Members JohnnyDD Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 i drive a 1998 6 cylinder camry; bought it new. about 190K on it. running just fine cept suspension's a little rough in the winter. replaced brakes, muffler, tires a few times, that's about it. keep up with oil changes. ain't pretty but paid for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 Why would you "defiantly" buy another? :) Because I can't type . Me to.......two...........too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarman Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 If these cars can use regular gas instead of premium, I'd be all over these cars. The required use of premium gas in any car regardless of how nice it is will always be a deal breaker for me. If GM can squeeze 323 hp out of a 3.6L engine without the use of forced air induction or 'upgraded' gas and get 30 mpg hwy, then other auto makers can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members etawful Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 Driving that many miles, based on personal experience: Volkswagen Sportwagen TDi - good power, great mileage, good reliability (there were some early problems with a few sensors, etc. that were fixed under warranty). Toyota Prius V - Decent power, not great, but good enough, fantastic mileage, great amount of storage space, etc. Both of these have been great in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members noisebloom Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 I'll be replacing my wife's 2003 Toyota Corolla with a mid 2000s Toyota Highlander hybrid sometime next year, as we're a growing family. There's only one SUV hybrid on the market that gets better MPG than the Highlander, and that's the Ford Escape hybrid. I'm not sure Ford even makes Escape hybrids anymore, but I've read that the reliability of those cars is not very good. Plus, Toyota is far and away the leader in hybrids, so the choice is academic. It looks increasingly likely that my next car -- a few years away, probably -- will be a VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen. I've read a lot of good things about the TDI's reliability, but I still have nagging concerns about VW's overall reliability, repair costs, and total cost of ownership. But I'm convinced that a turbodiesel is in my future. I think the days of conventional engines may be waning. Those are the cars I'm interested in, FWIW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members esphil Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 I LOVE these. Damn near bought one when I got my RAV, then I checked insurance, freaked....I came out of an 07 Prius that I ended up flipping, and had a Honda Fit for three years before that. For the money, for a musician, a Fit is hard to beat. The one big drawback was snow. It simply sat too low and weighed too little. My Accord was a Snowcat. the Fit got stuck in the driveway. I'll also add, that this Toyota, while a good car, will be my last. The Prius had some weird software glitches, $190 headlight bulbs, and odd/ iffy traction control. The RAV has some weird things as well that drive me batty, and the dealers are a bit off. If I don't go c-max, I am back to Honda, prolly a 4cyl CRV. I also own an older paid for Chevy pup, so I have that as a heavy hauler. As a BMW owner I'd say the Mini. I wouldn't recommend a BMW yet since I don't know your budget, and they can be expensive out of warranty. TDI's are solid cars but VW's kinda look too plain for my likes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members etawful Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 I LOVE these. Damn near bought one when I got my RAV, then I checked insurance, freaked....I came out of an 07 Prius that I ended up flipping, and had a Honda Fit for three years before that. For the money, for a musician, a Fit is hard to beat. The one big drawback was snow. It simply sat too low and weighed too little. My Accord was a Snowcat. the Fit got stuck in the driveway. I'll also add, that this Toyota, while a good car, will be my last. The Prius had some weird software glitches, $190 headlight bulbs, and odd/ iffy traction control. The RAV has some weird things as well that drive me batty, and the dealers are a bit off. If I don't go c-max, I am back to Honda, prolly a 4cyl CRV. I also own an older paid for Chevy pup, so I have that as a heavy hauler. The one I really loved that I had was a Honda Element. Unfortunately, the mileage sucked. BUT, if you want a lot of storage space and comfort for a musician, they're hard to beat. I'm just sorry they quit making them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrChitlins Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 Subaru XV Crosstrek looks interesting:http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/xv-crosstrek/index.htmlhttp://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-subaru-xv-crosstrek-first-drive-review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 I have not had a car for over 10 years now. I hope I never need to own one ever again. Bike and train work fine most of the time and if I really need a car/van/truck to shift stuff, I rent one. I am pretty sure I have saved more money this way than I have spent in total on guitars and amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vintage clubber Posted December 7, 2012 Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 the 2013 Ford Fusion and Escape are worth looking at... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unclemeat Posted December 7, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 7, 2012 Thanks for all the input. I'm looking to spend 30k MAX. The Jetta TDI is looking more and more interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 Thanks for all the input. I'm looking to spend 30k MAX. The Jetta TDI is looking more and more interesting. They do get good mileage but you pay a premium up front for the diesel and you have to drive a lot of miles to get that back on your gas savings. On top of that if you are borrowing the money you are paying interest on that extra amount they are charging for the diesel. Also, when the diesel pump goes between 120,000 miles and 200,000 miles you're looking at over a grand to fix. You might to better to look at the Toyota Corolla. They are a great smaller car but very roomy, they are one of the most reliable cars on the planet and get about 40 mpg. I used to be a VW diesel enthusiast but when I started weighing all of the above, it changed my thinking. You might want to look at the Edmunds comparison. www.edmunds.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bud M Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 I drive one of these and I easily haul all my band gear around in it Although, that said, I think they (Pontiac GTOs in the US) have less boot/trunk space than mine becuase of something to do with the gas tank being in a different place... Very nice, I really enjoyed my brief drive in a GTO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 It is really important to match your car with your guitar. This is acoustic (sorry) but gives you the general idea. http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2659242-Cars-and-Guitars&highlight=cars+and+guitars btw - when that thread was done my daily driver was the Subie Outback and I was ready to buy a new one, but they have grown too much in size, the milage is down, so I got a two year old Audi A4 wagon for the price of a new Outback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Strat87 Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 I'm very happy with my subie, although it's a wrx and not an outback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guildfire Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 Honda CRV. You can get a new one loaded w options for under $30K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alecto Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 I'm very happy with my subie, although it's a wrx and not an outback I would too if I had one of those! My oldest brother let me drive his WRX on the Autobahn between Munich and Frankfurt one winter. I was going 190 km/h and it felt like I was doing 80. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 I'm very happy with my subie, although it's a wrx and not an outback Yeah, those are cool. I drive a S2000 on the few good days we have up here in the PNW, so I've paid a bit of attention to the competition from the WRX. Oddly enough though, the Subie that draws me is the Baja. They've been judged by many as one of the ugliest cars ever, but I think they look cool Just needs a .50 caliber mounted on the roof, then it'd be ready for a drive through the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scott944 Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 We loved our old Outback, but really loved our '02 325xi Touring (wagon in Bimmerspeak). Had it 90 days, hit from behind in a construction zone and totalled. I was on of those "BMW conspiracy" guys (see the "letters" section from any issue of Car and Driver) until I drove one and felt for myself what all the fuss is about. Maybe a little pricey to maintain, but a shop manual and some patience lets you do most of the work yourself. http://http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2013&zip=25159&listingType=used&listingTypes=used&sellerTypes=b&maxPrice=30000&mmt=%5BBMW%5B%5D%5B3_SERIES%5B%5D%5D%5D&modelCode1=3_SERIES&makeCode1=BMW&startYear=1981&showcaseOwnerId=67546063&searchRadius=0&bodyStyleCodes=WAGON&listingId=333473973&Log=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ermghoti II Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 I bought a RAV4, but it was a bit of a compromise, since I can only have one vehicle. I'd have rather gotten a Prius and a separate, dedicated hauler. If I didn't need the space and 4WD, I'd have gotten the Prius fo sho. 27MPG (actual) isn't bad for a 4WD mini-ute, but 40 would be better... Also, end of year pricing, brah. Bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 an Outback will certainly haul the gear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted December 8, 2012 Members Share Posted December 8, 2012 My last four new car purchases and experience are as follows: '00 VW Passat- This car was good for 30k miles, but then things started breaking and rattling loose. '03 Infiniti FX35- That thing served us VERY WELL. We sold it with 130k miles on it with the propect of an expensive transmission repair. '05 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT- Very fun car to drive though the mileage is lacking thanks to turbocharger. Burns through head lamps like crazy... I suspect the voltage runs high. 117k miles and it has had a number of pricey fixes. However, we are not completed soured on the brand. That engine still brings amazing power all those miles later!! '11 Ford Edge. So far so good 40k+ miles. I love the technology though it has given me some grief. I am liking Ford big time these days... would choose a Focus over the VW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.