Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Titanium comes with leather, Sync3, Apple carplay and Android auto, heated seats, power everything (including rear hatch), etc. Safe and Smart package adds Rain sensitive wipers, adaptive cruise with stop and go, BLIS with cross traffic alert, forward collision alert and emergency braking, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, etc. You can also get Active park assist which will parallel and perpendicular park the car for you, you just have to work the gas and brake.
You're looking at about 25 mpg combined, one mpg less if you go AWD. Shouldn't have too much of a problem getting one for around $30k OTD.
Volvo interests me but I'm concerned about true cost to own over the years. Not too much interested in leasing.
Wife is typically a more frequent driver as I'm on my bike more often.
The XC40 is a wild card since it's a new introduction for 2019, but I've not had any real issues with different Volvos over the years, save for an early XC90, which was a disaster of transmission proportions. However, the best engines I have had are the 2.5T 5-cylinder that Volvo built for many years in terms of reliability. The newer engines are a bit different, but reliability is average to above average for the brand. The S60/V60 are perhaps the most reliable, and the more popular offerings without going to a larger crossover.
__________________
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)
The wife has a 2017 Escape Titanium that has everything on it except a sunroof and the foot operated tailgate. Hers also has the Tri white paint job, 19" wheels and tires, and everything else you can think of. While it's a LOT of car for the money and reliability is tops in that platform, it may not work or for that matter, no SUV is going to work with a bike rack on the rear. The tailgate swings out and up on all of them. You couldn't have a bike rack on the car and use the tailgate. BUT, if you decide an SUV is for you, you really need to drive the Escape Titanium. You'll go home with it. LOTS of power with the 2.0 245 hp EcoBoost engine. The wife gets 24 mpgs in stop and go traffic and doesn't have 10,000 miles on it yet. We haven't had it on the hiway to tell you. It's a comfy ride with heated seats both sides and instant on electric heat which might be of value to you in Chicago. You don't have to wait for the engine to warm up for heat. The Blind Spot monitoring is really neat as is the parking feature where the car parks itself. You can't hit anything as the car will apply the brakes before you hit anything. It comes with accident avoidance which basically applies the brakes when the car senses something coming its way. The Sync 3 in it is flawless as is the navigation. Stereo is just too much. Too many things that it does, where it gets stations, where it gets the media, etc. The rear camera is neat if you've never had one before. It's loaded up with all kinds of features and she bought hers drive out for under 28 grand.
Otherwise, I see maybe you might be a candidate for an all electric car. If long trips are not in the future, might consider an all electric plug in car. They also have plug in hybrids that might be a better fit.
a) Ford Fiesta ST. It's fun, you'll fit fine. Funnest car you can buy in your price range. Downside is that Ford says don't put a hitch on it. A roof rack is fine, but no hitch. You COULD put a hitch on it (they say putting a hitch on a regular Fiesta hatchback is ok). They have different suspensions, so YMMV. I haven't and won't on my FiST - I go the roof rack path.
2: Miata. A 2018 Sport pushes your budget, might be able to find a 16 or 17 ND. IMHO ND > NB > NA > NC.
An electric Spark might suit. You would have to experiment with getting a bike into one but they are surprisingly roomy for a dinky car. Extremely easy to park. My daughter has a gasoline one and she gets to take the spots that remain empty because no other cars can fit. They are inexpensive cars and that means cheap, but you are not going to put enough miles on a car to wear out any new car. Hers is four years old and has had no problems (other than getting pulverized in a hail storm - which allowed her to pay it off three years early, but now it looks like someone crushed a soda can and then pulled it back out).
There are better cars, but the tiny size for easy parking, low price and availability of an electric version could make it appealing for you.
I drove with her from Detroit to Yuma Arizona with all of her stuff, a tent, two sleeping bags. . . . If was not bad at all. Everything fit but we had to shuffle everything around when we switched drivers so I could put whatever seat I was in all the way back. I was not uncomfortable even on the day we drove for 16 hours as long as the seat was back and I am 6'1" and 220 +.
My choices would be a Rav4 or a Subaru Forester. Both should fit a bicycle, no problem. Both are available with the bells and whistles you want and both are super easy to parallel park (we have a Forester and parallel parking is a breeze, especially with a back up camera).
Check out the VW Golf Sportwagon. Your bike will fit in the back. They come with 6 year/72k warranty, and you can get it in all wheel drive if you need that spec.
We bought a used 2013 RAV4 last year and it may fit your needs. Look for the Limited model as it has the blindspot warning, back up camera, etc. My wife is 5'2" and it is fine for her.
The list of cars that can fit your bike in back and are easy to parallel park includes virtually every car on the market. It is all a matter of degree. Thus you are likely to have every vehicle available for under $30K OTD listed. then people will start listing every car available at more than 30K but can be had for under 30K a year or two old. Then we cad add the people who will say you really should buy their 60 or 80 K car because it is so much better and just buy one that is 5 years old.
Probably you are gong to have to put in some more parameters.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
