See my list, Car Advice Wanted

[PinkSander]

Okay so I was looking at Scions website today and I have to say I am in love with the xD. Anyone here have experience? Do they drive nice, mechanical prices? Are they roomy? Also here is a spreadsheet of all the cars I'm looking at including all add ons and how much I plane for a down payment and how much the monthly payments are. What are your views on these cars? from safety to car seat friendly.

[codex57]

It's a Toyota. Won't be too sporty, but will ride comfy. Haven't been in it yet, but I've been in plenty of other Toyotas, Scions, and Lexus. They're all in the "comfy" range.

Roomy is very subjective. That's what a test drive is for. Or at least a visit to the dealer to see it in person if you don't wanna subject yourself to a test drive.

In general, I like Toyota/Scion. None of their current cars pop into mind as "bad" from a safety or car seat standpoint. In fact, I've been pleasantly surprised at how well the Sienna, Camry, and Corolla took my car seats.

[PinkSander]

yeah my top list that I will most definitely test drive are the

Toyota Yaris S Sedan
Honda Civic and maybe a Fit while I'm there
Chevrolet Aveo sedan and a Colbalt
Kia Rio and Rio5 just for the price alone and MPG! Kia's are pretty cheap but I don't know anyone who has one.
Mazda3 iTouring
Pontiac Vibe
Scion tC, xB and xD
Mitsubishi Lancer

ones that are on the higher end of what I want to pay are
Toyota Prius and Corolla
Honda CRV
Pontiac Vive
Scion tC

My brother told me to stay away from the Nissan's, Hyundai's and Ford's, don't know why though. Any thought on that?

[ketchupqueen]

My husband used to sell Toyotas at a dealership that had a Scion division. He says there was a whole special training they had to go through. He says the Scions are decent cars if you like the looks (I personally don't but it's very individual) and drive pretty much like a Toyota (that is, they handle well-- my mom drove our car the other day, she's used to her Nissan Sentra and she was amazed at how our car handled so much better than hers.) He warns that where the Scion people make their money is in the options and features and gizmos. So if you're budget conscious a Scion could be a good choice-- if you're good at holding fast against a slick salesman and only leaving with exactly what you went in wanting.

The Prius is wonderful, according to him-- he got to move them around once in a while and loved driving them-- but for the price difference between that and a Corolla the gas mileage isn't THAT much better if you do a normal amount of driving (if you drive a lot for work or something then that might change the equation.)

Also, we got our Corolla in its current model year with less than 6000 miles on it, it had been a rental, and saved about $10,000 over a new one with the same options (we have the LE with a few added options.) My mom got a similar deal on her car, it had also been a rental. So look out for cars that have been rentals; they often have almost no wear on them, have been perfectly maintained and are a great bargain.

[PinkSander]

I'll definitely keep the rentals in mind. 1 of the reason I like the Scions is, I was in 1 one with a friend, it just seemed super roomy, and the ride was nice and smooth. Now granted this was in Vegas on near perfect roads but still! lol Plus Power Windows, Power Locks, A/C and CD players come standard in all Scions, which is what I always end up adding to all the car I build. The only thing I really had to ads was wheel locks and carpets. I'm pretty much a no frills person, but living in humid; Michigan summers, makes the A/C a must. And I had a friend who was pumping gas for her mom and some strange guy decided to just jump in the car and sit there. So power locks is a must too. Are there any compacts that are not real good on icy, snowy roads that I should stay away from?

[ketchupqueen]

Those options come standard in a lot of cars-- every Toyota we've owned that was, well, from this century had all those things standard, I think. I take that back; the CD players phased in about 03 or 04. But any car from the last few years or so will probably have the options you want.

I think proper tires, maintanance, and things like that are probably the most important part of whether a car can handle ice. And a car that handles well when it's not icy will probably do better when it is. :twocents: Our previous car, when we got married the one my husband had, was also a Corolla, and he had driven it to Rexburg, ID, used it there through a winter, and driven it back. He said he just had to be really careful about the upkeep, and of course having the proper tires on.

[skaterbabscpst]

There's no reason to avoid Hyundai. In the early 90's they did have some quality issues (when the company was first starting to sell cars in the US), but these days they're comfortable, inexpensive, reliable and get high safety ratings from IIHS.

[ctbcleveland]

I unfortunately have had a different experience with Hundyai - My dad has a 2004 model year and the car is constantly in the shop - yeah, most of the repairs are covered under the 100,000 mile warranty, but it is hassle to constantly take the car in and then he has no vehicle to drive.

[Heather98012]

Rebakah's right; Hyundai isn't the company people think it is. Their cars are great. My mom, dad, grandma, sister, & me all bought one within 11 months of each other back in 2004. My mom & sister each got a Santa Fe, dad got a XG350, grandma bought an Elantra, & I got a Tucson when they were brand new. Here's a secret: I had a Volvo wagon on order from Sweden & I liked the Hyundai so much better, I cancelled the Volvo. Yeah...that's how nice Hyundais are nowadays (to be fair, I was buying the cheapest Volvo I could, & I got a Hyundai with everything....so it's kinda apples to oranges, but it was more of a question of loving all the added options on the Hyundai for the same $ amt, KWIM?).

Now, my sister's Santa Fe got traded in last Nov (so after 3.5 years). She had so many miles on it, the warranty had expired & she was having some problems. Was it because the car was a lemon? Dunno. Maybe...but all brands have lemons. Or was it because she didn't maintain it properly? Maybe....or a combo of both, more likely. But, the other 4 Hyundais in our family are running like a champ. I mean, I've never...NEVER...had a problem with mine & it's just over 4 years old.

Oh & as for Kia? Here's something you may not know: They were going bankrupt & the Korean gov't convinced Hyundai to buy them. Hyundai was going strong financially 'cause they built better cars, so they bought Kia. Now Kias have come up in ratings, as well. So whether you buy a Hyundai or Kia...they are owned by the same company.

Now, I test drove a Scion xB before I got my Tucson & liked it. It didn't come with an option for leather & that was a deal breaker for me. But, I was super impressed with the features & the price. Had I been 22 instead of 32, I would have gotten it in a heartbeat. Had it had leather, I still may have gotten it at age 32...dunno for sure. But, it was a pretty amazing little ride, & let's face it...it's owned by Toyota, so the quality is there. DH has a 2001 Toyota Sequoia with 170k miles on it & that baby is still going strong (we've done all the required maintainance).

Oh, & the Pontiac Vibe is the same as the Toyota Matrix, so if you like it....you can always get a Toyota & have better resale value (but you'll probably pay more for it, too). I test drove that as well...it was cool, but I felt it was a little noisy, IMO.

Another option you might like is the Honda Element. It's a weird looking SUV, but it's pretty snazzy. Has some cool features you can't find on other rides.

I am a car freak, so I try & stay up on them. You can't go wrong with a Honda, Toyota, or a Scion. But I'd say that about Hyundai too....they are so much better than they were when they first came out. It's night & day & the reviews & customer satisfaction back it up too. Good luck with your car shopping....it's fun to do!!

[PinkSander]

yeah I can't do leather, my friends who live in Henderson Nevada, have leather or mock leather seats in their car, I live in Michigan, and let me tell you, leather on a even a 85 degree day is unforgiving on the backs of ones legs! lol as far as Hyundai, my friend (again in Nevada) had I think an Accord, and her car was falling apart from the inside out, she had to turn the A/C OFF so she would get any get up and go when sitting at a red light. Personally I think she had a lemon, I was visiting for 3 months and while I was there (3 years ago) she was test driving cars, I went with her when she drove, and I can't remember what it was, it was either a Honda CRV or a Toyota Rav4, I'm thinking it was the Rav4, but I remember it being a nice small SUV with nice handling,this from strictly a passengers POV, she ended up trading in for a grass green VW Bug, her dream car! I want one too, I have always loved Bugs ever since watching Herbie! But I don't think they come in 4 door, that's my deal breaker.

[Melanie]

I wonder why you were advised to stay away from Nissans. I've had great experiences with them. DH's 03 Altima has 110k miles on it now. It's been a fantastic car. Other than maintenance, I think the only thing we've done is the water pump. That was at almost 100k miles though and it was $100 or so to do ourselves. It will likely be replaced with another Altima when the time comes.

My parents almost bought a new Altima this weekend because of ours. They only ended up with a Camry because the Altima didn't come in the blue color my mom insisted on.:rolleyes:

DH also had an older Altima that went forever. I had a 91 Nissan truck that ex-husb would up with. It was turned into a work truck, never maintained. It was still running great when he got rid of it at 150,000 miles. The only work ever done was a clutch.

Now if they only made a great 7+ passenger vehicle....

[PinkSander]

I wonder why you were advised to stay away from Nissans.
I honestly do not know why, he didn't give me a reason, all he said was to stay away form Fords, Nissan's and Hyundai's. I think the reason for the last two is because they are foreign cars, but he didn't say anything about Toyota or any of the others that I like that are foreign... All I say is... Guys and their cars! lol

[Heather98012]

My Nissan Maxima was ok. I had a few issues with it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I don't think I would ever buy a Nissan again. I was just kinda meh about them (even though I drove it for 9 1/2 years).

[PinkSander]

My Nissan Maxima was ok.
The only Nissan's I have on my list are the Versa sedan and the Sentra. The Versa because of the price estimate ($16,140.00) I quoted on my own. I really need to figure out my credit score is so I can properly estimate them , but all I see are ones you need a credit card for.

[lovinwaves]

If it was me? I would narrow the list down to just Toyota, Honda, and Scion.

I have pictures of carseats in the Scion Tc, if you are interested.

I can also tell you that a Radian fits superb rear-facing in the middle position of the Jetta without disturbing the front passengers seat positioning.

[PinkSander]

I have pictures of carseats in the Scion Tc, if you are interested.


Yes I would love to see them, thank you. Also I have heard nothing but raves about the Honda Civic, and it seem that Toyota is a favorite on the forums as well too.

[MySillyKids]

If it was me? I would narrow the list down to just Toyota, Honda, and Scion.

I have pictures of carseats in the Scion Tc, if you are interested.

I can also tell you that a Radian fits superb rear-facing in the middle position of the Jetta without disturbing the front passengers seat positioning.

:yeahthat: