Car comments

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: Car comments

eastont
my wife bought a new car on wednesday, and her needs are not too different from yours.
She got a Captiva LX with the 2L Turbo Diesel in it.
Is is the top of the range and she had a few extras added.
It is very nice, and drives well....(well it only has 40kms on it so far).

http://www.holden.com.au/vehicles/Captiva

Here they are made for General Motors (Holden) although built in Korea.

She traded her Mazda Tribute Luxuary (as she won't have a car, only these small SUV's) as she finds them easy to get in-out, seat height, tailgate height etc.

I tried hard to get her in to a Great Wall SUV at 50% of the price, and very close in finish, but that didn't work....sod it!

The Diesel is absolutely fantastic...really quick, quiet, and the economy is... great.

Good luck.

Cheers
Phillip

 

[dlindeblad]

Re: Car comments

My back isn't what it used to be either. Getting in and out of the wife's Saturn coupe is a pain in the you know what. A NEW car isn't in the budget right now but I'm on the hunt for a good SUV. Higher off the ground is a must. Love to find a Toyota 4Runner in my price range. She wants a Jeep Liberty. I have to admit, I've got a thing for Jeeps too.

What price range where you looking at by chance?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Car comments

The new Chevy mid sized SUV,30+ miles to the gallon and easy to get in and out of.
We have a 07 Saturn Aura...Loaded with leather and all but on trips it kills me.
Have a 08 Mazda 6...same thing..sits too low.
I had surgery 2 times on my back and my Tahoe is all i want to drive..

As far as used i think the SUV is the right way to go...

 

[642mx]

Re: Car comments

Ford fusion, beats the jap quality, and is easy to get in and out.

I doubt Mexican quality beats Japanese quality... just sayin

 

[642mx]

Re: Car comments

Funny comments here:

I agree.... but most of them are in your post...lol

That's not to say I haven't had troubles with our American cars, too...I have...but I get so annoyed when people preach the virtues of these foreign cars and their gas mileage and reliability.

Its a proven fact... or at least in my house it is. For example my underpowered 99 F-150 was lucky to get 14 mpg... my new Tundra with a 5.7 has hit 18 mpg and its not even broke in yet.

Take this Equinox for example. It's so new that all I have to do is rotate tires and change oil. I can drive one wheel up on a ramp and slide underneath. The oil plug is easy to get to with nothing in the way. The oil filter sits about 4 inches in front of the pan, straight up and down and is also easy to get to. I can change the oil without getting oil on myself or my vehicle...something almost unheard of in the aforementioned 20 or so cars I've owned. That, to me, is worth its weight in gold.

The OPer has a back problem... I seriously doubt he'll be laying on the ground doing his own oil changes... moot point.

Plus, our country is kind of going to shiz because nobody worries about American made products anymore.

If they made a truck or car that would compare to my Toyota's then I would give them a look.... but they don't! Besides my 1st Tundra was made in Indiana, my second Tundra was made in the great State of Texas! and my wifes Solara was made in Kentucky.... All are American as apple pie.

Again, my buddy with the Hyundai...how do you tell someone with pride that you own a brand new Hyundai...I just don't see it.

I don't see how anybody can hold there head up high when they buy something from Motors Liquidation Company... Your buddy did what was best for HIM... like we should all do.

...you need to find something you really like for yourself...

Now this has merit... The OP needs to take a couple days and visit some dealers and drive some cars.

 

[642mx]

Re: Car comments

The time has come to buy a new vehicle. Here are some of the criteria required:
4 door, automatic trans, all the power stuff - brakes, steering, windows etc., heated mirrors, comfortable to drive and get in/out.
We have 3 vehicles now, 1967 Galaxie 500, 2004 Sierra 2500hd and the one were are replacing - 2001 Honda Accord EX. I have back problems and getting in/out of the Honda is an ordeal. I like the way it handles both in the city and on the highway, but it's too cramped. I love the Galaxie and the Sierra, but the Galaxie is a summer only and the Sierra is not very easy to maneuver in town.
I have been looking at Buicks, Impalas, Lexus, Fusions, Flex........I'm so confused as to just is the car I want. It was so easy least time, we just bought the sportiest car we liked.....no issues to do with age or aging.

I'm not looking to hear the good things about various vehicles, but only the bad things....like being uncomfortable to drive for more than an hour, or bad sight lines(blind spots) etc

Thanks
Bruce

For what its worth... my wifes Grandfather is in his 80's, he doesn't get around very good, he doesn't see very good, but he loves classy looking cars. He just bought a Lexus GS350. Its easy for him to get in and out of, its easy to drive, rides smooth, its not complicated to operate and they start at $45K. Plus its a Lexus, drive one and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[bassman284]

Re: Car comments

My back isn't what it used to be either. Getting in and out of the wife's Saturn coupe is a pain in the you know what. A NEW car isn't in the budget right now but I'm on the hunt for a good SUV. Higher off the ground is a must. Love to find a Toyota 4Runner in my price range. She wants a Jeep Liberty. I have to admit, I've got a thing for Jeeps too.

Whoa! You call yourself Jeep Man and you're looking for a 4Runner? A rice burner? For shame!

I have a '97 Grand Cherokee Ltd with 179000 on the clock (that's 289k to you Canadians) and my ideal replacement vehicle would be a brand new 97 GCLtd.

That said, I wouldn't mind a 4runner if, as you point out, I could find one in my price range. Or find a used one at all, for that matter. They're good, but not that good.

 

[allen6634]

Re: Car comments

i would like to give you a suggestion. first i would test drive some cars that you think you whant, then i would look for the same car ,of older models and drive it also. this may give you a idea of what the car is going to be like when it gets some age on it . realy the best i can say is it is on you to find the right fit.(just like pants). good luck

 

[smclear]

Re: Car comments

FWIW, Mazda 6s 5-door. Am going on 5 years now, and it's still PERFECT in all ways. Nothing replaced except oil, tires, and brakes.

Roomiest car available for both passengers and cargo (that's not a SUV or wagon, that is) and truly fun to drive.

Check it out -- also a Consumer Reports \ Edmunds "best bet". Fully loaded should be well under $30k.

Just my $.02... good luck.

That said, we're looking to upgrade from our Honda CRV to a BMW X3 or X5. Have driven one and it's a blast.

All I can speak to is my own experience. I have an '02 Mazda Protoge 5 (forerunner to the Mazda 3). It has 212,00 miles on it. The ONLY thing I have ever done is standard maintenance and replace wear items. It has been an extraordinary car in that department. I would highly recommend anyone look at Mazda's as a possible car purchase.

 

[javsam]

Re: Car comments

We bought a 2007 Chev Impala and love it.Its a very nice riding car(better than my 2001 Buick Century) and we get 32 MPG HYW .No problems what so ever (50000 miles already).I would definately recommend the Chevy Impala.

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Car comments

Toyota Avalon. Very roomy & feels like your driving on a couch.

Honda CRV. Roomier than they appear, easy to drive, & great on gas.

 

[kmk_7110]

Re: Car comments

I have an 06 grand prix base model which is comfy fro me (19 yo) and my parents both say they hate getting in and out of it, and my father has a slight back problem. I drove a Jeep Patroit for a while and i would never buy one as roomy as they are. Easy to get in and out of but I went from madison to Green bay about 2 hours and it was almost a tank of gas, I expected much better from it but it has some sort of transmission that is always ready to shift to make it nice and smooth but at 65-70 it seemed like it was always over revving. sat at like 3-4k rpms for 65 70. Major dislike and road noise was terrible. interior features were nice but didnt make up for it.

 

[captharv]

Re: Car comments

If you want to stay with the Honda, look at the CRV. My ex-boss had one and I "test drove" it. I liked it.
Good blend of small size outside with room inside.
Fuel ecomomy good.

 

[eastont]

Re: Car comments

I went test driving on Saturday and I am looking towards a Jeep Liberty, Lexus or Ford Flex. The odd thing is that none of the 8 or 9 I test drove really jumped up and said "BUY ME!!!!"

What I haven't read too much here are problems or engineering errors with a certain make. I remember back in the 90,s when I was shopping for a small car I drove 3 Neons and they all had dashboard alignment differences at the doors.

I also read that Chrysler has had the worst warranty record of all car companies the last 20 years.

My wife, who likes the Impalla, did some digging and found that of all the ministry vehicles, the Impalla was the most serviced vehicle in the whole fleet and that's over 1000 various vehicles, from police cars, to paddy wagons and bailiff buses. So consequently they have removed it from the new purchase list.
The best vehicle for service and reliability was the Ford Crown Victoria, but 2nd to it was the Toyota Prius.........hmm. Very interesting, considering that Toyota makes a hybrid Highlander.
But it starts at $42k....hmmmmm.

 

[Subliminal]

Re: Car comments

I agree.... but most of them are in your post...lol



Its a proven fact... or at least in my house it is. For example my underpowered 99 F-150 was lucky to get 14 mpg... my new Tundra with a 5.7 has hit 18 mpg and its not even broke in yet.



The OPer has a back problem... I seriously doubt he'll be laying on the ground doing his own oil changes... moot point.




If they made a truck or car that would compare to my Toyota's then I would give them a look.... but they don't! Besides my 1st Tundra was made in Indiana, my second Tundra was made in the great State of Texas! and my wifes Solara was made in Kentucky.... All are American as apple pie.




I don't see how anybody can hold there head up high when they buy something from Motors Liquidation Company... Your buddy did what was best for HIM... like we should all do.



Now this has merit... The OP needs to take a couple days and visit some dealers and drive some cars.

1. You can't really compare a 99 and an...09? That's 10 years of technology that didn't exist when your F150 was created. Plus you have to take into consideration the gear ratios which were probably lower, the weight, etc...apples to oranges. Besides, the Tundra didn't even exist at that time, and the mid-sized Tacoma with the larger v6 got about 2MPG better...and was significantly smaller.

2. Laying on the ground doesn't really hurt your back...and that's beside the point, anyhow. Even if I didn't have to change my oil myself, just knowing that the vehicle is setup properly, for the easiest possible maintenance makes me feel good.

3. I'd beg to differ. I would buy a Ford, Dodge or Chevy over your Tundra any day. Personal preference? Possible. Years of R&D that Toyota doesn't have under its belt? Certainly. Also, if you think the profits off that truck that was made in the US are staying in the US, I think you'd find yourself sadly mistaken.

4. My buddy actually didn't do what was right for him. He overpaid for that vehicle, and now he has to worry about his budget because he made an impulsive purchase.

GM had problems, sure. The majority of them were because of pension plans, and the generations of workers they had to support, and the power of their unions. These are problems that most out-of-the-US manufacturers don't have to worry about because they either haven't been around long enough, or they originate in countries that just don't care about such things.

Actually, GM has a great new commercial where they compare gas mileage to Honda...and the commercial ends with them saying there is an area where they can't compare, and they roll out a push mower.

 

[Subliminal]

Re: Car comments

I went test driving on Saturday and I am looking towards a Jeep Liberty, Lexus or Ford Flex. The odd thing is that none of the 8 or 9 I test drove really jumped up and said "BUY ME!!!!"

What I haven't read too much here are problems or engineering errors with a certain make. I remember back in the 90,s when I was shopping for a small car I drove 3 Neons and they all had dashboard alignment differences at the doors.

I also read that Chrysler has had the worst warranty record of all car companies the last 20 years.

My wife, who likes the Impalla, did some digging and found that of all the ministry vehicles, the Impalla was the most serviced vehicle in the whole fleet and that's over 1000 various vehicles, from police cars, to paddy wagons and bailiff buses. So consequently they have removed it from the new purchase list.
The best vehicle for service and reliability was the Ford Crown Victoria, but 2nd to it was the Toyota Prius.........hmm. Very interesting, considering that Toyota makes a hybrid Highlander.
But it starts at $42k....hmmmmm.

Have you checked out the new Equinox? They look pretty nice! ;-)

 

[642mx]

Re: Car comments

1. You can't really compare a 99 and an...09? That's 10 years of technology that didn't exist when your F150 was created. Plus you have to take into consideration the gear ratios which were probably lower, the weight, etc...apples to oranges. Besides, the Tundra didn't even exist at that time, and the mid-sized Tacoma with the larger v6 got about 2MPG better...and was significantly smaller.

Actually the Tundra was introduced in 1999. I've had an 02 model and now an 08. Both trucks out-performed my F-150 in pulling, braking and none have had to have the $$$ thrown at them like my F-150 did.

3. I'd beg to differ. I would buy a Ford, Dodge or Chevy over your Tundra any day. Personal preference? Possible. Years of R&D that Toyota doesn't have under its belt? Certainly. Also, if you think the profits off that truck that was made in the US are staying in the US, I think you'd find yourself sadly mistaken.

Toyota's been making cars since the mid 1900's... not sure what your point is?.. Also, Toyota is the only manufacture building plants and hiring Americans to work at them... while all the domestics lay-off and close factories!

GM had problems, sure. The majority of them were because of pension plans, and the generations of workers they had to support, and the power of their unions. These are problems that most out-of-the-US manufacturers don't have to worry about because they either haven't been around long enough, or they originate in countries that just don't care about such things.

Don't forget poor quality as one of there BIG problems!

 

[642mx]

Re: Car comments

I went test driving on Saturday and I am looking towards a Jeep Liberty, Lexus or Ford Flex. The odd thing is that none of the 8 or 9 I test drove really jumped up and said "BUY ME!!!!"

What I haven't read too much here are problems or engineering errors with a certain make. I remember back in the 90,s when I was shopping for a small car I drove 3 Neons and they all had dashboard alignment differences at the doors.

I also read that Chrysler has had the worst warranty record of all car companies the last 20 years.

My wife, who likes the Impalla, did some digging and found that of all the ministry vehicles, the Impalla was the most serviced vehicle in the whole fleet and that's over 1000 various vehicles, from police cars, to paddy wagons and bailiff buses. So consequently they have removed it from the new purchase list.
The best vehicle for service and reliability was the Ford Crown Victoria, but 2nd to it was the Toyota Prius.........hmm. Very interesting, considering that Toyota makes a hybrid Highlander.
But it starts at $42k....hmmmmm.

My wife brought one of these home from her work. They are pretty cool indeed. Did you get a chance to drive one?

 

[Subliminal]

Re: Car comments

Actually the Tundra was introduced in 1999. I've had an 02 model and now an 08. Both trucks out-performed my F-150 in pulling, braking and none have had to have the $$$ thrown at them like my F-150 did.





Toyota's been making cars since the mid 1900's... not sure what your point is?.. Also, Toyota is the only manufacture building plants and hiring Americans to work at them... while all the domestics lay-off and close factories!





Don't forget poor quality as one of there BIG problems!

I think we've already turned this into enough of a peeing competition for this thread, but what I meant about R&D is that Japan never made a full size truck to compete with Ford, Chevy or Dodge until recently. They don't have the R&D that the others did in that market.

Toyota has had every bit the financial problems that the American companies have...they've just been helped out by their governments...Our companies kind of got screwed, from the aforementioned Union and Pension problems, to our govn't giving away so much money, to so much anger, to the banking industry.

As for quality, I just can't agree with that. I've owned a lot of cars and the majority of them have been American and they've been great. You don't see Toyotas on the road that are older than mid 90s, and not very many of them...but you see American cars all over.

And besides, how's that crappy quality motor in that boat of yours holding up?

 

[642mx]

Re: Car comments

I think we've already turned this into enough of a peeing competition for this thread, but what I meant about R&D is that Japan never made a full size truck to compete with Ford, Chevy or Dodge until recently. They don't have the R&D that the others did in that market.

I understand your point about R&D... keep in mind that Toyota has made trucks for years, also keep in mind all of the trucks that they have produced over the years that where not available in the US. Take a trip to Nassau or Jaimaca and see what I'm talking about. I don't think the Tundra is behind any manufacture with reseach and development... in every test that I've read, it holds its own very nicely against the domestics.

Toyota has had every bit the financial problems that the American companies have...they've just been helped out by their governments...Our companies kind of got screwed, from the aforementioned Union and Pension problems, to our govn't giving away so much money, to so much anger, to the banking industry.

Toyota has recently taken advantage of low interest loans that the Japanese government was offering. Toyota has billions saved for economic slumps... they don't live in dept like the domestics. Toyota hasn't sold 60% of the company to the g'ment like others have.

As for quality, I just can't agree with that. I've owned a lot of cars and the majority of them have been American and they've been great. You don't see Toyotas on the road that are older than mid 90s, and not very many of them...but you see American cars all over.

Now this is an opinion, I see plenty of old Japanese cars on the road like I do domestics... Heck, my daily driver is an old domestic... I've been looking to replace it with an older Camry or Solara, but I can't find them. Are they in a junk yard? NO! Everyone who has one won't part with it.

And besides, how's that crappy quality motor in that boat of yours holding up?

Actually the quality of my GM blocked Mercruiser is why I found this site.... lots of good info on how to fix it! To answer your question, NO I don't think its held up as great as it should've. If Toyota made a boat, I would be standing in line with my checkbook ready.

Now, lets get back on topic before this gets shut down.