new car advise

[itlw8]

I need some ideas on a new car.

I had planned on keeping our 98 van until 09 but it may be taken out of our hands... it was wrecked Sat and though the damage was only the bumper fender and hood chances are they will total it due to its age.

So what to look for.... I want good gas mileage... something with the space of my mini van in the back but not as big. I need to be able to deliver wedding cakes so it needs a large flat area.

The frugal way could be to buy a older used something with what ever they give us and wait to buy a newer one but then we could have unknown repairs... normally we get something 1 or 2 years old and keep it 10 or more years.

I like the look of the pt crusiers does anyone have one??

[suki]

I've tried a lot of vehicles out by renting them for the weekend. Some I loved at first but after driving for a few days found them uncomfortable. That was my experience with a PT cruiser. The angle from the steering wheel to the seat caused my shoulders to ache terribly.

My bias is anything Saturn!

[Lady_V]

I know Chevy HHR's have plenty of room in the back, the Old Man delivered 2 cambros, a cooler and 3 totes in the back of one...

[Foundation]

Anything Subaru makes, 96% of all Subaru's produced in the last 10 years are still on the road. We love the safety and userfriendliness.

[Darlene]

We really like our new Ford Focus SE Coupe. Back seats fold down for more cargo area. I was surprised at the size and height of the trunk. Gets around 33mpg too.

http://autos.yahoo.com/ford_focus_se_coupe/

[Daisygirl]

PT Cruisers have a LOT of suspension issues. The ones we service at our dealership have a repair every couple of years to replace the lower control arm bushings. This costs about $475. I love the way they look but this is a major expense. As far as fuel goes, as long as you don't get the one with Turbo they are very economical. Most people that have them absolutely love them.

I have a Dodge Caliber which is very spacious. The cargo area is plastic and wipes down easily. The rear seats fold flat for extra space. Fuel economy is good, but get one still under warranty, as it is a new design and who knows what the future will bring.

Jeep Compass is very roomy for cargo and very efficient but it has been a discontinued design, which leads me to question it. We haven't had very many service issues with them, I just think they weren't very popular.

Nearly all the mechanics at our shop drive 5-15 year old Dodge vans. They run for ever if well maintained. If you are keeping it for a while I would splurge and get the ones with the stow-n-go seats. They fold completely flat into the floor and are just wonderful. Make certain to have the tranny on a Dodge van serviced regularly.

I work in the service department at a Dodge dealer so if you have any Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler questions, I'm your woman! I'm happy to share whatever I know.

[M55FF]

I almost bought one when they came out, the PT cruiser but heard bad things about them... instead kept my old vehicle. Glad now I did because with the events of the life of my old vehicle, looks like it will last another 10-15 years ( its a 2000 model) or until retirement age.

Be sure when you get your oil changed you go to a good company that carrys insurance in case they do the oil change wrong and you end up having to have your whole engine replaced.

Why were you thinking PT cruiser> is it just because you like how they look ? or are you thinking fuel economy?

[powerfm1]

I have a Jeep Cherokee and I love it.

[cissylu]

any one know about a nisan path finder.

[dianne9106]

We have had several vehicles and I can recommend the following:
*Honda Odyssey (for a mini-van) - AWESOME hands down and good gas mileage!
*Toyota Sienna - Nice van, but pricey - can get the same for less with Odyssey.
*Subaru Imprezza - Great AWD Car with awesome gas mileage! Not as big at the Forester or Legacy - but still user friendly and goes great in the snow!
*Nissan -Armada - YUCK- huge with horrible gas mileage!; Frontier: Nice for a truck, but does not hold it's value on trade in that well.
*VW Passat - A lot of the same components underneath the hood as Audi - even with the Audi name on them! Dependable.
*Prius - Great gas mileage - 49 MPG, a little on the smallish side for the money. Great for a couple or with one child.
*Escape - Small SUV-held up well to European driving - but minimal styling consistent with Ford. It sounded pretty windy after 2 years.

I hope my mini reviews helped. Check out Edmunds for more in depth reviews.
Dianne

[leezza]

I can suggest a Saturn VUE......our family has had 2 so far, (1 was a company vehicle, the other is our personal vehicle).

I like driving it, lots of room.....(4 adults very comfortable) (you could go 2 adults and 3 kids very easily)....anyway we got the 4 cylinder, pretty good on gas....lots of room in the back area to put things.

I bet you could go to your local dealer and check into lease returns and maybe get a really good deal.....

The other thing I really like about Saturn is that they have wonderful Customer Service.

JMHO,
leezza

[ewokgirl]

You may have already bought a new car by now, but I highly recommend Hondas. The Honda Odyssey is a good minivan. My sister drove one when she lived in the States.

If you don't want another van, the Honda Fit or Element may fit your needs. The Element definitely has the interior room and flat storage, but I don't know what the gas mileage is like. The Fit is small, but it has a lot of interior room for its size. Gas mileage is top notch on it.

I have a Honda CRV (can you tell I'm all about Hondas?), and it's pretty spacious inside and the seats fold down for storage, although they're not completely flat when they do. Well, our model (2000) doesn't; they may with a newer model.

I keep suggesting Hondas because they are rated as best buys in Consumer Reports every year. They tend to have good gas mileage, depending on the size of the vehicle, and their reliability is excellent. We've had our Hondas for 12 and almost 8 years. Both were bought brand new, and they've been extremely reliable with regular maintenance.

[itlw8]

Thanks everyone all the suggestions help we are going shopping Sat. I ruled out the PT cruiser I just liked the looks

We have not test driven anything yet the Chevy HHR, Honda fit and Nissan Versa have caught my eye.... We are going to look at a Saturn but the dealership is 45 miles away.


Any car has to pass the hill test at 70 mph and the cake stand The ins check has not arrived so we are still looking.

I think I will take the digital camera with us and a tape measure to see if I can fit everything I haul in it like molding for DIY projects.

[itlw8]

we may have switched after someone suggested a toyota prius a hybrid I thought is was out of the price range but the savings on gas is a lot. So we are open to check it out and see about the room

[sixfreds]

We just got a new van (well a 2007) chrysler town and country and LOVE it, the stow-n-go seats are the coolest things and fold completely flat and are easy!!!

Eileen