jenbobblehead Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 caliber and i need to buy two cars. Probably a new one and a used one, or two used ones. we have all the tools like consumer reports but there's nothing better than good old fashioned personal experience. So spill it. at least one car has to be very fuel efficient, and the other should be relatively fuel efficient. One should be kind of hatchbacky. ok? Go! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rareair Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 2002 subaru outback - bought used a couple of years ago. drives well, comfortable, hatch-backy, VERY reliable, relatively gas-efficient and all wheel drive. i love it. heated seats to boot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 not sure bout you Jen, but the big C needs this Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 http://www.smartusa.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Oh, and 2002 Jettas are really awesome. I know someone who might be selling one, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lamradio Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Say what you want about KIA, but they are actually damn good cars, and very reasonably priced.. I have a 2005 Sadona (for our family vehicle) that has been excellent.. Good gas mileage, safe, and no problems *knock on wood* Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have a 1999 Jetta and it has been an excellent vehicle. very fuel efficient. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigshoulders Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have driven a 1998 VW Jetta TDI over 10 years now. Without a doubt the most reliable car I've ever owned. 10 years later and it still gets ~45-47 MPG. I'd definitely have another when the time comes, if I'm not sufficiently wooed by the MINI Clubman S. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yermom Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I've got a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup and I luuuurve it! Small enough to be fuel efficient and easy to park but still with all the convenience of being able to haul things around in the back. Cozy interior, roomy enough, all around solid ride. carsurvey.org is the greatest thing ever. It's an awesome resource. When I go car shopping, I check the lots and the paper, etc. then if something catches my eye, I go to Car Survey to look it up and see what real owners of that particular model have to say about it. There's no way I'd buy a car without checking it first. It's free too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 It's funny you should ask...I was just looking at cars online about an hour ago. I currently have a '04 Corolla, and it's a great car. Great safety record, and EXCELLENT gas mileage. I average around 35-38 mpg. It's a good value in terms of depreciation too. I bought it new and put 90K miles on it so far without any major problems. But I would also like to get something along the 4WD hatchback lines without having to sacrifice decent mileage, so I'm looking at a RAV 4, which is also getting outstanding ratings. I like the look of the new models; they're much less boxy than they used to be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yermom Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Say what you want about KIA, but they are actually damn good cars, and very reasonably priced.. I have a 2005 Sadona (for our family vehicle) that has been excellent.. Good gas mileage, safe, and no problems *knock on wood*We've got a '99 Kia Sephia that we bought in 2000. I haaaaate that car. It really is a hunk of junk, and it's not a case of crappy owners being rough on their car and then blaming it when it falls apart or something. They screwed up so bad on that model. Words cannot express how flawed that car is...just all around poor design and execution, super cheap and it shows. I've heard good things about the Sportage SUV though, so I don't think all Kias are bad or anything. Just the Sephia...it makes me want to throw things. I get angry just thinking about that car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I love, love, love my 2004 Honda Accord, which I bought from a Honda dealer last spring as a "certified" vehicle. If you can live without a moonroof, buy the LX model and save a couple grand. We've been looking for a car for Melissa for several months, and in that time we have driven several 2003 Honda Civics, none of which she's decided to buy for some reason, despite them all being great. As for hatchbacky options, we test-drove a 2005(?) Mazda 5 and really liked it, though after driving so many Hondas it felt less solid than what we'd grown accustomed to. Still, it's a pretty well-reviewed vehicle and it was roomier than I expected. I drove two Toyota Corollas before buying my Accord, and I would recommend them unreservedly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 We've got a '99 Kia Sephia that we bought in 2000. I haaaaate that car. It really is a hunk of junk, and it's not a case of crappy owners being rough on their car and then blaming it when it falls apart or something. They screwed up so bad on that model. Words cannot express how flawed that car is...just all around poor design and execution, super cheap and it shows. I've heard good things about the Sportage SUV though, so I don't think all Kias are bad or anything. Just the Sephia...it makes me want to throw things. I get angry just thinking about that car. I think in the beginning Kias were really horrible, one step away from being a disposable car, but they've reinvented themselves markedly over the last 4 or 5 years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Three dollars and 63 cents Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have a '96 Saturn SL2 and I love it. I've had it for seven years, and it's been incredibly reliable. The few times I've had problems with it, I've gotten great customer service and fair prices from the Saturn dealer wherever I've been living. They've made small repairs like patching a tire, topping off my coolant, and changing a headlight for free, and when I needed a new muffler a few years ago, they actually said to me, "You could get a better price somewhere else." I couldn't believe that honesty! I've taken good care of it, and it still looks and runs like a much newer car. It's great in the snow, has plenty of storage room, and gets very good gas mileage. I've got about 88,000 miles on it (about double what it had when I got it), and I expect it to hold up for at least a few more years. I'll definitely buy a Saturn again, probably either an Aura or one of the new, smaller Vues. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Preferred B Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I drive a 2002 Toyota Echo, and like it very much. I drive a lot - recently went over the 100,000 mile mark. And it's survived six Wisconsin winters unscathed, five with no garage. I haven't even replaced the battery yet. The only things I've had to do aside from scheduled maintenance in the past six years were replacing the brake pads (last year) and replacing all four tires (a couple of months ago.) It gets very good gas mileage, and I love that it's small enough to make city parking much less of a hassle than it could otherwise be. Despite its small footprint, it really feels roomy inside. I have the four-door model. I think the Yaris is the current version of the Echo. The only caveat is that it kind of "feels" a little on the cheap side. I mean, you can tell you're in a small, relatively light car and not a big highly cushioned mass of metal. One reason I bought it in the first place was excellent safety ratings, though. And the fact that it was cheap, but a good value. It was the first car I bought, right out of college. Actually, I believe I bought the car, two days later saw my first Wilco show, and five days later started my first job. All are still serving me well. (Mine's not red, though.) All that being said, if I were buying a new car now (and I'm sure I will be in the not-too-distant future), I'd probably upgrade at least a bit. Car model, but definitely amenities. I didn't even get power windows on this one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I drive a 96 Rav 4. I'm assuming this isn't what you are looking for, but if the newer models are anything like this one, they are great, solid cars. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
austrya Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I drive a 2008 Honda Pilot. It's the most awesome vehicle on the planet. It doesn't get the best gas mileage because it's a 4wd SUV, but it fits my family and has a DVD player. That's probably the most important part of the whole vehicle. It's nice that the kids can watch movies with headphones on and Jason and I don't have to listen to them fight. Jason drives a 2007 Honda Civic and he is very happy with that. The gas mileage is pretty awesome too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Jason drives a 2007 Honda Civic and he is very happy with that. The gas mileage is pretty awesome too. That's what I drive too. It has been most awesome in the last year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IATTBYB Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Some band wants you to buy a VW. Can't think of the name of the band, but they were on TV recently. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
moxiebean Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Bought a 2007 Toyota Matrix last year, which I'm really happy with - It gets good gas mileage, fun to drive, and very roomy for it's size. The main selling point for me was that you can fold down both the back seats and the front passenger seat, so you can haul stuff up to 8' in length. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OOO Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I drive a 98 Chevy Cavalier. Consumer Reports recently did a ranking of used cars, and STRONGLY recommend that no one buys used 98' Chevy Cavaliers. Also, mine has the radio jacked and the driver side window doesn't work, so good luck trying to get drive thru or paying tolls. So, I'm accepting offers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Elixir Sue Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I currently have a '04 Corolla, and it's a great car. Great safety record, and EXCELLENT gas mileage. I average around 35-38 mpg. It's a good value in terms of depreciation too. I bought it new and put 90K miles on it so far without any major problems.I have an '04 Corolla too, and I love it. It's got over 120,000 miles on it now, and I've never had a problem with it (which is impressive considering I've never taken it in for a routine servicing from Toyota...maybe I should look into that). Very affordable, great gas mileage, very comfortable, backseat cup-holders (!!), and speakers that I've been pretty damn pleased with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jimmyjimmy Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Edmunds.com is another useful resource. I've found it especially helpful in determining a fair price when purchasing new. I can also currently recommend Subarus. Mine is an 05 Forester (Summer of 04) w/69000 miles and no issues or repairs. Average gas millage is about 26MPG.Spacious unless you frequently have back seat passengers (cramped). AWD is a plus in any inclement weather. Engineered well ( I do all the maintenance on my cars...it's easy to work on) and the 2.5 4cyl is bullet proof. 165BHP (newer models have more) and plenty peppy coupled with the 5 speed (stay away from that, Subies have a tendency to wear clutches quickly...I've no experience w/their auto-boxes). Fine car. Hauls small trees, bags of concrete, mulch etc. w/class and ease.That said, it's aesthetically challenged and not my style. It'll be replaced w/ a small two door coupe at some point this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 We also love our cars -- we have a 2004 Honda Accord EX (4 cyl 5 speed -- drives like a dream) and a 2008 Scion xB which has the hatchback feature. It's like a very small SUV but fits 5 comfortably and has a lot of hauling room whn you put the seat down, like a station wagon. Also let me know if you are going used.... I can help you with vehicle history and maybe other stuff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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