Susan in KY Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Hey folks, The kids and I got into a wreck on Christmas Eve. We are all ok, but our car was totaled and the insurance is offering a pittance, even after increasing their numbers twice. Not having a loan is important to us, and we'll have two new drivers in the next few years. SO, we have decided to buy an older-model something. We have goats and chickens. As such, the kids have campaigned long and loud for a Toyota Tacoma, but the prices are too high for the amount we want to throw at a beater. We prefer a Toyota or Honda, but we aren't 100% on that. We need something that can haul a little bit, is reliable, and we can use for a yearly road trip. A manual transmission is a must for our kids to learn how to drive one. For those who have experience, convince me of which to buy and why. I'll set up a poll for the quick responders, but if you can tell me why, please respond. 2003-2007 Honda Element 2003-2007 Toyota Rav4 2003-2007 Honda CRV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 CRV has lots of room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I love my Rav4 !!! It has tons of room in the cargo area and my 6 foot son can sit in the back seat and there is enough space for his legs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Any of them should give you good reliability. We're partial to Hondas. We have four. Our oldest is 2001 CRV. We bought it new and now it has very close to 200,000 miles on it. Oldest DS drives it. The only non-regular maintenance issues its had have been a failed brake sensor and a radiator that developed a leak. Both of those were in the past year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 We have a 2005 CRV and have been very happy with it. We wanted the smallest and most fuel-efficient car we could get that also had ample cargo space. We haul a very specific collection of items on a regular basis and it all had to go in without cutting into the passenger areas. We also live in a very very snowy and hilly location so it had to handle well in those conditions. This fit the bill. We bought it new and unless something unforeseen happens, I can see us driving it for another 10 years. We have not once gone off the road or gotten stuck in it which is very rare around these parts. The ONLY thing I can say we do not like, and the RAV-4 shares this, is the rear door. They swing outwards instead of up. The concept itself is not an issue, but the weight of the door itself seems to be too much for the hinge. This was probably made worse by us because we had a hatch-mounted bike rack that added more weight to the door when fully-loaded. It has also been hit in this area twice over the years which likely contributes to the problem as well. The door still works just fine but we are concerned it will eventually fail and it does rattle while on bumpy roads. It is going in the shop next week to get a new hinge. $300. Dh was not happy with the cost until I reminded him that this is the only repair we will have had for over 12 months and that a single month's car payment for an adequate replacement (and used at that) would likely be more, he quit complaining. We get about 30 mph highway. Much less in town....because snow and hills. I have heard good things about the RAV-4 and Element too. The Element only seats 4, which it what took it out of the running for us. I really liked the "theater seating" for the back seats so was disappointed when we had to move on. The RAV-4 had slightly less cargo room and did not fit the items we need to haul as easily (yes, we took these items with us when we test-drove cars....). All three (from that era anyway) have a tow limit of 1500# and that really is the limit for our CRV. We frequently tow a 1500# trailer and that is the max of what we would be comfortable pulling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I'd think any would be reliable - so it comes down to configuration and which works best for you. (and what you find since you're buying used.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I love the Element! It is so easy to clean. We don't have one though. In LA we had friends who had them and would hose them out to clean them, particularly after a day at the beach. My middle son wants one when he gets a car, but since they don't make them anymore, I am not sure we will be able to find a good one when he needs one. And you can go camping in it. Much cooler than a tent IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Depending on your family size and ages of your kids, I would not go with the RAV4. It does not comfortably seat 5 people. The way the seat belts in the back are set up, one of the buckle stalks is positioned directly under the bottom of whomever would be sitting in the middle seat (so the seat belts over lap). This page has a picture of what I'm talking about. Not to mention the middle seat is...small. I owned one (2007) and I loooooved driving it and it was great for cargo space, but it only holds 4 people comfortably. If you don't normally drive around with more people than that, I would highly recommend it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 Thanks for your opinons, folks! SkiMomma, I had no idea the Element only seats four; that is very good info to have. Also, I didn't realize you could haul 1500 pounds with any of them. We will look at that some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I had an Element and I LOVED it. Great ride, great millage, simple to clean, great ac. LOVED it. But, they only seat 4 and I needed more seats. Just recently my car was totaled and we bought a Ford Transit Connect Wagon. It's essentially an Element that seats 7 and has carpet. I LOVE it. I'd go Element 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Susan, I have no advice for you, but I wanted to say I'm very sorry about your accident! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hey folks, The kids and I got into a wreck on Christmas Eve. We are all ok, but our car was totaled and the insurance is offering a pittance, even after increasing their numbers twice. Not having a loan is important to us, and we'll have two new drivers in the next few years. SO, we have decided to buy an older-model something. We have goats and chickens. As such, the kids have campaigned long and loud for a Toyota Tacoma, but the prices are too high for the amount we want to throw at a beater. We prefer a Toyota or Honda, but we aren't 100% on that. We need something that can haul a little bit, is reliable, and we can use for a yearly road trip. A manual transmission is a must for our kids to learn how to drive one. For those who have experience, convince me of which to buy and why. I'll set up a poll for the quick responders, but if you can tell me why, please respond. 2003-2007 Honda Element 2003-2007 Toyota Rav4 2003-2007 Honda CRV I am sorry about your car accident! I had a CRV. They are not for tall people. Nor are Toyotas, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Susan, I have no advice for you, but I wanted to say I'm very sorry about your accident! :grouphug: Thanks, Cat, I sure do appreciate that! :) I have no idea how we all walked away with nothing more than a concussion, but we did! I am *so* grateful no one was hurt worse than that, and I find myself just whispering a "Thanks" every day. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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