Cars, Trucks, and SUV's Oh! MY!

[DS3]

As the title says, This thread involves cars, trucks, and SUV's. Well mainly cars and SUV's. We just can't afford a truck or Mini-Van right now.

Since I don't know a lot about cars (which is what the hubby wants) I was hoping some of you could share your experience if you own a 4 door sedan. Year, make model, how's it ride? Good on fuel? Those types of questions. We're looking for a bigger sedan, with under 60K and under 10G.

As for the SUV part, I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo (2004). She's my baby. And I think she got mad at me for taking her to the dealership yesterday to buy a new car for my husband. She decided that she did not want to start. So I jumped her yesterday and we managed to get home just fine. She worked fine all morning until I went to leave school after picking up my son. She refused to start, jump, and ended up needing a tow. It just needed a new battery (122.00!!!). At least the battery has a 9 year warranty on it.

So I decided I would treat her nice and vacuum her and clean her out. I never knew how much stuff the kids could put UNDER the car seat (not the kid's one, the actual car seat). Man was that nasty. I even cleaned the kid's car seats, windows and what not. My hands are feeling it tonight. But I'm hoping she'll treat me better.

So on-top of the 'what do you drive?' questions, this thread is also meant to be light and you can tell your funny or horrible car stories here as well.

 

[DammitJanet]

Well I drive a Ford Focus 2007 and it is great so far...knock on wood, throws salt over shoulder, looks out window to blow kisses at Momma's baby...good girl! LOL. I just paid her off recently so one must be careful of what one says or types within earshot of one's car as you just found out!

I have always said that cars know what you are thinking and they know if you have money to spend and at that one precise moment they will break down on you. Years and years ago I had this 76 Toyota Corolla and I swear that it would start acting up on me and if I just threatened it hard enough it would calm down and act right. Many a time I cussed it out, slapped the dashboard, kicked the car and it worked right again.

 

[Marcie Mac]

Our Ford F150 was just totaled last month - love that truck - extended cab, lift kits, TV that dropped down - but even with extended cab, the back seat were not real comfortable - but it fit the bill for SO and I, and had a lot of room to haul stuff for our storage gig. But then his mom moved in with us, and there was NO way we could ever get her in the truck - for me to even get in the dang thing because it was so high I had to step on the side rail as it was 4 foot off the ground -bottom of the door panel was waist high.

Since it was our only vehicle post mom, we have been renting various vans/mini vans/SUV's to see how it fit with family needs - big enough to haul stuff, big enough to carry a wheel chair. The one that we fell in love with was the Mazda 5 - sliding doors, closer to the ground, actually has 6 seats, 4 of which can be closed down for more room in the back (If we bought one from Hertz, it ran about 14,000 for the 2011 (sport model) low milage (they put them up for sale after I think it is 12,000 miles) then went to the Mazda dealer this weekend and had to tell the sport model I didn't love him anymore, but his brother, the Grand Touring, had my heart SO said I only liked it because of the moon/sun roof, plus the fact that I could have the air conditioning on just for me when I was sitting in the back

We did look at the Chevy Equinox which had better gas milage, bells and whistles and only a little more than the Mazda. SO liked the GPS system - big old screen on the dash, blue tooth, when you put it in reverse it gave you a complete view of the back due to video cameras on the side view mirrors. All I kept thinking is omg, all of this computer stuff - one thing go wrong and its all over cost wise. And for some reason I REALLY liked the sliding doors on the Mazda, which the Chevy didn't have. One thing the dealer said is that if you look at the Toyotas, there is a little government warning sign on the inside of the door about the steel not being up to par. I will go have a look at them this weekend, but really don't like the way they look

Marcie

 

[Hound dog]

If you can find a Saturn in good condition, snatch that baby up! Seriously.

I bought mine almost 8 yrs ago. So that would've made it 3 yrs old when I bought it. I've never done a major repair. Runs like a dream. Great gas mileage. And she's still going strong. It's a 2000.

Metros are awesome, but would probably be too small for you.

 

[Hound dog]

Oh.........and in my opinion, KIA's hoover out the wazoo.

husband raved and raved about them when he wanted to buy it. Bought it used, had sister in law with him. sister in law advised him not to buy it as he'd heard people were having some issues.........husband just had to have it. It's been nickle diming us to death since he bought it. Today I went with sister in law to transfer title over to his name. He's been working on it to attempt to sell it. (he won't sell a car that stinks to anyone) He's been driving it back and forth to work for the past month. The 4 wheel drive is shot, but it's still drivable. (again with the nickle dime stuff though) And suddenly it's starts bucking on him the way it was doing husband. We both think the transmission is going.......which would cost 2800.00 for repair (with sister in law doing it) OMG! We both decided if the transmission goes, it goes to the junkyard.

It's less than half the age of my car. sheesh lol

 

[InsaneCdn]

You are going to be caught in a trade-off.
More room = more size, and more fuel $$.
Less room = easier to park, but a total pain for hauling a family and gear

We've gotten out of sedans. I refuse to EVER go back. A trunk is nothing but a pain in the backside.

Absolute minimum is a station wagon... at least your groceries don't freeze on the way home, the dogs can go back there, and you can even haul "stuff" (i.e. plywood, 2x4s, that used coffee table that you found at a garage sale, etc.)

 

[DS3]

Thanks for the advice. On the list to look at today is the Saturn Ion, Kia Spectra (good to know about those Kia's HD), and Nissan Sentra.

I drove an 09 Dodge Charger and LOVED it. Can't get the financing for it though. So we're just looking for something bigger then the Aveo yet smaller then the LeSabre. Anything that gets around 30MPG's on highway would work. I've heard a lot of good news about the Saturns. And I have a Dodge Stratus on hold with another dealership.

A little info on all:

07 Saturn Ion, 29K, asking 10,995.
09 Kias Spectra, 52K, asking 8,995.
06 Nissan Spectra, 66K, asking 9,995.
06 Dodge Stratus, 71K, asking 8,820.

We just basically need a car to go back and forth to work (20 miles 1 way), will last the next 5 years, is better on gas then the Mountaineer, and will make it from El Paso TX back to NY without dying on us (that's a 3800 mile drive over a week).

Oh, and we're not adverse to a hatchback. Hubby liked the Matrix, but it was out of our price range.

 

[DammitJanet]

Kia's are better today than they were even 5 years ago.

I am going to have to get a SUV or Minivan in the next year or so because of the electric wheelchair issues myself. Good to know that about the Mazda. Tony is in love with the Town and Country. I said we cant afford it...lol. I definitely want the back up system and the whole bluetooth/nav system. To heck with having to plug my phone in and sit it on my legs or the passenger seat and tell everyone to shut up so i can hear the stupid phone. lol

 

[Shari]

1996 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel, 320,000 miles and counting, spent less than $3000 in the life of the vehicle on 'major' repairs, you can pick up a 2wheel drive model for under $5k. She can still outpull the newer Chevy.

But that's not exactly what you're looking for, so I've been 0 help!

 

[DDD]

I understand "the love". I loved my Explorer. Sadly it began to have aging problems and I decided to think economics. Couldn't afford what I wanted so I got a Toyota Corolla. The gas mileage is fine. It looks OK. I've had it two or three years and I just don't "feel it". It's transportation. Even after all this time I'm not used to riding low. Seriously, it impacts my psyche. The Explorer had alot of ajustments availble for up/down as well as back/forth...sigh. In the Corolla I "ride" like a little midget. Yuk! DDD

 

[AnnieO]

If you are looking at an Ion... That's what I have.

I love my car. Mine is the 2-door with half-doors in the back, aka "suicide doors" that open backwards. Makes it SUPER easy to get kids in and out.

I average 28-30 mpg. Couple weeks ago, I was doing a lot of highway driving, to and from my parents' to take care of their cats. 34.9 mpg.

I can fit $400 worth of generic groceries in the trunk.

I adore the dash panel in the center, as I'm short... So I can see over it. Also, this enables a smaller steering wheel, which is more comfortable for me.

Mine's a 2004; about 76000 miles.

I had to have: ABS, sunroof and a stick shift.

I also got: a 6-disc mp3/CD changer.

Now for the bad parts.

I have a shimmy that's either ruined a pair of tires or was caused by a bad set of tires.

At 56 mph, with the sunroof open, things get LOUD. Fortunately, the freeway around here is 65 mph, and surface streets 45 or under. Usually.

I had a fuse blow that knocked out the dash lights, open door alarm, and taillights. I could live without the dingy and dash lights... Taillights are a safety issue. We tried to fix it for 2 months before we figured out about the taillights (but the brake & reverse lights worked fine). Took it to the (ahem) dealer, and it took them THREE HOURS to figure out it was a fuse. They only charged the 1-hr diagnostic fee, though.

The sunroof drains have crud in them, and so right now, when it rains, the car leaks like a sieve.

It creaks when it's cold.

But... All in all, I love my babycar.

 

[trinityroyal]

Small:
My current car is a VW golf. I LOVE it. It's small, nimble and zippy, great on gas, built like a little tank. AND, even though it's a little car which makes it perfect for vertically challenged me, it's still comfortable for husband (6'2) and difficult child (6'5) to drive or ride in without having to hang their knees over their ears.

The Tot Monsters' extra-large car seats both fit nicely in the back (the middle seat is unusable, but I don't generally need to use it for more than a diaper bag anyway). The cargo hatch can hold an entire shopping load from Costco (that's 4 18"x24"x12" shopping bags, plus other stuff on top of the bags). More if I remove the tonneau cover on the hatch.

I got the stripped down model without any bells and whistles, but it came with seat heaters (a real boon during winter in the Great White North) as a standard feature.

(Very) Large:
Before the Golf, I used to drive a Ford Expedition (the next size up from the Explorer). It was FABULOUS. The seats were infinitely adjustable so I could see out of it to drive, and reach the pedals and all controls. I did have to stand on the running board and then jump to get up into the car, and free fall the 3-odd feet to the ground on my way out (We used to keep a foot stool in the back for mother in law's entry and exit). It had 7 seats AND enough room for a full cargo load. I remember once buying a 7 foot shelving unit and an 8 foot tree on a whim and just putting them in the back on the way home. Also, it was surprisingly good on gas for such a large truck. Gosh I miss that car.

Now that all the Tot Monsters are getting so big, I'm considering going back to an Expedition. Some of the slightly older models (2004, 2005) are on the market at really good prices. The newer ones are much more expensive, but anything newer than 2003 has the folding 3rd row seat, so you don't have to lift it out. It weighs about 90 lbs, so that feature is worthwhile.