Jump to content

Menu

Help me choose a family vehicle


Peaceseeker
 Share

Recommended Posts

We haven't bought a car in a long long time...our Toyota is on its last legs. It held up over 330,000 miles. We also had a Honda that went over 300,000. So I am badly out of date on the car buying business. Kids who get in my car don't understand how to operate manual van doors lol...we have no bells and whistles at all, let alone the latest and greatest car tech.

 

I would like to buy slightly used. I would still like it to feel new. We have a small family but it would be nice to take friends. No crazy expensive luxury vehicles or gas guzzlers. Safety is really important as we are on the highway a good bit and put a lot of miles on our vehicles. Obviously we would love something that would last a while.

 

Should I just stick with Hondas and Toyotas? Anyone been researching vehicles that can recommend any options? I would love to stay under $20,000 but might go higher for the right car. For years I thought I would get a Honda Odyssey and still might. Just curious if there are other cars I should consider.

Edited by CaliforniaDreaming
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hondas and Toyotas always seem to show up on the Consumer Reports list of most reliable cars in the long run, so to get something you can keep for a long time they are a good choice.

 

I try to buy from a single owner (not a second or third owner) with a good reason to sell and a meticulous maintenance record.  This takes a while to find sometimes.

 

I hear on you 'they can't last forever...or can they?'  My current Toyota looks like a total beater but it's got 240K miles on it and just keeps on going.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depending on what you are looking at/for don't rule out new. Both my sister and a friend of mine were able to get 2017 new vehicles for LESS than used 2016 ones.

 

Honda and Toyota seem reliable. My husband always goes for used Cadillac sedans....the kind grandpa and grandma would drive to church and maybe down to Florida once a year. They tend to take very good care of their vehicles, don't hot rod, etc.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We love Hondas. Those things run forever and hold their resell value like no other. You just cannot go wrong with a Honda.

 

With that said, we branched out a few years ago and got a CX-9 (Mazda). It has a good safety rating, lots of space but doesn't feel overly huge to drive, and I enjoy the reasonable gas mileage it gets for an SUV.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can wait until November/December you can often get a really good deal on the new models or the previous year's model and they may have more rolled into them as part of the base cost than a slightly used older model. Also, go at the end of the month where they frequently run specials.  

 

An Odyssey or a Sienna are both traditionally reliable and well designed cars with a lot of longevity and some great features and safety features.  See if you can find a program car.  I have driven Siennas for years.  My mom loved her Odyssey.  Awesome vehicles.  I drove my first Sienna into the ground. We had it for nearly 13 years and we were the third owners.  Worth every penny we paid.

 

One thing my dad always did was go check out vehicles at multiple dealerships and let them KNOW you are looking at offers from other dealers.  That can drive them to offer better prices or maybe toss in some extras that normally cost money (such as a spare key and since keys on those vehicles are now smart keys and can cost a LOT of money to replace that can be a helpful perk).  Also, negotiate from the dealer cost up, not the sticker price down.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just bought a used Buick Enclave and I am in LOVE with it! I spent around $18K and it's a 2012, but it is loaded, in mint condition, and has low mileage. You could likely get one newer than that in great condition for a similar price if it wasn't the loaded model.

 

I really balked at these for a while because I thought the interior to be a little "mawmaw," but I got over it as soon as I drove it. The ride is fantastic. I can seat 7 comfortably (we have the captain's chairs in the middle), although you can get them where they seat 8. I had the Traverse, which is Chevy's comparable vehicle, and I can't get over how much better the ride is in the Enclave. I will absolutely have another one!

 

FWIW, I've owned 6 minivans, a Traverse, a Highlander, and 5 Suburbans/Yukon XLs. I also owned my little Chevy Trax for a few months before I realized I just couldn't downsize quite that much from my Yukon XL, so I got the Enclave. I'm not sure I'll ever drive anything else unless they quit making them.

 

Oh, and a bonus, the Enclave was one of the top safety picks out of all vehicles. I didn't know that when I bought it, but figured it would be at least as good as the Traverse. It was actually rated one of the safest vehicles on the road.

Edited by StaceyinLA
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

At this point, I would buy new. The safety features added to 2016 and above cars are crazy good. And saving an ICU visit outweighs any savings in an older model car.

 

Here is what has saved my life already:

 

1. Heads Up Display. Flashes red in the windshield if one is about to hit something.

2. Seats that vibrate if one is about to hit something. This includes backing up and another car is coming crossways from behind.

3. Adaptive cruise control that brakes to zero.

4. Feature that keeps one in the lane.

5. Automatic braking.

 

Near miss number 1: I was driving down a two lane at 65mph. The HUD was flashing and the brakes were screeching. I was mad because the car was new and I could not see anything in the road ahead of me. I came over a little hill and there he was. An old man was peddling down the middle of the highway on a reclining bicycle. I would have killed him had it not been for the car doing its thing. Forget that I would not have been able to sleep the rest of my life. Lost time from work, legal fees, and insurance rate increases would have easily been over $30,000 assuming insurance paid the losses.

 

Near miss number 2: Barreling down Interstate 75 at 2 a.m. The 18 wheeler beside me, nor I, Saw that his lane was ending. I could choose collision with the 18 wheeler or the retaining wall in the construction zone. I realized I would be choosing both because I was so scared and my arms were shaking the wheel back and forth. The car completely took over and squeezed in between the wall and the truck along with braking. I figure I had an inch on both sides. This wreck would have cost me $100,000 and 3 days in ICU.

 

Think about getting the newer model safety features. All the cars and brands seem good.

Edited by Minniewannabe
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

At this point, I would buy new. The safety features added to 2016 and above cars are crazy good. And saving an ICU visit outweighs any savings in an older model car.

 

Here is what has saved my life already:

 

1. Heads Up Display. Flashes red in the windshield if one is about to hit something.

2. Seats that vibrate if one is about to hit something. This includes backing up and another car is coming crossways from behind.

3. Adaptive cruise control that brakes to zero.

4. Feature that keeps one in the lane.

5. Automatic braking.

 

Near miss number 1: I was driving down a two lane at 65mph. The HUD was flashing and the brakes were screeching. I was mad because the car was new and I could not see anything in the road ahead of me. I came over a little hill and there he was. An old man was peddling down the middle of the highway on a reclining bicycle. I would have killed him had it not been for the car doing its thing. Forget that I would not have been able to sleep the rest of my life. Lost time from work, legal fees, and insurance rate increases would have easily been over $30,000 assuming insurance paid the losses.

 

Near miss number 2: Barreling down Interstate 75 at 2 a.m. The 18 wheeler beside me, nor I, did not see that his lane was ending. I could choose collision with the 18 wheeler or the retaining wall in the construction zone. I realized I would be choosing both because I was so scared and my arms were shaking the wheel back and forth. The car completely took over and squeezed in between the wall and the truck along with braking. I figure I had an inch on both sides. This wreck would have cost me $100,000 and 3 days in ICU.

 

Think about getting the newer model safety features. All the cars and brands seem good.

It's pretty amazing what the new vehicles can do. My daughter's Pacifica has a lot of those features and they really are awesome!

 

My husband isn't a fan of new and we both hate car payments, but I am thinking I'll drive my Enclave a year or two then get a used 2016 model so I can take advantage of a lot of the newer features.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...