light on vehicle production anyway as plants get retooled, models get updated, model year changes, etc. I'm going to guess that a lot of changes that may have been planned for summer 2022 are going to get pushed back. This also assumes the cheap money (interest rates being low) doesn't dry up. If interest rates start going up for whatever reason (not important to this thread), that could really put a damper on auto loans, and new vehicle sales.
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Jun 9, 2021 08:21
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skipdogg posted:There’s no way the market goes anywhere close to back to normal in the next 6 months. Yeah paying close to MSRP isn't great, but we got 0.9% financing without much fuss so you make back a little that way at least.
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Jun 9, 2021 12:17
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Maverick revealed and it's a hybrid. Please unfuck yourself soon, market. 
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Jun 9, 2021 14:37
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For real, gonna be real hard for me to finally commit to buying a 20k car when it's "marked adjusted" to 30k.
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Jun 9, 2021 14:45
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