Need car suggestions

[pandabee]

Hi all, need some suggestions for a new car. Was driving a 97 Lexus ES300 that was purchased in 08 with ~60k miles. Ran perfectly fine but let's just say no longer in commission anymore. One option would be to get the same vehicle but newer model but it seems a bit out of place where I live currently (not in the city/burbs anymore).

Honestly I just have no idea where to start as I was planning on driving this car until it no longer would run which could have been another 5-6 years but unfortunately life had some other plans for me. I'd be most comfortable with a sedan or possibly mid size SUV. Preferably something with decent gas mileage. I mostly drive local but I do make several short term trips on the freeway (4 hours round trip) about once a month.

Thanks all!

 

[Dancing Fire]

A Honda Accord hybrid, Lexus ES300H or a Lexus RX450H?

 

[cflutist]

I agree with DF on the Lexus RX450h.

We bought a new 2014 earlier this year and love it so far. Very confortable and quiet ride and pretty good gas mileage for an SUV, been averaging 29 mpg overall. Consumer Reports lists it as #1 in their Most Fuel Efficient SUVs list.

Check out "Club Lexus" on the Internet. It is the PS for Lexus fanatics. Have learned very much from them. While some buy new like we did, there are many that purchase CPO (Certified Pre-Owned). And like PS, they talk about what a fair price should be.

 

[pandabee]

Thanks...will check that out. Very much open to either used or CPO.

 

[PintoBean]

i just adore my prius. It's even more awesome in the winter when i don't have to step out and pump gas as much as I would with my husband's Corolla.

 

[ladypirate]

I drive a 2003 VW Jetta TDI Wagon--it gets ~50 miles to the gallon and runs great, even with well over 100,000 miles on it.

 

[cflutist]

i just adore my prius. It's even more awesome in the winter when i don't have to step out and pump gas as much as I would with my husband's Corolla.

Doesn't it get about 50 mpg? That's awesome.
As a passenger I find myself looking at the display to see when we are engaging the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) versus when we are using the front and rear traction motors (we have AWD), and how much battery we have charged and/or using.
What's really weird is how the car shuts off at stop lights/signs and is dead quiet. They have some fake electronic noise when you start up again so that people know you are around them.

 

[msop04]

I've had really good luck with my Infiniti G35. I have a coupe, but the sedans are really nice too! I've had mine since 2005 and have never done anything other than routine maintenance (oil change, tires, brakes) -- 190K miles and still kickin'!! I'm very hard on cars, so I am very pleased with how good this one has been. One of my best friends has the 2003 G35 sedan, and it's like new!

That said, our next car will probably be a Lexus IS -- I like that it's a sedan, but it's also very sporty! Ya can't really go wrong with the "big 3" -- Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti... they're just built to run a really long time with fewer problems than a lot of the others.

Excited for you -- let us know what you decide!

 

[pandabee]

Yeah I think I would be safe with something in any one of the "big 3" families, as you call them msop. I think I remember seeing ads for the IS and thinking it looked pretty sleek.

One thing I forgot to mention- it is fairly hilly where I live and when it gets to winter, the roads aren't always prepped for snow like they were in the city. I did fine with the ES but I wonder if I should get something with 4 wheel drive?

 

[Dancing Fire]

I've had really good luck with my Infiniti G35. I have a coupe, but the sedans are really nice too! I've had mine since 2005 and have never done anything other than routine maintenance (oil change, tires, brakes) -- 190K miles and still kickin'!! I'm very hard on cars, so I am very pleased with how good this one has been. One of my best friends has the 2003 G35 sedan, and it's like new!

That said, our next car will probably be a Lexus IS -- I like that it's a sedan, but it's also very sporty! Ya can't really go wrong with the "big 3" -- Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti... they're just built to run a really long time with fewer problems than a lot of the others.

Excited for you -- let us know what you decide!

My wife loves her IS 350 but a little too small for me. I love my LS 430 sedan b/c it is heavy and feel so smooth at 90+ MPH...

 

[jaysonsmom]

I totally second anyone who suggested a Lexus. I just switched from a Lexus 2004 RX330 to a 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, and I miss my Lexus RX so much! The size was great, not too big of an SUV, there were no problems with that car in my 10 years of driving, and Lexus service just cannot be beat. Reason I didn't get another Lexus? Because their 7 seater GX doesn't come in a hybrid or diesel. I needed a 7+ seater vehicle that is also fuel efficient.

 

[cflutist]

Yeah I think I would be safe with something in any one of the "big 3" families, as you call them msop. I think I remember seeing ads for the IS and thinking it looked pretty sleek.

One thing I forgot to mention- it is fairly hilly where I live and when it gets to winter, the roads aren't always prepped for snow like they were in the city. I did fine with the ES but I wonder if I should get something with 4 wheel drive?

The Lexus RX450h has a Hybrid Snow Mode. Here is a video showing an RX driving in the snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eamsQSvkUU

We have also learned that by running the car in Hybrid Snow Mode on dry payment, that your mileage increases. Don't ask me the technical reasons why but they talk about it over there on the Club Lexus 3RX (Third Generation RX) forums.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Yeah I think I would be safe with something in any one of the "big 3" families, as you call them msop. I think I remember seeing ads for the IS and thinking it looked pretty sleek.

One thing I forgot to mention- it is fairly hilly where I live and when it gets to winter, the roads aren't always prepped for snow like they were in the city. I did fine with the ES but I wonder if I should get something with 4 wheel drive?

The Lexus RX450h has a Hybrid Snow Mode. Here is a video showing an RX driving in the snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eamsQSvkUU

Beautiful ride!..I had the pleasure of driving the car for one day as a loaner.

 

[SB621]

I love my Volvo XC60, it is a perfect small/ mid size SUV. It has power, drives smooth and I love that Volvo's last forever!

 

[chemgirl]

Go diesel!

In my opinion diesel is fantastic. Much better mileage than a gas vehicle and loads of torque.

Recently purchased a Mercedes GLK diesel and love love love it. Great size for us as its an SUV, but its not huge.

 

[asscher_girl]

I'm on my 3rd Acura and I love them. They are super low maintenance and last forever. My 2007 RDX (bought in 2010 as a CPO) still looks amazing and is running great. It only has 74K miles on it though, I don't drive all that much. I'd like to get a new car because I'm getting bored with mine but since it's in great condition, there's not really a need to trade up just yet. I had a 2004 TL before the RDX and loved that one too.

I will probably stick to another Acura next time, unless I jump over to one of my dream cars: either a Porsche Carrerra 911 or a Tesla (waiting till 2017 when the smaller model comes out)

 

[luv2sparkle]

This is where my frugal side comes out. I love cars, but I just can't spend 50K on one. I do like whatever I get to have all the bells and whistles though. We try to keep ours until they flat cant be fixed anymore, or I just can't flat stand the thing anymore. This is where we are right now. As soon as they come out, we are buying two. 1) A 2015 prius 4. The milage is going up to 55 per gallon (reportedly). I would like to have 1 high milage car. Hubby drives about 60 miles to work, 10 times a month plus overtime. 2) a 2015 Outback Limited.
My son loves to snowboard and so we take him a few times a year. Not worrying about weather is an awesome thing for me. It will be our first subaru, but when we lived in the mountains we would see them coming up our hilly street plowing through a foot of snow with no problem at all (as we were trying to shovel out!). Both will be a little over 30K each. Both have excellent repair ratings, so they fit my parameters. Now if we could just agree on colors.

I did test drive a Subaru sti, and oh my gosh did I love that car. My boys all were drooling over it. I would love to have it, if for no other reason than to make my boys crazy. There is something fun to me about mom driving a car they would love to have after all these years of driving a mini van. I'm evil like that.

 

[pandabee]

I have toyed with the idea of getting a Prius, and I will admit I don't know all that much about everything involved with it, but based on conversations with my dad I don't know that I think the trade off is quite even yet in terms of money saved from fuel vs. what you pay for it up front. My old roommate has one though and I know she loves it. I will obviously do some more research of my own, and I hope that the 2015 models and future continue to improve though. That said, I am not in the market for a brand new car because that is just how my frugal side is too luv2sparkle

My mom has a RX300 that I have driven a handful of times. It drives nicely and I could probably get used to the size, but I think that would still feel too ~big~ for me now. Maybe in several years when we have kids that can be my mom-mobile Do any other Lexus owners know how the 400 compares sizewise though? From the pics I have seen it seems to be a bit smaller on the back end and more streamlined so if so that would be nice. However, while I did love my Lexus, I kind of mentioned earlier that I am hesitant to get another one and think maybe I should take this opportunity to "downgrade" to something that doesn't make me stick out like a sore thumb with my luxury vehicle in the small country town. I do agree that the dealerships had great service but there aren't any down here where I live anyway. True first world problems I suppose haha.

Along the same family though, my dad has been suggesting a Toyota Camry but V6? That would make it run essentially the same as a Lexus then he says. Thoughts on that?

Thanks everyone for all the other suggestions...doing some research on all the models suggested. Truth be told, I didn't even know diesel was an option for "normal people" cars! I thought that was just for semi trucks haha. Shows how much I know about cars!!

 

[TooPatient]

I love our Mazda CX5. It is a great mid-size (small?) SUV crossover sort of thing. Holds 5 people. Does great in snow/ice (even the 2-wheel drive -- we actually ordered special and waited a couple of months because DH didn't want the AWD.) and also in rain or dry pavement. So long as you keep up on oil changes (don't wait more than a couple thousand miles past time to change) it does just fine with hills.
We get something like 28-30 mpg in our day to day driving (in traffic stop/go most of the time) and a bit better than that on freeway trips. I'm told the newer model (ours is 2013) gets a bit better mileage and there is a diesel version that should be here soon (or just got here this year?).

It carries as much as our CX7 did (which is to say I can shove lumber in it or a dishwasher or a water heater) but is smaller outside so easier to park. Still extremely high safety rating (best of 2013 if I remember correctly).

The CX7 should be available used all over the place. My only recommendation there would be to NOT get the 2007 model year as that was the first and there were some issues. The turbo charger just added to the problems...
(Oh.... and the CX7 got about 16 mpg )


My grandparents are loving their new Subaru Forester. Looks great. They got it to replace an Outback.

 

[zoebartlett]

I have toyed with the idea of getting a Prius, and I will admit I don't know all that much about everything involved with it, but based on conversations with my dad I don't know that I think the trade off is quite even yet in terms of money saved from fuel vs. what you pay for it up front. My old roommate has one though and I know she loves it. I will obviously do some more research of my own, and I hope that the 2015 models and future continue to improve though. That said, I am not in the market for a brand new car because that is just how my frugal side is too luv2sparkle

My mom has a RX300 that I have driven a handful of times. It drives nicely and I could probably get used to the size, but I think that would still feel too ~big~ for me now. Maybe in several years when we have kids that can be my mom-mobile Do any other Lexus owners know how the 400 compares sizewise though? From the pics I have seen it seems to be a bit smaller on the back end and more streamlined so if so that would be nice. However, while I did love my Lexus, I kind of mentioned earlier that I am hesitant to get another one and think maybe I should take this opportunity to "downgrade" to something that doesn't make me stick out like a sore thumb with my luxury vehicle in the small country town. I do agree that the dealerships had great service but there aren't any down here where I live anyway. True first world problems I suppose haha.

Along the same family though, my dad has been suggesting a Toyota Camry but V6? That would make it run essentially the same as a Lexus then he says. Thoughts on that?


Thanks everyone for all the other suggestions...doing some research on all the models suggested. Truth be told, I didn't even know diesel was an option for "normal people" cars! I thought that was just for semi trucks haha. Shows how much I know about cars!!

My husband has a Prius, Pandabee, and we've talked about that a few times. It is a bit much for me to justify paying, but he didn't mind. He loves his car, but the tank is smaller so he still fills up every week or so if he uses his car often. I don't think that was something he expected. He thought he's be able to go weeks and weeks before needing to fill up. He does spend less than I do to fill up my Corolla but it's because his tank is smaller than mine. He works from home now, so he doesn't take his car out as much as when he first bought the car and had a longer commute.

 

[cflutist]

The Lexus RX450h (hybrid) has a 17.1 gal fuel tank (driving range approx. 450 miles per the computer display each time we fill up) while the RX350 (non-hybrid) has a 19.1 gal tank.

 

[msop04]

The Lexus RX450h (hybrid) has a 17.1 gal fuel tank (driving range approx. 450 miles per the computer display each time we fill up) while the RX350 (non-hybrid) has a 19.1 gal tank.

WOW! That's amazing gas mileage -- for both!!

 

[msop04]

I've had really good luck with my Infiniti G35. I have a coupe, but the sedans are really nice too! I've had mine since 2005 and have never done anything other than routine maintenance (oil change, tires, brakes) -- 190K miles and still kickin'!! I'm very hard on cars, so I am very pleased with how good this one has been. One of my best friends has the 2003 G35 sedan, and it's like new!

That said, our next car will probably be a Lexus IS -- I like that it's a sedan, but it's also very sporty! Ya can't really go wrong with the "big 3" -- Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti... they're just built to run a really long time with fewer problems than a lot of the others.

Excited for you -- let us know what you decide!

My wife loves her IS 350 but a little too small for me. I love my LS 430 sedan b/c it is heavy and feel so smooth at 90+ MPH...

The LS series is very nice -- DH's dad drives one (LS 400?? it's an older car) and it's amazingly smooth and can get away with you if you don't pay attention!

The only Lexus that I've ever ridden in/driven that I didn't care for was the little 2-seater convertable (SC, I think?)... DH's mom has one and it will beat you to death on a bumpy road -- don't know if that's just the nature of the beast (tiny car, low to the ground) or what, but... The again, it could just be her car.

 

[April20]

I'm rather frugal when it comes to cars. I work at home and live in the city, so I don't drive long distances or that often. And I try to get my husband to drive his truck whenever possible. I love being a passenger. If I had a long commute, I would probably be more inclined to get a "nicer" car. At any rate, I got a 2013 Hyundai Sonata this year. It was a year old with 5700 miles when I bought it. I love it. It's a great car. Comfortable and gets good gas mileage. I fill up once every 2-3 weeks. Granted, as I mentioned before, I don't drive much. BUT, when I drove to see my family a few months back I got about 32/mpg on the freeway. It gets way better mileage than the SUV I used to have.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I have a 2014 Lexus ES350 and really love it! I had a 2007 Lexus ES350 that I traded in on it and had no trouble with it either. The 2014 was the new style and my husband brought it home as a loaner during service. We both loved it and they gave us a great deal trading in a Lexus with low mileage. I fortunately don't put a lot of miles on a car so hopefully this one will last long into retirement (which isn't for about five years).

 

[cflutist]

I have a 2014 Lexus ES350 and really love it! I had a 2007 Lexus ES350 that I traded in on it and had no trouble with it either. The 2014 was the new style and my husband brought it home as a loaner during service. We both loved it and they gave us a great deal trading in a Lexus with low mileage. I fortunately don't put a lot of miles on a car so hopefully this one will last long into retirement (which isn't for about five years).

Congrats on your car. I wonder if they give you loaners so that you continue to buy the Lexus brand.
The ES350 is a slick looking car. What color did you get?
We have to take our RX450h in next month for its first complimentary service.

 

[misskittycat]

I love my Volvo XC60, it is a perfect small/ mid size SUV. It has power, drives smooth and I love that Volvo's last forever!

We have a Volvo XC70. It's brilliant. I adore the ride and the fuel efficiency of the diesel is fantastic. I do, however, come from a family of Volvo drivers - my parents have had 4!!

 

[redwood66]

I seem to be the only one with a Subaru here. Bought a new 2013 Crosstrek last year and am so happy with it. 30 city and 34 highway. Best winter driving vehicle I have ever owned. In fact people tease around here that Subaru is the state car.

ETA looks like luv2sparkle has a couple.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I have a 2014 Lexus ES350 and really love it! I had a 2007 Lexus ES350 that I traded in on it and had no trouble with it either. The 2014 was the new style and my husband brought it home as a loaner during service. We both loved it and they gave us a great deal trading in a Lexus with low mileage. I fortunately don't put a lot of miles on a car so hopefully this one will last long into retirement (which isn't for about five years).

Congrats MGR! beautiful car!...about two month ago I drove a brand new loaner car with 5 miles on the OD , love it!

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

I have a 2014 mazda CX5 grand touring AWD. It's not a luxury brand but it is extremely well equipped for the price. I'm averaging 26MPG combined. I love it!!!