Best Vehicle to have?

[Om Girl]

DH and I are in the market for a new car and we're wide open to all the choices out there...so bring it on! Tell me what your favorite car/cuv/suv/truck is and why!

[tracyhos]

It really depends on your needs. I needed something that I can fit 3 convertible size carseats in. So that pretty much rules out any sedan type vehicle.

So I was left with : minivan, SUV, and cross-over type.

I chose minivan. Really you can't beat the power sliding doors, IMO. It is so handy.

I have a Honda Oddysey, btw.

[zinemama]

We are also looking. There is not a doubt in my mind that the Prius is it.

43 miles per gallon. Enough said.

We have two kids and don't see any need for a minivan. We looked at one just on a whim but...16 mpg?!

In our area you can get a used Prius for around 10k. Big chunk of change, so we're still deliberating on how to do it.

[Pancakes]

We own two Hondas.
Hubby works in auto finance for Ford and VW and is around all kinds of cars all day long.
We will never own a non-Honda again.

So....my vote is for a Honda. LOL

[alisonh916]

I have a honda CR-V and love it! Gets pretty good gas milege, great safety rating. If you get the LX model (which still has all the safety features but not the other "extras") then the price is pretty reasonable. There is plenty of room for us even when we have another baby. But it really depends on your needs, more than 2 kids and the CR-V would be tight.

[lucyem]

It totally depends on your needs. I know the Honda Odyssey is popular among moms at my DS's school.

For us:
1. safety, 5 star rated in crash tests etc
2. a good MPG (well as good as we can get and still fill our needs)
3. due to my husbands height and bad back we need a taller vehicle with more head/leg room
4. room to carry stuff (dogs, horse supplies etc) on a daily basis
5. ability to tow small trailer

[2busy2clean]

Another vote for the honda cr-v.

love it, for the most part... have 140,000 miles on it with only had minor work.

we get about 24 mpg, it has a tight turning radius and it zips nice enough.

It is a little small for our future needs - building a house, feeding horses, living the country life, so we will be looking at a Tundra as soon as the cr-v is paid for.

[askew]

Where do you live? Can you get bio-diesel easily?

If so then look at VW and Mercedes depending on your budget. You can get a great Jetta Wagon @ 50mpg and run it on B100 with no foreign oil needed. :

www.biodiesel.org

[zo's ma]

We looked at the Prius and bought a Corolla. I wanted something small with the best MPG that we could afford. In the end, the Corolla was about 10K cheaper and depending on how much I drive highway VS city I get between 36 and 40 MPG.

What I really wanted was a diesel new beetle, to run on Biodiesel...but used ones are hard to find around here and there aren't any new ones.

[acannon]

I'm also looking to buy a car. How are Volvos? I've heard they're really safe and great cars.

[lucyem]

I always loved Volvo's. I have had a couple and other family members have had them. My DH's step sister in law was in one when a dump truck rolled on her. She got hurt only because she ducked and smacked her head on her steering wheel.

My sister has a diesel VW. She averages somewhere between 45-50 MPG. I have seen it go up to 53 MPG at times. She uses biodiesel whenever she can.

[bayberry*moon]

I have been looking at the Dodge Journey. Really good gas mileage for a CUV with so much interior room. I just like the small SUV look. I drive a small truck now and wouldn't want to go back to a car.

[DaughterOfKali]

I'd really love a new car. Volvo's are very safe cars but can be very expensive when they need repairs.

VW's are mostly solid cars. They don't seem to ride as smoothly as other but they are reliable.

[Arduinna]

You know I wanted a Prius and we drove it and I really liked it, but we bought a Volvo instead and I love it.

[Ironica]

The only new cars I've ever been involved in purchasing have been Hondas. It's hard for me to go with a different maker... Honda is just so darned conscientious! They consistently *beat* the emissions requirements, safety requirements, and so on. Their dealers behave like normal business people, not like their raison d'etre is to put one over on you. I wish their colors were more interesting for certain models, but eh.

We have a 2002 Accord LX sedan that we bought new. Never have had a mechanical problem yet with routine maintenance. I drive my mom's Infiniti now and then, and it's always a relief to get back in our car afterward... it's just so much more comfortable and has a much better layout of the controls. My previous car was a 1997 del Sol, which I adored. I drove it for 6 years and then sold it for more than 50% of my out-the-door cost when I bought it new... Hondas *really* keep their value.

Now... the tricky part is, the form factor of car that I want is currently not made by Honda. I want Honda to make a Mazda 5 for me. ;-) I'd really like us to be able to take a passenger or even two after the next kid is born (we can put four adults into our Accord with the Britax Marathon installed in the center, but it's not super-comfy). I'd like some cargo space. But I cannot in a million years envision myself driving anything with a larger footprint than a sedan. (The Mazda 5 is within six inches of the Accord in each dimension, and for two of them it's SMALLER.) Thing is, Mazda's environmental stats just aren't in the same league as Honda, so I don't know if, when it came down to it, I really could buy a Mazda. We'll see.

[SusanInItaly]

I'm in love with my Honda Element. Seriously...test drive one. They are so fun and different. Though they don't get awesome gas milage they are great if you camp (you can sleep in it!) or hit the beach (entire car is washable with a damp mop!!!) or have dogs or whatever. It's seriously a great mini-SUV.
http://automobiles.honda.com/element/

It's a top safety pick for 2008.

[aussiemum]

I still love my Subaru Outback 4WD stationwagon, even if she is 9 years old.