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Looking for a new or new(er) vehicle.
We some left over and trying not to overspend. With a budget of roughly 15K, here are my thoughts so far.
-Prefer something we can slide in and out of. No climbing into trucks, or dropping into sedans we hope. Knees being what they are.
-Wife wants a minivan....but exploring options like a small(er) suv.
Does anyone have a Kia Soul and if so, how do you like it?
-Prefer something we can slide in and out of. No climbing into trucks, or dropping into sedans we hope. Knees being what they are.
-Wife wants a minivan....but exploring options like a small(er) suv.
Does anyone have a Kia Soul and if so, how do you like it?
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
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We drove the '94 Previa to destruction - failed head gasket somewhere north of 200,000 miles. His daily driver is now a 2006 (?) Sienna and mine a 2011. The four-banger in the old Previa was a little timid, and only had enough oomph to get the A/C properly spooled up when cruising at highway speed. The V6's in the Siennas have plenty of go and will freeze you out on the A/C.
I pretty much drive mine 24/7 as an enclosed pickup truck - center seats removed, rear seats folded down. It doesn't have the sheer weight capacity (or the squirrely back end when unloaded), but you can haul 4x8 plywood in one, UNLIKE the mini-pickups that get WORSE mileage. Gets mid-20's for MPG on the highway cruises. Usually high teens city. Considering the amount of crap it can carry, that's WAY better than you'll do with a truck of comparable capacity. . .and like you say, it's a lot easier to get in and out of.
Wife drives a 2009 Toyota/Scion XB. GREAT car and for the money, LOADED. Runs on a perky 2.4L that might keep it from getting as good mileage as it could, but it doesn't feel like it's powered by hamsters. Pretty impressive capacity unless you're used to a minivan. I think she's at 170,000 miles on that one and still going strong.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
if you all have mobility issues i would be hitting the car lots in your area and see what
works
good luck
- Don Burt
I've owned a Grand Caravan. You walk up and slide in. Cars you have to lower yourself into.
Winston Churchill
Dad 5-31-13
Snazzy little buggers (Crosstrek).
I like my Outback.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I'm a lesbian nymphomaniac trapped in a mans body.
I can't get past the Flintstone roofline, but that's just me!
This is what I would go with...
Best Small SUV/Crossover type I have ever driven (as a rental) was the Ford Edge. They are a little more $$$ though.
Killed
In
Action
The most frustrating electronic gremlins I'm seeing in my warranty inspection work usually involve some type of KIA automobiles. I checked out one awhile back that had a new transmission and six computers installed under warranty in the first 14K miles!
Jerry
It's the same with a Honda CRV, they hold their value well.
Hell, my wife and I have no kids - the M.V. is just to carry us and our stuff.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
That's too bad, as minivans are much better vehicles for what people actually use them for.
Which, in city driving means you pretty much only have AC when you are sitting at a stoplight
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
Kinda hard to haul a dead deer out on ranch roads in one. Not to say I have not done that- all you need is a tarp, a heavy foot, and a lack of caring for the undercarriage
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
When ones goes by, I keep looking to see about 18 Orientals inside with cameras hung around their necks.............:tooth: :roll2: :roll2:
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Like I said, the way "most" people use them. 99% of the SUVs on the road will never tow anything, and they don't have the internal cargo capacity of a minivan.
We have two crew cab pickup trucks and Debbie still uses her Honda Civic to pick up eight bags of horse feed every couple of weeks. All piled in the back seat. SUV's are a step up from a car and are more versatile than a van. SUV's are the modern version of a station wagon and don't necessarily have to tow anything to be functional.
Most minivans have more space inside than most SUVs, get better mileage, are more comfortable, and are cheaper to own and operate.
Like everything else, people's (actual) needs vary, but most people who buy an SUV use 10% of its capabilities and would be better served by a minivan, or even a hatchback car.
Ah! Ok, then. Makes sense now. :up:
Yep, you're correct on both counts!
Ah yes the "What does my ride say about me to other people?" stigma.
It seems that there's something about minivans that say "I'm no longer young and cruising to get laid". If you're not and not, who cares?
When my co workers bring up the apparent lack of manliness of my vehicle, I ask them the following:
"Does this vehicle make you think soccer moms, dance practice, and PTA meetings?" Typically gets nods.
I then ask them:
"Does this vehicle make you think 'tailgate full of rifles' like your lifted pickup does?" Uban camouflage, baby!
More on that prejudice thing: by all reports the Mazda Miata is a pretty serious driver's automobile, yet if suffers from an extreme "Gay Man Driving" stigma. This does make me wonder, why doesn't the Jaguar E-type which it is so obviously modeled after, suffer the same social branding?
I recently channel surfed into some snippet of a reality TV show commercial in which one of the female stars said "Buying a minivan is a little like loosing your virginity: it hurts for the first couple minutes, but then you start thinking about all the stuff you can put in there.":rotflmao:
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
or a brand new (+$3000) base truck........
Which one will hold some value better and which one will be easier to re-sell? White for me, look for a bigger cab too, a longer box is MUCH nicer the few times a year you need it..
As too the original post, anything used made in Japan Mazda would be what I would look for in a daily if it has enough seating for you.
George Carlin