Which Family Car?
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Which Family Car?
Dec 2005
We have two old volvos, and want to buy a new car. We recently
rented a small SUV Chevy Trailblazer on a trip and loved it,
because it was higher off the ground than the volvos, and of
course everything worked. We would love some advice about a
SAFE car to buy, that also is good mechanically, and not
outrageously expensive. Safety of the vehicle is a key issue
for us.
in need of auto advise
If safety is your first consideration, buy a minivan. They have the overall highest
safety ratings. SUVs are unsafe because they have higher center of gravity and don't
handle well. After minivans the safest cars are big sedans. Of course, that's short-
run safety. If you're concerned about the world your children will inherit and you
therefore care about global warming, you'll want a car with low carbon emissions,
which means high fuel efficiency. The Toyota Prius gets excellent mileage and has
very low emissions (carbon and otherwise) and has airbags all the way around, with
excellent safety ratings as well. However, rear visibility is not so great on the Prius,
so you have to be very careful merging and backing up. Note that the SUV hybrids
don't actually get good gas mileage at all; they get slightly better mileage than their
horribly-inefficient gas-only cousins and are slightly more powerful. (Same is true
of Honda Accord Hybrid, which apart from being outrageously-priced is a great car
with decent, though not great, fuel efficiency.) The Honda Civic Hybrid gets great
gas mileage, has wonderful Honda handling and excellent safety ratings.
dr.lapin
We had a Volvo wagon for awhile, and it was an expensive
mistake. About 18 months ago, we purchased a new Toyota
Highlander. It's been great - the Highlander is built on a
Camry chassis, so it handles more like a car than a truck.
It's higher than a wagon, so you have good visability, but the
interior room is comprable or a bit larger than a full size
wagon. It has an excellent safety record, especially if you
get side airbags. The maintenance has been inexpensive ($100-
200 for a service, vs. the $800 + we spent every time we took
our Volvo in), even when we take it to the dealer for our
scheduled services. There is a third row seat, so you can get
5 kids in the back if need be. We've been super happy with it,
and would highly reccomend this car. Gas mileage has been
good, and Toyota now sells a hybrid Highlander. Good luck in
your search!
Happy Highlander Owner
We faced the same decision you are, and we bought a Honda CRV.
Key features:
1) it's a real Japanese-made Honda, which to us means reliable
2) it's a certified low emissions vehicle
3) the EX model has side airbags
4) it's not a huge gas guzzler - MPG about the same as my Volvo
V40 (2001)
5) comfortable for a road trip
Hope this helps. We've been very happy with ours. I just wish
it came with leather seats.
Honda mama
March 2005
i need a new car, which cars are easiest to put infants and
toddlers in and out of back seat/car seat? I have a geo prism
4 door and it kills my back and is very awkward to get infant
seat in and out.
I hate to say it, but we just love our new (used) minivan and
its great for the carseat lifestyle
ilona
It isn't a ''car'', but a minivan would solve your problem. We
bought a used one when we had our 2nd baby 3 years ago, and now,
as mom of 3, I can't say enough good things about it. Height is
perfect for getting kids in & out easily, and the space is so
convenient, both for storage of strollers & such, and for moving
around inside, (great for safety and privacy) when changing
diapers & clothes, nursing, etc.
Heidi
Dec 2004
I need to purchase a new car, which I would prefer to do in
January. However, I notice that many dealers are trying to sell
their 2004 models now (I want to purchase a 2004). Does anyone
know if 1) it is cheaper to purchase in October or January and
2) if there will be anything to choose from in January?
Thanks!
Eileen
whatever you do, you should do yourself a favor and check out fightingchance.com
before you buy a new car. I bought their 40-dollar package and followed the
instructions and bought a brand new Honda Element for under invoice over the
internet and then walked into the dealer and drove home with it in less than 1/2
hour. Also good is carbuyingtips.com
Fighting chance will give you ALL the research you need on the models you are
interested in, and if there are specific times to buy that are better than others. (it
varies by model)
p
October 2002
Our 10-year-old Honda Civic now needs alot of work (probably a
new transmission and timing belt), and we are considering getting
a new car instead. We are a family of four (two kids in car
seats) and have only one car. We drive about 7500 miles a year,
mainly in the city.
Of course, we could read Consumer Reports, etc., but the problem
is that we have so many conflicting ideas, ideals and prejudices
concerning cars, we can't even begin. Also Consumer Reports
doesn't seem to compare cars between their narrow categories.
I'm hoping for some advice. I list our legitimate criteria
below:
* We want a fuel efficient car.
* We want a car that uses regular (not premium) gas.
* We want a car with four doors.
* We want a ''safe'' car (meaning side air bags, and anti-lock
brakes.)
* We want a car that will be reliable for at least 10 years.
Other criteria:
* We don't want to spend more than say $25,000.
* We don't want anything that even resembles an SUV.
* We would like a hybrid, but we worry that they are more
expensive and less road tested than conventional cars. Also they
generally have less cargo space.
* We would like air-conditioning and a CD player.
We find that with our roof rack, we can fit almost anything we
need onto our present Honda Civic. We carry 10-foot long pipes,
our tandem, lumber, suitcases, and boxes of Cost Co diapers up
there. We use the trunk for smaller loads (like groceries.)
Other people seem to need minivans the instant they become
parents. Is there something we're missing? Are there other
criteria we should add? Are there criteria we should drop?
In Need of Car Counseling
I just saw a friend's new Mazda Protege wagon, a model I've been
admiring for a couple of months. It is great looking, a small
station wagon size, under $20k, gets good gas mileage (she says
25 - 30 mpg) and has a roof rack that can hold 100 lbs. I'm
guessing it would be reliable, too. I'd buy one in a second.
anon
If you've liked your Honda Civic, I would seriously consider
looking into the new Civic hybrid. We are currently
considering getting one and I was also concerned that it
hadn't been around very long but the Honda Insight has
been around for awhile and my cousins have one that they
love. My assumption is that the technology in the new hybrid
Civic is pretty dead-on the Insight's technology. Worth a look
at least.
Jennifer
If you're willing to spend $25,000, try the Honda CR-V. The EX
model has all the features you want (including side air bags and
ABS). It's classified as a ''wagon'' and gets 20-25 miles per
gallon. It has TONS of trunk space and lots of cool features. I
just bought one and I love it. If you're already a Honda fan,
you'll appreciate this car. It's supposed to last at least 10
years, or so the salesman said! Good luck.
Anon.
we bought a saturn station wagon 6 years ago and we just love
it. it gets great gas mileage about 45 mpg on the freeway, we
had one repair that costs about $100 and the car has about 120k
miles on it. another thing, you can custom order it. we got
the cheaper version with the not so nice fabic because we have 2
dogs, with air, a cd player(at the time only available in more
expensive models) and cruise control. it's been a great car for
us and i don't think they do the cult thing any more. that was
a little creepy. oh and if we have had problems (loose wire),
the service department has been so helpful.
erin
Take a look at the Subaru Outback or Forester. It meets all
your requirements listed. We have been so satisfied with
our Outback that we purchased another Subaru this past
summer.
patricia
There are lots of great cars out there. My only advice on the
mini-van/SUV thing is that if you think you will want to do alot
of carpooling when your kids are older (and with 2 kids you
probably will), then you need the bigger car. Given that
children should not ride in the front seat of a car, you need to
fit all kids in the back - thus the mini-van. I am restricted
in carpooling with a Ford Explorer (with a passenger side air
bag) because it has just 5 seats, and I have two kids. I am
considering a larger car (maybe a station wagon, that's as far
as I will go!).
SherryH
How about another Honda Civic? The one you have sounds like it
served you well, and for under $25,000 you can probably get an
EX or LX, which would have the upgrades you desire.
I have a 1997 Saturn, and I think it serves me well. I do home
health visits in SF, so I city drive and stuff tons of stuff in
it all the time. It is certainly not a fancy car, but very fuel
efficient and economically priced. I haven't had any problems
with it except for problems associated with beating the heck out
of it by mostly hilly city driving and a stop and go commute...
overall a decent car.
Hope this helps.
Lisa
The reason I got a minivan is that both my kids wanted to bring
friends along on family outings, so we needed 6 seats. This
situation may arise in your family too in a couple years and
you probably won't want to buy another new car!
anon
I too would like a hybrid car, but I was told that anything electric
would be much too expensive for my budget.
I don't know about side airbags. The newer cars probably have them.
Everyone I talked to said get a Honda or Toyota for least maintenance.
I prefer the Toyota Camry to the Honda Accord for seat comfort.
I've been looking for something under $8,000, hence about 1995,
(hence also, no side airbags).
--Bob
We just bought a Toyota Prius, the hybrid which averaged 58.25 mpg our
first trip! It is small but saves the earth, air and money. There were
several previosly rented Prius available at Toyota Walnut Creek at around
17,500 which is almost three thousand less than anywhere else. You also get
about $2000. deduction for your taxes from the feds.We also didn't want to
spend a lotof money but in the long run, this will be a less expensive car
any other compact. Call us at 848-2674 if you want more info.
micky
Here's my take on fuel efficiency, hybrids and a small budget:
Your car does 7500 miles of driving per year, 30 miles per
gallon, and regular gas priced at $1.50 per gallon. That works
out to $375 in gas per year.
Hybrid cars price $4000 more than their equivalent gas cars
(that's 10 years of gas for your current car), and consumes
50 miles per gallon, which works out to $225 in gas per year.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it seems you can expect to break
even in about 26 years! Top that with higher maintenance for
hybrids (i.e., replacing the batteries). Note: if your current
car gets better than 30 mpg average, the breakeven will take
even longer than 26 years, but if gas prices go up, the
breakeven will be sooner.
Here's the math: $375/year (gas) for 26 years = $9750 versus
hybrid's $225/year (gas) for 26 years = $5850 and add to that
the $4000 additional price tag for $9850.
If you have concerns about the environment, I respectfully
suggest that all the raw materials and energy that go into a new
car is more wasteful than ''reduce, REUSE, ...'' your old car.
Keep in mind that your current Civic is already fuel efficient.
Maybe that new transmission and timing belt isn't such a bad
idea. Try Steve's Auto Care (Acura/Honda) at 1057 East Shore Hwy
north of Gilman, in Albany. In general, if you want your Honda
Civic to last more than 10 years, change your motor oil and
filter (every 3,750 miles) religiously as well as regularly
scheduled maintenance. They have high resale value because they
are built to last. But you have to treat it well for all the
hard work it's doing.
A very good reason for a new car would be for safety's sake.
Checkout the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's ratings:
http://www.highwaysafety.com/vehicle_ratings/ratings.htm
or the gov't's own ratings: http://www.nhtsa.org/NCAP/Cars.cfm
In short, you're looking at a Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta or
Subaru Imprezza. 2003 models are due in November. So it's
clearance time.
kim
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