Opinions?

[DCJenn]

Well, I know that this is the place to go for opinions. We are seriously considering trading in the leased car and buying a car since the deals are so incredible. (and FYI- the rule is never allow someone who has been awake for 36 hours to negotiate anything...He got hosed on this deal- We could be making two car payments for what we're paying for a car we don't even own at the end of it all!!)



So, the plan is trade in his car and wait to trade my car in after residency is over. My car is paid for so it really doesn't factor in.



The real question is- what kind of cars do you all have- and would you purchase them again- or if you could buy a new car- what would it be and why.



Thanks-



Jenn



PS- no minivan or SUVs in my horizon, either.

jenn -

i have a very, very old car that is actually no longer made! so i can't offer you that model - however, were i to be lucky enough to purchase a new car - it would definitely be a honda civic. i have several friends and 3 family members who own a civic and they are all very, very happy with their purchase! it's reliable, not *too* expensive, and cute!

We have a Chev Suburban and Chev Silverado pickup truck. We live in the land of trucks and farmers, plus icey winter roads. So 4 x 4 is essential. I like being in a truck because there are so many trucks around here. If I were hit by one, I'd want to be in something at least the same size, otherwise your risk of serious injury goes up. If I were buying a smaller car (as opposed to a truck), I would buy a Passat 4WD wagon, or the Subaru Outback. I like 4WD, and I like ABS brakes. I also like wagons. That said, we had an old Volvo station wagon during residency that was amazing. The only problem was that it was horrible in the snow (rear wheel drive).

Well, one thing that we learned from our 60 month lease of a Chrysler is...never, never lease unless you want to pay a lot of money and have nothing at the end and NEVER ever drive a Chrysler We bought a slider when we were in PA for under 1000 and never had a problem with it...this Chrysler has cost us a MINIMUM of $1500/year...



When we buy we will be looking at some kind of van/suv so we are considering a suburban or VW Eurovan...the way things are going now..it might just be what is the best deal as long as it isn't a Chrysler....



I've heard great things about Hondas though!



Kris

[houseelf]

We're a Honda family too! We have two Civics sitting in our garage. Before our current Hondas, we owned a Honda CRX which had over 160,000 miles. I honestly can't say enough good things about these cars. Our next car will probably be another Honda too, just a bigger model. We just put new brakes and tires on my civic and we hope that we can drive it for a very long time. Going with a smaller model is cheaper for gas, insurance, tires, etc, but is a pain if you have a lot to haul. Thats my .02. Good luck!



Kelly

We have an accord and a 4 runner and they are both almost effortless. The accord is just a great driving car (and we use it for commuting in LA, the land of the hostile lane change, so when I say it can really jump out in traffic I know what I'm talking about). The 4runner is over 130k miles now and stilll our family travel car though dh says it doesn't have enough space for his beeper, badge and cup of coffee in the am.

4runners got expensive, though... if you don't have a big dog, go for a Honda!

Kaaren

I have a Honda Civic and my fiance has a Toyota 4 Runner. Both work well. We're in AZ and it's a good idea to have an SUV here. For long distances, we juse the 4 Runner. My Civic is pretty good w/gas mileage as I use it a lot being in sales. However, I would like to get a Passat or Jetta in the future...



-Rachel

Hands down the best value for the money is a Mercedes. That is if you keep your cars for a long time. I am not joking about this. Even though the up front capital expenditure is a lot higher than some, overall once you consider ongoing maintenance and repairs, they are great.



As for my hubby and I - I have an Audi A4 Quattro. LOVE IT! Will buy another Audi. Awesome warrenty (first four years of everything - oil changes, fluids, car washes, roadside assistance <which I never had to use> etc - is free), great car and great service. My hubby has a Nissan Maxima. Again, good car - but nothing is included from day one. And I don't find it as solid of a car.



Just my $0.02

We are Honda people too. We have a 1988 civic with tons of mileage and Russ just drove it to and from Michigan with absolutely no problems. It is much more reliable than our minivan. We are now looking at Honda Odyssey but, we obviously have to have more room with 4 kids.



My parents drive a Toyota Camry but miss their oldsmobile because of the smoother ride.



Good luck.



Robin

Honda Civic here! I've had it for 6 relatively trouble free years. My ONLY compliant is that it's pretty small. Wouldn't want to try to fit a couple of kids in there by any means!



Wendy