Help me find a new car

[jerichoholicninja]

My old Escort has finally reached the end of its usefulness to me so I'll be getting a different vehicle in the next few months. I know nothing about cars so maybe you guys can help me with my search. Basically what I'm looking for is a small SUV or large car. I don't care about looks or fancy handling. I need something with cargo space and people space and 25 mpg or better would be great. I'm looking used, ideally around $18,000 and not much over $20,000.

 

After talking with my car guy friend he suggested the Tiguan, Escape and anything Subaro. I've done a little research myself and I kind of like the Dodge Magnum. What else do you think I should be looking at?

[RockCoCougars]

I have a family member who is thrilled with his Escape and the gas mileage that it gets (relative to SUV). I've heard good things about Pontiac Vibes as well (obviously these would be on the used market).

[BrewersSuperCollector]

We have an Escape and we love it. Ours is the 6 cylinder with the towing package which listed at 27k I believe. we get about 18 city/24-26 hwy.

[jjkoestler]

I have a Jeep Liberty that has been great. It has 200k miles, I have beat the hell out of it, and it still runs like a champ. I believe they get a little less than 25 mpg, but they are affordable.

[mothershipconnection]

I don't care about looks or fancy handling. I need something with cargo space and people space and 25 mpg or better would be great.

 

We have a Volvo V50 and have been absolutely thrilled with it. Plenty of cargo space, rides smooth, and gets about 28mpg. Jeep Liberty is also pretty solid for a smaller SUV.

 

I avoid VW's, as they can be really difficult and expensive to fix. My brother works in the service department of a VW dealer and says a 3-year lease on a new VW is a great idea, but anything older than that is asking for more trouble than you'd get from other major brands.

[M Skjellyfetti]

Pontiac Vibes are great, but I would avoid one for your specific needs. The Vibe doesn't do such a great job of handling more than 2 adults (at least tall ones). There is not a ton of legroom in the backseat.

[RobDeer 45]

We have a Ford Edge (we're on our 2nd one) and really really love them. They handle great and deal with weather easily. We get around 21-23 mpg on avg. So looking at what you want, I would think the Escape would be a solid fit. I have only test drove the escape but have been really impressed with Ford overall (never thought I'd say that, they've really come a long way). The edge is going to give you a more spacious feel and what I thought to feel like a better ride but you will also pay more for it. I would guess you'd be happy with a Ford.

[ilovebeer]

I also have an escape and i love it.

[jerichoholicninja]

We have a Ford Edge (we're on our 2nd one) and really really love them. They handle great and deal with weather easily. We get around 21-23 mpg on avg. So looking at what you want, I would think the Escape would be a solid fit. I have only test drove the escape but have been really impressed with Ford overall (never thought I'd say that, they've really come a long way). The edge is going to give you a more spacious feel and what I thought to feel like a better ride but you will also pay more for it. I would guess you'd be happy with a Ford.

 

I hear people all the time say so and so car company is best because of whatever and I have no clue what they are talking about but I will say my Ford has never had any problems other than what my own stupidity has caused and my friends that have had Fords have said the same thing.

[thebruce44]

Subaru. Nearly every car they make, outside of the WRX, is what you are looking for. And their AWD systems are second to none.

[ReverendBrewmeister]

I'll throw in my $0.02 for a Subaru. My parents had a Legacy wagon and now own a 2011 Outback. I own a 2010 Forester with over 50,000 miles on it since I bought it new in SEP 2010.

 

My average MPG for the life of it is right at 25, which is a little better than what I was getting from my Ford Taurus that I traded in. When I do a good bit of highway driving, I see 27-30 mpg averages.

 

Great handling at all times (full-time AWD) and really good for the winter. I've had adults in the backseat for road trips with no complaints for long travel. Good storage space; lots of it with the backseat folded down. Can take it anywhere from pheasant hunting in Iowa cornfields or locations in the Appalachians to the city streets of Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington and it fits.

 

My only major complaint is that the automatic transmission is a 4-speed. [Yes, that's right, "4-speed".] But it does well enough on the short on-ramps out here in the East Coast and it's not terrible. They sell it with a 5-speed manual transmission, if you're looking for that.

[RobDeer 45]

We have a Ford Edge (we're on our 2nd one) and really really love them. They handle great and deal with weather easily. We get around 21-23 mpg on avg. So looking at what you want, I would think the Escape would be a solid fit. I have only test drove the escape but have been really impressed with Ford overall (never thought I'd say that, they've really come a long way). The edge is going to give you a more spacious feel and what I thought to feel like a better ride but you will also pay more for it. I would guess you'd be happy with a Ford.

 

I hear people all the time say so and so car company is best because of whatever and I have no clue what they are talking about but I will say my Ford has never had any problems other than what my own stupidity has caused and my friends that have had Fords have said the same thing.

 

I'm not saying it's the best or anything, just that I've been really happy with our two Ford Edge SUV's. I had a bad taste in my mouth about Fords from back in the 90's and didn't think I'd ever want to drive one (mainly because I thought the Taurus back then was such slapped together cruddy car). I know that most newer cars now days are all going to be solid, we just get a lot of compliments on our Edge from other people. I'm just saying I'd suggest the Edge to others and the escape is somewhat similar, so I'd be confident in that as well. For the record I was always a Honda person.

[GAME05]

my car is the devil. windows won't roll down (would be $400 fix) and now the AC needs $1000 worth of repairs. 130,000 miles on the thing already, and everything has broken down on that car that i'm sick of replacing it all. i feel like i'm in the shop every three months. it's not just the AC, because history with this thing says that it's going to be something else expensive after that, too.

 

only recently paid it off and also am about to be unemployed. just awesome.

 

obviously don't want to take on car payments now, so i guess i'll be trading it in and basically downgrading just for something that has a better standard of durability. just filled it up with freon, so the AC will last another two weeks before it all leaks out.

 

just looked at a 1999 Ford Ranger pickup with 232,000 miles on it. sticker of $6,000 for it and won't yet give me their trade-in price. guy also showed me a Chrysler with 80,000 miles on it but sticker says $9,000, even though i told him i can add around $2,000 along with the trade-in, but don't want payments. he said "well, we'll see what we can do to lower the price and give you a good trade-in." sure.

[Nottso]

Fords are consistently ranked very high by JD Power & Associates. I've owned many over the years and will own many more.

[GAME05]

their internet site said the truck had 133,000 miles, not 233,000 miles. either way, i'm going to make the offer straight-up for my car with no money exchanged. if not, then i'll deal with no AC or windows and trade it in when i get to NC.

[CheezWizHed]

Go for a Chevy Impala. Should be able to get a decent used one for $12-14k. Get one 2006 and newer and you will have my software providing your cooling and heating needs (not sure if that is a warning or an endorsement)!

[craigharmann]

Fords are great. I liked out VW Bug. I've got a Toyota Matrix and it's been a great car. Subaru, Hyundai, good to do with too as well as Mazdas. I'd stay clear of Chevys or GMs.

[GAME05]

it's a little tougher to be too specific with the dealer for make and model just because i'm really only able to pay about $2000 past my car's trade-in value so that i don't have car payments to make during my however-long period of unemployment/underemployment.

 

i could really use your all's advice on the matter before i make such a big move, though. is it better to just bite the bullet and pay $1000 on some AC work on a car that's always had one new problem after another, or end up with somebody else's junk car and cross my fingers that it ends up as more reliable (or at the least, that repairs on domestic vehicles are cheaper than on Korean ones). or even just pay $400 for the new window motor and deal with no AC for the summer.

 

it's just that i'm leaving my job and only have $4000 saved up (with $4500 in available credit) and am wary of getting myself into a situation of having debt with a possible inability to pay.

 

thanks, all.

[thebruce44]

Do you need to have a car at all given your situation.

[LouisEly]

Do you live near an Enterprise where you can just rent as needed?

 

As far as taking on payments... if you are going to be unemployed, why drop a lump sum on a vehicle? Unless you plan on being unemployed for a long time, instead of spending $4000 on a vehicle if you spend $250/month on payments that gives you 16 months to find a job before you have spent that same $4000 lump sum.

[GAME05]

thanks, guys. i'll need a car for job interviews and whatnot (but may buy a bike if a part-time job is close). i'm really starting to lean toward just putting $400 into a new window motor and keeping the car (possibly go for the $1000 AC since it's hot and humid in NC). even if i could manage payments, i just don't want to make a foolish mistake of taking on more debt when my financial future is uncertain. and for trading my bad car for another one, maybe there's just no sense in that. just cross my fingers on the current car, i think.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I'd just pay the $400 to get the window fixed. If you ask around you might be able to find someone that is a mechanic out of their house to do it cheaper.

 

 

You other option is to smash the drivers window, and drive it until it gets stolen. Just kidding

 

that is as long as you have full insurance coverage

[mothershipconnection]

I replaced all 4 window regulators in my car, and it's not that hard. If you can find someone who knows anything about cars, they can do it in an hour. I've ordered my from am-autoparts.com, and paid like $60 each.

[nate82]

$400 for a simple window repair sounds rather expensive. Did you go to a dealership and see if they would fix it and they gave you that quote? You could probably easily fix it yourself as there are a ton of videos on youtube and walk through guides on the internet to do this. Another option if you don't feel comfortable doing this would be to make a post on craigslist and see if you can get a local mechanic to do it for you. There is a little danger here that you could get a complete idiot trying to fix it for you. $400 just sounds over the top expensive for something this simple. At most you are looking at $75 to replace one motor and I am assuming you only need to replace one or can get by with only having one fixed?

 

If I were you I would first see how much it would cost to buy a new motor for the window if that is what you need to have done and then see if you can do it yourself. If that failed I would post on craigslist and see if I could get a mechanic to come over and fix the window for me for some cash. You will probably be saving around $300 total if you go this route.

[Patrick425]

When shopping for a car (as my wife and I are doing now), I have always referred to this site that gives a lot of information regarding negotiating the car price. There is actually almost too much information on this site (he tends to repeat himself alot in the advice he gives).

 

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/