Toyota Sienna
Toyota Avalon
Lexus RX350
Acura MDX
Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Subaru Outback, Subaru Impreza.
I just bought a Mazda 3 and got the top of the line to get all of the safety features. Love the safety stuff, and much less $$ than any other car with all those bells and whistles.
Hyundai, Hyundai, Hyundai (2 Sonatas and an Elantra). So dependable. We also have had a Honda Pilot for the last year. Nice for long road trips. Very solid feel on the highway.
Honda Civic, three different generations. Subaru Legacy purchased after we added a teenage driver to the mix. Many safety features, good visibility, solid car, smooth ride.
Got my car washed yesterday and with a full tank of gas it feels like brand new.
@CT1417 - we have the exact same Toyota Landcruiser story. We have a 2003 Landcruiser that my D now drives. We bought it used in 2005 and aside from routine maintenance that car has been hassle free. In 2014 H bought himself a replacement car and ended up with a new 2015 Landcruiser. The new one has a lot of fancy bells and whistles that H doesn’t need but it is a great car. When we went to Kenya on a safari all the places we went used Land cruisers for their safari vehicles.
While I replaced my BMW X3 due to high repair costs it is still my favorite car I have owned. It was maintenance free for the first 5 yrs. I had one issue where the heated seat malfunctioned and BMW gave me a brand new seat. At around 70,000 miles it started to have expensive repairs. I replaced it with a Mercedes GLK 350. I don’t love it but I’m happy with it.
We have also had good luck with a Volvo S60.
I like the drive of a German car. I have reached a point in my life where I like a luxury vehicle.
@mom60 – we have had a BMW also and I think the key is to not keep it beyond the free service term. Expensive and frequent repairs. Should have ditched it sooner than we did.
I came so close to buying the Mercedes GL450 when I bought the last LC. I loved the body on the older model (2013) but could not get past all the mechanical issues I read about online. Also, the electronics were being updated/replaced with the model rolling out a month later so worried about obsolete technology before I even bought it. But it was much more attractive than the LC.
I cannot stand the spoiler on the new LC. And was bummed to learn that the 2016 model is available in a very pretty navy, since that was not available when I bought it. I have grown very used to the bells & whistles and have not had a single issue with the car, but I have only had it 2.5 years.
As someone noted upthread, washing my car right now would make it seem much newer!
@CT1417 I have a 2003 BMW 325i with 115,000 miles that I purchased in 2005 with low mileage. My extended warranty covered me to 95,000 miles. It is now in the last two years that I have been paying maintenance costs. (which are expensive) After driving this car and then having to rent a Honda civic for a day it seemed really light weight. The structure of the BMW is nice and heavy whereas I felt the civic and camry doors and steering felt light. For $20,000 I thought it was a great deal compared to what you get for that amount these days.
@raclut – yes, I agree with you 100% about the lightweight feeling of non-luxury cars. We have had Infiniti, BMW & Audi sedans and the massive tank-like Land Cruisers.
Our BWM really cost a lot in the last year and we should have just abandoned. Three repairs, one on top of the other, but it was probably seven, maybe eight years old at that point. While the handling was amazing, I never liked the road feel. I don’t know if that was the run-flat tires or all BMWs.
I drove a rented Corolla recently and really felt like I was driving around in a very lightweight car.
@CT1417 I have previously owned a civic and a camry. I think since I am used to a heavy car now it would probably take some time getting used to driving those cars again. Maybe I would get used to it in a matter of time. However with the heavy duty doors and side airbags I feel safer in the BMW vs a civic or camry with their light weight doors that get easily dented.
Maybe it is deceiving because today while driving home on the highway all the lanes were closed due to a bad accident. When we finally passed the scene we saw a Lexus SUV which had no front window and its roof was missing. (torn off)
I had never seen anything like that before.
Love our Toyota Prius especially when I’m at the gas station!
I’m glad that I never have driven a BMW or Mercedes to appreciate their heaviness, and have been very content to drive a light Honda or Toyota 
All these cars have excellent crash ratings, front and side. The heaviness of the body or doors have no real relationship to the car’s crash safety. With side and curtain air bags, you’re going to be in pretty much the same shape regardless of the cars.
We always buy new, and keep them for a long time because we put very few mileage on them.
We’ve had 2 Volvos, 2 Toyotas, 1 Honda, 2 MBZ, 1 Infinity
The one that gave us problems was the Infinity.
My son gave me a new MBZ E250 Bluetec last year and I love the car. Great mileage, ride and power.
I absolutely love my Hyundai Elantra (2014 model year, purchased used last year).
" I think since I am used to a heavy car now it would probably take some time getting used to driving those cars again. Maybe I would get used to it in a matter of time."
I have no problems switching between our Lexus van and Corolla despite the cars being quite different.Toyota made is so easy with their design - the major controls, including cruise control handle, have a very familiar feel and look in all of their models! Ford does the same thing with their cars. If you know how to operate everything in a Focus, you will have no issues with larger models. Chrysler, OTOH… hate renting their cars. If we get a Chrysler model we have never driven before, we have to go on a scavenger hunt to find how to operate wiper blades and open gas tank lid. No kidding.
Wrong car thread.
I recently drove a loaner new Corolla LE with about 1000 miles on it. I was very impressed with how the car felt and drove. Everything was tight and the fit and finish was excellent inside and out.
@raclut .regarding the accident scene and the Lexus SUV. Often times rescue personnel will cut the roof off a car with the jaws of life and break/remove the windshield in order to get someone out. It’s pretty awesome. But if you drive by it then looks like a terrifying crash.
I think heavy cars are built to be quieter and ride smoother not necessarily to be safer.
Current cars include 2 Honda Accords, a Volvo S60, and an ancient Ford Bronco (H’s hauling and hunting vehicle). D is (or rather was) driving the Volvo. It broke down again over Spring Break and I had to send her back to school in my Honda. The Volvo has needed a lot of expensive repairs. I’m currently looking for a new/used car for D. Or maybe I’ll buy myself a new car and give her my Honda. Love the Hondas. I’m all about reliability and cost when it comes to cars.
Previously owned cars include another Volvo (liked that one), 2 Nissans, and a Chrysler Town & Country (Ex-H made that bad decision).