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Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:25 pm  |
My hubby and I are looking into getting a new vehicle. Our criteria are:
4 wheel drive
Hatchback
Nice looking (that's more me than the hubby  )
Inexpensive (very important)
So far, we're looking at:
Jeep Patriot
Subaru Impreza
And other recommendations? Or if you own any of these 2 vehicles, I would love your opinion on them! |
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Makeup and skincare are my passion!! My dayjob is just to pay for the obsession... |
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Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:12 pm |
Subaru Forester is actually a very good car. My father in law is very happy with his, and is now on his second.
I for my part drive a Range Rover Vogue, which fulfill non of you criterias I believe... 
Edit: the Range Rover does have a 4wd, but the other stuff not.... |
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Live in Switzerland, age 32, dehydrated combination skin, sensitive to climate changes, some food and cosmetic products. Very fair. |
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Fri Apr 13, 2007 4:18 pm |
I share an Impreza with my mom and honestly, yes it's good for the money but there are a bunch of problems with it. We bought it brand new in 2002 and almost right after it got recalled (well due to the production of that year). Then after my mom noticed the airbag sign was always on so we had to take it back in again (hell I don't want the airbag to pop out while I'm driving!). The brakes are okay, but I prefer brakes on European cars, I find the brakes on Japanese cars less sensitive but it's not a big problem generally. It's almost the end of the 5 yr warranty and recently my mom brought it in for maintenance (we go back to the original Subaru dealer for all of this) and they found a bunch of problems and had to fix it all. The total was over 1000 dollars, but it was under warranty. But my mom now wants to get another car because she doesn't want to have to pay for all that later on if her car has all these odd problems. And we take care of our car using it only for city driving so the mileage is low. There should not be a reason for parts to be so problematic so soon.
That's my opinion on it. Plus I think there are a lot of cars nowadays that may fit your critiria have you looked into brands like Mazda, or Nissan? I'm not sure if they're 4WD but I'm sure it would be an option you can add to cars like CRV or Rav 4. |
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Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:31 pm |
I'd like to hope that when people by their next car (me included) it'll be a hybrid (this piggy backs onto CaspersMum thread  ). Have you checked any of those out? |
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Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:53 pm |
| Go to your local library and look for Consumer Reports magazines. Last month or the month before, can't remember which, they reviewed a lot of small cars. DH and I are scouting for a new one, too (replacing his huge tank of a truck), and we were quite surprised by the ratings of several of them, both good and bad. |
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Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:28 am |
| tsjmom wrote: |
| I'd like to hope that when people by their next car (me included) it'll be a hybrid (this piggy backs onto CaspersMum thread ). Have you checked any of those out? |
I agree. Right now I drive a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. Pretty reasonable on gas consumption compared to other SUVs and very roomy for a mid size. I absolutely love it and haven't had any problems with it since I bought it new in 04. Its off road capabilities aren't the greatest since it's carriage isn't very high, but it handles really well on backroads, over gravel & small rocks, muck, slush, & snow and sandy trails. I did get stuck in some snow and ice twice (both times on my driveway to boot) but it was mostly because of the ice and that one tire that was deeper in, couldn't get any traction to get out. I'm hoping that by the time my Santy dies there will a lot more Hybrid SUVs on the market and hope they will be more affordable as well as I think this will help create a good balance for those that require a larger vehicle with some offroad capabilities but don't want to add to environmental concerns.
I'd also recommend the Subaru Forester. They are a more wagony type of SUV but they have excellent ratings. The year I was checking, the Santy came second in line to the Forester. The price difference is quite large though. Subarus are pretty pricey.
I also like the Nizzan Xtrail and Xterra or the Honda Pilot and Element. But they also have larger price tags than Hyundai.
I agree with Velvett's suggestion about research. When I was buying my SUV I researched all other models of the same year, checked crash ratings, consumer reports, every article I could find online and even joined a Santa Fe forum to get all the tips and tricks and to find out what problems, if any, other owners had. Research is key. Another tip - I also dealt with sellers online through email as I find some sellers tend to take ladies "for a ride" when it comes to vehicle purchasing as they assume we know nothing. So I emailed every dealer in Southern Ontario and dealt only with those that were interested in haggling online as opposed to in person. It really helped me out and I saved lots of money in the long run as I ended up getting one of the best deals in Canada when compared to the other forum members. (You should have seen the guy's face when I walked in to the showroom to sign the contracts! LOL He was stunned. Guess he was expecting some middle aged man and instead he got a young woman in her twenties. LOL Also helped that he was a newbee in training and wasn't making any commission yet. Sweet victory. )
Good luck with the hunt. I know the selection can be overwhelming and it can be even harder when 2 people have to agree on the purchase, but if you're patient and know what you want, I'm sure you'll get find a good deal and a right fit. |
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Global Butterfly & Certified Aromatherapist/Holisitc Therapist with a passion for travel and natural health.  |
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Sat Apr 14, 2007 11:13 am |
| Why not the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4? I thought both were cute and inexpensive, and they've better MPG. |
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