Which car does this describe?

[bicker]

I'll try to remember to ask my wife when she gets home from work. She's the one who told me about it, when she was outlining her absolute requirements.

 

[MICKEY88]

several thoughts,

1.
top handling stability and comfort do not go hand in hand, the best handling supsensions are performance suspensions and you will feel every imperfection in the road..

2.
integrated bluetooth, I know quite a few people that have it and will not use it, becasue people on the other end always ask if they are in a tunnel, they have all reverted to using their bluetooth ear pieces..

3. if any state bans gps that is not built into the car, they are foolish, a gps mounted on top of your dash or attached to the wind shield, doesn't require you to take your eyes off the road nearly as much as a dash mounted unit,

voice activated for programming while driving does make sense, but I personally have never had the need to program mine while I'm driving

 

[bicker]

top handling stability and comfort do not go hand in hand, the best handling supsensions are performance suspensions and you will feel every imperfection in the road..

Absolutely... comfort really is separate from handling.

integrated bluetooth, I know quite a few people that have it and will not use it, becasue people on the other end always ask if they are in a tunnel, they have all reverted to using their bluetooth ear pieces..

My BMW's integrated Bluetooth is so good that the folks I talk with have no idea that I'm calling from the car. It provides better sound, for me and for the other party, than my LG Voyager's mic and speaker does, it seems.

if any state bans gps that is not built into the car, they are foolish, a gps mounted on top of your dash or attached to the wind shield, doesn't require you to take your eyes off the road nearly as much as a dash mounted unit,

I think the concern is that the GPS becomes a missile in a short-stop situation. I had a loaner 5-series a few months ago, with the integrated GPS, and it seemed almost as well-placed and easier to access than the GPS I apply to my windshield.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Absolutely... comfort really is separate from handling.

My BMW's integrated Bluetooth is so good that the folks I talk with have no idea that I'm calling from the car. It provides better sound, for me and for the other party, than my LG Voyager's mic and speaker does, it seems.

I think the concern is that the GPS becomes a missile in a short-stop situation. I had a loaner 5-series a few months ago, with the integrated GPS, and it seemed almost as well-placed and easier to access than the GPS I apply to my windshield.

Yes, DH has integrated blue tooth and it sounds better than most phones used in any way. Absolutely fantastic.

 

[MICKEY88]

I think the concern is that the GPS becomes a missile in a short-stop situation. I had a loaner 5-series a few months ago, with the integrated GPS, and it seemed almost as well-placed and easier to access than the GPS I apply to my windshield.

that's interesting it would only be a missle to those in another car, are they also banning the little religious statues and such I see in cars all the time..

and I'd think the key being almost as well placed...

the more I read on this thread the more confused I get, it's pretty much a given fact that a certified pre-owned vehicle is a better buy than a new car,
reliability and feature wise the same as a new car.
you've stated that there is no way you could find a used car that would be any better than those you already own,

so to me you're spinning your wheels here stressing for nothing, because deduction tells me that a new car wouldn't be better than what you already have, other than being able to say you have a new car..


perhaps you could do one of the following, move to Florida, eliminating the need for AWD or 4WD, increasing your options...or since your wife is the one with the difficult criteria, trade her in on a model with fewer reqirements...LOL

oh and if you choose to tell your wife that last part, my name is fred and I live in california

 

[bicker]

so to me you're spinning your wheels here stressing for nothing

Have you ever been married?

because deduction tells me that...

One note about this though: You seem to be implying that every new car sold in the United States denotes the action of a moron. It's okay if that is your hypothesis (and I suppose since both of our current cars we purchased used, I cannot even take offense), but it does represent a rather bold and broadly insulting perspective.

This does seem to be similar to what Big Kid was talking about in a recent message. See #2 in link

 

[monkeybug]

Absolutely... comfort really is separate from handling.

My BMW's integrated Bluetooth is so good that the folks I talk with have no idea that I'm calling from the car. It provides better sound, for me and for the other party, than my LG Voyager's mic and speaker does, it seems.

I think the concern is that the GPS becomes a missile in a short-stop situation. I had a loaner 5-series a few months ago, with the integrated GPS, and it seemed almost as well-placed and easier to access than the GPS I apply to my windshield.

Is integrated blue tooth any different than having a new stereo installed that has blue tooth? My husband just had one put in our car and it plays through my speakers and is crystal clear. Maybe that could be an option if you find a car you like that doesn't come with blue tooth?

 

[Green Tea]

Volvo XC60 or Volvo S80. Only thing lacking I think is flex fuel.

 

[bicker]

Is integrated blue tooth any different than having a new stereo installed that has blue tooth? My husband just had one put in our car and it plays through my speakers and is crystal clear. Maybe that could be an option if you find a car you like that doesn't come with blue tooth?

While the GPS issue is up-in-the-air, apparently, the Bluetooth requirement comes straight from the state law. Whatever the law will accept is good enough. However, I suspect that there is no difference in function between what your husband just had put into your car, and integrated Bluetooth, itself, and buying it up-front is probably less expensive (or at least less hassle if something goes wrong and you need someone to take responsibility for the problem and fix it for you) than retrofitting.

 

[Green Tea]

The Volvo promotion may have ended in July. It was an extension of the bumper to bumper, plus all scheduled maintenance, including wear and tear to 60K miles. You pretty much pay for nothing but gas.

 

[monkeybug]

While the GPS issue is up-in-the-air, apparently, the Bluetooth requirement comes straight from the state law. Whatever the law will accept is good enough. However, I suspect that there is no difference in function between what your husband just had put into your car, and integrated Bluetooth, itself, and buying it up-front is probably less expensive (or at least less hassle if something goes wrong and you need someone to take responsibility for the problem and fix it for you) than retrofitting.

A lesson we learned as far as navi, and dvd, and I'm willing to bet bluetooth too is that you get much more bang for your buck if you have it installed after market. The difference between the $1200 dvd entertainment system GMC offfers and the one we had installed is pretty substantial, and we didn't pay much more. I don't know about if something goes wrong, but we haven't had any problems with any of them. We bought pretty much a bare bones Yukon (but bare bones on a Yukon comes with a lot more than bare bones on some other brands) and my husband had everything else added after. It wasn't always cheaper than what it would have been to buy the factory option, but we got a much nicer product.
As far as the Nav. system is concerned you may want to think about how long you will have the car. Something built in is pretty much stuck there, and the way technology changes, could be outdated before you are ready to get a new car. I have a Nav system that was installed when we bought our Yukon, but I use the Tomtom app. on my Iphone now because it's more current.
I would read Cnet or something similar and look some of those things up, some of the features you can get aftermarket for the same price may be worth it.

 

[bicker]

I think that is true of the entertainment system.

I think for the navigation system, its a matter of how much of a hack-job you're willing to put up with. Generally, car makers make their dashboards such that only their licensed products will fit in properly. Remember, though, that the issue with the nav system was that this law was supposedly passed somewhere. If there is not going to be any such law, then the nav we have now (stick on the windshield) is our preference.

For Bluetooth, I suspect the factory functionality is less expensive. However, it is academic: The priority to avoid the finger-pointing, between car dealer and after-market installer, trumps it all.

 

[tvguy]

Which car best fits this specific set of descriptions?

Absolute Requirement - 4WD
Absolute Requirement - Integrated Bluetooth Communications System
Absolute Requirement - Very low incidence of breakdown
Absolute Requirement - Superior touring comfort for two
Very Important Priority - Great gas mileage
Very Important Priority - Low overall cost of ownership
Nice to Have - Modest size (i.e., not so large that parking in a small garage will be a problem)
Nice to Have - Alternative fuel/hybrid
Nice to Have - Integrated GPS
Not Important - Third and fourth passenger comfort
Not Important - Lots of trunk storage
Not Important - Superior performance

Ford Fusion Hybrid or Ford Escape Hybrid.

 

[bicker]

More info from my wife on the law regarding GPS systems. First, it's Washington State. Second, I think she's confused (though she insists that she's not) about it applying to all Bluetooth-enabled GPS systems.

Here are the facts: The law there changed in April prohibiting the act of even just glancing at a cell phone while driving. Some people, however, use their iPhones or Blackberry's built-in GPS capability for automobile navigation. Too bad: $124 fine, no questions asked. link

Now the question is how far will this law go. My navi is Bluetooth enabled. Technically, it can do everything a cellphone can do. I can dial; peruse the directory; etc. It is in all ways just as distracting to driving as the Washington State law declares a cellphone is, for all the same reasons.

 

[monkeybug]

I think that is true of the entertainment system. I think for the navigation system, its a matter of how much of a hack-job you're willing to put up with. Generally, car makers make their dashboards such that only their licensed products will fit in properly. For Bluetooth, I suspect the factory functionality is less expensive.

However, it is academic: The priority to avoid the finger-pointing, between car dealer and after-market installer, trumps it all.

I think as long as you have things installed by a reputable place with good reviews, the end product is just as nice. Nothing in my car looks like it was a hack job that's for sure, in fact I think mine looks better than would have come installed, but that's personal opinion of course.
I get that it's more convenient to get it as an option in a vehicle, and there may be additional perks as far as warranties and stuff that you won't get after market, but it's something to consider if you were to find a car that had everything you wanted except those things already built in.

 

[bicker]

Ford Fusion Hybrid or Ford Escape Hybrid.

The Ford hybrids don't offer AWD.

 

[monkeybug]

More info from my wife on the law regarding GPS systems. First, it's Washington State. Second, I think she's confused (though she insists that she's not). The law there changed in April prohibiting the act of even just glancing at a cell phone while driving. Some people, however, use their iPhones or Blackberry's built-in GPS capability for automobile navigation. Too bad: $124 fine, no questions asked. link

Now the question is how far will this law go. My navi is Bluetooth enabled. Technically, it can do everything a cellphone can do. I can dial; peruse the directory; etc. It is in all ways just as distracting to driving as the Washington State law declares a cellphone is, for all the same reasons.

That says specifically that they don't want the phones in peoples hands, not that they would get a ticket for glancing at the phone or gps.

 

[bicker]

This is the issue, "Bottom line, troopers don't want drivers to be looking at GPS devices ... while driving, Williams said." My wife's company is based in Washington State, and the company Intranet discussions she's relating to me (us) validates that this is how that law is being enforced. I know that's not what it says, but that's what she says is happening.

She says she'll check again on Monday and forward me as much as she can.

 

[monkeybug]

This is the issue, "Bottom line, troopers don't want drivers to be looking at GPS devices in their hand while driving, Williams said." My wife's company is based in Washington State, and the company Intranet discussions she's relating to me (us) validates that this is how that law is being enforced.

Yeah, "In their hand" My Iphone is placed in a doohicky that's mounted to my vehicle, I don't have to hold it in my hand to use the GPS or any other feature on it.

 

[tvguy]

My wife is warming to the idea of including the Ford Fusion in her consideration. AWD is okay.

However, it's second-rate (Consumer Reports) with regard to comfort, though, so that might eliminate it.

You or your wife really have to drive a car to determine comfort. Either do a long test drive, or rent a model you are considering for a weekend. I've done that before several car purchases. I would never eliminate a car from my list because someone else said it was uncomfortable.

As a Consumer Reports subscriber, their comfort ratings are one thing I have found I disagree with, at least in the cars I have ended up buying.
Now, I have never had them say a car was comfortable and I didn't find it comfortable, but they often note things they feel are substandard, and in the cars I bought, I found them to be superior. My wife and I bought a brand new 1983 Mercury Lynx, and Consumer Reports said the center arm rest was too high, and uncomfortable and recommended you find a version without the arm rest. We had that car 15 years, and it was the most comfortable arm rest we've ever had.