<p>I saw a car today that made me think of this thread!! It was an M-class mercedes, but it was an AMG. Not sure if it was the new M-63 AMG, but that is the ticket!! 500 hp SUV. very hot! not cheap.</p>
<p>Regarding convertibles - I have a friend with a VW Jetta convertible - loves it! I also have a friend with a Mustang convertible - very affordable.
Do some research on the mini though - I know 2 people with them that swear they got lemons. Don’t know if that is unusual or not but thought I’d pass it on in case.
Is there a convertible hybrid out there? I’d be interested. We sound like you as far as wanting cheap and reliable and we will run it into the ground. We’d like hybrid if we could find one that suits us.</p>
<p>binx, yes, Mini does sell the convertible model in North America. They’re cute! My H, the car nut, has a Mini Cooper S (not a convertible)as one of his cars at the moment and he loves it.</p>
<p>I drive a 300 series BMW wagon. We also own a Mini Cooper. Both cars are great but I will buy another of the wagon eventually. I love the car for its comfort and responsiveness. For a smaller wagon it can carry a great deal of stuff. One car I will encourage my husband to look at when his car dies is the Highlander Hybrid. I have only heard good things about it.</p>
<p>For safety, a great car-like ride, extremely comfortable seats , great environmental emissions standards, a decent gas mileage(24 mpg on the highway), good looks(especially the new ones with body side side bumpers ) and versatility for cargo and passengers, I highly recommend the Volvo XC90. Full bumper to bumper warranty on service and maintainance for three years and a wonderful service dept. Favorite feature is the back up beeper,which makes parallel parking and backing up a breeze. We have the V8 ( came with options I wanted and left open the possibility of towing) which makes it downright fun to drive on the winding hills and highways in this area. I go through lots of (deep) water and snow with no problem, too. Have had it a year now, and can’t say enough good things. </p>
<p>I also test drove and loved the RX330, but it was too small for all those anticipated college trips and our big dog’s travels! The XC90 is actually designed so that there’s more cargo capacity than some of the big full sized ones like Navigator and Sequoia, but it drives like a much smaller car. The Highlander, by the way, is based on the RX330 or vice versa, I guess. These three were the most carlike SUVs of any of the ones I test drove, and not a big step up in height like some SUVs. Check out <a href=“http://www.edmunds.com%5B/url%5D”>www.edmunds.com</a>, their discussion forums helped me get a good deal by telling my local dealer about the incredible NJ offers just an hour away! I also liked <a href=“http://www.consumerguide.com%5B/url%5D”>www.consumerguide.com</a> for car ratings.</p>
<p>I’m in the car market, too! I’m looking for many of the same features you are. I asked S, the auto fanatic who can quote RPMs chapter and verse, what he’d recommend. The answer for me was Subaru Forester turbocharged.
<a href=“http://www.subaru.com/shop/overview.jsp?model=FORESTER&trim=25_XT_LIMITED[/url]”>http://www.subaru.com/shop/overview.jsp?model=FORESTER&trim=25_XT_LIMITED</a></p>
<p>I wanted fast acceleration, safety, maintenance reliability, excellent visibility, reasonable price. I plan to mount a bike rack, and I need great handling because I’ll be driving occasionally in the mountains (no snow, though) and we get heavy rain where I live. This car would be mostly for just me to get around town, but I do want to be able to seat up to 4 adults (rarely). I’ve read very good reviews on this one. Drawback: Doesn’t use regular unleaded.</p>
<p>My biggest concern with hybrids is long-term reliability. The hybrid introduces a lot of additional components that can break plus a battery. Batteries have never been known for their endurance. Given that the initial economics of first costs versus gas savings are not very favorable for hybrids, I imagine that life cycle costs that include repairs look very bad.</p>
<p>That being said, if maintenance issues can be addressed, the type of hybrid that makes more sense for my type of driving is one which has both a gas engine (as a back-up when the battery is drained) and a battery which is charged by plugging it in. Since 90% of my driving would be within the 40-60 mile range of the the battery, I would rarely ever have to fill the gas tank up.</p>
<p>My S and H have been arguing back and forth about the reliability of hybrids. My H insists that the warranties that come with the car are good enough to cover any issues, and that battery prices are going to come down by the time the warranty runs out. </p>
<p>That said, I think he has decided that a good-mileage regular car is an acceptable alternative.</p>
<p>binx - what about the scion B or scion A ($15,000 well equiped), or the new little Yaris or Honda fit? Many on CC think nothing of dropping $35,000 on a vehicle, because they have that money available - but for those of us on limited budgets, there are several great cars for significantly less. My sister-in-law swears by her scion B - roomy and great for around town, plus terrific milage. :)</p>
<p>When I bought the VW Touareg, I also looked at the Volvo SUV. Really liked both equally. The deciding factor for me was that at that time the Volvo didn’t have GPS, but I think it does now.</p>
<p>Just a quick note to thank everyone for all of these suggestions, I sincerely appreciate it. There is a lot of information here and it is going to take me some time to follow up on all of the recommendations. It’s nice to discover that in the range between a Ford and a Mercedes or BMW there are solid, affordable choices that people are very happy driving.</p>
<p>I, too, love the Avalon - was set to buy the Lexus - until comparing them.
However, one limitation might affect the original poster - rear seat does NOT fold down - this severly limits hauling capacity. </p>
<p>Other car is Saab 9-5 - which has a fold down rear seat.</p>
<p>Well, I love my 2003 BMW X-5. I no longer need to haul bunches of kids, but hated to give up my beloved SUV (10 year old LandCruiser). The B-mer was sexy enough to entice me to let it go. The 3.0 has enough get up and go without being obnoxious, yet fun to drive. It’s pretty versatile, looks nice for going out, yet fold the seats down and I can still put a lot of stuff in there. And don’t forget the four year free maintenance. It’s been great, even new brakes did not cost me a cent! No problems to report so far, I’m quite pleased with it. </p>
<p>Time your purchase. We bought at the end of the car year, just as the new ones were hitting the lot, so there was room to bargain on the soon to be “old” model year. Cheaper than a new LandCruiser, that’s for sure. The X-3 might be a good choice as well, a bit smaller, but still mighty “cute”.</p>
<p>I will say that my kids seem to think it’s hard to drive, which isn’t all bad. It’s not hard to drive, it’s just very responsive compared to the old slug of a truck type thing they are used to. Turn the wheel a bit on the B-mer and that baby is taking the turn. Give it a little gas and it’s moving.</p>
<p>Good luck kicking tires. Test drive a bunch and see what catches your fancy.</p>