I need car/van recommendations

[AdamsFamily]

I need a different car. I don't want to buy a "new" one. I need a used car or van that gets great gas mileage (30+), will last to over 200,000 miles with minimal repairs (hopefully - know this is not a given), and has a large trunk. I would like a van for the extra seating, but I don't have to have a van. I am anti-Ford at the moment, so please don't recommend a Ford.

 

I am replacing a Ford Windstar. It is a 2003 with 113,000 miles on it. It has tons of electrical problems. We have recently replaced its transmission, all injectors, cracked manifold, leaky head gasket, and other miscellaneous problems. It is back in the shop again, and I would like to take it out into the desert and blow it up! Ugh! (disclaimer - we used to live in AK and now live in NV; this vehicle has been through some extreme climate changes.)

 

I have heard good things about Mitsubishi Galants. My husband and I had good luck with a Mazda Protege and a Honda Accord in the past, but we don't know anything recent about them. My dad always drove Volvos, but he knew how to work on them. Volvo has been sold once or twice in the past couple of decades, though.

 

Any advice would be appreciated!

[elfgivas]

we love our mazda 5. with the economy the way it is, at least here in SoCal, you can often get a new car/van for the same or even LESS than a used one. people are buying so many used cars, the price just goes up and up on them.

 

the mazda 5 gets great mileage, seats 6 in captain's chairs that fold down with one hand. it is my favourite car of all time, after perhaps my lebaron convertible way back in the day.... ;)

 

ann

[Cricket]

We have a 1997 Nissan Quest. It is still going at 275,000 miles. It is on its last leg though. We haven't done any major repairs. We are looking for a 8 or 12 passenger van now because we need the extra room.

[astrid]

:iagree:

 

I have a Mazda 6 that I commute 1.25 hours each way, stop and go all the way. LOVE IT. About 36 mpg.

 

astrid

[Aspasia]

We love our Honda Odyssey. If you look at the ratings from Consumer Reports, pretty much every van has a bunch of black circles (that's bad)...except the Honda and the Toyota. You seriously couldn't GIVE me any other van. (Well, you could, but I would sell it and put the money towards a Honda or Toyota.) :tongue_smilie:

[dbmamaz]

When i was a single mom, i always bought Subaru wagons with 100,000 miles on them - they lasted forever! of course, I got stick shifts, which are cheaper and require less maintenance - replacing a clutch costs WAY less than replacing a transmission.

 

my first ever new car was a Mazda5 . . .also a stick shift! (most of them are auto tho). I LOVE my mazda5, but as my son starts growing . . .well, its better if you dont have a lot of family members over 6 foot . . . but yes, cheap even new and not as reliable as the subarus but much more flexible. of course, the subarus were great in snow and gravel .. .

[AdamsFamily]

Thank you for your opinions! We are going to have to do a lot of research, but it is always helpful to hear personal opinions!

 

Have any of you had experience buying from craigslist? I know two people here that have and have had good experiences. I am a bit leary of craigslist, though. I shop on ebay and homeschoolclassifieds, so I don't have a real reason to avoid craigslist. The site is just like newspaper ads, right?

 

I will have to compare new prices to used, too. Las Vegas may be just as bad as SoCal!

[aggieamy]

Don't buy a Volvo. :glare:

 

150k miles and it is in bad shape even though it's been babied it's whole life.

[craftyerin]

I adore my 07 Toyota Sienna. My mom has had wonderful luck with her old (no clue how old, but OLD) Subaru Forrester. I have rented the Kia minivan several times on trips where we flew and have been very happy with it as well.

[Stayseeliz]

I think we're going with a Toyota Sienna next. We have an 03 Honda Oddyssey and honestly we've spent a good bit on repairs. The transmission had to be rebuilt at 110k miles and the entire lock system had to be replaced. We just got it back out of the shop for more transmission work. It's at 148k miles and we're holding out for 200k miles but it's not looking good at this point. I had a Toyota Tercel in college that I LOVED and it would still be going strong if it hadn't gotten smushed by a tree during a windstorm. Do I think we're going with a Toyota next time.

[delaney]

I will go to my grave clutching the steering wheel of my Odyssey. Seriously

[Sandra in FL]

Don't ever buy a Windstar. Our transmission went and I think that's the most expensive repair there is.

 

We've had 2 Toyota Siennas and are very pleased with them. No problems at all - basically just oil changes and tires.

 

I'd also try the Honda Odyssey (had very good luck with Honda cars) but we need the Sienna's 8 seater. The middle seat of the Odyssey's 8 seat version is too small.