New second car

vonfirmath

New member
We've got a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am as a second car we want to replace for $8K or less. (IF we need more than that we'll have to wait and keep saving into next year). (It has numerous problems, the most significant of which is NO air conditioning. But also two of the windows don't go down. And body damage. We love the size of the trunk. But because of the positioning of seats, its never been a good car for me to drive -- I can't see my blind spot. That's right where the metal bit between the two doors is for me and because of the headrest of the seat I don't seem to get in a position to see behind it)

It will be my husband's commuting car, but is also used to take the kids places. My daughter is RFing in a Britax Roundabout50, my son is boostered in the second car. We sort of like what we hear about how long Honda/Toyotas last. Is it worth it to get an older car to get the brand name?

How are Hyundais?

I'd like a few car make/model ideas to take to the lot and start driving and see which we prefer. But I don't even know where to start.
 
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jess71903

Ambassador
DH drives a 2006 Altima as his commuter. He's tall, so we narrowed down his choices largely based on leg room for him. It has plenty of room in the back for the kids, and a decent trunk. He also looked at Camrys at the time we bought, but a deal popped up on this particular car, so he took it.
 

YinzerMama

New member
I had a 2002 elantra until 2007 and never had a problem with it (sold it because we wanted a minivan). My dad has a 2005 sonata and has never had a problem but the latch connectors in it are broken which freaks me out.
 

Jessica61624

New member
I have a Hyundai sonata and line or. Trunk is nice. 2006 and newer come standard with a ton of safety features. The gas milage sucks. I only get 21mpg with mostly highway and 3 across us awful.
 

cantabdad

New member
Hyundai and Kia have been very innovative and impressive, and the newer models are quite nice. I think as you get into older models they still lag behind Honda and Toyota in terms of reliability, though. This JD Power press release gives a nice summary of their results on dependability by brand:
http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/dependability-press-release.htm

For a daily commuter car that doubles as a family hauler, some of the vehicles that come right to mind are the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, and Toyota Camry sedans, and the Mazda5 compact minivan. The Toyota Prius is also roomier than you might expect and could be a cost-effective choice if you log a lot of miles (you mentioned that it would be a daily commuter car). These vehicles all hold their value pretty well, so you'd be looking at model years 2005-2009 or thereabouts, I think. The Hyundai Elantra Touring could also be a nice option if you want a little more cargo space; it's somewhere between a hatchback and a wagon.
 

vonfirmath

New member
We have been offered a VERY good price on a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu LS, ~65K miles. Any suggestions?

It appears to have 3 shoulder belts in the back seat!
 
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cstep11

New member
Is there a headrest in the center position? There wasn't in my 2006 Malibu. I've done 3 across using seat belts b/c you can't do it using latch (not many cars can). My center seat was a rf'ing SnugRide
 

Brianna

New member
We have been offered a VERY good price on a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu LS, ~65K miles. Any suggestions?

It appears to have 3 shoulder belts in the back seat!

I love my 08 Malibu! 2010 is the same interior. There are 3 lap/shoulder belts, but no center headrest. I haven't had many issues installing seats in it, but a 3 across definitely requires just the right combination of seats. If you're only going to have your two in the back seat it should be just fine. If you have any specific questions I'll do my best to answer them :)
 

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