Which car?

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

With the auto industry in a tailspin, DH says this might be a good time to trade in our two older cars for a newer one.

Problem is..which car? We've gone back and forth on this and still can't decide on a single make/model that we both like. He will have to drive the car some of the time, but not very often. Primarily it'll be a car for me to tootle around town in and take DS to school. I want a Toyota Scion or a Honda Fit but DH says they are too ugly and he won't allow them in his driveway. He wants a larger car, like a Buick something or other (LeSabre???) and I said not on my life. I've driven a Detroit land yacht before and while I was really attached to that car at the time, I do not care to do it again. I like small cars. Small cars for small people I say!

So help us come to a comprimise. I'm not too particular about features, as long as it has automatic windows and AC/Heat and a working radio. CD player is nice, but not necessary. DH has satellite in his car (came with it for one year) and it's nice, but again, not a must have. Color is important, however. I really prefer greens (esp dark greens), silvers and reds. I do not want an SUV or any other giant monsterhulking car. I do not want an old lady sedan either..I'm not that old yet. I don't want a convertible.

So..what would be the best choice out of all that is out there (aside from the Honda Fit/Toyota Scion)?? Because I don't know. And I'm not really in the mood to go carshopping with DH. He takes FOREVER..looking at this, looking at that, going to this dealership, then that one then BACK to the first one again. Drives me up the wall.

 

[staley7580]

I LOVE small cars... and when my husband FORCED me to trade in our car for a van... I cried. I KNOW we cant fit four kids in a little car, but dang. It was a nice car! We had a Toyota Matrix. LOVED IT. Seriously. Best car EVER. I would buy one again in a minute. Tons of space inside... great gas mileage... sporty little bugger. The seats were BEYOND comfy, and I am a big girl.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

I have a Ford Fusion and I Love it.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

I've been in love with the ugly, boxy Scions since I first saw one at the State Fair auto show a few years back. They are so cute! But DH says no freaking way.

I've been poking around a bit on the Chevy website and the Dodge website (we've owned both in the past) and I really like the Chevy Aveo. It's a cute, sporty little wagon but I don't know what DH thinks of it. It even comes in a really cute color called Tahiti Green which is pretty on the screen, but probably not so much in real life.

 

[tinatark]

If you're buying a car because the industry is in a tailspin and you want to help, buying a Scion/Honda won't help! If you want to take advantage of pricing/financing, now is a great time, but again, I'm not sure the best deals out there are on those cars - they're typically not as negotiable, pricewise, as american cars.

American cars I like right now would be the Ford Fusion (sedan), Edge (mini-SUV), Pontiac G6 or G8. Wait the edge may be that wagon/SUV thing... I'm thinking about the small one, it's a lot like the Nissan Murano.

 

[edwardsfire]

go with a Honda or Toyota.
Go with the best.
Nissan, Subaru, Hyundai, Mazda are also very good choices but-
Honda and Toyota just cant be beat.

 

[minnie61650]

We bought our 23 year old DD a Dodge Caliber last year after her Neon was totaled.
(She was stoped at a red light when a car hit her. Luckly she was not hurt.)

It is a compact Crossover.
Fuel Economy Range is 29 mpg Hwy, 24 mpg City
The invoice price range is from $13,491 to $21,122 But at this time I am sure you can cut a better deal.
Her's is a front wheel drive but they also have a 4 wheel drive model.
They come with a-speed manual transmission or a Continuously Variable Transmission.

The crash test rating is 5 stars (which is the higest rating) for both the driver and the front passenger.

Cathy's has the Chrome package. (option)It looks a lot the Ford Edge only a little smaller and easier to get into since it sits lower to ground than most crossovers.
It has front ,side and knee air bags.( Safety was a #1 concern of ours.)

It has a lot neat features such as the glove box has refridgeration for her water bottles,(holds up to 4 cans or water bottles I think) lighted cupholders in the front, Leather heated front seats (an option ...which are great during Michigan's cold winters) and the dome light in the cargo area is also a removeable flashlight. It has a remote keyless entry and automatic door locks.(standard)

The back area of the rear bench seat can split so you are able to fold them down individually (Or together) and the passenger seat can also fold down for all kinds of loading options.

She has a SIRIUS AM/FM/Satellite Radio with a
CD player in-dash . Her car has the MP3 capability (that is option)
Auxiliary input jack (which is standard)
Steering wheel audio controls (standard)
Speakers 4 4 9 Boston Acoustics with
Amplifier & Equalizer.

The speakers are pretty neat because you can open the rear cargo door (liftgate) and turn the speakers facing out for a Boom Box effect during a tail gating party!

I love that car. If I was not disabled with limited mobility and needed a larger trunk space for my electric mobility scooter I would trade in my Buick for a Dodge Caliber. That is one cool car!

Here is a link with a photo:

http://autos.aol.com/cars-dodge-caliber-2008/equipment

Good Luck with your quest!

 

[RC Fan]

I want a Toyota Scion or a Honda Fit but DH says they are too ugly and he won't allow them in his driveway. :

Which Toyota and which Scion were you interested in? The Scion tC is a nice looking car. The Toyota Matrix gets a good name as well. How about a Mazda 3? How about a Subaru Impreza? A Honda Civic is a great choice as well.

As Chrysler appears the weakest of the Big 3, I think I would wait to see what happens there.

 

[antmaril]

How about a Pontiac Vibe?

 

[minnie61650]

I think Chrysler really dropped the ball when they do not promote the Dodge Caliber and all of its unique features. My DD friends and cousins all think she is so Lucky and that her dad is the best for buying such a cool car for her.

I went car shopping with DH and DD and we went to the GM and Ford showrooms first and then stopped at the Chrysler showroom.
When I saw that bright red Dodge Caliber with all that chrome sparkling in the showroom I got into it and sat there taking in all the features it had. I was really intrigued with the refridgered glove box for the bottles of water.
(I love my water cold.) While DH and DD explored the showroom and parking lot I was hoping they would pick the Caliber I was sitting in.

DD and Dh did decide on a Caliber but it was one of the ones on the lots with the cloth seat since it was less expensive. I felt bad but DH was paying for it and DD was going to drive it so I did not say anything. When we went to pick it up imagine DD's and my surprise! There waiting for us was the red sparkling showroom Caliber I had fallen in love with!! It turns out DD had fallen in love with it also. She thinks her dad is "the best ever!" She says she is very lucky to have such a great dad and I feel very lucky to be married to such a great guy.

BTW:

Dh really likes that car too and we borrow it sometimes on the weekends to go to breakfast when DD is sleeping in.

 

[clgwli]

Even if I were a dear friend of yours I would have a hard time picking a car for you. It is just a very personal decision as driving habits and even size of the person can make a huge difference.

I highly suggeset this site as a starting point

http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/base/home.do

 

[Christine]

To me, a cross between a Buick LeSabre and a Honda Fit or Toyota Scion would be....a Toyota Camry!

It would give your husband the feel of getting a sedan, and it will still give you the "small car" feel. The Camry's generally have excellent gas mileage, though a few miles higher than a Corolla, Civic, etc. They have a nice plush feel to them but still zip around when you drive.

And while Toyota and Honda aren't on the edge of bankruptcy they have reported losses also and are giving deals. I know that just last week Toyota was giving up to $2,000 cash back on many of their cars (and no it wasn't just the SUVs) so I would check into that.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My brother just bought a 2008 Impala. Yes it is a Chrysler. However he got a great deal on it.

 

[Christine]

My brother just bought a 2008 Impala. Yes it is a Chrysler. However he got a great deal on it.

I am not a lover of American cars but I do think that the Chevy Impala is a nice car!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

My brother just bought a 2008 Impala. Yes it is a Chrysler. However he got a great deal on it.

An Impala is a Chevy, not Chrysler. And no its not the same thing, for whoever is going to say it.

 

[nhpooh]

How about a Pontiac Vibe?

I have this car and love it! I have a 2005 and it's great on gas, I get about 25 city. I don't drive much on the highway so can't really say. I also put at one time two car seats in and it still had room for one child in the middle.

 

[SereneOne]

I purchased a 2009 Toyota Corolla and I LOVE IT!

It gets 31 in the city for me and over 40 on the highway. It is roomy enough for my husband, myself, my 19yo and my 5yo. It is a beautiful red also. It is quiet and peppy (no, it is not a refined German engineering driving type of car, but it is so fun!) and surprisingly roomy.

 

[powellrj]

My DH bought a Focus this year and while he loves it, I still love my Camry. We rented a Altima last month and it just isn't as great as my Camry is.

 

[Nette]

Whatever you get, look at the safety ratings first! Apparently the car I drive is one of the most dangerous - Ford Escape!

When DH totalled his truck, I wanted to get him a very safe car (DD rides in it more than in my car). He started looking at small Honda sedans, but I wanted to get a Volvo. He thought that was too expensive. But then we did the math. Adding all the safety features that come standard on the Volvo to the Honda he was interested in, made the Honda price HIGHER (slightly) than the Volvo price. We both LOVE the Volvo S40, and it's the second Volvo we've owned. The last one is still running and it was built in 1982.

JMHO.

Oops... wanted to add that we just took it on it's first road trip. It got 40 mpg for part of the trip. In the city it gets about 27 mpg.

 

[minnie61650]

Whatever you get, look at the safety ratings first! Apparently the car I drive is one of the most dangerous - Ford Escape!

.

I am also concerned about safety.
For instance Jaws Of life and hybrids do not mix well.

Unlike the misconstrued editorial we talked about earlier in the week there are a few "real" dangers when it comes to hybrids. They mainly involve first responders to auto accidents. Now that hybrid engines are being placed in conventional looking car models like the Ford Escape and Honda Accord, rescuers might not easily be able to identify the car as a hybrid. The cars have a high amount of electricity running through them compared to traditional gas powered cars and could easily harm someone trying to rescue injured drivers. Experts are asking for a labeling system on the driver's side visor. That doesn't sound like that big a deal since we already have airbag warnings on them. The article mentions that there hasn't been any injury involving a rescuer and hybrid vehicle. Well that's a good idea, play the waiting game as hybrids get more and more popular. Great thinking. Get with it and implement this all too easy aid for hard working first responders.

From this link:

http://www.autoblog.com/2005/01/05/potential-hybrid-safety-hazards/