What 2019 Car/SUV for teen drivers?

[Mrs. Ciz]

I am so glad I read through this whole thread! Within the year I'm going to replace my 2002 Navigator with a new to me car. The Navigator still runs well and has never needed a huge expensive repair, but it has almost 200,000 miles on it. The leather seats are starting to wear badly and the driver's side door armrest has started crumbling. Plus it is a huge gas guzzling vehicle. With both kids in college now, I'm no longer the mom taxi that I once was.

I want a small SUV crossover, so I can still haul stuff when I need to. I've been looking at Honda CR-Vs, but thanks to @Klayfish , I am researching and looking at Hyundai and Kia as well. I am also checking out Hertz and other rental car sales. Thanks for that tip @tvguy . Some of the deals in my area through the Hertz website for a 2 year old Hyundai Tucson are incredible!!!

 

[GZanta77]

I am also checking out Hertz and other rental car sales. Thanks for that tip @tvguy . Some of the deals in my area through the Hertz website for a 2 year old Hyundai Tucson are incredible!!!

Just a word of warning on rental car resales - be very sure of the specification of car you are buying. Rentals can sometimes be dumbed down versions of the retail counterparts so even if it says, for example, 2017 Ford Escape SE - don't assume it will have exactly the same spec as a Ford Escape SE bought from a dealer. Whilst mechanically probably the same, it is not unusual for the rental to have subtle differences like an inferior audio system or climate control, less power seat functions etc.

I am not trying to steer you away from rental resales though - I have bought one myself in the past and it was a great car.

 

[missnic]

Check out Subaru. They consistently have excellent crash test ratings. I'm on my second Outback and I love it. (Unfortunately it's currently sitting in Orlando because someone merged into me on I4 last week and it needs a new cross arm ) Bonus, the Outback is considered a stationwagon, so my insurance rates are lower than an SUV would be, but it looks and feels like a small SUV. I can haul anything - I fit a dishwasher in the back a few months ago.

I'm currently driving a 2018 Fusion rental, and it's okay... but it feels so much bigger and heavier than my Outback. I can't wait to get my car back!

 

[tvguy]

Just a word of warning on rental car resales - be very sure of the specification of car you are buying. Rentals can sometimes be dumbed down versions of the retail counterparts so even if it says, for example, 2017 Ford Escape SE - don't assume it will have exactly the same spec as a Ford Escape SE bought from a dealer. Whilst mechanically probably the same, it is not unusual for the rental to have subtle differences like an inferior audio system or climate control, less power seat functions etc.

I am not trying to steer you away from rental resales though - I have bought one myself in the past and it was a great car.

Just a word of warning on rental car resales - be very sure of the specification of car you are buying. Rentals can sometimes be dumbed down versions of the retail counterparts so even if it says, for example, 2017 Ford Escape SE - don't assume it will have exactly the same spec as a Ford Escape SE bought from a dealer. Whilst mechanically probably the same, it is not unusual for the rental to have subtle differences like an inferior audio system or climate control, less power seat functions etc.

I am not trying to steer you away from rental resales though - I have bought one myself in the past and it was a great car.

I wonder if matters which rental firm ordered them? We have 8 Escapes at work from Hertz. Company started buying them because, of course they are cheaper, but they are BETTER equipped that the versions we were buying new. It does vary from Escape to Escape, some have sunroofs, most have leather seats, but all have the top of the line Sony radios. The Escape S is the fleet version, all ours are SE's or Titaniums.

Now, with the 2006 and 2007 Taurus there was a big difference, because as an individual, you couldn't buy a new Taurus. Ford only kept them in production for fleet sales. So if you buy a used 2006 or 2007 Taurus it HAD to be a rental or fleet car. Ford did the same with the Escort in 2003 when I bought my Focus. Only way you could get a 2003 Escort was to buy it used from a fleet. And I think they did the same thing with the Crown Victoria in it's finals years. Of course, I also saw a stat that half the Crown Victoria sales for years were to Police Departments, so if you saw a Crown Victoria, odds were 50-50 it was, or had been a Police car.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Just a word of warning on rental car resales - be very sure of the specification of car you are buying. Rentals can sometimes be dumbed down versions of the retail counterparts so even if it says, for example, 2017 Ford Escape SE - don't assume it will have exactly the same spec as a Ford Escape SE bought from a dealer. Whilst mechanically probably the same, it is not unusual for the rental to have subtle differences like an inferior audio system or climate control, less power seat functions etc.

I am not trying to steer you away from rental resales though - I have bought one myself in the past and it was a great car.

Agree. We bought a Nissan Sentra that had been a rental car. Low mileage, and we liked it. Didn't even realize until our first long trip (we're in a congested metropolitan area) that it didn't have cruise control. What car doesn't have cruise control in this day and age? Bizarre. We'll definitely be checking this for our next car!

 

[Klayfish]

Just a word of warning on rental car resales - be very sure of the specification of car you are buying. Rentals can sometimes be dumbed down versions of the retail counterparts so even if it says, for example, 2017 Ford Escape SE - don't assume it will have exactly the same spec as a Ford Escape SE bought from a dealer. Whilst mechanically probably the same, it is not unusual for the rental to have subtle differences like an inferior audio system or climate control, less power seat functions etc.

I am not trying to steer you away from rental resales though - I have bought one myself in the past and it was a great car.

They're not any different than the cars you'd get retail. They're identical in content. It would not be cost effective for a manufacturer to do such a thing. In fact they'd prefer the car have the same features as the retail car, as rental experience can often lead to retail sales. The only exception would be something like the Chevy Impala. They introduced a new generation in 2014 or 2015 (I forget without looking it up), but the previous generation lived on through 2016 as a fleet/rental only.

 

[tvguy]

They're not any different than the cars you'd get retail. They're identical in content. It would not be cost effective for a manufacturer to do such a thing. In fact they'd prefer the car have the same features as the retail car, as rental experience can often lead to retail sales. The only exception would be something like the Chevy Impala. They introduced a new generation in 2014 or 2015 (I forget without looking it up), but the previous generation lived on through 2016 as a fleet/rental only.

That was my thought too. Actually, Lee Iaccoca mentioned that in his book Iacocca. Said that even if they don't make a penny on sales to rental car company, it is like a car getting 20 long term test drives a month. It is critical for their cars to be in rental fleets and make good impressions, so I suspect they would be fully equipped.

 

[tvguy]

Agree. We bought a Nissan Sentra that had been a rental car. Low mileage, and we liked it. Didn't even realize until our first long trip (we're in a congested metropolitan area) that it didn't have cruise control. What car doesn't have cruise control in this day and age? Bizarre. We'll definitely be checking this for our next car!

Hertz or someone like Enterprise? I only rented form Enterprise once, the car had no cruise control and manual windows!

 

[missnic]

Hertz or someone like Enterprise? I only rented form Enterprise once, the car had no cruise control and manual windows!

I picked up a rental from Hertz at MCO last week. It was a Hyundai Accent, with an actual key. No key fob, even for the doors. Power windows, but everything else was as basic as it gets. I think even it had cruise. lol As this was going to be a fairly long term rental (2+ weeks at least) I quickly traded it for a different car. Ended up with a Ford Fusion that's fully loaded. Leather, power everything, bluetooth, XM, backup camera.. I was surprised. Based on past experience, I expected a base model with no extra options.

 

[tvguy]

I picked up a rental from Hertz at MCO last week. It was a Hyundai Accent, with an actual key. No key fob, even for the doors. Power windows, but everything else was as basic as it gets. I think even it had cruise. lol As this was going to be a fairly long term rental (2+ weeks at least) I quickly traded it for a different car. Ended up with a Ford Fusion that's fully loaded. Leather, power everything, bluetooth, XM, backup camera.. I was surprised. Based on past experience, I expected a base model with no extra options.

I'm surprise the Accent had cruise, only because I didn't even thing that was an option.