Question About Vehicles (NF)

[solopaddler]

Back in February I purchased 2 new vehicles, one of which has proven to be a mistake.

Super nice vehicle, but the gas mileage is terrible, nowhere near what it's "supposed" to get.

With gas prices already high and likely to climb higher I have to make a move now....the sooner the better.

I've got very specific needs. With 2 small kids I need a vehicle with space, and with the amount of driving I do something very fuel efficient (at least 28-30mpg).

Resale value is another big factor for me..

In any case I've narrowed my choice down to 3 possible vehicles but would love to hear some other opinions.

 

Does the combination of size, fuel economy and resale value exist? What do you guys like?

[Greencoachdog]

That mistake is going to cost you about 5 G's I'm afraid, with depreciation and fuel prices. The less economical vehicles aren't selling nowadays and your trade in will be minimal.

 

With 2 children, safety would be paramount for me. Most people have tunnel vision these days when buying a new vehicle... all they can see is MPGs.

 

I don't know what your budget is, and I prefer large/heavy duty for safety's sake... but if I had the money and small children, I would seriously consider Volvo. Their safety is nearly unmatched and they're quite economical to operate.

[solopaddler]

That mistake is going to cost you about 5 G's I'm afraid, with depreciation and fuel prices. The less economical vehicles aren't selling nowadays and your trade in will be minimal.

 

With 2 children, safety would be paramount for me. Most people have tunnel vision these days when buying a new vehicle... all they can see is MPGs.

 

I don't know what your budget is, and I prefer large/heavy duty for safety's sake... but if I had the money and small children, I would seriously consider Volvo. Their safety is nearly unmatched and they're quite economical to operate.

 

 

Actually the vehicle I bought wasn't brand new (I'd never take that hit). It was 2 years old with less than 30K on it.

 

In fact I have looked at a Volvo wagon and I'm not ruling them out. It's hard to find one at the right price though.

 

I should have given a bit more info. What I want (read: if I can convince the wife), is a vehicle that also has 4wd.

I'd be lost without it as many of my fishing trips are on pretty rough roads.

My head is telling me to buy a Honda Odyssey and be done with it, but my heart is saying buy either a

A. Honda CRV

B. Toyota RAV4

C. Subaru Outback or Forester (4cyl model) or maybe

D. Toyota Highlander

 

The first 3 are big enough for my needs, all get 30mpg or close to it, have great resale value (and are safe).

 

Just wondering if there's any other options I'm overlooking.

[lew]

Mike, I do a bit of work for Honda and have spent a fair bit of time driving both the Odyssee and the CRV and am really impressed with both of them, although I can't really give you any info on the long term results.

 

The Odyssee is unbelievably comfortable with plenty of room for your family, but it sits fairly close to the ground without alot of extra clearance, so I don't know if it'd be suitable for those those rough country roads your using.

 

The CRV sits fairly high off the ground and could probably handle the roads your talking about.

 

It obviously doesn't have nearly the room as the Odyssee but you could still carry a bit of gear along with your family. For a smallish car, it rides extremely smooth and handles like a sports car.

 

My brother bought a new '06 CRV and was very happy with it and it towed his 14' boat with no problems.

 

Either one may be worth your time giving them a 2nd look.

 

.......and no, Honda didn't pay me to say that

[Gerritt]

http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience/en/ho...P&year=2009

https://www.landrover.com/ca/en/Vehicles/LR2/Overview.htm

[Greencoachdog]

The Odyssey wont get that great of mileage. If you go with a 4 banger, I'd get a manual tranny.

 

All the vehicles on your list look like decent vehicles.

[pigeonfisher]

I have had an imprezza wagon 5 sp. I was a fantastic car. You can find them a few years old for a reasonable price, lower than a CRV anyways. I had no issues with mine at all, towed with it, beat it up, but I did do the regular service EVERY ONE. I don't see it hitting your marks in the fuel department though.

 

I now drive an Odyssey. I love it. I get 19mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the hwy.

 

If you can't fit it into an Odyssey you really shouldn't take it with you. This vehicle is something else as far as practicality goes.

[splashhopper]

Actually the vehicle I bought wasn't brand new (I'd never take that hit). It was 2 years old with less than 30K on it.

 

In fact I have looked at a Volvo wagon and I'm not ruling them out. It's hard to find one at the right price though.

 

I should have given a bit more info. What I want (read: if I can convince the wife), is a vehicle that also has 4wd.

I'd be lost without it as many of my fishing trips are on pretty rough roads.

My head is telling me to buy a Honda Odyssey and be done with it, but my heart is saying buy either a

A. Honda CRV

B. Toyota RAV4

C. Subaru Outback or Forester (4cyl model) or maybe

D. Toyota Highlander

 

The first 3 are big enough for my needs, all get 30mpg or close to it, have great resale value (and are safe).

 

Just wondering if there's any other options I'm overlooking.

 

up until recently i had an 05 Honda Element 4x4.

Ia lso have a wife and two children.

 

That vehicle was good on fuel, TON'S of room and a good ride for it's size. ( i put 40-50k/year on a vehicle)

I understand the 07 has a little more power in em too.

 

Take one for a test drive with the kids.. u might be pleasantly surprised.

 

Splashhopper

[glen]

Can you get the CRV in front wheel drive? It would have better mileage then the all wheel drive. I think they only tow 1000lbs max. towing with a 4cly might not work out too well.

[Mike the Pike]

Mike in your case you are not obligated to go for a minivan having 2 children.

I would not buy a 4 cylinder SUV though between the 4 or 6 cylinder there is

not much of difference in gas and you need the pulling power of a V6

for all your added gear and to pull the SSV.

 

I have a 2000 Honda Odessey and I must say am very happy with it.

like Lew says it handles like a sports car and man it has alot of power.

The gas mileage in the city is not great but highway driving can easily

get over 30 miles per gallon.

Sure I would love to have a truck but with 3 kids and many long trips the

answer for now is a minivan.Lets just say it keeps the peace on long trips.

three kids sitting on the same bench is chaos

 

This van has lots of room and can pull my 2600lb tent trailer with ease.

 

As Lew also said it does not have alot of ground clearance but that was

only an issue once while launching my boat but the ramp was crap

overall launching is easy with the added feature of traction control.

 

My usual mechanic wants to know why he does not see me anymore

Reliability thats why.

 

Good luck with your choice

[MAzing]

28-30 MPG isn't really fuel efficient, GM has dozens of vehicles that get better then that. Actually the Malibu and even the Impala get over 40 MPG.

 

I actually just bought a Pontiac Wave to drive to work and back instead of the 5.7 liter truck. The fuel savings alone will pay for it and the insurance and as gas keeps going up I'll be saving $$ as well as investing in a car.

 

If you want a van type I'm sure the Uplander will get you over 30 MPG and has a 5 star safety rating.

[Mike the Pike]

28-30 MPG isn't really fuel efficient, GM has dozens of vehicles that get better then that. Actually the Malibu and even the Impala get over 40 MPG.

 

I actually just bought a Pontiac Wave to drive to work and back instead of the 5.7 liter truck. The fuel savings alone will pay for it and the insurance and as gas keeps going up I'll be saving $$ as well as investing in a car.

 

If you want a van type I'm sure the Uplander will get you over 30 MPG and has a 5 star safety rating.

 

Are you dreaming or what I have a 2006 V6 Malibu with a 3.5 litre.

 

40 miles per gallon I Don't think so.At 100kph on cruise control 33 MPG is achievable.

 

Yes the uplander is a nice van have driven one.

 

I must add my 06 Malibu is very reliable with 103 000kms.

 

What the GM says it can do and what they really can do are never accurate and that is what all the Big brands claim.

 

Alot of Bull marketing.

 

MTP

[solopaddler]

Wow, lots of input, thanks everyone!

Gotta say I'm not ruling anything out, but I'm leaning towards a CRV. I drove one for 8 years before I sold it and bought my current vehicle in February.

It's got the reliability, resale value, and the ability to go off road. My older one got 28mpg...

If I need more space I can always get a small utility trailer.

Probably going to take a close look at the Odyssey as well. My dads been driving one for awhile now and he gets 28mpg on the hwy as well.

Thanks again boys...

[HTHM]

Check out the dealer in Cayuga, good people to deal with and their pricing is fair. Haldiman Motors.

http://www.haldimandmotors.com/

[solopaddler]

Check out the dealer in Cayuga, good people to deal with and their pricing is fair. Haldiman Motors.

http://www.haldimandmotors.com/

 

I took the family over there yesterday actually. Not to buy (they're actually slightly overpriced IMO), but because we were able to look at every vehicle I'm interested in at one spot.

The one vehicle in particular that impressed me a lot was the 06 RAV4's. They changed the styling in 06, made them larger and have an optional 6cyl engine which has way more power and supposedly darn near the same gas mileage as the 4.

[oncogene]

hum, what are the 2 cars you have currently? which one is the "mistake" and which one u'r keeping? May help deciding which car to get now knowing what the other 2 are.

 

 

For resale value, since u mentioned it, that would mean going with Honda/Toyota or any other "foreign" brand names pretty much. American brand cars (unless it's luxury brand) have crappy resale value.

 

 

As for MPG.... do NOT believe in what the manufacturers say. Like those Malibu getting 40MPG, yeahhhh right. All of those numbers are from completely unrealistic condition, in lab, maybe no wind drag, "highway speed" is 70km/h, etc. Search online for some users-input REAL WORLD gas mileage database and see what the average ppl get.

 

 

I used to have a Toyota Rav4 (01'-06' model). I think the MPG was supposed to be very good, forgot exactly what. But I had it for 5 years and my average was like 15-20MPG, mixed city & hwy (altho probably much more hwy than city). Duno if my Rav4 was particularly bad or what. I think the current model Rav4 is even bigger so I'm not sure how the real-world gas mileage will be. Altho in general, any 4wd will have worse gas mileage than 2wd that's for sure. So the 2wd minivan may be better than 4wd Rav4/CRV in terms of gas.

 

 

I ended up selling the Rav4 in late 05..... after Katrina hit US giving the excuse for gas to go up to $1.33/L, and that soon after me getting rear-ended with a loose bumper, and that I might need new tires for the winter ahead... I traded the Rav4 in for a Civic. Civic 26-37MPG average for me, best 100% hwy mileage (on cruise control) was 45.4 mpg.... and yes I've actually been recording down every single gas fill-ups in my computer since 05

Edited May 25, 2008 by oncogene

[solopaddler]

hum, what are the 2 cars you have currently? which one is the "mistake" and which one u'r keeping? May help deciding which car to get now knowing what the other 2 are.

 

Okay, well as mentioned I recently bought 2 vehicles. The first is a no brainer: 2005 Honda Accord sedan. Couldn't be happier with that one.

 

I've been fighting the inevitable (buying a minivan) for years. I still needed something with size 'cause of the 2 kids, and was attracted to the ones with AWD for my own needs.

 

This is the other vehicle I bought in Feb:

 

 

2005 Ford Freestyle. Considered a "crossover" vehicle, it's got AWD and a huge amount of cargo space.

Built on a Volvo chasis, it's got a CVT (continuously variable) transmission.

Absolutely LOVE the vehicle, but the gas is killing me!

[Raf]

i'd have a serious look at the the subaru line. i think the impreza may be a bit small for your needs but the legacy should be a fit. 30mpg may be a stretch - awd, decent size, unfortunately you have to pay to play. the legacy has awd, comes in a wagon and can tow a small boat/trailer.

[Mike the Pike]

i'd have a serious look at the the subaru line. i think the impreza may be a bit small for your needs but the legacy should be a fit. 30mpg may be a stretch - awd, decent size, unfortunately you have to pay to play. the legacy has awd, comes in a wagon and can tow a small boat/trailer.

 

The Subaru will use just as much gas as the Freestyle.One quarter for one quarter.

 

Subaru's are good cars but friends tell me they suck gas.

[huntervasili]

Well I have the Highlander and can tell you right now I drive pretty much 60% city 40% highway and my avg is approximately 14L/100KM. No complaints for it whatsoever, have only had to do regular servicing and replace a headlight in the couple years that I've had it.

[Mike the Pike]

Mike what kind of commuting do you do alot of highway or bumper to bumper traffic.

 

I can easily achieve 600kms per tank with my Odessey around 65 litres on the highway on cruise 110kph 115kph but in the city the gas mileage sucks.

 

The van is loaded with gear and us 5.

 

My wife travels to downtown Montreal crosses the bridge bumper to bumper traffic 36kms per day round trip 5 days a week costs her $40 per week. its all bumper to bumper.

 

Its a tough decision when you need pulling power and space.

 

Oil companies are changing our way of life.

[solopaddler]

Mike what kind of commuting do you do alot of highway or bumper to bumper traffic.

 

I can easily achieve 600kms per tank with my Odessey around 65 litres on the highway on cruise 110kph 115kph but in the city the gas mileage sucks.

 

The van is loaded with gear and us 5.

 

My wife travels to downtown Montreal crosses the bridge bumper to bumper traffic 36kms per day round trip 5 days a week costs her $40 per week. its all bumper to bumper.

 

Its a tough decision when you need pulling power and space.

 

Oil companies are changing our way of life.

 

Actually Mike the boat stays up north at my camp year round so pulling power isn't necessary.

I'm definitely going to consider the Odyssey, it's a very practical choice. It's just hard for me to give up the 4WD though...

When I move at the end of June my commute will be about 30 minutes one way on mostly country roads, so not too bad.

 

As far as the Subarus go, yes the 6cyl version of the Outback and Forester aren't too great, but the base model with the 4cyl engine is very good.

 

And Bill, I'm definitely keeping the Highlander in mind, I kind of like them. If I can find one at the right price I'll be taking a close look.

 

Thanks again everyone for the input, it's a big decision that I'll likely have to make pretty quickly sometime in the next week or so and I don't want to make another mistake!

[Raf]

oops, i meant forrester and outback. legacy is their big sedan. i'm just not sure how much the 2.5 4 cyls can tow.

 

i know a few people who've owned them, mostly impresas and the legacy - they've have have had zero complaints other than the guys who've blow their impresa 6 spds racing . reliability is great and resale value is probably close to toyota's.

 

i can empathize with your feelings about 4/awd. last 5 vehicles.. ever since i bought my 1st one. even a turbo talon (sports car) was great in poor weather/roads.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Raf

[holdfast]

Man I just dont get it. Gas is going up like crazy and everybody wants an SUV. My vote would be go for a small wagon like the toyota Matrix. Roomy, great on gas, good resale, CHEAPER. Now as far as government gas milages. Be aware some companys test their cars with the wheel rotating on a Mileage wheel, like a stationary bike with no resistance.

[oncogene]

well if towing isn't what u'll need, I'd definitely go with a mini-van in Odyssey. Roomier, and for sure better gas mileage, and IMO cheaper (if consider the same kind of options).

 

Yes, it's tough to go from 4wd back to 2wd... from Rav4 to Civic for me.... even the Honda dealer was like "woh that's pretty rare for ppl to go back". I got stuck in snow on driveway maybe couple of times a winter in the Civic.... never got stuck even once for 5 years in Rav4. But I'd gladly take couple of inconveniences a year for 50-60% better gas mileage these days in a heart beat.