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car shopping; advice needed
Topic Started: Sep 9 2011, 02:26 PM (1,228 Views)
Reynard Ridge
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Drivin' The Short Bus
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onwego
Sep 9 2011, 03:32 PM
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?
I think a German diesel would bury you before you buried it. :teehee:

Seriously, Consumer Reports (it is totally worth buying to read their car reviews - this is a big ticket item) will tell you all about repair schedules and costs.

I drive a Ford S-Max manual transmission diesel ( :o <--no kidding); seats seven. While I love the mileage, the ability to stuff it full of small childre, and the convenience of only annual check ups/oil changes, it didn't handle all that well in the Alps. It has not so much power in lower gears as you might want for climbing.

I am + on diesel for all the things JinCO mentions, but it works better in a small car, IMHO, because of the power issues in lower gears. I think checking out the VWs makes a lot of sense. You can also hunt around for used. Diesels really do last forever and a good used car might save you enough to upgrade just a bit, and still have it last a good long time.

I also know a lot of people who love the Prius, but not sure if it is real love or green infatuation ... I've never driven one.
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Kassandra
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Is the meadow on fire?
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The WV diesels have great motors, it is the fit and finish of everything else that is the problem. My DH is a German car mechanic, he wont let me buy a VW/Audi, not because they aren't good cars, but mainly because they are very difficult to work on and tend to fall apart more quickly than the others.

The real shame is that BMW does not import their small diesels. The 1 series diesels are awesome, they even have a 4 door hatchback.

But none of the diesels are less than 20k. The Ford Fiesta can be had for a lot less than 20k plus gets near 40mpg.
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Boston
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It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
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I <3 my Honda CR-V. My parents have the Jetta TDI wagon and Looovvveee it! I love it too, it's so quiet and such a nice ride. :)
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Buryinghill1
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Reynard Ridge
Sep 9 2011, 10:08 PM
I also know a lot of people who love the Prius, but not sure if it is real love or green infatuation ... I've never driven one.
A Prius is not a peppy vehicle. You won't burn rubber in a Prius! The one I drove used little fuel. I had to PUNCH IT to get the gas engine to kick in. Lots of room. Weird to drive though - sounds like a hovercraft! When I stopped at a light or stop sign, I thought it had stalled because it made no sound. Only took a day and I got used to the quiet. I drove one for a week and put in a gallon of gas. Only drove on the interstate to test it - it was slow to accelerate, but kept up fine at 75mph.
I would own one, except my dealer had a waiting list at the time, so I went over to the Honda dealer and bought my CRV. 5 speed manual (they don't make them anymore). I can burn rubber in my Honda :teehee:
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lives2jump
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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I am car shopping for a small SUV as well. No one has mentioned the Hyundai Tucson. But I test drove a 2010 model the other night (in the pouring down rain for good measure), and I LOVED it. Handled great. My Toyota 4Runner is coming to its end and I need a new car. They do offer a 100,000mile warranty as well.
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FlashGordon
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lives2jump, my dad has a Hyundai Vera Cruz and he loves it. He's ultra picky about cars too but he's had it six months and put a lot of miles on it and is still crazy about it.
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pony4me
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I just drove a Hyundai Accent hatchback and a Volkswagen Golf diesel. Kind of like comparing apples and oranges, but I liked the VW much better. A new Accent would be under $20. A loaded VW Golf would be around $28. I was seeing some good year-end deals on the gasoline Golfs but the diesel gets much better mileage. Happy shopping!
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SnackPack
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I drove a Kia Soul in New Jersey and liked it quite a lot. That said, I'm wary of the longevity of Kia, Hyundai, etc.

I had the chance to drive a Prius for 4 days a while back. I had not acceleration problems of note...but maybe I drive like an old lady. I had my moments of accelerating quickly and never once felt like the car didn't do what I wanted it to do.

I currently own a Toyota Yaris hatchback. I LURVE it. It's a small car but feels HUGE inside. It also rides a lot higher than the Honda Fit, which I did a 3 hour trip in and wish to never do it again. Uncomfortable and tin-can like. The higher ride of the Yaris made the transition from my Jeep Wrangler easier. Prior to the Jeep, I had a Toyota Corolla SR-5 and I might as well have been sitting on the ground in that car. Hated it...and didn't want to end up with somethin like that again.

I bought the Yaris as a companion to the Jeep, 'cept I liked it so much I ended not driving the Jeep for a year and then selling it. I get about 36 mpg IN TOWN. Can fit dogs, shavings, feed, whatever with no problem. Has 3 glove boxes and 7 cupholders. :P It can be a little "light" on really windy days, but that's my only complaint. It constantly gets reviewed as one of the best values for the money in fuel economy, longevity and cost of maintenance/repairs.
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Won for Me
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I was looking at a Kia Sorrento until I read the reviews online. Whatever car you decide on, read the reviews online. Throw out the really good and really bad reviews. You will get a good idea of the vehicle. I ended up with a Murano. I love it. I get 22 MPH which isn't great, but the car is wonderful to drive and had lots of room
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onwego
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One concern I have is that these tiny cars that are very light weight will be a nightmare in bad weather. Has anybody found that to be the case?
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TarynJ
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Guiding your way to Candy Mountain, since 1873.
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I know a few people who have been very happy with their Kias and Suburus :)

Used to love VWs, until I owned a Jetta for a few years. Electrical system went and it was constantly in the shop for a few hundred dollars... although it was a '94 (bought it used in '99) so maybe they've improved?? I dumped it after it stranded me in a dark parking lot.
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Buryinghill1
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onwego
Sep 10 2011, 06:47 PM
One concern I have is that these tiny cars that are very light weight will be a nightmare in bad weather. Has anybody found that to be the case?
No concerns in my CRV, and I have driven it in a few New England blizzards.
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Twiceshy
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Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back.
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onwego
Sep 10 2011, 06:47 PM
One concern I have is that these tiny cars that are very light weight will be a nightmare in bad weather. Has anybody found that to be the case?
I hadn't planned on contributing because OLR covered my opinion of the Prius. :cloud9: :cheer: :one:

WRT to how it handles in bad weather, I live in a very snowy area of northern New England (the "north and west of 495 area" for you locals). I've driven it through multiple blizzards, even when I had a choice of heavier more "reliable" vehicles (my "go-to" truck is a Ford F350 SuperDuty Diesel - which I also love). I have *never* regretted my choice in vehicles, through wind and rain, snow, dark of night.

WRT to acceleration... it's a 4-cylinder car, and it's important to remember that it's NOT intended to be a performance vehicle. :oops: I'm able to safely accelerate even on the shortest on-ramps but I try to err on the side of caution and let the semis go first. ;)

Reliability? My Prius is an '06 with 177,000 miles. :rolleyes: 3 sets of tires (not unexpected). Oil changes and headlights changed. That's it (knocking on wood furiously so as not to jinx it since I still need this car for another year or so...). I will drive it until it says "uncle" but I think that's still a long way off :luck:
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SnackPack
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Twiceshy
Sep 11 2011, 02:40 PM
onwego
Sep 10 2011, 06:47 PM
One concern I have is that these tiny cars that are very light weight will be a nightmare in bad weather. Has anybody found that to be the case?
I hadn't planned on contributing because OLR covered my opinion of the Prius. :cloud9: :cheer: :one:

WRT to how it handles in bad weather, I live in a very snowy area of northern New England (the "north and west of 495 area" for you locals). I've driven it through multiple blizzards, even when I had a choice of heavier more "reliable" vehicles
I dont' consider the Prius to fall into the category of "tiny" vehicles. The Prius is a standard sized vehicle...it's just a funky looking mid-sized sedan. :yes:

The Smart Car, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Honda Fit, Mazda 2, Nissan Versa, Ford Fiesta, etc are the tiny cars...the subcompacts. I've only had experience with my Yaris, a Fit, a Smart and a Mazda 2. I will say I am extremely happy I didn't get a Fit or a Smart. Smart is just too small and does get blown around. The Fit okay as far as road stability, but feels similar to my Yaris. I will say that we've had some crazy rain storms and I can get blown around a lot on the freeway. It's fine for the most part, but when the winds get up to 75 miles an hour or so, I'd rather stay home. :D
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onwego
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I just don't think I could go for one of the really tiny cars. Not only would I be claustrophobic and unable to my dog in it, but I would worry about the safety of it. I think I'm really starting lean towards a Subaru. We'll see when I actually start taking some test drives.
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