Come Car Shopping With Me :)

Parent Cafe
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<p>O.K., so, I decided, with D’s undergrad complete in a few short months, I want a new car. I deserve one. I’m on my third Ford Taurus - a 2005 that I do not really like for some reason - servicable enough but I just don’t like it - it feels cheaply made or something - not quite the same quality of my previous two. I kept buying them because they’re simple, cheap, and safe, and I could load them up with children and make all the school activities, etc. And it has been easy to just go to the same dealer, say “give me a new one” and drive away without any effort.</p>

<p>But now I want something fast, fun, sexy, interesting, and way cool. I want something like a smaller BMW or Mercedes, but don’t really like small cars, and I don’t really care about labels. I also want something that’s as safe as a Hummer, but not so clunky and big. And it has to be HOT, but not so interesting that thieves might want it too. I also don’t want something that’s going to cost a fortune, or that might be hard to find mechanics for, or that will be very expensive to maintain. And I certainly don’t want something that the insurance company will charge a fortune to cover. Oh - it has to have great visibility - and - I’d prefer something that won’t get blown away in tropical storms, and that can handle deep water. But nothing so high off the ground that it rolls easily. Oh, and I’d like to be able to put a bike rack on top of it. </p>

<p>I’ve looked and looked and looked on the internet, and I have not yet seen a car that makes me say “I want that!!!” - except for things I keep seeing that cost about $400,000, which of course I cannot afford, or even if I could, I would not spend on a car.</p>

<p>People keep telling me to buy a foreign something - not to buy a U.S. made car. But then I hear that it’s harder and more expensive to find mechanics for foreign cars. I keep coming back to BMW and Mercedes, but more out of default and elimination vs. any real desire or interest. </p>

<p>What would you buy - or alternatively, what is your favorite car, and why?</p>

2

<p>About a year ago I bought a VW Toureg–smaller SUV, GPS, great in mud and snow, fun to drive, luxurious interior. My teenager fights to drive it. Gas mileage, at least on the V8 is not that great but is better than the bigger SUV I traded in. This one will still do the towing we need. Supposedly will go through 2 feet of water–haven’t tried that! Also would be no easier to roll than a car. Has an air suspension system that you can actually raise and lower height of the car. Can drive as an automatic (which I do) or that “clutchless standard” which my teenager does.</p>

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<p>Asian and German cars are always going to be the most praised; they are generally the ones people desire the most and are definately a lot more reliable.</p>

<p>Personally I love Hondas - I drive a '98 Accord and have had no issues with it whatsoever, before that my dad owned another Accord, '91 I think, and those last between 200-300k miles without any expensive repairs or replacements.</p>

<p>Then you look at a Chevy we had for about 5 years, and it <em>constantly</em> had something going wrong with it, and finally we just traded it in and got a Toyota.</p>

<p>I think you’re asking too much from a car though, you basically want everything, and that’s not how it works. </p>

<p>If you want “hot” and cool, then of course it’s going to be more of a target than an old Taurus.</p>

<p>If you want small and fast, the bike rack isn’t going to work, and driving through water isn’t going to happen.</p>

<p>If you want big and safe, it’s not going to be fast or get good gas mileage.</p>

<p>The closest thing I can see to filling all your requests would be a Landrover/Rangerover, so maybe that would make you happy.</p>

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<p>Well, I know the feeling. I’ve considered what I want in a car, and it would be: safe, reliable, big enough for my stuff, sexy, fun, zippy. ACK!</p>

<p>So, my thoughts:
-if you are willing to put a bikerack on the trunk (which, by the way, would help you get much better gas mileage), consider a convertible - a bigger one than a Z3 or the like
-used BMWs, Volvos, or Mercedes can be great - you’ll save a pile of money if you get one that’s about three years old, and they last forever
-Honda something - esp. with a sunroof - I think the Accords are nicer, a bit bigger, and definitely still stylish and zippy
-Volvo convertible. Saab convertible. Audi convertible. BMW convertible - the big ones (not the Z3s or whatever).
-find a good mechanic if you get a foreign car - before you buy, get a good recommendation from a friend. if you are in DC, I can recommend a few.
-Jeep? Those can be fun, although not necessarily safe.</p>

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<p>Honda s2000
Lexus sc430
Mazda rx-8</p>

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<p>Try the Accord which fits most of your criteria except the deep water stuff. After driving a Taurus you’ll think you died and went to heaven, and for not much more money.</p>

<p>I have an '04, the 6 cylinder one, sunroof and XM were standard, plus it’s a blast to drive, more fun and obviously faster than the 4 cylinder. The lease is up soon, my kids have since graduated from college so I’m also in the “move up” stage…but I may just purchase the Honda, can’t see giving it up…or maybe trading for an Acura.</p>

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<p>Check out the Toyota FJ Cruiser- the coolest vehicle around- comes in M&M colors.</p>

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<p>I have a similar wish list to you… I am thinking an Audi Quattro? Maybe the Volvo Convertible? Maybe a hybrid? I will love to see what others suggest…</p>

<p>If you want an old BMW, I have a '95 with well over 100K miles on it!</p>

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<p>Audi Quattro A4. Light on gas, a blast to drive. I bought one for my son (used!) and like it so much I swap cars with him a lot. Which leaves him driving my BMW, poor child. (Yes, we’re car snobs, sorry.) A few days ago a driver pulled out in front of me, and the A4 was so manuverable that I managed to steer exactly parallel to him and didn’t hit him—I was steering parallel about 6 inches away. (He apologized, BTW, and we went on our merry ways.) (Thanks to my accident-avoidance course a few years back—the one where they taught us to look at the escape path, not the potential accident.)</p>

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<p>My H (who reads all the ratings and reports) says that the European cars are not rated as highly as they used to be. We used to have a Volvo that drove great but servicing was really expensive. </p>

<p>We have owned a Honda Accord that we were very satisfied with. When we did get rid of it, we bought a Toyota Avalon and I really love it. My S has a 10 yr. old Toyota pick-up with 178,000 miles and it’s still going strong. Funny thing is my Toyota Avalon was built in the U.S. and my H’s Ford truck was built in Canada!</p>

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<p>I second the idea of an Audi A4 (quattro would be nice, but adds to the price). Awesome cars - look great, handle very well, luxurious… beautiful.</p>

<p>The new BMW 3-series isn’t bad either.</p>

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<p>Tough order to fill. Fast and fun but capable of holding a bike rack; HOT but not interesting enough for thieves. You’ll pay a premium for the BMW, Audi, MB type-label and if you don’t really care for that brand thing, why pay more? </p>

<p>I say get off the internet and start going on test drives — walk the lots and see what appeals and then take them out. It’s the only way to know how you feel about a car. H and I had some fun recently trying out a few and it was amazing how quickly we said “ick” after driving a supposedly luxury car. Go to websites and look for the future trends or at least the '07s to make sure you don’t regret buying a car now, just before the hot car of your dreams comes on the market. Also look at magazines like Motor Trend for the up and coming models. Based on what you said, I would look at the Mazda CX-7 (mini SUV) if it’s out yet. It got a favorable write-up in the car mags recently; I think it looks very cool and will “do” a lot activitywise. And it’s under $30,000 msrp.</p>

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<p>I just got a new car about 4 months ago. After driving a minivan the last 17 years I wanted something more exciting.
My practical side said Toyota or Honda. I have had 3 Toyotas and they are great cars and built to last. But my heart said BMW. I went back and forth and finally decided that I had driven the practical car my entire driving life. I test drove the BMW and made the decision that I was buying the car for me. My son thought the car would be wasted on me since I don’t drive fast.
I thought I wanted a sedan but ended up with the X3 the smaller SUV. I love my car. I never would have imagined that I would enjoy driving so much. It is comfortable. I feel safe. It is easy to drive. I can get into any parking space. It makes a great U turn. I can’t describe how much I love my car. I now regret that I didn’t dump that minivan sooner.
The X3 is expensive but not for a BMW around 40,000 depending on what features you add. Less expensive then the Lexus small SUV.
Have fun whatever you decide.</p>

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<p>How about a Subaru Outback?</p>

<p>it’s “cool” because Subaru isn’t a mainstream brand, the ground clearence is higher than many SUV’s yet not as tall, all wheel drive comes standard for those storms, the styling is understated so thieves won’t be interested, yet interior accomodations are top notch and power is good (especially ones with the V6’s).</p>

<p>this seems like a very smart choice, especially considering that you do not care much for labels, and the Outback is perfect for hauling stuff like bikes.</p>

<p>subaru’s are HIGHLY popular around the Pacific Northwest for obvious reasons!</p>

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<p>I love my husband’s Infiniti g30. His ‘dream car’ died a sad death on the New Jersey Turnpike and we had to buy a new car the day we got back from vacation. We asked the limo driver on our way home from the airport about good cars – with a similar wish list to LTS’s – went out to the dealer the next day and drove a used Infiniti off the lot!</p>

<p>It’s small, luxurious inside, good on gas, attractive but not totally eyecatching, and has run very well for the past 100K miles. It now has 130K on it. In three years since we bought it. </p>

<p>I’d visit the Infiniti showroom and check out their current offerings.</p>

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<p>Have a look at the BMW X3. It’s “fast, fun, sexy, interesting, and way cool”. :slight_smile: You also get the great handling and reliability of BMW in this small SUV which will give you the great visibility that you want without being a huge SUV. My H has one and he loves it. Don’t worry about having difficulty finding mechanics. If there’s a dealership in your area, and I’m assuming there will be because BMW has a huge presence in the U.S., then there will be mechanics who know how to repair them. If you love driving, you’ll love the X3.</p>

<p>If you want something a little less expensive, I second the suggestion of the Subaru Outback. Subaru is probably the best value car for the money that is available in the U.S. The Outback won’t give you the same visibility as the X3 but it’s a great little car, reliable, and all Subarus have 4-wheel drive.</p>

<p>My H’s one vice is cars so we’ve had many different kinds over the years. He’s very knowledgeable about all kinds of cars (always knows more than the car salesman), and all his friends and business colleagues consult with him before buying a new one. :slight_smile: We currently have more cars than people at our house. He jokingly refers to this as his way of supporting the auto industry!</p>

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<p>Love Audis, but you really have to consider the cost of repairs (ouch!) .
I’ll second the Toyotas for reliability and durability and there are some sporty models.
For something more rugged but still cool looking, I love the Honda Ridgeline. Throw the bikes in the back and go!</p>

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<p>We have liked the Hondas, Toyotas and Subarus that we have had. All were very reliable and trouble free. I had the occasion to rent a car recently, and I just happened to get a new Mazda-6. Now this isn’t flashy or expensive, but it was really fun to drive! It felt tight and responsive, and it was very zippy! In fact, I had to learn to touch the gas pedal more gently, because otherwise the car would just lurch forward as if it couldn’t wait to go.</p>

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<p>Repairing the Audi A4: if you get a slighly used Audi from the dealer, you can get a “certified pre-owned” with a top-to-bottom 100K mile, 6 year warranty. Makes it a great deal.</p>

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<p>We just leased a new Camry in Barcelona Red. The car is a brand-new model for 2007, and we’re getting lots of looks when we drive it! It’s a true bright red. It rides great, and it has lots of leg room in the cabin. I can plug my iPod right into a port in the dashboard, and there’s a convenient little pocket for the iPod to sit in with the wire concealed. Great mileage too, a plus with today’s high gas prices.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.toyota.com/camry/index.html?s_van=GM_TN_CAMRY_INDEX[/url]”>http://www.toyota.com/camry/index.html?s_van=GM_TN_CAMRY_INDEX&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you think the grille in the photo looks fugly, that’s only the sports model. The LX has a nicer grille (IMHO).</p>