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Hey guys. I have two 4-door sedans and I think its about time to upgrade. I am looking no more than $30K. I prefer lightly used, just below 50K miles. I am residing in Georgia, and the heavy winds and rain scares me with my tiny cars. The family consists of 3 to 4 (including myself).
I am thinking if I get an SUV, then the rain/winds/tropical weather will not bother me. Am I wrong? I like the 2010 Toyota 4Runner, seems pretty big and I like the 4x4 version. Or, would the newer 4 door sedans now-a-days be heavy/strong enough to withstand strong weather? I like the Jeep's, but there's no trunk space.
Get a brand new Kia Optima SX fully loaded for under $30K. Has heated/cooled power seats, heated rear seats, memory seat, panoramic sunroof, navigation/backup cam, push button start, HID headlights, LED tails, 274HP 2.0T that gets 34MPG highway with regular gas, 0-60 in about 6 seconds, and looks great. Warranty will out last your car payments.
Probably can get an used 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD for around $30K with under 30k miles. Great car if you want AWD capabilities.
For $30K, I wouldn't settle for anything older than 2012 with less than 20k miles.
You going to pay cash or what? 30k is far too much to borrow just for a car that can be worn out and not worth the price to fix in 5 years....I dont know about that KIA 'warranty" either
I am thinking if I get an SUV, then the rain/winds/tropical weather will not bother me. Am I wrong?
I think you are wrong, yes. Although such a vehicle is often heavier than a sedan, that is offset by the tall profile which catches the wind more. The car starts out with better handling dynamics than the taller, heavier SUV, particularly a truck-based SUV like the 4Runner. The wind and rain will of course affect both of them, but the wind will affect the taller vehicle more. It would also affect a lighter vehicle more, this is true.
So to me, if that kind of thing is your biggest concern, what you want is a solid, heavy, regular car with good handling. Normally the trick is to make the car a bit lighter for better economy and so forth, but still, with enough size, the cars are pretty heavy anyway, close to 2 tons. So choose a fairly large car with good handling. I don't really know which specific ones to recommend, but I'm not sure it's super critical. All of them should have adequate handling but a few might be better than most. A Mazda 6 comes to mind although you might want to go a little bigger/heavier even than that. The M-B cars are always heavy, that was another thought, though not sure you're looking for that kind of ongoing maintenance expense even if you find a suitable used one in your price range.
Wet handling will be greatly helped by the right tires, so you may want to specifically choose tires that are known to be great in wet (look up reviews on TireRack.com) and replace them right away when you get the car. And then replace them before they wear out, because if they're pretty worn down they won't handle as well in the wet.
Hey guys. I have two 4-door sedans and I think its about time to upgrade. I am looking no more than $30K. I prefer lightly used, just below 50K miles. I am residing in Georgia, and the heavy winds and rain scares me with my tiny cars. The family consists of 3 to 4 (including myself).
I am thinking if I get an SUV, then the rain/winds/tropical weather will not bother me. Am I wrong? I like the 2010 Toyota 4Runner, seems pretty big and I like the 4x4 version. Or, would the newer 4 door sedans now-a-days be heavy/strong enough to withstand strong weather? I like the Jeep's, but there's no trunk space.
THANKS.
Infiniti FX35. You may come across an FX with another number at the end but they all look similar.
Well if you have to drive through deep water due to roads being washed out then a 4x4 Quad-Cab version of a Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado or Ram 1500 are also options to look at OP.
The automaker marketing machine must be really affective if you think you NEED an SUV to drive through rain and wind in Georgia!
SUV's are higher, with higher profiles and are almost always worse than car's in high winds. Their higher centers of gravity also can make them more likely to be less controlable in slippery conditions (if "rain" is considered a slippery condition. There is no need at all for AWD/4wd in any of these conditions either.
Also with an SUV, you will get less "vehicle" for your dollar than with a car, in my experience. A $30K car is going to be larger, more comfortable, with higher build and finish quality, bigger engine, and more efficient, than most of the equivalent SUV's at the same price.
Now if you still insist on an SUV, and you like the 4Runner, I do not think you can go wrong with that!
SUV's blow around in the wind about like minivans. I cannot really think of much of an advantage of an SUV down there in Georgia, unless you routinely haul heavy loads, or drive in extreme off-road conditions. I drive a real lightweight car: a 99 Saturn SL, and would much rather drive that in the wind than any SUV; the aerodynamics of it help out a lot.
A car will likely have a more comfortable ride, and will not cost near as much in gas; although if you can afford a 30,000 dollar car, you probably aren't too worried about the gas.
In a state like Georgia, where you probably don't see much, if any, snow, the four-wheel drive option is most likely going to be a waste of money; unless you do some really heavy off-roading, you won't likely ever even have a reason to turn it on! Good tread on your tires will help you the most in the rain.
Just browsing Craigslist, I saw a nice looking 2010 Cadillac DTS for 22,995. That should be extremely comfortable for a family of four, and heavy enough that you shouldn't get blown around much.
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Although such a vehicle is often heavier than a sedan, that is offset by the tall profile which catches the wind more. The car starts out with better handling dynamics than the taller, heavier SUV, particularly a truck-based SUV like the 4Runner. The wind and rain will of course affect both of them, but the wind will affect the taller vehicle more. It would also affect a lighter vehicle more, this is true.
