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I'm a military wife. We have/had a Saab 9-5 sport wagon. Unfortunately, it's got around 150K miles and is dying. I have two children, one has autism, and I need a reliable set of wheels to haul him to therapy 5 days a week. And my husband is gone. I have a list of 24 cars/SUVs/Cross Overs I'm trying to decide over and not get ripped off. I have about a $40K limit (I can go a little over) I have narrowed it down to the following cars:
- Volkswagen Jetta Sport Wagon TDI
- Volkswagen Routan
- Subaru Outback
- Ford Flex
These cars are the ones I have yet to test drive:
- Chevy Traverse
- Chevy Equinox
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Rav-4
- Honda CRV
- Toyota Sienna
This is my lifestyle and what I'm looking for:
I'm 35, I have two kids, I'm extremely active (I run marathons, I coach soccer, I am a Certified Personal Trainer), and I have two larger dogs. The car would be primarily used to transport my kids to and from school and activities, in addition, I travel extensively to participate in my marathons, so I would need something comfortable to travel long distances in. I'm also a military spouse, so I need something I can pack up a lot stuff for moves.
Gas mileage is important
Comfort is important
A decent sound system is important
My wife does not post here, but she drives a 2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L. Great Van!
We're considering going with the new Sienna SE, sometime in spring 2012. We have 3 kids, and I can't stress how convenient minivans are. Not just for long trips, but for day to day operations. You want comfort, space, and good MPGs, stick with either the Odyssey or Sienna. Dont waste your time on the Chrysler/Dodge vans. They're cheaply built.
They can do the job, but they're not on the same level as the Odyssey and Sienna. Not as smooth, they don't have the same level of fit and finish. They look ok, but they're not up to task. Take them for a test drive, and let us know, which you prefer. Good Luck!
By the way, you can always go for a CPO minivan for a fraction of the price, and enjoy lower payments, while not having to deal with depriciation and enjoying the extended warranty.
Same with my wife, too busy to post-so I do the dirty work...
As much as the innuendo in your post says you don't WANT a minivan, the criteria screams the NEED for one.
We have 2 kids, no dogs and not very heavy with travel but the Dodge Caravan was a blessing to use over the last 6-7 years. With kids there is always the need to carry other ones around and they all have heavy packages/instruments. Our van is old and not very reliable now, still used to haul kids/stuff locally but the replacement for road trips is a CRV. There were other considerations for this purchase. Our older one is ready to get a license and also we drive a lot and the gas money was significant.
Your budget is actually too high, if you are financing I suggest toning it down a bit. Save the extra for gas and activities.
Well I always drove a truck.But in now I drive a Odessey van .But I have to say from driivng trucks and SUVs most of my life the van is actually a plaesure to drive in comparison. ;gets good mileage tons of room and I fold backseat into the floor and take backseat out when needed . its a great travel vehicle ;handles better thah any SUV even in cross winds. When we have more than four adults it is the vehicle even my friends prefer. The side opening door is a great feature I never thought of as well as the rear door for loading.Most of my friends say the middle seat is the most confortabe seating they have experienced in years.I joke with my wife that I have become a soccer mom in my old age.I get around 21 MPG all around when I have measured the mileage;much better than any real world all around mialege i any full size truck or SUV I Have owned;which eat gas in town driving especailly.
Also just a heads up most modern "suv"s are crossovers not traditional truck like vehicles. Hell most have the basic architecture from a sister car from the manufacturer and is basically a jacked up station wagon.
Can only go by my neighbor and sister. My neighbor has over five kids, two who are in soccer. Because of the number of kids and the number of groceries they buy they have a Ford Excursion, one of the largest and least fuel efficient vehicles on the road. My sister has a Chevy Trail Blazer. Her oldest is over 6 feet tall, her husband slightly taller. They go camping so the Trail Blazer was needed to tow a camper. It's inline 6 had the torque to pull the camper easily. They looked at vans but choose the Trail Blazer and they're still happy with their choice.
I'm a military wife. We have/had a Saab 9-5 sport wagon. Unfortunately, it's got around 150K miles and is dying. I have two children, one has autism, and I need a reliable set of wheels to haul him to therapy 5 days a week. And my husband is gone. I have a list of 24 cars/SUVs/Cross Overs I'm trying to decide over and not get ripped off. I have about a $40K limit (I can go a little over) I have narrowed it down to the following cars:
- Volkswagen Jetta Sport Wagon TDI
- Volkswagen Routan
- Subaru Outback
- Ford Flex
These cars are the ones I have yet to test drive:
- Chevy Traverse
- Chevy Equinox
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Rav-4
- Honda CRV
- Toyota Sienna
This is my lifestyle and what I'm looking for:
I'm 35, I have two kids, I'm extremely active (I run marathons, I coach soccer, I am a Certified Personal Trainer), and I have two larger dogs. The car would be primarily used to transport my kids to and from school and activities, in addition, I travel extensively to participate in my marathons, so I would need something comfortable to travel long distances in. I'm also a military spouse, so I need something I can pack up a lot stuff for moves.
Gas mileage is important
Comfort is important
A decent sound system is important
Have you looked at the Vovlo XC70? Its about the same size as the outback. The sticker price is high but im more than willing to bet that you could get some money off, volvos dont exactly fly off the lots anymore. Also, take a look at the Current Town and Country, apprently the quality has improved quite a bit recently.
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