...well, maybe. See, our cars are old (a 96 and 99) hand-me-downs, which our parents have so generously gifted us over the years. And I don't mind one bit. I have never cared about having a new or fancy car. I just want it to get us safely and reliably from point A to B and back again. I am also sick of continuing to put money into one car in particular (The 96...its 15 years old for crying out loud!) when I think we should just save the repair money and get a newer, used car (see, told you. i really don't care about bells and whistles!). I also hate the fact that we might have to spend even more money....lately it feels like our money is gone before we even have it.
*thank you, student loans!* Our car is once again heading to the shop this weekend, after we spent $200 last weekend for new brakes....and I'm planting the seeds of buying a new (to us) car with Dr. F. I've started doing some research and have come up with a few options that I think might work for us: The Chevy Equinox or the Honda Pilot. The big downside of the Equinox is that it doesn't have 3 rows of seating * but it is rated #1 on US News and World Report.
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| Chevy Equinox |
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| Honda Pilot |
So, I'm turning to you in case you have or know anyone who has either of these cars...or a different car that you love, for advice. We are not opposed to minivans in general, but with the spectacularly terrible job of snow removal that Philly does and the need for Dr. F to make it to the hospital in terrible weather, we need AWD/4WD. I'd be grateful for any advice!
we plan on having a few kids (more than 2) so 3 rows of seating is important, because I want this car to last a long time... but should that factor in to a purchase when we only have 1 child now? I mean, we're probably going to have to replace the 99 sooner rather than later and can get a 3 row car then...
5 comments:
I was just talking to Sam about this! I really want a Honda Pilot or a Ford Flex. My best friend in VA has a Pilot and loves it and my neighbor has a Flex (which, by the way, is as close as I want to get to a mini van.)
We (and by we I mean Mister) looked at Consumer Reports when we were looking last year, and found that quite helpful.
I know nothing about cars, so I cannot help.
BUT, I can TOTALLY sympathize with what a pain it is to have to keep fixing old cars. We finally broke down & bought a new (to us) car 2 years ago, to replace our 18 year old car (!!!) and it was such a good decision. Good luck! (And, even though I know nothing about cars, I'd probably want 3 rows too...)
Also, thanks for the book recommendation! I had heard good things about that one... it's on my list now.
I have a friend with the Pilot and they love it. I'm starting to think about this too since my 2001 VW will barely accommodate myself, Hubster and the 2 pups. I just hate the idea of giving up the fabulous gas mileage...
I would think twice about the pilot. We considered it before purchasing the outback and we weren't impressed with the research we did. Also, one of my co-workers used to have one. They didn't like the gas-mileage, the handling, they thought the cargo space wasn't that great for the size and gas-mileage. They just traded it in this weekend for something else.
Have you considered a Mitsubishi Outlander? If you can get a used one, it's get's good gas mileage, you get a lot of bang for your buck, and Mitsubishi's are great cars.
We also looked at the Ford Escape. I think those are pretty readily available on the used market. Super fun to drive, they are larger on the interior than you would think, and they get decent gas mileage. Plus it's a great City SUV because it's still pretty compact. Todd was pushing for that car, but I got the veto power this time. :)
We freaking LOVE our outback. Like I cannot explain to you how much I love that car. Todd's parents have a Forrester and Cara has a 2009 outback. Subarus are AMAZING. My parents had two when I was a kid. We drove them both to 150 thoumiles plus and at least one of them I know they sold to a friend who drove it to 190k. My first car was a 1987 Subaru (in 2000) too.
They hold they're value extremely well, so when you want to sell it, you now you'll get a great trade in price. CarMax usually has some. Plus they are SO much car for much less. The Ford Edge (another car we considered), similarly equipped as the outback was priced at about 10k more.
I think I have an active consumer reports log-in, if it is, I'll send it to you. It's a great resource for research like this.
Longest comment ever. Sorry!
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