Wife needs a new car help me pick!

[AUDIOGUY]

A little more info.

No kids yet, but working on that... most likely in 2010.

Mike wanted to know why the high HP cars... well because I get to
drive it too. Our Envoy has 275 now so that is the range I would like to stay in.. wife agrees.

We dont need the 4x4 but it is nice to have for the 1 snow storm per year we get in NJ. Wife prefers all wheel drive by the way.

Cargo capacity, need enough to go to Lowes on weekends and the occasional Upstate New York trip to visit wifes family.

And my original list was wife approved. She likes all of the cars on it... I merely rattled off suggestions.

I believe at this point, she is pretty set on the X3... plus BMW has .9% financing right now! Not bad at all.

Thanks for the help. It is cool to see everyones different suggestions.

[nola911]

The boxster forum is turning green!

Sportscar forum is the last place I thought people would be jumoing on the low HP bandwagon. You want to talk practical and money saving practices, dont keep sports cars in your garage for once a week use.

Why have high HP? Because it's faster, safer for merging, more fun, more capable.
Why have AWD? Same reasons
Why have a large SUV? 99% of the time, in my wife's 7 seater, its her and the 1 year old baby... sure they can fit in a miata, but a miata can't tow my 21 ft boat (yesterday) or drive 7 people for 60 miles to dinner (last night). Or fit 5 palm trees in the back (this morning at lowes).

Not everyone wants a little wussy slow car that can be crushed every time they are in accident... And I dont buy the safer because it's nimble BS.

I own one of the smallest, best braking and handling cars on the road and believe me when I say I am MUCH safer in any of my 3 large 4wd SUVs. You can only dodge situations that you have control over. Someone running a red light in a large truck would have a much easier time crushing a car than a SUV.

I do agree that a large Sedan is a nice way to go to.. Mercedes E or S and Lexus ES and LS are all incredible cars and are large enough to be safe in a good accident... I was in a highspeed 8 car pileup in an eclass that gave me loads of confidence in mercedes safety.

[Darkhamr]

I agree with Nola. Buying vehicles is a personal preference and should be your choice. I'd only ask for opinions on service and reliability based on others experience.

On another note I find it humorous how nearly everyone has turned 'automotive green' in such a short time. I do drive a 30+mpg vehicle for the boring commute to work everyday, but also own a SUV and my Boxster for everything else. I still need my cars to make me smile when I drive it not just save me a little gas.

[fatmike]

"On another note I find it humorous how nearly everyone has turned 'automotive green' in such a short time. I do drive a 30+mpg vehicle for the boring commute to work everyday, but also own a SUV and my Boxster for everything else. I still need my cars to make me smile when I drive it not just save me a little gas."


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My Boxster is a daily driver. The '09 S gets over 30 MPG on the highway, which is amazing for a Porsche with over 300 HP (oh, and it has its engine in the right place).

[r9i8c7k]

Go for 2004-2005 Infiniti G35...you can get one with around 22K miles on it fully loaded. Sporty and reliable....

[myfirstporsche]

Lexus 250..... what a blast to drive. The BMW X3 or X5 are fun as well. My friend is a BMW tech and owns the X5 and said iths little problems.

[nola911]

Originally Posted by myfirstporsche

Lexus 250..... what a blast to drive. The BMW X3 or X5 are fun as well. My friend is a BMW tech and owns the X5 and said iths little problems.

Yeah the 250 is fun, but will not suffice for a blossoming family, which is why we sold ours. However, it rode like a toyota, not like a lexus. The 350 is even more fun.

I disagree on the x3 and x5 being fun... I took one of each home for a day before I bought my touareg. they were very not fun and the interiors in both cars were falling apart straight off the showroom floor. I expected much more from BWM.

Let me throw in another suggestion if you are buying newer and under warranty and selling before warranty ends.. Lr3 and range rover sport. I had a discovery and a range rover and absolutely loved both trucks. The problem with LR is that half of them have catastrophic electrical problems that drive you crazy. If you have a third car, you find that the amazing ride and comfort make these problems worth the hassle.

I will also say that the gx470 is one of the most comfortable cars we have owned, but I equate it to minivan status... a place that most don't want to go until they are forced to.

[Jeph]

I say, if 25k is your cap, look for a vehicle that's 15k. Here are the benefits to that. (Ignore this if your cap is higher than 25k and this is your reduced number.)

A) You save money! It's something I've just started doing and I feel so grown-up!
B) You can get more for your money. You're limited on the Cayennes, but the world is your oyster in the range of CRVs.
C) We all tend to creep up over our limits and caps anyway.

See if this list would appeal to her:
~03 CRV or Pilot
~03 Highlander or 4-Runner
~03 Infiniti QX4 or Nissan Pathfinder
~04 3-Series (awd)
~04 Acura TSX or TL

Then you can spend the extra money you save on flowers and date nights -and she won't even care that it's less of a car.

Regardless of my advice on the finance part of it, I'd go for the Honda Pilot.