Opinions on these cars

scatterbunny

New member
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Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I'm partial to Japanese cars, so I would lean toward the Honda Accord or the Mazda 626.

They all look good, though!
 

scatterbunny

New member
Thanks. :) I really like the 626, and it's a good price. And I like the 99 Taurus because, well, it's about the newest anything we can afford, and it's got a nice, wide backseat for carseats. :p And I like the Windstar because it's big and roomy and safe. I'd like to stick with the 96+ vehicles for the locking belts (no locking clips needed), but I also love the 92 Camry because it's just like my mom's 96 Camry, and I love the 93 Honda because I owned a 91 Honda and really liked it.

But I just got rid of a 94 and would rather not go "backwards", so I'd like to concentrate on the 96+, I think.
 

AdventureMom

Senior Community Member
Oh wow - they all look good! This is a tough decision, huh? I do have a question: if you really wanted to get rid of your minivan and want a trunk, is it really worth considering the Windstar? Just curious :)

Hmmm - the Taurus is 8/9 yrs newer than the Accord/Camry - I think Fords in general have always been a good buy.

Which one do YOU like best and can you see yourself driving every day?
 

Namegirl

Senior Community Member
I'd go with the Accord, Camry, or 626, but once it's narrowed down I'd get a mechanic to check out the one I might buy first.
 

scatterbunny

New member
Argh, I know--I got rid of the MPV because I wanted better gas mileage and a trunk...but before I got the MPV, the Windstar is what I REALLY wanted. :rolleyes: So I'm thinking that if I got the true minivan of my dreams (LOL), I'd be happy with it, I guess.

This IS really so hard!

My mom and I both have had really good luck with the reliability of our older Hondas and Toyotas, so I trust them and like them...but going with a newer vehicle just seems like a no-brainer, and I know the Taurus is really safe and good for three-across in carseats.

I prefer the looks of the Honda, Toyota and Mazda by far--but looks are not a huge priority for me.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
My best friend drives a Taurus and she really likes it. That might be a good one too.

I am biased when it comes to cars. I am definitely a Honda/other Japanese cars person! :)
 

cpsaddict

New member
I like the looks of the 626, but I know the Taurus is very car seat friendly. The Windstar is ok too, the room would be nice, but the Windstar has short seat backs, unless there are captains chairs in the middle. My mom had a Windstar and it had really short seatbacks, eliminating anything that needs a tall seatback.

Ok,in order, the 626, Taurus and Windstar! :D
 

scatterbunny

New member
Darn, I thought the 96+ Windstars had headrests outboard.

So far the Mazda 626 is in the lead, followed by the Taurus, I think. :)
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
I'd avoid pre-'96 imports because they won't probably have locking retractors yet (I know my friend's 92-ish Honda doesn't and she hates installing sets in it for hat reason.)
Personally, I'd go with the 99 Taurus. Not too old, may already have tether anchors installed, and will have locking belts.
 

cpsaddict

New member
Darn, I thought the 96+ Windstars had headrests outboard.

So far the Mazda 626 is in the lead, followed by the Taurus, I think. :)


1995 was the first model year for the Windstar and they did not have headrests. I think headrests were added for the 1998 model year. We had a rental that was a 1998 and it had headrests outboard.
 

TheRealMacGyver

New member
I ended up with an extra car after I had to buy one to drive home after 9-11 because of the no-fly order and all rentals were gone! Anyhow, that's another story, after I got home (2,500 miles later), I had my 1996 Honda Accord plus the car I bought in Vegas, a 1998 Mercury Sable (similar to Taurus). I thought about it for about a week and decided that the Sable was roomier and had a bigger engine, plus it was newer. So I sold the Honda. Worse decision I ever made. The Sable ended up being nothing but problems, one after another. I wished I had kept the Honda:(

At any rate, I would also recommend Japanese, personally I prefer Toyota first, then Honda, then either Nissan or Mazda.

Things to look at:

1. Remove oil fill cap and look on the inside/top of cap. If you see any signs of whitish milky residue, it could be a sign of blown head gasket-don't buy.
2. Check rubber boots on front axle (CV boots) for any rips-they should be in good condition, otherwise, you may be replacing CV joints. If CV joints are bad, they will make a clicking sounds when turning sharply either left or right or both.

There are many other things to check, but those two things are sometimes overlooked, so I thought I would mention them.

Also, be careful about Katrina flood cars that are now "flooding" the market. I saw a piece on the news about it a few weeks ago, I guess they are somehow cleaning them up and putting them back on the market even though the insurance companies have totalled them
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I like the Mazda, and the description gives me the sense that it's been well cared for.

I had a Honda as my first car - an 82 accord hatch back. I sold it to my bro for $100 when I replaced it and he drove it until he totalled it in an accident. The thing had over 300,000 km's on it and the engine was still going strong... I hardly did any repairs to it in the years I owned it.

So I'm another Honda fan, but the mazda is newer. ;)
 

CAEKWILSON

New member
We have a 98 ford windstar and it has been a good van, no problems, easy install car seats, if i read the car seat manual first....we have the captins chairs and i think that makes a big difference, but i love the room it has and the tv is Great for the kids...the only down fall is it only has one sliding door and that pretty much sucks, but if i didnt babysit i would more then likely own a car!
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
Ok,in order, the 626, Taurus and Windstar! :D

I totally agree with this order. We have a MazdaSpeed3... okay I know, completely different car, but you really can't beat the price and what you get for the Mazda's.:D Plus, I always like newer, less things to go wrong, better resale down the road.
 

LuvBug

New member
Id go with the taurus as long as its in great shape. My sis drives one(newer but they havent changed much) and its nice and very carseat friendly.
 

southpawboston

New member
the taurus listing doesn't even state the miles? :confused: bad sign right there... did the seller tell you?

the mazda seems okay. as much as i'm a mazda fan, i think the 90s 626's had reliability problems, but at least it doesn't have *too* many miles on it, so it has the potential to still last a long time.

i do recommend spending $60-75 for a mechanic to throuroughly check out whichever car you're interested in... he could uncover some major problems.

i'd stay away from the windstar... those had a ton of problems in the early years and the mileage is quite high... not sure how much life can be left in it.

the honda and toyota... well i think they're just plain too old... plus they're both smaller than either the taurus or mazda.

so personally i'd say taurus, then mazda... unless taurus has a bazillion miles... then i'd say mazda first.
 

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