Hey everybody...we're thinking about buying a new car and aren't sure what to get. Below are our "requirements." I'm sure that some of you are car addicts, so I'd love to hear which cars you think would best fit us. Thanks!

• Four-door
• Stationwagon, Hatchback, or Small SUV--we want to add a bike rack, have room in the back for photo gear, be able to stick a kayak on top (although we don't yet own one), take it camping and drive it through the Cascade Mountains
• Decent gas mileage (it will be dirven a minimum of 50 miles a day)
• We are both tall (I'm 5'11", Gerald's 6'2"), so we need ample room in the front seats and also the back so that are guest aren't uncomfortable when we push our seats all the way back!
• Adjustable steeing wheeel that pulls toward you
• Think practical yet sporty, but not high-end.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Airika

I don't have any model suggestions, but my criteria to buy a new car is determined by the following links, these should help you feel more confident in whatever you buy .

Edmunds TCO

IIHS safety

JD Power and Associates best car values

Car and Driver review

Cars Direct for approximate pricing

Toyota Prius. Hands down it's the best choice given your requirements.

We have two (a 2005 and 2006) and love them.

The wife and I consistently get more than 50 MPG and at worst see 47 MPG per tank.

They have a really comfortable interior with enough space to fit four regular-sized adults. It is a hatchback and the rear seats fold down completely. We've had an 8x10 rug in the car with the hatch closed.

We took this photo for the Union of Concerned Scientists' HybridCenter.org website (how's that for nerdiness -- my fault):

volvo, subaru

Oh, and to head off the normal misconceptions and misinformation that always pops up in a Prius discussion on the Internet:

• You do not have to plug it in.
• The hybrid system has a 7 year/100,000 mile warranty. The battery is part of the hybrid system.
• The battery is built to operate without any issues for the life of the Prius. There are owners who have driven over 250,000 miles without any problems.
• Replacement batteries (if needed) can be had for < $2000.
• It does not average 60 MPG highway, but then again most vehicles don't actually average the amount of miles-per-gallon from the EPA test.
• It does easily achieve over 45 miles per gallon.

BTW, I second Subaru. We considered the Outback and Legacy but decided on a second Prius...

I'm getting the 2007 Rav4 next month (can't wait!). I need something that will drive over the snow, because the few times we actually see the white stuff, it take our lovely DelDot forever to plow us out. So I need something that sits high enough to drive over the snow. However, I didn't want a huge SUV with horrible gas mileage either.

If I could go with a wagon, I would have looked at the Outback or a Volvo in a heartbeat. Would have been great to throw my kayak on there. (not sure how I'm going to do this on the Rav4 yet!). Also, the Pruis are highly recommend by several at my work.

This is helpful info...some of the misconceptions I held as well. We're hoping to test drive all of our top choices--adding Prius to that list!



Great websites-thanks! I espcially like seeing how they will depreciate...it makes a new Prius and a used Outback or Impreza rise above the rest. However, in vehicle satisfaction, it looks like Toyota and Honda (we've been considering teh CRV) stand far above Subaru...

I'm loving the responses--if you're not busy , I'd love to hear thoughts!
Airika

I have a 96 Toyota 4-Runner that I looooove. I think it has like 165,000 miles on it and is still going strong, never had any major issues with it at all (knocking on wood now). I'll drive that thing till it dies.

I love my Scion Xb. Tons of leg room and head room. Great gas mileage. Seats fold down in the back to hold more gear. Super duper price point. The only thing I think that may be missing as an option for you is the telescopic steering wheel.

This is an image I shot for a thank you to the salesperson at the dealership.



I will second the Subaru if you need more room. We had an Outback sport for 5 years. Was a great car.

Cheers,
Zack

Test-drive a Honda Element. You might just get hooked. They're only ugly from the outside, every single person who has ever sat in ours has been VERY impressed.

You might look at the new model Honda Civics (2006 or 2007). They're great, we got one and totally love it.

It get's great milage, (we consistenly get 33-35 mpg, although if we're all highway we get close to 40 mpg). It's more powerful than the previous Civics, and has tons of room.

We totally recommend it.

Honda Civic

What about a Chevy Equinox? That is what I'm planning to get when (if) I sell my car.

I have a Honda right now. Adam drives a Toyota and we used to have a Subaru. All have been very dependable. We tend to buy a car and drive it forever and I would recommend any of them after years of driving them.

My brother and my sister in law have Subaru's (Forrester and a Legacy) I've driven them both extensively and they're great and fun to drive, but my only complaint is in the gas milage. They both seemed to be total gas hogs for some reason. Of course they were both pretty fast, had AWD, and tons of torque so maybe that was it....

The first car that came to mind is the Honda Element it is a fantastic vehicle, drives incredibly well, very tight turning radius, good sound system, the odd doors in the back give you an enormous opening to toss gear in.

Another three suggestions that no one has made so far.

The first and it will be suprising... Saturn Vue Green Line. Yes it's a Saturn, but that's a GM which happens to be the same parent company of Volvo. The build quality has gone up in recent years and the ratings are really quite good. It's a solid SUV that fits your needs with a reasonable price point.

The other suggesion is the Mazda CX-7. It's a pretty good looking vehicle, uses a proven reliable engine, and it's another well rated vehicle.

And as a regular car suggestion the Ford Fusion is a fantastic drive, and with the optional 4wd it is going to be good in all sorts of conditions. Give it a try, I think you'll like it.

I guess I should chime in here since my day job is for the company that makes two of the recommended vehicles.

Another plus for the Prius is that you can get 2.9% financing on it in most areas of the country now.

I also had a Scion xB when they first came out. My wife and I leased if through a company we had at the time. I absolutely loves that car. It was sporty, nimble and you can fit a ton of stuff in it. Another plus is that it was easy for the kids to get in and out of because of it's height from the ground and large doors. It looks small but has tons of room inside.

A new version of the xB is coming this summer and I'm seriously considering ordering one. The new version is a bit longer and has a larger engine than the current version.

Sean

I also highly recommend getting the Consumer Reports auto guide. I think it's this month's issue. You can get it anywhere that sells magazine. But even more useful, sign up for their online membership! It's only $4.95 per month (monthly basis) or like $24 for the year. We rely on it a ton. And not only do you see what's shown in the magazines, you can see previous magazines, AND reviews from current users!

We bought the online subscrip when we bought our house and purchase all of the major appliances, and have been continuously using it ever since

subaru outback/wrx
they're awesome, if you like station wagons



I know you guys don't want to buy new new, but theres a new VW SUV thats coming and looks awesome, and I can't stand most VW's.


http://www.tiguan.nl/passage/personal/goer...C5?OpenDocument

Toyota FJ Cruiser...no regrets so far!

I'm jealous.

Don't get a Rav 4, by the way. Great car, but no so great for tall peeps.

We're not actually opposed to "new new" this time around...especially if the car is one that holds its value well. From what I've seen on the sites Brady listed (http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/CTOintroController), it would be silly to buy a Subaru off the lot b/c they all depreciate $5-6K in the first year. Comparitively, the Toyotas and Hondas only depreciate by about $3K. Sure, you lose some when you drive it off the lot, but at least you know you're the only one who's owned it.

After all these wonderful recommendations, I've come up with a few cars that I think we'll test drive. Let me know if you think I'm missing a "must-have" that meets our requirements:

Honda--Civic, Element
Toyota--Prius, Scion xB
Subaru--Outback Sport/wrx

I think that the mpg on the Subarus might be to low, but they would be nice for mountainous Pacific NW roads and our recently unpredictable weather! Hey--anybody out there own a CRV? Thoughts?

Thanks, everybody! I was hoping that you guys would repsond even though I didn't ask a photo question.
Airika



looks like a sweet car...gas hog? or no?



Being tall isn't bad, except for finding clothes that don't make me look like I'm wearing a midrift with highwaters!

Thanks for the Rav 4 heads up.

I meant to mention the Honda Element. That car is AMAZING for storage, value, and utility. The folding seats make it incredibly useful.

Don't worry about depreciation. Depreciation is totally overrated because if you keep your vehicle as long as you should -- like 6-7 years minimum -- it won't matter anyway...

Just my .154 yuan of course.

Edit: I forgot to say Good Luck!

One of my best friends in college had a CRV, we had some great times in the car, but personally I wasn't a huge fan. I just didn't really like the way that it drove, but I'm sure you'll find people who say otherwise. Plus, Honda redesigned it, so it might be way better now.



The Cruiser gets around 20 mpg. We actually just test drove one this weekend, and I really liked it, but Katie wasn't a huge fan. I think it was a bit too "maucho" for her. I liked it though!

Interesting...it would probably be too "macho" for me too then...I'm more of a city than a country girl, although my husband (who loves fishing and grew up in North Carolina) would be thrilled with a truck, jeep, or just about anything considered "macho!"

+1 on the square back car. That is what I am craving! Plus it just looks like a photographer's car. (plus Zack has one an d Zack is cooool!)

Gerald was drooling over a jeep the other day when we were picking up seabass from the vet. You might let him get al old klunker to play with and a daily driver for you.

The Nissan Altima is a decent option too. My step dad is 6'4" and not flexible so it has to be a big car for him to enjoy, and he loves his altima. Very nice ride, huge trunk for gear, kinda new agey design, and decent on gas. He's trying to get my mom to get the smaller version the Sentra.

We got out of a Nissan Xterra this summer b/c we loved the vehicle but couldn't handle the gas consumption (we drive about 50, 000 km/year [over 31,000 miles] .
We were looking for a Toyota Matrix but ended up buying a Pontiac Vibe (same base unit, different trim, $3000 less].
That car has everything that you are looking for (I'm 6'4", we have 2 dogs and 2 teenage sons) except the telescoping steering wheel.

Totally worth checking out the Matrix or the Vibe.

We have an XB and love it! The gas mileage is good, and it's a lot roomier than it looks. I didn't want to have anything to do with it until I sat inside, that instantly sold me on it. It's going on 73,000 miles (in 3 years, YIKES!) and we haven't had a single problem Good luck!

Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Audi

No pun intended.

Me, me, me!

Love the CR-V. So much so that I bought 2 of them. In fact my bestfriend just bought the '07 (I test drove it yesterday) since he liked my '06 so much.

Positives:
- Drives like a car (The Element feels more like a truck)
- Seating position feels like you are in a car
- Very quiet interior & engine
- '07 gets 22-28mph
- All Wheel Drive/ ABS / Traction Control (don't need snow chains unless its really really bad) Handles snow & dirt roads very well.
- According to Honda the '07 has a telescoping steering wheel although I didn't notice.
- Something like a 1000 airbags. I think a giant pillow actually surrounds the car. =)
- Removable shelf in the rear to organize or hide your camera gear
- Has sliding rear seats so you can make more room for humans in the back seat and gear in the trunk space. Not talking about folding the seats, but the ability to slide them forward/backward to make minor adjustments based on how big the humans are and how much stuff you are carrying.
- Rear seats recline which make it nice when you are on a roadtrip with friends.
- 5 speed automatic transmission makes smooth transitions between gears that really make the ride comfortable.
- Conversation mirror allows you to see the rear seat while facing forward to hold a conversation or checking on your gear, kids etc. Works well from either front seat.

Well I can probably keep listing things but many of those apply directly to the items you mentioned.

Best of luck to you.

Subaru Outback +1
Audi + 60 - but can't afford it.

Yeah...we wish.

Thanks for all the responses, everybody! We'll let you know how it goes...

I'm a little late in the game here, but I love yakking about cars..

I had an 02 Civic. Too small for me (I'm 6'2") I traded that for an 02 WRX sedan, which I loved, but it was waaaay too fast for my own good. I also had a few mechanical issues and needed a new transmission at 60K. There were a few engineering issues with that model year (as with many cars). I now drive a Ford Explorer Sport that I really like, but I also tow a trailer on a regular basis and wanted a something a bit larger (and slower) than a WRX.

If you go the Subaru route, check out http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/
tons of great information on their regarding technical service bullitens, recalls, upgrades, etc.

Good luck on your purchase! (new cars are always exciting!)

Another late suggestion... VW Passat or Jetta wagon. My DH is 5'11" and finds our Jetta wagon a little squishy for long hauls (legroom - it's technically a compact car). Otherwse we love it, ver decent mileage (more so thatn the Passat).

Also second the Prius, that's our other car. AMAZING amount of sapce, very very comfy and oh so quiet.

The VW wagons are hard to find used... which speaks volumes. I can't ever see selling ours.

Good luck searching! Isn't it funny how you probably notice all sorts of cars on the road now that you would never have noticed before? I remember how obsessive it can become.

the fj is an amazing sport truck or what ever you want to call it. i test drove one in new hampshire on an off road course ans its so much fun to drive. my olny reason that i didnt get it is that it olny gets 19mpg happy driving