What kind of car do you drive down with... - The DIS Discussion Forums

Kazzy1548 · 11-22-2009, 06:04 PM

Hello everyone,
We are in the process of changing the family car. We are thinking of purchasing a toyota corrolla or a nissan sentra. We also plan to drive down in August with the family. How was your experience driving with thes cars??? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

DisneyRookie2007 · 11-22-2009, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazzy1548

Hello everyone,
We are in the process of changing the family car. We are thinking of purchasing a toyota corrolla or a nissan sentra. We also plan to drive down in August with the family. How was your experience driving with thes cars??? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

never drove down before, but both those vehicles are small for a family to travel such a long way and include all the luggage - unless you're a family of 2 that is.

Thumper_ehhhhh · 11-22-2009, 09:55 PM

I cant speak of those cars. We have driven in many cars to the south. These are in order.
79 VW rabbit
87 Olds cutlass
86 Chev Astro short body
01 Chev Astro Long body
This year we are going down in a 04 Chev Suburban. They keep on getting bigger but way more comfortable. In our case 20 plus hours of driving means we better have comfort. If we were worried about fuel milage we would be taking my wifes 07 Ford Escape. Smaller and not as roomie. For traveling we have found bigger is better. That is us though. There are four of us going 2 kids my wife and myself.

brytorlyn · 11-23-2009, 12:10 AM

WE drive down in our Honda Odyssey. It's comfortable and roomy.

I agree the cars you are mentioning are fairly small but might be fine if you don't need to jam 3 kids, their suitcases, pillows, blankets, toys etc in the back.

aristocat65 · 11-23-2009, 12:28 AM

I have had my Corolla since it was new 6 years ago. (Mine's the one with the Mickey on the antenna

) I love it. It's fuel efficient and absolutely problem free. We haven't driven as far as you are planning in it though. We do use it as our family car though as my husband has a truck. We drive from Vancouver down to Seattle (3-4 hours) airport a couple of times a year and its very comfortable and has lots of room. I only have one DS16 though, so it is only the 3 of us.

I don't know that there would be enough "breathing room" for 2 kids in the back and the stuff they would likely have around them for a long drive.

I don't know if you're looking at new or used, but I've noticed great prices on Camrys and Accords a couple of years old (I guess everyone wants SUVs) that would be comparable to a new Corolla. They'd give you a little more space.

Good Luck

roberthodgson · 11-23-2009, 07:03 AM

We are Driving down in a Subaru Forester, Great car for winter driving

Thumper_ehhhhh · 11-23-2009, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roberthodgson

We are Driving down in a Subaru Forester, Great car for winter driving

Never owned one but have a few friends with them and man they are a great all around car but do excel in the winter.

nepean · 11-23-2009, 10:47 AM

Have driven 15 times. 89 Chev Celebrity, 94 Olds Cutlass, 99 Olds Intrigue, 2003 Impala, 2006 Impala. We now have a 2009 Santa Fe. As you can see we kept getting bigger. We have DH and DD(18) and myself. The older DD got the more room we needed. We drive straight through from Ottawa and comfort is important and a nice V6 engine for the moutains.

Nepean

Kazzy1548 · 11-23-2009, 01:22 PM

Thedelema is that I don't want to buy a car just for the trip. I want to buy a car that will give us what we need at a good price. My girls ar getting older, so they won't always follow us everwhere we go. I don't want to get stuck with a big car afterwards.... I would love the comfort but not the price tag, if you know what I mean

dancin Disney style · 11-23-2009, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazzy1548

Thedelema is that I don't want to buy a car just for the trip. I want to buy a car that will give us what we need at a good price. My girls ar getting older, so they won't always follow us everwhere we go. I don't want to get stuck with a big car afterwards.... I would love the comfort but not the price tag, if you know what I mean

You are right....you should not buy a car just for one road trip. My DH and I both used to work for Toyota and all their vehicles are superb. DH now works for Nissan and he does like the Sentra.

We are currently a mini van family. We take at least one road trip every year and we also go camping. So, we need the space to haul a lot of stuff. I have a Chev Venture and the gas milage is really good. We drove to WDW in 2008 and even though the gas prices were crazy, around $4.10 a gallon, it still only cost about $425 roundtrip.

irisesareblue · 11-23-2009, 05:49 PM

We've driven a Toyota for work for several years now - we had a Toyota Echo, which I drove to California during the height of $3.00 ++ gas prices. It only cost me about $150.00 each way.

Then we took it to California again last June then to Florida last November and the gas costs were really low.....it saved us enough that we were able to spend a couple of extra days at Disney, even with the hotel costs on the way back and forth.

We wrote off our Echo when we hit a deer last year

then have eventually ended up with a Toyota Yaris, which we love - we recently drove it to Minneapolis to catch our flights to Miami and made it back and forth from Minneapolis on only 3 tankfulls of gas.

Cheap Cheap Cheap to operate - they run like stink and don't have any mechanical issues to speak of - maintenance costs are low as well.

And, a big plus, they maintain their re-sale value.

Kazzy1548 · 11-23-2009, 07:30 PM

Finally bought the Nissan sentra. They had a great deal. Could not pass it off. It was roomier and stores quite a lot of stuff in the trunk. The girls will be very comfy in the back...

Thank you all for your feedback.
Now to start plannig for the road trip

caisland · 11-23-2009, 09:10 PM

Hi, We drove all the way in Aug 2006 in a 2002 Corolla. 2 Adults, 2 boys, 13 & 11 at the time. Car was very fuel efficent considering how full it was and my usual speed was around 110-120kmh. I got aobut 42 mpg average. For us at the time it was so cheap compared to flying from home but it does take 3 good days each way.
For Aug 2008 and Aug 2009 we drove to Manchester and flew from there. We were able to fit 5 suitcases in the trunk and a good size one in the back seat between the boys with a small cooler on the floor for drinks. That was in our 'new' 2009 both years. Again around 40 mpg.
We like flying out of Manchester NH with Southwest. $904 US for the 4 of us return and it's only 9-10 hour drive from home.

Thumper_ehhhhh · 11-24-2009, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazzy1548

Finally bought the Nissan sentra. They had a great deal. Could not pass it off. It was roomier and stores quite a lot of stuff in the trunk. The girls will be very comfy in the back...

Thank you all for your feedback.
Now to start plannig for the road trip

awesome congrats

candielips · 11-24-2009, 09:09 AM

We were fortunate this year to be able to use my inlaws Chrysler Town & Country and we loved having all the extra room.
We are currently in the process of purchasing a Dodge Grand Caravan and will be driving that down next Sept.
We like the extra space that a van allows us as comfort is the number key for us when driving such a long distance.

11-22-2009, 06:04 PM	#1
Kazzy1548 Listenning to my music, Dreaming about Disney Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Montreal, Quebec Canada Posts: 332	What kind of car do you drive down with... Hello everyone, We are in the process of changing the family car. We are thinking of purchasing a toyota corrolla or a nissan sentra. We also plan to drive down in August with the family. How was your experience driving with thes cars??? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you __________________ 2005- all Star Movies 2010-Offsite 2007- Pop Century Dh 44 DW 42 DD 10 DD 15

11-22-2009, 09:55 PM	#3
Thumper_ehhhhh Better to have been tagged and lost, than to never have been tagged at all Looping all the way Join Date: May 2006 Location: Oakville Ont Can Posts: 998	I cant speak of those cars. We have driven in many cars to the south. These are in order. 79 VW rabbit 87 Olds cutlass 86 Chev Astro short body 01 Chev Astro Long body This year we are going down in a 04 Chev Suburban. They keep on getting bigger but way more comfortable. In our case 20 plus hours of driving means we better have comfort. If we were worried about fuel milage we would be taking my wifes 07 Ford Escape. Smaller and not as roomie. For traveling we have found bigger is better. That is us though. There are four of us going 2 kids my wife and myself. __________________ Trevor Pentax K100D 2004 Suburban 4x4 LS 2005 Kodiak 25QB HTT DD DS DW and Myself Proud member of Team Focker Watch. Fort Fiends. Long live the Musket

11-23-2009, 12:10 AM	#4
brytorlyn Mouseketeer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ontario Posts: 217	WE drive down in our Honda Odyssey. It's comfortable and roomy. I agree the cars you are mentioning are fairly small but might be fine if you don't need to jam 3 kids, their suitcases, pillows, blankets, toys etc in the back. __________________ Pop Century Dec. 2009 Pop Century Dec. 2008 AsMu Jan. 2008 Pop Century Nov. 2006 Pop Century Dec. 2005 Animal Kingdom Lodge Dec. 2004 Port Orleans French Quarter Sept. 2000 22 18 8

11-23-2009, 12:28 AM	#5
aristocat65 Mouseketeer Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 290	I have had my Corolla since it was new 6 years ago. (Mine's the one with the Mickey on the antenna) I love it. It's fuel efficient and absolutely problem free. We haven't driven as far as you are planning in it though. We do use it as our family car though as my husband has a truck. We drive from Vancouver down to Seattle (3-4 hours) airport a couple of times a year and its very comfortable and has lots of room. I only have one DS16 though, so it is only the 3 of us. I don't know that there would be enough "breathing room" for 2 kids in the back and the stuff they would likely have around them for a long drive. I don't know if you're looking at new or used, but I've noticed great prices on Camrys and Accords a couple of years old (I guess everyone wants SUVs) that would be comparable to a new Corolla. They'd give you a little more space. Good Luck __________________ Disneyland 1976, Disneyland 1979, Disneyland 1989 Anaheim Hilton (honeymoon), Disneyland 1991 Desert Inn and Suites, Disneyland 1999 Hilton Suites, Disneyland 2002 Ayres Anaheim, Disneyland 2004 Embassy Suites South, WDW 2005 Boardwalk Villas, Disneyland 2006 CCI, WDW 2006 Wilderness Lodge, Disneyland 2007 Embassy Suites South, WDW 2008 Coronado Springs, Disneyland 2008 Embassy Suites, WDW August 2009, Wilderness Lodge

11-23-2009, 07:03 AM	#6
roberthodgson Earning My Ears Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 13	We are Driving down in a Subaru Forester, Great car for winter driving __________________

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11-23-2009, 10:47 AM	#8
nepean Mouseketeer Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Nepean, On, Canada Posts: 306	Have driven 15 times. 89 Chev Celebrity, 94 Olds Cutlass, 99 Olds Intrigue, 2003 Impala, 2006 Impala. We now have a 2009 Santa Fe. As you can see we kept getting bigger. We have DH and DD(18) and myself. The older DD got the more room we needed. We drive straight through from Ottawa and comfort is important and a nice V6 engine for the moutains. Nepean __________________

11-23-2009, 01:22 PM	#9
Kazzy1548 Listenning to my music, Dreaming about Disney Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Montreal, Quebec Canada Posts: 332	Thedelema is that I don't want to buy a car just for the trip. I want to buy a car that will give us what we need at a good price. My girls ar getting older, so they won't always follow us everwhere we go. I don't want to get stuck with a big car afterwards.... I would love the comfort but not the price tag, if you know what I mean __________________ 2005- all Star Movies 2010-Offsite 2007- Pop Century Dh 44 DW 42 DD 10 DD 15

11-23-2009, 05:49 PM	#11
irisesareblue irisesareblue Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Manitoba, Canada Posts: 214	Toyotas rock!!! We've driven a Toyota for work for several years now - we had a Toyota Echo, which I drove to California during the height of $3.00 ++ gas prices. It only cost me about $150.00 each way. Then we took it to California again last June then to Florida last November and the gas costs were really low.....it saved us enough that we were able to spend a couple of extra days at Disney, even with the hotel costs on the way back and forth. We wrote off our Echo when we hit a deer last year then have eventually ended up with a Toyota Yaris, which we love - we recently drove it to Minneapolis to catch our flights to Miami and made it back and forth from Minneapolis on only 3 tankfulls of gas. Cheap Cheap Cheap to operate - they run like stink and don't have any mechanical issues to speak of - maintenance costs are low as well. And, a big plus, they maintain their re-sale value. __________________ Feeding the Disney addiction: Disneyland May, 2008 & June, 2009 / Disney World November, 2009 / MVMCP post-cruise Nov. 13 2009 / Disney World (Regal Sun Resort) January, 2010 / Celebrating Alicia's grad from College - Upcoming June 7, 2010

11-23-2009, 07:30 PM	#12
Kazzy1548 Listenning to my music, Dreaming about Disney Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Montreal, Quebec Canada Posts: 332	Finally bought the Nissan sentra. They had a great deal. Could not pass it off. It was roomier and stores quite a lot of stuff in the trunk. The girls will be very comfy in the back... Thank you all for your feedback. Now to start plannig for the road trip __________________ 2005- all Star Movies 2010-Offsite 2007- Pop Century Dh 44 DW 42 DD 10 DD 15

11-23-2009, 09:10 PM	#13
caisland Earning My Ears Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: PEI Canada Posts: 69	Hi, We drove all the way in Aug 2006 in a 2002 Corolla. 2 Adults, 2 boys, 13 & 11 at the time. Car was very fuel efficent considering how full it was and my usual speed was around 110-120kmh. I got aobut 42 mpg average. For us at the time it was so cheap compared to flying from home but it does take 3 good days each way. For Aug 2008 and Aug 2009 we drove to Manchester and flew from there. We were able to fit 5 suitcases in the trunk and a good size one in the back seat between the boys with a small cooler on the floor for drinks. That was in our 'new' 2009 both years. Again around 40 mpg. We like flying out of Manchester NH with Southwest. $904 US for the 4 of us return and it's only 9-10 hour drive from home. __________________ March 1993 offsite August 2006 All Star Movies August 2008 Pop Century August 2009 Pop Century

11-24-2009, 09:09 AM	#15
candielips DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Durham Region, ON Posts: 728	We were fortunate this year to be able to use my inlaws Chrysler Town & Country and we loved having all the extra room. We are currently in the process of purchasing a Dodge Grand Caravan and will be driving that down next Sept. We like the extra space that a van allows us as comfort is the number key for us when driving such a long distance. __________________ POP-2009 POFQ-Christmas 2006

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