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Comments
im a fan of crossovers and price range is from 0 up to about 40thousand
and it needs to be new
and it also needs to be big with good towing capacity
-juice
If you want better mileage, you'll need to trade off towing capabilites and off-road capabilities. Try the Ford Escape (both Hybrid and non-Hybrid, the twins Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute) the Honda CR-V, the RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, etc.
If you can find one, I'd also suggest looking for a nice, clean used year old Isuzu Rodeo, although they didn't sell many of them last year. (some of them are still sitting on dealer lots- the local Isuzu dealer here in TN still has 4-5 Rodeos left, and 1-2 Axioms)
If you can go up a size, the newly redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee is nice.
The Honda Ridgeline is nice too, and I think it'll tow 5,000 pounds.
-juice
isnt the forester what the baja is based on
But I think that the Baja is based on the Forester, although I'm not sure.
Have you thought about the Nissan Xterra? It's truck-based, a good off-roader, and tows a lot, although it won't get great MPG numbers.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Liberty: new model, american manufacturer with 1/2 mercedes parts... is that a real question? Subaru. Cheaper, less trouble. You'll save $5-8k initilally and get similar gas mileage. -Mathias
Jonathon
Your parents can co-sign the loan, so then income won't be a problem. If you can't pay, they will.
Basically I'm saying that you should buy the car now, with your parents' help, and get something inexpensive because you have no income, register it to you parents' address under your name, and park it there until you settle down in California. Then you can have your parents ship your car out to you, and if it doesn't arrive in time you can rent a car temporarily from Enterprise or Budget or any of the major rental car outfits.
Does this sound confusing? I hope not.
Are you at the point where you're wondering what you should get yet?
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
and what do yall think of the hhr
or even any more small suvs
The Forester is based on the Impreza platform, though it's more space-efficient so it's actually roomier than the Baja.
NJ - beware of seriously expensive car insurance. You might look into getting a temporary address in Cali if you have relatives there.
-juice
if you must - why not consider a reliable used vehicle?
don't buy what you can't pay for. that would be my suggestion. when you've got the money, then buying something you'd really like will be all that more fantastic. starting out with something that represents the best means you can only sets your sites lower next time.
FWIW: i think buying a vehicle with a co-sign is a mistake myself.
Without steady income??? Without fairly HIGH income?
Howze about a nice '00 Taurus for cheap until you've worked for a year?
It's a free country, and if it's important to you, do it. But with that mindset, you'll be in the hole for ages, and bancrupt if anything goes wrong -- job loss, illness, etc.
-Mathias
My favorite small SUV is probably the Honda CR-V or possibly the Hyundai Tuscon.
I wouldn't be trying to get into a brand new Prius, Civic Hybrid or Mazda3. All three are waaay too expensive.
Maybe a used Prius is a possibility? One of the odd-looking first generation ones would get good fuel mileage and won't be horribly expensive.
If you want something fun to drive, the Protege is a good inexpensive choice, and if you can find a Protege5 it can be very versatile too.
I guess you could look at some older (2000, 1999) Saab 9-3 hatchbacks but those will give you lots of headaches and repair bills down the road, so I guess it wouldn't be a good idea.
If MPG numbers are what you had in mind, the first generation Prius, Honda Civic HX (some used ones, of course) and a Toyota Echo with a stickshift would be cheaper alternatives to a brand new 2005 Prius.
If neither you nor your parents can afford the payments on a brand new car, then by all means don't get a brand new car.
The Taurus/Sable though is dependable, cheap, reliable, boring transportation that gets you where you need to go and does nothing else.
So it might cost more, but it's arguably worth it.
-juice
did i ask u about the chevy hhr yet
The PT Crusier has a lot of incentives on it and I highly question GM's timing of the HHR, since the retro fad of the PT Crusier has faded for a while.
But if priced right, and if the incentives are heavy enough, it might be a bargain.
1) Honda Ridgeline
2) Nissan Frontier
3) Toyota Tacoma
The Durango isn't a bad SUV, but gas prices are rising, so you might have to ask yourself twice whether you really need that big of a gas guzzler.
I still think if you need to tow stuff, the Jeeps are good (Grand Cherokee and Liberty) as they aren't too bad on gas and they can tow quite a lot of stuff.
I don't know about DaimlerChrysler quality and long term reliability though, so you may want to wait a year for the annual CR reliability ratings on the new Grand Cherokee to come out before deciding.
Trucks "especially" are a Veeeery personal thing ... it depends on how the headroom works, the ride and the way it sits .. it's like me trying to convince someone that the new Taylor Driver is the best in the world, and "maybe" it is for the right person, but the guy next to me might play better with a Cobra or a Nike driver -- it's a touch feely thing, just like cars and trucks ..........
Terry.
Geez, Terry, if everyone did *THAT*, who would be asking you for values on sub 10k mileage cars? (g)