So it's finally getting to be that time. I decided a little over two years ago that I was going to save for a new car. I just crossed the $15,000 mark in the "new car money market" account, and I plan to get my new vehicle at some point this summer (probably in early August). My new vehicle will replace my 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 with it's tiny interior and charming duct taped drivers side mirror. I know VERY little about cars and how they work (I'm the prototypical- Insert key and proceed to drive like an old fart- guy). Here are my concerns: *Bluetooth is a must, since I figure that hands free will be law just about everywhere in the next few years. * I NEED more space than the Escort. A LOT more space. I coach and I carry a bunch of gear around for work. With the Escort, a small amount of cargo means no passengers. * I'm concerned about gas mileage. * I'm concerned about reliability. As mentioned, I'm an idiot with cars, so I want something with a reputation for reliability. * I want some nice things this time. Leather, Nav, stereo, working air conditioning (it's been awhile for the Escort), Remote Start * I don't want to pay much over $25k (I want to have it completely paid off in 2 years- I'm not a fan of debt). * I don't drive a TON, but I do drive frequently. I have a 25 minute commute with no highway time. I make 1-2 hour trips once or twice a month. I tend to put about 10k-12k miles a year on my current car. With those in mind, here are the current 4 finalists: #1- The Toyota RAV4- This was the car I was focused on for most of the time I was saving. It has most of the stuff I want, but the gas mileage isn't great (20/26). #2- The Subaru Forester- I started looking at this one when the 2009 redesign came out. Similar to the Rav, but a little better on mileage and better visibility. There is a concern with the Bluetooth. The only way to get the Bluetooth is to opt for the in-dash nav, which adds about $2K to the price. A dealer told me that the in-dash nav/bluetooth isn't worth it, and that the Garmin portable nav has bluetooth. Is it the same quality? I have no problem using a portable nav FOR nav, but will the Bluetooth be any good for answering the phone/having conversations? #3- The Ford Escape- I like the look of the 2009 Escape, and it comes in both a regular (20/28) and a Hybrid (31-35). Ford doesn't have the reputation for reliability that Toyota and Subaru does, which concerns me. I'm not sure if it has Bluetooth or not (I just started looking at this model). The regular Escape is right in my price range after it's been tricked out with options, which is nice, but the Hybrid is into the low $30k's, which is a tad frightening. #4- The Toyota Prius- I like almost everything about this car, from the mileage to the price to the features. I would be sacrificing space with this car. I would have more than the Escort, but not nearly as much as the other three cars on my watch list. One of the biggest downsides (and this is probably going to sound stupid) is I just REALLY hate the way the car looks. I don't like the shape or the color options. I'm also concerned about the long-term reliability of the hybrid technology. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the tax break is gone for the Prius. That's where I'm at. I was fine the whole time I was saving the money, but now that it's time to plunk it down, I'm waffling more than a virgin on prom night. Any thoughts/suggestions/cars I haven't considered? Thanks!
Would you be looking at satellite radio? Sirius has Chelsea games, Celtic games, Champions League, EPL, several talk shows, (and for the next week or so), EURO 2008. It's great if you can't get to a TV in time for kickoff. On that list, I think the Ford is the only one with the Sirius unit. Yes, the monthly fee is well worth it. My grandparents, and now several aunts/uncles, and maybe a few cousins drive Fords, and they seem to have no issues with it. It sounds like you have personal issues with the Prius, so why buy that? If I don't like the colors or shape of something that expensive, I wouldn't buy it. Also, I did hear once that hybrids can cost a small royalty to fix, compared to non-hybrids.
Look into the Mazda3 Hatchback. I own the 2006 and love it. It's very spacey Leather steering wheel and seats FULLY loaded and it's still under 25K MPG 22-29 (I average around 28) Very reliable, (35,000 still no problems.) I'm not 100% sure about bluetooth and what package you need though
I've been checking this model out, and liked it a bit (aside from the Flava Flav inspired speedometer in the middle of the dash). One possible issue: A friend of mine said that she originally looked at the Mini, but opted for something else because basic maintenance would cost a fortune (something about only BMW can touch a BMW vehicle which apparently results in 75 dollar oil changes). Any truth to that? I eliminated the Prius. I love the gas mileage, but the car is just fugly to me. I'm close to eliminating the Rav4. Even though I love the tire on the back and the aesthetics aren't bad, I'm starting to hear a lot of people gripe about little quality things, and it has the worst gas mileage of the options. I'm going to try and test drive the Escape and the Forester this week, which should help narrow it even further. I want to make a decision in the next week or so and then make the purchase in the first two weeks of August when I get back from Georgetown.
Mini covers basic maintenance for the first 36K miles, and they're really easy to work on anyway. Most Mini owners do their own oil changes, primarily because we all live a long way from the closest dealer. Mini of Towson is a great dealership, though. There's a great Mini owners' group: www.northamericanmotoring.com Also, the DC Metro Minis group provides a great support network: http://dcmetrominis.org/
Most cars that offer blue tooth only offer it in the higher end packages. Save yourself a few hundred and get yourself a blue tooth ear piece. Take a look at the the 4 cyl saturn Vue. Lots of room, good mgp and you can get it with a few options for under 25k. They also make a hybrid but they are just over 25k and hard to find. Good luck finding a ford hyrbid escape. I tried and was told if i wanted one I had to put down a deposit now and with luck have one by xmas. I went with the VUE, 6 cyl, almost fully loaded, 0% financing and my military discount. They still have the 0% so if you want to pay it off in two years, that would be a huge plus
Just put down the deposit on a 2009 Subaru Forester in the dark gray. It's a little more than I wanted to spend, but the test drive was fantastic, and I'm going to love the extra space during the sports seasons (I coach soccer and tennis, and it's not fun getting all of that gear into a 99 Escort ZX2). I'm going to the credit union to finalize the financing on Monday, and picking the car up on Friday! I went through Fitzgerald Auto Mall in Germantown. They matched the best price I was given, and of the three dealers I spoke with, they clearly wanted the sale the most. My new ride: http://thumbs.automart.com/imgs/ag/automart/cst/262/186/871/450/91/feed/thumb/10511036255001030.jpg