We currently have a subaru, Volvo and VW Golf. The golf replaced an Accord. Both of our kids have Camry.
DH is looking to replace his Golf and will likely get an Accord, Impreza, or something like that.
There are just so many choices. @HImom look for something three years old that has just come off lease. I don’t think you can go wrong with a Camry.
To avoid that “seat in the hole” feeling try a Forester over an Outback. The visibility in a Forester is excellent!
Not surprising that Toyota is the most reliable car company, but interesting that its most reliable car is the joint venture between Toyota and Subaru, the 86/BRZ. This is manufactured in a Subaru plant.
When I started researching a new car, I REALLY wanted an Acura TLX. Two of my neighbors have one, and when I ride in them, it feels really good. The seats are super comfortable and I love the way the dashboard is designed. The one neighbor said that on a recent trip, she ended up driving much longer than her normal shift because the ride is so smooth.
And since I didn’t want a black, gray, or cream interior, I was drawn to the red interior that Acura introduced in 2019. But very near the end of my research, I noticed that the mpg was 20/30. That wasn’t much better than my Ford Freestar, and I wanted much better mpg than that.
But you can’t beat an Acura for exterior beauty and interior design. Sigh.
Hi OP,
My Siena was totalled two years ago in an accident, so we abruptly were on a new car search. After experiencing how safe the Siena kept us (we were t-boned at medium speed, car totalled, we had not a scrape or scratch), I was very sold on another Toyota. We spent a lot of time debating about the Highlander, it did drive well, but we ended up with another Siena! But I wanted to pass along the tip…our Toyota dealer also rents cars, and they let us have one of the Highlanders from the rental dept for a couple days while we were deciding. This was really nice, because family ins and outs and comfort was a big factor and it took some time to figure that out. Good luck!
Safest cars on the road, in terms of crash test ratings, are Volvos, followed by Subarus.
ETA: Teslas are probably even safer, as long as you don’t rely upon AutoPilot.
My MIL has the Mazda CX-5 which is a compact SUV and she absolutely loves it.
Safest cars on the road depends on what list you’re looking at and how their ratings are determined. Neither a Volvo or a Subaru are amongst the top selling cars and trucks in America.
I’ve been holding back, but here goes - convertible, forget most of your list, maybe an Audi Quattro for the pavement issues. It’s Hawaii.
One new thing I’m also thinking of is clearance between bottom of car and road (due to our bad roads). Any opinions on which models of Toyota/Lexus have higher clearances? Thanks!
Maybe CR-V per this article.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/picturegalleries/8973265/10-cars-best-able-to-cope-with-potholes.html
Thankfully, Toyota is 2nd fewest claims I’d damage due to bad roads/potholes in the survey (which I can’t find).
Your husband should not have trouble climbing into the CR-V and I personally find the comfort and visibility to be better than my husband’s BMW sedan. I have a 2012 model with nav system, back up camera and leather seats and it’s been extremely reliable so far.
Your husband should have no problems with suvs built on a Camry platform like Highlander and Lexus RX.
Too bad Toyota discontinued the Venza, it was built on the sedan platform but seemed to have a higher clearance. Last production was 2015 so probably not many out there. Europeans have many more options for crossover wagons, small SUV’s and hatchbacks. Don’t know why the American market doesn’t support these vehicles.
We didn’t like venza when we rented it—it was wider in the middle than the top and bottom the the vehicle.
Ok, today, tried out the Toyota Prius Prime, Camry, RAV4, and Suburu Impreza (drove CrossTrek the other weekend).
I’m very confused. They are all nice vehicles. We will likely drive under 5000 miles/year, so not sure it’s worth getting an EV or hybrid.
I’m leaning toward a sedan as I’ve driven a van for 20 years and am interested in smaller and sportier.
Anyone with any thoughts? Our mechanic did recommend Toyota for reliability.
What preferences do you have in:
I like the look of the Prius Prime compared to the other Priuses. Nicer headlights and tail lights. The big selling point of the Prius Prime is that it is battery powered for the first 22 miles. If fuel economy is not a high priority, I don’t think the Prius Prime is worth the extra price IMO. Good luck.
BTW I’m also so car shopping.
I liked the Suburu Impreza, though I had not planned to. They are bringing in a CrossTrek hybrid like the Prius Prime in a month. I may want that. They don’t have a price but 2 of the 3 they’re bringing in have already been sold! I don’t understand how a car that doesn’t have a price can be sold?!?!
"They are bringing in a CrossTrek hybrid like the Prius Prime in a month. I may want that. They don’t have a price but 2 of the 3 they’re bringing in have already been sold! I don’t understand how a car that doesn’t have a price can be sold?!?! "
This could be a blessing in disguise. It’s pretty common for the first year of a vehicle to have some reliability issues. Let the other people be the guinea pigs while Subaru works out the kinks on the new hybrid.