Best Vehicle?

[thowell]

If you has $20,000 to spend on a new vehicle and you needed one that would seat 6 and get good gas mileage which one would you chose?

[Barb_]

New or used?

 

Barb

[Shelly in IL]

take my recommendations with a grain of salt, because I just bought a brand new Toyota - 2 days before all the recalls (mine isn't affected much - right now - but they are falling like flies). However, two I would look at are the Toyota Sienna (perhaps you can buy cheaper now because of all the recalls), and also the Volkswagen TDI Jetta Sportwagon. The Jetta gets 50+ mpg and costs about $27K fully loaded and brand new. Used models of either of these cars could be affordable - and maybe a new Jetta would even be possible.

 

The Jetta would have to have a front bench to seat 6; however, and I do not know if that is available. For 50+, I would check it out.

 

I might also look at the Mazda 5 - I think those are cute and don't look too mini-vanish.

 

Good luck!!

[gingersmom]

I would pick Subaru but not sure if they can seat 6.

[praisefor3]

Easy answer since we are about to buy one: 2007 Honda Pilot. It seats 8 as long as you get one with the 3rd row (most do.) My dad has owned 2 and we have loved them. We are done with the mini-van stage. We don't like the really big SUV's. It doesn't get anything near as good as the Jetta as far as gas mileage goes, but it's not bad like big SUV's.

[MaMa2005]

Even with the recalls, we are a Toyota family. I have a 2009 Sienna with all the bells and whistles. Bought it 10 months ago for $19,000.

 

A hint to getting a great price - the van we bought initially cost over $30,000 which is way out of our price point. However, we found my Sienna at one of the dealerships and it was considered 'used'. The dealership had actually bought it from itself so it could be used for a 3 day convention in ATL. The van only had 3,000 miles on it, but because it had been titled, they had to sell it used. It still had the plastic on the carpet and the new car smell.

 

This van has been one of the best cars to drive. Doesn't feel big and bulky and good on gas mileage. I just check my gas mileage today and with mostly in town driving, I am getting about 23mpg.

[thowell]

New or used?

 

Barb

We would prefer new if possible. But will also look at gently used maybe under 30,000 miles.

[thowell]

take my recommendations with a grain of salt, because I just bought a brand new Toyota - 2 days before all the recalls (mine isn't affected much - right now - but they are falling like flies). However, two I would look at are the Toyota Sienna (perhaps you can buy cheaper now because of all the recalls), and also the Volkswagen TDI Jetta Sportwagon. The Jetta gets 50+ mpg and costs about $27K fully loaded and brand new. Used models of either of these cars could be affordable - and maybe a new Jetta would even be possible.

 

The Jetta would have to have a front bench to seat 6; however, and I do not know if that is available. For 50+, I would check it out.

 

I might also look at the Mazda 5 - I think those are cute and don't look too mini-vanish.

 

Good luck!!

 

The jetta only seats five and I do love their mini-van even though I'm not a big minivan person this one os beautiful. Would have to find a used one though.

 

Any others out there???????

[Sputterduck]

I would buy a Tundra, just like the one I just bought, because I am in love with it. Of course, I'd have to throw the people that don't fit in the back... and I'd have to ignore that it only gets 13.9 miles to the gallon because of the major racing upgrades the previous owner (who happens to be a mechanic) put on it. The things you do for love *sigh*

[rafiki]

.

[thowell]

Mazda 5 was too cramped for my three elementary boys to sit in the 2nd row comfortably. Mazda CX 9 was roomy, yet pricey, and has a flaw with the head sets not being notched to adjust, they are either down completely or up the whole way. We have a Mazda MPV and love it, but it's been discontinued and only seats 5.

 

Looked at the Sienna's, I'm so glad we didn't go that route with all the recalls.

 

Subaru was the most fun to drive, but we couldn't find one to fit 3 booster seats and growing legs comfortably.

 

Often those with three rows are very challenging to get to that third row, especially if you have kids in car seats. Another thing if you are driving, you have to go around to the passenger side to be able to slide the third row forward to get the folks out of the third row. Sometimes that third row is literally in the trunk, I worry about being hit from behind, twice now I've had two cars ram me from behind when I was stopped in traffic.

 

It's also a trade off if you go the SUV route, you won't have cargo space. The Sienna had the most cargo and passenger room, but was very pricey when, IMO, it wasn't any better than our 10 year old MPV, actually I think our MPV drives nicer.

 

When we went shopping, I climbed in the third row myself to try to picture how the boys as teens would fit as we hang on to our cars 10+ years.

 

We almost went with a Kia Borrego, but cargo space was a concern.

 

I personally prefer when the third row has two seats vs a 2/3 1/3 bench. I'd love to see captains chairs options in all 6 seating positions.

 

We really liked the AWD feature.

 

We ended up sticking with what we have for now.

 

 

I was just looking at the Mazda 5 this is nice to know.

[thowell]

Anybody have a Dodge Journey???? What do you think??

[gingersmom]

Anybody have a Dodge Journey???? What do you think??

 

I had a Dodge minivan.

 

Good riddance! Worst car ever. It was in the shop for one repair after another.

 

I would read reviews for any car before you purchase.

 

 

The 2010 Dodge Journey reliability score of 5.0 out of 10 is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS).

 

The Journey comes with a lifetime powertrain warranty and a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty. Note that in the Journey's short time on the market, Dodge has issued several recalls (two for the electrical system, one for the powertrain and one for the electrical system that deploys the frontal airbags).

 

The most recent recall, issued on April 9, 2009, affects 4,134 Chrysler vehicles (including the 2009 Journey). According to the recall notice, "Wiring may be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector." In the event of a crash, the driver's airbag may not deploy as intended, "and may not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries."

 

J.D.Power Ratings

 

Initial Quality Ratings

These scores come from consumer ratings of their vehicles after the first few months of ownership.

 

Feature N/A N/A

Overall Quality - Mechanical

Powertrain Quality - Mechanical

Body & Interior Quality - Mechanical

Features & Accessories Quality - Mechanical

Overall Quality - Design

Powertrain Quality - Design

Body & Interior Quality - Design

Features & Accessories Quality - Design

Dependability Ratings

These scores come from consumer ratings of their vehicles after three years of ownership.

 

Feature N/A N/A

Overall Dependability

Powertrain Dependability

Feature & Accessory Dependability

Body & Interior Dependability

View more car ratings, new car previews, online classifieds, and safety ratings at JDPower.com.

 

J.D. Power and Associates Power Circles Ratings do not include all information used to determine J.D. Power and Associates awards. See JDPower.com for more information on Power Circles Ratings. Since driving styles and conditions are unique to each owner, your experience may vary. Furthermore, any Power Circle Ratings based on historic data of past years studies may also reflect different results if current users were again measured.

 

All information provided by J.D. Power and Associates is proprietary information owned by J.D. Power and Associates and is protected by U.S. and international copyright law and conventions. Reproduction of this information, in whole or in part, by any means is prohibited without the express written consent of J.D. Power and Associates, other than printing copies of the J.D. Power and Associates content by site visitors for their personal use. J.D. Power and Associates® is a registered trademark of J.D. Power and Associates.

 

Review Last Updated: 2/9/10

Next Steps - Dodge Journey

Edited February 10, 2010 by gingersmom

[rookie]

honda pilot

[sparrow]

Anybody have a Dodge Journey???? What do you think??

 

We bought one in December and LOVE it. It's a 2010. 2009 was a first year model. We've learned from experience not to buy first year models.

 

It is a very smooth, comfortable, and quiet ride. We test drove several optional third row vehicles and found it to have the only third row that was actually usable and comfortable! We only have 2 kids, so we keep the third row down (for TONS of cargo) unless needed.

 

Believe me, we tried to talk ourselves out of this car. We've typically bought foreign brands. We test drove a Journey on a whim and fell in love. We've only had it for 2 months but it has exceeded our expectations.

 

ETA: I typically read the consumer reviews at Edmunds to see what people are saying who actually own the vehicle:

 

http://www.edmunds.com/dodge/journey/2010/consumerreview.html

Edited February 10, 2010 by sparrow
added url

[JenAL]

I won't trade my Honda Odyssey for anything! We had a Chrysler Town & Country...bought it brand new & it had more problems within the first 2 years than I ever expected. We've had our Odyssey for 2.5 years now & we love it.

[TXMomof4]

I have a Chrysler Pacifica and I LOVE it. I bought it used with 25000 miles on it and it gets good mileage, comfortably seats 6 and is fun to drive. It feels smaller than a minivan, but bigger than a car.

 

My dream car is the Buick Enclave. My inlaws have one and that will be my next car. They are super spacious and smooth to drive.

[K-FL]

We have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXL. It gets 24 hwy/16 city (approx.) seats 7 & has stow-n-go seats which we LOVE! Since it's extended, there's good cargo space too. With the seats stowed you can put sheets of plywood in there plus more, which you couldn't in the SUVs we looked at.

[TKDmom]

I love my Toyota Sienna. I just wish I had a newer one with fold-flat seats and an extra seat in the middle that I could pull out so it would seat 8 when I need to drive extra people around.

 

We have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXL.

 

We had an older model Grand Caravan before. I loved the roominess of it. But every single one of the last 3 Dodge/Plymouth cars we owned had the a/c go out (they were all over 100,000 miles). That's a problem for us in FL, and it was as much as the cars were worth to replace the a/c. I might consider buying a new Dodge, but I'll never again buy a used one--too many maintenance issues.

Edited February 10, 2010 by bonniebeth4

[Sandra in FL]

nt

[McKay]

We also really like our Toyota Sienna (8 passenger).

[thowell]

ok, we are on the fence between the toyota sienna and the honda odyssey. I like both of them and they are pretty close in price. How to decide??!!

[Brigitte]

Have you looked at a Ford Freestyle (now Taurus X)? It is Ford's version of the Volvo Cross Country. The ratings on Cartalk.com by owners are quite positive. I think it is what I am getting next.

[Denisemomof4]

this is such a tough one for me. We absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED our Suburban and brought it brand spankin' new. We had nothing but problems with it. So we bought the Pilot, as many have recommended. I *HATE* it. We wanted reliability so we went with Honda. But it's a BAD choice if you're a tall family. My husband and 2 sons are over 6 feet and I totally regret getting that car. I'm going to be selling it and am once again looking at used Suburbans. I SO MISS the huge cargo area behind the third row of seats. The pilot has almost no cargo space. If we go to the beach we have to plug an extension into our bumper to hold ice chest, chairs, etc.

 

I heard certain models of Suburbans are to be avoided, others are fine. So we're going to try to find one used, as we've always bought brand new cars in our 20 years together and have had issues with every single one of them. Doesn't make sense to buy new to me.

 

I don't think you can get a Pilot for 20k unless it's used. THere's going to be one for sale in NH soon. It's been well maintained. ;)

[jenL]

I don't know if you've looked at them, but we really like our Kia Sedona minivan. It's roomy, rides nicely, gets great mileage, and comes with an excellent warranty. It's priced lower than the Odyssey or Sienna, but comes with the same (or more) features. Plus, it has consistently won 5-star safety ratings in all categories. My Dh is tall (6'1"), and he has plenty of room in both the front and back seats. We've sat 7 comfortably (5 adults and 2 kids in car seats) with 3 of the adults in the 3rd row.

[BeckyFL]

We were on the fence between these 2 as well. The 2 things that swayed us to the Odyssey were the comfort of the seats (for some reason the Toyota pushed me forward at the top more and i have back problems) and the price of the warranty (Toyota was MUCH more).

Our Odyssey is now 10 years old. The only problem is we've had more than one transmission (this is the FOURTH!). We now have a lifetime warranty transmission from Aamco. This seems to be a problem with Honda's but perhaps the newer models have fixed this? I hope so because I love it otherwise and no other problems.