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I need to buy a new car. Actually, I bought a new used car but the seats are horrible and break my back. Now I have to sell the car -- at a loss because you can't reclaim the sales tax and registration (-$1300) and because I'm not able to get what I paid for it ($-750). I feel like an idiot for making such a huge screw up.
Now I need to buy another car and I don't want to be foiled again. Here's what I need:
* Reliable car
* Comfortable seats (no more cheap, hard Toyota seats, please)
* Storage space (I'm driving across country with a dog, cat, and my stuff)
* Decent gas mileage (13 miles per gallon is unnacceptable!)
I've been looking at the Pontiac Vibe (Toyota engine) and Mazda3. I was considering a Ford Focus but reliability is horrible!
Any other suggestions? Oh, and I'd like to pay no more than $10,000 to keep my monthly payments low. Is it possible?
Thanks,
Greenie
My '95 Lincoln Town Car covers all of the categories you listed above. Definitely reliable, very comfortable seats and plenty of room inside, a very large (22.3-cu.ft. trunk) and I've been averaging 20 mpg- this in a 6-passenger, 4,200-lbs, V-8 car!
The Town Car has the same engine (281-cu-in/4.6 L) used in most taxi and police cars (Ford Crown Victoria).
The Mercury Grand Marquis is also nice, and roomier than the make-believe "full-sized" Japanese cars.
Personally I've owned some small cars and got some decent service out of them but I never really liked them, its either your head is 2 inches from the celing, too narrow of wheelbase and you feel like it'll endo down the interstate if you have to change lanes quickly and alot of other gripes. I find myself wishing they would break so I could justify getting rid of them. Mini Vans full size vans and trucks get the same insurance break, they are the cheapest to insure on the road. Funny you can stick your 16 year old son in a full size van with a big block cheaper than in any econo car if you wanted to.
I have had a Honda CRX, Civic, Civic wagon, Civic hatchback, and now have an Accord. I am completely sold on Hondas. They are reliable, they get good gas mileage, they hold up well, they are very safe in accidents (three of the cars I listed above were totalled around me by idiot drivers and I came out alive and kicking), and they keep their value if you wish to resell them. I intend to buy Hondas for the rest of my life because they have truly served me well and saved my life on three occasions.
I TOTALLY agree with you!!! I LOVE my 1993 Honda Accord. Bought it in 1999 with 64k miles on it - it now has 205k miles and runs soooo quietly my mechanic was standing next to me and asked me to "start the car", I said "it is running" - he said "love those Hondas". I have done things like clutch (it is a manual 5-speed) and fixed the valve cover gasket at which time they replaced the original timing belts last year. Honda makes stuff that just seems to run and run and run. I hope my baby just keeps running until I get ready to move. My mechanic said he just saw one that had - get this - 400k miles on the original engine - WOW! One of my sisters had a 1988 Honda Accord which she gave to my daughter who traded it in for a 1993 Honda Civic. My other sister has a 1997 Civic.
My mechanic said "Hondas, then Mitsubishis, then Toyotas, then Nissans"
since 1980 when I had my heart on the olds cutlass, I was told by my mother
to get a Honda. That was the best advice I got. Had the accord, 2 preludes
and 2 crv's. I also do think the Honda fit for the money is a real nice car.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,700 posts, read 41,798,419 times
Reputation: 41398
Quote:
Originally Posted by maggiekate
since 1980 when I had my heart on the olds cutlass, I was told by my mother
to get a Honda. That was the best advice I got. Had the accord, 2 preludes
and 2 crv's. I also do think the Honda fit for the money is a real nice car.
got another honda supporter here. i love my accord.
I TOTALLY agree with you!!! I LOVE my 1993 Honda Accord. Bought it in 1999 with 64k miles on it - it now has 205k miles and runs soooo quietly my mechanic was standing next to me and asked me to "start the car", I said "it is running" - he said "love those Hondas". I have done things like clutch (it is a manual 5-speed) and fixed the valve cover gasket at which time they replaced the original timing belts last year. Honda makes stuff that just seems to run and run and run. I hope my baby just keeps running until I get ready to move. My mechanic said he just saw one that had - get this - 400k miles on the original engine - WOW! One of my sisters had a 1988 Honda Accord which she gave to my daughter who traded it in for a 1993 Honda Civic. My other sister has a 1997 Civic.
My mechanic said "Hondas, then Mitsubishis, then Toyotas, then Nissans"
Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner
I bought a used 2004 Ford Escape and it is extremely comfortable. Look for the 6 cyl. engine. Quite lively.
The seats are really, really comfortable. I put them second only to a Saab 9000 I had, and better than a Lincoln Mark VIII and Saab 900. And Saabs are known for their comfortable seats.
Consumer Reports actually gives it good ratings for reliability for the 2004 and later models. It's easy to drive and has great visibility. Handles well and is good in rain. One of those energizer bunny cars that will just keep going and going. Lots of them around so it's easy to get it fixed. 2001-2006 Mazda Tribute Full Review - Consumer Guide Automotive
Someone mentioned here the Kia/Hyundai warranty is 10/100k but I don't think that's transferrable to the 2nd owner.
I have an '03 Dodge Intrepid with 82,000 *mostly* trouble free miles. The main issue it has is the front brake rotors need to be turned every 9-10 months, really depends on the heat. This is $6 a piece and an hour of time on a Saturday if you can do it yourself. The other issue is driver side radiator fan motor goes out every 18 months because it floods down here and water gets sucked into it. This is about another hour to replace. This would be a 100% solid car if it were driven in a cool and dry environment.
You should be able to find these cheap now that the Charger and Chrysler 300 have replaced this car. The interior space & trunk are huge and it gets about 21/27 for mileage.
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