Replacing our Hyundai Elantra and unsure what to get

[Djm_in_buffalo]

Always assume that you’re going to be in an accident going 45 MPH and that the person in the other vehicle is driving a Ford F-250.

Am I serious? Somewhat. So many more people are driving massive pickups and massive SUVs these days, compared to when “everybody” drove a car or maybe a minivan, with trucks reserved for those in the trades. For me, safety is of paramount importance, edging out reliability and way more important than brand prestige or “features”. Still want reliability but not of supreme importance.

Our last 6 vehicles have been evenly split: 3 Volvos and 3 Subarus. 2 of the Volvos were sedans and 1 was an SUV, whereas 1 of the Subarus was a sedan and 2 were wagons. We’ve loved all 6 and it will be a toss up on which of those 2 brands to get for the next vehicle.

However, I’ve eliminated sedans from the shopping list. I like driving them. I love how they handle. Sure, there’s the adage of avoiding accident versus being in one, but they happen daily.

When it comes to safety ratings, the data is suspect (across all brands) based on how they test them. Watch the IIHS or NHTSA or Euro NCAP crash videos. Doesn’t matter which. Actually analyze their sled that replicates a striking vehicle. Look at how high it is off the ground and where the point of impact is on whatever make/model of vehicle it’s hitting. I’m assuming what you’ll see is a sled striking with point of impact low / mid part of the door.

Now, go in a parking lot, any parking lot, and out of 100 vehicles, count how many would hit that low if you were in the Corolla, or Impreza, or whatever sedan is being considered. Those high-riding SUVs and massive pickup trucks will be hitting much higher. The flat-fronted pickups which are all the rage now will be hitting about head height. Safety ratings be damned; they should be treated as at most a guide only, not gospel. I want ground clearance and to be riding higher up, if nothing else than to change the point of impact for when struck by a large vehicle, which is now the norm.

When considering safety, reliability, and cost, Subaru is a pretty solid choice.

 

[Anthony1971]

I fully understand prices for Toyota and Honda. We are loyalists to both. Gave my son an 8 year old one we bout new that I could have easily sold for about 4k less then we paid for it new. Honda and Toyota have had known issues as well just mostly not to the extent of some others. Subaru while I am not fan avoid any 2011 and before with the 2.5 which is most models as they had head issues. My neighbor had one with the exact issue that was 10 years old still bought another but that is their choice. If you are willing to put some work into a car or have a family friend mechanic you can easily find the above year Subaru for a few thousand at best…. The reason so many mechanics love them also the turbo versions are very modifiable which also had head issues.
All else research the years just remember issues does not mean every car will have that issue it means you are taking a risk and take care of the area of the car that has the issue and hope for the best. Price in the expectation of the repair however the market usually does this already….

 

[Jodo98]

We've been Subaru owners (8 total) and we've not had any major (or minor if you don't count a few tires that go low) issues with any of them. We typically buy new and keep for 50K miles so we don't have to replace any major parts. We service them regularly (oil changes and tire rotations 5-7K miles).

Even the lower end categories have many upgrades and the cars are safe. I was hit by a wild animal last week while doing 55 and it really only caused minor damage (2K mostly for electronics to take doors apart). If you looked at my car, you might not even see the damage.

We had two Outback's which are really big if you need cargo space and now have a Crosstrek and Legacy Limited. Both get about 33-35 mpg. Prices are way lower than Toyota. I would highly recommend Subaru.

Subaru's are such reliable cars. I know a friend who was rear ended while driving one and she swears the car saved her 2 daughters. Has driven a subaru ever since.

 

[Eastern]

Toyota or Subaru.

 

[_19disnA]

I think safety isn't just about the brand of vehicle, but relates as much to HOW you drive. Many people drive WAY too aggressively (speeding, tailgating, constantly weaving in/out of traffic, changing lanes with no regard to who else is around them, texting while driving, etc.) Many on the freeway act like they own the road, don't care what else is going on around them and don't seem to be paying attention. If I see some cars driving aggressively 1/4 mile of so in front of me on the freeway, I slow down and let that situation sort itself out. No need to be part of that sort of confrontation.

Accidents can happen but overall are fairly rare. How you drive is something you can clearly control regardless of what brand of vehicle you own. I would imagine in a lifetime of driving, the aggressive drivers have a much higher probability of getting into an accident.

 

[Bellex917]

Well, this post was perfect for us. I've been quietly following. We have a 2012 Hyundai Elantra that officially bit the dust. In one week the steering had issues (we paid to fix) and then on Thursday the breaks STOPPED WORKING while we were driving. Thank God nobody was hurt. In the end, we are getting a Subaru Forester... should be getting it Monday. I had it narrowed to Toyota or Subaru and looked at both. We felt equally about both but got a better deal on the Forester over the Rav4. I did a ton of research and felt they were relatively similar, maybe a slight edge to the Toyota, but not much.

 

[princesscinderella]

I just wanted to pop back in here too to say I just got another recall notice from ford about my son’s Bronco sport. The battery control has an issue that they don’t have a fix for and it could cause the car to stall out when the auto start/stop for the engine at a light fails to restart the car. It also leads to premature battery failure. I think this might be recall number 7 on this car. . Thankfully he hasn’t had anything fail on him while driving but it doesn’t inspire confidence in the vehicle.

 

[Skywalker3]

Thank you , thank you ALL for the recommendations, information, experiences, all of it was so very appreciated. DH found a 2020 certified pre-owned Honda Civic that he liked, liked the price, not too many miles, and we were happy with a previous one , so that's what we went with last week. Neither DS nor I have driven it, so hopefully can get out in it tomorrow. I want DS to get comfortable with it before he starts taking it to school, etc.
We'll likely replace the van fairly soon. We'd started that process last Oct, but van is still doing its job, so will wait. I'd always wanted a Subaru Outback, for years, but I was kinda disappointed when I finally test-drove one back in Oct....but I want to try again. I'd also looked at Toyota RAV-4, and Honda CRV, but I've never had an SUV, and still not sure about that. So now, I"m considering an Accord....I had one of those for years, and liked it, but it would be a lot less room....I'll likely check out the Subaru again, just to see.
But back to the original reason for this, thank you again. Loved the discussion. Hope this will work out, and NO more accidents!!!