<p>So the time has arrived where I need to buy a new car. I’ve been driving a minivan for the past umpteen years (which one of my kids will be driving and which we will keep in the family) and I no longer need one. I want a car that gets good mileage, where the seats are not too low to the ground, that is reliable and has good trunk space. Thoughts?</p>
<p>Mim, I’m wanting the same thing. I’m looking at the Mazda CX5, Subaru Forester, Toyota Prius. So far I like that Mazda the best…but of course the Prius gets better mileage. I also looked at the CRV but decided I didn’t like it as much as the others.</p>
<p>There are lots of vehicles that meet your basic criteria. The reason there are so many choices is because we all have our own preferences so it’ll boil down to what appeals to you most. </p>
<p>Start out by deciding on the major type of vehicle -
- 2 seat sports car
- 2 dr coupe
- 4 dr sedan
- convertible
- SUV (and then whether you want big or little, 5 passenger or 7 passenger)
- pickup truck</p>
<p>Once you figure that part out decide where your emphasis is (which is particular to you) -
- handling
- acceleration
- ride height
- luxo interior (or not)
- roominess
- available colors
- made in the USA (if you care about that - and that includes many ‘foreign’ brands)
- drivetrain (normal internal combustion engine, turbo, diesel, hybrid, all electric)</p>
<p>Also pay attention to -
- reliability record (but most new vehicles nowadays are very reliable)
- warranty coverage period</p>
<p>Make sure you test drive whatever you’re interested in. You might even want to rent one if possible for an extended experience with it. When you decide, I suggest buying it via the internet or via a buying service (Costco, AAA, maybe your insurance company, maybe your credit union, etc.) since you’ll probably get a better deal and a much better buying experience.</p>
<p>We were thinking Forester or Outback, but they’ve changed both of them in recent years, so they are more SUVish rather than wagon-ish–thus taller, and we want to carry kayaks and would like something less tall than our 94 Caravan. We bought a Jetta Wagon. Good mileage, very good storage, handles superbly. Very happy with it.</p>
<p>Bought a VW Passat last year. Still love it.</p>
<p>I just got off the phone with my my long-time mechanic (the owner of the shop) who knows me pretty well. He suggested going with Toyota or Mazda. I definitely want to see the Camry and he suggested I look at the Highlander if I feel I need more space, but I think I want a sedan that I can grow old in:) I want higher seats for ease of getting in and out. I can’t rent for an extended time. My son needs to start driving my car next week.</p>
<p>I’ve had a Mazda6 for 2 years. It’s great! I like it as much today as the first day I drove it.</p>
<p>PS–It has a big trunk. In addition, the back seats fold down making the size of the storage area pretty impressive.</p>
<p>mimk6 - if you’re looking for a sedan I would suggest checking out a mitsubishi lancer (if you like the look. very reliable, great rates for insurance, and extremely safe. Mine saved my life.</p>
<p>Highlanders are very popular cars. So are Camrys. </p>
<p>I am partial to Toyotas based on my own driving and repair experience. I do mostly my own work, and owning a Toyota means that there really isn’t any to do, until the car gets up into the 6+ year and 75-80K mileage, and even then it is predictable maintenance. </p>
<p>Between the two suggested by the mechanic, Toyota has a much more extensive dealer network, and and extraordinarily high quality reputation. I don’t know much about the Mazda’s. Go drive a couple and see what you think. The Highlander should give you a little higher vantage point as a driver.</p>
<p>I second dadx’s recommendation of Toyotas, specifically the Camry. I have driven two Camrys since 1994, when my S was born, and loved them both. They are extremely reliable. In fact, I would probably still have the first one if it hadn’t been totaled in an accident almost 4 years ago. At that point I bought a used 2003 Camry which has around 110,000 miles and is still going strong.</p>
<p>We traded in our Highlander when we bought the Mazda6. The Mazda6 is so much more fun and easier to drive. It’s sporty, reliable, roomy, and is a breeze to drive. </p>
<p>Check out the Hyundai Sonata too. </p>
<p>[Best</a> Affordable Midsize Cars Rankings | U.S. News Best Cars](<a href=“http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Affordable-Midsize-Cars/]Best”>http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Affordable-Midsize-Cars/)</p>
<p>My friend has the 2012 Fusion and it feels smaller and somewhat cramped inside compared to the Mazda6.</p>
<p>Why don’t you try the Consumer Reports? Whenever we’ve bought a car it has given us the best advice and we’ve been able to get the best deal with the information they provide. Money well spent for the yearly subscription and just a little more for the car buying reports section. Costco offers a service too which we’ve never tried but it would seem to work once you’ve decided exactly what you are going to be buying.</p>
<p>
I meant rent for 1 day, or part of a day, just to get a better feel for the car before buying it. That way you can test it more leisurely and in more conditions.</p>
<p>If you’re considering a Camry, you might also want to check out the Hyundai Sonata. It has very good reviews, is a nice car, at a nice price, and the best warranty. It’s even built in the USA (so’s the Camry).</p>
<p>For reviews on vehicles check out Edmunds.com, Motor trend, and others. I’d be a little wary of Consumer Reports since they’re not exactly car enthusiasts and seem to have biases at times (but so do some of the others). I’d rather read a review by a car enthusiast than a firm like CR. But, you can read them all and try to extract the objective info from them.
<a href=“http://www.motortrend.com/[/url]”>http://www.motortrend.com/</a>
<a href=“http://www.edmunds.com/[/url]”>http://www.edmunds.com/</a></p>
<p>
I’d be a little wary of Mitsubishi (and Suzuki) now. They’ve been struggling in the USA and dealerships could diminish further complicating repairs and parts. No offense meant to your car.</p>
<p>I have checked Consumer Reports – am a longtime subscriber and rely on them. I’ve also come to rely on the collective wisdom of the CC crowd!</p>
<p>We love our Hyundai Tucson. It just got over 32 mph on our trip to Niagra Falls this past weekend. Small SUV/car, great interior appointments, space, warranty sealed it for us.</p>
<p>Our son bought an Elantra, seems and rides larger than it is. The Sonata gets raves from everyone we know who has one.
We’re a Hyundai family now, I guess.</p>
<p>Bought a new Prius three months ago. So far I love it. Looking forward to using the heated seats this winter.</p>
<p>We took it on a two week vacation (drove 2100 miles). We averaged about 55 mpg.</p>
<p>With the back seat folded down we packed in a beach umbrella,two beach chairs, a cooler, a huge suitcase, a large duffle bag, a large LL Bean canvas tote full of food,another tote bag w/ laptop/accessories plus some misc. stuff.<br>
It isn’t big enough to hold a kayak though.</p>
<p>I just bought a Camry Hybrid without all of the bells and whistles. I LoVe it! We looked at the Prius but we didn’t like the sizes of the seating. They have a new “wagon” version but it really feels cramped. Now, one thing about the Camry hybrid is that the trunk area is smaller than the traditional Camry because the battery affects the back. But I can still get a ton of stuff in there.<br>
Check Edmunds.com for pricing.</p>
<p>We are a Toyota family.
Our 13 yr. old Camry is being driven by dd.<br>
4-runner by hubbie and
Yaris by college daughter
Previa finally died after 200K miles. Mitsubishi we had, died at 30K miles!!! It was recommended by Consumer reports and it needed a major overhaul, so we went back to toyotas.</p>
<p>My brother bought a Leaf & LOVES it. It is a totally electric vehicle, I believe. Got a federal rebate & can park in electric charging spaces free for 2 hours. Put in a charging station at his house & charges it every night. He loves not having to buy gas any more.</p>
<p>I personally will look at Toyota vehicles. S was going to buy a Mazda, I think. My friend said his relative who is a mechanic recommend VERY HIGHLY AGAINST it due to extensive repairs needed. That friend strongly recommends Toyotas for ease & economy of maintenance. Another good point about Toyotas & most Japanese brand cars is that many, many mechanics can work on them where as other types of foreign cars might be tougher to find a good mechanic (like Volvos, BMW, Mercedes–some of the other foreign cars that have waltzed through our lives).</p>
<p>My brother is partial to Hondas as well, especially accords. I believe he has two of them plus an Odessy van, Leaf and also a Lexus.</p>
<p>Just bought a Subaru Outback and am pleasantly surprised how much I like it. Getting 30mpg doesn’t hurt.</p>
<p>We were able to take extended test drives from the dealership. It really makes a difference to see how a car feels after a longer drive than a typical test drive. We’ve done this with the Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and tomorrow the Subaru OUtback (DH’s preferred car). Unfortunately, DH and I are having a hard time both liking the same car which would become our family car.</p>