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Alright, to start off I'll admit that what I like is out of vogue at the moment.
I love big cars. My first car was huge (late '70s Chevy Impala) and when I was a little kid I loved riding in those 1973-1978 LTD's that everybody's grandparents seemed to own.
I had a 1994 Thunderbird, big two-door, big V-8 (surprisingly good gas mileage) with about 200 hp. Loved that car and drove it into the ground. So 230,000 miles later and 11 years later, it finally couldn't take much more.
But since then, money has been tight, so I first went with by-owner used cars (best of the four was an '02 Grand Prix GTP) and now after the new job came along, I have a three-year-old VW.
I don't love the car though. I know its safe, its a good car, its pleasant to drive and handles well even in bad weather. But I would still rather have a big car.
In about a year, I'll be ready/able to move this one and pick up something different. My budget is probably going to be $12K to $15K for a used vehicle. Possibly I could push higher than that, but it'll depend on interest rates and such.
Because of my price range, it'll be at least a 3-year old car/truck... if I do this in 2012 then, we're looking at 2008's and 2009 models.
If Ford still made those T-birds there's no doubt I would get another one. If they made a two-door LTD/Crown Vic, it would be on my list too. But since those don't exist, here's a short list of what I'm considering:
Cars
Dodge Challenger
Ford Mustang
Ford Crown Victoria/Merc Grand Marquis 4-door
Buick Lacrosse
Mitsubishi Galant
SUV's: I could live with an SUV. Prefer to have a wider vehicle and avoid the smaller ones. 4x4 would be a plus. Problem is my list here is pretty short.
Honda Pilot
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Trucks: I've been in friends' trucks lately and the kind of power, room, and comfort I like out of cars seems to be mainly found on trucks now. So I'm willing to consider one of these if I can find the right one. And if I got a truck I would want a 4x4.
Ford F-150
Toyota Tundra
Chevy Silverado
I'm trying to avoid - high maintenance costs, cars with known mechanical failures (Ford Escapes and their transmissions, Chevy Malibu's and their engines), cars with known safety issues (for instance even though its not conclusive, I'd prefer to avoid Toyota's for the acceleration issue as well as the Pontiacs that were known for catching on fire), and also trying to avoid vehicles with a small dealer network. Where I live I could probably get any kind of make/model serviced, but, its just a little easier and less expensive when I don't have something too unusual.
Looking for any suggestions for other vehicles to consider, or thoughts on my lists! I really don't have a whole lot of background knowledge on other makes and models... for instance, are there any Volvo wagons, Lexus SUV's or cars that would meet my needs and fit my budget, or even Chevy's and Nissan's that I'm not aware of? Older by a couple model years is fine as long as its safe and reliable. Manufacturer warranties are a plus but I know there's only a few makes that will offer that, so that can't be my only consideration. I don't want to go any smaller than that 2002 Grand Prix that I had. That's about the smallest sized car that I'm really comfortable with, and I'd prefer larger.
This time I'm looking for a car that I'm going to want to keep forever. Haha... or at least it'll hopefully last eight or ten years.
And do you think an SRT8 Challenger is going to be 12-15k in a year. If so, that "real" car will have depreciated a lot of "real" money.
Might be able to nab a six cylinder model for that price when the time comes.
Also, I'd have never classified the thunderbird as a "big" car. I agree it's a long car, about 5 inches longer than my 80's firebird...but even still that only makes it a "long" car...not necessarily "big".
If you're wanting a sporty car, i'd go with the Mustang. If you wanted a huge 2 door boat, i'd go with the challenger. Either way, the challenger is a straight line car, and not much more...the mustang would be better all around. The challenger however is probably more practical with a large trunk, and big cabin. But it's base engine is anemic in a car with so much weight. The best car I can think of that would have ceased in 08' would be the Pontiac G8! It's not on your list, but it was a large, four door, rear wheel drive, sport sedan. Very comparable to the BMW 5 series, and you could probably score a six cylinder in your price range when the time comes. The 6.0L V8's in the GT models were making around 400hp, but i'd imagine the price on those will still be closer to 20k in another year or so...maybe a tad more.
I have the perfect answer to your question, but I already know that you are going to laugh and say that I am crazy ............ because you don't know what you think you know.
You have to look at the Hyundi Azera. Remember ......... the Azera. That's not one of those little econo-boxes that you are thinking of right now.
Most of the people reading this have never even seen an Azera, for two main reasons:
1. Hyundai has never advertised this car. I don't know why, but they just don't. That's why you have never heard about it.
2. They only sell between 4,000 and 5,000 of them a year in the US. That's a very small number for a car model. And, that's why you have never seen one on the road.
I have one, and I really like it. It's about the size of a Buick, but it handles a lot better, and it's a lot faster than you are thinking right now. Do yourself a favor and go to a Hyundai dealer and look at one. When you ask the salesman for an Azera, he will give you a blank look for a few seconds, and then he will say something like: "Oh, yeah - we got one of them in the back lot".
When you drive it, you won't believe that you are really driving a Hyundai.
People keep mistaking my Azera for a Mercedes Benz.
I was surprised to see the 2007 DTS's come in at around $14K around Chicagoland.
There was one Pontiac G8, but it was still priced around $19,000.
The 2013 Caprice will be a good one... but they're only sold to police and fleets right now.
And I should probably add the Charger to my list. Charger vs. Challenger, I don't know, I'd have to drive them. I hear that every Charger gets front end problems, though, and at low mileage, too.
I have the perfect answer to your question, but I already know that you are going to laugh and say that I am crazy ............ because you don't know what you think you know.
You have to look at the Hyundi Azera. Remember ......... the Azera. That's not one of those little econo-boxes that you are thinking of right now.
Most of the people reading this have never even seen an Azera, for two main reasons:
1. Hyundai has never advertised this car. I don't know why, but they just don't. That's why you have never heard about it.
2. They only sell between 4,000 and 5,000 of them a year in the US. That's a very small number for a car model. And, that's why you have never seen one on the road.
I have one, and I really like it. It's about the size of a Buick, but it handles a lot better, and it's a lot faster than you are thinking right now. Do yourself a favor and go to a Hyundai dealer and look at one. When you ask the salesman for an Azera, he will give you a blank look for a few seconds, and then he will say something like: "Oh, yeah - we got one of them in the back lot".
When you drive it, you won't believe that you are really driving a Hyundai.
People keep mistaking my Azera for a Mercedes Benz.
Chicago Craigslist... 2007 Azera... 60K miles, listed for $13K.
There's about seven others listed for sale in the region, at various price points... so they're out there.
Interesting! I never would have thought of that car. And Hyundai's have good reputation for reliability, too.
And do you think an SRT8 Challenger is going to be 12-15k in a year. If so, that "real" car will have depreciated a lot of "real" money.
Might be able to nab a six cylinder model for that price when the time comes.
Also, I'd have never classified the thunderbird as a "big" car. I agree it's a long car, about 5 inches longer than my 80's firebird...but even still that only makes it a "long" car...not necessarily "big".
If you're wanting a sporty car, i'd go with the Mustang. If you wanted a huge 2 door boat, i'd go with the challenger. Either way, the challenger is a straight line car, and not much more...the mustang would be better all around. The challenger however is probably more practical with a large trunk, and big cabin. But it's base engine is anemic in a car with so much weight. The best car I can think of that would have ceased in 08' would be the Pontiac G8! It's not on your list, but it was a large, four door, rear wheel drive, sport sedan. Very comparable to the BMW 5 series, and you could probably score a six cylinder in your price range when the time comes. The 6.0L V8's in the GT models were making around 400hp, but i'd imagine the price on those will still be closer to 20k in another year or so...maybe a tad more.
The Mustang would be fun (I have a special place in my heart for 2-door Fords) and the G8 would be amazing!
Alright, after looking at trucks, the Nissan Titan is the only pickup that has an interior I could live with. The Ford and Toyota interior hurt my eyes, and the Silverado dash looks just like an Impala.
For someone who wants a fullsize car with attractive styling and modern and not egg shaped then these are hard to beat. I prefer the pre downsized carbed vehicles myself but those Cadillacs are nice.
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