Help us buy a car

[caliber66]

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

How do you find the pickup/acceleration to be on the Scion? Is it agile?

[Good Old Neon]

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.

 

Same here

[RaspberryJam]

I drive a 2001 Passat wagon. I love it so much, especially the fact that it is paid for. It's never had anything go wrong, still drives great, gets good mileage. I will buy another if it is ever time to buy a new car.

[MrRain422]

I ride to work in one of these beauties:

 

[Edie]

How do you find the pickup/acceleration to be on the Scion? Is it agile?

 

We love it -- Scott was sold on it before he ever drove it. We traded in the Mini for it. Ours is 5 speed and 4 cylinder, so if you are willing to deal with shifting you are going to get better acceleration, though you can drive the automatic like a stick if you want, its just clutchless. I find that weird though, so I drive an automatic like an automatic.

 

It has a decent turning ratio though. When you guys are out here in April, Scott can take you for a drive if you want (assuming you haven't already bought one).

 

I like the fact that it is built on the Camry platform so it handles more like a car than a truck.

[myboyblue]

I have owned nothing but Subaru for the last 10 years or so. I find that they are a much better bargain for the money. All wheel drive is another big perk. Safety, reliability and price.

 

Currently, 2005 Subaru Legacy sedan.

[Elixir Sue]

We traded in the Mini for it.

Were you unhappy with the Mini? Part of me wants to get one someday, but based purely on looks...I've never even been inside one.

[Mrs. Peel]

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

 

 

Have you experienced any windshield problems with the Scion xB? I had heard about cracking windshields in the past and I just discovered there is a whole complaint website devoted to the issue.

http://www.myscionsucks.com

[Reni]

you can never go wrong with a Honda in my experience. Ours is 15 years old, pushing 250K and still going strong.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

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!

 

 

I work in the construction/real estate world. I drive a Chevy Avalanche.

 

I love it so much. I have bought two. One in 2004 and one in 2007.

[Edie]

Were you unhappy with the Mini? Part of me wants to get one someday, but based purely on looks...I've never even been inside one.

 

They are really cool -- we loved ours. We traded it in because we wanted another four door. Scott used it to take Jake to school and it was a little problematic for him in the back as he got older. You can fit two adults really well, but three or four, not so much. I think the Clubman (a larger Mini) might have more legroom. Also, we had two things break twice (passenger auto window and driver's seat adjuster) so we figured time to let it go. It was a 2003 S with 77K miles.

 

 

Have you experienced any windshield problems with the Scion xB? I had heard about cracking windshields in the past and I just discovered there is a whole complaint website devoted to the issue.

http://www.myscionsucks.com

 

We just got it in August. No issues at all. Ours is the redesigned 2008, so they may have addressed the problem that earlier models had.

[Mrs. Peel]

We just got it in August. No issues at all. Ours is the redesigned 2008, so they may have addressed the problem that earlier models had.

 

You're right, I think they did do a redesign. Lucky for you!!

[mollyegan]

I have never known anyone who has been happy with a Jeep. I LOATHED mine. Doesn't matter the year, make, etc. I will never ever ever buy one again. I currently drive a hand-me-down Mercedes while my baby (a '79 Champagne Edition convertible Volkswagen Bug) is in a coma. My family and I have been happy with the latter two companies.

[Doug C]

jen, I also urge you to look into Subaru. I currently drive a 2002 Forester. Excellent car. Over 60,000 miles and no major repairs. I have only done all scheduled maintenance as should be done on any car. Subarus rate very high with Consumer Reports. We always use their car buying guide and reviews when purchasing a car. subaru rate high in reliability and safety. The mileage is decent. The Forester drives easy and is great for long trips and hauling. Previously we had a 1996 Subaru Legacy. Bought it used, as we did the Forester, with 11,000 miles. At the end it had over 140 thousand. It was also very reliable. Subarus deserve a look. I am a committed Subaru man. Also check out Consumer reports and their services. We swear by them. Good luck. Regarding someone's mention of clutch wear, my Forester is a 5 speed. I have not yet had any transmission problems.

Doug

[plasticeyeball]

you guys have minivan written all over you.

[isadorah]

one word: MINI!!!!!!

 

i just bought one. OMG! it is absolutely the BEST car to drive. so so so so so much fun. it gets up to 40mpg and is hatchbacky! they are quite roomie inside and if you need to transport larger items the seat folds down flat and make the back really spacious. if not a MINI cooper, the MINI clubman's are really sweet. there is a 2 month wait for a brand new MINI, but you can customize them like crazy, bonnet stipes, white tops...they're so much fun! did i mention that?

 

do NOT buy a ford focus. i had a 2002 focus (hatchback) that got pretty good gas mileage. yeah, except it just died starting back in Nov with serious electrical problems that no mechanic could pin point or figure out what was causing them, but in a few months time the alternator went out twice, the fan motor blew, and as a goodbye present, the rear window motor went out as i was taking the car through the car wash on my way to trade it in. nice. the window dropped and water went everywhere into the back seat. it was lovely. damn that car.

[alison the wilca]

i'm a fan of my 2002 passat (and it is FINALLY nearly paid off). It is SO roomy and comfortable and it feels so solid to drive. I don't like feeling like i'm going to flip over and I have never had that sensation in this car. I am nearing 85K and can say that the only major problem i had was electrical (the car's computer stopped "speaking" to the engine???). Other than that, it been fairly normal repair things. I drove it across the country a few times and it really kept me comfy and secure the whole way. Gas mileage for the size of the car is pretty decent... when I was driving cross country, we filled the tank after every 5-6 hours of highway driving, I think. if i could ever afford it again, i would probably get another one.

[austrya]

I have never known anyone who has been happy with a CHRYSLER/PLYMOUTH/DODGE/JEEP/EAGLE.

 

 

Fixed it for you

[cryptique]

Fixed it for you

My parents are Dodge devotees, for reasons they've never divulged (and have also had Chryslers and Plymouths through the years). They love 'em -- especially Dodge minivans.

[VenusStopsTrain2]

I would recommend the VW Passat or Jetta. I wanted one when I purchased my Jeep..but I was looking for used...and was told by a car dealer that VW's are hard to find used because of their quality. It's true..how often do people sell their VW's or have to get them fixed. They are high quality cars. If you are up for stick shift go for that too..they are always less expensive and fun to drive. I have no problems with my Jeep but it's not exactly the most gas efficient so I'd recommend a Toyota for an SUV, they build quality as well. The best thing to do would be to look at your friends cars and see what qualities you like in them and go for car visits.

[TheMaker]

I don't have a driver's license and I don't have a car. I love it because I'm totally free from insurance rapists and gas gougers, and there's nothing about it that I don't hate!

[Lynch]

We have a '99 Subaru Outback and we love it. It drives awesome in snowy/ icy conditions and does fairly good on gas. Its also very comfortable, roomy, and reliable.

 

On a sour note, my wife had a '96 Jetta before this and it was a LEMON!!!! She found out too late that '96 Jetta's are notorious for electrical problems and that was very true. The wipers would randomly come on or not work at all, alot of the interior lights didn't work, there was this loud alarm-like beeping noise sometimes. It was brought to many mechanics and no one could really pin down what was wrong with it.

So yeah, you are going the wise route and doing the research before hand. With the Subaru we read all the Consumer Reports and info online that we could before making the buy.

[austrya]

My parents are Dodge devotees, for reasons they've never divulged (and have also had Chryslers and Plymouths through the years). They love 'em -- especially Dodge minivans.

 

I drove a Dodge minivan before I got the Pilot. It was a piece of crap. The resale value on Chrysler cars is sad, really sad.

[cryptique]

I drove a Dodge minivan before I got the Pilot. It was a piece of crap. The resale value on Chrysler cars is sad, really sad.

My mom drives them into the ground, so resale value's not really a consideration.

 

She wanted to get a Toyota Sienna when she bought her newest minivan, but it was too long for her garage. She would up with another Chrysler/Dodge thing instead.

[Serak_the_Preparer]

I am actually kind of suprised that more people here don't have Toyotas and Hondas. I have a 99 Camry which now has 141K miles on it. I bought it used and I did have to replace the clutch at 75K, but I think the previous owner didn't know how to drive a stick. My wife has a 99 Accord. 121K miles and no major problems. I can say that Hondas hold their resale value better, as my wife's Honda is worth about $2000 more than my Camry and I have it loaded with power everything, leather, and a V-6 engine.

 

That being said, we too are in the market. We have decided on a small SUV since we are about to start a family. We have narrowed it down to the V6 RAV4, the CR-V, the Nissan Morano, and the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe and the Morano are technically mid-sized, but they get decent gas milage and we would buy the Morano used with around 30K miles to keep the prices relatively the same. After test driving them all we have decided on the V-6 RAV 4. It has SO much power (we live in the city and the car has to have power to merge into traffic), great storage, backseats flip down flat and there is additional storage under the floor, it has a full sized spare, and best of all, it gets 21 city and 27 highway MPG.

 

I was always against SUVs, but these new small SUVs give you storage (for baby stuff), height (key for an infant seat to save our backs),and now decent gas mileage. We usually drive our cars into the ground, but resale value is important just in case, and the RAV-4 has better resale value than the Highlander.