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My daughter (19- commuting to college and work about 70 miles R/T each day) is fed up with the Dodge Grand Caravan that we bought for her to use and wants to replace it. (The serpentine belt comes off constantly in the rain and it is always raining here right now, plus it just has a lot of issues the heater/ac blow comes and goes at random as does the radio, sometimes the seat will not move, lots of odd rattles and other noises, we already replaced the transmission rotors and brake calipers, struts, starter, it needs exhaust work, possible converter, back is dented, back seat will not lock into place properly. . . . . ).
Any other suggestions for something under $4000? Her priorities are :
Reliability
Good in the snow.
Safety
Gas Mileage
Unique unusual/cool or "cute"
We prefer to stick with Big 3 cars but she may not care that much if something else is more suitable.
Age does not really matter if it is a decent car. She would not mind something even as old as the 60s becuase it is unique if it was reliable and good in the snow. Must be auto trans and she does not want a high performance car.
Before we bought the van I looked at several Subaru Outback wagons, but they all had leaky head gaskets or were insanely priced (ie $4k with 230k miles). We considered the Volvo AWd wagons, but since discovered that they are maintainance nightmares. I am out of ideas.
No brainer, Ford Escape, I would get the V6 but for better mileage they make a 4 . We have had two, a 2003, now my wife has a 2010 . Both have been great to us. Excellent in the snow, we live in CT and last winter she never got stuck.
also I think it is a cute little truck, with a lot of neat little features.
We traded in our 2003 with well over 100 k miles, it still ran great, wife wanted a newer one with SYNC, moonroof, leather, etc. The 2003 was the base XLS model, we now have the limited model.
100% happy with escapes over the past 8 years.
Look for an 02 or 03 model you should find one around that price range.
Not sure if she is a fan, maybe a v6 mustang... Drivetrain built for a v8 with v6 power pushing it, lots of engine bay space, lots of parts are cheap do to popularity and aftermarket, not great but not horrid on fuel.
You can get like a 2004 maybe with about 100k on it.
All the older ones seem to have leaky head gaskets and/or absurdly priced. The mileage is not very good. I like Subies, but I am not sure they are the answer. Also we are very cautious about driving Japanese vehicles around here.
70 miles to school is a long way - would it be more practical for her to get an apt. or live in the dorm?
R/T is "Round Trip" 35 miles each way managable. Living on campus costs about $4,500 per semester plus misc added expenses of at least $1000 more.
Not sure why you have to buy her a car - didn't she have a summer job?
We bought an extra family car that she uses. If she gets a different car, the van will be available for her younger siblings to use around town when it runs. She is buying her own car. I am just trying to find a good suggestion for her. However it makes little difference if she buys the car and I pay more of her tuition, or I buy a car and she pays more of the tuition. The car will have to be in my name for insurance anyway.
She had a summer job, and works weekends and some nights, and has quite a lot of scholarship money. However have you seen the price of tuition books and other expenses lately?
Not sure if she is a fan, maybe a v6 mustang... Drivetrain built for a v8 with v6 power pushing it, lots of engine bay space, lots of parts are cheap do to popularity and aftermarket, not great but not horrid on fuel.
You can get like a 2004 maybe with about 100k on it.
Sent from my autocorrect butchering device.
Terrible in snow. Marginal on safety. Mileage is somewhat important. Kind of common and bland, but that is not very important.
No brainer, Ford Escape, I would get the V6 but for better mileage they make a 4 . We have had two, a 2003, now my wife has a 2010 . Both have been great to us. Excellent in the snow, we live in CT and last winter she never got stuck.
also I think it is a cute little truck, with a lot of neat little features.
We traded in our 2003 with well over 100 k miles, it still ran great, wife wanted a newer one with SYNC, moonroof, leather, etc. The 2003 was the base XLS model, we now have the limited model.
100% happy with escapes over the past 8 years.
Look for an 02 or 03 model you should find one around that price range.
i know I have hear of it, but I cannot picture it, I will look it up. Some sort of SUV isn't it? AWD? 4x4?
Add: It look slike it might be a bit big for her. I forgot to add that she wants something smaller than the minivan - easier to park and drive. However I wil suggest the escape to her and see what she thinks of it. If it comes in AWD or FWD it should be good in the snow.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 09-27-2011 at 06:17 PM..
If she needs to drive only on plowed streets, I would look to the Volvo S60, which is pretty reliable. The AWD adds complexity and can be problematic, as it was on the early S70-based AWD wagons. The newer XC70s (from about 2003+) have not had the same reliability issues as the 1998-2000 and the early 2001-2002 XC70s. The S60 is FWD, very safe, and handles well, overall. If you want a Volvo wagon, the V70 (FWD) from 2002-2003 is also pretty reliable. If you don't have a local Swedish shop (which may be an issue in suburban Detroit), I would skip the Volvos as repairs at the dealership can be very expensive. The old 200-series Volvos were pretty indestructible, but they are RWD and lack modern safety equipment, so while they were safe for their time, it's not comparable to a more modern vehicle. I seem to recall when you were last looking at the Volvos, and IIRC one of the few exclusive Volvo shops was the one my friend from Grosse Pointe used out on 7 Mile Road, which would be an eternity (or expensive tow) if the vehicle were having an issue and could not be driven there under its own power from your area. The key with the Volvo is the timing belt, as to get near $4-$5k, you would be looking at one with over 100k on the odometer.
Would you be averse to a Toyota or Lexus? I would think that an early 2000s ES would be in the preferred price range, and is a FWD that's not as common as a Camry. It's FWD, so snow performance with the proper tires should not be too much of an issue.
For a Big 3 vehicle, the Buicks with the 3800 V6 are usually very reliable, though there was a intake manifold gasket issue that occurred with that vehicle. You may find one that has already had the fix, especially if the owner has maintenance records. Since they tend to be driven by older people, they are also less likely to be abused. The Bonneville is similar, but with both, I would avoid the supercharged engines as they not only use more fuel, but can be more problematic. Later models of both had traction control, which aided the FWD platform for winter driving.
The Pontiac Vibe, being the cousin to the Toyota Matrix, was also a pretty well-regarded vehicle, and being a mini wagon does have a degree of utility. The Vibe/Matrix had AWD versions, too, which would be a good bet for the snow.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
What about an apartment closer to school? For the most part, when I was in school, I lived on campus, it was not that expensive back then - you ought to do the math, she's burning several hundred bucks worth of gas, and spending at least an hour a day on the road, time that could be used for study. You miss out on the interaction with the other students.
That said, keep in mind that snow capability is more the tires than the car.
The Vibe, particularly with AWD, is a good idea, it's essentially a Toyota but is branded as a Pontiac so it does not offend the local Detroit Luddites. (damn shame you have to put up with that...)
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