Well, new to me that is. We always buy used cars but my 2001 Taurus is starting to sound a bit rickety and I'd love to upgrade before something goes wrong with the Taurus, thus lowering its resell value. I've been doing some online research but would love to hear some IRL input from you mamas
Here is what it needs to have:
* AWD or 4WD, as my driveway is a hill and pretty near impossible for me to get up in the PA snow/ice storms, plus the road to my house is not maintained/plowed by the township.
* Fits two car seats (DD1 is in a Graco Nautilus, DD2 is currently in a Graco Snugride but will move up to a Graco Comfort Sport, rear-facing)
* Good safety ratings
* Reliable, don't want something that will be in the shop for repairs often or that is expensive to maintain or fix. (I realize that buying a used vehicle always has that risk, but I'd like to stick to a brand that is known for reliability - Honda, Toyota, etc.)
* Ample storage space (love the large trunk on my Taurus for when we travel, and I also have a Graco DuoGlider I tend to keep in the trunk in case I need it while out shopping, etc.)
* The heater and AC have to work well! I freeze in the winter and sweat in the summer and have been spoiled by how well these work in my Taurus (the heating systems in my DH's truck and car on the other hand stink!)
* Decent MPG, the higher the better of course. This is the car that I will mainly drive in the kids with to playdates, appointments, shopping, etc., and is also used as the travel car when we visit family 3 hours away of go on vacation.
Other than those things I'm not too picky. I don't want a super huge SUV and am not too keen on a minivan yet (though if we have more kids I definately see one of those in my future). DH thinks a Suburu Outback Wagon or Jeep Liberty/Ford Escape would be good and I've been reading good reviews of the Pontiac Vibe AWD. My MIL has a Toyota Highlander she loves. Any thoughts on any of these or ideas of others to look at? I've been scouring the classifieds and dealer posting online for used cars and want a better idea of what to look for.
TIA!
Here is what it needs to have:
* AWD or 4WD, as my driveway is a hill and pretty near impossible for me to get up in the PA snow/ice storms, plus the road to my house is not maintained/plowed by the township.
* Fits two car seats (DD1 is in a Graco Nautilus, DD2 is currently in a Graco Snugride but will move up to a Graco Comfort Sport, rear-facing)
* Good safety ratings
* Reliable, don't want something that will be in the shop for repairs often or that is expensive to maintain or fix. (I realize that buying a used vehicle always has that risk, but I'd like to stick to a brand that is known for reliability - Honda, Toyota, etc.)
* Ample storage space (love the large trunk on my Taurus for when we travel, and I also have a Graco DuoGlider I tend to keep in the trunk in case I need it while out shopping, etc.)
* The heater and AC have to work well! I freeze in the winter and sweat in the summer and have been spoiled by how well these work in my Taurus (the heating systems in my DH's truck and car on the other hand stink!)
* Decent MPG, the higher the better of course. This is the car that I will mainly drive in the kids with to playdates, appointments, shopping, etc., and is also used as the travel car when we visit family 3 hours away of go on vacation.
Other than those things I'm not too picky. I don't want a super huge SUV and am not too keen on a minivan yet (though if we have more kids I definately see one of those in my future). DH thinks a Suburu Outback Wagon or Jeep Liberty/Ford Escape would be good and I've been reading good reviews of the Pontiac Vibe AWD. My MIL has a Toyota Highlander she loves. Any thoughts on any of these or ideas of others to look at? I've been scouring the classifieds and dealer posting online for used cars and want a better idea of what to look for.
TIA!