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I have a Saturn. As I've been aging (which isn't always the most fun but beats the alternative! ) I'm finding the seat sits a bit low to the ground. I'd prefer to keep the car for its lifespan, but this is becoming a deal-breaker.
My partner drives a Prius and that height is much more to my liking. I'd like some alternatives to compare.
Add'l info: I will buy something 1-5 years old and intend to drive it until it dies.
My question for your collective wisdom is, what other cars should I consider?
Some caveats:
4- or 2-door sedan (no SUVs)
Bonus points for hatchback
Bonus points for cars falling towards more environmentally-friendly and/or lower costs to buy + operate
Is there a way to find out which cars sit higher ahead of time and save myself numerous lot visits?
I would recommend some of the cross-overs which tend to ride a bit higher than normal cars -- Honda CRV, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, etc. They have hatches and you can get them in 2WD for fuel efficiency.
I have a Saturn. As I've been aging (which isn't always the most fun but beats the alternative! ) I'm finding the seat sits a bit low to the ground. I'd prefer to keep the car for its lifespan, but this is becoming a deal-breaker.
My partner drives a Prius and that height is much more to my liking. I'd like some alternatives to compare.
Add'l info: I will buy something 1-5 years old and intend to drive it until it dies.
My question for your collective wisdom is, what other cars should I consider?
Some caveats:
4- or 2-door sedan (no SUVs)
Bonus points for hatchback
Bonus points for cars falling towards more environmentally-friendly and/or lower costs to buy + operate
Is there a way to find out which cars sit higher ahead of time and save myself numerous lot visits?
I've been in a Prius and never thought the seating position was particularly high-up, it seems to be about the same as most other midsized sedans.
I guess if you're stuck on a sedan, I'd probably recommend one of the newer Ford Tauruses or Buick Lacrosse. Both are midsized, offer a good seating position, are attractive, and get decent MPG's. If it were up to me, I'd probably look at a small crossover such as a GMC Terrain, Cadillac SRX, or maybe Ford Escape (can be a hybrid as well).
Hatchback...Cadillac CTS-V Hatch. Not the best mpg's but definitely has the "cool" factor.
You don't say what kind of Saturn you have. Saturn sold everything from low-slung coupes to minivans.
If the Prius is your threshold for "high enough seating" then I should think any compact sedan that isn't unusually low to the ground would work for you.
If you want hathback utility, a seating position that's higher than lower, and relatively cheap cost of purchase and operation, I'd look into one of the mini-crossovers like the Kia Soul or Scion xB or xD. For something more traditionally car-like, perhaps a Suzuki SX4 or Nissan Versa hatchback, maybe a new Mazda3 hatchback with the Skyactiv treatment.
I looked up the cars named...not sure what a "mini-crossover" technically is, but they look kinda big and SUV-like to me. Unless they get awesome gas mileage and aren't expensive to buy/maintain, I don't think I'd put them in the pool of candidates.
The Saturn is an SL1, I think; 4-door sedan. The seat is about 17 inches off the ground. The Prius seat is about 21 inches off the ground.
I'd forgo the 4-door for a 2-door if it has roomy storage/carrying capacity. But that's not a top priority anyway.
After the seat height - overall ownership costs are very important to me. I put on about 12,000 miles/year.
Oh, and I guess a quiet, comfortable ride would be the 3rd factor I'd give some serious weight to. The Prius is a much better moderate-dx road trip car than the Saturn.
I was also surprised to see that the Prius was much easier for my father to get into then his Toyota Camry. We did eventually move up to a compact SUV.... although he HATES the idea.... because they are so much easier to get in and out.
None of the compact SUVs worked for us because my father is tall and they were all way too crowded. Also with aging, transferring in and out is always easier with a little more space.
My brother just bought a beautiful Prius a couple years old for 13K and he will drive it forever. Hatchback, great mileage. Why not? As reliable as you could hope for.
So now my Dad wants to trade in his Lexus SUV (bought used, good deal, reliable... but bad mileage) for the Prius.
Other things he considered were the Toyota Venza. Also hatch back, great interior space, and the slightly higher seat. It was harder to find pre-owned ones actually, then the Prius!
Toyotas are just so reliable. My Camry is 15 years old and absolutely no issues.
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) I'm finding the seat sits a bit low to the ground. I'd prefer to keep the car for its lifespan, but this is becoming a deal-breaker.
. Not the best mpg's but definitely has the "cool" factor.
