Need a new family car - please help me decide
My wife and I are in our early 30's and have a 2 year old and 2 month old. Currently own a 2002 Honda Civic EX with two car seats that take up the entire back row. The car was bought new and has 38k miles (to give you an idea of how little we drive it). We are living in DC but may be moving to Boston in a few months. We're looking for a new family car that has room for the two car seats and space for one adult back there. Also need good amount of storage/trunk room for stroller, groceries, etc. Target cost is 25k or so.
I started off looking at the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 V6 but quickly veered over to the sedans where I've been looking at the 2008 Honda Accord EX sedan and the Volvo V50. Not sure that the SUVs offer that much more space than these sedans - am I mistaken? Also, decent gas mileage and a comfortable ride is important thus making me look at the 'family' sedans more carefully. As our current Honda has been the picture of reliability, that is also quite important. As is driveability in snow (paved roads) as well as overall safety.
I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on the global question of SUV vs Family Sedan. Then, any suggestions on cars in either category?
Thanks in advance,
E
I started off looking at the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 V6 but quickly veered over to the sedans where I've been looking at the 2008 Honda Accord EX sedan and the Volvo V50. Not sure that the SUVs offer that much more space than these sedans - am I mistaken? Also, decent gas mileage and a comfortable ride is important thus making me look at the 'family' sedans more carefully. As our current Honda has been the picture of reliability, that is also quite important. As is driveability in snow (paved roads) as well as overall safety.
I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on the global question of SUV vs Family Sedan. Then, any suggestions on cars in either category?
Thanks in advance,
E
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Comments
I'd avoid the Explorer - 13/19 City/Hwy with only 210hp - not a good compromise.
Your family sounds suited for a RAV4 or CR-V with AWD in Boston (y'all would actually reap some benefits of it in the snow).
Have you checked out the new Nissan Rogue?
For me the Explorer makes sense because it is great in the snow, comfortable, practical 3rd row (power & split), has minimal cabin noise on the highway, and is reasonably priced. I could care less about the pickup as I am not towing anything or planning on racing anybody off the line....I also get 22 on the highway which is decent...just wanted to defend my car:)
I actually test drove the Rogue for a second car a couple of months ago and thought it was just ok. Comfortable and has a nice exterior but was loud in terms of engine and wind noise. Probably offers better space then an Accord as even in smaller SUV's you can creatively pile your travel gear higher in the trunk.
Please a note a co-worker has a 07 Odyssey and claims it is the best minivan she has ever owned.
Almost all SUV's get the same crappy gas mileage so I just threw out the option which I think has the best for a 3rd row SUV that he may have not considered...07 Outlander had almost the same MPG as an Odyssey.
The Outlander is VERY small inside relative to an Odyssey, and their third rows are really not worth comparing to each other. The Odyssey 3rd row is roomy enough for me (6'4"). The Outlander has what amounts to be jump seats.
If fuel economy is a concern, and an SUV-type vehicle is what you want, its hard to beat the CR-V/Rogue/RAV trio. If you don't need an SUV - definitely go with a midsize sedan. In Boston, I can't help but thing the added benefit of 4WD/AWD would be worth taking a look at over a sedan.
I live in Birmingham, Alabama, so I chose the Accord over the CR-V back in Nov. 2005. I get mid-upper 30s on the highway on average, have hit 40 MPG twice (conditions were perfect), and average just under 30 MPG in my commute into Birmingham from the 'burbs every day.
What car based CUV has more interior space then an Explorer? I can't imagine any that even come close when strictly looking at useable packing space with the 3rd row down. I even remember looking at the Mazda CX9 which is an SUV and it spec'd out as having more space with the 3rd row down. When I went to look at one it wasn't even close to the eye due to the low height in the trunk area (3rd row down). They also probably measured with 1st and 2nd row seats all the way up which is not practical. I have been packing up SUV's for a long time and at this point I have come to the conclusion that spec dimensions don't always tell the whole story. If you are right, though, I would probably be interested for my second car search.
The one thing I think we both would agree on would be the Explorer's city gas mileage in Boston traffic...it would be scary...probably be lucky to get 10 MPG
He may want to actually take a look at the Subaru sedans/SUV's as I think they have some decent/in-expensive AWD models. My parents love their Tribeca.
Hyundai Veracruz, for example.
190.6" long
Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 86.8
Seating Capacity 7
Front Head Room, in. 40.3
Max. Front Leg Room, in. 42.6
Rear Head Room, in. 39.9
Max. Rear Leg Room, in. 38.4
Ford Explorer
Overall Length, 193.4"
Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 85.8
Seating Capacity 7
Front Head Room, in. 39.8
Max. Front Leg Room, in. 42.4
Rear Head Room, in. 38.7
Max. Rear Leg Room, in. 36.9
So, the VeraCruz has about 4 inches more room overall (leg and headroom combined), with an extra cu. ft. of cargo space. All, while weighing less, having more power (unless you opt up for the V8 Explorer) and getting better fuel economy.
The Explorer is a fine vehicle for its purposes, and its recent upgrades make it better, but the Crossovers almost beat the Explorer at its own game, except when towing.
What about the luggage capacity figure...does that mean anything? Not being sarcastic as it just seems the number for the Explorer is huge when compared with other CUV's.
I thought you were more referencing the RAV4 crowd.
I apologize to the thread starter for high jacking his thread.
You know, if you are in the market for a mini-van, I have some advise that might be worth considering. If you can, buy a Honda Odysee. I have driven two of them and am very impressed. My ex-wife owns a brand new Toyota Sienna and, IMHO, it is no where near as nice as the Odysee. On the other hand, a minivan is something that is going to be abused. When considering family vehicles about 6 years ago, I decided to purchase a Dodge minivan with 28k miles on the odometer. I purchased it for 1/3 the price of a new Honda. Yes, it was a Dodge and had some minor problems and the "fit and finish' wasn't as nice. But, it was reliable and the fit and finish doesn't make as much difference when its smeared with ice cream and muddy feet. I decided to go "cheap" and just get something that I didn't have to stress about or worry about maintaining its shine for resale value. It had little resale value, so I drove it for 100,000 miles and never regretted the decision. You could probably pick up the prior-generation Chrysler/Dodge minivan for really cheap right now and the cost of ownership would be extremely reasonable. On the other hand, if the minivan would be your only vehicle and your image-conscious at all, perhaps you want something a little more up-scale.
To me this is a no brainer. The mini-van just fits all the different stages of what you'll need during their childhood years.
Based on your provided info. , I vote for:
1- First option: '07 Honda minivan Ody. LX (for cheaper price).
2-Second option: '08 Accord sedan 4 cyclinders LX or EX.
Either of them should fit in your budget, rear space, reliability & gas mileage. These above van/ car are rated top models in their classes. Good luck with your final decision. Please let us know your choice.
We also looked at the CRV but gave it up for the same reason you mentioned. There is actually less cabin room in it. If you don't want a mini van or SUV it doesn't help for people to tell you to get one. Sure it will have more space, but it will also suck gas and be a pain to park and navigate around Eastern cities and parking lots.
The thing that sold me on the Accord it that it has every safety feature you could want included on all models. I like that they don't make you to buy a V6 just to get stability control.
All that said, if you plan to have 3 kids you may have to look at a mini van. Check out the Mazda 5 if you haven't already. It was tempting to me, but doesn't come with stability control and I'm a safety freak....
Best.
I'm thinking the Honda Odyssey for my wife and the Honda Accord for me. Will test drive and let you know what happens.
E
So, now your budget for new cars has inflated to $100K+ already. Keep us posted. Honda Ody and Accord are both ranked number one in their classes.
Accord '08 has all fancy and safety features (VSA, traction control, ACE, big full airbags to protect torso...) that you cant resist buying it. Pricing is reasonable. Ody is ranked as a top van.
You and Ford can call it a Taurus, but a rebadged Ford Five Hundred, that couldn't convince many people to buy it, is a possible safety hazard. Drivers may fall asleep from boredom.
Exciting? No, but the new 3.5 liter engine means it's no slouch any more. A lot of family cars fall into the "less than exciting" category.
Given the original criteria, it's worth a look. That's why I like Grad. Even though he owns two Accords, he's not blind to the fact that there are many good automobiles out there that serve the varied needs of different people.
We are very happy with ours.
Sat in the Accord for a few minutes and really liked it. Will have to test drive the 4 door for myself. Any thoughts on how well it would handle the snow in Boston? This being the AWD version.
Thanks,
E
BTW, my brother-in-law just bought a second Honda CRV AWD. He was quite happy with his first CRV FWD. I bought my '08 Accord EX-L V6 and now it is sitting in the garage since my purchase. I have been driving my other "pampered" (with extra fine fragrance) Accord.
HOWEVER, that being said, I would urge you to check the forums on this site about the Odyssey. We bought ours in 2000, based on honda's reputation for reliability and value. What we have found is that at 124k we are now in need of our SECOND transmission. Honda is aware that there is a problem, but will not own up to it, and their assistance is discretionary, at best.
I do not know if current models have had this defect removed, but you can rread all the horror stories for yourself, both in US and Canada.This seems to include models as recent as 2009. As the saying goes" let the buyer beware!".
I am a long time Honda buyer, but after my experience, both myself and many others will not buy a honda minivan again. In fact , I just bought an "09 accord Ex-L and to date, have had no problems, but I will keep an eye out for any postings here that indicate its time to get rid of it.
I'm looking into a Honda CR-V to replace my 1990 Ford Taurus - a change, I know, but I could use something a little sportier with the roof rack, etc. But truly I need something reliable and sturdy.
I've found a 2003 CR-V EX at a dealer with about 85k on it, dealer is asking 13k - which I see might be a little bit high.
My question: should I be put off by the higher mileage and look for something else? Should I expect some problems around the 100k mark or can I look forward to many years with this vehicle?
Thanks in advance for your help, I'm looking forward to poking through the forum more!
-NK
Come back to us 75,000 + miles from now and let us know if your sentiments still hold true... Achieving JD Power initial quality awards is vastly different from long term reliability after a manufacturers warranty expires.
Per Consumer Reports, the two main manufacturers to offer the highest reliability at said point are Honda and Toyota.
In addition, cars with better reliability records tend to hold there value better over time than ones that do not, hence justifying Honda's and some of Toyota's class leading resale value.
Buy a Ford ? I think not.
Average life of a well-tuned Honda engine is about 200K miles, more or less. If you can afford you can also buy a new Honda CRV. Interest charge is about 2.9% or less now. Pay loan in 36 months to 60 months. Pricings for vehicles including Honda are also pretty much reasonable now.
Believe me.... you didn't intrude on anything! Thanks for getting us back on track.
85k isn't really high mileage these days, especially on a Honda.
CR-V does not, or never has had 4WD, it has always been Real Time All Wheel Drive, ever since its introduction on the 1986 Honda Civic Wagon AWD. The system has been improved over the years. It has been made faster and stronger, but the basic principle that you need a speed differential between the front and rear axles to activate is still in use.
Gen 1 CR-V had 127 Hp engine.
Gen 1.5 CR-V had 146 hp engine.
Gen 2, and 2.5 had 160 Hp engine, but Gen 2.5 has the newer AWD unit, drive by wire, and Vehicle Stability control, same as Gen 3.
Gen 3 has 160 hp engine, but the rating system changed, making it 156 hp
Gen 3.5 has 180 Hp engine.