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car shopping; advice needed
Topic Started: Sep 9 2011, 02:26 PM (1,226 Views)
onwego
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So now that I'm in school full time and working full time, I am doing A LOT of driving. Going through just over $120 in gas a week so I'm thinking about breaking down and getting something more fuel efficient. Currently I drive an Expedition and it gets 13-14 mpg. As much as I love being in a big SUV, it's time to move down to something smaller. Here's the requirements that I have, it has to be 4 doors, get decent gas mileage, and last hopefully about the next 10 years. I would like to get away with something around $20,000 if possible. So far I haven't test driven anything, I'm just talking to different people to get different ideas. I've been talking about maybe getting a new Kia because they have those 10 yr/100,000 mile warranties but nobody I know has much experience with Kia. I'm also considering a Honda Civic or maybe a used Subaru Outback. The thing about the Outback is that it has all wheel drive which would help in the snow. We don't get much snow here in NC but when we do I still have to go to work ;) . Anybody have any thoughts or ideas on more cars to look at or avoid?
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Buryinghill1
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Consumer Reports has a wonderful car buying guide (used and new). I have a CRV. Love, love, love it. My commute is only a mile, so it has few miles. Gas use is low though! It has AWD and in the NC snow it just rolls along (all 3 inches!).
Everyone I know with a Subaru and a Prius are happy.
Did you finish your EMS training?
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FlashGordon
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I just got a Kia Sorrento and I absolutely love it. I was kinda meh about it at first, but have had it two weeks now and am very happy with it. It is a bit roomier than some of the other mid-sized SUVs in its class. Seems to get good gas mileage and even the base model that I have comes with a lot of nice features like bluetooth.

My sister has one as well, her is about 8 months old and she is really happy with it.
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jillincolorado
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Hooray!! Just to put on your list; try some of the VW diesel editions. They get SUPER gas mileage, they offer a 5 yr/100,000 mile warranty on some models (for a little extra...if you don't use it, you get the cash BACK at the end!!) and they are fun to drive. They are front wheel drive so they handle the snow very well, but not as good as an all wheel. Our jetta TDI wagon averages 60 MPG on the hwy. Seriously. 60!! In town it's a little more "gas hog" and only averages 40 MPG :teehee: ...and the range is spectacular; 550 miles between fill ups. :)

FYI it is NOT loud at all like a "normal" diesel. I know they make the Jetta sedan in the diesel and I think a couple of other models that run around 20 K

Good luck and let us know what you get.
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onwego
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jillincolorado
Sep 9 2011, 03:29 PM
Hooray!! Just to put on your list; try some of the VW diesel editions. They get SUPER gas mileage, they offer a 5 yr/100,000 mile warranty on some models (for a little extra...if you don't use it, you get the cash BACK at the end!!) and they are fun to drive. They are front wheel drive so they handle the snow very well, but not as good as an all wheel. Our jetta TDI wagon averages 60 MPG on the hwy. Seriously. 60!! In town it's a little more "gas hog" and only averages 40 MPG :teehee: ...and the range is spectacular; 550 miles between fill ups. :)

FYI it is NOT loud at all like a "normal" diesel. I know they make the Jetta sedan in the diesel and I think a couple of other models that run around 20 K

Good luck and let us know what you get.
My concern about VW is that aren't they expensive to repair since they are German?
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onwego
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Buryinghill1
Sep 9 2011, 03:13 PM
Consumer Reports has a wonderful car buying guide (used and new). I have a CRV. Love, love, love it. My commute is only a mile, so it has few miles. Gas use is low though! It has AWD and in the NC snow it just rolls along (all 3 inches!).
Everyone I know with a Subaru and a Prius are happy.
Did you finish your EMS training?
I finished my medic class but still have to finish the last of my clinicals which is proving to be fairly challenging to find time to do with the rest of my schedule!
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Love my jeep patriot...get mid twenties for gas and costs under twenty.
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JumpTheMoon
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Mr. JTM and I both had VWs and while we loved driving them, once the one we have left goes, we won't get another.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm a converted Ford girl. I love love love my 2009 Escape. It gets very good mileage for being a small SUV, great in the Canadian winters (and mine is not 4wd - we just put snow tires on, and its a 4cyl so that might be why its better on gas) but we are strongly considering getting a 2nd once the VW croaks. Mr. JTM and I both drive about 50 minutes each way to work, plus the barn, etc - we drive a LOT! His parents also have 2 - a 2004 and a 2008 and love them. They're roomy, the back is a great size for larger dogs (many of the smaller SUVs are too hatchback-ish for large dogs, I find) and they're very affordable.

That said, if I could afford a new Subaru Outback I would get one in a flash. I love them, and everyone seems to love their Subies!
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Onelanerode
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We have an '05 Subaru Forester and a '10 Toyota Prius. I love them both!

Forester: handles like a car but easily big enough to take the 55-pound hound and 45-pound lab mix out for a hike. Backseats fold forward. Getting feed/hay in the back wouldn't be an issue either, though probably only 4-6 square bales. Handles well in poor weather, especially with good tires. They've fancied up some of the newer models (it got a redesign in '06 and I think again in the last year or so) and it looks like they're a little bigger now than they used to be. I got this instead of an Outback because it was cheaper and a little roomier at the time, but the Outback's gotten quite large lately too! DH and I have been talking about replacing it, but it's still going strong with 120k miles on it, and it's never needed more than routine maintenance (touch wood). Cons: it's a little noisy because that particular model year does not have an upper door frame, so the window rests against the frame of the car with some fancy weather stripping as a seal. After 6 years, this isn't sealing as well as it used to, so you get more wind noise. Newer models have redesigned doors with frames for the windows, so this shouldn't be a problem for '06 and newer model years. Gas mileage is about 24 mpg, higher if you're just doing highway miles.

Prius: smaller than the Forester, obviously, but it doesn't feel like a little car to me; I had a '99 Toyota Corolla that I hated driving on the highway, especially in bad weather, because it felt so small and light. The Prius handles pretty well and is quieter inside than the Forester. Ours is the Prius III, so it came with Bluetooth. We got ours in summer 2009, and it has 45k miles on it right now; I use it to drive to work every day unless the weather is really crappy (read snow or torrential rain), in which case I take the Subaru (it handles heavy weather better but it's also older, so if I wipe out, I won't be as upset, :teehee: ). Gas mileage for me is about 50 mpg and I get about 400 miles to a tank. I do not drive it differently and am not a "hypermiler." Daily commute is ~70 miles roundtrip; I fill up on average once a week. It has several different modes; Eco mode is supposed to help you save on gas; power mode is fun and handy for merging onto highways. Back seats fold forward, and I can get both dogs in easily, but Truman, the taller of the two, can't stand up in the very back. Con: It sits pretty low to the ground and you can bottom out on tall speed bumps or big dips in the road.

I'd buy another of either vehicle. They've both been really super cars. :yes:
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Indy
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My dad has had Subaru Outbacks for years and loves them. I drove his current one around last summer and fell in love. When it comes time for me to upgrade to a bigger vehicle that has a hatchback, I might go that route. He's in Colorado and it's a great winter car. The Outback he has now is decidedly bigger than the ones he's had in the past, but I'm not sure if that's because its a fancy schmancy one or if the new ones are just bigger than the older ones I'm used to seeing.

I have a Hyundai Elantra and I love it. I've had it for going on 7 years now and it's a great little car (and it has one of those fantastic 10 year/100,000 warranties on it). It gets good gas mileage and thus far the only things that have gone wrong with it were either expected (i.e. parts died on schedule) or purely my fault. My mom has a hatch back Accent, their smaller car, and she adores it too. When I was at the dealership today getting a new battery after I left my parking light on and went out of town (the battery was free, yay warranties!), I was stalking around their new cars and their 2011 Tuscons are super cute. They've got kind of a sporty SUV vibe to them.
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CDE Driver
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Not to be contrary or anything, but for the price of a new car couldn't you buy a lot of gas? Spend $20K to save how much?
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FlashGordon
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Just wanted to add that if I didn't have the wee ones to fit into the backseat, I'd totally go for an Outback. I have heard/read nothing but good things, have a few friends with them and they love them. We get really icy/snowy weather and they do very well up here.
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onwego
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Sep 9 2011, 05:50 PM
Not to be contrary or anything, but for the price of a new car couldn't you buy a lot of gas? Spend $20K to save how much?
My car is high mileage and near the end of its life as it is so I will likely be getting a new car in the next year or two whether I want to or not.
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Kassandra
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Ford Fiesta, awesome little car for a great price. My husband has a client that traded in his FERRARI in for one (no kidding) and he loves it. I am considering one once the old M3 finally dies.
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Plaza Suite
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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I have a Kia Soul and while it is ugly I love it! I get great gas mileage and with the back seats folded down I can fit 10 bags of shavings in the little hamster! :clap: While I really would love to have a big truck, I love not paying very much for gas and having a low car payment as well.
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