Help me pick out a car

[whammoed]

Looking for:
5door/hatchback
close to 30mpg
Under $19,000
Power windows/locks
alloy wheels
cruise control
ABS
relatively safe (i'll have the kids in there from time to time)

So, what do you suggest to fit the bill?

[GGKoul]

Buying a new car is the worst investment.  I would buy car thats a couple of years old.  For that price and what your looking for.  I suggest a 1997-2000 Volvo V90 Wagen.  I have a 1998 Volvo S70 and its a tank.  I feel very safe driving it and it's very reilable.  I'm had no issues with mine for the past 4 years.

[danny_galaga]

i heartily recommend the BMW 4wd

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Orange!

[JoyMonkey]

I'm extra-ordinarily cheap, so I'd get a 2002/2003 Ford Focus ZX5 hatchback. You should be able to pick one up in great condition for about $8,500 and they get 26mpg. Next time I buy a car this is probably what I'd go for.

[Harry Potter]

i heartily recommend the BMW 4wd

I thought Drew's beamer was blue.

[rerstad]

Toyota Prius.

[JoyMonkey]

Speaking of Toyota, I think a Matrix would fit your description pretty well. You could even get a brand new 4wd model for under $19,000.

[Shape D.]

Buying a new car is the worst investment.  I would buy car thats a couple of years old.  For that price and what your looking for.  I suggest a 1997-2000 Volvo V90 Wagen.  I have a 1998 Volvo S70 and its a tank.  I feel very safe driving it and it's very reilable.  I'm had no issues with mine for the past 4 years.

I would agree with this statement. My wife baught a 2003
 buick last year for about $7000 less than it would have costed a year before.

[clanggedin]

I work at a dealership and If you can find a Prius that is used then get that. We sold a 2003 Prius w/GPS and only 44K for about $14K. We also had a Honda Civic Hybrid for 16K.

JD Powers rated Hyundai as reliable as Toyota and Honda. You could get a 2004 Sonata GLS with 15K miles for around $12-13K. Thats all with all power options, alloy wheels and power moonroof.

The Malibu Maxx would be another goos vehicle, you get all power and DVD with that one. You'd could probably buy one new for under $19K

[whammoed]

Yes, I am not against a used car and did not specify it had to be new.  I am open to all suggestions.  I will check into whats been suggested so far.

thanks

[Stingray]

I wonder if anyone can pinpoint the exact moment that station wagons became "five door hatchbacks". Ah marketing.

-S

[TOK]

I'd go for the Mazda 6 hatchback, mainly because it doesn't look like a hatchback!
I keep my cars/trucks until they die, maintain them myself so they last, and don't consider a new one a bad investment. I'd hate to buy a newer used car then discover it has some nightmarish problem that is what caused the previous seller to dump it.

[missioncontrol]

I wonder if anyone can pinpoint the exact moment that station wagons became "five door hatchbacks". Ah marketing.

-S

so does this mean the wifes 91 Buick Roadmaster is now a "five door extended hatchback with roomy interior"?

[whammoed]

The "wagon" name got a real bad rep in the 80s with the ugly designs and faux wood paneling.
I actually want the big back end and not just a hatchback so it has more cargo room so that particular mazda is a no go for me.

[Sephroth57]

I wonder if anyone can pinpoint the exact moment that station wagons became "five door hatchbacks". Ah marketing.

-S

so does this mean the wifes 91 Buick Roadmaster is now a "five door extended hatchback with roomy interior"?

holy crap thats a boat!!! and you let a girl drive that... damn i think i would be afraid to drive something to large. im used to my agile little sports cars

[Stingray]

That's not a boat, this is a boat:



1972 AMC Ambassador Five Door Hatchback. Bet you could get a cherry deal on one of those.

Okay I'll stop. Seriously, sombody suggested the Focus. I went and test drove an SVT Focus not long ago. Saw a few of the wagon (or five door if you prefer) version while I was there.  Not a bad little car for the money, I thought.

-S

[DrewKaree]

I thought Drew's beamer was blue.

No, you're thinking of when I got a Hummer.....and it TURNED blue......it all worked out in the end 
After that, I had to change my plates from W4NK3R....sigh



Now, back to the topic at hand.

Mazda Protoge Wagon.  It fits all your criteria....that "big back end" comment was about the car, right?  Otherwise the wife is gonna need a new frying pan after her skillful application of it to yer skull! 

[whammoed]

[quote author=DrewKaree link=topic=31146.msg264104#msg264104 that "big back end" comment was about the car, right?

[krick]

Looking for:
Power windows/locks
ABS

Personally, I will never buy a car with power windows or locks.  They just don't last.  Every one I know with power windows has had them stick up/down and had one or more of their power locks fail.

I'm also against ABS.  I think that for people who know how to use their breaks properly, ABS is dangerous.  ABS only works properly when you jam on the breaks and hold it.  I learned to drive in the days before ABS and I know how to feather the breaks to get the optimal stopping results.  I drove that way on a car with ABS and nearly had an accident.

But other than that, get a Toyota or Honda.  Everything else is junk.

[SOAPboy]

Looking for:
Power windows/locks
ABS

Personally, I will never buy a car with power windows or locks.

[danny_galaga]

Looking for:
Power windows/locks
ABS

Personally, I will never buy a car with power windows or locks.

[krick]

i wont ever buy a car without at LEAST power locks.. windows are no big deal, but locks, pfft, i want my keyless, and not have to lean over to unlock a door for someone..

Dude, chicks dig it when you unlock and open the door for them on the passenger side first before you walk around and open your side.

You can't really be chivalrous with power locks.

[clanggedin]

You could get a Ford Taurus Wagon, but I think you would be better suited in a Mazda 6 or Mazda 3 hatch back. They are fun to drive!

[SirPoonga]

Speaking of Toyota, I think a Matrix would fit your description pretty well. You could even get a brand new 4wd model for under $19,000.

Oh hell no.  You don't want a corolla awd.  I mean, why put 140hp on awd.  Awd requires power to make it effective.    I wish they could have made the celica engine version awd!

I suggest looking at Ford Focus.  Especially the new ones.  As of last year I think Ford put the Protoge engine in the Focus.  It's a pretty nice car.

I would like to get an AWD car myself.  For the US that pretty much limits you to Suburu and Audii/Volkwagon.  If I could get my hands on a Mitsubishi vr4....

Now, where do you live?  Is rear wheel drive out of the question for you?  For me I don't even want to look at rear wheel since I want something that handles in the snow.

[Ravant]

I'm not sure it fits the hatchback, but you can get a 4-door Chevrolet Cobalt LT for just under $17,000 that gets about 29 MPG according to Car and Driver Magazine. The only brand of car I recommend staying away from are any brand cars that are controlled by Ford Motor Company, in light of their recent recalls that even effected their supposedly perfect Ford GT.

[maraxle]

I'd go for the Mazda6 Hatchback or Wagon, or the Mazda3 Hatchback.  I traded my POS 2000 Volkswagen Jetta in on a new Mazda6 4-door back in December, and it's a great car.  This is the second Mazda I've owned (the other was a 1993 Mazda 626), and both have been excellent.

As a side note, I'd recommend AGAINST anything Volkswagen (at least post-1999).  Mine was by far the worst car I've ever owned.  My girlfriend's '02 New Beetle is nearly as bad, although she hasn't had any $1000-plus repair months like mine occasionally had (all with less than 45k miles on it...)  Check out www.myvwlemon.com for plenty of other horror stories.

[Trenchbroom]

Always been a big fan of Mazda myself.  If you don't have to buy a car immediately you might want to check out the Mazda5 when they come out this summer.  Sort of a mini minivan, based on the 3 platform, seats six and supposedly doesn't feel like a van.  Supposed to sell for under $18000 base:

[krick]

[quote author=SirPoonga link=topic=31146.msg264224#msg264224
I suggest looking at Ford Focus.

[Sephroth57]

lmao, i wish i got 25MPG

i get about 18 MPG if i drive normal... the downfall to 660cc fuel injectors and a 255lph fuel pump setup =P

[GGKoul]

I'd go for the Mazda6 Hatchback or Wagon, or the Mazda3 Hatchback.

[Bones]

This seems like a sensible choice however the speedo needs some work as it tops out about 80 mile less than it should. (This can be fixed later with some mild mods).

Otherwise this seems to fit your criteria well.

[Sephroth57]

lol, i would so drive one of those if i could find one

[patrickl]

I wonder if anyone can pinpoint the exact moment that station wagons became "five door hatchbacks". Ah marketing.

-S

A stationwagon and a hatchback are really different (mybe subtle but still). Both also different from the coupe and sedan models.
A hatchback is basically a car with big boot lid (car end is sloped) where a station wagon has the roofline run high till the end (car end is more or less straight down). For instance the new C4 will be available both as hatchback (berline) and stationwagon (break) in half a year or something.

I know the difference because my wife is looking for a car and all the hatchback models we saw were too small, so she needs a stationwagon.

Actually they recently added the (mini) MPV to

[Gunstar Hero]

This seems like a sensible choice however the speedo needs some work as it tops out about 80 mile less than it should. (This can be fixed later with some mild mods).

Otherwise this seems to fit your criteria well.

Plus when that baby hits 88 miles per hour you're gonna see some serious s@#t. 

[krick]

A hatchback is basically a car with big boot lid (car end is sloped) where a station wagon has the roofline run high till the end (car end is more or less straight down).

Ok... using that logic, these are station wagons

[missioncontrol]

You could get a Ford Taurus Wagon, but I think you would be better suited in a Mazda 6 or Mazda 3 hatch back. They are fun to drive!

The Ford Taurus Wagon is a reliable car, the Wife had one of those before I got her the Buick Roadmaster we had over 200,000 miles on it when we sold it. We had very few problems with it.

and beleive it or not it was fun to drive. I had the speedometer pegged out many times on the interstate 

[patrickl]

A hatchback is basically a car with big boot lid (car end is sloped) where a station wagon has the roofline run high till the end (car end is more or less straight down).

Ok... using that logic, these are station wagons

[SOAPboy]

i wont ever buy a car without at LEAST power locks.. windows are no big deal, but locks, pfft, i want my keyless, and not have to lean over to unlock a door for someone..

Dude, chicks dig it when you unlock and open the door for them on the passenger side first before you walk around and open your side.

You can't really be chivalrous with power locks.

so 

[DrewKaree]

Dude, chicks dig it when you unlock and open the door for them on the passenger side first before you walk around and open your side.

You can't really be chivalrous with power locks.

so 

He IS being chivalrous to his girlfriend 

He's making less work for his "girlfriend" by only requireing "her" to push a button when opening the other door