Help me choose a car

[Anonymous]

Love my Acura MDX. It’s a 2010 no problems. Has almost 100,000 miles. I bought it pre-owned with all the service records (oil changes and regular maintenance). I’m getting tires this summer but other than that and replaced the timing belt I just get easy regular service. Drives like a dream. Way better pick up than the other options on your list (and we get drove all of them except the Santa Fe). SIl has a Santa Fe and it felt cheap. Acura takes premium gas though, so factor that in.

[Anonymous]

If you look at the highlander and the mdx, you should also look at the pilot. I love ours. 2018 model. Had a Santa Fe that I hated for being loud, needing lots of maintenance and feeling chintzy inside.

[Anonymous]

Mazda cx5? Very high safety ratings and I believe very reliable.

[Anonymous]

I'd want to buy new. You buy a used car, you buy the car's problems. New cars, you get a few years with minimal/no added expenses. Hyundai not only has a 10 yr/100k mi warranty but many dealerships will throw in oil changes/maintenance for the first 2-3 years.

If you are going used, Volvo is the car you are looking for based on your needs. Subaru can fit the above description new but, like you, I had a bad experience and won't be buying Subaru again.

[Anonymous]

I know it's not a highly recommended maker, but my family has had great luck with Kia Soul's. We've bought both used and new and they have been reliable, needed minimal repair work and are the right size for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Subaru was not on my list because years ago we had a lemon of a 2007 Forester. It was an unreliable money pit that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’d look into newer Subarus, I guess.

No, you shouldn't.

We have a 2010 Outback and 2014 Crosstrek, and BOTH of them have had transmission failures, in addition to wheel bearing and CV axle problems.

If they weren't under warranty, the transmissions would've cost us $6,000 EACH !!!


Don't get a Subaru. They're sh!t.

We're getting a Hyundai Santa Fe.

[Anonymous]

Kia Sorrento is highly rated on many review sites and has one of the best warranty programs around. In your price range--definitely worth checking out.

[Anonymous]

Won’t a 2-3 year old MDX and Highlander be more than $30k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Won’t a 2-3 year old MDX and Highlander be more than $30k?

Yes, almost always

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not a Honda CRV?

Yes why not? Consistent top of class great reviews and a very successful redesign I think last year.

Also good mileage comparable to hybrids in the same size class.

That being said, I’m going for a Kia Niro hybrid, but that is 2WD and smaller than the CRV.

[Anonymous]

Toyota or Honda. Most reliable.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the input! It’s good to hear feedback. I think I’ll cross Nissan off the list.

I’m not opposed to CRVs, but would prefer something a little higher off the ground. I was also surprised by Kia’s good IIHS performance but worry about long term dependability. I’m leaning toward Toyota now, but we’re not in a rush.

Yeah, a Highlander or MDX would break the budget. I’d trade my house cleaning costs ($120/month) for the extra car price if I had to. This will be our only vehicle, as I would trade in or separately sell our current Toyota.

[Anonymous]

I regret buying the RAV4. It’s a great car but we bought it when the kids were little. We keep our cars for a long time and I wish we had something with a third row for carpooling. It’s even cramped to fit 3 in the back now and they often have one or more friends with us. The kids grew fast and many friends are taller than me now. It seemed like it had plenty of room when they were in preschool/early elementary. Now we are cramped.

[Anonymous]

I’m curious why you are looking at the Acura MDX (midsize) but then the compact SUV version of the others (RAV4, Rogue, etc.) What about the Acura RDX?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the input! It’s good to hear feedback. I think I’ll cross Nissan off the list.

I’m not opposed to CRVs, but would prefer something a little higher off the ground. I was also surprised by Kia’s good IIHS performance but worry about long term dependability. I’m leaning toward Toyota now, but we’re not in a rush.

Yeah, a Highlander or MDX would break the budget. I’d trade my house cleaning costs ($120/month) for the extra car price if I had to. This will be our only vehicle, as I would trade in or separately sell our current Toyota.

Isnt the Subaru Crosstrek higher off the ground? And it's in your budget.