Car buying advice-- looking for long-lived small suv/crossover

Discussion in 'Automotive' started by fischerw, Mar 7, 2013.

  1. fischerw

    fischerw Member+

    Sep 15, 2004
    Joplin, MO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hey all,

    So, I'm nearly 30 and I've never bought a car before. My previous car was handed down from my parents when I was in college-- I sold it because I moved abroad last fall. When I go back to the US this summer I'll need to get a car. Thanks to my grandmother who is helping me out from beyond the grave, I'll have about $30k to work with-- but I would like to spend more in the $20-$25k range or less if possible.

    My #1 concern is that I want this car to last forever. I don't want to have to think about getting another car (barring accidents) for ten years or so. I am not an automotive geek by any means so I doubt I'll get tired of the car until it literally can't run anymore. Something that, if you are diligent about maintenance, will repay you by being long-lived.

    Gas mileage-- I'd like it to be good, but I don't need it to be bleeding-edge efficient.

    I'd like AWD if possible because I hope to be able to use this car on bad mountain roads quite a bit.

    I plan to have dogs and gear-intensive hobbies in the future, so something with some cargo room would be nice.

    The model I'm most interested in now is the Subaru Forester-- but I'd like some suggestions of other cars that might fit the profile I'm going for. Hyundai Tucson, maybe? Toyota Rav-4 or Honda CRV? (I've been warned against those latter two because they are very susceptible to damage from minor rear end collisions.)

    Used or new-- well, if I go for used, I'd like it to be lightly-used and still have some warranty guarantees (I have no idea how this stuff works).

    No idea if this will get any response as this forum isn't heavily trafficked, but I usually go to BigSoccer first when I have general "ask the Internet" questions. Thanks!
     
  2. StiltonFC

    StiltonFC He said to only look up -- Guster

    Mar 18, 2007
    SoCal
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you are looking to buy a car that will last you 200K miles, I would steer you toward a Honda rather than a Subaru because Hondas are known for that kind of reliability. Of course driving any car on "bad mountain roads" isn't the sort of practice that leads to long-term viability.

    The Subaru Forester will be less expensive to buy up front than the Honda, and I think it might be a little cheaper to service, unless you can do routine maintenance yourself. Honda dealer service is fairly expensive, but you shouldn't need much other than normal care.

    I've owned 3 Hondas but not a CR-V. My sister-in-law went from a Acura TL to a CR-V and she loves it. She's not the bad mountain road type, though...

    About rear-end collisions. I've been driving for 50 years. I caused one and suffered one. Don't sweat the small stuff.
     
  3. fischerw

    fischerw Member+

    Sep 15, 2004
    Joplin, MO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for the advice. I would probably be using the car to visit the mountains only once or twice a year, really. You're right about Hondas-- they do seem to last forever.
     
  4. Untroubled by Reason

    Dec 5, 2007
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't know if you've made your buying decision or not, but consider also the Nissan Rogue. It fits in just about everything you mentioned above, except you'll probably be able to drive a better bargain with Nissan than you can on a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4, based on my experience. We got ours in 2009, and haven't had trouble to speak of. I'd get the manual rather than the CVT, but that's just because I like manual transmissions better - with my wife being the primary driver of this vehicle, we went with her preferences there.
     
  5. fischerw

    fischerw Member+

    Sep 15, 2004
    Joplin, MO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks-- I won't be buying anything until August so I'm still looking around for suggestions. I hadn't heard of the Nissan Rogue--I'll definitely look into it.
     
  6. SenordrummeR2

    SenordrummeR2 Member+

    Jul 21, 2008
    Layton, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Most auto magazines do a yearly review of the top small SUV's. A quick Google search will give you several reviews to look through at your leisure. There are even several YouTube reviews, like this one:


    My wife are in the same situation as you. Her car is done ('99 Chevy Lumina with 220k+ miles), so I've been researching the small SUV's for the past year. After test drives and researching, we've decided on the Toyota Rav4. It's roomy (option of 7 seats up through 2012), got plenty of power (V6 model reportedly can tow up to 3500 lbs), and is a fun car to drive (I'm not a professional like the guys in the video, but I find it to be plenty sporty). I may also have a bit of a bias because I'm a Toyota guy. I've currently got a 2003 Corolla LE with 230k miles on it. It has been near flawless (the only real repair was replacing a cracked exhaust manifold). The engine is still in amazing condition, and I expect to get at least another 100k out of the car before it dies. I'm hoping to have the same luck with a Rav4, but we'll see what happens.

    If you'd like more info on Rav4's, I'd suggest checking out Rav4 World. It's like BS, but for Rav4 owners. Good luck!
     
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  7. fischerw

    fischerw Member+

    Sep 15, 2004
    Joplin, MO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for posting that video! I will watch it now.

    Has anyone used a broker to buy a car before? I understand you can get a better price going through a broker than if you deal directly with the dealer. However, how do you know if your broker is good?
     
  8. Untroubled by Reason

    Dec 5, 2007
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I used one maybe 15 years ago, and I liked the experience. I don't know if the price was hugely better, but I didn't get hosed, and the buying experience was certainly simpler and less adversarial, like a "one-price" dealer. There so many tools and information sources available on the intertubes these days, that using a broker has become (arguably) unnecessary. Edmunds.com and cars.com come to mind.
     
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  9. StiltonFC

    StiltonFC He said to only look up -- Guster

    Mar 18, 2007
    SoCal
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i did cars.com ten years ago when i bought a 2003 Honda Accord coupe, which i am now selling privately. paid about 800 bucks below invoice, but the car was pretty stock. we just purchased a Camry LE hybrid. my wife is a ruthless negotiator and we paid about $750 below invoice, which i think was a decent deal. invoice and KBB fair purchase price were about the same.
     
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  10. fischerw

    fischerw Member+

    Sep 15, 2004
    Joplin, MO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hadn't thought about cars.com-- I'll look into it. I also found I have a couple connections I might be able to use to find a broker.
     

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