View Full Version : figuring out what car to buy
DH and I have decided that this might be the best time to buy a new/used car. We are both in our late 50s so this will hopefully be the last one and our hope is to be a one car couple. Right now he has a company car but who knows how long that will last. My old Volvo still rolls but...We are leaning towards a smallish crossover/small SUV since we have pets, hobbies, etc that are best suited by a hatchback. In doing research for that type of vehicle though, every website has differing opinions on top 10. It needs to get decent mileage. So far considering Toyota Rav-4, Subaru Impreza, Honda CR-V, Honda Fit (kind of small but right price), etc...Any ideas to offer on this expensive and difficult decision?
awakenedsoul
2-22-13, 11:05am
I love my 2004 Kia Rio, but it's not a hatchback. I got it for $6,000. at Enterprise in 2005. It was a used rental car, and I received my brother's family discount. It's been an excellent car. I hope to keep it for the rest of my life. I ride my bike most of the time. I drive the car once a week to keep it running.
catherine
2-22-13, 11:13am
I can speak to the Honda Fit, because that's DHs car. He loves it, and true to its name, for a small car it fits a LOT. He's a video producer and he takes it on shoots where he has to bring all kinds of equipment and it always fits. It drives well, and is a great all-around car.
We've found that on long trips, it's not quite as comfortable as a mid-size car. I have a Prius, and he admits that the Prius is a more comfortable highway drive. Otherwise, I know he would definitely buy another Fit when this one dies. FWIW, the Prius now has a bigger model. Bad part is there probably aren't any used ones on the market yet, and they're not cheap.
rodeosweetheart
2-22-13, 11:42am
My Yaris probably fits the bill--very high mileage, around 40mpg, and Toyota reliability. Fun to drive. A hatchback, and we fit a Great Pyr and a terrier in the back with no problems.
I'm also deciding if I should get a new vehicle or not - either a mini van or small SUV with a 4 cylinder engine - or just keep what I have for now. Currently have a gas guzzling V-6 truck with a shell that only get around 18 mpg (and with fuel at close to $4.50/gal and rising here in Calif it's getting expensive) and would like to get someting with better fuel mileage but that still has all the room I need (camping, bikes, bike trailer, kayak, dog, etc..). Looked at some mini vans but were VERY expensive and not that much better on fuel as they all had V-6's. Looked at some small SUV's and hatchbacks but they seemed too small for my needs. I did like the Mazda 5 though. It's sort of a mini-mini van rather than an SUV or station wagon. It seats 6 or 7, had sliding side doors, full opening rear door, roof racks, and fold down seats. Has a 4 cylinder too so good, but not great, gas mileage. Much bigger inside then it looked from outside and about $10K less than a mini van although still high priced new (approx. $18K - $20K new with everything) www.MazdaUSA.com
At this time I am still planning to get a motorcycle to use around town and for some trips without the dog, but keep my truck for road trips with the dog or hauling things like my kayak and bikes. But people keep telling me how impractical that is and that I should just get a used compact car like a Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio to use day to day and keep the truck for trips and hauling, or that i should get rid of the truck and just pay the bucks for a mini van or small SUV. Looking forward to hearing the suggestions that other's have.
I have a 10 yr. old Subaru Forester and LOVE it! It's been very reliable, is very roomy, and great in bad weather.
When shopping for it, I compared it to a RAV-4 and CRV too and found that the Subaru was classified as a wagon by insurance companies, instead of as an SUV, which means lower insurance premiums. Gas mileage isn't the greatest in an AWD, but you feel like you're velcroed to the road.
My dog was comfy in the back w/o the seats folded down, my massage table fit perfectly there, and with the seats down, my bike fits without the front wheel removed. All of these things separately, of course. It's suits my sport/outdoorsy lifestyle.
We have a 2003 Subaru Forester and love it. We live in snow country so it comes in very handy year around. It has over 130K miles on it and not trouble. It still gets 25 to 25 mpg on the highway. When it dies we will get another one.
In those categories, for new vehicles you could look at the Volkswagen Jetta wagon, the Hyundai Elantra Touring, the Mitsubishi Outlander, and the Toyota Matrix. The VW and Hyundai are more of a traditional wagon body style. The Matrix is a rather old model, but being long-produced and a Toyota, it should be dead reliable; its last production year, however, was 2012, so you might need to consider that car used-only. The Outlander might be a really good buy because Mitsubishi is not doing well financially in this country, so bargains can be had, though you may have to deal with a limited number of dealers, etc., if Mitsubishi pulls out of the U.S. market.
Used, you definitely could consider a Matrix (or its twin, the Pontiac Vibe), the previous-model Elantra Touring, and even the Honda Element, though at this point it's been out of production for three years.
Just know that all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive is really going to nick you for fuel mileage and maintenance costs/parts. And, truth be told, most people with AWD/4WD vehicles do not use that capability often enough to have justified the purchase. If the concern is getting around in snow or mild off-road circumstances, get a car with sufficient ground clearance and buy tires appropriate to the task. Much cheaper and quite possibly more effective, to boot.
fidgiegirl
2-24-13, 3:42pm
I wonder why they stopped making Matrixes? They certainly seemed like a good seller and are a fantastic car. I have a Vibe and realized that Pontiac went under so no more new Vibes being made but was hoping at some point I could replace with a Matrix (as Steve noted, same car - I even have Toyota stamped on some parts of my engine). Oh well, I can only hope something better has come out to replace both of them. My Vibe has been super reliable and I can fit a ton of stuff in it. LOVE it.
Tussiemussies
2-24-13, 3:47pm
Triple A has good articles that are reviews on cars. If you have Triple A they send out a magazine ever once in awhile, if you don't have it maybe you could call them and see if you could purchase one with the car reviews in it. You can always check their website too. Personally I have my Honda CRX for 21 years and it still works really well. For me The Honda CR-V....
Triple A has good articles that are reviews on cars.
I'll also throw in a good word for a Web site called TrueDelta (http://www.truedelta.com). Not many reviews (though they are encouraging contributors to write a bit on why they like or hate their car). But the reliability data is excellent -- much better than what Consumer's Union/Consumer's Reports provides. No relation to TD except for having been a data contributor from the very beginning because CU/CR's data is so very flawed.
Gardenarian
2-25-13, 4:33pm
Mr. MOney Mustache had a list of Top 10 Cars for Smart People (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/19/top-10-cars-for-smart-people/).
Good luck!
Thanks, all! I will be test driving some of these in the weeks to come.
I never decide on a car until I've made a cost-of-ownership spreadsheet. After I compare the data on all models we might possibly consider, we narrow it down to 2-3 at most.
jennipurrr
2-25-13, 11:07pm
I am on my second Honda C-RV and DH still drives the old one. We have been happy with them. The only downside is the newer model (2007) gets noticeably less gas mileage than the older one (2000) which would get close to 30 on the highway. I bought the old one when I still had a big commute and so it now has nearly 175,000 miles. Its starting to have little aging problems, including a check engine light no one can really determine the reason for, one window doesn't roll down, etc. But, because of its age we are doing regular maintenance but are just hoping it holds out for another year or two. So far no problems what so ever with the newer model. I bought both lightly used (3-4 years) with pretty high "highway" miles (50,000+).
I know other cars have lower overall costs of ownership, but we have both had very bad experiences with some American brands. Not much is worth being stranded to me...so we are definitely Honda fans. DH has been concerned with gas mileage for awhile now and so I think our next purchase will probably be a smaller hatchback. Our goal is a car that comfortably holds two people, two Labradors and a couple of weekend bags. A coworker has a Prius and swears it meets the criteria so I think we will branch out to the more car-ish hatchbacks next time.
However, the C-RV is great if you need to carry a range - it can totally fit one in the back! The 2000 model is definitely more utilitarian and has been sort of our work vehicle for hauling junk for the rental properties.
thinkgreen
2-26-13, 12:05am
I agree with Catherine and Jennipurr.
We have a Honda CR-V 2002 with about 70,000 miles on it. It's been great. Very dependable, comfortable, good visibility, excellent mileage for an SUV, four wheel drive kicks in when you need it. We hope to have it another ten years.
We also have a Honda Fit that's quite new with less than 10,000 miles on it. Wonderful for driving around town, comfortable, really great mileage, flexible enough to fit almost everything we transport in it. It doesn't have four wheel drive but we don't always need that.
They both retain their value well for re-sale.
Actually, cost-of-ownership takes many factors into account and the lowest-priced cars rarely end up high on the list. Repairs, regular maintenance recommendations, fuel economy, are ongoing costs and usually weight the overall model heavily in favor of reliable, fuel-efficient imports even if they cost more than other models.
No car you drive each day (or even most days) is a "good investment". It will never grow in value beyond its initial purchase price. The best you can hope for is a low cost of ownership. It may be a sound purchase and even a wise way to spend money compared to renting cars/taxis/etc., but I'd never buy a car expecting to make money on the deal.
I think the one thing that is going to be a surprise will be cost to insure. I am so used to no car payments and very reasonable car insurance - $300 a yr. Maybe I should keep the old Volvo - but figure it is better to buy something while we are both still working.
Bought the Fit Sport the first year it came out(2007?). Loved it and named it the Puppy Hauler since it hauled my dogs nice. I passed it to my son when he was at college. I rode with him today it and still a sweet car to be in. Cons, it does not get the gas milage of my Focus SFE 2012. The maintenance is more if you check the time ranges for things like transmissions flushes, tires on his are sport and they cost more then standard tires. I think it is on KKB.com that has the lifetime cost of a car, it is interesting to compare.
$300 a year? wow every local is different. My PLPD to just get on the road in my slow moving electric car GEM is $600 a year. Yes that would be something to think about.
The Storyteller
2-26-13, 3:24pm
Any ideas to offer on this expensive and difficult decision?
http://www.topgear.com/uk/assets/cms/22c12dd4-e324-4a18-8691-cd66aca3bdcb/Large%20Image.jpg?p=130225_05:04
I can recommend my 1994 automatic honda accord station wagon. it's awesome. We've only spend $700 on it since we got it ($300 was the windshield cuz of some bad kids! *shakes fist!*). And we paid $2500 for it. It's a nice ride.
BarbieGirl
3-10-13, 4:33pm
Nissan Rogue? We are looking at this car for ourselves. Very stylish, and practical!
I went and looked at Fits this weekend...oh my, me like a lot!!
l love my Honda Fit. Hubby calls it my Ikea car, because no matter what I buy there, I can reconfigure the seats in my Honda to accomodate it. :laff:
l love my Honda Fit. Hubby calls it my Ikea car, because no matter what I buy there, I can reconfigure the seats in my Honda to accomodate it. :laff:
I agree--The Fit is a great car. A big car in a little package.
I've put 300,000+ miles on my Subaru Forester--when I need to get another car, I'll be getting another one.
The Forester or Impreza is also on my list - however we don't really live (now) in all wheel drive territory so gas mileage and safety are key.
treehugger
3-12-13, 11:52am
The Forester or Impreza is also on my list - however we don't really live (now) in all wheel drive territory so gas mileage and safety are key.
I'm reading this thread avidly because I will need to replace my '97 Jetta in the next 6 months or so. I sorta narrowed down my choices to the Fit and the Scion xD, but I haven't test driven anything yet. DH drives an '06 Subaru WRX, which we love. It is perfect for dog hauling and all-weather driving (we visit my parents in Tahoe), so all I need is a safe, reliable, small (good gas mileage) vehicle to get me to and from work and for errands.
Happy to see all the love the Fit is getting in this thread.
Kara
I've put 300,000+ miles on my Subaru Forester--when I need to get another car, I'll be getting another one.
WOW! I've got only 175K and I hope mine lasts as long as yours. Right now I've got the start of a head gasket leak ($3000 to fix).
I really love this car and would love to have another exactly like it. The newer ones aren't as appealing to me as my 2003 model.
Rereading this thread to get some more ideas. Shocked to read that the Matrix is being discontinued as I love my Vibe but it is getting older.
A Sportage by Kia has been suggested as a replacement for hauling all my big items and for going camping.
I was looking at the Matrix and getting one of those tents that fit over the back hatchback door.
What other vehicle will let you sleep inside with an air mattress, is fuel efficient and compact?
The Prius. I know it's more money than the smaller ones like the Fit and the Vibe. But I just love the fact that it drives like a really decent sedan, is a hatchback and the gas mileage is really great--48 mph. I get almost 500 miles on a tank of gas. Plus now they have versions in one size smaller and one size bigger. I am definitely getting another Prius next time.. but I'll get a used one.
[QUOTE=fidgiegirl;130319]I wonder why they stopped making Matrixes? They certainly seemed like a good seller and are a fantastic car. QUOTE]
? I was just looking at the 2013 Martix.
? I was just looking at the 2013 Martix.
That made me look and I see on Edmunds (http://www.edmunds.com) that there is, in fact, a 2013 Matrix. The design is four years old, which is old in car years, but it hasn't lost any of its functionality. I know the Pontiac Vibe version went away with Pontiac and, when I looked, I could not find an entry for a 2013 Matrix, so I guess I assumed it was gone, too. So I stand corrected -- a good choice in its class as functional transportation.
As an aside, we went to the Auto Show yesterday. Got to sit in a $91,000 BMW (that probably will never happen again unless I go to another auto show). I looked at a bunch of cars, mostly as a kind of audition for what I'd look at if we ever suddenly needed to replace either of our cars. I gotta say, I like my stupid ol' Jetta :D and I'm going to do my best to keep it on the road for years to come.
I took a look at the Matrix, the Rava and others at the local Toyota dealer when I was out earlier and then checked the fuel efficiency at:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbsSelect&id=31295&id=32128&id=32196
Love these little tents for the Matrix type. http://outdoorsportsking.com/truck-tents/sportz-dome-to-go-tent-pontiac-vibe.html
Well, not a week after I posted, my issues with a leaking head gasket (that I'd known about for some time) did my poor Subaru in. It overheated. As they described it at the shop: there was coolant in with the oil and oil in with the coolant. I did go ahead and get another Forester and will treat it gently.
Well, after examining all the options and taking another look at my little Vibe, I decided to keep it going for another 2-3 years.
The Dodge Rondo was an option but not as fuel efficient.
I reviewed all the reasons that I bought my Vibe originally and discovered that they were all still valid and doable with the same little car.
I will travel instead.
And here I am...still driving my old Volvo. The darn thing just keeps rolling, eyesore that it is, so it is hard to justify spending thousands just yet.
HappyHiker
3-24-13, 10:15pm
I know what you mean..my Ford Focus is 13 years old and squeaks like a mouse, but it's paid for and runs dependably...I'm just bored with it...but not enough to justify getting a new used car...
Tussiemussies
3-25-13, 2:26pm
Hi again, just a correction in my last post -- it is not triple A that sends out a magazine which has car reviews, it is AARP...
Well, after examining all the options and taking another look at my little Vibe, I decided to keep it going for another 2-3 years.
The Dodge Rondo was an option but not as fuel efficient.
I reviewed all the reasons that I bought my Vibe originally and discovered that they were all still valid and doable with the same little car.
I will travel instead. Good choice on keeping the Vibe longer. I decided to keep my truck until it dies but bought a friends motorcycle to cruise around onlocally for better gas mileage (and fun!!). It's a Ducati - a fast, sleek Itaiian, how I like 'em :-)! - so I'll see how long I will survive driving the in SoCal!!
Ialso like the Rondo but I think the Rondo is made by Kia - or was until last year as I believe they stopped making them. I rode in one once and it was great - very roomy for a smallish car with fold down seats. However it had a V-6 so wasn't as great on fuel mileage as a compact car would be. Irregarless a Rondo was on my "list" of cars to look at. Hard to find though.
Hi again, just a correction in my last post -- it is not triple A that sends out a magazine which has car reviews, it is AARP... AAA sometimes has car reviews but usually only 3 or 4 for comparision.
I know what you mean..my Ford Focus is 13 years old and squeaks like a mouse, but it's paid for and runs dependably...I'm just bored with it...but not enough to justify getting a new used car... I had a Ford Focus for a long time too and liked it a lot. Much roomier then some of the other compact cars. Had endless problems with the ignition locking device though and often had to get it changed out. Eventually just left the key in it and didn't put it in the locking position ever so that (cheaply) solved the problem. They also use to make a Focus station wagon which was great - really big compared to all the other small station wagons and SUVs but expensive. I don't think they make those anymore.
Well, not a week after I posted, my issues with a leaking head gasket (that I'd known about for some time) did my poor Subaru in. It overheated. As they described it at the shop: there was coolant in with the oil and oil in with the coolant. I did go ahead and get another Forester and will treat it gently.
Too bad you didn't get that head gasket fixed asap as it's an easy and very inexpensive thing to fix. One that, if not fixed will lead to overheating that can cause a cracked head, block or both as you probably found out the hard (and costly) way.
Too bad you didn't get that head gasket fixed asap as it's an easy and very inexpensive thing to fix. One that, if not fixed will lead to overheating that can cause a cracked head, block or both as you probably found out the hard (and costly) way.
It's actually a very expensive repair, over $2000, which is why I'm waiting mine out.
gail d, which model year Forester did you choose? Are you happy with it? I'm sorry to hear about your old car. Guess I have to keep an eye on mine.
It's actually a very expensive repair, over $2000, which is why I'm waiting mine out.
.YIKES! They must have wanted to resurface your head and do lots of other work too and not just replace the gasket because it's usually only a few hundred bucks (for parts at least). I use to do my own way back when, and the gasket itself was inexpensive then and it was minimal work (5 hours or less) but I guess when a mechanic is getting $100/hour it adds up fast! Also, with the new cars and all the electronics, etc... on them, it's probably a more extensive job and takes longer.
We are never buying a gas vehicle again! We currently have a 1999 Forester which I said when bought in December of 1998 that it would be the last carbon-emitting car I ever buy and I would drive it for the next 30 years (or until a better no-carbon option came along.) She has been a complete trouper for already 1/2 of that lifetime estimate! Two years ago we decided to overhaul the engine, because electric cars were... just too new for our conservative taste buds. But NOW it's time -- there are literally hundreds of electric recharging stations all over the region, with two even in our little town of 1200 people. The big debate was whether to replace the 2004 VW Golf, which we try to only fill with locally produced ag-waste bio-diesel, but is not so good as a "family truckster", or the 27mpg totally beat-looking Forester which has been used as a construction vehicle and even to pull a small Airstream. (Both great cars to which we are each very emotionally attached.)
But now, with a few accessories, like a eco-hitch bike rack (http://torkliftcentral.com/eco_hitch.php) (for the electric and mountain bikes) and a thule rack on top, we'll just lay the back seats down for the dog and be good to go with the Nissan Leaf (I think -- got to go test driving next week.)
After watching Chasing Ice (http://www.chasingice.com/), we know we have to do what ever we can, even if it's not perfect. Don't get me wrong, I know the embodied carbon (not to mention the plastic content) of a new car is not to be ignored, but for now, employment keeps us traveling to places that mass transit doesn't go, so a car is still necessary. Next step: putting in some solar panels to refill the car without the 10% coal content of our local utility...
The problem I have with electric vehicles is the limited range as well as the time required to re-charge them. Because I do long road trips where there may be several hundred miles between recharging stations (and almost no budget hotels or campsites have recharging stations) I'd be SOL pretty fast. However a hybrid, if they weren't so darn expensive and actually got better gas mileage then they do, would be OK. For now I'll ride my bicycle and motorcycle around town and just use the gas-guzzling 6 cylinder 2001 Ford Ranger truck with a shell and racks for long trips with the dog and all my "stuff". After that dies (soon!) I'll buy a compact car that get at least 40 mpg. I use to have a Ford Focus with a PZEV engine (partial zero emmissions vehicle) and it's emissions levels were the same as a hybrid - almost zero - and it got about 40 MPG and was roomy. Probably get something like that again.
YIKES! They must have wanted to resurface your head and do lots of other work too and not just replace the gasket because it's usually only a few hundred bucks (for parts at least). I use to do my own way back when, and the gasket itself was inexpensive then and it was minimal work (5 hours or less) but I guess when a mechanic is getting $100/hour it adds up fast! Also, with the new cars and all the electronics, etc... on them, it's probably a more extensive job and takes longer.
As I understand it, to replace the head gasket, the entire engine has to be taken out. I've had one of the side ones replaced, which was about $100. They sometimes combine the head gasket repair with a timing belt replacement because of all the work involved.
I saw a cool new hybrid yesterday - a Ford C-Max (or something like that). Sort of in line with things like the Matrix and small wagons & SUVs. Don't know the price and if they also make it in a non-hybrid model - but worth looking into. Just checked it out and they also make an all electric version. Both are expensive though. Here's a link:
www.ford.com/C-MAX
So I decided to keep my old Volvo for now...all of a sudden, neither front window will roll up once rolled down. I did some web searching and phone calling and it could go very high (mostly labor) to fix them. DH says he doesn't have the time to mess with it. Naturally, one is stuck in down and it is likely to rain later today so I had to put up some lovely plastic. Additionally all of the windshield molding is starting to go. It is things like this that make me want to buy a new car:( Do I pay several hundred to have them fixed or ... many thousands more to get another car? My gut says just get if fixed but then something else will come up no doubt.
So I decided to keep my old Volvo for now...all of a sudden, neither front window will roll up once rolled down. I did some web searching and phone calling and it could go very high (mostly labor) to fix them. DH says he doesn't have the time to mess with it. Naturally, one is stuck in down and it is likely to rain later today so I had to put up some lovely plastic. Additionally all of the windshield molding is starting to go. It is things like this that make me want to buy a new car:( Do I pay several hundred to have them fixed or ... many thousands more to get another car? My gut says just get if fixed but then something else will come up no doubt.Oh no the nickle and dime you to death begins :-)! I hate that part of owning an older car. Plus the down time while it's being fixed.
Don't know if this is the case with your car or not, but in older cars that have manual windows (i.e not electric) the little gears in the handle or that they engage with in the door that roll the window up & down often get striped or worn enough over time so that they don't always work. Also a little wire that holds the handle crank gets broken and needs to be replaced. Both easy, inexpensive jobs. If it's an electric window I have no idea!
In many cars with electric windows, a window dropping into the door is a matter of removing the door card (the inside upholstered/plastic part of the door that has the armrest and switches and all) and finding why the window dropped. Sometimes it's little plastic or metal "grabbers" that have let go; sometimes it just jumps off the track. Usually the labor is the most expensive part of these repairs, though there may be something special about Volvos I don't know about.
I would suggest that it might be worth a few minutes to search the Internet for a how-to on this. My VW had this problem under warranty, so they got to fix it (there also was a recall to replace the plastic pieces with metal; they learned something). But if it happened now, I know there's a video out there that shows how to take off the door card and fix the problem. There might be a video or step-by-step pictures for your Volvo model, too. Or maybe just watching a video for another car might be enough to give a leg up to someone mechanically inclined who could fix it. Give it a try -- you may be able to fix it cheap. You probably cannot make it any worse if you're at all careful.
As I understand it, to replace the head gasket, the entire engine has to be taken out. I've had one of the side ones replaced, which was about $100. They sometimes combine the head gasket repair with a timing belt replacement because of all the work involved.No they don't normally have to take the entire engine out - although maybe with the newer cars and all the electronics and extra "stuff" that now sit on top of the engine is is a much bigger job than it use to be back when I did stuff like that. It can be an extensive job but, depending on the car, might be fairly simple. But I worked on big (humongous!) marine/ship diesels (although have done cars too) and they are pretty basic and easy.
It was the head gasket and other expensive issues including the catalytic converter. I don't have the skills or the tools or the time to do that kind of work. For me, it was time.
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