new car purchase....

[anna_66]

. anna_66 I agree I really like the Durango, but the gas would probably cost more than the car payment for me. I drive 35 mi to work 1 way and live in San Diego which basically translates into a huge gas bill even on my civic. The problem is I'm tired of trying to fit 4 big dogs into the back seat of my civic then when I have people in that same seat apologizing for all the dog hair. I think it's the pups goal in life to knock whatever sheet I put down off, so they can sit on the seats , which is why I'm aiming for a small SUV where I can put the back seats down.

I can totally understand that. OK you probably don't want a van, but I've heard good things about the Honda vans...good resale value, good gas milage and they go forever! But if your wanting something like the CRV I do remember a couple people on a mastiff board I belong to having a one and seem to really like them.

[areias]

My dad has CR-V. He hasn't had a problem with it so far...it's actually in great shape. I believe it's a 2003 or 2004. We take the dogs sometimes in it, it's very roomy. I live in FL so I'm not sure about the handling in the snow...but I don't really like driving it because it feels a little top heavy. Well, I drive a Toyota Corolla so I guess it would feel different...but it's a pretty nice car.

My mom had an older CR-V, we just ended up trading it in because it started giving her problems, rattling noises and such. I don't suggest older than a 2003. I don't know much about the rest of the cars.

[pnance]

Thanks everyone for the input. I've never consider the outlander, for some reason I thought they fell into the larger SUV catagory? Thanks for the link, I'll check those out. I didn't considered the vans for the same reason, I thought they might be on the big side for what I'd be comfortable with. I'm planning to do some test drives this weekend, which I'm both dreading and looking forward to. If I could test the cars without some of the sales people I'd be much happier. No offense to anyone who sells cars I've just had some really pushy ones before who drive me nuts.

[sammy101]

Jeeps! We had a Gran Cherokee for 8 years and never had a problem with it. And now we have a Liberty.IMO,Jeeps are one of the best SUVS out there.
Out of your list,i would get the Toyota or Honda.

[shutterbug0303]

just curious......

I see everyone saying NO to Kia's - which is cool, I used to have a sportage and hated it because I felt "lame" in it in high school when everyone else had "cool" cars....but did you notice the pattern?

Every Kia that was in an accident might have been totaled, but the people came out of it fine or with little injuries. That says something for their safety rating I would say. It is great on gas mileage, has a really good warranty, and the NEW model looks pretty cute.

That said, I would probably go with the Honda (excellent resell value and good reliability) or the Kia (good pricing and safety rating + warranty....bad resell value though)

[cloverfdx]

Mustang, say no more .

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

I drive a Hyundai Santa Fe, which is basically the big brother of the Tuscon. i have heard very good reports on the Tuscon, and I think that Hyundais are very good value for money.

My suggestion would be to look at the safety ratings for all the cars on your list, and see which one had the best crash test results. For example my Santy was rated as the safest small SUV in 2004, so I feel pretty safe driving it. IMHO is a car is TOTALLED in an accident and all the occupants walk away, then the crumple zones and safety features have done their job - I dont feel it is an indication of a bad car.

Also be aware of mileage - my Santy has a 3.5 L engine and I only average 12 MPG.

[Jessika]

just curious......

I see everyone saying NO to Kia's - which is cool, I used to have a sportage and hated it because I felt "lame" in it in high school when everyone else had "cool" cars....but did you notice the pattern?

Every Kia that was in an accident might have been totaled, but the people came out of it fine or with little injuries. That says something for their safety rating I would say. It is great on gas mileage, has a really good warranty, and the NEW model looks pretty cute.

That said, I would probably go with the Honda (excellent resell value and good reliability) or the Kia (good pricing and safety rating + warranty....bad resell value though)

That's a very good point, but in my neighbor's accident it wasn't even so bad that the car SHOULD NOT have been totalled. Now if she rolled the car a few times or hit an oncoming car at 60mph, maybe, but she just swerved off the road into a small ditch!!

[Karen]

We have a 2003 Honda CRV. It has been through two New England winters, and last year especially was very snowy. It handles excellently in the snow. We got the 4-wheel drive model (it come both ways) because we live on a steep hill, and our driveway is also a steep hill off the street. There were several times last winter when neighbors were unable to drive their cars up the hill, or had great difficulty, and the CRV had no problem at all.

The CRV is considered a "Small SUV" and does very well on gas mileage - we get about 26 miles per gallon. It has a slightly wider wheelbase than some SUVs, which helps with stability, and I have not often felt buffeted in the wind like I did driving my bosses' old Ford Explorer.

As a "small SUV," it has plenty of room in the interior for carrying things like furniture, or, say, a bunny hutch, which is a second reason we got it. When we bought Miss Hoppy's hutch 9 years ago, we had to call my Dad (who has a pick-up truck) from the Petco parking lot - it just would NOT fit in our car. The CRV also handles like a car, not a truck, and is quite comfortable to ride in!

[slleipnir]

That's a very good point, but in my neighbor's accident it wasn't even so bad that the car SHOULD NOT have been totalled. Now if she rolled the car a few times or hit an oncoming car at 60mph, maybe, but she just swerved off the road into a small ditch!!

My mom had a cavalier which we did just that. The car was written off, and I didn't even think it was that bad. Cav's are good cars, too.

[slleipnir]

I heard Hundai's and Kia are made by the same group and aren't very good. (duno if this is true...my mom's friend had a hundai, and it was crap)

The other 2 sound good though

[K9karen]

I have a 1997 Rav 4. When I go back to work, I'm getting another. I love it. It's just big enough for me. It is 4 cylinder so sometimes the pickup isn't great, but I've never had a single problem with it. I feel safe in it, it has lots of room for my needs (the back trunk part is Logan's). . I was considering an Element, because they're square and ugly but in a cute way. I wanted to be different, but I'm so happy with my Rav that I'm sticking to it. I heard the same stories about Kia and Hundai. I had a '68 Mustang which I loved, but I couldn't always drive it in the huge snow storms we had. Man! it sure was a Beaute!

[Lillycat]

i agree w/karen on all points regarding the honda crv......mine is a 2001.....i have never had any kind of problem w/it.....i just love it!

[dukedogsmom]

I just got a 2003 Ford Escape a few months ago and love it! It's the perfect size plus gets about 18 miles a gallon.